JIABAO ZHU
This project is a private house for a shared family but has a tight connection with the whole community. The main users are these three family members, they come from different places to form a shared family. The other users are the community members.
So in order to fulfill the needs of both family and the community at large, one of my main concepts is continuity. This continuity is showcased both in functions and visuals.
For Functional continuity, the functions of space usage are gradually changed from communal space to half-open space to private space. On the underground, the communal plaza outside the basement contains a vertical garden as well as an open-air theater. In the basement, there is a communal kitchen and dining area. The first level of the building could be opened or closed because of the movable wall in front. It could be open to the whole community to hold some communal activities. Or it could be closed only for family members to use. The second level is a private area for family members to sleep or focus on their individual stuff.
The circulation function of the building is integrated to be a continuous whole. users could continuously go up from the basement to the rooftop.
For visual continuity, Some symmetric and organic shapes are used to create a visual sense of continuous flow, to make a visual connection, like the backside of the building connects to the street on the back, where the building tucks in and lifts above the existing garage. The front side of the building has a communication with the communal plaza, where the building lifts but also dips in relationship to the communal plaza. To protect privacy while avoiding complete isolation from the outside, I used a translucent material, channel glass to keep the visual connection.Therefore, continuity is embodied inside, outside, along, and through the building.
Another primary focus is entanglement. That’s to say to create a sense of interweaving in different dimensions, in the plan, in section, in elevation. The courtyard is the core of the entanglement. In the plan, we can see the courtyard in different layers overlap with each other, in the section, the entanglement is not just showcased on their overlapping, but also embodied on their breaking the floor level. Other elements also showcased this concept. Like these blocks in the section. And in the elevation, the outer wall has a tendency to extend inward. While the inner wall has a tendency to extend outward, these two opposing trends are interweaved to create a sense of twist. These two concepts of entanglement and continuity combine together and shape the whole building.
So in order to fulfill the needs of both family and the community at large, one of my main concepts is continuity. This continuity is showcased both in functions and visuals.
For Functional continuity, the functions of space usage are gradually changed from communal space to half-open space to private space. On the underground, the communal plaza outside the basement contains a vertical garden as well as an open-air theater. In the basement, there is a communal kitchen and dining area. The first level of the building could be opened or closed because of the movable wall in front. It could be open to the whole community to hold some communal activities. Or it could be closed only for family members to use. The second level is a private area for family members to sleep or focus on their individual stuff.
The circulation function of the building is integrated to be a continuous whole. users could continuously go up from the basement to the rooftop.
For visual continuity, Some symmetric and organic shapes are used to create a visual sense of continuous flow, to make a visual connection, like the backside of the building connects to the street on the back, where the building tucks in and lifts above the existing garage. The front side of the building has a communication with the communal plaza, where the building lifts but also dips in relationship to the communal plaza. To protect privacy while avoiding complete isolation from the outside, I used a translucent material, channel glass to keep the visual connection.Therefore, continuity is embodied inside, outside, along, and through the building.
Another primary focus is entanglement. That’s to say to create a sense of interweaving in different dimensions, in the plan, in section, in elevation. The courtyard is the core of the entanglement. In the plan, we can see the courtyard in different layers overlap with each other, in the section, the entanglement is not just showcased on their overlapping, but also embodied on their breaking the floor level. Other elements also showcased this concept. Like these blocks in the section. And in the elevation, the outer wall has a tendency to extend inward. While the inner wall has a tendency to extend outward, these two opposing trends are interweaved to create a sense of twist. These two concepts of entanglement and continuity combine together and shape the whole building.
The plan from rooftop to basement
The section in different direction
The elevation from different directions
Pyscial model photographs