USC Architecture Xpo
Our last project challenged us to take the architectural fundamentals we have learned in order to create a well composed design. For my design, I wanted to incorporate the use of solid, void and light to generate an impactful experience for visitors. The intention of offsetting Boolean objects to produce these spaces helps to achieve this.
My project focuses on the visitor’s experience as they journey up the helical staircase that leads them from the gallery up to the observation deck on the top level. As visitors make their journey up the staircase, they are able to get glimpses of the various program components on each level. The form is composed of staggered circular shapes within a rectangular box that plays with the idea of geometrical solids and voids.
This project is designing a gallery hall. My design is meant to create an open and comfort space with dynamic movement. Circulation is a key element for this design.
This project aims to simultaneously address the spatial limitations of a dense urban environment as well as the contentious hierarchy within the art museum ecosystem. The “second” level of this art museum is actually three levels, for the series of stairs create a skyway of offices and workshops, taking full advantage of a relatively small space and making visible the power hierarchy within the museum: the pro workshop is elevated from the general workshop below, and the three offices are vertically separated and staggered as the participants move up the workplace ladder. In addition, the outward form is also based on a hierarchy of regulating lines, such that repeating angles from the roof to the road shape the façade and influence the apertures to create a cohesive yet dynamic space. Finally, SKYWAY seeks to integrate itself into the environment– note the “open” wall that uses the neighboring building as a backdrop, the weight assigned to the moon and sun path so the building can exist during the night and day–as well as dilute direct sunlight into a soft glow, the position of office windows to look out onto the view, and the focus on pedestrian and vehicle traffic to place exits and entrances. The ultimate goal of SKYWAY is to create a multi-use, inclusive space to elevate the institution into a community, reflection into a creation, and inspiration into an action.
The design of it plays the game of series of control points (known as Bézier curve) that determines both directions and formulations of hyperbola surfaces. There is a system where these openings are triangle surfaces as void, and the outer shell as well as inner walls are hyperbola surfaces as solid. The site is quite unique where it has four different edges, including an alley, a street, an avenue, and an edge with the adjacent building. My intension is to diffuse the boundary of the sidewalk and the site where it creates the gesture of attracting pedestrian flows and generates a primary node center on the corner between the street and the avenue. The primary goals are creating continuous spiral circulation from the bottom level to the third level and generates an atrium space in the middle, resulting spaces that diffuses the boundaries among each levels and different programs.
This program is the integration of all projects in this course. I used three method learned in this semester to design three scenarios and choose one to develope. The program of real architecture is also a important point to consider and learn in this project. In this perspective, I focus on people’s activities as inspiration. The main point of the final project generated from the idea-circular regulating line to control the facades and edges of terrace.The interior space focus on provide more various and continuous space for users through openings and the atrium.
The Children’s Play Museum integrates architectural elements that provide a sensory experience for visitors in two ways. Panelled walls of the interiors caters to the sense of touch, by following a step-motif derived through a solid-void subtractive process, imitating the block structure of the building and seamlessly camouflaging the stairway into the design. Additionally, a glass column running through the 3 levels of the building provide an entryway for natural light into the building. The varying intensity of light through the day create a dynamic and playful element in sync with the stepped walls.
The project emphasizes circulation. The form is carved in a semicircular path. Which engages the ground floor allowing for a public causeway to cut through the form. The circulation bounces from side to side in the interior cavern as well as platforms that connect each programmatic space.
Final 1st year studio project designing a multilevel art workshop and gallery. The aim of my particular project was exploring how circulation space can interact with interior and exterior programmatic space while also having its own experiential space.
The design of this gallery is to use circulation to guide a user through an experience, rather than using circulation solely as a means of getting from point A to point B. The circulation guides the user through the gallery at various levels, providing a variety of views of the sculptures on display in the gallery. The programs of the building are stacked, using a central staircase to bring the user to the different levels while providing various exterior and interior viewpoints along the way.