SHATTERED TRANSLUCENCE SELF INTERIORISATION THROUGH ABSENCE CHARLES CHADWICK
A1759275
CONTENTS
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PLACE
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IDEA
Elevations and Signifigance Shadows, Light and Circulation
Metaphor Form Progression Form Concept
Light Study: Luminosity
Light Study: Reflection
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FORM
MEDIUM Plans Sections Section Details
Medium Medium and Precedents Atmosphere
Light Study: Opacity
Light Study: Filtration
PLACE The Math Lawns, are a large lawn space located directly in front (to the east) of the Barr Smith Library. The space inbetween the ..... and.... is the al-
located site of which the design needs to occupy. Trees and lamp-posts line the grass area providing shade, light and aesthetics. The lawns ab-
SITE PLAN Scale 1:1800
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ELEVATION SOUTHERN Scale 1:1200
ELEVATION NORTHERN
THE LIBRARY Due to its heritage listing, the Barr-Smith Library is an important fature to the site and cannot be significantl obstructed by any forms to the east.
ELEVATION WESTERN
MID-SUMMER MORNING
MID-SUMMER AFTERNOON
MID-SUMMER EVENING
MID-WINTER MORNING
MID-WINTER AFTERNOON
MID-WINTER EVENING
SHADOW, LIGHT AND CIRCULATION Shadow is created by objects when light fails to travel through and directly touch the space behind said object. Although the light does not pass at all times directly onto the Maths Lawns, the ambient light created from reflected light and refraction keeps the space brightly lit at all times. Summer-time creates harsh shadows and harsher sun. In the afternoon, the harsh
beats down directly on the siteand will need some layer of protection. Winter is a cool time, clouds are out most of the time and the light over the Math Lawns is quite Balanced, shadows blend softly into the grass and pavers. reflected light bounces off buildings, makes shadows lighter. Grass can be seen as an obstruction by passers-by. the edge of the lawn creates a barrier that one must
have justification to cross. Due to this, the paths are heavily used in comparison and the only paths across the lawn exist when the resultant vector is significantly more efficient. Circulation (right) shows that the grass area is very rarely used, and when given the choice, pedestrians will choose to walk along the paths most of the time.
Luminosity
A Light Study
Luminosity: What is light? Light is a form of radiation that is interpreted by our eyes to perceive space. Luminosity is a measure of the emission of light radiation, the more
luminous quality, the brighter something is. Variables like heat and particles affect the behaviour of luminosity creating varying qualities. These qualities can create an experience of warmth, wonder, space and texture. Often derived from cultural and emotional experiences.
A Philosophical Standpoint... In the past, light has been interpreted in a number of ways, commonly in a religious sense that symbolises divine beings and life.
Plato recognised that light is a way of perceiving the world related light to wisdom and truth. In these comparisons light is seen as a figure to guide us to understanding the world. Light therefore is the medium of which we design for it is not the object that is seen but its light perceived.
Luminosity in architecture. Zaha Hadid experimented with complex curvatures that blended light in a way to create sharpness and fluidity. Spaces in the Heydar Aliyev Centre contrast with one-another to create a juxtaposition of colour and materiality. The white corridors are elegant, the stairs flow into the walls, light doesn’t have the ability to create dark spaces and creates an atmosphere of infinite volume. Concert areas however embrace the darkness the steps create, this builds a sense of depth.
IDEA
TRANSLUCENCE
LIGHT AS A JOURNEY OF SELF INTERIORISATION Light is the object by which we perceive space and judge one-another. By removing the vague notion of space and transcending the judgment of others, we find peace within ourself.
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WHO ARE WE? How do we identify ourselves when we are just empty shadows walking along a road? The path of translucence is a curved labyrinth that guides us to the prejudices and judgement of our subconscious, what do you see when that faceless figure walks past you? The shell represents ourselves as we go on this journey of self-discovery, we unfold soft translucent layers, one at a time, and we occasionally see others on their own journey, although hidden by a white mist. As they get closer, we see the form of that person. But do we see the person underneath, or the shadow that lies upon their surface?.
BUBBLE DIAGRAM
CONVERTED TO FLOOR
PLAYING WITH FORM (PLAN)
CONCEPT SKETCHES
What spaces do we need to incorporate and how important are they?
How much space do we need for each room?
How to create interactive geometries?
TOO BIG! Needs to be much smaller
JUMBLING THE PIECES...
THE PRIMITVE FORM
Arranging the Previous floor plan to achieve a compressed design
Cleaning up the previous ‘jumble‘ the plan unveils itself...
GEOMETRY CONVERTED 3D Although Being small enough, the structure obstructs sight of the library
UPDATED CONCEPT Due to the previous forms obstruction of Barr-Smith Library, the form needs to be updated to be partially or completely submerged. In my early design concept (to the left), the lecture halls are partially submerged which is something lost in the following form. Using the primitive
floor plan, (bottom left), and applying a slope, the space could be partially submerged, but how to incorporate translucence? Perhaps by creating translucent skylights and allowing people to roam ON THEM, the original concept can be retained.
REFLECTION A Light Study
EXTERNAL 3D VIEW 1
FORM
Although completely inconspicous from the ground plane, the final form is a jumble of spaces below the pavements between the Math Lawns. By placing the design under the pavers and the grass, the maths lawns can retain its
3D VIEW 2
EXPERIENTIAL COLLAGE passive cooling design and incorporates an interactive platform for people who arent directly using the space. The design features two sloped seminar rooms, a small library with reading space, an exhibition room
and three bathrooms. The rooms are connected by a mega recepion space where all rooms are accessed from. A concrete stairway is the course of entry to this site, the stairs not only provide entry but also serve as seating.
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PLANS & CIRCULATION The plans (to the right) show the oientation and scale of the site. the sub-terranean structure lies both beneath the grass space and the pavers yet the translucent skylights are only located between the
PLAN ELEVATION 1 Scale 1:1200
pavements. The form is completely hidden from the eastern view of the Barr Smith Library. The floor plan is reminiscent of my previous attempts and carries their memories through its structure.
PLAN ELEVATION 2 Scale 1:400
EASTERN SECTION SCALE : 1:250
NORTHERN SECTION SCALE : 1:250
The Pitch Shattered Translucence featuring translucent skylights and a shattered floor-plan creates different atmospheres in different rooms to guide students to feel the impact of the structure. The stairs lead the students down
CIRCULATION
FLOOR PLAN to the reception area, the stairs extend under themselves to give students seating. The reception space is lit only by skylights giving depth to the room. The seminar halls are inclined, creaitng height, while its teal walls
create a sense of oceanic wonder. The library and reading space is brightly lit, allowing students to work effectively. The library is small but the tables featured will cupply a very effective study space.
SCALE : 1:250
OPACITY A Light Study What is Opacity? Opacity is the property of a solid object that filters light so no beams pass through, they are reflected off the surface of the object and perceived through our eyes, giving us the perception of objects
and space. A white object reflects all light from it, and since white light consists of all colours, it gives off a white appearance. A blue wall on the other hand has a hard time showing other colours as the material is much more efficient at reflecting blue.
A Philosophical Standpoint...
Filtration in architecture.
From a philosophical standpoint, opacity can be perceived as the ability to stand against a force, to protect oneself from the harsh outside forces. One may consider a wall as a blockade between nature and man, and in-turn the wall between comfort and pain. Opacity will give us shade from a burning sun and dry shade from a drenching rain.
Opacity is not used in a way that exists only to block out light, but a way to challenge it and to shape light to fit different structures. Light is incredibly simple to guide, light travels through transparent and opaque mediums and sparseness alike, but is stopped by opaqueness. The sun is our main source of light, and so is a vital constraint on architecture. The sun constantly changes position over us, and so
Opacity is the way we perceive
the angles it creates needs to be accounted for. These structures have successfully utilized the way the sunlight enters the building, not only relying on times of day, month and year but also how the light will travel through the spaces, how it will bounce and reflect off of the materials the architects have specified. Opacity challenges light. Architecture challenges Opacity.
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MEDIUM Translucence is created when light travels through a material or medium and is blurred/ dullled so it is neither transparent not opaque. It is the driving thematic concept behind this design, and so needs the appropriate materiality to support it. Foggy glass is the ideal material for this concept, the material is strong, consistent and can supply the neccessary level of translucence I hope to create.
MATERIALITY The colour scheme that shattered translucence revolve around is the teal, white and grey. Teal is quite a calming colour, reminding onself of water. This is definitely the approach I have taken in an attempt to create the feeling of being in the ocean while
EXTERNAL 3D VIEW 2 in reality, being in a dry, seminar room. As seen below, I have showed the seminar room empty to fully convery this idea (Below). This idea of water is also seen from above, where, in the external 3D views, the design appears like sea-foam.
Seminar Room Internal 3D View
EXTERNAL 3D VIEW 3
RECEPTION SPACE
SEMINAR HALL 1
LIBRARY AND READING SPACE
ATMOSPHERE
PRESENTATION SPACE
Creating atmosphere is a vital role in the conception and design of a structure. Atmosphere is perceived by the feelings a person using the space would experience. This design was born from the idea of translucence yet the spaces need to still be felt in a way that is unique and construc-
tive. The Seminar Halls are painted a turqoise colour, this crates a sense of depth and gives the students a sense of privacy and darknes while under the skylights. The presentation hall and Library are white to create light, encourage students and to create a sense of weightlessness.
STAIRWAY EXPERIENTIAL COLLAGE
‘UNFOLDED‘ MATERIALITY EXERCISE
FILTRATION A Light Study
What is Filtration? Light is an array of millions upon millions of particals travelling in waves. while light may appear at first to travel in a linear progression, it is far from that. Filtration occurs when light seeps through an open space or slit, seeming to bend around an object. This is the phenomenon known as refraction. Refraction happens due to a photons wave-like path. when the photon passes an object, it will slightly pass with the object and bend, this phenomenon creates ambient light, refracted lasers and rainbows.
A Philosophical Standpoint... Rainbows and light have played a vital role in humanities past, their has been much speculatio about what light is what causes it to exist and why it was given to us to play with. Light is the most biblical, religious deity to ever exist and the ability for humans to alter it, create darkness and light is mystical and religious in itself.
Filtration in architecture. Zaha Hadid experimented with complex curvatures that blended light in a way to create sharpness and fluidity. Spaces in the Heydar Aliyev Centre contrast with one-another to create a juxtaposition of colour and materiality. The white corridors are elegant, the stairs
flow into the walls, light doesn’t have the ability to create dark spaces and creates an atmosphere of infinite volume. Concert areas however embrace the darkness the steps create, this builds a sense of depth. Zaha Hadid experimented with complex curvatures that blended light in a way to create sharpness and fluidity. Spaces in the Heydar Aliyev Centre contrast with one-another to create a juxtaposition of colour and materiality. The white corridors are elegant, the stairs flow into the walls, light doesn’t have the ability to create dark spaces and creates an atmosphere of infinite volume. Concert areas however embrace the darkness the steps create, this builds a sense of depth.
A JOURNEY Walk past me. Walk over me. Walk through me. Walk with me.