Week 11 Schematic Floor Plan Analysis

I have begun to develop my floor plans a lot more over the last couple of days, trying to get my head around the first hand user experiences of the spaces. As a consequence I have undertaken an access, movement and view analysis of each of the floor levels (and section), to understand how the occupants will use each of the levels.

Gym Level Access and Movement

On the Gym level there will be access to the building via the carpark entry on Warmington St. This will allow the user to park their car and then enter the space on their own accord. Lift access within the carpark will allow them to enter the ground level of the Wellfit centre. In the Morris St facing building the lift core seems to be the crucial member which will activate all of the levels. It includes both lifts and stairs for access and allows the user to then move freely within the spaces.

Ground level access and views

On the ground level the user will have two options as to how to enter the Wellfit Centre. If they are coming to use the gym and educational facilities they will either enter through the carpark and also at the corner of Latrobe Terrace and Warmington St. When entering the corner entry the user is firstly fronted with Woolworths and a Fruit and Veg grocer. The reason for this positioning is so that people (if they are not going to use the building) can quickly and easily enter, shop and then leave without disturbing the internal flow of the building. The building user will then keep moving through the space and has either the option to travel up the ramp to the rooftop urban park or continue on through to reception. Once at reception the user can freely move around to the cafe or gym where they are fronted with maximum views up to the urban park and directly onto the topographic roof. This will create delight for the viewer...with all spaces allowing some sort of view. Addtionally, the user has the option to enter seemlessly from Morris St onto the topographical roof. Here the user can make his/her way to the rooftop cafe/bar, eating area or rooftop urban park beyond.

First Level access and views

The first level also offers itself as a space for the user to have great access, movement and views as they transition through the spaces. The building core once again offers itself as the connection space between levels and the users are then directed through to the connecting walkway to the lecture/multipurpose room. Whilst upon this journey the user will have complete views of the urban park to their left and in fact can connect with the space via an entry way within the curtain wall. Whilst on the urban park the user has a freedom of movements. Whether they want to relax, run around or exit via the pathway around the Morris St building or the stairs at the end of the park connecting to Warmington St it is up to them.

Short section analysis - views and sunlight

Long section analysis - views and sunlight

In the above sections I have begun to understand in scale and perspective exactly the vantage points for the users with regards to optimum views and entrance into the building/carpark. The different level of views aswell as the content of views change throughout the building. This will only lead to the user being satisfied on all different kinds of levels, visually.

Week 11 - Schematic Floor Plan Development

After working out the spatial interactions of my functions and indeed ideas I have as to how the form of the building is going to work I began to roughly develop floorplans which show the basic interaction of spaces within the overall form. It must be said that I have considered the site context to provide detail and also a sense of context to ensure that an interaction with the public corridor is developed. Although these are very simple they indeed show my floorplan intent and space development. Over the next couple of days I will begin to create more detailed floorplans so I can further analyse the spaces so I as the designer can really understand how the space would be activated, how a user would feel in the space and what exactly it would look like.

Gym level floor plan development

Ground level floor plan development

First level floor plan development

Basic long section development

Week 11 - Progress Diagramming

After developing simple space bubble diagrams for the building I began to think about how I want my building form to develop and what I want to be realised. The below diagrams show my initial thinking patterns for the building. A lot of consideration has gone into the site context and improving what is currently there. Specifically, Paddington Central overpowers the neighbouring buildings with interrupted views and overshadowing and I specifically want to address issues such as these in order to create the best design possible.

Expanding the building footprint

 

 

 

Building height development

Change of building scale

Impact of a tall building upon the site

Sinking the building to alleviate views and sunlight entrance for neighbours.

Adding voids to the form of the building to ensure that natural light reaches all spaces

Week 11 - Spatial Diagramming

After talking to Brett last week I found that there were too many functional spaces within the building which were causing issues for the form, access and movement of the users through the space. Therefore this week I have begun to concentrate solely on the urban park, gym and also the education centre. Consequently, I have gone back to the drawing board and created a new set of spatial layouts which I personally want to achieve within the buildings. I believe these layouts are more refined and will be more successful then those created last week. The following diagrams show the relationships between spaces, the significant connections between the buildings and also some new refined functional spaces.

Spatial layout for Gym level of second building

Spatial layout for ground level of second building

Spatial layout for ground level of first building

First level spatial layout of Morris St facing building

Spatial layout for first level of first building

Rooftop spatial layout

Week 10 - Progress

For the tute this week I have developed some schematic drawings which show the basic interaction of spaces across all of the levels. Although they are basic they truly show what I want to achieve in all of the spaces and allow the viewer to understand the direction that I am going.

The floorplan above reveals the commercial level of my building and the access in which I want between the surrounding public corridors

 

In the above floorplan it shows the connection of the IGA store and fruit and veg grocer with the front of the street. This is important for the non-building users who can quickly enter the stores without disrupting the internal flow of the building.

Level 1 flooplan is the gym level. I feel that as the Gym is so crucial to health and wellness it deserves to occupy the whole space to cater for all different user needs.

 

Level 2 flooplan above is again dedicated completely to the one function. This allows the most amount of activities to be placed within the one level so that all users are catered for. Simply, I am envisioning this level to include a multipurpose room, classrooms and kitchens for the users.

Currently, this seems to be the most exciting level of the building; the topographical urban park. I want to explore this in great detail with it offering itself as a place for exercise, place to meet and a place to relax for users. It must be noted that the roof has a steady incline which will probably be activated by some sort of stepped stairs. A rooftop cafe/bar also  adds to the overall activation of the rooftop space.

The above section really begins to show the relationships of the spaces across the level and how each of the sit within the form of the building. A vertical core is to run up the middle of the building to allow for acces across all levels.

The elevation reveals what I am trying to achieve generally for this project. I want to create an active building where the user is always moving and entertained. The cutout facade and snaking of members through the facade helps to create this effect.

Comments from the Tutor: 

After talking to Brett it was found that a lot of work needed to be placed into this design. Firstly the urban park is way too dangerous, being at such a large slope and such a large height away from the ground. This somehow needs to be lessened and minimized potentially with the removal of some functions. It will not attract users to the space with it being so large. Brett suggested that I possibly look at the designing the urban park to run through the buildings in order to keep all spaces activated with views of the park. Finally scale needs to be addressed. The building is too high and is going to be overwhelming for the neighbouring sites. These issues must be addressed over the next week so as to create a more resolved design for the paddington site.

Week 10 - Exemplar Urban Park Building

Culture Forest - Usangdong Architects

Over the last week I have begun to research some exemplar buildings which I believe can help to establish the form which I am trying to achieve, the spaces and also concept of the building overall. The Culture Forest by Usangdong Architect is a great exemplar which I have found as it boasts all of the sufficient qualities I want my building to entail. I love how the building, even though stationary, looks completely active with its different members, cut outs and employed materials. For my design I really want to create an active piece of architecture which will keep the user entertained and motivated.

Entrance way - Culture Forest

The entry to the building is very grand and these sorts of aspects is what I want to bring through into my design. I feel that for the user the entrance can set the tone for the building and I believe that by designing something which is equally as impressive both visually and functionally will help to sell my idea and building to the Paddington community.

Facade cutout - Culture Forest

The cutout spaces which I have noticed in this building help the building not only on a visual sense, but help to create a greater indoor environment for the user. I believe I should begin to investigate this sort of cutout feature to my building facade so that I may be able to activate the internal spaces with gardens, activity and also allow natural light into great depths of the internal spaces.

Week 10 Lecture - Guest Lecture

Listening this week to the ideas and approach of guest lecturer Alexis Sanal, I was beginning to question how successfully I was currently addressing the proposition of an architectural entity. I have for much of the project been consumed with developing my structural form so as to dictate the functional spaces within the building rather than sharing the focus upon the human elements of the proposal (user experiences, etc). By concentrating on a contextual scale I have somewhat neglected the spaces of my entity which will facilitate new behaviour, intervention and value. I feel that I am now pushed to consider just how I envision all these concurrent activities coming together in the space.