Howe Law's architectural blog

EXP2 - Final UT2004 Model (Screenshots + model link)

Introduction

My spaces were designed for two clients: Jane Goodall and Stephen Hawking. Using quotes from each of these clients I designed two seperate labs for them which are interconnected by an 'in-between space' that can be used as a meeting space. Ramps were placed in much of the spaces to allow for ease of passage. In terms of level, Jane Goodall's lab is 'underground', the meeting space is inbetween while Stephen Hawking's lab is just directly above part of the meeting space.

The Meeting Space

The meeting space can be divided into two parts. The larger open air area is basically the main meeting space for congregation, speeches or tours. A custom drawn dark texture was used on the walls here.

Going down the stairs/ramps will lead you to the second part, which is a covered area. The end of the room has a large window to allow natural lighting. The larger ramp leads up to Stephen Hawking's lab, which is the overhanging 'box' you can see in the screenshot.

Stephen Hawking's Lab

Since Stephen Hawking is a thereotical physicist, he has to spend alot of time doing calculations or thought experiments, and therefore needs a quieter and smaller space to work in. With this in mind, I designed his lab to be on the second level, a small lab that is cosy with warm lighting. A larger window on the left allows him to look down into the meeting spaces so the lab won't feel too claustrophobic.
With the choice of texture, I has his quote 'I don't believe that the ultimate theory will come by steady work along existing lines. We need something new.' in mind. Thus I created a custom texture in my sketchbook using light, large-spaced lines. This texture is used in his lab.

Jane Goodall's Lab

Jane Goodall's lab was designed to be larger with more natural decorations, since she loves working in the open and with nature. Thus flowing water walls were added to her lab, and natural pool areas. Her lab is also considerably larger than Stephen Hawking's lab, because considering the nature of her work, she probably wouldn't like claustrophobic spaces.

I also used a custom drawn texture in her lab, made of hundreds of individual lines running down the walls. This is in relation to her quote 'Every individual matters. Every individual has a role to play. Every individual makes a difference.' Each line represents an individual; all different.

Filefront - Model Download:

For all versions of the UT model
Direct link to final UT model

EXP1 - Final Sketchup Model

THE EXTERIOR

Exterior

X-ray

Main entry is above ground, however upon entry an underground walkway takes you through the steep slope into the studio 1 areas. The theme in studio 1 is walk, and is for artist Nolan. Two sets of stairs take you up to the exhibition space. A third set of stairs takes you to the second studio 2, which is for the artist Piccinini. More information on the themes and stairs can be viewed below.

Exterior from side

Bird's eye view

You can see that much of the roofing is made of clear glass, to provide natural sunlight. Even when the sun is low during sunrise, the large window at the side near the front of the building provides sunlight, while the rest of the day the larger skylight at the roof of the building will catch the sunlight. I think this is a good way to save energy on lighting, and heating during winter.

THE INTERIOR

Studio 1 - Nolan. Theme: walk

In the design for the studio for Nolan, which is below ground, I decided that the best way to represent the word 'walk' was for the room to possess a sense of visual movement and dynamic energy; nothing could be seen as static in the room. So I created a custom tedture using some vectors I found on the internet, and added some transparency and brightness to it so that back lighting could give the room more ambience and energy.I also painted the walls in warm red and pink colours. In conclusion, what I wanted for this studio was for it to be lively and energetic, and always moving, and I think the colours and the curvy flow of the wall spaces represent that.

Studio 1 - Piccinini. Theme:animal

Much of Piccinini's artworks deal with the natural beasts and animals of the world, whether or not they look far-fetched or comical. I wanted to bring her fascination of nature into her studio, through the theme 'animal'. Again here I used a custom texture, consisting of tiled zebra stripes that closely resemble that of a zebra, while managing to retain an artistic form. The walls and floor are giving a matching earthy color to accentuate the natural, 'jungle' feel to this studio.

Exhibition Space, and stairs to Studio 2

The exhibition space lies directly above the skylight, and is surrounded by a glass cylinder through the centre of the space. I think this will give a visual sense of vastness. Natural lighting from the skylight adds to the sense of being outdoors. The large spaces allow much artwork to be displayed easily.
THe stairs on the left curve all the way round the sides of the interior, up to a final landing which leads to studio 2 (Piccinini).

Stairs from lobby to Studio 1 / exhibition space entry

This is the first set of stairs that visitors will see as they enter from the underground walkway on the right, so it had to look as good as possible. The stairs are contained within a glass cylinder and a short spiral staircase takes you up to the first level.

The SketchUp model can be downloaded from Google Warehouse here.