Studio28_Ass1_ID758020_Folio Wks 1-13 by George Rowlands-Myers

STUDIO 28 WITH / IN ANTARCTIC EXTREMES SEM 1, 2021

GEORGE ROWLANDS-MYERS STUDIO D 758020

FOLIO - WKS 1-13

WEEKS 1 - 6

01 WEEK 1

In the first week we were immediately transported to the alien cryoscape of Antarctica, engaging in a design studio like none before. We began with the reading presentation and an introduction to Quantarctica software. My seleceted reading was:

READINGS 3/4 STUDIO 28, WEEK 1

Becoming-icy: Scott and Amundsen’s South Polar voyages, 1910–1913 JOHN WYLIE, 2002

GEORGE ROWLANDS-MYERS . CALLAN GRIMA 5

REFLECTION This article proved to critical to my project’s end result. It related to working with the landscape and listening to its changes, ensuring a more communicvative and two-way relationship rather than the static and stubborn traditional attitudes. Reflecting back now, its easy to see the stubborn traditional way of thinking that architecture (and architecture education) continues to stay in. But in week 1 this is something that I couldn’t really see yet. (and it would take many more weeks to see).

NEW THINKING Both Scott and Amundsen's attitudes to the Antarctic landscape provided either their success or failure in their traversal of the landscape. It requires an understanding and listening to the ever-changing location rather than a stubborn willingness to regard it as the same as anywhere else.

In Week 2, we began looking at potential topics of research interest. My initial interests included: •

Atmospheric physics & chemistry ozone, temperatures, sea ice

•

Geomagnetic storms

•

Geological evolution - under-ice lakes & mountain chains

I ended up going with the first one, though two out of these three are more immaterial rather than physical, so I think this always interested me rather than traditional physical processes.

Retrieved from: https://www.bas.ac.uk/science/our-research/topics/

I also looked at the US Automated Geophysical Observatory Network, which has a number of unmanned observatories in antarctica. This gave me a first thought about my project being an observatory, although this would be forgotten and come back to later once I’d decided my research lens.

Gravity Disturbances

Ice Movement 10

Quantarctica provided a good introduction to types of research topics in a graphic-focussed way. In one of my presentations it was noted that a site analysis is not just exported images from Quantarctica, a comment which stuck with me. I think I like many others were a bit lost these first few weeks, delving into quantarctica without a traditional brief. It was just one of many ways in which the Antarctic completely turned everything I knew upside down. From then, the selection of my site should be preceded with A QUESTION. Not just a simple fact of ‘ this is a site that I have chosen’.

I began looking at the magnetic anomoly map in Quantarctica, which intrigued me becuase there was a question that even real scientists did not have an answer for. This would eventually lead me down the antarctic rabbit hole towards the aurora, though again I drifted towards the unexplained and intangible processes.

Magnetic Anomalies vs Firn Depth

Magnetic Anomalies vs Subglacial Lakes

RWeek 3 I grasped teh research lens and started to go back to a brief. The first few weeks I and many others were desperate to go straight to designing a building / brief. But this was a mistake and though I couldn’t tell at the time, representative of this colonial ‘architect knows all’ attitude that the ANtarctic experience entirely rejects.

Further digging revealed the cosmological scale of magnetic fields, which eventually drew me to the Aurora, which occurs as a result of the sun’s charged parrticles hitting the Earth’s field. Magentic anomly mapping pushed me to look at areas where this occured but was also unobstructed by wind scour for auroral observation. My project started to come together a bit more at this point but I think it was still quite muddled in its direction and focus.

Selected Site

03 My Initial proposal became:

Whilst a good start, I think looking back I was trying to skip ahead again rather than focus on what my research lens and antarctica needed. I was trying to do too many things rather than focussing well on a few.

Proposal

Some initial sketches from my journal. Most of the time, our initial idea is the correct one. It’s interesting looking back at these now to see how close my final project was to these. there is already a verticality and instances of layering involved in these sketches. I then preceeded to waste the next few weeks with direction distractions. Obvisously I didn’t think that’s what it was then but hindsight is 20/20.

Again, here I was looking at interesting ways to vertically circulate the users around the space through a number of layers.

This class we were joined by engineer Sarah Pearce. I and many others panicked a bit at this, as none of us had buildings yet, and thus rushed to make something for the class, thus completely forgetting any of the progress we had made in the previous weeks. I find that I am good at coming up with concepts but not so well-versed in translating those concepts into a physical product. However, my focus on the interior spatial experience that alternates depending on the light entering was still pretty near to what I went with at the end. I just neeeded to develop it a lot more.

Temporal Layering Diagrammatic Planning Astronomy Observatory Input

Past Observe

Data Storage

Data Interpretation

Present

Data Storage

Observatory Geological Observatory Input

Dynamic Envelope

Future Theoretical

Form Testing

We had the absolute privelage of Zooming in with the real Concordia crew in this class. In talking with the crew, I think the main take-away was the way in which Antarctica forces you not stay within your own proffession but move around and do everything that is required. Existing status is left behind and everyone dynamically moves in accordance with the dynamic environment. This was a completely unreal experience that I will not forget anytime soon.

In going back to Quantarctica, there was more of an understnding following our contact with the Concordians of the process within a research station. Up until that point it was more of a mystery. I thus looked at site as a question how does the site dictate what the brief is / what the brief needs? Why exactly is Concordia located where it is?

With the Mid-Sem presentations coming up, it was again time to panic at the lack of building / comfortable structure below my feet. In contemporary architectural practice (and a Melbourne education) there is a major focus on form-finding. As such, I receeded back into my comfortable methods and wasted my time in trying to do this with the aurora. The next page displays a large number of images I downloaded in order to trace some sort of shape over a long period of time. It was noted that this treats the building as an exterior object rather than a dynamic space of process, and I think this was another instance where I mistakenly refused to embrace the uncertainty of Antarctica.

Aurora Observations Between 2018 - 2019

06 Mid-Sem Presentation

Mid-Sem panic ensured a half-baked concept came into fruition. As I wasted a lot of my time doing ‘form-finding’, I then skipped all my progress again and went straight to architecture. This left my proposal concept heavy and design lacking.

I did however finally select an appropriate site location. I found that the auroral oval passes around the magnetic south pole assymmetrically ( and thus missed my previous site choices ). My site was thus moved to the Eastern ridge where the oval directly passes overhead, whilst still maintaining a high elevation.

My focus on too much concept research served to be another way to distract myself from working out the interior processes involved. The arrangmenet of spaces however was still quite similar to my end project. I think I had to work out a logic / heirarchy of program that made sense to me, and this was a good start.

The actual spatial design clearly suffered from a confused direction. I ended up creating something that is entirely the opposite of everything that I had learned before this. I myself was not satisfied with it at all, however, it was good to at least get something down onto paper that could be worked with further.

Precedent research was similarly misguided, though somewhat beneficial. I think I selected precedents for their end physical product more than their conceptual ideas. Particilarly the French Polar Pod, which I thought would help with designing vertically. The Heatherwick pavillion is more experiential focussed, but can cross that line into ‘Disneyland Architecture’, designy-spaces for the sake of it. The tower of Winds however proved to be beneficial for its idea as measuring / activation device that changes depending on the external processes applied to it.

This conceptual montage however proved to be a good method of articulating all my ideas into one image. However, I needed to work out how to make my building do exactly this!

WEEKS 7 - 14

07 WEEK 7

MID-SEMESTER REFLECTION Usually the design changes quite a lot between mid-sem and final and mine is no different. Feedback was largely positive for my research and conceptual aspects, but my final product was lacking - yet had potential. I went back to basics, trying to look at circulation flows to understand the interior. In looking ast experiential focussed architects, Bernard Tschumi’s attitude became a good focus. I began to look at my project as a ‘network of movement’.

NETWORK MOVEMENT INTERNAL CIRCULATION & FLOWS

07 I was very confused still about the overall form of the building, as essentially it could be limitless. I attempted to translate the previous circulation diagram into a bubble diagram, and then translate that into a building. This also attempted to incorporate justification from the 360 degreee rotation of observatories, and the auroral direction.

SkyMapper telescope at Siding Spring Observatory

360° View / Rotation for All-Sky Images

This attempted to explore that dichotomy of positive and negative space, fragility and stability through the use of an exterior scaffolding grid, through which an irregular form would be suspended. This would try to contrast a rigid grid with a chaotic form, however this was still clearly needing some major work. Feedback was that this displayed a ‘plan thiking’ approach and I should design my project in section.

B1 Habitation Spaces: • Sleeping • Server / Data storage

Positive / Negative Space Fragility / Stability Fast / slow movement Ground Activity Spaces: • Rec / Gym • Common / Dining / Meeting • Kitchen

1st Research Spaces: • Computer Labs • Offices • Equipment / Maintenance Workshop

2nd Observation Spaces: • Viewing platform / Dome • Telescope / Magnometer Equipment

I looked Peter Zumthor’s use of light detailing to better understand how to bring the aurora back into focus as the spatial driver of my project. These are some sketches looking at bouncing light around and how that informs the atmospherics and user experience. Craig in my mid-semester noted how there was an almost religious aspect to the phenomeneon, an idea that would come to define my project.

Around this time my project started to really come together. The idea that the researcher’s circulation movement could mirror the fast / slow movement of the aurora was an interesting concept and was recieved well. Similarly, the use of cuts / folds / voids to bend the floor plates into a cicrulatory network whilst creating voids for the auroral light to penetrate was a concept that was on the right track.

ng Section Testing – Structure / Circulation

Observation Spaces: • Viewing platform / Dome • Telescope / Magnometer / Sensor Equipm Research Spaces: • Computer Labs • Offices • Equipment / Maintenance Workshop

Fragility / Stability Chaos / Order

Activity Spaces: • Recreation / Gym • Gathering / Cooking / Meeting Habitation Spaces: • Sleeping

• More / Larger Voids at top = more light permitted in • Gradual Declination to darkness at lower levels • Progression to push user circulation up into light • Time = dictated by Auroral light

Sarah pearce guested again this week, and I proposed the idea of a sleeping net that allowed the user’s to weightlessly ‘sleep with the aurora’, as their day would be dictated by the aurora light entering the structure (as winter is dark for months). Sarah noted how uncomfortable it would be for several people to sleep on one net. It was suggested that I look at Numen / For Use, which inspired my use of seperate sleeping pods and further research in temporary installations.

Numen / For Use

Tube Innsbruck Austria, 2015

String Vienna Vienna, 2014

I previously had the idea that the columns would be chaotic in form and be clad in transulent material - essentially allowing the structure itself to carry the auroral light downwardss. This was however deemed to be ‘Disneyland’ - focussed on spectacle rather than substance. Instead it was suggested I utilise the balustrades of the vertical cicrulation.

Massing Tests

Sensor Equipment Observation Spaces: • Viewing platform / Dome • Telescope / Magnometer / Sensor Equipment

Research Spaces: • Computer Labs • Offices • Equipment / Maintenance Workshop

Observation moments at different locations

Activity Spaces: • Recreation / Gym • Gathering / Cooking / Meeting

Habitation Space Habitation Spaces: • Sleeping

Materiality - Visibility Gradient - -Layers of Solidity

Solid Wall

Reflective Walls

Polycarbonate

Transparency

Curtain / Fabric

ETFE Membrane

Glass

I tried to focus a bit more again on the physical aspects of the project - what material choices would create this auroral spatial experience? This led to me returning the idea from week 3 of the structure as layering of materials - of varyying opacities.

Observation Spaces: • Viewing platform • Magnometer / Sensor Equipment

Lower Section

Research Zone: • Computer Labs

Recreation / Gathering

Habitation Net Pods

Framework for Opaque Plastic Membrane

Research Zone:

Here I attempted to put everything from previous weeks into my project. The floor plates began to shift in shape as the rose higher, and the circulation voids shifted along with them. It still however needed major works to resolve issues and still displays more plan-thinking, but it was definitely better than my previous attempts. I think I majoraly struggled with the large scale of my project as opposed to other smaller projects of my classmates. this was accerbated by the vertical nature of it, which means each space is response not just horizontally but up and down as well, which was very confusing for me to work out.

Entrance

Habitation Zone GROUND FLOOR

Sleeping Pods Up

Void Toilets

Recreation / 1:100 Meeting

FIRST FLOOR

Research Zone: • Computer Desks / Labs SECOND FLOOR

Observation Spaces: • Viewing platform • Magnometer / Sensor Equipment

THIRD FLOOR

I rendered a few scenes to try and get a feel for the interior and how materiality would affect the light. This additionally helped me re-design and think about the spaces from the user perspective. This is something that Steven Holl’s drawings communicated, and something that I wanted to do more for the final presentation.

10 22,200 ROOF

18,200 FOURTH FLOOR [ Research 2 ]

14,200 THIRD FLOOR [ Research 1 ]

SYMMETRICAL DEVIATIONS & DISTRACTIONS

10,200 SECOND FLOOR [ Recreation / Meeting ]

A number of times I strayed from the auroral path and regressed back into a symmetrical thinking. This was for various reasons, eg. focussing on circulation as singular etc. It boiled down to a distraction however that resembled cocnept hopping more than anything else looking back.

6,200 FIRST FLOOR [ Habitation ]

2,200 GROUND FLOOR [ Entry ]

However, doing these sections did make me think that a 3D section was a better method of representation due to the lack of depth in my structure.

0 CRYOSCAPE SITE

GSEducationalVersion GSPublisherVersion 1519.7.7.100

SECTION 1

SECTION 2

SCALE: 1:50

SENSOR EQUIPMENT / OBSERVATION

FIRE ESCAPE

RESEARCH GSEducationalVersion GSPublisherVersion 1519.7.7.100

RECREATION / GATHERING

HABITATION

ENTRY

10 GROUND FLOOR

FIRST FLOOR

I struggled to compact everything down into as tight a space as possible without geometrically perfecting everything, yet this strayed from the aurora again. I was given a checklist for the auroral experience that really helped give me the final push towards my project’s conclusion. This included; Ephemerality Layers / Transparency Assymetrical Lightness Movement 72

SECOND FLOOR

THIRD FLOOR

FOURTH FLOOR

Peter Zumthor’s Witches Memoral was looked at for its more temporary and fragile nature, as well as Petra Blaise’ work with curtains in conjunction with OMA. This image in particular displayed to me what my ineriors should really look like.

The Steilneset Memorial Peter Zumthor + Louise Bourgeois

11 I took my previous work and moulded it to better represent the auroral experience using the checklist. To the right is a sketch where I drew three sections around the structure and then extrapolated that into floor plans. I then noted where each staircase entered and exited and trimmed the spaces down to their minium space, trying several different iterations that focussed on different sections. This process immensley helped me etrapolate my section design into 3d, whilst still mainting sectional thinking.

In this last presentaition, it was noted how I need to utilise diagrams to communicate my concept, as well as utilise my details to communicate my spatial concept, as they were still disconnected and purely functional at this point.

OBSERVATION

RESEARCH 2

RESEARCH

RECREATION / MEETING

HABITATION

ENTRY

Antennae Array

FINAL PRESENTATION

Observation

Research 2

Research 1

Recreation

Habitation

Entrance

FINAL REFLECTION This semester has truly been the most challenging I have ever faced during my architectural education. In looking at my past work I can see how many times I was distracted by trying to return to a ‘comfortable’ way of thinking, which meant it took me much longer to embrace the Antarctic, even if I didn’t realise it. Of course, a project is never finished, but if I had more time I think I would resolve a number of issues better - most notably being a greater detail being put into storage spaces / furniture etc. I also would have liked to further develop some more conceptual drawings But looking back now it is representative of how hard it is to shake your pre-concieved notions and what you have always been taught to do.

The Antarctic is a strange and unfamiliar place where your existing methods will not work and thus, with the name of the studio being ‘With / In Antarctic Extremes’ it would be suffice to say that the experience itself was extreme - yet it would seem ill-fitting to Antarctica to have it any other way. I have learnt that the best way forward is to 100% commit, even if it involved uncertainty or extremes. I think a main take-away is also to reject object-based form finding, ‘Disneyland design’, and return to thge interior workings and processes. I am excited to utilise what I have learnt in Studio 28 in the next stage.