Bess Laaring - Portfolio December 2017

Examples Of Undergraduate Work Completed In The Bachelor Of Arts In Architecture At The University Of Canberra 2015-2016 and Visiting Student semester undertaken at ETH Zurich 2017.

All Work Contained Is Owned And Produced By Bess Laaring

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1. COMMUNITY GARDEN 2. NARRABUNDAH BAKERY 3. SALMON OBSERVATORY 4. JANNING RESTAURANT 5. COMMUNES: LE CHENIT 6. MUNICH: NOTION OF PLACE

S

C

O

M

The

brief

or

seating

for

M this

for

U

first

N

year,

Garema

I

first

T

Y

semester

Place,

a

G project

public

A was

square

R for

in

a

D

E

N

public

shelter

Canberra’s

CBD.

The pillars are fashioned from granite to match the existing bollards in the square.

The resulting project provides seating, a community vegetable garden, native planting to attract local wildlife, drinking fountain, swings and a climbing wall.

The

garden

collects

and

stores

its

own

water

through

stormwater

drainage.

The design incorporates existing features such as the existing chess board. The seating area accommodates the markets and festivals that take place in the square as by creating a space for performances and busking. Night time lighting is also incorporated into the garden to increase the safety and attractiveness of the square at night.

The

community

the

homeless,

garden

is

providing

intended a

to

be

purposeful

of

use

space

to for

local social

residents

and

interaction.

0m

2

5

N A R R A B U N D A H

B A K E R Y

The brief for this assignment, completed in first year, second semester, was for a bakery on a specific site in the suburb of Narrabundah, Canberra. It required that the design address public and private programs while exploring thresholds and interstitial space.

The resulting project plays with two qualities of light: harsh, shadowing casting light and soft diffused or reflected light. The brief required that the bakery be designed to fit

and

for

a

storage

accommodate bakery spaces,

such

as

the

very

various

preparation

specific

ovens

areas,

and food

equipment

necessary

appliances,

specialised

display

and

serving.

The materiality consists of a white tinted concrete for the main structure with wooden louvers and selves fitted in the interior and a weathering steel as the external cladding to delineate the back of house bakery form the public customer area.

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B

S

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R

V

E

R

This second year, first semester project was to a brief stipulated by Steven Holl: to design an observatory in three stages or ‘explorations’ for a chosen observer, each

stage

eventually

fit

being

a

together

20 to

X

20

create

a

metre site

of

area 60

that

would

20

metres.

x

The observer chosen for this project is a biologist devoted to ichthyology – the study of fish. The observer researches the salmon in the river that flows past the dwelling.

As

the

outside, with

observer the the

is

design

fascinated encourages

surrounding

by

nature

the

environment,

and

appreciation especially

loves of

spending and

with

time

integration the

river.

Access to the water is not just considered a practical requirement for research purposes but also a necessity for the enjoyment of the environment. The isolated location requires something to instil a sense of security, a dwelling that is protective.

As a scientist, the observer appreciates order, rhythm and systems such as he observes in nature and applies in his scientific method. The design therefore is guided by the principles of order and rhythm and takes a systematic approach to resolution.

CROSS VENTILATION/EVAPORATIVE COOLING

STEEL PIN

CROSS VENTILATION/EVAPORATIVE COOLING

T E C TO N I C S

TIMBER POST

TIMBER DECKING STEEL PIN

250mm PRECAST CONCRETE FLOOR SLABS

COMMUNICATIONS SCENARIO 5

TIMBER PLATFORM JOIST

DESIGN COMMUNICATIONS, SEMESTER 1, 2016 BESS LAARING U 3121165 EXTERNAL CLADDING

SUN:YELLOW SUMMER, RED WINTER

NG

CROSS VENTILATION/EVAPORATIVE COOLING CROSS VENTILATION/EVAPORATIVE COOLING

300mm PRECAST CONCRETE PANELS

GUTTER

CAST-IN SERVICES

T E C TO N I C S FIXTURE FOR INTERNAL CLADDING

CROSS VENTILATION/EVAPORATIVE COOLING

T E C TO N I C S CROSS VENTILATION/EVAPORATIVE COOLING WATER RUN OFF

INSULATION

COMMUNICATIONS SCENARIO 5 DESIGN COMMUNICATIONS, SEMESTER 1, 2016 BESS LAARING U 3121165 THERMAL MASS

COMMUNICATIONS SCENARIO 5

SERVICES/ZONES

TIMBER POST

TIMBER DECKING STEEL PIN

DESIGN COMMUNICATIONS, SEMESTER 1, 2016 BESS LAARING U 3121165

INTERNAL TIMBER PANELLING

TIMBER PLATFORM JOIST

STEEL PIN 250mm PRECAST CONCRETE FLOOR SLABS

THERMAL MASS

SERVICES/ZONES

SERVICES/ZONES

CROSS VENTILATION/EVAPORATIVE COOLING

CROSS VENTILATION/EVAPORATIVE COOLING

Siting Diagrams

J The

A brief

bar, Altered Contours

New Structure Circulation

urban

N

required

community garden

a

building

and

to

N that

teaching

be

sited

at

I

included space,

the

a

N restaurant

connection

National

G

and

to

Arboretum

a

small

a in

nearby Canberra.

The building needed to connect with an adjacent urban farm which would provide food to the restaurant and community. Practicalities such as three car spaces, a truck delivery area, toilet facilities and disability access were mandatory.

The restaurant was to be specialized to a certain chef and the design of the kitchen

Section (1:500)

was a crucial part of the brief. The chosen chef for this project is Clayton Donovan.

Donovan Existing Contours

seeks

to

bring

the

Altered Contours light in a contemporary manner.

flavors

of

Australian

Oven/Chimney Raw Process

indigenous

culture

to

New Structure Circulation The concept for this kitchen arose through Cooking Storage

contemplating the dynamics of a campsite, more specifically an aboriginal Preparation Lift

campsite where food and relationships meet. The kitchen encourages staff Oven/Chimney

to face each other over a central bench and allows space for cooking over Raw Process

Site Map (1:100)

Cooking

an open fire as well as areas where harvest can be prepared for storage. The Storage

Preparation

community and teaching space is intentionally places adjacent to the kitchen.

Lift

Water Catchment

Solar Paths

Oven/Chimney

Section (1:500)

Materiality recede

is

an

back

into

assortment the

earth,

of

metals,

respecting

the

Raw Process

designed

Cooking Storage

site

Preparation

and

to

weather

notions

of

and

‘origin’.

Oven/Chimney

Lift

Existing Contours

Altered Contours

Raw Process

New Structure Circulation

Cooking Storage Preparation Lift

Oven/Chimney Raw Process

Site Map (1:100)

Cooking Storage Preparation Lift

Solar Paths

Oven/Chimney Raw Process Cooking Storage Oven/Chimney Raw Process Cooking Storage Preparation Lift

Oven/Chimney Raw Process Cooking Storage Preparation Lift

Oven/Chimney Raw Process

Preparation Lift

Siting Diagrams

Section (1:500)

Existing Contours

Altered Contours

N

Section (1:500)

Existing

ams Site Map (1:100)

ams

Site Access -

New Structure Circulation

New Structure Circulation

Vehicle

Pedestrian Circulation

Water Catchment

Solar Paths

A

C D

B

A

B

C

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S

This semester as a visiting student at ETH Zurich was undertaken with Assistant Professor Milicia Topalovic in territorial architecture. The studio focused on the metropolitan country side of Switzerland, specifically the communes, or municipalities, that are the smallest units of government in the country. Historically the size of one village, the studio intended to investigate how communes survive and function in an increasingly globalised and urbanised society. In this context, the research aimed to address questions such as ‘what does local community still mean?’, ‘can notions of communal life still have currency?’, ‘can communal vision still have consequence, for social relations, for built space and organisation of the territory?’.

The

semester’s

work

was

largely

researched

based

and

focused

in

the

area of Lac Léman with the aim to produce a book and develop a project.

The

work

was

completed

in

a

group

of

three.

Skills gained from this semester included mapping, analysis of territorial spaces, a deeper understanding of ecology and metropolitan areas, the ability to analyse a site, on the scale of a country right down to the scale of a plot of land, to be sensitive

to,

and

political

and

work

The

following

and

understanding

considerations,

within are

a

team pages

the of

of,

ability

students

taken

directly

cultural, to

edit

from from

Commune of Le Chenit

LAC LEMAN

industrial, and

vastly the

economic

produce

diverse final

a

book

backgrounds.

semester

book.

Clusters of communes around Le Chenit

Building construction over last 30 years

Public land ownership

Protected zones and buildings

Watchmaking and fine mechanics

Future building zones

Historical structure of the commune

Agriculture and forest lands

Growth: ‘Fitting-in’ and ‘Creating a New’

One spread taken directly from the final semester book.

The fabric and character of the commune has diverged from its roots. Traditionally a ‘road town’ with tighter village clusters, Le Chenit now also has newer areas that resemble a generic ‘suburb-like’ condition, which started to appear in the 1950’s. In the 1970’s, larger industrial buildings were introduced. Both suburban areas and large industrial buildings continued to appear over the decades and Le Chenit is now a mix of historic villages cores, suburban areas and industrial compounds.

While industrial buildings and new housing are often placed outside the historic centre, recent constructions are also inserted into the existing fabric.

New residents also restore historic structures, such as old farm houses or traditional row houses.

The new building types vary greatly. More contemporary or modern examples can be found from the last half of the twentieth century. The Sports Centre (see page 36) is a bold example, and a variety of housing types can be found in the ‘suburb’ areas, such as the examples on the opposite page.

Regulations now require new houses to conform to certain historical aesthetics in order to ‘fit in’ and many new houses exhibit a traditional pitched roof and proportions, making them difficult to distinguish from renovated historical buildings.

Growth 1849 1899 1945 1980 2017

1 Traditional Barn House

2 Historical Road Town

3 Old Watchmaking Houses

The large farm houses and barns, scattered over

The ‘road town’ character present in Le Chenit is

In Le Brassus and Le Sentier, buildings cluster

the valley, are historical archetypes in the area,

illsutrated by the row house typology of the area,

closer together, demonstrating the historic village

creating distinct points in the landscape, set among

built for greater insulation and protection from the

centres.

the pastures and forests.

weather.

6 Suburban Houses

5 Modern Row Houses

4 Increasing Density

The new suburb areas frequently display a diverse

The roads in Le Chenit are still excentuated by new

Le Chenit now has multiple apartment buildings, of

variety of houses. As above, there are examples of

row house typologies inspired by the historical

which the tallest, and most notable, is the tower

houses in the newer areas that do not follow

example that are an attempt at fitting in with the

shown above.

historical examples.

existing fabric.

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This second semester as a visiting student at ETH Zurich was undertaken with Professor Günther Vogt, studying the relationship between the city of Muncih and the Bavarian Alps. This semester is part of the larger theme for the studios, looking consecutively at the cities and metropolises that suround the European Alpine Convention.

The final project was a program and a series of proposed interventions with the aim to address suburban sprawl and bring quality and gravity to the towns and villages that lie at the end of the train line from Munich. These towns, because of their rapid connectivity to Munich, are otherwise in danger of becoming merely

suburbs,

‘sleeping

towns’,

of

Munich

or

reliant

entirley

on

tourism.

This issue and topic is prevelant in many European areas as cities grown and the line between built and unbuilt, landscape and urban, city and countryside is blurred. The project was concerned with preserving the qualities of the landscape and ensuring it is again recognised as a commons for use and enjoyment by residents and tourists, both recreationally and as a resource.

The project defined landscape as a tool to address suburban sprawl, stating ‘Landscape as a Structural Element’ within the region of a village. It also proposed improved connectivity with public transport and adjusted traffic routes and finally insisted on the importance of ‘urbanised’ public spaces, as a much needed, but frequently overlooked, element in growing, urbanising villages.

Poster printed on analog printing press showing conceptual representation of proposed interventions in the chosen case study village region, Tegernsee.

Presentation layout for the final critique of the Semester, including reaserch, analysis and final intervention proposals.

DECEMBER

2017