Summit of Ben Nevis - Topographic Studies at 1:200

Below is a topographic study of the summit at Ben Nevis. Information has been gathered from Digimap at 1:200 with contours at 1m intervals. More to follow as this project develops.

1:200 Contour Model of Ben Nevis Summit 

Book Review of Elements of Architecture – From form to place by Pierre von Meiss (1990)

I recently read this book and was astounded at how relent its themes are over two decades from when it was originally written by von Meiss. Below is a very short review of the text which highlights some of the lessons we can learn from the book and that we can apply in practice.  

Fig 1. Cover of Elements of Architecture – From form to place 

“Elements of Architecture – From form to place” is an introduction to the common principals of design that form successful architecture and urban design irrespective of style and period. Von Meiss analyses a diverse range of architectural periods to identify common characteristics that can be used by practitioners to create places that are well designed with a coherent identity. The text is thorough and acknowledges a wide range of factors that influence how a city or town develops and what contributes to a comprehensible and satisfying place. The author speaks of proximity, similarity, enclosure and orientation as key principals of coherence but cultural and political factors are only briefly mentioned. These factors are arguably more influential than the aesthetic established by the author but their complexity could overcomplicate what is a well-written and enjoyable theoretical exploration of architectural practice and the principals of urban design.

The first element that is explored is the simple window/opening and its origin from humble beginnings in the primitive home to its relatively recent transformation through structural innovation. The way a window has been articulated has changed drastically from being an “beautiful object within itself to a modern window that can only be understood in relation to the whole spatial layout” (von Meiss, 1990). Von Meiss explores the impact this change has had on the structural consistencies required to ensure contemporary buildings maintain a sense or order. The wrap around cladding has stripped the window of its order and logical quality thus creating new challenges. This view is somewhat pessimistic as the opportunity to enhance the city without the structural restraints of the lintel has resulted in greater links between internal and external public space. The campus for Central Saint Martins by Stanton Williams is a good example where this boundary between public/private and interior/exterior has been successfully blurred.

Perception and interaction with architecture is viewed by the author as an essential element often overlooked the brief and client. The aesthetic experience involves all senses including hearing, smell, tactility and the movement of the body, all of which should not be forgotten when designing. In addition to the senses there are physiological phenomenon that influence our experience of architecture, some of these phenomena are figure/ground, proximity, similarity, enclosure and orientation. The book encourages the designer to manipulate these principals to influence how others perceive and enjoy the built environment.

The author views both order and symmetry in a similar light in that perfection of either is not always desirable and “perfect order and total chaos are equally difficult to bear for long periods” (von Meiss, 1990). In regards to symmetry, the author states that “perfect balance can often provoke a strange uneasiness” this implies that both can be used cautiously to achieve a satisfactory balance but subtle deviations can be equally, if not more powerful. This challenges the established approaches of classical and renaissance architecture. The author is correct to imply that symmetry can be seen as a logical principal for considered design but it is not always appropriate.

Post modernism is not mentioned by the author and is probably the most challenging movement to apply his theories. A common theme throughout Elements of Architecture is the author’s position on object buildings and the need to create an urban fabric that is consistent with its context. The author argues that buildings with forms and materials that are totally independent from their neighbours should be reserved for buildings of special importance or in key positions and this is contrary to the principals of post modernism. However, he also makes clear that the architectural style in the urban fabric can be different but still coherent without being an object building by using consistent design principals. It would have been interesting to have seen the author confront postmodernism and to establish what common principals remained during this movement.

Complexity and simplicity are explored through the comparison of Michelangelo's Façade for the Funerary Chapel of St. Lorenzo 1516-34 and Richard Miers High Museum 1983. This comparison is evidence of the author’s pluralism and ability to make architectural similarities across periods in contrast to his failure to discuss postmodernism. This façade study reinforces his theory that an architectural coherence is attainable with very different styles throughout history.  

The author interestingly compares the spatial liberation of the Baroque period with the spatial liberation of the modern movement and the defining of new boundaries. The breaking of these boundaries is what led to the first spatial liberation in the baroque period when structural limitations were ignored and interior space was treated independently to achieve its aesthetic and spiritual needs. The second spatial liberation occurred with the modern movement and the technical development that allowed greater freedom and alignment of the plan with man’s desires. The success of this comparison is questionable as the spatial liberation of the baroque period was somewhat superficial in comparison to the intrinsic concepts of the modern movement.  

In conclusion, the subjective nature of design and the collective memory of society makes it increasingly challenging to dissociate the style of a building with its true substance. The prioritisation of style has once again risen to the forefront of modern architectural discourse with the appointment of a traditionalist, Roger Scrutton, to the government’s new ‘building beautiful commission’. This is precisely what this book seeks to avoid as one must understand the effective elements of historical precedent, regardless of style, in order to apply them in a contemporary context. Experimentation with the common principals of design to comprehend and apply the illusive elements of architecture is the primary message of this book. As a designer it is often difficult to define why a particular form or order is suitable over another, sometimes it simply feels correct but the “why” is hard to identify. Von Meiss offers credible theories as to “why” and he reinforces that architecture should be practiced within the broad history of different architectural movements but not rigidly defined by them.

References

von Meiss, P., 1990. Elements of Architecture - From Form to Place. 1st ed. London: E & FN Spon.

Frampton, K., 1980. Modern Architecture, A Critical History. 1st ed. London: Thames and Hudson Ltd.

Curtis, W., 1982. Modern Architecture since 1900. 2nd ed. London: Phaidon Press Limited.

TCA Featured in Monocle

Its great to see TCA's @chapterldn Kings Cross project featured in @monoclemagazine 's May issue. The article 'Brave New Dorm' outlines the recent boom in the student-housing sector and how architects and designers are rising to the challenge of creating 'sleek spaces designed to foster connections'. The prominent narrative of the scheme, highlighted in the article, is one of finding a sense of place and 'soul'

https://www.instagram.com/p/BTHUFRcjC4P/

TCA Kew House Extension

As part of my role at Tigg Coll Architects I have been developing the design for a house extension in Kew. Please find the link to the TCA blog below and please feel free to comment.

https://drawinspiration.wordpress.com/2016/05/20/kew-house-extension/

Tigg + Coll Architects Competition Entry

As part of my role as an architectural assistant at Tigg + Coll Architects I was part of a team of 3 to produce a competition entry for a cafe and function space in Seaford.

Please follow the link below and feel free to comment...

https://drawinspiration.wordpress.com/2016/05/13/seaford-competition-entry/

https://twitter.com/tiggcollarch

Yew Trees

I have been revisiting some of my earlier work this week and found this image of my Winchester project as part of Horizon Scanning module in the MSc. Architectural Technology and Design. This was the first project where I really stared to see how effective contour modeling can be for sites with complex topography.

Vitra Design Museum

This post relates to a trip I took at the start of the year but have only found the time to post it onto the blog this weekend. In January I visited the Vitra Design Museum in Weil am Rhein and was overwhelmed by the architectural petri dish created by Vitra. 

The most iconic buildings on the site are Frank Gehry’s Vitra Design Museum, Zaha Hadid’s fire station and the more recent VitraHaus by Herzog and De Meuron. I didn’t realise until the night before the trip that the campus was home to Tadao Ando’s first building outside of Japan which unexpectedly became the highlight of my trip.

Ando’s use of axis and approach is at its most powerful at the Vitra Campus. A path guides you around Gehry’s buildings to view its deconstrutivism from every aspect and to reveal the subtle concrete wall of Ando’s building. The proportions of the building used the consistent ratios of 2:1 and its scale is distinctly human in all elements.

An exhibition about Alvar Aalto and his works in product design and architecture called “Second Nature” was on when we visited the museum. The exhibition made the visitor realise the scale of work produced by Aalto and the implications it had on design worldwide. The exhibition was split into four sections concerning his early work, his relationship with art, extent of his furniture designs and finally his international architectural ascent.    

Source: http://www.design-museum.de/en/exhibitions/detailseiten/aalto.html

I would highly recommend visiting the campus as it is somewhat rare to view such a quantity of buildings by notable architects within such close proximity to one another. 

The Observatory: 'A Place To Look In - A Place To Look Out'

The SPUD Group have been posting some excellent photos of "The Observatory" competition winning entry over the last few days. It would be a lie if I said that there are no feelings of jealousy when looking at the completed project, however, I do think the result is fantastic, atmospheric and a great place for artists to do their work. 

Congratulations to the winning team and the SPUD Group for making projects like this happen.

Taken from the "The Observatory" Facebook page

Taken from the "The Observatory" Facebook page

New Years in Iceland

I welcomed in the New Year of 2015 in Iceland and found the landscape and architecture of the country awe-inspiring and magical.

The main architectural attraction of Reykjavik is Hallgrímskirkja, a Lutheran church standing at 73 meters tall by architect Guðjón Samúelsson.

Hallgrímskirkja Church 

The viewing platform at the top is the perfect place to watch the late winter sunrise or early winter sunset of Iceland. Its the perfect place for an areal view of the diverse and colourful architectural typologies below.

View from Viewing Platform 

One of my favourite images was an unexpected one of an isolated toilet block located in Thingvellir. It sat above a fracture where the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates meet and we got there at twilight during a heavy snow storm.

Photo by Paul Colfer

The image below is just one of a 1000 photos I took of the Icelandic landscape.

Photo by Paul Colfer

Constructing Worlds: Photography and Architecture in the Modern Age

Todays lunch break was an inspirational one with a visit to “Constructing Worlds: Photography and Architecture in the Modern Age” at the Barbican. The exhibition included a diverse range of subject matter from the banal vernacular of America’s Deep South to Lucien Hervé's experiential images of the works of Le Corbusier. The exhibition starts with the birth of modernism in the 1930's but this is not the overriding idea of the work. The pervasive theme throughout the gallery is the exploration of buildings and structures of their time and unique observations through photography. I would highly recommend a visit if your in the Barbarian area. 

Nadav KanderChongqing XI, Chongqing Municipality, 2007

Lucien Herve
High Court of Justice Chandigarh