Studio 1 - Hermitage Project Raymond Cao

This is my Hermitage project From Site Analysis to Drawings to Models

-Raymond Cao

Site Analysis:

I started off by analysing factors that will directly affect the hermitage anywhere it was to be placed. These factors include: Wind, Sun Location, Sun Angle, Views ,View Angle, Visibility from road, Accessibility to and from Point of Interests on and off campus. 

This ended up being my chosen site. Here I analysed sound around the chosen site, the sites locality to the library, cafe, lecture theaters student central etc. I came to the conclusion that this was the best site to use as it will not get too much damaging sun the other sites will definitely get through out the day. i picked this site because it was set on a cold face where you get some morning and afternoon sun directly hitting onto the site. This was beneficial because I did not want too much heat getting into the hermitage in order to prevent over heating, as you will still get light into the hermitage through out the day, just not as such intense light. The sound form the North-Western motor way Would be the biggest test, that combined with the noise of traffic on Carrington Road would drive me to look for a more sheltered site along the South Western ends of building 1 that achieves wonderful views of the Waitemata Harbour and the Waitakere Ranges. Visibility from if not Carrington Road, but that of the main arterial roads and driveways within Unitec were especially important to the location of the site, as a visiting lecturer who has little to no experience with New Zealand or Unitec for that matter would not have a clue where what was, and this I felt was important to the approach to the hermitage.     

DESIGN:

PRIVACY, WELCOMING, INSPIRE 

 Lower Floor Plan:

 Upper Floor Plan:

 Front Elevation:

 East Elevation:

 West Elevation/Building Section:

 Sectional Perspective:

The hermitage. From the beginning I had the idea: The hermitage is going to CONTRAST with the existing building the ideas that came with that were that it were to be rounded, curved non linear. Then from further investigation of forms, through: Plaster and paper models and almost random combinations of shapes being moulded and fixed together. Came an idea crafted form the irregular shapes seen in my descriptive geometry, the idea of direct comparison of the paper and the shapes. The paper being my existing wall and the shapes becoming the basic shape or form of the hermitage. I also had the idea of having no doors to mu hermitage, this was to promote interaction and create a welcoming environment for the occupant and passer-bys. This idea however caused a privacy issue where there is no privacy from everyone walking past. In order to rectify this issue I purposed a corridor or walk way to the hermitage from the building to further emphasis the approach to the hermitage itself, thus creating a barrier that prevents or hinders visual and verbal communication from the interior of the building but also gives way to a means of building up surprise and giving a sense of mystery coming into the hermitage. The fact that there was little to no support for the hermitage coming off a wall forced me to think light weight with that thought, I came to the conclusion that most of my structure would have to be evenly spread up the wall and lightweight systems where possible used.

I was always inspired by Buckminster Fuller and so the glass triangles are my interpretation of the triangles seen in his geodesic domes. The idea of linear shapes creating flow and motion as they connect at the edges  further developed the design, but also did the green house effect, having a full glass facade, I was frequently challenged with "Won't it overheat" and similar. I wanted that idea to be there to retain heat but also give the impression that the hermitage is present but at the same time not there at all. The 10m2 was to hinder the design but the separation of floors was vital to my design in order to create separation between work and rest areas, where work spaces promote interaction with outside parties and and also sets out a work area that defines working. the lack of space made me think outside conventional means of design an idea I came to was the hidden bed idea where the bed folds to make way for extra seating room or a desk. I thought 'why not used that idea for desk space or storage', so by using the floor to fold out into a desk and storage compartment  and for the occupant to be able to sit in the floor and work at a desk was to inspire the person working to think not only of conventional methods of which to achieve things but to always be thinking to the next step.

And that is the basis of my hermitage.
PRIVACY, WELCOMING, INSPIRATION.
  

 Descriptive Geometry:

 Primitives/Inpiration:

 Concepts:

 Final Design:

 Building 1 Site Model Final:

The End!