“mot soleglad� in 5 steps
m onnet agathe ork process
introduction.
Architectural process is a chaotic, non-linear experience towards a bold, abstract and yet precise answer to a people, a site, a program. One the most difficult challenges in this process is to find a balance between experimentation and an organised thought.
MOT SOLEGLAD is a project that was elaborated in 2013 for a restricted competition in Norway. It draws an extension for Jaeren Museum, close to Stavanger on the norwegian west coast.
Architecture is a collective work, and for this reason an architect should be able to comunicate about the project, this at anytime of the process. Also, a designers’ team should be attentive to develop for each step the widest range of options, and to change tool according to the scale, the participants or the architectural element studied.
The existing Jærmuseet lies on the higher part of Kviagarden with a panoramic view over Jæren’s landscape. We were inspired by the curves of the landscape and its « byggeskikk » to create a new social « tun »: a rounded chain offers indoor views on the landscape and an interior outdoor space protected from the strong winds.
This book aims at explaining the evolution of a project by retro-processing the main steps our team went through. It moves backwards in a reverse-chronological organisation, to focus better on the origin of each choice.
Project Location Comission Client Project Area Architects Consultants
Kindergarden, museum, administration Jæren, Norway, 2013 Restricted competition Hå Kommune 3048 m² Mestres Wåge Arquitectes SLP, Nordplan A/S Maria Mestres, Magnus Wåge, Arild Wåge (NordPlan), Agathe Monnet, Alexander Rullán
The expansion of the Science Center Vitengarden contains kinder garden, pedagogical spaces for the museum and administration offices for both of them. The center works mainly with exploring the past, present and future of agriculture in the area. We have distributed all rooms on the main level in a large chain around an inner courtyard. This is done in order to intensify the contact with the landscape, the light and the seasons. At the same time the yard is a protected outdoor space for growing, playing and social meeting. The courtyard will be well suited for large events like market days, music and dance festivals etc. The circulation area facing the courtyard is simultaneously a conservatory which in combination with the yard and greenhouse provides Vitengarden the opportunity to explore a wide range of plants and growing conditions all year round in different microclimates.
step 5. final presentation. The fifth and last step was a crucial period of time concentrating on pure communication. What is the most important action of our building? How is it reacting to the existing environment? Here are shown four of the six final panels.
step 4. 3D modelisation of the whole building. The fourth step aimed at synthesing all of the previous researches to form a strong and coherent project. We worked mainly with 3D-model to design a one or two tilted roof, and experiment several grades of opacity for the faรงade. The oval shape is precised, with three main branches that match with the three main departments: museum laboratories, kinder garden, and administration offices. First option here is to separate each departments into collectives spaces that would face the central courtyard, and individual spaces which will benefit of more intimate views towards Jaeren rounded mounts. Second option is to place the intimate activities inside boxes that will float into a continuous collective space.
step 3. 3D concrete models of adaptable structures. The third step was a one week research that resulted with more than ten different structural models. The spatial need was to cover a 10 meters wide stretch that would unroll itself into this ovalish shape that we chose previously. Where to put the pilars? Should we prefer long and composed wooden beams, or short and massive ones? Both proposals below work with triangulation of wood, but use different beams’ profiles. The concept is to relate visually the wooden structure to the small forest situated at the extreme end of the museum plot.
step 2. details in plan of pre-selected 4 options. The second step was to draw with more detail four different options that we chose from the first step. The objective was to experiment each of them with plans and models, to see which one suited the best to the context and new program.
The EGG shape. This creaties a generous courtyard protected from Jaeren’s strong winds with a very simple plan. Circulation is minimal, contact with the landscape is maximum, and this curved shape integrates very well with both the museum and the environnment. The BRANCH shape. Its plan is very different from the existing museum, but its physical experience is very close to it: indoor space goes from the centre to the extremity, and the outdoor space is a complex walk along a jagged façade. This shape needs more circulation spaces, but it offers a large amount of private views and small terraces. The COMPACT shape. The kindergarden and the administration are place into two strips, connected with the laboratories as an intermediate space. This option offers a more compact and ecological solution, but needs also more circulation space.
step 1. rough plans and models. The first step was a fast, conceptual and rough drawing of the largest amount of spatial system. The goal was to see by experimentation what is the specificity of the existing museum, the surrounding landscape, and what could be the potential of the new hybrid extension.