This week we are celebrating the work of Seni Agunpopo, a Part II Architecture student at The University of Westminster, London. Seni completed his Part I degree at Birmingham City University in 2016, after graduating he then went on to pursue an internship in Rotterdam for six months. On returning to the UK, Seni worked at Glenn Howells Architects for two and a half years, a practice dedicated to sustainability and building for the future.
Among the academic achievements and work experience, Seni is also in the process of building his own firm called STUDIOPO. With this firm he intends to incorporate architecture, tutoring, digital design and merchandise. An example of fantastic drive and ambition. Seni has just completed the first year of his Part II degree at Westminster and we are celebrating his work here on POC in Architecture, read some of Senis words to engage with his final project below.
| Project Overview
The Cloud Sanctuary rehabilitates patients suffering from eco-anxiety through passive treatment using thermal power and clouds to address emotions of sadness, fear and anger. The theme of the proposal is to slow down, in order to ground ourselves from the fast pace physical world by paying attention to clouds and changing atmosphere. Three parts complete the scheme, the first being ‘The Cloud’ itself. This is a landscape of changing atmosphere temperatures powered by geothermal energy and varying density outlets and size, ranging the levels of pressure released.
The second is ‘The Operation’ building which is modelled to mimic the turbulence of being inside of a cloud. This building is also geothermally powered so is 100% renewable, as it is important that the building does not contribute to the climate crisis. The final part which completes the scheme is the bridge which purposely forms the longest route between buildings to emphasise ‘slowing down’.
| Project Aim
My studio this academic year focused on the theme of Air, surrounding the occurrence of climate change and its affect on our present and future. This immediately brought my attention towards clouds in attempt to use geoengineering to control the Earths temperature; clouds essentially either create a greenhouse effect by trapping heat or a cooling device by reflecting the sun’s rays through albedo. My project took an interesting development to
the spiritual connection of the mind and body through clouds. The Cloud Appreciation Society, whose movement is obsessed with the nature of clouds, served as an example and client for a scheme that would use clouds to rehabilitate people suffering from the anxieties of the fast-paced world.
Find more work by Seni on his instagram feed: @seni_arxk
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