IMMERSION (BDES3026 Portfolio)

FINAL PORTFOLIO Kenta Aruga BDES3026 Architectural Studio 3A Bruce Roberton 08.06.22

BDES3026 STUDIO 3A

IMMERSION

Acknowledgement of Country This portfolio begins by acknowledging the traditional custodians of the land and paying our respects to elders past, present and emerging. We extend this respect to any Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island People who may be reading.

More specifically, the project acknowledges the Gadigal people, whose land Pirrama Park resides on.

This portfolio may contain images and names of deceased people that may cause sadness or distress to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

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CONTENTS Introduction to water Project brief

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Research + Precedents Conceptual exploration Schematic design

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Conceptual + Initial models Final work

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References

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Water allows us to immerse ourselves in the experiences of our daily lifestyle.

Blocking out noise and zoning in on what’s important is vital to a good life. The acts of swimming, bathing and dipping offer a sense of respite from the hustle and bustle of the daily urban lifestyle. Not only does our experience of swimming, floating and submerging dependent on water but, water elevates our experiences of drinking, eating, meditating, socialising and exercising.

Water creates a welcoming environment, softening the mediums and intermediaries, allowing for a more social and communal environment. We as designers and architects must bridge the gap between the experiences of intensive swimmers and of casual visitors, using water to bind and unite these communities and create a refuge from chaotic urban life.

Photos: -Outdoor experience -Fringes of space -Interaction of light and water

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Relationship between the land and sea Water reacts differently according to the undulation of the land in turn creating different spaces. The water experience at the beach is widely different to an indoor pool or a man-made bay.

Freshwater beach (left) represents the stereotypical Australian beach: a long, sloping promenade of sand reaching to meet the cool vast ocean.

The gradual slope of the sandy beach along with the changing of the tides blurs the line between land and sea, between the dry and the wet.

Wylie’s baths (right) on the other hand, while it has some natural aspects, represents a more man-made variation: the iconic tidal pool.

The concrete promenade slopes towards the water as concrete steps help to transition between land and water. Tidal flows along with the flushing of seawater reveal and hide the rocky pool floor provoking a sense of mystique and curiosity.

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Freshwater beach, Freshwater (Natural)

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Wylie’s Baths, Coogee (Man-made)

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People’s interaction with the water’s edge South Curl Curl Rockpool, Curl Curl NSW

Traversing past water

Sunbathing/rest

Dipping in feet/teasing the water

Diving/swimming

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Sequence of interacting with water

Manly beach

Kiama blowhole

Parking/arrive

Parking/arrive

Walk across park and path

Walk across gravel and concrete road

Traverse down steps

Traverse down steps

Walk across dry sand

Descend concrete ramp

Walk across wet sand

Walk alonside metal fence

Surf/swim/dabble feet

Meet the blowhole from fence

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The Brief Brief description of what is required

URBAN OASIS calls for a place for exercise, relaxation and entertainment, operating from 5am till Midnight. It aims to bring the restorative qualities of water to a dense urban area filled with a mix of swimming, floating, eating, drinking and relaxation.

Roof structure that encloses the main pool becomes a key consideration, balancing out the conceptual architectural considerations with the technical structure. The structure may or may not extend beyond the main pool to encompass other elements of the scheme, depending on how the design develops.

The main pool must be located on land and not be suspended over the water.

All of the points outlined in the section: Swimmable Harbour point to an encouraging future for inharbour aquatic activities, and students are encouraged to consider use of the harbour for part of their program. Our brief however requires the main pool to be enclosed, to cater for all-season, all-day use, and to accommodate a wide range of user ages and conditions. That is not to say that harbour water can’t be used in the main pool – Andrew Boy Charlton pool and North Sydney Olympic pool are examples of pools that use harbour water, albeit treated and heated.

Part of the project must be two storeys with a partial third storey to be included if necessary. In accordance to access and ____, all areas of the project will require wheelchair accessibility throughout, other than designated plant rooms. A lift or ramps will be required for access to the upper level.

As with all designs, the project must take into account the safety and comfort of users and staff alike. *Excerpts from UoS guide*

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Spacial requirements

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Site History and Context

Exploring the site’s rich history through an Indigenous, industrial, land use and political lens.

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Pyrmont’s forest past: Sclerophyll forests

Prior to colonisation and mass excavation of the site, the site would have been a sloping shore with sclerophyll forests. Sclerophyll (coming from the Greek Sclero/Hard and Phyllon/leaf) are naturally adaptive to long periods of dryness and heat, with thick and leathery textures on their leaves along with waxy coatings and oil glands which help to retain water.

According to Chapman & Murphy’s findings via “Ecology of Pyrmont”, the site that Pirrama Park sits on today was said to have been a soft, undulating hilly shore above Hawkesbury sandstone.

Image: https://www.steveparish-natureconnect.com.au/nature-centre-dry-sclerophyll-

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Entry from Harris St, Giba Park, Jones Bay etc.

From Harris St -Covered by trees and buildings (as if peeping through to a clearing in the forest) -Walking closer reveals more of the site

From Giba Park

From eastern carpark

-Sharp descent to the site -Teasing the view as one walks down the steps

-Concrete path traversing a corridors of trees -Slight changes in height changes the view significantly

View out to the east (CBD skyline view)

Philip Thalis’ redevelopment of Pirrama Park with a visual and tactile connection between land and sea 17

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Wylie’s Baths, Coogee NSW Aquatic Precedent Study

The various experiences surrounding the man-made/natural body of water that is Wylie’s Baths. The concrete and timber intertwine to create a unique structure hanging from the steep sandstone cliff.

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Wylie’s Baths, Coogee NSW Aquatic Precedent Study

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Therme Vals, Vals (Switzerland) Aquatic Precedent Study

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Therme Vals, Vals (Switzerland) Aquatic Precedent Study

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A building that lives within the three elements With the change in soil composition being one of the key aspects of the site’s history, this provides a foundation for the building’s form. The three soil types convey varying moods and thus, can be adopted to tell the greater narrative of the project.

MAN-MADE Elevated timber boardwalk 22

MAN-MADE/NATURAL Reclaimed land

NATURAL Existing hard soil

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A building that works with the land The overall site’s small footprint along with the immense visibility of the proposed building location from all angles means an “organic architecture” approach (architecture that blends into the landscape) is essential.

Excavating the existing ground

Adding the building within the transitional zone

Undulating the ground to play with scale and height 23

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A building immersed within a dense bushland During the time of the Wangal people, Pirrama Park is said to have been covered in low, dry sclerophyll woodland, especially along the hill’s ridges, upper slopes and shorelines. Retaining this narrative allows for a more cohesive and intriguing interior atmosphere.

Vast echoing vertical language in a sclerophyll forest 24

Containment of water through the thick texture and waxy coatings

Filtering of light through closeknit members forming a canopy

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A building that gives back to the community With social justice and public sovereignty being a large part of the site’s history, it is crucial to retain many of the key aspects that were fought for by the general public. The large park spaces are retained as much as possible along with the timber boardwalk which plays a major part in the site.

Providing generous public space on the exterior

Retaining the existing timber boardwalk to maintain circulation paths

Greater access into the outdoor pool (visually/physically) 25

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Atmosphere of the project The interior space of the project should feel spacious and provide a sense of respite as if they have entered a cave or large clearing in a forest - surrounded by the scale of the interior. The triangulating members of the space frame should create a visual landmark to the space, letting our eyes drift from the energetic interaction of the lap pool to the intricate play of light in the ceiling. The place draws the swimmer’s attention inwards to their swimming, leading to a total immersion and focus within the space.

To contrast this, the outdoor pool should feel limitless, encouraging a sense of play and energy in a very extroverted manner. The play of concrete piers peeking from underneath the timber boardwalk along with the concrete threshold aims to connect the users of the pool with the outside world, while allowing for a sense of privacy and peace.

In both spaces, a sense of simplicity and essentialist tendencies ensure a greater focus to the relationship with water.

Filtered light 26

Cavenous space

Elements of timber

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Collage of the project’s atmosphere

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Mapping of places to swim in Sydney Harbour

DAWN FRASER BATHS

DRUMMOYNE SWIMMING CENTRE

ANDREW (BOY) CHARLTON POOL

PIRRAMA PARK

LEICHHARDT PARK AQUATIC CENTRE

COOK + PHILLIP PARK POOL

IAN THORPE AQUATIC CENTRE

VICTORIA PARK POOL

What could we do to accommodate a swimmable harbour?

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PRINCE ALFRED PARK PUBLIC POOL

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Mapping of harbour water’s relationship to the shoreline

PIRRAMA PARK

What are the possibilities now that all this area is swimmable?

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Schematic 1:200 spacial massing model (rendered)

The massing model helps us to understand the spacial arrangement in relation to the site in a way which cannot be represented in planar drawing (plans and sections). The interaction of the basic spacial elements with the undulating ground furthers the sense of IMMERSION within the site, the schematic structure sinking into the soft reclaimed soil.

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Schematic interior render

Interior perspective highlighting the timber space frame roof/ceiling structure to the interior pool space 31

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Schematic spacial plan

*1:500 Scale on A1 *

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Schematic longitudinal section

*1:200 Scale on A1 *

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Building within the land model

Relationship between the building and the sloping land 34

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Iterative concrete threshold model

1:100 SCALE

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Concrete threshold between the exterior pool area and the public timber boardwalk 35

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Bodies of water create a transition between land and sea. Whether stepping in from sandy beaches into ocean , from rocky pebbles to lake or plunging in from the pool’s concrete decking. Pirrama park’s land types: existing hard sandstone land, reclaimed soil and elevated timber boardwalk all create various ways to relate to the ground, gradually increasing in proximity to the water of the surrounding harbour.

IMMERSION sits within the middle of this transition, providing users with a different relationship with the land. The main interior lap pool, secluded therapy pool and outdoor pool play with scale and water in different ways - parts submerged, parts ascend, parts indoors, parts outdoors parts extroverted, parts introverted - all to provide swimmers and visitors alike a different relationship with water. The experience of water isn’t and shouldn’t be exclusive to those who swim . Parents of children , friends who do not like to get wet and those with disabilities or injuries are all among those who may not interact with water directly. However, allowing these groups to still be able to experience water reflects the public idealogy of allowing Pirrama park to be within the public domain, free from private development and exclusion. Through the elevated bar/ restaurant and wide bleachers, views are maintained toward various bodies of water, building upon this ongoing relationship.

An expansive concrete promenade bleeds into the outdoor pool, providing a place of respite and relaxation under the sun, reminiscent of Wylie’s Baths or Clovelly beach.

The play of scale, light and materiality all play into IMMERSION’s narrative. The timber space frame shelters swimmers from the site’s prominent vertical afternoon sun, filtering its light like the canopy of a dry sclerophyll forest. The submerged outdoor pool space provides a sense of respite from the hot sun while also adding privacy from the public timber promenade. The light timber materiality intertwined with the heavy sandstone and concrete transition between the submerged and ascended, the natural and man-made.

IMMERSION FINAL SCHEME

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EASTERN ELEVATION

Final Scheme Entryway elevation

*1:200 Scale on A2 *

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Final Scheme Long Section

*1:200 Scale on A2 *

LONG SECTION 42

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OUTDOOR HARBOUR POOL RENDER 43

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Final Scheme Cross section

*1:200 Scale on A2 *

CROSS SECTION 44

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INDOOR LAP POOL RENDER 45

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SECLUDED HYDROTHERAPY POOL RENDER 46

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Away from the chaos of the main indoor lap pool, the hydrotherapy pool provides swimmers with a more private and non-judgmental environment. The elderly may perform aqua aerobics classes while infants and little children may begin their swimming journey, serving both ends of the community.

SECLUDED HYDROTHERAPY POOL 47

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ENTRY ANALYSIS 48

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Reflecting the already existing land revelopment form from Philip Thalis, the project opens its arms via landscaping that make evident the transition between land and sea. Working with the same form of the angular steps to narrate a visual connection, the landscaping form is punctured in half, allowing for better circulation for those entering from the footpath along Pirrama Rd.

ENTRY ANALYSIS 49

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3D AXONOMETRIC 50

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2000 mm

With the relatively wide visibility into the site, a key approach was to minimise the overall footprint of the building while allowing for an expansive atmosphere in the interior. The space frame’s minimal column requirement allowed for more structural freedom while maintaining structural stability in both lateral directions as well as vertically. Additionally, the space frame’s grid layout also allowed for a more naturally logical organisation of space.

200 mm

200 mm

200 mm

Rigidity in the western corner of the building absorbs some of the lateral load that the building faces

200 mm

A wide and deep raft slab footing system takes the majority of the lateral load, allowing for a simple connection to the space frame

The thinness of the space frame members was mainly achieved through the height of the top chord (as a higher altitude between the top and bottom chords allows for more resistance).

The spaces that can be created if a space frame is used

STRUCTURAL OVERVIEW 51

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COLUMN TO ROOF RENDER 52

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With much of the structural force being directed from the perimeters of the space frame structure, a series of thick concrete columns are erected on 4 corners of the bottom chord. This ensures point loads on the perimeters of the building are distributed evenly towards the ground.

COLUMN TO ROOF ANALYSIS 53

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As with a typical space frame structure, the bending moments and structural failure occur through a bending in the middle portion of the span. The individual timber web members alternate between compression and tension, while the top chord faces primarily compression and the bottom chord primarily facing tensions.

VERTICAL LOAD ANALYSIS 54

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As the column-footing connection is rigid (to counteract lateral loads), the deflection path will follow the form shown left. The pin joins on the column-roof connection rotate and flex as the top and bottom chord slide across laterally.

Therefre, the columns used in the primary structural frame are large in diametre and made of concrete to resist as much lateral force as possible.

LATERAL LOAD ANALYSIS 55

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FINAL PHYSICAL MODEL 56

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CLOSE UP PHOTOS OF FINAL MODEL 57

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References Chicago Manual of Style

Broadbent, John. Transformations: Ecology of Pyrmont peninsula 1788-2008. Sydney: Pyrmont History Group, 2010. https://pyrmonthistory.net.au/s/EcologyOfPyrmontFullReport.pdf Image: https://www.steveparish-natureconnect.com.au/nature-centre-dry-sclerophyllforests/ Weekly Structural and Architectural lectures by Eduardo Barata and Richard Hough (alongside guests) All photos by Kenta Aruga (unless otherwise referenced) *excludes collages*

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End of design portfolio Kenta Aruga BDES3026 Architectural Studio 3A Bruce Roberton 08.06.22

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