Jameson Heath (Architectural Design 2)
Graphic Design and Craft
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These two collages were made to define craft and show examples of craft in architecture. The first collage shows an interpretation of craft, showing the idea that craft is creation from raw forms. It explains that crafted things in our world came from base materials, such as stone and trees. The second collage shows examples of craft seen in today's architecture. The buildings were all designed by Patkau Architects, and each one shows different elements of craft, ranging from building precision to natural blending.
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Project 01 - Overview |
The below work is from the steps of project 1, which was focused on designing backyard cottages for sites in Lewisville, TX. Given a hypothetical client, buildings were focused on making a workspace and living space for an apprentice craftsman. The cottages were oriented on the specific craft of the apprentice and incorporating elements and parts of said craft into the design.
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Glassblowing
The craft for which the work below was designed was glassblowing. Glass blowers must have expert skills in order to succeed in their field; they need to be precise, patient, and creative in order to form the glass items and structures they make. Glass blowers take sand, melt it into molten glass, and then carefully blow it into whatever form they desire, therefore creating from raw materials. Glass blowers also use many tools, such as long pipes for safely blowing and shaping the glass, and specialized scissors and cutting devices.
Project 01 - Site
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This is the site I used for the concepts created for Project 01. The site is a rectangular lot, with a two story main dwelling on the property, a backyard driveway, and no back access. The allotted building space a space at least 5’ from the property line and 10’ from the main dwelling. Along with the driveway, these restrictions formed a L shaped working space.
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Project 01 - First Concepts
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These are the three original designs created for the first project, and the right most concept eventually evolved into the final. The left concept was as straight raised right angle front with curved back, with a large living space separated from the work space with a garage. It showed the craft of glassblowing through its rounded back, resembling a blown glass ball. The middle concept was an egg-shaped, with a central furnace poking through the roof, creating a "yolk." The surrounding area was a work space and a somewhat separated living area. This design incorporated elements of the glassblowing craft through its more molten looking base and finished looking center, creating a ‘before and after’ look for glassblowing. The left design was a more angular concept, with a slight L shape. The interior space was split in half between a dedicated work area around the furnace and a living area on the long side. This concept showed the craft of glassblowing through the incorporation of stained glass and unique forms of glass, expressing the creativity in glassblowing.
Project 01 - Schematic Design
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Moving to the schematic design phase, focus was on expanding on the ideas of craft in the concept. One of the main ideas used to show craft in this concept was the use of colored glass, natural light, and the sun path. For example, the windows on the east and west are colored to math the sunrise and sunset. The other windows are tinted to let in colors to match each room, and the big window in the work space is multicolored to show the multiple possibilities of glassblowing. Another element of craft that was experimented with in this phase was the use of the furnace and roof as sculptural and design elements, showing creativity and creaion from otherwise bland features.
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Project 01 - Final Design
Final Model -The final design for this project incorporates most of the changes during the schematic design, and overall adds greatly to the original concept. Above, a picture of the final model for this design is shown. It shows the relation between the main dwelling unit and the backyard cottage, and shows exactly how it would fit on site.
Site Plan - The final site plan changed a significant amount from the beginning, with changes to the entrance, addition of the furnace on the outside, and putting in vegetation. The site plan shows how the furnace is a big sculptural element of the final design, and also shows the point of entry in relation to the parking area.
Floor Plan - The final floor plan also has numerous changes, such as the layout of most of the room and changes to the flow. The work space is a large, uninterrupted, rectangular space. This is required for a glass blower, as they need an excess of large, straight spaces to effectively use their tools and work. The living area is separated from the work space by the bedroom, and it occupies most of the space close to the entrance. The bathroom is close to the entrance, and is not connected to the bedroom so a visitor would not have to go through the bedroom just to use the bathroom. Due to its close vicinity to the kitchen and living space, I made the door swing out so people in the living area would be shielded from it.
Elevations - The final elevations were adapted to fit the changes made, with the furnace being incorporated and the new windows being shown. The elevations show the differently angles parts of the sloped roof, and it also shows how the furnace relates to the the height and size from every angle. The materials shown (concrete and brick) were chosen because they complement the glass, which, as discussed above, have different colors and shapes to change the way the natural light enters the building. The windows were also made in a shape and placed specifically to let light in at specific times and places, such as in the morning, the yellow light illuminates the kitchen and dining area for getting ready for the day.
Project 02
Craftmanship
This project was a direct continuation from the previous project of creating a backyard cottage. It focused on furthering our ideas form the previous project and building upon the craftsman residency, creating a space for a master craftsman and their apprentice to live and work. An entire site had to be designed, with buildings for both the master and apprentice, as well as a workshop for both of them to create. This site had to fit into a larger master plan, occupied by 10 similar sites and communal buildings.
This project focuses on how architecture expresses the work of traditional craftsmen, allows for both individual and collaborative productivity, and embrace the advances in technology. This is shown in the below project by using shapes seen in glassblowing for over one thousand years. It is also shown with the central workshop, and through the use of bigger, elaborate glass structures, only possible with modern technology.
This project focuses on how architecture expresses the work of traditional craftsmen, allows for both individual and collaborative productivity, and embrace the advances in technology. This is shown in the below project by using shapes seen in glassblowing for over one thousand years. It is also shown with the central workshop, and through the use of bigger, elaborate glass structures, only possible with modern technology.
Site and Concepts
The site is a 150 x 50 foot rectangle in a wooded area. The site was completely undeveloped, and open to any sort of use.
This is an earlier concept of the main craftsman house. It contains the same basic forms as the final design, however, it has many different details, especially with the floor plan and the main window. This early version also did not have a dedicated entrance or position on the site, but it did have ideas of where that could be as seen in the concept drawings. The early concepts also lacked a dedicated form for the workshop, and was mostly as a thought put straight into Revit.
This is an earlier concept of the main craftsman house. It contains the same basic forms as the final design, however, it has many different details, especially with the floor plan and the main window. This early version also did not have a dedicated entrance or position on the site, but it did have ideas of where that could be as seen in the concept drawings. The early concepts also lacked a dedicated form for the workshop, and was mostly as a thought put straight into Revit.
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Final conceptThis is the final iteration in the conceptual phase of the project. It is very similar to the final product structurally, however, the positioning of the buildings and site elements were still in development, and they changed quite a bit from here to the final design. The workshop was flipped, and some trees were removed. The floor plan also changed in a few small ways since this concept. The garage was expanded, and the space of an extra closet was given to other rooms. The main house as a whole was also scaled down.
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Final models
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The final physical models were made from the Revit drawings below. These models were made mostly out of museum board, but include some chipboard and a clear plastic. The whole site model allows for a visual to further explain the thought behind these concepts as well as showing lighting and perspective. Each model has cut-outs for all openings, such as windows and doors. On the main house model, the plastic was used to better illustrate the central window. On the full site, chipboard is used to show the pathways on the site, as well as the parking.
Main House
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These are the various Revit drawings for the main house. In the floor plan, there is a large open space, containing the kitchen, dining, and living spaces, along with an additional area being used for display. This is not only allows better flow, but it also allows for the central window to light a large portion of the house. In the elevations, it is shown that the main window rises above the rest of the structure, allowing for light to come in from all sides. The sections explain the sheer size of the main window from the inside, and expand the visual of a large central room.
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Workshop
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These are the drawings for the craftsmen's workshop. In the floor plan, you can see the 2 distinct spaces: the indoor working area, and the semi-outdoors display area. The semi-outdoors space is covered by a curving glass wall, but is open to outside from the top side. This can be seen further in the elevations, where it is shown that the glass wall also curves somewhat over, yet still leaves it a bit open. This protects products from basic elements such as wind, but also keeps an open air feel. In the sections, the idea of 'a window into craft' can be seen. The outside glass wall views into an interior window, from which one could see the process of craft. It also allows for the workshop to feel more open from the inside.
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Backyard Cottage
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The backyard cottage is somewhat changed from before, as seen in the Revit drawings, but the basic form is retained. The workshop was completely removed, and the entire building was scaled down to adjust to this. Its space was given to the private areas, and the other half of the building was given to the communal spaces such as the kitchen and dining areas. A deck was also added for some outdoor space, and it also serves as a part of the new entrance.
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