design process

These images show both the 3d and structural grid of the building in progress. I have divided the programme to signifier/signified portions of programme and it is the combination of these two types of space that will generate to right ambience for the building. The generous structural gridallows for light to go through the building avoiding issues of reflection by having it come only from above. This becomes important in the context of the programme as it balances the need for artificially lit spaces for editing and such and a good, healthy working environment.

Work In Progress

Here is the plan on which I'm working right now.

I am trying to translate the binding of two separate qualities of space. Much like the "B" Architecture of Eisenman, but withouth the metaphysical concerns I have divided the program of the Film School into two core components, which function as a reification of their relationship. The space of the signifier of the signified, at times active or not, is based on the idea that if "Cinema is life without the boring bits" than maybe Life is Cinema with the boring bits. This is then the current direction.

Belatedly the masterplan has fallen behind but I am close to having something concrete on the building and being able to explain what I am doing with simple diagrams...

Masterplan Research and Development

I am currently working on reviewing and editing ideas that had been lingering on for too long at masterplan level, and which were seriously hampering me due to the fact that they were of mixed, overlapping or clashing content. The idea is to go back to basics, and although a longer process than what is posted today was needed, I will only post this later.

In order to go back to basics, I went back to do further research on the existing masterplan by Terry Farrel and also Richard Roger.It is visible in Richard Roger's approach the formation of a roughly East-West axis opened through the North Greenwich Tube Station.
This was interesting to notice as it is not done in Terry Farrel's interpretation of the brief, with which I must disagree. It seems obvious that in order to create a Media Block at the site going around the long way up to the Dome and turning back down is far too prohibitive for the large amount of dwellers on the Residential Zones south east of the masterplan...



Currently the proposal is as follows for the site, and I must show more information to fully explain it, which I will do asap.

Diagrams of the Proposal

The attempt of the images below is to start explaining the project I am currently working on. I intend to continue these in the next few days and leave the abstracted format they currently have moving into a more defined and "buildable" territory.

Discussion Starter

I apologise for not coming tomorrow and I know I can't participate in the discussion that we should be having about circulation and zoning.

So I'm sending a quick draft of what I've been thinking that we could do at least as a strategic move to liberate space for green areas. I think that by doing some tweeking in the road layout we could gain a fairly reasonable usable free space for green areas/open areas. Only problem being integrating the heavily trafficked Blackwall Tunnel with the Green Areas, by using sound buffers that can be buildings or not (each one is free to decide).

I hope this can somehow contribute to the discussion we will be having tomorrow... Feel free to call me. I'll reply when I can...

Regards,

Miguel

Pattern becoming

Spoke to Robert (tutor) last week and he mentioned it is over objectified as it has clear boundaries and not a sought after field quality. I have done field patterns before, but this time i seem to not find it so difficult as I seem to be more curious about the connections of buildings. For example in this very simple pattern made of blocks of parallel lines I am interested in the different gradients made out from the interconnection of volumes. With slight twists I manage to integrate the whole thing with lines that interconnect both clusters of blocks.

But I'd say i should quickly follow the tutors advice, but for now I am dedicated to not thinking too much and just doing. See if it goes anywhere...

Also I made a model from the pattern and i feel it will be judged as (bad?) fiddly...

Anish Kapoor at the RCA