Aunt Chao (the doctor's) round house

the doctors round house

This book is a compilation of sketches done by Kennedy Simbayi and Anees Arnold. The sketches represent the thought process of both of us as we tried to get to grips with the architecture required for our client, Dr. Phiri.

the doctors round house

Contents initial ideas sketches 1-3

changes following client example input 4-8

reinterpreting the shape 9-12 arranging room layouts 13-18

3 house layout, section, models and quotes 19-23

, Aunt Chao s Round house

Client requirements

Round/ Circular house 7x7m Main bedroom 7x7m Lounge 7x7m Dining room

General guest toilet (Loo and basin) Guest bedroom General guest bathroom (Loo ,bath and basin) Guest Room / study (futon/sleeper couch)

Key Requirements Main Bedroom to be away from the Lounge/ night entertainment areas Bedroom to be self serving with En-suite bacthroom Bedroom to have walk in closet Dining room is to open onto courtyard seating area that is based around a tree chosen by the client

initial ideas sketches

, AKA: dr. phiri s house

The client instructed me to pursue a circular shape for the house. From the first sketch I drew it was apparent that a purely circular form would make the spaces inside gigantic, all the way across the building. Having a seven metre space in the least important parts of the building, would make very deep spaces which disrupt the internal flow of the nature of the circle.

initial ideas sketches

All it took to figure out what to do to this circle, was my collaborator drawing a sketch of his own which involved a tapering circle. This taper ensures that the least important spaces do not take up a very large space radially, and that the rooms feel nice inside. Immediately upon drawing the shape myself it brought up new ideas on how to separate the rooms and what could be with the outer wall.

This meant we arrived at a simple solution, which fulfilled all of the Doctor’s requirements, and also introduced the unwrapped nature of the outer wall.

At this stage it was very easy to see that we had found the right type of shape, all that was left is to find out if it would work

initial ideas sketches

We sent to the Doctor two options to look at, showing different positions forpassage to the guest wing.

This decision would determine whtether the curved walls would be experienced inside the rooms or in the public areas, and where the windows would go.

With his highlighter . . . with his fine liner ‌ everything and anything that would help him come to the same conclusion that I had.

That this shape works and that it means that so much can be done with it inside and out

changes following client example input

Once we found the shape, a whole lot of questions popped into my collaborators mind.So as any sane person did, he started to sketch.

And yet ... with this understanding, he felt that the scheme required shape refinement, so off to Google, and of to ArchDaily, to find some precedent of a circular house.

It was in this search that he discovered that circular houses are not prevalent. He found tha though there was little precedent the rational space planning tied up with that of container styled holiday houses.

changes following client example input

So began his journey of acceptance through attempting to find sufficient parallels in a form he was more familiar and comfortable with.

I too began to question the ability of a circular building, more so what to do to ensure that its roof was possible. Cue talks with friends... and some Googling and I was satisfied, as was my collaborator, with the possibilities of what could become of the circular sketch.

changes following client example input

changes following client example input

Off like a dog a the races we now shifted our attention to how this shape could be changed, from being ordinary to being something extra ordinary. What could become off the wallsand niches created by the unwrapped nature of the outer wall, and what of the dynamic spaces within the building.

My collaborators obsessive exploration shows just how many different ways one could tweak the design, and which I always feel is fundamentally the strongest sign of a good design, shape and building layout.

At this stage I was looking for possible materials to be used and that is where I found an old favourite Rammed Earth. Cheap to do, regardless of location, and can be done on a small budget.

changes following client example input

When we sent through the initial idea, the client responded with a request for future extensions as well as example of what she liked (via floorplanner.com).

reinterpreting the shape

We were not impressed with the design of this layout, but since it caught the clients eye, it brought out some immediate gut reactions of things we could intergrate. This at a stage where we had begun to explore the tectonics of the roof, internal spaces, and the tricky roof cladding

Ventilated bricks, poles and, anything that could contribute to a visual idea of faded connectivity was placed on the table for consideration. We realised that each room needed to be resolved at this stage, so that the functions and wall placement made sense

reinterpreting the shape

I became very interested in what would happen with the ceiling, its relationship with the roof support, and my collaborator became invested in the materiality of the walls, and how it could be played with.

The key and controversial decision was to flip the unwrapping of the outer wall

reinterpreting the shape

Before we could sit down and think of this going room by room, we once again put or attentiontowards the general plan attempted to impart some changes based on what the client had sent us and described; as well as the refined ideas we found, also specific changes brought about by the relationship between the building and the sun as seen in a rough model I had made in Skecthup.

Cue my collaborator, to go off and do some more sketches trying to identify the positive and intrinsic changes that had happened to ones experience through rotating the wrapping direction.

You can see how he was trying to sort out the order of items in the house itself, as well as possible furnishing items

reinterpreting the shape

So began the focus on specific room fitout and spacial thought

3

1

2

4

We started off by looking at the guest areas. The end room and toilet were eay fixes. The two closer to the lounge allowed for more play on corners

5

1 the initial sketch showing what was possible 2 focus on the bathroom and adjacent bedroom 3 another iteration of 2 4 bedroom with a recessed cupboard 5 Another sketch by the collaborator

arranging room layouts

6 Preferred sketch with recessed cupboard

6

1

1

2 1

3

The next space that needed to be changed was the Main bedroom bathroom as well as the kitchen 1 we defined the furnishing and walls of the Bathroom and walk in cupboard with linen closet 2 feature element in the toilet

4

3 initial kitchen layout 4 alternate kitchen layout 5 alternate layout finally drawn to scale

arranging room layouts

5

1

2

On this page you will see the end of the kitchen explorations

2 potential setup of breakfast nook

arranging room layouts

1 preferred kitchen layout with key

1

2

The most important space to get right is the Main bedroom, and this is why we sought to do this as a challenge between the two of us: PRINciple architect vs the COLLABorator.

1

Spacial Arrangement (PRIN)

2

3

Initial Spacial scheme (COLLAB) 4

Initial Spacial scheme (PRIN)

5

List of requirements (COLLAB)

List of requirements (PRIN)

6

Spacial Arrangement (COLLAB)

In the end we found that our two initial sketches were the same, so we ended up working together on this

5

4

6

arranging room layouts

3

1

2

3

A little further exploration led to the final preferred scheme 1 internal elevation of spaces 2 spacial arrangement and views overlay 3 idea of shifting the end plane

4

arranging room layouts

4 preferred layout with recessed wall

1

2

What we found was that this version meant that it was easier to make a passage that worked and we could make some nice intergrated shelving spaces 1 lounge arrangement with shelves on poles and amended outer walls 2 same as above except you can see an idea of how to make a seamless passage shelf

arranging room layouts

The entrance walkway and lounge areas offered us another opportunity for exploration. especially since we rotated the unwrapping of the walls.

house layout, section, models and quotes

New layout with all the amended parts combined

With this new layout in mind, we began rethinking the roof construction. This was also assisted with the creation of a 1:100 and 1:200 model which enabled us to try out multiple versions of trusses, and wall heights.

It became important to figure out the practical and aesthetic nature of what was happening above the occupant and we tried to split the spaces into 3 basic area:

house layout, section, models and quotes

Public area Guest wing Main wing

I wish i had a better camera so I could show you why these two models where so important in the thought process From confirming thoughts to, exploring multiple instances of for instance what to do with my aunts room, what to do with the trusses/ girders and thoughts on fenestration and bringing in light to the building....

All this is possible because of 7 pieces of scrap triplex and some grey card

house layout, section, models and quotes

With the building of this model, and the sections being redrawn, we could finally attempt to reach a better understanding of how the building might look.

house layout, section, models and quotes

It became apparent that this would not be an ordinary house, as with clerestory windows, and proper roof construction, the light that one experiences in this building would be something quite phenomenal

Take your thought and write cos someone else may see the side you I never claimed to be a genius yet people assume I am... so I never correct them

Drawing is like white off a there is nothing more beautiful than a detail thats thought through

it down, There are beauty in- no mistakes,

erasing the page A good idea is a sketch worth drawing

house layout, section, models and quotes

just ideas you never thought of

This book is a compilation of sketches done by Kennedy Simbayi and Anees Arnold. The sketches represent the thought process of both of us as we tried to get to grips with the architecture required for our client, Dr. Phiri.