Project Three Poché - Plans, Sections & Interior Perspective Vignettes

Project Three Model

The Art Gallery in relation to its neighboring buildings.

An aerial view of the site with neighboring buildings, also expressing the service way passage. Of course, not seen in the model, there will be tinted glass over the main showroom as there would be extensive heating during the hot summer days.

Corner junction conveying the building from the corner of the street. Also expressing how the building comes out and forms a shelter to carry the awing theme of the street.

The public courtyard showing the private section still connected to the courtyard with the stylish louvers to create a barrier and to keep the private are private.

The facade/roof of the building shown here with the main art gallery area reaching out to the pathway. This same concept is seen below.

The courtyard shown with the large tree in the middle surrounded by the private sector and corridor that connects the kitchen, stockroom, workshop and house together. You can imagine on a rainy day the nice view of the rain coming down on the glass corridor from the sides and top as you progress to different sections of the site.

The effect the louvers give in the interior of the private section, this action really reflects Whitehead's theory of the creation of layers that create tension.

Section line shown in model, also reflected in the plans and sections.

House, kitchen, and the entrances of the stockroom and workshop shown in sectional model (also seen below).

Aerial view of the sectional model.

Inspirations for Project Three

For project three I took a lot of time observing and studying many buildings and locations in Australia that reflect gathering areas and galleries. When I came across Federation Square in Melbourne I was very inspired as the building was very freely designed in accordance to the facade, and this also supported Michael Whitehead's theory of design; Where large blocks of colour (in this case planes) may be layered to capture or reflect light, or a moody palate is employed where the under-painting appears to be attempting to break through to provide a fleeting glimpse of a secret world beneath.

Every stroke, every line, is intended to leave a record of its journey. Whitehead strives to have his works exhibit no fear of exposing their inner selves, the ‘complexity of construction’ if you like, of how they came to be. And this statement conveying Whitehead's theory of his abstracts is reflected very strongly within the Federation Square and my Art Gallery Shop.

Concept of the Triangle

The Art Gallery Shop has been designed upon a triangular grid. The concept of the triangle was created as soon as we were given the site. Site 3 conveyed a triangular concept as the frontage of the site had an acute angle at the corner. From the frontage of the site a triangular grid was created across the whole site that formed the basis to my design. The roof/facade contradicted, in a way, the perfect order of the triangular grid seen below, and was created with a more free flowing triangular composition as seen in the model photographs and plans/sections. This idea of the free flowing triangular grid derived from Whitehead's idea of free will and the freedom to express yourself through 'the brush stroke'.

Artist Selection & Narrative

Michael Whitehead is a featured artist in galleries across Australia’s major cities and New York and his work features in private and corporate collections around the world. He is a Brisbane based artist who works with large abstracts as seen below:

"Michael Whitehead’s work is about the creation of usually large, layered abstracts, contemporary paintings in which each brush stroke challenges the previous one, where oil is pitted against acrylic to create deliberate tension, resistance and intensity. Where large blocks of color may be layered to capture or reflect light, or a moody palate is employed where the under-painting appears to be attempting to break through to provide a fleeting glimpse of a secret world beneath." (Link: http://www.gadflygallery.com/artist_view.php?ArtistID=8)

I have based my narrative upon the design philosophy of Michael Whitehead noted below:

“A painting has to be instinctive and have a sense of urgency but yet remain precise”, says Michael. “If paint runs across a canvas it’s because I’m happy for it to go there or I have encouraged it to do so. Every stroke, every line, is intended to leave a record of its journey. I strive to have my works exhibit no fear of exposing their inner selves -- the ‘complexity of construction’ if you like -- of how they came to be”. (Link: http://www.jivedesign.com.au/index8.php)

The main concept that I derived from his design philosophy was the 'complexity of construction', and through this I designed the Art Gallery.

Narrative:

An art gallery shop/home for Michael Whitehead who creates and sells his large abstracts to the public. He goes upon the theory of 'the complexity of construction' and the freedom to create layers that cause tension within each other.

Site Analysis - Site 3 King Street

Site 3 documented above is a 2 level building sandwiched between 2 buildings on King Street, building on the left being 2 levels and the one on the right being 3 levels. As apart of the Newtown theme, the majority of the buildings that face the main street have awnings, so it was very important to keep to this theme.

Materiality; the buildings' main face is a rendered brick surface of a lightish colour. The building on the left is of a similar texture. The building on the other side is constructed of a dark warm coloured brick.

Site characteristics; the site has a very irregular frontage, with a perpendicular frontage of 16,000 mm and side lengths of 44,000 mm and 33,000 mm. The building faces King Street and has an overall 'Shopping District' atmosphere.

The pathways for pedestrians on King Street are just over 3,000 mm, which encourages movement for the public and tourists.

Finally there is a service way access for the site from the back that allows for private access hence the private and public sections are clearly distinguished and separated.

Project Two Model

Project Two Poché - Plan, Section & Axonometric

Site Selection & Siting

This site is located in the desert facing a nice lake. Even though it would get ridiculously dry & hot during the day, with today’s technology we can accommodate that with air-conditioning and heating during the cold nights. The usage periods of this building would vary as the scholar would visit his escape whenever he wants to leave his materialistic life.

Siting: the building sits on this sloping site.

Final Narrative

An escape for a tall, young scholar who reads to come out of his obsession with materialistic things.

Domestic 17th Century Interior Scene by Johannes (Jan) Vermeer - Women Holding a Balance, c. 1664

Meaning & Narrative of the Painting

The woman weighing the balance is a very faithful and devoted character as she shows the humbleness of a true believer. She is at home in a dark cornered room judging herself on the account of her sins and transgressions. There is a painting of the second coming of Jesus Christ in the background that supports the above initiative. The room is very dark as it only has one source of light quite high coming in from the left hand side, this, from my point of view means that Christ is the only light in our lives and He will lead us to eternal life. The actual painting is very calm and relaxing, the ambience of the room is very enclosed but the source of light does give hope to the painting. The balance she is holding represents her juggling between two worlds, her obsession with materialistic objects or her thirst to gain joy without a materialistic life but with theology, philosophy and literature (reading).

Project One Parti & Poché