WEEK SEVEN

SPATIAL PLANNING CONT.

The next step I took in planning my environmental centre was to create a relationship matrix... which then moved onto a bubble diagram grouping necessary spaces together...

WEEK SEVEN

SPATIAL PLANNING
PROJECT PROGRAM
As my core concepts relate to nature, I believe that the program of the building should also relate to these forces...
For the exhibition halls I decided to aim for a theme on the systems of the earth... Below is the program with meters squared allocated to each space...

Above is the initial project program however after speaking to my tutor revised the project program below...

Eventually I came to the project program below....

WEEK SIX

SITE ANALYSIS CONT...

This site analysis was to analysis the movement though and around the site.. (Not concept specific site analysis...)

Above: Red indicates the ferry path, green the motor vehicle traffic and blue the pedestrian traffic...

WEEK SIX

Week Six
Core Concepts Specific Site Analysis

The following site analysis was take out in consideration of heighten ones sensory experience within the site and what effects the forces of nature have on this. As one walks though the site they are exposed to many different forces of nature and I have documented these down to the microclimates...

Above is a solar and shadow study of the site… due to the site being located south of the cliffs it can be seen that there is a large amount of shadow though the site during winter as well as a considerable amount during spring and autumn. Almost ¾ of the year there is a large amount of shadow within the site and during the summer time there is no school (End of year break).Sun and shadow can be felt without noticing with out looking and this feeling is instant.

The tidal pattern of the site was also considered during the site analysis. The tides range from .7 though to 2.6, although this is a large amount this does not affect the site majorly as the riverbank is approximately 4m above sea level.

The above diagrams explore the effect the cliff combined with the forces of nature have on ones sensory experience. From the top left.. 


The top left diagram (click to enlarge) is about different  temperatures that exist with in the site. If you stand closer to the cliff it would be warmer assuming that it is a sunny day! than if you stand next to the water, the cliff face captures energy from the sun and provides thermal mass where as the water evaporates and cools the air as it enters the site.. 


The top right diagram (click to enlarge) is a sound/echo diagram within the site. As the site is quite narrow, the cliff echoes a lot of sound from the site as well as any sound coming from the top of the cliff.


Bottom Left (Click to enlarge) is a sectional diagram explaining the shadow/sun effect people will experience whilst moving though the site...


The Bottom right (click to enlarge) is a diagram on how wind reacts when it hits a cliff. This causes different wind patterns across the site... On one site there is a down draft and the other there is an updraft.. 

 The above diagram is a more in-depth study of the different temperatures within the site... As you can see where the trees are there will a lower temperature apposed to where there is exposed cliff face...

 Again the above diagram is a more in-depth study of noises coming into the site and how they bounce of the natural elements...

WEEK FIVE

CORE CONCEPTS CONT...


THE FOLIE NARRATIVE...

The invisible energy sweeps around the sleeping object, nudging and provoking it to stir. It speaks of hidden motives to commence. The energy embraces the object as it gathers enthusiasm and they swing intertwined. Curving together to and fro in a lulling, serene sense of motion. Nothing could rob the duo of such peace….but for the shattering disturbance that lies ahead. 

The folie that can be found at Howard Smith Wharves, is based on a sensory experience that relies on the invisible forces of wind and sound. It is designed to imitate the sensory aspects of a war bunker which brings to light the heritage of the site. Thus the folie teaches the users to heighten and better utilise the senses. While the folie is a metaphor of a war bunker, the sensory aspects one can learn from it, are entirely abstract. One of the most important features of the folie is the pendulum, which hangs in the middle amongst an array of steel columns. As the narrative suggests, the pendulum brings to life the invisible forces of the site such as wind and sound. As it is carried by the wind it collides with the columns creating sound that is bounced strategically back and forth throughout the folie. The emphasis placed on sound and the way sound is carried, relates directly back to the sporadic and heightened emotions brought about by the times of war originally experienced at the site.

The folie allows the user to establish a strong  connection with the surrounding site through its strategic use of materials and orientation. The cement used in the smaller curved walls represents the heritage listed war bunkers that exist on the site. The rusted iron shelter imitates the rugged, yet protective nature of the cliffs behind, and the steel poles relate directly to the implementation of the story bridge which protrudes into the site. Rugged rocks have been placed into the area where one steps down into the folie to heighten the senses of the user, as they not only create noise but a new sense of awareness as one regains their balance.

From this folie design I have taken the following core concepts for the design of the environmental education center:

-       Heighten the sensory experience

-       The forces of nature…

WEEK FIVE

THEME GROUP TUTORIAL
THOUGH THE EYES OF A CHILD...

Dan Adler 

Tutorial Exercise

Ideas of this theme group:

To create an environmental learning centre for primary school students.

Thing back to how you learnt as a kid! Think about experimental learning!

Visualisation...

Remember what your first learning experience was! where were you and who were you with? how did you feel?

My earliest memorie of learning was going to the museum of science in Brisbane. I was with my family but I only remember my brother and sister being there! All I have is glimpses of being in different rooms playing with different experiments... touching things that we wouldn't normally be aloud to touch etc... I remember most being happy! having fun with my brother and sister...

Now skip forward a few year! You are now in primary school! Do you remember going on any school excretions? What did you learn? How did you feel?

In primary school we went camping as a group. I remember that we were learning how to over come our fears and that we had to do a high ropes coarse. It was scary! To us at the time anyway! I remember our teachers giving us support to go up there and do something we were scared to do... Once we finally did it we felt a sing of relief!

Things to think about: 

  - How do you effect someones experience?

To do by next week!

  1. Bring your Folie Design

  2. Think of your core concepts

  3. Look at your site analysis in accordance to your core concepts

CORE CONCEPTS AND PARAMETERS:

    - Sensory Experience:

        - Experiencing and heightening your other senses, not only 

          relying on sight

        - Using the built environment to enhance your senses

    - Invisible Forces of within the site

        - How we perceive theses forces and how our bodies respond

          to theses forces

        - How we need to use our senses to experience and 

          understand these forces

    - The Bunker Experience

        - How being within the Bunkers heightens our senses,  

          trying 

          to work out what is going on out side the bunker

        - How the building causes deprivation of sight and allows 

          for the other senses to come over

WEEK FOUR

FOLIE DESIGN

WEEK THREE

PROJECT 1 FOLIE DESIGN

Meet all together! discusses our ideas further... came up with the following...

We decided that instead of incorporating all the senses into our folie design that we would limit it to one (under the assumption that the other senses could be enhanced in other folies within the site...). As megan had researched more into the sense of sound we decided to move in this direction...

she came up with the idea of a swinging pendulum that would work off the winds coming off the river (invisible forces that we require our senses to experience...) which we integrated into the shape that I originally had... (the idea of the bunker, and the history behind it)

<<<< People would walk though and have the noise of the pendulum echo off the walls (creating a sort of sound shell or sound bunker)

 

Concept models of our design progress...

 "Concept", "Context", "Function", "Tectonic" and "Experience"

Concept: The concept behind this folie was to create a learning environment that enhances the sense of sound, thus allowing the user not only to learn to use their sense besides sight but also to increase their memory retention...

Context: The folie is to take the shape of the old bunkers within the sight to not only in the form but also the mimic the experience people had during the war within the bunker...

Tectonic: We decided to use the same tectonics as the bunker and other materials found on the site eg. cast iron and gravel..

Experience... (pretty much explained above...)

WEEK TWO

FOLIE DESIGN

We met as a group for the first time in tutorial! We started to brian storm for our folie design with help from the project outline we came up with the following... 

FOLIE DESIGN GUIDELINE

1. Your Folie needs to provide a space to help someone to learn.


2.     The Folie has to be at least for two people.


3.     The Folie has to fir within 5m x 5m x 5m bounding box.


Things that must be included in the design...

- The space should activate

      - Emotion

      - They want to do something in the space

      - Something should signify the space - to create an icon

      - A FOLIE AS AN INTERMEDIARY SPACE (NOT A DESTINATION)

      - The folie should be in an appropriate location.

- The Design Function

      - How do people occupy the folie and what do they do?

      - How do they use the folie differently (time, season,     

        event)

      - What can the folie provide for people in its proximity? 

      - How is it going to effect people in the long run?

- The Design Tectonic

      - How is the folie anchored

      - How is the folie assembled and composed?

      - What is the most significant material feature?

- The Design Experience

      - What do people see from with the folie?

      - How do people see the folie in its geographical context?

      - How do people experience the folie and how do you express

        it?

After sitting down as a group and doing this brain storming exercise we decided to 1. Explore the sensory experience within our folie (a folie to help improve our other senses!) 2. Further research other ideas that we could uses as a key theme or concept that we could use for our folie!

SELF EXPLORATION

When I went home I did some research into different learning spaces. I came across a study that looked into the outcomes of heightening your other sense and how this increased your memory retention... see below...

One way to remember something easier is to get all your senses involved. Your mind is not aware of whether something is real or whether it is your imagination, it does not distinguish the difference. So this means you can act out scenarios in your minds, use your imagination to engage your heart and soul into whatever it is that you want to be learning. The more your emotions can come into play, the more your senses will become invigorated and the more the imagination is employed the more you be likely to remember. (http://www.aahh.com.au/resources/Learning_Tips.pdf)

After reading this i decided to explore the idea of sensory experience within our folie...


I wanted to form a shape that represented the old bunker! The dark dingyness of the bunker forces us when inside to concentrate on the tiniest bit of movement, the tiniest bit of sound, and the tiniest bit of life...

From this I explored the idea of integrating design into the walls and seats for increased sensory experience...

On the left hand side (of the page) I thought we could use a green wall with fragment foliage, and then other side have a series of cones to amplify the the sounds of people using the outer side of the folie....

 

<<<details on how the cones "should" work...

Closer view of the green wall with smelly foliage...

 

Thought I we could create a seat that works on hydraulics, moving up and down when people sit on them... not sure if it would work or if it would be comfortable...

<<Model of how the cone wall will look/work...

WEEK TWO

HOWARD SMITH WHARVES 

THE SITE  

Above is the site selected for our Architectural Design 5 unit.

HOWARD SMITH WHARVES 

Howard Smith Wharves (HSW) were first constructed in the 1930’s in conjunction with the Story bridge. The site was originally used by Howard Smith and Co. a shipping company that occupied the site from the 1930’s to the early 1960’s. During this time there were three berths and five new storage sheds were planned, however the third berth was never built as World War ΙΙ disrupted the construction. During the war five air-raid shelters were constructed below the cliff face. After Howard Smith and Co. moved from the site the only people to occupied it were the Queensland Water Police and the Queensland Works Department for storage purposes. The site has been vacant for a long period of time except for the minor use as storage and mooring.

It was really hard to access the site but it was clear from the fence that the Story Bridge has a large presence in the site, leaving people to feel that they are insignificant within the site.


The main interest to me was the old bunker that was just inside the gate! I really wanted to go inside it, to try and imagine what it was like during the war to be sheltering within these bunkers. Almost like hidie holes though out the site..

From far away or approaching the site it is unclear that there is there is a large space available under the bridge to use! could create an interesting approach to design..

 View from the other side of the Story Bridge... There isn't much there! The cliff face creates a space that feels like it is cut off from the city! But in fact there is access to four suburbs!

WEEK TWO

Week Two 
Walk Shop...

I actually did the walkshop in 2011 with Mirko. However in addition to this I also revisited the site and recorded it accordingly.

Starting from QUT, go through the botanical gardens, follow the road running parallel to the river all the way to the Story Bridge...

Note.................>>>

Garden beds along path creates an edge to follow. Clear change in surfaces show clear end and start of different spaces... Qut and the Botanical Gardens.

<<<<<< QUT seat and sign. Over scale of the bench al  allows it to become a 

Land Mark

Trees define a path for people to move though the garden>>

<<<<Garden between you and the city. You still feel the connection with the city yet feel more relaxed than in the middle of the city or even on Alice Street. Could almost see it as a district of the city..

Although there is no clearly defined path (concrete or change in surface material) trees in a line allow people to move though to a particular destination...

Fence line creates a limit between the city and gardens, even though there is a clearly defined edge....(see below...)

<<< These lights are used in various places though out the city. Which links different areas to others....

Due to the Story Bridge's 

size and beauty it creates an 

iconic landmark of brisbane 
(below) 

^^^^^Shelter over road proves street with a human scale, people do not feel little walking next to skyscrapers...

The foot bridge below 
creates a link from one 
side of the road to the 
other...

Different>>> levels can 

create different 

perceptions of the city 

and different environments

<<<<< This building gives a hard edge to the streetand creates a path that can not be deferred from...