portfolio hku studio ss14

CHRISTOPHER GHOUSE u3035081730 THE UNIVERSITY OF HONG KONG DEPARTMENT OF ARCHITECTURE ARCH4002 BEISI JIA SUMMEREMESTER, 2014

INDEX OF EXERCISES

Three Movements Towards an Open Transformation

Movement One AN OBJECT WITHOUT PURPOSE sliding, rotating and folding page 5-7

Movement Two A MOVABLE SYSTEM FOR A LIVING UNIT Lohbach Housing infill and Case Study Analysis page 9-19

Movement Three A BUILDING IN XI’AN, STRUCTURE ONLY Proposal for new housing enviroments page 21-31

MOVEMENT ONE an obj. without purpose

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Fluidum The charisma of a person or an object that creates a distinct atmosphere, aura.

00:00:19 25frames/second

Task is to do a simple installation object using: sliding, rotating and folding as the basis for movement.

The object should follow the design rules for no material, no function and no ‘architecture‘.

vimeo.com/94808684

MOVEMENT ONE still frames

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frame 117

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MOVEMENT ONE still frames

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MOVEMENT TWO case study

The Estradehaus is an infill into a perimeter block wood veneer panels. These are running on the floor in Berlin, with 7 stories above and 1 story below in one and on the ceiling in two rails, so that the ground and a depth of approx. 13.5m. single elements can slide and rotate.

With this system the one-open plan room can The ground floor is used as a commercial and of- be orchestrated according to the needs of the user. fice space; above 10 apartments, 2 per floor - one From min - mid - max “openness“ the apartment with 108sqm, the other with 79sqm. appears chameleon-like.

Estradehaus, Berlin, 1998 Architect: Wolfram Popp

Each of the apartments consists of an one-open plan room and a service zone that takes up the whole depth. Separated by partitioning elements called “gill wall“, the apartment becomes a nuanced space where the user can choose between gradations from generosity to privacy.

Thereby the different planned variations by Wolfam Popp show no enclosed spaces. Apparent become rather areas, which boarders are open and fluid.

A manifold of options in usage is generated.

The estraden, 40cm high and 180cm deep, are used in the front and the back of the apartment and run throughout the hole width of it. These zones serve as a mediating element between inside and outside and with room high french doors, that can be open up by 180 degree. The estraden form a private loggia together with the balcony.

The upper window frames disappear, as the ceiling follows the 40cm height jump of the estrade.

This way the entering light draws attention to the concrete ceiling, the view sways from the reflections of the light into the sky.

The main element in the apartment is formed by the “gill wall“. It consists out of 12 room-high alder Fig. - min,mid, max use of the “gill wall“

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MOVEMENT TWO case study

variations for apartments scale 1:333, N

variation 1 - standard

variation 2

variation 3

variation 4

variation 5

variation 6

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MOVEMENT TWO case study analysis

grid organizing space scale 1:333, N

variation 1 - standard

variation 2

variation 3

variation 4

variation 5

variation 6

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MOVEMENT TWO case study analysis

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Living scenarios Variation 1 – standard shows the spatial arrangement, that’s has been chosen for the apartments. A open-plan room with a service zone separated by the 12 panel “gill wall”. Each single wall can be slid and rotated. As a result, one can pass the wall without having to slide the whole wall.

variation 1 – standard Situation min Left: Here the apartment is used a dance studio. Lessons are hold under the guidance of an instructor. The gill wall is open only in the entrance area, the rest is closed off.

Right: The single tenant now having guests. The working table are extended and suits multiple people. The folded chairs needed were hidden on the estrade before. The gill wall is now partly closing off the bath, a private space.

Variation 2 to 6 show additional internal spatial partitions of the open plan room. Each tenant had the option to choose one of the developed floor plans, of which every one of them functions following Wolfram Popp’s idea: when using the partitions walls they work as visual and spatial closers, with intended gaps between. This creates the fluidity of the one-room apartment.

From the suggested floor plans only one tenant wanted to have a partition.

variation 2 Situation max Left: Apartment is inhabited by two persons, with a job that doesn’t require a workspace at home the apartment is furnished with the required minimalistic furniture. On the SE estrade is a small table for two used to enjoy the sun while having breakfast. On the NW estrade, looking towards the courtyard, soft sitting possibilities are used in order to enjoy the evening sun.

The “gill wall” is mainly used with the maximum openness.

Right: Inhabited by a single tenant person, the apartment is used to work from home. The daily dining table is situated on the SE estrade. With the person at home by himself the gill wall is used the max.

Both situations (min, max) show the same furniture configuration. Spatially: Small entrance hall in the middle, with the dining and living room to the SE side and the sleeping and working room towards the NW side (left apartment); entrance area merging with the dining and living area on the SE side and sleeping area in the NW side (right apartment).

Situation min Left: With the partition wall system being used in the minimal way the sleeping area is still kept private.

The working area is visually disconnected to the dining/ living area. Dining and living room form more of a unit. The visual connection to the sleeping room is broken by the L-shaped panel configuration of the dining room.

Right: With both partition walls not used, a circular circulation is enabled.

The following drawings show possible scenarios for the six developed variations by Wolfram Popp.

Situation max Left: With the partitions walls a well-lit entrance hall is formed. The sleeping area is very private and so kept away from the eyes of visitors. The working area can be connected spatially and visually to the dining/living area or shut off to work calmly. The dining and living area is separated by a partition wall element. The gill wall is used the max.

Right: The partition walls are pushed to both sides of the space. A passage of 80cm is formed, connecting the sleeping area with the dining and living area. The gill wall is used the max.

MOVEMENT TWO case study analysis

variation 4

variation 3 Situation min Left: The bed is facing directly the SW side. With the partition walls extended, the area is closed off completely.

A possible working area is behind this wall. Working area builds a unit together with the dining and living area.

Right: The partition wall in its original position forms a rigid separation between sleeping and dining/living.

Situation max Left: Entering the apartment one comes enters first a generous work area. From here then, the dining and living area can be entered. The sleeping area is again sunken in privacy. If needed the partitions walls can be minimized by 50%.

Right: The partition wall follows the SE to the SW direction of the flat. Created is a 160cm narrow space behind the wall. Although sleeping and dining/living area are connected spatially, the length of the wall generates a visual break between the two of them.

Situation min Left: Using the partition wall min, the entrance area is larger and the way to the other areas has to be opened up. Dining and living form a homogeneous unit, as well as sleeping and working.

Right: The partition wall acts as a hard separator between dining/living and sleeping.

Situation max Left: The max use of the partition wall shows a spatially highly interwoven apartment. Entering the one can either enter the generous sleeping area of the kitchen with its dining/living area.

In-between both are situated a working space, minimal in its implementation. As well as a i.e. a bookshelf, located in the back of the living room.

Right: Same as in the left apartment the partition wall acts an interweaving element.

Working area and dressing form the mediator between dining/living and sleeping.

variation 5

variation 6

In variation 5 movable boxes form a device for visual separation. These boxes can contain a multitude of things.

In this case they hold cloths, books and household silver (for left and right apartment).

The gill wall is used according to the social occasion, min or max.

This variation incorporates furniture in its partition wall system.

Left: A larger entrance hall with chest leads to the four areas of the apartment. Each of these areas can be closed entirely for more privacy/silence Right: In the smaller apartment two formations of chests define spatially a dining or living room. Open to the kitchen the area can be shut off to the sleeping area. This is stronger connected to the entrance area than in other variations.

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MOVEMENT TWO Lohbach Housing infill

From Wohnen am Lohbach, Innsbruck, 2000 Architect: Baumschlager Eberle to Minimal dwelling unit

existing spatial order in form of an onion

existing: 10 flats around central circulation core, lightwell

new infill: each opening in the facade becomes a unit, a space for single dwelling. the area between the single units become a living wall, containing all the necessities that awaits daily activities. the circulation area opens up at the corners to become multi-purpose spaces (connections between these spaces can be enhanced in the vertical direction). for the task it is assumed the building is transformed into an juvenile detention centre.

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MOVEMENT TWO Lohbach Housing infill

From structure to Remove and Add scale 1:333, N

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MOVEMENT TWO still frames

Video still frame superimposition scale 1:100, N

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MOVEMENT TWO Lohbach Housing infill

Individual cells scale 1:100, N

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MOVEMENT TWO Lohbach Housing infill

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MOVEMENT TWO Lohbach Housing infill

A. living wall, minimal dwelling unit The window area defines the free space. The wall with a width of 130cm turns into a living wall. Needed functions can be ‘pulled out‘. The minimal adoptable space (i.e. a kitchen) with its rotating walls enables a combining of the units. The shared space forces the occupants to engage with each other. This builds also a basis for social interaction.

B. grid The area is overlayed by a 30x30cm grid, with a gap of 3.2cm, the material thickness of the rotating elements.

C. fixed wall element Towards the window, the bed as well the minimal living is situated. These two form the fixed element in the cell.

On the other end of the wall a thin metal construction builds the stiffening element.

D. sliding elements Both end hold steel sliding cabinets. The larger one next to the bed, about 60cm deep, holds mainly the cloths, but the storage capabilities are great with its drawers.

The oher one located at the other end, follows the grid and is 30cm deep. Again equiped with drawers the use is up to

the occupant.

E. rotating elements The main spatially changing abilities are given by the rotating elements.

The shared space, used by both occupans is made in a way to be ‘stored‘ away. A small working table can be found on the sliding element next to the balkony window, as well next to the bed a small bed table.

A larger table is found in the area of the shared space.

The partition walls that connect the occupants enables the creation of smaller, tinier pocket spaces in the already small flat with its 8.7m2.

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MOVEMENT THREE A building in Xi’an - initial sketches

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a direct connector between the garden of the hotel in the west and the anticipated public space of site no.8.

Further the existing fabric of the hotel suggests with its height differing building volumes for a dispersed arrangement of buildings > programme on the site. This ‘point houses/villas’ are arranged according to visibility-axes. One basic type, 9.5x10.5m, respectively half of this type forms the basis for the allocation.

A structure in Xi’an The site lies inbetween the existing hotel and the site no.8. With a highly frequented highway in the south and a road in the north of the project area which is currently used mainly by the students of the dormitory - the site has a valocity definition in its N/S-axis.

North = slow, south = fast.

This notion is expressed in the placing of a thin ‘slab’ building (10x90m) towards the highway.

Blocking the highway, the slab building acts also as

While the slab building serves for the more public related functions and houses a restaurant as well as a public space on the top floors. The rest is being use by the administration of the university and conference rooms, ect. The cirrculation thereby serves as the main structural element and is situated in the centre of the slab.

The point houses are on the ground floor open for little shops or small cafe/restaurants as well as student related common rooms. On top of this, small units of about 15m2 big student dorm rooms are situated. Accessed via a stair-walk from the outside (sunshade), each has a little loggia.

With the main structure being a cross-shape in the centre the building is fit for future adaptions. The separating walls can be removed the hole floor can be occupied in the furture, even with the possibility of a new facade composition. So i.e. small businessescan slowly start inhabiting up to a hole floor or evan the hole building.

The hotel with its 50 rooms is situated towards site no.8 and its public space

above: Initial sketch-a Dispersed arrangement with slab-connector

MOVEMENT THREE A building in Xi’an - initial sketches

Site 1

Site 3

Site 2

Site 4

Site 5

Site 6

Site 8

left: initial sketch-b Visibility-axes right: site plan scale 1:5000, N

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MOVEMENT THREE Plans

Ground floor scale 1:500, N

MOVEMENT THREE Plans

First floor (regular) scale 1:500, N

MOVEMENT THREE Plans

Basement scale 1:500, N

to Site 8

MOVEMENT THREE Slab building

Slab building, front elevation view from highway, ‘Bridge building’ between the garden of existing hotel and the pubilc ground of Site 8; additional blocking highway to the point houses of the site.

Cirrculation, being centred of the slab, builds the main-structure of the building.

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MOVEMENT THREE Section series

S1

S9

S2

S10

S3

S4

S5

S6

S7

S8

S11

S12

S13

S14

S15

S16

section north section south

S1 S2 S3 S4 S5 S6 S7 S8 S9 S10 S11 S12 S13 S14 S15 S16

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MOVEMENT THREE Floor plan (cirrculation)

+7 - 29.2m Roof

+6 - 25.0m Sixth Floor

+5 - 22.3m Fifth Floor

+4 - 18.1m Fourth Floor

+3 - 13.9m Third Floor

+2 - 9.7m Second Floor

+1 - 5.5m First Floor

+/-0m Ground Floor Slab building, right elevation Cirrculation and its intersections.

-1 - Sub Floor (-3.5m)

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