Earth Book - Sunday Hao Li

ARCHITECTURE DESIGN STUDIO: EARTH S1, 2017 EARTH BOOK Sunday Hao Li 852660 Tutor: Marcus Fajl

CONTEXTS 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3

THREE TECTONICS Point / Line / Plane Mass Frame & Infill

2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5

HERRING ISLAND Site Analysis Conceptacle Design Development Final Design Drawings Final Design Model

3.0 REFLECTION 4.0 BIBLIOGRAPHY

1.0 THREE TECTONICS

Three tectonic exercises including Point/Line/Plane, Mass and Frame&Infill offer me a chance to explore some fundamental architectural principles. Each exercise has its own architectural meaning. The three tectonics channel the design of this whole semester, which lead to the main project.

1.1 Point / Line / Plane

The Point/Line/Plane exercise shows the three common elements existing in architecture world. In this project, I designed a model that has circles, curves and circular movements.

From the precedents I discovered, I found out everything started with a point and ended with a point. A circle is the appropriate example of this idea. Thus, the model is designed with curvy organic shapes in order to depict three principles.

Wassily Kandinsky Several Circles 1926

Wassily Kandinsky Circles in a Circle 1923

Sketch Drawings

1.2 Mass

The Mass drawing requires me to think about how the design can engage with the Earth.

The left precedent is a local example of brutalism architecture in Carlton.

Using concrete as the main material also reflects the brutalism of the architecture. The building is massive and interesting structured. The right drawing is the elevation of the architecture. Itexpresses the depth and the lightness of the architecture.It is an massive architecture designed with geometric elements.

Graeme Gunn Plumbers & Gasfitters Union Building 1969-71

I.M Pei Everson Museum of Art Syracuse 1968

Sketch Drawings

The final drawing expresses the idea of mass. It has different height spaces, which can offer different lighting. Also it was designed with the contrast of the surface of some spaces are smooth while some spaces are rough. The darkest space is located in the deepest place that expresses a sense of mystery. The access space on the ground is artificial, but still try to respect the nature by creating a rough interior texture.

1.3 Frame & Infill

The Frame & Infill is an interesting exercise that needs to consider the composition relationship and the diversity of architecture. The left precedent is a deconstructivism architecture. The shape of the building is very dynamic. The exterior glass and metal structure compose a frame to cover the interior space. The right one is a drawing of an uncompleted project by Mise Van Der Rohe. I can imagine the wall structures as a deconstructed rectangle to frame the inside space.

Coop Himmelb(l)au Ufa Cinema Center 1993-98

Ludwig Mies Van Der Rohe Brick Country House 1925

The idea of this model is deconstructing the rectangle frames and combing them together. I tried to design a frame that looks like a box or a rectangle structure but it is deconstructed. So every frame in the model is a fragment, thus can create half open and half closed spaces. The infill is a mirror, which expresses the idea of an infinitive infill.

2.0 HERRING ISLAND - A PLACE FOR KEEPING SECRETS

2.1 Site Analysis Circulation/Main Pathway

Wharfs

entry of the island

inside the island

Vegetation Density

Pavilion Location

Existing Buildings

the BBQ gournd

Site Analysis 1:2000

WINTER

SUMMER

Herring Island is an artificial island that was

filled with silt dredged from the river and a shortcut created for the river on the Richmond bank to lessen the likelihood of flooding.

The tour of Herring Island is like an adventure. By taking the ferry to the island, people walk down a path built with a sculpture by the sides. The island is filled with vegetation. Vegetation on the island consists of a few remnants of indigenous riparian forest and grassland communities, as well as native and exotic species that have been planted over the past 60 years. The earlier plantings are mainly around the perimeter of the island, while more recently, the central flat areas and silt mounds have been planted, since the dumping of silt stopped.

After visiting the site, I wanted to build my pavilion on the boundary of the forest and the BBQ ground. The pavilion can be a gate to the forest and also is located in the heart of the island, which gives the pavilion a sense of secret. People only need to step into the island to find the pavilion.

Sun Paths

Main Surrounding Vegetation

Yarra River/Waterway Main Roads

Residential Buildings Lawns

2.2 Conceptacle

Conceptacle 1

Conceptacle 2

The right precedent is an ongoing project.

The design is almost like a result of geometries boolean each other in digital software. The architecture has different spatial qualities, which makes it diverse. But the whole design is a combination of spheres, which makes it united.

The bottom architecture is built in a tourist attraction in Taiwan. The main material is concrete, which merge with the natural view. And the architecture is designed along with water, it expresses the harmony with the earth.

Steven Holl Taiwan Chinpaosan Necropolis 2013-18

Norihiko Dan Sun Moon Lake Administration Office of Tourism Bureau 2008-10

2.3 Design Development

Spaces Composition Sketch

The idea of my conceptacle is “repetition of spaces,” thus create a sense of confusion.

When people circulate the space, it will bring a déjà vu due to the spaces are very similar.

People might get lost in the space, so it will be a perfect space to protect the secrets. I tried to create a minimalism maze by using curvy and organic shape. By peeling off the paper, some interesting shapes and spaces just happen naturally. However, spaces can be more diverse. The spaces can remain similar but also different by scaling the sizes of them. For the sketch model, I tried to duplicate the idea of my conceptacle model and created several different sizes semicircle rooms.

First Sketch Model

B

A

A

Floor Plan 1:200 B

Section A 1:200

The first design I took the curvy circular shapes from the Point/Line/Plane exercise and the idea of deconstruction of the frame to deconstruct the cylinders. I wanted to keep the feature of the curve and organic in order to remind regional, something like small hills.

The pavilion itself has secrets. There is a “doppelganger� spaces relationship, which they look the same but they are different functions and different spatial qualities. Speaking of a place to keep secrets, I believe the space should bring people calmness and safety, a place like a shell. Also I created the diagonal roofs that can bring natural lighting but not too bright. It also creates an intimacy to people themselves.

Toilet Sheltered Family Space Storage Room

Secret Space

Technical

Nevertheless, this design needed to be developed. I took some advices from the critics to refine my final design.

Doppelganger Spaces Dominant Section B 1:200

Subdominant Subordinate

First Attempt Design

About the double wall From the critics, I am suggested an idea of “pregnant wall�, which is a double wall that has space in between. The double wall will make the structure more interesting and emphasize the idea of hiding secrets. People might not be aware the existence of the space inside the double wall. The walls have different heights, which make the lighting in the pavilion is more dramatic. Also for the arrangement of the rooms, the circular shapes make the pavilion like a maze, which expresses a sense of dizziness.

Sketch idea about the wall

Modeling process of the strctures

B

2.4 Final Design Drawings

3 4

2 5

A

A

1

1 Sheltered Space

4 Storage Room

2 Technical Room

5 Family Space

3 Secrect Gallery

6 Toilets

6 Floor Plan 1:200 B

Site Plan 1:5000

Section A 1:200

Section B 1:200

The secrets exist in the architecture.

The secrets are half revealed and half exposed like the structures of the pavilion.

The secret is the spatial relationship between the pair spaces.

The secret is the space in between the double walls.

People approach the pavilion like entering a maze or playing hide and seek, people might get lost, and people might feel confused. The secrets will still be hidden behind the concrete walls.

2.5 Final Design Model

3.0 REFLECTION

In twelve weeks journey of architecture, I have learnt more about passion, enjoyment and critical thinking.

By researching precedents all over the world and visiting local buildings and artworks in Melbourne, I found out architecture is not only about building. Francis D.K Ching believes that architecture is way more than satisfying the functional requirements of a building program. Architecture needs to satisfy human being, which includes the mental feeling of human and the needs of human. Architecture also needs to respect the nature in order to adapt the site.

At the beginning, I did three tectonic exercises. The tectonics guided me into the architectural design world. To design architecture is a long process, understanding fundamental principles are mandatory before the final design. It is important to recognize the basic architectural elements of form and space, also to learn how to organize and manipulate into a design. I really enjoyed the designing process of the tectonics. There is so much freedom in the exercises, which allows me to explore ideas and accomplish them.

Finally, the final project Herring Island-A Place For Keeping Secrets was a real challenge for me. It was a bit difficult to understand the concept of “secrets� at first. My tutor Marcus and other critics gave me lot of suggestions and examples, which I found some suitable ideas to apply to my own design.

There will be more unknown challenges in the future by the process of studying architecture. This semester helped me to enjoy it. I would describe the journey as a sweet nightmare.

4.0 BIBLIOGRAPHY

Ching, F. 2007, Architecture – Form, Space & Order, John Wiley & Son, Inc., New Jersey.

Kandinsky,W. and Rebay, H. 1979, Point and Line to Plane, Dover Publications, New York.

Parks Victoria. 2017, http://parkweb.vic.gov.au/explore/parks/herring-island.