images of student responses will follow the brief below
Project 01 February 2015
LANDSCAPE
GROWN FROM THE EARTH, HUNG FROM THE SKY
INTRODUCTION
INTRODUCTION
“Surrounded by fencing and stone walls, and filled with towering angelic figures, meticulously crafted crosses and massive granite headstones, Joburgʼs Braamfontein Cemetery has been around for over 100 years.
Planted with large eucalyptus trees and lush
grass, this majestic green lung is filled with history, told through the
remains of grave stones and maps that indicate the tales behind the different
sections in the cemetery.” Romaana Naidoo
Cemeteries can be read as traces of a city - A library of stories, an archive of artifacts, individuals and events that begin to narrate the makings of our city, the origins of our society. Braamfontein cemetery encloses a variety of clues to our history and beginnings with stories of triumph, struggle, diversity, growth and change woven into an elaborate layered and visual landscape that in some way captures the delightful and fearsome evolution of Johannesburg. As true to history as these frozen stories might be, there exists a disconnected resolution, a drop off point that misses out on connecting with ‘now’. The city of the dead city within the living city - an image of the relationship between the collective and the individual, scenes within the story.
The conceptual themes for this project,
TOPOGRAPHY and TOPOLOGY, call for you to engage with the notion of duality.
Topography; the earth, landscape and the physical, Topology; the science and
expression of space, meaning and the intangible. Your architecture should express
this relationship, of physical and ephemeral, a reverence for origin and
gesture of bearing.
This project integrates
all programme streams (D+T, R+R, PRAG) serving as an introduction to methods
and processes for each (requirements and outcomes outlined below).
PROJECT
BRIEF
“Nothing is as dangerous in architecture as dealing with separated problems. If we split life into separated problems we split the possibilities to make good building art.”
Alvar Aalto
DESIGN+THEORY
“Nothing is as dangerous in architecture as dealing with separated problems. If we split life into separated problems we split the possibilities to make good building art.”
Alvar Aalto
DESIGN+THEORY
Your task is to design a space that reconnects the now and then – a
space that allows for remembrance and contemplation – an architecture that articulates
‘duality’; before and beyond, earth and sky, the physical and the intangible.
The scheme must emerge through intensive
engagement with the site. A response to real concerns and constraints while
simultaneously including more poetic spatial and philosophic aspects – a
critical inquiry to architectural languages – an architecture that is “grown
from the earth” (much like our city) and a tectonic poetry that is “hung from
the sky” (a reference to the intangible).
The scheme must respond to the internal or
external realms of the site and provide a space for contemplation, rest and
comfort (this could be a series of spaces with a variety of experiences)
additional specific programmatic requirements will be a product of your
architectural inquiry, what are the needs, where is the potential.
- Select a ‘site’ within the
larger cemetery, informed by research, physical, spatial and experimental
mapping
- Investigate and demonstrate the physical relationship or disconnection between interior and exterior
- Investigate and demonstrate the physical relationship or disconnection between interior and exterior
- Document observations of the
site from approach (surrounds) to contact (within) and beyond
(intangible)
- From a thorough
understanding of the site begin conceptual design
- Programme must be a product
of spatial and architectural inquiry
- Explore heavy and light
architectural languages and tectonics
- The design must respond to
the possible user/s in terms of scale, experience and privacy
- Demonstrate an understanding
of the physical notion of topography
- Communicate an engagement
with the intangible + metaphysical aspects of spatial articulation (topology)
- Communicate a realistic 3D impression of the design
REPRESENTATION+REALISATION
- Communicate a realistic 3D impression of the design
REPRESENTATION+REALISATION
“A great building must
begin with the un-measurable, must go through measurable means when it is being
designed and in the end must be un-measurable.”
Louis Kahn
Louis Kahn
STAGE 1.1
– ANALYSIS (2 weeks, see detailed timing in
project programme)
This project stream deals with a comprehensive analysis of the relationship between design and construction (or the poetic and the practical) in the form of a critically focused precedent study. You must select a precedent with a notably strong concept (that resonates with this project theme/s) and analyze the expression of that concept both in terms of the entire building, as well as at two critical details – how your precedent touches the ground, and how it touches the sky. This analysis will focus on the two strongly inter-related disciplines of design and construction. You will therefore be analyzing both how the overall building and the details reinforce the overall concept, and how they are physically constructed. The notion of a detail reinforcing an overall concept can be likened to the principles of a hologram. In a hologram, the overall image is present in each of the ‘parts’ or pixels that make up the holographic image. As such, details are not relegated solely to the realm of realization, but are equally important to the realm of conceptualization.
This project stream deals with a comprehensive analysis of the relationship between design and construction (or the poetic and the practical) in the form of a critically focused precedent study. You must select a precedent with a notably strong concept (that resonates with this project theme/s) and analyze the expression of that concept both in terms of the entire building, as well as at two critical details – how your precedent touches the ground, and how it touches the sky. This analysis will focus on the two strongly inter-related disciplines of design and construction. You will therefore be analyzing both how the overall building and the details reinforce the overall concept, and how they are physically constructed. The notion of a detail reinforcing an overall concept can be likened to the principles of a hologram. In a hologram, the overall image is present in each of the ‘parts’ or pixels that make up the holographic image. As such, details are not relegated solely to the realm of realization, but are equally important to the realm of conceptualization.
It is tempting to relegate the consideration of
construction issues to the realm of ‘real concerns and constraints’, while
relegating design considerations to ‘poetic spatial and philosophic
aspects’. However, as Aalto points out,
“if we split life into separated problems we split the possibilities to make
good building art”. We must therefore
take an integrated and discursive approach towards both design and construction. We must consider the poetic and practical
aspects of design in conjunction with the poetic and practical aspects of
construction.
The two chosen details should be explored along the lines of form, force, material and connection.
Form – a 3-dimensional shape; an arrangement of parts
Force – an influence tending to change the motion of a body or produce motion or stress in a stationary body
Material – the elements or constituent parts of a subject
Connection – the point at which two elements are joined
The following considerations need to be analytically and graphically
communicated:
1.Technical
and poetic considerations for ground conditions
- Lightness vs. heaviness -
Complimenting vs. contrasting the earth
- Material considerations -
Storm-water drainage
- Relationship to site - Waterproofing
- Relationship to site - Waterproofing
- Services (plumbing,
electric, etc)
- Build-ability
- Physical connection to
the earth
Structural considerations Distribution
of loads
Tectonic expression (or
concealment) Poetic/symbolic
relationship
2.Technical
and poetic considerations for sky conditions
- Relationship between
‘building’ and sky
Subtle
vs. stark transition (dissolution)
What
is the nature of the sky?
And its relationship to your ‘building’?
And its relationship to your ‘building’?
Poetic/symbolic
relationship
- Waterproofing -
Water drainage
- Structural considerations
- span -
Materiality
- Tectonic expression (or
concealment) -
Services (plumbing, electric, etc)
-
Build-ability
Further to these considerations you are expected to engage will all aspects of construction, including (but not limited to) structural integrity, load distribution, waterproofing, water-drainage, insulation, expansion & contraction, etc. You must also engage with all aspects of design relating to detailing including materiality, tectonic expression and a holographic approach to detailing, whereby the whole is apparent in the individual parts.
Further to these considerations you are expected to engage will all aspects of construction, including (but not limited to) structural integrity, load distribution, waterproofing, water-drainage, insulation, expansion & contraction, etc. You must also engage with all aspects of design relating to detailing including materiality, tectonic expression and a holographic approach to detailing, whereby the whole is apparent in the individual parts.
STAGE 1.2 –
CONCEPT TWEAK (1.5 weeks, see detailed timing in
project programme)
Detailed brief for this project stage will be issued in at the culmination of 1.1
Detailed brief for this project stage will be issued in at the culmination of 1.1
STAGE 1.3
– DESIGN REALIZATION (2 weeks, see detailed timing in
project programme)
Detailed brief for this project stage will be issued in at the culmination of 1.2
PRAGMATICS
This project is the initiator of a ‘module journal series’. You are required to maintain a weekly journal for each described course module, collected in the programme streams as follows:
Design and Theory = ATD, ATS, ALS,
Representation and Realisation = ATC, ATS, ACD
Pragmatics = ATG, ATO, ACD
Each programme stream lecturer will be adding further instruction towards journal for each week of the project.
Detailed brief for this project stage will be issued in at the culmination of 1.2
PRAGMATICS
This project is the initiator of a ‘module journal series’. You are required to maintain a weekly journal for each described course module, collected in the programme streams as follows:
Design and Theory = ATD, ATS, ALS,
Representation and Realisation = ATC, ATS, ACD
Pragmatics = ATG, ATO, ACD
Each programme stream lecturer will be adding further instruction towards journal for each week of the project.
The
consistent development of journal content will allow the following
considerations to emerge within your final project pin-up:
- Site mapping and
observations:
Identify spatial defining characteristics of natural elements,
Identify spatial defining characteristics of natural elements,
Identify planting types (5 trees and 5
shrubs),
Identify ground surface treatment. i.e.
paving, ground covering etc for various purposes,
- Documentation;
treatment of edges, street furniture (benches, lamp posts, bins etc) boundaries,
- Precedent
analysis of spiritual, contemplation spaces and communication of extracted and
applied principals
- Develop a method of
communicating site information and design development (diagrams)
- Establish a palette of applications (materials etc) through research
- Understand and communicate the build-ability and structure of your scheme
- Demonstrate an analysis of your chosen site from a micro-climatic and solar perspective
- Establish a palette of applications (materials etc) through research
- Understand and communicate the build-ability and structure of your scheme
- Demonstrate an analysis of your chosen site from a micro-climatic and solar perspective
- Use this analysis to conceptually
organize your design and develop a method of communicating site information and
design development (diagrams)
- Communicate an understanding of levels and contours both in plan and section, and how your design manipulates or exploits the slope
- Communicate an understanding of levels and contours both in plan and section, and how your design manipulates or exploits the slope
- Hypothesise practical steps
in practice when considering this project as ‘actual’
- Be aware of the various
roles of architects in memorial/public projects
DESIGN TOOLKIT
Grown from the earth/context | Relationship to city/land/sky Image in the sky | Sanctuary/retreat/escape/celebration
Grown from the earth/context | Relationship to city/land/sky Image in the sky | Sanctuary/retreat/escape/celebration
Personal - Universal | intimate – spiritual | Connecting views | Visual navigation | Meditation
| Connection to land, meaning, journey |
Idea of escape connected to landscape | A memory | A story | Duality
SITE
Braamfontein Cemetery, cnr Enoch
Sontonga and Solomon streets Johannesburg.
RECOMMENDED
READING
Bremner. Writing the City into Being: Essays on Johannesburg
1998-2008
Martin J. Murray, City of Extremes: The Spatial Politics of Johannesburg. Durham:
Duke University Press, 2010. Juhani Pallassmaa. Eyes of the skin: Architecture and the Senses. 2005
Jimenez Lai. Citizens of No Place: An Architectural Graphic Novel. 2012
STUDENT WORK:
documentation of students work in progress....
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