Precedent Clarification:

It should be noted that I am presently working through the expansion of my Theoretical Framework to incoporate some theory relating to urabn and landscape design, so at present I am focusing my precedents on the Marine Base. Once that Theoretical Framework is completed I will be doing some studies of relevant urban and landscape design in reference to the theory that I have investigated.

Precedent 3 - Nautic Center / Guinée et Potin Architects

The Nautic Centre by Guinee et Potin Architects is a new sailing club located in Pléneuf Val-André, Brittany, France and functions as a sailing training centre, predominantly for children, but also adults. The building was completed in 2009.

Massing:

The building is tightly grouped together with three levels stacked up on top of each other. The middle level recedes providing an external terrace which delineates the floors of the building and reduces the bulk impact that the building has on viewers.

The building is inserted into the cliff face following the shore line, but which is separated form the beach by a a quiet road. The cliff wraps around the building on three sides, giving the building a single aspect out to the south west. The building itself, due to its insertion into the cliff and the separation from the beach, is a building of the land, which by its function and views is connected to the water.

Zoning:

The zoning of the building functions is conveyed predominantly by the three levels, with boat storage (grey) and training (orange) on the ground, the club house (green) and administration (blue) in the middle and interestingly the amenities (purple) on the top floor. This location of the amenities on the top floor is an interesting one, considering from a pragmatic point of view the need to walk up flights of stairs after a hard day on the water seems very demanding, yet also the location of these extensive amenities on the top level also allows the mass of the building to be a smaller foot print than otherwise might have been needed.

Circulation:

With the building being only one space deep the horizontal circulation largely occurs through occupied space such as the storage or clubhouse space. The amenities of the top floor are all accessed off the central circulation off the spiral staircase.

Vertical circulation (red) occurs internally by a central spiral stair case in the centre of the building as well as lift for disabled access on the east side. An external stair on the east façade also allows external access to all floors of the building.

Internal Space:

The exposure of the structure at different points within the building contribute to raising the treatment of the interior spaces above that of purely pragmatic spaces. The expose of the timber structure of the floor above in the clubhouse space adds a level of depth and quality to the space especially the contrast of the structure against the view across the water. It is this view that is the focus of most of the spaces with them being orientated to maximize inhabitant experience of this view

The function of the building as a place for children is reflected in the bright and multi-coloured tiles of the amenities which add life to the otherwise functional fit-out.
With the small footprint, natural light an ventilation to the building are easily managed, especially with the building having a gap between it the cliff surrounding, allowing diffuse light and ventilation on the three cliff facades.

Materials:

Each of the three levels of the Nautic Centre are differentiated by way of their materials. The ground floor storage area is clad in red cedar timber cladding, a suitable timber for the marine environment. The middle floor of the clubhouse is glass on the south western façade to take advantage of the view, with the floor above providing shading. The upper floor housing the amenities is precast concrete of a chestnut colour, with irregular windows and indentations to reference the cliff face behind.

The structure is a combination of steel concrete and timber frame, all of which are exposed at various points.

Relevance to the Boat Park + Marine Base


The Nautic Centre is a useful precedent in identifying and confirming some of the directions that I am taking. Firstly the location of the building hugging the cliff space and the distance that puts between the building and the water and the reduction of the dialogue between the two reinstates the decision that I have made to cantilever part of the Marine Base out into the water and the strength that provides to the relationship between the building and the water.

Also obviously the building is another source for thinking about some of the functional planning aspects of the Marine Base.

More significantly the Nautic Centre provides an example of mixed façade materials and the impact that can have on the massing of the building – if it had been one sole material, it may have seemed more massive. Also the choice of materials has reaffirmed the idea for buildings of this nature to make a public statement – to make their mark. The Nautic Centre uses predominantly simple and humble materials, but the choice of precast panels in varying configurations for the top floor, acts as the signpost for the building, and makes the public statement for the building and proves this can be done without having to be garish.

Esquisse 1/Charette 1

Esquisse 1

Attached are all the schmatic plans and one rough section as it stood prior for yesterdays esquisse. - These drawings now have copius notes and corrections all over them as a result of the consulations with John Carrick for the structure, as well as general in class feedback - can also as a result of the work done in the Charette exercise. Below is a list of issues as written at the beginning of yesterday's class of things that need to be worked on, improved, or in some cases thought about!

Plenty of work to be getting on with!!!


Structures

Today I had a chat with John Carrick as I knew that with that 'heroic' cantilever (above),  I would have to get the structure sorted out before I could really work on the elevations - I didnt want to get too attached to something and then have to change because of structure that I could have worked out earlier!

I was pretty sure that the cantilever would most likely be a wall truss system - but there were going to be issues with the backspan running through the middle of the two other levels, affecting doors etc. - in case that was not solvable I also considered that a concrete support beam could run along underneath like the keel of a boat. (below)


















After speaking to John, the truss system is the best, and can be supporting truss doesn't have to be a continuation of the same truss, but can be incorporated into the Marine Living floor. Phew - even better this supporting truss can be a vierendeel truss (square without the cross bracing member) - or can even be a whopping blade wall (600mm x 3m) - which certainly give me more flexibility than I was previously expecting!

John also showed how the keel option could work if I chose to go in that direction, as well as giving me some intial ideas about the structure that will be required for the footbridge, for later consideration.

 - so now I have at least an initial structural strategy! -



Charette 1

This week we did our first Charette exercise - which entailed drawing vignettes of 'entry,' 'transition,' and 'activity.' Above were some of the more successful explorations. Most helpful were the conisderations of the entry points and how they draw people in.Also useful was the identification of more consideration of the internal spaces - which was on the list of issues, but it has now gone further up the list in temrs of needing to be dealt with! - Also of value was the pinpointing of certain views and paths of motion through the buildingand providing points of focus.

Expansion Options?

During the semester break, it was put to me that the base might need to incoporate more in terms of radio facilities, so I had to explore what the potential options were for increasing this function, or whether it should be left out of the project. Above was the original concept proposal with the two options considered below.

I have decisded to pursue Option 1 as that does not detract from the original concept - but rather provides opportunites for the improvment. One of the key elements of the concept proposal was the horizintal reference and emphasis of the Anzac Bridge above, and Option 2 breaks that relationship down, as well as not being the most practical solution from a functional perspective.

Semester Programme.

Above is my program for the semester as I can see it now, but things will of course be subject to change as the project gets tempremental and throws tantrums occasionally!

Precedent 2 - Community Rowing Boathouse/Anmahian Winton Architects

The Community Rowing Boathouse, by Anmahian Winton Architects, is located along the Charles River in Boston, and provide Community Rowing Inc, a non-for-profit rowing orgnaisation with better facilities including storage for 170 boats, exercise rooms, classrooms, locker rooms, a boat repair shop and administrative spaces.

Massing:

The Boathouse consists of two structures, one a dedicated boat hanger, purely for boat storage and the main boathouse, which incorporates storage, boat repair and entry on the ground floor with training and administration on the top floor.

The main boathouse is made up of two volumes loosely categorised as the service spaces and the served spaces with circulation running through the middle. The articulation of the two volumes gives definition to what could have been an overwhelming single mass. Also the single band of windows running around the visible facades of the main volume emphasising the horizontal.

The boathouse is located between a highway and the Charles River so the two storey height, not only mediates between the two, but also acts a signpost for the organisation to the passing motorists on the highway.

Circulation:

Circulation through the building is largely through the central spine between the two volumes of the building, with the stairs and lift located along this line. Circulation also occurs through the boat storage areas.

Internal Space:

With the circulation occurring along the central spine of the building, all the inhabitant spaces are located on the periphery and are accessed by natural light.

The façade of the boat storage and amenity areas are permeable allowing light and natural ventilation without using large amounts of glass.

By nad large the internal spaces are pragmatic, with structure and services exposed, but the proportions, particularly the heights of the spaces, make for light, airy comfortable spaces for the rowers to train and learn in.

Materials:

The cladding for main boathouse, are timber panels that are used differently for the two volumes. The panels on the main storage and training areas are long panels with alternate panels folding out at the middle of the ground faced creating gaps through which light and air can enter the ground floor storage area, as well as providing a façade riverfront that is shifting and dynamic.

The secondary volume of the main boathouse uses the same timber but in shingle form, which are applied to form wavy lines across the façade, which results with gaps occurring in the facade. These are utilised by windows located within the wall behind for light and ventilation to the amenities behind, while maintaining a uniform façade.

Shingles are again repeated but in glass on the secondary boat storage building allowing views through the storage area, but protecting the boats from UV components of sunlight.

Relevance to the Boat Park + Marine Base:

The Community Rowing Boathouse is helpful in developing the practical spatial arrangements of a boating facility both in terms of the Marine Base itself but more specifically for the public boat hanger that will be located within the Bank Street Park.

The Boathouse also challenges the idea of a façade as a single, solid surface and as well as relationship between different volumes and their respective materials. In a similar way to the Zivilschutz Zentrum the Boathouse also gives another example of a building that conveys the humble nature of its activities while also making a public statement, which according to Community Rowing Inc, is working very successfully with membership doubling since the opening of the new building. Certainly for Marine Rescue NSW this is a statistic worth aspiring to!

While the buildings themselves are set back from the edge of the water, the extension of the wharfs and balconies out towards the river provide a more direct link with the water environment. The Boathouse on land reaches out, somewhat tenuously, towards the river, yet overall the building is still ground with landbased existence, sending out people onto the water rather than being connected itself.

Precedent 1 - Zivilschutz Zentrum/AllesWirdGut Architektur

Austrian architects, AllesWirdGut Architektur designed the Zivilschultz Zentrum, that is a base for the local ambulance service, volunteer fire brigade, mountain rescue team in the northern Italian town of Innichen, located in a valley of the South Tyrolean High Puster mountains.

The competition was won for the project in 2003 with construction being completed on 2007.

Massing:

The building is located within a context of small scale residential and while standing out from it’s context, and making itself visible, the building still hides much of it’s bulk by integrating the building within the natural fall of the topology and stretching out the functions along the hillside. It bridges the balance between clearly stating its presence within the larger context of the mountains without overwhelming its surrounding town context, as a volunteer service should.

Functional open space has been inserted between the volumes of the services on both levels which breaks the building into a complex of smaller volumes, allowing for a more integrated relationship with the surrounding context.


Zoning:

With three service located within the one complex, each of these services remain quite distinct yet also connected sharing circulation and access ways. Due to the heavy reliance on vehicles, each service is allocated individual allocated vehicle space, although volunteer parking is shared, as are some training facilities such as the climbing wall.

Circulation:

A significant amount of circulation occurs on the exterior of the building as well as through the vehicle components and living zone within each of the services. The only major internal corridor exists as a division between two services. Multiple entrances exist for both occupants and vehicles due to the nature of the services provided.

Internal Space:

Much of the internal space is for vehicle storage and maintenance, with the operation and living areas being tightly held together. Natural light is key in these areas with the living areas being located in the external zones of the building, with ample windows with scenic panoramas over the town and the mountainscape. The top floor is recessed in order to provide additional light to the areas of the lower floor, such as the change rooms and vehicle space for the alpine rescue, that are adjacent to the hillside.

Vehicle areas in most buildings are usually as pragmatic as possible, but considering the time and central role that these zones play in the function of the building, they are light and airy creating a more enticing place to volunteer.

Materials:

The major façade material is copper cladding, in part for its ability to be used as roofing as well, in order to integrate the roof as a fifth façade, which is significant due to the view over the building from the surrounding mountains. The material also reflects the identity the building is to have within the context, being a sign post, but also being humble and unpretentious.

The structure including the walls is predominantly concrete.

Relevance to Marine Base:

This precedent is useful in providing ideas for the programmatic layout of the functions, since the Zivilschutz Zentrum and the Marine Base have similar service and accommodation functions albeit in different mediums.
More specifically the Zivilschutz Zentrum houses volunteer organisations and demonstrates how a building can toe the line between humble and making its presence known and felt, which plays a significant role in the theoretical framework for the Marine Base. A base that respects and conveys its volunteer nature, but also makes a significant public statement as a means of public dialogue and inherent marketing.

Precedent Studies

Over the course of the semester I will be looking at a number of different precedents, which have significance to various aspects of the Bank Street Boat Park.

The hope is for a new one to go up every week (or there abouts!)

Welcome to Bank Street Boat Park!

I hope that you will enjoy your visits as the project develops from the conceptual stage (above) to to a fully detailed hypothetical project over the next four months.

Please look through the journal below to see the progress over Semester 1
 

Open publication - Free publishing - More water