Brandon Holcombe
A Study of Architecture as a Series of Experiences
“Architecture is a series of successive events... events that the spirit tries to transmute by the creation of relations so precise and so overwhelming that deep physiological sensations result from them, that a real spiritual delectation is felt at reading the solution, that a perception of harmony comes to us from the clear-cut mathematical quality uniting each element of the work.� -Le Corbusier
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Winery
Fall 2014
Church Spring 2014
STEM School Fall 2013
Education Center Fall 2013
Shelter Home Spring 2013
Olympic Plaza Spring 2013
Chapel
Fall 2012
Table of Contents l 3
Winery
Site - Riva San Vitale, Switzerland Professor - Hilary Bryon During study abroad in Switzerland, this six week project required an in-depth understanding of the local culture and the historic culture of wine. Located on the same site as an early Mario Botta project, La Casa Bianchi, the project also aimed to push the condition of building in relation to another great work of architecture.
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4 l Fall 2014
Design Concept
The site is located on the side of Mt. San Giorgio, overlooking Lake Lugano. Mario Botta constructed a vertical tower house to reflect the historic culture of look out towers scattered throughout the region. To respect La Casa Bianchi’s verticality, the winery would take on a horizontal composition. This is achieved by using long parallel concrete walls that control the surrounding site by creating terraces. These terraces would extend out into the landscape, to accept the vines. Taking from Le Corbusier’s architectural promenade, the series of events that a visitor would experience was integral to the design.
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First Floor
The first floor belongs to the worker. Function and practicality reign with a simple plan that uses a central spine that reflects the chronology of the wine making process. Careful attention is paid to quality of daylighting and practicality of material in order to make a functional winery.
6 l Fall 2014
Second Floor
The second floor belongs to the visitor who would experience the building quite differently than the worker. The visitor would wind through the building experiencing all parts of the winery while being enticed by sounds, smells, and framed views. Once through the winery, they would cross a bridge to the first floor of Casa Bianchi, where they would be offered wine samples. They could then travel through the house to experience the architecture and views of the surrounding scenery.
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8 l Fall 2014
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Church
Site - Blacksburg, VA Professor - Elizabeth Grant
Site Influences
We were given the task to reimagine an existing church just past the edge of the Virginia Tech campus. To do this, we sat down many times with the preacher as well as congregation to understand their wants and needs. It was valuable experience to essentially have a client instead of designing solely based on your own opinion.
When visting the site, three things stood out: a connection to Virginia Tech, a connection to nature, and the levels of privacy. In my design, I decided to keep these characteristics. I created a plaza in front to welcome guests from Virginia Tech. I created a garden to keep a connection to nature. And throughout the design I created levels of privacy, whether it is outside or inside.
Design Concept
The idea of levels of privacy runs through the design. The church has two sides: a spiritual side and a public side.
10 l Spring 2014
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Site Plan
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The public side opens itself up to campus on a plaza. The curve of the facade acts as an embrace welcoming the Virginia Tech community. This side houses the offices, classrooms, reception hall, etc. The spiritual side requires a different atmosphere. Using the slope of the site, the sanctuary is partially buried. One must travel down a ramp where colored light shines from above. The sanctuary comes to a point where light shines down and casts a shadow of a cross on the wall.
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Church l 11
Plaza Entrance
The plaza entrance welcomes guests from Virginia Tech to visit the church. A curve opens its arms to the public, inviting them up a ramp and allowing them to see in through the glass facade.
Garden Entrance
The garden entrance gives the congregation a more private entrance from the parking lot.
12 l Spring 2014
Pivot Point
The pivot point is the point where the individuals become a congregation. Located under the bell tower, this is the transition from the public space to the private space.
The Hall
The hall is the visitor’s descent into the sanctuary. Light is filtered through colored glass reused from the existing church.
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B
Section Render A-A
14 l Spring 2014
Church l 15
STEM School
Site - Blacksburg, VA Professor - Elizabeth Grant Second Place Competition Winner
16 l Fall 2013
Design Challenge
A six week competition sponsored by CEFPI (Council for Educational Facility Planners International) with the challenge of designing a progressive elementary school incorporating the elements of a STEM school, as well as security and safety, circulation, and student interaction.
1st FLOOR WET CONDITION
Private (Students in same class interact)
2nd FLOOR DRY CONDITION
Semi-Public (Students in same grade interact) Public (All students interact)
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18 l Fall 2013
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Learning From Water
To understand water is to understand cycles, natural forces, and to an extent, living organisms. Learning from water gives children the opportunity to see a broader scope of our world. Children begin to understand cycles that exist, but are not seen. They develop an awareness and understanding of natural forces that affect the world around them. Instead of seeing the rain, they understand why it is raining. Instead of seeing flowing water, they understand why the water is flowing that way. The children begin to understand that without water, life would cease to exist. As the children progress through the years of elementary school, they will experience their surroundings changing as the water provides life for plants and organisms. They will begin to understand the patterns that exist in nature. They will learn the various ways that we use water as a resource and how we can recycle it. They will understand that it is not something to take for granted and they will learn to celebrate water. Private Private(Students (Students inin same same class class interact) interact) Semi-Public Semi-Public(Students (Students inin same same grade grade interact) interact) Public Public(All (All students students interact) interact)
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20 l Fall 2013
1st FLOOR WET CONDITION 1/64” = 1’- 0”
2nd FLOOR DRY CONDITION 1/64” = 1’- 0”
SITE SECTION 1/32” = 1’ - 0”
STEM School l 21
Center for Education
Site - Pulaski, VA Professor - Elizabeth Grant Fourth Place Competition Winner A six week competition sponsored by RCI, a roofing, waterproofing and exterior wall system design company, with the challenge of designing an educational facility to teach members of the community a construction trade of choice. As well as to consider how to create a successful building envelope. Also, to consider how the program would help the dwindling population of a once industrial town revitalize their community.
22 l Fall 2013
Design Concept
A site on the main intersection of the town called for a monument to the revitalization of the community; a design that would forever remind them of their struggles and triumph. Choosing to design a school to teach structural systems introduced the idea to create a Brutalist concrete building that would symbolize the community holding their ground in the face of adversity.
The first floor envelope is pushed back to expose the large concrete columns to the public, creating a colonnade along the sidewalk. The second floor envelope is pushed beyond the columns to create a unique studio space for the studying contractors. These studios overlook a triple height space designed to house a steel vibration test structure. The studios also have access to a roof terrace overlooking the intersection.
First Floor
Second Floor Education Center l 23
24 l Fall 2013
WATER PROOF ROOF MEMBRANE CAST-IN-PLACE CONCRETE VAPOR BARRIER STEEL TIES RIGID INSULATION STEEL REBAR REINFORCEMENT
Envelope Design
As a result of the envelope weaving through the structure, a lot of questions were raised about the integrity of the envelope. Therefore, a more thorough and complete wall section was necessary. Keeping the integrity of the envelope and the integrity of the structure was a challenge. To construct this would require numerous concrete pours because of the way the insulation has to weave with the wall. Thermal bridges unfortunately occur at every column, but because of the heat loads from electric lighting and computers that won’t be a problem during the cooler months that the school would be operating.
CAST-IN-PLACE CONCRETE STEEL REBAR REINFORCEMENT STRUCTURAL INSULATION BLOCK RIGID INSULATION WATER PROOFING VAPOR BARRIER BRICK VENEER
COLUMN IN BACKGROUND TAPERED INSULATION WATER PROOFING PERFORATED PIPE AT 1/4” PER FOOT SLOPE PAD FOOTING IN BACKGROUND
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Disaster Shelter Home Site - New Orleans, LA Professor - Christian Ganshirt
This three week project pushed the idea of how to create a home out of a disaster shelter. It raised questions such as: What is a home? How can one design a home based on pre-manufactured modular shelters? How can this home encourage others to do the same? 26 l Spring 2013
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Design Concept
The concept was to create a home that would stand out and push people to understand that a disaster shelter can one day become a beautiful home for a family. The reason for glass is to allow people from the street to catch glimpses of a family in this home, but there had to be a way to create privacy while maintaining those glimpses. The wooden sliders were the solution. The family would be able to create as much or as little privacy as the felt fit at the time. The sliders do not continue around the back in order to open up to the backyard and connect more with nature.
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28 l Spring 2013
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Olympic Plaza
Site - Amsterdam Professor - Christian Ganshirt Design a plaza at the end of a newly constructed bridge for the 2028 Summer Olympics. The design should address the question of use after the Olympics. The bridge will be for foot transportation as well as tram transportation, which should drive how the design relates to the bridge.
30 l Spring 2013
Design Concept
The idea behind this design comes from the strong history of boat transportation in Amsterdam. Therefore, the idea of a marina seemed logical. However, in order to use the traffic flow to the designs advantage, a boat market was incorporated. This market would allow for boat owners to dock and sell goods off of their boat, not unlike a normative flee market. This would create an interaction between the community of Amsterdam and the tourists that would come for the games. A hotel also seemed necessary, in order to give the city more room to house tourists. The hotel would stand as a sentinel for the plaza and creates a defined threshold for boats. The top floor would be all glass and lit up at night to act as a lighthouse, beckoning boats and people to come to the plaza. The amphitheater would be was one of the few requirements. The design and orientation of it was to allow people to use it not only when there’s a show, but also to watch boats on the river.
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32 l Spring 2013
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Chapel
Site - Virginia Tech Campus Professor - Christian Ganshirt Design a non-denominational chapel that inspires self reflection. The site is directly adjacent to the architecture studio and is surrounded by a few large buildings. There is also a large tree in the middle of the site that can either remain or be cut down. Questions that were raised: What is a chapel? How can a space inspire self reflection? 34 l Fall 2012
Response to the Site
Located on a major entry point to campus and surrounded by large academic buildings, the site did not support the idea of a quiet contemplative space. Also, being a small site added to the challenge of taking people away from the chaos of campus. To address this, the promenade wraps around the main space in order to create a barrier between worlds. The open-air ramp, located on the east side of the chapel, would entice others to go to the chapel. It would show people gradually disappearing as they progress down it. On the other side, large concrete walls would be constructed to encase the tree and isolate the people inside the chapel in their own world.
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Design Concept
The design was forced to respond to the busy nature of the campus. How can one be taken away from the hustle and bustle of campus and immersed in a completely different world. This challenge was complicated by the small size of the site. A study of architectural promenade began. Inspired by Alvaro Siza’s swimming pool in Portugal, this chapel takes one away from campus using ramps, turns, and various lighting and spacial situations. After studying what a chapel should be, the existing tree became the culmination. Isolation of “nature” would become the catalyst for contemplation and self reflection.
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38 l Fall 2012
Brandon Holcombe bh9193@vt.edu (302)668-7898