Daylight ROOF Rythm

The pictures are representing from top to bottom (March 21, 8:00, 9:00 and 10:00 o 'clock and June 21, 6::00, 8:00 and 10:00 o 'clock)

The plan consists of 3 long corridors. They are topped of with a roof that somehow triggers the image of line-diagrams. Some of the parts are closed others are open. By manipulating the angle on which they follow up each other it is possible to change the rhythm of sunlight intrusion into the corridors. The analysis is made using SketchUp 7 and the build in sunlight simulator.
Shown in the pictures is a small part of the corridor that functions as an entrance for the block with hotel rooms. The pictures are representing from top to bottom (March 21, 8:00, 9:00 and 10:00 o 'clock and June 21, 6::00, 8:00 and 10:00 o 'clock). By introducing different windows in line after each other the number of light rays within the corridor rises when the day develops. It is not the angle of the window itself, but the angle of the one that is connected to the window. By introducing this different windows it is possible to make a clear distinction between different parts of the building. Some en lighted in the morning others in the evening.
The first three pictures show morning pictures in March. All the pictures are chooses in such a way that they show three stages (1 ray, 2 rays and 3 rays). While doing this their is a clear difference between different seasons of the year. The first three represent 8.00, 9:00 an 10:00 am in March.
The second three represent 6:00, 8:00 and 10:00 am in June. The sun is not only rising earlier in the summer it is also changing its incoming angle on the earth surface slower. September more or less shos the same images as March. December on the contrary shows an even more extreme rhythm. The stages follow each other in very small steps (9:15, 9:30 and 9:45).
In the afternoon this part of the corridor will be without sunrays. The usage of sun witin the design is purely estetically and architectural. It has no ernergetic values besides its natural capacity to warmup spaces.

just a taught - SUN

"What if I would use a rhytmic line for the roof to manipulate the intrusion of sun in the corridor? I would be able to create patterns on the walls representing the time of the day and make the movement through these corridors more interesting."

RHYTHM, measurementsystem

The measurement system is originally based on the sizes found within the exsisting buildingtypes. The small garages, ateliers and other temporarily looking buildings are based on marginal construction distances of 6m., with enntrance doors around 3m. The 3m. measurment is the standard distance. for architectural measurements 3m. got divided by two a few times ( 1.5m, 0.75m., 0.375m., 0.1875m.). For urbanism 3m is surplused with another 3m (6m., 9m., 12m.).

RHYTHM, further developed

Rhythms are in every sense the basic principle of the design. In a horizontal but also in a vertical direction rhythms develop.
There are a few types of rhythms within the building:

• Linear along the collumns
• Within the concrete-walls
• The diagramatic roofline
• The height differences of the groundfloor
• The facade of the hotelrooms and the workplaces

Withon the urbanism plan the rhythm appears the clearest along the main route. A stucture of construction elements on one hand and on the other the scale of the buildings and their density.
In the scheme the different changing in the collumnrhythms are shown.

just a taught - RHYTHM

The three main themes in regard to the DigiNomad are the battles between:

• Space and Place
• Time and Distance
• Virtual and Real

What if I translate these themes in the more architectural usable topics of Rhythm and Melody?

"Rhythm: Place, time and distance;
The structure of defined entities in time"


"Melody: Space, virtual and real;
The combination of these entities with their different qualities"

DigiNeeds - Location

When travelling the DigiNomad is in need of certain services. Ranging from a supermarket to a cash machine, these things should be within reach. If we look at the city of Amsterdam and put all them all the map a pattern comes clear on the map. Not only the city centre but also centres of neighborhoods seem to appear.
If we scale down to the location the clouds of dots consist of lines along public transport routes or other important traffic lines.

Cycling route

The projects area should form an omportant connection the city centre and the 'Amsterdamse Bos' for cyclist. Along this path their is a clearly visible changing of scale and urbanisty of the surrounding environment. from a dense city centre to the unbuilt area of the Amsterdamse Bos.

TRAFFIC, connectivity Haarlemmermeerstation

Every point in the city is more or less connected to the rest of its environment by public transport methods. The connection of the location of the project is visible on the picture. White lines represent the public transportlines passing trough the location, the cicles a 200m radius around al the stops along this lines.

LIFE, What triggers a home feeling?

To trigger the home feeling of a place; recognition, freedom, detail and comfort seem to be the magic keywords.
• Own stuff, own music
• Freedom to choose
• Hissing sound of heater
• Bed, warm, good smell, food, drinks, friendly staff, outside space
Most of these items can be used as within an architectural expression.

LIFE, Localness vs. Globalness of the place

The feeling of locality and globality on a certain place keeps a hard to grasp notion. It is not only personal and cultural but also influenced by many different aspects are on a much larger scale. The questionnaire tried to touch this personal aspect. The questions linked the feeling of locality and globality to daily activities to trigger a conscious state of mind on a personal level. There are no obvious differences between Diginomads and travellers in their feeling about locality and globality. The feeling of locality has a strong link to the feeling of connectedness and feeling close to home.

• Meeting local people, eating local food
• Close to home base, if there are friends around.

A feeling of globality in contrary has more links to associations with things we consider global, with the unknown and a diversity of identities.

• Modern buildings
• No social contact, unknown language
• Different cultural backgrounds

The physical appearance of the global is connected to ‘modern buildings’. ‘Modern buildings’ covers a broad notion of architecture but can be condensed to a notion of disconnectedness. A global architecture is disconnected from its cultural environment. Some of these components can be deliberately staged with architectural interventions to trigger local and global atmospheres.

LIFE, When becomes a journey a long journey?

When becomes a journey a long journey?
This question gave interesting differences in both groups. For a DigiNomad a journey became long when a detachment of certainties took place. Some answers were:

• “A journey becomes long when you close up everything at home; and you don’t know where or when it will finish”
• ”High hassle factor, low connection with people”

When in the case of travellers, long journeys were measured distances/ time spans or dealt with a change of rhythms. An answer:

• “After about 4 weeks, because after that period daily routine really changes, things at work have to be taken over and housing/ administration etc. has to be arranged”

To prevent a DigiNomad from getting a feeling that he is making long journeys a feeling of recognition, meeting people and the certainty of some basic needs is essential

LIFE, What is your place of birth, residence, now?

The intention of this group of questions was to see the difference in the experience of places and to map locations. The answers to the first question can be divided in, geographical places (Amsterdam, Tokyo), physical spaces (a train, the gym), functional places (at work) and mobile spaces. The DigiNomads all answered the question about residence with geographical spaces. Only one of them lived in the Netherlands. The travellers almost all lived in the Netherlands. The place of birth knows the same distribution as the place of residence. Only one time within the context of these questions someone referred to a physical space (on a train). This would imply that the experience of place is a geographical one. If we can’t refer to a geographical space a physical space is used instead. Naming functional spaces was never the case. Probably stimulated by the sequence of questions there was an emphasis on geographical places. If we compare it with the answers asked in the second part (Global vs. Local) regarding to place we see a much more dispersed image. For sure the meaning of a place is not as clear as one would presume at first.

LIFE, intentions of the survey

In the process of writing the thesis and preparing for a design task I wanted to get to know the target group better and closer. While this group essence prevents me from finding them all together on one and the same physical space, new ways of tracking them down were needed. After exploring the internet I found places were DigiNomads of all sorts would meet up. They use forums, social internet-networks and even whole specialized nomad websites to communicate with each other regardless the immense distances they are apart. The three main reasons to start questioning the target group were:

• To get in touch with the people I design for and write about
• To test if my presumptions are right or wrong
• To find new knowledge on the subject

It started as an open survey but eventually looked more like a a couple of interviews. I will mention interresting findings in the next posts.

DESIGN URBANISM, quantity demands

The main focus of the urbanism plan is to create an area in which dwelling units find a natural cohesion with ateliers and workspaces. A building enviroment that within some regulation gives the possibility to people to create their own living- and workingspaces.

Some buildings that will have to disappear:

• VZA blocks (verenigd ziekenvervoer Amstardam)
• Temporal buildingtypes

Some functions that will have to disappear:

• VZA, to much interference with future dwelling units
• In the future the prison function, building can be reused

New buildings/functions

• Buildingblocks along the Olympische gracht
• Combined work/living units in the trainzone
• Appartmentbuildings along the Schinkel
• Tram garages for the trammuseum
• The GlobeSpot
• Cafe
  
• Playground
• Public Transport station
• Water related function
  

DESIGN URBANISM, plan

The Urban Plan can be divided in parts

• The part along the Olympische Gracht once planned as a part of 'Plan Zuid' and the Olympic Village.
  
• The square just behind the Haarlemmermeerstation with the GlobeSpot, the Tram Museum and a play ground for children
• The part that is now so typical because of its ateliers, garages and other temporal buildings
• And the last part that opens up to the Schinkel

The emphasis is on the middle part where a good mix between ateliers, small businesses and dwellings should result in a vivid creative atmosphere.

DESIGN URBANISM, basic principle

The Urbanism Design finds its base within the area located on the back of the old Haarlemmermeerstation. This once was the train station connection Amsterdam to Haarlem and Leiden. In its periphery there is a piece of the city that we could describe as a splinter of the urban fabric. The image of empty garages and temporary small buildings is confronted with immense buildings like a tram garage and a prison. Within the smaller structure there is not only small businesses but also artists find their home. Despite its vivid use it is still a no go area. To change this it is important not only to esthetically change its appearance but also introduce more evening used facilities and public buildings.
Down here a foto of the area.

just a taught - COLLUMN

"What if I would use one basic collumn set up to construct the whole building? I would have a very simplified constructionscheme for many different situations and make is cheaper."

EXTERIOR impressions

This are some impressions of the exterior of the building. Because the building is not a very iconic building a multiple small corners are much more interresting than an overview. The first shows the slope towards the entrance, the second a sideview in which you can clearly see how the building dissapears between other buildings, the third a part of the topview and the fourth the entrance.

PLANS

The basic setup of the plans can be characterised in 5 steps:

1. Long horizontal layed out lines with 3 m. distance from each other.
   
2. Differentiation in distance between the walls with an underlaying grid of 0.75m x 0.75m.
3. Three specified corridors, one for the hotels, one for the offices and one that connects both.
4. Buildings surrounding the plot. One excisting and 4 new introduced.
5. Introducing specific spaces with specific functions along the corridor.

The schemes do only represent the principle and not the final plans.

INTERIOR impressions

Here are three interior impressions of the Globe Spot. The first representing a part of one of the corridors, the second the cafe and the third the livingroom above the cafe.