Architecture Design Studio Water (ABPL20028)

WATER

ARCHITECTURE DESIGN STUDIO

ARCHITECTURE DESIGN STUDIO WATER MELISSA CHONG

864703

TUTORIAL 9 / DANNY TRUONG

CONTENTS PHASE A: STUDY THE MASTER - TADAO ANDO FORMAL STYLE KOSHINO HOUSE THE WATER TEMPLE

PHASE B AND C: DESIGN, DEVELOPMENT AND DOCUMENTATION EMBRACE BIBLIOGRAPHY

1

PHASE A : STUDY THE MASTER - TADAO ANDO

PHASE A : STUDY THE MASTER - TADAO ANDO

PHASE A STUDY THE MASTER - TADAO ANDO

For Phase A, we were initially put into groups of 4 to study one of Ando’s work. We chose the Koshino House and were tasked to reproduce his plans, sections and elevations. To further understand the circulation, we made a digital model on Rhino and a 1 : 100 physical model using balsa wood.

Subsequently, we were assigned to study another one of his works. I chose the Water Temple and completed more plans and elevations to do a comparison.

2

3

PHASE A : STUDY THE MASTER - TADAO ANDO

PHASE A : STUDY THE MASTER - TADAO ANDO

ANDO’S FORMAL STYLE SIMPLE GEOMETRY ENGAGING WITH THE LANDSCAPE CIRCULATION - FORCING ONE’S PATH CONCRETE - REGIONALISATION AND WESTERN INFLUENCES WEIGHTLESS MASS

4

5

KOSHINO HOUSE

KOSHINO HOUSE

6

Koshino House (1984)

Ashiya-shi, Hyogo Prefecture, Japan The clients for this project were the Koshino sisters, all of whom are famous Japanese fashion designers. Nestled in quiet outskirts of Osaka, this retreat offers a perfect escape from the bustling cities.

Koshino House Taken by Kazunori Fujimoto from ArchDaily

7

KOSHINO HOUSE

Koshino House Taken by Kazunori Fujimoto from ArchDaily

KOSHINO HOUSE

8

ENGAGING WITH THE LANDSCAPE The Koshino House is heavily embedded in the contours of the slope such that only a small glimpse of the building could be seen from the main road. The way Ando seamlessly engages with the landscape not only provides seclusion but also allows the user to embrace nature.

Koshino House East Elevation

9

KOSHINO HOUSE

GEOMETRY The overall plan of the Koshino House uses two rectangles and one semi circle at the rear. The rigidity of the rectangles are evened out by the curvature, giving it a form of ‘balance’. This too could be identified with ‘taikyoku’, a concept which is very much seen across the runways led by Hiroko Koshino. Her designs involves adding flow and movement to the rigid kimono.

Koshino House First Floor Plan

CIRCULATION Influenced by the contours of the land, the visitors enter from the first floor of the middle structure which comprises of a bedroom, study and a toilet, all neatly aligned to the right. Subsequently, they are led by a flight of starts to the living room and kitchen. A narrow corridor, located beneath the stairs, directs the user to the aterlier at one end and a series of guest bedrooms to the other.

KOSHINO HOUSE

Koshino House Ground Floor Plan

Koshino House Model

10

11

KOSHINO HOUSE

REGIONALISM AND WESTERN INFLUENCES A blend of regionalism and western influences could be seen in the Koshino House. For instance, the gaps in the walls, and the L-shaped wall on the exterior follows the Japanese concept of privacy. It allows partial silhuottes and sound to come through, similar to the way shoji screens work.

In addition, the modular-like nature of the guest rooms and the concrete wall panels could be identified with the tatami mats used in traditional Japanese houses.

KOSHINO HOUSE

12

Koshino House Taken by Kazunori Fujimoto from ArchDaily

Here, Ando uses his trademark; unfinished reinforced concrete, a clear indication of Western influence. However, instead of giving off a burstalistic Le Corbusier feel, he manipulates the material in such a way that it appears soft and elegant. He does this by adding a textile-like smooth glossy finish, which not only adds life to the space, but also compensates for the lack of embellisments.

Ando transforms these heavy concrete partitions to what we intepret as ‘weightless mass.’ He does this by introducing gaps in ceilings and walls, to make it seem as though they are floating.

These calculated incisions also allow a prescribed amount of light to permeate through the building. This form of manipulation brings the user closer to nature as they are better able to appreciate light and wind when they are cut off from the outside world.

Koshino House Taken by Kazunori Fujimoto from ArchDaily

13

KOSHINO HOUSE

KOSHINO HOUSE

14

15

THE WATER TEMPLE

The Water Temple Taken by James Leng from Flickr

THE WATER TEMPLE

The Water Temple (1991) Awaji, Hyogo Prefecture, Japan

The Water Temple was built for the worship of Tantric Buddhism. Its physical appearance steers away from traditional Buddhist architecture but the sensorial experience it evokes stays true to its home religion.

16

17

THE WATER TEMPLE

The Water Temple Taken by Ken Conely

THE WATER TEMPLE

18

ENGAGING WITH THE LANDSCAPE Instead of being embedded, The Water temple seems to be wrapped around the landscape. This immersion with nature could be identified with Shintoism, where the deities are represented by natural elements. Representing Tantric Buddhism, one of the oldest form of Buddhism, the Water temple could have been designed this way to show the history of Shintoism and Buddhism being one religion in the past.

The Water Temple Section

19

THE WATER TEMPLE

The Water Temple Ground Floor Plan

REGIONALISM AND WESTERN INFLUENCES Both the Koshino House and the Water Temple are modular in nature. For instance, the dimensions of each concrete panel is the same, mimicking the tatami mat. In addition, despite the use of sound proof and opaque concrete, a clear indication of Western influences, the Japanese concept of privacy could be seen here. The gaps in the walls and the 2 walls at the perimeter fo the temple are similar to the shoji screens in a way that it allows sound and partial silhouettes to be observed.

GEOMETRY Similar to the Koshino House, the plan of The Water Temple uses simple geometry.

It made of one oval and two lines: one running straight and another following the curvature of the oval. The oval shows great resemblence to the stupa, which is the focal point of Buddhist temple architecture. The two lines acts a gantry to a scared space, similar to the veridika.

As for The Water temple, the main hall consists of a square room cornered with 4m high pillars with a grid spacing at 1 ken interval.

Instead of using timber, concrete was used, which could be identified with western architecture.

The Water Temple First Floor Plan

THE WATER TEMPLE

CIRCULATION Similar to the Koshino House, the Water Temple intentionally forces visitors through a prescribed path. Initially, visitors are directed through a series of two gesturing white-washed concrete walls. These walls are accompanied by white gravel which suggests spiritual cleansing. Eventually, the visitors are led to a pool of water that seemingly forms a boundless horizon line, reflecting its surrounding mountains, rice paddies and bamboo groves. The stillness of the water releases a meditative effect which could help faciliate the purification process. Subsequently, towards the middle of the pool, visitors could descend to the hidden temple. Upon reaching the lower level, they are led to the main hall through a long circling corridor. The narrowness of the path allows only one person to travel through at each time, therefore, encouraging the process of self reflection.

MATERIALITY Both the Koshino House and the Water Temple are made of panels of unfinished reinforced concrete. Instead of giving off a brutalist and heavy feel, both these structures appear elegant, soft and almost ‘weightless’.

Other than concrete, Ando stuns us by using bright red timber in the interiors of the main sanctuary. This spark of colour gives off a cinematic effect, staying true to how he constantly flips over views to arouse curiosity. Here, Ando also uses light as a form of material. When one delves deeper into the temple, the colour gradually intensifies as light radiates through a western facing window. This western light has symbolic meaning because Buddha originates from the west (India).

Lastly, the heaviness of the concrete is being offset by the gentleness of the water in the pool. This calming effect reinforces how we could seek comfort in such over

The Water Temple Taken by Ken Conely

20

21

THE WATER TEMPLE

THE WATER TEMPLE

22

23

PHASE B AND C: DESIGN, DEVELOPMENT AND DOCUMENTATION

PHASE B DESIGN, DEVELOPMENT AND DOCUMENTATION

For Phase B, I was tasked to redesign the boathouse at Studley Park. The brief challenged me to apply what I have learnt form Ando onto a new project, while still keeping the local context in mind.

PHASE B AND C: DESIGN, DEVELOPMENT AND DOCUMENTATION

24

25 EMBRACE

To start off, I began reading up about its history. The original inhabitants of the City of Yarra were the Wurundjeri people.

Vastly different from its European settlers, they had a very strong cultural and spiritual relationship with the Yarra River.

The Wurundjeri did not ‘own’ the land in the European sense of the word, but instead belonged to, or were ‘owned by’ the land. They saw her as their provider for food, water, transport thus treated her with great care and respect.

Over the years. the Yarra River has played a pivotal role in shaping our city. However, with our increasingly hectic lifestyles, we tend to forget how important these water bodies are.

Similar to how the river continuously ‘embraces’ us, we too mustn’t forget to return her ‘embrace’.

EMBRACE 26

BRIEF (SPATIAL) OFFICE 30 RESTAURANT 150 (KITCHEN+BAR+DINING) KIOSK 30 HIRE COUNTER 20 BOAT STORAGE 250 BOAT WORKSHOP 90 TOILET+ SHOWERS 30 CIRCULATION 80 TOTAL FLOOR AREA 800 OPEN SPACES+ JETTY

27 EMBRACE

EMBRACE 28

SITE To reach the Studley Boathouse, visitors have to go through an endless series of whinding roads. It lies in isolation, and is buried in a panaroma of dense greenery. Being set on a slope, its slight elevation provides visitors generous views of the lush vista, a welcoming refuge from the fast-paced bustling city.

29 EMBRACE

EMBRACE When given the word ‘embrace’, the first image that comes to my mind is a mother hugging her child. Her unconditonal love is so massive, overpowering and to some extent, a little daunting. She creates this unformidable fortress, whose insides are unexpectedly warm and soft, just like cotton, allowing her child to cuddle snuggly in this blanket of security.

Drawing inspiration from this set of emotions, I wanted to bring warmth into this large empty space. I wanted to make the visitors feel as though they are being held in a mother’s embrace, which brings in the paradoxial idea of closeness within a huge area. Thus, in hopes of single-handedly encapsulating these contrasting elements, I have decided to introduce small intimate pockets, that suspends within a space. This arrangement exudes warmth whilst maintaining its robust and majestic character. Other than its composition, I have also explored the different connotations to the word ‘embrace’, which will be further elaborated in the following pages.

EMBRACE 30

PROXIMITY Currently, contrary to its name, the Studley Boathouse is set rather far back from the river bank. Therefore, to further engage with the Yarra River, I have decided to literally bring my structure closer to the river.

Church on the Water

SHAPE Elongating the shape of my structure gives visitors more exposure to the river.

SCALE The vastness of the landscape overwhelms the river, making it seem miniscule in comparison, sometimes to an extent that we forget its presence. Thus, similar to how Ando plays with scale in the Church on the Water, I have decided to the reduce the size of my structure, in hopes of maginifying the river.

31 EMBRACE

WATER BODIES

Other than its proximity, I wanted to take the concept of ‘being at one with the river’, to another level, by literally bringing the river into my structure. I did this by introducing pools of water into the building. This emphasizes the presence of the river and helps maintain consistency with the environment.

Sayamaike Historical Museum Plan

For this project, I have decided to look into another one of Ando’s works, the Sayamaike Historical Muesum. This museum houses relics excavated from the artifical pond nearby and displays an array of ancient Japanese water engineering techniques. To ‘embrace’ its presence and rich history, Ando introduced a water patio with pools and cascading waterfalls.

EMBRACE 32

33 EMBRACE

FIRST FLOOR On the first floor, individuals are accompanied with pools of water as they navigate through the various ‘floating’ functions. Long pathways were also used to further enhance the feeling of ‘walking through the river’.

5

4

EMBRACE 34

10

3

1

2

FIRST FLOOR PLAN 1 BOAT HIRE 2 TOILETS (WITH SHOWER AND LOCKERS) 3 KIOSK 4 OFFICE 5 KITCHEN

35 EMBRACE

GROUND FLOOR For the cafe and the restaurant, the tables are located above a pool of water, in hopes of bringing the customers ‘closer’ to the river.

The elevated dining area in the cafe allows park users to reach the other end of the river without compromising the customers’ view. Likewise, for the restaurant, the tables are arranged in a cascading manner for privacy.

10

9

7

11

EMBRACE 36

8

6

GROUND FLOOR PLAN 6 BOAT MAINTENANCE 7 BOAT STORAGE 8 DECK 9 CAFE 10 RESTAURANT 11 TOILET

37 EMBRACE

GEOMETRY To give prominence to the river, I have purified my composition by using organic shapes like circles and rectangles. These shapes are also neatly aligned to accentuate the clean lines.

PARAPET Similar to how Ando clarifies his lines, I have also increased the thickness of the parapet to conceal the services.

EMBRACE 38

ENCLOSURE Another one of Ando’s projects that could be identified with the word ‘embrace’ is the Azuma house. Adopting a heavy box-like appearance, it adorns a cold persona. It lies in ‘isolation’ among the other rowhouses and exudes a intimidating defence. Despite looking very simple, it smartly plays with the paradox of embrace.

Though from the outside, the lack of windows suggests its isolative nature, in reality, the circulation and inner courtyards within the structure forces its inhabitants to be constantly exposed to environment. For instance, to get to the toilet from the living room, the individual must walk through an open pathway that is succeptible to rain. Here, Ando shows how one could ‘embrace’ the environment despite being seemingly locked out from the world.

This mantra of being ‘embraced’ really resonated with me thus I have decided to incorporate this in my building. I have decided to include an unsheltered walkway and gaps within ceilings and walls to allow a wash of light to permeate through the building.

Top : Azuma House Bottom: Koshino House Taken from Arch Daily and Open House

39 EMBRACE

1

3

2

4

SITE PLAN 1 YARRA RIVER 2 BOATHOUSE 3 PICNIC AREA 4 CARPARK

EMBRACE 40

PROGRAM Our current obsession with speed often impairs us from receiving the full experience. Thus, lengthening the journey makes the end outcome all the more meaningful.

Circulation The Water Temple

I have decided to incorporate this concept into the walkway leading up to my structure and within the building itself. The short walls along the footpath direct our route without compensating for the ‘openess’ visitors hope to experience in a park. I have also added steps with short rises to delay the users path of descent. Intrinsically, complex 3D paths were also used. However, I have reduced the number of available routes, so as to ‘force’ individuals through the prescribed path that I have created, allowing them to receive the full experience.

41 EMBRACE

To maintain a homogeneous atmosphere with the surrounding tranquility, my structure rests quietly at the bank, camouflaging the river.

EMBRACE 42

SOUTH ELEVATION

43 EMBRACE

Likened to lily pads, each function seemingly floats above a huge pool of water, mimicking the river. This arrangement restricts the path of each visitor, forcing them to embark on the prescribed route. The small incisions in the walls allow a wash of daylight to seep through the structure, giving life and energy to the surrounding water.

As one moves to the ground floor, they start to see more of the river.

EMBRACE 44

SECTION

45 EMBRACE

The other end of the structure opens up to the river, where it is full of life and energy. Functions are elevated to different heights to provide privacy and to allow the river to be shared.

EMBRACE 46

NORTH ELEVATION

47 EMBRACE

EMBRACE 48

FRAMING OF VIEWS The different orientations,elevations, wall heights and incisions are carefully designed to give visitors different ‘bitesize’ views of the river. Each function gives a new experience, thus prompting them to pay greater attention, obliviously ‘magnifying’ the scale of the river.

Views Church on the Water

49 EMBRACE

MATERIALS Reinforced concrete was used throughout the structure. A smooth glossy finish was added for it to appear soft and delicate to some point.

Incisions were made in the walls and ceilings, to allow a wash of light to permeate through the structure.

EMBRACE 50

WIDTHS The widths of each walkway were carefully alternated and sequenced to emulate the feeling of being embraced through the warmth and tighthness exuded.

51 EMBRACE

EMBRACE 52

JOURNAL ENTRIES AND FINAL PRESENTATION BOARD

53 EMBRACE

EMBRACE 54

55 EMBRACE

EMBRACE 56

57 EMBRACE

EMBRACE 58

59 EMBRACE

EMBRACE 60

61 EMBRACE

(

; I

� ; .._�i

,'

'.- - _,1

,-

'

S�ca� � ('f.re, ISlO CfYJ

-·- E s1�.)S

'.

L..,

t

I

!

I/

.. ,

. - JI •

I

I

. �· . '

EMBRACE 62

e , ,,-

/I'

L) /�

-

t•

r

Talttle.

.� H>,�(lO,

�-

�-\

80'-"1

63 EMBRACE

65 BIBLIOGRAPHY

BIBLIOGRAPHY 66

BIBLIOGRAPHY

67 BIBLIOGRAPHY

BIBLIOGRAPHY 68

Bibliography ArchDaily.(2011). AD Classics: Koshino House / Tadao Ando Architect & Associates. Available at https://www.archdaily.com/161522/ad-classics-koshino-house-tadao-ando KWC.(2017). Gallery: Water Temple - Shingonshu Honpukuji - Tadao Ando. Available at http://kwc.org/photos/tadao-ando/water-temple-shingonshu-honpukuji/ Architravel. (2013). Row House (Azuma House). Available at http://www.architravel.com/architravel/building/row-house-azuma-house/ Open House(2012). The first time I fell in love :Koshino House :Architecture : Tadao Ando :Japan. Available at https://openhousebcn.wordpress.com/2012/05/26/openhouse-barcelona-shop-gallery-the-first-time-i-fell-in-love-koshino-house-architecture-tadao-ando-japan/