Project Two: Final Study and Conclusion

The overall approach I decided upon to address the Bordeaux House produced by Rem Koolhaas is one defined upon a research and discovery basis. Thus I developed a core conceptual notion which would interconnect distinctive sub categories of study to expand such a notion further. The core concept I decided upon discussed architectural prosthetics, or the contortion of a responders experience and existence through an architectural form itself. This would be expanded after further research within the context of the Bordeaux house to consider the emancipation of a responder and thus the creation of spatial freedom achieved within the architecture itself.

The first point of study I addressed concerned the architectural relation between detail elements and the whole form with regards to the natural surroundings. Thus the port holes provide an artificial and therefore prosthetic connection between the internal spaces and the exterior garden. A connection which is subconsciously achieved through the placement of the holes along common paths of movement and at places of use such as a desk or bed. This is portrayed within the model below where the skewer lengths and direction suggest such connections.

Expanding this notion of artificial connections to consider the combination of glazing options used within the project, identified the use of clear and frosted. A combination which provides a transitional separation between internal and external spaces as perceived from the interior. Thus altering the perceiver’s depth of view between the interior and exterior and therefore the relative connection achieved as suggested within the following drawing.

Concluding this point of study regarding the combination of glazing types and detail form, the artificial connection identified which occurs as a result is evident. A result which stimulates the psychological perception of spatial freedom within the design, however one which further stimulates movement, and thus suggests a prosthetic contortion of the responders experience. Suggested within the image below.

The second point of focus I decided to focus upon concerned such a psychological relation between internal and external zones within the Bordeaux House, thus considering such stimulated movements. Therefore I decided to focus on how such movement is stimulated through both detail elements and major elements within the design. Identifying the manner in which the articulation and positioning of major form element such as walls, provides spatial continuity between spaces providing a psychological perception of freedom as portrayed through the drawing below.

While, the individual detail elements such as the port holes provide an inverse influence of the external perception internally. Thus the void of the inverse perception which defines movement, more importantly defines the spaces in which interactions occur, as framed by the major elements including walls. This notion is suggested in the model below.

The result of considering these major and detail elements is a suggested range of interaction fields which subsequently defines the spatial syntax throughout the design concerning stimulated movement. Thus a spatial syntax which evokes psychological freedom through the creation of numerous branched pathways and places of interaction which therefore limits the control the architecture itself has upon the responders. The spatial syntax is suggested below.

The final point of study I decided to carry out concerns the blurring of internal and external spaces thus considering the illusion of freedom. Therefore I produced the model presented below which provided a simplistic interpretation of the blurring between internal external spaces over the first floor. Therefore resulting in the artificial production of external spaces, internally.

Further, I expanded on this blurring of spaces by considering the spatial syntax, and the relative influence which occurs between the two. Thus I identified through the mapping of the syntax over each floor with regards to only the movement, (within the floor, from the exterior to the interior and a combination of the two), the manner in which the syntax responds to dictate the connection between the internal and external spaces with regards to the type of interactions which occur within the space, or simply whether they are private or public. Thus public spaces are detached from the exterior through a linear syntax, while public spaces are connected through a branched syntax. These diagrams are explored below.

 While finally I expanded this notion of the blurring of internal and external space to consider the blurring of vertical and horizontal spaces about the central lift shaft. Thus identifying the space defined by the level the lift is on but further examining such to consider the void which is left, particularly when the lift is motion. Hence we conclude the void as a result of such defines the illusion of freedom as it presents a undefined space which is further connected to the exterior appropriately. The variety of spaces defined internally across the vertical and horizontal planes are portrayed below.

Statement of Concluding –

In concluding this study I identified that Rem Koolhaas has employed numerous architectural techniques to define an illusion of freedom within the project in order to re-define the owner’s instability of life. Thus defining the architecture to become a prosthetic extension of the human form, where each technique in sense represents a nerve, which through the architecture becomes a single prosethetical replacement.

Project Two: Preliminary Summary of Study Direction

The image above presents the preliminary summary of thoughts which I discovered regarding the Bordeaux House concerning three fields including the structural strategy, formal devices and detail to the whole. Furthermore though I realised after placing my thoughts down on paper together, the lack of depth I had in fact discovered through my study and therefore realised I needed to further develop such thought processes.

Project Two: Study of Structural Strategy

Although within my final project presentation and conclusion I focused on areas of study other than the structural strategy, I found it important to still address what I discovered. Hence through such I discovered the true instability which exists within the Bordeaux House and the manner in which it applies to the conceptual nature of the design and hence the owner, as suggested through the expressions defined above.

Project Two: Initial Study Path Summary

The collection of images above provides a summary of my initial thought process carried out regarding an in depth study into Rem Koolhaas Bordeaux House. This would involve a study into the structure, detail elements and formal device used throughout and their significance to the overall project.