A list of Exemplar Buildings were selected and presented to the students for research, analysis and representation in week 1. Each student was to choose three of the exemplar buildings; 1 from the International Building List, and two from the Australian Exemplar Building List.
Aspects of the particular exemplar to be researched were:
- A house is an environmental filter
- A house is a container of human activities
- A house is a delightful experience
- (International) :: Kengo Kuma & Associates - Bamboo Wall House, Shuiguan (Badaling, China) 2002
- (Australian) :: M3 Architecture - Armstrong Residence, Brisbane (Queensland, Australia) 2002
- (Australian) :: Owen and Vokes - Newmarket House, Newmarket (Queensland, Australia) 2004
"The work of Kengo Kuma is one of modulation: of light and shadow, of physical response to materials, of flexibility and specific reactions to specific sites." (Brown 2004) This is fully demonstrated in the Bamboo Wall house which was completed in 2002 and is situated in Shuiguan, Badaling, China. In this house, Kengo Kuma has successfully fulfilled "the idea of integration, of fusing of architecture and land." (Oddo 2002). Inspired by the Great Wall of China, he has designed this house to conform to the undulated ground at its base. As a result, the Bamboo Wall House is environmentally filtered as it is laid out in "several gently dispersed, open levels that abstract the verticality of the existing landscape" (Brown 2004). In addition, the house was built with natural elements including bamboo and rice paper, thereby linking the structure to the site.
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| Figure 1 - Interior view of the Bamboo Wall House |
The architect also creates a delightful and mediative atmosphere within the design through the use of bamboo walls which meander through the house, allowing light to filter through along with wind. Due to the sparsely positioned bamboo sticks, it is also possible to see through to the beautiful exterior landscape as demonstrated in Figure 1. The bamboo slats are very versatile in relation to human activity within the house as it separates zones and partitions space so that areas are "more protected in some parts and open in others" (Oddo 2002). M3 Architecture - Armstrong Residence
The work of M3 Architecture can be described as having a developed a "social and cultural agenda and is site driven approach" (Taylor 2008) as shown in the design of the Armstrong Residence. This house is set on a steep, south facing slope and had very limited access to the sun. However, despite these obstacles, the architects were able to transform the house into an environmental filter where certain aspects helped climatise the design. For example, the deck area "is a remote structure which intercepts the winter sun" (Taylor 2008). To maintain a cool temperature in summer, the architects drew inspiration from subtropical design as demonstrated in Figure three. This design used "over hanging monopitch roofs" (Taylor 2008) and open timber screens which shaded windows while also allowing ventilation which prevented the entrapment of heat.
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| Figure 2 - Overhanging monopitched Roofs |
The Armstrong Residence includes a reflective glass pavilion which exists beyond the main house as shown in Figure 3. While clearly identifying the new from the old, it is also a seamless integration into its surroundings as the reflective service "mimics the immediate forest landscape" (Taylor 2008). This creates a sense of delight as the perception of the landscape is multiplied, thereby preserving "the feeling of an open under croft, (World Architecture News 2008) keeping the visitors close to nature.
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| Figure 3 - Use of reflective materials |
The human activity in this house is determined by the needs of the client. As a matured family, it was important that the design embodied elements for "the co-existence of 4 adults on the cusp of diminishing" (World Architecture News 2008). As a result, two client groups were established; father daughter; mother daughter. This was so that the rooms would be easily transformed when they were to be eventually vacated.
Owen and Vokes - Newmarket House
The development of the suburban backyard has grown from being a space to store utility objects to being integrated as a main part in domestic life. The extension of the Newmarket House designed by Owen and Vokes Architects is a prime example of the modern interpretation of a backyard. In this 1940s art deco house, the architects were able use simplistic design to create "a picturesque composition" (Owen and Vokes 2010) while also integrating environmental aspects. Although this house is not designed like the typical Queenslander it still attains the attributes of passive design; it allows natural light and ventilation into the house. This was achieved through the architects' idea to "eroded [the walls] where necessary for climatic tuning" (Johnson 2006). The material and the placement of the walls both contribute to the feeling of purity and delight in the house as evident in Figure 4. In addition, the combination of the raw concrete floor of the interior space and the blindingly white walls of the exterior space plays with the spatial aspect of the design, thereby accentuating the feeling of a basic shelter like a cave, looking out onto an amplified landscape.
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| Figure 4 - The erosion of walls |
When entering the house, it is obvious that most of "the magnetic space is at the rear of the dwelling" (Moulis 2005) due to the large open space. The indistinct boundary between the interior and exterior spaces also encourages the usage and interaction in the outdoor space (Figure 5) as it focuses on a garden room which can also be described as "an inhabited wall" (Gregory 2009).
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| Figure 5 - The inhabited wall |
- Brown, A. 2004. Making Magic with Materials and Light. From Kateigaho. http://int.kateigaho.com/mar04/architect-kuma.html
- Gregory, R. Queensland. From The Architectural Review (Sept 2009)
- Johnson, A. 2006. New Directions in the Austrlian House. Pesera Publishing: Australia
-Moulis, A. Thomson, S. The New Backyard. http://www.archmedia.com.au/aa/aaissue.php?issueid=200509&article=typeon=2 (september 2005)
- Oddo, F. 2002. Great (Bamboo) Wall House, Kengo Kuma. Floornature. http://www.floornature.com/progetto.php?id=4718&sez=30
- Owen and Vokes. Newmarket House. Australian Institute of Architects. http://www.architecture.com.au/awards_search?option=showaward&entryno=20054075
- Taylor, M. 2008. m3architecture. Architectural Design March/April 2008
- World Archtiecture News. 2008. Armstrong Residence. http://www.worldarchitecturenews.com/index.php?fuseaction=wanappln.projectview&upload_id=10065
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