Design Schemes

I am having the most trouble trying to figure out a design scheme for my project.  I have tried to create various schemes surrounding my parti/design concept, but I am not liking how any of them are looking.  Hopefully after my review, I will have some guidance on where to go from here, but for now here are my preliminary schemes.

Bubble Diagrams

Rough sketches on how I see the floor plan layouts.

Program Cut-Out

Total Square Feet = 587,700

Studio Condo = 10% = 58,770 Square Feet
One Bedroom Condo = 40% = 235,080 Square Feet
Two Bedroom Condo = 40% = 235,080 Square Feet
Three Bedroom Condo = 10% = 58,770 Square Feet

3D Site Investigation with Parti

For this investigation I wanted to do a preliminary study about the varying heights of the structures and how they would relate to each other.  The colors also represent how different things might be grouped with one another.

Surface Image Characteristics

I wanted to pick different materials which relate to my design philosophy.  All of the materials are found on http://transmaterial.net.  I choose various materials that all could bring something different to my project.

InvariMatte

InvariMatte is a nondirectional, low-gloss, uniformly textured stainless-steel finish designed for use in architectural applications. While its lower reflectivity lends itself to roofing applications, it can be applied to wall panels, coping, and trim.  The superb consistency of this finish results in excellent panel-to-panel matching.

Solid Poetry

Just when you think you've seen everything that can be done with concrete, along comes another surprise.  Developed by Netherlands-based designer Frederik Molenschot and Susanna Happle, Solid Poetry is a concrete tile that reveals a pattern when wet.  The floral pattern depicted here are the result of a carefully applied surface treatment that reveals itself only when exposed to water or humid air.

KiloLux

KiloLux is a monolithic glass block with the appearance of a laminate produced by thermally bonding glass at low temperatures.  Wales-based Innovative Glass Products Ltd. developed the material for inclusion in building facades as a light-emitting decorative element.  Because no adhesive is used to manufacture the product, it has good resistance moisture and freeze-thaw cycles.

Site Interpretation

I began my site interpretation by placing my parti onto the site in a very simple, plain way. I then varied shades of grey onto my parti to help me figure out differing heights of structures, with the lightest being the shortest and darkest being the tallest.  I want to emphasize the views of the Ohio River and of downtown Cincinnati which is why the squares closest to the Ohio River are lighter, while the figures behind them would be taller (darker).  I then started experimenting with color on my site to help relate different structures with others.  I will need to explore this aspect more though.

Modified Massing Study

With my modified massing study, I wanted to focus more on the colors.  I liked how with my first models, I made different spaces/levels bringing the different shapes to varying heights.  I did not like the harshness of the colors though.  I thought that they were too strong and powerful and did not symbolize the kind of fortune I wanted.  With these models I choose more calmer and comforting colors.  I also played around more with where/how the varying levels interacted with one another.

Massing Study

With this first study, I wanted to focus on the aspect of starting with a flat surface with the different colorful squares.  I then wanted to pull the squares up vertically, on different levels to start to create space.

Recreation of Inspirational Images

For this I used water color.  I wanted to show a more clearer way of differentiating between something that leads to a fortunate life and something that leads to an unfortunate life.  I created a plain background and from that added colorful squares to represent the fortunate aspects of life.

Inspirational Images

Found on Google.com in images.

This image was the most inspirational to me.  I think of it is as how various blocks lead to a fortunate life.  Some blocks may be void, the un-colored ones, and do not really help you have a fortunate life.  Whereas most are colorful, which help to create the fortunate life.  As stated in my previous post I feel like a multitude of things allows one to have a fortunate life.  I also like the colors of this image.  They are very calming and comforting to me.

Found on Google.com in images.

This was the other inspirational image I chose.  With this image, I thought of how there are various things that intertwine and come together for a fortunate life.  Everything mixes together and comes together as one solid, fluid line.

Site Analysis

Legend:
  - Red "X" represents the site
  - Blue arrows represent views
  - Purple arrows represent wind on the site
  - Orange/yellow represents sun on the site
  - Red arrows represent access to the site
  - Brown static lines represent sound

Contextual Diagram

For my contextual diagram, I focused more on surrounding textures of other buildings next to/near the site as well as colors.  As you can tell from the photo above, majority of buildings have a brick facade.  The color palette around this area seems to consist of variations of reds and whites.  There is a playground close to the site which brings more playfulness and color to the area.  The water also plays a part in the texture with different effects of reflection and ripples.

Word Investigation

Using www.etymonline.com I was able to investigate further into what health actually means.  From the word health, I first moved to prosperity and prosper.  These words did not really spark my interest.  I delved even deeper with my investigation and came across the word fortunate.

Dictionary.com defines fortunate as:  "having good fortune; receiving good from uncertain or unexpected sources; lucky."  Fortune is defined as: "position in life as determined by wealth, wealth or riches, great wealth; ample stock of money, property, and the like, chance; luck."

The dictionary seems to relate fortunate/fortune directly to wealth/money.  However, I view fortunate as a variety of things.  To me, someone who embodies the word fortunate is someone who is loved and loves. Someone who is in good health. Someone who has a great support system composed of family and friends.  Someone who, despite their actual financial success, is content with their life and who they are.

This being said, being fortunate is a combination of a multitude of things.  You take certain paths in life, that will eventually (and hopefully) lead to a fortunate life.  Although you may stray a few times along the way, you will certainly end up where you are meant to be.

I will find my inspiration for this project by focusing on the word fortunate.

"Every day, think as you wake up, today I am fortunate to be alive, I have a precious human life, I am not going to waste it." - Dalai Lama XIV