Page 24 - MODUS NEWS 02

Arca Architects
In 1998, John Lee, a former associate at Grimshaw Architects in London, formed Arca Architects, a fluid team that he tailors for each architectural project. Arca designs private, as well as public spaces, including hotels, infrastructure, art galler- ies, recreational facilities, and multi-family and single family homes.
Lee strongly believes that “designs should be intellectually satisfying,” so his work incorporates various tactile, graphic, and sensory components to truly stimulate the mind.
www.arca.co.uk
Around the middle of the 20th century, Morecambe, England was a vibrant and thriving seaside resort. With the rise of the cheap package holiday and the collapse of the manufacturing industry, however, the area suffered
a serious slowdown. Starting in the spring of 2006, the town made great strides toward reclaiming its glorious past, most notably with the restoration of the art deco styled Midland Hotel. One year later, the Lancaster City Council and its regeneration team, called “Winning Back Morecambe,” sought a landmark design to fill the open space between the sea and the promenade. Entrants were encouraged to design a small café that could redefine
an area alongside several weathered and worn seaside buildings.
After considering several different firms for the job, the council selected Arca in the fall of 2007. John Lee and his team at Arca met with local neighborhood representatives and discovered that these representatives were far from conservative in their views of the space. In fact, they
even supported ideas for unorthodox designs with a commanding presence.
Lee designed the spaces to withstand the elements. It has a steel superstructure, which is wrapped in plywood with a high R-value insulation behind the cladding material. “The stainless steel envelope wraps the space and frames views of the bay,” he explains. To accommodate the raised site, Arca created a ramp that links the café to several redesigned promenade gardens below. The team also expanded the tiered terraces toward the south, creating a protected and intimate dining space with garden views.
Lee, a Vectorworks software user since 1988, used the Vectorworks Architect program’s high-quality 3D and rendering capabilities to produce visualizations that helped the team to build a consensus among the council and the local community. When Arca changed the original material from rubber cladding to stainless steel, it was easy for all stakeholders to see the difference in the elevation drawings and approve the change. Lee’s team also typically works in 3D to better visualize their work, and this capability helped them understand the Silver Café’s more complicated geometry. “The ability to use a similar toolset for 3D work makes it easier for designers to use the 3D capabilities for communicating complex problems, or for more formal presentations,” he says.
ARCA ARCHITECTS
UNITED KINGDOM
“USING VECTORWORKS SOFTWARE’S HIGH- QUALITY 3D AND RENDERING CAPABILITIES TO PRODUCE VISUALIZATIONS, ARCA ARCHITECTS GAINED COMMUNITY SUPPORT TO CREATE AN UNORTHODOX CAFÉ WITH SPECTACULAR VIEWS.”
Silver Café
Image by ©Arca, and all photographs by Timothy Soar (©Arca)