Continuum by Hai Yip Jim Ng

Continuum Folio by Hai Yip Jim Ng

Experiment III: The Architecture and Moving Elements

Theory

An institution should not feel like an institution, but instead, should feel like an artifact, and the movement within it, a spectacle.

Source/article:
Molina, Ignacio. "Smiljan Radic: "I Always Collect Things From All Over; There Is Little Invention"" 06 May 2018. ArchDaily. Accessed 10 May 2018. <https://www.archdaily.com/890488/smiljan-radic-i-always-collect-things-from-all-over-there-is-little-invention/> ISSN 0719-8884

The Architecture

This model aims to provide a dynamic experience for the international students moving to and from the three buildings the architecture bridges: the international house, the roundhouse, and the squarehouse.

The textures used meaningfully establishes a clear directional pull to encourage movement through the bridge and between the buildings.

The library and computer labs are also situated right outside the international house, giving close access to resources for the international students and ensuring they don't have to walk all the way up to the main library.

The office spaces and meeting rooms acts as a bridge between the international house and roundhouse, allowing international students to experience the culture and workplace at UNSW as they traverse the bridge.

The lecture hall's shape and design is made so that the lecturer becomes the center of attention; the lecturer alone becomes the 'artifact' of the architecture itself.

The bridge is built around the theory that 'movement should be a spectacle'. The bridge is inspired by Zaha Hadid's drawings for the Vitra Firestation, and functions on the idea that it is simply a collection of platforms bridging all the surrounding buildings. 

Indeed, the platforms are not connected, making the bridge-passers having to step on and off the platforms, almost like a video game. This creates a strong sense of dynamism and makes movement through the bridge a true 'spectacle'.

 

The studio spaces are also located outdoors, both under the bridge and on top of it. This is to encourage creative and open thinking, allowing students to be inspired instead of being trapped inside a room.

Moving Elements

This animation showcases the moving bridge that connects the international house to the roundhouse. 

During roundhouse peak hours, it moves in such a way that the bridge width is then doubled, allowing for more people to cross. When peak hour ends, it returns to the square formation for a more scenic view for the staff and students working in the bridge. Here, movement becomes a spectacle and the staff/students working in the bridge will feel like an artifact themselves as they are transitioned.

This animation showcases the platforming bridge. 

The moving bridge platforms is based on the theory of movement being a spectacle and creates a strong dynamism in the architecture. The platforms move to transport bridge passers from one platform to another, from one building to another.

Lumion link: https://drive.google.com/open?id=1-sw3ySYKVzXZQ-VY1wYKYxNCO1b82aPN

Sketchup link: https://drive.google.com/open?id=1P98C8E1nh7Jma_QoD2P9393px1-bjf1S

Experiment III: 36 Textures

Experiment III: Peer Feedback

My experience survey also completed.

Experiment III: Model Development and Progress

This was the initial idea, stemming from the floor plan of Zaha Hadid's Vitra Firestation. Troy suggested elevating/lifting the structure off the ground to make it a bridge so I went ahead and did that.

Here, I elevated the model, getting rid of large amounts of the ground components, having it essentially floating as a bridge, connecting the international house, the round house and the square house.

Troy further suggested to place the model over/overlapping the roundhouse and the parts the mode is bridging. So, as you can see, I shifted the model over the roundhouse, making a clear triple directional bridge connecting the three houses. 

I also extended the stepping/platforming bridge, and idea Troy suggested that I really liked: a bridge that didn't necessarily have to connect and that allowed the bridge-passers to step off and on themselves. Essentially, a bridge similar to an old platforming video game. 

This bridge was also inspired by Zaha Hadid's conceptual drawing for the Vitra Firestation. As you can see.

And this is my initial test Lumion render. In addition to this, I created a secondary bridge, using the office spaces and meeting rooms (arranged in the square shape) to bridge the roundhouse and the international house.