Tech Report Jason Glionna 190330976
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Table of Contents
1 Introducing 'Perception' [1] 2 Stereotomic vs. Tectonic [21] 3 Experiential Architecture [37] 4 Detailing & Systems [89]
Introducing 'Perception'
Just as every notch, gouge, and carving of Edinburgh’s famous topography can be visually documented, so too can the city’s enriched historical context through numerous architectural interventions. The same stone that once formed the base from which Edinburgh has grown, has since been converted time and again into the buildings that now inform the city’s spirit. From the Edinburgh Castle to Scott’s Monument, we are reminded of various time periods through the means of a unified architectural language: solid structural forms. In this case, structure and materiality go hand-in-hand.
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Inherently, the concept of associating stereotomic materials with architecture provides people with a sense of stability. However, what we can see only provides us with half of the story. What lies beneath the cobblestone roads and within the stone walls can help uncover the multi-layered character of Edinburgh. The challenge is deciphering between spaces that provide temporary pleasures versus those that share permanent beliefs; a process primarily based on perception. When attempting to better understand Edinburgh, we must ask: where does a city primarily characterized by its development in the 12th and 18th century situate itself in the present day? How much of the historic architecture and infrastructure is brought into the foreground and which architecture recedes into its surroundings? Can the New Town really be called ‘new’ anymore? In addressing these questions, we must seek an alternative perspective to the norm. One that aims to depict Edinburgh as its authentic self – the good and the bad. One that doesn’t assign materials based on their associated structural qualities but rather focuses on their abilities to create experiential and sustainable spaces. This process of going against the grain is usually met with challenges of which are often superseded by the benefits. Several architects such as Herzog & de Meuron, Archigram, Bernard Tschumi, and Kengo Kuma are testaments to the ability to alter standardized perceptions through their work, especially during periods of stagnation.
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Key Perception Changers Highlighted throughout “Introducing ‘Perception’”
Herzog & de Meuron
Peter Cook (Archigram)
A Topographical Approach
A Dytopian Utopia
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Bernard Tschumi
Kengo Kuma
The Park Typology
Wood & Sustainability
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Herzog & de Meuron [ 5]
On Perception...
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People have lost their sense of direction; everything has become a question of perception, association and perspective. The boundary between the real and virtual is utterly blurred, making even experience and memory unreliable factors.
- Gerhard Mack | Herzog & de Meuron Complete Works [vol. 4]
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A Topographical Approach
- Dominus Winery, California (Gabion Wall)
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Herzog and de Meuron began their practice in the post-modernism era. Their work demonstrated a liberation from big narratives and focused on the experimentation with materials. What separates Herzog and de Meuron’s work from the rest is their use of sampling and collage. The process of applying fragments wherever seemed fit led to a multi-layered reality and their ‘topographical approach.’ Suddenly, the structural properties of materials became less important and the focus turned to the experiential attributes of each material. In a similar manner, I have attempted to uncover the numerous layers of Edinburgh so that I can determine an informed solution. I have experimented with materials in a fragmented way, inverting the perception of how they can be used in a tectonic and stereotonic manner.
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Yona Friedman
Archigram
Cedric Price
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On Utopia...
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Architecture is probably a hoax‌an attempt to rationalize the irrational. [Our] playful incitements functioned as a search for ways out from the stagnation of the architectural scene.
- Warren Chalk & Peter Cook| Archigram
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A Dystopian Utopia
- Ron Herron's version of Instant City, California
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Archigram was formed in the early 1970s at a time where mundane architectural designs had become the norm as a result of the late Modernist period. In an attempt to challenge the utopian “form follows function� notion, Archigram turned to innovative collages to highlight dystopian cities while depicting people-oriented cities. In particular, the Instant City introduces the concept of the tectonic megastructure that brings architecture in motion. The graphic became a piece of my collage for the dystopian Princes Street Gardens. Archigram’s avant-garde approach through provocative collages and grand, motion-driven designs helped inform my initial megastructure for the heart of Edinburgh.
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Herzog Bernard & de Tschumi Meuron [ 13]
On the Park...
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During the twentieth century we have witnessed a shift in the concept of the park, which can no longer be separated from the concept of the city. The park forms part of the vision of the city...The inadequacy of the civilization vs nature polarity under modern city conditions has invalidated the time-honored prototype of the park as an image of nature. It can no longer be conceived as an undefiled Utopian world-in-miniature, protected from vile reality.
-Bernard Tschumi | Excerpt from Competition Text
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The Park Typology
- Parc de la Villette, Paris (Overall Layout)
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Bernard Tschumi’s approach to architecture leans primarily on deconstructivism, whereby he locates problems and proposes alternative solutions through fragmentation. His innovative work sheds light on a different design approach, which steps away from the neo-classicism typically used during the 1980s. Through projects like Parc de la Villette, Tschumi demonstrates his process of dis-structuring – breaking down the concept of typical structural solutions to focus more on the overall composition. In a similar manner, I incorporated a purity to the form and materiality of the floating pods placed throughout Princes Street Gardens.
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Kengo Kuma [ 17]
On Wood...
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We should create a building that is a symbol of a new age, a new period of natural design. - Kengo Kuma
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Wood & Sustainability
- Odunpazari Modern Art Museum
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Kengo Kuma is best known for this ability to seamlessly integrate his architecture into the surrounding nature and contextual culture. His use of wood in projects like The Nest symbolize stability in a stereotomic manner. Kuma’s portrayal of wood as a permanent material contrasts how it is typically perceived today. Kuma’s sustainable outlook of replacing concrete and steel with wood, no matter the scale, is something I incorporated into the clusters across Princes Street Gardens. His process of layering wood and lodging wood into each other is something I also integrated into my work.
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Stereotomic vs. Tectonic In accordance with Alberto Campo Baeza’s text, From the Cave to the Hut, the terms “stereotomic” and “tectonic” help us understand “what” we as architects do, along with “how” we do it. Baeza best describes stereotomic as a part of the building that wishes to belong to the earth, and tectonic as a part that separates itself from the earth (Baeza 22). The use of both stereotomics as a mass, and tectonics as a member, enables a design to come to life. Baeza sites brick, rock, stone, and rammed earth as the most common stereotomic materials and wood as the most common tectonic material (Baeza 23). The former seeks light, while the later controls it.
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From the Cave to the Hut
- On stereotomics and tectonics in architecture
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Alberto Campo Baeza [ 23]
On From the Cave to the Hut...
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The weighty, [stereotomic cave], which settles down as if it had been born there; [contrasted by] the articulated, [tectonic hut], which sets itself on the earth as if raised on tiptoe.
- Alberto Campo Baeza| p. 24
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The Ground Plane
- Sketch Model
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Baez’s principles laid the groundwork for my approach to reimagining Princes Street Gardens. The intriguing contrast between stereotomic and tectonic properties and materials is something that became a focal point throughout my design. The ground plane became the dividing line between the ‘stereotomic cave’ and the ‘tectonic hut,’ with the theme of perception playing a vital role in differentiating between the two.
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The cave is no longer carved from stone, it is now layered with timber. The hut is no longer carefully lifting wood, it is now holding stone. In turn, the overall perception of stereotomic and tectonic objects as structural solutions is put into question. Instead, the focus turns to the ability of materials to create and experiential space. Despite the altering of perception of materials like wood and stone, the tectonic and stereotomic attributes of light remain true via lightwells below and translucent stone above.
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From Stereotomic to Tectonic The categories of stereotomic and tectonic are indicative of both the current state and historic evolution of Edinburgh. In the Medieval Times, stone was the primary construction material resulting in a stone castle, stone buildings, and stone paving all surrounded by a stone wall. However, with stone came a limitation in building height. Once the Old Town reached its capacity within the wall, the only option was to build upwards. The stereotomic town suddenly required a tectonic mindset. Through the use of wood, the buildings were taken to immense heights for the time period. This tectonic addition atop a stereotomic base is something I began to focus on with my design for Princes Street Gardens. The permanent spaces below ground become the stereotomic base for the temporary tectonic ‘pods’ that are lifted above.
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The Hepworth Wakefield: A Precedent Study The process of questioning the perception of ‘stereotomic’ and ‘tectonic’ originated from the study of The Hepworth Wakefield by David Chipperfield Architects. The intent behind the materiality selection for the museum stems from the surrounding brick and stone industrial buildings. The strong presence created by the stereotomic concrete façades caused me to consider the perception of the building through a wood lens. Instead of pulling from the surrounding stonework that covers New and Old Town, I decided to seek a more sustainable material (wood) to represent the stereotomic spaces; one that is better suited for the natural valley.
Concrete Massing Model I created a concrete massing model to gain a better understanding of the choice of material. The heavy massing blocks interlock into each other in a unique manner.
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The Hepworth Wakefield | David Chipperfield Architects
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Assembly Process: Individual Blocks
Percepton: Concrete vs. Wood Massing
The Hepworth's appearance and circulation can be defined through the process of putting each of the individual blocks together. For my concrete model I created ten unique blocks that each only fit into one specific spot.
The museum's heavy stereotomic massing is what inspired me to question the need for its association with concrete. Instead, I imagined the building as being constructed out of wood.
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Concrete Facade Sectional Detail In a similar manner to The Hepworth Wakefield, I created lightwells overhead to fill the space with light. Another aspect that connects the museum with Princes Street Gardens is the presence (or previous presence) of water. Chipperfield does a very good job of creating a pronounced experiential aspect by submerging portions of the faรงade into the adjacent river. Continuing this thought process, I found ways to incorporate the drainage of rainwater into my underground church. The visual of the water rotting away the wood provides the viewer with a visual on the importance of using sustainable materials, while also acting as an ode to the Loch that once filled the gardens.
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Experiential Architecture
The essential shift in perception of both Princes Street Gardens and the use of materials can be achieved by focusing on how stereotomic and tectonic materials create an experiential space. This is contrary to the typical view of materials as structural solutions. The newfound perspective would enhance the experience of the user and aid in the revitalization of the dilapidated gardens.
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Experiential Architects Highlighted throughout “Experiential Architecture�
Peter Zumthor
Tadao Ando
Materiality
Nature
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John Pawson
Gordon Bunshaft
Simplicity
Authentic Programming
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Peter Zumthor [ 41]
On Materials...
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I work a little bit like a sculptor. When I start, my first idea for a building is with the material. I believe architecture is about that. It's not about paper, it's not about forms. It's about space and material.
-Peter Zumthor
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Peter Zumthor: Bruder Klaus Chapel Zumthor created Bruder Klaus by constructing a wood structure, covering it with concrete, then burning out the wood. This process inspired me to do the inverse: carve away from the earth and fill it with thick, stacked timber walls and beams.
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Throughout his work, Peter Zumthor maintains his focus on the “essence of materials, [one that is] beyond culturally conveyed meaning…[He] believes that [materials] can assume a poetic quality in the context of an architectural object, although only if the architect is able to generate a meaningful situation for them, since materials themselves are not poetic” (Zumthor 10). Zumthor attempts to bring out specific meanings through senses in order to create vibrant architecture that is brought to life.
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The key is finding a way to ensure the whole composition works synthetically amidst the pursuit of experiential individual details. The overall configuration can be dictated through the craftsmanship that goes into each piece of carefully constructed architecture. The art of making – of giving an idea or conception a presence – is where the beauty in architecture lies.
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Zumthor’s ability to design through an experiential lens with a focus on the essence of materials, is something that inspired my design of the permanent underground spaces, such as the church. Thick pieces of timber are gently stacked like logs, held together through vertical dowels.
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The dense layered wood stands as a reminder to the forces required to retain the earth from pouring in. What the wood does not contain is the remnants of water which trickles down the walls and columns. The water slowly eats away at the wood depicting its gradual decay as if standing alone in nature.
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Strategic Weathering of Wood
- St. Benedict Chapel
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- Zumthor’s sketch of the strategic weathering of wood [a principle I used in my design]
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Timber Column at Grade Water collects at the base of the timber column and slowly seeps down the drainpipes.
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Timber Column at Ceiling The water from the drainpipes reaches the timber the wood cladding along the column to rot.
3. column within the underground church. It slowly causes
Timber Column at Floor The water eventually reaches the base of the column where there are two more drainpipes ready to release the water into the earth below.
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The boards of wood will eventually reach a state beyond repair, at which point there is a moment of rejoice that the boards can be replaced with new wood and feed into the sustainable cycle.
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1. Fresh wood cladding installed behind the font and alter.
2. Weathered wood from continuous exposure to rainwater.
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3. Fresh wood cladding reinstalled to replace the rotted wood.
Water seeps down the wall reaching the font and leaving behind a stain of rotted wood. The water symbolizes the holy water found in the font.
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On a rainy day, the outdoor water and heated floors results in steam subtly emerges from small gaps in the floorboards creating a relaxed atmosphere.
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Tadao Ando [ 59]
On Nature...
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I don’t believe architecture has to speak too much. It should remain silent and let nature in the guise of sunlight and wind.
-Tadao Ando
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Tadao Ando: Church of the Light Ando’s focus on spiritual spaces that have a primary fixation on light is what drew me to his work. Through the use of lightwells, I was able to use light to guide people through my church, just as Ando does through his work.
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The principle alluded to in Ando’s quote is something he introduces into each of his designs. He seeks simplicity, yet depth. He focuses on light and its ability to evoke a feeling of empowerment for the people who use that space. The light brings a space of “nothingness� to life.
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My decision to completely submerge the more permanent programme, such as the church, like a cave, meant that the space would now seek light. The emphasis on light as a driver behind the design fit well for a space of solitude and reflection.
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The front and back walls of the church are lined with two distinct lightwells, controlling the only light that enters the space from the outdoors. Upon arrival underground, worshipers are met with a glowing doorway resembling the presence of Jesus Christ and his resurrection from the tomb.
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Once they cross the barrier of light into the threshold of the church, they can immediately notice the alter and cross atop a slightly sloped aisle. The angled ceiling narrows the focus on the alter, which has been gently backlit by a flood of sunlight.
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Lectern and seating for Alter Boy/Girl
Alter and seat for Priest
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Perspective Plan To the left of the doorway stands the font, backed by a water stained wall. Tucked away on the right are the confession boxes. Each item of furniture throughout the space feels as if it is one with the walls, floor, and ceiling; all part of the heavy, stereotomic space.
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Confession Boxes
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This view was cut at three varying heights to capture the lightwells, sanctuary, and confession boxes/vestibule.
Pews
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Font
John Pawson [ 71]
On Simplicity...
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Minimalism is not defined by what is not there but by the rightness of what is and the richness with which this is experienced.
-John Pawson
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John Pawson: Wooden Chapel The purity and simplicity of Pawson’s chapel inspired my use of stacked timber. With my church I aim to make a similar reflective space
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Through his work, John Pawson has focused on creating contemplation spaces to allow the user to reflect spiritually. One of the keys to Pawson’s designs is the simplicity carried through forms, tones, lighting, and materials. His Wooden Chapel along a cycling path through the Bavarian Forest exemplifies his design principles in a very clear manner. Constructed simply of 61 stacked tree trunks, the chapel appears as nothing more than a pile of chopped down trees piled on the edge of the forest.
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Its subtle doorway, small square window, and thin clerestory windows provide the stereotomic space with its only light. The scent of the Douglas Fir that encapsulates the humble building immerses the visitor back into the forest from which they came. The stacked wood remains visually and physically authentic to the architectural components of the structure, faรงade, and interior. It is exposed to the environment, just as a tree in the forest, yet it still provides a space for shelter and solitude.
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What would happen then if Pawson’s Wooden Chapel were taken underground? The same principles pertaining to the experience and structure could still apply. The layered timber would still hold its connection to nature and the forest, forming a tranquil space for reflection. Thick plinths of timber could even further demonstrate its strength through the retaining of the earth surrounding the submerged space. In a way, this shift in perception is what I am aiming to achieve with my underground church. The fundamental aspects of the thick, stereotomic form can be inversed, and in turn, carved out of the earth, just as the cave is carefully sculpted out of the mountain. Why is it that something so unnatural and unauthentic as concrete is our first choice to line an excavated space? Instead, we can look to nature in the form of wood as a means of creating more authentic, comforting, and sustainable underground spaces.
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Gordon Bunshaft [ 79]
On Authentic Programming...
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I believe one of the most important things in doing a building is writing a program, and that entails almost living with the people who are going to use the building, finding out how they hope to work in it, not listening to their solutions but listening to their needs
-Gordon Bunshaft
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Skidmore, Owings, & Merrill: Beinecke Rare Book & Manuscript Library Bunshaft’s modernist design of the Beinecke Library fits well with my take on the temporary floating pods. Just like the library the pods are modular, simplistic in style, and unsustainable.
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Picturing the earth as the enormous rock from which we carve, we are inherently left with the remnants of stone that once helped hold the overall mass together. The fragments become building materials for us to reassemble above grade. With this process in mind, I decided to lift the heavy stone into the sky, whereby it becomes as gentle as a cloud. Its newfound use as a tectonic material means that it must now find a way to control the light. In order to maintain the materialistic properties of the stone, I turned to the Beinecke Rare Book & Manuscript Library, by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill as a precedent. The ‘floating pods’ found in my design intend to leave the viewer with a newly conceived perception and experience. Their three metre by three metre module size allows for interchangeable programming and the use of individual panels of stone on each of the six faces of the façade.
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Light glows through the white marble panels illuminating the beautiful but unsustainable aspect of the stone surfaces. The pods as a whole are only meant to be temporary. They hold the continuously interchangeable programme that comes and goes over time. This is in stark contrast to the sustainably built, permanent underground spaces, which house the programme that will always remain vital to societal use.
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Easily adjustable steel stairs provide the opportunity for the pods to move up and down based on various weather conditions or activities taking place.
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Detailing & Systems
The detailing throughout the church and pods is very thorough and authentic to the stereotomic and tectonic themes. The sustainability component that goes hand-in-hand with the use of wood is further embodied in each of the systems utilised to heat and ventilate the church and pods.
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1. Alter
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2. Pews
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1. Stair System
2. Pod
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Water Drainage Systems [ 95]
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1. Water weathering wall behind alter
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Water drains from pool above through pipes along columns
Water seeps down wall behind font
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Heating Systems [ 97]
Underfloor Heating Mat Components 30mm Translucent Marble Underfloor Heating Mat Wires 30mm Translucent Marble [held together with steel frame]
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Underfloor Heating System Components 300mm x 300mm Timber 40mm Space 150mm Concrete [Underfloor Heating Pipe within] Membrane 150mm Rigid Insulation Membrane Tanking Compacted Earth
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Ventilation Systems [ 99]
Natural Ventilation Components Steel Frame with a slot for Ventilation 30mm Translucent Marble [Horizontal] Steel Frame 30mm Translucent Marble [Vertical] - attached to steel frame through vertical steel dowel
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Fan & Air Duct Ventilation Components 300mm x 300mm Timber 40mm Space 150mm Concrete [Underfloor Heating Pipe within] Air Ducts Membrane 150mm Rigid Insulation Membrane Tanking Compacted Earth
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Cycle of Water 1.Water condenses into clouds 2.Rain falls to the ground 3.Water trickles down the walls and columns of the underground church 4.Drained water resembles Nor’ Loch’s past existence 5.Heated floor produce steam from exposure to water 6.Steam rises through floorboards
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Cycle of Wind 1.Clouds affect air pressure 2.Wind is created 3.Natural ventilation occurs through the mullions in the pods 4.Reference to geothermal heating is made (rising of hot air deep below the surface) 5.Fans and ducts circulate fresh air 6.Stale air exits in rooflights
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The 'floating pods' resemble the shape and density of clouds. However, as opposed to releasing rain, and creating wind, the pods act as a protective shield from the environmental elements that Edinburgh faces daily.
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Environmental Response
the pods provide protection from the sun, wind, and rain. On sunny days, the pods remain high in the sky creating dispersed shading below in a similar manner to a tree canopy. When it rains, the pods can move closer to the ground providing further protection to people below. In the case on increased winds, the pods can hover just above the ground forming a shield
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No matter how busy or noisy the temporary aspects of life get, there is still a deep desire and need for spaces to ground each person. Architecturally and materialistically, we can create tectonic, temporary spaces from a stereotomic mass. Sustainably, we can use tectonic materials to give back to the permanent mass we call the earth.
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Thank you Jason Glionna
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