Hannah Deitrick: Practicum
PROJECT PHASE 02: CRÆFT COLLEGE OF CERAMICS
When designing a college for ceramicists, I worked to answer two central questions: how can I design and program a building to reflect the craft of ceramics in an age where technology often dominates? Furthermore, how can function and art (craeft) achieve balance in a way that is both logical and aesthetically pleasing?
01. PARTI STUDIES
In the sketches below, I experimented with geometry and intersections to create preliminary ideas for my project. The sketches boxed in red are my final selections, modeled digitally to the right. From the initial five, I further narrowed my selection of diagrams to three: Blooming, Intertwined Shards, and Geometric Overlap. These designs held the most promise for a building concept.
Parti Sketches
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Parti Digital Models (derived from drawings boxed in red)
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02. CONCEPT DESIGN
In the concept design stage, I transformed my three selected parti diagrams into building ideas.
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1. SCULPTED SPACEThis concept was largely inspired by the smoothness and geometry of architect Tadao Ando's works. Although this design is very geometric, it holds "organic potential," appearing very gentle in composition despite its hard edges. After all, ceramics projects begin with very geometric blocks of clay. Spaces within this building intersect in a way that appears sculpted together, mirroring the ceramics process of combining different elements.
2. DYNAMIC FORMATIONThis concept was inspired by the full creative process of ceramics. The horizontal beams and dynamic wedges represent the flexibility of clay, giving the building the illusion of being "pulled apart" or sculpted.
3. ORGANIC BALANCEContrary to Concept 01, this concept embraces the organic forms experimented with in ceramics. Large arches symmetrically encompass the entire building to provide a feeling of balance often associated with pottery, and glass in the rest of the building provides the craft with publicity and natural light.
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03. SCHEMATIC DESIGN
I combined elements from Concept 01 and Concept 03 to create my schematic concept. The floor plan itself is rather geometric to represent the geometric origins of ceramics (blocks of clay at the beginning of each project). Meanwhile, the design employs the organization from Concept 03, separating public and private functions in two "wings." The arches were modified to juxtapose with the rest of the building, but their representation of the organic final product of ceramics remains.
First Floor
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Second Floor
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Elevations
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PROGRAM
Attached below is the proposed building program for my college, in which I outline both functional and creative spaces that I incorporated into the schematic floor plan above. The building is divided into three main functions: public, student, and faculty. Highlights include public instructional studios in which the public can learn the craft of ceramics alongside the college students, a greenhouse where food from the in-building cafe is sustainably grown, and multiple spaces where students can gather and study privately.
04. FINAL PRODUCT
The final design encompasses the entire creative process of ceramics. The geometric underside pays respect to the geometric origins of ceramics (blocks of clay), and the arches represent the organic finished project. However, the underside of the arches contains a geometric checker pattern as a physical reminder of the geometric origins of ceramics for visitors who walk under them, either on the roof or while passing through the main entrance.
Materials: white-glazed terra cotta for the arches as a more literal tie to ceramics, lumber and "green" (sustainable) concrete for the rest of the building, preferably sourced directly from the site
Landscaping: Since the site itself is quite rigid, three organic study spaces reside outside the building's entrance, shaded by solar panel gazebos (not pictured). Trees surround the building to provide shade to windows that the arches do not cover and to preserve the site's natural beauty.
Organization: The floor plan is organized into two separate "wings" connected by a hallway. The front wing is designated for public activity and faculty offices, so the lobby, cafe, and public workshops are easily accessible. Meanwhile, the student wing is located in the back of the building to ensure privacy, with the tilemaking workshop located near louder parts of the building like the lobby and the public workshops and the spinning/sculpting workshop located on the opposite, quieter side. Staircases and elevators are located on either side of the building that access the roof, where classrooms, student study spaces, and a greenhouse are located.
Materials: white-glazed terra cotta for the arches as a more literal tie to ceramics, lumber and "green" (sustainable) concrete for the rest of the building, preferably sourced directly from the site
Landscaping: Since the site itself is quite rigid, three organic study spaces reside outside the building's entrance, shaded by solar panel gazebos (not pictured). Trees surround the building to provide shade to windows that the arches do not cover and to preserve the site's natural beauty.
Organization: The floor plan is organized into two separate "wings" connected by a hallway. The front wing is designated for public activity and faculty offices, so the lobby, cafe, and public workshops are easily accessible. Meanwhile, the student wing is located in the back of the building to ensure privacy, with the tilemaking workshop located near louder parts of the building like the lobby and the public workshops and the spinning/sculpting workshop located on the opposite, quieter side. Staircases and elevators are located on either side of the building that access the roof, where classrooms, student study spaces, and a greenhouse are located.
