Nasreen Peters: STW

Nasreen Peters

209004800

Studiowork

Exercise 1

April 2011

Paul Righini – ‘Thinking architecturally – An introduction to form and space’

(Page 61 – 76)

Question 1

EXPLAIN the role of STRUCTURE in your design, looking beyond the mere aspect of making the building stand.

In Righini’s book, in the constructional sense, structure comprises loads and forces that act on a particular building. However, it is further explained that these are not the only aspects that have to be taken into consideration. In the case of this particular project, we were subjected to the use of gumpoles and marine plywood which individually have their own properties and also on the other hand, when used together, has different properties. Or atleast, the one becomes dependant on the other to function properly. In the case of my design, my structure falls under the category of being a ‘Skeletal structure’ which in simple terms means that my structure primarily consists of a skeleton or a basic framework which supports all the loads and forces that are present and transferred from one point to the other. My structure is skeletal, hence does not necessarily enclose the structure – which was purposefully designed like this.

In terms of my function, Creative performance (‘Movement’), the aim of this project was to create a semi-private/public structure that can be easily assembled and taken down should location change; hence it was important to keep everything as simple as possible. Hence, the role of my structure was to provide semi-sheltered area that covered a bit of the performing area as well as a bit of the audience. Furthermore, in terms of function, the structure was to emphasise the architectural idea of Movement that was initially given to me to work with. The structure, more importantly the roof plane and heights, are stepped in such a way to echo the rhythmic movement of the steps in a choreographed dance routine for example.

It also creates a more permanent atmosphere without holistically being a permanent structure, in terms of the safety reasoning with regards to the audience feel towards the structure and attending a show there. If taken further, as explain in Righini’s book, the height factor gave visitors the feeling of how great the building itself was. With my case, the playing around with heights of the structure gave the visitor the feel of movement; almost as if they have to bend up and down to accommodate for the ‘stepping’ roof planes.

Question 2

How did your understanding of the qualities of the materials and their junctions/fixings INFLUENCE YOUR HUB FORM?

When faced with any task, one has to consider the materials and the properties they possess. In the case of my design, I had to take into consideration the properties of gumpoles and marine plywood. It was important that I familiarize myself with these properties as it could influence my overall design – which could eventually make or break my entire idea.

There were a number of things I had to look at, but what was most important to me was:

· Span

· Thickness

· Weight

· Strength

· Water allowance

· Size, diameter, length

· Accessibility

· Transportability

· Maintenance

· Grade of the wood

First and foremost, I’d like to emphasise that my intention was to keep my design as simple as possible but in the same breath, not dull and boring. The only thing that held me back was the span of the marine plywood - but that was counteracted by the fact that with greater span, I’d just have to add more gumpoles for support. Furthermore, in terms of the fact that my design incorporated the playing of heights, I had to keep in mind the lengths that gumpoles came in without compromising my design ideas.

In conclusion, understanding what your materials can and cannot do, makes design a whole lot easier as it did for me :)

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Nasreen Peters

209004800

Studiowork

Exercise 2

April 2011

‘The creation of form and space’

Question 1

Name the hub function selected

Creative performance

Question 2

Explain, in words, your main architectural idea/concept

The main architectural idea/concept given to me was MOVEMENT. This idea had to ideally work hand in hand with the idea of Creative Performance. Initially when presenting our hub function, we brought forward the idea that our structure would be mainly used in terms of art and performance such as shows, concerts, dances, even classes, etc. When putting it all together, a common denominator was found – movement. With everything revolving around creativity and performances, movement was the key and hence to fully portray the function of the structure, movement had to be incorporated within the design. Rhythm and flow went hand in hand with the concept, hence gave me more room to work with in terms of design. The design had to flow and express movement, as was done.

Question 3

Explain your attitude to space

Space is a defining factor. It can either lead to one cramped up structure, too spacious or just right. But on the other hand, this will also hang off on your function. Depending on the required aspects the design had to meet, the space needs to flow accordingly. It should work in harmony to bring the entire design together. As it is said in Righini’s book: ‘Not merely a functional object, it reflects a spatial attitude – that of articulating separate special components – informed by an attempt to classify functions differently’. Hence, function and space works hand in hand as I have said before and together they can create form when working in harmony. As is obvious, different spaces will mean different functions, hence need different spatial requirements which depends on the different functions. For eg, the space required for my audience would definitely be shaped differently than the space required for the performers – BUT, these spaces has to work together to create a uniform structure.

So I would say, space is a fundamental concept to think about when putting forward different functions and should not be regarded without consulting form as well.

Question 4

Explain the relationship between form and function

With this concept it can be taken from both ends: form can either follow function, or the function can follow for. In this case we dealing with form follows function. As suggested, the function of the building, the spaces required for an ordained task will determine how the building will look. What is meant in essence by this theory is that by emphasising the functional aspects of a structure, the form will evolve from there. One has to take into consideration the use of a certain space, what its requirements are and what aspects needs to be satisfied and henceforth, a form will develop accordingly after all of these check boxes are ticked.

Question 5

Explain your attitude to technology

Like previously mentioned aspects, technology is an important element to consider when designing. Technology can either allow for your design to work, or make you rethink your entire concept. In my opinion, technology can also influence your form. Before going forth, it is important to research your materials with regards to its physical limitations, aesthetic elements and whether it can match with certain materials. In Righini’s book, an element to consider with technology is light. Different building materials can either reflect or absorb light depending on their individual characteristics. It is also either highlighted or suppressed based on HOW it is used and whether it is used in conjunction with other materials as well. Also, another aspect to consider when choosing materials is water. Depending on where you are going to use it, is it suitable with regards to the characteristics and placement of the material?

In essence, technology is extremely important to consider, the uses of it and the placement there of. Also, it works hand in hand with your other design matrices: Form, function and whether you want it to fit into context or stand out – which can be a good or bad thing.

Question 6

Analyse your own hub design

When approaching my design, my main focus was SIMPLICITY, especially with regards to the fact that it had to have the ability to be re-assembled at another location at any given time – hence no permanent structure was needed in this case. My structure holistically comprises basically of marine plywood, which is used as the ‘covering’ material, and gumpoles, which is used as the frame of the structure and also as a natural aesthetic element. My basic idea with regards to light was to keep part shaded and part naturally lit so as to not subject the audience to a particular atmosphere of light – it would be based on the preference. Everything was kept according to straight lines, although the curving originated from these straight lines which suggest movement – as was my initial concept. The movement also gave rise to how the seating arrangement came along. This added the idea of rhythm and flow and now incorporated the movement of people and their different pathways. One element of the design links to another in this case, which is what I wanted although it can be seen as a complete unit. I took a liking towards shaping my floor plan according to a source of sound and the sound waves it permits, as one can see in the site plan.

My function was creative performance, hence art and creativity was a primary focus. I narrowed it down to dance movement which tend to be repetitive, hence the pattern created with my seating arrangement and the ‘stepping’ idea of my roof planes.

In essence, my whole idea came down to the conclusion that it would be an ‘open air’ concert area as it is commonly known which is self-explanatory.

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Nasreen Peters

209004800

Studiowork

Exercise 3

May 2011

Paul Righini – ‘Thinking architecturally – An introduction to form and space’

Space defining systems

Approaching this exercise, it was only obvious to read the given pages. So i did that, and summarized it to give me a better understanding