This site map places the proposal into the context of it's surrounding area amongst several trees and next to the waterfall.An important part of my design is that it works well with the site around it. Having looked at the Nordic Pavilion I was inspired by the use of bringing nature inside, yet my concern was that this would contradict my concept. However, I may now have realised a way of doing this whilst maintaining the integrity of my concept.
I think that this would be a really nice way to bring to some of the site's nature into the building. Just because I wish to encourage people outside doesn't mean I should totally exclude nature from the interior of the design. By using the 'waste' stone from the construction too, the building would be reusing the stone, keeping it a little bit more sustainable. This is, again, a key aspect of designing as I wish for the building to be as low impact as possible when it comes to the environment. http://designm.ag/images/arch/stone/stone-16.jpg
I have not always been a big fan of using concrete as an exposed material in architecture. There are so many examples of it looking sad, neglected and dirty. However, every now and again there is a building which renews my faith in concrete. The Nordic Pavilion, at the Venice Biennale, is an example of exactly such a building.The Nordic Pavilion was designed by Sverre Fehn. It is a brilliant building which excels in combining the inside with the outside. But more than that, it also contains some very interesting features too. The image above shows the beautiful use of concrete found at the Pavilion. Fehn has created a giant concrete brise soleil using 1 meter tall concrete beams. By making them only 6cm thick each, light is able to pour through into the space below, but glare is reduced considerably. This creates an interesting atmosphere as there is a lot of light, but with nothing direct as such. There is a second layer of beams above the first, running perpendicular. This results in a 2 meter tall structure of thin concrete beams, an impressive piece of design. Furthermore, the way in which nature is integrated with this design is admirable. The concrete almost seems to separate where the trees grow in order to allow them through. I would love to incorporate this with my own work, however I fear that it would be contradictory to my concept. I am trying to take people outside in to the nature, not bring the nature inside. This is definitely something to bare in mind for future projects though. An inspirational building. http://architectuul.com/architecture/nordic-pavilion-at-the-venice-biennale?utm_content=bufferde63b&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook.com&utm_campaign=buffer
I went on another visit to Lumsdale Valley to get a better feel for the site. The weather was far better this time so I was able to get a clearer look at everything in my own time. Also, because all the measurements were already done, I was able to focus on exploring the site instead of measuring one specific area of it. Something which proved very valuable indeed...The above image shows the waterfall site. After my first visit, I had the intention of building around the overflow at the top of the site. It is a similar area to design for, it has two levels of falling water, rock on the far side to build into and ground on the other to enter from. However whilst I was designing, I was finding the overflow site quite restrictive in size, to achieve a design which correctly responded to the brief, it was possible that some landscaping to the area might have been necessary. This was less than ideal as it countered my feelings towards the site in that I wish to leave the site as we found it as much as possible. The waterfall, however, presents a far larger area to work with. The span of the fall is far greater, as is the depth of it. Both of these factors allow me to produce to piece of architecture which responds to the site better and keeps the design more hidden and in keeping with the area, reducing the need for any landscaping. Below are two videos which I took of the area and how it is approached. There are some already existing steps which lead down to the waterfall. These are perfect for my design as they direct you towards an area which slightly overlaps the edge towards the fall, creating an ideal lead up to the entry of my design. The steps also follow round to the right too, allowing others split off and continue through the site, meaning that the proposal does not interfere with any pedestrian flow through the site. This is important to me as I want to preserve this beautiful area the best I can, people visit it to explore and to interrupt this would be a shame. The waterfall section of the site has a lot of space to build in. The rocks on both sides can be used to support the structure by spanning beams across from one side to the other, upon which the elevated unit can be supported (along with some support from the lower down ground unit too). There is also plenty of space below where I was stood in which to place the underground unit. The ground level unit will be at the bottom of the fall, next to the underground unit, and will have the appearance of hovering slightly above the ground as it will be raised slightly in order to let the water flow underneath. The whole area is surrounded by trees and plants, with a view out towards the nature beyond too. However, the view is quite restricted by all the trees, essential blocking off any direct views. I do not consider this to be a bad thing though. Part of my intentions behind my proposal is to encourage the inhabitants of the units out into the surrounding nature. I have designed with this in mind the whole time, for example using narrow windows and slightly less headroom than normal (though not to the point of discomfort!) to enhance the freedom of being outside. The trees obstructing views is ideal for this, as to go and see more of the area, the ecologists must leave the building and explore for themselves. This prevents people from simply sitting inside and looking out. This exploration may even result in the next ecological discovery! All videos and photos by Ben Price.
Sometimes the best places to draw inspiration from can be from completely different places.What struck me about this grabber was the way in which it extended. If a toy can extend with a squeeze of trigger, why can't a building?! Whats to stop a bridge extending over a river, and then retracting back again? Why couldn't a roof or a wall extend over/ into a space when needed, and then simply collapse away again when its not? Its these kind of questions which I find create far more interesting results. There is only so much to be gained from looking at the architectural ideas of others. To create something of truly architectural uniqueness, I believe that inspiration should be drawn from elsewhere completely. http://www.keepitsweet.co.uk/images/Grabber.gif
This house by Deca Architecture is a building built into it's surrounding topography. This is a great building to look at for this project, especially regarding the underground section of the brief. Perhaps the most interesting part of the design is the way in which light is allowed down into it.The above image shows part of the house which slopes down to a wall of glass which opens out onto a small courtyard. This is used to allow light into the property without disrupting the green roof with windows. It is a great way to direct light down into an underground area, it is something I may take inspiration from when designing my underground unit. Furthermore, the concept of green roofs is also very interesting to me, they are very insulating, absorb water, work with the environment and are generally beneficial. I will look into them further, but I have a great interest in including them within my own design. It is worth bring in mind that green roofs are heavy though and may require stronger supports. http://inhabitat.com/beautiful-underground-aloni-house-blends-in-with-the-earth/2/
I have had another look at bridge houses, this time focusing on a bridge house by Stanley Saitowitz.This house, which is located in a site of 15 acres of woodland, has a span of 22 feet and stretches across a ravine. The design has two stories which both face in opposite directions. The upper level contains the living areas and faces North. The lower level contains bedrooms and faces South. Despite the windows being great in number, they still frame views. There are two main "experiences" which the building focusses on. The first, the upper, North view, looks out to the expanse of a near by hill. The second, from the South facing lower level, is much more confined. This design is somewhat similar to my own ideas of stretching across water and framing views. It does these differently to how I envision achieving them myself, but nonetheless it is interesting to see another design making use of similar ideas. http://www.archdaily.com/30966/bridge-house-stanley-saitowitz-natoma-architects/
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