Crit Day - Thursday 29/09/11

Brief: Our gift to Auckland City was a new tram route. In groups we decided on a general theme, and allocated 12 stops within the CBD. There was no limit as to where or how our route could run. However, each of the stops we chose had to be within the 'triangle.' As a group, we wanted to focus on creating potential communal spaces.

For this workshop we had chose a material we used in our 1:1 model, and research on how it weathers. I chose bamboo. While researching, I discovered that while bamboo is weathering, wasps collect its weathered fibers and use it to construct their nests. I looked closely at wasps nests and decided to use the hexagonal shapes as a basis for my design.
I designed three spaces - each with forms that reflected the nest's response to wind, rain, and sunlight. I wanted them attached to Seaview apartments to reflect how moss grows on bamboo. Eventually bamboo looks aged. I wanted to apply this idea to Seaview apartments. But rather than make it look aged, I wanted to add historic value by creating traditional spaces (reflected in traditional timber) where people could gather.
*The idea of traditional spaces was used in my previous project :)


Matrix:

Site:

Short Street. I chose this site because although it was full of high rised buildings and apartment blocks, there was no communal space that encouraged social interaction outside the buildings. I wanted to create spaces that encouraged this social interaction. I specifically chose to work with Seaview apartments because of the parking lot next to it. I thought that since people often meet in parking lots, this could be the perfect place to create an entrance that lead them to my spaces, and eventually the tram track. 

Shows the direction of wind as it tunnels between the buildings within the site. The direction of the wind (which is toward Anzac Ave road) helped me come up with the idea of having one room look as though it had been swept to one side (see image).  

This is the reason why the space that responds to sunlight is the first that will be seen when passengers leave the tram. This was the perfect position on the building to capture maximum sunlight in the morning (from the east) and the evening (from the west) 

Model: 

Each space is connected to each other from the inside of the building. I did this deliberately to allow potential social interaction within the building.

Bridge made from bamboo, connected together by rope. Extends out from the space to meet the tram track.

The deliberately left the burnt stains on the wood to reflect how the fibers in a wasps nest could appear burnt when over exposed to sunlight. I probably shouldn't have used glass on the bridge because it doesn't really compliment the bamboo and rope.*

Space that reacts to wind is facing towards approaching wind tunneling between the buildings within the site. 

I wanted to the effect of rain on a single hexagon within a wasp nest. When it rains, it starts to sag a little, which is what I was trying to illustrate in this space. 

Design in context:

There is supposed to be a doorway going into the space. But I forgot to draw that cut out on illustrator.

Peer Reviews:

Group: 2 - Animation.

Theme: Gifting.

Tutor: Gazel and Julia.

Task: Renovate your previous project by creating a space where you and four others can work in an open environment, but still be able to have their own privacy. Also, create a word that represents 21st century architecture, as well as their own type of architecture. 

Josef Ivrel Consumido Kagaoan (http://itsivrelyo.tumblr.com/)

WORD: SIMPLETURE - Derived from the idea of using simple shapes for floor plans, but at the same time employing a futuristic aspect (like floating platforms). His floating idea was from a previous project where he dealt with a floating basketball court.

Ivrel's design reminded me alot of Tadao Ando's 4 by 4 private home designed in 2003.
Ivrel designed simple spaces that were 4 by 4 in length and width. This is a simple floor plan. I liked how he made it a little bit futuristic by allowing height which allowed his floors to look as though they were floating. This allowed for alot of "open" space within the structure.
I could clearly see how each space was related to each other. He divided each space with glass to emphasize on the idea of creating open spaces that encouraged social interaction, but still allowed each individual to have their privacy. Really enjoyed the animation too!

Jack Tiong (http://architekturvoyage.blogspot.com/)

WORD: IMPERFECTURE - Derived from the idea of using an imperfection within architecture to create an experience.
Jack's gift to Auckland City was light. He wanted light to enter buildings in interesting ways to give different experiences. I really liked how he thought about allowing light into a building using 'cracks' - which is the physical imperfection of a piece of architecture. He experimented with different sorts of openings, and light ceilings which had glass pieces arranged randomly to allow sunlight to enter at different angles.
The only problem he found during his design was having a number of empty spaces. He was encouraged to make use of every single space within his building - which he did eventually.

Ji Sun Lee (http:// jslee 92.tumblr.com/)

WORD: SHAPISM - Derived from the idea of having blobbed shaped buildings that uses geometric shapes (plans etc) on the interior.

SITE: An abandoned building next to Omega Car Rentals, Beach Road.
What I thought was really interesting was the fact that she incorporated her previous idea of 'free form' into her design. She showed this by using alot of curvature. I liked too how she somehow connected her spiral stairs to the wall of the structure. The only problem I had was not being able to see how the building allowed for privacy. We weren't able to see the animation, so I wasn't sure if there was a reason for this.
One thing she found difficult about animation was taking photos as she drew. She found this distracting because it often made her forget for a moment what she was actually drawing.