BATH HOUSE: New Deadline

The deadline for the Bath House project has moved from this Thursday to on or before Sunday, November 28, 2010 @ 4pm.

Students must be quite far with the presentation when the studio meets on Tuesday. All work shown on Tuesday will be noted by tutors. Be prepared to indicate to tutors how your project considers all the issues (activity, memory, form, climate).

BATH HOUSE: Learning Lessons

Remember the point of any crit or review is the teaching and learning.
The following notes summarise the lessons "learnt" during Tuesday's interim crit.

Ideas
In no. 4 in the book: 101 things I learnt in Architecture School the author states Architecture begins with an idea. A central idea will go a far way in directing and guiding the design process. It is the mental structure through which you will organize, and give meaning to the experience and information about it. A number of schemes seen on Tuesday had vague or no ideas. Try to focus on a singular idea that captures what the building will be about. The idea must be a part of you and not "manufactured". For instance, I think Bathing should be private. In my design, I would try to find ways of making the act "feel" private in a public structure. My decisions would be influenced by this idea. A few strategies could be the following:
Urban vs. Rural
Remember that the urban site requires public pedestrian thoroughfare from street to street. The following shows just three ways (of many) that this can be manifested.

While the urban site is predisposed to a plan design approach, the rural site in contrast requires a sectional approach to the design problem. The following shows 2 ways in which the section can be manifested.

In his book 101 things I learnt in Architecture School, Matthew Fredrick states in no. 7 that suburban buildings are freestanding objects in space and urban buildings are often shapers of space.

Section
Always remember that we have to step up from the ground plane when we enter buildings (and sometimes before) therefore we MUST show a difference between the floor of the building and the ground outside. The following sections illustrate this:

Site and Context
There should be serious consideration (or the appearance of serious consideration) in how you building relates to the site. It should not be designed in isolation and then given a "best fit" treatment when placing on the site. All space on the site must be considered and not be "leftover". This is especially true on the urban site.
How do you move from the car to the building? How does the building meet the landscape?
Of importance also is the representation on the floor plan of the immediate context so that onlookers can be informed of these issues. See below.
Communication
Be aware at all times that the purpose of you pinning up your work is to COMMUNICATE to others your thoughts and intentions. If the information is not in the drawings then it is perfectly reasonable for onlookers to assume that you did not think of it or even understand the issues. If the representation of your ideas is ambiguous then it is perfectly reasonable for onlookers to misinterpret your ideas.
Take a critical look at the information you have to present and if it is not communicating what you want to say, take steps to bring it in line.
All drawings are interdependent. They add a little bit of the story to make the complete picture. Do not underestimate this relationship.


If there are any other lessons that you think I missed, please do not hesitate to add it to the comments section.

BATH HOUSE: Stage II

Output required for Tuesday's (Nov. 16) pin-up
Taking your "strong" conceptual ideas and design strategies, you should now move to a preliminary scheme that begins to suggest the "right" size of your bath house as well as fix the programmatic relationships to a building and the site.

Communicating your intentions will require scaled plans and sections that show and articulate:

• entry/exit
• circulation through the bath house
• levels
• spatial configuration
• scale
  

Note: Communication is not restricted to 2D methods. We have always encouraged the use of physical models.

In addition to scaled drawings you must also develop a series of sketches or vignettes that give an idea about how the space(s) might look. This will rely on your imagination and should show articulate:

• How the space might be used
• how issues such as light/dark is dealt with
• Texture/materiality/

More later...

BATH HOUSE: Addendum

Due to the suspension of classes on Friday, the presentation of the Bathing rituals will take place during Tuesday's studio. Presentations will be restricted to 5 mins. and this will be strictly monitored as a lot has to be covered during that studio. Also, to ensure that no time is lost on the weekend (assuming that the presentations were already complete on Friday), another component is added to Tuesday's roster.

Program of Bathing ritual
All groups are to pin up on Tuesday, a proposed program for their bathing ritual.
Each group has to specifically develop a program that expresses the ritual in 5-8 spaces. The group has to isolate specific activities/procedures and identify, examine and elaborate on the various needs a space for the activity may have. This must be expressed in relation to issues of form, mediation, ritual, memory. An example of a program for Frying an egg is below. (click to enlarge)



While it is not complete, it gives a good idea of what is required. The final program must be placed on a 18x24 sheet and pinned up on Tuesday.
We will answer any questions about this right here on the blog. Just use the comments section.

BATH HOUSE: Prelude

Bathing is the immersion of the body in a fluid, usually water or an aqueous solution. It may be practiced for hygiene, religious or therapeutic purposes or as a recreational activity.

source: Wikipedia.

“We ought to remember … that the thermae of old, with their routine of daily regeneration, were as much a matter of course to their users as our restaurants are to us. Only more so; they were considered indispensable.”

Bernard Rudofsky

The challenge for this semester's project is to develop a bathhouse from one idea encountered over the semester; which by reconciling issues of form, human activity, meaning and climatic mediation is a delight to inhabit. The outcome will be a well-defined architectural entity that celebrates the ritual of bathing.

The first step in the project involves identifying a bathing ritual. Each tutorial group is therefore expected to research, adapt and describe a ritual for your bath-house. This will be based on research into the bathing rituals of many cultures. The chosen ritual must be clear, simple, preferably easy to adapt to an indoor environment and public. The following questions can be used as a guide or checklist:

• What time period is the ritual prominent?
• Where is the ritual prominent?
• How many persons can take part at any one moment?
• Are men and women (and children) separated or together?
• What are the steps involved in the ritual? (labelled step 1, step 2, step 3 etc.)
• What is the purpose of the ritual? (cleanliness, recreation, religious etc.)
• What is the significance of the ritual to the culture?
• What are the support activities to the main bathing ritual? (drinking, eating, smoking, talking?)
• Is the ritual self-administered or is there mandatory assistance?

The presentation format is open. Format and medium is up to you. Remember it's an opportunity to educate everybody in the studio so make sure you communicate well.

We have received questions about this and powerpoint is acceptable. There must be however some traditional media use in the final images. Also...don't go overboard! Plan to present for 3-5 mins. Start time for the presentation will be 2pm. All work must be pinned up or digital files placed on one machine by 1:30pm

Apologies for the late posting. Any feedback?

MEDIATION: Lecture and Links

Here is lecture as promised. It is in multiple parts due to file size.

• Introduction
• Sun
• Wind
• Light
• Local Examples
• Overseas Examples

The following links will help you in your research.
http://www.yourhome.gov.au/technical/fs44.html
http://www.arch.mcgill.ca/prof/bourke/arch672/fall2002/shading.htm
http://www.arch.mcgill.ca/prof/bourke/arch672/fall2002/natural.htm
http://www.arch.mcgill.ca/prof/bourke/arch672/fall2002/wind.htm
http://www.arch.mcgill.ca/prof/bourke/arch672/fall2002/wind2.htm

Use the following search terms: shading device, enclosure system, daylighting in Google to find more information.
Place links to good sites in your comments to this post please.

There are a few books and notes in my possession that I am willing to lend under the condition that it be used in the CSA office area only. Unfortunately these will not be available until Tuesday morning.

Contributed Additional Links
http://www.wbdg.org/resources/daylighting.php
http://www.architecture.uwaterloo.ca/faculty_projects/terri/carbon-aia/strategies1b.html
http://windows.lbl.gov/daylighting/designguide/section5.pdf

Tuesday Oct. 19

http://pvcdrom.pveducation.org/SUNLIGHT/SUNCALC.HTM

http://www.resourcesmart.vic.gov.au/documents/Natural_Ventilation_Systems.pdf

Prada Transformer

Designed by Rem Koolhaas/OMA (Office of Metropolitan Architecture) the Prada Transformer is a mobile exhibition for fashion, art, cinema and ultimately architecture. The exhibition accommodates a variety of activities within the volume by simply changing the axial arrangement of the space.