Week 3

2nd Year • Sem 1 • 2020

1. Sunlight, Architecture, and Flower
2. 1:50 model exploring retail space

1.

W3.1: SUNLIGHT, ARCHITECTURE, AND FLOWERS

The role of sunlight is integral to a flower because of how much they rely on solar energy to survive. Similar to flowers, sunlight plays a huge role in architecture.

[ Sunlight and Architecture: Harry Seidler ]

Both architecture and flowers must communicate well with the sun in order to facilitate their needs. And because of their very similar dependency on sunlight, it seemed logical and fitting that I designed a shophouse that incorporated this notion of sunlight being a vital element of the architecture.

Taking on board this idea of architecture and sunlight and how architecture becomes a part of its environment by communicating with the sun, I took precedent from several solar-dependent kinetic architectures.

[ Reflective cells open to regulate solar radiation while harnessing the sun’s energy to power itself ]

[ solar-dependent mechanical ceiling ]

[ DO|SU Studio Architecture — Bloom: a sun tracking instrument indexing time and temperature]

2.

W3.2–1:50 model exploring retail space

I worked on my 1:50 model that explored my ideas about architecture and sunlight.

[ Storefront: The second layer of skin (polyethylene film) folds closed during market days, creating an openness to the spaces outside (shown Bottom Right) ]

[T.L: Iso view, building facade. T.R: Aerial view, different levels. B.L: Aerial plan, the flower in bloom. B.R: Flowers spilling out onto the street, alluring customers in]

[ In motion ]

[ Blooming Process ]

Section: (below) showing how the retail space interacts with the sun.

[ Section: demonstrating how light enters the retail space and reflects onto the central flower ]

[ Section: close up ]

Sun shading/ energy collecting

Located centrally is a kinetic flower that opens up and closes depending on the presence of the sun. When the sun is out, it opens up towards the sky, acting as a passive shading system. Whilst in bloom, the sun shines through the petal — a transparent panel with pressed flowers — reflecting off the water surface and casting a beautiful floral illumination onto the interior of the apartments located above as well as the retail space below.

This phenomenon only occurs in the presence of the sun. It, therefore, creates an architecture that relies on the sun in order to “come into bloom”.

Feedback:

• Not dynamic/ exotic. generalised, too literate
• The architecture is too figurative. building looks ‘like’ something. A strong form that reads straight away. A sign.

Taking on board what Michael said about the retail being too literal, I will explore alternative ways for my form to connect with nature by using the idea of a flower (not the appearance). I agree with Michael’s feedback, the incorporation of the kinetic flower is too literal and unrealistic in a small-scale retail setting. Rather than using flowers figuratively, I am interested in pushing the interaction between sunlight, flowers, and retail space. I am also interested in extending the idea of flower embedded glass panels (that cast floral illuminations onto the interior surfaces) as this will deepen the architectures dependency on nature.