Progress

For these past couple of days, I have been trying really hard to add a bit more depth to my design. However, the challenge has been to do so without sacrificing the purity of the design I started out with and intend to keep. Over the past couple of days, I have made a couple of neat additions that I think enrich my design. The first is the addition of the side chapel. The side chapel is a small relatively enclosed square that intersects the chapel proper. Its dimensions are such that it is the same shape that has been extruded from my lobby/classroom/office building. The side chapel houses a part of the walkway but offers a sense of enclosure. Seating inside provides the ideal location for people to have a nook of their own. The pattern seen on one face of the side chapel is inspired by Jean Nouvel's Institute du Monde Arabe building. In the very middle of the wall, the axis is shifted and a diamond shape can be found. This diamond is the larget square in the panel and is at exact eye level for adults. Thus, when you are walking through this area, you get a nice framed view through the diamond out to the sea. The geometric pattern fits well in my pure formed design. I am going to mimic this pattern in my roof, giving the occupants of the building a unique experience inside the chapel. Bathed in light on the inside with a highly perforated roof will give the occupants a sense of being in a more open space. Being protected by the elements (with my glass covering) but having the sky so visually exposed (by the perforations) should give the occupants a very unique experience, especially in this area that is windy and chilly. I have also created a sitting nook on this side of the chapel. This area will enable people walking the perimeter to stop and rest and enjoy the scenic view of the ocean. Sitting against the thick concrete wall will provide a nice warmth. Sun hitting this face during the day will heat the concrete, providing a nice heated seating area. With this, I think it actually might be time to start building!

The roof design I am working with is is a repeated pattern. Each 'panel' is 10 feet squared and will match a mullion grid which will be on my glass box surrounding the chapel. I am playing with two variations of the design, one that has four panels in the middle or one that extends all the panels to the walls. Right now, Im leaning towards the first (the one with four panels) but would love to hear anyone's thoughts.