Towards an inceptive architecture: An architectural approach to the mathematical ambient space

Towards an inceptive architecture: An architectural approach to the mathematical ambient space

Charitaki, V.

Andrej Radman, A.R. (mentor)
Huib Plomp, H.P. (mentor)
Marc Boumeester, M.B. (mentor)

Architecture and The Built Environment

Explore Lab

DSD

2013-10-30

This project takes as a hypothesis that the future of architectural education is going to change dramatically in the following years, mainly due to constant rise of technology in the field. As a result it argues that architectural education may not need to be confined by the limits suggested by a building. Thus, it proposes to ‘split’ the school into its departments and comprise a system for the whole via a point by point approach. In order to do so however, it focuses on the reuse of existing structures and design of new semi-permanent ones. For that reason the project moves towards an inceptive architecture; one that returns to basics, embryonic. This proposal was lead by the observation of the intensity of movement in the city; one which this project has engaged to facilitate in the design. The intervention itself requires a focus on several scales, from the urban, to the landscape and the building scale. Therefore, in order to re-think the structure in the different scales the strategy works with a grid system. As a result it aims to a have a space that promotes constant dialogue between the building, the landscape, and the people; a relationship that inevitably will promote the growth of the learning environment. For that purpose the research was based on the notion of the ambient space-or in-between space- relative to the organization analysis of the city of delft. Probably the case for all the cities in the Netherlands, but particularly in delft, it seems that the city follows its urban infrastructure in all scales: urban scale, the city scale and the block scale. In all three one can infer a certain directionality and movement that evolves through that system. The centre of delft has always initiated certain movement, such as the pedestrian move in a five phase plan that started in the early 2000’s and aimed to pedestrianize certain areas of the city. Relative to that on the other side of the campus was the relocation of the TU faculty, while in between there are botanical gardens, a museum, student housing, and a what it seems to be a potential site for the architecture department of this project. At first close-up one can see the importance of that spot due to the fact that lies between the city centre, the urban infrastructure and the rest of the tudelft campus. So the urban strategy for this site was formulated through the notion of urban acupuncture. For that purpose three main aspects acted as the focus in which the ‘split’ could be made possible. First, was determining the size of the existing program, second was the distance between them, and third was their relation to their immediate surrounding areas. The investigation started through a study of solid vs void, the main urban infrastructural elements such as the river, the public squares and courtyards, and all that relative to the immediate location of the site. As I mentioned before the opportunity rose at this point due to the point’s connection to the campus & the city centre. In addition the intersection of main traffic arteries becomes crucial to the its future development as an architecture school. So the first point is now placed. A department that is in shared program to the architecture department, one that requires a certain degree of landscape relation, one that is at the heart of the city center, and one that relates to its urban conditions. Together they form a two bind system of a building and a ‘open space’ in which action may or may not be required. Through the intervention one can see that movement between them but more importantly the identity that starts to evolve.

architecture school
architectural education

http://resolver.tudelft.nl/uuid:cda98d2b-8a38-40ff-a01c-0d10935e4cdc

2013-11-03

Student theses

master thesis

(c) 2013 virginia charitaki, V.