__ by Ahmed Morsi

INSTITUTE FOR ARTISTIC AND CLIMATIC RESEARCH IN STUTTGART AND CAIRO //URBAN CONTRAST MANIFESTED IN TWO DESIGNS

BACHELOR THESIS //SUMMER 2015

AHMED MORSI

UNDER THE SUPERVISION OF

PROF. DR. ERWIN HERZBERGER

Ahmed Morsi | Bachelor Project Supervising professor: Prof. Dr. Erwin Herzberger The German University in Cairo Universit채t Stuttgart Summer 2015

ID: 25-1238 Matrikel: 3108925

INSTITUTE FOR ARTISTIC AND CLIMATIC RESEARCH IN STUTTGART AND CAIRO //URBAN CONTRAST MANIFESTED IN TWO DESIGNS

CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION

URBAN COMPARISON

STUTTGART CONCEPTUAL INVESTIGATION DESIGN DEVELOPMENT SPATIAL CONFIGURATION CONSTRUCTION PLANS

6 7 9 11 13 16

NEW CAIRO DESIGN APPROACH FORM DEVELOPMENT PROSPECT/REFUGE NATURAL CLIMATE CONTROL PLANS

18 19 21 23 25 28

DESIGN COMPARISON

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Workspaces where artists of all backgrounds as well as architects doing experimental work gather to meet, discuss and work are becoming more and more widespread. Given the task to design spaces for working, meeting as well as private spaces providing the possibility for stays of up to two weeks on two sites in Stuttgart as well as in Cairo, many factors affect the design approach and thus surely the outcome. Economical, socio-cultural, climatic… etc factors all subconsciously go into the design. However, observing urban aspects, mainly: Land Use, Density and Access (accessibility), the design approach as well as the vision of how these spaces would ultimately be used is directly affected.

DENSE CLUSTERS OF ADDITIVE ELEMENTS

GATED DESERT

URBAN SETTING The site in Stuttgart rests on top of the University of Stuttgart’s K1 building (one of the infamous twin buildings) right in the heart of Stuttgart Mitte surrounded by Stuttgart’s dense business district. It is also within walking distance from Stuttgart’s main station as well as its shopping hub, Koenigstrasse. Being directly in the city centre, the site is very accessible, reached by the many bus stops in the direct vicinity as well as metro stations and is also accessible by car or simply on foot. This vibrant assembly of functions densely surrounding the site stands in stark contrast to the site in New Cairo which is located inside the gated GUC campus. Bordered from one side by the uninhabited frozen forest protectorate and all other sides by residential areas whether it be youth housing or gated communities, the site is very secluded and a lot less dense than its counterpart and naturally much less accessible, only accessed by car through one of the several manned gates.

LAND USE

VISIBILITY

DENSITY

SCALE

ACCESS

PROGRAM

STUTTGART RESIDENTIAL

EDUCATIONAL

COMMERCIAL

CAR PUBLICTRANSPORT FOOT

LAND USE

1:15,000

DENSITY

1:15,000

ACCESS

1:5,000

LEISURE/ RETAIL

NEW CAIRO RESIDENTIAL

EDUCATIONAL

UNINHABITED (PROTECTORATE)

CAR THROUGH CAMPUS

STUTTGART 6

“DICHOTOMY REPRESENTED IN ALIEN PURE FORM RESTING ON TOP OF K1”

MEANDERING PARASITIC ENTITY

HUBS ACTIVATING ROOF

CONTRASTING MORPHOLOGY 7

STUTTGART

TOPOGRAPHY The topographic situation of Stuttgart where the hills surrounding the basin where Stuttgart Mitte lies open up to the north east to the Neckar river results in an interesting urban situation where high buildings (K1 being one of the highest) are visually connected to the houses occupying the hills lending great importance to an often overlooked element in buildings, the roof. (dubbed Stuttgart’s “fifth facade”) MORPHOLOGY Given the previous description of the site’s prominent location in the midst of Stuttgart Mitte, the first word that comes to mind is “gesture”. Whatever structure placed on top of a roof and especially K1’s roof would surely be very visible, whether it be from the houses dotting the hills surrounding the basin or from street level. Being on top of one of the most prominent buildings displaying attributes of modernist architecture of the 1960s, concepts of “parasitic architecture” were employed. In order to create a strong gesture, living up to its conspicuous location, the idea is to contrast all elements in the existing host building as well as neighbouring buildings occupying the city center. One meandering parasitic entity inhabiting the roof reacting to the site limits, climatic forces and topography. Decentralized hubs activating the whole roof. Ultimately, the dichotomy was represented in an alien pure form resting on top of K1. The ovoid structure would contrast the K1 building as well as all buildings that occupy Stuttgart’s urban landscape attracting the attention of Stuttgart’ city dwellers, something that is unavoidable but that can merely be exploited and exaggerated.

URBAN PLACEMENT 1:5000

“__WHETHER IT BE FROM THE HOUSES DOTTING THE HILLS SURROUNDING THE BASIN OR FROM STREET LEVEL” 9

CONTRAST Being one of the symbols of late modernism in Stuttgart, the attributes lending the K1 building this title were observed: .Cubic form .Logical stacking of levels .Rough bare concrete surfaces .Large glass openings .Flooded with light .Flauntingly orthogonal facade Observing these features and analyzing the existing building and abstractly pointing out the most conspicuous qualities provided an opportunity to create a visible and spatial juxtaposition: .Curvilinear .Plastic surfaces .Directed views .Controlled lighting .Stark unitary form

â&#x20AC;&#x153;__AN OPPORTUNITY TO CREATE A VISIBLE AND SPATIAL JUXTAPOSITIONâ&#x20AC;? 10

E TE RR AC R OO TD OU

SP AC E G IN LIV

SP AC E IN MA

ELEVATOR NO 6

SPATIAL ARRANGEMENT ISOMETRIC EXPLOSION 1:500 11

1’

WORKSPACE 1:500

EXHIBITION SPACE 1:500

FREE/ PERFORMANCE SPACE 1:500

ACCESS The only physical access to the space is through one of the 6 infamous elevators of the K1 building which are also the main means of access used by students/ faculty making for an interesting sudden transformation once the last floor (the art space) is reached. ENCLOSURES All services, technical rooms and apartments are grouped around and stemming from the main access (elevator block). 3 apartments for the artists allowing for a stay of up to 2 weeks, shared bathroom, open kitchen and technical room. Storage is also provided in the level beneath in between the floor and the shell. These enclosures act as a buffer zone or transition between two zones contained inside the ovoid structure: .The main space, a large scale neutral space mainly used as a workspace for the experimental artists but easily transformable into exhbition space where partitions are arranged along an orthogonal grid contrasting the flowing form of the shell. Moreover, all furniture could be removed and the space becomes a large free space where performances could take place. An elevated ramped loop surrounding the main space allows visitors to observe the artists’ work and view performances almost from bird’s eye view in a way emulating the situation in Stuttgart. .The living space: a more intimate human-scale meeting space for the artists and access to the roof of the existing technical room as an outdoor terrace providing a panorama view of Stuttgart’s urban landscape.

operable openings

constructed in sections and assembled on site . horizontal beams connecting frames

cladding attatched

additional steel pilotis to carry structure

vertical-axis wind turbines in between pilotis where wind speed is highest

elevator shaft as support

CONSTRUCTION ISOMETRIC EXPLOSION 1:500 13

CONSTRUCTION Used mainly in ship and aircraft fabrication, Monocoque construction is a type of construction where all the structural as well as live loads are carried in the shell and thus no interior construction is required. Due to its curvilinear form and lightweight requirements, monocoque was the most suitable method of construction, also due to the fact that lightweight aluminum is the most common material used in this method. Constructed in sections and assembled on site, aluminum frames are fabricated and connected by opposite beams. The loads are carried through to the reinforced concrete elevator shaft and a set of steel columns distributing the loads across the K1 roof.

DETAIL SECTION 1:50 14

+3.50

±0.00

-4.00

FLOOR PLAN 1:250

1’

+3.50

-4.00

+3.00

±0.00

-4.00

SECTION 1-1’ 1:250

NEW CAIRO 18

“__CARVED OUT CONCRETE MASS: HAVEN IN THE DESERT” 19

NEW CAIRO

DESERT ENVIRONMENT The urban setting in New Cairo stands in stark contrast to that of Stuttgart: quiet desert land within a few hundred metres from vigorously active student life inside a gated university campus bordered on one side by vast amount of desert and on all other sides by housing communities, all laid out far from the center of Cairo. DESIGN APPROACH This results in a distinct atmosphere that surely requires a very different design approach. Low density, limited use of surrounding land and limited access to the site grouped with the harsh climate of the desert meant an exterior architectural gesture was no longer the first priority. Rather a more pragmatic approach was employed to create an inhabitable space in a harsh site. Questions of building orientation, careful placement of openings, utilization of wind direction, privacy and functional connections are all vital to the actual usability of the space.

URBAN PLACEMENT 1:5000

ATMOSPHERE A slow transition from the sun-flooded desert environment to the main working space and apartments was achieved through a long dark carved out network of passages leading to the main staying spaces. Subtle natural sunlight from the repeated courtyards and the main space at the end of the passage carefully hit the passage’s floor and walls coupled with gushing wind achieved through cross-ventilation result in an atmosphere standing entirely in contrast to the exterior environment; almost like walking through a carved out concrete mass: haven in the desert.

“__ quiet desert land within a few hundred metres from vigorously active student life__” 20

COURTYARD 21

FORM DEVELOPMENT This resulted in the formation of two blocks: .the main workspace: distinctively higher than its long access to create a visual and spatial distinction from the rest of the spaces. The space narrows upwardly to form an opening oriented to the North-West direction, where prevailing cool winds come from while simultaneously letting in diffused lighting creating an interesting lighting as well as spatial situation for an artistic workspace.

COURTYARDS Through this connection, 3 negative courtyards result, somewhat indirectly lighting the passages while simultaneously providing three decentralized meeting hubs: open, filled with light and soft landscaping serving as a respite from the shaded interior. To maintain the privacy of the apartments directly overlooking the courtyards, higher openings were achieved so that guests have the possibility to look into the courtyards but not vice versa.

and functionally attached. Three apartments encompassed by the service and technical rooms. With the passage facing south as a thermal buffer zone and the staying spaces facing north, the two blocks are attached through the formation of four secondary passages linking the apartments. This, in a way, directly connects the rooms to the main passage while still maintaining privacy, vital for the actual usability of these rooms.

LT IN

TY AR

AT E

LIE

AC C

AP AR

RV IC E

.apartments, technical room, shared bathroom and kitchen: pragmatically

PROSPECT/REFUGE Observing the site, one would instinctively decide to block out the surroundings and create an introvert space. However, theory proves that human instinct is inclined to prefer staying in confined protected spaces and simultaneously have a panoramic view of the surroundings which is what I tried to achieve through opening up the north-facing walls of the main staying spaces, to in a way re-experience the harsh surroundings in a different light and simultaneously let diffused sunlight into the main working space.

PROSPECT/REFUGE 23

“RE-EXPERIENCE THE HARSH SURROUNDINGS IN A DIFFERENT LIGHT” 24

ORIENTATION AND NATURAL COOLING METHODS Being a single unprotected mass in the desert -with temperatures reaching up to 38 degrees Celsius- natural methods to reduce interior temperatures were of upmost importance and vital to the overall atmosphere. Orienting the structure towards the North-West direction reduces the overall thermal exposure of the buildingâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s longest exterior walls. With an opening at the top of the atelier oriented to the North-West direction and the entrance opening at the very end of the structure, cross ventilation ensues each time the building is entered catering to the overall atmosphere walking through the dark passage. Thick concrete walls were employed acting as thermal mass. The southern wall of the atelier acts as a solar chimney, absorbing the scorching heat from the sun during peak hours and through the wall cavity and an opening at the bottom creates a stacking effect where hot air rises and is outlet through an opening at the top and is replaced by cool air coming from the cool side of the space.

CAVITY WALL AS THERMAL CHIMNEY 25

HO TA IR O UTL ET

H HIG TE S MP INS

REI

CED

RET

ULA TIO

YS RA UN

REPLACEMENT AIR FROM COOL SIDE (NORTH)

WALL SECTION 1:50 26

+0.45

±0.00

FLOOR PLAN 1:200

±0.00

A’

±0.00

+0.45

SECTION A-A’ 1:200

±0.00

STUTTGART

VISIBILITY

SCALE

27 m

58.2 m

PROGRAM

NEW CAIRO

11 m

37.3 m

BIBLIOGRAPHY .Kolarevic, B. (2003). Architecture in the digital age. New York, NY: Spon Press. .Hildebrand, G. (1999). Origins of architectural pleasure. Berkeley: University of California Press. .Sustainabilityworkshop.autodesk. com,. (2015). Stack Ventilation and Bernoulliâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Principle | Sustainability Workshop. Retrieved 16 July 2015, from http://sustainabilityworkshop. autodesk.com/buildings/stack-ventilation-and-bernoullis-principle