Posts Tagged ‘model’
testing materiality
April 14th, 2011 | Richard Almond
Thinking about the material quality of the academy, I began to experiment with a range of metals. Click here for more images.
In relation to previous posts, facade treatment will use areas of mesh to allow visitors to experience the elements whilst retaining a sense of enclosure. The materials above are ultra-fine stainless steel mesh, fine copper mesh, medium brass mesh and a coarse steel mesh. I also experimented with some sheet brass. Taking inspiration from the Reykjavik vernacular, I have extracted a number of key elements common to many of 101′s buildings, and used them to devise a treatment I feel is both respectful to a unique city and practical for a floating building.
Light and Transparency
One of the qualities of mesh is its seemingly multi-dimensionality. Viewed front-on, a mesh may appear almost completely transparent, yet when viewed from an acute angle, the same mesh may appear as an almost solid object. The way in which light reflects from a mesh facade is similarly dynamic, as seen from the comparative images below, the angle from which the sunlight hits the material has a dramatic effect upon its appearance and how it is read.
Water Retention
The building’s facade will of course be constantly exposed to sea water and rain. The perforated nature of mesh means it may hold droplets of water. A very fine mesh acts in a way similar to a piece of cloth, allowing light to penetrate through whilst water simply runs off (left image below). A more coarse gauge of mesh (right image below) will retain much of the water within its perforations. Over-laying differing gauges of mesh creates further unique interactions between facade and water.
Erosion and Weathering
The prospect of metal cladding being in constant contact with sea water poses both a problem and an opportunity. The static components of the building will see Reykjavik’s huge 5m tidal range engulf much of the facade, the movement of salt water across the surface of the metal is likely to cause some chemical response, generating a prominent band of effected material. The floating elements of the building will still encounter constant lapping from the sea, the winds will drive spray through mesh facades and across decks. Although renowned for being one of the cleanest cities in Europe, acid rain does exist in Reykjavik, and this is something that would have a definite effect upon a metal facade. Below are examples of brass sheets exposed to acid, which can very quickly strip the sheen from the material. The left image has been pre-treated with wax in sections to mask the acid, creating an attractive aesthetic.
permanence and impermanence
March 2nd, 2011 | Richard Almond
There has been a nagging issue concerning the permanence of my building. A building which floats can feel temporary, a building which both floats and moves laterally, without definition, is effectively a poorly-designed boat. My pontoons were in danger of becoming too fleeting, too loose to constitute architecture. A datum was required, something solid from which the movement of the rest of the building could be read.
The tower becomes the pin which holds the building together, the culmination of a pedestrian’s journey. A suspended ribbon sits just above the water, connecting the tower to the harbour-side, acting as walkway and servicing element for the floating pontoons which dock onto it.
constructional model
February 23rd, 2011 | Richard Almond
This model attempts to expore technical and constructional properties for a typical section through the academy. More images can be found here.
explorative modelling
February 3rd, 2011 | Richard Almond
As Reykjavik cycles through warmth and cold, light and dark, the building unravels and contracts. Scattered pontoons gently drift with winter’s icy tidal currents, tethered into a matrix they animate the harbour during the short days. Summer sees the pontoons contract, stiffening into a linear pier, the sailing vessels take over the task of animating the water.
