Week 5- The Library Park Theme

This week we were required to think of how we would approach the folie to building phase of the unit.
The theme that I selected was library park suggesting that the building would incorporate the features of the park as well as the actual building. For this part of the unit, we have to develop a 500m2 library for ages 6 to 18. We have to transfer certain ideas from our folie into this building as part of the process to develop our very final project in week 15. Our most prominent theme for our folie was "being aware of the river and its constant forces at play". This will be quite difficult I think to put into this building phase, but it would be interesting to see what we can achieve with it. Perhaps bringing this down to 'water' or the 'river' would help. The library has to be a learning centre, and something different from a typical library atmosphere. It has to encourage children to be drawn to it and to learn.

At this point I am trying to brainstorm different ideas about libraries and also research modern libraries and learning centres and seeing their approach to learning activities and experiences.

Brainstorming: 


Libraries:

• as a learning centre
• as a community hub
• as an inviting space (to counteract the derelict and secluded site)
• as a place with resources for learning such as books, activities, technology

Technologies could be:

• Computers
• Sound rooms
• Video rooms
• Projection screens

What interests and applies to young people:

• This will require some research but as a basis this is what I have experienced from having younger sisters.
• Young children around ages 6 - 10 : picture books, computer games (simple), drawing, painting, building blocks, toys. Cushions, playgrounds, areas to hide and invesigate.
• Children around 11 to 14: A mix of computer and social activities, fiction novels and books, sound booths (music), computer games. 
• Children aged 15 to 18: Novels fiction and non fiction , high school grade educational books, computers, socialising, research facilities, lounging areas, social areas.

How to entice people into the space: 

• Make the entry open and public 
• make the entry not overwhelming
• Perhaps lead them into the building by offering views or people using the space.

Architectural Qualities:

• Natural Lighting 
• Perhaps dappled lighting in some areas like in the folie.
• Ambience in 'chill out' areas
• Obvious breaks between groups/ levels between age groups. 
• Framing views from site
• Sound will be loud in younger childrens areas versus quiet in older areas
• I think green space is important or at least views into green spaces.
• A combination of private and public spaces for a range of amounts of people.
• I think vibrant colours are needed for some areas perhaps juxtaposed with raw materials that have site context and relation to our folie.
• Transitory spaces perhaps reflect water or river.
• Scale? Long and linear and short or Tall and vertical .

What kinds of spaces are needed:

• Amenities
• Lobby/ information desk
• Storage spaces
• Electrical room for facilities
• Play interactive learning space (informal) aimed for 6- 8 yo (CDC child development.com)
• A quieter learning space (informal) aimed for 6 - 8 yo
• A small coffee shop for parents
• An interactive more technological space and more books (informal aimed for 9 - 12 yo
• A quiter space (formal) aimed for 9 - 12 yo
• A referencing space (formal) aimed for 13 - 18 yo
• Techno space (informal) aime for 13 - 18 yo
• A lounging area (informal) for communications aimed for 13 - 18 yo.
• Green space for lounging, playing and learning (informal) aimed for all ages.

All of the above spaces will need a combination of access to facilities, outdoor views or natural lighting, working surfaces and seating arrangements (multi use and changeable).

I think that this will be a library where things cannot be borrowed out but it is a place where referencing can be done. Photos can be taken and own books can be bought in.

Ideas from Folie:

• transitional space
• raw materials (wood, stone, brushed steel)
• water
• river
• shell
• dappled lighting
• shadows
• open but enclosed space
• mystery
• sounds
• bridge structure shapes

Exemplars:

Rolex Learning Centre - Switzerland
Built by SANAA. I was drawn to this building because of its form. It is made out of concrete and has a continuous length of flooring throughout it.
Information accessed from :
http://www.archdaily.com/50235/rolex-learning-center-sanaa/

Organic Structure

Smooth continuous carpet and ceiling.

Vennesla Library and Culture House - Vennesla


By Helen and Hard architects. The architects of this library aimed to connect the old community centre with the new library. The ribs provide structural support, technical infrastructure and functionality. It is classified as an "a" grade energy use building. What I find most impressive about this library is its combination of structure, technical support and functionality in one simple form. Additionally I like the way that the ribs make areas secluded so as a person can concentrate on their own and have their own study space. Also I like the lighting of the building. It combines natural lighting with soft artificial lighting that is more of a glow.
Information accessed from :
http://www.archdaily.com/209340/vennesla-library-and-culture-house-helen-hard/

Childrens books

Front Facade

Rear view of library coming out from the back of the community centre.

Elegantly uses scale to fit in with the contextual buildings

Ground floor

Mezzanine level

The New York Public Library - New York


Built by 1100 Architects. This library occupies the bottom two floors of a high rise residential building. The layout is open and easy to navigate and has colour and visual cues to help navigate the space. The central staircase is celebrated rather than hidden. It is highly environmentally friendly building. Both natural light and artificial light is needed in this library and the artificial lights compensate and change dimness depending on the amount of sunlight coming through the windows.
Information accessed from:
http://www.archdaily.com/205410/the-new-york-public-library-1100-architect/

Obvious library exterior to encourage patrons into the building.

Mezzanine Floor Plan

Picture Book Museum - Iwaki City

Designed by Tadao Ando in 2005. This museum or library has a predominately concrete look, perhaps quite harsh on the outside with straight edges and no curves. But it is on the inside that the 'magic' happens. Ando has managed to juxtapose the use of concrete with the use of wood, which makes the building have cold spaces and then warm spaces. Needless to say the warm wooden spaces are where the actual picture book library is. The colours of the outside of the books provide the only bright colour other than wood in the space and yet this makes the space very vibrant. A child would be drawn to this and the miraculous display of picture books - face out - would encourage them to explore and investigate more books. There is also what appears to be a coffee shop or area for the parents of the children. Ando is well known for his use of concrete, and believes that concrete can be rich in colour and that its variances in colour add depth to a surface. Additionally this building is full of light. Like many of andos other buildings he utilises natural lighting even in very deep interior spaces. The stairs through the main gallery offer not only a way of getting around but also a place for the children to sit and read their books. The museum even has a cat on the premises for the children to play with. I really enjoy this building and I think the materiality of it would go well with the site for this project.
Information accessed from :
http://libraryarchitecture.wikispaces.com/Picture+Book+Museum,+Iwaki+City,+Fukushima+Prefecture,+Japan+(building)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Picture_Book_Museum,_Iwaki_City#cite_note-3

Exterior and entry view of the museum.

Views into the picture book area. It is almost like a surprise to see whats inside so bright compared to exterior render..

Even the toilets have interesting features. The bright colours reflect that of picture books and also works to juxtapose the concrete structure of the building.

The museum in use. The children can sit on the stairs.

Natural lighting outside

inside the picture book museum

Ecological Children Activity and Education Centre - Koh Kood, Thailand


Built by 24hr Architecture in 2009. This centre is based on a manta-ray design. It is essentially a playground but it also has learning activities and resources such as books and pens and paper. The design is alot like a tree house with its bamboo structure and spaces all around the structure. There is also a slide.  It has a media room, library, art room, music room, fashion room and chill balcony.
Information accessed from:
http://www.arthitectural.com/24h-architecture-ecological-children-activity-and-education-center/

Dalian Public Library
I like the way this library uses a courtyard and a circular plan to incorporate nature into it. According to Architecture Collective, it is a centre built in a park area that aims to be the centre of the community. Its form takes on the shape of a rose petal because the Dalian town flower is the monthly rose.  Images and Information accessed from :
http://www.architectscollective.net/projects/all/38/
http://www.archdaily.com/193890/dalian-public-library-architects-collective/

Diagrams showing how the library works, its views. 

Ground Floor

First Floor

Site Plan

Interior render

BIG or Bjarke Ingels Group:
Are a group of architects who use diagrams to design and communicate their buildings.

All following information accessed from:

http://www.big.dk

Vilhelmsro Primary School - by BIG
This schools curriculum will be sustainability and nature. So the design of the school will reflect this. The landscape it sits on is an undulating hillside and the building takes advantage of this through views outwards. The classrooms are designed in a way that allows natural light into every room.

Diagrams about building

Ceiling designed in a way to allow light into every room

Green Roof so provide collection of water, and thermal mass

Lots of green space

Anstana National Library - by BIG


The competition for this project was to make a library that was also a community centre and a gallery. The architects have used diagrams to show the functionality of the space. I really like the form of this one and its interesting to see how it works as a structure.

Diagramming of function and form

Musee national des beaux-arts du Quebec - by BIG


I really like the form of this project. It is quite a simple design but I think it is really effective.

Diagrams of form resolution

Section

Utrechy Library and Housing -by BIG


This building is a library which leads up to a housing complex in the upper levels. I like this one because of its exterior and its conjunction between public and private spaces.

Diagramming levels with different functions and purposes.

Week 4 Folie Final Submission

My job for the project was predominately to design and produce the posters. Also my job was to do the photomontages of our folie into the site. We all felt it was important to include these photomontages so that observers could understand how the folie sits in the site. Additionally I put together the elevations, rendered them and the diagrams. All of the following images had to be edited in photoshop before being put in the poster and people were put in.

Elevation North West

Elevation South West

Photomontage 1 

Photomontage 2

Photomontage 3

I fixed up the site plan so it was more obvious where the folie was positioned. As a group we decided on the colour scheme of the poster using muted browns and greens to fit in with the site with a grey wash over top. This was so the poster was coherent as one thing and had a theme. Craig supplied the two main sections through the folie as well as the site plan. Jasmine provided the floor plan, elevations and two isometric drawings. Bec provided the detailed sections and both Bec and Jasmine worked on the diagrams for the poster. We were all together at most times during the project which allowed us to problem solve together and figure out what we wanted to show on the poster. Originally I had produced a section of the folie in the site but we all felt that it was not necessarily important to show on the poster as it did not show our folie in the manner we liked. 

Originally I wanted to make the poster have a band of continuous photomontages so as to tie the whole three posters together, this did no work though as there was not enough space to fit all the sections on. So working together we came up with a new idea to split the photos and then I produced this layout below for the poster.  Finally I put all the text on the posters and named the detailed sections. Overall I was very happy with the poster and thought it looked succinct and displayed our folie well. 

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.

Week 2 - 02 Folie Development

Our last meeting was our first time together as a group. We discussed possibilities for how we would like to approach this design. We threw around ideas in relation to the type of education we wanted to provide. We though something along the lines of responding to the geography could work. This had to do with the readability of the design. We thought a way to relate the folie to the general public is to use common signs of Brisbane such as a map of Brisbane or the story bridge structure. Jasmine identified that when she was on her walkshop she noticed a juxtaposition of the sharp and linear grid shapes with sweeping curves. This is much like the Story Bridges structure of sharp diagonal lines with the curve of the top. Additionally, a map of Brisbane has a similar form as this, of grid structured streets with random curves, as well as the more obvious shape of the river. I found a photo that I had taken on my walkshop which showed this juxtaposition within the site itself. Also this represents a change between the old and new. 

Sketches of river + maps 
Sketches of story bridge




In the end we decided that the type of learning we wanted to provide was one of experience. Letting the patron using the folie have some kind of experience and therefore have a realisation which is learning something about the site.
We thought about how the folie could react with bodily functions such as how eye responds to dark and light as well as feelings of claustrophobia in uncomfortable spaces. Additionally we thought about how the site would react to the idea of flooding or tides. The following are some sketches about this: 


In order to relate this design to the context of the site we thought tectonics could be a good way to do this. By using similar materials to the surrounding landscape we could relate the folie to the sites environment. Such materials could be corrugated iron, wood, steel, cement and red clay rock. The site is dirty, derelict and industrial. Furthermore the sites history is industrial as it used to be a main port of brisbane.
A  decision was made to go away individually and come up with individual designs that incorporated our ideas about the site. We would then look at them in an Abstract way, a Metaphorical way and in Scale. These were discussed in the lecture as ways to approach the project.
I decided to investigate further into the sounds of the sites and also decided to see what the site was like at night.


Sketches


 We had another meeting on the monday before the class so that we could come up with some better ideas for the folie. 
We then decided that we liked the idea of things moving with the flow of the tides. This would draw on learning about the river and emphasise the constant impact that the river has on us. It was decided to go with this idea because it was most interesting and also reflected the sites history and present issues in Brisbane.
Sketches: