SUSTAINABILITY | Hatlehol church

HATLEHOL CHURCH Group: Ma2 - ark6 MSc02 ARK Aalborg University 30.05.18

TITLE SHEET

Aalborg University Architecture & Design MSc02-ARK E2018 Group: Ma2 - ark6 Project title: Hatlehol Church Project period: 21.03.18 - 30.05.18 Main supervisor: Mads Brath Technical supervisor: Dario Parigi

Andrea Ferrerio

Bjarne Winther

Jeppe Fabricius Svansø

Matteo Tagnocchetti

Neematullah Azizullah

ABSTRACT

The aim of the project is to design a church in Hatlehol, Norway, which is focusing on community and Nordic expression. The main structure aims to be an innovative and tectonic design, that shows the expression of wood and its ability to create atmosphere and to connect the tradition of old craftsmanship with innovative design. The project demonstrates how to soften the boundary between nature and the different church functions with the help of materials.

READERS GUIDE

The report is divided between a presentation report which contains analysis, main concept and the presentation of the design, and a process report which goes deep in how the different steps help to go further in the project and the workflow.

The Presentation report begins with explaining the different investigation and how the knowledge of the analysis help with to convert the different studies to design parameters. The concept part explains the main idea the group worked with and explains the connections between the concept and vision.

Presentation part is the finished proposal for the Hatlehol Church and shows how the vision is design.

INDEX

FRAMEWORK - Project Description - Methodology - Problem Definition

PROJECT 2 3 4

ANALYSIS - Location - Approach - Sun and wind - Mircoclimate - Vegetation and topography - Church typologies - Tectonics - Nordic attitude - Conclusions

6 7 8 9 10 11 14 15 16

CONCEPT - Vision - Shape - Vision application

18 20 22

- Masterplan - Plan - Elevation - Section - Church - Materials - Structure - Static system - Nodes - Construction details - Acoustics - Administration building - Congregation space - Children area - Chapel

24 25 26 28 30 35 36 37 38 40 42 44 45 46 48

- Conclusion

49

- Bibliography - Iconography

50 51

1

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

Task of the project is to design a church in Hatlehol, Norway with a tectonic approach and focusing on the Nordic expression. A timber structure is required, to create a connection between old craftsmanship with innovative design. The church has to function as a community centre with children’s chapel, congregation hall and other functions. The design has to have an integrated approach between form, structure and construction.

2

METHODOLOGY The overall method used doing the process of creating the church has been the Integrated design process by Mary-Ann Knudstrup, which facilitates design through an iterative process drawing on different knowledge, as to design while considering different aspects of architectural design such as function, structure, form, light and acoustic. These aspects are continuously considered for the church complex.

The method consists of five phases: 1) Problem or idea phase 2) Analysis 3) sketching 4) synthesis 5) presentation. Where the work between the different phases happens iteratively.

1. Phase one is the initial phase that lays the groundwork for the rest of the project, based in finding an idea or a problem that then is worked on solving. For this project a brief is given to design a church in Hatlehol Norway, to encompass this a vision was made that the project is based on.

2. Phase two is the analysis phase here different aspect that could have relevance to the project are analysed, and the information distilled down and brought further into the project. Some of the aspect that have been analysed is traditional churches, Nordic design, tectonics, micro and macro climate.

3. Phase three is the sketching phase where different ways of sketching is utilized from hand

Problem /idea phase

Analysis

sketches, mock-ups, workshops to 3d models and parametric modelling. To form an understanding of different spatiality’s. the sketching phase aims to convert the information gained in the analysis phase into designs that can create a base for the project that can be facilitated through the further process.

4. Phase four is the synthesis phase, that waves the earlier phases together to create a holistic design by drawing together the knowledge of the analysis and sketching.

5. Phase five is the presentation of the final design through visualizations, diagrams, drawings and 3d illustrations. To communicate the project.

The method serves as a structure for the project where you cycle back and forth through the phases in an iterative process, that’s is used as a tool to get the group working through one overall model while implementing different tools through the project to create a holistic design, this is done by looking at different aspects that can influence the design and then after finding the key parameters to design after, while still considering the aspects that’s not the key factors to drive the project forward so that aspect aren’t left out, and this process helps create arguments to support the choices both of the main aspects that have primarily been looked at but also the finalized decision made throughout the project.

Sketching

Synthesis

Presentation

ill. 01: The integrated design method 3

PROBLEM DEFINITION

How to create a church that works as a catalyst for the community and gets church and its functions to the modern society. How to create a Church which embraces the surroundings and blurring the boundaries between nature and the church and its functions. How to create a church that expresses Nordic and uses tectonic tool to create form, structure and construction.

4

ill. 02: The project site

ANALYSIS 5

LOCATION The competition brief states that the church should be seen as a community space for the town. To get a broader understanding of the local context, the general surroundings and society was researched. The local surroundings were explored as much as possible without going there. This was mainly don by looking at pictures and collecting information.

The church is placed in Norway and will be part of the Norwegian state church. The church of Norway is a protestant church, and 77,5 % of the population are members. Membership of the church is generally falling, from 2012 to 2016 it fell by 4,1 %. However, it should be noted that 88,8 % of funerals still are held in churches. This

shows that although the number of members is falling, the church still plays a major role in the life of Norwegians, as a place to facilitate ceremonies related to major life events.

The church is placed in a suburb of the city of Aalesund called Blindheim. The town is placed on the coast between Oslo and Bergen. The suburb is named after Blindheimsfjellet, which is the mountain the town is laying up against. The town is heavily defined by the nature, vegetation and the fjords are ever present. The town has no public collection spaces for the town’s inhabitants, other than school, and the sports facilities next to the site of the church.

ill. 04: Møre og Romsdal Region

ill. 03: Norway 6

ill. 05: Ă…lesund

APPROACH TO THE AREA The approach to the project area is mainly characterized by an immersion in the nature.

Coming from the Fv60, the main road near the site, the view is characterized by grass, trees and rocks on the sides, that often cover the rest of the view (ill. 06). ill. 06: Fv60 coming from Ă…lesund

In proximity of more open spaces, where there are no buildings, trees or other natural elements covering the view, it is possible to see the mountains on the horizon, giving a suggestive athmosphere (ill. 07).

ill. 07: Fv60 coming from Ă…lesund

The access to the area is a secondary street from the main road, from which it is possible to see the mountains and at the same time an even higher immersion into the nature (ill. 08).

ill. 08: Road entrance to the site

The road bringing to the site is surrounded by nature: greenery, trees and even a small river running along the side (ill. 09).

ill. 09: Road bringing to the site

There is a big open parking lot between the site and the entrance to the graveyard. The project site is characterized by the presence of a big forest and extensive greenery (ill. 10).

ill. 10: Parking lot 7

SUN AND WIND The area is free from buildings and therefore shadows are brought only from the trees (most of them are deciduous and therefore would affect mostly the summer season) and from self shading.

Direct and diffuse light is largely available thanks to the site topography and therefore many different light situation and atmospheres that suits with the different church functions can be obtained.

The use of the vegetation and the wise location of the main church room in relation with the other functions (self shading) should be tools to achieve a proper light design: the optimal sun exposure can be either an advantage and a problem if glaring situation are not successfully avoided.

The wind behaviour differs significantly between winter and summer seasons: - During summer time the wind blows from northeast with an average speed of 5 m/s; the wind probability in this time period is low (about 30%).

- During the winter season the wind comes mainly form south,south-west, south east with an average speed of 6m/s; differently from the summer season the wind is definitely more frequent, having a probability between 45% and 55%.

Wind is the main environmental issue of the site: the design choices should bring to the definition of spaces that are sheltered in the south, southwest direction in order to create usable outdoor spaces.

Winter wind Summer wind 23:37

June 22nd 3:37

March 22nd / September 23rd 6:30

18:55

15:01

ill. 11: Sunpath and Main winds direction 8

December 21st 10:04

MICROCLIMATE Ă…lesund has a temperate and heavily moderated oceanic climate.

Season changes in term of daylight, temperatures and weather conditions strongly define the character of the local environment.

Winters are mild, damp and windy; the coldest month of the year, January, has a mean temperature of 2 °C. The climate is extremely mild for the latitude and inland areas at similar parallels.

Precipitations occur mostly during the fall and

the winter season with a peak on September and October (180mm).

Relative humidity is constantly high throughout the year; the weather data refers to a city survey station and therefore those values are very likely to be higher in the suburbs natural context where the site is located.

Along with the vegetation, water in different forms is the most relevant factor for the local environment: rain, snow, humidity, the ocean and the water stream are relevant elements that have to be considered as genius loci.

Jan Dec

30

Feb

25 20 15

Nov

Mar

10 5 0

Oct

Apr

Jan Sep

Dec

May

200

Feb

150 Aug

Nov

Jun

Mar

100

Jul

ill. 12: Minimum, average and maximum temperatures (°C)

50 Oct

Jan Dec

Apr

Sep

80

May

Feb

60 Aug Nov

Mar

40

Jun Jul

ill. 13: Average precipitations (mm)

20 Oct

Apr

Sep

May

Aug

Jun Jul

ill. 14: Relative humidity (%) 9

VEGETATION AND TOPOGRAPHY The plot has heather fields, some large Norwegian spruce pine trees, and dense unpolluted deciduous forests against the highway.

The terrain looks somewhat hilly, with terrain irregularities that can provide exciting architectural solutions. The plot has running water in an open stream in the direction north / south along western boundary.

Most of the area is occupied by a dense forest with high trees and a ground surface covered with pioneer vegetation; a lower vegetation is available on the west stripe of terrain along the stream while bushes are located along the north street and south of the site.

The preponderant presence of the trees creates a closed atmosphere on the site, Forest Pioneer vegetation High trees Water

ill. 15: Greenery and water elements 10

giving the impression of being in the middle of a forest even though the residential districts are nearby.

A clever use of the landscape design could be a tool to solve some environmental issues of the site such as the shelter from both the noise and pollution coming from the northern street and from the wind while pursuing the design atmosphere wished.

The site is strongly affected by the natural environment both in term of vegetation and climate: the area consists in a slight slope facing south mostly covered by vegetation.

The close neighbourhood is occupied by nature (forests and the water within 1.5km), low density dwellings and few public and commercial facilities.

CHURCH TYPOLOGIES In order to better understand how a Lutheran both in the style and material (mainly concrete) church works and how all the functions behave and especially in the disposition of the spaces in the space, three different typologies have and elements. been studied.

Due to the differences in the organization The first one is Budolfi Kirke, in the city of the plan, all the religious functions and center of Aalborg, a church from 1399 with a ceremonies are done in slightly different very traditional style and organization of the ways in each church. If we consider Budolfi spaces.

Kirke as the most traditional example, we can compare how traditional are the functions Then there is Sankt Markus Kirke in Aalborg, done in the other two churches: even if Sankt from 1933, in which we can find still a traditional Markus Kirke is more modern, it still keeps a organization of the spaces but more modern traditional approach for all the functions; Gug and more suitable for the new needs.

Kirke, instead, has a more modern approach both in the architecture and in the way the The last one is Gug Kirke, in Aalborg, a church functions are done. from 1972 that has a more modern character

ill. 16: Budolfi Kirke, 1399

ill. 17: Sankt Markus Kirke, 1933

ill. 18: Gug Kirke, 1972 11

Sunday Service: As in all the old traditional churches, the congregation takes place along the naves leaving room for one or more corridors. The rows are set following the direction of the length of the nave and the disposition is symmetrical. The organ is behind the people and the priest speaks from a raised pulpit on the side of the nave in front of the public.

This is the case of the Budolfi Kirke and Sankt Markus Kirke, even if in the last one the pulpit is on the opposite side and the seats

are distributed more functionally so that the congregation has a clearer view.

In the Gug Kirke the disposition of the spaces and of the functions is less ordinary. The congregation is sitting on three different levels on long rows of chairs and benches.

The disposition of the benches is less rigid and there is not a big main central corridor.

The pulpit is in front of the public in a central position, while the altar is shifted on the side.

Congregation Altar Pulpit Public access Priest access

ill. 19: Churches plans Sunday Service

Budolfi Kirke

Sankt Markus Kirke

Funeral: In all the churches, during the funeral, the coffin is set in front of the congregation, in the center. This tradition, instead of others that have been slightly changed, is kept also in the modern Gug Kirke, even if the space between the pulpit and the benches might not be

Gug Kirke

enough. The coffin, traditionally, is brought outside and inside through the main central corridor, but in the Gug Kirke it is not brought between the people since the entrance is on the side.

Congregation Coffin Coffin access

ill. 20: Churches plans Funeral 12

Budolfi Kirke

Sankt Markus Kirke

Gug Kirke

Baptism: In the Budolfi Kirke the baptismal font is in front of the congregation, in the area where the priest makes the service but on the side.

Here the baby is baptised in the presence of his family and watched by the public sitting in front of him.

Also in Sankt Markus Kirke the font is in the altar area, on the side, and the cerimony is

made in the same way.

The same happens in the Gug Kirke, where the font is on the side, in front of the altar, lighted by an opening on the wall. In this case the position of the font is more decentralized rather then in the traditional church, but this allows to have the font closer to the opening on the side, having more light on the cerimony.

Congregation Baptism Public access

ill. 21: Churches plans Baptism

Budolfi Kirke

Sankt Markus Kirke

Wedding: In Budolfi Kirke the tradition of the weddings sees the couple staying in front of the altar with the priest speaking in front of them.

The spouses makes his entry from the main entrance walking between the people until reaching the front part.

In Sankt Markus Kirke the way the cerimony is held and the spaces are used have the same

Gug Kirke

traditional approach.

People prefer having their wedding in this kind of traditional churches rather then doing it in the Gug Kirke, probably because the athmosphere might be felt too cold compared to the one that can be found in the traditional old churches.

Congregation Spouses Spouses access

ill. 22: Churches plans Wedding

Budolfi Kirke

Sankt Markus Kirke

Gug Kirke 13

TECTONICS The theory of tectonics was described in “The four elements of architecture” by Gottfried Semper. He had the intention of creating a universal language for architecture.

Architecture arose from the culture and needs of the society. To protect against the environment, as well as substantiating the social requirements (p. 22 (Gottfried Semper)).

Semper argues that the intentionality of the architecture should be driven by the function.

This should be reiterated in the building itself

To further elaborate this, it can be fruitful to define the role of these individual elements, to get an understanding of how they affect the tectonic intention. The construction can be approached in several in several ways. Marco Frascari describes in his paper “the Tell-theTale-Detail” the importance of the detail in architecture. Frascari defines importance the detail as a joint or a meeting, which in architecture can have different meanings.

This can be in a material joint, the physical intersection of the two materials or the beam and the column. Or it can be in a formal joint, how two spaces meet each other for instance the exterior and the interior. p. 85 (Marco Frascari)

“Architecture, like it’s great teacher, nature, should choose and apply its material according to the laws conditioned by nature, yet should it not also make form and character of its creations dependent on the ideas embodied in them…?”

It is important to note how the different p. 22 (Gottfried Semper). choices in architecture influences the tectonic expression. Perception of the building can be If the goal of architecture is to express understood through the senses as Kenneth the function, the question arises, which Frampton writes in his book “Studies in factors influences this expression? Eduard Tectonic Culture”: “… the body reconstitutes Sekler described in his paper “Structure, the world through its tactile appropriation of Construction, Tectonics”, the importance of reality. ”p. 156 (Frampton)). The material and separating and defining, the words stated in its application should be understood through the title. Although, Construction and Structure the sensory experience of the material and is often used interchangeably in colloquial details. speech, they have different definitions.

Frampton describes the built as “… first and Structure describes an overall system, that foremost a construction”(Frampton p. 146). has a certain way of working. It describes how This then begs the question, what is the the building distributes the forces affecting it. potential of the structure, and how can it relate The definition of construction is clear, when to the church functions? What is its tectonic looking at the word as a verb. Construction is intention of the church and its elements? related to the actual production of a structure, the connection of elements, and usage of As Semper argues, it should reflect its materials. function, it should therefore be defined, what the role of the modern church is in the modern Sekler argues that the experience of a society. How will the churchgoer experience building cannot exclusively be described the building, should it be imposing, including, using construction and structure. It is when closed, or open? The aspects of structure and these two ways of approaching a building construction should be combined to create a are applied and combined that it creates a greater tectonic expression relating the usage tectonic expression. p. 71 (Eduard Sekler) as a church.

14

NORDIC ATTITUDE The reason for looking at Nordic architecture is to get a sense for the environment around the site and its connection to the local area, as well as what the building traditions are in a Nordic context. What kind of climatic problems arises when building in these areas and what considerations are needed to counteract them to create a holistic design that both relate to the site and the Nordic context.

The traditional look on Nordic architecture, is architecture that’s born from the ground.

Made with an honest use of local materials and a tectonic understanding for its user not only its designers. With the building being shaped by that and the climate its build in and by the light or the lack of light that’s present depending on the seasons. Those properties give it the relation to the place its constructed and to the surrounding context through the design principles that have been refined through history. ” in Scandinavia the idea of Landscape holds a historic meaning of belonging to a region place or polity in addition to the commonly understood idea of landscape as the lay of the

land or unbuilt scenery” (Jones & Olwig, 2008, p. xiv) Whereas there’s a more modern interpterion on Nordic design where it works with the landscape instead of it being born from the ground. And instead dealing with the issues in a modern way that arise when looking at the climatic problems that are now able to be addressed through to new technology. While keeping the rest of the old principles of Nordic architecture, with materials, tectonics and the relation to the local context. This new trend comes as an adaptation to new challenges that have come through time as well as new knowledge to detect problems, that’s now is addressed that wasn’t in the past. An example of this would be (JVA: Svalbard University Research Centre, 2005) that is placed on stilts due to permafrost that’s present all year around on Svalbard, so it’s done to reduce the heat loss through foundations transmissions loss.

Source: New Nordic – Architektur & identitet (Louisiana museum of modern art) (chapter. 1, 4, 8) Source: (Jones & Olwig, 2008, p. xiv)

15

ANALYSIS CONCLUSIONS The analysis has been a necessary phase in order to understand the site and to move the first steps towards the concept phase and project.

dominant through all the year in the project site, so it is necessary to have the connections between the functions closed and protected by the precipitations avoiding the user to be forced to go outside to reach the most used Very important was to understand the spaces. At the same time, it is also good to character of the area and the experience have the possibility to use outside spaces that the users have when they approach the when the weather is good so that people can asite: the natural landscape is such a great enjoy it. quality of this area that it must be considered and included during the project phase, for The site has two main characteristics: the example working with the orientation of the greenery and the slope. Studying these buildings and the openings in order to keep features it’s possible to make a design that or even emphasize these suggestive views. respects them and at the same time it can be inspired. For example the slope, instead of The microclimate analysis is another important being an obstacle, could be considered as an step: knowing the sun path in relation to the added quality to the project if it integrated in site allows to see what the light conditions the design. during the year are and how the shadows behave when starting developing the volumes. The study of the protestant church gives useful It is clear that the buildings should shade each informations about how all the functions other as less as possible, especially considering work in the space and how the church, as a that the highest volumes should not be put building and as a community, has evolved in south to the others. This consideration has the time. Comparing different examples of helps with the definition of the position of the churches from different periods gives a clear church room, that is the highest, related to the idea on what has changed during the years other volumes, in order to avoid shading on and if and how the spaces have adapted to used areas. Also the wind analysis guides in the always new needs of the time. Sometimes the definition of the masterplan, in order to the functionality has more importance then use the buildings to shield the wind that could the tradition while sometimes some spaces or be too strong in the open spaces. With the some ways in which the spaces are used are temperature and rain analysis it is clear that kept as they were centuries ago. the cold temperatures and precipitations are

16

ill. 23: Church sketch

CONCEPT 17

VISION

In the conclusion of the analysis several points of interest have been reached. Many of these considerations are related to practical considerations when placing buildings. The main question to expand in our vision is, what the tectonic intention of the church should be, and what the church should experience.

In our analysis in main conclusions was the importance placed on the ceremony of the church. The church should be, to frame these ceremonies in a way that marks them as special points in the user’s lives. Funerals, weddings, and baptisms are ceremonies heavily linked with the traditional church form.

The new church should adopt some of the architectural ideas of the church building tradition.

At the same time, it is also important the churchgoer can relate to the experience, and the church in general. The church membership is falling, in the analysis in the previous chapters, the priests expressed a tendency in the church for being old fashioned, and not allowing church activities to be done in new ways.

To be relatable to locals it was attempted to find characteristics, and qualities of the area. The most apparent quality when experiencing the area would be the nature. It has striking landscapes, views, and forests. It was a definite quality that was important to incorporate in the church. The question arose whether it was possible to use these qualities in new ways to frame the church experience in a new way.

18

ill. 24: Light-visual openings extent

ill. 25: Slope integration

ill. 26: Function transition

ill. 27: Material transition 19

SHAPE

ill. 28: Volume division

ill. 29: Integration with landscape

ill. 30: Open the boundaries

ill. 31: Functional connections 20

ill. 32: Functions volumes

ill. 33: Sacred volumes

Sacred and non-sacred functions have been treated with different approaches.

Light, visual and functionality, together with the specific extent of blurring wished, are the leading parameters that generated the shape of the congregation, offices and activity volumes.

Congregation Children area

The sacred spaces are the consequence of the combination between the degree of opening wished and the functional aspects: in the church the need of a tower bell and the opening towards the entrance path while in the chapel the wish to achieve an open atmosphere.

Administration building Church

Chapel

ill. 34: Final shape 21

VISION APPLICATION

ill. 35: Light-visual openings extent

ill. 36: Slope integration

ill. 37: Function transition

ill. 38: Material transition

22

ill. 39: Approach to the church

PROJECT 23

MASTERPLAN The church complex is composed by different buildings, separated but still connected each other. The main volume is the church room, in which there are all the sacred functions, then, the other volumes, host respectively the offices, the congregation space and the children activities. All these four spaces are connected through hallways, while the chapel is detached and accessible through an outside path in the nature. The access starts from the parking lot and it is aligned with the access to

ill. 40: Masterplan scale 1:1000 24

the already existing graveyard, that gives also the orientaton to the church and the chapel.

The other functions are oriented according to the slope, since the aim was to follow it as much as possible rather then going against it. Also, this orientation, is optimal for the sun exposure. The complex is totally surrounded and hidden by nature and it starts to be visible when entering the forest.

The total built area is 2590m2.

PLAN The main entrance to the complex is in the church building, where there is the entrance hall from which it is possible to reach the church rooms and all the other functions. All the spaces are connected through hallways that bring light to all the rooms and from which it is possible to view the outside landscape. The administration building is accessible from the corridor and also directly from outside. This entrance is also fully accessible by disabled

people since it is on a lower level of the hill and the stairs are equipped with a lifting system. From the hallway it is possible also to access the outside courtyard, where the inside functions, such as the church cerimonies, the congregation gatherings and the children activities, can be moved. The materials are continuosly going inside and outside the buildings, softening the boundaries.

A

A’

ill. 41: Plan scale 1:1000 25

ELEVATION The church complex is designed so that it is integrated with the natural landscape that surrounds it. The heights of the volumes are kept low enough to not be really visible from outside the forests. The highest trees cover also the church itself, that is the biggest volume. Only the top of the bell tower is higher then the trees, so that it is both visible and audible even from outside the site, and

ill. 42: Elevation scale 1:200 26

at the same time it allows the church to be recognised from far away. The materials used outside are inspired by the nature: the wood covering the facades is more rough and dark as the trees of the area; the stone, used for the external pavementations, is kept more rough and is laid in a more natural way. The buildings are hidden in the forest and in order to see them it’s necessary to get closer.

27

SECTION A-A’ The boundaries that are softened and the integration with the nature are also visible from inside. The materials are still natural and local, but smoother and more treated in order to be more functional for the interiors.

The light wood used for the internal walls and floors gives a warmer atmosphere to the interior spaces. The light is everywhere, thanks to the very open hallways that bring the light and the views directly inside. These hallways

ill. 43: Section A-A’ scale 1:200 28

and their openings are the buffer between the pure outdoor and the pure interior spaces, creating a transition between outside and inside through the architecture.

The volumes are laid on the slope and they take the shape from it, and this is reflected also in the interior spaces, where there are different levels used to separate different functions.

29

CHURCH The church building is the most important part of the complex. Here there is the main entrance that brings directly to the entrance hall, from where it is possible to access the church room or the corridor that brings to the other spaces. Here there are also the cloakroom and toilets for the people in the church.

Behind the altar there are some secondary functions such as the main sacristy, the baptismal sacristy, the workshop and the laundry. From here it is also possible to access directly the courtyard, for a fast connection in case of outside celebrations.

Behind the congregation there is a small meeting room and the stairs from which it 2 The church room is 750m and it can host at least is possible to reach the bell tower and the 350 people. People take place on the seats mezanine, placed above the entrance hall. arranged in a sociopetal distribution in order Here there is the organ and the choir can take to emphasize the feeling of congregation. place here as well.

The altar is in the front, in a central position with the cross behind and the priest speaks The walls and the structure are in wood. from the pulpit placed more on the side. The floor is mainly in stone in order to have The baptismal font is placed between the a connection between the outside material congregation so that the cerimony is more and the inside, while the floor under the seats intimate. Some openings bring light from the of the congregation and the furniture are in behind the font, while the rest are higher so wood, a wormer material. that the light can come in but the view doesn’t become dominant.

ill. 44: Section B-B’ scale 1:200 30

C

B

ill. 45: Church plan scale 1:200

B’

C’

31

SECTION C-C’ The church room is characterized by the wood of the structure and of the surfaces that interact with the light in different ways. The atmosphere is very light in contrast with the darker entrance. The windows are cut in the envelope at the height of the corner between the walls and the ceiling, so that, from inside, it is possible to have a view of the outside landscape but without being dominant on the scene. From the windows is therefore possible to see just a bit of the outside, mainly the top of the trees, but there is no view of what is

ill. 46: Section C-C’ scale 1:200 32

actually happening outside. The openings get higher approaching to the altar, making different light effects in the room with the ligh coming from different directions and heights.

Near the baptismal font, there is a big opening that brings a lot of diffuse light on the spot in order to emphasize this religious function.

The ceiling is higher on the entrance, where there is the bell tower and the mezanine, and it is lower above the altar, converging the attention towards the cross and word of god.

33

“After you cross the forest and you enter the church, you immediately perceive a warm atmosphere, dominated by the presence of wood on the surfaces and on the structure and its smell in the air. At the same time, the stone floor seems to bring from outside the coldness of the path that you have just crossed and that you still feel on your feet. The light comes from some high openings and it is reflected in different directions by the structure and the materials. From these openings you can see the top of the trees, but your attention is focused on the altar and the cross driven by the enveloping structure. The priest is starting to speak now, his words can be understood very clearly even from far, and the music from the organ is spreading and vibrating in the air.�

ill. 47: Church room view

34

MATERIALS Norway spruce is a very economic wood and great acoustic properties and are used for its straightness makes it ideal for different acoustic guitar soundboards. The wood is uses as roofing timber, construction lumber white to pale yellow which gives a light look. and paper pulps. The Norway spruces have

ill. 48: Costruction wood

ill. 49: Outside wood

ill. 50: Inside wood

For the construction wood glulam has been used because of its strength and the possibility of creating long spans.

The outside faรงades are darker and rougher in texture but still in spruce wood. The darker and barker look integrates better the buildings into the surrounding forest.

The interior floors and walls are made of spruce wood which has pale yellow and soft look that contrasts the dark and hard slate flooring of the hallways.

Slate stones require only minimal processing and have low embodied energy use. Slates have been used in a decade as roofing tiles, construction and outdoor walkways because of its low water absorption down to 0,4% and

they are extremely durable and can last many hundred years with no maintenance. Other qualities of slate stones are fire resistant and very energy efficient material.

ill. 51: Outside stone

ill. 52: Connections stone

ill. 53: Inside stone

Slate stone for the holy path is rough with green vegetation between the stones to create more connection with the surrounding nature.

In the hallways the slate stones are closer to each other that indicates smoother transition between the holy path and the building. The tecnhnique is the opus incertum.

Inside the main church, the slate stones are all smooth and create a clean surface.

35

STRUCTURE The aim to use the structure with the purpose to support and highlight the concept has been investigated since the early stages of the design.

The static has been used in a tridimensional way in order to divert most of the loads in the edges of the church, allowing the middle part to be lighter and giving more freedom in terms of openings and elements dimension.

For this reason a huge middle beam that runs along the nave is used to drive the loads to the main structure in the entrance hall and on the altar side.

the corner of the envelope.

The continuity of the structure is given by the inner node that, moving along the nave, is shifted in every truss in order to create a parabolic line that generates the enveloping effect behind the altar.

The system can therefore be split in two parts: - The main structure that consists of reticular connected trusses as shown in the ill. 55; the loads coming from the beam are transferred to the inner elements that work in compression while the outer components works in tension.

- The middle structure that consists of twodimensional frames that are “layed� on top of the middle beam; this allow the elements to be thinner and the openings to be placed in

The huge span of the church room and the complex geometry brought to the decision to use glue-laminated timber since it is more performant considering the need of high resistance to stresses and a high extent of shape flexibility since is totally prefabricated.

The presence of critical connections of up to six elements brought to the design of specific wooden nodes based on the tetrahedral and the triangular geometries (ill57-ill64).

Main structure

Middle structure

Main structure ill. 54: Structure diagram 36

The structure changes from tri-dimensional to two-dimensional frames when the inner node is close to the outer structure and consequently the connecting elements between the frames are removed since they lose any structural purpose.

STATIC SYSTEM Tension Compression

ill. 55: Static system - main structure

ill. 56: static system - middle structure 37

NODES

ill. 57: Step 1

ill. 58: Step 2

ill. 59: Step 3

ill. 60: Step 4 38

ill. 61: Step 5

ill. 62: Step 6

ill. 63: Step 7

ill. 64: Step 8 39

CONSTRUCTION DETAILS The envelope is placed outside of the structure to avoid cold bridges and to protect the timber elements: the disconnection between inner structure and envelope define two different inner boundaries.

The window placement is used to support the “blurred� concept by removing an element, the corner, that should define the room itself.

The details of the middle beam (ill 66, ill 67)

Wall 1. wooden cladding 2. air barrier 3. wooden strut 4. wood fiber 5. vapor barrier 6. air gap 7. wood cladding

Floor 1. stone tiles 2. mortar 3. anti impact layer 4. wood fiber 5. vapor barrier 6. light concrete 7. screed

ill. 65: Structure section scale 1:50 40

show the different solutions adopted: - In the main part the compressed elements of the truss are hinged to the beam in the bottom part so that the beam is layed on them.

- In the middle part the trusses are hinged in the top part of the beam so that the loads are not transmitted to them but remain on the middle and are therefore diverted to the main structure.

10. wooden shingles 9. wooden boards 8cm 8. air gap 5cm 7. vapor barrier 6. wood fiber 40cm 5. air barrier 4. wooden boards 12cm 3. secondary structure 12cm 2. outer structure 30x60cm

1. inner structure 30x60cm

ill. 66: Pitch detail - main structure scale 1:20

9. wooden shingles 8. wooden boards 8cm 7. air gap 5cm 6. vapor barrier 5. wood fiber 40cm 4. air barrier 3. wooden boards 12cm 2. secondary structure 12cm

1. structure 30x60cm

ill. 67: Pitch detail - middle structure scale 1:20 41

CHURCH ACOUSTICS Below there is a section (ill. 68) of the center of the church room with three different configurations of the back wall behind the pastor speaking to show the effect, the change have on the way a part of the sound

is distributed around in the church. with the aim to get the sound out to the listeners without lingering near the pastor, by bouncing between the ceiling and floor without moving outwards.

1. without any modifications to the back wall, first reflection A large part of the sound looked at is lingering behind the priest for the first reflections and would only move outwards slowly if more reflections where looked at.

2. with a 30-degree angled reflective panel on the backwall, first reflections there is an even spread of sound across the room but only a third of the sound looked at, is distributed to where the listeners are sitting but the sound.

3. with a 45-degree angled reflective panel on the back wall, first reflections The sound is spread outwards towards the listeners where two thirds of the sound looked at get reflected to the listeners. this is the one that have been integrated into the design. ill. 68: Acoustic diagrams of the church in section

Then looking at church acoustics there are two different properties to design for that contradict each other, one is speech and the other one is organ music, where a different reverberation time is wished for either organ music or speech, the organist likes long reverberation times because it enriches the experience of listening to the organ and for speech there’s wished for a shorter reverberation time to make for clear articulation out towards the listeners. for a multipurpose space that facilitates both speech and music a reverberation time of 42

1.5-2.5 seconds is recommended, and since we have placed most focus on the speech in the church we have aimed for the lower end of that, with the finished results of 1.5 and 1.7 seconds of reverberation time.

Besides that, there’s a wish for reaching a clarity for both speech which is measured with C50 for the priest speaking at the alter and pulpit of -2 to 2. And for organ music which is measured with C80 that have a clarity of 0 to -4 (Acoustic characterization of rooms, Ricardo Pereira), (Architectural acoustics, by Marshall long)

Mostly in modern churches there’s installed a speech assistance system to distributing the sound in the space to reduce the strain on the priest’s voice when filling up the entire church.

To adjust clarity and reverberation time, increase or decrease, absorption, as absorption values increase the clarity and decrease the amount of reverberation time due to the reflections being reduced since more of the sound is being absorbed by

Receiver 0 back Clarity - 50 ms (C-50) Receiver 1 - front Clarity - 50 ms (C-50) Receiver 0 - back Clarity - 80 ms (C-80) Receiver 1 - front Clarity - 80 ms (C-80)

the elements hit to adjust it to the wished frequencies by applying materials with higher or lower amounts of absorption. other than that, panels that reflect sound can be introduced so sound doesn’t go between ceiling and floor, as well as between the walls which can be the cause of long reverberation times since its travels long without being absorbed.

63 Hz. 125 Hz. 250 Hz. 500 Hz. 1000 Hz. 1.59 1.62 1.66 1.67 1.63 -1.21 -1.32 -1.51 -1.56 -1.64 63 Hz. 125 Hz. 250 Hz. 500 Hz. 1000 Hz. 1.58 1.60 1.64 1.66 1.67 2.30 2.24 2.09 2.00 1.68 Source 1 - organ 63 Hz. 125 Hz. 250 Hz. 500 Hz. 1000 Hz. 1.56 1.58 1.64 1.67 1.68 -0.07 -0.34 -0.70 -0.77 -0.23 63 Hz. 125 Hz. 250 Hz. 500 Hz. 1000 Hz. 1.56 1.58 1.61 1.60 1.54 -0.16 -0.37 -0.66 -0.67 -0.23

2000 Hz. 4000 Hz. 8000 Hz. avg.

1.63 1.60 1.55 1.62 -1.57 -1.32 -1.04 -1.40 2000 Hz. 4000 Hz. 8000 Hz. avg.

1.67 1.64 1.55 1.63 2.06 1.71 2.06 2.39 2000 Hz. 4000 Hz. 8000 Hz. Avg. 1.69 1.68 1.60 1.64 -0.12 0.04 0.47 -0.22 2000 Hz. 4000 Hz. 8000 Hz. Avg. 1.53 1.52 1.48 1.55 -0.10 0.15 0.49 -0.20

ill. 69: Acoustic simulation of church room with 45 degree backwall

Receiver 0 - Back Clarity - 50 ms (C-50) Receiver 1 - Front Clarity - 50 ms (C-50) Receiver 0 - Back Clarity - 80 ms (C-80) Receiver 1 - Front Clarity - 80 ms (C-80)

63 Hz. 125 Hz. 250 Hz. 500 Hz. 1000 Hz. 1.56 1.58 1.61 1.62 1.62 -2.02 -2.10 -2.23 -2.24 -2.35 63 Hz. 125 Hz. 250 Hz. 500 Hz. 1000 Hz. 1.54 1.57 1.59 1.60 1.60 0.69 0.61 0.52 0.47 0.03 Source 1 - Organ 63 Hz. 125 Hz. 250 Hz. 500 Hz. 1000 Hz. 1.56 1.59 1.64 1.66 1.69 0.21 -0.08 -0.45 -0.55 -0.11 63 Hz. 125 Hz. 250 Hz. 500 Hz. 1000 Hz. 1.55 1.58 1.63 1.65 1.68 0.22 0.04 -0.16 -0.08 0.53

2000 Hz. 4000 Hz. 8000 Hz. Avg. 1.62 1.58 1.54 1.59 -2.26 -1.96 -1.72 -2.11 2000 Hz. 4000 Hz. 8000 Hz. Avg. 1.60 1.55 1.49 1.57 0.44 0.04 0.42 0.74 2000 Hz. 4000 Hz. 8000 Hz. Avg. 1.70 1.66 1.59 1.64 -0.01 0.17 0.61 -0.03 2000 Hz. 4000 Hz. 8000 Hz. Avg. 1.69 1.63 1.57 1.62 0.72 0.93 1.24 0.43

ill. 70: Acoustic simulation of church room without reflective panel

Conclusion: The sound is good for speech but in terms of organ music it could have be optimized more, if either by geometry or other factors could help so there’s a longer reverberation time for sound coming from the mezzanine and it not being as uniform as it is now between the organ and the pastor speaking. But the

curve for the reverberation time is almost flat so that the sound doesn’t have much variation depending on different frequencies, which benefits the multifunctionality of the space, in terms of both speech and music but mainly organ music.

43

ADMINISTRATION BUILDING This building is used only by the staff and here there are 8 offices and the meeting room.

In addition there are the staff toilets and a storage/technical room. The total area is 155m2 and the space is divided in two levels.

ill. 71: Administration building section and plan scale 1:200 44

The meeting room takes place in the lower one. The space is well illuminated thanks to the big windows in the offices and in the meeting room.

CONGREGATION SPACE Here there is the big congregation hall where the community can gather for different occasions. Tables and chairs can be also brought outside in the courtyard. In the building there are also some functional spaces such as toilets, cloakroom, the kitchen with the refuse room and storage and another big storage for

furnitures. At the lower level we can find the church hall with tables and bookshelves. The light comes from the windows in the church hall and from the corridor, as well from some openings in the roof.

The total area is 500m2.

ill. 72: Congregation space - section and plan scale 1:200 45

CHILDREN AREA In this building there are all the funtions dedicated to children: 2 classrooms, activity room, music room and the children chapel.

A storage/technical room has been added as well. Both the music room and the children chapel floor are designed following the slop,

ill. 73: Children area section and plan scale 1:200 46

with a serie of steps on which the children can sit and from where they can see have a view of the nature outside. The activity room is directly connected with the courtyard where kids can move their activities.

The total area is 270m2.

“The contrast between the cold atmosphere outside and the warm inside create a suggestive transition in the spaces through the hallways. The light and the view crosses

the big openings and reach all the interior spaces softening the boundaries between inside and outside.”

“The outside courtyard is protected by the buildings and surrounded by trees. The atmosphere changes with the seasons and it’s a very alive space during spring and summer days, with the children playing around on the

grass and the congregation gathering in the open air. Here it is very quiet and the sound of the wind through the trees is a natural companion during all the activities.”

ill. 74: Hallways view

ill. 75: Courtyard view

47

CHAPEL The chapel is detached from the main complex and it is accessible from the meditation path that goes through the forest.

The shape is inspired by the main church, but the atmosphere inside is different: here the boundary between outside and inside is

ill. 76: Chapel section and plan scale 1:200 48

almost completely removed and the contact with the light and nature is maximum thanks to the big opening behind the altar. In the chapel there are also a small sacristy and cloyster room. The area is 110m2.

ill. 77: Chapel view

CONCLUSION The church building is the most important part of the complex. Here there is the main entrance that brings directly to the entrance hall, from where it is possible to access the church room or the corridor that brings to the other spaces. Here there are also the cloakroom and toilets for the people in the church.

Behind the altar there are some secondary functions such as the main sacristy, the baptismal sacristy, the workshop and the laundry. From here it is also possible to access directly the courtyard, for a fast connection in case of outside celebrations.

Behind the congregation there is a small meeting room and the stairs from which it 2 The church room is 750m and it can host at least is possible to reach the bell tower and the 350 people. People take place on the seats mezanine, placed above the entrance hall. arranged in a sociopetal distribution in order Here there is the organ and the choir can take to emphasize the feeling of congregation. place here as well.

The altar is in the front, in a central position with the cross behind and the priest speaks The walls and the structure are in wood. from the pulpit placed more on the side. The floor is mainly in stonein order to have The baptismal font is placed between the a connection between the outside material congregation so that the cerimony is more and the inside, while the floor under the seats intimate. Some openings bring light from the of the congregation and the furniture are in behind the font, while the rest are higher so wood, a wormer material. that the light can come in but the view doesn’t become dominant.

49

BIBLIOGRAPHY Throughout the program, the lectures of the course have been used.

Jryens Rapport - Hhatlehol Krkje -Ă…pen internasjonal arkitektkonkurranse om ny kirke for Hatlehol, Ă…lesund

50

ICONOGRAPHY 1: Own illustration 2: Google maps (2018). Available at: https://www.google.it/maps/@62.4339559,6.3902231,140 9m/data=!3m1!1e3 [Accessed 30 Mar. 2018].

3-4: Own illustrations 5: Google maps (2018). Available at: https://www.google.it/maps/@62.4359521,6.3815355,346 5m/data=!3m1!1e3 [Accessed 23 May 2018].

6-10: Google street view (2018). [image] Available at: https://www.google.it/maps/@62.436388 2,6.3934159,125a,35y,274.81h,45t/data=!3m1!1e3 [Accessed 30 Mar. 2018].

11-15: Own illustrations 16-18: Own pictures 19-47: Own illustrations 48: Anon, (2018). Available at: https://golos.io/psk/@sareon/besplatnyi-les-na-stroitelstvozhilya-komu-i-na-kakikh-usloviyakh [Accessed 24 May 2018].

49: Pinterest (2018).

Available at: https://www.pinterest.es/pin/672725263061766398/ [Accessed 25 Apr. 2018].

50: The wood database (2018). Available at: http://www.wood-database.com/red-spruce/ [Accessed 25 Apr. 2018].

51: Jai Stone Export (2018). Available at: https://www.indiamart.com/jaistoneexport/naturalslate-stone.html [Accessed 25 Apr. 2018].

52: Jardin Alpin Sarl (2018). Available gb?layout=blog [Accessed 25 Apr. 2018].

at:

https://jardin-alpin.ch/en/9-category-en-

53: Jai Stone Export (2018). Available at: https://www.indiamart.com/jaistoneexport/naturalslate-stone.html [Accessed 25 Apr. 2018].

54-77: Own illustrations

51

52