Tree’s House
Tree’s House
Project manifest Key words
. 01
. 02
Why temporary dormitories? Why a house?
. 03
. 04
. 05 What materials? . 06 How sustainable? . 07 Energy? . 08 Is it for everyone? . 09 Why the site? . 10 Project description . 12 References . 14 Why a tree’s house?
Site/Schemes/Strategy Technical drawings Tree’s House agregattion Tree’s House details Tree’s House on the site Photographs scale model 1:20
. 01 Tree’s House Project manifest
It is not a tree house, because it is not made of a tree… It is not a tree house, because it is not placed on a tree… It is a Tree’s House, because it sits next to a tree!!
It is, therefore, its house.
interaction Comunication sharing exchange . 02
. 03 Tree’s House Why temporary dormitories?
From all the design concepts available for this contest, the temporary dormitories seemed like the right choice to the fulfillment of communication and interaction between tourists, or visitors and the city and the people around the Via d’Acqua. A temporary dormitory is a settlement that provides sleeping quarters for a number of persons, housing them, and allowing and stimulating the inhabitants to commute to the city nearby for recreation, shopping and culture.
Tree’s House . 04 Why a house?
It is the residence, temporary or permanent, that connects us the most to a certain place. It is the residence that balances all of our choices, temporary or permanent ones. The resident usually attends to his local cinemas, theatres, restaurants, libraries and also takes contact and participates, whether actively or passively, with local cultures. The residence is the factor which determines the daily routines. The resident becomes closer to the residence’s surroundings. Temporary or permanently, the resident will experience and communicate mostly to where he is lodged. So, a House is the first great mean to generate socialization. It develops neighborhood to people, to services and to leisure.
. 05 Tree’s House Why a tree’s house?
The set for this contest is de Via
more mature trees, and are
d’Acqua, which is an interrelated
raised above the ground. And
park system. These parks are filled
also tree houses can be used for
with trees and vegetation. This
recreation, work space, habitation,
aspect led the project aim to find
observation platforms, or as
a kind of construction that would
temporary retreats.
be related with the context.
Except the project would not be
The context has two aspects,
a tree house, because it would
one environmental and the other
affect the existing trees, not
programmatic. Therefore, the
to mention having to make an
project had to resolve the way to
inventory of the trees which could
relate with the forest set and also
take such structure.
to be a temporary construction.
Therefore the project settled on
The concept of the tree house
a structure that is based on the
rose among others, and it seemed
tree house concept, but it does
adequate to this problem,
not stand on a tree. It is beside
once tree houses are buildings
it, making that house, not a tree
constructed among the branches,
house but the house of the tree –
or around the trunk of one or
Tree´s House.
Tree’s House . 06 What materials?
Wood is the fundamental material to this project. It was not just a choice because of its warmth, or texture, it was not just an imposition by the contest to use it. It is used as a matter of culture in the construction of this kind of structures. Wood is used for structural elements, due to its strength, light weight and low cost. Steel is used for brackets, cable and bolts. Transparent plastic is used for the fenestration.
. 07 Tree’s House How sustainable?
This project is an integrated approach to design. It promotes conservation, including energy efficiency. It considers environmental impacts and waste minimization. It reduces operation and maintenance costs. It address issues such as historical and ecosystem preservation, access to public transportation and other community infrastructure systems. The entire life cycle of the building and its components is considered, as well as the economic and environmental impact and performance. The Tree’s House is an eco-friendly project, once it does not require a clearing of a certain area of the forest and the soil is always permeable. The Tree’s House can be fully recycled, and its components re-used. The expo 2015 will be opened at 1 st of May and it will end at 31 st of October. So, it will take place during the summer. In this way the project has a passive refrigeration system that functions by the opening of the vertical windows, allowing the air to circle and recycle while being expelled, along with the hot air, by the skylight. The façade, while being structural, is also a protective shield from the sun rays.
Tree’s House . 08 Energy?
The Tree’s House as integrated a mean of natural energy resource. The Geothermal energy allows the natural heating of a radiant floor. This system is integrated in the stilts, functioning as an irrigation mechanism, that connects the Tree’s House to the Earth, using its natural heat.
. 09 Tree’s House Is it for everyone?
The Tree’s House project conceives some variants to the main project, so that it can be accessible for everyone. The Tree’s House is to be a special experience, where the temporary residents get to be in touch with the surrounding, and by being elevated observe and merge with the vegetation and the tree cups. Even so, the project can vary in terms of height, not losing its identity. The stilts, by being shorter in some contexts, allow the establishment with particular topography and the accessibility for elder and handicap people. In this way, it can be said that the Tree’s House project is for everywhere and everyone!
Tree’s House . 10 Why this site?
The site for this project is all Via d’Acqua. The Tree’s Houses are to be implanted allong all the parks. This will answer the enrichment of “the city, create flows of different people (from the areas of the city surrounding the sites crossed by the Vie d’Acqua) and welcome residents, visitors, tourists to the city”. While being placed in an urban scale, each one of the Tree’s Houses will function locally. It will be the place to welcome and to lodge the visitors. They will become residents in the parks of Via d’Acqua, contributing to synergize with the city around their settlement. The Tree’s Houses are to be interpreted as temporary dormitories where the visitors, tourists and even local residents can stay lodged. It is thought that there should be a lime limit for the stay – as example, maximum two nights in the same Tree’s House – for a regime of rotation to be installed, contributing to more interaction, communication, sharing, exchange, dialogue between people and parts of the city.
. 11
Tree’s House Why this site?
The future temporary residents of Via d’Acqua will be hosted at the core, while being able to establish contacts in every direction. They will use the local caffes, libraries, supermarkets, close to their Tree’s House, talk to the locals, exchange experiences. This idea is based on the notion of residence/ resident. As soon as the tourist or the visitor finds his temporary residence, he becomes a temporary resident in that part of the city where he’s settled. This factor is extremely important for the temporary resident to get to know the new environment. The city around the Via d’Acqua will be open to new experiences provided by the temporary residents of the park system. And because they are lodged in the parks they will need the city to the daily routines, using its transportations, its services. This motivates movements from and to the place of temporary residence. These constant flows are vital for the fulfillment of socialization and exchange of experiences and cultures.
Tree’s House . 12 Project description
The project is an elevated
space.
structure on stilts.
The façades represent the
The program is developed on a
structure. The vertical wooden
quadrangular plan, in one floor.
beams design a shape like a
The Tree’s House is one single
pyramid, resembling like a house
space with no walls, where two
shape. The space between the
static cylindrical volumes that
wooden beams generates a grid
contain the staircase and the small
that allows light entrance and
bathroom.
sightseeing for the surrounding
There are no walls in the project
tree cups.
because the essence of the tree
The Tree’s House promotes
house concept is to gather in and
the relation between interior
around. To design this project with
and exterior. The ground level
walls and with special hierarchies
functions as a “porch” or sheltered
(private areas, social areas etc)
area not only for the residents, but
would be like making a motel on a
also for the parks pedestrians. The
tree. It certainly was not the idea.
ground floor is like a square or a
The main thought was that each
“piazza” where people can gather
Tree’s House could be a place
while crossing Via d’Acqua.
where there were no barriers and
Mobile boxes contain the beds for
it would be open to every possible
the residents. This factor allows
organization. It is an informal
constant space (re)organization.
. 13 Tree’s House Project description
These boxes have two sizes for couples and singles.residents of the park system. And because they are lodged in the parks they will need the city to the daily routines, using its transportations, its services. This motivates movements from and to the place of temporary residence. These constant flows are vital for the fulfillment of socialization and exchange of experiences and cultures.
Tree’s House . 14 References
The exhibition by Tadashi Kawamata in Madison Square Garden was an interesting example that could show the spirit of the Tree’s House as a Social Club. The tree houses cohabitate with the park and interrelate with the city around and with the public. However the theme of this exhibition isn´t compatible with the theme of the contest, it constitutes as a formal example of how the Tree’s Houses may be seen from the city around the Via d’Acqua.
. 15 Tree’s House Site/Schemes/Strategy
Via d’acqua and the city
. 17 Tree’s House Site/Schemes/Strategy
Via d’acqua Network
. 20
Technical Drawings
. 21 Tree’s House Ground Floor + 0.50m
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1m
2m
Tree’s House . 22 Floor Plan + 9.90m
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1m
2m
. 23 Tree’s House Floor Plan + 12.90m
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1m
2m
Tree’s House . 24 Roof Plan + 12.90m
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1m
2zzm
. 25 Tree’s House Section AB
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2m
4m
Tree’s House . 26 Section CD
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2m
4m
. 27 Tree’s House Section EF
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2m
4m
Tree’s House . 28 Elevation 1
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2m
4m
. 29 Tree’s House Elevation 2
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2m
4m
Tree’s House . 30 Elevation 3
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2m
4m
. 31 Tree’s House Couple and single boxes
Couple Box
Plan
Section AB
Section CD
Plan
Section AB
Section CD
Couple Box
0
1m
Tree’s House . 32 Couple and single boxes
Section EF
Section EF
Elevation
Section GH
Elevation
Tree’s house agregattion
Tree’s House . 34 Ground Floor + 9.90m
. 35 Tree’s House Floor Plan + 9.90m
Tree’s House . 36 Roof Plan + 9.90m
. 37 Tree’s House Floor Plan 9.90m
Tree’s House . 38 Elevation
. 40
Tree’s house Details
. 41 Tree’s House Details 1:20
Tree’s House . 42 Details 1:20 | 1:10
Tree’s house on the site
Tree’s House . 44 On the site
. 45 Tree’s House On the site
Tree’s House . 46 On the site
Tree’s House . 48 On the site
Photographs scale model 1:20
Tree’s House . 50 Photographs scale model 1:20
. 51 Tree’s House Photographs scale model 1:20
Tree’s House . 52 Photographs scale model 1:20
. 53 Tree’s House Photographs scale model 1:20
Tree’s House . 54 Photographs scale model 1:20
Tree’s House