Design Development

Concept 2.

After a discussion with my tutor Yvonne, the form changed considerably.  The lines drawn by the solar analysis further influenced the building, effectively breaking it into two solid parts that were linked by passageways above the first building.  This form therefore interacts with both the waterfront and the cliff face.  I believe this form creates many more experiential spaces by forming bridges that can be traversed over and under.  

(Initial Concept Sketch)

The image below is still in the early stages of modelling - but the surface that slants up and over the first building will be a green roof with pathways along it.  A lift core juts through from the main building, making the rooftop accessible from the waterfront, the main building, and the building on the cliff face.  The living machine systems have been split into 3 areas, one on the top of the cliff, one above the main building form, and the other on the ramp down to the water front.  The two larger pipes on the building edges will pump water from the brisbane river to the top of the cliffs, which will then be filtered through the living machine system as it passes from the top down.  This also makes the living machines more accessible, activating awareness of the systems at work.   Lots more modelling to do to make this actually look like a building - my eyes are getting squarer each day.

The image below displays pathways of movement and highlights some parts of the building.  The primary structure at the waterfront will be largely accessible to the public, including the foyer, cafe, biomimcry exhibition area - whereas the secondary structure on the cliff face will contain the scientific labs, library and research rooms.

Design Development

Concept 1.

These are some images from my digital concept model.  The inspiration drawn from vines is evident in the 'pipes' that climb up the building.  These pipes acts as vertical living machines to filter water from the Brisbane River to be used in numerous ways throughout the building.  Offset nodes act as specific learning centres and scientific labs, with pathways running along the cliff face.  Although not fully modelled yet, the top level will have a green roof with a solar canopy.


Concept Development.

A few alterations were made to the previous design, primarily shifting the building away from the cliff. The main reason for this was to achieve greater solar gain in the numerous solar canopies that will be integrated into the design, as well as to increase natural light.  This also meant that the user could have a more personal experience with the cliff face, as they could be 'squeezed' between the cliff and the building - a space that would offer an interesting experience, and make people more aware of the cliff face.

(The building was shifted away from the cliff to 

enhance solar gain)

Living Machine

Design Inspiration

Portland's Edith Green / Wendell Wyatt Federal Building

"The greatest buzz around this renovation has been the vertical wall that will encompass 250 vertical feet of the office tower. The plants will grow on ‘fins’ that are set at acute angles and will grow much like plants in the garden climb trellises. The idea is that lush foliage will grow during the spring and summer, and will shade the building’s west facade enough to reduce energy bills. In the colder months, the plants will naturally drop their foliage and sunlight can once again penetrate the building to provide warmth.

Though details have not been finalized, the vertical wall will ideally be irrigated with captured rainwater from the roof, and supplemented by municipal supply if necessary. "

http://sustainbydesign.wordpress.com/2010/02/03/portlands-edith-greenwendell-wyatt-federal-building-gets-green-upgrades/

Rough Conceptual Sketches

FORM EXPERIMENTATION

Rough experimentation with form design that parasitically grows up the face of the cliff, attaching itself via separated learning specific nodes.   Focus is retained on organic form derived from that of a vine.

FOLIE TO BUILDING

Focussing on activation of space through awareness - a concept in my folie design, i'm playing with adapting the illuminating glass panels from the folie on to projected balconies from the core of the building.  Combining this with the form of the building that effectively 'rises out of the shadows of the cliff' aim to make people aware of the HSW precinct, both day and night.

The views from these balconies would also be directed towards the original views from the folie design,   therefore directly adapting the folie design to this building form.

(Example of folie's illuminated panels & associated views)

LIVING BUILDING

I am now focussing on the practicalities of enabling a 'living building' - one that draws its energy and water from the site.  A large focus is on living machines that will filter water from the Brisbane river to water the green terraces and be used as grey water, which will then be re-filtered and returned to the brisbane river, cleaner then when it was taken.

I am aiming to incorporate these services within the exterior facade of the building, so as to create a feature of them, and hence a visible feature of biomimicry on the building.  Lots of research to be done on this topic.

KEY WORDS & NARRATIVES

VERTICAL GROWTH

INSPIRED BY THE GROWTH OF VINES UP A VERTICAL SURFACE I AIM TO ADAPT THIS TO THE CONCEPT OF THE BUILDING.  VINES GROW VERTICALLY AND SPREAD THEIR LOAD ON ANOTHER SURFACE IN A PARASITIC MANNER SO AS TO FULLY ENHANCE THE AMOUNT OF NATURAL LIGHT WITH MINIMUM ENERGY EXPENDITURE.  THIS WOULD MEAN THE BUILDING WOULD LITERALLY RISE OUT OF THE SHADOWS AT THE BOTTOM OF THE CLIFFS, INCREASING VIEWS FROM AND TO THE SITE.  BUILDING VERTICALLY ALSO CLEARS THE BUILDING FROM THE GROUND FLOOD LEVEL.

[vines attaching & spiralling to a post]

LIGHT ACTIVATION

A PART OF MY FOLIE CONCEPT WAS ACTIVATING THE SPACE BY MAKING IT CLEARLY VISIBLE AS AN INTERACTIVE AREA.  THIS WAS ACHIEVED THROUGH COLOUR AND LIGHT SO THAT THE HOWARD SMITH WHARVES PRECINCT WAS CLEARLY NOTICEABLE FROM THE CITY, NEW FARM AND KANGAROO POINT.  THE BUILDING WILL MAINTAIN THIS CONCEPT BY LIGHTING UP EFFECTIVELY IN SOME MANNER SO AS TO INCREASE AWARENESS OF THE BUILDING, AND HENCE FURTHER ACTIVATING THE SITE.

[Glowing Material Sustained by Solar In-take]

[Light activation in Folie project]

INTEGRATION (INCREASED CONNECTIVITY)

THE BUILDING AIMS TO INTEGRATE SUCCESSFULLY INTO THE SITE BY BEING A PHYSICALLY UNOBTRUSIVE STRUCTURE THAT ENHANCES THE FLOW OF CONNECTIVITY BETWEEN THE SURROUNDING SUBURBS.  BY LINKING THE HOWARD SMITH WHARVES SITE AND THE TOP OF THE CLIFFS, WHILST INCREASING PASSAGE FROM THE FLOATING BOARDWALK THE BUILDING SHOULD ENHANCE CONNECTIVITY.

NODES

NODES WILL BE A PART OF THE CONCEPT SO AS TO MAINTAIN A FEELING OF PLACE AND HUMAN SCALE IN A RELATIVELY TALL BUILDING.  THESE NODES WILL SEPARATE SPECIFIC SPACES SUCH AS THE RESEARCH LAB AWAY FROM THE FOYER.  RUNNING WITH THE VINE CONCEPT THIS WILL ALSO BE A MANNER IN WHICH THE 'VINE' SPREADS ITSELF ACROSS THE SUPPORTING ELEMENT.

[Conceptual sketch displaying nodes & vertical

parasitic form]

CENTRE FOR BIOMIMICRY - PROGRAM

CENTRE FOR BIOMIMICRY - DESIGN / RESEARCH / EXHIBITION
Drawing upon the design discipline of biomimicry, this 'learning centre' will be one that teaches the general public about this relatively new discipline - whilst also creating possibility for further research on the topic, and educational classes on biomimicry.  In short, this learning centre will be somewhat of a 'flagship' centre for biomimicry within not only Australia, but the world.


SPATIAL PLANNING
The following diagrams asses the necessary components of the learning centre, identifying the program & functions and aligning them.  These images display the progress from initial ideas through to somewhat of a building form.

PROGRAM

                                              

SPATIAL ADJACENCIES

VERTICAL POSITIONING

Time-lapse

This video helps to visualise the amount of sunlight cast on the howard smith wharves during the course of a day.

http://youtu.be/m-AxWnTCGqc

Design Inspiration

Design Inspiration

Site Analysis

Solar Analysis

These solar analysis diagrams highlight the shadows cast on the site by the cliffs.  To obtain maximum natural lighting, and also a greater amount of surface for photovoltaics the building form should rise vertically into the maximum solar area and out of the shadows of the cliff.

Site Analysis

SITE ANALYSIS

Perspective view of the site from the sky - site boundaries highlighted red.

EXISTING / POTENTIAL ENTRY POINTS

This map highlights existing entry points (assuming the floating boardwalk will be rebuilt) whilst suggesting potential sites for creating entry points.  City cat stops would be viable options on the riverfront, whilst an elevator could link the site with the parklands on top of the cliffs above.

SURROUNDING SUBURBS

This map highlights the surrounding suburbs in the immediate context.  Each suburb contains a differing demographic.  The brisbane CBD and Fortitude Valley have a comparatively high commercial use, whilst the other surrounding suburbs are primarily residential.

DEMOGRAPHICS OF SURROUNDING SUBURBS

The tables above indicate the demographics within the surrounding suburbs.

Below is a brief analysis of these demographics, displaying the significant population percentage between the ages of 18-64 in all of the immediate suburbs.

MAJOR NODES & ACCESS ROUTES

This map shows the major nodes of activity and the manner in which they would access the site.  These nodes differ greatly in the amount of use during week or weekends.

PUBLIC TRANSPORT

This map displays the surrounding major public transport routes and walking radius.  The city cat & bus network provides the most readily available transport systems close to the site.  These transport routes also effectively link the site with the major nodes of activity shown above.

WALKABILITY

This image clearly displays the areas within a comfortable 5 minute walking distance.  

NOISE POLLUTION

This map displays noise pollution immediate to the site.  The story bridge is the primary concern, with the area directly underneath it being quiet loud.

FLOODING

Flooding is a real concern for the site as it has flooded numerous times in the past.  The map above documents the flood-line from the 2011 flood which covered the entire site.  The image directly above is from the same floods.  In terms of designing to account for this, I believe that designing vertically with a sturdy yet relatively open ground floor plan will minimise damage to the building.  By designing vertically, the majority of the building will be out of harms way in terms of water damage from the floods.