Darwin's Wall Assignment

For my design I wanted to stay practical and realistically feasible. I modeled in SketchUp and had an an intention of using "interlocking spaces" as my primary theme in the sense that two walls could be pushed together to form a cube. However, I found a greater appeal in basically interlocking and protruding shapes (rectilinear shapes) and additive vs. subrative. I also wanted to incorporate "skeletal vs. mass" in my design. I divided the facade into a 8x5 grid, which conveniently made 4x4 squares. The protrusions are by one foot, which is the smallest increment used.

I wanted the wall to be very interactive, which accounts the many habitable spaces. There are two upstairs and two downstairs. The one downstairs closest to the park has benches while the other is a standing, both with views of the courtyard. Upstairs, the balcony gives a great view of the park and courtyard. On the right is a more isolated room which can be separated by a screen to give a private zen view of the courtyard. The room can be reached by the exterior and interior balcony. I envisioned the stairway to be on the outdoor balcony side to further isolate the zen room.

The inside trees can be touched by those on the inside balcony, which could create a corridor effect to the zen room, for a more private feel. The last habitable space is the benches attached to the outside of the wall. One wraps around the park-side corner and the other is an extension on the opposite side of the wall. As for material, concrete for the structure would be most suitable, since I picture huge rectilinear shapes jutting out to form a wall.

Corners of the shapes are exposed to solidify the motif. Also, I placed a large vertical monolith to offset the number of vertical elements on the wall. I kept the entrance more symmetrical for an orderly feel. The glass surrounding the entrance makes it more visible from both courtyard entrances. Overall I was pleased with the final product.

Steven Holl Wall

Interesting design with similarities to my wall. Wish I had seen this earlier.

Paul's Sculpture Wall

I started the project with the concept/theme of a sculpture functioning as a wall. The idea is that public sculptures link the older population with the younger (children) population in that they give interests to mature audiences with their artistic appeal, and to the kids with their noticeable design that kids find a way to play around with. This idea fits with the community area, especially since it can be seen from the outside, while it functions as a wall (providing shade, breakinp up spaces, and blocking/restricting the views). The sculpture is not part of a wall, but rather it is a wall functioning as a wall, and as a sculpture. This theme, I thought, also shows a further breeding/merging with the arts and architecture, and merging with playful and more serious design/mood.

First, I created a model with hard paper (easy to cut and fold and move around).







Then, on creating the main "sculpture" I decided to use the fins to create a familiar symbolic image, or rather sculpture. I abstracted the form of a child and the parent to fit into squares (one small one, and another twice the size). I ended up with this design, the sky blue squares represent translucent panels to conceal most of what's behind the wall, while the dark blue represent voided squares which would allow for spaces to inhabit and look out/in to.

Then, I modeled the design in Revit (which helped me produce precise measurements from drawing to model). Here it shows the grid system I used. You can also see how I begin to merge the sculpture system on the left with the more skeletal vertical (rotated) walls, which also have their own fins for the play of light, and solar heating. The orientation of the rotated walls at the right side also limits the view form inside to outside to the trees, (both of my walls are oriented to view the trees (rather than out to the streets) to frame different zen views.



On the right, is a process photo of the opaque materials. You can also see how I put them together, using templates with little cuts that allow the pieces to fit together tightly. Drawing this on Adobe Illustrator for the laser printer to cut, and getting the right precise measurement so that each piece would fit is a real challenge! I ended up having to print multiple times to find out they do not fit, right. You can also see how the sculpture part begins to have lots of different sizes (three verticals are wider, and they go deeper form left to right). Also, the depth varies in location, many go out to make a seating wall, and the higher ones for as small sun shade. This also goes in for a seating wall from the inside, which makes the sculpture inhabitable, and more accessible to play around with, sit on (theres one part where it is 3 feet high seat one could climb on).
The translucent panels are also placed in different places to vary the light effects and to show the skeleton/insides of the sculpture. The panels create a perfect chance to show off the abstracted image, when artificial light is turned on at night.


Here is a view from the inside, showing the details on the stairs and the railings (both of which resemble the template I used for the fins on the non-sculpture side. I thought it creates movement and playfulness that I experimented and went ahead on using them.









The Complete Product:


I really enjoyed this project, and learned a lot with playing additive/subtractive and skeletal vs. mass. I also learned how to use a laser cutter, Adobe Illustrator, and better ways to conserve time. I have relied mostly in the laser cutter to provide a very precise cut. It also made possible for the cutting of intricate designs (like the rails), and other materials, without the wood breaking or chipping (which usually happens when I use a knife). Another thing I wish I handled more carefully, if I had more time, is my craftsmanship (the cutting, and gluing, and handling of the materials).

Sam's Wall Design and Model

I started off working in the basic grid system of 2x2 squares within 4x4 sets. Within the grid I wanted to create a system of differentiation of light and play with the idea of public versus private in the community center. My front facade stems from this idea. The intention is that the four top rows of the grid were all initially glass, but that some of these pieces fell. The pieces that fall are replaced by solid and reappear below (in the same grid column), usually rotated to indicate falling. This system allows a lot of light to enter through the top of the front wall, with sporadic windows as you go down; these fallen windows allow in additional light and allow a viewer to see peeks of what is going on inside. What I thought was interesting when I actually modeled this was that in the predominantly glass portion, the top, the grid system is very apparent, whereas further below the grid is still very rigid in terms of creation, but not to a viewer. The order seems to melt into a more chaotic system.

My next intention was to penetrate the front wall at an angle with a rectangular mass. This mass serves as a bench on the outside of the community center, and as a platform on the inside. The platform has a floating step below. This platform is the basis for the inhabitable space--it is a room within a room. The room has a side wall, parallel to the front one and a ceiling, which is lower than that of the center. The roof of this inhabitable space, the room within a room, also penetrates the front wall. The inhabitable space is the most private part of the center; it can serve as a conference room or meeting space. This space has sliding translucent screen doors.

I then decided to have the wall turn at the same angle as the penetrating mass, to create a sort of continuation of line. While the envelope, massive part of the wall turned I left the skeletal frame behind on the frontal plane. The image above was the first step in my modeling process, in which I had yet to insert the acrylic windows. At this point I left the full frame. I then proceeded to employ the chaotic and erosive schematics to the frame, with both the glass and the frame eroding as you move down and to the left (see below).

Two 4x4 squares get punched out and become seats, where the bottom of the punched out cube is the seat itself. One cube, just above the ground gets punched in so one can sit in it from the exterior of the center. The other is raised and punched out, with the base at 12 feet high. The grid pattern with solid and glass is continued onto these cubes. To reach the higher cube there are stairs that lead to a loft from which you can access the seat; the platform and stairs are meant to feel informal and intimate to make this seat a separate experience.

The higher of the two seat cubes is also the place from which to witness the zen view. I cut a window in the side wall at the 14 feet, the site line from sitting in the cube. The window wraps around the corner, bringing the grid system around the corner. From sitting in the raised cube one would have a view of both the courtyard, but more importantly, of the park through the side window. This view as well as the privacy and intimacy of the seat cube would make this a unique experience.

Wall Project - Jason

This first thing I did when approaching this project was to think about how I could reflect the function and values of the site's function as a community center in the structure I created. The theme I seized on and that inspired my wall was that of transparency and accessibility. To this end, I endeavored to create a wall structure that felt open and airy, and would facilitate a dialogue between what was going on inside and what was going on outside the building.

The primary I achieved this level of openness and transparency was by heavily using transparent and translucent materials and judiciously using solid masses.















I was also interested in using planes to define dimensional space. A wall, in its most basic form, is a plane, so I wanted to have some fun with that fact and use planes to create something that wasn't just a flat surface. I did this primarily by using horizontal planes as translucent fins, giving the wall thickness while allowing for the filtration of light without impeding the transparency of the wall. These fins also created an interesting skeletal/mass relationship by giving the wall a feeling of thickness while maintaining a strong sense of openness. I also placed the wall at an angle to the side walls to create more interest and to create a shaded alcove in which the entrance could be placed.

























Another theme I explored in my wall was that of penetration of mass. In it's most basic form (shown in the study model below) the wall is a skewed vertical plane pierced by two rectangular prisms. This penetration allows the two most important features of the wall, the entrance and balcony, to be highlighted while still being in dialog with the rest of the wall which are in turn penetrated by a series of horizontal fins.

































In designing these penetrating spaces (the balcony and entrance) I also thought about the hierarchy between vertical and horizontal. With the wall having a dominant horizontal axis defined by translucency and transparency, I decided to highlight the entry and balcony with vertical and opaque planes. I gave the balcony additional prominence by placing it directly in the line of sight from the main entrance to the complex.
























For my zen view, I was inspired by what A Pattern Language said about fleeting views. I incoporated a series of fleeting vistas into the ladder that accessed my balcony in order to draw attention to the idea of ascent. As visitors climb up towards the balcony, narrow horizontal windows will punctuate the wall in front of them, giving them glimpses of how their relationship with the surrounding site is changing. I don't think people would want to linger on a rung of a ladder too much, so they would appreciate these series of views only fleetingly. This is much like the view one gets from a glass elevator in a mall perhaps, except that I've added the component of sometimes denying the climber a view so that each time they reach a new window, their vista will have changed more dramatically.


















For the movable screen of my habitable space, I continued my theme of transparency and fusion of interior and exterior spaces. When closed, the screen turns the balcony into an inward facing space. When open, however, the balcony is transformed into a space that addresses both inside and outside and increases the space's connection with it's surrounding courtyard.

Wall Assignment Final Model

My final model was largely a success, given the amount of time spent (15 hours), the difficulty of the many complex pieces, and my commitment to not using hot glue. The final product is an interesting, cohesive blend of three different materials and bold shapes.

I'm especially happy with how the outside banners turned out. The only way I could create curves was to laser cut two wooden pieces that sandwich vertical acryllic panels. I was very lucky that the panels fit with just enough space, and that the three banners were able to support themselves. I had finished the bottom panel the night before, but about an hour before class I discovered it to be half missing and left broken on the shelf. Luckily, I was able to quickly recreate it with some extra glass panels I had

Some notable additions to this model from the preliminary model were glass railings on the balcony and stairs, a skeletal ladder piece on the back side of the cube, and a small display case next to the entrance to mimic the larger wooden square. These final additions were completely hand done because I did not want this model to be entirely made with the laser cutter.

The punctures into the wall turned out to be very effective. I designed them on AutoCAD with a basic proportional design, along with some extra scorings on the front to introduce some design to the exterior surface. The final product was three foam core pieces thick, but because of the effects of the laser cutter I had to use some white tape to cover key edges. The result is an imposing facade that I can easily adapt for a monolithic wall in my chapel project.

Wall Assignment Preliminary Model

I've been playing with an "Interlocking Room as Wall" design, which subtracts a triangle from the original facade and then adds a series of light, playful rooms and banners to create an inviting entrance to the community hall.

I began with a 3-4-5 triangle and placed a 3x4 skewed rectangle on the floor. The back two walls will be extremely thick concrete walls, with long, deep, and thin punctures to let light into the hall (currently shown as square holes). Then I added a glass cube in the corner as an L-shaped entrance, with a large doorway which can open or close depending on circulation needs.

In front of this large threshold, I wanted to put a rectangular skeletal wall, but while working with trace paper in my experimental model (see above) I began to play with a series of curved banners. These are made of light frames and stretched canvas and can be moved by about five people pushing the thin columns. This invites community involvement and turns the front facade into a dynamic, multipurpose form.

For my preliminary model, I changed the curved walls into a series of flat panels, which I imagine can be covered with posters or interactive surfaces depending on what is currently happening in the community hall. I also added a third banner on the floor to finish off the grid of three, which can also be pushed or pulled as a fun outdoor activity.

The different forms of the banners create a series of different spaces (6 total), which will have different light plays, depending on the translucency of the different panels. I decided to turn the top of the cube into a balcony space from which people can interact with the wall punctures and view the open area.

From the inside, there is a staircase to the balcony. Because the new threshold is V-shaped, people can exit from the left and right corners, which will have doors on the side walls. Right at these corners will be open windows through the concrete which will provide zen views of the outside area. From the photo above, although it won't actually be square punctures you can get an idea of what interesting light plays will occur inside the community hall.

The final addition was a V-shaped tip of the V-shaped wall, so that it could be visible from the courtyard above the banners and add consistency between horizontal and vertical planes. Feel free to leave any suggestions or critiques.