portfolio hku studio ws13

CHRISTOPHER GHOUSE u3035081730 THE UNIVERSITY OF HONG KONG DEPARTMENT OF ARCHITECTURE ARCH4001 CHRISTIAN LANGE WINTERSEMESTER, 2013

INDEX OF EXERCISES

Serial Architectures | Systems of Multiplicities: Rethinking Podium - Tower Urbanism

1.1 WHAMPOA GARDEN Site Analysis page 14, 21, 30-32 (1.2 BUILDING CODE excluded) 1.3 CUBE HOUSES BY PIET BLOM Case Study Analysis page 37-42 2.1 ARCHITECTURE AND URBAN SYSTEMS Indroduction to Rule + Code based principles page 5-9, 11 2.2 SYSTEMEMS FOR LIVING High density enviroments page 10, 12, 16 2.3 WHAMPOA GARDEN 2 Proposal for new housing enviroments page 15, 17-19, 22-29, 33-35

5

90̊

90̊

90̊

B A

D C

SPATIAL ORGANISATION AB - BC - BB

URBAN FARBIC A - AB, B(´) - B`, 2B´ - CA´,CA´- B´´A´´, C - B´

TOWER TRANSFORMATION ABCD; 90° rotation

SPATIAL ORGANISATION AB - BC - BB

A1 BI BII C1 BIII BIV

frame = i.e. max. building volume; relationship of ‘random’ programatic spaces A1, C1 to unit types BI-IV for spatial analysis

7

8

V.1 intersecting line enviroments, both medium grain with line enviroment, rough grain

V.2 line enviroment, fine grain with intersecting point enviroment, fine grain and line enviroment, rough grain

V.3 line enviroment with an inbetween space filled by point enviroment, fine grain

V.4 point envirment, fine grain with an inbetween space filled by line envirmoment, medium grain

URBAN FARBIC A - AB, B(´) - B`, 2B´ - CA´,CA´- B´´A´´, C - B´

AB

BI

CAI

BIIAI

urban fabric

facade; units, voids and tower connections

9

10 Fig. - Elevation side A.

0.00

0.00

0.00

0.20

1.00

0.40

0.40

0.60

0.80

0.80

0.00

0.20

0.20

0.20

0.00

TOWER TRANSFORMATION ABCD; 90° rotation

Fig. - Test section. right: Fig. - Elevations of tower variations, from left to right: v.1, v.2, v.3, v.4, v.5, v.6.

A

B

C

D

11

12 Fig. - Elevation side B, 'wave pattern' overlaying the site.

15 10 5 0 floor height 3m X1

X2

X3

X4

Y1 Y3 Y5 Y7 Y9 Y2 Y3 Y6 Y8 Y...

grid for unit types

X5

X6

X7

X8

X9

X10

grid for movement top and bottom

X11

X12

X13

X14

X15

14 + NAME OF THE HOUSING ESTATE Whampoa Garden

+ AMOUNT OF SQ.FT PER INHABITANT About 106 sq.ft

+ FUNCTION Private residential housing, community facilities, primary and secondary schools, commercial complexes

+ RATIO BETWEEN COMMERCIAL SPACE AND INHABITANTS 4,59 million sq.ft3.; about 91 sq.ft/ inhabitant

+ ADDRESS Whampoa Garden, Hung Hom, Kowloon, Hong Kong + ESTATE OWNER Hutchison Whampoa Limited1 + ARCHITECT Wong & Ouyang

+ AVERAGE PRICE PER SQ.FT (2013) 9.000-10.000 HKD/sq.ft. with peak of 15.000 HKD/ sq.ft.4 + TOWER TYPES 2 + AMOUNT OF LIFTS PER TOWER 2

+ BUILDINGS PERIOD 1985 - 1991

+ FLAT TYPES 7 spatial classifications with overall 13 basic flat types

+ SITE AREA 2.003.988 sq.ft.2

+ MAX HEIGHT OF CONSTRUCTION (m) 52m2

+ AMOUNT OF TOWERS 88 distributed over 12 sites

+ MAX HEIGHT OF TOWER (m) 45m

+ AMOUNT OF FLATS 9.756

Footnotes: 1 http://www.hwpg.com/en/properties/p72.asp 2 http://www.ozp.tpb.gov.hk 3 http://lsecities.net/media/objects/articles/highdensity-from-the-ground 4 http://en.homeprice.com.hk/building/Whampoa_ Garden/Phase_1_Block_1/10/

+ AMOUNT OF INHABITANTS About 50.000 + AVERAGE SIZE OF HOUSEHOLD 5

Fig. - Whampoa Garden while construction, around 1990.

WHAMPOA GARDEN Site Ties

15

Leisure Hutchinson Park.

24hrs open.

Pivot point.

EX

TE

EX

TE

TE

NE

XT

EN

SIO

NE

NS

XT

IO

EN

NE

NS

SIO

IO

XT

EN

SIO

NE

XT

EN

SIO

N

NE

X

<m < m in. ax 334 .5 20 mete me r > ter >

NE

NE XT <m EN SIO < m in.

NE ax 293 .6 XT 10 mete EN me r > SIO ter NE >

XT

XT

eund r. tly ren harbou r u c e and ong th ier al ry P area r e F ped t velo t poin o Piv

Fig. - Figure ground plan with the Whampoa Garden site cut out and site ties indicated. right: Fig. - Arial of Whampoa Garden

< Hung Hom Ferry Pier to North Point

TE < H NEXTE NS IO NE Bu ung NSIO XT TE N s EX EN Ho EXT R NS T o SIO IO EN EN ute m NE N S S Sta IO IO EX XT N N t TE EN EX ion EXBus Terminus NS SIO TE T EN IO NS NE NE S IO withIONupcoming XT XT NE EN EX XT SIO O ENSIO TE MRT station.

EN NS NE Sit utl SIO NE IO XT e a in X N NE One pivot point rea e TE EN EX XT NS SIO ap W T EN EN pro ha IO for proposal.

N SIO NE SIO x.

EX <h 18 mp X N T NE TE EN 6.0 o EX XT igh NS 00 a SIO TE EN sqm G IO N N fre ard NE SIO SIO EX qu X N T N en TE EN EX en N SIO TE SIO ted N N SIO NE EX roa XT NE TE d> EN NS XT SIO IO EN EX

1000meter

IO

< Ma high in roa frequ d p en er v ted adi roa ng d the > site EX

Older urban fabric.

Regulated hight due former airport Kai-Tak. max.52m

NS

EN

SIO

NE

XT

SIO

EN

N

EN

SIO

NE

XT

EN

SIO

N

SIO

N

Kowloon Bay

Leisure Tai Wan Shan Park.

Swimming pool Pivot point.

ent lopm ower deve T h rise andmark ig h New urfront L o b r Ha 233m

The urban fabric towards the north-west shows a liniar development with a maximum building height of 52 meter. A regulation, which dates back to the former aiport Kai-Tak. The same maximum height applies to the Whampoa Garden estate, with its 16 floors of living and 1-2 floor podium.

A new development in the south-east, the Harbourfront Landmark suddenly breaks this continuous height with a tower of 233 meter.

Orthogonally to these two distinctive urban formations, in the north-east two recreation areas are located, while in the south-west a higher frequented road is located.

These four points create two axes that define the basis for the project: north-west to south-east and north-east to south-west.

The main developent in north-west to south-east, with the new tower proposal, that varies in height (top and bottom) and a programatic axis in northeast to south-west. Here as a first measure two stripes of forest are planed, to connect the parks with the pier and the currently undeveloped area along the harbor on the one hand and on the other to create a juxtaposition with the higher frequented road that runs along the boarder of the site.

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Regular vs. irregular formations The array of high density towers (formations 0.00-1.00) create an inbetween space, that allows this space to develop freer. Smaler plots should provide diversity, indetermination is desirable.

The towers form a vertical city. The layering as in the current podium tower typology becomes a mix of living, businesses and cultural and social spaces.

WHAMPOA GARDEN 2 New Fabric

Distances The liniar tower formations are following the existing fabric. The resulting ‘gaps‘ form therby an inbetween spaces with the regular distances of: 46.8 meter, 85.8 meter and 109.2 meter.

Interweaving Applying the grid for the streets, a situation: Street - House - ‘Garden’ is created. Further four tower typlogies are introduced.

These, all aligned towards the street, start to interweave with the ‘Garden‘ space - the inbetween space.

Free Plots, Differen scale With the towers guaranting the high density enviroment, this inbetween space with its plots can be uses freer and in differnt ways (see Inbetween Space V.1-4, p.17-24).

From trying out different living, business, or cultural and social typologies to a ‘programmes’ that deals i.e. with street furniture, plants charts or time ect.

The created plots become overlayed with a system similar used in Exersice 2.1 (see Urban Fabric, p.6-7). The scale of one of these system-grids has thereby the size of the smallest business unit: 3.9m, which is half of the used grid system - 7.8 x 7.8m - for the tower structure.

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GENERATING SPACE Slab Deformation

19

The towers follow the structural system of 7.8 x 7.8m. A critic point towards the existing Podium Towers is on the one hand the existing layering in commercial and living in top of this and on the other the continuous repetion of the mall itself.

The anticipated design aims rather than a layering of programmes towards a vertical city. Therefor the single towers become an stripe that connects all of them on various levels of the tower.

The width if this stripe takes up one module of the grid - 7.8m. Along this stripe differnt kinds of busnisses of all sizes can allocate themself and create a new/different kind of neighbourhood. Where no connetion between towers exist, privacy is heigher and again different means for communication between neighbours can be established.

Where the tower gets pervaded by cultural or social space the slab is getting deformed (see rendering above and sketch left). This deformation effects the living units. One unit, 1000 times or more repeated become so unique.

STATISTIC DATA 2011 Population Census

Fig. - Selected statistic data on Whampoa Garden.

Statistical analysis done by Ze (Yichai) Chen.

HOUSEHOLD CHARACTERISTICS [Members per Household]

6 5 4 3 2 1 500

1000

RESIDENTS STATUS

Others Housewives

Retired

1500

[Numbers of Households]

SPOKEN LANGUAGES

WHERE RESIDENTS WORK

English Others

Abroad

Other Chinese dialects

8%

2500

2000

5%

6% 2%

7%

New Territories

6%

Freelance Kowloon

4% 24.5%

12.5% 52%

16%

Employed Whampoa Garden area

18%

Students

87%

Cantonese

13.5% 23.5% 15%

At Home

Hong Kong Island

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INBETWEEN SPACE V.1

22

23

INBETWEEN SPACE V.2

24

25

INBETWEEN SPACE V.3

26

27

INBETWEEN SPACE V.4

28

29

TOWER TYPOLOGY Evolution of the Core

Tower Entrance 45° Evolution B

Tower Entrance 90° Evolution A

Kitchen unit now plugged to the tower core.

The bath unit(s) stay at their position looking towards the narrow gash. The flats flexibility has risen, but the potential is not being used.

Kitchen and bath(s) form a unit looking towards the narrow gash. Claiming one side of the flat, the space next to the tower core is merely left - isolated from the rest of the flat.

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TOWER TYPOLOGY Evolution of the Core

Fig. - Top view renderings of two regular floor plans from Whampoa Garden; showing the evolution of the tower core while the estates construction period from 1985 to 1991.

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FLAT TYPOLOGY Classification

Type 1 Flat A-A´ 439-469ft2 715 units

Type 2 Flat B-B´ 551-597ft2 1278 units

Type 3 Flat A-A´ 682ft2 255 units

Type 4 Flat A-A´ 688-852ft2 270 units

Fig. - Flat typologies, according to spatial organisation.

Itemisation see below. Red cross indicating the centre of the tower.

C of en t T o re w p er o in

t

Type 2 Flat A-A´ 351-558ft2 1445 units

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S = 1:500 B

K D

L

Type 5 Flat A-A´ 577-788ft2 552 units

D K

Type 5 Flat B-B´ 1104ft2 45 units

B

B

B

B

B

L

L

L

Type 5 Flat C-C´ 646-1107ft2 933 units

B

B

L

D

D K

L

K

Type 6 Flat C-C´ 732-869ft2 600 units

Type 6 Flat D-D´ 776-973t2 3240 units

B

B

B

B

B

B

B

B

D

L K

B

Type 6 Flat B-B´ 1107ft2 90 units

B B

B K

L

Type 6 Flat A-A´ 805-888ft2 90 units

B

D

D K

B

D L

D

B

K

B

B

K B

L

B

B

B

Type 7 Flat A-A´ 1033ft2 150 units

B B B

B K L

L D

D

D K

K

L

D K

Though the core of the tower changes throughout the contruction period and with that the possibility of introducing a new spatial layout for the flat, the floor plans stay the same. The possibility of giving the floor plans a greater truth is omitted.

These plans show the organisation of a flat, that often does not match up the reality of the inhabitants. A 'classical family' inhabitation, as by these plans suggested, is often not the case.

With keeping the 'infrastrucural elements' of an flat in an array together, a larger, free usable space could be created from that the hole members living in the flat would benefit.

The options for such a possbile floor plan are already given by the Tower - Evolution A and get further enhanced in Tower - Evolution B by adding the kitchen to the core of the tower. Howerver an adaptation of the floor plan to meet the needs of the inhabitants is not taken.

Type 1-7 Flat z-z´ (´Mirroring flat) Type 1 - 1 Bed room - 1 Bath room - 0 Storage room - 0 Dressing room Type 2 - 2 Bed room - 1 Bath room - 0 Storage room - 0 Dressing room Type 3 - 2 Bed room - 1 Bath room - 1 Storage room - 0 Dressing room Type 4 - 2 Bed room - 2 Bath room - 1 Storage room - 0 Dressing room Type 5 - 3 Bed room - 2 Bath room - 0 Storage room - 0 Dressing room Type 6 - 3 Bed room - 2 Bath room - 1 Storage room - 0 Dressing room Type 7 - 3 Bed room - 2 Bath room - 1 Storage room - 1 Dressing room

FLAT TYPOLOGY Whampoa Garden 2

33

Basic flat typologies, for easy repetition.

Infrastructure on one side, leading to free, adoptable space for the inhabitant.

The maisonette to enhance options for use; one floor living one floor small business, ect.

1 - Basic/Deep Tower with the public stripe within.

2 - Slim Tower with convertible outdoorspaces public, semi- public.

3 - Connection Tower with private terraces.

1

2

3

34

35 Fig. -3d print, arial view other side Fig. -3d print, top view

CUBE HOUSES Piet Blom. Helmond and Rotterdam, Netherlands

+ NAME OF THE HOUSING ESTATE Cube Houses, redevelopment of Oude Haven

+ AMOUNT OF SQ.FT PER INHABITANT 25 m2 (269 sq.ft)

+ FUNCTION Residential housing, community complex, commercial complexes

+ AVERAGE PRICE PER m2 18.000 HKD/m2

+ ADDRESS Overblaak 70, 3011 MH Rotterdam, Netherlands ‎ + COMMISSIONER Municipality of Rotterdam + ARCHITECT Piet Blom + BUILDINGS PERIOD 1974 - 1984 Rotterdam First draft: 1978 Construction: 1982 - 1984 Renovation: 1998 + SITE AREA 6.000 m2 (64.583 sq.ft.) + AMOUNT OF CUBES 38 cubes housing and 3 megacubes + AMOUNT OF INHABITANTS Maximun 4 persons per Cube, max. 152 inhabitants + AVERAGE SIZE OF HOUSEHOLD 4

+ FLAT TYPES 1 + COMMERCIAL SPACES 7 small (18m2), 7 big (70m2) + MAX HEIGHT OF CONSTRUCTION (m) 22m + MAX HEIGHT OF CUBE HOUSES (m) About 15m + MATERIAL Floor and pillar Reinforced concrete Skeletton cube Pinewood (14cm) + PARKING On the Street, no parking garage due to complicated ground conditions

References: - Hengeveld, Jaap. Piet Blom's Rotterdam. New life at the Old Harbour - Hengeveld, Jaap. Piet Blom Monograph - http://www.kubuswoning.nl/introkubuseng.html

"Importance of abolishing the separation between culture - ´the special´ - and habitation - ´the ordinary´. The vision for an ´urban roof´, with a design that interweaves the special and the ordinary."

(Piet Blom)

37

HIERARCHIES Blaak bridging

39

STRUCTURE Taking a simple geometric form - a cube. The rotation on its tip has several ramifications. Besides on the one hand generating interesting spaces and at the same time creating spaces that require highly specific furnititure, the outline of the 3rd floor - a honeycomb form - supports the replication of the unit. Height of the birdge approx. 6,5m above street level.

PROGRAMME Orange. 38 cubes housing - ´the ordinary´; 102m2 per cube Purple. 3 megacubes; partly comercial, culture ´the special´ Moss green. Small commercial spaces Red. Noise barrier; protecting inhabitants and bridge for street-level noise (70dB) HIERARCHIES Streetlevel Car Subway Tramway Bikelane Pedestrian Bridge Entrance to Cube houses Cultural spaces Commercial spaces Housing 38 Flats for max. 4 persons

TREE HOUSE TYPOLOGY Verticality and Facade

0m

7,5

Fig. - Cube houses while contruction. Mounting of the wooden frames, the continuous concrete slab of the 3rd floor is clearly visible at this stage.

41

42

TREE HOUSE TYPOLOGY Spatial Organisation

S = 1:200

STORAGE

6m2

ENTRANCE

0

10m

LIVING AREA Street House

SLEEPING AREA Heaven House

ATTIC CONSERVATORY Green Hut

24m2

60m2

18m2