What was that?

The Critique
Apart from some verbal glitches and some missing elevations in my presentation I received helpful and useful feed back from the review panel and class.

Feedback:

• A better undertsanding, conviction and introduction of the project was needed. A better organised and precise material relating to the review topic, reviewers and public.
• Issues with residence separation needs to be thought out. Go back to the originals brief and research and see what works and what doesn't. 
• Open space! what is too much or too less. Assess the open space requirements from the DCP and what is needed on site. Woolloomooloo has allot of open space within cooee distance from the centre. 
• A need to strengthen and clarify my concept. Materials, open space, layouts. 
• The concept of furniture and fixtures to be durable, integrated yet architectural was a good attempt and along the right track. 
• Internal density of the centre. Arrange rooms to use the limited space wisely. 
• Public interaction. Why would they got the cafe? Artistic relation to the community and art space? Limits of public and private? 
• Interesting and challenging concept and brief. 
• Landscape area and urban response to the pedestrian street. 

Personal Reflection

After my presentation I was disappointed with myself for my lack of preparation and my verbal language in explaining my project.
I have moved on with this project with enthusiasm since the charrette and was getting excited with idea and the form and the romantic possibilities this project will do. However the feedback was good! it grounded me to stop following tangents and look backwards at the big picture and original ideas.
Now I have had a week to get over it, I have gone back to some research and the homelessness forum to ask questions about the layout and what works and doesn't.
http://www.homelessforums.org/showthread.php?p=33536&posted=1#post33536 

So what to do now? 

• Internal layouts - bedrooms and communal area relationships.
• Look at details, structure and materiality.
• Environmental consideration(refine)
• Open space and use of the site.
• Public areas - urban planning, cafe/retail element.
• A new series of vignettes.
• PHYSICAL MODELS!
• Contact Bruce Judd(FBE-City Future) for a review of my work.

Design Project Development Submission

Open publication - Free publishing - More youth

I have attached my design project development review submission as presented on Friday the 3rd.

Just Keep Designing

The plans below are snap shots(not all my conceptual sketches) of the process to where my project is up to now.

They read in chronological order.

The plans above is a development form my conceptual design in S1. The entry is brought foward to a more public area.

Communal areas surround the courtyard for additional security.

Atrium space for socialising, gathering and meeting.

Working in section to work out levels, voids and roof form.

The above four sketches are ideas for entry inot the centre and courtyard.

top left - No courtyard, using the old vs new as an entry point.

top right - Stairs are central located, old vs new entry point, open floor plan for overlooking by offices.

bottom left - Cafe opening onto the courtyard, gates to courtyard for after hour security, location of reception

Bottom right - bike storage

Courtyard takes a more organic form and extends into the hotel.

Gates separate private form public functions. 

Street access to clinic for non residence.

circular building form to maintain maximum solar gain.

Internal layout adopts the more free form shape.

Cafe amenities follows the shape of the copurtyard.

ground floor

first floor

second floor

The design so far...

The urban plan is important to highlight the entry but also separate the public from private. 

Using the existing hard surface pattern along with the a more organic pattern flowing from the courtyard will unite yet separate the functions carried on within the centre

Updated vignettes of the entry - stairs - bedrooms(option 1 & 2)

Precedent Studies - Byker Development

Ralph Erskin
Redevelopment - Mid 1970's
Byker district of Newcastle upon Tyne, England

• long unbroken block of 620 units.
• Project played with textured, complex facades, colourful brick, wood and plastic panels – unique to the time for low rise residential buildings

• Many awards and became a grade listed 2 building.
• The development attempted to create a dialogue between community and architecture.
• The layout was designed to leave cars on the outskirts of the estate and public spaces were included to encourage social interaction.
• Large green areas and trees. Balconies and walkways were planted by residence.
• Major iconic buildings to the area were kept and built around and into. This design idea is to keep a sense of community alive.

Review 1 aka Charette 1

For our studio review we did an in class charrette. We produce 9 vignettes illustrating movement, architectural space and materiality. This process was exciting and of great use to identify previously unforeseen issues; such as the stair case, gardens, height of gates(bulk and scale) etc.

This was an easy process of quickly sketching out the movement from the courtyard - entry - stair case(vertical circulation) - hallway and bedrooms.

Sketches from charrette:

view from street(top is looking south, bottom from Nicholson street looking north)

Bulk and scale are key issues for my design. The reuse of the existing hotel becomes a key public area. I have separated old form new by a courtyard and offset projections of the façade to have that separation yet still remained linked. The use of material, esp on Nicholson Street, is vital to retain that relationship with the historic Victorian workers terraces to the east and the hotel to the west.

Looking at the garden

The void that is creted by separating the north and west "wings"of the building allows me to introduce a garden or social area where residence and users of the facility can relax, chat, or gather ones thoughts. This void allows the sleeping areas to have a view, gain light etc.

Entry

The entry is important that it creates a safe area for the users. Previously on my conceptual design form S1 the issue of security was raised. Making the entry a dominate part of the scheme; with offices, clinics, common rooms and courtyard all relates and overlooks each other.

Projections and façade treatment of this space allows the entry to be dynamic, lively, and welcoming. The active use of the areas around the entry adds to the security of the users entering and exiting.

Atrium Space

Stair case(option 1)

Stair case (option 2)

from sketching  the stair case as a means of vertical circulation, just saw a conventional steel or concrete stair case. This however didn't 'fit' in with the overall design of the hostel aspect of the project. An attempt to make the stairs into a more 'prominent/sculptural' architectural element to the scheme saw the circulation space change to a more interesting element.

Stair landing, looking at first floor

Again looking at the stair case and thinking of the journey. I looked at what could happen to the wall that separates the terraces from the project. Ideas were planted walls, art/interactive walls. endless possibilities:)

Balconies to living and bedrooms

Hallway with seating

From the precedent studies, the hallway allowed me to make seating nodes, areas where the residence can make their own. This allows a more informal, personal, a sense of belonging. 

Although its just a hallway, the opportunity to allow the users to arrange how they see this space adds to the concept of empowering the user, allowing them to feel like they are part of something. ie a community.

Bedroom (option 1)

Bedroom (option 2)

The bedrooms are one of possibilities as well. Modular, integrated, durable furniture is the first thing that jumps to mind. The users are ages 14 to 25 yrs and object that swing, delicate, movable are all issues that I have to consider. However, allowing the bedrooms to be interesting, safe and with all the basic comforts allows the user, again, to feel like they are part of something bigger.

Options are to have glass façade with operable windows(louvres), pivot windows with window seats, integrated desk, cupboards and seating. 

These bedroom decisions will be a process of continual research and sketching the results.

I love drawing and will be a process i will use throughout my design.


After the charrette I applied a similar process to one of the precedent studies, The student housing in Glockengasse, Salzburg, Austria.. Studying  the circulation and details.

Student housing dividing cliff face from the village.

Circulation patterns

The circulation pattern indicated that the user would arrive and see reception and then proceed to the vertical lifts and or stairs. The bedrooms were arranged on a terminal corridor and room pattern.

Section through the stairs and void

Emergency Stairs

Precedent Studies - Baker House, MIT

MIT Baker House Dormitory
Massachusetts, USA

Architects: Alvar Aalto

Precedent Studies - Student Housing, France

Student Housing
Epinay, France

Architects: Emmanuel Combarel Dominique Marrec(ECDM)

•Residence for students of 150 housing for 170 residents, 19 housing for researchers or invited professors and housing for women in distresses.
•the project foresees guards accommodation, private study rooms, laundry, space out relaxation internal and outer, gardens were fitted out with fruit trees
•A redevelopment to revitalise the commercial/industrial area.
•Low rise building to maintain bulk and scale of its surrounding context.

This student housing project comprised of two room types. A one bedroom apartment and apartments for long term residence(students, researchers and teachers)

Like the previous precedent studies the floor plan follows a similar layout of; an en-suite, living/bedroom, kitchenette.

In the more long term apartment the living and bedroom are separated. This allows for a more private life and to creates a homely feeling of having a separate functions carried out in difference spaces.

Each apartment opens onto an outdoor area. This is used for growing fruit trees, socialising and just enjoying the outdoor space.

The bulk and scale of this project allowed me to analysis how the apartments and public areas relate to each other and the street. The obvious difference to my scheme is the size of the project.

Precedent Studies - Up to 35 Competition

Up to 35 Competition - Student accommodation
Athens, Greece
Architects Parasite Studios

CONCEPT

•The student’s life consists of a mixture of private life, together with the need for individual seclusion for learning and public life, with public interaction and dynamic relations.

•The student’s housing units are designed as a mix of private and public areas

•The mix of private areas and public areas is essential for informal learning, facilitating the interchange of creative ideas in a free and non-academic environment, thereby boosting individual evolution and a free exposure of ideas.

•The spatial solution for housing this complex relational network was to provide a large empty living space, which is both interior and exterior, consisting of common student spaces, interior courts and roof terraces, which becomes the guideline for organizing the entire building.

•Each module comprises a common space for six students and three bedrooms.

•Every space is endowed with all the necessary equipment's and is dimensioned in order to allow easy access for people with disabilities in every module of the building.

•The bedrooms are each configured for two persons, containing study areas within the same space.

•The living room wall, which supports the inner stair plays a double role as structural and functional element. This wall contains deposit spaces for living and bedroom areas, a library and a small cooking area.

•The green spaces are linked in between in order to form a continuous environment, doubled by a raised network of pedestrian pathways.

•Materials and colours to reflect the lightness of Greek architecture.