KENNY TEH KAH KHEN U21
The Bodily House of Wisdom exploits the body in response to unlocking the full extents of a space. Deriving from the embodied principles of St. Paul’s church, it creates a realm that strives to empower personal spiritual growth as well as strengthening the relationships both with the holy orders and the community collectively representing the church.
In the midst of an ever-changing world that deems further away from the perfection it once demonstrated, the ‘Garden of Eden’ will be used to motivate users to strive towards as well as a model to recreate the environment that mirrors its predecessor. The house of wisdom respects the singularity of the diverse human generation that is unique from one another with an approach that is non-discriminating and non-mortal which does not conform to only one standard but, encompassing the whole community of the space. The overall scheme respects St. Paul’s physical presence on the island site in Deptford through a proposal that radiates around the Baroque-style building making St. Paul’s the foci on the island. Subsequently extending the baroque style adapted by the building. Ultimately, this library of knowledge prepares users within the ministry environment to impact their respective spheres in order to create Eden-on-Earth.
The Garden of Eden
Perfection
A once perfect paradise and harmonious relationship between one, all and another...
The Bodily House of Wisdom: A Library Towards Eden
Reversed Destiny
Brokenness
Perfection
Bodily [adjective] : of or concerning the body. In relation to the non-mortal human body and a non-conforming principle in form and space. House [noun] : the people living in a house / a building in which people meet for a particular activity. For and based on the people of St. Paul’s Church in Deptford. Wisdom [noun] : the quality of having experience, knowledge, and good judgement; the quality of being wise In relation to improving one’s self and the sphere of people around; striving to be the better. Eden [noun] : An Eden, a place or state of great happiness; an unspoilt paradise.
The Divided Deptford
Deptford luorished as a prime naval ground which was introduced by King Henry. Thus, giving it a maritime charm. From there, the population spurted and increased rapidly with rising opportunitites of jobs. The frequent visits by the royal icon, Queen Elizabeth also brought signiiicant innluences to the ground, giving it prestige. The population was later on segregated into two parish administrations whereby both are governed by separate regulations.
The project aims to develop the once-existed St. Paul’s parish (abolished and now governed by the local council) through an extension of its physical presence whereby its boundary almost certainly, detached itself from the surrounding context; making it an island site.
Innluencing Icons
The royal icon who visited (dined) & conferred the honour of knighthood on a captain.
Queen Elizabeth going aboard the ‘Golden Hind’ at Deptford by Frank Brangwyn Source: Brighton and Hove Museums and Art Galleries
x
for the late captain
The Once-Divided ‘Deep-Ford’
Captain of the Golden Hinde in which the Queen dined on-board & commanded to be preserved.
St. Nicholas Church
St. Paul’s Church
Deptford High Street
The division of land into two parish administrations; St. Nicholas & St. Paul’s with the High Street connecting both towards the Royal Dockyard. Most of the surviving history were translated from the diaries and narration by both John Evelyn & Samuel Pepys.
T H E S I S C A T A P U LT
Introduced the ship-building heritage in which the British Navy grew from.
Chair constructed using remnants of the ship
Source: Bodleian Library, University of Oxford
The Island Site at Deptford
An extension of St. Paul’s physicality onto the island site that is designed based on the people of St. Paul’s and its principles & dedicated for the community itself.
St. Nicholas Church
treet
S High ford Dept
St. Paul’s Church
St. Paul’s Principles
Principles across all Christian churches value the both the spiritual order and the people. In the case of St. Paul’s, one of the fundamental aspects is a sense of community. This was emphasized by the Rector to which community participation and interaction is what builds a church. Therefore, it is crucial to irst understand the people of the church prior to designing for the people. The church also represents a relationship that is reelected on the holy cross that encompasses the relationships between, 1. a personal spiritual growth, 2. the relationship with the people around & 3. the relationship with the spiritual order.
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2
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1
(w)
(S)
Zoning of the Island Site
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T OW R G LF
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Non-Mortal Architecture: Madeline Gins & Arakawa
Bathroom
Bedroom 1
Bedroom 2
A universal architectural principle that is non-standardized, non-discriminatory, sentience (subjective experience) and ambiguous but of discerned function which encourages a constant negotiation of the human body in space.
Uneven Flooring to stimulate the consciousness of the body
Study room
Common area
Support poles
Bioscleave House, East Hampton, NY
Multi-use Design
Reversible Destiny Lofts, Tokyo
Shape = Structure no interior olumns
Hanging Furniture to encourage the use of both ceiling & ground
Harmony of the Human Scale
La Cité Radieuse by Le Corbusier was developed based on the concept of the “Modulor Man” in which the unit of measurement adapted is the height of a man. This measurement system is paired with the Golden Ratio & Fibonacci numbers (1,1,2,3,5,8,13) to provide “a harmonic measure to the human scale, universally applicable to architecture and mechanics”. It follows the principles of the Vitruvian Man and the general philosophical commitment to discover a proportion system equivalent to that of natural creation and that, the Modular was based on human proportions.
3
183cm
2
Wall height of (4) Modulor men
4
1
Modulor Man “Ideal English man”
Normatization to Non-Discriminatory & Universal
Queen Borg
Ping & Jing Twins
Arnold Schwarzenegger
Claudia Mitchell
Modulor Man
left Modulor by Le Corbusier & right Etude Anatomie by Thomas Carpentier.
Body as Dwelling Object
Apart from the users of the actual, physical space, architecture is a manifestation of the designer’s thoughts. Although compromised by contextual means and regulations, part of the design mirrors the world through which the architect walks through whilst designing. Therefore, the role of the architect plays both realizing an idea and habitating the space at the very irst place.
Thus, it is important to understand the users of the space as well as the architect designing the space as both participants are the dwellers of the space. In this context, the body of the author will be used as means of spatializing the architecture however, in a design that does not limit the singularity of the human body; the people of St. Paul’s.
The Author as the First Dweller of Space
Projection of the Vitruvian
Da Vinci is able to generalized the human body to a standard that seems ideal but however, it discriminates the vastness of the human body in actuality. Despite that, it forms as a basic principle in which it derives geometry out of the human body that is to a certain extent close to similar across the human bodies; the square and the circle. The convergence of the square and circle are manipulated by the different dimensions of the human body
Extension of the Vitruvian Man
END
175cm / 61kg
a
Author Architect Dweller of space
Discriminatory State 1 The body does not resonate to the ‘ideal’ body indicated by the Vitruvian Man using the geometrical square. In this case it is bounded by a rectilinear geometry; rectangle.
START
The Circle
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b
The Living Bodies of St. Paul’s Deptford
The people of St. Paul’s Deptford ranging from the head of the community to the diverse attendees. To show the singularities of each user of St. Paul’s comprising of behaviour, role, height, weight etc to which this diversity will be used as a median tool to allow for a design that encompasses everyone who will be using the space. The people informs the type of space for the new design. Observation was carried during a Low Mass on Thursday, 7th December 2017 at 7pm across 20 nos. attendees in the duration of 35 minutes.
height (cm)
30
age (year old)
2
weight (kg)
10
Children
30
140
8
height (cm)
155
age (year old)
20
weight (kg)
45
Adult
85
183
65
165cm / 73kg
172cm / 65kg
171cm / 80kg
Church Attendee:
Church Vestryman Assistant Participates in prayers Greets attendees Management & Information
Fr. Paul Butler Rector of St. Paul’s Deptford In charge of congregation & sermons Leads the Eucharist & Benediction Exercises pastoral care for the community
3 Main Spaces
Parish Staff Right-hand to Fr. Worships alongside Fr. Management & Information
‘Vitruvian’ of St. Paul’s Deptford
The ‘Vitruvian Man’ of St. Paul’s show actions, positions, postures, tools etc. A study to identify the ranges of actions that take place within the building from typical ceremonial performances to minute tasks to create a list of activities that may take place in the new space. However, not conformed to the standards used in this study. The actions inform the spatial charateristics of the new design. The body of the author was used to perform the activities that took place inside the church to show the range of activities and the connectivity with the human body & motion for illustration purposes onl
1.1
STANDING
posture during eucharist & benediction
1.2
handing of bread & wine
1.3
reading from a standing position
2.1
2.2 3.1 3.2
SITTING
KNEELING
taking photo or video or updating social media
journaling
praying
holding bibile or candle
127mm
Side Elevation of The Human Body in St. Paul’s
A critique on the Vitruvian Man whereby stereotyping of the body has been made and often of negative connotations in comparison to the reality of the diverse human body. It also only portrays the frontal elevation of the human body to which standards are measured from it. However, it lacks a side elevation to which could give information to a more complex standard that is manipulated by the range the body is able to achieve.
Da Vinci L. (1490). Vitruvian Man. [image].
Tools During Motion
The movement of the human body within St. Paul’s interplays with a particular tool. The positions of the human body are somewhat similar across the studied group of people during certain durations inside the church. However, each motion and movement deriving towards the position is obviously dissimilar. Each position utilizes certain tools that is seen as a trigger-motion prior to the position. Each tool is directed by a different hand gesture that all happens concurrently during a motion.
1.1 Monstrance
1.2 Wine cup
1.3/3.2 Scripture
2.2 Journal / Bible
3.2 Candle
Only held by the Rector
2.1 Mobile phone
Held by attendee
The millenial attendee of younger generation.