Ric Hardacre
BA (Hons) Architecture
I chose to study architecture as a mature student as it is a subject that has always interested me, and after over 20 years working in software development I was looking to change track. I’ve found that there are many crossovers between the two worlds of software- and building-development; clients with ever-shifting requirements, legal restrictions, cost estimations, project timelines, and a prototype-test-redevelop cycle. The move to the physical – sketches, models, and experiments – from the virtual has been something I’ve very much enjoyed.
My approach tends to focus on the impact that a building has on its surroundings, both physically and in terms of the connection that the users have with the building. In the project I showcase here it manifests in the material choice – local sandstone reflecting the town’s geology and heritage – and in the urban-connections that flow around, through and deep into the building.