Unit 9 explored the architectural potential of twilight as a transitional space between day and night, fantasy and reality, and visibility and obscurity. The unit framed twilight not simply as a time of day, but as a metaphor for ambiguity, transformation and possibility. It investigated what it meant to design for the in-between, asking how civic spaces could emerge through uncertainty, softness and change.
The work began in London, where twilight rituals were observed through shifting light, street activity and urban rhythms. Architecture was considered as a response to these changing conditions, producing civic buildings that also operated as dreamscapes for gathering, protest, rest and transformation. Thresholds such as windows, corridors and doors were examined as spatial agents shaping perception, intimacy and power.
The unit drew on architectural and artistic references, engaging with ideas of shadow, sensory experience and representation. It considered how light, both natural and digital, shaped perception and atmosphere.
Projects addressed the challenges of designing for twilight conditions, proposing buildings that shifted with time, light and emotion. These designs embraced contradiction, balancing openness and enclosure, luminosity and obscurity, while reflecting the complex and evolving nature of civic life.
Daniel Dream
Martin Reynolds (Martin Reynolds Design)
The MArch Architecture is a two-year full-time or three-year part-time programme offering exemption from ARB/RIBA Part 2. It combines rigorous professional training with creative and speculative design exploration. In the first year, students join a themed design unit to undertake a creative building design project combined with a technical and professional report. In the second year, students pursue a comprehensive speculative architectural design project, and an in-depth theoretical thesis tailored to their personal interest. The programme fosters independent thinking, innovation, theoretical and technical excellence, preparing graduates for advanced architectural practice and ongoing professional development in a dynamic global context. See further details on our prospectus page.
