WEEK 5-6: Experiment 2 

Planning & Research 

BRIEF 

Imagine you are the Dean of a school of Architecture or Engineering. Your school has 100 students who are drawn from all around the world and are supported by scholarships. Your challenge is to design a school that forms a bridge spanning buildings in an urban environment. The urban environment is the lower part of the "UNSW Sydney" Kensington campus; the central building is the Squarehouse (building E4 on this map). In addition, you will design two moving elements that modify the students view of the school when they see it from locations on the ground plane vs locations above ground level. These different points of view will reinforce or challenge your particular "Theory".

Space Requirements:

Lecture Theatre - In the future, lecture theatre's might not be needed anymore as I feel like Architecture is more of a "hands on" type of course. Even now, lectures are only given at the start of projects and towards the end, which can just be recorded and uploaded online. I think it's better to instead allocate more space for studio and workshop spaces. 

Studio Spaces
Offices for Academic Staff
Offices for General Staff
Workshop
Computer Labs
Gallery
Research Space for Academic Staff
Meeting Rooms for Staff
Meeting Rooms for Students
Library

INSPIRATION

For this project, i've decided to take inspiration from a great female architect, Zaha Hadid. I feel that her style will fit quite well for this due to its modern and futuristic nature. Her architectural style includes fluid geometric features, with combinations of both curving facades and sharp angles. Some of her designs also incorporates the use of layers to emphasise different floors or spaces. 

THE ARTICLE

Ballet Mécanique apartment block has walls that unfold to  form balconies and sunshades

https://www.dezeen.com/2018/09/03/ballet-mecanique-moving-walls-manuel-herz-architects-balconies/

Quotes from Article

"Manuel Herz Architects has completed a housing block in Zurich, with dynamic facades that transform into balconies for its five apartments."

"When standing on the balconies, the opened louvre embraces the people on the balconies, creating an exterior space that is nevertheless shielded and intimate"

"This type of space is also in-between an exterior and interior space, somehow creating a good transition."

"When all the louvres are closed, the overall volume has a very straight cubicle shape. Once the louvres open, the form becomes complex and expressive"

4 Words
Dynamic, Transition, Intimate

My Theory on Movement

Dynamic architecture elements create transitions that promote intimate relationships between spaces.

Space Allocation Ideas (Bubble Diagram)


Moving Element Ideas
- underground meeting room pods that pop up when people need private/quiet spaces to work with other people
- Study/Tutorial spaces that move through the outside of the building very slowly. It would roughly take about an hour to complete a full turn and before then students would not be able to leave, hence lessening distractions. However, the space(pods) will be made out of glass, allowing those inside to enjoy the moving scenery. 

Simple Cross Experimentations