Design Studio 1B Portfolio

A C T T

R H I E C U R E

PORTFOLIO

E MIL IA G RA CE T U D O R DE S I G N S T U D I O 1B 18 T H M A Y 20 2 1 S A RA BI S CA YA

C O N T E N T S

04 SI T E ANALY S IS

10 A H OU S E F O R MY S E LF

26 A H OUSE FOR A PROFE SSI ONAL

48 RE FLE C T I V E D I ARY

SITE A N A LY S I S

SITE ONE

- 93 The Quays, Salford, M50 3TT

Size and Shape -

According to MappingGM, the longest width was to be found as 30m and the longest length, 29m. This gives an approximate area of 753 meters squared for the whole of the site. The inner site appears to be a flat square shaped area, pretty much symmetrical in perimeter within the grass terrain. The vegetation, such as the hedges and trees, give the site plan a more interesting shape in the surrounding area, a more natural and free shape rather than a regimented, man-made appearance.

Topography Low hedges line the perimeter of the site to give it a more natural feel, however, these were most deffinitley planted deliberatley- man made. Similarly, tall trees surround the site and are able to give the area a sense of privacy due to their height- makes the site seem more secluded in such a public, residental area. The Centre of the site is all flat grass and, as its used as a green space currently, it has two small enterances. There is a near by lay-by for parked cars (2-3 cars), finished with bollards to prevent vehical access. There is a clear view of the water/Quay and the terrain is almost completely flat with no elevation. The more Artificial aspects to the site include the clean and well looked after apperance- no litter, hedges trimmed, grass cut etc.

There is also a pathway built all the was around the site, along with benches and bins, suggesting that this site is used regulary and quite public..

Ground Conditions The ground conditions at Site 1 are mostly soil and grass with alot of natural and planted vegetation. This suggests that the Site is well looked after by the public/council and the ground is very fertile with good soil quality. This will be good if my design is looking at using alot of nature/ greenery. Based on the information given on MappingGM, the image to the left shows the Site is on an EA Flood Zone 2 (the light blue area). This means that there is a 0.1%-1% chance of flooding- a low-medium chance.

Emotional Analysis When Looking at Site 1, I decided to create a quick water colour painting represeting how it makes me feel, the emotions it gives me and showing how i percieve the site.

The greener and more natural feel of the site inspired me to bring it to life, using bright and bold colours to give it its own sort of energy. I felt like site one could offer me more in terms of fuelling my passion for the natural world and sustainability. I also used long and smooth brush strokes to create a sense of movement within the site, not just to mimic the wind on a windy day, but to give the site a life of its own, especially considerint the fertile soil and foliage all around the area. This has inspired me to keep the theme of organic forms and the natural world when creating my own house desig. I will also be using the site’s aspects of nature to my advantage.

SITE TWO

- 133 Merchants Quay, Salford, M503XG

Size and Shape -

According to the meassurments i found n MappingGM, the longest length is 26m and the longest found width is 16m. This gives an approximate site area of 416 meters squared. The shape of Site 2 is a little more basic than site 1, with less vegetation and folliage to disrupt symmetry. It is a long rectangular shape with the internal rectangle coming out about 60% of the way accross the road side of the site. Site 2 is also a litlle more 3D, the terrain actually slopes down towards the water instead of remaining flat.

Topography The land is mostly surrounded by urban-residential areas and is located near the water (again like site 1). The once empty site is now recently surrounded by new flats placed on and around site and the majority of the ground on site is paved. This creates a significantly more man-made, artificial feel to the site compared with site 1. The Perimeter is lined with trees, suggesting that the small amount of soil is fertile. The terrain is sloped towards the north-side (facing the water), this could either make it difficult to come up with a cooperative design or make it a whole lot more interesting. The site is also artificially fenced off in order to make it safer and prohibbit access from vehicals etc.

Althogh the site does seem to be looked after, it looks signifficantly more deserted and forgotten about than the first site. The atmosphere seems a little more bleak and dull.

Ground Conditions Like Site 1, Site 2 is also an urban ground type, however it contains alot less soil and signs of life. According to MappingGM, this site is also an EA Flood Zone 2 area but the sloped terrain may mean it is slightly more likely to flood. It is a combination of a man-made and a natural site, probably leaning more towards the man-made side due to the many artificial products (fences, walls, paved ground etc). The Ground is mostly paved, however the small amount of vegetation, such as trees etc, suggest that the little amount of soil on site is fertile and of good quality.

A HOUSE FOR MYSELF

DESIGN BRIEF When being asked to design a house for yourself, you must first consider the type of person you are and how your design will relate to you and benefit you. After considering both site one and two, I have decided that site one best suits me and my everyday life/personality. As a young student, I am extremely interested in the idea of sustainability and always looking for the best solutions to benefit the world around us. I believe that site 1 offers a larger and greener space for me to express my passion for the natural world. Although I am a hard worker, I like to take the time to relax and rest my mind, even though I have recorded site one as having quite a lot of bird noise, I think the whole atmosphere and nature theme will aid in practising mindfulness.

When designing a house for myself, there were a few main factors that I wanted my home to include. The main property was that I wanted my home to inhabbit both a studio space and a mindfulness, relaxing space with large windows and a view of the water. Here I can see myself working on my studys, painting and creating, as well as practising a bit of yoga or just generally chilling out. The large windows will also be an important factor as I will need as much light as possible for my studio space, and the views may also aid in the relaxing side of things. Another important property for my design includes interesting shaped windows and doors in order to create shadows and manipulate light. This way, I can keep my design quite simple, with large open plan spaces and rooms. The reflections and beams of light will act as a way of dividing up larger spaces into smaller spaces, for example using a darker corner for a lounge space as opposed to a lighter, more airy kitchen space (despite them being all one big room. I will also have to consider the positioning of my design in relation to the sun path of the site.

CONCEPTUAL IDEAS In terms of my architectural design concept, I wanted a way of bringing the natural world into my design. I considered looking at having a tree growing through my house, however I decided that this was a bit too obvious and didn’t serve much purpose of benefits, the UK climate was also a problem with this idea. After sitting down with a banana and brain storming ideas, i noticed the way the peel fell off the banana and sloped down, almost roof like. Therefore, I began to explore the way architectural structures and concepts can be inspired by organic forms, for example the Sydney Opera House was actually inspired by the segments of a orange.

I began looking at creating an organic looking roof for my house, linking different plants and leaves to the shape and ways of the roof. Having a curved roof can also benefit my design as it can allow me to be more sustainable. Collecting rainwater would be easier and my design will be able to blend into the natural site a bit more.

DIAGRAMMING When beginning to diagram my design and roughly sketch up where I wanted everything to be, I look to my site plan and was influenced by the surroundings. For example, I already knew I wanted a studio/relaxing space with large windows overlooking the water. Therefore, I positioned that room facing North East. My Design was lacking a bit of creativity and structure (it was looking a bit boxy), so I decided to have my kitchen diner (the main body of the house) on a 45-degree axis in comparison to the studio spaces. This also created interesting shapes and corners for windows, as well as little nooks on the outside for plants and trees to really bring the design to life.

Another thing I considered when drawing out my diagrams was the sun path of the site. Obviously, the sun rises is the East and sets in the West, so I wanted to manipulate this path and get the most out of the light beams in order for the open plan kitchen to be broken up into separate spaces, without any physical boundaries. The axis of my design helped with this. I was also thinking about the different shapes of windows and balconies I wanted to include in order for the sun to create interesting shapes and paths throughout the house.

PRECEDENT STUDY - Meiso no Mori Municipal Funeral Hall, Kakmigahara, Japan

When developing my own project, I have taken inspiration from the Japanese ‘Meiso no Mori’ Municipal Funeral Hall, situated in Kakmigahara and developed by Toyo Ito & Associates, Architects in the years 2004-2006. This structure in fact, won the 2013 Pritzker Prize, mainly for its clever roof design.

The Meiso no Mori building also translates to “Forest of Meditation” in Japanese, which links this precedent study to my own design. Im looking to create a space for myself where I can relax and meditate as well as go about my everday life and this precedent has inspired me to create a roof that links the structure to its organic surroundings.

The Funeral hall consists of a curving, concrete roof that measures 20cm in thickness, which is impressive for such a large structure. The hall also deliberatley echos the organic forms of the mountainous surroundings beyond and the wavy nature of the roof mimics the billowing clouds above. This is an interesting method of bringing the inside of the structure closer to the outdoors, without an invasion of privacy.

The Trouhs of the roof end in a dozen tapered columns, as seen above within the interior, which also serve as a multi-purpose drainage system, making the struucture more sustainable and putting the design of the roof to good use. Furthermore, the crests of the roof allow bulbous, spatial elements containing simple programmatic functions to form beneath them. Using a roof like this in my design will evidently help me to maximise the amount of space and light within the house for myself.

FIRST MODEL

When looking at creating a working 1:100 scale model, I first started off with the basic shape of my floor plan. I didn’t actually know how I was going to make the exterior of my design look, so I began experimenting as I went along, trying different shapes and different sized windows. I knew that I wanted to keep my main space (Kitchen, Diner and lounge) as a large open plan space, broken up into different areas by shadows and light. I decided that my studio/mindfulness space should have higher ceilings than the rest of the house (5m High) with its own second floor built in, accessible by its own staircase or ladder. The rest of the bottom floor sits at 2.5m high and I intend to add a second floor for my bedroom and balconies.

I also thought that an outdoor seating area was necessary in order to take in the natural site, with large doors leading out from the kitchen diner. The entrance is on the road-side of the site as I wanted the back of the house to feel a little more private in such a public area.

AT T E M P T

Studio Space with its own second floor and high ceillings (large windows etc)

- Scale 1:100

SKETCHES AND Rough Idea of the Floor Plans -

I decided to roughly sketch out my 1:00 scale floor plans as I felt like i was a bit more free to experiment and move around different ideas. When creating my second floor, again, I wasnt too sure on how it was going to look. My main priority was getting a bedroom and ensuite in there to complete my basic needs. I also would like to include an open spiral staircase from the open plan kitchen up to the landing. It was a necessity for my design to include terraces and balconies, preferably they will be green and sustainable, in order to overlook the water and get the most of my views. I made the triangular shaped as I thought this would create interesting shapes and shadows once again.

DEVELOPMENTS - Looking at Light, Dark, Highlights and Shadows

Exploring the way in which the sunpath travels over my house, using a lamp and mimicing what the sun would do. This is an example of how I will manipulate light to create new smaller spaces within larger spaces in my design.

E L E VAT I O N S When creating my roof design during the elevation process, I found it particulary difficult to represent the shape digitally, I decided to add it to my model at the end which shows the curve alot clearer.

Left View

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Right View

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Ground Floor Plan

Front View

1. Entrance 2. Spiral Staircase inspired by Organic Forms (wooden) 3. Lounge Area 4. Bi-Folded Doors out onto Patio 5. Patio Area 6. Dining Area 7. Sitting Room (private) 8. Kitchen with Breakfast Bar 9. Work space (View of the water) 10. Ladder up to Second Floor 11. Meditation/Yoga space inspired by Japanese Tea House 12. Doors out to the Garden

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AND PLANS

- Scale 1:100

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First Floor Plan 13.

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Spiral Staircase inspired by Organic Forms (Wooden) Master Bedroom Outdoor Terrace/Balcony Ensuite Outdoor Balcony Quiet Space above the Meditation room (accessed by ladder)

Roof Plan

S I T E 2 R E L AT I O N S H I P

When Placing my roof plan within the Site, I felt that my design really came together. The Brief I created for myself at the start has been fulfilled in that I have been able to create a structure to inhabit a calm and peaceful atmosphere. It sits on the Site so that the Studio Space has a view of the water and the Living/Kitchen area will get the maximum amount of light from the sun, according to the sun-path.

EXTERIOR DESIGN DEVELOPMENTS

FINAL MODEL

AT T E M P T

- Scale 1:100

A HOUSE FOR A PROFESSIONAL

PROFESSIONAL CLIENT P S Y C H I AT R I S T -A Psychiatrist studies a branch of medicine devoted to the diagnosis, prevention and treatment of mental disorders -Mental disorders are conditions that affect your thinking, feelings, mood and behaviour, they can affect your ability to relate to others and to function each day.

-Psychiatrists may prescribe medicine or recommend other treatments such as counselling or Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) -This focuses on challenging automatic negative thoughts that contribute to emotional difficulties such as depression and anxiety.

Therefore, for my client I intend on designing a relatable space that is in aid of treating or preventing the likes of mental disorders, it will demonstrate a safe space with a positive atmosphere.

How can Architecture Affect Mental Illness?

-Environmental quality: plenty of natural light, ventilation and outdoor access can help give health a boost.

-Solar Powered Models and Safe Furniture: Impact wellness and reduce stress in occupants.

-Physical Activity: gets people moving and improves well-being (outdoor access and clutter free spaces).

-Sensory Environments- Tactile touch, visual lighting, shapes and sounds of surroundings, smells and Social connection- open spaces and sense of community can help people relate and feel more involved.

ARCHITECTURE INSPIRED BY M E N TA L W E L L - B E I N G

This is a Study by Architect and Designer, Federico Babina, it is an abstract take on architectural froms to show the affect architecture can have on mental health and vise versa.

The Idea with this study is that it shows me, as an architect, the types of things to take into consideration when designing for someone whos job is to prevent these feelings and emotions. For example, not to make the rooms too small and cramped, make sure there is enough natural light, make sure there is a strong connection between the space and the outside world/it’s surroundings.

SYMMETRICAL DESIGN Below are some images created by Photographer, Valentin Rizvan. They are inspired by the concept of the Rorschach Inkblot Test- mirrored and symmetrical psychological representations. This has inspired me to create a design that incorporates symmetry, just like the Ink-Blot Test, it is a good way of creating a relatable space for the client without being too loud with the concept.

CONSEPTUAL IDEAS-Perhaps use the idea of the Inkblot Test and bring in some sort of symmetry to the design.

-Use different shaped windows to mimic and influence the movement of light and shadows throughout the space.

-Be sure to reflect the type of person the client is and what their whole job is about- allow the space to show this.

THE CLIENT’S BRIEF Below are some inspiring images of structures that have influenced the Client’s design brief, for example: Natural and Organic Forms; Interesting Staircases; Interior Courtyards and Green Areas Indoors etc.

-Plenty of Natural Lighting within the space (large windows, skylights, positioned in a way that maximises sun hours).

-A room or space dedicated to mindfulness and well-being with good ventilation and a minimalist design.

- perhaps a space he can see his clients?

-Lots of access to outdoor space, large garden or perhaps a terrace/balcony spaces if the site limits the garden.

-Perhaps add an element of sustainability? Solar panels etc.

-Include some bright colours, plants (green) and different textures and sensory aspects to the space.

-Have some sort of way of connecting to the outside surroundings whilst remaining a private space.

PRECEDENT STUDY The Host House sits within a residential neighbourhood in Utah’s capital, along the western front of the Wasatch Mountains and was designed by American Architects, Kipp Edick and Joe Sadoski for a ski coach. They aimed to “create a spatial expression to help and encourage room for students to grow”. This is similar to the outcome I want for my design as I intend to create a space for a psychiatrist that promotes health, well being and growth (mentally and physically with vegetation).

- Interior Courtyard of the Host House, Utah.

Facades that are visible from the street are mostly opaque, thus concealing the home’s size and interior activities. The entrance facade, which looks west, features a solid black door and no windows. The client was a very private individual who supported a design approach that located the glazing in specific zones of the house to provide ample daylight and privacy.

DEVELOPING

I think that this idea really brings an aspect of zen and mindfulness to my design, which is really important when dealing with a client such as a psychiatrist who’s sole purpose is to utilise and practise the idea of good mental health and well-being. I also think that if the psychiatrist every has patients of their own clients round to their office, this spectacle can act as a way of calming or reassuring the patient.

I could also include aspects such as water features or stones within the tank, calming statues etc. I intend for my client’s house to have quite high ceilings with only one story, so the heart of the house, the interior courtyard, would reach the roof and act as a skylight, letting more light flow through.

I N T E R I O R C O U R T YA R D

When thinking about the heart of my design, the interior courtyard/ porch area, I had to make the decision of whether my client would want to use it as a seated space, or whether it was for pure decoration and acted as a spectacle. I decided to use it as a way of bringing life and greenery into the house, having plants and perhaps even a tree growing inside of it. I also explored the idea of having a tube/circular shape for my indoor courtyard, but decided to go for the square.

DIAGRAMMING: SITE 1

I started to map out my ideas for the design using diagramming and visual thinking. My design developed into a symmetrical plan to mimic the symmetry within the inkblot test. I knew that I wanted to place the psychiatrist’s office with a view of the water and in an area that gets the maximum amount of sunlight, hence the sun path on the diagram to the right. I wanted an interior courtyard to act as the heart of the design and for the other rooms to work around them. I found that the corridors would be too spacially invasive so I developed my idea to the diagram on the right hand side.

DESIGN DEVELOPMENT Rough Idea of the Floor PlanI decided to hand draw a rough idea of a floorplan so that I was able to be a bit more free with my design. I wasn’t too sure on the placement of the rooms so I did a little experimenting before coming up with this final plan. I decided my client would have a one storey house, but with a unique shape. As you can see by the floorplan, the house shape is based off the idea of the inkblot test used by psychiatrists and other mental-health experts. There is a complete line of symmetry running through the centre of the building, with the interior courtyard right in the middle.

The glass of the tank in the centre is used as a way of breaking up the large kitchen/dining area and the lounge area without actually placing a wall or barrier there. The fact that the tank is also glass all the way around allows light to flow through the centre of the house, the spaces are still connected as you can see through.

FIRST MODEL

I created a scale model at the scale 1:100 with some cardboard. I decided to keep my first model simple as I knew what the floor plan would look like (from plan view), however, I wasnt too sure what the sections or facades were going to look like as of yet.

AT T E M P T

- Scale 1:100

With my next model, I plan on perhaps trying out the idea of different ceiling heights, especially around the interior courtyard (making that the highest point in the house), and maybe experimenting with having a terrace/grass area on the roof of the house.

SECOND MODEL

For my next model at the scale 1:100, I began to look at how the facades would look in relationship to the roof and roof plan. I wanted plenty of natural light in my design, so I have included 3 sky lights to maximise the connection with the outside world, whilst still being a private property. I took some photos of my model to show how the symmetry came into play throughout the house. As you look through it, you can see all the way down the centre of the house, this emphasises the idea of the house resembling an ink blot test. I also added two large triangular skylights on either side of the house which will light up the kitchen and living area with natural light as well as creating interesting shadows as the sun path goes over head.

AT T E M P T

- Scale 1:100

Because the house is only a one storey house, I wanted the ceilings to be quite high. They are around 4m tall. As I looked at how Architecture can affect mental health earlier, I learned that having things in your home such as good ventilation and natural light can help in boosting both your physical and mental health. Another thing was having sustainable appliances in your home, so I have included two large solar panels on either side of the roof. These are specifically angled to face the suns path to maximise their use.

E L E VAT I O N S

- Scale 1:100

Front View

When doing my elevations on Autocad at the scale 1:100, I was able to build up my ideas for the different facades and see what my design is actually going to look like. I also intend to develop these elevations further using Sketches and Drawings etc to bring the design to life.

I like the way that even the facades look symmetrical when faced with front on.

Back View

FLOOR PLANS 10

- Scale 1:100

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Ground Floor Plan 1. Entrance 2. Lounge Area 3. Interior Courtyard 4. Kitchen Area 5. Dining Room 6. Yoga/Meditation/Mindfulness room 7. Sitting Room/TV Room 8. Walk-in Closet 9.Master Bedroom 10. Ensuite Bathroom 11. Office Space 12. Sitting area for Clients 13. Back doors to Outside

Roof Plan 14.

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Skylight from Interior Courtyard Terraced-roof with Seating area Two huge Skylights into the kitchen/Living Area Roof with Solar Pannels

EXTERIOR DESIGN

DEVELOPMENT

REFLECTIVE DIARY