WORK SAMPLE NATHAN BARNHART nathan.barnhart@gmail.com + 41 7 8 7 3 9 2 8 24
Thesis Project “The Raw and the Cooked” Food Hall at Escher-Wyss-Platz, Zürich Assistant. Prof. Tom Emerson Several unique buildings, balancing between public and private, provisional and permanent, lie on one of Zürich’s main tram lines. These buildings add a specific sense of character to each node along this thoroughfare. Escher-Wyss-Platz is a part of this circuit, and would very much benefit from such a structure. This proposal for a food hall is intended to provide just such experiential qualities, and contribute to a greater sense of place at Escher-Wyss-Platz. The proposal engages the idea of temporary structures that embrace the future weathering and wear brought about by the impact of the environment and human occupants. Standing in stark contrast to the permanent and often industrial structures of West Zürich, the delicate layers of timber framing, the prominence of the roof and its cantilevered position over the river are intended to focus the attention of visitors from the activities of Escher-Wyss-Platz to the muted sounds of the river below. This is especially accentuated on rainy days when the runoff falls directly off the north side of the roof into the river. The essence of this proposal is a large roof structure, sheltering a combination of thermally enclosed spaces and the open space between them. Although lightness is the overall impression of the structure, lateral stiffness is provided by a dense upper layer of diagonal supports, which stands in contrast to a more open and very regular system of supporting columns in the lower layer. The mix of open and closed spaces offers flexibility to accommodate use requirements that change according to the time of day, as well as the seasons of the year.
Cleaning Supplies Women's Toilet
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“Sustainable” Living in the Swiss Plateau Assistant Prof. Reto Pedrocchi, standing in for Prof. Christian Kerez Obergeschoss 1:30
The focus of the project was to investigate what fundamental influence aspects of sustainability can have on a design. Established standard solutions were set aside to engage the question conceptually, specifically and experimentally, and as a result develop a corresponding architectural strategy. We were encouraged to consider ideas from the fields of environmental sciences, material science, civil engineering and sociology. The goal was to design a sustainable residential structure for a site in the Swiss Plateau. The number of occupants to be considered was assigned randomly. This proposal provides living space for 4 occupants. The way this project approaches the idea of sustainability might be expressed by the phrase “spaciously compact”. Compact dwellings are sustainable. They use less material and are spatially efficient. Due to a low volume to surface area ratio, they are also more energy efficient in terms of thermal stability.
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The resulting project is a compact two-story dwelling for four people, which is arranged so that the living area can be doubled when the weather is warm enough. The structure is composed of two halves, a closed/insulated half and an open/uninsulated half. The closed half is on the north and the open half is on the south. These halves are divided by glass doors, which open and allow for the expansion of living space.
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“Experiencing space through thinking and acting: Designing in Context” Workshop on “Gassa” Prof. Gion Caminada The task of this semester was to carefully observe the conditions of an assigned site in the village of Vals, and to design a structure that is sensitive to those conditions. I was assigned to observe the street known as “Gassa”, and to design a workshop for a site presently occupied by a very old and dilapidated barn. To present the observations of our assigned site, we were to continually refine a written “Place Description”, in order to capture the essence of this place. We were asked to develop design rules for this location based on this description - rules which would allow one to design a building that harmonizes with the existing built fabric of the village. PLACE DESCRIPTION: a dense row of buildings on the south side of “Gassa” and an open line of buildings on the north side defines the “Gassa”, which climbs away from the center of the village. The contrast between the open and closed sides of the “Gassa” characterizes it, and differentiates it from the other streets in the village.
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RULES: 1) Minimum setback from the street: 1.5 meters; 2) Structure should be embedded in the site, and perceived as growing out of the ground; 3) Organic material such as gravel and grass should be used as a transition between the site and the street - a concrete or stone entrance step for the building would be acceptable.
In addition to complying with these rules, the project proposes strengthening the characteristic density of the village by occupying more of the site than the existing structure. The multistory workshop is constructed of a masonry exterior and timber interior, with a roof that is pitched diagonal the sloping chnitt 02 1:50 Schnittto03 1:50volume, Schitt 02 1:50 Schitt 03 1:50 down from one corner to the other. The positioning of windows, an open interior structure, and the materialization of interior space are intended to form a well-lit, flexible and spacious workspace.
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“Christian Center in Unterrohr Schlieren� Prof. Miroslav Sik This project dealt with the design of a Christian center for a site along the Limmat river in Schlieren, Switzerland. A large auditorium space for worship services, as well as smaller classrooms and administrative spaces were required - in essence, a campus where the congregation could develop a physical, social and spiritual sense of community and worship. The idea of gathering and worshiping under a tent or canopy is the concept for this project. A sweeping ceiling ascends from low, horizontal windows on the sides of the auditorium, up to narrow skylights, which allow the infiltration of daylight from above. The curving surface of the ceiling suggests the hanging tension of a canopy. As the sun moves across the sky, the infiltrating daylight creates continuously changing gradients of light upon these surfaces. The metal cladding of the curved roof further reinforces the sense of material tension. Classrooms and administrative spaces are divided into four additional buildings, creating a central courtyard. The classroom buildings are oriented so as to direct special attention to the meditative grove of trees that lie between the site and the river.
“Gardens of Experience” Pavilion for Chiswick Garden, London Visiting Professors Adam Caruso and Peter St John The assignment was to design a pavilion for the grounds of Chiswick House in London, England. We were free to choose the location, size and program of the pavilion. I decided to design a structure for the southwest corner of the property in a small forest. The resulting project is an open-air pavilion for multiple uses - from music performances to quiet meditation. The pavilion is constructed mainly of re-purposed timber railway sleepers. These timber elements are stacked to create wall panels, which are then placed in a staggered configuration in order to leave gaps between the walls. This allows the infiltration of daylight. The structure is composed of two horizontal layers of equal height: the lower layer of the staggered walls, and an upper layer composed of deep horizontal beams joining in a T-configuration. Partitions are formed by these deep beams above. This creates a unique sense of space below, which changes according to where one is situated within the pavilion. In addition to daylight entering through the staggered walls, several openings are arranged to give users views out into the forest. Viewing the landscape from the dark interior of the pavilion enhances one’s sense of light and color in the surrounding forest, lending a particularly extroverted atmosphere to the space.