LIGHT CREATES FORM GEMS CREATE PERECTION IN AESTHETICS
STAGE 1
TABLE OF CONTENTS
STAGE 2
01 TABLE OF CONTENTS
13 DESIGN PRECEDENTS
03 PLANS AND ELEVATIONS
15 DESIGN PROCESS CONCEPT ONE
05 SECTIONS AND SITE VEIWS
17 LUMINOUS PERFECTION
07 SHADOW AND AMBIENT LIGHT
19 DESIGN PROCESS CONCEPT TWO
09 SITE ANALYSIS
21 GEMSTONE JOURNEY
11 LIGHT STUDY 1
23 LIGHT STUDY 2
27 FLOORPLAN AND SECTIONS
39 CONSTRUCTION PROCESS
29 ELEVATIONS
41 PALETTE
31 SITE VEIWS AND MOVEMENT
43 LIGHT STUDY 4
33 LIGHT QUALITIES 35 LIGHT STUDY 3
LIGHT STUDY 4 - FILTRATION
37 IMPLEMENTATION
LIGHT STUDY 3 - OPACITY
25 FINAL CONCEPT
LIGHT STUDY 2 - REFLECTION
STAGE 4
LIGHT STUDY 1 - LUMINOSITY
STAGE 3
STAGE 1: PLACE
PLAN FOCUS SITE - MATHS LAWNS 1:2000
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The area of focus is located on the maths lawn area at the University of Adelaide, South Australia. The lawns account for an approximate 2700m² area of the large open space that occupies as the central space for surrounding buildings including The Bar Smith Library, The Braggs, Molecular Life Sciences, Santos Petroleum Engineering, Engineering and Maths Sciences and the Ingkarni Wardii buildings. The area is recognised in plan by the blue coloured areas displaying its location in relation to the context of the university, being positioned in the northeastern corner of the campus.
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The elevations reveal the broad range of buildings that border the site. Building types range from the historic Bar Smith Library building to the more modern glass faced structures of the Braggs building and the inkardi wardli.
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BUILDINGS SURROUNDING THE SITE 1:500 0m 5m 10m 15m 20m
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SITE VEIWS The rendered images either side of this text are three dimensional ground and aerial views of the focus site and its surroundings to strengthen ones understanding of the context of the site.
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Below are three sections that show interior aspects of the buildings they cut through, and references to the plan earlier can be used as for clearer understanding as to where sections occur.
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SITE VEIWS The images above display the shadows at varying times of the day and year and their resultant shadowing effects on the focus site. As the images display, despite the area being surrounded by large dominating buildings, the increased angle of the sun during summer means majority of the Maths Lawn area is in full sun. However, in winter because of the sun angling lower, the site becomes entirely shaded in the afternoon.
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AMBIENT LIGHT The Bragg’s buildings mirror like facade utilises the sun’s rays to display reflected surfaces including the adjacent Ingkarni Wardii building and the rich blue sky to become almost a piece of attractive and every fluctuating art during the day. Similarly, the image below shows the sun refracting off the Building, having a striking effect on the huge tree that borders the site. The careful design an inclusion of LED lighting, primarily glass facades and illumination of interior spaces makes buildings surrounding the site and the maths lawns themselves transform at night, into an aesthetically attractive space with sensual effects that contrast those during the day.
The area of focus is a primarily grassed area that has been an iconic site of the University of Adelaide due to its scale and sense of openness, an escape from the busy layout of the campus. The vegetation helps compliment the number of buildings that borders around the Maths Lawns. The disparity between building styles allows one to understand the lengthy history of the University, with advantages of the surroundings including the sleek primarily glass façade of the Ingkarni Wardii building to the view to the Barr Smith Library from Frome Road, being one of Adelaide’s finest vistas.
The site is located on the North Terrace Campus of the University of South Australia which was established on 6 November 1874. The campus is bordered by many significant Adelaide buildings including the Art Gallery of South Australia, the State Library of South Australia, the South Australian Museum and the Royal Adelaide Hospital. The site itself plays border to part of the Bar Smith Library, which last an extensive history as one of the earliest buildings constructed on site and was used as the central administrative building on the Campus. The significants of this building can be understood by the intention to retain the view of the buildings heritage facade from Frome Street, as despite the inclusion of number new buildings since the 1874, still remains, even strengthened by the Maths lawns in front of them.
The site is well serviced by all facilities needed for a university campus space. The site is in close proximity to rubbish and recycling bins which helps prevent littering in the area and promotes sustainability. It also hosts multiple drink fountain and water refill stations and bike racks in near vicinity to entry to the campus. The focus site, the Maths lawns themselves are lined with tables and benches positioned between shading trees to allow the area to be utilised as a work space in the open and relaxed setting the area creates. Lastly, street style lighting surrounds the large lawn area to light the space at night, however space could be brighter as despite the large overhanging the light the spaces still creates a mysterious and uncomfortable setting during night.
The site is surrounded by a number of the universities education facilities including The Bar Smith Reading Room, The Braggs, Molecular Life Sciences, Santos Petroleum Engineering, Engineering and Maths Sciences and the Ingkarni Wardii building. The lawns themselves are lined with gravel areas with tree’s and tables with pavement then spanning to buildings, allowing ease of movement around the campus.
The cautiously thought out layout of the site and its surrounding context create ease of movement for both cyclists and pedestrians, with large, hard surfaced areas surrounding the site allowing movement for students to enter the university via Frome Street, proficiently access buildings for classes and move freely and comfortably around the enormous grasses area to find a location to sit, eat or work. The implantation of pavement between the east and west sections of the lawns has prevented over use of the lawn for the large number of students that cross from one side to the other. To add, careful placement of surrounding furniture, predominantly the tables that border the grassed area and trees prevent students from cutting across the grass, yet another design implementation that allows the maths lawns to remain the aesthetically pleasing oasis that it is.
SITE ANALYSIS
The focus site is primarily used for relaxing and escape from the busy university lifestyle that is mostly apparent in areas including the central hub. Its large lawns and surrounding picnic style tables offer students with the opportunity to find a quiet personal area or congregate with friends in an area of their choice. The area is also a popular space to enjoy lunch outdoors during the warmer months, with the space truly coming to life as students make the move outdoors. In addition, the space has been utilised for events including Orientation Week activities, Open days and university sport sign up days.
LIGHT STUDY 1 - LUMINOSITY
The firm’s sense of importance toward the significants of luminosity in architecture can be understood through an initiative undertaken as recently as July this year, when the architects opened the Luminosity/ Porosity Exibition in Gallery MA in Tokyo, Japan. The presentation investigated aspects of porous form and light, and endeavoured to express how the phenomenal properties of light, reflected or refracted over faceted form can surpass the formal aspects of surface. SHA promoted that rather than a pre-occupation with independent object-like forms in either architecture or art, experiential phenomena of spatial sequences organized by porosity and luminosity can provoke human emotions and generate emotions of happiness and joy. Many structures completed by the firm reveal considerations toward illumination, and one significant reference that Luminosity, is the presence and diffusion of light, the bright- must be mentioned is the Visual Arts Building at the Univerness of which a source diffuses in correlation with its cer- sity of Iowa. The building is a volume structure that allows tain wavelength, which has a resultant effect on the way light to penetrate and create illumination on the carved out it appears to the human eye. Such effects on space and sections, cuts and atrium spaces within, that all contribute particular surfaces can be achieved through decoration to making the sensual qualities that make the university by the art of illuminating, by altering the luminous flux per building so superior to others on campus. One of the SHA unit area on an intercepting surface at any given time to employees echoed the reference to light and luminosity achieve the desired effects. Luminosity is in a sense a stating that “the amazing thing about light is once you bemeasure of how much lighting or brightness an object has, gin to engage it in the design, that the light gives you back as its illuminance is the intensity of illumination, to under- even more that thought, so that the building is dynamic, it’s stand this further, in astronomy, luminosity is the amount always changing”. Light qualities in this one example alone of electromagnetic energy a body radiates per unit of time. include sky light, top light, diffused light, and figured light, Not only is there a direct correlation with optics and the direct light, meaning the interior spaces require no artificial intrinsic brightness of a celestial object, but to be luminous lighting during the day, further adding to sensory qualities also refers to the human qualities of being intellectually bril- of the space within. liant, enlightened or inspired. Lastly, luminosity provokes human emotions, it has a direct correlation with the senses of freedom, understanding, awareness, awakening and an overall recognition of philosophical truth. Luminosity is essential to architecture, it bridges the cavity between architecture and our perception. Human’s sense materials and forms using our vision, however not using our eyes directly, but always through reflected light and this is why light is so crucial to design, as it creates space and influences the way in which we perceive it, and without space, the meaning of architecture is lost. One of many globally renowned architectural firms that consistently displays careful consideration into illuminance in design is Steven Holl Architects, a 40-person innovative architecture and urban design office functioning internationally predominantly in New York City and Beijing.
The entire envelope of the building is based on the idea of abstraction, with a modulated stainless steel perforated steel façade allowing southern light into studio spaces during the day, whilst screening what is behind and allowing the four storey building to become one sculptural volume. However effects of light aren’t only considered during the day, with the transformation of building at night occurring due to the perforated screens being illuminated with blurred light from the windows and artificial light within, giving it an animated life through the dynamics of light. As a result not particularly just of the Visual Arts Building but Steven Holl Architects ability to manage light in superior ways is award Steven Holl himself received in 2016, the Daylight award which honours architects “who have distinguished themselves by realizing architecture or creating urban environments that showcase a unique use of daylight, for the benefit of overall quality of life, its impact on human health, well-being and performance, and its value to society.” These attributed can be most clearly understood through buildings such as The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, the Kiasma Museum of Contemporary Art and the thoroughly discussed the Visual Arts Building at the University of Iowa. To conclude, it must be mentioned that Steven Holl and his team of architects consistently design forms that create interior spaces flooded with light and rich in sensual effects, whilst never compromising aesthetics or function of interior or exterior qualities, they have have mastered the fine art of illuminating.
STAGE 2: IDEA
The building I have chosen as my precedent is the One Workplace Headquarters project that was constructed in Santa Clara, America. The ambitious directive was to re-define the architectural standard not only of the furniture company, but to also improve the showroom experience within the space. The building displays an emphasis on the interior and exterior effects of light through a means of strategies. One in particular is of interest, being the perforated steel facade, which produces visually pleasing effects on both the inside and outside of the building at both night and day. I aim to emulate the buildings successful ability to create interesting visual effects through the use of perforated steel as a focus material, but in unique, stimulating and personalised way.
PRECEDENTS The other focus that will structure all thinking and design intentions is the interest in gemstones as a result of their effects on light in reference to reflection, refraction, transparency and illumination. The bending of light travels through facets of the gemstones creating endless changing visual effects on not only themselves but surrounding surfaces as a result, also provoking a range of positive feelings and emotions as a result. In addition, the natural, uncut and interesting aesthetic of the shapes of gemstones attract visual attention which adds to the qualities of the stones that form in the Earth’s crust. I aim to use the forms and visual qualities of gemstones as a specific design strategy to help create an interesting and visually attractive forms that incite positive emotions.
CONCEPT ONE
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CONCEPT ONE DESIGN PROCESS All design strategies in the generation of my first concept were driven from my precedents which gave me inspiration and injected enthusiasm and interest into the design as a result. The plan above this text displays where the design idea generated from, which was a drawing in my sketch pad of a series of abnormal and intriguing shapes that would go on to influence my entire design. From the plan, using a mixture of digital and hand drawing skills I developed the idea of underground rooms that linked in an organic and impractical manner that forced those within to have to stop and experience each and every space. Above ground, using sketch up as a medium for design, I copied the shapes used in plan and extruded them and moved vertices and points to create interesting, gem like shapes constructed from structural glass that would allow light to penetrate to rooms below. Lastly I utilised perforated steel as a way to alter the qualities of light entering the spaces below to create varying visual effects to provoke interesting and positive emotions.
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LUMINOUS PERFECTION DESIGN OUTCOMES CONCEPT ONE
INTERIOR QUALITIES
The above render displays some of the interesting light qualities that are a result of my design strategies. I believe it helps communicate my strong intention to utilise perforated steel as a way to produce varying shapes and amounts of light to the spaces within, resulting in an intriguing underground space that would attract students within the university to use for a number on functions. In particular, this space would provide students with a place to relax, read or sit with friends in a unique university space.
SITE CONTEXT
The image above displays where this design concept would be located on site, being the western end of the Maths lawns at the University of Adelaide. The site occupies approximately half of the entire maths lawn area as I personally believe that increasing the scale of the design or expanding landscaping would only diminish the qualities of the spaces I have created. I believe the rendered image reiterates my opinion that the concept design would dramatically enhance the area of the campus, rather than damage the vista of the Bar Smith Library and surrounding buildings.
LANDSCAPING
For this design concept I decided to keep vegetation and other landscape features minimal as I wanted the perforated steel covered glass forms to be the most visually appealing aspect of the design. I have included species of Australian shrubs and trees to make the above ground areas more interesting and to create a sense of safety and closure when going through the space. Overall I think landscape considerations have strongly enhanced my design by providing more significant interest than simply surrounding my design in the grass that currently occupies that site.
CONCEPT TWO DESIGN PROCESS Again driven by my precedent research, design concept two focused predominantly on my interest in gemstones and their qualities in relation to light and their unique forms. However this design generated first from section, again displayed as an extract of my sketch pad and displayed below this text. The idea was based around a large, transparent gemlike structure that would appear as if it had travelled through the earth’s core to eventually break the surface and reveal its aesthetic beauty. To create a connection between this form and functioned I chose to use the oversized structural glass gem to act as entrance to a stairwell that takes one experiencing the space below. Once inside the space, to avoid sensations of fear associated with darkness, I chose to illuminate the hall way that accesses all areas within by using smaller fascinating and unique three dimensional shapes to emit the underground space with light. In addition to the shapes lining the main access of the hall way, a cluster of structural glass shapes were also included in the largest space in the light pavilion, to ensure it was the most generously lit space in the entire layout.
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CONCEPT TWO
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INTERIOR QUALITIES
In the same manner as concept one, the interior rendered image displays the interesting light qualities that enter the underground spaces as a result of my design choices. Close attention to the image reveals a serious of unique shapes that appear of the surface of the hall way and centre of the relaxation and reading space, which is the result of light traveling through the transparent glass structures to provide the underground spaces with natural light an interesting and aesthetically pleasing way. The furniture included gives context to what would appear in one room in the light pavilion, being a relaxing reading space for students.
SITE CONTEXT
The above image reveals how the structures and design would sit in the surrounding university context. I believe strategies to keep the size of glass structures relatively small and transparent successfully allows the proposal to sit comfortable in its surroundings, without damaging views to the Bar Smith Library from Frome Street that have contributed immensely to the maths lawns characteristics. I believe overall this particular design would enhance The University of Adelaide campus, specifically in terms of addition of facilities without damaging the context of the site that exists currently.
LANDSCAPING
For this design concept, I chose to include a larger amount of trees and vegetation when generating the design concept. As the glass structures are minimal in size and only occupy a small area of the site, I believed landscaping considerations of introducing flora and other landscaping features including large rocks would enhance the qualities of the above ground space. I also trust that such intentions would attract people to the space to meander through the site amongst trees and vegetation as they gaze through the gemlike structures into the spaces below.
GEMSTONE JOURNEY DESIGN OUTCOMES CONCEPT TWO
LIGHT STUDY 2 - REFLECTION
The altered approach to design and the celebration of the expressive materiality of transparency and reflective imagery of entire building skins transformed architectural language and new physical and sensual effects emerged as the world began to appreciate the shift that occurred and the architects that questioned prior strategies and utilised new materials and construction methods.
Reflection occurs due to the instance of reflecting, most significantly referring to the return of light, heat or sound from a particular surface without absorbing it. To discuss further, in addition to being a physical sensual existence evident all around us, reflection also refers to a concept, idea or thought that is a consequence of or arises from something else done prior. Most significant to architecture is the effects of reflection possible through light, which can connect, enhance or diminish a particular design or form depending on what design strategies and approaches are taken during design. Types of reflection include the return of light from a smooth surface, causing light rays to travel in the same direction (specular reflection) or the return of light from a rough surface, causing the light to reflect in various directions (diffuse reflection). The act of reflection is essential in the logical acts of architectural design, of the understanding by which concepts are generated as to their form, in relation to comparison and abstraction, as without reflecting, comparing and abstracting, generation of concepts, ideas and forms cannot be done successfully. Architectural designs have altered significantly throughout history, and in the process has come to incorporate a myriad of materials, ideas and designs. However one element that has remained as the basis of design is the use of reflection due to its various effects in relation to natural and artificial light. Although, inclusions of reflective design considerations came to the forefront of architectural design when modernism began promoting the relationship between reflection and transparency in the early 20th century, as facades began to utilise glass and other reflective surfaces.
One example of clear design intentions to make practical and effective use of transparency and reflection in architecture is the Guggenheim Museum, Bilbao designed by Frank Gehry, which is considered one of the most admired works of contemporary architecture. Constructed in 1997, the building displayed Gehry’s successful ability to transfer other architectural approaches in relation to the aesthetic brilliance of reflection from glass to metal. The structure does this by using reflective titanium steel panels and abstract forms to transform the building into an urban jewel that ignited various urban redevelopments with its iconic signature. Reflections of surfaces create varying light effects on nearby surfaces of the building and its surroundings including ground surfaces and the adjoining Nervion River, clear intentions made by Frank Gehry understood though his statement, “The randomness of the curves are designed to catch the light”. Such glistening light qualities provide varying sensual effects when experiencing the building not only at different times or the day, but with every slight variation of the sky and sunbeams above, which has been referred to as the “Bilbao effect”.
Gehry’s bold design strategies created an internationally renowned structure that also helped save Bilbao’s poor reputation as a terrorism stricken and industry failing area, only possible through transformative effects of arts and most significantly, reflection. The example of the Guggenheim Museum is only one example of thousands by architect’s intentions to use reflection to create a number of different effects for people experiencing a particular space. Although with a focus on visual aesthetics, reflection can be used to add privacy to a space, make it seem larger or to make the best possible use of natural light. Thus displaying why reflection continues to be a mainstay in modern architectural design.
STAGE 3: FORM
LUMINOUS TRANSENDENCE
FINAL CONCEPT Following the development of two preliminary concept designs, it became possible to extract particular elements to begin developing my final design. My final proposal, luminous transcendence, derived primarily from concept one, but was more of a hybrid of both initial designs, with early strategies and ideas translating into my final design. Overall, the design places a strong emphasis on interior light qualities through the inclusion of a number of gemlike forms that were encased by perforated steel sheeting of various patterns, thus producing amazing effects on the surfaces within the space. Such strategies including the organic and intriguing layout of the design and incorporation of a long and disconsolate hallway leading to a bright and aesthetically astonishing create a composition that would significantly benefit the University of Adelaide’s campus.
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FLOOR PLAN 1:200
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The axonometric view adjoining this text displays the floor plan for the proposed light pavilion design to be positioned on the University of Adelaide’s campus. The floor plan presents a captivating layout that gained inspiration from a simple sketch and developed into a functional yet interesting composition that would benefit the university and attract many to the spaces within, with light qualities and other design implementations all contributing to making it a positive and thought-provoking space within.
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SECTIONS 1:200 The section drawings above give an insight into the structural elements of the design when cut at varying points and can be referenced to the section indications included on the floor plan on the opposite page. The sections give an indication into the scale of the structure whilst also revealing that the design is positioned entirely under ground level with the only above ground element being the elevator that leads one to the long and almost melancholy hallway to their eventual arrival at the bright and comfortable reception space.
ELEVATIONS 1:1000 The elevations covering this spread reveal the design in context to its surroundings and relationship with nearby buildings that border the focus site including the historic Bar Smith Library building, the Braggs structure and the inkardi wardli building. Although the design itself becomes difficult to understand at such a small scale, I specifically intended to represent the design this way, so one can gain a clear understanding of the design within its entire surroundings. The elevations display a prominent design strategy to retain the historic and renowned views toward the Bar Smith Library and to ensure the maths lawns surrounding the site could still function as a mixed-use space as well as an open escape for students.
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ACCESS AND MOVEMENT From the outset design thinking was structured around ease of movement within the pavilion. This was to ensure the facilities in the structure was accessible for all and led to the design decision to incorporate an elevator into my design rather than stairs which has been the case in one of my initial design concepts. The elevator is almost secluded under the large stairs of the inkardi wardli building that boarders the site, this was to build a sense of mystery and curiosity as to how to get within the underground spaces that one becomes intrigued with when gazing through from above. Once heading three meters underground in the elevator, visitors are forced to meander through a long, shadowed hallway to their eventual bright and sensually pleasing arrival at the reception desk, as they finally gain an understanding of the feelings and visual interest that is the result of beams of light filtering through the perforated steel structures above. Lastlyide hallways allow ease of movement throughout the building’s interior so students can move freely and comfortably around the areas within.
LIGHT QUALITIES
From initial stages of my concept development I positioned interior light qualities at the forefront of my light pavilion design. This led to the decision to include various types perforated steel sheeting that encased a series of interesting gem like glass structures that were to be positioned around the focus site. Such methods of design resulted in a series of unique and fascinating structures that each provided spaces beneath with unbelievable striking visual effects on the surfaces as a result of the sunlight pouring through the various materials of perforated steel. Renders included give some indication of the amazing effects on interior spaces as a result of my design strategies and one can only begin to imagine the emotions that would be provoked when within the structure, as you could peer up through the captivating objects that act as a unimaginable sky light, to the views of the sky and universities surroundings. My eventual design delivered the effects I had so desperately desired to produce, and I personally believe the concept delivers far more than simply a light pavilion, but a magical composition of form and space that would be truly unforgettable to be within.
LIGHT STUDY 3 - OPACITY
Opacity is in a sense a measure of how easily ones eye allows them to see through something in their sight. It also relates to the characteristic of an individual being difficult to understand or indistinct, or more generally for anything that is obscure, unclear or incomprehensible. To understand more clearly, in its literal sense, the term Opacity is used to talk about objects that do not allow generous amounts of light to shine through. Thus, a plane of glass that has accumulated a lot of dirt and dust its characterised by its opacity, as opposed to transparency, which would characterise that same plane of glass if one was able to see clearly through it. In architectural terms, it is more closely associated with transparency, and refers to the ability of one’s eye to gaze through an object depending on the material which will determine its overall opacity. It is a technique that architects have used for centuries to produce varied sensual effects of spaces and forms through careful consideration of the effects of opacity, as well as a way to create and provoke specific emotions through opacities ability to control how easily one can see in or out of an object, form or space. One architectural project that specifically considers the effects of opacity is by Studio Symbiosis Architects, being the Punjab Kesari Headquarters in Delhi, India. The 18,000 square meter office space was designed as a fusion of traditional Indian Architecture and contemporary office space and aimed to serve the main objective of reducing heat gain and optimizing the façade opening ratio ensuring no artificial lighting is required on a typical day, made possible through careful considerations toward opacity and careful perforation of light into the building’s interior.
In addition to this, the design is also based around on an animated design, featuring variations of opening ratios based on orientation, whilst at the same time also reflecting Indian culture, through the resemblance to the traditional “Jali” screen pattern. Such strategies and approaches to opacities and its successfulness in admitting light into the building can be understood through the architect’s press release, where they express, “A hexagonal pattern was used as a base and through iterative process various porosity patterns were generated from it to create different light conditions. This resulted in a variable opacity condition in the facade that had a dual purpose of creating performative architecture and also created variable openings on the facade in various orientations generating a design for the facade that is animating and has an inherent meaning. This resulting pattern morphs from 81% opacity on the north facade to 27% opacity on the south facade, with an intermediate opacity of 54% on East and 62% on west facade respectively.” Such strategies reveal the architects understanding of opacities ability to optimize natural lighting, allowing the office space to be a sustainably focused structure that has a number of amazing visual effects that can be understood in the images included. As previously mentioned, the intention was to translate a traditional Indian façade pattern, although in an alternate approach to architectural design, the team at Studio Symbiosis Architects used digital simulations and interactive processes to create a responsive built form to ensure the successfulness of the effects of opacity in relation to minimising artificial light and maximising the sensual qualities of the offices within, thus creating an overall sense of belonging.
Such approaches to design also enhanced the sustainable nature of the project with cross ventilation and reduction of heat gain also resulting from design strategies. Overall as a result of a clear focus on opacity and its contributions to sustainability, the architectural group created an aesthetically attractive building faรงade that plays host to an intrinsic central atrium space with diffused boundaries between floors and office spaces that creates visual porosity between people working within the headquarters, with individuals feeling closer to nature due to the complete absence of artificial light.
STAGE 3: MATERIAL
IMPLEMENTATION Now that the overall design has been completed and represented throughout the magazine including expression of the unique light qualities, thought-provoking composition and enthralling perforated steel structures that exemplify the design, it is now essential to explore the materials and construction methods necessary to ensure the concept could be successfully implemented on the University of Adelaide’s campus. The process has been managed by initially breaking down the project into a series of construction stages focusing on construction of walls and internal services, forming and pouring of the floor slab and ceiling structure, application of the glass and steel structures and finally landscaping to conclude the assembly process. Following this, more specific construction methods and techniques will help present further exploration into construction methods to guarantee a fast and effective installation of the design to avoid the project becoming a hindrance on the University and the services it offers as a result of prolonged construction works.
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CONSTRUCTION PROCESS The construction system for the concept design will consist of a process utilising predominantly concrete as the construction material through methods including the pre-casting of wall panels and connection joinery offsite, the forming of reinforcement and pouring of the floor throughout the pavilions interior and lastly steel scaffold-plywood forming for the construction of the 200mm thick load bearing concrete ceiling, all of which will be constructed underground with excavation of the site occurring prior. Interior walls will be cast off site to assist in rapid construction to eliminate lengthy construction periods that would disrupt the university and the way it functions, and all construction methods have taken this into consideration. The approximate 70 panels would include the mounting of the TENLOC panel connection system that enables wall-to-wall connections in the vertical joint of all connections from the interior without scaffolding and less temporary bracing. Once positioned the TENLOC element connector are tightened using an M10 Allen key socket creating a closed cavity between the elements which is then filled with non-shrinking grout to ensure complete waterproofing. Such inclusions allow the complete offsite construction of all interior walls that can be immediately erected once the site is excavated, the panels can be positioned in place using the same boom truck crane that delivers the wall panels and small precast structures onto site. Following the placing and fixing of wall panels, reinforcement can immediately be installed to form the concrete floor structure, and once in place, concrete trucks can immediately begin pouring the 150mm concrete floor in the base of the structure which will later be covered with polished treatment, timber flooring and carpet in the second fix building process. Once the floor slab has cured the steel scaffold-plywood formwork for the load bearing concrete ceiling can be installed and then poured. The inclusion of steel reinforcement ensures the ceiling of the underground structure will bear the weight of the live and dead loads above including the soil, turf, people above and the glass and perforated steel structures that characterise the design. After the pouring of the ceiling and removal of the form work, landscaping will begin at ground level with soil covering the reinforced ceiling followed by the laying of turn and other landscaping around the fascinating and attractive structures that allow light to filter into the rooms below ground level. This also allows the second fix process to occur on the interior with furnishing of rooms being the final phase of the buildings overall construction. The explanation of the design process and methods of construction gives a succinct understanding of carefully considered strategies that all contribute to making the implementation of the design a rapid and successful project, thus ensuring the university campus is not negatively affected for a prolonged period of time.
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PALETTE Following the completion of the overall form of the design concept, it is essential to construct a palette of materials that once the construction process is complete, ensures that the spaces on the interior are aesthetically attractive and help produce a positive and interesting environment to reflect design admirations and implementations.
LIGHT STUDY 4 - FILTRATION
The Unique structure play host to a series of performance and event spaces positioned beneath an 180 meter geometric dome, comprising of approximately 8,000 arabic motif stars that create a steel pattern that filter sunlight into to the museum spaces creating a dramatic rain of light on the interiors walls and floors. The dome itself was design as a ‘seemingly floating dome structure’ with the overall effect on the individual being the representation of ‘rays of sunlight passing through date palm fronds in an oasis’. Images included display Nouvel’s amazing ability to create various spaces that evoke different emotions making each and every space within both intriguing and unique, through a direct focus on the ability to control the filtration of natural light through the metal structure above and into the spaces below, which also creates forever altering qualities of light and shadow in reference to conditions of the sky above. The architects intentions and ambitions can be further understood through her comments about the structure, as she quotes “It is an architecture that is protective of its treasures, it is a homage to the Arab city, to its poetry in geometry and light, and, under the large cupola, it is an evocation of the temporalities which inexorably punctuate the hours, days, and the passing of our lives.” Not only does Nouvel use the filtration of the light through the metal structure and onto surfaces and floors, but the museum also included large areas of ponds, with the thousands of various shapes appearing on the water’s surface and then again reflecting onto surfaces around it and back on to the motif stars above, a truly magical composition of light that creates a visual statement unlike any other previously seen in a museum. Filtration refers to the process of filtering, passing through or as if through a filter. The term filtration has a direct association with diffusion and can be most commonly understood in the description of light qualities, liquids or gases passing through one object, piece of equipment or substance. In reference to architecture, the most prominent factor is in relation to light, where presence of an object, surface or form can act as a filter that reduces the amount of light passing through it, which can be controlled to achieve particular visual effects. The amazing sensual effects made possible by architect’s approaches to design can be obviously understood though Jean Nouvel’s museum masterpiece being the Louvre Abu Dhabi.
Her ability to redefine the architectural significance of filtration has not only attracted endless amounts of people to the museum galleries which display a large collection of artworks and artefacts from the entirety of humanity, from ancient objects to contemporary art, but it has created a form that in itself draws people in to experience the space in which the dome structure has created, a clear indication that she has produced a truly remarkable piece of architecture that perfectly displays the effects that filtration and other specific light qualities can have on a space.
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