Project A.N. --- Part 7

7. References

(1) Ray, Paul. H. & Anderson, Sherry Ruth. 2000. The Cultural Creatives— How 50 Million People Are Changing the World; pp.35-37. New York (U.S.A): Three Rivers Press.
(2) Keswick, M. 1978. The Chinese Garden – History, Art & Architecture; pp.196. London (U.K.): Academy Editions.
(3) Keswick, M. 1978. The Chinese Garden – History, Art & Architecture; pp.156. London (U.K.): Academy Editions.
(4) Keswick, M. 1978. The Chinese Garden – History, Art & Architecture; pp.165. London (U.K.): Academy Editions.
(5) Schleifer, Simon. 2005. Minimalist Interiors; pp.36-41. Köln(Germany): EVERGREEN.

Project A.N. --- Part 6

6. Summary & Conclusions

Project A.N. (Project for the Abstract and Artificial Nature) is the theme of this hotel design. It is an experimental design which expresses a strong manifesto to the city: “Landscape should be continuous and seamless, and architecture should act as the medium for the transition between landscapes rather than isolation.” Besides the manifesto, this hotel also provides comfortable room and SPA for the chosen target group: the Culture Creatives, and will impress the guests with its unique spatial experience from the real nature to the abstracted and artificial nature.

This design is step by step developed with the linear process which consists of 3 phases: Concept, Solution, and Design. The development in the current phase must follow the results of the previous phase. This strong order prevents the design deviating from the concepts and program. This process creates efficiency for handling this kind of assignment in such a short period of time. Also, the model-driven method is a very direct way to develop and examine the design. It has great effort especially for developing the unique spatial quality in the interior space.

This hotel design is very experimental for me because of its double-headed development from the context and the interior space of hotel room. The double-headed development is affected by the influence from nature and human. Apparently, the value of nature and landscape is seriously emphasized in this design, and it is even as important as the value of the target group. It is because that the relation between human and nature is forgotten when it comes to designing building in the city. The building is usually used to represent the value and achievement of the human, and also to shield human from the fatal factors of the outside world. The building becomes the isolation between human and nature. Especially nowadays when the density is getting higher and higher in the city, the building block must contain more and more functions and create many private inner gardens inside the building blocks. That is why the existing landscape is further divided into odd pieces, and these odd pieces are usually alienated with each other.

It said that the hotel design has most freedom to imagine the theme as long as your target group and client likes it. Since the Culture Creatives appreciates the efforts to the environmental problems, I would like to take advantage of this hotel design to reconnect the relationship between human and nature by making the building as the medium between the green streetscape and the inner garden. Hopefully, the Project A.N. can evoke the awareness of fading relation between human and nature and inspire people to create more interest things through the process of reconnecting the relationship with nature.

Project A.N. --- Part 5

5. Explanation and evaluation of the design process

The design process of this hotel design is linear and consists of 3 different phases: Concept, Solution, and Design. These 3 phases must follow an arranged sequence because the result of the previous phase will be the starting points for the following phase. Inside each phase, many activities will usually happen at the same time and the result from each activity can contribute to the other activities. At the end of each phase the results from all the activities will be integrated and generate a final result for the next phase.


5.1. The first phase: Concept
Generating the appropriate and unique concepts is the most crucial goal in the phase of “Concept”. In my opinion the appropriate and unique concepts come from the research of different aspects. The subjective points of view should be accompanied with the objective consideration of different aspects. That’s why several activities start together in the beginning of this phase because the results of these activities are used as the starting points for developing concepts. These activities are described as follows:


I. Research in the beginning of this phase

i. Site analysis
Site analysis focus on 4 aspects: urban context, spatial experience, functions of surroundings, and transportation. Site analysis doesn’t only provide insightful information about the site, but its conclusion also has direct and strong influence on the decision of choosing target group and the development of concepts.

ii. Choosing target group
- Target group & the conclusion of site analysis
Guest always plays the leading role in the hotel design. Therefore the target group of guest must be decided and clearly defined in the beginning of this phase. The decision of the target group is totally based on the conclusion of site analysis because the target group must perfectly correspond to the characteristics of the surroundings.

- The chosen target group --- the Culture Creatives (the CCs)
After site analysis I began to search for the possible target group whose lifestyle and characteristics correspond to the characteristics of site perfectly. Because the most important characteristic is its location where the density of museum and gallery is the highest in Rotterdam, it must be very attractive to the aggressive consumer of art and culture. However, how can I define this kind of people more precisely? Do people who live in this lifestyle already exist? How many people are they? Finally, a friend of mine recommended me to read a book called “the Cultural Creatives— How 50 Million People Are Changing the World”. In this book Paul. H. Ray and Sherry Ruth Anderson have defined a new group of people called “the Culture Creatives” (the CCs). (1) The new lifestyle of the CCs is now followed by 50 million people all over the world. The characteristics of this site correspond to the lifestyles of the CCs correspond perfectly which made me decide to let the CCs become the target group of this hotel. The comparison between the lifestyle of the CCs and the characteristics of the site is as follows:

Lifestyle of the CCs v.s. Characteristics of the site:

1. Most of the CCs are aggressive consumers of art and culture <---> The site is nearby the central cultural area in Rotterdam. Also, Rotterdam is constantly having cultural events through the year such as movie festival, music concert, museum, art gallery, and unique architecture.
2. The CCs love nature. <---> The site is sat between the green streetscape and inner garden.
3. The CCs take public transportation or drive hybrid cars. <---> Convenient public transportation

iii. Case Study --- Japanese capsule hotel
Case study is always a very helpful way to know the general ideas and different types of a certain kind of design in a short time. This time the samples of case study consist of 7 different types of hotels. Among those hotels I chose “Japanese capsule hotels” to analyze because of their unusual spatial experience created by revolutionary spatial use under the urban context. Also, same as our site, the location of Japanese capsule hotel is in the city center, and their effort of optimizing spatial use is also very inspired for the small hotel in the city center where the land price is very expensive.

Fig. 6.1 Capsule Unit in the Capsule Inn Ahibahara, Tokyo, Japan

II. Generating concepts
After the research in the beginning of this phase is finished, the results from different activities are gathered together. Among the research from different aspects, the conclusion of site analysis, the characteristics of the chosen target group, and the reflections on the Japanese capsule hotel are used as the starting points to generate concepts. The concepts from 4 different aspects are generated as follows:

- From the guest’s aspect --- Create unusual experience
- From contextual aspect --- Create continuous experience of landscape
- From architectonic aspect --- Create an interior garden
- From aspect of room --- Bed is the center of the room.


5.2. The second phase: Solution
The most important mission in the second phase is to generate the solutions step by step. It is crucial to transform concept to approach which can become the discipline for the follow-up volume study, program of demands, and concepts of room and façade. With the help of finding references from art work and the other related example of architectural design, the approach can be more inspired and unique. Approach is further realized by volume study, program of demands, and concepts of room and façade. At the end of this phase the integration of program of demands and the selected volume generates the complete guidelines for the next phase. The strategy, method, and technique adapted in this phase are described as follows:

I. From “Reference” to “Approach”

i. Learning from Chinese garden
- Symbolism:
An important characteristic of the Chinese garden is that it tries to symbolize the universe in the enclosed space. In the book” the Chinese Garden--- History, Art & Architecture” the author has mentioned that” it(the Chinese garden) tries to incorporate a bit of every experience within a tight space; and it restlessly oscillates between polar opposites, the yin and yang, the solid and void….In short the garden symbolizes the universe through its formal devices. This partially explains what is so characteristically strange to us about the Chinese garden: its cramming of a density of meaning into a very small space, its tight packing, and its restless changing aspect…” (2) To create continuous experience of landscape and interior garden, the symbolization in the Chinese garden can also be adapted to create abstract and artificial landscape in the interior space by symbolizing the natural elements.

- Rocks & Water
“The Chinese word for the landscape is “shan shui”, which literally means “mountains and water”. (3) In the Chinese garden rocks is used as the analogy for mountains, and water must exist where there are mountains (rocks). It is because that “to the Chinese water is not just physically beautiful in a garden, but is absolutely necessary to balance the mountains, and so to represent the totality of Nature in perfect harmony.” (4) That’s why rocks and water are the two most important elements which are widely used in the Chinese garden to create artificial nature.

- Opening & Scene
The Chinese garden is usually divided into some small gardens by wall. Doorway and window are two common openings on the wall to visually connect the different landscapes on both sides of the wall. The doorway is usually used to highlight the existence of the courtyard on the other side of the wall, and the window is usually used to frame special scene in the garden.

The approaches generated from the study of the Chinese garden are:
- Use real and abstracted natural elements such as water and rocks
- Route: outside à inside; real nature à abstract and artificial nature
- Enhance the presence of nature on the other side

ii. Learning from Minimalism & Minimalist interiors
The intention of this study is to learn how Minimalist Art simplifies a work of art to the minimum number of colors, values, shapes, lines and textures. In the notion of Minimalist Art there is even no experience or object to be represented or symbolized. The reduced form is pure self-referential and all external references are emptied. However, this doesn’t totally correspond to my ideas because in my design the form simplified from the natural elements should contain the representation and symbolization of abstract and artificial nature. From the study of Minimalist interiors, I found that using single color can avoid the distraction from multiple colors and create homogeneity of space which melts all the odd pieces of furniture in the space into one unity. For example, in Shigeru Ban’s House Without Walls (5), the continuity between interior and exterior is established by eliminating delimiting factors. Wall is replaced by movable panels and the partition is completely free. Therefore, the white interior space is surrounded by the view of forest which creates vague existence of the interior. When the interior space is simplified and purified by using single color, the simplicity and homogeneity will makes the existence of the interior space less noticeable just like a background in the painting or a photo frame.

Fig. 6.1 Shigeru Ban, House Without Walls, Nagano, Japan

The approach inspired from this study is to make a “WHITE” building to create simplicity and homogeneity of space.

II. Volume study & Concept of façade
3 working models of volumes are made for the volume study, and at the end one of them is selected to integrate with the program. The concept of façade is considered at the same time.

III. Concept of room
A concept model with the scale of 1/20 is made to study how bed can be the center of the room.

IV. Program of demands
The program of demands is developed from the approaches and the concepts of room and façade. It describes the guidelines for the design. It consists of several aspects such as: the demands of spatial use, room, SPA, climatic control & installation, and spatial design.

Project A.N. --- Part 4

4. Description of the most salient solution

4.1. The making of the front façade


Fig. 4.1 Plan, section, and the elevation of the fragment of the front façade


The principle of design for the front facade is based on the “Second Skin”. It is very sustainable because of its optimal effects of climatic control and energy saving. Normally, these are usually the reason why “Second Skin” façade is adapted in the building design. However, in this hotel design, the optimal climatic control and energy saving are the additional advantage for the maintenance of the building rather than the motivation for the design. According to the program the front façade should reflect the green streetscape to create a fake opening on the continuous solid facades along the street. It also expresses a hint that there is an inner garden on the back side of the building. Because the front façade is facing a busy street, the good noise insulation is also very important for the interior space. Based on these ideas, I decided to design a “Second Skin” for the front façade because its reflecting glass of outer skin can also used as the insulation against the noise from the street. Moreover, the space between 2 skins can be used as balcony. The double-layered structure of the façade creates a bamboo forest-like artificial nature which makes the outer skin and the interior space more organic and vivid. The introduction of the outer skin and its special effect are described as follows:

I. Material of the outer skin --- SPYMIRROR
SPYMIRROR is a single side coated one way mirror which is used as partition between a supervised and an observation area. The reflection of the coated side is higher than for the glass side. Thus the observer can look clearly into a bright illuminated area (at least lighting ratio between the areas 1:5), while for the observant the partition acts as a mirror.



Fig 4.2 SPYMIRROR looked from exterior and interior


II. Special effect --- 2 different looks during day and night
During daytime the exterior is brighter than interior, so the scene outside is reflected on the SPYMIRROR. At night the interior space is much lighter than outside, and the structure with bamboo-like pattern is shown to the outside.



Fig 4.3 The special effect of the SPYMIRROR during day and night

Project A.N. --- Part 3

3. Explanation and evaluation of the designed hotel

3.1. Starting point --- Towards the continuous and seamless landscape
In general when a building is sat between street and inner garden, the building usually performs as a barrier to separate these two open spaces. This phenomenon happens often in the “口” form building block just like the site of this project. But what is wrong with the separation between them? Aren’t the buildings born to be used as enclosure to create private inner garden? Why is it so necessary to communicate these two open spaces with each other?


In my opinion by nature landscape should be continuous and seamless and shouldn’t be broken by the building skin and interior space. It’s because normally buildings are erected on the existing landscape and the entire landscape is divided into many odd pieces by the buildings. And here comes the problem: people’s experience of open space is often interrupted whenever they enter the interior space. If we can make interior space and building façade work as the medium to communicate with the open spaces, we could let the experience continue. At the same time, no matter visually or physically, the odd pieces of landscape in the city will be connected with each other and become a complete and continuous landscape again. It’s very important to let people feel that the buildings are built inside the entire and complete landscape which is composed by odd pieces of open space, but not built between the open spaces. In this way, interior space can also be a part of landscape which helps to reform the continuous and seamless landscape.




3.2. Concepts
I. From the guest’s aspect --- Create unusual experience
The Culture Creatives is a group of people who dare to try something new and unusual. Especially when the new experience is realized in experimental art form it will attract more Culture Creatives to visit this hotel.

II. From contextual aspect --- Create continuous experience of landscape
People’s experience of open space is often interrupted whenever they enter the interior space. Building will be the medium between streetscape and inner garden to let the experience continue.

III. From architectonic aspect --- Create an interior garden
Interior space will be part of landscape which helps to form the continuous experience. Abstract natural symbols and patterns will be used to build the interior garden.

IV. From aspect of room --- Bed is the center of the room.
Learning from the study of the Japanese capsule hotel, bed is the center of the capsule unit which is surrounded by the necessary functions of the hotel room. In such a small site of the city center, the interior space must be used efficiently like the capsule hotel in Japan. In my opinion, the existence of bed should be strongly emphasized in the space because bed is the most important element in the hotel room. The bed should be the center in the room and can reach the other function in almost the same distance.

Fig. 3.1: Diagram of the concept IV

3.3. Program of demands

Demands of spatial use:
- Total gross surface: about 750 m²
- Percentage of spatial use:
45% for hotel rooms à 337.5 m²
30% for the facilities à 225 m²
25% for lift, stairs, atrium and corridor à 187.5 m²

Demands of room:
- Size: 17m² (4.25mx4m) for single room; 29.75m² (4.25mx7m) for double room à Total 327.25 m²
- Quantity: 7 single rooms; 7 double rooms à max. 21 guests per day
- Efficient spatial use for the rooms à Move away the functions which are useless for the target group (the CCs)
- Daylight: from the openings on the façade and atrium
- Artificial light for the hotel rooms: indirect lighting

Demands of SPA:
- For health and relaxation: swimming pool(3X12m), steam room, massage room and terrace
- Café (48m²)which provides breakfast and healthy food for the guests

Demands of Climatic control & Installation:
- Atrium: Atrium is used to create natural ventilation for each room, and also works as buffer in the winter

Demands for spatial design

I. The building should become the medium between two landscapes by using real and abstracted elements from nature.

i. Reflecting material for the front façade à Reflecting the green streetscape
ii. Direct visual connection between two landscapes à Water surface for guiding and enhancing the visual connection à Swimming pool à SPA on the ground floor
iii. Organic pattern for the composition and structure of façade
iv. Make a “WHITE” building:
White can simplify and purify the space. The building will become a neutral object between two green open spaces, and this neutrality and simplicity will create the abstract and artificial nature in the interior space and also make a contrast to the natural landscape outside. Texture of material will replace color to create different spatial quality.


II. The route of promenade from the street to the room should be translated to the transformation from real nature to the abstract and artificial nature.

i. Route: From the street with trees, water, and grass to the room made by pure abstract and artificial natural elements
ii. Real natural elements for the horizontal direction: Water + the landscape on the other side of the building
iii. Abstracted natural elements for the vertical direction: Light from the light well above and abstract form of mountain and cave


III. Create special sphere and scene in the room by using abstracted form from nature.

i. Abstract form of cave à Artificial topography in the interior à Integrate the furniture with the artificial topography.
ii. Free partition in the interior à Create continuity between exterior to interior
iii. Different size of room from the irregular form of the volume à Single room + Double room on each floor.
iv. Sphere and scene created by the abstracted form from nature à Adapt organic pattern for the façade and window frame

Project A.N. --- Part 2

2. Design product: Project A.N.



Fig 2.1: The Project A.N. on the Eendrachtsweg (simulation)

Project A.N. (Project for the Abstract and Artificial Nature) is the theme of this hotel design. This hotel will impress the guests with unique spatial experience and also express a manifesto to the architecture in the city. The manifesto will be the answer of my research questions:

Can building become the medium for the transition between streetscape and inner garden? Can we make the interior space as part of landscape?

2.1. Target group: the Culture Creatives (the CCs)
The “Cultural Creatives” is the new group of people who pursue the new lifestyle. It is defined by Paul. H. Ray and Sherry Ruth Anderson in their book “the Cultural Creatives— How 50 Million People Are Changing the World”. The CCs are aggressive art and culture consumers. They also love nature and support environmental friendly acts. These characteristics of the CCs correspond to the conclusion of site analysis which makes me choose them as the target group of this hotel.

2.2. Key concept
The key concept is to make the building become the medium between 2 landscapes.


Fig 2.2 (left) No connection between 2 landscapes; Fig 2.3 (right): The building is the medium between 2 landscapes

Zoning:

Fig 2.4 (left) & Fig 2.5 (right): Distribution of different functions in this building

2.3. Construction
The load-bearing construction consists of two parts: the construction of the hotel room and the bridges. The load-bearing structure of the rooms is made by the concrete walls on two sides of the building and the concrete floor. The bridge is supported by 4 400X400 mm concrete columns. The structure of the bridge can also help to build the staircase and elevator shaft, and at the same time can support part of the load from hotel rooms.

Fig 2.6: the load-bearing structure

2.4. Lobby & Spiral stairs

Fig 2.7: Reception

Fig 2.8: View from the top of the spiral stairs

The lobby is 7.1 m high and the 2 oblique columns used to support the bridge above emphasize the height. Together with the spiral stairway, they form a splendid visual focus.

2.5. SPA
SPA provides guests a place to relax and have regular exercise during their stay. The indoor swimming pool plays a very important role to emphasize the horizontal visual connection between the streetscape and inner garden. It also can attract people’s attention and becomes the most important spot in this hotel. Together with sauna, massage room, terrace, garden, and the cafe on the 1st floor, the SPA has complete facilities for relaxation. It can also open to the other people during the low season.

Fig 2.9 : SPA

Fig 2.10: View from the swimming pool

Fig 2.11: View from the area for sauna and massage

2.6. Volume of the rooms

I. Characteristics

i. 4 mountains
The rooms are put into 4 volumes with different forms. These volumes are shaped like the simplified form of mountain.


Fig 2.12: Mountains

Fig 2.13: Volumes

ii. Daylight from the light well
The daylight from above is the natural element which I use to emphasize the vertical development of this part. It lights up the staircase and the rooms, and at the end the light will glow the swimming pool through two narrow openings on the ceiling.

Fig. 2.14: The daylight lights up the light well

Fig. 2.15: The light from the opening above brings the feeling of cave into the swimming pool

iii. Changing scene
The scene is changing whenever you go to the other floor because of the changing forms of the volumes on each floor.

Fig. 2.16 The scene from the 2nd floor to the 5th floor

2.7. Interior of the room

I. Interior landscape
The interior landscape is created by abstracted natural pattern and topography. The furniture and other functions of the room are all integrated into a cave-like topography. The structural posts, window frame, and decoration on the wall form an abstract natural pattern to imitate bamboo forest.

Fig. 2.17and Fig 2.18 The interior landscape made by abstracted natural pattern and topography.

II. White interior & No solid vertical partition
Like the rest part of the hotel, the major color in the interior space white because white means light, simple, pure and peace. It unifies the diverse objects inside the room into one unity. The interior space is free from solid vertical partition in order to create the continuity between exterior and interior.

Fig. 2.19 White interior with the colored decoration


III. Multi-functional bed is the center of the room

Fig 2.20 Plan of the representative hotel room

Fig 2.21 Bed is surrounded by the other functions.

Bed is the center of the room because it’s the most important element in the room. I think that the guests will spend a lot of time on bed to rest after a long and busy day experiencing the cultural events. That is why in this case bed is not just a bed. It is also used as a gigantic sofa or a soft floor. The necessary functions such as table, TV, bathtub, closet, and toilet are placed all around the bed, and can be reached in almost the same distance.


2.8. Service area

All the facilities for service including kitchen, storage, and rest room for employees are all located in the basement, because I would like to create a clear division between the area for employees and the area for the hotel guests. Machines for installation and swimming pool are also put here so that the guests are not disturbed by their noise and the possible maintenance.

2.9. Circulation

The vertical circulation consists of 3 different kinds of stairways and an elevator. The first stairway is the spiral stair which connects the ground floor with the first floor. The second one is the personnel stair which connects the ground floor and the basement. The third one is the transparent staircase used to connect different floors of hotel rooms and the first floor. Its transparency can let people see the changing scenes when they move to the other floors. Rooms, staircase and elevator are connected by the bridge on each floor. The bridge is put between the voids which enhance the spirit of vertical development in this part.

2.10 Façade

I. Front façade (South facade)
The front façade is used to reflect the green streetscape to create a fake opening on the long and solid skin of the building block. The front façade is higher than the adjacent facades for reflecting more sky. The principle of the design is based on the “Second Skin”. The outer skin is SPYMIRROR and its supporting structure can create a bamboo forest-like artificial nature which makes the outer skin and the interior space more organic.

Fig. 2.25: Front façade (left); Back façade (right)

II. Back façade (North facade)

Back facade is made by the similar pattern of the front facade, but the cladding and openings are totally different from the front facade. It is clad by the 50mm thick concrete panel for the outer skin, and the French balcony is used here to let guest enjoy the quite surrounding on the back side of the building.