From last week, I decided to take a different approach to
how I was looking at the mangrove roots, because my previous tactics had not
been creating what I wanted. So instead of trying to create forms that
replicated the shape of the roots, I decided to look at the spaces created by
the roots. I began by going over my previous research and looking at the shapes
of the roots and the spaces that are created within them. My favourite shapes
were the roots the arched over one another to create layers of shapes and
spaces. I have done a quick sketch below to show this.
So I decided that my structure would be made from a series
of overlapping arches that would create spaces within them. I did some research
to find some examples of how the structure could look, both from the interior
and exterior. I found this image below of an atrium area in Toronto which has
intricate arches and a glass roof, so when the sun is overheads, the shadows
created by the arches are projected down into the interior. I really liked this
design because if I used a similar approach, then it could look like the sun
shining down through the mangrove roots.
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| Arches, Toronto (Wikipedia, 2008) |
In terms of exterior, I really wanted the root structures to
be seen from the outside, so that the building resembles a mass of mangrove
roots. A structure that reminds me of this is the Birds Nest Stadium, which can
be seen below. The metal structure also becomes the feature at night time, as
the backlighting accentuates the shapes.
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| Birds Nest Stadium (Randal, 2011) |
I began the next stage of the design process by taking my initial
bubble diagram and drawing on the rough placement of arches, which can be seen
below.
The shape would be created by a series of pods with a random
placement of arches, similar to the randomness in the mangrove root systems. To
take the idea from plan form to the third dimension, I used the roof plan to
create an elevation, which can be seen below.
From this view, the mangrove inspiration can easily be
recognised, as the root structures twist and overlap one another. My next step
was to create some rough floor plans, which can be seen below. I decided to
keep the two levels, to have public and private areas. In my previous designs,
each age group had specific areas from them, but I have decided that I will
design spaces aimed at certain age groups, but they have no obligation to stick
to these groups. The insets and notes on each plan details some of my ideas for
the spaces, which I have taken from my initial design and also exemplar
research.
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| Ground Floor Plan |
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| First Floor Plan |
In terms of how the arched spaces work across the levels, I have
decided that there will be a lot of voids, to create a layer of views and
filtered lighting as you walk through the spaces. Hopefully this will create a
realistic effect of how it feels inside mangrove roots. The section below shows
an example of the voids.
Material wise, I wanted to use a semitransparent material
that is strung between root structures. This will create a skin across the
building that will allow light to filter through and create shadows where the
steel root structures are. I have not fully resolved this yet, but will do so
when finalising the plans and details. The sketches of these ideas can be seen
below.
Resources:
Randall, Eric. 2011. “Birds nest Stadium” Accessed May 22nd,
2012. http://therandomfact.com/chinese-designer-of-iconic-birds-nest-olympic-stadium-arrested-in-government-crackdown/222426/
Wikipedia. 2008. “Ärches, Toronto” Accessed May 22nd.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Arches_Toronto.jpg
