Monday, September 3, 2007

Preliminary Model

Here are some pics of my building model, this is how far I got as 11:00pm Monday the 3rd. I did not get to build the building in context as I ran out of materials and time. You know trying to built a model in a Hotel room away from home with my Family on a holiday weekend! So much fun! Oh well I will try to get the rest done tomorrow after work.

Here is the latest shot that I took tonight showing the building in context. After working on the physical model I realize there's a lot to be done and figured out. I'm having some trouble with the main volume as I can't make it read as solid as I intended. I'm going to be looking at making it all glass behind the glass panels so it reads more solid instead of having punched openings. Enno's comment about the entrance is also an issue that I will be addressing as soon as I can. I was thinkng that maybe that corner steps down as you go into the building. The first floor glass band I was thinking it could be some special glass that interacts with the passerby.

Thanks for the comments!

5 comments:

enno said...

Carlos,
The model works fine as it raises at some good questions.
- the quality of the ground floor facade needs to be less "residual" and be react to the closeness of the pedestrians: think about materials and forms that are inviting and serve as a backdrop to be animated upper facade that addresse the more distant views.
- the corner still needs work on the ground level - study it in conjuction with the entrances which and how they relate.
- the volume that is carved out in the interior does not register in the model: find ways to incorporate it, since this a key element of the design.
- the colors of the panels seem very strong and too bold at daylight. They also will dramatically tint the views fro the inside. Think about limiting the colors to some accents and provide the boldness of the night views by colored lighting.
- this week study the nature of the layer behind the panels in terms of geometry and materials: is it a mere backdrop to the panels ot does it stand in dialog with it?
- the roof view with the terrace and volume that penetrates the roof looks good: there are some clues for the above issues. Maybe there are terraces where the interior void meets the facade to create a three dimensional light space at the facade.
- Think about your topic and how it might address the above issues.
- it is great that your model brings the issues to the forefront and that you experimented with it. Good job!

annie j kemp said...

I have to agree with Enno that colored lighting can achieve the effect at night with out the dramatic and bold presentation during the day. Your model looks great and really starts to express your idea! To make your volume more solid with out taking away the punched volumes, experiment with materials. Maybe you could use something like Kal-wall which could also be cool at night with colored lighting behind it. During the day it would look more solid yet have translucent qualities. Have you done any research on glass that interacts with a passerby? That would be interesting to learn more about. Good luck this week.

Tim Riffle said...

Carlos,

When I Look at the model vs some of the sketches it seems like the building stands out so much more in the model. I agree with Enno that the colors are too strong. In your original sketches it seems that the building was less bold in its surroundings making it more friendly and pleasing to the eye. I do like the way the building fits together creating interesting spaces and shadows enhancing the 3 dimensionality of the facade.

smunger said...

All of the volumes seem to be elevated with respect to the street level, one or more of these "tubes" of light could potentially be lowered to the street level to suggest entrance.

From the photos, your craftsmanship of the model seems to be great, How do the "rivets" begin to suggest the method in which the glass relates to the frame, is it on stand-offs? Does this create an interstitial space between the glass tubes and the building behind?

Scott Pfeifer said...

Carlos
I think I agree with you that I liked the building better when the interior read as a solid mass verses the punched opening I see in the model. It doesn’t look as sharp and slick!
It seems like the use of some dramatic lighting could go a long way in denoting entrance. Maybe the colored bands are a different color at the entrances. The white vertical elements seem to be the biggest difference from your previous sketches. Is this white because it’s a model? This white seems to be organized around the corner of the building (near the entrance?). Do you want more transparencies near your entrance?
You have a fun project!