Final Draft

With the basic form of the building done, it was now time to finalise its details, and to produce the completed model:

By retaining a significant amount of the original structure, the building sits comfortably in its' surrounds in a way that a brand new construction would struggle to. Thus, modernisation takes place with a minimum of contextual disruption.

The new bridge is inspired texturally and formally by the original concrete balustrades, whilst the proportions of the glass louvre section is analogous to the pre-existing windows. Thus, the added features are directly inspired by the original design, and constitute a fusion of the old and the new.

The newly added magnetic elevator acts to link the different academic functions that characterise each floor of the building. In short, it combines and unifies academia and education in a rather literal way.

The long, cut through atrium space acts as a kind of empty space bridge, in that it draws people  from outside into and through the main bulk of the building. It is through this flow of human traffic that the building interacts with the surrounding buildings and its context.

The extensive skylights act to provide light into what was once a dark space, but in an unobstructive way that only moderately alters the external appearance of the building. Thus, they provide modern amenity and comfort to a pre-existing space, once again embodying the combination of old and new.

Besides the obvious necessities of finishing the actual fabric of the building, it was also necessary to include a number of custom textures in the final product to help enable visitors to interact with the structure:

Linear is used to indicate the motion of the elevator and to advise visitors of its functionality.

Unstoppable is used to indicate the entries to the workshops, and to remind visitors of the potential hazards therein. 

Rotation is used to highlight the presence of the movable glass louvres.

Rotation is again used to highlight the floor surface made dangerous by the descent of the lift.

Peer Evaluation

At the time of writing (Sunday evening), there were no visibly completed projects for me to complete a peer review of. Given my inability to reach a computer on the Monday, this section has unfortunately remained incomplete.

Appendix

The Lumion environments from the project are available for download here.

All of the Sketchup models can be found on the 3D Warehouse.

Experiment 2

This experiment is laid out in a chronological way, so it is possible to simply read on from here and experience the entire design process in a natural way. However, if you wish to jump from place to place, the contents are as follows:

Concepts

From Concepts to Axonometrics

From Drawing To Model

Combining Parallel Projections

The Concepts Re-Worked

The Marker Evolves

The Marker Nears Completion

Thirty-Six Textures

The Marker Finished

Appendix

Concepts

Both Buckminster Fuller and Olson Kundig Architects have interesting and often-times differing views on architecture and design. These idiosyncratic concepts will be explored and used as the basis for a marker design.

"There is nothing in a caterpillar that tells you it's going to be a butterfly"

"Love is metaphysical gravity"

"Doing more and more with less and less until you can do everything with nothing"

"Simplicity is the true measure of complexity"

"Reorganise the environment for prosperity"

"Nature is trying very hard to make us succeed, but nature does not depend on us"

"Contradictory objectives; open to environment, yet closed to create privacy"

"Architecture is the intersection between the poetic and the rational"

"A space is not constrained by area inside the building, a space is shaped by it"

"Architecture is a movement and it transforms its surroundings"

"Home as a primitive place"

"Architecture must be as intimate as a family member"

From Concepts to Axonometrics

I then took each of these concepts and used them as the conceptual basis for a series of axonometric drawings:

I was particularly taken with the model for "Simplicity is the true measure of complexity", and it will form the basis for my marker design.

From Drawing To Model

I then took  my favourite axonometric drawing and converted it into a Lumion model:

I feel it has quite a strong presence about it, and it is a promising base for a marker design. The challenge lies in refining it into something more sophisticated.