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Design Resolution Term 1 Birmingham School of Architecture BA (Hons) Architecture Year 3 2019
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insituationist
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digbeth
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mapping
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matrix
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un_seeing
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BR IEF
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[in-situ]ationist
With the rapid changes in the urban context of Birmingham, architects and designers
tend to forget about the complexity of the changes and resulted in a design that is harsh and brutal to the surrounding context. In this design project, we are encouraged to be a social actionist or an [in-situ]ationist. The meaning of being an [in-situ]ationist is to contribute to the field of architecture by interacting design and social criticism as ‘creative drivers’. [in-situ]ationist as a manifesto in this project, is to create and instigates rebellious design collaboration at different levels. We aim to produce a design from either a new space or change the meaning of the existing ones. Along the process of designing a space with meaning and being an [in-situ]ationist, we have to be able to be sensitive of the surrounding context of a site by examining the crossing between social protest, urban environments and designers. To then use it as a base of our project either in the display, exchange and consumption of radical insitu-actionism.
Terrain Vague “Today, intervention in the existing city, in its residual spaces, its folded interstices can no longer be either comfortable or officious in the manner postulated by the modern movement’s efficient model of the enlightened tradition. How can architecture act in the terrain vague without becoming an aggressive instrument of power and abstract reason? Undoubtedly, through attention to continuity: not the continuity of the planned, efficient, and legitimized city, but of the flows, the energies, the rhythms established by the passing of time and the loss of limits... we should treat the residual city with a contradictory complicity that will not shatter the elements that maintain its continuity in time and space” Terrain Vague- de Sola Morales
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In this project, we’re encouraged to be an [in-situ]ationist at a Terrain Vague, to find a meaning of a residual space and to introduce a new design that is fit and blend in within the surrounding context of a site.
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In the architectural and urban design, Terrain Vague or a residual space of a city are neglected and having its meaning faded away through time. Terrain Vagues are often found to be waiting for an investment to be taken place and to change its purpose, but in the meantime, most of them are masked to hide its negligence and ugliness. To be an [in-situ]ationist at a Terrain Vague it is important to not only understand the site based on what it seems and seen. To be an [in-situ]ationist and to create a new meaning of a city’s residual space, we have to have the ability to see the unseen, Unseeing. Unseeing, in this case, does not mean seeing without noticing or seeing anything as explained by the Oxford Dictionar y. In this project, Unseeing means an act of seeing the unseen or to see the invisible to aim for a greater understanding of space.
To Unseeing the meaning of a space or to find a new meaning, there is an understanding that the meaning of space will never permanent, but it will evolve through time. To expose the meaning of a Terrain Vague, we have to see the unseen. Terrain Vagues can sometimes be invisible or hard to see, some factors influence its visibility such as its; placement, arrangement, orientation, construction, modification and visual effectivity. Which was explained by Matthew Dalton from Seen and Unseen Space article which leads to a belief that the surrounding context of a Terrain Vague can influence its visibility. To see the unseen, first, this project will analyse one element that affects a Terrain Vague’s visibility.
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The method of Unseeing in this project was influenced by Stan Allen’s understanding of the importance of field forces between something that is affecting a certain space in a city. To see the unseen field forces between elements of the site, an element of a site will be analysed to the will be resulted in an unseen form of a space. “All grids are fields, but not all fields are grids. One of the potentials of the field is to redefine the relation between figure and ground. If we think of the figure not as a demarcated object read against a stable field, but as an effect emerging from the field itself – as moments of intensity, as peaks or valley within a continuous field – than it might be possible to imagine figure and field as more closely allied. (…)” Stan Allen.
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DIGBE T H
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B9 A26
B11
B10
A3
A14
B4 A2 B7
B8
C12
C13 B1
C5 B6
B25
B24
B16
B18
C15
B19
B20
B17
A21 A23
C22
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The project is located in Digbeth, Birmingham as one of the fastest growing area in Birmingham and its strategic location which is closed to Birmingham’s city centre. Even with its fast rate growth, there are still a few residual abandoned spaces located around Digbeth that are waiting to be repurposed and rebuild. There are three types of Terrain Vagues in Digbeth, one of it is an abandoned building space. This type of Terrain Vague still holds its structure of the previous purpose but are not longer used or taken care of. The second type of Terrain Vague is the abused spaces, which means that it have a temporary purpose of an empty space such as a parking lots but the space a very much still waiting for a repurpose investment to go through. The last Terrain Vague type is an abandoned lots, an empty space that are sometimes hidden and mostly neglected.
Abandoned Building Abused Parking Lots Abandoned Lots
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Out of all of the Terrain Vagues located around Digbeth, Birmingham, B1 is choosen to analysed further of its unseen element’s field forces and form.
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Site B1 Collage of different elements on the site
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M A P P ING
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When I first visit the site, I was drawn to moments of spaces that separate volumes, a Thresholds. Threshold is a ver y unique element of in the urban space. Based on Catharine Dee’s book, a threshold is an in-between space, where a transitional space takes place in-between different experiences. Urban space users most of the time were not aware of these transitional space, or if they ever been in one, but without it, users often find themselves confused with a sudden change of space. Thresholds sometimes are unseen and invisible but without it, it changes the whole experience of a context and space. From there, with the concept of the in-between space of threshold, I went back to the Terrain Vague to find an element to be taken into further research. One element that I was interested to study on the site is Stairs. Stair is a common element at an architectural urban scheme, it ver y common that it can be found ever y where. We sometimes as users tried to avoid stairs and use another alternative to move from one level to another, but sometimes, it simply an element that we can’t avoid. The importance of stairs is there and it exists, but we often found ourselves wasn’t fully aware to take our time to analyse the stair before we take that first step up. Is stair one of the unseen element of urban space? What can we find through this invisible transitional element? In its function, Stairs help us move from one level to another, it allows us to see spaces from different views and perspective, it provides a better view range compared to others on the lower level. Can Stairs help us to see the Unseen?
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Outdoor Stairs in Digbeth
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With Stairs as my element, I started to mapped it. To see the relation of each stairs between another and its field forces that influenced the context. This method is inspired from Zaha Hadid Paeno Center. Where in designing its lower ground space was inspired from one element from the site context. From only a fraction of elements from the site context, Zaha successfully introduced a building that have a close relation to the context, not just a random piece of a structure that she placed on the site. From this single element, Stairs, it holds more than what it seen. There are valuable studies and concept that can come from a single element. Through this process of mapping Stairs, I’m aiming to be able to mapped the unknown or the invisible of the Terrain Vague.
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Stairs to Entrances Stairs to Different Level Stairs in Landscape
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From mapping outdoor stairs, I found three different cathegor y of outdoor stairs. Which I categorised as Stairs to Entrances, Stairs to Different Leve (fire exit) and Stairs in Landscape space. To continue with this mapping, Stairs to Entrances will be analyse more in depth because its closer relation with the concept of visual effectivity and threshold. Stairs to Entrances also seems to be an interesting concept to study through with its being a transitional space of moving from one space to another.
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1-2 Steps 3-5 Steps 6-10 Steps
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Mapping Stairs to Entrances, I then continue to seperate them in different cathegories based on the number of steps to and entrance.
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Views
15 0
6-10 Steps
20 0
3-5 Steps
25 0 1-2 Steps
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Analysing and mapping Stairs to Entrances across Digbeth along with the concept of visual effectivity of space, it can be concluded that the surrounding context of a site will indeed affect the visibility range of space. In this case, Stairs as one common element on urban context plays an important role to the visibility of an entrance which plays an important role of users’ ability to understand what that are coming. I ran a few data collecting from visibility range with all different stairs to entrances and each number of steps.
I placed myself in the same position and height from the first step of the entrance and create a section of the stairs and measure how much visibility range I have from the different amount of steps ahead of me. The result may vary due to different variables that can’t be avoided but from them, I took the average result for each type of stairs to be reviewed. The result of the visibility range can be seen on the left-hand side diagram on this page. From the diagram, it can be conclude that higher amount of steps the smaller the visibility range of the space and vice versa. The average view range of 1-2 steps of stairs is 25 0 , 3-5 steps of stairs is 20 0 and finally, 6-10 steps of stairs have a view range of 15 0 .
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1-2 Steps 3-5 Steps 6-10 Steps
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15 0
20 0
25 0
These findings are the result of Unseeing a space, and from there, with Stan Allen inspired method of mapping, we’re urged to find a field diagram. Field diagram brings us back to the Terrain Vague, minimising and focusing this project anchored only from the site. To be able to visualise the field forces between each Views and stairs, the mapping act of Stairs to Entrances will be replaced with Views. Each Views will be positioned back to the source which are the stairs and will be replaced perpendicular to the direction of the stairs. In this case, Views are infinite.
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1-2 Steps; 25 0 3-5 Steps; 20 0 6-10 Steps; 15 0
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1-2 Steps ; 25 0
From all of the Views and the different field forces within one another, the only relevant Views are the one that connects back to the site. In this process, shows the extraction process of a Field Diagram.
3-5 Steps ; 20 0
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Field Diagram
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M AT R I X
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The field diagram of this project is built together from elements of Views. Views are infinite, but the clarity of Views are influenced by its distance from the source. This means that the further the distance from the source of view the blurrier the quality of visibility of it. From that understanding of Views, the field diagram can be put out on a hierarchy toward its source, which is the field diagram. The true source of the field diagram is the site or the Terrain Vague. The closest distance of a field diagram to the site, the higher the clarity of its Views, which makes its hierarchy is higher than other field diagram elements. If the site is the datum, a starting point or a zero (0), the closest field diagram to the site will be field diagram 1 (F.D 1). The true distance in this manner does not measure based on a conventional system like meters or feet but it simply moves from the zero point (0) to F.D. 1, F.D. 2, and F.D. 3.
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Hierarchy
F.D 3
F.D 2
F.D 1
0 F.D
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Rotation
Inspired by Preston Scott Cohen’s Stereotomic Permutations process of finding architectural form in different paradigmatic operations from the different serial of operation and configurations. The logic of actions he uses varies from distortion of symmetr y, seriality, linearity, progression, scale, elasticity, intersection and folding. Through a series of logics and rules, Scott Cohen manages to create architectural form from its projection. In this project, a similar method from Scott Cohen Stereotomic Permutations process inspired this project to find the architectural form from a field diagram. One logic action will be applied in this project is the act of Rotation. Rotation allows me to explore the field diagram in different directions. Directions and Views are closely related to each other, including Distance. As mentioned before, the clarity of Views is affected by the distance from its source. The original field diagram now is facing North in direction, which as mentioned before, Views here are infinite which means that its range continues facing and travel through up North. To explore and reveal the unseen form of space through the field diagram, ever y direction will be investigated. This logic will rotate the field diagram 3 times to the direction of East, South, and West in 90 0 angles from ever y rotation.
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Device
Shadow and projection will be used to extract forms from a field diagram. This method was inspired by a book by Michael Baxandall called Shadows and Enlightenment. Which in its one the chapter mentioned about Sciography is a branch of the science of perspective dealing with a projection of shadows. This method is commonly found in the architectural design process in finding the relation of shadows and space. In this project, projection and shadows will be used through a field diagram device to extract the casted shadows as forms. The device is made based on the field diagram’s hierarchy and the logic action of rotation.
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F.D 3 F.D 2 F.D 1
Site 0 Device Assembling
Rotations
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Shadows and Projection
Light
Camera
Device
The process of extracting form from the device is by creating shadows that are cast from the device in a range of different angles of light projection through the device. 3 different light direction is set on 90, 105 and 125. These angles represent the angle of Views of the field diagram. The camera is placed on the same height and distance from the device.
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Left at 90 o , 105 o , 125 o Right at 90 o , 105 o , 125 o
Extraction
To extract the shadow, I traced the shadow to reveal the unseen.
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A1_90
A1_105
A1_125
A2_90
A2_105
A2_125
B1_90
B1_105
B1_125
B2_90
B2_105
B2_125
C1_90
C1_105
C1_125
C2_90
C2_105
C2_125
D1_90
D1_105
D1_125
D2_90
D2_105
D2_125
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Matrix I
A2_90
C1_105
From the results of the unseen, I experiment with 4 different matrixes in a set of 3 which represent each field diagrams.
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D1_105
Matrix II
D1_130
B1_130
B2_105
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Matrix III
C2_90
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B1_130
D1_105
Matrix IV
A1_90
D2_90
B2_90
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M AT R I X II
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FOR M
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Matrix II was picked to be taken into further experimentation in architectural form-finding in this project. Each element of Matrix II represents each field diagram and it rotated and anchored based on the field diagram. From there, the following process in experimenting its 2D and 3D forms to explore the possibility of a form into an architectural space through different scale.
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North Elevation 1:200
East Elevation 1:200
Plan 1:200
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Space Exploration
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Physical Model Form Exploration
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