honors thesis - steven ramirez
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ThePowerofStructureWithinDesign
HonorsThesis
StevenRamirez
UniversityofFlorida
April25,2018
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Howdostudentscomingfromlowerdivisionarchitecturetransitionintocreating
structuresthatcanworkinthebuiltenvironment?Aslowerdivisionstudents,wefocuson
spaceandexperiencebutoftenneglecttheconstructionallogicofmakingwithinitself.The
processofconstructioncanbebeautifulandshowcasetheworkandthethoughtthatgoesinto
creatingabuilding.Thisemphasisonconstructionaddsanentirelynewexperiencetothe
architecture.Thecelebrationofstructureisbeautifulandgivesaninsightofthebuildinginits
purestform.
ThoughthereisanintensefocusonthespatiallogicofabuildingwithinDesigncourses,
thereareseveralclasseswithintheArchitecturecurriculumthatallowstudentstofocusonthe
complexworldofstructure.DesignStudio7and8,MaterialsandMethods,andStructuresare
anexcellentcombinationofclassestoallowstudentstoexplorethevastpossibilitiesthatare
availabletodesignformsandstructure.
Design8hashadasignificantimpactonthewaythatIdesign.Itmademerealizethat
thingsdrawnor3dmodeledinthecomputerdonotalwaysgivedesiredresultsinthephysical
world.Anythingispossibleonthecomputerandthatsometimesleadstocomplicationsinthe
physicalworld.Modelmakingisagreatmeansthroughwhicharchitectscantestthelimitsof
materials,figureoutdetailsthroughconnections,andtestthepracticalityofadesign.Iama
strongadvocatefortheprocessofmakingphysicalmodelsandtheyarefundamentaltothe
successofarchitecturestudents.
Trialanderrorisanimportantfactorinbeingabletosuccessfullyexecuteaproject.This
issomethingthatpersonallycaughtmeoffguardwithafaçadestudydoneinDesignStudio8.A
majorityoftimewasspentdesigninginthecomputer.Bynotrealizingthelimitsofthe
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materialstobeusedforthephysicalmodel,itgavepoorlycraftedandundesirableresults.This
ledtomaterialsbeingwastedbecausetheylackedthenecessarystrength.Testingthrough
processmodelswouldhavemadeitclearthatamaterialchangeorasecondarysupporting
structurehadtobeimplemented.Itiscrucialtothesuccessofarchitecturestudentstoalways
domorethanwhatisrequiredandgooutoftheirwaytotestthingsinadvanced,evenifthey
arenotrequiredtodoso.Thiswillleadtomoresuccessfulprojectsandbringanaccompanying
senseofsecurity.
Thematerial'sarchitecturestudentsuseformodelmakingsimulatethequalitiesof
buildingsintherealworld.Physicalmodelsareabletoreplicateloadpatternsonasmallerscale
givinginsightintothepracticalityofthedesignintent.Itissurprisingtheamountofload
delicatebasswoodstickscansustain.Thiswasmadecleartomepreciselywiththefinalproject
forastructurescoursewhichwasdirectedatreplicatingacomponentofabuildingwithaclear
designintentledbystructure.Usingmodelmakingmaterialsstrategicallycanphysically
resemblereal-worldstructurewithcertainlimits.Therestrictionsofphysicalmodelsarewithin
thedetailedconnectionswhichareoftenrepresentedbytheuseofglue.TheSainsburyCentre
forVisualArtsbyNormanFosterwastheinspirationforthisprojectduetoitsclearexpression
ofstructure(Figure2).Asseenbelow,themock-upmodelwasintendedtotestthephysical
capabilitiesofmaterials(refertoFigure3and4).TheSainsburyCentretakesthisapproachto
structurebecauseoftheneedsofthebuilding.Thestructurewasdesignedtomaintainalarge
openspaceandbyusingtrussestheywereabletospanlargedistances(Rybczynski).The
buildingappearsasifithasonesmoothpiecethatwrapsaroundtheentiretyofthespace.The
trusssystemthatcomprisesthebuildingiswhatallowsforthelargeopenfloorplanandthe
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illusionofasinglesheetenclosingthebuilding.Withouttheattentiontodetailandadaptation
ofthestructuralsystemtotheform,thisbuildingwouldnothavebeenpossible.Architectureis
createdthroughthedetails;howconnectionsarearticulated(eitherboltedorjointed)create
thebiggerpicturethroughwhicharchitectsmaketheirvisionsareality.
AnothernotablebuildingknownforexposingstructureistheCentreGeorgesPompidou
byRenzoPianoandRichardRogers.ThisfacilityhousesaculturalcenterinParis,Franceandis
meanttoportrayastrongfeelingofmovementandshowcasealltheinnerworkings,whichin
thiscaseareontheexteriorofthebuilding.Thestructureisfullyrevealedandallowsfor
minimalinterruptionsontheinteriorofthebuilding.Totakeitastepfurther,thearchitects
chosetohighlightthebuildingwithdifferentcolorstomaintainasenseofthedifferent
structuralcomponentsandbuildingsystems(Rice).Thebuildingshoutsatbystanderswithits
arrayofcolorsanduniqueimplementationofthestructure.
Furthermore,withMaterialsandMethodsbeingaclassfocusedontechniques,
materials,andconnections,itleadsstudentstothinkaboutconstructability.Meanwhile,
Structuresclasseshelpstudentsdefinehowthestructurewillactuallyworkandsupportloads.
Structuresisaclasswhichfocusesonthetechnicalityandformulasthroughwhicharchitects
areabletodecidethebestapproachesregardingstructure.Onthecontrary,DesignStudio
Classesofferachancetoexploreuniquepossibilitieswithintheworldofarchitectureregarding
design.Thebeautyandresultcomesfromthecombinationoftheknowledgeacquiredinthe
threeclasses.Thisissomethingstudentsmayforgetaboutwhencompletingtheirstudio
projects,asIhavedonesomyself.Theresultsturnouttobesomethingwhichisnotvery
believablewhenconsideringthatdesignmusthaveideasofconstructabilityinordertobe
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practical.Whentheideasofconstructionandtheprocessofmakingarevisibleinthedesign,
buildingsareeasiertounderstand,makingthemmorelogical.Althoughthestructureofa
buildingisnotdirectlythoughtoutinthediagramingstages,itshouldatalltimesbeconsidered
inthedesignifpossible.Continualconsiderationforthestructurewillmakethedesignprocess
smootherwhentransitioningfromdesigningformtodesigningstructure.
Expressingversushidingstructureissomethingthatbecomesachoice.Although,some
buildingsaremorelikelytobemoreexpressivethanothers.Forexample,abuildingwhich
focusesontransparency,openness,andlightcomparedtoonewhichfocusesonprivacyand
darkness,ismorelikelytoshowcasethelinkbetweenstructureandform.Throughoutthe
beginningofmydesigneducation,Iwasalwaysundertheimpressionsthatstructurewastobe
insertedintowalls,hiddenbypanelsofconcreteordrywall.Thetransitionofacknowledging
thebeautyofstructuremainlycamefromtheupperdivisionclasses,DesignStudio7and8.It
wasatthistimethatIhadfullycometoembracewhatstructurereallyisandhowitcaninclude
anentirelynewcomponentandsenseofscaletoabuilding.Structurewithinitselfcancreate
space,separation,orfeelingsofopennessandtransparency.Perhapsthemostimportant
aspectofthestructureishowitcangivescaletobuildings.
Theexperienceofbeinginabuildingismorethanjustlookingatit.Architectsshouldbe
abletoenvisionanexperiencetheywanttoachieveandthefeelingstheywantoccupantsto
feel.Byrevealingthestructureandshowinghowthebiggerpicturecomestogether,people
starttofeelasenseofrecognitionoftheprocessofmaking.Occupantsaremuchmorelikelyto
understandhowapersonactuallybuiltthebuildingwhenthestructurebecomescelebrated,
whichcanallowforthepossibilityofobtainingacloserconnectiontothearchitecture.
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EstablishingastrongconnectionofformtothestructureisachallengeIhavedealtwith
myself.Design8beingsocloselyrelatedtothecombinationofformandunderstanding
structurehelpsstudentsunderstandhowconnectionsactuallywork.Specifically,withinmy
DesignStudio8class,weweretaskedwithbuildingaconstructionmockupwhichfocusedon
theimplementationofstructuralcomponentswithinthebuildingandpushedmetothink
intuitivelywithregardstotheprocessofconstruction(Figure5).Therearethreeoptionswhen
speakingofaliteralconnectionbetweenstructureandform.Thefirstoneismakinga
compromisebyadaptingthestructuretomaintainthedesiredform,whilethesecondis
compromisingtheformandadaptingittothestructure.Lastly,makingadjustmentstoboththe
structureandforminordertomeetinthemiddle,whichseemstobetheidealoptioninmost
cases.Bymakingsmalleradjustmentstoboth,neithertheformorstructurehastodrastically
altered,therefore,maintainingacloseconnectiontotheinitialdesignintent.Although,design
generallyencouragesadaptationandcompromiseinordertoachieveavision.
Conclusively,architectureisnotonlyabouthowabuildinglooks,butitmustalsoregard
theaspectsofconstructionandhowthatprocesscanbecomejustasbeautifulasthe
architecture.Attheendofthedaywhatarchitectsandarchitecturestudentsdoisdesign.Who
istosaythatdesignstopsonceyouachieveaspecificvisionoraestheticwhenregardinga
qualityofspace.Designisacontinualprocessofcompromise,especiallywhenregardingform
andstructure.Envisioningadesignistheverybeginningandtheartcomesfromconceivingthe
processofconstruction.Whenarchitectsunderstandthestructurethatwillproduceabuilding
andcomprisetheformsthatorganizethespaceiswhenavisionofdesignstartstobecome
reality.
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Figure1:CentrePompidoubyarchitectsRenzoPiano&RichardRogers(Paris,France)providesanexcellentexampleofhowrevealingstructurecanbebeautifullyimplemented.Itgivesanewcomponenttothebuildingthatoccupantscanvisuallyinteractwith.
Braun,Manuel.“CentrePompidou.”Widewalls.2016.
Figure 2: Sainsbury Centre for Visual Arts by architectsNorman Foster andWendy Foster, isanothergreatexampleofhowtherevealofstructurecanhelpemphasizeandframespace.Itgives a scale to buildings that is unparalleled to buildings which hide the structure withinconcrete walls and slabs. Buildings that take this approach are much more likely to beunderstoodbyoccupants. Atkins,Marc.“SainsburyCentreforVisualArts,Norwich.”Artfund.
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Figure3:MockupconstructionoftheSainsburyCentreforVisualArts.Thismodelwasbuilt in collaborationwithRossanaFranco,MathewDenigandwaspartof a finalproject forStructuresI.ThemodelwasabletosupportoverfivepoundsofweightandreplicatedthesameloaddispersionseenintheSainsburyCentreforVisualArtsdespitebeingcreatedfrommodelmakingmaterials (BasswoodSticks).Thisexperiment replicated thequalitiesof theSainsburyCentreonasmallerscale. Ramirez,Steven.ModelofSainsburyCentreforVisualArts.November2016.
Figure4:SainsburyCentreforVisualArtsMockUpmodelunderload. Ramirez,Steven.ModelofSainsburyCentreforVisualArts.November2016.
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Figure5:Design8ConstructionMockup.Inthismodel,emphasiswasputonthedetailofconnections.Althoughmodelmakingmaterialsarenotidenticalforreallifematerials,theycancloselyresemblethequalitiesofrealmaterials.Therefore,establishingdetailedconnectionsinamodelcanhelpbygivinginsightastowhattypeofreallifeconnectionwouldworkbestforacertainbuilding. Ramirez,Steven.LucentBathsConstructionMockup.April2018.
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References
FosterandPartners.SainsburyCentreforVisualArts.(n.d).Web.10April.2018.
https://www.fosterandpartners.com/projects/sainsbury-centre-for-visual-arts/
Perez,Adelyn.CentreGeorgesPompidou/RenzoPianoBuildingWorkshop+RichardRogers.
ArchDaily.11June,2010.Web.15April,2018.
Rice,Peter.AnEngineerImagines.EllipsisLondonPrLtd.1998.Print.
Rybczynski,Witold.BiographyofaBuilding.ArchitectMagazine.18February,2016.Web.8
April,2018.
Figure1:Braun,Manuel.“CentrePompidou.”Widewalls.2016.
Figure2:Atkins,Marc.“SainsburyCentreforVisualArts,Norwich.”Artfund.
Figure3:Ramirez,Steven.ModelofSainsburyCentreforVisualArts.November2016.
Figure4:Ramirez,Steven.ModelofSainsburyCentreforVisualArts.November2016
Figure5:Ramirez,Steven.LucentBathsConstructionMockup.April2018.
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