Welcome to Unit A blog | School of Architecture | Oxford Brookes University

Saturday 25 February 2012

South Asian Human Rights Documentation Centre


ANAGRAM Architects

This buffer bay also acts like a breathing thermal barrier along the sun facing side. By situating the staircase and toilet stack in this bay, the internal workspaces are protected. The porosity of the wall ensures that the buffer bay is well ventilated and yet shaded so as to reduce the amount of heat transmitted to the workspaces. A six brick module is laid in staggered courses that create twirling vertical stacks and an undulating surface. The construction of the screen wall was a result of a five-week process of learning and un-learning masonry techniques on site. From verification of plumbness to the structural bonding of the brick courses, methods of brick laying were devised through a deep on-site collaboration between the masons and the architects. This single repeating brick module creates a visually complex pattern in the manner of traditional South Asian brise soleils.

Friday 17 February 2012

Mon 20 Feb - Y3 Special Structures Tutorial 10.00-13.00


All Y3s will have a special structures session with structural engineer Robert Harrold from Ramboll and Nicola to finalise the principle of your structure. Further to discussion with Nicola this week, please revise / make a scaled structural model of your building for that meeting. With this you should demonstrate what structural principle you employ and how vertical as well as horizontal loads are carried through into the foundations. (e.g. concrete skeleton/frame with core)

Please treat this not as tutorial, but as meeting with your structural consultant. This means, you need to bring along key information on your project you already hold (e.g. massmodel / plans / sections / building in siteplan / and key sem1 drawings of your performative / syndicated material) to communicate your design intentions. Remember that engineers can help you to deliver nearly whatever you wish - thing is - you need to be precise in briefing them on your intentions.

Tuesday 14 February 2012

Fri 17 Feb Tutorials

Same to Y3s, can we also see your first ideas for the structure in form of a structural model, showing the basic principles? only model the load bearing elements, e.g. columns, cores, structural walls, slabs, cantilevers, etc. (all to scale as usual - probably 1:200?)

Thursday 9 February 2012

Atelier Bow-Wow lecture


Atelier Bow-Wow is a Tokyo based architectural practice founded in 1992 by Yoshiharu Tsukamoto and Momoyo Kajima. Their interests in ‘micro-architecture’ and daily life are embedded in their domestic buildings along with their urban research. Authors of publications such as ‘Behaviourology’, ‘Pet Architecture’ and ‘Made in Tokyo’, their interests lie in questioning the role of the body and individual in a social, cultural and habitual context.

Friday 10 February 2012, 5pm
Darwin Lecture Theatre, Darwin Building, Gower Street, London, WC1
Bartlett School of Architecture International Lecture Series
This is a free event. Tickets are not required and seats cannot be reserved.

LINK bow-wow
LINK bartlett

Friday 3 February 2012

6 Feb Tutorial + 10.00 AM-session_09 - Hybrid

Monday tutorial's will evolve around your working models. Bring all your model work in to date: Mass model / site model / spatial sequence model / section model / etc. All models need to be to scale (meaning on of those 1:1000, 1:500, 1:200, 1:100) and presented on a thick / solid base.

more inspiration for models here
LINK

Thursday 2 February 2012

we need models asap


here are some links for some good tumblrs / collections of models to inspire.
one
two
three

and if you are in london - check out the interim show this weekend at the RCA... some cracking models in there!