“It’s 2025, and the pandemic is still spiralling out of control! Worldwide we have seen incessant new strains that have spread through countries and inhabited our homes. For countless families, the severe lack of jobs and welfare support inevitably meant residents were unable to pay rent, mortgages – and simply live. Homelessness is now the biggest issue we are facing as a country!”
My site is located in the heart of Canterbury city centre, where the North part of the building is within the Canterbury Cathedral grounds. I have designed a private members club for the homeless community, providing essential facilities such as shower rooms, a laundrette and each member’s personal mailbox. This space also provides workshops for members, ranging from CV writing in the I.T suite to culinary classes in the kitchen. Situated at the front of my building is a café open to the public, which generates a proportion of funding. My program focuses on exchanging skills and knowledge without the need for money. Instead, members can offer their time in return- for example, this can be helping in the café or the kitchen.
I used design software to create these drawings. For my proposed plans and sections I used AutoCAD, Adobe Illustrator and Adobe Photoshop to present my ideas and narrative. To model my site as well as my design proposal, I used Rhino which allowed me to create a 3D model to scale. This was a very important task for me, as due to covid restrictions I was unable to enter my site inside. Instead, I used the existing plans, sections and elevations to build my site, and this then allowed me to understand the interior and spatial qualities.
As a designer, I am concerned with sustainability and limiting waste. This is reflected in my proposal through several elements. The food used in the culinary classes and café will come from local supermarkets and shops, where all reduced to clear food is used rather than binned. It is important to minimise food waste, especially when there is demand elsewhere. This also allows local organisations to give back and nourish their communities. The clothing bank in my proposal will allow unwanted clothes to be available to members who require new items. On average around £140 million worth of used clothing is wasted annually! Through donations, these clothes can be reused and worn, rather than disposed of. I also considered the sustainability of my materials within my design. I chose Smile Plastics to be used across the building. Smile Plastics are made from recycled plastic packaging, such as water bottles and yoghurt pots. I like how the colours of the plastic panels reflect the different plastic packaging that has contributed to making that material.
If you would like to see my work further, feel free to access my website where you can find my full portfolio: https://rumseyr1998.wixsite.com/rebeccarumsey
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rebeccarumsey__iad/
Email: r.rumsey@hotmail.co.uk
BA (Hons) Interior Architecture & Design - Canterbury 
Rachel Carabine-Clarke | Interior Design
