SRT251 – Construction and Structures Assignment No. 2 Architectural Detail Student : William Katsabis Number : 400118986 Lecturer : Jeremy Ham CONTENTS

SRT251 – Construction and StructuresAssignment No. 2Architectural Detail

Student : William KatsabisNumber : 400118986Lecturer : Jeremy Ham

CONTENTS•Title page•Brief•Assign 1 - Plans - Elevations•Inspiration•Design issues - Lighting - Roofline - Construction - Finishes•Solutions - Plan - Section - Eaves detail - Footing detail•Model - Animation - Complete•References

Architectural Brief –

Select an area of the Warehouse or Showroom complex designed in Assignment No. 1, and develop the construction technology for this area. Details of the footings, flooring, roofing, and envelope system should be included. An examination of an internationally recognised Architect as a reference is to be undertaken to assist in the development.


Assignment No. 1 - Showroom Ground Floor Plan


Assignment No. 1 - Showroom Elevation


Architectural Inspiration – Le Corbusier’s ‘Notre Dame du Haut, Ronchamp (1950-55)

With it’s large sweeping roofline, attention to lighting, and angled profile, the Notre Dame du Haut in Ronchamp reflects the same design ideals that we tried to produce in our showroom design. The use of large concrete elements producing heavy monolithic designs that surprisingly appear extremely light and ethereal is common throughout Le Corbusier works. Built on the site of an earlier church destroyed during World War 2, the chapel holds 200 people, but also caters for open-air services with larger congregations.


www.bc.edu www.galinsky.com

Design Issues - Lighting

“The key is light, and light illuminates shapes, and shapes have emotional power.” – Le Corbusier (1957)

Le Corbusier creates a heavenly glow through the chapel with a series of tinted windows of varying size along the South wall, a roof that seems to float above the walls, and a series of pinpoint holes in the East wall behind the altar. The key to the showroom is light’s interplay with the internal timber finishes radiating a warmth within the showroom. A lot of natural light will exist towards the front, but due to the requirement for minimal direct light to the rear display area, ambient light becomes more significant.Concrete walls will act as barriers when compared with the glass façade of the front, penetrated by a myriad of window openings on the Eastern wall inspired by ‘Ronchamp’s’ South wall. These windows could be mimicked to the South wall, with pinpoint holes produced on the Western wall similar to Le Corbusier’s Eastern wall. The concrete walls would finish 150mm below the roof structure to create the ‘floating’ impression of Le Corbusier’s design.

CONTENTS•Title page•Brief•Assign 1 - Plans - Elevations•Inspiration•Design issues - Lighting - Roofline - Construction - Finishes•Solutions - Plan - Section - Eaves detail - Footing detail•Model - Animation - Complete•References www.galinsky.com www.galinsky.com

Design Issues - Roofline

A simple truss system spanning the cross section of ‘Ronchamp’ is used to create an orthogonal grid layout to support the heavy concrete roof. Just as Le Corbusier’s roof directs people to the entrance in the South façade with its triangular appearance weighted towards the entrance, so too will the showroom’s roofline, in conjunction with the natural perspective of the building act to draw the observer’s attention in the opposite direction, to the entrance at the front of the building. Just as Le Corbusier’s curved chapel wall soaring above the roofline puts an exclamation point at the end of the building, so too will the curved feature wall of the showroom design act to produce the barrier between the commercial showroom and the industrial warehouse. It will act to separate the two elements and keep the observer’s attention in front of this marker.


Baker, GH, p.200Truss roof system over the north and south walls - Baker, GH, p.199

Design Issues - Construction

The sloping barrier that is Le Corbusier’s South wall is represented in the East wall of the showroom. ‘Ronchamp’s’ wall is essentially a wedge on its side that deflects and curves at its end to rise up and meet the roof at the southeast corner. The showroom design will mimic this for the most part, with the wedged, punctured, confronting wall emerging from the curved feature wall beyond. A reinforced concrete steel meshwork around columns supporting the roof will constitute the walls. The concrete roof will give way to more recent technological advancements. The curve reaching to the roof’s corner will be replaced with curtain glazing to increase natural lighting.


Baker, GH, p.197

Design Issues - Finishes

Typical of many of Le Corbusier’s works, ‘Ronchamp’ used reinforced concrete to create the desired forms. This long standing technique will be adapted and combined with more recent techniques to create a similar design. Steel framework by way of columns will support the truss roof system. The walls will be reinforced concrete set on a steel meshwork that is tied back to the columns. The eaves will be clad with ‘charcoal’ Alucobond creating the contrasting colors, and the ‘heavy’ roof seen in ‘Ronchamp’.The triangular flow of the roofline will draw attention to the front entrance. To highlight this, a transition of dark to light contrasts in the showroom’s coloring will be also be used.Internally the wall will maintain its concrete finish, offset by the warmth of timber floor coverings and a timber veneer finish to the roof beams, with plasterboard lining to the recessed ceiling areas.


Plan Detail


Wall Section


Eaves Detail


Footing Detail


Complete Model

Reinforcement put in place for pad footing to column. Reinforcement to be engineer specified and be placed to standard building practices allowing for adequate cover, and moisture protection.

Complete Model

Pad footing poured with adequate moisture protection provided. Column base plate fixing points to be positioned accurately.

Complete Model

‘Universal beam’ column positioned onto pad footing and bolted into place. Column sizes, strengths, and centres to be specified by engineer.

Complete Model

Reinforced concrete strip footings for load bearing walls to be poured. Rebates to be provided to allow for slab support, and starter bars to be positioned to tie footing into concrete walls above.

Complete Model

‘C-channel’ used to brace adjoining columns. Concrete, reinforced curved feature wall put in place to assist with bracing. Engineer designed universal beam fixed to column top plate. Beam to have cleats for purlin fixing positioned and welded in position.

Complete Model

Purlins fixed to beam through cleats and fixing plates on curved feature wall. Purlins to span between adjoining columns set at five metre centres.

Complete Model

Roofing elements, including insulation, flashing, and metal deck roofing fixed to roofing purlins. Plasterboard fixed to ceiling purlins to sit above top of beam. Beam to be boxed out with laminated timber to complement the timber flooring. Alucobond fixed to purlins to create large sweeping underside to eaves in parallel to Le Corbusier’s heavy concrete roof.

Complete Model

Le Courbusier wall formed with steel reinforcement tied to column and starter bars to strengthen and support the structure.

Complete Model

Concrete poured to create Le Corbusier wall. Glazing to sit in channel directly into the concrete.

Complete Model

Floor slab poured on sand base with moisture barrier with appropriate reinforcing as specified by engineer. Slab to sit on strip footing via bearing joint. Floating timber floor to be installed to manufacturer’s specification on slab giving warmth to the internal space, in contrast to the coldness of the concrete forms.

Complete Model

Open riser timber, metal and glass staircase constructed. Stair to have landing at curved feature wall, floating through the opening and continuing to the office area beyond.

Next View


References -

Baker, G.H., Le Corbusier, An Analysis of Form, Van Nostrand Reinhold, UK, 1984.

Boesiger, W., Le Corbusier, Thames and Hudson, London, 1972.

Ruegg, A., Le Corbusier, Birkhauser Publishers, Berlin.

Serenyi, P., Le Corbusier in Perspective, Prentice-Hall Inc., New Jersey, 1975.

Stoller, E., The Chapel at Ronchamp, Princeton Architectural Press, NY.

Great Buildings online - www.greatbuildings.com

Chapel of Notre Dame du Haut – www.galinsky.com/buildings/ronchamp/

Le Corbusier – www.bc.edu/bc_org/avp/cas/fnart/Corbu

www.latimes.com/cl-cathedral_ewbnrigy,0,3809033.photo


Documents

SRT251 – Construction and Structures Assignment No. 2 Architectural Detail Student : William Katsabis Number : 400118986 Lecturer : Jeremy Ham CONTENTS