Architectural Design III: A Forest Bath (A.Spiro)

Abstract

We are going to design a bath in the nearby forest. You are going to acquire profound knowledge about structural concepts and work with contradictions and corresponding aspects between spacial structure and support structure. Further key aspects are materials and their inherent properties, light and the roof structure as such. The specific context of the forest strongly informs the design process.

Objective

Over the course of the design studio, you are going to acquire specific knowledge about different concepts of construction and apply them to your own projects. Central topic during the semester is the development of a design based on a central structural idea. You will be working on - a precise relation between spatial and supporting structure - a materialisation based on the principles of the structural concept - a concept for openings and lighting based on the principles of the structural concept You will learn to develop your project based on - your structural concept - specific aspects of building in the forest - your in-depth analysis of the immediate surroundings of the chosen site Most of the spaces we design will not be insulated. This allows for a simple and direct way of construction. Based on this, you will work out a part of your project in detail, relating to measurements of the human body. Concerning the representation of your project, you will - learn a solid way of drawing in CAD in a 1:200 scale - use combinations of CAD and analog drawing to convey the intended atmosphere - use and enhance your hand drawing for 3D illustrations By building physical models, you can - learn about the adequate detailing in a respective scale - simulate actual joinings and find out about their impact on the architectural expression - develop further abilities to represent materials and surfaces in an appropriate way The acquired knowledge in relation to structure, material, lighting, drawing and model building will be the base for the 4th semester where we are going to elaborate on these topics in a more complex way, designing urban residential buildings.

Content

Zurich has a very high density of outdoor and indoor swimming pools. Nevertheless, the use of the various institutions is intense, and the demand for additional facilities is increasing according to the rapid growth of the city’s population. In contrast, land reserves for the realization of further communal construction projects are scarce, and the pressure on local recreation areas is rising. In this regard, our design task will be a forest bath in the Käferberg area close to the campus. Bathing in the forest allows a new experience of the local recreation area and adds a new level of use. The bath is explicitely not expected to feature a single large pool. Hence the actual way of bathing in the forest needs to be developed specifically in every project based on the structural idea and specific aspects of the chosen site. The bath is supposed to be open all year round. Therefore it offers both open and enclosed spaces, a rest area and the usual auxiliary spaces of a public bath. Special attention will be given to the transition of indoor and outdoor spaces which offers vast opportunities for specific designs between covered and uncovered, bright and dark, open and closed, and intelligent concepts for heated and uninsulated spaces. During the definition of our approach to the design task, we will have several opportunities to spend time in the forest and get to know the controlled natural environment of the “urban forest”. In several exercises at the beginning of the semester, we are developing collections of objects, drawings, and impressions. This pool of ideas will be present in the studio as a base to define your own field of interest, which will later condense in your projects. The forest will be present in the studio in the form of a large model which we are going to build during the first weeks as a base for your daily work on your projects and the critiques. During the course of the semester, you can choose from a range of sites that differ in respect to the density of the forest, topography and access. Throughout the 3rd semester, we are focusing on structure as a catalyst for our designs. You will learn about different structural concepts and apply their basic principles in your projects. Further key aspects are the use of materials and their inherent properties, a conscious way of designing with daylight, and the development of coherent roof structures. Outlook 4th Semester Next semester, the core subject of our studio will be programme instead of structure. We are going to design residential buildings in Zurich. Starting from a selection of inspirational houses and apartments which we are analysing and measuring during extensive visits at the beginning of the semester to get an understanding for their architectural elements and spatial, you are going to develop your own specific form of living. From a selection of different sites in the city center, you determine the best suited for your project and develop dwellings right down to the materialisation in detail. In doing so, we will pick up and elaborate the topics we are touching in the first semester on a more complex level. The 3rd semester has been newly developed based on core topics of the chair. It replaces the respective fall semester courses which used to focus on working in the built fabric. Further information about the housing semester are available on our Website in the form of semester documentation brochures (see Small Pleasures of Life I-III, https://spiro.arch.ethz.ch/lehre/zweiter-jahreskurs ).

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