ARCH 1202 DESIGN STUDIO 4: Project 2- Concept design

Concept & Statement

“The buildings should be parts of the landscape.”

According to the analysis in the last assignment, this site contains various values of nature. Thus, to development this particular space the natural environment should be returned as much as possible. In addition, the current circulation is a kind of one or two directions. However, there are numbers of experimental artworks and the historical heritages in different areas within the site. Therefore, a “multi-directional” circulation should be considered to allow the visitors to go various zones in this site. Then, two of exist buildings are removed as I decide to design a building to create a kind of intensive transition space to guide visitors to the garden on the coal loader platform. The last but not the least, all the buildings I design could allow the visitors actually walk on the roof as walking on the land.

The first idea

These plans i did in the first studio for the lower level and the platform. To begin with, the tunnel is the most important element in the this site through the history. Thus, i prefer to protect it rather than redesign in it. So a garden i plan to design on the top of the tunnel. and then a cafe and stuff spaces in one building in the center of the garden which allow the visitor to move around the garden also the entire site. The images below show the plans of this building and the rough garden plan. Particularly, i keep the holes which for loading the coal and cover with glass for lighting the underneath of the tunnel.Visitors can easily to walk on the top of the building as the building should be as parts of the landscape.

ground floor plan

first floor plan

top floor plan

3D model of this idea in Sketchup

Development of the Project

After the tutor consulting, i found the scale of the building should be well-considered. and then i move to the next step which is the linking the upper and lower level.I found that the connection of these two level should be consider as a more efficient circulation. Then, i did some research online. the Alleswirdgut Architektur design is really impressive, the ramp from a higher level down to the lower site.

then i move to my design ,i design a ramp connecting the upper and lower levels.

the ramp linking with the upper and lower levels and visitors can go two ways which shows by the yellow line

The upper level

The main idea for the upper level is that i plan to design a kind of transition space to connect the outside of the site to the center of the site. and a more intensive corridor could grab visitor's attention that guide visitors to move in the site.

there are three geometric forms overlay with each other and then create an intensive space inbetween the lower part.

when visitors waling through this space, an entire view of the building and the garden on the top of the platform will be presented.

For the platform, i change my idea i did in the first studio, i prefer to design a building with a ramp roof for walking. and then the ground floor is design as a cafe. thus,visitors can walk on the roof and get a entire view of the garden, exhibition spaces of experimental artworks and the garden.

it is a 3d model. there is a staircase under one side of the ramp to connect to the underground of the tunnel to the labs.

Then there is an another building locate next to the sand stone staircase. Basically, the shape of form come from the landscape which from a higher level to the lower level.

Circulation

Circulation is an important element that i consider the most.Not only walking on the top of the building. By looking through the entire history, there are numbers of the heritages and aboriginal artworks all over the site, not only in a particular area, thus a multi-directional circulation should be designed in the site. And the current circulation in the site is a kind of one or two directions which could be developed more.