Project 4A - Interim - Design Development

Some images from the interim presentation. The main idea was to convey the essential concept of the exterior facade system and its direct relation to the interior facade system as well as the concept of the open court and oculus, emphasizing the importance of visibility and transparency between programmatic elements in the design.

The first two images are initial facade studies undertaken for purposes of designing the mock up model and for exploring the effects of exterior multi-hued panels on the interior of the facade.





The next series of images shows some massing explorations that led to the manipulation of the exterior facade in relation to the interior facade and building envelope to insure proper distribution of daylight and sunlight based on programmatic requirements and solar orientation of the building.

North - Maximize daylight.


East - This is the side most of the colored panels will be found on. Minimize morning glare, maximize translucency. The north side of this facade is where the cafeteria will be and is raised to allow for it to open up to the exterior.


South - Minimize direct sunlight, shade and raise facade to expose main entrance to the complex and allow southernly winds to sweep in and ventilate the interior.


The steel framing skeleton for the exterior facade system. I decided to separate it from the building in order to allow maximal flexibility to the interior structure which has yet to be fully developed and in order to isolate the heat gain of the steel on the exterior from the interior building envelopes.


Facade system assembly - This exploded axonometric shows the facade system assembly on the east facade from exterior to interior:
Multi-hued polycarbonate panels
Spider connection system
Light-weight steel web
Heavy-weight steel support system
Double pane windows with reflective frame to deflect light into the interior
Steel framed polycarbonate panel system interior facade
Light-weight concrete slabs (200mm)
Interior partition system (likely aluminum framing)


The building on site (pre-landscaping)


A render of the building on site (pre-addition of colored panels)


Finally, a glimpse into the next and final phase of the design development, a proposed building plan program layout. This is a work in progress.

The Envelope System

As part of project 4A, I envisioned a type of envelope that would be able to react according to the amount of sunlight that would pour into the space. Given the form of the roof and the changing angle of the sun during the day, I needed a unique shading system that could provide light into the space, yet be able to defuse it when direct light hit. Rather the make the system react to the intensity of light, I designed it to be reactive to temperature. Taking into account physical princples of hot air rising, and seeing that the roof would liekly be the hottest area of the building, the system created is built to vent and shade the roof to control the overall temperature of the space.

Borrowing of one of the ideas for a biomimetic system I envisioned back in Project 1, where by an air bladder with air in it would react to high temperature by expanding and becoming more bouyant (thereby opening the louver fins). There where several problems here, first of which the overall weight of the fins and that the air would not expand enough to lift the steel fins, and second, the amount of air required.

With these problems in mind, the system was redesigned into a form of a much lighter unit that comprised of several smaller fins that would open when it rises up much like a blooming flower. This option allowed for a greater difference in the amount ofshade provided depending on how much sunlight was at any given location on the roof.

In theory, this would work, but it is doubtful that enough heat could be generated in order to make the units float, so suggestions were made to use barometric pressure in order to achieve greater potency. Barometric pressure on the other hand requires significant changes in atmospheric moistur content, and in the desert...On a side note, the structural framing of the roof was also designed to accomidate the individual units seeing that not every part would need shading as upon opening, a single unit would be able to cover its surrounding cells... but a hexagonal grid would be established. (its also structurally sound)
Fin types was also thought of with different ones with varying degrees of shading. But the main problem had still to be sholved. So I built a model to test its effectivness in the real world. As can be seen below, the kinetics of the spikes work perfectly so long as there is a force to push them up and gravity pretty much takes care of the rest, but of course, the deployment was still in question...

Some research later, I came up with a system that might work. Using a combination of air and water (though possibly some other type of liquid more sensitive to temperature.. mercury? poison...) it may be possible to create a valve that increases the air pressure by immersing it in the liquid when it heats up thereby providing sufficient force to raise the fin arms, and when the pressure is released, allowing a vacume to such the piston back into place. As a secondary, the gaps where the spikes emerge from the units housing (that bell shaped structure) could also act as vents to release hot air in the roof providing natural ventilation in the process. Note the hexagonal bottom plate that will attached to the aforementioned roof structure.

While it can be said to work, the question comes to mind whether or not it is possible to actually build one for the project submission seeing that it requires equipment that we simple don;t have access to.... Vince?