Project 1A: Brief Analysis of 3 Exemplar Buildings

In the early stages of this Project 1 we were to briefly analyse three exemplar buildings, One internationally and two locally.

The first local design that i chose was the Peninsula house by Sean godsell. The house has the basic fundamental spaces in which a home requires to function. Providing flexible walls and doors the house is capable of breathing and moving according to climatic situations. Courtyards were a main focal point using light to enhance it. One of the aspects Sean tried to bring across was for the following client to re-connect with nature. Also using natural light, the shadows created through the day seems as if ure re-connecting with the sun and how it moves, how it makes you feel, how you want to control it. The timber provides a nice aesthetic appeal due to the continuity of the form. Sustainability wise, the design has incorporated no mechanical ventilation through the use of maximizing ventilation.

The second local design is the Issacson-Davis house by John Wardle Architects. The house provides functional spaces also connecting with nature using glass, timber and concrete. The dining is situated with a glass wall facing the forest to draw it it in, allowing solar access, see how the light plays with the surroundings. Living spaces also focuses on the external surroundings using a glass facade. Aesthetically it is a very simplistic resolved box, mind you simplistic solutions tend to be the most complicated ones to solve. Sustainability wise the timber would require lots of maintanence in that harsh landscape, though provides a nice aesthetic feel.

The International Design i chose was by Kengo Kuma - the Great Bamboo Wall. This house i found unique due to the different types of spaces incorporated into a home, for example a very unique and relaxing reflection space. Through the use of bamboo it proves that it can be aesthetically appealing whilst providing structural performance.

Project 1B: Peninsula House - Sean Godsell

This house located in Victoria is a fine example of modern architecture. The major theme of this building would be the steel framing and Timber battens. Sean godsell provided basic spaces which can further be interpolated externally and internally for human activities.

The house is an environmental filter by providing the following:

• Filtered Solar Access during day time.
• Recycled Jarra timber battens.
• Lightweight structure with durability.
• Cross ventilation is easily achieved on both east and west facades of the building.
• Flexible screens fixed on hinges at the top to provide controlled solar and filtered wind access.

The house is a container for human activities by providing the following:

• Spaces are very straightforward with access corridors at both easter and western facade for easy transitioning between spaces both internally and externally.
• Living spaces are directed north for comfort and solar access.
• Bed is located north-east for solar access during the morning to have a natural alarm system and provide a warm morning in winter.
• Living spaces and private spaces are seperated via levels.
• Reconnects with nature and encaptures the surrounding.
• Open plan living and kitchen space to accomodate change according to climate.
• Provided external dining and cooking spaces to provide flexibility.

The house is a delightful experience by providing the following:

• Providing a scale misperception from driveway deliberately to enhance the form of the building as we approach it.
• A simplistic steel box with glass and recycled jarra, simplistic yet effective aesthetic qualities.
• Continuity of the battens through the landscape.
• Harmony with the surrounding.

Please find below a series of drawings explaining the design.

These files are available in PDF format. If required please request from edward.truong@opus.com.au

Cheers -Ed

Reference:

·         MirkoPizzatopuntocom. "In the Mind of the Architect -- Episone One: Keeping Faith." Youtube Video, Posted Jun 2, 2010. Accessed March 13, 2011. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zXwMrfRInSg

·         Helsel, S 2003, 'Sean Godsell transforms a seemingly simplex box, wrapping his PENINSULA HOUSE in a veil of slender wood battens', Architectural Record, 191, 4, p. 134, MAS Ultra - School Edition, EBSCOhost, viewed 13 March 2011.

·         SGA: Sean Godsell Architects. "Peninsula House." Accessed March 13, 2011. http://seangodsell.com/peninsula-house

·         Haig Beck and Jackie Cooper. 2010. "Abalos & Heereros." Ume 18. Accessed March 13th, 2011. http://www.umemagazine.com/issues.aspx

Project 1C: Architect's Cabin

We have recently been given a small project located close to our Kelvin Grove campus to submit a schematic design for an "Architect's Cabin". The cabin is to be able to accommodate the exemplar architect and their partner comfortably with a maximum enclosed floor space of 75m².

As a result of this brief my approach was to utilize the surroundings while providing minimal enclosed space so the tenants will be able to re-connect with nature whilst having as much open space as possible. I've provided the basic spaces in which we require to live, work, reflect, dine, prepare meals, sleep and ablute.

Using the exemplar building i studied, i used some aspects of which Sean Godsell used in his designs. The main element I've used:

• Is the vertical running timber battens on the "Automated Enclosure". As Sean used these as vertically hung with hinges and had the space for the function it was applicable. In this site the area is limited so in this case I've introduced this new item. These run electronically which run along concrete tracks along the boundaries. This enclosure provides filtered solar penetration with a glazed roof for weather protection. The ends are just lined with battens running vertically.
• Filtered solar access during the day.
• Recycled Materials.
• Lightweight Structure.
•  Open plan living/sleeping/study and kitchen spaces, readily able to adapt and change via climate with the use of sliding ply walls.
• Flexible.
• Comfort & easy solar access.
• Easily accommodates change.
• Easy solar access during winter to provide thermal massing. With the proposed concrete walls and slabs there an adequate amount of thermal mass contained during the day and released slowly during the night.
• Flexible.
• Easy filtered cross ventilation with the effective cooling of a pond on the south-east breezes during summer.
• Concrete seating; Dining table to follow the concrete from ground up, to keep it continuous.

In the end i believe that the exemplar house had some merits though it was not climate suitable for Queensland, it did not take into consider our harsh conditions during summer and our cold winters. My solution to this whilst also providing flexible open planning is using the "Automated Enclosure" and sliding walls together to create a comfortable environment within the site. How does this work? 
Say we have a strong north easterly wind during winter and we'd like to have dinner externally. To solve this problem we'd use the Automated enclosure to close off the space whilst using the sliding walls to redirect the wind externally around the site. The space will be covered with a light hint of a filtered breeze, comfortable enough to have dinner externally.
In Summer the sun is right on top of the site and the "Automated Enclosure" is filtering the sun but its still harsh? To solve this u can stack all three of the enclosures to provide shading to the desired external areas to suit. 
Please find below the drawings to further justify my reasoning.  

Please feel free to contact me on edward.truong@opus.com.au for PDF's as they are readily available for clearer images. Cheers -Ed