Sunday, May 12, 2019
EXP2 FINAL SUBMISSION
EXP 2 FINAL SUBMISSION
THEORY
I have chosen the concept of adaptability as the theory for my architecture. I believe that adaptability is a very broad term and covers many issues that architecture needs to deal with, and thus makes for a theory that is cohesive.
The article that I have sourced the idea from introduces the concept of adaptability by discretising an architectural system into elements and sub-elements and determining levels of adaptability within said elements. The levels are stated as flexible, active, dynamic, interactive, intelligent, and smart, ranging from a building which requires physical manipulation to adapt, up until a building which consciously adapts through a system of self-learning, similar to AI.
However, I have developed my theory with a difference. I have defined adaptability as either the ability to confront physical phenomena and external stimuli (ie. wind, sun, circulation, situation), or the ability to deal with more insidious issues (ie. population growth, wealth, future development). This way, I can include both the 'flexible' elements defined in the article (like interactive elements), as well as a design which acts in a 'dynamic' way (like modulation).
The adaptable thesis also provides excellent opportunity for moving elements, and implicitly refers to movement as adaptation is a dynamic process in its own right.
THE THESIS
Words:
-Adaptable
-Implications
-Realisation
-Anticipate
"Adaptable architecture is able to confront the implications of a current situation. Through realisation of the external environment, architecture can anticipate."
Article source: C.M.J.L. Lelieveld, "Adaptable Architecture" (PhD diss, Delft University of Technology, 2013), 245-252.
The article that I have sourced the idea from introduces the concept of adaptability by discretising an architectural system into elements and sub-elements and determining levels of adaptability within said elements. The levels are stated as flexible, active, dynamic, interactive, intelligent, and smart, ranging from a building which requires physical manipulation to adapt, up until a building which consciously adapts through a system of self-learning, similar to AI.
However, I have developed my theory with a difference. I have defined adaptability as either the ability to confront physical phenomena and external stimuli (ie. wind, sun, circulation, situation), or the ability to deal with more insidious issues (ie. population growth, wealth, future development). This way, I can include both the 'flexible' elements defined in the article (like interactive elements), as well as a design which acts in a 'dynamic' way (like modulation).
The adaptable thesis also provides excellent opportunity for moving elements, and implicitly refers to movement as adaptation is a dynamic process in its own right.
THE THESIS
Words:
-Adaptable
-Implications
-Realisation
-Anticipate
"Adaptable architecture is able to confront the implications of a current situation. Through realisation of the external environment, architecture can anticipate."
Article source: C.M.J.L. Lelieveld, "Adaptable Architecture" (PhD diss, Delft University of Technology, 2013), 245-252.
ONE POINT PERSPECTIVES
Here are 18 one point perspectives. There are 6 original one point perspectives, each coming with an above and below view which comes from a shifted horizon line. Also attached is a rendered perspective shot of my chosen one point perspective in the unsw campus context near squarehouse. There are also images of this one point perspective not in context to view it in its entirety.
These images from lumion are of the 6th one point perspective (6a, 6b, 6c). The last image is the rendered out version with sun and exposure effects.
I have also attached some basic sketches from my site visit. One is a plan including trees and vegetation and the other is an elevation heading north.
ONE POINT PERSPECTIVES
ONE POINT PERSPECTIVES
1a. STACKED VERTICAL SPACE
1b. CONSIDERATION OF LOW LYING ENVIRONMENT
1c. FLEXIBILITY OF LEVELED PLANES
2a. COMPROMISE OF THE CANTILEVER
2b. AWARENESS OF SPACIAL CONNECTION
2c. OPEN TO EXTERNAL SPACE
3a. PROTECTION OF CENTRAL HUB
3b. COMPLIANCE WITH LONGITUDINAL AXIS
3c. ANTICIPATION OF THE ELEMENTS
4a. SEPARATION OF CONNECTION AND UTILITY
4b. OFFSET WEIGHT AND MASSING
4c. DOMINANCE OVER THE COPLANAR
5a. CONGLOMERATE OF PRISMS
5b. MODULATION AND INTERCONNECTION
5c. SHELTER FOR THE NETWORK
6a. FRAMED CONNECTION AND EXPANSION
6b. CONNECTING THE DISCONNECTED
6c. REFLECTION OF INTERMEDIATE SPACE
These images from lumion are of the 6th one point perspective (6a, 6b, 6c). The last image is the rendered out version with sun and exposure effects.
TWO POINT PERSPECTIVES
I have chosen the 2nd and 6th one point perspectives to re-do as two point perspectives. I admire the overarching cantilevers crossing each other under two point perspective in the first two point perspective, and enjoy the versatility of the second two point perspective as it both weaves around a void space and has vast connections between both vertical and horzontal circulation.
AXONOMETRIC GIFS
These are axonometric gifs which explain the origin of the form of the school. In the gif, 3 massing elements (workshop building, staff building, computer lab building) appear. The staff building and computer lab building are then chamfered to allow sun into the neighbouring green space. Next, space is carved out of the staff building and computer lab building using a circle which allows room for a bridge to fit onto the buildings.
The first gif is looking west on the building site and the second gif is looking east.
GIF 1
GIF 2
MOVING ELEMENTS
Moving element 1: The first moving element in the scheme is an adjustable facade on the staff building. The facade is comprised of large glass panes which are covered by long vertical wooden blinds. Because of this, the building is able to allow light in from the east, north and west but at a desirable amount. The moving element is also able to restrict the free flowing circulation of the lower staff building area. This is useful as the building can cater for a whole school exhibition in the open air, or a more intimate presentation under the building. This is an example of a 'flexible' mechanised element according to the theory source article.
This element was inspired by 'The Shed', a building in New York situated on a site meant for a proposed olympic facility. The building can be explored at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MbX_6MsjsIE&t=175s
MOVING ELEMENT 2: This moving element is a modular system which is used in the student workshop and study space building. The moving element is comprised of: a collapsible structure of columns and beams, concrete slabs for each level, and wooden modular rooms which come in individual and group sized spaces. The power of this moving element is held in its versatility. Not only is the composition of the building able to be adjusted for the schools needs (For example: The school may want to have more group work involved for students, and accordingly install a majority of group modules instead of individual modules), but the building is also able to expand in capacity to meet the population and facility demands of the school. According to the theory source article, this element is categorised as 'dynamic'.
Inspiration for this moving element was drawn from the recent renovations to the electrical engineering building at UNSW as pictured.
The following is a gif which shows how the building can change composition through the modules.
36 TEXTURES
Here are 36 textures which I have drawn based on the following keywords:
pictured: Roof of the workshop building
LINEAR
ROTATIONAL
SCALAR
FLOW
ROTATIONAL
SCALAR
FLOW
BALANCE
ENTRAPMENT
ENTRAPMENT
These are the 3 textures I will be using in the model with a short justification.
SCALAR TEXTURE: I've decided to use this texture in the workshop building as it reflects the different scales of modular parts which are integrated into the building itself (the individual and group booths). It also represents the modular design well as the texture looks modular itself. The texture has also been used in the computer lab building as that building also uses a modular system.
pictured: Front wall of the first level of the computer lab building
FLOW TEXTURE: This texture will be used below the staff building. The texture represents a dynamic flow which is mimicked in the open circulation of the lower staff building when the facade is retracted. This will urge visitors participate in the open circulation.
pictured: The open gallery below the staff building.
LINEAR TEXTURE: The linear texture will be used on the bridge which spans between the blockhouse and the aquatic center. The bridge isn't an open circulation within the scheme of the school and is very one dimensional in the way that is conveys movement. As a user of the bridge, you can either move from a building or to a building, not away from it on a perpendicular axis.
pictured: Bridge connecting the staff building to the squarehouse, with the workshop building on the right
THE ARCHITECTURE
ROOM TYPES AND SCHOOL COHORT COMPOSITION
The following is a scaffold for the size of spaces which are required in the architecture school.
The architecture school is being designed around the concept of a decentralised cohort with a focus on personal and 1 on 1 learning. Instead of having medium sized studio groups in a classic classroom scenario (15-20 students per class with one tutor), students learn both independently and in very small groups (2-4 students). Because of this, there is no need for classrooms or large lecture theaters. However, as students are expected to learn independently, there is an increased demand for small spaces such as study booths and individual workshops, and meeting spaces where students can meet with tutors.
Many of the schools facilities (workshops, booths, computer labs) will be operated on a booking system where students will be able to book out small booths for 1-3 people for feedback with a tutor or to work on models and designs.
Academic staff and tutors will also have their offices and meeting spaces as a usual school would. However, there will be dedicated meeting rooms for course conveners to communicate with the tutors for each respective year group.
I also plan to integrate the gallery into the open public areas as this is an opportunity to both save space and create engaging public areas.
Adaptability will be integrated into the design through a modular system for booths/workshops. As there is an expected growth for the student population, a modular design will be able to prepare for it as the school would be able to remove/add booths and workshops based on the current student population.
In summary, the floor space which is traditionally reserved for a large lecture theatre and medium sized classrooms will instead be dedicated to a large amount of smaller study booths and workshops for study and modelling.
SPACE DISTRIBUTION
The following spaces will have circulation included in the given units. (units in square meters)
STUDENT SPACE
Lecture theatre: 40 seats at 2.5 sqm per person | 130 sqm
Studios: Not applicable
Workshops: seats 60 at 5 sqm per person | 390 sqm
Computer labs: seats 60 at 2 sqm per person | 156 sqm
STAFF SPACE
Academic offices: seats 9 at 11 sqm per person | 128.7 sqm
Admin offices: seats 4 at 6 sqm per person | 31 sqm
Research space: seats 9 at 4 sqm per person | 47 sqm
Research studio: seats 9 at 5 sqm per person | 58 sqm
Meeting rooms: seats 30 at 2 sqm per person | 80 sqm
UTILITY
Gallery + public space: 300 sqm
Library: 108 sqm
Toilets: 60 sqm
TOTAL FLOORSPACE: 1488 sqm
SCHEME DEVELOPMENT
The scheme of the school was developed with the above ideas in mind, that is a decentralised cohort and adaptability at the core of the school.
bubble diagram
Note that the bubbles are clumped into 3 distinct groups which are categorised as above. There are 3 buildings in the scheme which are seperated. Because of this, the school is very simple to understand and navigate.
Plan to section
The following is an exercise which gave me inspiration for the schools scheme and layout. The building used as inspiration is Palladio's 'Villa Rotunda' and has been developed with the location of trees and other buildings as a core consideration in regards to adaptibility.
The first part of the exercise (plan to section - plan) was to imagine the school within the famous plan of Villa Rotunda.
The second part of the exercise (plan to sectin - section) reimagines the same plan as a section to give the school a three dimensional characteristic for visual interest.
plan
Note: the building connected to the workshop building is the squarehouse, not the blockhouse.
section
Note: the left building in the bottom section is the squarehouse, not the blockhouse.
Circulation
The following is a diagram of the circulation of the school of architecture. The circulation of the school is important as, being an adaptable school, the school needs to be able to adapt to the circulation and travel paths of its occupants. The school has been setup so that it is accessible from the ground as well as the Squarehouse and gym/aquatic centre. A bridge spans the top of the squarehouse down to the south-west corner of the aquatic centre.
diagram of circulation
Note: the building left of the workshop is the squarehouse, not the blockhouse.
HOW THE SCHOOL ADAPTS
Adapting to circulation:
The school actively tries to adapt the circulation of people to the uses of the school. In particular, the staff building is able to guide circulation into a closed area which is climate controlled through the facade acting as a moving element. This is very useful as the lowest level of the building can be used for intimate presentations from guest speakers or can hold an exhibition which isn't dependent of the weather.
pictured: lowest level of the staff building with open gallery. The gallery opens out to the surrounding greenery, and can also be moved within the staff building when the facade is lowered.
Adapting to the elements
An important part of adaptability is being able to adapt to physical phenomena and the elements. Primarily, the school achieves this through the chamfered staff building and computer lab building. By applying this form, a high summer sun is able to reach the neighbouring green space for a longer period of time. As previously stated, the school can also adapt to the rain through the adjustable staff building facade.
pictured: view of the school from the nearby grassy area which is used for leisure. from left to right: computer lab building (chamfered), staff building (chamfered), workshop building (not chamfered).
Adapting to people
As the school cohort is comprised of 100 diverse students, it is very likely that among the school cohort will be disabled students. To adapt to this, every space in the school is wheelchair accessible, meaning that around the school are a variety of ramps to assist students who are mobile impaired.
pictured: ramp from first floor of the computer lab building to the second floor.
pictured: ramp from lowest floor of staff building to the first floor.
pictured: ramp from first to second floor of the workshop building.
pictured: ramps for each level on the side of the computer lab building.
DESIGN DEVELOPMENT
pictured: site context and vegetation.
Initially, I marked out where the major trees of the area were. This was important as it allowed me to see where the school could be placed so that it wouldn't intrude on the nearby vegetation.
Next, I developed the workshop building. I made the structure first and then designed the modules accordingly. I then added the slabs and the modules to complete the building
pictured: workshop building structure
pictured: complete workshop building with ramps.
Draft lumion environment 1
The purpose of this draft was to establish the main scheme of the school amongst the surrounding trees to get an idea of how the buildings would interact with each other and the bridge.
pictured: first development of scheme with massing and vegetation.
Next, I worked on the staff building (pictured middle in the above photo).
pictured: plan of third floor of staff building
pictured: staff building with completed moving element
Next, I completed the computer lab building. This building merges the blind elements of the staff building and modular elements of the workshop building to establish a consistant theme in the scheme.
pictured: computer lab building in development
The following are some sketches which aided in the development of certain elements of the school.
Draft lumion environment 2
The purpose of this draft was to see the school amongst realistic vegetation and to decide how the bridge should be completed. Issues that needed to be addressed in the draft are: The workshop buildings connection to the squarehouse, the form of the bridge, textures and colours on the school, and furnishing of the buildings.
pictured: whole school as pictured from nearby grassy area
pictured: lowest floor of staff building
pictured: computer lab building
pictured: interaction of the lecture room (top floor of the computer lab building) with a moderately high afternoon sun through the use of blinds.
pictured: winter sunset amongst the workshop building.
FINAL LUMION ENVIRONMENT
This final lumion environment fixed the shortcoming of the second draft environment through application of textures, furniture, building a connection from the workshop building to the squarehouse and finalising the bridge. I decided to leave the bridge open rather than closed since it allows each building to see the gum trees on the eastern side of the school.
This is the finalised school in relation to the grassy area. The buildings are oriented so that they are able to capture crucial sunlight in the afternoon and also maintain a strong relationship to the surrounding nature. From this, the school adapts to its environment and physical situation
The buildings of the school aim to establish a harmonious relationship with the surroundings of the school. Rather than build on top of existing natural phenomena, the computer lab preserves a tranquil leisure area through its support beams twisting over the trees.
The blinds on both the computer lab building and staff building aim to work the harsh winter sunset into the building rather than refuting the light altogether. The blinds diffuse the light enough so that the room is lit but not so much that it distracts students or tutors using the intimate lecture room.
From the form of the computer lab and staff buildings, the function of the leisure area is preserved. This allows sport and other activities to be carried out in the area as before.
pictured: library
pictured: computer labs
pictured: lecture hall
HERO SHOT: This shot captures the interesting forms of the staff building supports as well as the blinds, two elements which make the building distinct within the scheme of the school. These supports are inspired by the supports at the entrance of the UNSW Ainsworth neuroscience building.
pictured: meeting room
pictured: admin office
pictured: outdoor staff area facing off to leisure area
pictured: one of the 9 academic offices on the third floor of the staff building. The room has access to the strip window on the eastern side.
The bridge makes a conscious effort to work with the nearby nature. The workshop also develops an intimate relationship with the liquid amber tree.
pictured: modules within the workshop building
pictured: entire scheme of the school within its context with vegetation.
STORY OF THE EXPERIENCE
The following is a roughly 120 second video detailing the experience that the school is trying the create. The school aims to preserve spaces and work with the natural phenomena of its context. Through the use of moving elements, form, orientation and function, the school employs both physical and insidious adaptability to benefit the students and staff of architecture at UNSW.
Note that the video should be listened to with audio as there are sound effects which have been used to make the video more immersive.
LINK TO 3D warehouse: https://3dwarehouse.sketchup.com/model/6063a41d-b879-49bb-810c-08184d9f7403/ARCH1101-EXP2-Brody-Upton-z5205908
LINK TO LUMION DRAFTS:
First draft: https://www.dropbox.com/s/o3jd3yg6zqas6bg/Draft%20lumion%20scene%201.ls8s?dl=0
Second draft: https://www.dropbox.com/s/c7ag1fac8rwb55m/Draft%20lumion%20scene%202.ls8s?dl=0
Final draft: https://www.dropbox.com/s/d41c8rxlytl772t/Final%20EXP2%20lumion%20scene%20with%20moving%20facade.ls8s?dl=0
The architecture school is being designed around the concept of a decentralised cohort with a focus on personal and 1 on 1 learning. Instead of having medium sized studio groups in a classic classroom scenario (15-20 students per class with one tutor), students learn both independently and in very small groups (2-4 students). Because of this, there is no need for classrooms or large lecture theaters. However, as students are expected to learn independently, there is an increased demand for small spaces such as study booths and individual workshops, and meeting spaces where students can meet with tutors.
Many of the schools facilities (workshops, booths, computer labs) will be operated on a booking system where students will be able to book out small booths for 1-3 people for feedback with a tutor or to work on models and designs.
Academic staff and tutors will also have their offices and meeting spaces as a usual school would. However, there will be dedicated meeting rooms for course conveners to communicate with the tutors for each respective year group.
I also plan to integrate the gallery into the open public areas as this is an opportunity to both save space and create engaging public areas.
Adaptability will be integrated into the design through a modular system for booths/workshops. As there is an expected growth for the student population, a modular design will be able to prepare for it as the school would be able to remove/add booths and workshops based on the current student population.
In summary, the floor space which is traditionally reserved for a large lecture theatre and medium sized classrooms will instead be dedicated to a large amount of smaller study booths and workshops for study and modelling.
SPACE DISTRIBUTION
The following spaces will have circulation included in the given units. (units in square meters)
STUDENT SPACE
Lecture theatre: 40 seats at 2.5 sqm per person | 130 sqm
Studios: Not applicable
Workshops: seats 60 at 5 sqm per person | 390 sqm
Computer labs: seats 60 at 2 sqm per person | 156 sqm
STAFF SPACE
Academic offices: seats 9 at 11 sqm per person | 128.7 sqm
Admin offices: seats 4 at 6 sqm per person | 31 sqm
Research space: seats 9 at 4 sqm per person | 47 sqm
Research studio: seats 9 at 5 sqm per person | 58 sqm
Meeting rooms: seats 30 at 2 sqm per person | 80 sqm
UTILITY
Gallery + public space: 300 sqm
Library: 108 sqm
Toilets: 60 sqm
TOTAL FLOORSPACE: 1488 sqm
SCHEME DEVELOPMENT
The scheme of the school was developed with the above ideas in mind, that is a decentralised cohort and adaptability at the core of the school.
bubble diagram
Note that the bubbles are clumped into 3 distinct groups which are categorised as above. There are 3 buildings in the scheme which are seperated. Because of this, the school is very simple to understand and navigate.
Plan to section
The following is an exercise which gave me inspiration for the schools scheme and layout. The building used as inspiration is Palladio's 'Villa Rotunda' and has been developed with the location of trees and other buildings as a core consideration in regards to adaptibility.
The first part of the exercise (plan to section - plan) was to imagine the school within the famous plan of Villa Rotunda.
The second part of the exercise (plan to sectin - section) reimagines the same plan as a section to give the school a three dimensional characteristic for visual interest.
plan
section
Circulation
The following is a diagram of the circulation of the school of architecture. The circulation of the school is important as, being an adaptable school, the school needs to be able to adapt to the circulation and travel paths of its occupants. The school has been setup so that it is accessible from the ground as well as the Squarehouse and gym/aquatic centre. A bridge spans the top of the squarehouse down to the south-west corner of the aquatic centre.
diagram of circulation
HOW THE SCHOOL ADAPTS
Adapting to circulation:
The school actively tries to adapt the circulation of people to the uses of the school. In particular, the staff building is able to guide circulation into a closed area which is climate controlled through the facade acting as a moving element. This is very useful as the lowest level of the building can be used for intimate presentations from guest speakers or can hold an exhibition which isn't dependent of the weather.
Adapting to the elements
An important part of adaptability is being able to adapt to physical phenomena and the elements. Primarily, the school achieves this through the chamfered staff building and computer lab building. By applying this form, a high summer sun is able to reach the neighbouring green space for a longer period of time. As previously stated, the school can also adapt to the rain through the adjustable staff building facade.
Adapting to people
As the school cohort is comprised of 100 diverse students, it is very likely that among the school cohort will be disabled students. To adapt to this, every space in the school is wheelchair accessible, meaning that around the school are a variety of ramps to assist students who are mobile impaired.
DESIGN DEVELOPMENT
Initially, I marked out where the major trees of the area were. This was important as it allowed me to see where the school could be placed so that it wouldn't intrude on the nearby vegetation.
Next, I developed the workshop building. I made the structure first and then designed the modules accordingly. I then added the slabs and the modules to complete the building
Draft lumion environment 1
The purpose of this draft was to establish the main scheme of the school amongst the surrounding trees to get an idea of how the buildings would interact with each other and the bridge.
Next, I worked on the staff building (pictured middle in the above photo).
Next, I completed the computer lab building. This building merges the blind elements of the staff building and modular elements of the workshop building to establish a consistant theme in the scheme.
The following are some sketches which aided in the development of certain elements of the school.
Draft lumion environment 2
The purpose of this draft was to see the school amongst realistic vegetation and to decide how the bridge should be completed. Issues that needed to be addressed in the draft are: The workshop buildings connection to the squarehouse, the form of the bridge, textures and colours on the school, and furnishing of the buildings.
FINAL LUMION ENVIRONMENT
This final lumion environment fixed the shortcoming of the second draft environment through application of textures, furniture, building a connection from the workshop building to the squarehouse and finalising the bridge. I decided to leave the bridge open rather than closed since it allows each building to see the gum trees on the eastern side of the school.
This is the finalised school in relation to the grassy area. The buildings are oriented so that they are able to capture crucial sunlight in the afternoon and also maintain a strong relationship to the surrounding nature. From this, the school adapts to its environment and physical situation
The buildings of the school aim to establish a harmonious relationship with the surroundings of the school. Rather than build on top of existing natural phenomena, the computer lab preserves a tranquil leisure area through its support beams twisting over the trees.
The blinds on both the computer lab building and staff building aim to work the harsh winter sunset into the building rather than refuting the light altogether. The blinds diffuse the light enough so that the room is lit but not so much that it distracts students or tutors using the intimate lecture room.
From the form of the computer lab and staff buildings, the function of the leisure area is preserved. This allows sport and other activities to be carried out in the area as before.
The bridge makes a conscious effort to work with the nearby nature. The workshop also develops an intimate relationship with the liquid amber tree.
STORY OF THE EXPERIENCE
The following is a roughly 120 second video detailing the experience that the school is trying the create. The school aims to preserve spaces and work with the natural phenomena of its context. Through the use of moving elements, form, orientation and function, the school employs both physical and insidious adaptability to benefit the students and staff of architecture at UNSW.
Note that the video should be listened to with audio as there are sound effects which have been used to make the video more immersive.
LINK TO 3D warehouse: https://3dwarehouse.sketchup.com/model/6063a41d-b879-49bb-810c-08184d9f7403/ARCH1101-EXP2-Brody-Upton-z5205908
LINK TO LUMION DRAFTS:
First draft: https://www.dropbox.com/s/o3jd3yg6zqas6bg/Draft%20lumion%20scene%201.ls8s?dl=0
Second draft: https://www.dropbox.com/s/c7ag1fac8rwb55m/Draft%20lumion%20scene%202.ls8s?dl=0
Final draft: https://www.dropbox.com/s/d41c8rxlytl772t/Final%20EXP2%20lumion%20scene%20with%20moving%20facade.ls8s?dl=0
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