Vasiliki Papagiannopoulou BA Architectural Studies Academic Portfolio 2012-2013 Stage 2
Contents Page Year Design Report
1
Design Modules Section Alley 05
2-8
Civic Centred 04
9-17
Simplicity, Economy, Home 03
18-23
Placed Displaced 02
24-28
Learning Journal 01 Charette 00
Separate Document
29-30
Non-Design Modules The Place of Houses ARC2023
32
Environmental Design and Services ARC2010
33-36
Architectural Technology Part 1 ARC2009
37-40
Architectural Technology Part 2 ARC2009
41-44
Year Design Report Section Alley
A project which required us, as a group of seven people, to work together into developing a temporary timber frame structure which could be placed in any chare in Newcastle. Within three weeks it had to be presented to an exhibition standard with a full understanding of context shown. I found this project to be a fantastic way to finish second year as I really enjoyed working with a team of people that had a variety of skills and thoughts to contribute. It was a demanding project as it was not always easy to synchronize everyone, but I realized that it is important to understand others and split tasks so that people work with what they are comfortable in working with. It was also a great opportunity for me to learn a few more tricks with Sketch-Up and Photoshop and how you can use the two together to make a more interesting and detailed section.
Civic Centred
In this project we had to change our mind set so we no longer were designing for one but rather for the collective, as we had to design a medium-scale public building. Given the choice between three different types of building and four different sites, I chose to do a Moot Hall and Library in the centre of Tynemouth. This project was one of my favourite projects as I had a good understanding from the start of where it should go. The reason was because for the first time I tried to have a more architectural approach. Spending the good part of the first week analysing the site it gave me a lot of clues of how my building functions should be separated. In addition to that I re-searched and analysed Alvar Aalto’s Town Hall, which helped me in organising my space, as one of the key feature in his building was a courtyard space that all the circulation worked around. One of my strengths is having a good process but one of the criticisms was that the overall presentation aesthetic could be improved, an area in which I will continue to work on.
Simplicity, Economy, Home
For the foyer we had to design a small housing scheme for eight people and pay good attention to thresholds, a difference between private and public spaces. I found this to be the hardest project as I was not immediately stimulated by the brief. For this reason I looked into a lot of different sources, from art to Rorschach cards to collisions of geometry. All the sources were revolving around the ideas of how different geometrical shapes can affect your psychology, and how those can be applied into different architectural functions. That project took me on a different learning curve each week and therefore even though I was quite pleased with the final design, I did not have enough time to give it any justice. The criticisms I received was that it lacked interior renders and my sections and plans had different graphics. I really wanted to improve my grade so I have included two interiors, of the workshop and common room as well as improved the graphics between my plans and sections. Even though this project was one of my most difficult I also found it to be the one that taught ne the most in how it is important to re-search on all sorts of sources for inspiration, but sometimes working form an architectural approach may be more beneficial.
Placed, Displaced
This project involved us to focus on special and volumetric planning and designing of a small terraced house. We had to explore a variety of possibilities within a fixed volume. The constraints of the volume with which we had to work with was a great way for me to start to understand how staying within the site boundaries can sometimes be extremely beneficial. It was also the first time that I realized the importance of designing a solution rather than a problem, and how reading the site well can help you make that decision. This was one of my best projects and I believe it was because I started with an architectural approach but used art later as a form of inspiration.
Charette
I really enjoyed this project as I got to be in the chain reaction machine group, something which I have always wanted to be a part of and never imagined actually doing. Even though we were forty people and separated into groups of five it was a very intense week. I was amazed by how we managed to all create small separate machines, while acknowledging how the previous one will finish, to a very successful outcome that was completed and ready to run within five days. It was an incredible experience as I got to work with architecture students from all the years therefore I was given quite a lot of good advice in term of the projects that were coming up, software’s I should be looking at and anything else I should be aware of. Overall it has been a very exciting year, with a lot of hard work and different learning curves. I feel like I have improved in becoming more efficient and working hard to an exhibition standard from week one, so that I can use work from earlier on even in my final presentation. I am also really glad that I continued to work with software as I fell quite confident in using Sketch-Up, Kerkythea as a rendering program, AutoCAD and Adobe InDesign. I do want to learn Revit over the summer period as I believe it will be a very beneficial program to use for Third year. Something I want to keep improving in is the way I present my final work so that I can keep my grades to a sufficient standard. I feel a lot more confident and a lot more excited now to move onto Third Year. 1
Section Alley 04:
Emerging from Concrete Since the project required a temporary timber frame structure with music as the theme, the idea we wanted to pass through as a group was to have one recurring module that could be used in a lot of different ways. Using cone shape structures, and combining them in separate ways, or coating them with different materials we could use them as instruments, as steps as shelters and as telescopes. In addition to that since it was a recurring element used in separate ways, it meant that the construction could be a lot simpler, and therefore easier to be temporary. 2
Interactive Elements and Publicity In order to attract people to our exhibition we had a few posters that were all around the university as well as a few flyers that people could take and bend into the shape of our cones. In the exhibition we had a few of the cones at 1:1 scale so that people could interact with them, either by shaking, or drumming, or hitting different cones to make different sounds
3
1:100 and Abstract Model The alley that we chose was quite run down, but had some really interesting views and angles due to its difference in volumes. It also had a massive concrete structure that you could walk along, but had nothing to offer at the end. For this reason we decided to place our musical shelters along this route, and our final stage at the end, so as to give people a reason to go there and see the site in a whole new way. We wanted these timber cones to look as though they were growing from this man-made structure. In order to attract people into the thin alleyway, we would have a busker on a stage, made from cones and hung up high, playing the saxophone. A type of music with works well with the background noises of the pipes form the site. There would also be numerous cones lit along the path that would take them up to the concrete. Since the Tyne Bridge separates the concrete underneath into two sides, we decided to split the activities that would occur underneath. On the left hand side we would have a more interactive part, were the audience could play with the different cones and be the buskers. On the right hand side we have the main stage, for a flute beat-boxer and a place were people can sit and enjoy 4
Tectonic Study
Spatial Overview
5
6
7
8
Civic Centred 03:
A Multifunctional Place to Gather I wanted my Moot Hall and Library to be built at a human-scale as well as have the ability to change its functions so that I could give Tynemouth a building in which they could use at all times. Since it is a civic centre I believe that having a building which has separate functions creates an interesting place for people to be. A place which can combine the activities of most of the community into one location. A place which even though is a public building it can have private thresholds inside. 9
Site Analysis and Re-Search Splitting the site in order to separate public and private spaces, as well look at the different materials that could be used to keep the building in context.
Alvar Aalto Town Hall- Saynatsalo with parti diagrams
10
Development Models Experimenting in the beginning by only using volumes, then developing the idea uses different scale models that initially were contained within the site boundary. The outside of the building would be coated with sandstone so as it respond to the city and castle materiality. Internally it would be coated with timber so as to create a more peaceful courtyard space.
11
Final Plans and 1:100 Model
A
B
B
0
12
10
A
Flow of People
Two Important Views
Circulation
Pushing the site boundary
Maintaining the clock tower axis
Materiality and internal circulation
13
East-West Perspective Elevation
14
Section AA
0
10 15
Section BB
0 16
5
Outside the Debating Chamber, Looking out to the City
Inside the Debating Chamber
Cafe Working Both Sides, to Include the People Waiting for the Bus 17
Simplicity Economy Home 02: Psychology of Shapes
18
For this project we were required to design a foyer, with the following accommodations; eight bedrooms, a common room, a tutor flat and a workshop. Since they would be living and working in the same small space for a whole year, I wanted the spaces to both look and feel different from one another, as well as correspond to their function. A circle represents unity, community and wholeness, therefore I wanted their common room to have the same feeling. A triangle represents balance, strength and energy; therefore link it to the workshop. A square and rectangle represent order, security and logic therefore I wanted the bedrooms and the tutor flat to follow on the same principle. The key to this thinking was to not take it entirely literally, but rather take elements of these shapes and respond to them in an architectural manner
Developing Ideas Starting by reading the site, I wanted the building to work around the trees. The next form of inspiration was combining different geometric forms in order to create a different atmosphere for the separate functions
19
A
B
A
Final Plans and Model
B
0
20
5
Final Section and Elevation
Section AA
Elevation BB
0
5 21
22
23
Placed Displaced 02: Non divisional Definition of Space With terraced housing you get a limited space in which you can work with, therefore I wanted my building to be an answer to the problem; an open plan design whereby separation of space only happens through materials, furniture and layers. During my project I came across a painting my Piet Mondrian and realized how similar the painting looked to that of plans. The grid-like format, with black lines as well as the use of colour in separate spaces to reflect on a different atmosphere corresponds to the way an architect uses walls or furniture in order to separate space and materials to generate different emotions. 24
Development and Piet Mondrian Inspiration I experimented with my initial concept of separating the space only through layers and materials, with different layouts until the most efficient one was found. I also tried to change the roof and roof-lights in different ways until I could maximize daylight gain. Using my inspiration from Piet Mondrian I created an abstract painting from my top floor plan. However, the colours will not be literal but rather represent the type of atmosphere I want to gain from the materials I will use.
0
5
25
Materiality I used stone for all the surfaces in which the function is to keep people moving; it is natural but not as warm as timber. I wanted to use brick on the side walls and front facade as it is a terraced house so I wanted it to look like it was one with the rest of the houses, so that privacy could be kept within. I used steel for the stairs as they are cantilevered as well as reflect light into the space. I used mahogany for the furniture; for the warmth and cosiness, oak for the floor; as it is quite durable and gives of warmth as well as pine for the exterior as it is cheap, durable. 26
Final Plans, Render and Model
A
A
A
A
A
A
0
5
27
Final Section AA
28
Charette 00: Animate Space
For the Charette we were a group of forty people and then separated into a group of five. We were then each given a theme and a number. My group was given flight and we were the machine that would go off right before the Finale. We decided to use paper planes, that would be different colours and connected to a see-through wire, that would pan until it reached the ceiling; tightly enough so that when it got knocked by an electric car running behind then it would shoot the planes forwards. Being tied to a string would cause the, to have a better momentum. There would also be marbles that would be connected with a see-through wire to a newspaper, that when they were pushed would reveal the name of the project: ANIMATE SPACE.
Day One: Revolved around our group meeting and coming up with ideas
Day Two: We tried out the different ideas from day one and by the end of the day decided on the one most likely to work
Day Three: Added text and made sure that the previous machine would start ours and we would start of the next one.
Day Four: Added newspaper over the writing so that it would be revealed slowly as the electric car running behind would drop marbles which would then drop the newspaper to reveal: ANIMATE SPACE.
Day Five: Put it all together so we could do two exhibition run throughs
To View it Online: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HH2PR8HuMuM
Non-Design Modules 31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
Vasiliki Papagiannopoulou, Stage 2, 2012-2013, BA Architectural Studies, Newcastle Univeristy