Week 6 - Idea Development

So considering the research into the site done last week, I think it would be beneficial to look at the design in terms of access points and looking into flood resistance. Also, bringing in the main idea behind the initial folie design of experimenting with the senses (in our case, focusing on sound) and keeping it as a structure which can be used as a "through way" as well as a building for people to stop and have a break in. On a personal-preferences level, I'd really like to look at the materials on site (the old materials from the air bunkers and the stone face of the cliff).

A thought considering the last design compared to what this will turn into, was the original folie focused on emphasizing noise, but perhaps creating a soundproof area (internal) and a kind of sound passage way (external) would be more effective? I guess it would a way to contrast the intensity of the senses though the structure by providing different effects in different spaces, although I'm not really sure if it would be the best idea to implement this in a building which is being designed to aid learning.


From the research done it is clear that the main issues with the site are:

• flood inundation
• maintaining historic buildings
• concern over impact on view (particularly from New Farm)

As much as I tried to veer away from focusing on how the river could impact the site through flooding, it seemed that would be a point I'd always end up coming back to. With this in mind, I thought it might be a good idea to look to aquatic/semi-aquatic life (since this is the nature studio) for inspiration.

A good point made in the lecture about "Working without computers" was the analogy used to explain a design which could build itself. Coral builds itself in particular formations just by its own knowledge, would it be possible for a building to do this? Also, some attract prey by looking like a food source/safe place - one particular coral that did this was the sea anemone (above image). Could this be related to buildings (obviously without the prey part of it) by bringing people to a building disguised as something else?

This brought me back to looking at sound (from our first folie) and how nature can achieve sound through a structure. The sketches above are of some plants which (through purpose or coincidence) create sound - with the exception of number 4, the mangroves.

1. Yellow rattle plant: semi-parasitic, steals some nutrients from neighboring roots, fruit/flowers are dry capsules containing loose seeds which make rattling sounds when the plant moves in the wind.
2. Marcgravia evenia: a plant I thought was interesting because it is designed so that it emits more prominent sound waves back to bats instead of focusing on a more striking appearance to attract birds (this is because it relies on bats for the process of pollination). The sketch above shows the special shape above the flower and how it reflects sound.
3. Phyllostachys/Bamboo: bamboo makes a distinctive, hollow noise when the tubes of the plant hit together. The hollow chambers of the plant stem have also been used to make different types of instruments.
4. Mangroves: I looked into this more because of its semi-aquatic survival mechanism rather than sound making ability. The root structure is really unique and quite a beautiful form - not to mention how much it can vary between different plants of this species. Also worth noting is the pneumatophores of the plant (the individual spikes which stick out above ground) function as kinds of snorkels when the roots of the plant are under water. These reminded me of the sound tubes in our original folie (although these are far to soft/not the right material to create any sound effect) and the root system as a whole just draws interest to itself, this could potentially be used in the design some how.

This diagram is a cross-section of the site showing how the structure of the mangrove roots could be used to create a form which becomes part of the landscape and uses this unique system (possibly by extruding the section or by creating an entanglement of root/beams and putting webbing between them).

Here is a possible view of what the structure above could look like if using the second method mentioned above. The top part of the structure (where the flood reached/where it is least likely to be water damaged by the river) has an enclosed internal space with solid or transparent webbing between the structural members, it is also denser around the top of the structure to aid with shading from strong sunlight. The bottom half of the structure is a through-way for people to travel under the building, but creates a unique experience by walking through the entanglement of structures. This arrangement could also be used to create some stop-over spaces in the shade below the main buildings for passers-by.

This is another section showing the advancement of this particular idea, the open space is above, less crowded by "roots" through the space, but could still maintain the appearance of the webbing effect in the previous discussion. The pillars below the building (kind of like the pneumatophores of the mangrove) act as sound reflectors, maintaining the idea of sound reflection from the folie.

I wasn't to sure about having the out-looking face of the building being completely curved or filled over, so this sketch explores how the structure could be brought back a bit into the cliff face to better use the facade space to create a better user experience. Of course it could still maintain some attributes from some of the previous sketches, this is mainly just for exploring different approaches to the design.