1) Identify the function of each of the buildings (Old Railway Station and Vector Arena Car park)
2) Identify who will be using the office space, and what they will need.
3) Identify the services within 10 minute walking distance.
4) Research traditional and contemporary building materials.
FUNCTION:
Old Railway Station.
The Old Railway Station was originally designed to serve as the main gateway into the CBD. It opened in 1930 (early 20th century). At the time, the building contained waiting rooms, dining rooms, shops and a first aid station. The main lobby was roofed by a metal ceiling which was manufactured in Germany. In 1999, it was called the "The Railway Campus" because part of it was converted and used by the University of Auckland. It consisted of 426 bedrooms in a total of 230 apartments. In July 2003, the platform closed after services relocated to what is now know as the "Britomart Transport Centre." In 2007, major weather tightness appeared. The following year, the University of Auckland announced that they would no longer own the space. Today, the platform has very little services although plans are currently in place to use the platform as an alternative gateway into the city for the 2011 Rugby World Cup.
The building was designed by William Henry Gummer and Ford. It is constructed of reinforced concrete, "faced with brick and granite." Vector Arena Car park.
The Vector Arena car park is located within walking distance to the Vector Arena. It contains 500 parking spaces, patrolled by added security. It is designed to create easy access and steady movement around the building - and is considered to be "light, clean and spacious."
DISTANCE BETWEEN BOTH SITES:
IDENTIFY WHO WILL BE OCCUPYING THE OFFICE SPACE AND WHAT THEY NEED:
*NB: The following was found by asking people within these degrees :)
1) Civil Engineer: "Space, food and drinks, desk, pen and note pad, air conditioning, and a big table for drawings and meetings. Everything that a normal office would have"
2) I.T person: "Heaps of space to store computer parts, labelled shelves and drawers for software and computer parts, air conditioning is a MUST, a desk with my own computer, maybe a big table to put all the broken computers on."
3) Physio:
4) Accountant: "I would like organised storage, comfortable furniture (to prevent RSIs), aircon (reverse cycle to cool and heat) good lighting, and good carpet flooring."
5) Designer/Artist: "Lots of space for drawing, excellent lighting, natural air circulation (aircons give me a sore head) good view, shelves and drawers to store documents and drawings etc."
Services within 10 minute walking distance to site (Vector Arena Car park):
MATERIALS...
The first thing that came to mind when I thought about "traditional materials" was bamboo.
I wanted to get away from the most obvious of traditional building materials such as brick, stone, and wood (though I may think of using them in the design later on).
Bamboo is a traditional material with the qualities of some contemporary materials such as concrete. I started to do some research on the material, and some architects who use bamboo in construction.
Some advantages of bamboo (according to Jules J.A Janssen, "Building with bamboo. A handbook":
-is relatively strong and stiff and can be cut and split with simple tools.
-is relatively strong and stiff and can be cut and split with simple tools.
-surface is hard and clean.
-return of capital is quicker than for wood.
-structures behave relatively well in storms and earthquakes.
Disadvantages:
-high risk of fire.
-needs preservative treatments which in many cases, is more difficult than wood.
-can hardly withstand contact with soil.
*NB: "Bamboo houses can be attractive, cheap and, if properly designed, long-lasting, so they represent a good choice of lower-income groups."
More useful information on bamboo construction at : http://www.deboerarchitects.com/BambooThoughts.html
RESEARCH AND INSPIRATION...
Bamboo Wall House by Kengo Kuma.
When Soni talked about his sustenance project, he said he felt that the old, traditional buildings were 'boring' as opposed to the modern designs which looked 'exiciting' and 'inviting'. Each building emitted a different feeling. I personally like traditional architecture - so I want to design a building that incorporates traditional building material, which emits a positive feeling.
In a "Tadao Ando Complete Works 1975-2010," Philip Jodidio talked about the Rokko Housing, saying that the "volume and open glazed surfaces of the apartments give them a dignity and beauty that might not be expected at first glance from the outside." - I want my design to give that same impression, so I've decided to design a building which uses concrete and glass on its exterior. Because majority of the buildings within the site I'm dealing with is made of concrete, the building from the exterior will blend in. It'll just be another concrete building. The interior however, will be completely different. I want to use bamboo on the interior walls, and laminated wood for the floors to make the inside look really traditional - which is a feeling completely opposite to what you see on the outside.
PLACE FOR GATHERING:
While thinking about traditional materials, I thought about traditional methods of gathering. Immediately I though about a New Zealand Maori Marae, and a Samoan Fale. I decided to go forward with the Samoan fale because I liked the idea of having an open space.
FALE.
The Samoan Fale is really open. There are no doors or walls to enclose people. For a tropical climate this is very ideal because open spaces allow breeze and natural air circulation. My first impression of the fale is that it is inviting. It is a place for gathering, and the fact that it doesn't have any walls makes me feel that 'everyone' is invited or welcome to enjoy each others company within the space. Yes, some may prefer a more private, and enclosed space; but the fact that it is open and welcoming makes me feel like I'm not alone.
MARAE
Unlike the Samoan Fale, the marae is enclosed. It has walls. It fits the climate because New Zealand is cold and so the amount of breeze should be restricted by walls to allow for warmth. It is a place for gathering. However, I find that the marae has alot of spiritual significance, which makes the gatherings more formal; as opposed to a spontaneous gathering at the fale.
*Philip Jodidio wrote about the Rokko Housing saying that the "large open areas inside the complex give ample opportunities for residents to meet or even to organize small events." I've decided to take this idea and design each office based around a large open space to reflect the traditional Samoan method of gathering, which will also give "ample opportunities for residents to meet or even to organize small events." However, rather, than force the workers to sit on the floor (like they do in the islands) this space will have a table. I believe this will satisfy the civil engineer who proposed for a big table for drawings and meetings.
Scribbles...
1. Point of gathering: The meeting space which reflects the traditional method of gathering at a Samoan Fale. This circular space will be raised a few millimeters above floor level just to emphasize that this space in important - that this is an important space.
2. Point of exit, or (back door): This part of the building is very important. It emphasizes the idea of giving the building a sense of "dignity and beauty that might not be expected at first glance from the outside." Outside the building, I feel as though I am in a cold, cramped city. At this point of exit, because the building will be located on top of the Vector Arena Car park, it will have a view of the Auckland City Harbor. The traditional interior, combined with this view, will make one feel as though they were in a more relaxing environment.
At this point, I want the view to be framed (just like the image below), so that from the inside, it'll look as though there were a whole new world.3. Main entrance: The design brief said to involve something that we've done before. I decided to use the idea of 'tight to open space' which I used in my animation project. The main entrance to the building is narrow to emphasize this idea. This tight, narrow space will lead people to discover the open space in the middle of the entire building - which is the meeting space.
4.Office: There are 6 offices. They all surround the meeting space. From the pictures of Samoan fales, I noticed that they were arranged in a line along the beach (see pic.).
Maybe they are places where fales actually face each other in a circular arrangement - but I'm not sure. I didn't want my office face arranged in a line, so I arranged them to surround the meeting space. This also means that when people come out of their office, they get to see each other before exiting the building.
The back wall of each office (which are the walls seen from the outside) will be made of concrete. The interior walls will be of glass, faced by bamboo. The bamboos allow people to see into the office. The glass allows privacy in terms of sound.
An idea of what the interior walls might be arranged. Notice that the bamboos are separated by gaps so people can see through into the office.
5. This little walk ways allow people to come in and out of the building as they please - rather than just using the main entrance. This reflects the idea that anyone is welcome to enter the building and enjoy the company of others within that space. It also allows for natural air circulation.
MOCK-UP:
For many reasons I am unable to do my mock-up for Monday out of the actual materials. So I decided to settle for a mock-up out of cardboard, just to see how things will fit together, what I will need, and to find what I can improve on when doing the 1:1 model.
The first problem that came up was how to join the wooden floor to the concrete wall slab. I couldn't find much in the library (or maybe I was just looking in the wrong place) about how to do this, so I decided to google the images. These are the solutions I found:
(I found this diagram very helpful)
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