MODERN + POST-MODERN IDEALS

PRECEDENT STUDIES

The experience Id like to create for my client is one where she is able to freely engage with this urban backdrop in a meditative way as she is an artist and a keen yoga practitioner with a freedom brought about by a sense of private space, indoor and outdoor that extends far beyond to the cityscape.

Farnsworth House by Mies van der Rohe

For House 1

For this project, Farnsworth House addresses many of the ideals identified by the client - "...I would like you to create a place with lots of natural light and large open space so I can use the home to make art and relax in."

As my client is an artist where freedom of expression is paramount, my proposed design looks at a single room that can easily be zoned in any way with freedom  to change the use of spaces, where the mode of living is not dictated by walls and the sense of space is not hindered within this narrow block.  The floor to ceiling glass curtain wall of my proposal for House 1 would also create an openness that confronts an intense connection with the outdoor and the views beyond. The main rooms would be as open as possible for the extension of the living space into the garden and similar to Farnsworth house, structural framing should be located where possible at the exterior.

Also, my split level design should bring the spaces together and create more comfortable transitions from one level to the next for my client's comfort in her daily movements.

Union Hotel Parasite Roof by Richard Goodwin

For the Building Facade + Gallery Space

As the front of my proposed building is a gallery and faces many of the social and cultural issues surrounding the Victoria St precinct, I intend to have a more exuberant facade that is also largly reflecting the client's more gregarious character and my skewed view of this urban jungle of old money and its grunge subculture...

(- a subculture that brings to mind an amalgam of the typical scenes of a laid-back, retro-hippie attitude, nomadic backpackers, the pseudo-intellectual locals and street harlots mingling in espresso bars and organic cafes drinking wheatgrass and macchiatos! Add to this, we see the more affluent descending from the top of the street with their purebreds to take part in this urban fusion. )

- hence, in my proposed architecture we'll have a fusion of modern + post-modern ideals.

Similar to Richard Goodwin's Parasite Roof, my proposal shows 'a struggle of structure through space' which is in some way parallel to the idea of a break in tradition through the sea of Victorian relics and where the symbol for this grunge subculture takes root and becomes a permanent part of this fusion.

PARASITIC DYSTOPIA - the proposal  

This architecture represents a skewed view of the paradox within the cultural boundaries of urban grunge and bourgeois high society, and symbolises the oscillation between their extremes that is deeply ingrained within the Victoria St precinct.

We see this analogy as the surrounding high cultural arrangements and proportions are disturbed by this parasitic inspired structure repressed and squeezed between Victorian bricks and mortar but overwhelms an otherwise simplistic form and establishes itself therein.

As a tribute to the area's lush vegetation, the network of steel frames mimics a system of orthotropic growth as it (ironically) attempts to assimmilate within its streetscape.

As well as aesthetics, this network of steel holds structural qualities as it supports and defines part of the building's roof.

PROPOSED SPACES

 

TENANT'S CIRCULATION

OWNER'S CIRCULATION

 GALLERY VISITOR

GALLERY WORKER

PROPOSED PLANS:

STUDY ON ORTHOTROPIC GROWTH:
some parameters on orthotropic development:
(random variables ware also added to the structure used in the proposed model)

qwerty

WORKING DRAWINGS:

CIRCULATION:-

The client's interview revealed and helped identify ideal sequences during her daily routine and daily scenarios.  The studio, the bedroom and the garden play a major role in her day to day activities.  A sense of space and a tranquil environment are also highly valued hence large open spaces but with privacy should be achieved.  The movements of the tenants should also remain separate but with an option of sharing the outdoor garden.  The gallery should play a major role towards the front of the site and possibly visible from the street.  This should also inform on the design of the building facade.  An option to conjoin the private spaces of the client with the garden and the gallery should be an advantage especially during exhibition events.

SPATIAL ARTICULATION:-

I find that rating the importance of each major space allows a more efficient and ideal arrangement within the site.  The major spaces are those belonging to the users - the client, the tenant and the visitors to the gallery.  The site also can be divided according to what can be achieved within that particular portion of the site.  A site analysis reveals that the middle portion of the site is ideal for the clients private spaces as it can easily achieve privacy, large open spaces with best views from a higher vantage point.  Towards the rear of the site has a lower vantage point and where views may be slightly obscured by surrounding vegetation.

INTERVIEW WITH THE CLIENT:

ME:  How do see yourself within the Potts Pt Victoria St precinct in all its culture and eclectic mishmash? 

Dr ONACLOV:  I love the atmosphere in the Victoria street precinct! Especially the mix between bourgeois high culture and jaw dropping sites like transvestites waiting on street corners. I adore the blend of high cultural aesthetics alongside the seedy strip show atmosphere. It is very cosmopolitan, but at the same time trashy. This mix is very alluring to my sense of humour!

ME: Please describe your social life within your home

Dr ONACLOV:  I like to keep my home free to work in and normally socialise out of my home. I sometimes have dinner parties and enjoy spending time with friends over a cup of tea!

ME: Can you give me a scenario of how you work when at home

Dr ONACLOV:  In my home I wake up every day, have coffee then do my yoga practice in the studio. Afterwards, I eat a bowl of fresh fruit and plan my day. I work in my home so it is important to surround myself with a sense of space to give room for creativity. After a day painting and making art I usually go for a long walk with my dog or visit my boyfriend in Bondi.

ME: What 2 things do you value most in your day-to-day life?

Dr ONACLOV: I value my art space and the tranquil environment I need to make work and do yoga.

ME: In a few words, please give me a directive as your architect.

Dr ONACLOV: I would like you to create a place with lots of natural light and large open space so I can use the home to make art and relax in.

interview venues:

Newtown, King St (literally, off kerbside!, insert: me on asphalt)

Glebe apartment

 

THE SITE

Site Context - modelled from Google Earth and GIS data
From this model, it is apparent that the site sits on a ridge that stretches along Victoria St.
The crucial elements would be the uninterrupted city views on the west or the rear boundary, (ironically) the side that would also have maximum sun exposure and produce extreme temperatures during summer. Great consideration and solutions should be developed during the design process. The 3 storey adjacent building on the North side will also cause overshadowing to 3 quarters of the site.  (Find solutions to ensure the clients wish to have natural lighting throughout is achieved.)

here is the contour plan of the site derived from GIS data:

the site is very steep and there is a 14 metre change in level from the street frontage to the rear boundary.  Limestone and hard sandstone rock is typical of the ridge area.

POTTS PT AREA

The myriad faces of Victorian homes along Victoria street boast a more gentrified history compared to its
neighbouring suburbs as it had been home to the 19th century affluent.

Canopied Victoria Street

Street elements that tell a story

CLIENT: onacloV 

(Dr. Caitlin de Berigny) is a visual artist

"trained at the École Nationale Supérieure des Beaux-Arts in Paris and Marseille, and the ANU School of Art.

She has exhibited extensively and been the recipient of numerous awards and grants.

Her artwork addresses crucial environmental issues.

She has led and facilitated enriching artistic, scientific, and cultural collaborations.

Resulting in large-scale collaborative installation artworks.

She is also a lecturer and researcher at USyd." http://onaclov.net/


image credit:
Canberra Times City News,
http://citynews.com.au/2012/arts-entertainment/art-arts-entertainment/art-inside-the-volcano/

BRIEF: Double House + Garden

House 1 – for the client

House 2 – for lease to artists, writers

Inclusions:

5m high gallery

smaller gallery

10sqm office

Adequate outdoor

SITE: