Tuesday, 27th November 2012
Tek-5b research topic – James Ho “tec·ton·ics”
1. The study of the earth’s structural features. 2. The art or science of construction, especially of large buildings Title of research topic – “The tectonics of tunnelling and bridging non connected territories.” Research question – Tunnelling vs. Bridging and what architectural features can these offer?
I have chosen “The tectonics of tunnelling and bridging non connected territories” for my Tek-5b research assignment because this study will help me greatly as I resolve my studio project. My site is north of the city centre of Berlin, in the district of Mitte, surrounding Nordbahnhof an important train station during the times when the Berlin Wall was still erected. Wile researching displacement through several studies during my field study I found various types of displacement that people took to get across the same boundary, The Berlin Wall. There were three channels; a legal way, a non-legal way and the third was something between the both. I am particularly interested in the non-legal way people used to escape from East Germany to West Germany travelling under the wall, via hand made tunnels.
I will be incorporating the idea of tunnels and partially submerged buildings in my proposal for a Library/Bath in Mitte, along the territory of were the death strip was. Through out the site investigation and the on going design development it is very clear that I will look at connections between two devided territories and how they could be bridged. Tunnelling was always an option from the initial study but I wanted to investigate all other methods of linking these two. This is where the conversation of tunnelling vs. bridging seeded. Sub.topics
1.0 - Structural definition of a tunnel and bridge, what is a tunnel and bridge. 1.1 - The physical principals of how a tunnel and bridge work. 1.2 - Compression vs. Tention. 1.3 - A case study of a tunnel (The Channel crossing) and a bridge (The Millau Viaduct). 1.4 - How can the structural principals be incorporated into a building proposal 1.5 - The conclusion to Tunnelling vs. Bridging and what architectural features can these offer?
Through this assignment I will resolve this topic further to answer the question of Tunnelling vs. Bridging and what architectural features can these offer?