Captured Moments --Discovering St. Mary’s Church

 On 11th October 2024,

Exploring St. Mary’s Church:

While walking to St. Mary’s Church in Fratton, I went on a special trip down memory lane. I couldn’t help but remember my undergraduate days when we visited St. Thomas Church in Chennai, India, for a similar site visit to sketch. Years ago, I stood with my sketchbook before St. Thomas Church, Now, here I was, an ocean away,ready to capture another architectural marvel.

"A Different Way of Seeing"

Once we entered the Church, I was immediately struck by the beauty around me. The sunlight through the windows had its way of highlighting every detail of this old church. We closed our eyes and listened to the silent echos of the church.

Our first task we each had to find our favorite spot in the church. Then came the interesting part we had to close our eyes and feel the space around us. We spent time trying to build a picture in our minds with our eyes closed.

Next we had to draw what we felt. It was strange letting our hands create based on memory rather than sight. At the end it was funny in a fascinating way to compare our blind sketches with the reality in front of us. 

This wasn't just about drawing what we saw it was about experiencing the church in a completely new way.

"Lines. Drawing lines"

Next we were asked to see and sketch different types of lines inside the church, our eyes began to hunt for lines everywhere. Strong lines on the beams to the flooring, and in the patterns on the walls.

"Sounds. Of everything around"

After this we were asked to walk around and collect the sounds. Walking outside the church I captured everyday sounds. The crunching sounds as I walked on the grass, while crumpled a paper. Birds cooing and even the bark of a dog.

"Movement. Things that move"

I took note of various elements that showed movement. The environment surrounding the church with trees, gardens,dogs and lively squirrels and pigeons.

We engaged with the animals, creating our connection to nature.

"Lunch"

when we grouped together for lunch our conversation shifted to a being curious about how the church may have been 1,000 years ago, 100 years ago, and even just a decade ago.

And then we continued to the Fratton Community centre.

During our visit to Fratton Community Centre, as I walked through each room, the team shared stories of how different groups use the space. What excited me most was seeing beyond what's there now imagining how each area could be made more welcoming and useful for everyone. 

The biggest challenge seems to be money many community centers struggle to fund improvements. But sometimes creative thinking can lead to amazing solutions. It's not just about making things look pretty it's about creating spaces where real community connections can grow. Walking out, I realised that thoughtful design can really help bring people together and make a community stronger.

There i saw that some areas especially near the sports facilities felt disconnected. The spaces were arranged made it harder for people to move around and interact. After looking at the layout with the centre manager, I realized there's a good opportunity to redesign these areas. By adjusting the layout we can create better flow between activities and making the centre more user-friendly and connected.

Both visits, especially to the Fratton Community Center, have given me new ideas and made me excited to explore creative design solutions that could improve the space for the community.