Revolution

Revolution

OK... I think I'm getting happier. I love new forms my mind has produced; shapes don't just morph physically, but also perceptually - the same part of the form looks like a stem from one point of view, like a leaf from another, and like a flat slab from yet another. What I desperately need now is an idea how to convert this thing into habitable spaces. Do I carve spaces? Do I slice slabs and extrude them? Do I simply flatten floors and enclose them in glazing?

Massing Update

Massing Update

Here I changed 1st floor massing and columns to make it resemble roots. I changed ramp to make it wavy, and some paths so it is fluid-like. Railing was made to represent my intentions to make it voluminous, and not simply slab-like (thank you, Andy, for "Canyon project" tip). Leaf-like structures serve as a shade for the outdoor rollerblading space and hangout space. Mechanical space (roof, in the middle of observation deck) has organic embellishment as well.

As of now I'm thinking to make 1st floor of concrete with large vertical window openings, and do other floors of glass to emphasize ramp and railings.

Is this the right direction, or which aspects of the mass should I rethink?

Programmatic Study & Development attempt

Programmatic Study & Development

Well... previously I turned idealistic model into this hybrid of the idea and real constrains.

Obviously, it is too sculptural to be practical to be used as a habitable space. Pictures below show my development. The overall appearance of the building isn't as fluid as I'm planing for it to be, but the functional part of this massing already is.

Site view. Building is visible from the street, park, pier, and water.

Looking from the pier

Looking from the water towards NW

Looking from the water towards SE

View from the top of the ramp (elevation: 25') towards South

View from the top of the ramp towards West

Bird view

Helicopter view

Approximate space destributions

Future development will include modification of the PoolArea wall. It will become ribbed to further simulate roots. Top ramp will wave. Rollerblading area will have leafy addition which will serve as shading device. Mechanical space will have similar structure. Outdoor passages will have elaborate railing systems which will add volume to them. Finally, appropriate wall finishes will have to be devised to enhance the organic feel.

Stepping Back

Stepping Back

Turning a vertical model of my parti into a horizontal conceptual massing with a potential for a future development proved itself a very difficult exercise.
My initial thought was to use concepts of the parti, and not shape of it to make a massing.

Eventually, after hours of thinking, drawings, and modeling with clay I have made something I'm content with.
Model preserved all four aspects of the parti: roots, plane of ground, stem, and leaves. It is just as organic and fluid as the parti model.

Unless you stop me, I'm planning to start transforming shapes of this model into spaces of the future building. PS: My drawings below show my process of thinking starting from the half-circles until now. Half of the process I do in AutoCAD and 3D to see if my intentions can possibly be converted into habitable spaces rather then a sculpture.

Massing development

Massing development

My last model, lazy one, helped me to understand the scale of the site, and to compare it to the areas of spaces. In order to blend my parti with it I made another massing model. It is organic, it has all elements of my parti, but it is plain, it is lacking aesthetic space inside and strong statement in appearance on the outside.

... still working on it.

Massing Development & Model

Massing Development & Model

Word "Renewal" model has become my parti:

According to the maximum allowable building footprint and zoning regulations I've made a 3D model representing a maximum building envelope (without and with possible overhang above the passage).

In order for the structure to represent my parti I need to implement fluid and branching circulation, and organic forms for the envelope. Outdoor circulation will represent roots of the plant; acceding circulation will represent the stem from which spaces (leaves) will branch of.

Below is the hybrid model which isn't a sketch model, but merely at attempt to understand the scale, proportions and relationships between spaces.