Eden’s Architecture Journey

Our final design output required six images including a roof plan, floor plan, long section, short section, elevation and final summative overlay drawing/collage. I created these images from many initial sketches and photographs of the site we were provided with. I made some final decisions including materiality which was glulam timber that was able to be bent and manipulated into the curved forms my structure required. I also looked at different tower precedents and was particularly inspired by a seaside tower built on the Whangapoua beach by the Crosson Clarke Carnachan Architects. This tower could also move - the entire structure was able to be relocated when necessary. The use of timber also helped me confirm my decisions on what material to use. 

“On an idyllic beach located in the Coromandel peninsula, north of New Zealand, a very unique building can be found—created by the Crosson Clarke Carnachan Architects architecture studio.Built by the shore of a white-sanded beach—among the dunes—this particular shelter needed to be removable to adapt to the coastal erosion the region is constantly subjected to. For this very reason, the cabin stands on two, solid-wood sleighs so that it can be moved around more easily.”  -  Eric Vökel, Danish Architect

My ‘tower’ has a cosy, exciting atmosphere. The first floor, box space is a small cosy room which you are able to enter via stairs and a door. This little room is fitted with a bench and sink, small table, chairs and a space for bean bags and blankets. You can go inside, put the kettle on, make a cup of hot cocoa and then head up to the roof by climbing the ladder to the magical viewing cubby. This is a little get-away for a couple of friends to sit and relax and either watch the waves out to sea or the stars at night. The most exciting part about the cubby is that the whole structure is able to rotate. It rotates according to which ever way the wind pushes it so the wind never blows into it. The rotational mechanism is gradual for safety reasons. In my ‘long section’ I have detailed the rotating system design. 

FINAL DESIGN OUTPUT IMAGES

Roof Plan, Floor Plan, Long Section, Short Section and Elevation

Summative Overlay Drawing/Collage

“Design a small tower ... to be away in ... to see over from ...” - Mike Davis

For our fifth Design Exercise we were tasked with designing a small tower, under the size constraints of 5 metres tall and 3 metres in plan dimension. This tower had to be situated on the site of 2 Erangi Place, Bethells Beach, Waitakere Bay. Waitakere Bay is a beautiful beach on the coast, opposite Auckland and has stunning views. Initially we had to think about the activities that happened on the site and why a tower would be a valuable addition. What would it’s purpose be and what activities would it encourage? 

Understanding of the site and geological context was crucial before we started thinking about possible structures. 

“The important thing to know is that ‘site’ is not a condition you receive passively. The reason we make stuff on the topic of a site – site models, sketches, site sections, atmospheric drawings – they are all ways to actively understand the site.” - Mike Davis

This is a rough sketch of the surrounding topography stretching from Lake Wainamu, through Erangi Place, over Waitakere River and onto Waitakere Bay.

Another drawing was required so we could get a sense of the atmosphere and weather. This charcoal sketch depicted a cold, rainy and very windy night in August standing on the roof of the existing Bach at  Erangi Place. 

After this site exploration drawings of as many different but possible designs of towers were required to expand ideas and imagination. These are preliminary sketches of as many different tower types I could think so I had a choice as to which was my favourite going further with the project. 

I decided to choose a design which interested me because of the possibility that part of it could move. 

“The fixed part of the building is to be no higher than 5.0m above ground level (otherwise It’ll need a resource consent). So ... does part of it move? If so, then how and to what effect / experience?” - Mike Davis

This particular design featured structure that sat on top and could move via a rotating mechanism that was pushed by the wind so that the strong breezes would never enter the hollow of the top structure, rather move it in a different direction so that the person or persons sitting in the top viewing area would never have to experience the wind blowing in their faces as they were trying to enjoy the view. Below are some rough, initial sketches of my idea detailing the two part design which has a first story being a small room one can make a hot drink in before climbing up to the roof top to hunker down in the cosy viewing area.

The final part of my design process was the creation of images that showed what my final design would look like. In doing this improvements were made to the initial design drawings and the concepts from my Over and Under were crystallised. 

My overarching theme which unites my Over and Under in my Final Design is The Giving of Life. The Whanganui River is a vital source of spiritual and physical sustenance and this translates to my design which is situated close-by being a Flow Through communal green house garden. This garden imitates the Whanganui River by being a community source of food and well being and is a micro climate in itself like the region of Whanganui. 

The physical design of the glass house is simplified from my previous plan, section and elevation drawings as it was discussed with Naomi and Andrew that it could benefit from rational build-ability. I also decided to use the slope off the edge of our section to incorporate an entrance that started underground and flowed through into the green-house above ground. This allowed the stepped ground above to have more garden space. 

The next part of my design process involved creating some communicative sketches of what my design might actually look like based on the concepts taken from my Under and Over drawings. From my Under I decided to take the concept of a micro climate depicted in the whole section being encompassed in a glass bottle, which many of are found under my house. 

From my over I carried through the concept of the ambiguity of indoor, outdoor spaces due to the nature of my storyboard drawings. This concept can be captured in words like Flow Through and Transparency. The glass material was chosen from the glass bottles in the under and the glass windows in my over drawings.

I decided my project would be a communal glass greenhouse that was both innovative and keeping in style with the existing architecture on the site. These process images were the ideas that I initially came up with in an attempt to communicate the flowing form of the structure that spoke of vitality, organics and growth. The glass greenhouse would be a micro climate of itself housing a garden of many plants that would benefit the surrounding community as the Whanganui River has done for centuries. 

Plan

Elevation

Section

Quick Design Iterations

The second part of our Under and Over Exercise was taking discoveries made from the underground conditions of our site and producing a creative cross-section. 

In my under cross section I focused on three aspects:

The bubble-like micro-climate of Whanganui due to the city being in lee of the Tararua range  - this is why I depicted my creative cross section in a bottle

The underground discoveries I made including shell-rock tracks, pumis and large pipi beds as well as unnatural discoveries such as glass bottles and medicine bottles

The wider geological context of the historical Ridge Pa which was a Maori fortress. I have depicted a patu (club) which was a maori weapon made from wood, stone or whalebone.

The first part of our Under and Over Exercise was observing the over conditions of our site. We had to create five images from the observation of our site at different times during the day; these images compiled together made up our observational storyboard. For my observational storyboard I focused the immediate spaces around me being my house and the sweeping views from my window. I played with the inside-outside views of the windows in my house in my observational drawings as it was interesting to document the changes in light inside the house made possible by the windows and the way glimpses of everyday-life could be caught by looking through the windows from the outside. The rich marine life under the soil from historical flooding has nourished the earth causing there to be abundant vegetation around my house which can be observed from the windows. 

First Observation - 10 o’clock AM 

Second Observation - 12 o’clock PM

Third Observation - 2 o’clock PM

Fourth Observation - 4 o’clock PM

Fifth Observation - 6 o’clock PM

“In this module, you will create an architecture inspired by the site conditions of your present location. We might be living in bubbles now, and feeling constrained, but those bubbles sit within wider architectural, environmental and geological contexts and are subject to the rhythms of daily, annual, and millennial activity. Great architecture often relates to or challenges site contexts through design and an associated narrative. You have already created new designs and explained them in earlier crits. This module extends this practice to a site that you are already getting to know well through the current lock down situation.”  - Deidre Brown

History of Existing Site:

During the lock down I was able to get back to my family home in Whanganui. It was really exciting to learn we were doing an exercise based on the site in our own bubbles because I love our grand old villa and the beautiful surrounds of Whanganui and the Whanganui River. 

I will just give a brief history of my house before moving on to the Whanganui River which is significant in terms of the wider geological space around my house. This villa was built in 1898 and was owned by A.D. Wills, the proprietor of the local newspaper - the Whanganui Chronicle. Since Whanganui was one of the first cities to be built in New Zealand, my house has some definite historical significance. The land was previously native bush with groves of karaka surrounding a historical Ridge Pa but was cleared right down to the banks of the river causing the landscape to change, having free views and a lot of space for gardens etc. The house sits at the bottom of the Bastia Hill on the floodplains but is located so as to not be susceptible to flooding. 

The Whanganui River, at 290-km is the second longest river in the North Island. It springs from the north-west of Mt Tongariro and travels to the Tasman Sea at Whanganui. It is home to Te Āti Haunui-a-Pāpārangi, a confederation of three ancestral groups, the Whanganui Iwi tribes. The Whanganui River is the iwi’s ancestral river and a source of physical and spiritual sustenance. 

During the early 19th century there was inter-tribal fighting on the river, the lower river Maori assaulted the upriver Pai Marire tribe at Moutoa Island, 61 km north of the town. Today the total river population is less than 1000 since many Maori found work within Whanganui City however the river is sacred and will always be the most important part of Whanganui which means ‘big bay’ or ‘big harbour’ on account of the size and majesty of the river.

These images are of my final presentation model I did on designing a small shelter at Islington Bay, Rangitoto Island in the Hauraki Gulf from my third exercise, Canoe/Kayak Shelter at Islington Bay, by Diane Brand for ARCHDES 102: Design 1.

Form

For my final presentation model I chose to have a rounded form at the front and rectangular configurations at the back which made up the entrance-way/corridor to the partly submerged kayak/canoe shelter. My model is on a 1:100 scale and is 8m wide, 10 m long and 3m tall. I chose to make the roof slightly raised in the center to mimic the shape of Rongitoto and organic in its gentle slope. The carved out lines and curves on the roof were derived from the contour lines of the island that can be seen on a topographic map. The windows are completely waterproof and serve to inform the users when it is safe to lower the front exit (which is also completely waterproof when closed) and push the kayaks out. The carvings on the outside are traditional Maori carvings that symbolize the respect they had for the creatures of the sea (the two dolphins) and prosperity and safe travel over water (the fish hook). The contour lines seen clearly in the first photo and the carvings are important in the historical aspect of my design as I was inspired by the history of Rangitoto and Islington Bay when I devised my design concept. The reason for my shelter being partly submerged is because I wanted to utilize the mechanism of the tide in the uncovering of the past. I thought it could be quite beautiful and meaningful if the water were to reveal not just a shelter but important Maori carvings that symbolized significant messages about travel over water and the ocean.

Materials

I used quite a few different materials when I made my model as I was using left-over bits and pieces from previous store purchases and stuff that I gathered from around the house. The main part of the shelter, the rounded front section, was made from gluing three pieces of sketchbook paper together, then flattening it and finally bending it into a curve to mimic the appearance of cementitious coating. The entrance-way was made from taping lots of squares of plastic together into three rectangular boxes of varying sizes and then taping the boxes together to form a waterproof entrance that expands into the main area. The plastic is translucent representing 40 gauge poly carbonate plastic so a person walking through can see the water level and sea-life. The same material is used for the waterproof windows on the sides of the shelter. I used clay to mold the roof so I could achieve it’s unique shape. The rocks and waves are made from crumpled pieces of brown and white paper.

Function

In this exercise it was important for me to implement front and back relationships and this was achieved by the two entrances/exits at the front and back of the shelter. The back entrance is located on the bank and can be entered on foot from the sand. The front exit is a waterproof hatch that can be lowered down when the tide is high acting like a platform for the kayaks to be slid onto and pushed off into the water. The interior of the shelter is spacious and allows room for shelves that the kayaks can be stored on and seating as seen in the last photo that has the roof removed.

Concept drawings, micro-site and initial model I did on designing a small shelter at Islington Bay, Rangitoto Island in the Hauraki Gulf from my third exercise, Canoe/Kayak Shelter at Islington Bay, by Diane Brand for ARCHDES 102: Design 1.

The third part of the design process was to cement our single concept or idea from our emoticon diagrams and in class discussions via a development model and then choose a specific micro-site on the island where we would locate our shelter. I wanted to use an emoticon diagram I had come up with that was inspired by the history at Islington Bay, Rangitoto and I chose a micro-site close by to the boat ramp in a small rocky inlet.

This historical reference came from the story of Tamatekapua. Rangitoto is known as ‘Nga Rangi-i-totongia a Tamatekapua’ - ‘the day the blood of Tamatekapua was shed’. He was the chief of the Arawa canoe which arrived around 1350. They fought a major battle with the resident Tainui tribe at islington Bay and Tamatekapua’s face was left bloodied and bruised. I initially wanted to translate this historical aspect literally through a design which almost visually illustrated what happened. After discussing my design concept with Andrew Douglas I was inspired to approach it from a more abstract point of view where my canoe/kayak shelter could physically represent the uncovering of history.

I began to explore the possibilities of a structure that could be submerged in water and revealed at different times because of the tide. I played with ideas such as, ‘uncovering the past using the mechanism of the tide’, ‘translating a historical aspect into a tangible, physical movement’, and words such as ‘uncovering’ and ‘eruption’. I also wanted to draw on the physical history of how the Island came about. Rangitoto erupted from the sea and literally uncovered itself from the depths of the ocean via volcanic activity. I translated this through the materials and form of the roof. I intended the roof to be made from clay so I could groove contour lines through it as can be seen on a topographic map of the island. I have included pictures of a map of Rangitoto with contour lines as well as the Tiajin Binhai Library below. I drew inspiration from this library in Tiajin, China as it’s interior roof had contour lines and layers much like the contour lines of land.

As I started my process for designing the concept of an underwater kayak/canoe shelter I drew a few rough concept sketches. The first image illustrates my concepts and ideas of an underwater canoe/kayak shelter which is revealed through the mechanism of the tide - the water receding every six hours at low tide so the shelter can be accessed.

The first five images show my micro-site at Rangitoto and the boat ramp and area surrounding. The sixth image is a map of the island with contour lines. The seventh image is a traditional Maori hut with molded thatched roof and the last picture is the Tiajin Binhai Library.

This is another rough concept drawing communicating the overall form of the shelter as well as how far the water would rise at high tide and low tide. I decided I did not want the entire shelter to be fully submerged rather that the water only rise up to the bottom of the front exit so when it is opened at high tide the kayaks could be easily floated out onto the water. The exit is loosely shown in the above sketch and would be a fully waterproof door that opened out like a platform allowing the kayaks to be slid onto it from shelving inside the shelter so the people could safely and easily get into the kayaks and push off into the water.

These images show my first model that I quickly developed to experiment with form and materials. I initially intended to have a rectangular shaped shelter but realized this space was too confined and impractical. I only had a small amount of clay for my final models roof so experimented with the contour lines idea using strips of paper glued together. I also experimented with the strips of paper after observing the thatched roofs of traditional Maori huts. This model helped me determine the final form and materials for my presentation model.

Third exercise: Canoe/Kayak Shelter on Islington Bay - DIANE BRAND

Emoticon diagrams I did on designing a kayak shelter at Islington Bay, Rangitoto Island in the Hauraki Gulf from my third exercise, Canoe/Kayak Shelter at Islington Bay, by Diane Brand for ARCHDES 102: Design 1.

The second part of the design process for Canoe/Kayak Shelter at Islington Bay, Rangitoto was to develop a concept or idea - the ideation process.

“What is it about the site that can be developed into one idea that can be represent the whole design? What are the spacings and relationships between the different functions? What are the circulation paths? Can I do a diagram of this? Can I do three different diagrams of solving these inter-related problems? This is particularly important because often there is no one solution, you might think of several. It is important to diagram these and then evaluate which one is the best.” - Diane Brand.

This can be achieved by creating 10 emoticons to diagram your ideas using the full meaning of the emoticon to relate the concept to body, face, architectural or physical representation. Notions of BACK/FRONT are important to realize in these diagrams and can be communicated through:

Third exercise: Canoe/Kayak Shelter on Islington Bay - DIANE BRAND

Research I did on designing a kayak shelter at Islington Bay, Rangitoto Island in the Hauraki Gulf from my third exercise, Canoe/Kayak Shelter on Islington Bay by Diane Brand for ARCHDES 102: Design 1.

Sources:

https://www.theactivetimes.com/8-reasons-you-should-kayak

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rangitoto_Island

https://beach-weather.com/Australia-and-New-Zealand/New-Zealand/North-Island/Auckland-Region/Auckland/averages/Rangitoto-Island/

https://www.doc.govt.nz/parks-and-recreation/places-to-go/auckland/places/rangitoto-island/historic-rangitoto/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j57dzJfHX_k

Second exercise: Paper Models - ANDREW BARRIE

Photographs of my second version Party Pavilion Paper Models from my second exercise, Paper Models by Andrew Barrie for ARCHDES 102: Design 1.

These photographs document my progress through the second version of the second exercise Paper Models by Andrew Barrie for ARCHDES 102: Design 1. I would firstly like to draw attention to the last two images in this post which is are a screenshot and loose drawing of the initial model I made in the second part of this Paper Models exercise. This was an experiment with irregular shape as by this time I was thoroughly exhausted with traditional building shapes such as squares and rectangles. However I got too carried away with the use of asymmetrical, nonuniform shapes and it was almost impossible for me to realize this model physically, especially the curved shapes featured on the roof. I realized the design was nonfunctional and space-wasting which went against my ideals of sustainability. This experience was very helpful in the design process of my final model.

Second exercise: Paper Models - ANDREW BARRIE

Photographs of my first version Party Pavilion Paper Models from my second exercise, Paper Models by Andrew Barrie for ARCHDES 102: Design 1.

These photographs were taken during the process of my second exercise, Paper Models by Andrew Barrie for ARCHDES 102: Design 1. The first photo includes all three paper models I made using the Rhinoceros software program for the first version of models we had to make according to a brief which required three Party Pavilion models. These models had to be made according to specific instructions such as being made according to the alleged site, Cherry Blossom Grove in Auckland. These first three models helped us learn how to use the Rhinoceros software and the iteration process. For my first model I chose to make it a long, rectangular shape with a sloping roof and big double doors. I was purely thinking about the indoor flow of party goers and the extra ceiling height the DJ would need when elevated above the mosh pit/dance floor. This is also why the space is quite closed as I wanted to create an intimate, dark and exciting space for people to dance and for a DJ to play music appropriate for the former activity. The lines down the walls of the building are meant to represent wood texture.

The second photo shows the second model I made up close. This was an iteration of the first model with a few substantial differences. I retained the rectangular shape however I wanted to open up this model more. I created indoor/outdoor spaces via open columns at the front and back of the building for fluid circulation. I further opened up the space by installing large windows on the sides of the building and by designing the roof to also be a usable space. This model is supposed to have a summery, relaxed party atmosphere where people can freely circulate in and out as well as up and down the building. It also has an ecological focus as the roof space allows more room in the building without having to extend the area thus preserving the beautiful land in the Auckland Domain. This was a key contrast from my first model.

The third photo shows the third and last model I made for this version of the party pavilion models brief. In this development I further iterated the second model by transforming the rectangular shape into a hexagon shape if looking at it from a plan view. Reasons for this include my dissatisfaction with the rectangle as a building space. I found it unoriginal to work with. I wanted to create a more exciting space with this third model by use of the hexagon and an entirely outdoor environment. You will notice the ground has a grassy texture and the pillars of the model look like marble. I achieved these textural qualities using the Illustrator software as I deliberately wanted this party pavilion to have delicate pillar foundations but be set straight on the grass to achieve a casual picnic or BBQ styled party space complete with wooden table and drinks platform in the middle. 

First exercise: Here and Now: LYNDA SIMMONS

Photographs of my Abstract and Atmospheric Model from my very first exercise, Here and Now by Lynda Simmons for ARCHDES 102: Design 1, one of three courses I’m studying in my Bachelor of Architectural Studies.