Northeastern University School of Architecture
Arcch 5220 Integrated Building Systems
Spring 2023
Professor Laboy
ARCH 5120 Comprehensive Design Studio
Professor David Fannon
Acknowledgements:
Hans Simon, vielen Dank fuer deine unendliche Unterstuetzung!
Person vs. Space
Body Geometry vs. Space
Human Senses vs. Space
the Constraints and Art of Scale 1 2
Technical vs. Schematic Design
Prescriptive Building Codes vs. Human Experience
Prescriptive Building Codes vs. Environmentalism
3
Permanent vs. Temporary Architecture
Architecture vs. Art
Human Habitats vs. Installations
4
Combining the Scales of Architecture
Daniel Libeskind Jewish Museum vs. James Turrell
Peter Zumthor’s Field Chapel
The primary talent and responsibility of an architect is understanding and working with a variety of scales. Scale is defined as measuring based on the relation of architectural elements with each other and their surroundings along with being in harmony with human body geometry. Architecture is partially embodied by the same craft needed in art. Considering the relationship between geometry, material, objects, textures, and colors to execute a specific goal or a myriad of goals directly affect how humans perceive the world around us, momentarily or everyday. This defines one end of scale, where abstract and imprecise concepts can become established.
The more detailed end of scale goes hand in hand with artistic goals, and must be considered simultaneously. This includes detail, through building codes, materialistic characteristics, and the techniques used to implement general ideas. Not only does the end result of a material affect sensory feelings (visual appearance, smell, touch) and functional restrictions (texture, durability, size), but the way it is constructed serves as a foundation to this end result. [Figure 1] Architects need to be aware of the properties of the materials they are using and the way it is constructed. This decides the construction details of polishes, finishes, treatments, protective edges, and installation techniques that are just as important as its end appearance. Without knowing this scale of detail, it is impossible to create any space that is functional and efficient to live in for an extended period of time.
The result of enforcing the scale of detail in combination with schematic designs can influence its function and program, impacting the scale of time. Architecture aims for longevity, for economic and environmental reasons. Designing a building to last for a long period of time can influence the owner and its inhabitants, and attests to its ultimate success. However, a building designed with the intention of engaging the occupants mostly with its artistic approach often impacts its life span. Paintings and sculptures usually serve to convey a specific message and be admired from a distance. Installations offer another level of experience of art, with more interactive components that trigger sensory feelings and emotions.
“Architecture is a very special functional art; it confines space so we can dwell in it, creating the framework around our lives”. [1]
"In pure architecture the smallest detail should have a meaning or serve a purpose." [2]FIGURE 1 16 logements Paris 17e by Palast Architectures Balcony Detail
Light, space, and forms are the medium that psychologically influence humans for a limited period of time in their surrounding space. Permanent architecture goes a step further. Not only do we experience these mediums in our surrounding space, but we also live in them. This means that a much wider variety of programs and activities occur in spaces that are, in a way, directly controlled by the objects, materials, and spaces around us. The scale of art to architecture becomes functional and serves as a shell for human lives.
Though considering the levels where scale differentiates itself from art and installations, there is a parallel in the scale of experience that needs to be considered. Construction details serve as a functional consideration for a design, but needs to go hand in hand with how a person feels, similar to art. Light artists, like James Turrell, think about the psychological impacts of artificial and natural light, and how this can be manipulated to evoke specific emotions from a user. With an education in psychology and mathematics, Turrell created a series of skyspaces, which is a specifically proportioned chamber with an aperture in the ceiling open to the sky. Many of these are permanent structures, and enjoyed by humans for a much longer time than a temporary art installation. In this way, the scale of timelessness is compromised and fused together with architectural intentions. [Figure 2] Similar to an atrium in a typical building designed by architects, light is more defined and more carefully controlled to become the experience. Functionally, the space becomes a place of reflection and admiration. While the diffused artificial light surrounding the seating area is permanent, the light is temporary; similar to a sunrise and sunset. [Figure 3] I think Turrell takes an important consideration of architecture through light, and exposes its importance and value in a controlled setting that can be experienced in a cyclical timeline. The spaces are defined by the cycle of the sun, but “replay” every day and through each season. It comments on the cyclical experience of architecture, and how a building changes from nighttime to daytime, but not only in terms of light, but also in terms of human traffic, sound, smell, and sight. While architecture is permanent, each space that is created follows a series of changes every day. The scale of time should be considered equally.
FIGURE 2 Guggenheim Museum Skyspace by James Turrell
FIGURE 3
Guggenheim Museum Section Skyspace by James Turrell
This chapter introduces the main idea of thinking through the primary levels of scale using the relationship of a person and the space around them. The geometry of a body and senses, which is a generally defined form with prescribed allowable movements, gives the fundamental understanding of the capabilities of humans and how they are able to move around in an existing space. Human senses including taste, smell, vision, hearing, and touch influence how we perceive a space and impact our psychological response. While our biological assets can vary from one person to another, there are certain factors that are important to take into consideration when designing spaces for circulation, assembly, and heavy movement. Space, on the other hand, is an abstract idea that can be defined and adjusted through existing and futuristic technologies. Space can change and adapt on a small or large scale, and is often defined in a less constricted way, especially in the schematic phase of a project where the program can be determined. Understanding how a small scale of a human body that is biologically restrictive can affect the larger scale of a space and vice versa will directly affect the intention of a design and how effective it will ultimately be.
~BODY
The way that human body geometry affects the space around it has existed for centuries, and was very much defined in Leonardo Da Vinci’s “Vetruvian Man” that depicts a human inscribed in a circle and square inspired by Vitruvius. [Figure 4] This drawing was a result of Da Vinci’s interest in proportion, symmetry and nature, and how the shape of the human body could relate to the production of a good building through a set of universal rules. It defined several ratios of the human body and face and acted as a great analysis of how the shape of the human body extended at the arms and legs could take up space and relate to its proportions. [Figure 5] These proportions can be interpreted in different ways, but can ultimately be used to create a more logical framework for how a space should be designed for efficiency. An example of a module that has been used since the early twentieth century is the Kitchen Triangle, or the “golden triangle”. This has been largely executed throughout the years and is still a logic followed today. The shape of the triangle is used to control the traffic in the kitchen by connecting the main work areas; The stove, the sink, and the refrigerator. [Figure 6] Specific distances are also given, specifying that:
“Each leg of the triangle formed should be between four and nine feet each, and the sum distance of the triangle should not be less than 13 or more than 26 feet”. [3]
FIGURE 4
The Vitruvian Man, Leonardo Da Vinci (Human body geometry)
FIGURE 5
Trattato di architettura di Francesco di Giorgio Martini by Francesco di Giorgio (Human body geometry)
These specific proportions have been scaled to be included in many suburban housing developments during the time it was established, and have survived the test of time to be used globally in the modern world. The triangle has been interpreted in a variety of ways, considering the change in modern household dynamics, the amount of people typically using the kitchen, and new technologies that introduce new work areas. However, it is related directly to the human body and how it moves in a small space the most efficiently. Proportions between each appliance is carefully determined and the rotational movement of a person cooking establishes a determined boundary and design for a space people use very often.
~HUMAN SENSES VS. SPACE~ While human body geometries are somewhat quantitative measurements that can be determined quite literally through physical means of measuring, the human senses are a bit more subject to variation. It is important to note that people can taste things differently or smell things differently, which can also impact how they interpret the space around them. Some people see materials and feel calm, and others might feel unsettled or agitated. Of course, since architects are humans too, this raises the question: How do architects value these differences and design spaces for a large group of people without incorporating too much of their own specific biases? This is typically a point in the design phase where the context of a design and its culture speaks for itself. Using scale to zoom out and decide what the overarching societal tendencies are can inform the architect more specifically on how her decisions will be interpreted by the users of the space. Once this information is understood, an architect can make the decision to either appease these perceptions in a soothing and alleviating way, or to disrupt them. This is a moment where the ultimate goal of a space and its symbolic function can be used as a decision factor. Daniel Libeskind’s Jewish Museum in Berlin is meant to symbolize the disappearance of the Jewish Culture and their horrific experience in the Holocaust, while also offering a sense of remembrance and peace. In an Architectural Digest article, Pavka explains,
to a crossroads of three routes”
Libeskind decided to disrupt the human senses to create a statement that symbolizes pain and discomfort, and used the way individual spaces impact a person’s perception as a medium. [Figure 7]
“Conceptually, Libeskind wanted to express feelings of absence, emptiness, and invisibility - expressions of disappearance of the Jewish Culture….a visitor must endure the anxiety of hiding and losing the sense of direction before coming
[4]FIGURE 6 The Kitchen Work Triangle by Laurysen Kitchens FIGURE 7 Hallway in Jewish Museum, Berlin by Juedisches Museum Berlin
Lena Parsch
Roof System: Type 2A – PTFE Fiberglass Ventilated Mesh ETFE system
Primary Floor Structure: 6” X 12” Cross Laminated Timber Beams attached to Load bearing Steel Reinforced Masonry Wall using
Secondary Floor Structure: 5-Ply CLT decking
Exterior Wall System: Load bearing Masonry Wall with Steel Reinforcement
Nonbearing Wall: Fire rated CLT panels with Gympsum sheeting
This project serves to extend adaptable for future uses keeping and intention of their campus in mind. University aims to activate Portland, students and young professionals to educational purposes. This will hopefully companies and job opportunities that city as a whole. With this in mind, to create educational spaces for students laboratories, lecture halls, study spaces structure consists of repetitive load reinforced masonry walls that change attach to the reinforced concrete frame Factory. By extending these walls and
structure that are adaptable for the in being sustainable through its materials. roof creates a canopy and covering high thermal insulation.
Current and Potential Users of this students or young professionals, Northeastern’s campus into this site. promote impact, and to activate this young adults by promoting research facilities in order to attract jobs and area as well. This would result in occupancies educational, business, residential
educational purposes for students with the other uses in nearby buildings
This building is a combination of mass timber and noncombustible materials resistance ratings in accordance with Table 601. It is not Type l or ll because it includes mass timber and not solely noncombustible materials (masonry, concrete steel). It is not type V because it does not include Light Wood Framing. This building is a type of construction where the exterior walls are of noncombustible materials and the interior building elements are of solid wood, laminated heavy timber or structural composite timber without concealed spaces or with concealed spaces that comply with section 602.4.3. The building will be sprinklered throughout and will be provided in any concealed spaces that do exist. One of the building materials, CLT, may be used in type IV construction protected with a gypsum board and at least 4” thick.
Northeastern is using this site as a second tier cities that are either not growth. Their goal is to expand even and this campus might be closed down of other locations. Because of its success,
available in the areas. This could create housing, which this building could location and size, the possibility of students or young professionals is have more than 16 occupants and residential building that houses many permanently in nature, usually with the building as well.
Northeastern’s goals mind. Northeastern Portland, Maine by attracting to this area for hopefully attract more that will empower the the extension is meant students through spaces and libraries. Its’ load bearing steel change in height and frame of the Bean and using various
the future and succeed materials. The ETFE covering for the structure,
this building can likely be due to the extension of site. Their mission is to this area of Maine for research and educational and companies into the occupancies that are residential or assembly areas. This and young professionals, buildings elsewhere on the site.
a “test” to expand to not growing or have slow even further nationwide, down due to the success success, there would be an create a demand for be used for. With a great residential uses for very likely. It will also will therefore be a larger many students primarily with amenities provided in
Because the occupants of the buildings in both scenarios are students or young professionals, who are ultimately being attracted to the site through Northeastern’s campus expansion and goals, they will have some similar types of uses within the building. This can include Libraries, or gymnasiums that serve as amenities for the students as they are working and living there.
FIGURE 8
Floor Plan of Jewish Museum in Berlin, Germany by Daniel Libeskind (No formal entrance)
[3] Blakeley, Janice. “This Is Still the Best Way to Design a Kitchen.” Architectural Digest. Architectural Digest, February 15, 2018. https://www.architecturaldigest.com/story/kitchen-triangle-best-way-to-design-a-kitchen.
[2] Northmore, Pugin Augustus Welby. Contrasts and True Principles of Pointed or Christian Architecture. Reading: Spire Books in association with the Pugin Society, 2003.
[4] Pavka, Evan. “Ad Classics: Jewish Museum, Berlin / Studio Libeskind.” ArchDaily. ArchDaily, November 25, 2010. https://www.archdaily.com/91273/ad-classics-jewish-museum-berlin-daniel-libeskind.
[1] Rasmussen, Steen Eiler. Experiencing Architecture. Cambridge, MA: M.I.T. Press, 1964.
Following the ideas of how more constricted characteristics of a human body can be used to create a framework for the more abstract idea of space, it is important to consider how scale exists in the execution of these ideas through the technical and schematic design phase. Architects often begin by determining the human experience in the schematic design phase, which allows them to generally think about what they want an occupant to feel and experience when they go into the space. [Figure 9] What constricts the goals in the schematic design phase are, in most cases, building codes, zoning laws and other written guidelines. There are limits as to what is allowable on a detailed level of construction, and building codes are a highly restricted set of rules set to make spaces safe, accessible and inclusive through established requirements for the architect. Zooming the scale in and out from detailed requirements to its general effect on the experience of an occupant can serve to create an efficiently integrated space that is successful on both ends of the scale spectrum. While building codes are great at ensuring safety and health for the occupants, it is often up to the architect to think about what kind of environmental impact the building would have. Building codes and other guidelines that exist in today’s age tend to be more lenient than might be necessary to combat society’s war against climate change and global warming. It is up to the architect to value and prioritize this level of scale and create a persistence in architecture.
~BUILDING
VS.
EXPERIENCE~ As explained by the previous chapter, human experience is often related to the proportions of the human body in relation to the space around them and how their senses are being utilized to convey a specific message or evoke a response. In the technical stage of design, it is time to think about how this specifically can be done. In previous examples, the diagram of the “Kitchen Triangle” is translated into reality by being constructed with the same distances and proportions as initially specified, in addition to being built according to building codes. The counter height depths and heights are typically required to be ADA compliant in accessible kitchens, to provide access to the workspaces for everyone. [Figure 10] The plumbing fixtures and electric/gas connections for the sink, stove, and oven are all part of a larger network of mechanical systems that are connected with specific sized pipes and follow a set of guidelines needed to assure that everything functions properly. In the Jewish Museum by Daniel Libeskind,
“The interior is composed of reinforced concrete which reinforces the moments of the empty spaces and dead ends where only a sliver of light is entering the space”. [1]
FIGURE 9 Program Diagram by openhousestudio (Schematic Design Phase) FIGURE 10 ADA Countertop Design Guidelines by reThink AccessIn order to achieve this effect with a heavy material like concrete, an intricate way of creating openings in the ceiling with angled concrete walls needs to be developed and designed so it is structurally successful and secure.
~BUILDING
The type of material that is being used as the primary and secondary structural systems of the building is directly related to the concept of the design as a whole. Light and elegant designs want to evoke a feeling of weightlessness in materiality and form. On the other hand, superimposing and prominent buildings, such as government buildings, want to communicate a feeling of presence and grandness from the exterior and interior of the building. Concrete can successfully give off this effect, while steel or wood can inspire more modesty. In today’s climate, global warming and climate change are major drivers of concern and fear in society. An architect needs to recognize how their choice of material can impact the environment on a larger scale and through the scale of time while building codes are still adapting to becoming more persistent about using materials that sequester the most carbon. The architecture firm haascookzemmrich STUDIO2050 in Stuttgart, Germany represents a firm that values going the extra mile to prioritize sustainable design without receiving any profit economically or to meet any required restrictions.
Their mission includes inviting “experts from various disciplines, such as sociologists, energy consultants and material researchers to help reveal new approaches to the development and implementation of sustainable architecture.” [2]
Germany has a history of building their larger commercial buildings and small residential houses with brick masonry formed of sand/limestone and concrete. These are materials choices that are generally environmentally unfriendly to build with, in comparison to other materials like wood. [Figure 11] Haascookzemmrich STUDIO2050 makes an active effort to disrupt this cycle and build primarily with heavy timber framing and light wood forming, designing for longevity but also with a mission to create the least amount of harm on the environment. While they receive many awards and certifications for their success in this mission, they act as a leading driver of incorporating the scale of time and scale of their material choice to provide sustainability in architecture. [Figure 12]
FIGURE 11 Building Community VielArten, Tuebingen, Gemany by haascookzemmrich STUDIO2050 (made by renewable raw materials)
FIGURE 12
Green Solutions Award by haascookzemmrich STUDIO2050 (made by renewable raw materials)
ARCH 5220 INTEGRATED BUILDING SYSTEMS
PROFESSOR MICHELLE LABOY
LENA PARSCH
This project is an example of integrating Heavy Timber Construction and Masonry Structural Systems. Our location, Portland, has a strong supply and use of masonry and is used as an intentional design objective in this project. The series of load-bearing masonry walls reinforced with steel including an arcade of arches of di erent sizes is a main part of the building’s structural system. The heavy timber framing was chosen due to its low carbon emissions and strength, is used as the roof, floor and lateral framing system of the project.
The primary vertical structure of the load bearing double wythe masonry wall is structurally reinforced with steel lintels to support the heavy loads of the three-story building. The heavy timber floors will be supporting long spans of flooring from one arcade to the next, connected to the masonry wall with a pocket joint.
PRIMARY VERTICAL STRUCTURE (DOUBLE WYTHE MASONRY WALL)
TOTAL FLOOR
AREA: 65.4 SQ. M
FT
STEEL ANGLE LINTEL SUPPORTING ARCHES
16’ HEIGHT (2 STORIES)
REINFORCED BRICK MASONRY LINTELS AND INSULATION
INBETWEEN WALL
9 COURSES DEPTH
SPAN: 5’
ABUTMENT LENGTH: 2’
HORIZONTAL BEAM
PRIMARY
6” X 12” SIZING
SECONDARY (WOOD DECKING)
4” DEPTH AND
POCKET JOINT TIMBER BEAM WIDTH MASONRY
HORIZONTAL HARDWOOD
SIZING
SECONDARY HORIZONTAL STRUCTURE DECKING) AND 12’ SPAN
12’ BEAM SPACING
16’ SPAN
JOINT BETWEEN HEAVY BEAM AND DOUBLE MASONRY WALL
FIGURE 13
Project Promega, Walldorf, Germany by haascookzemmrich STUDIO2050 (Heavy Timber Structure)
[1] Pavka, Evan. “Ad Classics: Jewish Museum, Berlin / Studio Libeskind.” ArchDaily. ArchDaily, November 25, 2010. https://www.archdaily.com/91273/ad-classics-jewish-museum-berlin-daniel-libeskind.
[2] “Studio: Haas Cook Zemmrich STUDIO2050.” Studio | haas cook zemmrich STUDIO2050. Accessed April 26, 2023. https://www.haascookzemmrich.com/en/studio/.
Following the idea of how building codes and restrictions can potentially drive the proper execution of schematic and conceptual ideas, we look at the scale of time and how building materials and designs are often impacted by the longevity of the structure. The schematic design phase typically encourages consideration about how art and design can be used in the building to create a specific human experience. The main difference between art and architecture is the amount of time a person experiences a space and how often, which leads into subcategories including art pieces, installations and occupied buildings. In the field of art, paintings and sculptures typically serve to convey a message and be admired from a distance. [Figure 14] Two dimensional or three dimensional art pieces have the space to be abstract and stand alone, be moved around, or easily replaced with other pieces of art that do not greatly impact its surrounding environment. Installations or exhibitions, which are still temporary and still very artistic, are more experiential and integrating of a person and space. Thinking about how human experience can function in relation to the amount of time they are being occupied on an individual scale can challenge an architect on what kind of space can be habitable and what can only be short- lived. While art and installations have a large range of possibilities due to its temporal character, semi-permanent habitats have more restricted rules on what can be experienced. This follows the idea of how building codes can become more or less restrictive, and how this relates to program and occupancy. Valuing human experience is a common theme among these categories, but differs through the scale of an individual person and a large group of people.
Architecture and art have been historically connected since the beginning of ancient times and often combined through the use of symbolism or decoration. Gothic architecture defines a time period where verticality and height are used, as well as decorative and ornate designs that are attached to the building for aesthetic purposes. A person walking through a gothic church might go up to the intricate detail on a column and admire its precision, as if you could separate it from the rest of the building and still have something worth appreciating through its careful, handcrafted design. [Figure 15] Because it is attached to the building, it becomes part of the architecture and even defines its style, as the ornaments are replicated throughout the building. The experience of a building like this changes drastically and becomes extremely valuable through the careful detailing of the art that it incorporates. Modern architecture strips away the use of ornaments and decoration to reveal the true function of forms, but finds significance in leaving the materials raw and symbolizing the industrial revolution through reinforced concrete and steel.
FIGURE 15
Notre Dame Gothic Cathedral (Ornate Decorations)
FIGURE 14 Embrace Sculpture of MLK and Coretta Scott King (Example of art viewed from a distance)
The gray, smooth surfaces of the concrete units that form the walls of the building might feel cold and sterile for an individual exposed to it, but functional for the organization of the interior space to best fit the designed program. In a way, every style has their own artistic approach that affects the experience of the occupant and how they perceive the building as a whole. It is important for architects to think about how the artistic approach used for the design of a building can impact how a person can feel by using it.
~HUMAN HABITATS VS. INSTALLATIONS~ Installations play an interesting role in merging the field of art and architecture through its temporal nature and use. An example of a light designer that creates unique installations using artificial and natural light is James Turrell, who studied mathematics and psychology to inspire a unique response of people experiencing his manipulations of light geometry. Turell has a famous installation series called “Ganzfeld”, meaning “whole field” in German. Through the experience of a Ganzfeld, a person is guided to a two-dimensional looking screen that they are encouraged to step inside of. Filled with an abundance of artificial light the viewers experience a loss of the sensory capacity to perceive depth because of the intensity of the light, even experiencing hallucinations and even losing their perception of time and space. [Figure 16] This type of installation evokes an extremely strong psychological response for the purpose of recognizing the power of light and becoming aware of how perception can be changed through this. [1] Turrell explains,
“We are creatures of light, especially certain types of light. Clearly, we aren’t made for the midday sun. We were made for Twilight. For reduced light. When light is reduced, the pupil opens and we can really feel it”. [1]
He aims to provoke an intense reaction through his knowledge of psychology, and creates a space that an occupant can walk into and experience. However, this is also the factor that differentiates a Ganzfeld installation from a permanent and habitable space. These intense feelings are not durable with the scale of time. While the human experience is significant and prioritized, the time span of the occupant in the space limits its program and functionality. A permanent structure that is built with materials meant to last through its lifespan has different requirements and restrictions that prevent occupants from being too emotionally provoked and rather feel as comfortable as they could feel through its HVAC systems, finishes, size and flow of the space. [Figure 17] It is important for an architect to consider the psychological scale of impact that a space can have on the occupant in relation to its scale of time.
FIGURE 16 Ganzfeld Exhibition by James Turrell FIGURE 17 Section drawing of Ganzfeld Exhibition by James TurrellThe scenario for this phase of the project is HIGH TECH, COLLABORATIVE future scenario. This is a scenario where there is a broadly shared prosperity, connectedness, togetherness and community. At the same time, it is a scenario similar to a “high tech utopia” where technology enables this type of environment.
My approach to this design is organizing the program to be focused on innovation and technology. This includes having laboratories, reseach centers,
reasons, and having bright spaces for research areas that allow for plenty of daylight and openeess
Because of the program of research facilities and laboratories, I chose to design an enclosure that allows both plentiful natural daylighitng through a glazed curtain wall in combination with a thick CMU/Masonry wall that acts as a thermal mass and distrubutes heat throughout the building that may be lost by air from fume hoods directly out through the roof to avoid it being recirculated into the air of the building.
adaptive spaces in the building that can be accessed easily both in present time, and in the future when technologies change/ infrastructure changes or when the be large enough for several types of programs in the future.
FIGURE 18
Roden Crater Project by James Turrell (Human experience)
[1] Editorial, Artsy. “James Turrell: ‘Light Knows When We're Looking.".”
Artsy, June 25, 2013. https://www.artsy.net/article/editorial-james-turrell-light-knows-when-were-looking-dot.
The scale of time ranges from the beginning of human shelter and thousands of years into the future. Architects should value the tangible successful and unsuccessful techniques used in the past, and use scenario planning to abstractly think about the possibilities in the future. In this way, they are valuing the scale of time and how the lifespan of a building can be impacted by other types of scales mentioned in Chapters 1-3. Ultimately, it is the goal of an architect to design a comprehensive, integrated and sustainable building that serves the needs of its occupants on an individual and cultural level. She does this by beginning with a schematic design phase, then zooming into materiality, proportions, human experience, and detail that combine to serve larger groups of people and cultures to ultimately zoom out again and understand the impact of the finished building as a whole through its life span. Many architects have been successful in doing this, paying particular attention to how they can serve to succeed in all these different levels. James Turrell and Daniel Libeskind collaborated on the Jewish Museum in Berlin, combining their different goals of human experience in both a permanent building and an installation to ultimately further their goal of creating a disruption of senses. Peter Zumthor designed a Field Chapel in Germany, a long lasting structure that also relates the individual impact of a chosen material to the symbol of the building as a whole.
James Turrell’s “Ganzfeld'' Aural pavilion in the Jewish Museum by Daniel Libeskind harmonizes architecture and art by accentuating both the wide-ranging consequences of the Holocaust and the emotional experience of walking through the museum through similar feelings of loss, insecurity and other psychological effects. The Jewish Museum represents an established Jewish identity embedded in Berlin both socially and culturally that was lost during the Holocaust. [1] Libeskind wanted to express feelings of absence, emptiness and invisibility through the deconstructivist style of architecture. He does this by having the absence of a formal entrance but instead through an underground corridor, using reinforced concrete to reinforce the moments of empty spaces and dead ends, and creating a sixty-six foot tall void that runs through the entire building. [Figure 19]
The void addresses the “physical emptiness that resulted from the expulsion, destruction, and annihilation of Jewish life in the Shoah, which cannot be refilled after the fact”. [1]
FIGURE 19
“Void” in Jewish Museum by Daniel Libeskind
The Ganzfeld Aural, on the other hand, creates an experience (as explained in Chapter 3) that makes the viewers feel like they are being sucked into a light tunnel where they lose their sense of depth and perception of time and space. [Figure 20]
The Jewish museum and Ganzfeld exhibition have similarities in psychological effects, translating the emotional journey through history and the human experiences into an architectural composition. Both buildings use light in different ways, including artificial light and voids/slits of light and ultimately increase the awareness of the historical context. This is a very successful integration of scale in architecture that serves to convey a larger and similar meaning. Working with the scale of materiality, light, human experience, and time as explained in this book is the key to creating a building that evokes a cultural and social response, while also serving the needs of the occupants on an individual and multi-dimensional level.
Architects can also integrate these scales in an individual project, without having to collaborate on two individual projects. This allows a building to be permanently meaningful through the innate character of its individual self. Zumthor uses a process called “architectonic dramatization” to reach the memory of a person through emotions deriving from symbols and revealing what is hidden. The Field Chapel is a work of religious architecture that is dedicated to the life of St. Niklaus, and is built with tree trunks from the local forest nearby. They were set together in a curved shape, similar to a cone, with layers of concrete poured around them to expose the trunk tops. The trunks were then set on fire to burn them from the inside to leave a dark and ashy wooden texture with the smell of burnt wood filling the space inside. [Figure 21] The project integrates the scale of a human’s experience with the materiality of the wood and the way it was constructed. It is an example of using more constricted details to form symbols and relate to the cultural context of the site and and the more abstract end goal of the structure.
FIGURE 20 Ganzfeld Aural by James Turrell in Jewish Museum
FIGURE 21
Burnt pine wood in Field Chapel by Peter Zumthor
The scenario for this phase of the COLLABORATIVE future scenario. there is broadly shared prosperity, ness and community. At the same to a “high tech utopia”, where technology environment.
My approch to this design is designing research facilities, study and write spaces. This modular system is designed mechanical systems needed for wide corridors and spaces that allow space, as well as places people
the project is a HIGH TECH, scenario. This is a scenario where prosperity, connectedness, togethersame time, it is a scenario similar technology enables this type of sprinklered throughout.
because of the surplus amount of space in the cores of the building dedicated to building services and egress stairs. It is also very modular and could be easily expanded. A potential to the large cores, which could start to waste space if the mechanical systems used for the labs are not being used anymore. This could be changed by the materiality of the walls and their thicknesses so they are easier to demolish.
designing a building with write up areas, and collaborative designed to support all lab spaces and to create allow for acessibility in every are able to gather.
FIGURE 23
“Void” in Jewish Museum by Daniel Libeskind
FIGURE 22
Ganzfeld Aural by James Turrell in Jewish Museum
[1] “The Libeskind Building.” Jewish Museum Berlin. Accessed April 26, 2023. https://www.jmberlin.de/en/libeskind-building.
Approaching design in the world of architecture through the use and analysis of scale will ultimately help me create an integrated building system that not only works well together, but delivers the message it is intended to and relate to the users and context through several levels of thought and detail. The practice of zooming in and out of a detail, from human geometry to space, from schematic design to technical design, and from longevity to momentary use is a powerful tool that can be combined in many different, creative ways. Taking inspiration from light designers such as James Turell and architects like Daniel Libeskind who have been able to successfully create these relationships will inspire me to find my own architectural language and style that will help me translate a similar level of success to my future endeavors. Thinking about the impact that a building has on the environment and future generations will influence decisions on materiality of primary and secondary structures, while taking into consideration local materials and how they relate to the surrounding buildings.
I believe that when you think about a building through scale, you will be the most successful in designing a space that serves its purpose and addresses all potential problems. The next step in my career includes working at an architecture firm in New York City with projects ranging from commercial buildings to residential buildings, as well as the filing and expediting side of the project development stage. Because of the large range of different projects I will be working on with different goals, thinking about scale will not only help me zoom in and out of one project, but be able to think fluidly from one project to the next.
