Design Development - Typology 3

Looking at how the land and the canal interact through the corridor, explore and identify any opportunities.

Design Development - Form Explorations

Looking at how the buildings sits inside the oasis, and how can i create interaction  with the surroundings and utilise the canal.

Design Development - Typology 2

Design of the corridor that connects all the buildings within the oasis base on the table created earlier.

Design Development - Typology 1

What kind of corridor? There is so many elements that can change the design and the size of it.

I start at listing the potential design-changing elements:

• Weather - inside / outside
• Size - large / small
• Circulation - single / double
• Functions - sitting, gallery, etc.

Then based on the elements above, i try to do a quick form that contains at least 2 of them.  And i found out a pattern of what go well with each other, so based on that information i created a table.

The next steps is to sketch and try them out in proper scales.  And if it works well, then do the exact exercise on the relationship / opportunities of land and water (canal edge).

Design Models - Form and Experience Exploration Model

I made a few junk model to explore the connection between my space and path, and experiment ways to joining them together.

Reflection - Tutorial Feedback

Tutorial Feedback

• Continue the exploring exercise that i did on corridor design, and this time look into the connection between land and water

• Master plan - when circling the nodes, don't do a rough area of the condition but go into details and look for gaps between conditions; thats where opportunities lies 

• Make sure all the processes are documented especially the site selecting

Design Development - Combining Sites

My field station is separated across 5 sites because i want people to travel through them and experience the community change.  However, having multiple buildings also means that i have to allocate spaces for all the basic functions like toilets and receptions, and it is taking up a lot of spaces especially we have a limitation of maximum 5000 square meters.  So group up some buildings that are less important will be a better decision at this situation.  And as for the curated experience, i think it is achievable through pathways and i will research more into it.

Site Grouping

I think it is not too hard to pick the most important site, especially my concept is about showcase art and nature through urban oasis.

1, 2 and 3 are secondary sites that act as experience curators, which can be replaced by a designed pathway inside the oasis.  I will move all 3 buildings into the urban oasis and locate them in a less disturbing way so that they doesn't interrupt the peacefulness of the oasis.

4 and 5 will be the final site for the field station, the buildings will be spread across these two islands and joined by a designed pathway that act as the new experience curator.

Design Development - Pathway or Corridor or Both?

Pathway connects all the galleries together and also offers an intimate interaction with the natural environment, well, at least that was the plan.  I began to research into pathways and corridors on how to create an space that encourage interaction.

I want to create a path that blurs the boundary of 'indoor' and 'outdoor'; a path that sometimes under men-made shelters and the other times are within mother nature.

Paving

First thing that comes to me is the paving; i remember clearly how much those 'foot massage path' hurt when i walked on it as a kid.  So i looked into all kind of interesting paving with all sort of textures:

View Point

From the lecture given by Dr. Phil Crowther, he talked about the High Line Project where they arrange sits on certain location of the path facing a planned 'view'. 

Structure / Shelter / Form

Denmark's EKKO Pavilion is a great and inspiring project, the way that wooden installation 'twist' creates a very interesting form, while maintaining visual connection to the park.

Concept Development

Just some initial ideas that was inspired by the pictures above, a series of corridor type that has different use, and create all sort of activities and circulation.

Reference
http://inhabitat.com/ekko-pavilion-records-visitors-voices-and-footsteps-while-filtering-sunlight-in-denmark/thilo-frank-ekko6/
http://inhabitat.com/ekko-pavilion-records-visitors-voices-and-footsteps-while-filtering-sunlight-in-denmark/thilo-frank-ekko5/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/52226535@N05/11315378884/
http://extras.mnginteractive.com/live/media/site36/2014/0918/20140918__20140921_E11_TR21COLUMN~p1.jpg
http://www.truenaturehealingarts.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/reflexology-path.jpg
https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/20/32/81/203281414c0ca2ea13986fa3329840b1.jpg
https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/236x/b1/24/49/b12449e50d9c632539a46b9f4562f869.jpg

Presentation - A1 Panels

Design Models - Galleries in Nature

My model is made in the scale of 1:1000, and also i decided not doing single building but rather the whole oasis.  This is because the highlight of this concept is not on buildings but rather the whole 'experience' when u access the urban oasis.

Design Development - Master Planning

My master plan will be summarising my strategy to address the conditions I found in the process of mapping Gowanus.  And it will also shows the future opportunities for the Gowanus area as it is the requirement to take the future into considerations.  The only problem will be how to covert all these informations into a map, and also make it easy to read so that audience will understand my approaches.

I decided to use few dot-points summarise the conditions i found and what opportunities lies within the Gowanus areas. And on top of that, maps showing my planning strategy on Gowanus so that audience can understand why the buildings are located in the place i selected and what opportunities it will provides for the future

Design Development - Curating Experience Overview

Map

Sketches

Summary

Starting from the neighbourhood of Brooklyn (1) and walking to the old Industrial areas (2), you will find how nature, artists and their work occupied the industrial buildings that was once forgotten, abandoned and left vacant.  

Following the path to the building around the canal (3) and you will experience the changing style of architectural design; a design that has both the elements of industrial and nature. This symbolised how the community started to change.

Once you walk through the building to the bridge (4), you will experience the 'transition of industrial to oasis'. This is the experience of the how the value of the communities has changed. 

Continuing the journey, the first thing you see when you walk onto the green island is the galleries in nature (5), that sits peacefully and in harmony with the surrounding. How Brooklyn is no longer about the economy and industrials but tranquility and harmony of art and nature.

And last, you will arrive at a resting area (6) where you can look down to the canal and even touch the clean water from the canal. Looking at a whole new different side of the Gowanus Canal; a better canal with brighter future.  And this concludes the purpose of the project; showcase Gowanus Canal through art and nature.

Design Development - Canal Cleaning

The construction process of my building will be co-operating with the 3-stage-cleaning project from Gowanus Canal Superfund.  It will also be happening in 3 stages which allows the site to be prepare while the canal is getting cleaned, and allows the building to start operating when the canal is done.

Presentation Version

Design Models - CAD Models of the Galleries in Nature

The galleries in the centre of the oasis will be the buildings that showcase this project, because its role is capture the harmony of art and nature which symbolise the new Gowanus. I looked at the inspiration of the trees and roots and found it echoing with the previous design i have for the project.

Previous Concept

More Trees and Roots

i found the curve shape that descend into the ground very natural and organic, and the space between roots and ground can be occupied.  It allows the building to integrate into the nature without drawing too much attentions.

I started to explore this form digitally and ended up with a design that I'm very satisfied with; its organic, minimal, and the most important thing is that the peaceful balance of architecture, industrial and nature.

SketchUp - Exploring Form

Photoshop - Adding Texture

Im happy with the design and how it sits in the context, so i will add more details and use it as my hero shot for the boards.

Reference

http://www.pxleyes.com/photography-picture/4c44d1df82c28/Creepy-Roots-.html