Week 3 Folie Development

This studio was the last one before the folie assignment was due. We each came with ideas about structures that would move with the tides. I bought these sketches to the meeting:

Sketches

I personally had found it quite hard to get out of the idea of the structure being a box. My sketches were all directed around having straight walls. This made it seem kind of 'boxy'. The reason I kept trying to make a structure with straight walls was that I felt at the time that there was no justification for using curved walls. Later, I did try to come up with some designs that had curves. Because rivers are intrinsically organic shaped I thought I could use curves for this reason and played around with the shaped on the reason.

Sketches

The main intention of our folie was to allow the patrons of the area to experience the forces of the river. This would be through feeling, seeing and hearing, perhaps even smelling. The idea was the move a staircase as well as walls that would eventually move to allow access to a new area. This would only be at times such as low tide or high tide. Additionally it would have perforated metal flooring to let the water sounds resonate against the walls. This structure was not a building it was more an installation without a ceiling. The main idea was metaphorical of how the river can restrict our access to things such as in the recent 2011 floods when the whole of Brisbane was impacted negatively and inundated with water. 

After talking to our tutor, we decided to change our design as it was not concentrating enough on the river and the design had too many factors that would be distracting from the actual message. We decided to simplify our design to accentuate the moment of the river. This could be achieved through making the structure uncomfortable by making the structure move and float.  Jasmine thought of a more subtle and  sensitive idea to have dappling light rather than actual movement of the whole structure. I agreed with this because I would personally probably get seasick on a structure that moved completely. The quick design that was developed was of two layers. Both are perforated and the outer layer would float up and down to create changing light when the two opening meet. Having this one aspect would allow the occupants to realise the waters moment and experience it. Ultimately we wanted the outside to seem mysterious drawing the passer by-ers into it where they would experience the message of the folie.

Sketches of design

Here are some diagrams of how we think the folie would work:

Sounds resonating from the water into the structure.

Movement of the outer shell with the tidal changes

Change in lighting resulting from tidal changes

We decided to meet again on friday with more developed and final ideas so we could get on with the final process of drawings and layouts.  Eventually the structure took form of a shell with two layers. THe outer layer was to have perforations that reflected the bridge pattern.the inside was to have smaller holes as perforations. We kept in mind that the perforations would reduce the strength of steel.

I thought of how we could include sound more in the structure because it was more enclosed than the first design. During the meeting we discussed that again perforated metal would work the best for the structures floor to allow sounds and smells into the structures. I looked up materials we could use and we decided that steel sheeting welded together would work the best much like the example shown in the lectures. Richard Serras Matter of Time uses welded steel structures in organic forms. The colour just so happens to be appropriate to the Howard Smith Wharves. These are the materials that I chose :

 Brushed Steel Sheeting

Perforated flooring

 Additionally we wanted the folie to emphasise the transitory nature of the site by being something that could be passed through or passed around easily.

People flow around and through the folie.