STUDIOHOUSE-F451

Critical Analysis:

I did not quite understand why a Home had to merge with an Industrial shed to become a hybrid space for an Artist, but it works.

The form of Studio House F451 exploits an aesthetic: harsh, angular structure rising out of undulating land; the pleasant white colour of the double storeyed building sits against a green terrain backdrop, almost emerging from it. “The simplicity of construction is betrayed by the corrugated metal panels that cover every ceiling: a glimpse of the metal structure that underpins it all” the designer states.

The whole building is designed by positional relationships taking into consideration the existing trees at the site.The use of North light (concept from an Industrial workshop) through angled glass windows allowing even light for an Artist’s studio is an idea which maximises available abundant resource of sunlight while minimising the use of energy for lighting; the double height space creates a volume/room for creativity, although large almost open to nature – floor to ceiling windows; could have been an option to allow nature to come into living spaces, creating a boundless feeling, also connecting landscape with architecture like the designers have attempted to.

Materialisation of the design, Honey comb clay block and landscaped roof are quite interesting which adds to insulation-going green- energy efficiency, however a region specific material or a rustic woody feel in relation to the regional context according to me seems to be missing.

The program/function specificity, with 4 autonomous but interrelated units – house, guest apartment, atelier and garage- together with the slope from the terrain design the frame where they have integrated both types into a single volume is a smart design solution to the space being used as whole or as smaller units and also as a climate regulator. The design also aids cross ventilation along natural lighting, the slopes- roofs of the design aid rain water collection and use.

But could there have been a thought towards energy generation? Could there have been a thought towards Zero-debris? Towards a holistic living?

Over all STUDIOHOUSE F451 is a space which has taken a leap towards green living by merging architecture and landscape.

Bernard Rudofsky : An American writer, Architect, Collector, Teacher, Designer, and Social historian.

Bernard Rudofsky: Conditioned outdoor spaces

In the article Rudofsky starts with identifying the manner in which it was distinctly marked by his encounters with modernity—from the violent wars of the first-half of the twentieth century and the subsequent Cold War period to the rise of information technology and the exacerbated deracination driving the period’s growing territorial insecurity. He continues to speak about the abuse of technology and its effects on human lifestyle correlating it with the environment, attempting to tame nature to man’s conveniences by having ice-skating in hot summers and hot tub in cold winters. Of also architects building windowless factories and offices, of tunnels and underground structures and of humans living in burrows with heaps of waste on the top.

The Author expresses his surprise of why  “wall”  has never been acknowledged as one  of mankind’s greatest inventions, as “wall” initiated the  lifestyle shift  by taking shelter in a more permanent structure as compared to a tree that changes with season.

Continues to then refer to gardens of the Romans and of Pompeii, of how they were as ornate as the interiors of the buildings were with marbles mosaic etc., of how gardens could be living spaces as compared to being a visual treat as they are today, of gardens being a place to eat sleep and live. Gardens according to him should be a place where a family could enjoy the morning sun having their breakfast or having a siesta time in the afternoon under the shade of a tree or a place to sit and enjoy reading a book. A garden not for the outsiders, but for the inhabitants as a private living space with a wall at the outer edge to take the garden space indoor, as compared to a picket fence.

He interestingly conveys the relationship between nature and architecture, of their co-existence and dependency, of a fine line between the two.

Reading further about the Author,

I was fascinated to know about his study of feet after which he designed women footwear. Architecture without architects, a book where he studies and explains about self-built structures by people with no formal education in architecture.

My area of interest for research would be towards a holistic design approach for social needs and problems addressing a range of issues from diversity and hunger, to homelessness and gun violence, for human-centric barrier free design thinking.

References:

http://inhabitat.com/honeycomb-clay-walls-and-a-green-roof-insulate-hybrid-home-and-atelier-in-spain/

http://inhabitat.com/honeycomb-clay-walls-and-a-green-roof-insulate-hybrid-home-and-atelier-in-spain/

http://www.setimanitoba.org/column/2013/1/22/pattern-163-outdoor-room.html

http://www.getty.edu/art/exhibitions/rudofsky/events.html

Text Analysis-

The Conditioned Outdoor room

Bernard Rudofsky stresses on the need to merge with the nature and not isolate ourselves from nature. He imagines the future generation living hundred and thousands of feet below the ground without imparting their happiness. In the text he talks about the importance of gardens by giving examples from the Roman Garden, Garden of Pompeii and the Japanese gardens. Man can establish an “environmental relationship” with the outdoor gardens during the transition of various seasons by seeing it as an additional living space. He also talks about the “positional relationship” a wall creates by enclosing the garden within its space and the importance of the wall in climate control and maintaining a buffer between the indoor and the outdoor. Rudofsky also brings in a “metaphorical relationship” thought the relation between the man and the nature was resuming into economic advantages- man failed to produce anything revolutionary because he retreated into his house. This text dates back to the 1950’s where technology wasn’t a part of life as it is today. The question is “Is the garden an additional living space achievable in today’s world”

House Analysis-

Studio House by F451 Arquitectura

Rudofsky’s idea of “relationship between man and nature” in “The conditioned outdoor room” is quite evident in this house. The Studio house is a faceted house and a studio with emerge from the slope of the hill in Gijon, Spain. This house is hybridization of two typologies- the modern house and the industrial warehouse. The house develops a “positional relationship” with the slope of the site as the house does not sit on the ground, but in fact the relationship with the ground changes in conjunction with the plan. We can also observe a “metaphorical relationship” – the house tries to branch out from the foot of the hill with a green roof over the house and hence dividing the two storey residence into four sections, which include living quarters, a double-height atelier, a guesthouse and a car parking garage. The building is in an “environmental relationship” with its surrounding by its double orientation, juxtaposition and location of the north lighting

Conclusion

As a conclusion, we should try to incorporate the benefits of “The conditioned outdoor room” instead of being fixed on the idea of the “garden” and the “wall”. We need to find the perfect balance between human beings, technology and nature.

Research Topic

I would like to explore the balance which can be created between human and nature taking in consideration the technological advancement.

How the environmental relationship can affect the form of the structure and vice versa.

References:

The conditioned outdoor room- Bernard Rudofsky