may 2020
The Architectural Detail
Abstract
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The studio is situated at the 'Sassekaai' in Ghent. A peculiar site where the tramway and the houses meet the river very closely.
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The idea of the studio has a combined focus: on one hand the poetic image of architecture and on the other hand the actual practice of constructing. And how these two influence each other in the design process.
The research in this studio uses the method of drawing. The act of drawing is central and used as a way to communicate and develop the architectural detail. The drawing is highly valuable in order to gain expertise and investigate technical details.
A series of sister details, retrieved from noteworthy built architecture, guide this process.
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More specifically, to approach this research, it is seen through the eyes of a terminally ill patient. By looking through his or her eyes, more attention is given to each detail. For someone who is terminally ill, it seems highly important to spend their time in a space worthy of it.
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By drawing, 7 etudes in the Architectural Detail are developed. Throughout the process, the following 7 etudes were defined:
01 the Frameless Window, 02 the Roof Overhang, 03 the Steel Structure, 04 the Threshold and the Door, 05 the Coffee Gutter, 06 the Toe Tipping Gutter and 07 the Bench.
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The etudes are developed through a series of actions. To define the day of the terminally ill patient is to define the different needs at different moments.
This is seen as a series of ‘rituals’ throughout the day. How does he or she wake up in the morning? How will he or she open the door to the outside?
>> To live in a house is to live through the day.
KU Leuven, Ghent, Belgium
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Supervisors
Jo Van Den Berghe
Louise De Brabander
Section (by hand)
scale 1:10
1000 x 450 mm
Morning
Evening
Etude 01 the Frameless Window
This first etude proceeds from the idea of the evening. When the evening arrives, the patient would to spend time with family or friends. The evening doesn't feel like a moment someone would like to spend alone. And maybe it feels appropriate in this situation to be looking high above the water?
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A distinction between seeing and not seeing, between a borderline or no borderline.
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The study of the window at Malmö Flower Kiosk from Sigurd Lewerentz helped develop this etude.
Study drawing (by hand)
210 x 297 mm
Section (by hand)
scale 1:10
350 x 297 mm
Etude 02 the Roof Overhang
Continuing on this distinction between seeing and not seeing, the frameless window clearly offers the possibility of seeing and no border. But this could then again evolve in a need to feel sheltered? So the window might be almost invisible, but the roof overhang could offer this feeling of protection. As a border between the patient and the outside, a safe place.
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This lead to a study of a roof overhang protruding 90 cm out of the building. So the gutter would be seen from the inside while sitting at the table. The gutter is at eye level and when it rains, you can see the water fall down from the roof.
Study drawing (by hand)
210 x 297 mm
Study drawing (by hand)
210 x 297 mm
Etude 03 the Steel Structure
Because of the roof overhang that had to provide a feeling of shelter, there was a structure needed to support the slanted roof. This was based upon a 'sister detail': a steel structure from an old industrial building. The columns and beams were a beautiful ensemble of steel profiles welded and bolted together.
By studying the separate parts and connections, there was enough knowledge to transform and adapt this detail into the needed structure for the roof.
Studies such as these give the ability to play and form one's own architecture.
Study drawing (by hand)
210 x 297 mm
Study drawing (by hand)
210 x 297 mm
Section (by hand)
scale 1:1
700 x 400 mm
Study drawing (by hand)
210 x 297 mm
Section (by hand)
scale 1:10
1400 x 700 mm
Etude 01 the Frameless Window - Etude 02 the Roof Overhang - Etude 03 the Steel Structure
Axonometry (by hand)
scale 1:10
1000 x 1000 mm
Etude 04 the Threshold and the Door
"To live in a house is to live through the day."
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This thought strongly influenced the development of the threshold and the door: something in between the outside and the inside. From the perspective of the patient, it felt important that there would be a border between him or her and the exterior: a safe place. The act of entering and going out become a bigger action. The patient has the ability to lock himself or herself in or out, according to how they are feeling.
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This lead to the creation of a whole door system connected to the tram infrastructure. All of this was developed through detailed studies of the tram infrastructure, sliding doors and guillotine doors, highly connected to the action of entering, opening up or locking out.
Study drawing (by hand)
420 x 297 mm
Section (by hand)
scale 1:10
800 x 500 mm
Section (by hand)
scale 1:10
1000 x 450 mm
Study drawing (by hand)
210 x 297 mm
Section (by hand)
scale 1:10
1000 x 1000 mm
Study drawing (by hand)
210 x 297 mm
Study drawing (by hand)
210 x 297 mm
Etude 05 the Coffee Gutter
Continuing on the Threshold and to emphasise the border between inside and outside, a coffee gutter is laying in front of the door. The water is used as a barrier, falling from the drainage into the gutter as smooth as pouring coffee out of a Bialetti Moka Express.
Therefore it was of utmost importance to study the section of a Bialetti coffee pot. Reshaping a drainage pipe based on this Moka Express felt like a pure act of designing.
Study drawing (by hand)
210 x 297 mm
Section (by hand)
scale 1:1
350 x 297 mm
Study drawing (by hand)
210 x 297 mm
Etude 06 the Toe Tipping Gutter
The water from the Coffee Gutter falls into a drain system along the house. It is part of creating a barrier between the patient and the outside world.
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The Toe Tipping Gutter took shape through precise study drawings and technical research. It had to be wide enough, so outsiders could not easily step over it. The search for a profile that would fit this requirement, lead to the biggest I-profile available that could serve as a gutter.
Furthermore it provides interesting research and expertise on how it will be founded alongside the house.
Section (by hand)
scale 1:1
210 x 297 mm
Study drawing (by hand)
210 x 297 mm
Section (by hand)
scale 1:1
350 x 380 mm
Etude 07 the Bench
Further study lead to an adjacent bench along the gutter.
Maybe the patient wants to sit in front of his or her house, looking at passengers, watching the tram pass by every 10 minutes. Or a guest or passenger wants to wait in front of the house.
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The detailing of this structure is inspired by a complex system of steel profiles seen in 'De Grote Post', a building from Gaston Eysselinck. A lamp, based on a design of Gunnar Asplund at Skogskyrkogården, is connected to the bench. At night the light will project the movement of the water on the house of the patient.
Study drawing (by hand)
210 x 297 mm
Section (by hand)
scale 1:1
1000 x 210 mm
Study drawing (by hand)
210 x 297 mm
Study drawing (by hand)
210 x 297 mm
Study drawing (by hand)
210 x 297 mm
Study drawing (by hand)
210 x 297 mm
Etude 04 the Threshold and the Door - Etude 05 the Coffee Gutter - Etude 06 the Toe Tipping Gutter - Etude 07 the Bench
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The threshold and the door, the coffee gutter, the toe tipping gutter and the bench. All of these resulted into something that could give the terminally ill patient the option of opening up to the outside or closing himself or herself in. The intensive and detailed investigation lead to thoughtful design and in the end, everything falls into place.
The act of drawing adds more and more layers. And it makes it possible to develop a highly valuable and complex result.
