EXPLORING ELEVATION
TRAINING CENTRE INITIAL ELEVATIONS
LEAF ST: NORTH/SOUTH ELEVATION
The relationship of the training centre with the retail units
EXPERIMENTING WITH INTERIORS
This space is the main entrance to the building from Leaf St. The facade of the building meets the street directly here, informing this space to become the 'formal 'entrance' to the building. This space is where the reception, office and greeting space for those interest in becoming participants within the building.
BUILDING CONCEPT: VIEW FROM LEAF ST
DEVELOPING ELEVATIONS FURTHER
KEY DESIGN DECISIONS
NORTH FACADE: PRIVACY
The north facade overlooks the residental area which surrounds part of the site. Although they sit back from each, the glazed facade means that line of sight is not effected. Therefore, managing privacy for the residents and users of the training centre is key. Through design I have decided to achieve this by using timber battens across the front of the facade.
SOUTH FACADE: DAYLIGHTING
The south facade of the building gains maximum solar gain throughout the day. It is key to maximise this sunlight in the building, especially in the large double heighted space. The cantilevered east facade also is pivotted to face the south to maximise daylight and views down the site. Therefore, this facade will need daylight controls too. This will be resolved similiarly to the north facade, with timber battens, providing consistency in design of the building.
TIMBER BATTEN PRECEDENT
Timber battens are used as a use of shading, privacy measures, aesthetics etc. For the timber battens in my scheme I have taken precedence from UEA Bob Champion Building. The building is clad in western red cedar and continues to use this for the battens. The main entrance faces south, the battens have placed to control sunlight into the large open communal space, similiar to the open space of the Training Centre. This allows for light to enter throughout the day but is broken up so that thermal comfort and glare is maintained and reduced.
Approaching the intial design stages of the Training Centre I began to collage onto the form of the Training centre, deciding on where windows would sit and where entrances would be. I played with the concept of perforrated brick design and how this could contribute to increased daylighting into the building whilst maintaining privacy. A key factor when beginning to design the elevations was daylighting, how was daylight going to access the key spaces I had layed out internally.
SUMMER SUN; HIGHEST POINT
WINTER SUN; LOWEST POINT
EXPERIMENTING WITH PERFORRATED BRICK FACADES
Through exploration of precedent I began looking at perforrated brick facades and how they can be used to increase daylighting and maintain privacy. Looking at Saw Swee Hock Student Centre by O'Donnell and Tuomey inspired the creative use of brick detailing to bring light into buildings whilst trying to maintain privacy as they have done cleverly in their building located in Central London. I created a model, shining light through at different angles as the day would change in order to get a visual sense of how daylight would access the building.
WINDOW POSITIONING + SOLAR PATH
Understanding the solar geometry of the site allowed me to begin positioning windows strategically around the facade of the building. As I begun to explore where the perforated brick would be placed I now focused on how the sun effected the rest of the building. Large windows will be placed on the south/south east facade to maximise morning sun and continual sun during the day. The potential for rooflights over the top of the building to get light into the stairwell and main open space. The perforrated west facing brick facade will then receive evening light
BUILDING CONCEPT: VIEW FROM SITE
This montage shows the east facing facade. The facade is twisted south with the cantilever to maximise solar gain and views onto the site. Developing this part of the facade meant I had to refer to the daylighting of the site, therefore being able to have a strategic approach to window placement.
PLACING WOOD ON ELEVATIONS
PLACING BRICK ON ELEVATIONS
EXPERIMENTING WITH MATERIALITY
DETAILED ELEVATION STUDIES
After changing the materiality and form of the Training Centre I began to experiment with the new elevations. The images below show quick material studies, deciding where the cladding and brickwork should be placed. After deciding on positioning of materials I began to develop the studies more in depth adding detailed aspects to the building. Still using the environmental considerations as described above I began to develop the elevations further.
LSE SAW SWEE HOCK STUDENT CENTRE
O'Donnell and Tuomey
Perforrated brick to create privacy, as this facade is south facing daylight is allowed into the building
Glazed facades connecting directly to public spaces
South facing glazed facade