The building I studied for Project 1 was SANAA’s Gifu
Apartment Block where I follow the two themes of a Light Controlled Design that
has a reduced impact on the local environment as well as following a Grid
structure and layout throughout the building.For Project 2 my new SANAA
building is the Zollverein School of Management and Design as well as a new architect’s
building that will be BIG Architect’s Wall Taipei City Wall which is an
apartment building.
Some of the themes and programmes that as evident in these
two new buildings can be seen in the Project 1 building and some new ones have
been introduced:
Light Controlled Design
This is evident in Zollverein School of Management and
Design with the many windows and openings that are randomly located throughout
the building allowing light to travel through and helping with reducing its
impact on the local environment. This can also be discussed with the use of a plain
white finish on the concrete walls as they are not imposing and not necessarily
attention grabbing. BIG’s Wall also displays this concept with the building
continually having almost a checkerboard look to it allowing many openings in
it. By allowing light and vision to pass through people don’t see the building
as big and imposing as it may actually be.
Sense of Scale
Within the Zollverein School building through the use of
randomly sized and placed windows anyone viewing from the exterior has trouble
gaining a sense of scale of the building as they are unable to find where floor
levels start and begin and therefore the building is able to invoke a certain aspect
of curiosity. The Taipei Wall apartment building also uses this concept with
their build by looking at it you get the sense that it is much smaller than
what it really is but as you come closer and see people living in it you gain a
sense of how big it really is when you are able to gather a sense of scale from
these people.
Use of Grid through Design
The use of the grid system can also be explored through both
these buildings the Zollverein School uses this ununiformed grid to confuse the
viewer in relation to the scale of the building. But by keeping to this
structured concept it achieves this grid concept where the aim is achieved. BIG’s
Taipei Wall use the grid layout in their checkerboard looking building as they
originally wanted to reduce the impact on the local land space so they used
this concept to build upwards and then by following the grid format they were
able to create a light, non-imposing building that also plays with the viewer’s
sense of scale.
For Project 2 I have decided to design a residential house
that is inspired by the two concepts of Light Controlled Design as well as this
Sense of Scale that is seen evident in the two above buildings. This will be a
house that will be both functional as well as a mark on design and concepts. My
concept Designs are as follows:
A cube orientated design where by using the grid system and stacking them to reduce the impact on the local land they also create undercover outdoor areas which are both private and protected.
Through the use of the randomly placed and scaled windows and openings on the façades viewers find it difficult to read and understand the size and program of the building.
