Curtin University — BAppSc (Architecture) — Architecture Methods III — Fernando Pizzani # 20408082 — MMXXI
Touch to know Memories of a Haptic Journey
“The elements of architecture are not visual units or gestalt; they are encounters, confrontations that interact with memory.”
–Juhani Pallasmaa, The Eyes of the Skin: Architecture and the Senses
! Pinecone/Diamond
Randomly scaling and multiplying the diamond shape from the pinecone closed scales was the direction chosen, which ended with a concept that in itself features repetition and contrast as well as a rich haptic experience.
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@ Honeycomb weathered sandstone
# Tesselations from gneiss metamorphic stone
The honeycomb pattern of a single block is scaled up and reproduced to create one single unit that is the structure of the whole wall. The voids become the main element and house plants mimicking nature and providing an extra layer of haptic experience.
Isolating the pattern from the background provides the design and structure building element. The background then becomes translucent providing permeability the clear membrane adds weather protection.
! 3
Design Rationale !
The four selected materials evolved from very different elements, a closed pinecone, honeycomb weathered sandstone, a small gneiss metamorphic rock and cracked earth. As a result, all the textures feature unique and contrasting haptic qualities. For example, the back wall's rounded void shapes strongly contrast with the sharp edges of the front wall extrusions and its translucent internal and external sections. The same applies to the screen robust linear design approach and the roof complex geometric volumes. These contrasting qualities further enhance the haptic experience of the building and contribute to the development of a complementary harmony where contrast becomes the unifying element of the whole.
S1
Materiality is another design device used to unify the concept. The exterior walls and screen feature rusty corten with the copper roof, setting an analogous colour palette, which, together with the repetition of the screen element, creates a unified theme. The choice of a neutral colour on the internal wall complements the metal-based palette and adds a soothing element of contrast.
S1
Metal
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Corten Translucent Copper Concrete
Neutral
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$ Cracked Earth b
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On close inspection the cracked earth voronoi pattern becomes apparent. Replicating it and transforming the cracks into a structural element provides the building block of this concept. A concrete structure (a) supports the copper superstructure (b) that makes the openable roof
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! 0
PLAN
Scale 1:50
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2
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5m
WEST ELEVATION
SECTION 1