Joe Johnson Application Number: 15011806 MArch Architecture Code: TMHARCSING09
1. 3rd year building project
Spatial pentimenti: A library and workroom for Catania University This project proposed a carbon neutral library for the University of Catania, Sicily. The project aimed to reveal its own compositional history, exposing and celebrating the building as a work in progress. A combination of digital and analogue modelling and drawing was employed to develop the proposal. Physical modelling played a vital role in exploring the structural and spatial properties of the clay / hessian skin that forms the internal environments, which was then developed and verified through digital simulation. The environmental objectives of the project were used to develop and iterate the massing of the scheme. The library spaces were sunken into the ground and ventilated via a wind labyrinth to stabilise internal temperatures, with the rare books room located in the centre and deepest underground to maximise climate control. The detailing of the spaces then aimed to embed these past iterations into the fabric of the building itself, celebrating the design process and inviting visitors to understand how the proposal came to be.
1:20 sectional model Physical models were a key tool in developing the project, used to test methods of creating the clay hessian shells, and to explore how traces of compositional history could be embedded. These combined to form a full sectional model through the proposal.
Library sunken corridor perspective This study explores the nature of the subturranean library corridors, sunken into the earth to stabilise internal temperatures. The drawing attempts to reveal its own compositional history, and blends the digital and physical development of the project.
Full 1:20 sectional model The project developed through a series of models, which tested construction methods, and explored the character of the spaces.
12th of February
Embedding compositional history into the spaces Drawings exploring how different iterations of the building could be blended together, to reveal how the architecture progressed. 12th of February
12th of February
12th of February
4th of March
4th of March
4th of March 1.
4th of March
1. An earth shell entrance from an ovular aisle configuration, designed to blinker views of the space until visitors passed through the threshold - concealing the secondary circulation routes. 1.
26th of February 1.
1. 1. An earth shell entrance from an ovular aisle configuration, designed to blinker views of the space until visitors passed through the threshold - concealing the secondary circulation routes. 1. An earth shell entrance from an ovular aisle configuration, designed to blinker views of the space until visitors passed through the threshold - concealing the secondary circulation routes.
26th of February
1. An earth shell entrance from an ovular aisle configuration, designed to blinker views of the space until visitors passed through the threshold - concealing the secondary circulation routes.
26th of February
26th of February
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February 22nd
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3. February 22nd
February 22nd
3. Development of the timber frame and pile syste (developed initially through the threshold in fig. 1). similarly to the door handles, and accomodates tw
February 22nd
3. Development of the timber and pile system,the to tensioned facilitate the tensioned 3. Development of the timber frame and frame pile system, to facilitate fabric shell stru (developed initiallythe through theinthreshold in fig. Thisalso pilebe would be formwo cast in (developed initially through threshold fig. 1). This pile 1). would cast also in fabric to handles, the doorand handles, and accomodates two thea seat frameinbetwee with a similarly tosimilarly the door accomodates two angles of theangles frame of with
3. Development of the timber frame and pile system, to facilitate th (developed initially through the threshold in fig. 1). This pile would a similarly to the door handles, and accomodates two angles of the
2. A sunken staircase and concrete pile, modelled soon after the books were relocated underground, to 2. A sunken staircase and concrete pile, modelled soon after the books were relocated underground, to help stabilise the environmental2.conditions. A sunken staircase and concrete pile, modelled soon after the books were relocated underground, to help stabilise the environmental conditions.
help stabilise the environmental conditions.
The piles were intended to be cast in the same manner as the door handles, and potrude the The piles were intended to be cast in the same manner asabove the door handles, and potrude above the The piles were ground intended to be cast same thepatternation doorthe handles, and potrude above the receive the in timber frame,manner revealing their to visitors as they navigate the books. ground to receive the timber frame, revealing their topatternation tothevisitors as theyas navigate books.
2. A sunken staircase concrete modelled after were ground to receive the timber frame, and revealing their pile, patternation to soon visitors as the theybooks navigate therelocated books. underground, to help stabilise the environmental conditions. The piles were intended to be cast in the same manner as the door handles, and potrude above the ground to receive the timber frame, revealing their patternation to visitors as they navigate the books.
An alternative view of the insertions, tying the different elements together and providing accomodation for the visitors. These pieces act as fluid, soft mediators between the ideas, blurring the lines between them.
An alternative view of the insertions, tying the different elements together and providing accomodation for the visitors. These pieces act as fluid, soft mediators between the ideas, blurring the lines between them.
1:20 model construction details A language of off the shelf timber, tensioned hessian fabric and thin earth shells was developed and tested through physical models.
1:1 details: Developing a series of door handles These door handles were cast in leather formwork, and all of the production drawings were etched into the formwork itself. The exercise aimed to collapse the distinction between the design and production of the object, embedding each handles compositional history directly into its surface.
Digitally transposing compositional history For the second and third handle, the drawings from the earlier handles were reintroduced via lazer cutting of the leather formwork. Thus an accumulation and overlaying of compositional history occured.
Compositional history detail This closeup from the third handle demonstrates how densely the compositional history had built up on the surface, colliding to suggest entirely new possibilities rather than simply archiving previous ideas.
Digital fabric simulation Alongside physical testing through models, weighted clay soaked fabric ceilings were explored via simulation. This gave a good indication of the formal possibilities available, before verifying the result with physical testing.
Airflow and wind labyrinth simulation To develop the environmental strategy for the library, a number of airflow tests were conducted to optimise inlets for the wind labyrinth and understand more about how air might circulate through the structure.
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Final plans and sections A range of scales of plan and section were produced, which allude to the projects compositional history and flesh out the environmental and structural moves developed through the project.
2. 2nd year building project
Rhythmicised soundscapes: Shifting from cafe to nightclub through sound This project explored how spaces could manipulate their internal acoustic environment, to create and accentuate moods and atmospheres amongst visitors. A programme of a 24 hour cafe / bar was chosen, which aimed to navigate between these two different states through the manipulation of sound. A process of ‘rhymicisation’ was proposed, which sought to tune internal reverberations and flutter echos to create rhymthic effects, helping to raise the internal tempo of the building. Sounds of the buildings inhabitation, such as movement along the grand staircase, the chatter of guests and the roasting of coffee beans were skewed and manipulated, to create an interal score which grew in intensity throughout the night. A combination of physical and digital modelling was employed to develop the spaces, which proposed robotically flexed plywood skins to manipulate the internal reverberance. This was examined through a large 1:15 kinetic model rig, which used arduino controlled stepper motors and intricate plywood models to rehearse how the building could be choreographed, and what the overrall experience might be.
1:20 kinetic model rig The project was developed primarily through a large scale model. This model was used as a rig to constantly iterate elements of the proposal, which would typically begin in paper and progress to lazercut plywood as they were refined. A system of 3d printed armatures was developed, which allowed paper and plywood elements to be clipped to the two main rails of the rig and held in position. This allowed for quick alterations and modifications of the rig, and let it function as both a sketch model and a more refined proposal simultaneously. Many areas of the model were kinetically activated through integrated stepper motors, which combined to create slow movements throughout the model, simulating the performance and experience of the proposal.
Composite drawings: Moving between media to explore the spaces The project was developed through intuitive physical modelling, 3D printed and lazer cut components, and robotic scripting. The drawings combine the physical and digital aspects of the project, to glimpse the character of the spaces.
Digital and analogue working methods Much of the project was simulated and scripted. This was done to test the performance of acoustic panels, explore how the plan might be animated throughout the day, and to simulate a coffee roaster itself which served as an input for the stepper motors. These digital elements formed the basis for the physical making. 3D modelling and scripting helped establish constraints for the architecture, which then guided a process of analogue pattern cutting to develop the three dimensional proposals.
Early sound devices: Establishing a model making language These devices from earlier in the project explored similar themes of actuation, and helped to develop a language of 3d printing, lazer cutting and analogue pattern cutting which was used throughout the project.
3. 1st year building project and subsequent research
A building as an instrument: A house for recording engineers This project explored how different acoustic environments might be achieved within a dwelling and recording studio, located in Haggerston along regents canal. The project created an acoustic gradient, with the basement possessing the strongest reverberance, the ground floor presenting a middle ground, and the domestic spaces located on the first floor experiencing a dry acoustic. Vistas introduced through the building allowed occupants to interact with eachother between floors, and moveable partitions enabled occupants to tweak and develop the acoustics experienced in different areas of the home. These acoustic ideas were developed first through my second year project, and then through continued research which seeks to create a 1:1 instrument. This instrument’s resonant frequency and pitch can be adjusted whilst playing, allowing the player to experience a dyanmic acoustic environment similar to that which is explored in the building projects.
A house for record engineers This project contrasted precisely cast acoustic mirrors with a more scaffold like, lightweight construction language. This aimed to highlight which parts of the building were performing key sonic functions, and how the circulation and domestic spaces had been inserted around them. The basement of the building allowed water from the canal to flood it on occassion. This flooding of water smoothed over previously porous and absorbant surfaces, allowing users to modify the acoustic environment if they desired.
Testing sonic ideas through a 1:1 instrument This instrument features 18 strings, each able to be individually tuned to any desired pitch, and a resonant skin similar to a banjo which they pass through. This skin can be tuned to any desired frequency, and is controlled via a system of gears. This allows the ‘wolf tone’ or resonant frequency of the instrument to be adjusted whilst playing, and aims to simulate the experience of inhabitaing a building which could be adjusted in a similar manner.
Prototypes and construction drawings Two prototypes were developed prior to the final instrument design, testing the range of volumes and tonalities the instrument might be able to achieve. Given a cylindrical shape allows for the most uniform tightening of the skin, the whole design of the instrument responds to this, creating a language of arcs and radial lines which emanate from the centre of the drum skin.
4. University exhibition work
Exhibition design and fabrication During art foundation and my undergraduate degree I was able to contribute in a range of ways to the design and fabrication of the end of year shows. At foundation my final project was the design of the show itself, which I fabricated with the help of a fellow student. At university I was able to fabricate precise steel junctions for the 1st year exhibition structure, and during 2nd year I designed and fabricated 20 adjustable LED lights to illuminate models and drawings in display boxes. The projects presented an exciting opportunity to work at 1:1 and make use of a larger budget, and my interest in this process led to my 1st year out which I spent working in exhibition design.
ON / OFF foundation installation Developed alongside Theo Brader-Tan, a series of light switch plinths were designed and fabricated to display the final pieces and developmental studies from the 3D foundation course.
1st year show steel junctions A number of bespoke lazer cut steel junctions were developed with fellow student Oscar Maguire, to negotiate changes of direction in the display structure. The steel was heated until red hot and then folded to achieve the attachment tabs.
2nd year lighting design A bespoke adjustable LED light was developed for the end of year show. The angle of the arm and position of the LED could be manipulated to best light the drawings and models on display.
5. Year in industry at Nissen Richards Studio
An Enquiring Mind: Manolo Blahnik at the Wallace Collection During my time at Nissen Richards Studio i was fortunate to work on the ‘An Enquiring Mind: Manolo Blahnik at the Wallace Collection’, exhibition from start to finish. Working in a small team (myself and Pippa Nissen) I produced concept drawings, visualisations, a prototype, and eventually the full set of construction drawings for the exhibition. We worked closely with the curators and the Blahnik team to develop a bespoke display system, consisting of steel display stands and glass domes, all produced specifically for the exhibition by a Suffolk based glass blowing company. The design of the display system looked to maximise flexibility, as many of the curation decisions would be made on the installation night by the Blahnik team. Shoe angles could be easily set and tightened with concealed grub screws, and all the leg and display rod connections were fastened with threaded inserts, allowing different rod lengths and stand heights to be easily interchanged. The role of the stands was to prevent any tampering with the shoes, and to provide a level of security against theft, which was achieved with four removable clips per stand which locked the bell jars in place.
Designing mounts that responded to the rooms Initially we hoped to design intricate etched brass display platforms, which took the wall silk patterns as a basis to display the shoes, rather than a more traditional shoe form.
Concept visualisations This possibility for the stands was explored via several digital mockups, at first focusing on an individual shoe, and later on a range of shoes from the collection. Although the stands and bell jars remained, ultimately a more restrained approach was chosen for the shoe platforms, alongside a more industrial finish for the stands.
6. Year in industry at GROUPWORK
GROUPWORK: Work as a Part I Architectural Assistant Since joining GROUPWORK in August 2019 I have worked on Design and Access Statements, planning drawings, bespoke metalwork construction drawings and visualisations. I am very excited by their close collaboration with fabricators, and find it fascinating to experience their innovative working processes. It has been particularly eye opening to witness their constant questioning of current construction norms, and their desire to re-emphasise the structural nature of traditional building materials.
151 Headley Way, Oxford Currently at planning stage, this project references the classic post war garden suburb dwelling, but explores how this might be achieved with modern building techniques. The proposal will have a CLT structure, and each elevation and the roof will be covered by an ANS living wall system, achieving the dense external growth seen on so many of the houses along Headley Way. Working with two senior members of the GROUPWORK team, I produced all of the drawings and visualisations for the Design and Access statement.
151 Headley Way, Oxford The proposal will offer four dwellings seperated into two smaller structures, responding to the varied heights and massings of the area. Details picked up from the surroundings are reflected in the scheme, for example the folded steel arched porch, which creates a sheltered entrance that responds to the neighbouring buildings.
The New Stone Age Exhibiton - CNC Stone / Timber Footing As part of the GROUPWORK curated ‘The New Stone Age’ exhibition at the Building Centre, I designed and 3D modelled a bespoke stone footing to demonstrate the possibilities of CNC stone carving. I produced several iterations which were reviewed by Amin Taha and Alex Cotterill, before collaborating with the stonemasons to create a custom finish that left traces of each stage of the carving process present in the final object. This finish aimed to help visitors gain more knowledge about stone carving from the footing than they would if it had all been finished to the same level.