STUDIO EARTH SM1, 2017 EARTH BOOK Miki Ueda
(779237) Dhara Patel Tutorial 2
TABLE OF CONTENTS 1.0 THE TOOLBOX 1.1 POINT/LINE/PLANE 1.2 MASS 1.3 FRAME AND INFILL 1.4 CONCEPTACLE
2.0 HERRING ISLAND 2.1 SITE ANALYSIS 2.2 CONCEPT DEVELOPMENT 2.3 FINAL DESIGN 2.4 A NARRATIVE 2.5 REFLECTION 2.6 MODEL
3.0 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
1.1 POINT/LINE/PLANE
Intersecting lines create shapes in their negative space. Void spaces give an ability to play with light.
PRECEDENT
SERPENTINE GALLERY PAVILION Toyo Ito + Cecil Balmond + Arup Kensington Gardens, London, UK [2002] The architects have explored the use of intersecting lines communicating positive and negative space through the opacity of material.
The exploration involved the use of cardboard to cut voids. Cardboard is efficient in showing form and volume. The effect of the light filtering through the void spaces create an intimate environment.
I look at this project critically and though I like the effect it produced with the filtering of light, conceptually it was not deep enough. The following exercises will demonstrate the development of abstraction in order to create more in depth concepts.
1.2 MASS
Creating an atmosphere through honest material
PRECEDENT Buda Hill Labyrinth Budapest
A historical labyrinth where its age is shown in the texture. Lighting and heavy structure fosters a warm intimate space through emphasizing the raw honesty of the stone material. The light effects reflecting off this stone from various crevices also foster curiosity, such as back lighting effect behind the “Lost Horseman� which draws the eye to pay attention to what is blocking the light, in this case the statue.
The evocative perspective view of an underground space communicates a mood through the use of color and implications of texture.
While the brief suggested the use of charcoal, I felt it was restrictive, when what I wanted to evoke was a sense of mood. My painting background has provided me with knoledge that color is an efficient was of evoking moods, and that certain hues can imply specific moods. Here I chose a warm sunset yellow to communicate warm and intimate space.
1.3 FRAME AND INFILL
A dynamic space through process of decay.
PRECEDENT FRAMEWORK HOUSES Hilla + Bernd Becher MoMA, NY, USA [1959-73]
Hilla and Bernd are photographers whose style is made up of taking photographs in perfect elevation and juxtaposing shots by collage making in a grid format. They use the principle of frame and infill in their work. The framework is the picture framing and the methodogical positioning of the camera. The infill is the house that is photographed. The frame is rigid and repetitive. This scientific manner of documentation efficiently juxtaposes the individual houses so that the differences can be easily compared, such as volumes, the placement of doors and windows, and patterns made of the timber cladding elements.
PRECEDENT PERSONAL STUDY OF DECAY
I photographed the decaying process of apple slices through using the framing method inspired by Hilla and Bernd Becher. The frame is the consistent positioning and cropping of the image. The infill is the decaying fruit. The juxtaposed images efficiently communicate the deterioration of the fruit over time as the eye pans from left to right which emphasizes its shrinkage, texture and colloration.
The infill dictates the space String is taught between loops in corten metallic finished poles, these loops are at various heights, from mid waist all the way up to and above the height of a person’s head. At first encounter of the space, the person is restricted direct access. Overtime however, the corosive property of the steel will cause damage to the string and weaken them at their contact points, so that over time the string will begin to break and fall. People are then able to acces the space within. This then becomes a point of interest as people can now interact with the space, so that it becomes a point of destination. Over time when all the string falls, the space no longer is interesting anymore. This then becomes a space where people will pass through in order to acces something beyond that point.
I enjoyed this exercise as it allowed me to think very conceptually of what a frame and infill means, and to further understand that architecture is an interpretation of a problem where the architect must abstractify in order to achieve the most indepth solution design.
1.4 CONCEPTICLE Synthesizing the 3 tools
Sketches of a development of design iterations for concepticle, incorporating ideas of light, underground, and dynamic structures.
Synthesizing the three tools in the previous studies: 1) Light exploration through intersecting lintes 2) Creating a cozy space using raw finished, excavating into earth 3) Decay and dynamic corosive metalic rods
2.1 SITE ANALYSIS
BURNLEY
RICHMOND
Median age: 32 Avg people per household: 2 Average children per fam: 1.6 Median weekly household income: $1833
Median age: 33 Avg people per household: 2.1 Average children per fam: 1.6 Median weekly household income: $1730
TOORAK
SOUTH YARRA
Median age: 43 Avg people per household: 2.2 Average children per fam: 1.8 Median weekly household income: $1977
Median age: 33 Avg people per household: 1.9 Average children per fam: 1.6 Median weekly household income: $1633
1:5000
Herring island is surrounded by surburban landscape with relatively rich household, where the average household has more children than the average Melbournian household. The demographic shows that there is a large elderly population here as well.
My design should incorporate a space where middle class families can visit, where families will visit it perhaps once or twice a year. It should be able to be enjoyed by a large age range, from toddlers to parents, to the elderly.
1:5000
Site analysis: Herring island is open to the public during the summer. It is then important that the design incorporates a consideration towards providing comfort and shade.
1:5000
1:5000
The south grass mound is the highest point on the island. This will be the chosen site location.
Isometric North Cross Section
East Cross Section
Do you want to know my secret? My secret is a whisper, Behind my cupped hand into your ear. My secret is a pinky promise, And its only for you to hear. Come closer and I’ll tell you my secret.
2.2 CONCEPT DEVELOPMENT
Secrecy fosters relationships. Knowing someone’s secret will make you feel close to them. In a world without secrecy, we would live in a utalitarian, cold world. Aim of project: contrast an impersonable public space versus a comfortable intimate space
Confrontation: Gigantic, intimidating, vertical columns confront the subject as they enter the space. Through the lack of shading elements, there is a sense of complete exposure. Utalitarian experience: Each individuals encounters this space the same way. This is done through having structures that are permanent and do not change over time. Artificiality: Various materials used, such as concrete, timber, galvanized steel. These are all coated with white painted finish so that it is hard to distinguish its material unless speculated at a short distance. Yet evokes interest: The tall pillars extend higher than the trees on the island, allowing people from the roadside off the island to witness a small hint of the secret.
Organic: The forms of the pillars are no longer vertical but become curved and cocoon in towards the three spaces of activity. Comfortable: Filtered shaded light to provide a comfortable environment in summer climate. Honest: expressed through honest and raw material finish Personal: Spaces are dynamic. It changes over time to create an authentic environment where the people that encounter the space will know that their experience of it is completely different from someone else’s experience of it from a year ago or a month ago. This seen in the shading elements. The string that is taught between the corrosive corten steel arches will break and fall over time. The foliage area has two species of plants that creep along the pillars. The species are blushing bindweeds and dendrobium, both native to victoria and are already found planted in Herring island. These have differing blooming times, one in spring and the other in summer. Specific: The curved elements will cocoon into three nodes of activity, creating places for forming memories where the subject interacts with the architecture. This is done through creating spaces for lounging, viewing, climbing, destroying and creating.
Design iterations: Interacting with the earth
The public space is characterized by vertical pillars which confront the subject because of the harsh linearity of the elements being perfectly perpendicular to the earth. These unnatural forms pierce into the earth.
The inimate space was first placed ontop of the preexisting mound, lined with stones for a bench in a circle and cocooning metalic pillars. The design was furthered by excavating into the mound, carefulling shaping and molding the earth into the architecture. The stones sitting area is replaced by the earth being moulded into a bench, and the metalic rods are wrapped with a foliage promoting straw material which allows plants to creep along the column, morphing the architecture into the earth.
Steel curved covered with straw promote creeping plants to grow along it and cause the structure to become dynamic with seasonal changes.
Sketches exploring the shading effects of summer sun. The foliage area is orientated north in order for sunlight to enter through the foliage so that the earthen grass sitting area does not turn into a dirt mound. The foliage above head will provide substantial shading for comfort
Two creepers are planted at the base of the curved arches, the native dendrobium orchid and the blushing bindweed. They have different blooming periods one early in spring and the other in early summer. The blushing bindweed also opens and closes depending on daylight. The person visiting the space will have a truly one of a kind experience of the place as it is constantly changing.
These are both native Australian species, which align with the whole idea of Herring island being a place of paying tribute to the precolonized Victoria’s landscape.
Retaining wall and wire mesh lines the mound to help shape and retain the form so that it can achieve a cocooning sitting place to resist the erosion of the soil, as Herring island has a silty soil prone to erosion. The metal rods have a flat base to anchor down the structure.
Over time the string degrades and hangs from the steel corten. People are then invited to interact with it, whether it is to pull it and help destroy the connections to the string and contribute to its decaying process, or use the string to tie and weave around the columns and leave their own mark on the space.
2.3 FINAL DESIGN
SITE PLAN 1:200
1
5) most private, intimate, honest, space.
4) place for sharing memories, interact with architecture and subjectively changing the space
3) Transition = Objectively changin
ng space
AA
BB
2) main entry toward large opening: cold, white ambiguous material
1) evoke interest
PLAN 1:200
SECTION AA 1:200
SECTION 1 1:200
SECTION BB1:200
2.4 A NARRATIVE
A woman is visiting Herring Island by herself. She feels lonely.
A father and son have just come off the punt boat. They visit Herring island annually, it’s their little tradition. The son is curious to see what new things he can explore on the island, and his favorite part is always to go climb that strange looking climbing structure. “Dad lets go check it out!” he says, as he tugs the father’s hand.
“There you are!” The woman hears someone call. It’s her husband. They go and sit down at the grass covered earth bench. There is just enough gaps between the foliage to see their child playing on the structure, to keep an eye on him to make sure he’s safe.
A critical analysis: This has been an exciting design studio, allowing me to explore different mediums in each exploration we had. Each task helped me exercise the idea of taking a concept and breaking it down to its abstraction. In my experience, I have struggled with coming up with interesting designs which have made me question my ability as a designer. The various exercises in this studio have led me on quite a journey. In the beginning the exercises were tough for me to perform, as my mind kept wanting to think of architecture in terms of floor, wall, roof, etc. Later in the term, I began to look at design from another direction. I have an art background and year’s worth of work was dedicated towards creating art which embodied an idea of change and impermanence as inspired by my interest of the decaying process. Earth studio gave me an opportunity to incorporate ideas and themes that I am naturally intrigued by, allowing me to produce some of my most favorite concepts. T
BIBLIOGRAPHY Deleu, Sylvain. 2013. Serpentine Gallery Pavilion Skylight. Image. http://www.archdaily.com/344319/serpentine-gallery-pavilion-2002-toyo-ito-cecil-balmond-arup/51423dc3b3fc4bd202000044-serpentine-gallery-pavilion-2002-toyo-ito-cecil-balmondarup-photo.
Deleu, Sylvian. 2013. Serpentine Gallery Pavilion Interior. Image. http://www.archdaily.com/344319/serpentine-gallery-pavilion-2002-toyo-ito-cecil-balmond-arup/51423dcfb3fc4b43eb00005a-serpentine-gallery-pavilion-2002-toyo-ito-cecil-balmond-arup-photo.
Lizleafloor. 2015. Labyrinth. Image. http://www.ancient-origins.net/ancient-places-europe/mysterious-labyrinth-buda-enigmatic-ancient-caves-beneath-palace-suddenly-020424.
Lizleafloor. 2015. Lost Horseman. Image. http://www.ancient-origins.net/ancient-places-europe/mysterious-labyrinth-buda-enigmatic-ancient-caves-beneath-palace-suddenly-020424.
MoMA. 2015. Hilla And Bernd Becher’s “Framework Houses” 1959–73. Image. https://www.citylab.com/design/2015/10/how-hilla-becher-changed-the-way-we-see-buildings/410491/.
Parks Victoria. “Herring Island.” Herring Island Park. Parks Victoria, 2003. Web. 25 Apr. 2017.