Centre for Cross Border Studies

-Ambiguity in Architecture
-Built form as an extension of the physical and non-physical landscape of Ireland
-Exploration of the Irish Border

I am looking at the theme of ambiguity in architecture as a way to express the history and conflict of the Irish border. The border is non-physical and can be crossed with ease; this creates a sense of uncertainty of where the border lies, what happens at the border and the notion of differences between two sides- Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. In other words; the Irish border is an ambiguous middle ground. The Centre for Cross Border Studies is a charity organisation who work towards connection across the border, embracing the ambiguity and working towards unity.

My proposal is grounded by research. I began my project by conducting an in depth study of the history of Ireland from its global, national and local scale alongside my peers. This study allowed me to understand the context of Carlingford and to extract key themes to take forward into my design proposal.

Understanding the history of the conflict in Ireland and how it affected the people of Ireland on both sides of the border was key in my development of my proposal. I understood that the events in Irish history were not constrained to local level but instead has implications on a global scale as Irish people emigrated due to the events in Ireland; a global community under the Irish Diaspora.

Working from a global level to exploring both sides of the border uncovered that Carlingford is a border town in which its context is visible in the physical landscape; the Mourne Mountains lie on Northern Irish territory which can be seen from the shores of Carlingford, and Slieve Foy which stands as a backdrop of Carlingford.

The bond between the people and the landscape lead me to design a proposal which is an extension of the physical landscape.

This project has allowed me to explore how research can be an imperative tool for the background and creation of a design project. I have really enjoyed understanding the context of my site in Carlingford and its relationship to the wider context. Ambiguity in architecture can be made physical.