Site Making | Space Making | Sacred Manifestations
Instructor: Richard Rosa Group Project
Location: The Grounds of the Chateau de La Tourette In L’Arbresle, France SU Spring 2023
The key to architecture is whether it can be remembered for a long time by those who enter it. I want to create architecture that is not only beautiful, but also vibrates the heart and speaks to the soul. As a material place for people's life and activities, architecture should satisfy people's needs for its function and at the same time delight the user's psychology and physiology.
Between The Mound 04
Instructor: Cecilia Lundbäck Group Project
Location: TCastiglione della Pescaia, Maremma, Italy SU Spring 2022
Rethinking the Space Usage of British Museum Bring Palmyra House to Turpan
Divine Direction
Facade Studies
Kaira Looro Competition 2023
Individual Project
Location: South Senegal, Africa June, 2023
Bridge Structure Expirenment
Utopia 03
Group Project
Location: Xishuangbanna Yunnan, China January 2023
Reference Dollens, Dennis. “Architecture as Nature: A Biodigital Hypothesis.” Leonardo, vol. 42, no. 5, 2009, pp. 412–394. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/40540059.
Architecture for Humanity. Design like You Give a Damn Architectural Responses to Humanitarian Crises. Edited by Kate Stohr and Cameron Sinclair, US Green Building Council, 2006.
The structure is the core of the space of expression, and the body is the medium that connects people with the structure. The word "structure" here is not the structure that plays a supporting role, but the word "Intangible" reveals the essence of structural expression. For example, if we draw an analogy between architecture and artwork, the Empathy between human body and the building forms the human experience of the intrinsic role of spatial form.
Nature knows how to design better than we do. People's feelings for nature, on the one hand, come from the five senses, what they hear, what they see, what they hear, what they feel, green plants are integrated into the building, simple materials constitute the building, at the same time, people interact with these elements, which can be viewed from afar and appreciated from close up, and more exploratory possibilities are available for the spatial layout, to create a space that can be used for different functions according to people's needs, thus bringing a rich and interesting experience to the people.
The utilization of architecture is highly satisfactory to individuals, and more importantly, the position of individuals within architecture remains unchanged. Architecture should embody a grounded approach, being intimately connected with people. It ought to be an architectural style that may not catch your eye at first glance while walking down the street, but upon focusing your gaze on the building, you will discover its delightful and distinctive qualities once again. Because, it just stands there, not out of place, yet standing out.
Ethereal Sanctum
Site Making | Space Making | Sacred Manifestations
Instructor: Richard Rosa Group Project
Location: The Grounds of the Chateau de La Tourette In L’Arbresle, France SU Spring 2023
By conducting a typology study of the convent, we aim to explore the internal mechanisms and dynamic effects of its form, with a particular focus on the relationship between the corridor and the functional spaces that must be maintained for optimal spatial experience. At the same time, we believe that people’s cognition of the external world is related to the cognitive structure of the individual’s psychological existence. Even if the external information is incomplete, it can be restored through this cognition.
Through the destruction of the traditional convent and reconfiguration of its enclosure relationship, it is possible to create a cloister utilizing the existing buildings, which can serve as an embodiment of the spirit of the place.
More specifically, as a derivative of the old building, our building follows its composition and derivative trend in form, and reproduces the spatial language of traditional churches through the interweaving of corridors of different dimensions and the interaction of functional blocks. Those three cloisters also have different spatial qualities, compositional elements and target objects and the sacred spaces are also emphasized by the corten steel and the pools.
“Architecture is the thoughtful making of space”
Louis Kahn
“If I can create some space that people haven’t experienced and if it stays with them or gives them a dream of the future, that’s the kind of structure I seek to create.”
Tadad Ando
The layout of the overall project follows the shape of the original manor, and the green space formed by the two echoes the internal space composition of convent de la tourette. The distribution of nuns and visitors is located on both sides of the project to ensure the privacy of the nuns and the different spatial feelings of the two groups of people.
The three sacred spaces all use the same design, with the outer rusty iron cover and suspended or raised planes to emphasize the sense of sanctity. The living and working areas are slightly rough concrete structures to represent the hardships of the pilgrimage. The different channel shapes of the project are referenced from Convent, a tribute to Le Corbusier.
Sacred Spaces
Living and Work
Corridors
Southwestern Elevation
Gritty concrete Laminated glass
Corten Steel with hollow pattern Corten Steel
Faced concrete Ordinary Concrete
Notrhwestern Elevation
Overall Exploded Axon Key Scenes During the Journey
Circulation of Nuns
The Auritory and library, designed like the church, have corten steel exteriors. The Auritory has a winding path to the prayer area, while the library has varied terrain for nuns to reach the reading area, creating unique spatial experiences
and
Barnett Newman’s Stations of the Cross on the curved ramp symbolize a transition from darkness to light, leading from the ground floor to the core. The church and bakery are both well-lit spaces.
Visitors follow a symbolic architectural journey in the church, starting with a gentle slope to the base and then progressing along a designed ramp to the central sanctum, blending physical exploration with spiritual contemplation.
Circulation of Visitors
The church’s core features a suspended dome with a strategic opening, filling the prayer area with natural light. The use of light concrete enhances the sacred
tranquil atmosphere.
The Curved Path
Lower Level and Ground Plate
The three sanctified venues—namely, the church, the library, and the chapel—stand as distinctive architectural marvels. Their unique materials render them striking focal points, with the brown-red rusty iron, in particular, commanding attention. This distinctive hue not only sets them apart from the verdant expanse of the surrounding grassland and forest but also elicits a psychological sensation of ascending into the sky at a leisurely pace.
Church Ground Level
Bakery
Culture and History of Senegal
Divine Direction
Volume | Garden |Sacred Space
Kaira Looro Competition 2023
Individual Project
Location: Southern Senegal, Africa June. 2023
Located at the intersection of three villages in southern Senegal, this primary school combines simplicity with traditional religious architecture and courtyards, creating a harmonious blend of culture and functionality.
The school’s design fosters a dialogue between public and private spaces, utilizing sacred walls. Divided into two main volumes for faculty and students, it incorporates sunken sacred areas and lightweight roof canopies that provide shade from the sun.Artistic manipulations transform the volumes, such as division, stretching, compression, and deformation. Two curved walls serve as a binary language, reinterpreting Senegal’s traditional architectural style.
“Architecture is primarily a service to humanity, to create an environment where a human being can develop itself, can be happy, can have what I call wellbeing.”
-Diébédo Francis Kéré
Design Principles
This primary school seamlessly integrates traditional and contemporary architectural elements, providing a functional learning environment that welcomes the community. Through thoughtful design and sustainability initiatives, it reflects the value placed on education, physical activity, and the well-being of its users.
The Center Yard and Corridor
The Front View
Elephant Utopia
Bridge | Boundary |Conflict
Group Project
Location: Xishuangbanna Yunnan
January 2023
On the one hand, due to the rapid expansion of the single-production land dominated by rubber forests by the residents of Xishuangbanna, an autonomous region in Yunnan, since 1980 to accelerate economic development, the habitat of Asian elephants has shrunk sharply and distributed in fragments. On the other hand, strict protection measures in nature reserves have increased the number of Asian elephants. Asian elephants are forced to leave the reserve frequently, and the frequency of visits to human production areas has increased rapidly.
“Architecture arises out of our need to shelter the human animal in a spatial environment and to enclose the social animal in a group space. In this sense architecture serves our institutions and expresses the values of our culture ”
Robert L. Geddes
Compared with conflict area 1 and area 3, conflict area 2 has less existing habitat area than existing plantation area. Morover, the percentage of settlement suffered from damge by elephant in area 2 is much greater than other two areas.
Our project is located in conflic area 2 and working on developing strategies for solving human-elephant conflic and elephant fragmented habitats restoration.
Influence
Future Development
Human Land and Destruction
Asian Elephant Habitats Shrinkage
Elephant Analysis
Between The Mound
Site Making | Garden | Material Experiment
Instructor: Cecilia Lundbäck Group Project
Location: TCastiglione della Pescaia, Maremma, Italy SU Spring 2022
BETWEEN THE MOUNDS is an experiential project to create a calm environment that is immersed in the nature. The rough look of the concrete and the insertion of architecture with the soft mounds formulate a strong comparison. Different techniques of pouring create different scales of mounds. The mounds look random but designed and poured with accuracy.
The project on the floodplain of the Ombrone takes influence from the many mound conditions existing between the span from the embankment to the river. The mounds vary in their physical qualities and their significance to the reading of space.
The project employs mounds as architecture, exploring how they can act spatially, organizationally, materially and as a mode of movement. This field of edges allows for spaces of water observation, bird watching, mound playground and hotel cells.
Moreover, we have differentiated the ground type by using earth, vegetation, concrete, and colored concrete.
“Good architecture lets nature in.”
Mario Pei
“The beauty of the landscape. Where sands, water, reeds, birds, buildings, and people all somehow flowed together has never left me.”
Zaha Hadid
We did a sand experiment about how can we use the pouring technique to define what types of mounds we might use. What we looked specifically is the section of these types. The angles the mounds formutales. The mounds present themselves as volumetric, definitive, disruptive, and continuous as well as flat, transparent, gapped and connecting.
We scan two landscape in Marama, then made them into two figure-ground drawings and applyed pouring tecniques to model them. Finally, we overlay and combine them into our final figure-ground.
Small Mound
Grass Grew After Flood Season
Mound Along Ombrone
The center is partially covered by mound. There are lobby, office, cafe, restrooms, storage, and water observation in side the visitor center. The water observation part is on lower level and partially into the river. The bird observation located next to the cente . they are also covered by mound. This gives a sense that people in the building can see the birds, but birds would not see them.
Open Yard Visitor Center Ombrone Hotel Cell Bird Observation
The Center Piece
Human Space
Mound Around Hotel Cells Water Observation
Physical Sand Model
The south of Chengdu is a region that has developed rapidly in recent years, which has led to a state of rapid saturation of real estate. By comparing the distance and occupancy rate of several newly-built communities and residents to places they need for life, we found that the problem in Changshun Community is the most serious, and the community building density is relatively high.
Sichuan Chengdu
Community Design Display
In the pursuit of a more vibrant community life, the communitry incorporates roof gardens seamlessly into its design. These serene gardens are easily accessible via dedicated vertical pathways, facilitating residents’ enjoyment of natural beauty and tranquility.
Additionally, the project capitalizes on the low floor area ratio of the original community by constructing a spacious activity platform on the fourth floor. Serving as a central communal hub, this platform fosters social interaction among residents and provides a stark contrast to the external urban landscape.
Section Cut Though Mid Yard
Thesis: Rethinking the Space Usage in British Museum
Course: HOA 473
London Musuems: Art, History, and Science in Contemporary Culture
Instructor: Dr James Hicks
Location: London, England
Individual Project
Exhibition, research, office, and logistics are the functions of museums in the traditional sense. These functions can no longer meet the needs of the people for museums. People’s satisfaction with the leisure and entertainment attached to the museum directly affects people’s overall impression of the museum. The design of the museum has gradually added auxiliary functions such as commerce, catering, and parking through reconstruction and expansion, and has developed in a complex manner with the functions of the original museum. Through the integration of aboveground and underground functions, it can meet the needs of users in various aspects and increase the comfort experienced in the building.
The degree to which museum Spaces are visited
The design of museum exhibition halls should first take the characteristics of the crowd as the starting point, and reasonable adjustments should be made to the display height and vision of the booth. The architectural layout of the museum exhibition hall should be designed according to the activities carried out and the flow of people. The space of each exhibition item in the museum should have greater adaptability and flexibility to facilitate the continuous enrichment and development of cultural activities.
Level of Crowded
By examining in depth the nuances of the internal spatial organization of the British Museum, this paper hopes to make an academic contribution to the discourse on the optimal use of space in museums. Through a rigorous exploration of the arrangement of the Parthenon statues, it seeks to make sensible proposals to enhance the spatial dynamics of the museum, thereby enriching the overall visitor experience and preserving the cultural heritage within its walls.
Where the Sculptures were Supposed to be
Firstly, the British Museum can add one floor for the room on the left hand of the front door and move the pantheon sculpture to the frieze area of the new floor. These sculptures were designed to be in Athens at the Parthenon, displayed high in the sunshine. To display them low to the ground, inside out, means that no one can truly appreciate them in their proper context; everyone misses out on an opportunity to better understand Classical Greek art and culture. The museum can lift them to a higher level, and, with the gate with ancient Greek temple style, the sculptures would have the opportunity to convey their ideas.
Secondly, the British Museum should reduce the number of works per room, especially for the Egypt room on the second floor. Due to a large number of cultural relics and limited room space in the Egyptian Museum on the second floor, tourists cannot spend enough time in front of the cultural relics to appreciate and read the introduction of the cultural relics. Instead of putting so various relics in one room for such a long time, the museum could reduce the number of exhibits and replace some of them every quarter.
The Position of Sculptures I Proposed
Last, the British Museum should provide a certain safe distance for cultural relics. It is very important to reserve space for the display of cultural relics. Reasonable use of the space to display exhibits and make full use of the space will give people an open and comfortable exhibition experience. Many large-scale cultural relics do not have obvious protection measures in the British Museum, which are not as good as the cultural relics in the Egyptian Museum on the first floor. They are exposed to the air for a long time, and due to the large number of tourists walking and talking, the air quality deteriorates, causing the surface of the cultural relics to be damaged. Some tourists also touch cultural relics with their hands or hold objects.
Section Drawing of Idea
Since cultural relics are non-renewable, we should be cautious about any materials and methods attached to cultural relics. We must think deeply about how to better protect and use museum collections, and find more ways to improve the value of cultural relics protection and use. According to its actual situation, each museum is changing the previous display design methods, actively researching new fields, and new science, innovating design thinking and display modes, and at the same time effectively improving the environmental conditions for the preservation of cultural relics, truly achieving cultural relics protection, prevention should be the first aim, so that the cultural relics in the collection are properly and effectively protected, and provide a reliable and useful basis for display and research.
Bibliography
“Architecture.” The British Museum, https://www.britishmuseum.org/ about-us/british-museum-storyarchitecture.
GARCÍA-DOMÉNECH, Sergio. “URBAN AESTHETICS AND SOCIAL FUNCTION OF ACTUAL PUBLIC SPACE: A DESIRABLE BALANCE.” Theoretical and Empirical Researches in Urban Management, vol. 10, no. 4, 2015, pp. 54–65. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/ stable/24873541.
Zaccarini, Matteo. “THE ATHENS OF THE NORTH? SCOTLAND AND THE NATIONAL STRUGGLE FOR THE PARTHENON, ITS MARBLES, AND ITS IDENTITY.” Aevum, vol. 92, no. 1, 2018, pp. 179–96. JSTOR, https://www.jstor.org/stable/26497064.
NOORDEGRAAF, JULIA, et al., editors. “Exhibition Strategies.” Preserving and Exhibiting Media Art: Challenges and Perspectives, Amsterdam University Press, 2013, pp. 309–88. JSTOR, http://www. jstor.org/stable/j.ctt6wp6f3.17.
Facade Analysis
Course: ARC 561 Survey of British Architecture
Instructor: Amber Bartosh & Davide Sacconi
Location: London, England
Other Group Members: Ruoxi Li, Danlin Sun
Guildhall, London
Analyse, represent and interpret selected buildings in London, which have made an exemplary use of the "screen" as a device to articulate the relationship between architecture and the city.
Guildhall a municipal building in the Moorgate area of the City of London, England.
The building has been used as a town hall for several hundred years, and is still the ceremonial and administrative centre of the City of London and its Corporation.
London School of Economics Marshall Building, Grafton Architects
The building is a major new development for LSE. The language and rhythm of the facades of the new building each have their own integrity, expressing the life of the activities within but responding to the strata, grain and rhythm of Lincoln’s Inn Fields as well as to the surrounding streets to the south and west.
Dimention: 1.4m x 1.85m x 0.8m
Material: Foam Core
Material: Foam Core
Dimention: 1m x 1.6m x 0.4m
Bring the Palmyra house to Turpan
Course: ARC 322 Building Systems II
Instructor: Nina Sharifi
Location: Syracuse, NY
Other Group Members: Jinwei Cao,Ruoxi Li, Danlin Sun
Envelope
The type of architecture changed due to the differences of contexts of sites. The original building can be regarded as a private vacation villa in the coconut forest while the new buildings are the community located downtown in Turpan. Therefore, the noise and the privacy should be focused as we change the site.
As for the new design, we considered the climate, daylight, thermal condition, heat flux, structure arrangement in order to have a better performance for the new building. However, there are flaws in the new design that can be noticed. Tupan, China does not own sufficient vegetation, which means the material for the house needed to be transported from other places, which would increase the cost and decrease the efficiency during construction.
Original Facade
Redesigned Facade and Section
Original Thermal and Visual Comfort Prediction Redesigning
Make the“open” facade more “closed”because the facade should prevent the new buildings from noise and to protect privacy.
Insulation is added in the new design because of the huge difference of temperature in Turpan.
The louvres are fixed in the new design.We chose to keep the major characteristic of the original building. Louvres can help with the ventilation so that the new buildings can use natural ventilation to bring the moisture out, but we would also consider natural ventilation to improve the air quality. However, the fixed louver would limit the daylight, which would result in improving thermal condition.
Spaces between most columns are the same for reducing the cost and improving the efficiency due to the high population density in China. 1.
Thermal
In Turpan, summers are warm while win- ters are extremely cold. There are also big temperature differences between days and nights. The new designed facade helps keep the heat and cold out. The addition of glazing give opportunity for passive heat to be generated through solar radiation absorption.
