ARCHITECTURE DESIGN STUDIO: EARTH S1, 2016 SUBJECT STUDENT BOOK J a q l i n Ly o n
762561 Scott Woods
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CONTENTS 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3
T H R E E R E L AT I O N S H I P S Point/Line/Plane Frame & Infill Mass
2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4
H E R R I N G I S L A N D . S O M E T H I N G L I K E A PAV I L I O N Site analysis Conceptacle Concept and Sketch design Design Development
3.0 Final Design 3.1 Final Design Model 4.0 Reflection 5.0 Bibliography
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1 . 0 T H R E E R E L AT I O N S H I P S “Point, Line and Plane,” “Mass,” “Frame and Infill.” The three fundamental techtonics behind complex architecture.
Over the course of the semester, we have examined these three techtonics, engaging in their concepts and potentials, while considering the relationship between them. Together, they were used as a foundation to inform my final design which addresses the brief of ‘Secrets.’
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1.1 POINT / LINE / PLANE This techtonic explores the progression of points to lines, and lines to planes; from point which has no dimensions, to a line with a singular dimension, to a plane of 2-dimensions, each element is distinctive with regards to their spatial parameters.
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Precedents Silver Monochrome J o h n N i x o n , 2 0 11 Nixon has explored the concept of Point, Line and Plane in its entirety while only dealing with planar elements.
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In many works from this series, canvases perpendicularly extrude from the main canvas. When viewed from a strictly frontal elevation, these canvases appear as lines, while moments of intersection echo points. There is an illusory quality, as depending on a viewer’s perspective, one element may resemble another.
Barcelona Pavilion Mies van de rohe, 1929 It is almost comforting the level of precision; there is something pure and elegant about such a simple yet carefully composed arrangement of elements. Van de Rohe has used strictly orthogonal elements, delicately composing them in a way that confronts visitors with all of Point, Line and Plane at a given moment. Much like Nixon’s work, there is an air of deception and surprise as walls (planes) often resemble the very columns (lines) beside them.
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The model focuses on 2 concepts: Challenging the distinctions between each of P/L/P by using each to represent the other. Revealing how one’s perspective is vital when it comes to viewing dimensional objects as it can change the way things appear. There is an illusatory aspect whereby an element may appear to be something that it is not, depending on one’s perspective.
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The elevations appear as points and lines. The moment one’s gaze is slightly interrupted, the model’s elements reveal themselves for what they really are. To achieve this illusion, I kept the arrangement of the elements rigid and orthogonal, which is highly representative of much of Mies van der Rohe’s work and that of the Di Stijl movement.
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The design also has moments of implied lines, referring to the overarching idea of illusion. Each plane has been cut and separated, creating pathways of line through negative space.
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1.2 MASS Connotations of solidity, darkness, the ‘unknown.’
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Precedents
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Within Without J a m e s Tu r r e l l , 2 0 1 0 Turrell’s framing of light with massy elements (walls which project into sheltering cielings) offers an ethereal quality. The light illuminates and fills what would otherwise be dark spaces; the built elements are given a sense of weightlessness as the controlled light penetrates the space. I am fascinated by the highly austere experience that Turrell has created which is able to award a feeling of lightness to the fixed, monolithic walls.
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Abbey of Saint-EtiĂŠnne Caen, France
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There is a sense of intrigue at how the scale of the cathedral was possible. Despite needing thick, robust supportive columns to construct it, there is a sense of overall weightlessness achieved through the thin, clustered columns which are adorned across the structural elements. They conceal the ‘mass;’ it is no longer seen as robust, thick and permanent columns. Rather, the delicacy of the decorative thinner columns suggests lightness and verticality. The cathedral space seems to transcend the rules of gravity.
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In this charcoal and ink sectional drawing I sought to challenge what is intrinsically associated with mass; its connotations of a static object of significant heaviness and robustness. I attempted to represent the techtonic in complete antithesis, with an air of lightness and delicacy. The darkest seepages of black create an intricate representation of mass as they permeate the page, dissolving into nothingness. They take control of the grid, usurping its prominence.
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The curved lines add a further sense of delicacy and intricacy, something that is so disassociated from the concept of mass. Variance in the lineweight suggest a sense of movement, challenging the static nature of mass. Among the drawing’s varying tonality, there are moments of white. These ‘voids’ can instead be read as mass. Due to the abstracted nature of this representation, there can be a reversal of roles between mass and void.
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1.3 FRAME & INFILL Frame as permanent, static, fixed. Infill as transient, fluent, dynamic, fluid, temporary. Let us attempt to reverse the doctrinated roles of each.
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C r o a t i a n P a v i l i o n , Ve n i c e Biennale Collaboration among Croatian Architects The varying densities of lattices creates its own seemingly solid infill. The result is an illusion of a weighty form that is supportived by such delicate metal poles/frames. Each pole has a sense of fragility to it, suggestive of temporary fixtures. At the same time, when they begin to cluster towards the center of the pavilion, the infill it creates appears solid and permanent.
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Architecture Collection Richard Sun The delicacy of the frame is emphasised by the lightness of the infill itself. The infill follows the same form as the frame (thin straight wires), resulting in an ambiguous division between what is frame and what is infill. The infill occupies space, however it is almost transparent in that it lacks materiality - it is highly insubstantial.
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Usually the conversation between frame/infill is clear. We typically associate frame with ideas of permanence, and something that is static and fixed. Comparatively, infill connotes transience, ephemerality. It is something fluid and dynamic. I sought to mirror this conversation in reverse; to suggest that the frame is fluid and transient, while the infill is the fixed element.
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The concrete blocks that act as the infill are weighted and monolithic, suggesting an air of permanence. They are constrained in their position and are entirely static. The frame on the other hand, is fleeting. The indecisive and unpreditable path of the wire changes its route, suggesting qualities of fluidity and dynamism. It’s path is temporary, rather than fixed, as it dances around the boulders.
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The two elements play with each other, as the frame’s course is defined by the positioning and forms of the blocks; the frame delicately encloses and bounds the static infill by following the contours of the boulders. They talk to each other, and are intertwined. They are surprisingly harmonious.
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Iterative drawings of Frame and Infill model
Conventionally, the frame is said to come first, and is subsequently filled. What my narrative shows is that the infill was pre-existing, and that the frame was a later addition, moving according to the forms of the blocks.
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2.0 HERRING ISLAND. SOMETHING L I K E A PAV I L I O N I.
A man made island, Herring island is an abstracted derivative of the platonic shape of a triangle. This results in 3 distinct corners, or moments, whereby visitors feel the isolation of the island. When among its central grounds, I felt as if I could have been perusing a much larger bushland. However, when finding my way to the perimiter and 3 points, I was able to conceive the small size of the island in relation to the large panoramic views beyond. The site is topographically erratic, with its small-scale hills creating an almost microcosm of an entire bushland. I found this intriguing; despite the island’s size, it still possesses the topographical changes of greater natural land. The land’s boundaries also naturally undulate, opposing the rigidity of suburbian development across the bank.
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Variation in vegetation density results in clusters of trees surrounding more vast expanses. Walking around the island, once I lost sight of the open spaces, I found myself in dense, shaded bush, which dulled my perception that I was on a small remote island.
III. What I found most unusual about my experience when walking around the center of the island was the fact that noises from the city or surrounding region were entirely dulled. When wandering the island’s perimeter, I found that there was a unique experience from having the natural and remote recluse of a bushland on one side, with a freeway and busy roads/ cafe on the other, tied together by the noise of these external activities. Being able to hear cosmopolitan life while being surrounded by a natural and organic environment was a bizarre and unnatural experience.
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2 . 1 S I T E A N A LY S I S IV.
Perhaps the most compelling experience offered by the island is provided by the wind. Walking around the island’s perimeter, I found myself caught between the competing winds sweeping in and out. The diagram to the left shows the level and power of the wind blowing into the island (blue/purple) and the amount of wind pushing outwards from the island (pink). The central band shows an ariel view of the island’s perimeter; the density of the vegetation is partially responsible for the amount of wind that passes in and out of certain areas around the island. What I took from this part of the analysis was the idea of being caught between two opposing sides, a feeling of push and pull. I felt as much connected to the inner island as well as what lied beyond the bank as I existed in this middle state.
I . Cont our M ap
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II. Ve g e ta ti o n D e n s i ty
I I I . Sound M ap
IV. Wind Levels ( f r om eit her dir ect ion ar ound t he island’s per im et er )
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2 . 2 C O N C E P TA C L E p/l/p + mass +frame/infill = conceptacle
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In my conceptacle I selectively combined elements from my work in the three techtonics to form a new composition. From P/L/P, I carried over the illusion and deception offered by perspective and dimension. From an elevational view (above right) the shards appear as lines, when in fact they are 2-dimensional planes. The illusion is only surrendered when one’s perspective shifts even slightly.
The idea of mass as a delicate and intricate body is also evident in the conceptacle due to the form of the shards. In addition, the notion of reading voids as mass has also been translated. An unpredictable and dynamic frame gently ties in the separate elements together by enclosing them in a similar fashion to my F/I model, where it moves around and adjusts to whatever it is that it is framing.
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2.3 CONCEPT AND SKETCH DESIGN My concept primarily explores the difference between the above and below ground thresholds, with the ground plane as the divider. The top of the box shape is representative of the ground plane, separating two very different experiences and compositions. I have addressed the notion of secrets by expressing the moment of realisation (when one is let in on a secret) through the intersection of the shards with the ground.
Materiality also plays a role in my approach to secrets; the layering of shards is a combination of both opaque and transparent materials, suggestive of that partial-state of knowledge where we know that we don’t know everything, but we know enough to know that there is something to know...
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The shards cross over extending toward the bank. are suspended befor ethe intersection with the bank design, reinforcing my concept (see 3.0).
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the island The shards moment of in my final developed
Above ground, one may peruse in and around the shards. That they intersect with the ground, and visitors may be curious enough to wonder where the edges of the shards end up. It is only after this sense of curiosity and intrigue, may one begin to uncover the secret that is the below ground cavity.
The cavity enables one to view the edges of the shards as they pierce the earth, creating an interesting experience, where mass-like forms are suspended from above, abolishing the idea of mass as a grounded and weighted object.
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Precedents Regent’s Place Pavilion Carmody Groarke The exaggerated verticality of the poles creates an intriguing experience as they tower above you. Being able to walk through the pavilion would also provide an interesting experience; while the entire structure comprises separate vertical poles, when viewed at a distance, they cluster and blur into a more dense space. However, one is able to permeate this apparent density when moving through and among the poles.
Sonsbeek A l d o Va n E y c k The structure follows an orthogonal arangement of planes with semi-circular ornamentations. The rigidity of the successive planes challenges its context within a circle. There is a resulting competition between the grid and circular boundary. This is a similar idea to what I have done in my design; the strict and rigid box which contains orthogonally laid out shards, lie in great contrast to the naturally curved boundaries of the island’s perimeter and topography.
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2.4 DESIGN DEVELOPMENT I further explored the dichotomy between above and below ground, and used these separate and distinct spaces to address the notion of secrets. In the design, the above ground is a place of confusion and the unknown, while the underground is a place of realised clarity despite its darkness. I mean this in the sense that the confused or incomplete forms that are visible from above ground, are fully realised and revealed once a visitor
descends below. It is then that they may reach enlightenment, and feel the euphoria of realisation when permitted to know a secret.
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(i )
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(i i )
( iii)
(i i i )
A modernist gridded box has been imposed onto the site (i) to oppose the natural boundaries of the island. The grid also defines the composition of the shards, as they follow its orthogonal layout. Compared to earlier sketch designs, this box bounds the entire pavilion, containing this wholly artificial imposition into a single element (ii). From the conceptacle and intial sketch designs, the shards developed into completely orthogonal rectangular elements. From these, the voids were then excavated. This more clearly delineates my concept of voids as mass, and provides for a more interesting experience of partial concealment, partial revealment. When below ground, a highly obscure experience unfolds; one that offers lateral experiences
in both directions. This is due to the paralleled nature of the shards, as well as the void cut-aways in each. One feels the directional movement of the shards that extend out of the box, but they also experience the layering of voids in the opposite direction within the box. The shards have also been restrained so that they never reach the opposite bank (iii). This follows my concept of that anticipated moment of realisation when one is being granted the knowledge of a secret. I have captured this fleeing moment in the form of these shards. I also began looking at controlling the densities of the wire frames, so that they may offer spaces of shelter or privacy.
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Her r ing I sla Pavilion
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PLAN 1: 400
Herring Island Pavilion PLAN 1:200
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3.0 FINAL DESIGN State of limbo. Crossing over from ignorance to revelation. From confusion to clarity. The final design explores the concept of secrets through the intermediate limbo state between being denied a secret, and that moment of realisation when everything is given over. I sought to capture the essense of this transitory moment through form.
The directional movement of the shards surges outward from the island, but they never intersect with the bank. This creates a suspended experience of the ephemeral moment that one experiences when transitioning from naivety to knowing.
Plan of W/C and staircase (not t o sc a l e ), C o n cre t e m a t e r i a l i t y o f b o x i n t e ri o r`
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Her r ing I sland Pavilion SECTI O N 1: 100
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Th e m at er ialit y o f th e p a v i l i o n c o mp o s e s o f b ot h ov er t ly o p a q u e a n d tra n s p a re n t e l e m ent s ; c onc r e te , oxidised c o p p e r, cl e ar poly c ar bona te , a n d s i l v e r re fl e c ti v e surfa c es . T he la y e ri n g o f th e s e a s th e shar ds c hallenge s th e i d e a o f a h o l i s ti c vi e w; of t en when w e a re k e p t fro m s e c re ts , o ur m ind ex is t s i n th i s s ta te o f a p a rti a l u nder s t anding. We d o n ’ t q u i te k n o w e ve r y t hing, but w e k n o w e n o u g h to k n o w th at t her e is s om e th i n g to k n o w...
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E x p l o d e d Axonometric of el em ents
T he mo der nis t gr id i m p o s e d o n th e sit e goes agains t t h e n a tu ra l l y c u rv e d bo un dari es of t he is la n d . T h i s s tri c t 2 D la t ti ce ch allenges t he o rg a n i c fo rm o f th e na tura l s it e, as s um in g a v e ry a rti fi c i a l gridded fo r m . T he c om p o s i ti o n o f th e s h a rd elements f ollow t his g ri d , a n d a re th u s ort h ogonal wit hin t hem s e l v e s . T h i s a l l u d e s t o my ex plor at ion of th e c o n c e p t Po i n t,
L i n e and P l ane; I w as fasci nated and i n tri gued by the i mportance of perspecti ve w h en deal i ng w i th thi s techtoni c. The a p p e arance of ei ther poi nts, l i nes or pl anes w a s very much dependent on one’s vi ew i ng a n g le. From a stri ctl y front or back el evati on, th e shards appear as l i nes, how ever, w hen th i s perspecti ve i s i nterrupted (even the s l i g htest) the shards reveal thei r true form
as pl anes - and vice ver sa. The obnoxi ous pr esence of an obt r usive gri d i s al so ref lect ive of t he over t pr esence of a secret t hat one is denied.
The c ontras t between a s uperfi c i al l y i m pos ed gri d and the natural c ontours of the i s l and
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(i )
There is a progression of revealment as a visitor views the pavilion from across the bank (i), to the moment they approach and discover it upon the island (ii), until they finally descend into the underground cavity where all is revealed. The detailed voids, the towering shards and hovering frames are bare and apparent. It is then that one reaches a state of complete realisation following this surge of knowledge.
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( ii)
( iii)
(i i i )
The ‘voids’ in each shard are instead read as the ‘mass’ since their form lends itself to connotations of mass. The layering of the shards also provides substance behind each void, permitting one to recognise them as areas of material mass.
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3.1 FINAL DESIGN MODEL
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4.0 REFLECTION I found that the early research and experimentation with Point, Line Plane, Mass and Frame and Infill offered the opportunity to fully engage with ideas and concepts, before launching into a pragmatic response to the brief. The simplicity of the exercises begged for philosophical approaches, and it was a way to consider architecture in its most basic and essential form. This preliminary work was free fr om any restrictions imposed by the practicals of architecture, and I found that I
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was able to critically engage with the three techtonics, challenging their connotations. This freedom was exciting in the sense that ideas could be pushed to their very limit. What I learned over the course of the semester is that designers must push their work and ideas, searching for opportunities and potential development. Simultaneousl y, however, they must know when to stop, for fear of over convoluting a design idea or composition. I realised
this when translating my conceptacle into a design proposal, and again when developing it into my final design. Overall, as the first studio in the Architecture major, this subject has been the highlight of my semester, and has offered an exciting taste of what is to come in future studios during my course.
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4.0 BIBLIOGRAPHY Van de Rohe, M. Barcelona Pavilion, 1929, photograph, retrieved from http://www.ivarhagendoorn.com/photos/series/barcelona-pavilion-1. Turrell, S. Within Without, 2010, photographs, retrieved from https://collabcubed.com/2011/07/13/james-turrell-within-without/. Abbey of Saint-Etienne, photograph, retrieved from http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=1603290. Croatian Pavilion, 2010, photograph, retrieved from http://www.e-architect.co.uk/venice/croatian-floating-pavilion-venice. Sun, R. 2012. Architecture Collection, photograph, retrieved from http://bettinastrenske.photoshelter.com/image/I0000iRS78Qm9UjY. Groarke, C. Regent’s Place Pavilion, 2010, photograph, retrieved from http://www.dezeen.com/2010/01/28/regents-place-pavilion-bycarmody-groarke/. Van Eyck, A. Sonsbeek, 1996, photograph, retrieved from http://socks-studio.com/2013/11/18/sonsbeek-pavilion-in-arnhem-aldo-vaneyck-1966/.
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