Portfolio 07

P O R T F O L I O

0 7

S H E LL S HAD O W PAV I LI O N

The Seigaiha, a light and shadow pavilion situated on the edge of the breakwaters facing the sea. It is not only a gallery for shadows, but serves as a viewing decks to watch sailors at sea as well.

CONTENTS

01 CONCEPT INSPIRATION, STARTING 2D PATTERN

02 CELL MANIPULATION & DEVELOPMENT DESIGN OF A 3D CELL FROM A 2D PATTERN

03 CELL LIGHT & SHADOW STUDY DEFINING THE PARAMETERS OF A CELL

04 DEVELOPMENT OF FORM & STRUCTURE FROM CELL TO SELF-SUPPORTING FACADE

05 FORM LIGHT & SHADOW STUDY DEFINING THE PARAMETERS OF CELLS WHEN THE FORM IS MANIPULATED

06 SITE STUDY CREATING A SITE-SPECIFIC DESIGN

07 FINAL DESIGN & SPACES PLACEMENT OF CELLS TO FORM DIFFERENT SPACES AND EXPERIENCES

01 Concept I was first inspired by abstract watercolour paintings that used layering dark and light tones to depict a sense of depth. I wanted to emulate this effect in the shadows of my pavilion as well.

I chose the seigaiha, a traditional Japanese water pattern, as my starting 2D pattern to develop my 3D cell from.

There are two things from this pattern that I wanted to capture in my design; firstly, how the Japanese use this pattern to evoke a sense of movement and motion, and secondly, the technique of layering to achieve a sense of depth.

02 Cell Manipulation & Development

I started with the 2D seigaiha pattern, and used Rhino boolean and loft operations to generate different 3D modular forms, keeping in mind the intentions of the design, as well as considerations for light, ventilation and rain

1st Try Openings allow for ventilation, and the overhangs can possibly keep out rain. However, there are separate parts that may cause problems structurally.

2nd Try Made parts into one whole, possibility of rain channels where water falls in between the modules

3rd Try Alternative form of joining the separate parts from the first try. Also realized the problem of modules ending at a point, which is still not structural.

4th Try Created a channel for rain to flow, changed the end of the module so that it did not whittle away into nothing.

5th Try Exploring an alternative design, as I felt the previous designs did not capture my design intentions of creating a sense of movement and a layered effect in the form.

6th Try Creating layers in the design. The openings in between the modules allowed for light and ventilation. I also added thickness to the modules to make it more structurally sound.

7th Try A different iteration of the previous design, creating a different pattern, but with the same design intention.

There was a similar design development for this module as well.

Chosen Cells I chose the designs from the 6th and 7th try as they best conveyed my design intentions, and could be manipulated to meet light, ventilation and rain considerations.

03 Cell Light & Shadow Study

a) Orientation of cells Shells facing upwards vs cells facing downwards b) Opacity (Materials) Shell comparison between materials of different opacities c) Aperture Size Comparison between the different sizes of openings in the facade d) Cell Type Testing lux levels of different shell designs e) Overall Conclusions Cells to use for the final design

a) Orientation of cells The downward facing shells do not let in as much direct sunlight as the upward facing shells, there is no glare in the morning. Furthermore, the downward facing shells have an added feature of preventing rain from entering the building, as the shells double up as an overhang cover for the openings in the facade.

Upward Facing Shells

9AM - >1000 lux Downward Facing Shells

9AM - ~300 lux

b) Opacity (Materials) While the opaque shells let in an appropriate amount of sunlight, it does not have any interesting shadows. Transparent shells have more interesting shadows but the interior space becomes too bright. Translucent shells would be the best option for gallery spaces as it creates interesting shadows while keeping lux levels at 500 lux for most of the day.

Transparent Glass Shells (95% light transmission)

9AM - >1000 lux Translucent Fibreglass Shells (15% light transmission)

9AM - ~500 lux

c) Cell Type Both cell types have appropriate lux levels to be used as the facade of the building. However, they both display different, interesting shadows, and can possibly used to denote different spaces.

Smooth Shell Facade

9AM - ~500 lux Pleated Shell Facade

9AM - ~500 lux

d) Aperture Size

600MM OPENING

Changing aperture size does not affect lux levels much for both types of shells, which makes it a good perimeter to open and close up openings to allow for ventilation and prevent rain.

Smaller aperture size can possibly be used for the roof cells, where openings have to be closed up to prevent rain, while bigger aperture size allows for more ventilation and shade in the space.

9AM - ~400 lux 1200MM OPENING

9AM - ~250 lux 200MM OPENING

9AM - ~400 lux

600MM OPENING

9AM - ~400 lux 1200MM OPENING

9AM - ~400 lux 200MM OPENING

9AM - ~500 lux

e) Overall Conclusion

Smooth Shell Facade

Translucent Fibreglass cells w 600mm opening

Translucent Fibreglass cells w 1200mm opening

Translucent Fibreglass cells w 600mm opening

- High contrast shadows - Suitable light levels (~400 lux) - For walls of pavilion

- High contrast shadows - Suitable light levels (~250 lux) - For walls of pavilion that require more views / ventilation

- High contrast shadows - Suitable light levels (~400 lux) - For roof of pavilion to keep out rain

Pleated Shell Facade

Translucent Fibreglass cells w 600mm opening

Translucent Fibreglass cells w 1200mm opening

Translucent Fibreglass cells w 600mm opening

- High contrast shadows - Suitable light levels (~400 lux) - For walls of pavilion

- High contrast shadows - Suitable light levels (~400 lux) - For walls of pavilion that require more views / ventilation

- High contrast shadows - Suitable light levels (~500 lux) - For roof of pavilion to keep out rain

04 Development of Form & Structure Resolving Corner Joints I first started with trying to create a simple box form, changing the cells from just a facade to become a building. While I made some interesting corner joint cells, it created more of a curved corner, and created possibilities for a more organic form rather than a rigid box form.

Resolving Roof Joints Similarly for the roof joints, I found that creating a 90 degree corner was not possible with this cell. My next move would be to see if I could create a more organic, curved form that would not require a change in the cell design whenever a corner is created.

Using Bend Command in Rhino to Create a Curved Form Instead of coming up with a new cell design to resolve the corners, I decided to use the cells to form an arched building using the Bend command in Rhino. However, I was still not able to resolve the roof joint yet.

Further Resolution of New Arch Form Created a joint that would connect the two sides of the arch together.

Exploring Form Created when Arch is Bent in Different Ways I explored possible forms that could be created when the arch is bent. This presents the possibility of having different spaces instead of just one long, vaulted space. When curved inwards, cells become smaller, and vice versa, which gives us more opportunity to manipulate the light in the space.

Changing the Number of Cells placed in an Arch I found that changing the number of cells placed on the arch can manipulate the size of each cell, and thus, the amount of light that enters the space.

Manipulation of Building Form Firstly, I explored creating different sized spaces within a single building form. These different sized spaces will manipulate the size of the cells, creating different lux levels in different spaces. Secondly, I explored ways of creating openings in the form, either by breaking apart the form, or lifting the sides of the surface to create an archway into the space.

05 Form Light & Shadow Study

a) Size of Cells Manipulating the shells in the x and y axis b) Size of Spaces Manipulating the size of the spaces to cause changes in the cell

a) Size of Cells By changing the number of rows and columns placed along the arch, I was able to change the size of the cells in the x or y-axis. The control cells of 12 rows and 6 columns showed the best lux level readings of 400 lux, however, the cells look like they are squashed together. The best option would be to have 12 rows and 6 columns along the arch, as the cells are visible and has appropriate lux levels of 500 lux, although the lux levels can still be manipulated through varying the size of the spaces.

CONTROL CELLS

12 rows

6 columns

9AM - ~400 lux INCREASING CELL SIZE ALONG Y-AXIS

12 rows

6 columns

9AM - ~500 lux

INCREASING CELL SIZE ALONG X-AXIS

6 rows

3 columns

9AM - ~1000 lux

b) Size of Spaces Increasing the width of the space will drastically let in more light than increasing the height of the space. This will be taken into consideration when creating the different spaces for my pavilion.

CONTROL SPACE

3m 6m

9AM - ~200 lux INCREASING HEIGHT OF SPACE

10m 6m

9AM - ~250 lux INCREASING WIDTH OF SPACE

3m 10m

9AM - ~500 lux

06 Site Study Analysis of Sun Path, Existing Circulation Paths and Views The analysis of these factors create parameters for the design. I created the form of my building according to the existing circulation paths. Then, I positioned the openings in my building according to the views afforded by the site, as well as the entrances to the pavilion.

07 Final Design & Spaces

The pavilion is situated on the edge of the breakwaters facing the sea. It is not only a gallery for shadows, but a pavilion with viewing decks for sailing. The rocks of the breakwater seem to come up to form the shells of the pavilion, at the same time creating a juxtaposition between the irregularity of the rocks and the regularity of the shells.

Shell Pavilion - Bird’s Eye View

Exploded Axonometric Development of form to include how the building would be constructed, and how the modular elements are pieced together. This was quite interesting to do as there were few precedent studies to look to as fibreglass are not really used as one of the primary building materials in buildings usually.

Spot Details More intricate details on the structure of the building.

Shell Pavilion - Entrance Overarching Existing Pedestrian Pathway

Final Placement of Cells and Lux Levels of Pavilion Spaces

3m

Pavilion Entrance The pavilion entrance is a wide space spanning 10m, and is populated by pleated shells to entice people to enter the space. The lux levels in this space are higher as a result of the large openings in the space.

However, lux levels are reduced to 500 lux closer to the interior, making it suitable as a shelter along the pedestrian path that runs through the entrance.

10m

3m

Transition Space Right after entering the space, visitors enter the darker small transition space, where lux levels are 100 - 200 lux. This space is completely sheltered, and acts as a passageway to bring people towards the viewing galleries. The cells transition as well, from the more complex shadows of the pleated shells to the simpler shadows created by the smooth shells.

6m

10m

Large Viewing Gallery This space looks out to the beach area, a launching site for sailors. It is a large space made up of smooth cells, creating a simple shadow texture on the ground that blends seamlessly into the waves made by the waters in the background.

10m

Small Viewing Gallery The pavilion ends at the small viewing gallery, a space where people sit and watch the sailing races going on further off shore.

Pleated shells are used to differentiate the two gallery spaces. Lux levels in this space are also less, at 500 lux as people tend to stay in this space longer than at the large viewing gallery.

8m

6m

Shell Pavilion - Interior View

Shell Pavilion - Sandy Playspace within the Pavilion

END