WEEK 2: HOUSE STANDER

In architecture, alterations and additions are often the most finicky jobs to deal with, as the designer is compelled to make the existing and the new work as a single design entity. The same applied to Cooke Le Fevre Architects and UrbanDesigners (my employers), when they were approached to breathe life into an old Victorian house in Noordhoek, Western Cape.

Located on a very irregular terrain, deep in the pits of natural surroundings, the designer had to design around the often unpredictable Western Cape weather which is ever so slightly exaggerated by the geographical context of the existing structure. The position of the old structure (which is further up the slope) works as a contextual, functional and technological advantage or disadvantage, depending on your level of optimism and inventiveness in this “half-full / half-empty” scenario.

The slope allows the designer to spread the functions in a chronological and even manner, based on the urgency and the importance of each function as one circulates up the slope. The welcoming structure and the creator of the much required sense of arrival that the old structure lacked, is the double garage space. It introduces a sense of ease and interest in a mundane task like parking a car and moving to the main structure. The designer creates that effect by introducing a linking deck above the pedestrian garage opening, to the main structure. This creates a sense of protection while giving the user visual and (to a certain extent) physical access to the surrounding nature.

The next function is the hallway, which is the sole single volume space that utilises its maximum height. This allows the space to assume a sense of openness that welcomes the user to experience the main spaces. A very minimalistic timber staircase leads up to the lounge and the existing kitchen, both of which underwent alterations. The lounge is extended by opening it up to a balcony / deck that leads to the aforementioned garage link. This gives visual access to the surrounding on a higher level, while allowing one to access the garage roof space for perfect outdoor events.

The whole structure and the manner in which it is designed and altered takes the form of the slope. Every transition space mimics the slope, resulting in parallel elements that practically line up with it. The same is done with the new side roof in order to create a great contrast to the existing pitched roof. This works well as it still maintains the Victorian aesthetics of the structure, but doing so in a modern manner. The designer creates an optical illusion that extends the height of the structure by letting the tallest parts of it rest at the top of the slope. This is also done through the use of long and thin vertical members.

The new walls are standard-sized exposed bricks with a 50mm cavity and 25mm insulation. For internal walls the same principle is applied, only with the exclusion of a cavity. The new roof is Saflok 700 on 50 x 75mm grade 5 SAP purlins at 900mm c/c on 8 and 44 degree falls.  The ceiling is sealed Meranti on top of rafters. 108 x 44mm stained, treated and seal SAPG 6 posts are used to support the protruding roof and the balcony deck.

Square stained and varnished uprights are introduced as the main frame of the balustrades, with 30 x 40mm timber members fixed to the handrail. The natural aesthetics of the timber allow the structure to blend in with the natural context. The delicate and simple staircase is entirely constructed from timber. The designer makes use of 32mm thick timber to create light treads of 300mm, braced directly to the brick wall. This gives it a floating effect that fits in with the “emptiness” of the space.

So alterations may be finicky, but that shouldn't be a creative block. It should just be an element to draw inspiration and concepts from. This project is solid proof.

Here are some images to feast your eyes on…

SITE AND ROOF PLAN

LOWER GROUND FLOOR PLAN

UPPER GROUND FLOOR PLAN

MEZZANINE PLAN

SIMPLE SECTION ALONG SLOPE

BIRD EYE VIEW

CORNER PERSPECTIVE

DISTANT CORNER PERSPECTIVE AT EYE LEVEL

VIEW FROM NEIGHBOUR'S DRIVEWAY

WEEK 3

THE EXPERIENCE... SO FAR

As children we all had our dream jobs fixed in our minds based on what we perceived around our societies and what we were exposed to. And as we grow older we start to assimilate ourselves through discoveries like what we love, what we despise, what excites us, what irks us and so forth. And then we make our career choices based on that and other aspects around our lives.

So by the time you get to varsity you end up with an entirely different view of the career path you opted for, and that's if you end up taking the path at all.  I could say the same about my choice to be in the architectural industry. Here I am three years later, working for an architectural company (Cooke Le Fevré Architects and Urban Designers), and I must say the experience presents a slight dissimilarity to what my student mind had glamorized. In a field that is often misconceived to be filled with idea-churning individuals who float through life with a pencil stuck behind the ear, you cannot really blame me. Nonetheless the experience has been fulfilling.

So what has my 9-5 entailed during the past three months? A lot. I have been fortunate enough to work directly under the wing of my boss due to the general scale of the firm itself. I have been doing a lot of droughting (computer and hand), and I am grateful for the latter because the skill does get a little rusty when not in use for a long period. Meetings and site visits are also part of my weekly routine, accompanied by brief moments of babysitting when the boss' toddler gets distractive. Ahem... fatherhood, here I come.

The company has been working on small scale residential projects in Sea Point, Observatory and Stanford, and the experience I have gained has given me enough material to make judgments on the pros and cons of being in architectural practice. 
The downside is that the kind of pressure one faces in the field is contrary to the kind one faces in school. You are dealing with actual (and often unhappy) clients and projects that will be erected to accommodate real life activities. 
That leaves little room for errors, which is quite a problem for an individual who is still in the process of learning about the whole process. And if you do make that mistake, it is not a matter of "oops... I will fix it for a remark".
Coming from an institution that establishes an impeccably close lecturer/student relationship, being liberated to explore foreign grounds without anyone to hold your hand, slap your wrist or pull you back when you slip does feel like the scariest of missions to undertake.

The upside is that you leave work at work, and that is a luxury that architectural students are not accustomed to.  And witnessing a product of your own hands come to life is an inexplicably blissful experience.

With all that said, I definitely  have learnt a lot thus far!

Silos & Shipping Containers

Mill Junction, Johannesburg 

In a very rare occurrence, during which I decided to take a work break, I stumbled upon an interesting marriage of very unorthodox architectural elements - a union between former grain silos and shipping containers. Sounds odd, right? Well, the final product is nothing short of remarkable. 

The Karter Margub Associates offspring (which is a student apartment block) boasts eclecticism that comes close to rivaling Antoni Gaudi's work in a modern manner. OK, maybe I am being a bit too optimistic, but you get the gist. 
The silos act as a solid base that provides a sense of rigidity, with only the punctured openings lightening the seemingly hefty nature of the structure. The addition of the shipping containers on top and on one side of the silos adds a visual hierarchy which one can liken to Lego blocks.

The technology is fairly simple, because the structure combines recycled elements. And to allow the whole body of work to speak the same language, steel is incorporated throughout. Starting from the prominently placed steel balustrades that frame the balconies in a  manner that recalls industrialism, straight to the overhead shading elements on the roof top.

This is the kind of building you can either loathe with unfathomable passion, or obsess over like it is the coolest concept ever. Luckily, I fall under the latter. It is proof that sustainability does not always mean dull, and that architects should not avoid that S word!

Check out the following links to comprehend what I am gushing about...

• Inhabitat
• Design Boom

 

BLOCK 1 DESIGN: POP-UP (EVENT ARCHITECTURE)

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