EARTH Architectural design studio semester 1, 2017 Tutor | Dhara Patel Earthbook by Jiexin Wang
Earth-bound | Raw | Compositional
Contradictory | Rockery | Gravitational
Clay | Mass | Compositional lines
Contents
0.0 Studio Earth Brief 1.0 Space in practice, the three relationships 1.1 Point / line / plane 1.2 Mass 1.3 Frame & infill 2.0 Herring Island 2.1 Site Analysis 2.2 Conceptacle 3.0 A Place for Keeping Secrets 3.1 Precedent Research 3.2 Something like a Pavilion 4.0 Reflection 5.0 Bibliography
Design Studio Brief “ Since our feelings and understanding are rooted in the past, our sensuous connections with a building must respect the process of remembering. � - Peter Zumthor
“Earth” acts as one of the primary elements: one of the four European thought, one of five in Chinese and Japanese thoughts (subject outline, 2017). It represents solid state, set up for the first of 5 themed studios in the University of Melbourne in the sequence of Earth/Water/Air/Spark/Fire. This is a studio that asks students to design architectural spaces with the consideration of earth, involving the ground with open and obvious “above”, hidden and secretive “underground”. Start with practices regarding “three relationships” and introductions of a number of spatial systems by architects, explore deeper via doing a designed and synthesised project in Herring island.
Three relationships
starts, to bring architectural projects into existence, each related to a specific tectonic.
Point | Line | Plane
“ Solidify the Ground ”
Point|Line|Plane The basic elements and composition to creat habitated spaces.
El Petit Comte Kindergarten by RCA Architects From the exterior, the almost rectangular building appears simple. Vertical tubes of different diameters create a perimeter using a rainbow of colors. Some work structually, some rotate and invite the children to play, and most of them work as visual guidance for visitors. Floor to ceiling glass is used to enclose much of the building, so that natural light full of color filters in. A courtyard at the centre lets children play outside in a protected environment, while the glass allows coloured light to flood the interior space. The columns with different colours enframe the kindergarden in a spectrum. The parallel lines fade out, eventually become a point. Every room overlooks the outside, but is protected and secure, thanks to the colored tubes. Interaction, fantasy and luminous play spaces make a welcoming environment for children and teachers alike.
Villa Savoye by Le Corbusier A row of slender reinforced concrete pilotis supports the upper level, which is painted white. Silmultaneously, the lower level is set back and painted green to make the gloating volume involving into the surrounding environment. The simplistic, streamlined result born out of innovative engineering techniques and modular design had influenced Corbusier’s spatial planning and minimalistic aesthetic. The living quarters, or the upper volume, are fitted with ribbon windows that blend seamlessly into the stark, white façade, which void the façade(s) of any hierarchy. In interior space, the simplicty and elegance keep going, the curved, sliding staircase with streamed lines guiding into underground. Meanwhile, a series of ramps, as well as a sculptural spiral staircase, connect the two floors, and are intended to provide a gradual movement between levels, freely floating in this open plan.
Exercise 1 “ A place to lie down, sit up, stand and walk (and back again) ” I design this model from the theme of which everything grows from the earth. To enhance the connection between the model and ground. I punctured those wood sticks in layers into the ground, and trussed branches up into root shape. The connection between wood modules and ground can be regarded as points, and connected by curves to form a plane. The random roots makes the original space intricate and acting as thick lines/columns involving in these planes in a harmony way. I try to use wood and branches which I picked up around trees to express “organic”, “earthy stuff”, and explore the concept of point, line and plane that “organic things” can present.
Intricate Plane | Spatial Experience
Plan View
Mass “ Solidify the Underground Space ”
Mass “ SOLID AND VOID: DARKNESS AND LIGHT: TOUCH AND SEE ”
Chichu Art Museum by Taodo Ando “ Permanent display of spatial art ” The museum is excavated along a north-south axis line from the top of the mountain toward the sea, composed by a square void and a triangle void. This picture shows the space in voids. The texture of bare concrete conveys a strong sense of heavy, solid and mysteric, attracting people get into the darkest point. More importantly, lighting effect works more beatifully in such dark underground space, especially shining on material. In order to take advantage of the gap lighting, the space composition here takes narrow and long hallways to maximize the lighting effect. Meanwhile, the simplicity and none ornament responds to the minimalism and brutalism.
Ningbo History Museum by Wangshu Recovering a sense of historic and cultural in a powerful mass space This massive solid architecture is built from rubbles that were left after disaster, and constructed by local artist and craftsman. The spatial experience, both in the exterior and interior is enriched by the intrcate gaps of huge volume and differently shaped windows. Door, window, wall and piloti, the most basic elements of the building, make the most common materials - bricks, tiles, concrete, steel and timber become vital and full of possibilities, hints some differential events and symbolise the special spatial experience people would take here. The composition and materiality of building make it embody strength, pragmatism and emotion all in one
Exercise 2 “ Solid and Void: Darkness and Light: Touch and See � Mass can be darkness, heavy, solid and unsmooth for me, but it is also a strong sense of growing force along gravity for me. Root is utilised to explain the growing sense of mass and explore the underground space. Inspired from mass can also be given in gravity and even act stronger with the gravitational force. And Root exactly grow along with the direction of gravity, opening up a range of paths in terms of their growing tracks.
Two types of media were used to draw: Watercolour and Charcoal
Entrance Above Ground |Section |Experience Collage In my first drawing, I use red, brown, black these colours to create an experiencing sense of roots. These roots are all pointing to the entrance, which is a huge tree cave leading to the underground surface.
In my second drawing, I choose a perspective view point to present the underground space stating from the luminous entrance (the connection to the above ground). I use water colour to create a transition from lighting to darkness, which means we are going deep underground. Different from the first picture, the colour of root is changed into white to address a stronger contrast and enhance the sense of space. I specify a huge one of these roots to tell that root work as intricate staircase that create a variety of paths for people losing in this bottomless space and enjoying the unknown but absolutely interesting movements.
And all of these special moments happening in this space are created by the gravitational field, which is the eventual destination and secret space simultaneously. And in this drawing, I still keep the colour of root as white to provide a sense of space. Contour lines and blurring technique of charcoal are used to emphasized the secret space and to create a sense of field (similar to magnetic field). Why gathering people into this secret space is because here is the origin of everything, the earth, the strong gravitational force. Gravity causes the variable shapes of roots and creates the opportunities for people’s multiple movements, which represents a saying of China: tread different paths that lead to the same destination.
Mass Development The underground space is designed as a vertical community, the intricate roots act as passageways with staircase for people to lose in, and the gathering space is still in the middle - gravitational field, people can keep going deeper or get back from here. A range of interesting moments will happen in this space, because people are from different root and different staircase, you would never know what to happen in next minute.
Frame and Infill “ View of the Sky ”
Frame & Infill Unité d’ Habitation at Marseille by Le Corbusier “ The Radiant City ” The frame holds 337 apatments here, and each infill is a family. Three primary colour are utilised to make this mix-used building more interesting and stylistic via inserting painted panels and horizontally net panels to achieve a combination of art and geometry. As it was built from bare concrete, representation of brutalism, is a little different from the general definition of “ frame and infill”, while the composition and function of the building both completely work according with the frame and infill.
Decay of a Dome by Wangshu This frame is in a very light structure, with a shape similar to the dome of western buildings, while constructed in Chinese traditionalconstruction principle. It does not need a base during the construction , therefore, it does not damage the ground. The whole structure is a repetition of wooden sticks through rotation transformation and the least components for connection. And from the picture, all of the wood ed modules are stick to the same point, symbolising a sense of vanishing or infinity. Due to the characteristic of easily constructed and dismantled, this rational construction can also be regarded as nastic construction.
Exercise3 “ View of the Sky, View of the Horizon, View of the Ground. ” I designed this project from cracking cubes and try to create a continually growing space. I extracted 3 basic fragments of cubes and put them in different angles on the base. Then I keep exploring the columns and create more fragments of cracking tube. As result, a lot of interesting circulation and special moments are produced by those intricate columns. Meanwhile, from the precedent research, refer to Mies van der rohe’s free plan, those columns are regarded as skeleton system, working as space division, which means they can be freely changed through transformation, rotation and re-fragmentation.
Interior Space & Circulation
2.0 Herring Island “ An Oasis in the City “
History of Herring Island
To form a island
1870-80
River Channel cut through Richmond quarry
Yarra River flood level reached the height of the current freeway deck
1933 1928
1934
Scouts occup
island is rena
Scouts left th Quarry stone used for local Richmond roads.
Herring island become the site of Mebourne Festival’s “Environ-
Herring island become a
mental Sculptural” Park.
Public Park
1950-70
py the island. In 1952, the
amed “Herring island”. And
he island in 1970.
1996 1994
Now 1997
Revegetation and bird-box program processing.
Dense vegetated. Act as Family retreat or an escape from the city life.
Site Anlysis
The only access and cafe are located in the EAST side of the Herring island, therefore, people would drive here to have drinks or access into this island, while the dense vegetation block the noise form the cafe. WEST
Differently, the west side is the Monash freeway, acting as the city link. Therefore, a range of cars pass here and make the west side of herring island not quiet during the day time.
ACOUSTICS ON ISLAND
EAST
The North west part of the island is comparatively private and densely vegetated. Spaces are naturally separated and a range of paths are intricately produced by trees. Moreover, due to the sinking typology here, the space is comparely secret and it’s hard for you to see through the place from out sidewhile the south west part that owns the barbecue pavilions are much more open and public space. The large piece of flat grassland have much potential to be built.
PRVIATE/PUBLIC SPACE DIVISION
Site Anlysis
1. TYPOLOGY& VIEWPOINT
Falling Fence
A Hill, a River, Two Rocks and a Presence
2. SECRET HIDDEN SPACE
Scaled Stem
3. ART EXP
Stone House
Cairn
Because my definition of secret is “the place that is comparatively hidden and quiet, but got some hints outside to attract people get in “, therefore, I mainly explore the viewpoints by creating a rhino model of herring island, to determine where the secret hidden places are and where the comparatively open public spaces are.
Selected Site
Meanwhile, other than large amount of vegetation, herring island also measures the landscape to display the beauty between art and nature and convey the cultural message and spirits that sculptor want to express. Art connects people, more than just an attraction, they set to create a sense of appreciation. The public showed in the map may explain the importance to engage the landscape with art as initiative of interactions.
PERIENCE
Tanderrum
4. BUILDABLE SPACE & SELECTED SITE
Ramp
Steerage
Conceptacle Sketch
For the consideration of secret and art experience, I choose the northwest corner of the island, the indented places. Because it connects with stone house, steerage and cairn. Moreover, the steep topography and dense vegetation here block noise off and make the space ambient.
What I want to design is a silent and peaceful space that enables visitors to relax in, in terms of small pavilion with simple form and well communicated with the nature. Utilising materiality and lighting effects to increase the sense of monumentality, and help the architecture involving in the surrounding environment better.
Exploration on sculptural building Small-size |Monumentality| Peace
Reflective / Mirror Material
Local Material | Emerging texture & colour into the background | Camouflage
Conceptacle Sketch Exploration on Roots Extending from Central | Connecting with others
Conceptacle Model
3.0 A Place for Keeping secrets “ An Oasis in the City “
“ The precense of certain buildings has sth secret about it. They seem simply to be here. We do not pay any special attention to them. And yet it is virtually impossible to imagine the place where they stand without them. “ Peter Zumthor
Design Precedent San-he Residence by Wangshu
Design Precedent Ceramic House by Wangshu
Design Precedent Suprematism artworks by Kasimir Malevich
Design Precedent Free Plan by Mies van der rohe
Concepet Sketch -
- Development
Cairns Sterrage
Stone House
Sterrage Cairns
Stone House
Final Design
“ Something Like a Pavilion ”
“ The buildings make the impression of being a self-evident part of their surroundings and they seem to be saying: “ I am as you see me and I belong here. ” Peter Zunmthor
A Secret connects sculptures, leading to art and natural environment. “Combining the Experience of Art and Natural Environment “
Secret for Adults
Underground Entrance
Secret for Children
SITE PLAN “ Art connects people, more than just an attraction, they set to create a sense of appreciation “
ACTIVE AREA ON THE GROUND
ACTIVE AREA UNDERGROUND
Slope
Steerage
Cairn
In this project, the pavilion is set on the indented area and secrets are hidden Stone House
underground, one for adults, the other one for children. The composition looks like spinning, and enables the plan to own tension to bring people in and pull people out. The long ramp directly leads people to the pavilion. After getting in, visitors would see through the underground by the central glass panel. However, people cannot get down from the pavilion. Therefore, the plan pulls people out to find the entrance of underground space. And the underground entrance brings people in again. Passing the recording room and store room, people will come to secrets. One exit is for adults, the other is only 1.6m high, which is for children. The exits pull people out to the two sculptures, combining the art and natural experience.
Section BB’
Section AA’
Arousing Curiosity Simple but Certain; Small but Attracting
“ Design buildings that, in time, grow naturally into being a part of the form and history of their place. � Peter Zunmthor
Leading to Secret The Pavilion - Central of the spinning plan Involving in the nature by exposing itself into the nature Acting as a frame, infilled with visitors’ spatial experience in terms of 4 stages: Bring them into the pavilion -> Pull them out to find the secrets -> Bring them into the underground space (secret) -> Pull them out to engage with the nature and art.
Secrets One for Children; One for adults Acting as musing area for relaxing, separated by different age. The nature will eventually be the place for gathering them. To engage people with art and nature and enrich their spatial experience.
Reflection This design studio called “earth”, a generic name for dirt, is composed from loose sand, from loam to day and granite, which points out it has strong connection with the ground. The exercises of three relationship offers me opportunities to design 3 different spaces on the ground, underground and above the ground. In terms of precedent research and model making, we studied in a process of learning outstanding precedents and extract good points to build our own concept, design interesting spaces. Rather than beautiful form with hollow concepts, architecture’s space experience is emphasised in this subject. Nice circulation and good user experience are both come from well-designed space. Through learning point, line, plane/mass/ frame & infill, my design’s architectural composition, atmosphere, aesthetics and verbal communication are improved a lot.
“Our time, the information age, requires that design of space, requires that design of space and time be addressed through natural human nonlinear perception rather than traditional linear fragmentation of the industrial age”. Therefore, the organic theme, simple but strongest architectural composition and peaceful atmosphere leads to my final project.
In conclude, studio earth taught me the basic way of exploring tectonics and design spaces, acting as a starting point of coming up other new tectonic strategies in future architectural studies.
Bibliography Lewis, M 2016, Making + Meaning Portfolio, retrieved from https://issuu.com/mellewis1/docs/lewis_mel_portfolio
Selenitsch, A 1998, Putting art in the landscape, artlink, 1998.
Zumthor, P 2010, Thinking architecture, Basel: Birkhauser, c2010.