Research Retreat. Brief

Context.

The main building of this place is Hospitalfield House built in 1849. In nowadays it is a residential art centre – place for creating  in a medium with 'quiet ambience, tranquil country gardens and particularly generous studio space' (http://www.hospitalfield.org.uk/).

The building is built in the Gothic style from red sandstone which is typical local material of most of Arbroath buildings.

The site is a park bordered by old trees and further by stone wall variables in a height.

There are several art pieces located in the park and out of it. One of them on the way to the park was very impressive to address and inspire me.

Programme

Private accommodations (25m2 each) and studios (40m2 each) for 6 artists, gallery/event space (100m2), ancillary (kitchen 25m2), storage and WC). Besides them some external areas for relaxation, contemplation and exhibition are required.

Research Retreat. Process

“A picture without a frame is like a soul without a body”

“I can only finish my pictures when they are framed" (Vincent Van Gough).

I have thought why paintings should be framed and why frames used to be so rich, even richer than the same picture. What is the important message transmitted by frame?

Throughout the history frame has been used as 'a decorative boundary, it protected and emphasised the work it held, and might have a strongly symbolic aspect' (Paul Mitchell).

I brought frame as main concept for my design of Research Retreat.

I perceived the meaning of frame in the wider context.

*Frame is significant feature of the site. The site is framed by different layers of surrounding environment such as crop fields, stone wall and finally lines of trees.

*Frame is strong and recognisable stereotype of art, especially painting.

*Frame is integral part of functioning society in terms of ethic and law codes.

Intangible of the site caught in the tangible painting and framed with Mannerist Frame.

The frame in my design is a coherent scheme within which to live and work in a creative atmosphere. The frame pulls together this small commune, bounds from the unnecessary information and focuses on main things.

The very first sketches shows development of this idea.

The main idea of my proposal is about linking together accommodation with studio because of the specific of residence in Hospitalfields. The period of residence varies from couple days till several months. This factor and specific character of artist living style demands flexible and compact solution which provides close links between daily habits without interrupting creating process. Contemplation and study is inseparably linked with active creation.

Next idea is about specialising and communication between artists for inspiring process of creation. This factor demands common area.

All these factors together make multi-layered space where private passes into the public. 

 

The first plan of the building shows public and semi public areas (gallery/event space and studios) located around the courtyard and private areas located by perimeter with view to the park. The main feature - variety of entrances to the each cluster. Private entrance from courtyard and public link between all studios and gallery. This creates one continuous art gallery in the case of "Doors open day", when visitors could walk through the whole building without disturbing artists in their private accommodations. 

But there is one problem with clusters located in the corners. They do not have direct access to the courtyard. I improved design by lengthening the courtyard to get access for each cluster. 

Besides, I changed location of the main entrance. Now it is directed towards the park.  

Artist represents that part of society who breaks frames and boundaries in the searching of new horizons. This concept is embodied in the solutions of openings for the traffic of people and light. 

Sketches of exterior and interior.

 Main entrance

Courtyard

Gallery/event space with diffused light through skylight along the perimeter.

Artist's accommodation with direct exit to the park and light flushing the wall through skylight.

Project 'Habitat' 3. Result

Constructive structure of the building – monolith, reinforced concrete outer walls 200mm and 200 and 150mm inner walls.
One column 200x200mm in the middle of living zone supports large span (7500mm) roof construction – timber beam.
Concrete – good material for sculptural purpose and it makes load bearing constructions as thin as possible.

'Slate - a metamorphic rock type that splits easily in one preferred direction and is highly impermeable at
right angles to the cleavage planes' Professor Rob Duck
Slate is the most typical roof material at Kenmore. I used this material to make building fitting in regional context, because of good technical qualities of this material and with sustainable approach – to
use local material.

1. Concrete (recycled) wall
2. Natural and local insulation (hemp wool, sheep wool)
3. Concealed gutter
4. 5. Slate panels for roof and walls
6. Window head panel
7. Window sill panel

The interior of the house is painted in white as contrast to dark gray exterior. White colour makes inner spaces more spacious.
The contrast as way of expression is very important in the design of this house. Contrast between outer - inner, building and local architecture (in same time respect local context) and between inhabitant's lifestyles.
Common feature – clients are strong, individualistic persons. Therefore materials are simple, natural and functional.

Section shows some sustainable solutions, for example:

*‘Massive’ roof and wall’s cover with slate panels provide
good ‘thermal inertia’ - house slowly accumulate heat and
and conduct to inner space.

*Rainwater collecting for reuse.

*Natural ventilation with heat recuperation.

*Windows are located according to views and insolation.

*Heated concrete walls and floors.

*Thermal heat pumps with energy gathering from a lake.

N elevation

E elevation

SW elevation

View from local road over Loch Tay

View from Pier road

Interior view - living room

Interior view - Bella's area

...see more images at STUDY WORKS.

Project 'Habitat' 2. Process

From the very beginning of presence at Kenmore and the first sketches I have thought about relationships between my design and its surroundings – local townscape, the lake and the hills.

In the book ' Thinking Architecture', Peter Zumthor writes, that architecture that is made entirely only from tradition and by dictates of its site is false and without connection to contemporary world. Whereas architectural design speaks only contemporary approach without sense of its site, this design does not fit in its environment and has not found its place.

I found very important to follow this idea and pay close attention to the dialogue between projected house and the environment where it sits and to find a balance between these extremes.

The most important aspect in the process of designing my idea was clients. Their needs, habits and life style is totally different, therefore I decided build my idea on something which represents these contraries. The first sketches shows very ordinary scheme – living volume along the street side and perpendicular volume for common needs. 

In process of sketching crystallises the idea about triangular form of the house's plan with functional argument – individualistic inhabitants need separate space. Each of 3 inhabitants could accommodate another (their own) 'corner' of the house.   
  

For me designing always starts from plans - to locate functions and get notion about scale

Volumetric model: blue colour – Tony, green - Bella, red – Tracy, yellow – common area,
black – garage and technical room.

This is base of further countless transformations in ground floor plan.

Triangular form in a plan is simple and strong and it demands strongly articulated 3^rd dimension - walls, roofs, elevations.

The first sketches had very simple, static and

conventional design.

Triangular form in plan is dynamic – 3 corners pull form each to another direction. It demands dynamic in the 3^rd dimension too.

In process of designing form I worked with models to gain

proportions and dynamic and dialogue with surrounding environment.

The main idea of this solution was getting better insolation in

deep living space simultaneously avoiding over shining.

Insolation in Tracy's and living area

on the SW side of the house

SW elevation 

E elevation

Insolation in Tony's and Bella's area

on the E side of the house

Weak point of this solution is rhythm of openings which makes the

whole volume more fragile and flimsy. 

And then I got final solution - where Tracy's volume get 

analogue form as two storey volume where live Tony and Bella. 

Argument – high space for artist needs.

 

Final stage - two solutions for form and location of openings. 

  

 

More static solution

More dynamic solution








And the winner is... dynamic solution with spontaneously located 

windows.

Project 'Habitat' 1. Brief

Last Friday we had interim presentation of our design project 'Habitat'. For me it was a possibility to self estimate my ability to present my design and get feedback from more than 1 person (tutor) – there was 2 tutors, 3rd year student and peers as well.

Just day before I collected my design info and tried to get out from my laptop as much as possible, I decided that my struggling with the form of the building is finished. It was very long and not too much time left till the final review – just 2 weeks. And I have so many things to do more. But... after the presentation I am changing my design again! Why? Because something does not satisfies neither tutor nor me. The whole form or one particular part of the roof? The position and form of windows? What else?

In this post I would like to show the evolution of my idea and by the way, optimise the textual part of my presentation.

The main aspects of my design are: site analysis, clients and  architecture precedents.

Firstly, site.

Kenmore is a small village on the coast of Loch Tay surrounded by hills of Breadalbane. The building site is located on a peninsula and this location is very visible from entire surroundings, moreover best views are seen particularly from this site. The best view is on Ben Lawers over the north side of Loch Tay, which is a bit under height of 4000 feet.

Kenmore has a quite long and significant history. For example, the Kenmore Hotel which was built in 1572 and probably is the oldest inn in Scotland. The local architecture consists mostly of dwelling houses built from the end of the 18th century till nowadays. Common feature for most of the old buildings is double pitch roofs with very steep slope - about 60 degrees. Houses that are built in last decades uses less slope - about 45 degrees.

 

Second aspect is clients.

My virtual clients of this project are very interesting persons. They are: businessmen Tony (Soprano), student Bella (Twilight) and artist Tracy (Tracy Emin).

 

Last aspect - precedents.

These precedents represent different style of architecture and different features whose I decided to analyse.

First is Walsh house designed by British minimalist John Pawson. This precedent is significant with strong respect of local context because village has tight planning restrictions in the interest of preserving towns historical character.
Form of the building is very modest and pure, plans - logic and clear.

Next precedent is Y house designed by Steven Holl. It represents separating day – night, public - private activities – as result it is consist from two volumes with different functions whose intertwine from upstairs to downstairs creating a different  domestic movements.

 

Third precedent Mobius house designed by Ben van Bercel interweaves the various activities of people's life into one structure - work, socialising, family and individual time. I choose Mobius house to analyse daily circulation through the house and separating functions.

And the winner is...

... Kengo Kuma & associates. Its entry was unanimously chosen from six shortlisted proposals. Well, it seems that the choice has made in favour of the most pompous proposal to get another Bilbao effect. The winner proposal embodies qualities of architecture in the pre-crisis time. It is more tended to result (V&A museum exhibitions) than process (design in action).

Of course, I hope Dundee will gain notability in world design's arena and museum will be good contribution of achieving it.