Project 1: House as Thesis Follow-Up
Density, Metamorphosis and Symbiotic Architecture
Analysis:
After presenting on February 6th, 2013, the following discussion revealed strengths, weaknesses and opportunities for development within the project. This includes the following:
Strengths:
The first strength in the presentation is the level of resolution that was achieved for such an unconventional proposal. The technical resolution for hanging a building off the side of a parking garage was not perfect, however it was developed to a point where the proposal is believable and not an abstract concept. This helped to give credibility to the project and intended to make the concepts behind the proposal stronger.
Weaknesses:
There are various points of weakness that need to be addressed in the project. Most of the main concerns that need to be addressed and clarified come from the portrayal of the initial idea and thesis proposal.
The first weakness that needs to be addressed is emphasizing the use of existing building stock instead of constructing new structures to allow the symbiotic interventions to be plugged in. The Metabolist Movement in Japan created new infrastructure to hold capsules, but this approach failed because of neglect and improper use. The presentation needed to explain and elaborate on why the Metabolists failed and how this approach is different. It should have been made clear that the proposal is using existing infrastructure that still plays some sort of role in the city. Creating symbiotic interventions on existing structures allows them to have multiple uses and an increased number of people passing through the space. Explaining and expanding on this point would have helped to strengthen the argument and make the intent clear.
Another part of the project that was unclear is the multiplication of symbiotic forms and their expansion over time. Only a single unit was shown in the presentation, however the intent was that multiple units would be constructed around the circulation of the parking lot to increase the overall density of the site. Also note that these units are to only overtake a minimal number of parking spots so the building can still function as a garage. This issue could have been clarified in the presentation with further explanation in the strategies, followed by a diagram or image that demonstrates how multiple units may interact with the building. Illustrating this concept would have helped to clarify the issue and made the presentation much stronger.
A third weakness that was made evident in the presentation was the future role of the existing building. After the symbiotic interventions expand to cover a large portion of the street facing facade, how would the existing building function? It was unclear in the presentation whether the parking garage would maintain its intended function, or if it would become some sort of social or amenity space for the interventions. The intent is that the parking garage would maintain its existing function, but this brings up other problems that were not addressed in the project. With symbiotic interventions overtaking a large portion of the garage’s facade, ventilation and lighting the parking area would become an issue. Also, how would the circulation be connected to multiple symbiotic units? This area of the project needs further exploration and development in order to make the proposal stronger.
Opportunities for continued Development:
In addition to the strengths and weaknesses of the project, there are also areas that can be further developed and explored to make the project stronger. This includes the following:
The first opportunity comes form looking at the weaknesses that came up in the presentation. This involves exploring how the single symbiotic unit shown in the presentation could multiply and expand over the existing building’s facade. Based off some of the tactics, these units would be concentrated around the parking garage’s circulation and expand towards the centre of the building. As mentioned before, the lighting and ventilation of the parking garage would have to be considered in the expansion of these units. Exploring this would have resulted in a much stronger project and address the issue of density much more clearly. This will be focused on in the next project as the thesis proposal is further developed and the ideas behind it are reinforced.
Another area that can be further explored is the symbiotic unit’s ability to expand. The presentation proposed using a pod or capsule like addition similar to the Metabolists movement. However, there are more options that can be explored that would be easier to construct and adapt to the needs of the users. One potential option for this includes having ‘push outs’ that can be used to adapt to the user’s daily needs instead of the capsules that would be semi-permanent. Or if a capsule is the best solution, how can it be removed and reused in another project when it is no longer needed? Allowing the interventions to be more adaptable to user needs could make the project stronger and respond to changing cultural needs better than the current proposal.
A third opportunity for further development is considering how services, such as water, electricity and gas, can be brought to the unit. Given the symbiotic relationship between the existing building and the new interventions, it makes sense that the units could tie into the parking garage’s services. Or can the relationship work in reverse, having the symbiotic units collect rain water and harvest solar energy, and supply it to the parking garage to offset its energy consumption? This area needs to be further explored before a decision on the servicing for the symbiotic units can be determined.
Additional Sources:
The development of the thesis will require additional research and perspectives on the relevant issues. The following sources will continue to establish a basis of research that can be used to support the argument.
1. This is our Utopianism!: An Interview with Peter Cool.
This source suggests that design perspectives, such as Archigram, can push the boundaries of what is conventional to create a much more socially appropriate and better designed space. This article helps expand the meaning behind the strategy ‘responding to changing cultural trends’ and encourages the architecture to do more and respond in ways that will benefit the greater population in the form of a more livable and dense city.
Zawia. (2014). This was our Utopianism!: An Interview with Peter Cool. Archdaily. Retrieved from: http://www.archdaily.com/472429/this-was-our-utopianism-an-interview-with-peter-cook/
2. Old Metabolism: future cities for out contemporary world
This source is relevant to the thesis proposal by offering a critical opinion on the metabolism movement and a discussion of the implications it has on some current approaches to architecture and urban development. Understanding the implications discussed in this article will influence the symbiotic relationship proposed in the strategies and urge it to take more of a critical role in influencing the future development of urban spaces.
Lemes de Oliveira, F. (2011). Of Metabolism: future cities for our contemporary world. University of Portsmouth: Portsmouth.
3. Urban Sprawl in Postwar Japan and the Vision of the City base on the Urban theories of the Metabolists’ Projects.
The article discusses the Metabolist movements as a form of urban development which is relevant to the proposal’s discussion of increasing density of the urban environment in a more sustainable and social conscious approach. This paper influences the decisions made to increase the density of urban environments and how it can impact the city and city planning.
Pernice, R. (n.d.). Urban Sprawl in Postwar Japan and the Vision of the City based on the Urban Theories of Metabolists’ Projects. Waseda University: Japan
Revised Thesis Abstract:
Urban populations are currently growing at an unprecedented rate, where more then half of the global population are living in urban environments
. The response to this rapid increase in density has been through high-rise towers and a generic building stock that is stagnant and difficult to tailor. As a result, changing cultural trends in urban environments are demanding a new type of architecture that is able to create density through the manipulation of the existing building fabric in order to meet the needs of a growing population and cultural evolutions. This thesis will consider a new architectural typology that is able to work with underutilized urban fabric in a symbiotic relationship to generate spaces that maximizes the use of the existing infrastructure while providing a catalyst for architecture to adapt to changing cultural trends.
In order to respond to this issue, the thesis will consider three strategies: symbiotic relationships between existing infrastructure that has potential to be more densely developed; respond to changing cultural trends and issues through the metamorphosis of both the intervention and the existing building stock; and develop elevated spaces that leave the ground plane free and place an emphasis on the existing infrastructure as the site. The thesis will argue that these approaches to design will result in a higher urban density that can benefit the existing building fabric of the city.
Citations:
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Calthoroe, P. & Lerup, L. (2004). New Urbanism. Michigan: University of Michigan.
Chakrabarti, V. (2013). Building Hyperdensity and Civic Delight. The Design Observer. Retrieved from: http://places.designobserver.com/feature/a-country-of-cities-building-hyperdensity/37899/
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Koolhaas, Rem & Ulrich Obrist, Hans (2011). Project Japan: Metabolism Talks. Taschen: Germany.
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