Week 13 - Modelling Morris St Facing Building

Since finishing the first part of my Wellfit Centre model I have started to model the Morris St facing building which occupies the gym, reception, cafe and education spaces. Currently I am working in sketchup to do this...but I have been referring to my resolved floor plans and sections to help generate the model. I still have some bits and pieces to fix up involving final materials, etc but below shows a simple process of how I developed this section of the Wellfit Centre.

Curtain wall between lecture room and rooftop urban park

Extending from the Latrobe Tce facing building I began to construct the linking walkway/hallway between the two buildings. As you can see in the image above I have firstly modelled the curtain wall which runs perpendicular to the rooftop urban park. This curtain wall both acts a transition barrier between the building interior and exterior and also helps to draw in large amounts of sunlight during the day. As there is a thick concrete wall inset from this curtain wall the lecture/multipurpose room will not be impacted by the large amounts of sunlight. I still need to model the the double door in the glass which allows for the users to transition between the spaces.

Lounge area facing rooftop urban park

This space forms as the lounge area/entry space between the buildings and also the topographic roof on the exterior. Currently I have only modelled basic elements like the floor and walls of the internal space.

Completed modelling of lounge area with windows

The image above showcases the completed modelling for this space. A concrete external wall with eye height window penetrations have been added. This space directly faces the rooftop urban park and with the eye height windows maximum views are acquired, whilst also blocking out much of the northern sun. 

Gym level area with pool

I then decided to move onto modelling to Morris st facing building. For this I felt that modelling from the ground up would work best as it would allow me to extend the core throughout the various levels. As it can be seen I have begun to add dominant features to the space like the swimming pool, saunas, change rooms and external walls.

Ground level including gym, reception and cafe

After completing the first level I moved onto the ground level where I have successfully modelled the reception, cafeteria, gym and void spaces. Furniture needs to be added intto these spaces in order to successfully activate them. 

Vertical fin on the facade of the building

To remain consistent I have utilised the same vertical fin facade as what is seen on the other building. This allowed for me to easily copy and paste the existing fins which enabled this facade to be completed effectively and efficiently. The vertical fins cover most of the building helping to filter light into the internal spaces successfully.

Modelling of the First level of Morris St building

Moving onto the Level 1 floorplan I quickly modelled the layout successfully, which can be seen in the above image. This involved simple extrusions from the floor plate to allow for the internal walls to be created. 

Completed model of Morris St facing building

The image above showcases the finished model of the Morris st facing building.

Week 13 - Modelling Latrobe Tce Facing Building

Vertical fins added to Latrobe Tce and Warmington St facades

After modelling the simple enough carpark I have begun to further develop the Latrobe Tce facing building, which I feel is the most complex out of the entire Wellfit Centre, due to its unique roof. As you can see in the above image I have started to simply layout the walls and floors for the various spaces and have begun to experiment with a facade system which will look aesthetically pleasng to the onlookers/users but also provide a sufficent functional ability. These vertical fins will run from the floor to the ceiling to ensure that no unwanted sunlight (reflection) can enter the space.

Vertical fins colour changed to various greens
 

I have begun to advance the modelling of the vertical fins by changing the colours randomly to different shades of green and white. The reason why colours have been added to the fins is to create both a visually stimulant facade from the street but also to create varying colours of light entering the space. Green has been chosen as the predominant colour to mimic the greenery of the topograhic roof and rooftop park.

Woolworths and Fruit and Veg Grocer modelled (Curtain wall panel added)

The next crucial aspect I felt needed to be completed was the fitout of the ground level. This would help to set the base for the rest of the building model. In the image above it can be seen that both the curtain walls for the Woolworths and Fruit and veg grocer has been added to the ground level. In order to complete the modelling for these two spaces furniture needs to be added in.

Ramp and railing added to connect ground level with rooftop park

Now that the ground level has established spaces I have decided to model the ramp from the ground to the urban park. This ramp allows for an easy transition for the user from street level to the park. The ramp has been modelled with necessary railings and at a slope of 1:14 to allow for disabled access.

Beginning to add in the lecture room floor

The only thing now to be modelled is the topgraphic roof. To ensure this is completed correctly the necessary floors and walls needed to be put in place so that  stairs can easily adjoin to both of these elements.

Topographic roof surface has begun to be modelled over the building.

The image above shows the beginning to the topgraphic roof modelling. Currently the stairs are 1.5 metres in width and have a riser of 150mm. This allows for a smooth movement for the user from street level to the bar/cafe at the top.

Finished topographic roof surface

The final stairs and therefore the topographic roof surface has now been completedly modelled. As it can be seen the slope is very shallow allowing disabled access via the ramp on the right. Vegetation at a later date needs to be added to this space.

Week 12 - Beginning Modelling in Sketchup

Today I began modelling the Wellfit Centre in sketchup so that as to acquire notable plans, sections, elevations and renders from it for the final presentation. Although I didn't make too much progression with the model overall I did however complete the modelling of the new carpark which I am proposing. It is a very basic shape which helped to quicken the modelling process. A few screenshots below showcase the development of the carpark.

 

Simple floors, walls and ceilings modelled for the carpark

Roof and lift was then added to the space.

Vertical fins have been modelled for the east and west facades to allow for the necessary capark ventilation

Week 12 - Facade Experimentation

After investigating the two exemplar facade designs which I researched this week I was still undecided as to which type would best suit my building both visually and functionally. Therefore, I decided to complete an experimentation of the two designs, through a simple light and shade analysis of a mass model. It is to be believed that the space I will be investigating is the Lecture/Multipurpose Room on Level 1.

Vertical Fin Facade Elevation

The image above shows the typical elevation view of the vertical fin facade on the building. As it can be seen it stretches from slab to ceiling to ensure all unwanted sunlight is minimised.

Vertical Fin Facade Perspective

The image above reveals a perspective view of the facade. As this facade is east facing, the fins have been angled at 45 degrees to the north so as to block out most of the morning sun.

Sunlight entrance from the in the morning (east)

As you can see the vertical fins work effectively to minimise the entrance of the morning sunlight between 6am to 10 am. As the strongest amount of sunlight is recorded during a morning period it is important that the space is well protected. It is obvious that the space will remain shaded for most of the morning...with limited amounts of filtered light entering the interior. This will create a great working environment for the user.

Sunlight entrance during the day (north)

It is noted that the building will receive a lot of sun during the day and I feel that although it is important to block out most of this, it is also important that some filtered light enters the space. The vertical shades effectively filter the light into the space creating a cool shadow effect upon the ground whilst also somewhat lighting up the space. With the entrance of some sunlight, artificial lights will not need to be used as much and with limited heat gain this will be the same for any sort of air conditioning/HVAC system. This will inturn make the building more sustainable and environmentally friendly. 

Sunlight entrance within the interior

Again in the above diagram you can see the filtration of light during the day. This image is very powerful and seems to creates its on purpose and mood for the space. As such it will create a great user working environment.

Horizontal blade facade elevation

The above diagram is a typical elevation of the horizontal blade facade. The members stretch across the entirety of the wall.

Sunlight entrance during the morning (east)

Like the vertical fins, the horizontal blades work very effectively to minimise the entrance and impact of the strong morning sun from the east. The room is left in shadows and as a result will make the space very cool in temperature for the occupants.

Sunlight entrance in the day (north)

The horizontal blade facade however lacks the ability to filter light in during the day, as you can see in the above image. The room will remain in darkness during the day which is definitely not the desired outcome which I wish to achieve. Although the room may have a well regulated temperature the space will always need artificial lighting to brighten it. This will create greater energy use and loads, meaning more money to be spent overall on electricity.

As a result of this experiment I have decided to utilise the vertical fin facade due to its impressive functionality and visual quality. It will keep the room/s shaded during the morning period but also allow for some filtered light during the day in order to delight the user of the space. Over the next week I will begin to model this facade within Sketchup to really see its effect on the building overall.

Week 12 - Facade Inspiration

This week I felt it was important to concentrate on the exterior of my building before I began modelling on Sketchup. More specifically, I wanted to decide upon a feature facade which would positively impact on the Wellfit Centre overall, both visually and functionally. Through investigation and research on the net I found two specific exemplar buildings which both have dominant facades like what I am wanting to utilise for my own. These buildings are; 

• City Green Court by Richard Meier & Partners
•  Radio Nacional de Espana Headquarters by Ravetllat-Ribas

City Green Court

Richard Mieir & Partners have developed a building which is similar to mine, regarding the fact that it is predominately glass on the exterior of the building. Specifically, the facade in which they have employed is one which attaches vertical fins to the building exterior. As these run up and down I feel it helps to create a continual vertical flow for the building.  It seems that these fins are neither heavy weighted or obstructive to the entire building make up and essentially blend in effectively, which can definitely be seen as a positive. It must be noted that they are actually angled specifically to one side so as to block out most of the sunlight during the day, but still allow a view to the outside.

 Radio Nacional de Espana Headquarters

Ravetllat-Ribas have essentially created a facade which works effectively for the climate but also offers a a very strong visual impact on the building. Unlike the City Green Court facade, this one stands out clearly from the building exterior. Notably with its bright yellow colour and also its horizontal running members makes it obvious from the distance. The facade obviously blocks out the light effectively with the high  and angle and closeness of the members. 

I am undure which facade would work best for my building and I think I will need to investigate this more over the next week. 

Week 12 Lecture - Design Criteria

The lecture this week focused on the final presentation for the project and more importantly how to specifically communicate the proposal to the tutors. It is expected that we are to establish;

• A method for communication
• An effort to invest into the communicate
• And an appropriateness of what we communicate. 

I believe that the art of presenting is great trait to have for an Architect and therefore communication offers itself as a key connection between myself and the tutors. I have begun to think about what the most effective methods of communication would be for this type of presentation. As we already need to create an A1 panel I feel that by also having a powerpoint presentation will help to present more detail about the architectural entity (Wellfit Centre).

Another important note that Yasu discussed during the lecture was that we are to prepare the presentation as if we are assuming that tutors are the client of the project. This will help us a undergraduates to begin to understand the processes of a real life client meeting as well as help us to gain knowledge and confidence for our future endeavours. From this, I feel that I will need to establish a presentation which is;

• Informative from both an educational perspective
• Informative from both a visual perspective
• Professional (approach, dress code and speech)
• Timely 
• Easily understandable and succinct.

Process to delivery a professional presentation to the Tutors/Clients

I feel that for the presentation I will need to really understand and identify myself with all the spaces within the building, its functions, its form, its materials, its impacts on the community, site and adjacent buildings and particularly its developed experiences for the first hand users. With practice I will be able to gain confidence and have the knowledge to communicate my ideas effectively and answers questions which are posed to me by the tutors. 

Week 11 Exemplar - Topographic Roof

Over the last couple of days I have begun to research some topographical roofs as inspiration for my design. Currently I want the roof to stretch over the building with it beginning at ground level and slowly growing in height to the top roof bar/cafe. During my research I stumbled across the 2012 winning Thematic Pavilion project for 2012- One Ocean by Soma. This particular design resonated with me straight away as it was exactly how I imagined my roof to be. In this design there is a seamless flow of pedestrians from the public corridor entering the building roof, due to its topographical nature. This has made me very excited in developing this crucial space for my building and I will begin to investigate how exactly I can nurture this sort of idea/design within the site. I must add quickly that I do not agree that the above roof would work as such as it is only limiting the entrance of "abled" people. I want my design to cater for all types of users and as a consequence my roof will be designed at a 1:14 angle.