Card model Photos

Sketch Model

Sketch model of the underground house. The punctures that I have made for the skylights have to be resolved i.e be more of an intergrated design component.

There are some very private areas of the house especially towards street level, being underground and all. In contrast to the space towards the back of the site which is still 1m+ dug into the ground, which is open and exposed to the neighbours on each side who have two storey dewllings. However this contrast might work well in balancing the degree of isolation that might be felt spending so much time underground.

The image above on the left is what the house will look like from street level. And becuase it is flush with street level this leaves oppurtunity to dwell on the roof plane as well as use it as a secondary means of entering the house from the outdoor space at the back of the site.

Some images looking into the house from the outdoor area. During the day this space will be filled with a filtered light passing through the trees that occupy the outdoor space.

The Trojan House - Inspiration

Earth Houses by Peter Vetsch, this one is in Switzerland. The concept is quite extraordinary in that you virtually live underground. The house designed for my client will be similar to these houses by Peter Vetsch.

The interior of the same house as above has a very organic and fluid nature to it, Also very white but earthy. Note the skylight - very important as there are limited facades where windows can be placed.

An Earth Housing Estate also in Switzerland, this image reminds me very much of hobbit houses but only because of the curvaceous forms.

ACROS Fukuoka, Japan by Emilio Ambasz and Associates. It's a hotel complex with a green roof, there is a zig - zagging pathway that steps down the building from what i can gather from the image. I'm not really sure wether it stands out or blends in?!.

I love this house! It is Villa NM in Upstate New York, designed by Ben Van Berkel and UN Studio. The two way split of house and the interlocking of volumes is intriging.

Some colour wouldn't have gone astray, it has a showroom-like quality to it rather than a home, in my opinion. :) What an effective little model though!

Four House Planning

More thoughts

After speaking with Sean in Studio today my design has progressed into something with more depth and substance. Instead of having the wall weave around the houses as a superfluous element it should weave about the site, where it informs the territories of the houses.

• Interaction between the weaves and the houses.

• The wall can unravel in places to create openings.

• Perhaps at certain points the weave folds to create a

ceiling plane as well.

The wall can change thickness and height, it can bend and curve subtly and abruptly. Providing places to sit perhaps or places to lean...

By doing this I have reversed the design process i.e. design the weaved element first and let it inform the houses. This will create interesting floor plans but what about sections and elevations?

Thoughts

I think the project is about the four houses but more than that; the interaction and connection the houses share. They share the same spaces - how well does this happen, does it benefit all occupants? There are so many possibilities of placing the four houses on the site - the first method that comes to mind is how many different ways can you divide the site into four equal/unequal spaces. We are not only dealing with the 2d plane but 3d plane as well.

This is a Sketchup design combining parts of each concept from the previous assignment. I created four angular volumes and wished for them to engage with the site and also each other. I see a weave as something that binds elements together that's why a weaved wall surrounds the perimeter of the four houses. I realise this is not resolved but it's a start!!

Perhaps the four buildings could weave together and the nature is weaved between them. And garages/technique are included in each house design. i.e only some elements would weave. would the space left over be communal space? So many things to consider...

What is Nature?

I commenced this assignment thinking about the 16 9x9m squares, then when that didn't take me anywhere i decided to take a closer look at Nature.

What is nature?
Nature is natural
Nature is organic, organic is curved, rounded
Natural is plant, animal, mineral
Nature has point, line, plane, volume
Nature is not man made? Yet artificial lakes, grass, trees exist
Nature is living? Does a rock live?
Wind, Fire, Water, Earth
Nature is natural phenomena
Nature is sunlight