Advanced Materials and Tectonics
Case study + Material system Climatic adaptation
Beginning with analysis of a precedent in terms of structural and tectonic systems, the course culminated in modification of the selected tectonic system, so as to adapt to the climate and context of Los Angeles.
The intention of such a re-origination of the tectonic reality of the precedent is to study a novel set of formal, geometrical and technological associations. They demonstrate how the focused redevelopment of structure, envelope, interior and systems, together with an understanding of the constructive processes from which a building arises.
They are meant to be systematically approached so as to re-inform the tectonic origins of the work without diminishing its performance.
The case study selected was the China Academy of Art- Folk Art Museum by Kengo Kuma Architects
Instructor: Maxi Spina
Partners: Priyanka Patel, Divyansh Agarwal, Jiajun Cheng
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Fall 2017
Contrasting the general notion of a box-like museum interior, the Folk Museum of Art attempts to induce a fluidic character within the volume, by subtly altering floor levels, occasionally punctured by semi-external spaces in between the scheme.
The facade of the museum sports an interesting application of the traditional clay tile. Rather than the conventional method of settling tiles in concrete, they are suspended in a network of stainless steel cables. this steel wire matrix is installed in a double matrix grid, with the black tiles screwed under the steel cable junctions.
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With no particular dictating geometry in the arrangement of tiles on the walls, the tiles themselves differ subtly in their geometries.
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Tiles on the roof are laid close together, in an over and under fashion. Thus, these subtle irregularities in the black tiles on the roof and walls gives the museum a monolithic view and exhibits homogeneity with the slopes of the hill.
Though not immediately apparent to the eye, the arrangement and fragmentation of the suspended tiles in the steel cable network can be thought of as imitating the sales of a fish; thus when the eye movies, it appears dense and dark at certain times and infinitesimally thin and inconspicuous at others.
In congruence with the lightness of the existing facade of the Folk Art museum at the China Academy of Art in Hangzhou, China, an adaption is developed that attempts to address the local climate of the new site of the building, Los Angeles.
Owing to the fact that Los Angeles predominantly experiences a hot and sunny climate in most months throughout the year, the main aim of the design of the facade system was to effectively shade the interior closely Maintaining elements from the original Kengo Kuma design - the Low E double glazing fronted by the steel mesh with clay tiles embedded in the network, our adaptation of the design aims to distribute and redesign the length and orientation of the clay tiles carefully in order to provide effective shading throughout the day during hot months.
The Low-E glazing controls the amount of UV radiation that penetrates the interior and the frontal steel-clay network, in addition to controlling sunlight, also produces interesting patterns of light and shade thoughout the interior.
Our design thus incorporates longer tiles and a denser distribution of tiles towards the higher end of the steel mesh and shorter tiles and a more scattered distribution of tiles towards the lower end. The lengths of the tiles are calculated using the altitude angle of the sun at the hottest time of the day. Thus, maintaining the perforated and light nature of the original facade, our adaptation aims to more precisely calibrate the screen density and tile lengths, responding to the local climate of Los Angeles.
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