Manifesto - Rereading the story, Maison a Bordeaux by Dudley Jones

Contents Introduction....................................................................page 4 Context of Maison a Bordeaux.....................................page 6 Original story page 6 Plans, sections and elevations

page 8

Analysis page 10 Re-reading Criterion of Maison a Bordeaux..............page 12 Photomontage ...............................................................page 14 Phtomontage II page 16 Photomontage Final page 18 A New End......................................................................page 20 Cultural change - evolution of the house

page 21

A new end - 20 years on

page 22

The drawing of an Action .............................................page 24

Drawing of the action, version II

page 26

Drawing of the action, version III

page 28

Drawing of the action, version IV - Final

page 30

Precedent study page 32 Technical Drawing .......................................................page 34 Overview section review - adaptation

page 34

Localised section page 35 Precedent and Section Explanation

page 36

Group Conversation......................................................page 38 Group work Evaluation page 41 Bibliography....................................................................page 42 Manifesto.........................................................................page 43

Introduction

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This book will illustrate the process of development, considering the reasons why the Maison a Bordeaux by Rem Koolhaus was designed, paying particular attention to the symbolism and emotive architectural language that Rem Koolhaus demonstrated in his design. It is very important to understand why he did what he did. This book will help to put reason to the cultural reality that the clients faced when they commissioned Koolhaus. At the beginning, it is necessary to review the original design and text on the house in order to understand the context and contemplate the use of the house. This knowledge of the Maison a Bordeaux will allow a smooth evolutionary understanding of how the cultural references, that helped produce the house originally, have changed over time; to consider what exactly the new meaning and function of the house could be twenty or thirty years on, considering the cultural change that society has undergone in recent decades. Once the understanding of the Maison a Bordeaux has been realised it was appropriate, to illustrate these cutural views, to get a feeling of these reasons. This has been done through a sequence of photographic montages that themselves depict the cultural change as they evolved. To finally realising the result of this cultural change and so determine the function of the house, not as it once was but what it has evolved to facilitate in its architecture. It could be likened to a â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;dressâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;, whereby you can choose a favourite dress, but over time, things change;

it may longer fit or it may no longer serve the original purpose that it was intended for. In the same way this anology represents the changing functionality of the Maison a Bordeaux. Considering this cultural change supported by facts, a new end to the story of the Maison a Bordeaux was introduced to summarise what findings arose. Figure 4

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This introduced a new theme of study. A theme that looks at how the cultural change has lead to an activity performed within the house, that demonstrates the functionality of the changes in society and so the new ‘dress of the house’ This area of the book illustrates an evolutionary phase in understanding. Later, the book will consider how the ideas generated by cultural change and the summary of the activity can be put into practice through design. For this it was necessary to research into precedents for such design and also to consider which part of the house had outlived its original function. It is apparent that the central hydraulic platform and library forms a large part of the house’s original ‘dress’ possibly providing an option for elaboration on its design. Finally, all things considered, the book will summarise and evaluate the work, both as an project and as a process, working in a team and demonstrate the formulation of solutions to possible problems. It will conclude with a manifesto and bibliography, in order to understand the project cycle as a whole and allow you, the reader, to use the references as inspiration in future work.

‘Maison à Bordeaux’, by Rem Koolhaas A wealthy married couple with three children lived in a very old and beautiful house in Bordeaux in France. For many years this family was thinking about building a new home, planning how it could be and wondering who the architect would be. Suddenly, the husband had a car accident and almost lost his life. Now he needs a wheelchair. The old beautiful house and the medieval city of Bordeaux had now become a prison for him. The family started to think about their new house again but this time in a very different way. Circulation in the new house. The married couple bought a hill with a panoramic view over the city and approached the Dutch architect Rem Koolhaas in 1994. The husband explained to him: “Contrary to what you might expect, I do not want a simple house. I want a complicated house because it will determine my world.” Instead of designing a house on one floor which would ease the movements of the wheelchair, the architect surprised them with an idea of a house on three levels, one on top of each other. The ground floor, half-carved into the hill, accommodates the kitchen and television room, and leads to a courtyard. The bedrooms of the family are on the top floor, built as a dark concrete box. In the middle of these two levels is the living room made of glass where one contemplates the valley of the river Garonne and Bordeaux’s clear outline.

The wheelchair has access to these levels by an elevator platform that is the size of a room, and is actually a well-equipped office. Because of its vertical movements, the platform becomes part of the kitchen when it is on the ground floor; links with the aluminium floor on the middle level and creates a relaxed working space in the master bedroom on the top floor. In the same way that the wheelchair can be interpreted as an extension of the body, the elevator platform, created by the architect, is an indispensable part of the handicapped client. This offers him more possibilities of mobility than to any other member of the familyonly he has access to spaces like the wine cellar or the bookshelves made of polycarbonate which span from the ground floor to the top of the house, and thus respond to the movement of the platform

Figure 7

Experiencing the house. Koolhaas designed a complex house in itself and surpassed the conventional, in every detail. For example, the top floor rests on three legs. One of these legs, a cylinder that includes the circular staircase of the house, is located off-centre. Although this displacement brings an instability to the house, it gains equilibrium by placing a steel beam over the house which pulls a cable in tension. The first question that the visitor asks is: what happens if the cord is cut? Koolhaas has created a structure which, equal to the life of the client, depends on a cable. This arrangement provides the middle level with an uninterrupted view over the surrounding landscape, and an effect that is intensified with the highly polished finish of the stainless steel cylinder which incorporates the stairs, and makes it disappear into the landscape. The middle level is a balcony where the top floor floats above. It is a glazed space which allows the wheelchair to confuse the nature outside with the interior of the house. In contrast, the same landscape receives another treatment from the top floor. The view appears restricted and predetermined, framed by circular windows placed according to whether one stands, sits or lays down.

Figure 7 - Rem Koolhaas (b. 1944). (Photo: Sanne Peper) - Contemplation.

Inside the house the family experiences Koolhaasâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s interpretations of lifeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s instability and dualities. In regards to the husband, he has experienced this instability and is now part of his own self. In the same way that the umbilical cord belongs both to the mother and the baby, and gives it nutrition; the elevator platform connects the husband to the house and offers him a liberation. Appendix. It was with the greatest sorrow that we learnt, at the beginning of the year 2001, of the husbandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s death.

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Usage and structure Analysis Figure 8 - Second Floor. This space is home to the master bedroom and the childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s rooms. Figure 9 - First Floor. This space consists of a place for contemplation. It has a panoramic view out over the local area making it an ideal place for such an activity. Figure 10 - Ground Floor. The ground floor is built into the terrain. The ground floor consists of the Kitchen, Television room and the courtyard outside, as well as the entrance and the hydraulic platform at ground floor level. Figure 11 - Long section through the void - Hydrraulic Ramp space as well as intersecting the spiral staircase. This drawing shows the context of the house in relation to the terrain and floor spaces. The focal point of the section is the void. The void houses the hydraulic platform but also facilitates a library, part of the kitchen and the Master Bedroom. Figure 12 - Axonometric interpretation. This shows the overall form of the Maison a Bordeaux, seperating each plan and highlighting the space of the hydraulic platform. Figure 13 - This image represents the equality between the able and the disabled. It is significant because the shadows do not allow for individual identification of the people, yet it shows them together creating a generic understanding of equality. This is similar to the idea that Rem Koolhaus suggested in his design, allowing the disabled man to have access to the house, similar to the access that an able bodied person may have. Figure 13

Re-reading Criterion of Maison a Bordeaux. This design by Rem Koolhaus is particularly interesting as it has a paricularly unique narrative. The house itself was designed for a man who had been in a car accident and became wheelchair bound. The Client expressed that he would like a complicated house, for it was going to be his world. This is interesting because it contradicts the norm. In a normal circumstance, the disabled person may seek to have a home that is easy to get around and is in essence not at all complicated. The two most intriging aspects of this house are the hydraulic Platform and the design based around the principle that it is an ‘unstable’ construction which both relate deeply with the client’s condition. For example, the lift or hydraulic platform in the house makes part of the kitchen on the ground floor, which is half carved into the landscape; on the first floor it completes the room which has been designed with three hundred and sixty degree views for contemplation. Furthermore, as the lift travels up it forms the remainder of a study that is in the master bedroom. This lift is an indispensible part of the clients life, much like the wheelchair is an indespensible extension of the body for the disabled man. The second symbolic point, is the way in which the structure has been designed - deliberately with three supporting columns, one of which, the spiral staircase is off centre creating an ‘unstable’ house. To overcome this design suggestion, a steel beam was placed over the house with a tensile member anchoring the house to the ground via the beam. It was asked ‘what happens if the cable is cut?’ The answer is that the house will fall. This is in direct comparison to the client. Both the house and the man in his wheelchair relies on a cable to function. This solution by Rem Koolhaus is absolutely influenced by the cultural conditions of the man. It is important to understand here that the void is the central hub for information, therefore is the process whereby the concept of accessibility is formed. This is the narrative.

Understanding the concept of the house from a cultural point of view allows for research and development of the design. But is first important to understand why the house was built, for example the society around which it was built and the ideas and norms that that society conveys. This is how and why the Maison a Bordeaux was built the way it was. It is likely to assume that if the house were to be built now, it would be designed completely differently because of the changing cultural understanding of disability and most importantly accessibility. These next few pages, illustrate such understanding and change through the use of photographic montages.

Photography Montage I This Photographic Montage is primarily focused around the cultural concepts that surrounded the Maison a bordeaux at the time that Rem Koolhaus designed it. However, there is the introduction of a new element in the photographic montage. This is the work on Villa Anbar. This is included to show a different but similar concept of freedom and accessibility. However, the main focus of this montage is the cultural concepts that brought about the design of the house. It would seem that at the time of design, societies were less than willing to support those with disabilities. This was obvious by the way in which public areas were not suited to the man in a wheelchair. The idea behind this montage is to illustrate certain issues that may have been a problem for the disabled. It seeks to understand the concept of accessibility. That is the key to the whole design by Rem Koolhaus. Therefore, modern day functions such as the push switch to open doors or the ramps used to access buildings currently have been displayed as this indicates a few constructive solutions to improve accessibiltity to all, today. Rem Koolhaus, allowed his client to achieve accessibility throughout his house, firstly through design, but secondly through access to information, hence why the library lining the void was created. The montage in summary suggests that the world was not accessible to those who needed it to be. It illustrates ways in which this has been made possible and finally reflects the idea that the house becomes the clients world, to overcome the lack of accessibility at that time. Figure 14

Photography Montage II This Photographic Montage is similar to the first concept montage. However, this one seeks to illustrate the change in cultural concepts that society has began to understand, to allow the disabled to have access to everything that the able bodied person has access to. The montage depicts the idea that technology today has allowed for a more accessible society. For example, push switches and stairlifts, ramps and lifts. All of which are integrated within our society to increase accessibility to tose who need it. It also tries to demonstrate the notion that society has changed and has become more equal as a result of the cultural concept of accessibility. It is important here to highlight the cultural concept that is accessibility. Over time society has allowed for greater accessibility to information, buildings and other sources of public space using technology and as well educating society, to allow them to understand the needs of the less abled.

Figure 15

This is a preliminary sketch that was designed to encourage further development of the concept previously discussed in the montages. The idea behind this sketch is that the able bodied person, regardless of how hard they try are stuck on a maze of stairs. The man in a wheelchair has no hope to even access these spaces that the able man can. Although, the never ending unequal stairs are not his route to the top. The wheelchair bound person has an alternative route. This route enables him to achieve equality and accessibility to all. Figure 16 To the right of this text is the final outcome of the work in developing the cultural understanding behind the montages. Or what the reasons for creating the Maison a Bordeaux were, progressing through to demonstarting a cultural change over the past few decades, to finally achieving an outcome illustrating what the change has meant for the client in the house. Therefore based on the development of photographic montage, the final product illustrates how the once enclosed life of the man in a wheelchair has become free and equal because the cultural understanding of accessibility has changed. The man who once was stuck at the bottom of the stairs, is now able to access as much, as the man with no wheelchair. It would seem however, considering this, that the design principles of Rem Koolhaus, superceded his time. If this is the case, then the idea of the house remains the same, only like a dress that has grown too small, the need for that fucnction has changed. As previously stated in the preliminary sketch, figure 16, the final montage shows a man, once bound by a wheelchair, standing above the stairs that once prevented him from climbing. Although, the man is not cured, the society around him has been accessibility for the less able is much more prevailent today, resulting in equality and access to all.

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Cultural Change - The Evidence These are the steps of the European Concept for Accessibility May 1985: on demand of the E.C. Bureau for Action in Favour of Disabled People, the Dutch Council of the Disabled carries out a study about the accessibility legislation and practice in the Member States. October 1987: The Dutch CCPT launches the development of a European Manual with harmonised and standardised accessibility criteria, financed by the European Commission and supervised by a steering group of experts from different European countries. November 1990: Publication of the European Manual, but it seems to contain too many details for which there is no common European ground. 1996: A new draft with far less pages and details is presented. The title is European Concept for Accessibility. Though it is not a standard, the European Concept for Accessibility is translated into many languages and is used in several countries to renew national approaches and guidelines. The European Commission uses the Concept in the promotion of accessibility. 1999: Transfer of the co-ordination task from the Dutch CCPT to the Luxembourg organisation Info-Handicap. Marketing activity in order to increase the recognition of the European Concept for Accessibility and presentation on the World Wide Web. 2002: Decision to update the ECA November 2003: Presentation of the updated ECA in Luxembourg. The European Concept for Accessibility is an architectural and design guideline which was first written as a result of a request from the European Commission, made in 1987. The Concept was based on the universal design principles. These principles apply to the design of buildings, infrastructure, building and consumer products. 1. The objective is the provision of environments which are convenient, safe and enjoyable to use by everyone, including people with disabilities. 2. The universal design principles reject the division of the human population into able-bodied and disabled people. 3. Universal design includes supplementary provisions where appropriate. This statement was supported by all members of the steering group present in Doorn, The Netherlands, 2 March 1996.

A New End - Preliminary work When looking at the cultural notions that created ‘Maison a Bordeaux’, it is clear that it was heavily influenced by the need to change the way in which disability was perceived. It was designed to allow the user to feel as free and as equal as an able bodied person. The purpose of the house has changed slightly, as the original design was for a man who has now passed, the ideas that were present then are not all needed now. Therefore, alterations are needed for today’s client. The idea however, stays the same, the house is still used to create an environment, to create equality. But this time the client, not disabled, needs another way to achieve accessibility - through books? The client needs the house to be more than just a mode of getting around their ‘world’. The client needs to be able to access all parts, including the original children’s bedrooms. As times have moved forward, technologies have advanced. It is not just about the architecture anymore, it is about the whole system, how the architecture co-exists with technology. The client requires the implementation of a central hub, to allow him to easily access information. Although, the principle design stays the same, the need for the hydraulic ramp has changed. This makes the transition between spaces look like part of the room rather than a lift positioned within it, which follows up with the idea that disability aid should be subtle, but this evolution aids all. It would seem that the new client was attracted to the house for the unique architecture involved. They approved of the hydraulic platform seeing it as innovative and something practical. They approved of the panoramic views on the first floor; as the client is an artist, with a family he felt that such a picturesque setting would provide for an adequate studio space and give him inspiration to continue his work. He however feels that more needs to be done to the house to make it less obvious that it is perhaps designed for the disabled, he wants the house to appear equal, catering for his needs of course, but also the needs of guests. The client also wishes to extend the exterior space to utilise the freedom of the outside, to extend his world from not just the confides of his house but to live as one with nature. One way in which this could be done is to use the already existing first floor views, but create exterior space leading off this area. To extend his studio to the exterior and further integrate the house into the landscape. For the client, the main focus of adaptation concerns his desire adjust the accessibility of books and information to the house.

A New End - Cultural concepts considered. Accessibility is a concept that covers everything that goes around. It can be viewed as the “ability to access” and benefit from some system or some means. It is very important to understand the cultural fact that over the last two decades, the view of accessibility has evolved greatly about how society views the disabled as well as laws and regulations that have been put in place to provide equality and so increase the level of accessibility. The cultural fact is that the history of accessibility over the last twenty years has gone from few areas of accessibility to, creating places for disabled, valid for a single user, to create inclusive settings, for all users regardless of their status, because of the change in cultural perception and understanding. In Bordeaux we should apply that concept to make the home more accessible in its entirety, eliminating not only physical barriers but also project barriers, which provide spaces for the family. We have to understand the house as a fully accessible space now in the 21st century. The house was designed primarily for the needs of a disabled person, but now the family’s needs have changed and there was a strong desire to modernize his home. There were several elements that were no longer appropriate for the life of the family such as, the platform and the peep-hole windows on the third level, which had come from Rem Koolhaas’ original project idea to create places for the disabled, valid for a single user, but now the users have no use for such things. For example, It´s very important to make the library accessible to all. Also on the third floor the family need to make the view of the landscape clearer and more natural light in these rooms. The concept of accessibility will be solved by providing a central hub of information. Information available to all.

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Drawing of an activity I This is the first of 3 development drawings, to depict the activity that is reading. It was concluded that as there was no longer a need for the hydraulic platform in the same way that there once was, the access to information would also change. In this drawing it sees the addition of a staircase that replaces the lift platform and a continuation of the bookshelves that were there previously. Although, this fundamentally doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t change much in the way of design, the addition of the staircase was seen as inappropriate in defining the activity. In this space, it is evident that glass has been used to create a private and tranquil place for reading. As the study into the activity continued, there was a reevaluation of the activity that was in question, reading. The functionality of reading was to facilitate the cultural concept of accessibility. The books of the house providing information and the idea that these books were accessible to all. The idea was sound. However, the cultural understanding needed to be redirected into the drawing of the activity. This part of the study was less about design and much more about understanding why these things had been changed, relating it to the cultural understanding that has previously been discussed. The void, where the platform is or once was depending on the stage of development, is the heart of the house and the central hub of information. Therefore it was important to use this already manufactured and worthy area to elaborate the concept of accessibility and relate it back to the original concept of the idea, by Koolhaus. In essence, to redesign the activity and space according to social and cultural evolution over the last two decades.

Drawing of an activity II This is the second of three development phase drawings of the activity, reading. In this edition of the drawing, the irrelevant stairs and functionality of the house have been removed only to leave the space for the activity. In this example it is a continuation of the idea, extending the bookshelves to create a space for reading. However, numerous issues arose within this strategy amounting to the fact that the reader is not very well protected. The idea that the reader should be protected and have privacy and create their own world whilst reading arose. Accessibility is still the key concept here.

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Drawing of an Activity III This is the final concept drawing that tries to define a place for reading. It unlike the previous two examples could be set anywhere. It plays on the idea that the books themselves become a structural material. Figures 23, 24, 25. This has its advantages. Firstly it is very dynamic and therefore non-permanent. It also allows for the imagination, especially among children. Finally it provides the concept of shelter. The reader can use the books to create a space for themselves that is private, secluded and protected so that they can read in peace. This idea, will prove to be one of the most interesting solutions to the design problem. It is simple, easy to understand and the design principle is unique. It allows the designer to move away from structural solutions such as shelves and book cases and rely on the imagination of the reader. It has been suggested that such an option is too metaphorical, but there are examples of such things, precedents for this solution. It must be said that some books would have to become permanent to provide support but the concept is free. And it is one hundred percent accessible.

This is the final solution to drawing the activity. The image shows various different methods for achieving the activity, suggesting design that is away from the confides of the original house. It is a principle concept.

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The power of books - Example of work, precedent.

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Precedent Figure 23-25 are precedents of the design that was proposed. In these examples the books are used as a structural material as well as beiing supported by a frame or bookshelf, where structural support is necessary. In figure 25 the prospect of a central stack of books in a void correlates well to the intention of the structural drawing. The precedent studies have increased the possibilities of how a library can be perceived. Figure 25 is the closest example to the intention of the the technical drawings, however, this form is restricted in its potention because it is bound by a frame or structure like a book shelf. The other examples of study are a good way to perceive the activity of reading, using the books to create your own world for reading where the reader could be safe and protected. This kind of structural form promotes feelings of youth. For example, when you are a child, a child uses their environment to create their reality. This is what this design strategy achieves. It also achieved an environment that was interestingn that make reading as an activity less uniform like beiing in a library, that is regulated and less than creative.

Explanation of Technical drawings Figure 26 - This technical drawing simply shows an overview of the particular structural elements of the house that have been adapted according to the new needs of the client. It is important to understand here that this is a possible design process that suggests the activity of reading using previous work and the precedent study. In the central space, the void, the platform has been lowered to ground floor level, but not removed. The idea behind the design, that the books are the structure leaves the structure non-permenant by design and therefore can be altered and adapted as the client so wishes. At each floor level however, there is the introduction of the extension of the floor to fill the void to provide extra space to each level, as well as to support the books that create the space at each level. It is a concept that all the books are accessible to all using the original stairs next to the hydraulic platform. At each level it is possible to organise a library of the clients choosing - allowing them to configure the books in to a protective boundary if they so wish. By seperating the floors, it is possible to create more interesting spaces with the books as a building material due to less structural requirements on the books. It also allows for each level to contain books of a different genre, like an ordering system. For example: cooking and social books on the ground floor, art and academic literature on the first floor and perhaps novels and childrens books on the second level. Figure 27 - This tecnical detail shows the activity of reading closely, using examples of how people could organise themselves on each level. The idea that the books form their reading world, brings back infantile imagination, that adults can often lack. The client forms the design by how they want the books to be positioned. It can be arranged uniformally, ordered and sectioned or it can be organised in an imaginative way, a way of freedom that still provides accessibility to all that choose to read in the house. Figure 28 - This technical detail is one close up view of a reader sat on a pile of books. The idea is that the books have been positioned quickly for the reader to have somewhere to sit. The idea poses a very simple design strategy. And the design is influenced by the client as to how the books are formed

Group Conversation Neus ga: Hey mates! I’ve just uploaded my activity drawing to the blog, so I’m about to give you a brief explanation about it. I’d love if everyone explains his/her drawing in order to know better every one work. My drawing is about accesibilty to social knoledge. In Koolhaas Houselife film, Guadalupe (the maid), during “Pas comme avant” named chapter, explains that social relationships haven’t been as it used to be before the owner passed away, she says (no quote): “Everybody is very sad.... The house was ever full of people, lots of friends and family came to have dinner and talked and laughed lots... Madam used to laugh a lot all time, in the evening, very loud... but not anymore... sometimes but not like before”... so with the new situation relationships and social knoledge should be promoted and stregthen. Therefore I tried to map the socializing in the house by drawing kinds and intensity of conversation according with vibrancy/conversation sense/mood/interrelation (i’ve been investigating how to represent it and finally I found quite interesting work of leon ferrari -sound sculptures- who tries to materialize sound). Looking forward to he ari ng from your soon! Best regards ................................................................................................................................................... Colleen: I uploaded my drawing as well. I considered that now that the father has passed on the house had to change to focus more on the able bodies members of the house without forgetting about the history of the father. Therefore I decided that the rest of the family needed access to the books, since the father had no more need of them and I split the elevator giving the family the book side of the elevator. Universal design is ofter about compromise, no one will get their way completely, so I though the split elevator could be symbolic of this struggle. The handicap side is twice as big because, just like parking spots and bathroom stalls, the handicap need the space more than the able. ................................................................................................................................................... Jose Manuel Rodriguez Canizares Explanation of my drawing: The action shown is how to access to the information located on a shelf.

I selected this action because it is included within the general basis of our project: universal accessibility, and because if we delete the platform we will have an unaccesible focus of information in the bookshelf. I relied heavily on the dimensions, and wanted to represent it as a technical drawing on blueprint, with distances needed to reach items. ................................................................................................................................................... Neus ga Hey Jose, I think that for your activity could be interesting to have a look to Le Corbusier’s Modulor... it talks about human scale and it’s relationed with the way you’re working on accesibility. .................................................................................................................................................. Michael Since we are focusing on making books more accessible and then base our project on the ease of taking them and read them in a more accessible way, I thought about turning part of the middle floor and create a path in the middle of books very accessible and then arrive in table where you can read books still enjoying the view of the landscape ... so my idea is to transform the middle livel, remove the deck and soak up the stairs already existing to make them more accessible. What do you think? Michael ................................................................................................................................................... Mike.palmiscio Guys then what we have to do for friday?? Can you explain? Thank you Michael ................................................................................................................................................... Jaclyn N My understanding of tomorrow is another drawing of the action. Halldora said that the drawings need to be more precise than last time, answering questions such as “who is participating in this action”.

Neus ga Dear Michael, This post is to talk about the activity drawings...so the other members of the group could undestand each other work and do suggestions or advices about how to improve it. Maybe you can explain yours. To talk about friday assignment there is post called: Friday assignment, where you the discussion is taking place El jueves, 11 de octubre de 2012 18:27:47 UTC+2, mike.palmiscio escribi贸: ................................................................................................................................................... Fabrizio.vizzi My drawing is about the accessibility, the idea that everybody can use everything in the house... In the middle i have insert the plant of the house and i show the library that is the most important place in the house, and 3 different kind of footprint: - a child - an adult man - and a man in wheelchair that at the end they become a single draw (the accessibility icon), so whit this draw i want to explain that the house is design for every person. Fabrizio .................................................................................................................................................. Jose Manuel Rodriguez Canizares My next drawing is a continuation of my previous drawing. I will use a vertical section of the actual house to analyze the library, drawing in function of the human measures, the accesibility to the differents areas. I麓m going to represent the information in a colour code, from red to green (good accesibility). My intention is to map the less accessible areas to find a solution to the problem in the future.

Mike.palmiscio My next drawing is a transformation of space around the gap left by the platform, I decided to design a staircase that wraps up this gap so that makes it more accessible books and even climb on different floors. Is inside of this that I have included small spaces in which to read and enjoy this space ... I put two plants on blogger ...................................................................................................................................................

Group work evaluation... As a group we began to study using Facebook as our main mode of communicating. After a slow start we began to use google group as our mode of communication. The group dynamic was difficult to sort out. It would seem that every member of the group was very capable in what work they could produce and when we communicated we produced what we thought were some good results. However, communication was the weak point of our group. The group itself, struggled to work at points due to mis-communication and the difficulty in organising the various members and nationalities that our group had. It amounted to three Italians, two Canadians, Two English, two spanish and the help of our professors. From this point of view the fact that we were able to complete the tasks, is a positive step towards being able to work abroad and with people all around the world. For that our group can be proud. On reflection, it would have worked better if we had started in google groups earlier, worked together more frequently and communicated with the professors through google groups at an earlier stage. All in all, the project was beneficial as it has tught the group many new skills that will enable us to work as part of an international team in future.

Bibliography/References http://www.archdaily.com/104724/ad-classics-maison-bordeaux-oma/oma7/ http://www.archdaily.com/104724/ad-classics-maison-bordeaux-oma/oma-2/ http://art-opology.blogspot.com.es/2012/04/power-of-books.html https://docs.google.com/document/d/1xfbUO9TcnTAf6saI3oDOPvdxHjIVt7YQIYH vlE2c6vk/edit https://docs.google.com/document/d/1wSXTBkm2ZG-4gLJhQ10VaQbGrI6wIassQnGZhttps://docs.google.com/document/d/1wSXTBkm2ZG-4gLJhQ10VaQbGrI6wIassQnGZYIDf31I/editYIDf31I/edit http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=4992994195668564852#allposts http://www.google.co.uk/search?num=10&hl=en&safe=off&site=imghp&tbm=isch& source=hp&biw=1366&bih=605&q=maison+a+bordeaux&oq=maison+a+bordeu& gs_l=img.3.0.0i10i24.8663.13402.0.15384.17.15.1.1.1.0.131.1568.5j10.15.0...0.0...1ac.1 .5gHHsf2sp94 http://www.google.co.uk/imgres?q=maison+a+bordeaux&num=10&hl=en&saf e=off&biw=1366&bih=605&tbm=isch&tbnid=X5WM4hjB8s84eM:&imgrefurl =http://www.e-architect.co.uk/bordeaux/maison_a_bordeaux.htm&docid=ot4_ Winharzf2M&imgurl=http://www.e-architect.co.uk/images/jpgs/bordeaux/ maison_a_bordeaux_hanswerlemann_oma_270307.jpg&w=800&h=781&ei=2BMUL2CDaPY0QW4ooGoDQ&zoom=1&iact=rc&dur=271&sig=1172901379 33571946678&page=1&tbnh=143&tbnw=138&start=0&ndsp=18&ved=1t:429 ,r:0,s:0,i:69&tx=84&ty=93 http://www.google.co.uk/imgres?q=maison+a+bordeaux&num=10&hl=en&safe=o ff&biw=1366&bih=605&tbm=isch&tbnid=hrRmtyqVa6egMM:&imgrefurl=http:// oma.eu/projects/1998/maison-%25C3%25A0-bordeaux&docid=hzxiLTKI3U8L1M &imgurl=http://oma.eu/contentimages/projects/1998-MAISON-%2525C3%252580BORDEAUX/Bordeaux-bxdiapo6x6-082_big.jpg&w=559&h=372&ei=2B-MU L2CDaPY0QW4ooGoDQ&zoom=1&iact=rc&dur=343&sig=1172901379335 71946678&page=1&tbnh=142&tbnw=188&start=0&ndsp=18&ved=1t:429,r:9,s:0,i:96&tx=124&ty=125

http://www.tumblr.com/tagged/maison-a-bordeaux http://storiesofhouses.blogspot.com.es/ http://bookpatrol.tumblr.com/post/29984322251/bo-k-a-book-igloo-at-malmo-festival-in-sweden Manifesto To conclude the project; it was very difficult to organise the work at first due to a break-down in communication. Every member of the group is a capable student producing good ideas, but the language barriers in our group often posed a problem. As previously stated the mix of nationalities tested our skills, that before we had no practice with. It was not until the group started to use google groups that we began to find some cohesion as a group and help eachother formulate ideas. On the positive side of the project, the group has achieved something that is very important today. The ability to work internationally. The economic climate and state of the profession will eventually mean that working in a global network is very important. Group four have acquired skills that as group, can be used and worked on to achieve this type of working strategy in the future. It has been a difficult road trying to learn and adopt new ways of working, especially consideriing different languages and time zones but it must be said that with more practice on this matter it is possible to achieve a consistent working relationship as a global group. To reflect on the project itself, the idea and concepts were different to what was expected, however, on reflection it has taught the group many valuable skills. The work itself was interesting and provided knowledge of the changes in culture and how societies once viewed and now view disability through the cultural concept of accessibility. - the reasons why. Maison a Bordeaux by Koolhaus is a fantastic example of innovation, overcoming the cultural challenges of an era. The progression through the project has highlight how the dress of the house has changed, in meaning that the function has changed due to how society has accepted accessibility. One of the most interesting concepts was how Koolhaus used the disabled man, to create a house that was by design flawed, relying on a steel cable to anchor it to the ground and of course the clever use of the hydraulic platform to allow the man to access all of the house. Twenty years on accessibility is depicted through reading.