The document proposes designs for new facilities for three different clients: 1) The Finnish Institute of London, with a design for a new location in Newcastle including exhibition space, function rooms, and offices to encourage social interaction. 2) A film archive in the same area, with a copper-clad building wrapping around the site and re-purposed shipping containers to achieve its unique form. 3) A visitor center for Jesmond Dene park, with a sensitive design merging building and landscape that provides an engaging experience while meeting accessibility needs.

4. The task was to design
new premises for the
Finnish Institute
[The] mission [of the
Finnish Institute of
London] is to identify
emerging issues relevant
to contemporary society
and to act as catalyst
for positive social change
through partnerships.
The Finnish Institute,
encourages new and un-
expected collaborations
and supports artistic
interventions, research,
the creative industries,
foresight and social in-
novations.
Part of the space re-
quirements included an
exhibition space, function
room, auditorium, lecture
theatre and staff of-
fices.

6. This project is based around
the hypothetical moving of
The Finnish Institute London
to Newcastle Upon Tyne.
The Finnish Institute is a
London-based private trust
whose mission is to identify
emerging issues relevant to
contemporary society and to
act as catalyst for positive
social change through part-
nerships
.
Located on the banks of the
river Tyne, the design for
the institute drew inspira-
tion from the clients focus
on interactions. The concept
of games and their powers
as social activators were
used to drive the design
process to form an exciting,
creative environment infus-
ing work and play and en-
couraging social interactions.

7. An integral part of the de-
sign process, models were
used to experiment and
inspire a unique form and
structure.
By creating an effective kit
- of parts from the brief, I
was able to minipulate the
design in real time giving
me the ability to fit space
to function and site con-
straints whilst maintaining
the designs form and over-
all composition too.
Experimental model:
Skeletal frame structure to fit clients various
needs
Concept - To expand beyond the building and engage
the wider site
Prioritised circulation to encourage interactions A range of flexible multi-purpose spaces

8. The design reaches be-
yond the site with the
help of a new green
and friendly pedestrian
bridge.
Enabling more users to
access the site its jusi-
tification came from not
just the Finnish institute
but also the development
of the rest of the site.
With part of the brief
being open to interprita-
tion and an area of the
building given for our
own ideas it was my de-
cision to create offices
for start-up sustainable
businesses.
The idea behind it being
that they would benefit
from the exposure cre-
ated by the institute and
in turn they would grow,
move out of the building
and populate the rest of
the site completing a new
green sustainable strip
along the Tyne in line the
regions aspirations of
becomming the UK's new
green capital.

11. Open plan offices
Function Room
Section East - West
Sustainable business offices and meeting spaces connected to cafe

14. The design draws from a
strong site response in-
cluding the creation of a
new route linking the lo-
cal college campus to the
city centre replacing the
old congested one with a
more pedestrian friendly
route.
Using the route the Film
Archive would benefit
from its prime placement
to engage with passing
students to inspire them
to get involved and young
visionary filmakers to
follow in the footsteps
of many of the areas
great directors.

15. The concept diving the design came from
looking into the history of the area and
the change it has undergone in recent
years from relying on old industry to
technology and digital media.
The archive attempts to merge both
together with its copper clad industrial
aesthetic and digitised form wrapping
around the site creating an intriguing
environment attracting students.
The structure complements the form and
environmental deisgn techniques using
un-used shipping containers stacked to
achieve the otherwise complex form.

18. This project called for the
design of a new vistor centre
for Jesmond Dene.
Located on a challenging site
and dealing with the issues
of listed buildings and inclu-
sive design this project re-
quired a sensitive approach.
The design merges building
with landscape creating a
dynamic approach and route
through the building that
provides both an engaging
experience whilst solving the
briefs inclusive desires.
The building form is modern
whilst respecting the aes-
thestics of the older build-
ings on the site and includes
an origional and attractive
glass facade for the cafe.

28. leedwhitelock@gmail.com
www.leewhitelock.co.uk