Arafa's DAB310 Architecture

Friday, 1 April 2011

Archetype Research

Mooloomba Beach House

An environmental filter: The main material used in this building is hardwood timber, making use of the natural materials as well as blending into the landscape around it. The living room is insulated as a thought ahead towards winter conditions.

A container for human activities: The house is designed for the simplicity of basic human activities - to eat, sleep, bathe, read and relax with a small enclosed floor plan.

A delightful experience: The minimalist aspect of this house emphasizes its simplicity. Narrow open walkways overlook the garden side still utilizing the main views this house has.

Casa Tolo, Portugal

An environmental filter: Works in harmony with the environment around it, using the slope of the hillside rather than going against it. It benefits from natural lighting in the South as well as natural ventilation with its placement in the landscape.

A container for human activities: Each level in the house is utilized for a different room and the outdoor steps become extensions of the indoor ones.

A delightful experience: By using the gradient of the hill, the house blends naturally into its surroundings, while offering views of the landscape around it.

Dunbar, Stradbroke Island

An environmental filter: Makes use of the existing climatic features of Stradbroke Island. There is a lot of natural light and ventilation from all open spaces, with three screened openings in the house. The folding shutters as well as the pavilions connecting to the courtyard allow for air flow throughout the house.

A container for human activities: The open plan of the house helps blend between casual and formal activities for guests and hosts alike. However, with the folding walls and shutters, there is still a clear distinction between the public and private spaces in the house. The passageways and rooms are wide, opening up the spaces in the house not merely for the purpose of continuing the open plan, but also to accommodate other activities.

A delightful experience: The courtyards are the main attractions in the house that pose as a space for meditation and reflection. The screens as well as the pebble finished transition garden are inspired by Eastern architecture and help bring out the calmer elements in the house. The cut-away gable of the main roof frames the sky adding to the views that can be experienced from all areas in the house. The key to this house is its freedom and ability to breathe.

References

Dunbar House:
http://www.architecturemedia.com/aa/aaissue.php?article=13&issueid=200203&typeon=2 - Accessed 10th March 2011

http://www.realestate.com.au/property-house-qld-point+lookout-107081809 - Accessed 24th March 2011

http://roxannedowling.blogspot.com/2010/03/dunbar-house-jennifer-taylor-james.html - Accessed 26th March 2011

Mooloomba Beach House:

http://archinspire.com/home-design/pretty-beach-house-design-at-stradbroke-island.htm - Accessed 10th March 2011

Casa Tolo:

http://www.worldchanging.com/archives/008408.html - Accessed 10th March 2011

Thursday, 31 March 2011

Application of Analysis

According to the design brief, the cabin design should include all of the following:

A space for living;
A space for working;
A space for reflecting;
A space for dining;
A space for preparing meals;
A space for sleeping; and
A space for abluting.

The placement of these areas have been split up into what should be public and what should be private. In addition, it should fit into the criteria of the house as an environmental filter, a delightful experience and a container for human activities.

An environmental filter: The proposed cabin design fits as an environmental filter for using mainly natural materials, while folding doors and windows placed strategically to make use of the most sunlight and natural air and ventilation coming into the house. A lack of windows filters out unwanted noise from neighbouring properties and the nearby construction site. Large windows placed in the studio area make use of morning sun effectively, so as to make use of the early morning as a productive time. As per the sun path, the afternoon sun would make its way across the courtyard as a reflective space, then to the public spaces of the house - the kitchen or the lounge. The open plan of the house, along with the collapsable doors of the courtyard - as well as sliding french windows for outdoor access to the back area - keep in the house open for most summer breezes and a few of the winter breezes, allowing the house to breathe - a theme that was heavily maintained in the exemplar house.

A container for human activities: There is emphasis on allowing the house to breathe, while also keeping a distinct separation of the private and public spaces. The courtyard, as a reflecting space, can be accessed by both sides of the house, while acting as simultaneously a link and separation of the two spaces. As an open plan house, the private spaces have been grouped together as the studio and bedroom to be able to ensure the privacy as well as the personal space to work and reflect. The public spaces include the dining area, kitchen and lounge, which is what the front door opens to.

A delightful experience: Keeping in the themes of the courtyards, the central courtyard poses as a space for reflection, while the large windows and outside access help open up the area to the key outdoor views to bring in a more natural experience. Windows are a huge importance that is coupled with the absence of partitions and walls to separate most of the spaces in the house, so that the house is more open while allowing the basic necessities of each public and private area to be accessed effectively. As the Dunbar house make have framed the sky, a skylight that forms a break to the uniformity of the roof almost frames the sky as a view and allows for more natural light to be cast into the courtyard, particularly in the middle of the day and towards the early afternoon.