F RE N C H CO N C RE T E
O C TO BE R2018
TUTO RS Tom Veeger Jan Schevers André Walraven Siebe Bakker
L AYOU T + E D I T Konstantinos Perakis George McLoughlin Sookyum Lee PHOTO
SE LECT ION + EDIT Michael - George AlHawat D R AWI N G E D I T Sookyum Lee
SE MIN A R TEAM Michael-George AlHawat, Lieke Bos, Daan Cooijmans, Simone Marzorati, George McLoughlin, Johan Heins, Sookyum Lee, Michiel Peeters, Konstantinos Perakis, Michaela Vatralova, Brandan Villatora, Jou-fang Wang, Jorn van Wegen
T YP EFAC E GT Eesti Pro Text PAGE SIZE Foolscap folio 200x330 E I N D H OV E N U N I V E R S I T Y O F T EC H N O LO GY ( T U/ E ) Department of the Built Environment - Architecture Masters - French Concrete Seminar ACAD E MIC
YE AR
2018 - 2019 QUA RTILE I
OCTOBER2018
TA B L E O F CO N T E N T S 01
IN T RO DU C TI O N
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EXC U RS I O N BIBL IO G R A P HY
I N T RO DU C T I O N How do you take a material as the starting point of your architectural design? This seminar explores the potential of concrete to make architectural structures with. We did this by first researching and analysing the work of the French architecture firms Bruther and Muoto. The seminar places great emphasis not only on the careful study of existing buildings and design principles, but also makes extensive use of various explorative, investigative and presentation techniques. Letting themselves be inspired by these ‘French Masters of Concrete’ they have performed several handson experiments with the actual material in a workshop culminating in the execution of a series of concrete objects. The seminar also included a study trip to Paris to experience the work of Bruther and Muoto. This was probably the best way to learn about ‘French concreteness’. What makes this country stand out in the world of architectural concrete? Is it the high level of craftsmanship, budget and a strong base of knowledge rooted in tradition, or something else? The choice of combining this research with a hands-on workshop with the material concrete provides us with an opportunity to keep a similar search for the unknown. All architects, designers and engineers need to fully understand the nature of the materials they deploy. Not only should they grasp the physical and structural properties of the materials. Nor should they merely appreciate
its aesthetic presence. They also need to know about manufacturing elements and systems out of the chosen materials. They need to be confident about how materials behave when altered or formed and how connections can be made taking in account all of the above-mentioned issues and properties.
“When putting materials to use, structural or otherwise, one should have an intimate knowledge of a complete set of areas concerned with those materials and how they are intended to operate. This knowledge needs to reach beyond a theoretical approach based on quantitative data and visual examples. It needs to extend to actually working with the materials; to touch them, experience them in action and reflect on physical testing and results.” Siebe Bakker (workshop tutor concrete casting)
“Education in the coming years at our faculty will emphasize increasingly on the research component for which a seminar is outstandingly suitable. It offers us the opportunity to explore the concept of ‘research by design’ Furthermore the choice of this topic has led us to acquire knowledge of the theoretical aspect of the design by this office combining it with the crafts experience necessary for the use of the material concrete. All this is valuable and gave us the opportunity to ‘take a new step’ in our development as architects.” Tom Veeger + Jan Schevers + André Walraven 1
T H E les
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MU OTO MUOTO is an architectural office based in Paris, founded by Gilles Delalex and Yves Moreau in 2003. Its activities cover the fields of architecture, urbanism, design and scientific research. They studied and worked all over the world in order to get the experience one needs as an architect. They design buildings in order to find a delicate balance between strategy and form, rigour and freedom, specific and generic, immediacy and evolutivity. Their buildings need to be open and
Gilles Delalex | Yves Moreau Image source: AMCarchitecture
adaptable to future needs. They often feature minimal structures made of rough materials so they can combine different activities and merge economical as well as aesthetic issues (Muoto, 2018) AWA R DS LafargeHolcim Awards – Building Better Recognition 2017 Equerre d’Argent 2016 Bauwelt-Preis 2017 ArchiDesignClub Awards 2017 The modernist architects Le Corbusier and Auguste Perret ushered in a new age of material architecture in France through their architectural use of concrete. Its flexibility, functionality and relative affordability means it the firstchoice material in the contemporary French building industry (Che, 2017). Being a young and dynamic firm, Bruther and Muoto stand out in transferring concrete into a raw, pure and dynamic form of architecture. Their refreshing approach to construction and architecture is the reason we are using them as the focus of our research. Both firms are located in the city centre of Paris. In order to survive in one of the largest cities in Europe, architectural firms have to compete in a number of different competitions. Most of these are public competitions, but there is an ongoing shift from public to mixed competitions. The difference between 2
those competitions is based on the shift of responsibility, where private investors are being added and slowly taking over the leading role in the built environment. The effect on the architect, due to this shift, is that his role has become more like an advisor. Therefore, the opportunity to work on public projects is something the firms work hard to achieve, for in doing so they gain greater autonomy and their architecture is more successful. For Muoto these reasons mean they try to stay as compact and constant as possible, instead of scaling up and down. This helps them to deal with the kind of pressure being an architectural firm in Paris requires, ready to act at a moments notice. Both firms have won several awards for their designs. Their use of concrete is seen as sustainable by being able to adapt throughout time, according to the evolution of uses and needs.
Holcim Awards – Silver 2014 Label Grand Paris, 2012 Nouveaux Albums des Jeunes Architectes, 2008 Lauréat Europan 7, 2003 Bourse L’Envers des Villes, 2001
BRU T H ER Bruther was founded in 2007 by Stéphanie Bru and Alexandre Theriot working in the fields of architecture, research, education, urbanism and landscape. They both worked together at Jacques Ferrier Architecture. The firm was founded after a trip to Japan stating “they had to unlearn what we had learned”. Their work can be summed up as a culture of the open plan, with the structure being dissociated, creating buildings that are stripped and
Stéphanie Bru | Alexandre Theriot Image source: AMCarchitecture
expressive. They want to provide buildings that are adaptable and sustainable, having maximum freedom. (Bruther, 2018) AWA R DS Prix de l’Équerre d’argent, New Generation Research Centre, Caen (Fr), 2016 Gold Award, Best Architects Awards, Cultural and Sport Centre, Paris (Fr), 2016 Nominated, Prix Mies van der Rohe, Cultural and Sport Centre, Paris (Fr), 2015. 3
FRE N C H CO N C RE T E b é t o n
f r a n ç a i s
Contemporary French concrete architecture can be said to be derived from the brutalist architecture which thrived from 1951 until 1975. It descended from the modernist movement in France and some say that the founding father of this brutalist movement is Le Corbusier. He has had a large influence on the perception of concrete in France and how to use it (Lee, 2016). He constructed several buildings throughout his career from concrete; a well-known example being Unité d’Habitation (Kroll, 2010). Brutalism, or brutalist architecture, is not what the word itself says, it is not necessarily brutal architecture. It does not have to be big, gross or coarse. The word brutalism can be derived from the French word ‘béton brut’ which means raw concrete, with a typical appearance being an unfinished surface. From 1930 till 1940 architecture in France was frivolous and free of form, it was light and optimistic. In 4
the time after this so-called art deco architecture period came a younger generation of architects who had just witnessed a world war. They showed their morals and their expression of their surroundings in their buildings. This was not light architecture, but ruggedness without showing any sign of comfort or ease. It was ‘honest’ architecture, showing the connections of the materials, the tectonics (Lee, 2016). Throughout this time-period concrete and the brutalism of the concrete was not appreciated by everyone for some could not see the beauty in the use of bare concrete. The likely reason is that they did not understand the intentions or the ideas of the architects. (Lee, 2016) Brutalism, after its success in the architectural world, became popular and used all around the globe, such as in Japan (Lee, 2016). When talking about Japanese architecture nowadays
we can see a clear similarity with the French concrete and its brutalist architecture. In Japan, they use the concrete in a raw aesthetic manner. Take for example the church of light by Tadao Ando; here the concrete is used in a raw and monolithic manner, with the form-work left as its design aesthetic. The Japanese use the concrete in a more simple way, a wall is a wall and it should express this. French concrete architecture is more tectonic, focusing on beams and columns (Marsh, 2017). Swiss concrete can be seen as a different branch of concrete architecture. The Swiss refined the art of making concrete; it is smooth and well-made and not raw at all, like the French concrete. The quality is very high. Swiss concrete is also mostly prefabricated concrete, where French concrete in mostly cast on site. In addition, it is often finished in some way, where the French like to keep the rawness of the material.
French concrete architecture today can be seen as an extension of the brutalist architecture movement of 50 years ago. Contemporary architects aim to express the aesthetics of their design and their ideas in the concrete of their building. We can say that using concrete in a building before the brutalism architectural movement was not uncommon. The new element being its use as an expressive entity in its own right. The material is shown, not only for the structure but for an aesthetic purpose. In this it shows the sculptural qualities of the material and the shape, but also the monumentality it expresses once formed. It allows for intricate elements, indicating how tectonics works and showing how the forces work. This can be said to be what French concrete architecture is now and what architects strive to achieve in their designs (Lee, 2016).
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Both firms focus on designing a building that can withstand the influence of time and being able to adapt the change of the program. This is one of the main reasons they use concrete as a material in their designs. They want to have independence of space with a maximum availability of space, so you can make an infinite combination of rooms with their functions. Spaces, time and the inside and outside merge into one, being sustainable throughout time. They don’t believe that creating a building ends when the building is finished. Leaving at the point that you know its sufficient, changeable and adaptable is the end goal of their project. This does not mean they exclude other materials. It is about architecture and its coherence with the concept that counts; after that the materials follow. Their goals are to provide a building which has maximum freedom and concrete is one of the main materials to obtain that goal. In France they have the idea that concrete is a material that can be used sustainably. It offers a certain way of freedom. It is a cheap material, and locally available which gives it an advantage over other materials. For example, wood isn’t perfect; the 6
availability is not local, composites use glues that are toxic, and chemicals are needed to improve fire resistance. They enjoy the process of design, aiming for their buildings to be seen as architecture and not just a functional building. They have a certain standard in which the building has to perform. At a certain point they reach a limit in lowering the budget and lose their concept and vision for a certain building and this is where they stop. The relation between the public area and the building is one their key elements when designing a building. There has to be a connection between inside and outside. They start with a structural grid in order to achieve spatial flexibility and work with models and prototypes to see what materials they can use at a certain location. This gives the building its adaptability and evolutivity which are fundamentals in their building designs. Their projects suggest considering the future in the program, they stand for open infrastructures fitting an abundance of context possibilities and a wide malleability of uses. They aim to understand and to accept conceptual and constructive needs and maintain this despite challenging budgets and clients.
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I N T E RVIEW
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MU OTO Is that also how you designed it?
Here is the model of the public condenser, we did this one just before the building contract and we did another one that is exactly the same for an exhibition that took place in Japan. I hope you liked the building I mean it was nice weather, no? I hope you saw students there on the roof playing basketball. It was like a large relief, in a way, for us because when you propose open spaces like that, non-defined space then you hope they use it. It’s kind of a gamble when you design a project and then you see the results. So, when we saw the students we saw that they can take part and blend the building it was a great sensation. It is naked building, it needs the people, so you have to see all the action there: people coming eating and stuff like that. For us it is really important; sometimes when it’s really rainy and really cold it seems like a ruin, a ruined building. It’s left there, and you don’t know if it’s finished or not and that’s the state of the building that we really like. It can be full of people so it’s like a body: you have a skeleton and then you have blood going everywhere but then sometimes is like a ghost building you have this contrast feeling. This does not mean they exclude other materials. It is about architecture and its coherence with the concept what counts, and after that you chose the materials in order to get that kind of architecture. 10
Yes exactly, and we had no money and that’s why we took away everything in order to give just a structure as a bare skin and then that’s it. What was interesting on this project is that we tried to make a big shelf with all the functions that work independently. That’s why we have this big staircase that’s connected to the public space on the ground floor; it sucks all the people to the different functions, it is a way to extend the urban space on the ground floor or inside the building until the roof and we have some spaces that were not programmed they have no function, they are flexible. For instance, we have a big restaurant double-height, you can use it as exhibition space at the evening or whatever. It was the first building in a whole master-plan so we had to make sure that this building was a public building was connected to urban space and kind of initiated a kind of philosophy of having people in this urban building and not kind of a closed building but an open building.
What about the materials used? because everything is in concrete We just wanted to show the basic bare materials we had at our disposal, so it was concrete. You have this contrast between the big heavy beams just standing on very thin pillars in order to express the heaviness of the structure. It was a competition design we won I think basically because it was very well organized anyway very clear and because we were also the most compact project all the other project.
I want to relate a question on what you were saying about the flexibility and the different functions: how do you design a space that can be for different functions, do you think of every function or you just think an open space as an empty space that has to be lived by people?
For example, once I was talking to the ladies from the kitchen, they were extremely happy to have a window in their kitchen, usually they’e in the basement and so to have a window and they are extremely. That’s what matters: when people are happy to work there, to live and experience the building.
How do you allow a space to have multiple functions? You have to be flexible and I think we worked with this grid that allowed us to be very flexible. You have only a few structural elements and then you can change everything inside. That’s the kind of flexibility we work quite often on projects. Usually we have a very simple basic structure in the buildings. It’s also a way for us to be sustainable: in twenty years function will change, people who have to change won’t have to destroy the building the just add new functions. Everybody wants to make wood building but if you change the function in five years or ten years what do you do? You erase the building, so it’s a balance.
One thing that is really special is that construction goes from the outside to the inside so in what phase you took the physics into consideration? We saw an interview where you explained that but how did you cope with the construction building? From the inside to the outside there is no disconnection We have this shelf structure and inside we make insulated “bubbles”. We have insulation on the floor and on the ceiling, so each “bubble” is insulated and we have a few thermal bridges on certain points on facade but compared to the whole building it’s acceptable. This “bubbles” in certain part are very difficult to solve because it’s not common so we had to be borderline on regulations so there are a lot of technical small details that are not common but that we manage to solve.
You were talking about the vertical diversity as an articulation between the building and the city scale: what do you mean exactly by that vertical diversity? Is just like this building itself what we wanted to do with it is to have open spaces stacked up. Is not just the ground floor, every floor is an urban space until the roof. Inside the building is public. The project was for a public building, so we wanted it to be public, it needs to be accessible; you can go there and enter and that’s why we have no entrance, there is just the staircase that connects the square. We wanted to suck all the people up to the roof, is public during the day but it is public all the time. 11
So that’s really an important step: sucking all the people in the building as a starting point for the new area? Because we were the first building in the whole neighbourhood it was a strategy. They could have put office building as the first building but as the public clients developed the whole neighbourhood for them was extremely important to have a public building. We thought it was important because people should go there because is a public building. We did several projects like that where you have no site and then you’re the first project on the site. How do you start? Where do you start? We tried to tell a public story how this public building can be used and how it relates to the public.
it’s open and I mean we work on this project in concrete other project as well, but we will see.
Is this open discussion related to your background? Because we have seen that you and your partner have different backgrounds, you studied abroad a lot so maybe this open discussion is related that you studied in different countries and you want to bring home what you assimilate from these?
Maybe not, it’s the building it’s architecture that’s come first and then you find the materials you find the structure you find the technical solutions to do for the architecture you want I think this is the most important thing.
We as a group are really interested in concrete and the use of concrete in France: so what makes concrete as a material really special for your firm? We often use concrete because we have the feeling that it’s kind of a sustainable doing it, it’s cheap and we thought since the crisis is for five years the new budgets are extremely low. It was for us a way to take the cheapest material at the moment. We worked on projects where we had to develop a wooden structure, no problem we do not work only with concrete, if you want to work with wood or metal you just take it, but it is more expensive. So, you have to balance when you have a limited budget, so you see all the advantages and disadvantages of each solution. We make project with concrete, with wood, metal, each project is different, every project implies a different material it’s not kind of a dogma. Maybe in few years we will use concrete maybe we will use wood I don’t know it’s not a closed discussion 12
I think as an architect you need to move, to go away, to come back, look around, it’s essential. We studied in several countries, I don’t know if it’s really related but to be open-minded is important. When you work with people: could be engineers, could be other architects you are confronted to other options and other way of thinking. When we think about a project first you don’t have to be strict. Right now, so if you don’t do a wooden structure you are an outsider: yeah, it’s really fashionable to have a wooden building but they are always the same and you have the same and same project ever, so is it that what we want?
Maybe a common question that we are really interested to do: how is it to have an architectural firm in the second largest city of Europe, in Paris? A lot of competition, a lot of architects, especially in Paris but also a lot of work, a lot of opportunities. We do mainly at the moment public competitions. In the French system you apply to them, they choose four or five architects and then you do the competition; it’s a system that works for all public buildings. We also work now a little bit for private investors. When you do a public competition normally the architect is designing and then you build your form and you are in control of everything;
with the semi-private public competitions is the private investor which is leading the team and the architect is like an engineer like a consultant. In this group you have a bit less control on your architecture. We do competition between private clients and then the best one will build it but you do everything in control. We tried to go to different countries; is important not just work in Paris, just try other cities as well. I think France is not so easy for Parisienne architects because every city wants to keep local architects. It depends on the areas of France maybe in the eastern part of France we would never get selected in competition, on the western part few times. Usually they take three local studios, one old modern studio, and one young office. We do between 100- 200 applications per year for competitions in France, I think we are selected 5-10 like times a year and when we are lucky we win one. For example, we didn’t win for three years and last year we won four-five competitions at the same time so it’s a gamble.
It does that mean that your firm also needs to scale up and down or is it quite constant? We are kind of constant we want to be a bit more than what we should be. But for every project we do for example 20 solution and to 20 option you need time, people and it cost money but at the end the architecture is better. We are between 10 and 15 people constantly and when it’s too much work we ask other friends to join us for a competition. I think even if you’re thirty people is more difficult because it costs so much, you need to do bigger projects and then you have the pressure to win. What do you do to win a project? Do you make nice and easy project? Do you make project that has really strong idea near to be radical?
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Do you get some kind of compensation if you don’t win the competition? Yes, we get some money to do the competition but if you have to pay the model maker, the 3D render and to pay people working with you; you don’t get any money, it’s research money.
Could you maybe show a project that you’re working on now? Is that possible? I can show this one, it’s a project in Montpellier, in south of France. It’s a competition we won; it is a building that will be the first one in all neighbourhood. It is mainly a building for young start-up companies in the high-tech research domain: so people would come here, rent a space for one week, one month and then try to develop their start-up. It is 80 meters times 60. We layout a grid system made out of working space, made out of issues and made out of vertical staircases. It is made in concrete because we need a lot of inertia in the building so there isn’t a high change of temperature inside and because it’s one whole building. The idea was that people could meet other companies inside in this large open space around these different issues. We have a vertical ventilation system so it’s kind of low-tech building because we have no money. It is a very simple structure: 11 by 11-metre grid, concrete floor. It allows us to implement different companies and have different sizes. So one company could expand from 15 square meters to 30 or 60 or 100 and so it was able to think of companies growing inside this building. This idea of having different functions around these patios in this kind of Mediterranean building express a kind of relationship between the
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We also designed a big hall going through the building that must be transparent within these patios. We don’t want it to look like regular office building, we want to be borderline. You don’t have to understand what it is.
We knew for sure we had this system, we have the patios, we have the working force, and we have a vertical elements. All this system is repeating. The concept of the interior hasn’t changed, it was very clear.
It’s nice to see that and you know the concept and even you know the engineering aspect of the building
When we won the competition, we told the urban planner that we had one month to do to the competition and the facade is s not finished; he again agreed. For the facade we tried so many different options until a moment we said that the idea to have different squares in the plan should be expressed also on a facade. We tried 100-200 different kinds of facades, they look nice but then we have to decide why this one and not that one.
We have to optimize even more but I think now we have reached the limit we can’t be cheaper without it becoming a regular office
So the structure of this building is set by the facade, you said you changed the facade, you changed the material as well? inside and outside. Now we have this structure of the building and we are in the most difficult part the one of making the facade. So we’re filling in the grids in different ways. We are playing now to design the facade and we think it can express what’s inside the building because we want to have an open building that shows what’s inside. I think for the offices and young companies that come in here to show that they exist and not be behind an anonymous glass facade could be really interesting. Now we are finishing the building permit we just need to find an agreement on money with the client on building construction, so that’s the big project we are working on right now. What is interesting is that the urban planner here was the same as the urban planner in Saclay, it’s interesting because he is very good, and he understood that we to have this relation to the inside and outside showing the functions. We wanted to have flexibility, so we had no columns, no pillars, just flat concrete slab and we have the pillars around the patios and around the facade.
We have two things, we have the structure then we have the glass, how do you open on the ground floor? Do you need to open? And what to do on the floors? You have different kind of solutions that will be developed according to the different pairs of the building. There are different options, it’s the thing we are working on now, it’s a question of design. We found a rule: for every function one design but then we looked at the facade we didn’t like it. It’s extremely difficult how do you design the facade we did 200 versions and we didn’t find yet a solution.
That one is the model of your concept, what in that phase was already fixed? What did you know? Only the form? All the architects you know you make the concept model at the end. We changed few times the concept; we made the model last week after working on it for one year.
But it’s interesting because you do that to test whether the things that you’;re choosing here are still making sense.
Is really nice to see how you work here... We work a lot with these models, they are most working models. Its easy timing is just laser cut, even this concept model.
A lot of them seem to have to do with finding this kind of systems that you talked about and structure. Yes, and then we don’t design according to an idea of having a facade; we worked very much from the inside working with the function, how to organize the building, how to express the functions. We work also very much with references gather images.
Where do you take your references from? Usually when we start competitions we gather a lot of images they can be just graphically, can be related to function, to the structure. That is like a first discussion before the making of the design.
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The project is completed in 2017 by Studio Muoto, it responds to the challenge of combining three different programs, 34 units of social housing, nursery and emergency centre, along Rue 3 Stendhal.
Date Location Client Cost Size
muoto
2017 5 Rue Stendhal RIVP ₏11M 5180m²
The organisation of these three programs in the building is well arranged that allows them to coexist peacefully and take the advantages of the site: privacy and natural lighting for the nursery centre, large exterior spaces, and independence for the dwellings, and the multiple views and orientations for the emergency shelter. Its volume is designed to maximize the energy efficiency and user comfort, the east and west elevations are fully opened for each dwelling units to achieve natural light and wind. The courtyard is shared by the nursery and emergency centre separately with a fence that divides it into two parts. For both of the users of the nursery and emergency centre can enjoy the sunlight with privacy in the inner courtyard of the building as the residences in the social housings can do it in their own balconies (Studiomuoto. com, 2018).
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ground floor plan
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For the design of the Stendhal building, a relative high budget was available for the concerned architectural office. This can be seen in the less flexible structure of the building, which is mainly built up out of cast in place concrete walls. Compared to the upper floors, relatively more open ground floor contains several structural concrete columns, where the floors above are in general structurally based on load bearing concrete walls. The building houses three types of functions, which are all represented in the floor plans with orthogonal orientated smaller spaces. The walls between these concerned spaces allow the load bearing structure to be integrated here in the building. In general terms, the building’s structure can be seen as a load bearing concrete wall structure, oriented in the longitudinal direction of the building. The smaller spaces in between the structural walls are realised by the tactical placement of thinner, non-loadbearing wall elements. These are mainly located around the corridors
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the large horizon of the East Paris landscape, there is an opening space in front of the east side of the building, which creates a good view for the residences.
site plan UP
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The 20th arrondissement of Paris is the last of the consecutively numbered arrondissements of that French capital city, it is located on the right bank of the River Seine. The 20th arrondissement area has developed since the 19th century, also large numbers of immigration from all around the world moved to the area since then, the landscape of the community is quite
diverse and vibrant. The building stands in between a graveyard, Cimetiere du Pere Lachaise, and the main traffic artery, Boulevard Davout. The façade of the building creates a unique appearance for the building with leaning sunshade boards, also the usage of colours is simple, only white and black which makes the building itself clearer within the community where various types of buildings stand together. The balconies for the social housings and the courtyard for the nursery and emergency centre are designed in the west side which can provide more privacy for the users. The building stands in dialogue with
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Located in the 20th arrondissement of downtown Paris, the building itself has to face several urban issues which include the relationship with the community and also the response to the urban context.
first floor plan
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Together with the adjacent stairwells, the corridors and their surrounding spaces create a clear set up of the building as a whole. The stairwells and their associated attributes are located in four concrete cores which are also part of the load bearing structure of the building. When having a closer look to the building one could notice a proper way of dealing with detailing, both in technical as in aesthetical terms. As the building’s structure consists of cast in place concrete elements, the finishing of the façade is partly done by the use of prefabricated concrete elements. These concrete bars, where two sun shading screens come together, have a smooth whiteish surface. In aesthetical terms, this nicely fits with the whiteish colour of the sun screens themselves and the
elevation with blinds open
short façade of the building. Next to this, their functionality is confirmed by being a constructive element for the sun shading screens above and below. Their fixation is realised in terms of Isokorf principles. The insulation between the concrete structure of the building and these prefabricated elements contains reinforcement steel which connects both ends. This way the occurring of thermal bridges is reduced. The prefabrication of the concrete elements allows them to be functional in several ways, as they are also integrated with a gutter.
elevation with blinds closed
which form the axes of each floor. Here the continuation of the load bearing walls is interrupted. Together with the adjacent stairwells, the corridors and their surrounding spaces create a clear set up of the building as a whole. The stairwells and their associated attributes are located in four concrete cores which are also part of the load bearing structure of the building. For the design of the Stendhal building, a relative high budget was available for the concerned architectural office. This can be seen in the less flexible structure of the building, which is mainly built up out of cast in place concrete walls. Compared to the upper floors, relatively more open ground floor contains several structural concrete columns, where the floors above are in general structurally based on load bearing concrete walls. The building houses three types of functions, which are all represented in the floor plans with orthogonal orientated smaller spaces. 22
The walls between these concerned spaces allow the load bearing structure to be integrated here in the building. In general terms, the building’s structure can be seen as a load bearing concrete wall structure, oriented in the longitudinal direction of the building. The smaller spaces in between the structural walls are realised by the tactical placement of thinner, non load bearing wall elements. These are mainly located around the corridors which form the axes of each floor. Here the continuation of the load bearing walls is interrupted.
transverse section
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The system of the sun shading screens can be seen as a positive contribution to the faรงade. The facts that they are slanted and that the position of the screens in terms of shutting differs everywhere, make the faรงade dynamic. Based on the preferences of the people inside the building, the appearance of this dynamic faรงade possibly changes throughout the day.
sliding glazing
lightened emalit aluminum sheet cladding of faรงade removal gutter ZIP blind shade weight bar slide metal tube backstage support fixing bracket of the metal tube at the bottom prefabricated concrete cornice fixing bracket of the metal tube at the top blind box cast in place concrete
facade detail
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When looking at the isometric drawing of the building the workings of the different programs inside the building become clearer. The ground floor on the left side of the building consists of a nursery which has its own entrance and a garden that is only accessible for the people from the nursery. The circulation of the housing units above the nursery are clearly separated, as they have their own entrance and staircase. The same can be seen in the emergency housing centre on the right of the building. They too have their own entrance that only provides access to the centre itself and can therefore cannot not be used by the other functions. In this way no interaction occurs between the different functions that are housed inside the building. The circulation inside the emergency centre alone is pretty straightforward. The main entrance leads right into the hallway with the staircase. From there, one can access the public area which borders to the garden, or one can take the stairs towards the living quarters. A similar concept applies to the housing units. Two entrances with their own staircases lead to the different floor with the apartments. Here a common space is lacking however. In the nursery the circulation happens from a central corridor from which all functions are accessed.
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50 H OUS I N G U N I T S lim e il-brévann es,
The 50 housing units social housing development is located at the east of Paris just outside the main ring. It is part of a zone of urban renewal with lots of private and public open space. The building itself is built next to a sloped area and thus the building is on a small hill or curve. The ground floor consists of 3 entrances toward the 3 segments of the building. From here, there is access to the staircases which serve as a façade as well as vertical circulation. Although the building has elevators it is essentially a ‘walk up’. The remaining ground floor is bicycle and car parking area and utility rooms. It is a secured building so a swipe card or code is needed to access the units. It is a single loaded floor plan which means there is cross ventilation for every apartment.
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paris by
Date Location Client Size
b ruther
2013 Rue Emile Zola Batigère 4000m²
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site plan
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floor plan
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The bridge like concrete structure provides cover and access with one simple form with no requirement for complex roofing and drainage details. This bridge provides residents of the units to interact with each other from all levels. This creates a better sense of community among neighbours as well as providing supervision for young and old. The threshold between public and private is blurred on the bridge which gives a sense of openness to the space. The ‘entry bridge’ is essentially the residents front porch in which diversity can be created through customisation of the space.
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This can be through planting, seating, decorations or any other everyday household items. This way residents can ‘mark’ their own private area in this space and give their personality. This approach gives an otherwise cold concrete area a sense of diversity and warmth which comes with a home that is lived in. Green screens are created cheaply with crawling ivy and this is effective in cooling and protecting apartments from the sun while providing vertical green space that screens residents from the street.
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The building is free standing in the surrounding and does not react to the existing road. It is orientated to achieve the most daylight as possible. The Z-shape form helps to achieve this. The plan follows the topography of the site with a simple bridge like structure to the south and balcony at the rear. The bridge is required to create a single loaded floor plan in which all apartments can get cross ventilation and extra daylight to the gardens below. All water runoff is directed into the gardens instead of down pipes which require more costly building works. Apartment planning is efficient with repetitive layouts which ensure construction cost and buildability is kept to a minimum. Costs are also kept down with the absence of finishing which showcases the raw concrete and honest construction. There are no hidden complex details. The structure is a basic slab and column configuration with the architectural interest coming from the zig zagging beams which sit
on top of diamond columns. The careful composition of raw material, greenery and expressed structure work together bring an aesthetic that is purely from the building elements themselves. This combined with the bridge structure and abundance of air and light make this development a breeding ground for human interaction and sense of community.
exploded structure axo
zig-zag framework
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transverse section
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balcony detail
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P U B L I C CO N D E N S E R s a clay
unive rs ity,
‘Constructing a public building as a starting point for the new campus in Paris-Saclay’. This was the assignment for La lieu de vie designed by Muoto. The building hosts a mix of activities including indoor and outdoor sports facilities, a restaurant, cafeteria, and various public spaces: a pedestrian square, street terraces, park areas for deliveries, bikes and cars. It is a shared facility, encouraging the encounter of various populations living close to one another, but rarely meeting.
paris by
Date Location Client Cost Size
muoto
2016 620 Rue Joliot Curie EPAPS €6.5M 4097m2
La lieu de vie, known in the past as the ‘Public Condenser’, won several awards. They won the silver award given by the Holcimwards for designing a public building with maximal flexibility using a low-cost structure, turning a “limitation into a quality” (Holcim, 2018). Merging economic and aesthetics in order to contribute to sustainable and flexible construction was one of the key factors for winning this award.
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La lieu de vie is a building in the middle of the new campus in Paris-Saclay. It is a public facility that wants to suck in all the people around the area to create a lively actively used building. It is a public meeting area with a mixture of facilities, restaurants and terraces. To create a building that answers to that vision they tried to analyse the kind of functions they could fit in order to have a building that would be used 24 hours a day. When using the function, you need to have a clear overview in relation to each other as well to the area. It is about view lines from one function to another and losing the contact between the functions. The idea for La lieu de vie is based on the concept of a bookshelf. Just like a bookshelf they wanted to create a
building with the structure as its focus. This structure needs to be heavy and visible. It is a naked building, not hiding anything at all, but all is there and all is visible. The change of materials for the staircases is one to address the importance of the usage of the vertical diversity. They use metal as an opposite material to create tension between the concrete. When using the building you immediately see this vertical elevation and invites you to use it. It is even addressed more by creating a passage through the building. Using the buildings makes the building transform during the day and even adapt his status influenced by the flow people (Muoto, 2018).
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site plan
shared space: continuity and openness of the square, link with existing student housing on the west
ground floor transparency: the cafeteria opens on a crossroad and acts as a new meeting point
panoramic views on all floors: users can enjoy the surrounding landscape thanks to the vertical organization of the building
panoramic views: students, researchers and local employees can play basketball or football on the roof
spatial layout
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usual insulation strategies: wrapping the entire building, circulation and technical spaces with insulation
applied “bubble” strategy: only heated spaces are insulated, reducing material use and leaves structure visible from outside
the “reversed slab”: the insulation material is placed above the cocnrete floor, allowing the concrete structure to be visible from outside
thermal insulation strategies
roof floor plan
first floor plan
ground floor plan
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Concrete is used as the basic material for their design. It offers the possibility to have a structure of columns and beams in order to get an openness and flexibility and adaptability. The concrete gives a raw identity to the building and show his heaviness. Minimising the materials used provides a place that lasts in time without the need for complicated maintenance. The grid of concrete makes every floor as its own urban space with full accessibility. Because of these few structural elements you can continuously change everything inside. In this way the buildings become sustainable because you know the function will change after a period of time, and the concrete grid allows to do so.
Using the concept of the bookshelf they made isolated bubbles for the rooms that needed to be insulated. They carefully selected the program so that they had to insulate only 50% of the total volume. They used the concept of the “upturned ceiling” by arranging the insulation on the ceiling panels rather than underneath so that we could leave the soffit raw.
In order to get a building that follows regulation they have to find a balance in the needs and acceptability. This creates an extra field of experience they had to achieve in order to translate their concept in an acceptable and comfortable building.
Because the construction goes from the outside to the inside they have a thermal bridge. But by isolating the bubble as good and narrow as possible they made it to an accessible level.
Instead of heating the room they use radiant panels to warm up people. They took into consideration the warmth the people and the inventory create and uses that in their advantage. They combine the use of the room with the time being used, so they don’t have to heat the building throughout the entire day (Bauwelt, 2018).
section
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The building is organised vertically with its different activities superimposed on one another, using the roof as a panoramic playground for football and basketball games. The different areas are linked by an open staircase that allows independent access. The building takes the form of an urban shelf; a vertical public space, accessible to all campus visitors, day or night. It is a shared facility, encouraging the encounter of various populations living close to one another, but rarely meeting. The Restaurant, cafeteria and sports activities are made accessible to students, company employees, teachers, and researchers. It aims at creating a meeting point for everyone by mixing activities that are usually separate (Muoto, 2018). The building provides very different kinds of spaces, ensuring that indoor as well as outdoor areas may be used for very different purposes. Flexibility does not derive here from a neutral plan, deprived of qualities, but from a diversity of spaces, linked to one another. The indoor spaces benefit from the most flexible configurations, thanks to a “deep plan� and glazed angles in all rooms allowing far and open views outside
steel beam 300x300mm steel pillar HEA 300 concrete beam 300x1200mm concrete slab 250mm prestressed concrete 80mm + concrete slab 170mm concrete beam 300x1150mm
reinforced concrete pillar 300x300mm
vertical void
staircase opened to both sides of the street
structural diagram
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transverse section
balcony detail
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When designing an open building it is a bit of a gamble how it is going to be used. They made a program in such a way the building will be used throughout 24 hours a day. The building is naked, and it needs to suck in all the people in order to get the action the building needs. This is the part the building transform during the day and even adapt his status influenced by the flow people. In response to the low construction budget, detailing has been kept to a minimum. This economical approach has allowed for the inclusion of a generous public square in the construction price, ensuring a planted pedestrian connection with the existing academic buildings next to the site. The vertical configuration of the building provides a minimal footprint (Muoto, 2018).
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C U LT U RA L + S P O RT S C E N T RE s a int-blaise,
paris by
Saint-Blaise district is one of the densest neighbourhoods in Europe, while having little to no activities in the neighbourhood. It is also one of the many areas that took part of the major urban renewal project in Paris. The objective of this project is to open up the neighbourhoods and introduce local amenities and to improve quality of life (ArchDaily, 2018).
Date Location Client Cost Size
b ruther 2011 11-13, rue Mouraud Ville de Paris €3.6M 1300m2
The Sports and Cultural Centre by Bruther is a part of that urban renewal initiative for the Saint-Blaise neighbourhood. The building is to fulfil the non-existent activity quota with a community centre hosting various sports and cultural activities for the district. Due to the nature of the neighbourhood, the context is built up of tall buildings with complex geometry and historic background dating to the 70’s and 80’s. The buildings altogether form outlines of the streets, whilst creating tight enclosed spaces within street blocks, eliminating the possibility of open spaces connecting to the streets. The project site is one of the rare open spaces, which calls for the need of careful architectural planning and development (ArchDaily, 2018). Saint-Blaise’s limited space, high density, and geometrically complex conditions cause the architectural form to be developed vertically with enough compact footprint to facilitate the open square. The Sports and Cultural Centre’s separation from the neighbouring buildings allow itself to be distinguished from the context, whilst creating moments of movement around it. 54
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The architecture expresses a similar language of the neighbourhood, outlining the streets with its façade and fences, creating an enclosed space; however, its architectural expression portrays the enclosure as accessible and more or less welcoming (ArchDaily, 2018).
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The Sports and Cultural Centre sits comfortably within the open square— although monumental, it is not obtrusive. The architecture possessing a suitable height in relation to the context, while it is considerate, seems to enhance the area altogether. Its shape and size have a balanced proportion that makes it approachable and welcoming, an important characteristic for a community centre. To further emphasize the openness
of the building, the ground floor is designed using glazed curtain walls to connect the interior, the enclosure, and the open square, creating an open circulatory space. This open design achieves the conditions of the urban renewal project of creating, preserving and enhancing open areas (ArchDaily, 2018). In conclusion of the analysis of the Sports and Cultural Centre by Bruther in relation to the context of SaintBlaise, the building is well designed in terms of scale and shape that fits well within the given site, connecting the different paths and enhancing the open square with a community centre that is useful to the neighbourhood (ArchDaily, 2018).
site plan
site axo
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circulation diagram
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second floor plan
first floor plan
As you enter the building from the north east elevation you are captivated by the attacking structure, and all the surrounding glazing that enlightens the reception. On the upper floors the glazing provides the added effect of welcoming light into small hallways that encourages you to explore the floor. Grey concrete and simple colours, used in specific parts of the interior (photo), makes this a living palette. A pink rail for the staircase guides you to other floors, either the underground basement where music and activity rooms are situated or up to the offices at the first floor overlooking the reception, adding a unity effect to relate both spaces. Small spaces are found on the second floor where a classroom is situated. Green vintage floor radiators in the hallway are surrounded by patterned glazing that gives a different shading effect unlike other floors. This plastic pattern isolates the space from the outside but still manages to let light in. Arriving to the third and final floor of the centre, a bright gymnasium will encourage you to work out with zenithal light penetrating from the arched ceiling. The clear glazing on the walls gives an effect of relief, expressing the mix of structures that combine steel and diagonal concrete columns.
ground floor plan
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elevation north east
elevation south east
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To help the building fulfil its ‘landmark’ function, the architects use layers to spawn volumes and parts of the edifice, starting from the main body to structure and to the glass shell. All three portions are completely independent from each other. In terms of the construction details, the core of the building is connected to the structure only in slabs and in some cases with walls combined with columns. The connections between walls, made of concrete bricks, and the structure is interesting and unexpected because of the reveal of the diagonal column. Disregarding the “rule” of hiding the structure between the walls, the architects decided to cut the wall diagonally, to reveal the column. The intention to emphasise the structure is more intense by connecting those two elements in two different planes with the column on front and wall to back. The structure and the glass shell have meeting points only to the connections between them, with metal frame and plastic junctions. The connection is only visible between the slab and the glass facade, and as a result constructing the building in this way gives the impression that glass is completely detached from the rest of the building. Further highlighting the concept of “landmark design”, Bruther focuses on highlighting the structure. This was expressed through the fine concrete moulding with sharp edges of beams and columns along with a fine surface, giving the impression of a well-treated element that manages
to distract a visitor’s eye from the rest of the elements. Referring to the buildings core, the materials that are used to compose it are concrete, bricks, glossy tiles and steel. The connection between concrete, concrete bricks and tiles is done in a single plain, as if it is continuous material. There is the suggestion that these construction elements of the interior are less important than the expressive façade structure.
form axo
longitudinal ection
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facade detail
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Bruther’s use of concrete as the structure is playful and unique. The project is defined by its structure, for without its distinctive ‘V’ columns it would not have the character needed to become a local landmark. The main function of the concrete structure within the Sports and Cultural centre is to provide a free and open plan across all floors. This is achieved through transferring forces of the floors using ‘V’ columns pushed close the façade and a closed central core (drawing). The choice of this structural configuration could be said to express the potential of structural concrete beyond its typical configuration of slabs and columns. The unique structural design suggests this is not just any old building, but a status symbol for the area, something that wishes to ‘standout’. It has a dynamic quality which evokes larger sports arenas; hinting at its function without being explicit.
is contentious. A lot of people in the area live in concrete tower-blocks, so arriving at this community centre to see more of the same can feel tiring. While the structure is beautifully crafted with sharp edges and a flawless finish, its cold grey colour dampens its appeal. In addition, for the kids attending the cultural centre the spaces are not flexible enough, the walls are too cold and grey to be sensed, and the ventilation in the building fails to match expectations; with too much heat in the summer and being too cold in the winter. The minimalistic spaces and an industrial feeling are not universally loved but the building does amaze when visited. It is a place that the community is proud to have, evidenced through the excitement and interest shown to us when we were taken around.
The bold angles of the structure are particularly successful in the entrance hall and the sports hall; dynamic spaces that see all manner of movement and use (photo). Overall, the importance of this project to the wider community cannot be understated, however its use of concrete
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to u rs
TOWE RS
d’eau
WAT E R
I N T RO DU C T I O N
A water tower is a structure which holds an elevated water reservoir. Contrary to what most people think, the primary function of water towers is not to store water, but rather to pressurise a watering system. Water towers have been around in various forms since ancient times, but they became more common halfway through the 19th century when they became part of a clean drink water network (van der Veen, 1994). An average water tower has a height of approximately 30 metres, which generates enough pressure to fulfil the average needs for a town for a day. Additional pressure can be needed during peak hours, which is then provided by an external pump (Ferro, 2015). Nowadays most water towers are out of service, as large pumps and regulators have taken over their job. Most of the water towers that are out of service are being rehabilitated and given a new function. This is preferred over demolishing, as these water towers have been notable elements in the landscape for years and have often been assigned a monumental status.
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B RU TA L I S M + WAT E R TOW E R S
A S S I G N M E N T C R I T E R I A
Brutalist architecture focused on revealing the characteristics of materials, and concrete was one of the materials that was widely used for its raw and unpretentious honesty (Brutalism Architecture - 2018). The surface of the concrete is made to show the basic nature of its construction, for example, the wooden planks are used for the in-situ casting forms. Another common theme in brutalist architecture is to expose the functionality of the building structure and services to their human uses. The concrete water tower is a good example for exposing both the characteristics of brutalist architecture; the structure of the water tower is always visible, and the use of concrete shows its sculptural possibilities.
The practical part of our assignment was to create a physical model in teams of two. This model would be a concrete water tower. We were given four design criteria and parameters for our design. The amount of concrete every team received was 36 litres. With these 36 litres of concrete, a minimum height of the bottom of the water tank of 1.2 metres should be reached. This water tank, which is at least 1.2 metres high, should be able to hold 12 litres of water. Before dealing with this, we were split into six groups and each group was working on their own water tower design. During this course, we studied the work of the two concerned French companies Bruther and Muoto. Based on our study of their works we created a water tower design, inspired by their style and philosophy. On our excursion to Paris, we had a chance to explore and get a better understanding of their architecture and also talk to the architects themselves in person. This gave us a better overview of their attitude and design approach. After we gathered a lot of information, the concept of our design started to play an important role. Why we did decide
these particular shapes, methods, and elements used in the process of creation? What is the connection to Bruther, Muoto and the connection to Brutalism? Another aspect involved was the use of actual properties of concrete in the design. Is our design representing the typical properties of concrete itself as a material? Is it using all the benefits that concrete as a material offers? Is the structure and texture of our design used in a rational and innovative way? The next challenge was the design of our form work, for no matter how interesting the tower design is, if it cannot be poured at once then the design fails. The most challenging criterium: - The height. How tall can we build our water towers with a limited amount of concrete? The tanks of our water towers have to be able to hold water so stability plays important role in our design. The models which need to survive the Dutch Design Week exhibition cannot do not break, and will be tested afterward to see which one can handle the most pressure. We have to think about lots of challenging questions during the whole course, we experimented with lots of smaller scale models to test our design and methods, and we have learned a lot about the material concrete itself.
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G ROU P
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The architectural firms Bruther and Muoto have both their own typical way of building and designing with concrete. The building we had to analyse was the 50 housing units. In the design of this complex are some particular things. Like the diagonal lines used in the beams with their clear visibility and purpose, the ‘diamond’ shaped columns and the visibility of the casting material. Our design tries to show different aspects of the different firms. The columns are slanted towards each other to give a reference towards the diagonal columns in the cultural centre building, but also to the diagonal beams in the 50 housing unit. Also it was chosen from a design point of view, to give the tower a more slender feeling. The Saclay building of Muoto has really prominent beams. The beams are actually designed bigger than they had to be giving them a really important aspect in the building. This is also something we wanted to 74
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add in our building. The water tank is resting on the beams and almost visually ‘sunken’ into the beams giving them an even heavier and over dimensioned feeling. By doing this we also used the way the French concreteness architecture thinks. Really showing what has what function. Because these beams have to carry the big load of the water tank and the water they should resemble the strength they have to carry. Both firms also have the tendency to make some slenderness and finesse in their design. We wanted to bring this back as well. We made the water tank only 2 centimetres thick. This way it looks very refined and in combination with the big beams this slenderness is enhanced. By combining all these parts together, the tower shows the different functions of the different parts in the design in combination with the principals of the two architectural firms.
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G ROU P
I I by
michiel peeters jorn van weg en
The goal that was immediately set for the water tower was to create an elegant tower, as opposed to the standard heavy looking structures. During the interview with the lead architect from Muoto Architects it was stated that they do not possess a typical style that determines their architecture, but rather they try to make the best of each unique situation with the parameters that are set. Doing something special every single time is the key to success according to the architect. We tried to do the same with the water tower by looking for a shape that would be typical for concrete, while at the same time keeping in mind that the tower should stand out and radiate elegancy. A rough shape for the tower was then quickly determined. The square shaped base forms a strong foundation for the hourglass shape. The challenge became to get twelve litres of water inside the reservoir at the top, without gaining too much height, or losing the slender appearance. The eventual design holds a little over 12 litres and still has the right proportions that make it look elegant.
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G ROU P
I I I by b rand an villatora m ichaela vat ralova
The approach to the water tower design and the structure is inspired by the minimalistic and raw forms of Studio Muoto. Their building forms typically come from construction elements themselves as project budgets are usually quite low. A facade is not typically designed, and it is only structural elements such a as columns, beams and floors that produce a facade in itself. It is not an intent for expressed structure but more of a result of having a bare bone building that can be re-purposed in the future instead of facing demolition when building functions need to change. Flush concrete detailing is textured by layered form work in a simple geometric shape. Following the straight lines of Studio Muoto buildings the structural proportions are based off column sizes and shear wall widths. The water tank sits on top of the structure as a pure form with a slight angle which references the diagonal bracing elements of Bruther buildings. The connection points are angled which reference the zig zag column and beam structure of Bruther’s 50 Housing units. Slender legs emphasise the strength of concrete and what it can do as a material to make a structure that is simple, raw and beautiful. 78
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by sookyum lee michael- george alhawat jou- fang wang
Our water tower design is inspired by the work of Muoto of Bruther, both of whom are Parisian architects that uses concrete as a practical material. In their architectural works, their use of concrete is simple, yet refined, and practical both structurally and aesthetically. We, too, wanted to strive towards the same design excellence in the use of concrete for our own water tower.
Owing to the scale of the water tower, standing at 1.8m, the mold for the concrete structure posed some difficulty. In comparison to a typical rectilinear mold form, triangular shapes result in angular oddities in the form work, resulting in much more complex geometries to fabricate. The scale of the water tower also formed difficulty in the mold construction, as it becomes more difficult as the scale becomes smaller. Through this complex difficulty, we were forced to find a design solution for an extremely efficient and simple mold system. The water tower design competition holds a set of conditions that we must follow. The base of the water tank must be a minimum of 1.2m off the ground, while holding 12L of water and must be made of concrete. These basic
rules of the design challenge greatly impacted the shape of our water tower. We wanted our design to follow the triangular rule thoroughly, causing our design to have its height divided into 3 equal pieces, containing two parts structure and one part water tank. The rule of only using concrete, and in one pour should you know, affected the required thickness of the structure greatly, as the mold are to permit enough space for the wet concrete to pass through to reach the very bottom. As a result of the design challenge, the structural elements consisted of 5cm thick dimensions, requiring up to 60 pieces of form work to allow the concrete form possible. We believe that we have aligned our water tower design with the architects; design philosophy.
Our initial thought was to use the triangle to create our water tower structure. Our initial thought was to use the triangle to create our water tower structure. The reason being is that the triangle is the strongest geometrically simple shape. This shape allows us to achieve the characteristics of both simplicity and practicality. The problem is to transform this simple shape into an aesthetically pleasing structure. To gain the aesthetic quality from a simple shape, we have taken multiple triangles to form a complex structure. The resulting design are three X shaped structures placed in a triangular position rising vertically to support the triangular shaped water tower. The triangles may appear complex, but are designed minimally to achieve its full potential strength. The minimal material to strength ratio was an important design strategy for us to strive for efficiency.
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simone marzorati johan heins
“To make is our way of thinking�. (Bruther) We used this concept as a base of designing a water tower. This is not merely used for the design but as well to test the structure and implement and translate our experience by forming (Finnish: muoto) it into an object. As a concept we wanted to make a structure that is understandable, but as well designed to attract people by telling a story.
In this story we want to create this illusion of a water container falling down from the sky into a construction joining together and merge together into one object. Here we see the tension of the grid with the columns getting their form merging together with the container. Doing so we create a different perspective from multiple angles and even strengthen the massiveness of the structure. Here we separate structure and function and it emphasizes the role the structure has supporting the container or the function of the water tower. The end result is a construction that is not like every water tower we have seen, like the dozens of water towers we have seen on our trip through France. The construction is elegant and leading and tries to be an attractor.
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by george mcloug hlin ko n stantinos perakis
The seminar began with designing and building small scale gypsum models. The initial intention was to experiment with mould making, the material its’ fluidity, setting time, textures etc. The rectangular volume of basic structural elements was tested along with volumes that are considered to follow the principles of design used by Bruther and Muoto. French concrete, as a part of brutalism, uses the material in raw way, without polishing it or covering with coating or plaster, creating forms and volumes are clear and heavy. The patterns that used are nothing more than those that the materials of the moulds create. The architectural firms that we study follow the designing path of French style adding their own characteristics that make them unique. Referring to “Bruther’’ architects, they use the material in order to create expressive and unexpected structures that are the main element of the architectural composition. Except from the nonconservative placement of structural elements, they build those components with the same principle, as they did in 50 housing units. The emphasis on the material is also visible with the sharp edges of the concrete components. Architects from “Muoto’’ studio are less expressive on the material and they emphasize on the structural properties of concrete and its financial advantages. 84
Those were the basic characteristics that we adopted for our design for the water tower, the unexpected design and application of the structural components, to the columns in particular, and the sharp and fine finishing of the material. The main idea was to combine and reverse two volumes, a cylinder and a cube. The cubic volume on top was divided vertically with small lines that are more dense to the edges, giving the impression of a curving volume. Referring to a circular plan the cylindrical volume of the base was divided into eight thinner vertical rectangular columns. The impression that this design gave was the unstable tank on top. Trying to solve structural problems that would see the columns buckling, we developed some ideas with columns crossing and tried to find their intersection. At the same time reducing the number of the columns from eight to four and design them to meet in the middle, helped to solve this problem and at the same time follow the principle of Bruther architects. The final design consists of four columns that meet in the centre at two different heights with a simple, sharp cube on top.
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ARCH I TECTS
CityLab. (2018). The Rise of Timber Construction in France. [online] Available at: https://www.citylab.com/design/2017/10/why-timber-towers-are-on-the-risein-france/544098/ Studiomuoto.com. (2018). (Fr) Studio – Studio Muoto. [online] Available at: http://www.studiomuoto.com/en/studio/ Digital.bnpmedia.com. (2018). Bruther. [online] Available at: http://digital. bnpmedia.com/publication/?i=457610&article_id=2951718&view=articleBrowser& ver=html5#%22{\%22issue_id\%22:457610,\%22view\%22:\%22articleBrowser\ %22,\%22article_id\%22:\%222951718\%22%22
Foundation website. Available at: https://www.lafargeholcim-foundation.org/ projects/public-condenser LafargeHolcim Foundation for Sustainable Construction, i. (2018). Our Foundation | LafargeHolcim Foundation for Sustainable Construction. [online] LafargeHolcim Foundation website. Available at: https://www.lafargeholcimfoundation.org/about/foundation Bauwelt.de. (2018). BAUWELT - Public Condenser. [online] Available at: http:// www.bauwelt.de/themen/bauten/Public-Condenser-Studio-Muoto-Das-ErsteHaus-2017-2728442.html
Bruther.biz. (2018). BRUTHER. [online] Available at: http://bruther.biz/
MUOTO-STENDHAL Studiomuoto.com. (2018). Stendhal. [online] Available at: http://www. studiomuoto.com/en/stendhal-2/ [Accessed 13 Oct. 2018].
F RENC H
WAT E R
CONCRE TE
Kroll, A., 2010. AD Classics: Unite d’ Habitation / Le Corbusier. [Online] Available at: https://www.archdaily.com/85971/ad-classics-unite-d-habitationle-corbusier [Accessed 13 10 2018]. Lee, P., 2016. What do we Mean by Brutalist Architecture ?. [Online] Available at: https://www.widewalls.ch/brutalist-architecture/ [Accessed 12 10 2018]. Marsh, J., 2017. Tadao Ando: The Japanese boxer turned Pritzker Prize winner who buried the Buddha. [Online] Available at: https://edition.cnn.com/style/article/tadao-ando-exhibition/index. html [Accessed 13 10 2018].
B U IL D ING
ANALYSIS
BRUTHER – SPORTS CENTRE ArchDaily. (2018). Cultural and Sports Centre / BRUTHER. [online] Available at: https://www.archdaily.com/559617/cultural-and-sports-center-bruther [Accessed 13 Oct. 2018]. MUOTO – SPORTS CENTRE Studiomuoto.com. (2018). (Fr) Studio – Studio Muoto. [online] Available at: http://www.studiomuoto.com/en/studio/ LafargeHolcim Foundation for Sustainable Construction, i. (2016). Public Condenser: Low-cost flexible university building, Paris. [online] LafargeHolcim 100
TOWERS
Van der Veen, H. (1994). Watertorens in Nederland. Rotterdam: Uitgeverij 010. Ferro, S. (2015). How Do Water Towers Work?. [online] Mentalfloss.com. Available at: http://mentalfloss.com/article/64577/how-do-water-towers-work [Accessed 11 Oct. 2018]. Brutalism Architecture - 2018 [web page]. wikipedia.org.13.10.2018 [cited 13.10.2018] Available from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brutalist_architecture
D R AWI N G
REF ERENC ES
ArchDaily. (2014). Cultural and Sports Centre / BRUTHER. [online] Available at: https://www.archdaily.com/559617/cultural-and-sports-center-bruther [Accessed 13 Oct. 2018]. AFASIAARCHZINE.COM. (2018). Muoto. [online] Available at: https:// afasiaarchzine.com/2017/12/muoto-4/ [Accessed 13 Oct. 2018]. ArchDaily. (2017). Public Condenser / MUOTO. [online] Available at: https:// www.archdaily.com/802946/public-condenser-muoto [Accessed 13 Oct. 2018]. ArchDaily. (2015). 50 Housing Units / Bruther. [online] Available at: https:// www.archdaily.com/625109/50-housing-units-bruther [Accessed 13 Oct. 2018].
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