Millennium People- "metabolism: icons that are not objects"

A relevant article over at Millennium People
 
"specular/speculative architecture is almost always positive, in that it describes a response to an existing social situation. In this respect the architectural object reinforces the social status quo, and belongs to the order of social commentary.
Conversely, the social arguments of a Metabolist building are normative – they describe how things ought to be, and in this respect Metabolist architecture proposes itself as a tool for change, and thus belongs to the order of social progress."
-Jack Self


via Millennium People "One of Kenzo Tange's early Metabolist (not yet Structuralist) projects, 1961."

presentation proposal - story board

 the moon landing scene could form the beginning of a narrative.
o First the aneXmodule is assembled as one single unit on the site
o With the initial module as a base the site is analyzed . Planning rules defining opportunities and constraints are tagged to the context. This forms the development envelope.
o positioning of the overall grid is established and the initial module moves to comply.
o the same frame of initial module in different context is displayed for rural, suburban and other interesting locations, terrains and obstacles. each with a virtual grid extending like tentacles from the initial module.
 the virtual grid is a ghosted image over the site, different colours could define different zones or height allowances.
o we then flick to a catalogue of apartments, stores, offices, hotels and many other building types, sizes and shapes. These are the aneX'
 Each aneXdesign can be tried out and examined in detail through the catalogue.
 density bra sizes/ material and colour choices
o a store is chosen as the second aneX to the site.
o now we watch the structure grow as more designs are aneXed.
o Your friend chooses a cool apartment design from the catalogue then selects from the available locations on the structure for its positioning.
o Now say you want to build next to your friend, here are the aneX homes which will fit in that location.
o your aneX is ready, and here are the instructions for assembly.
o let's put it together…
 materials and component sizes are reveald here as well as the plug and play electrical, plumbing and other networks for whatever appliances you desire.
o you get married and have a baby so you aneX another bedroom and a bathroom.
o Your kids have grown up and your husband has died so you sell your extra rooms and your aneXhouse gets smaller.

 what's missing in this presentation:
o urban scale implications and taking over the city.
o turning one space into another
o recycling
o site network connection, digging out the basement
o integration of advanced technology
o materiality - cellulose
o garden space
o no more roofs, green-space or patio only
o the living networks within the grid structure. -power plumbing, optical fiber, beer…

crit with Paul B 30/10

things:
• Adelaide 'right to light' for titles to get sun light.
• emergency exits.
o 6m to an exit
o choice of two within 6m
o ~spacing 18m =every 4th aneXcube
• Book- AMCORD urban :guidelines for urban housing
• human scale- walk up
o walk around
o walk to
o walk up
o lift assist
• present from general to specific
• assembly animation
o scales
o step-by-step
o changing
o materiality
o services
o plug in appliances
o how it works
• Q. what is PB looking for?
Does it work?
-module & grid studies
-massing a cohesive idea city scale
-consistency

• Q. What would PB scrutinize?
-Circulation
-main circulation
-secondary circulations within dwellings
*A section would be great here, show human interaction
-Planning : Philosophy : Understanding

• Q. what would PB skip over
-detail

• Q. what would PB be distracted by?
-busyness

PB recommends
• practice presenting
o talking it through
o see where the weaknesses are
o what has been left out e.g. option to grow/shrink your dwelling.
o key things for me v. key things for others understanding
• present from general to specific
o aneX landing =grid size
o site analysis
 AMCOR
 "to explain the relationship of proposed dwellings with each other and with the environment."
 "' opportunities and constraints"
 " influence the design to minimise negative impacts on the amenity of adjoining developments and to complement neighbourhood character. "
 "design has responded to the Site Analysis Plan"
o aneXgrid planning rules
 building envelope,
 interdependencies e.g. private-public,
 access-egress
o other location plans
o aneXcatalogue, general to particular
o A collection of apartments, ideas of how the modules work ,zoom to details.
o location-design-transformation how the client relates to aneX
o instruction manual
o disassembly - life

Basic arrangements / menu presentation

A presentatioin concept. The existing building at particular location. Users would select an aneX design then position it where posible on the super structure.

Alternatively the position may be chosen first then the aneX menu would be reduced to the anex' which can be assembled arround the chosen position.

aneX translates Kurokawa's capsule tower

The major difference between my translation and Kurokawa's tower is the core.

Kurokawa's was 2 separate spiral towers which linked together intermittently. Mine provides access to both stair wells from every floor by joining the cores in this W-shape. A huge change i have made is that the capsules are now about 4 times as large. I used 2 aneX cubes for each capsule whereas scale wise the kurokawa capsules are half the size (2x4m) of the aneX cube (5x5m)

Kurokawa's tower was 13 floors so this translation is matching.

Here you can see the weaving of the core, the blue shows the next floor down.

Kurorawa's design made the core and circulation minimal. I don't know the ratio of core area to access/private area but that would be a useful experement to find simply for this zig-zag core what scale produces the best yeild. limits would be the 18m between each stair as a fire escape.

re-formating an apartment to aneX

 

Taking an existing apartment plan from realestate.com.au.

I have attempted to fit it into the aneX system with 5x5grid. The stairs i have not yet resolved as they are not the format of my current stair templates, so I will test what can be done in aneX to form a similar stair situation.

WIDE-U-STAIR the first aneX component.

Wide-U-Stair (WUS-001) Rising 3.5m and 900mm wide. It has a length of 4.5m which was the critical factor to fit within the aneXgrid. Rising 35.5 degrees with 19 risers, the slope is half a degree greater than I was aiming for but it sits in a very compact footprint which was the goal.

mapping 5x5 on Adelade City Site

Ground floor plan. Yellow shows access, different colours are different uses or separate tenancies.

A second floor plan. Circulation in yellow, different apartments shown in different tones.
In both of these plans I gave each tenancy at least one face touching the yellow access and one on the exterior. The ground floor of course can be accessed directly.

From here i need to work out: 

• access rules for emergency exits
• start apartment plans, especially to check lighting.
• tenancies/apartments with multiple floors - the exciting part. 
• reducing circulation space
  
• turning the building into a tetris sculpture
• more organic forms in 3D
  

GEN-ONE aneX has landed

One small step for building, one giant leap for building kind

"This is a living shrine""torn down and rebuilt every 20 years."

via treehugger.com

 260 bce - Shrine at Ise established

 

Front and Side View of the Honden at the Ise Shrine

"A shrine to Shinto goddess Amaterasu ōmikami, located in the city of Ise in Mie prefecture, Japan."

"Hall at Naiku for "Kagura"special performance of classical ceremonial music and dance."

via Wikipedia 

For more information on the shrine and rituals check out this  anime cartoon

The Ise Jingu hompage

What if Architecture could effortlessly transform

What if Architecture could effortlessly transform. Like liquid.
Permanence and temporariness are mere decisions of the present.
High quality design is constant. construction is refined and optimised. Evolved so that architecture may not defy time though stationary mass but achieve immortality through mass customisation.
-Will

Izumo Taisha via Wikipedia