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.

honors thesis - steven ramirez

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