FAMILIAR
MATTER
STRANGE
ASSEMBLY
SARAH LUCAS MASTER OF ARCHITECTURE MAJOR PROJECT SUPERVISED BY DR GRAHAM CRIST 2021
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ABSTRACT
6 - 7
INSPIRATION
8 - 57
EARLY EXPERIMENTS
58 - 107
NEW ASSEMBLIES
108 - 129
WICKHAM TERRACE
ABSTRACT FAMILIAR MATTER, STRANGE ASSEMBLY is a collection of material and spatial design experiments, developed through an exploration of re-contextualising found material as architectural matter. Methods used within these design experiments have been inspired by the sculptural gesture of re-assembling found material to produce new form, an approach to design famously mastered by artists Marcel Duchamp and Rosalie Gascoigne. The process considers unwanted building material as found material and underutilised architecture as found space. Focusing on the reuse of found materials, sourced from local marketplace and demolition sites, the work encourages a reinterpretation of the familiar to produce an architecture that is strange and experimental but resourceful. Initial experiments are based on the abstraction of a pink pedestal basin, a familiar domestic object that is sliced and broken up into pieces. The pieces are re-collaged and then scaled up to form spatial condition and enclosure, inspiring further experimentation with an expanded catalogue of found material. Simplified elements of architecture are combined to generate unusual architectural assemblies, within the bounds of an individual car park space. Individual elements within these modules are fabricated from strange assemblies of found material. When combined, these form textured and layered compositions that challenge architectural convention. These experimental outcomes are tested in the context of James Birrell’s Wickham Terrace car park, to form a proposition for its future reoccupation.
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ROSALIE GASCOIGNE
INSPIRATION
INSPIRATION
6 MARCEL DUCHAMP
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EARLY EXPERIMENTS
EARLY EXPERIMENTS
THE PINK BASIN Inspired by the artwork of Rosalie Gascoigne, the pink basin experiment tests the recontextualisation of found material, as architectural matter. The familiar, pedestal basin form is segmented into small pieces, then exploded and re-collaged.
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ABSTRACTION OF THE BASIN
THE PINK BASIN AS FOUND MATTER
The form created by this new assembly is scaled up and tested in context as spatial condition and enclosure.
ABSTRACTION OF THE BASIN
EARLY EXPERIMENTS
EARLY EXPERIMENTS
10 RE-COLLAGING THE PIECES
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SCALED UP BASIN ELEMENTS, TESTED IN CONTEXT GOLDEN SQUARE CAR PARK
13 12 NEW BASIN ASSEMBLY
EARLY EXPERIMENTS
EARLY EXPERIMENTS
A ROOM WITHIN A ROOM
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SCALED UP BASIN ELEMENTS, TESTED IN CONTEXT GOLDEN SQUARE CAR PARK
ENCLOSURE
SCALED UP BASIN ELEMENTS, TESTED IN CONTEXT GOLDEN SQUARE CAR PARK EARLY EXPERIMENTS
EARLY EXPERIMENTS
SPATIAL CONDITION
EARLY EXPERIMENTS
5400
5400
EARLY EXPERIMENTS
FOUND SPACE With recent developments in car and transport technology, car park use is predicted to decline in the near future. This provides a major opportunity for reoccupation through adaptive reuse of existing car parks and associated infrastructures.
5400
2400
5400
2400
5400
600 600 600 600 600 600 600 600 600 600 600 600 600 600 600 600
2400 2400
2400
1350.00
17 0.00
16
600.00 600.00 600.00 600.00 600.00 600.00 600.00 600.00 600.00 600.00 600.00 600.00 600.00 600.00 600.00 600.00 600 600 600
600 600 600 600 600 600 600 600 600 600 600 600 600 600 600 600
1350.00 1350.00 1350.00
5400
5400 5400
2400
60
SEGMENTING THE CAR PARK INTO A GRID
STANDARD CAR PARK DIMENSIONS
600 600 600 600 600 600 600 600 600
600 600 600 600 600 600 600 600 600 600 600 600 600 600 600 600
200.00 1350.00
2400 5400
2400
600 600 600 600 600 600 600 600 600
A single, standard car park space (5400 x 2400) is divided into an evenly distributed grid measuring 600 x 600mm. The grid becomes a repeated design condition throughout the project and allowing design outcomes to fit within existing car parks.
EARLY EXPERIMENTS
EARLY EXPERIMENTS
ELEMENTS OF ARCHITECTURE
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ELEMENTS OF ARCHITECTURE, WITHIN THE GRID DOOR
ELEMENTS OF ARCHITECTURE, WITHIN THE GRID WALL
Inspired by the methods of artist Marcel Duchamp, architecture has been distilled down into its necessary elements. This includes structural and functional elements. These elements have been represented in the 600 x 600mm grid.
ELEMENTS OF ARCHITECTURE, WITHIN THE GRID COLUMN
ELEMENTS OF ARCHITECTURE, WITHIN THE GRID ROOF EARLY EXPERIMENTS
EARLY EXPERIMENTS
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ELEMENTS OF ARCHITECTURE, WITHIN THE GRID FLOOR
EARLY EXPERIMENTS
EARLY EXPERIMENTS
22 ELEMENTS OF ARCHITECTURE, WITHIN THE GRID SEAT
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ELEMENTS OF ARCHITECTURE, WITHIN THE GRID STORAGE
ELEMENTS OF ARCHITECTURE, WITHIN THE GRID WINDOW EARLY EXPERIMENTS
EARLY EXPERIMENTS
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ELEMENTS OF ARCHITECTURE, WITHIN THE GRID TABLE
EARLY EXPERIMENTS
EARLY EXPERIMENTS
26 ELEMENTS OF ARCHITECTURE, WITHIN THE GRID BED
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RANDOMLY GENERATED COMBINATIONS OF ELEMENTS WITHIN THE GRID
EARLY EXPERIMENTS
EARLY EXPERIMENTS
28 29
NORTH MELBOURNE DEMOLITION SITE MATERIAL
MARKETPLACE MATERIAL
EARLY EXPERIMENTS
EARLY EXPERIMENTS
31 30
EARLY EXPERIMENTS
Wall - Glass block Floor - Glass block Ceiling - Glass block Roof - Green corrugated iron Column - Pink basin Door - Green corrugated iron Window - Brick
Seat - Blue steel SHS Seat - White window Bed - Silver down pipe
Table - Red roof sheeting Table - Brick Storage - Silver down pipe
Wall - White window Floor - Brick Ceiling - Glass block Roof - White window Column - Blue steel SHS Door - White window Window - Red roof sheeting
Wall - Brick Floor - Yellow door Ceiling - Silver down pipe Roof - Breeze block Column - Green corrugated iron Door - Red roof sheeting Window - Blue steel SHS
Seat - Red roof sheeting Storage - Yellow door Storage - Blue steel SHS
Seat - Pink basin Bed - Pink basin Bed - Silver down pipe
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RANDOM COMBINATIONS OF ELEMENT AND MATERIAL
RANDOM COMBINATIONS OF ELEMENT AND MATERIAL
EARLY EXPERIMENTS
Wall - Red roof sheeting Floor - Silver down pipe Ceiling - Silver down pipe Roof - Red roof sheeting Column - Blue steel SHS Door - Glass block Window - Red square down pipe
EARLY EXPERIMENTS
Wall - White balustrade Floor - Yellow door Ceiling - Breeze block Roof - Glass block Column - Green corrugated iron Door - Brick Window - Green Corrugated iron
Storage - Brick Storage - Silver down pipe
Seat - Green corrugated iron Bed - Breeze block Bed - White balustrade
Wall - Red square down pipe Floor - Breeze block Ceiling - Green corrugated iron Roof - Blue steel SHS Column - Yellow door Door - Breeze block Window - Yellow door
Wall - Red square down pipe Floor - White window Ceiling - Red roof sheeting Roof - Red square down pipe Column - Green corrugated iron Door - Green corrugated iron Window - Blue steel SHS
Bed - Blue steel SHS Bed - White balustrade Bed - Red square down pipe
Seat - Brick Seat - Breeze block Bed - Glass block
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RANDOM COMBINATIONS OF ELEMENT AND MATERIAL
RANDOM COMBINATIONS OF ELEMENT AND MATERIAL
EARLY EXPERIMENTS
Wall - Silver down pipe Floor - Yellow door Ceiling - Red square down pipe Roof - Red square down pipe Column - Green corrugated iron Door - Red square down pipe Window - Blue SHS
EARLY EXPERIMENTS
EARLY EXPERIMENTS
Wall - Yellow door Floor - Green corrugated iron Ceiling - White window Roof - White window Column - White window Door - Blue steel SHS Window - Stone column Table - Green corrugated iron Storage - White window Storage - Red roof sheeting
Wall - Blue steel SHS Floor - Red roof sheeting Ceiling - Red roof sheeting Roof - Green corrugated iron Column - Yellow door Door - Yellow door Window - Red square down pipe
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MATERIAL AS ELEMENT RED ROOF SHEETING - WALL
RANDOM COMBINATIONS OF ELEMENT AND MATERIAL
Table - Stone column Table - Brick Table - Pink basin
MATERIAL AS ELEMENT DOWN PIPE - FLOOR
MATERIAL AS ELEMENT BRICK - STORAGE EARLY EXPERIMENTS
EARLY EXPERIMENTS
39 38
MATERIAL AS ELEMENT STEEL HOLLOW SECTION - SEAT
EARLY EXPERIMENTS
EARLY EXPERIMENTS
40 MATERIAL AS ELEMENT BRICK - WINDOW
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MATERIAL AS ELEMENT CORRUGATED IRON - COLUMN
EARLY EXPERIMENTS
EARLY EXPERIMENTS
42 MATERIAL AS ELEMENT DOWN PIPE - STORAGE
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MATERIAL AS ELEMENT ROOF SHEETING - TABLE
MATERIAL AS ELEMENT DOWN PIPE - WALL EARLY EXPERIMENTS
EARLY EXPERIMENTS
45 44
EARLY EXPERIMENTS
EARLY EXPERIMENTS
Wall - Silver down pipe Floor - Yellow door Ceiling - Red square down pipe Roof - Red square down pipe Column - Green corrugated iron Door - Red square down pipe Window - Blue SHS
Wall - Glass block Floor - Glass block Ceiling - Glass block Roof - Green corrugated iron Column - Pink basin Door - Green corrugated iron Window - Brick Table - Red roof sheeting Table - Brick Storage - Silver down pipe
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ASSEMBLY OF RANDOM COMBINATIONS OF MATERIAL AND ELEMENT
ASSEMBLY OF RANDOM COMBINATIONS OF MATERIAL AND ELEMENT
Storage - Brick Storage - Silver down pipe
EARLY EXPERIMENTS
EARLY EXPERIMENTS
Wall - Red roof sheeting Floor - Silver down pipe Ceiling - Silver down pipe Roof - Red roof sheeting Column - Blue steel SHS Door - Glass block Window - Red square down pipe
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MULTIPLE ELEMENT ASSEMBLIES IN PLAN
ASSEMBLY OF RANDOM COMBINATIONS OF MATERIAL AND ELEMENT
Seat - Blue steel SHS Seat - White window Bed - Silver down pipe
MULTIPLE ELEMENT ASSEMBLIES IN PLAN
MULTIPLE ELEMENT ASSEMBLIES IN PLAN
EARLY EXPERIMENTS
EARLY EXPERIMENTS
51 50
MULTIPLE ELEMENT ASSEMBLIES IN PLAN
EARLY EXPERIMENTS
EARLY EXPERIMENTS
52 LAYERING OF ASSEMBLIES
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LAYERING OF ASSEMBLIES
LAYERING OF ASSEMBLIES
EARLY EXPERIMENTS
EARLY EXPERIMENTS
55 54
LAYERING OF ASSEMBLIES
LAYERING OF ASSEMBLIES
EARLY EXPERIMENTS
EARLY EXPERIMENTS
57 56
NEW ASSEMBLIES
NEW ASSEMBLIES
NEW ASSEMBLIES The previous experiments have been reworked and refined to produce a new series of assemblies for final testing in context, on the site of the Wickham Terrace car park.
Developed in the early stages of the project, a scripted algorithm has been used to randomly arrange architectural elements within the grid, producing 100 varied spatial and formal assemblies.
Ten of these assemblies have been selected to interrogate further. These ten assemblies have been chosen for their varied combinations and arrangements.
The 10 selected spatial and formal assemblies have been developed further with individual elements being replaced with new material assemblies, generated with an expended cataalogue of found material. These assemblies or modules for living, are designed to function individually or as a collection. Combinations of different assemblies produce different plan layouts and ultimately inform different types of occupation. A series of assemblies may become a dwelling, temporary accommodation or a high turnover co-working space.
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SCRIPTED ELEMENT COMBINATIONS /MODULES FOR LIVING
NEW ASSEMBLIES
NEW ASSEMBLIES
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MODULES FOR LIVING
MODULES FOR LIVING
NEW ASSEMBLIES
NEW ASSEMBLIES
63 62
MODULES FOR LIVING
MODULES FOR LIVING
NEW ASSEMBLIES
NEW ASSEMBLIES
65 64
MODULES FOR LIVING
MODULES FOR LIVING
NEW ASSEMBLIES
NEW ASSEMBLIES
67 66
MODULES FOR LIVING
MODULES FOR LIVING
NEW ASSEMBLIES
NEW ASSEMBLIES
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MODULES FOR LIVING
MODULES FOR LIVING
NEW ASSEMBLIES
NEW ASSEMBLIES
71 70
NEW ASSEMBLIES
NEW ASSEMBLIES
FOUND MATERIAL
FOUND MATERIAL
FOUND MATERIAL
Adding additional materials to the already existing catalogue of found material.
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MATERIAL AS ELEMENT BALUSTRADE - WALL
MATERIAL AS ELEMENT BRICK - WALL NEW ASSEMBLIES
NEW ASSEMBLIES
75 74
MATERIAL AS ELEMENT CORRUGATED IRON - TABLE
MATERIAL AS ELEMENT I BEAM - TABLE NEW ASSEMBLIES
NEW ASSEMBLIES
77 76
MATERIAL AS ELEMENT ROOF TILE - WALL NEW ASSEMBLIES
NEW ASSEMBLIES
MATERIAL AS ELEMENT I BEAM - WALL TIMBER - DOOR
79 78
MATERIAL AS ELEMENT BREEZE BLOCK - COLUMN
MATERIAL AS ELEMENT BREEZE BLOCK - BED NEW ASSEMBLIES
NEW ASSEMBLIES
81 80
MATERIAL AS ELEMENT SQUARE HOLLOW SECTION - DOOR
NEW ASSEMBLIES
NEW ASSEMBLIES
82 MATERIAL AS ELEMENT ROOF SHEETING - WALL
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MATERIAL AS ELEMENT ROOF SHEETING - SEAT
MATERIAL AS ELEMENT DOWN PIPE - WALL NEW ASSEMBLIES
NEW ASSEMBLIES
85 84
MATERIAL AS ELEMENT BREEZE BLOCK - COLUMN
MATERIAL AS ELEMENT ROOF TILE - DOOR NEW ASSEMBLIES
NEW ASSEMBLIES
87 86
MATERIAL AS ELEMENT SQUARE HOLLOW SECTION - SEAT
MATERIAL AS ELEMENT BALUSTRADE - COLUMN NEW ASSEMBLIES
NEW ASSEMBLIES
89 88
MATERIAL AS ELEMENT I BEAM - WALL
NEW ASSEMBLIES
NEW ASSEMBLIES
90 MATERIAL AS ELEMENT TIMBER - BED
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MATERIAL AS ELEMENT GLASS & BALUSTRADE - TABLE
NEW ASSEMBLIES
NEW ASSEMBLIES
92 MATERIAL AS ELEMENT BRICK - SEAT
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MATERIAL AS ELEMENT TIMBER - WALL
MATERIAL AS ELEMENT I BEAM COLUMN NEW ASSEMBLIES
NEW ASSEMBLIES
95 94
ASSEMBLED ELEMENTS
ASSEMBLED ELEMENTS
NEW ASSEMBLIES
NEW ASSEMBLIES
97 96
ASSEMBLED ELEMENTS
ASSEMBLED ELEMENTS
NEW ASSEMBLIES
NEW ASSEMBLIES
99 98
ASSEMBLED ELEMENTS
ASSEMBLED ELEMENTS
NEW ASSEMBLIES
NEW ASSEMBLIES
101 100
ASSEMBLED ELEMENTS
ASSEMBLED ELEMENTS
NEW ASSEMBLIES
NEW ASSEMBLIES
103 102
ASSEMBLED ELEMENTS
ASSEMBLED ELEMENTS
NEW ASSEMBLIES
NEW ASSEMBLIES
105 104
ASSEMBLED ELEMENTS
ASSEMBLED ELEMENTS
NEW ASSEMBLIES
NEW ASSEMBLIES
107 106
WICKHAM TERRACE
WICKHAM TERRACE
WICKHAM TERRACE Located in Brisbane, the Wickham Terrace Car Park acts a testing ground for the series of new assemblies. Designed by James Birrell and built in 1960, the car park provides a perfect set of existing conditions which are used to test the architecture. Carefully occupying the existing, the intervention takes an adaptive reuse approach, through new insertions of material and form.
As a result of the process, the new assemblies have been arranged to form a series of dwellings, re-contextualising the car park as a place for living.
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SITE PLAN
WICKHAM TERRACE
WICKHAM TERRACE
110 111
TYPICAL MODULE ARRANGEMENT
EXISTING FACADE DETAILS
WICKHAM TERRACE
WICKHAM TERRACE
113 112
WICKHAM TERRACE
WICKHAM TERRACE
1
2
5
3
5
6
8
NEW ASSEMBLIES
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114
4
6
10
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1. Bedroom 6. Bathroom
2. Bedroom 7. Bedroom
3. Study + Living 8. Study + Living
4. Bedroom 9. Bedroom
5. Kitchen + Dining 10. Dining + Working
WICKHAM TERRACE
WICKHAM TERRACE
Twenty four new assemblies have been arranged to form four separate dwellings within each floor plate. The dwellings, occupy the external car parks on each floor plate, taking advantage of natural light and ventilation. Individual modules within the dwellings are separated by internal courtyard gardens and are enclosed with soft curtains for privacy. Hard enclosure surrounds each dwelling as well as each module within. This hard enclosure, constructed from recycled translucent panels is designed to give the occupant authorship over thresholds between the modules, accommodating private or open occupation and changing weather conditions.
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TYPICAL PLAN
NORTHERN ELEVATION
Internal car parks have less access to natural light and ventilation so are utilised as storage areas.
WICKHAM TERRACE
WICKHAM TERRACE
MODULES IN CONTEXT
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WICKHAM TERRACE
WICKHAM TERRACE
THE STRANGELY FAMILIAR Layered assemblies of material and form produce strange combinations of texture and colour.
A PLACE TO LIVE, EAT, WORK , SLEEP
Occupation of individual modules is sometimes unclear due to a diversion from typical material conventions, adding to the strangeness of the architecture. However, on closer inspection, combinations of elements hint at how the space might be occupied, such as the combination of table and seat, occupied as a space for dining or working.
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A PLACE TO WORK, RELAX, SLEEP
WICKHAM TERRACE
WICKHAM TERRACE
122 123
WICKHAM TERRACE
WICKHAM TERRACE
A PLACE TO COOK, EAT, SLEEP
125 124
WICKHAM TERRACE
WICKHAM TERRACE
A PRIVATE BATHROOM
The pink basin re-appears in its whole form, as a final nod to the process.
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FAMILIAR
MATTER
STRANGE
ASSEMBLY
