PLAN, DRAFT, PROGRESS

 I chose the Slow House  by Diller & Scofidio (D&S), designed in 1989 for a Japanese art investor. I chose this plan for two reasons. Firstly because this architecture firm interests me, now named Diller Scofidio & Renfro (DS&R), the architects tread the line between art and architecture creating conceptual sculptures, installations and performance works as well as buildings. I also chose this house because it was never built. I think there is a certain irony in this as although it does not actually exist, the concept and design remains one of D&S’ most influential projects. The concept for the house is centred on the idea of ‘the view’ and I have already been exploring different views in making my valley in cryengine as I am looking at the different views ofthat can be experienced as you drive along the Western Distributor/Cahill Expressway in Sydney.

 

 

ELEVATOR: DRAFT AND DEVELOPING...

My elevator is inspired by an artwork called 'What makes me understand what I know' by Chinese artist He An. The artist has stolen neon signs from the city to create this work that arranges the broken and shiny signs to spell out the names of his father (recently deceased) and favourite Japanese porn star. The artist is fascinated by the contradictions of living in the city in today's world and I felt this related to my mash up about architecture and the contradictions inherent in it. Both art and practical, therefore the elevator is made from these confusing characters, they do not look like an elevator but like an artwork, relating to the way many architects (or starchitects) today create buildings with a signature style (sloping walls, resembling strange organisms..) and often ignore functional considerations.



 

 

 



From perspective 'The Art-Architecture Complex' - Hal Foster

 

 

He An 'What makes me understand what I know'

 

Experimenting with different locations...

FOLLY - DRAFT AND DEVELOPING...

 

 

DRAFT FROM PERSPECTIVES - less is more (Mies van der Rohe)

 

 

 

 

 

 

DEVELOPING: THE BARCELONA PAVILLION

 

Along with help from Jeremy in class I have decided to develop my draft folly from my perspective drawings that explored different theories of architecture in relation to the theory less is more. This relates back to my mashup that is about the art-architecture complex and questions whether architecture should be art or whether in fact it has a responsibility to respond to practical needs first. It is also inspired by Callum Morton's play set of the Kaufmann House (by modernist architect Richard Neutra,see below). The idea that modernist designs such as Neutra's and Mies' have become iconic and seen as 'art' in themselves is ironic when they began with a movement that emphasized design for practical use. By having a 1:1 scale model Barcelona pavilion as the folly where the dean can meet with the students, this will prompt discussion about theory and practice, what purpose architectre should have. I plan to locate the folly either on the ground in the middle of the urban valley (city) or on top of a building (if this can be considered ground) as this will give the students direct view to the designs surrounding (hence lots of conversation topics).

 

 

 

18 PERSPECTIVES

Machine for living - Le Corbusier

Super-human scale- Etienne-Louis Boullee 

Less is more - Mies van der Rohe

The Art-Architecture Complex - Hal Foster 

Complexity and Contradiction in Architecture - Robert Venturi 

Yes is more - BIG

36 TEXTURES

Linear 

Rotational 

Scalar 

Converge 

Enswathe 

Drench

FIRST DRAFT - VALLEY

Sydney harbour low valley, urban valley.

SPATIAL DISTRIBUTION

Lecture hall capacity - for 150-200 people=  250 m2

Studio spaces - 5 x studios for 20 people each = 50m2 each. In total = 250m2

Meeting rooms for staff and students -  capacity for 5 = 12.5m2 and capacity for 10= 25 m2

Offices – for 15-20 staff = 70m2 office (group office)

Gallery – 70m2

Computer lab- 3 x labs for 20 people each = 50m2 each. In total = 150m2  

Library – 250m2

Research space for staff – 70m2 

Workshop – 2x workshops. 80 m2 each. In total = 160m2 

  

Common room students- 80m2

Common room staff – 80m2

Administrative area – 30m2