Reviving communities along this historic canal

This project, Stroudwater Auctions, focusses on creating new, and enhancing the experience of, existing communities along the Stroudwater Navigation canal. It draws these communities to the canal near the town centre of Stroud by creating a building for two clients, an auctioneer and the canal boats themselves. The site is designed to be an auction house with specialist workshop facilities and a canal boat workshop with moorings where boats can be viewed pre-auction. The revival of the canal is to be the beginning of a new relationship between the arts community and the UK canal and river boating community.

I was drawn to the canal after research into the town of Stroud and our group visit. I was struck by how much of the canal-side had fallen into disrepair. My vision is for this project to become a hub for the national canal boat community by providing services for repair and sales, while simultaneously bringing jobs and other economic opportunities to the people of Stroud. This is a way for the town of Stroud and the many communities it comprises to connect with the national canal boating community, and to prosper again from the canals that once shaped it.

My initial exploration of Stroudwater Navigation took place during the unit site visit in semester 1, when I made a short film focusing on the Stroud waterways. This helped me uncover the canal’s rich history and inspired me to research more into it. Having identified the canal as a key characteristic of Stroud, I chose my canal-side site. I started by mapping the UK canals and developing the briefs of my two clients, an auctioneer and canal boats. I then made sketches and digital collages to characterise the experience I wanted the users of the site to have. Following this, physical mass testing helped me to iteratively develop the design and identify the site strengths and challenges. Precedent analysis was also useful at this stage and helped me choose materials and building forms to best reflect building usage. Iterative plans and sketches followed before a final proposal came together. Physical modelling of the internal space of the auction house then helped me focus on finishes and visitor experience, including the elevated walkway. The drawings and visuals of the proposal were made using sketchup, autoCAD and Adobe programs.

On reflection, I believe this project fulfils the brief I initially set out to deliver, namely bringing working and leisure communities back to life along the canal. The project also has the potential to bring significant economic opportunities to Stroud by putting Stroudwater Navigation back on the canal map and attracting the UK canal boating community with repair and dealership services. I found physical modelling extremely useful in the design process as it allowed me to explore ideas in an iterative way and receive both positive and critical feedback which would ultimately lead me to my final proposal.