PART B. DESIGN APPROACH

B. 1. DESIGN FOCUS

SECTIONING

Sectioning is chosen as the approach for the project because it can provide special visual experience of movement. The dynamic visual experience leads to the continuality of the structure that emphasizes the concept of speed. On the other hand, the sectioning also allows the fl exibility to respond to the surrounding environment. And under the sectioning approach, the structure is easy fabricated which is more effi cient and economic.

1. Speed, Movement Visual effect – it can represent speed (the speed is created by a moving object, and sectioning explores every single movement of the object that forms “speed”)

2. Self-supporting sections - Structure is the new skin of architecture

3. Flexibility - Response to environment

4. Pre-fabrication - Easy to contraction, economic construction (effi ciency)

5. Light & Shade

6. Materiality

B.1.1 PRECEDENT PROJECTBanQ Restaurant

Formal name of project: BanQLocation: Boston, MassachusettsCompletion Date: February 2008Owner: Mark Raab and Hemant Chowdhry of SOWA Restaurant Group, LLCArchitect: Office dA, Inc.

The restaurant is located at an old bank hall building, and in order to hide building infrastructures the striated wood-slatted system is developed. The system occupies the ceiling area and “drips” to the dining spaces as well. The mass is cut into section and using the rib-like fragments. This sectioning strategy provides flexibility to the space, and every piece of sections can be generated separately. According to Beth Broome, there is no two pieces are alike. And even the location of each piece is unique. Those unique parameters formulate the continuous member, and the continuous members respond to the ceiling topography as well.

This ceiling project is definitely eye-catching and interesting, and the continuous member also provides a visual effect of movement. For the Wyndham City Gateway project, the arrival experience is highlighted. In this case, the movement effect can make the experience interesting. And the sense of dynamic and motion can also be interpreted with the design.

From this precedent, some characteristics of sectioning are explored. And those characters such as movement, continuality and flexibility make sectioning to be the right approach for the Wyndham City Gateway project.

Rhino & GrasshopperImage

ReferenceBeth Broome, 2009, Architectural Record.http://archrecord.construction.com/projects/bts/archives/restaurants/09_BanQ/

BanQ/ Office dA, Archi Dailyhttp://www.archdaily.com/42581/banq-office-da/#

B. 3. CASE STUDY 1.0

In the Grasshopper definition of this project, the ceiling topography is proved as the basic surface, and section lines are created by a separated curve. This curve determines the direction of the section lings. After extrude from the section lines, each individual piece of “ribs” that formed the ceiling in the restaurant is created.

MATRIX