Jiayun Liao

Reimagining Wilderness

This project is an experiential retail space for a handmade upcycled jewellery brand called CLED. CLED’s founders were inspired by the beauty of sea glass. A form of natural upcycling, where discarded fragments of glass are eroded and softened by the sea over years. CLED cherish the process and result of natural weathering, and simulate it in their jewellery.

Echoing CLEDs philosophy, my driving ethos is to celebrate the natural weathering of material. By exploring common building materials that have been weathered by natural processes, to discover the beauty of these materials that are regarded as discarded and to re-imagine their use in space.

My strategy is to use continuous materials to connect the exterior and interior spaces, where one can witness the changes caused by different natural phenomena. In the two arches which are located in Coal Drops Yard. There are two main spaces. A Display area for showcasing CLED jewellery, and a jewellery workshop to allow customers to understand the upcycled process and engage in the act of upcycling. A continuous brass railing runs throughout the whole space and connects different material moments, leading people through the shop and telling the story of weathering……

The strategy for minimising the carbon impact of this project is to extend the lifespan of the material through celebrating their weathering and patination, avoiding obsolescence and the need for constant maintenance and replacement.

Materials as the skin of a space give people visual, auditory and tangible experiences. I am interested in and focus on the materials and details for the quality of space.

Prior to studying at the RCA, I studied furniture design and manufacturing at Beijing Forestry University with an engineering degree (2016-2020). I was trained to act as a bridge between design and practice. I believe that design is a combination of science and art. I am glad that my undergraduate background gave me both the logical and knowledgeable foundation of engineering as well as the sensual, poetic aesthetic thinking.

My MA studies at the RCA gave me the opportunity to continue exploring the combination of science and design. In particular, the Interior Matter platform allowed for a deeper exploration of materials and their use in space. This year's theme of 'Carbon Drops' developed my understanding of embodied carbon and new perspectives on the longevity of materials —— the potential of weathering materials in spatial design.

Part I: Site Research—Coal Drops Yard, media item 1

Part I: Site Research—Coal Drops Yard, media item 2

Part I: Site Research—Coal Drops Yard, media item 3

The site is located in Coal Drops Yard, 10 mins walk from Kings Cross station. It is a commercial, relaxing area with a lot of visitors.

The site is a pair of connected railway arches that links CDY public square and the canal walkway on the other side. The square is urban in character, while the canal side provides pocket of nature within the city.

Matter Platform Group Work

Jiayun Liao

Yaqi Li

Chaerim Shin

Jinming Zhang

Giulia Sibilla

Material Experiment

Part II：Material Exploration, media item 2

Echoing CLED's philosophy, my driving ethos is to celebrate the natural weathering of materials.

I explored common building materials, searching for the beauty in their transformation and potential value in space design. I researched and set up experiments to simulate the various natural phenomena and how they effect different materials.

The two main areas are divided into two layers, display upstairs and the workshop in the basement. A section of the ground floor is removed to reveal the basement below and to allow people from the outside square to have a sense of the overall space. The left arch is kept open as the circulation between the square and canal. Not only open to the public, but also to nature.

Facade

Left arch - day 0

Left arch - year 5

Bridge - day 0

Bridge - year 5

Right Arch

A major design driver in this project is to use materials to tell the story of natural weathering.

As there is a distinction between interior and exterior in the two arches, my strategy is to use continuous materials to connect the exterior and interior spaces, where one can witness the changes caused by different natural phenomena in the same material.

Jiayun Liao

Reimagining Wilderness

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Royal College of Art