ISOLA MADONNA DEL MONTE - PROCESS BOOK
WEEK ONE
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EARLY EXPLORATION This series of models was part of the early exploration process. They are pictured in the sequence they were constructed. This way, a clear progression becomes apparent. The first few were rough trials and a way to becomes familiar with the site. After the third, a fascination with a gallery element was explored, along with perforation and other ways to play with light. The second set of three also explores ways to reach out to the second, smaller, island. The last model, above, is an attempt to let the ruin determine the shape and footprint of the intervention, acting as a shell or peel for the new core. This one appealed to me most.
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FASCINATIONS From the early exploration exercise a few fascinations emerged. Namely; the use of an archetypical gallery form, the application of some sort of perforated, half translucent material and the direct juxtaposition of the old ruin with the new intervention. I’m curious to see if these three things will be found in the final design.
WEEK TWO
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FIRST 1:200 ENSEMBLE A certain duality is explored here. Inside the ruin v outside of it, a formal routing system v an informal one, orthaganol lines v organic lines. The rope represents a small dike or dune, built to keep water from reaching the ruin or washing away the island. The archetypical form of the house is dictated by the existing roofline, as are the breadth and width. A dock leads boats into the ruin, straight onto the veranda of the house. This intimacy works very well here.
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SECOND 1:200 ENSEMBLE A few things from the first model are modified to form a better balance. The dike has become a meandering dune path, a prominent landscape element. The gallery path has dissappeard, it did not work well the way it was before. The south-facing terrace is also made of the same material as the floor of the house, and will look and feel as one continuous element. At this stage it has also become clear that the new intervention will stay within the confines of the main island.
WEEK THREE
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ENSEMBLE EXPLORATION The third week I started working on different scale levels at the same time. This was quite difficult, but it allowed me to explore elements like the ensemble, which I wasn’t quite happy with after last week, and the detailing of old-meets-new. Here I use simple 2D representations of the different parts of the ensemble to explore the best option. The last two jump out at me the most, though neither are ‘it’. I think at a later stage this exploration will help me determine the best placement of each element.
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OLD-MEETS-NEW Week 3 was also the time we started working at the 1:50 scale. In this very early sketch model I explored different ways for the new wall to meet the old ruin. I wanted one of the ruin walls to form part of the interior of the new summer house, so I looked at ways to accomplish this. It boiled down to three basic techniques: 1. the new construction is attached to the old 2. the new construction stands a distance away from the old 3. new construction is continuation of old I chose the third option.
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SECTION 1:50 Building a 1:50 model also meant figuring out the basic section of the new house. I want to reinforce the archetypical shape of the ruin while giving the house it’s own materiality and identity. This led me to decide to follow the roofline of the ruin in the basic shape of the house. Having one wall stand by itself as a new ‘slab’ in the ruin, opposite the old, is a strong element that I immediately liked. That wall needs a lot of research and development. I am also drawn to the idea of having a large interior space and a smaller exterior space between the old and the new walls. Further design will focus on those elements in particular.
WEEK FOUR
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DEVELOPMENT OF 1:10 WORKING MODEL This week was all about getting working models started at different scales. I made a bucketload of bricks and different options for the new stone, and started doing tests. This way, I looked at different size ratios for the new stone. In the picture on the very left, I tried different sizes and masonry patterns. I chose the last option: it uses the same type of masory bond, but each brick is twice as large. This lends an aesthetic with a similar rhythm and proportionality, while the materiality and size make for a clear distinction between the old and the new material. After testing and laying some bricks, the way the wall was layered and stacked lent itself to a constuction technique that fit with the design. The idea to peel back layers of material to house another became a theme. The next few weeks will see this model being 19 used mainly to try different detailing techniques while keeping its current shape and size. DEVELOPMENT OF 1:50 WORKING MODEL At the same time a 1:50 model started coming together. At this point, there is a basic construction concept as well as a sprinkling of elements like translucent parts, a gallery-type space, and integrating the existing elements. Through out the next couple of weeks this model will get modified A LOT. I will hack, saw, cut, paste, paint and do all kinds of other things to it to come to the final design.
WEEKS FIVE & SIX
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WORKING MODEL 1:50 - DESIGN CHOICES Using the 1:50 working model proved extremely useful. Near the end, some key design desicions were made using this model. Working at this scale is a great way to visualize space and see the effects of different interverntions. For the final model, I went with a construction that follows the original roofline, but stops 2/3 of the way through the width of the ruin. The roof constructon rests on a new load bearing wall that reflects the old ruin it dissects in a number of ways. The house will be oriented South - a large terrace and most of the windows of the house face this direction. There will be one small connection between the north facade and the ruin, namely a thin walkway that will form a bridge between a private space (the bedroom) and the very public world outside of the ruin.
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The private spaces will be housed in clean white oxes that will fit between the construction. This fits in with a hierachical concept illustrated above. It assumes three ‘levels’. The ruin as the heaviest, most dominant construction, the new wall, to balance out and reflect the old, and the construction that links them. Interior walls and spaces are the next tier and should ‘serve’ the surrounding construction.
FINAL DESIGN 1:200
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FINAL DESIGN 1:50
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FINAL DESIGN 1:20
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ISOLA MADONNA DEL MONTE AR0211 - THE DELTA SHELTER 2014-02015 Q4 Aukje Schukken 4092279 24 Juni 2015 Hartelijk dank aan mijn docenten Peter Koorstra, Anna Janssen en Martijn Stellingwerff voor hun inzicht, kritiek, en kennis. All text and images by author.