Oops! Almost forgot our lovely post-it notes:
These were one point each of what we knew about this unit/project.
♥El.

Week 2 Tutorial.

Slightly out of order, but here are the week 2 activities from studio 10 (my tut):

These are all brainstorming sheets for:
1. A house as an environmental filter.
2. A house as a container of human activity.
3. A house as a delightful experience.
4. What Web 2.0 is.

These were all group activities, we were looking at architecture in general - now i just need to go away and do my own brainstorm of how my chosen house (Casa Tolo-for those of you who haven't been paying attention)fits with these things.

Hopefully my blog will soon be the eppitimy of Web 2.0

Luv El.

Hey, I have been looking up web 2.0 applications here:

http://www.go2web20.net/

and found an especially cool one called gravity.

http://www.gravity.com/

you have to request an invitation (which I have) but its a site that has a whole heap of 'worlds' in which you disscuss that topic with other people who are interested in the same thing.

eg. Architecture world (I hope)

Anyway, I've requested an invitation and I'll see what is on there and let you know.

Luv El.

Three-dimensional volumetric exterior

Three-dimensional volumetric exterior representation(s):

Here are the first sketches!

The top sketch is looking up at the house from one of the lower platforms, the bottom sketch is from right of the top of Casa Tolo looking down the slope at the holiday house.

PS. for some reason the top sketch came out darker - when I posted it (accidentally) at a smaller size this seemed to effect it????

PPS. DISCLAIMER:

Both of these sketches were based off photographs I found at this web page:

http://www.fernandoguerra.com/tolo/

I am as of the moment unsure how to reference this cite, but will head off to the libary help desk tomorrow to find out :)

Three to One.

Ok, from the list of houses from lecture 1 DAB310 I have chosen to investigate:

House: Balaam Residence

Architect:Shaun Lockyer[Arkhefield]

Location:Brisbane, Australia

House: Bark Studio

Architect: Bark Design

Location: Noosa Heads, Australia

House: Casa Tolo

Architect: Alvaro Siza Vieira

Location: Lugar Das Carvalihinhas, Potugal

After Doing research on these houses I had to narrow my research down to focus on my exemplar house. Having read and looked through what I could find I was still undecided, so I mind mapped:

A house is a cause for delight.

A house is an environmental filter.

A house is a container of human activity.

(I have also added the dot points underneath as I don't think that the maps will be particularly legible once uploaded).

Bark Studio:

• Floating the building above the natural ground level.(Contemporist, 2009)
• Between two mature Eucalyptus.
• Shopfront, showcasing works.
• Variety of facades.
• Lightness.
• Transparency.
• Glass juxtaposed with aluminum.
• 'solidarity of it's form is punctured by glass slots'.(Bark Design, 2010)
• 'Clear, honest expression of materials and a clear legibility of structure'.(Contemporist, 2009)

• Mezzanine = to ventilate working space +cropped views framed.
• Works around the two Eucalyptus root systems.
• landscape integration.
• Plywood facade give protection from the western sun and the road.
• Maximized cross ventilation.
• Framing view of the coastline.
• Operable blinds.
• Opening, and sealed glazing.

• Public/private space (work/home, street/client).
• Alternate to the urban office. ((Contemporist, 2009)
• Studio and workplace in one.
• Flexible spaces (5-6 design team, or just 2).
• 'simplicity and flexibility'.(Contemporist, 2009)
• Plywood box to road - provides privacy.
• 'Mezzanine serves as a retreat'. (Bark Design, 2009)
• 72m square internal.(Atkins & Guthrie, 2006)
• 28m square external.(Atkins & Guthrie, 2006)

Balaam Residence:

• Built upwards in layers. (RAIA, 2007)
• Limited materials play multiple roles = thematic unity. (RAIA,2007)
• Riverside.
• East wall spine.
• 'A picture window into a counter-levered, bright red swimming pool'.(Arkhefield, 2007)
• Defined spaces = comfort, knowing where everything belongs/takes place.

• Layering allows response to views, privacy, sun... (Specifier, 2010)
• 'Simplify the use of the house through use of technology, rather than complicate it.'(Australian Institute of Architects, 2007)
• Hugs east and south to allow for preferable western garden.
• Western garden for children = light after school.
• Private house built in a public realm.(Specified, 2010)
• Orientations and view to suit privacy.

• Swimming pool is the centre for life in the house.
• Stacked children's rooms. (RAIA, 2007)
• Living/ shared spaces all on one floor.
• Built to allow for a growing family. (Lariviere, 2010)
• Different areas = different materials.
• Indoor/outdoor.
• Separation. (Parents rooms - north. Children's - south).
• 'highly permeable from the inside out, but highly protected from the outside in.' (Thomson, 2007)

Casa Tolo:

• Makes games of the stairs.
• Inter-connection between indoor/outdoor.
• Influences from Esher and Piranesi as a child. As a result - like living in an artwork.(Pearson, 2006, p. 2)
• Suspense. It only reveals itself a little at a time.
• Different experiences eg. occupation of the roof.
• Small number of materials = unity.
• 'The choice of exposed concrete creates an idea like that of massive stones appearing naturally on the site.'(Yoshida(Ed.), 2006, 12)
• Limits the internal natural sunlight - Therefore it is more interesting/ delightful when it is there.

• From the street you can only see a concrete platform. It is withdrawn from the streetscape/ neighborhood - created own little world.
• Does not filter out gradient, but does make it accessible.
• Frames views, decides what can/ can't be seen.
• Partially buried = thermal advantage.
• (Pedestrian pathway).

• The house as 'a pedestrian link between the upper and lower levels that border this lot'.(Yoshida(Ed.), 2006, 12)
• Inside/outside living - When portugal is in it's wet season this must effect the activity more than it might in a regular house.
• Personal space. ie. The bedrooms are small, whilst the shared living areas are larger - possibly promotes family activity.
• Modules: The whole house is separate from itself, being broken by either levels or stairs. It would be quite easy to find alone time.

Chosing:

I really liked Bark Studio because of the rural studio idea, and I really liked Balaam Residence because of the layering and seperation of different people's space, but I have chosen Casa Tolo as my Exemplar!

(so bare with some of my links being to sites in portuguese - here is a link to Google translator http://translate.google.com/# so enjoy!)

I chose Casa Tolo because I am interested in layers. Considering this is essentially a house that is a staircase-turned-holliday-home I thought it would probably be of interest.

I also have previously had trouble with stairs in my designs and in understanding them in plans/sections. I have chosen Casa Tolo as a challenge!

Luv El.

References:

Arkhefield. (2007) Balaam. Retrieved March 3, 2010, from http://arkhefield.com.au/pdf.php?id=109&table=projects&field=pdf

Atkins, L., & Guthrie, S. (2006). Bark Design: studio house, Sunshine coast, Queensland, Australia. Ume. (20), 2-7.

Australian Institute of Architects. (2007) Balaam Residence: In the Architects Words. Retrieved March 2, 2010, from http://www.architecture.com.au/awards_search?option=showaward&entryno=2007040378

Bark Design. (2010). Bark Studio. Retrieved March 3, 2010, from http://www.barkdesign.com.au/

Contemporist. (2009). The studio of Bark Design. Retrieved March 3, 2010, from http://www.contemporist.com/2009/10/24/the-studio-of-bark-design-architects/

Lariviere, M. (2010). Vue comme une ouevre d'art. Prestige Design Magazine, 7(2), Retrieved March 2, 2010 from http://www.arkhefield.com.au/pdf.php?id=000011&table=news&field=pdf

Pearson, C. A. (2006)In northern Portugal, Alvaro Leite Siza Vieira cascades CASA TOLO down a steep slope through terraced gardens[Abstract].Architectural Record, 194(4), 2.

RAIA. (2007). RAIA Brisbane Regional Comendations: Residential Architecture - houses. Retrieved March 3, 2010, from http://www.architecture.com.au/i-cms_file?page=9148%2FBrisbane_Citations.pdf

Specifier. (2010). Balaam Residence. Retrieved March 2, 2010, from http://www.specifier.com.au/projects/residential/34917/Balaam-Residence.html

Thomson, S. (2007). Learning Curves. Houses [Interview], (58), 107-118. Retrieved from Australian/New Zealand Reference Centre Database.

Yoshida, N. (Ed.) (2006). Living with nature.Architecture and

Urbanism, 426, 16.

The Beginning.

Welcome to my blog for DAB310 on the portuguese house Casa Tolo.

Ok, so I get the feeling this is going to be a lot like previous assignments, it doesn't look like much work, but then BAM you are at uni at three am on a friday, and you haven't left since monday. You also can't remember consuming anything other than energy drink in a looooong time.

So here goes...