Month: December 2015

The theme running throughout class and in W.J.R  Curtis’ Modern Architecture since 1900 is that structures are constantly evolving from each other. There are no truly original ideals in architecture because everything is constructed in reaction to one another. This reaction can be either positive or negative.

For example Le Corbusier’s Villa Savoye was inspired by the Parthenon of ancient Greece. His five points of architecture includes pilotis, the stilts on which the building is raised off the ground. These are reinterpreted classical columns that surround the Parthenon. The procession to the Villa by car can also be compared to the ceremonial route found in the Acropolis. Lastly, the color scheme of white exterior,  blue roof garden forms, and dark recessed walls refer back to the polychromy scheme of the Parthenon. Although these structures were generations apart and were both considered revolutionary during their times, they still share fundamental architectual elements in common.

Another instance is the Vienna Secession Building of 1897 in Vienna, Austria.  It was built in the secession style, a branch of Art Nouveau,  with simplified geometric forms. When breaking down the shapes it refers back to the Pantheon of Rome. It has a interpreted dome, columns, and pediment which  originated from the Roman temple built in 125 CE.

These are just the few instances where the classical was reinvented into new structures and styles. Robert Venturi also based his work off of the Modernist movement but he rejected it and constructed an entirely new movement: the post modern.

Considering it too cold and simplistic, Venturi complicates his designs with contradicting elements that create dynamic tension his his projects. For example in the Venturi house he has a broad entrance but the doorway is actually tucked on the side. The proportions are very skewed as well, with exaggerated forms like the centralized fireplace that is broken by the front facade.

Jean’s project is also based on the idea of taking an old overly abused architectual principle and transforming it. However, although the new structure is unrecognizable the underlying current that connects it to the existing Breuer house it still there. For example the Sea Lane House’s bedroom wing is suspended on pilotis. Although, my model does not have pilotis the mass still hovers over the ground giving that interstitial space that is provided by pilotis.

I also used many architects existing work to inspire me. For instance Bernards Tshumi’s Parc or Peter Eisenman’s Wexner building both share the overlapping grid concept that is prevalent in my project.

Although architecture is constantly evolving it has to be based in guiding principles. However, these principles could be rejecting or accepting  but it is always a reaction to them. This blog as well as the  Architectual history class taught by Micheal Davis enabled me to come to this conclusion. The class also stressed the importance of learning the history because knowing the rules of architecture allows one to break or develop them.

In both classes I have not only developed technical skills but also reasoning and analysis skills. This understanding allows me to draw connections between projects and concepts. I can then use these ideals to create well informed decisions about my own design process as I did with the transformed Sea Lane House.

Project: Parc De la Villette

Architect: Bernard Tschumi

Year: 1982-1998

Location: Paris

The design principle for the park was to mark the vision of an era and to embody the future economic and cultural development of Paris. It is the third largest park in the world and includes many cultural venues such as three major concert halls, the Conservatoire de Paris, and the Cité des Sciences et de l’Industrie.

Designed by Bernard Tschumi, the park is  inspired by the post-modernist architectural ideas of deconstructionism. The park was intended to create space for activity and interaction, rather than be the place for the conventional relaxation and self-indulgence. The vast expanse of the park encourages freedom, exploration, and discovery.

The Parc de la Villette has a collection of ten themed gardens. Each garden is created with a different representation of architectural deconstructionism. They vary, for example while some of the gardens are minimalist in design, others are constructed for children.

There are thirty five large red follies in the park that are architectural representations of deconstruction. They are distinctly organized on a grid creating a regularity to the park. These follies are meant to act as points of reference that help visitors gain a sense of direction and navigate throughout the space. 

The follies create one grid of rationality. This grid is laid on top of a second grid made of lines and surfaces. On its own these two grids are regulated and rational however, when you layer the two, as Tschumi had, the plan becomes irrational and sporadic. It is where these two grids intersect that architecture happens, according to Tschumi. The intersection of the grids throws the parks visitors into a world not defined by conventional architecture.

The two overlapping grids relates to my own project. In my indexical sequence I also have one grid that is highly organized (the horizontal lines) and one that is not confined by strict rules (the curvilinear vertical lines). When separated these grids are rational however, when placed on top of one another they intersect a multitude of times creating pockets of densities destroying the regularity of the grids.

 

 

 

The final layout was what was displayed during the final review. I had to present on these concepts and defend them from a panel of critiques.

In all, this project transforms Breuer’s predictable Sea Lane House into a mass and ground that defies traditional notions of the domestic home. In my projects both intersection and interstitial spaces are questioned and transformed. Instead of just one intersection that occurred in the precedent house, I exaggerated and varied intersections of the bars in the model. The original  house also floated on pilotis creating regulated space underneath. This concept  was also dramatically transformed in my model with the voids created as well as the varying spaces between the bars.

This house takes Marcel Breuer’s ideals about the private and communal spheres and transforms it. Instead of having a predictable plan, the communal spaces in my house are not regular creating an interaction between the resident and the building as they need to navigate to find the joined spaces.  

This project questions domesticity because instead of having everything on one regulated system working together to obtain a cohesive whole, my house converges two systems, orthogonal and curvilinear, creating instability. Typically houses want to maintain a level of stability as the residents want to feel security however my building defies this notion rediscovering the definition of domesticity.

 

These sections and roof plans were made from the original drawings. I printed them and had to spatially consider what the model would look like when cut. This was difficult as I had to imagine what the intersections would be. I had to consider if the intersecting bars would cancel each other out, remain whole, or only one would merge. I also had to consider where to cut and if I had to leave bars intact or slice them depending on their depth.

The small version of the original drawing in the lower left corner,  depicts where the model was cut. This informs the viewer of the principle and location behind the cut. The cut is highlighted with the darkest line weight. This means the bars were often reduced to geometrical shapes.

This excercise not only developed our spacial skills but allowed us to see a interior view of our domestic home. It helped us to further visualize the functionality of the spaces.  We also had to produce what was unseen and depict it using dashed lines.

The figures, located in both the  section and Bird’s-Eye view section, established a scale to how massive the house would be. It also provided an idea of what spaces could be occupied and what would happen in those spaces.

These drawings were hand drawn  from photographs, scanned, traced in Rhino, then exported to illustrator to differentiate line weights. The dashed lines represent what is unseen.

This excercise was built to develop our drawing skills on many interfaces. The line weights were essential to make a two-dimensional drawing look three-dimensional.

Both the outline of the mass and the ground were the heaviest lines in order to differentiate the two. The voids were also given heavier line weights in order to establish depth. To provide perspective the objects in the back were given lighter lines compared to the ones in the front that had darker.

All of these drawings show different perspectives that are essential for the section cuts to be made in future weeks.