REFLECTION

This BEIL course provides an excellent opportunity for students to undertake in a task which they likely may not partake in often. The process of metal shaping (through the use hand tools and manual labour work) is something relatively new to most students. This course provides a new perspective and experience in designing; a concept embedded within all students of Built Environment faculty. By partaking in this BEIL course, students of a wide variety of disciplines and fields are gifted with the opportunity to collaborate and learn from each other.

Numerous processes of 'fabrication' were explored within this subject, ranging from 3D modelling, laser cutting and metal shaping, all of which are individual processes yet can be combined to create an object. This course has been successful in encouraging students think before design and to work backwards, whereby a desired effect is chosen and then a method is made. However, the beauty of the metal shaping exercises are that there is large room for trial and error, where the malleability of metal sheeting does not act as a limitation but provides areas for change and lessons to be learnt.

As an architecture student, this BEIL course has also gifted some new and interesting insights into the fabrication of building materials and concept of design. Quite similar to the design of a building or structure, a 'shape' is designed and thought is placed into how it will be constructed. The metal shaping exercises have provided the experience of thinking backwards where a look determines the method. Conversely, architecture and construction follows the opposite process. The tasks of metal shaping have also exhibit the importance of finer details and achievement of these details, a feature architects often overlook due to the working scales. Architects are constantly challenging the idea of buildability, feasibility and possibility, with their designs and ideas. Using the ideas, concepts and processes learnt from this subject, they can also be reiterated into architectural coursework in design studios and model making, allowing more complex customised shapes to be hand made where previously would be considered impossible.

With the skills and knowledge gained in the BEIL course, students of all disciplines within the Built Environment faculty can learn many beneficial skills, but more importantly thought processes and concepts which can highly improve their way of thinking. This course encourages students to develop their creativity in design, sense of problem solving but most importantly to get out there and have fun.

Curved metal architecture (Source: Frank Gehry's Guggenheim Museum Bilbao)