Process Book

Farrokh Aman

Spaces for Civic Useunit g 2009.2010

Aurora Armental RuizStefano Ciurlo Walker

This book presents what is never pre-sented: the essence of what is presented. The experimental thought process absentin the portfolio and not mentioned at the tables.

A case study is one of the ways in which archi-tects study precedent architectures, exploring in depth the subject of study focusing on one aspect, intention or idea; a case. It is a method of study, an investigation strategy. Through the analysis of the constructed work by Alison and Peter Smithson in Bath, we aim to learn to ob-serve and analyze built architectures and obtain a methodology of understanding and recording use-ful for the development of our own projects.

During the next 5 weeks we will develop tech-niques that will allow us to measure, investigate and communicated how these buildings were con-structed, reading their physical qualities, al-lowing for their reasons of being to emerge, its relation to the place where they belong and for their order and beauty to be revealed. You are asked to choose one of the following buildings:

1. Amenity Staff Building2. Seconds Art Building3. Arts Barn4. 6 East Building

Please study a certain aspect or element of the chosen building in order to understand its in-tentions in relation to the way it was built. We would like you to engage in observations on pro-portion, scale, rhythm, repetition, articulation, relief, opening, structure, mass, light, order, weight, materials, etc., in search for ideas of tectonic composition, the architectural craft of how the various parts are put together.

The final outcome of the exercise will be 3 pieces at the following scales:

• 1:200 exploring one aspect or element in rela-tion to the entirety of the chosen building• 1:20 exploring one aspect or element in rela-tion to a fragment of the chosen building• 1:2 exploring one aspect or element in reltion to a component or components conforming the cho-sen building

You are asked to produce 2 orthographic drawings and one model or axonometric. The various pieces should be described with a text of 400 words, 250 introductory words to describe the intentions of the investigation and 50 words to describe the intention of each of the above pieces.

Brief - Learning from Bath 06.10.09

On this day the unit visited the four buildings by Alison and Peter Smithson in the campus of Bath university with the aim to choose one to analyse.

I picked the Second Arts building due to its unique design and interesting use of material.

Bath Visit 09.10.09

In the construction of this building - for the first time in their career - the Smithsons used exposed in situ concrete for the facade. Being the structure and the external envelope, a lot is revealed about the building through observing the facade.

This also became the angle I took for analys-ing the building and developing the drawings and model.

The Second Arts Building Overview

To analyse the building’s facade through the 3 pieces mentioned in the brief, I decided to do 1:200 model, 1:20 section/elevation and a 1:2 detail drawing.

The model studies the facade as an independent feature achieved through simply doing a model of the external envelope, like a ribbon that would them make the outline of the building.

The 1:20 looked at the construction of this enve-lope and how it doubled as the structure as well and the 1:2 examined the relationship between the windows and the facade.

The Second Arts Building 3 Pieces

As mentioned before, this piece focuses on the outer envelope of the building as a silhouette and points to the characteristics of the facade which is made up of plains which sit back and forth from each other with subtlety. This creates a flash yet engaging surface.

To achieve this quality, the model is made in layers. Fragments of the facade are categorised then cut and fitted on top of each other.

The Second Arts Building Model

To construct the walls, elevation drawings of the facade were photocopied to scale on 150 gsm card, the desired fragment cut out and placed on top of one another.

Once the walls were fin-ished separately, they were glued together ac-cording to the plan of the building to complete its form as seen in the image (early stages).

The fragments that made up the final piece. The build-ing, the thin layer of ply-wood within which the model sits and the base. The top of the base is painted black in harmony with the inside of the model in an attempt to em-phasise on the irrelevance of the interior of the building to this exercise.

This sketch shows the de-velopment of the 1:2 draw-ing. A lot of attention was paid to how the window frames were drawn as they played an important role within the drawing.

As the 1:20 drawings pro-gressed the intention for the 1:2 drawing became clearer and clearer. Fi-nally I decided to study the window frames in plan and how they are attached to the envelope of the building.

In the early stages, while looking at drawing styles, I experimented with shad-ing and texturing of the drawing to reach the de-sired effect.

As the first set of drawings to be done this year, I placed an emphasis on the paper and drawing technique as it would set a precedence for the entire year. Following going through different papers I settled on detail paper and pencil.

The 1:20 drawings as a follow up to the model focus on the envelope of the building with and emphasis on construction methods used to build the 2nd Arts building and how different pieces (walls, floors, insulation) come together.

To achieve this, I started on a section/elevation drawing of the building.

And to complete the set, a 1:2 detail drawing was required. At this stage it was unclear how the drawing would develop.

The Second Arts Building Drawings

This draft drawing shows how different pieces were edited as the surveying process continued.

After the completion of Bath drawings and models and before the unit trip, an exhibition was held in the unit space about the Bath project. Image show-ing Michel being shown the works.

This year the unit will travel to Tuscany and walk over a 100 km of the Via Francigena, an an-cient pilgrimage route that leads to Rome. Under the title Spaces for Civic Use, we will develop architectural proposals for thermal baths in some of the historic towns explored during our walk.

The action of walking will be for us a slow meth-od of registration and understanding of the land-scape, closely experiencing on our feet distance, scale, vegetation, geology, topography and the use of the territory. The slowness of our pace will provide us with the opportunity to collect numerous precious fragments that will allow the realization of precise reconstructions of these places visited along our route. We will try to remind ourselves of the importance and value of survey, developing an ability to draw and under-stand places in order to give a reading of their physical qualities, allowing for their reasons of being to emerge, for the changes that have un-dergone over time to be understood and for their sometimes hidden beauty to be revealed.

Along the way we will experience bathing in natu-ral springs of thermal water, some that have been widely used for centuries, others that have been forgotten or are underused. We will bath in these places where thermal waters manifest them-selves in unique and peculiar scenarios. This year our main project will the design of Public Thermal Baths in historic towns along the route we will walk. For the duration of our journey we will live various bathing experiences that will help us to design new public thermal baths, understanding dimensions, needs andrequirements, testing and studying this programme and its in-fluence on the life of the communities where are located. Projects will explore the qualities of public spaces forbathing, exploring the civic presence of water in urban settlements.

As we walk we will discover places where the in-troduction of new architectures will be capable of revealing, reinforcing or intensifying and already existing community, charter or atmos-phere. We will work with and next to construc-tions of great historical importance, exploring architecture practice as a craft. Our point of departure will be the response to place and the uniqueness of what is found, developing spatial and organizational ideas for public bathing rooms and spaces for civic use.

Brief - Re-collection, Journey, Program 06.11.09

You should gather all the information necessary to realize:

• 1:2000 Plans and sections of the study area, describing the relationship between town and landscape, with emphasis on land use, vegetation, infrastructure and topography.

• 1:200 Plans, sections and elevations describing the conditions of the area of the project, with emphasis on orientation, neighboring construc-tions, topography and city/landscape structure.

• 1:20-50 Plans, Sections and elevations key fragments of the study area, with emphasis on materials, methods of construction and occupa-tion.

Image taken from the side of Porta Fonta Branda showing the fountain and Basilico San Domenico, two strong presences within the site linked by a path down the side of the hill. This is a relationship dominated by the unique topography of the area.

A sketch showing the fa-cade of the fountain and its relationship with its immediate context which is a slight slant which then turns into a series off steps that rise to the street level.

The first study area visited was Fonte Branda, street linking the Porta di Fonte Branda to Pi-azza del Campo. On its course, this street goes past the Fonte Branda fountain, the oldest of its kind Siena which in the past provided drinking water for people and cattle. This fountain is famed due to not only its historic importance, but also because of being the birthplace of Saint Catherine of Siena, one of the patron saints of Italy who lived in the 12th century.

Siena Fonte Branda

This study area that lies behind the Palazzo Pub-lico was once the market square of Siena origi-nally used to sell cattle and later on other mer-chandise. This area is on the edge of the densely built centre of Siena and faces the landscape and agricultural fields which are within the city walls.

Siena Piazza del Mercato

Image taken from the edge of the old site of the market which is now used as car park shows the im-mediate shift from urban condition to landscape. The roof is that of an old tannery where used water ended up and was then used for craftsmanship pur-poses.

10 kms away from Siena, this place has always been known for its thermal waters with known curative purposes leading to construction of bath basins. Following being refurbished in the recent years, the area gained a new importance and the civic baths were in constant use but due to a fa-tal incident in on of the basins, the facilities were closed and covered by concrete.

Projects in this study area could focus on reha-bilitating this thermal spring and relaunching it as a civic bath.

Santa Maria a Dofana

This image shows the space where the baths used to be located which are now out of use. Adjacent to the site, there is carved out rock with a bar on top of it which serves visitors and passers by. On the day of the visit the space was used for sketching and photography workshops.

Full of derelict and neglected houses, this village is filled interest-ing conditions and nuances while each house in its heyday has had atten-tion paid to its details. This beautiful door is and example of such character-istic.

This agricultural settlement is set on the bound-ary of the Val d’Orcia landscape. Made up of two lanes, two churches, few houses, an old store, a noble house and a fountain, this village has a permanent population of 8 with history influenced by the industrial revolution and mass immigra-tion.

The emphasis while studying this settlement should put on its immediate relationship with the landscape and its form.

Lucignano d’Asso

One of two main public spaces of the settlement seemed like the logical place for rest. Situated beautifully within the village, this paved area enjoys exquisite views of the region, adding to the charm of this quaint vil-lage.

While in Lucignano d’Asso we rested in one the two of the town’s public spaces.

All facades of Piazza del Campo are orientated in favour of the Palazzo (po-litical centre) except for the oldest facade which faces the Duomo (reli-gious centre). This unique condition is one of many visible layers of Siena’s eventful history. Stefano and Mihalis observing it.

Image taken on the first day of the trip on the visit to Piazza del Campo. A truly impressive pub-lic place, Mihalis took a moment to soak up the atmosphere by sitting on the dividing line between two of nine triangles that make up the square.

While visiting the now de-funct Bagnacci baths, Ri-ichiro set out to make his walking stick, scraping off the first layer of the stick to make it smoother and easier to use.

We started walking early in the morning while the morning mist was dominat-ing the Tuscan landscape, creating breathtaking views. In the opposite direction to the march, Hironobu admires the scen-ery.

Third day of the trip and the first venture into Val d’Orcia en route to Lucig-nano d’Asso from Siena via Giovanni d’Asso.

This panoramic image of the route leading to Pien-za was the start of the pictureque landscape of this part of Val d’Dorcia. Smooth textures and hills and dispersed vegetation are characteristics of these parts.

Image showing the road where the panoramic pic-ture was taken.

The city is composed beautifully as seen in the image. However, despite its grandeur, the city has a very eclectic feel to it which adds to its charm and makes it very welcom-ing and immediately liked.

The sketch of the church tower highlights its beau-tiful shape and propor-tions. It sits on the side of the church and rises above the city. It is vis-ible from far away and welcomes visitors to the town.

Located on a hilltop facing the breathtaking Tus-can landscape, Pienza was built with the vision of creating the ideal city. Commissioned by Pope Pio II during Renaissance to Leon Battista Al-berti, the city was meant represent the epitome of urbanism and architecture of that time in Italy.

Having a very tight fabric, the study area is limited to the southern front of the city and a thermal spring with curative properties which is 1km away.

Pienza

A sketch of Pienza from distance shows how it was approached. The route there was a constant ascent through glorious landscape on a sunny and phenomenal day.

The sketch is of a build-ing by the wall of San Quirico d’Orcia; a town we a spent a few nights in.

Montepulciano was the next destination. The medieval cities visited followed a pattern in terms of the locations and placement. All on a hill-top and ap-proached by up-hill roads. Again a tower rises above the city.

The sketch is of the unfin-

ished Duomo and its tower

in Motepulciano.

The image shows Montelpul-ciano on the hilltop where it is located with the church of San Biaggio further down which at the time of construction was considered an architec-tural marvel.

The passages that some-times resemble tunnels connect streets with one another from underneath building blocks. Major-ity of these passages are quite old and held using durable construction meth-ods.

A Florentine city within the province of Siena, Montepulciano sits in a strategic position on the border of Val d’Orcia and Valdichiana and houses a number of architectural master pieces within its walls.

Due to the cities topography, the city also con-tains a considerable number of covered paths and staircases that run underneath buildings which then connect parallel streets that are not on the same level creating interesting moments. The combination of the grand landmarks and these more ‘organic’ features makes the experience of Mon-tepulciano quite varied and engaging.

Montepulciano

The area is rich in thermal waters and therefore suitable for the introduction of civic thermal facilities. There are certain areas in Montepul-ciano where such schemes could be feasible. Areas such as Via Ricci; the spine of the city connect-ing the Piazza Grande and Piazza San Franceso.

This sketch shows Vignoni Alto with the landscape at the back. Despite a lack of visual connection, Vignoni Alto and Bagno Vignoni share a strong relationship. They are about 2kms away from one another.

The sketch shows the view from Vignoni Alto onto Castiglione d’Orcia.

Bagno Vignoni is a small locality rich in thermal waters and a destination for tourists seeking spa holidays within Val d’Orcia due to its private thermal facilities.

The town has very unique setup in the sense that its main square is big thermal pool that is closed to public now but had been used until the eight-ies. However using the water that flows out of the pool onto river Orcia is public. The water itself goes through open canals, flows down a cascade at the end of Bagno Vignoni through two cold pools (the water loses its temperature in the canals) and then onto the river.

The extent of the site is defined on one side by the river and on the other by Vignoni Alto (upper Vignoni), a small medieval village located at the top of the hill where Bagno Vignoni is the bottom of, about 2kms away.

Bagno Vignoni

This image of Bagno Vi-gnoni shows the pool, the church and Loggia Santa Caterina. The pool used to be almost twice as large until it was covered and turned into a public space bordering on an oak park.

The cold water pools formed on the cliff at the end of Bagno Vignoni enjoyed tremendous views of the area. Despite be-ing rather tucked away and cosy. Etienne braves the ice cold water.

Openings within the fabric of Pienza, exposed the narrow streets of Pienza to tremendous views of Val d’Orcia.

This is an image from a Romanesque church at the foot of the hill where Pienza is located. As men-tioned before, these towns had churches built outside their walls for farmers to use during feudal times.

En route to Gallina from Bagno Vigoni and while crossing river Orcia we came across a footbridge that was now out of use. Only bits of it had re-mained, however it was quite fascinating.

Pienza was surrounded by vineyards and olive groves. On a surprisingly hot day, Rory takes off some layers in order to cope with the temperature.

Acqua Puzzola is a crater of supposedly boiling water which in reality is filled with water that is rather cold. However, due to sulphuric contents of the water, an impression of boiling is created.

The cascade was easy to climb and the hot water endless. Soon after the taking of this image the place was full of us.

Located on the slopes of Monte Amiata, Bagni San Filippo - a very small settlement - is rich sul-phuric thermal waters with a considerable calcium carbonate content. Its is said that the waters spring out of places where a mystic called Filip-po Benizi - who was touted for Papacy - slammed his cane, which were then hailed as miracles.

The site itself consists of the settlement and their neighbouring thermal cascade and river.

This was the first time during the trip where we came across public thermal springs that were still in use. The bathing was a great experience and gave a new meaning to the whole trip.

Bagni San Filippo

This sketch of San Cas-ciano from distance shows its relationship with its context. The towers rise high above the city and are quite visible from far away.

Sketch showing the ap-proach to San Casciano from distance.

The last stop and site was San Casciano dei Bag-ni; a city in the Province of Siena, close to Lazio with a population of 2,000. The city has gained famed for its wealth of thermal springs (over 40) and its proximity to the Cassia road which was one of the main arteries of communica-tion between Rome and north of Italy.

The city itself has a very labyrinthine street pattern with an imposing topography. The city surprisingly is not located on a hill top and further down outside the walls the thermal baths attract visitors. This was also the place where we had to pick sites; I picked Bagno Vignoni and went to San Quirico d’Orcia on the bus that dropped people at their sites.

San Casciano dei Bagni

The last kilometre. San Casciano being admired by students.

On the last day of the walk with Monte Amiata in the background again, a constant presence through-out the walk. Riichiro sketching.

An image of the route to Radicofani with Monte Ami-ata, the volcano respon-sible for all the thermal activity in the region.

Finally there. San Cas-ciano’s main piazza.

On a hilltop surrounded by Val d’Orcia. Stefano walk-ing towards the last few to join the group.

Before the last tough ascent of the walk, people took a moment to recuper-ate. Debris of boats on a hilltop. Very Noah’s Arc.

The first day of surveying started with the in-tention of exploring the extent of the site and understanding the relationship of Bagno Vignoni and Vignoni Alto. This resulted in finding new paths between the two areas and giving me vague ideas of what my proposal would aim to do. We also spent some time surveying the main square and pool.

Bagno Vignoni Survey

These images show the paths between Bagno Vigno-ni ranging from tracks to tarmac roads. Bottom-left image shows the approach to Bagno Vignoni and the bottom-right one; Vignoni Alto.

This panoramic image taken of Vignoni area from the across river Orcia shows both Vignoni Alto and Bag-no Vignoni and highlights their relationship.

In the following days, Vignoni Alto and the ma-jority of Bagno Vignoni were measured and sur-veyed. However site contained certain immeasur-able elements such as the path of water from the pool to Orcia river and the cliff which were surveyed using unconventional methods such as taking sequential pictures and measuring key only key parts in relation to viewpoints.

Bagno Vignoni

After the third day of surveying, I headed back to Siena to spend the last night of the trip there. The day there was spent helping the Fonte Branda as they had lost there work and also going around Siena and visiting some of its fountains (every district has one).

Return

During the following weeks we will begin an in-tensive design phase, starting with a process of Reconstructing Place: a profound and care-ful understanding of place and its qualities “as found”. We will use precise and competent draw-ings to illustrate and realize accounts of our reading of what is actually there.

This process will become the instrument and point of departure for the creation of building strate-gies and a search of spatial qualities that have a direct relationship with the place where they belong.

We understand the process of Reconstructing Place as part of the architectural project itself. A profound understanding of what we are about to work with is fundamental for an architecture that is conscious of the value of things and routed in its place.

Drawings at precise scales will help us to ex-plore the places we have chosen to work, becoming also a useful tool to present and communicate to others the qualities of these locations, as well as a design tool that will allow us to start testing and locating our proposals.

We are not only interested on how new proposed constructions are introduced to a site, but also on how our interventions are capable of altering an existing equilibrium with the desire to per-fect, complete or sometimes reinvent an existing situation. Therefore the importance of drawing with objectiveness and precision the existing condition “as found”.

The aim of the drawings is to develop you ability to comprehend, communicate and make useful read-ings of place, but also to develop further your drawing language. Great care should be given to how the drawings are constructed as pieces, and the relationship between them, giving attention to the detail: dimension, orientation and quality of paper, finesse and precision of line, dimen-sion and quality of font, balance of color and equilibrium in composition when integrating text and photography.

All the parts for this project should be assem-bled in a complete and ordered way, reading as a clear part of your portfolio, considering how drawings might be folded and presented to others both on a wall or a table.

Brief - Reconstrcuting Place 27.11.09

The required outcome is:

1:2000 drawing - a study of the wider context of the study area, exploring: built grain, fig-ure ground, density/plot ratio, topography, land use, vegetation, agricultural patterns, presence of water and infrastructure.

1:200/ 1:500 drawing – a study of the area of the project, exploring: neighboring constructions, openings & fenestration, paths, paving patterns, topography, vegetation, city /landscape struc-ture, orientation, land and water use.

1:20/1:50 drawing – of a significant fragment or component, exploring: materials, methods of construction, occupation, vegetation and water use.

The process of doing this piece started by doing initial traces and experiments to help locate the aim and intentions behind this drawing.

1:2000 Drawing

Throughout the trip, the gates of the cities and the way the approach to cities culminated in passing through these impressive structures left a lasting impression on me. Continuing with the drawing, I decided to highlight the way paths (a feature explored before already) would lead to the main space of Bagno Vignoni through its informal gates.

1:2000 Drawing

The images on the oppo-site page show the gate to Pienza and a gate within Sienna. Images on this page show the gate of Vignoni Alto and the un-flattering main access to Bagno Vignoni.

This is a scan of an ex-periment with textures and colours with the intention of highlighting the loca-tion of settlement and the access to it.

This would be the tem-plate for the final drawng. Shaded paper, paths rubbed out and buildings high-lighted.

The sketch shows the early intentions for the model and how it was envisaged.

The model intended to show the main part of Bagno Vignoni with the pool being the focal point of the model. The size of the model would be 38cm.38cm, the same width as the drawings. The model would look at the three dimensional form of the settle-ment and explore the proportions, topography and relationships between its forming elements.

1:500 Model

This drawing was started simultaneously with the model with the intention of taking a closer look at the site and explore its qualities.

The 1:2000 drawing highlighted how several paths lead to Bagno Vignoni and the 1:500 looks at the thresholds through which these paths enter the settlement; thresholds formed by the place-ment of buildings within Bagno Vignoni. Plus, it looks at how the geometrics of the pool shape the hamlet. The elevation drawing that forms a part of this drawing looks at the aesthetic of these buildings and their physical relationship with one another.

1:500 Drawing

Sketch shows how the draw-ing was perceived. The focus is on the entrance the paths make to the settlement through the thresholds. The buildings are pale and water has a strong presence.

As a piece complementing the 1:500, this drawing looks at the site more spatially. The axonometric looks at the physical presence of the buildings and the sections through the entrances of Bagno Vignoni look at how they are shaped by the par-ticular placement of the buildings at the scales of 1:100 and 1:200.

1:750 Axonometric

The drawing is a latitudinal section through the pool looking south and onto the Loggia and then passing though the church. This drawing looks at the scale of one the entrances to the pool and more importantly at the method used to draw water from the pool and to lead it down the settlement through a canal.

1:50 Section

Buildings are made off timber or cardboard. El-evations made with thick paper.

Positive ready for casting silicone.

Following the completion of the ‘Reconstructing Place’ pieces, an exhibition was put up in the gallery space by the unit. Prior to this, the unit collectively presented the work done so far in an open crit.

Exhibition/Pin Up

Since we walked through the province of Siena, the various fragments collected in Tuscany have been useful for careful reconstructions of the places we have discovered.

During our journey we experienced bathing in ther-mal waters and we have also looked at the civil presence of buildings and spaces for civic use in the Tuscan towns we are working in.

We started to study how thermal baths are organized spatially and after we made propositional decisions regarding the site for our design proposal. Now we would like you to start considering and formulating ideas of the tectonic qualities of a proposal.

Over the next 12 days we would like you to explorematerials, methods of construction, services and structure in close relationship with a spatial and formal idea. You are asked how building processes, construction and technique determine and are inte-grated into an architectonic idea.

Rather than coming up with an abstract concept, and then find a way to build it, we would like to start considering buildings that derive their qualities and intentions by having a clear understanding of what are made of and how. Proportion, scale, ideas of solidity, lightness, repetition, rhythm, struc-ture, material, construction and technique are to be explored.

Our ambition is to condense our understanding of site and brief in a physical proposal. The complex-ity and subtleties of both place and programme need now to be address with a propositional attitude, with the intention of developing spatial, material, structural and inhabitation ideas. We want you to develop spatial, tectonic and construction ideas and images that will drive our architecture for these places.

Brief - Structure, Space & Inhabitation I12.03.10

Intuitive volumetric studies at the scale of 1:500 utilizing our site models will help us to give di-mensions and consolidate our design brief and how is resolved on site.

We will use 1:200 diagrammatic plans and sections that will be used to develop, test and communicate ideas of internal arrangement of space, propor-tions, openings, rapport between space and water, structure and services.

These diagrams will allow us to develop an inter-nal image that will derive from an attitude to how materials coexist, how light affects space and how spaces are lived and occupied, capturing an atmos-pheres and character of space and to create images that will form our architectures.

This exercise started by analysing the spatial or-ganisation and measurements of Hammams and Roman baths in order to gain an under-standing of how big a civic bath needs to be in order to be suitable for a certain number of bathers.

After the analysis of the baths I made diagrams to determine the approximate size of the proposal based on those analysis as well as site observations about the general size and facade width of the buildings sur-rounding the pool in Bagno Vignoni.

At this point the idea behind the project was plac-ing a volume in the north west corner of the area around the pool in order to complete the sequence of the surrounding buildings of the pool and making that particular point of entrance stronger.

The next stage was producing volumetric collages of the proposal. This particular collage became the reference point of the development of the proposal. Through this I noticed the strength of where the building would sit and the presence the build-ing would gain; very crucial for a civic building.

The north west corner of the square is the point where the topography starts to pick up. The building would hide its identity to a point and also follow into the side street enticing people to explore the building.

The site is part of the grounds owned by the Palazzo at the northern edge of the square.

It is situated on the edge of the north west entrance to the square.

It is a highly visible point within the square with great physical presence as it is at the highest topographical point of the square.

This sketch model was the next stage in the develop-ment of the project. Aiming to be simple and intrinsic, the proposal would consist of one united surface of water, half internal half external accessed through a gate, divided by a volume that would house services and dry facilities.

The gate was meant to be a source of light that would constantly trigger a harmo-nious motion of bathers from the internal pool to the external one, an act that bathers would do together thus creating a bond between them. Creating an unspoken exchange...a shared feel-ing that would bring people closer.

An issue that was raised about this idea was the water level. During the presentation in Florence Marco Vidotto stressed the importance of this and thought of it as the next step for the proposal.

Subsequently, I decided to raise the water level to the level of the site.

The building would be ac-cessed through the gap made between the neighbouring Palazzo due to the placement of the proposal. At this stage this was done from the street level.

An idea forming at this point was allocating the indoors space to a sweating/hot room with permeable walls. This was to turn the steam room to a semi external space that visually cut off from the street, yet made a con-nection with it through the heat and smell that the walls would radiate to the street and the cool air coming in-side. This would distort the boundary between inside and outside and let the bathhouse engage on a higher level with its context.

It became clear that due the topography of the site, the external pool would eat into the ground too much thus be-coming very enclosed by re-taining walls all around it. Raising it would also mean raising the height of the building in order to keep the water surface united making this idea unfeasible.

After realising that the project was not working, I went back to the initial ideas in order to rethink the whole process that had led to where the project was. I realised the united surface of the water I was coveting was not the one I would create; it was one that was an extension of the Bagno Vignoni pool and this was the surface of water that had to be kept united.

This led to reversing the building with the wet areas moved to the lower floor, at the level of the pool.

Reinterpreting ‘One surface of water’

Looking at this model again, it became clear that the internal pool would be the proposed one and the exter-nal one the existing Bagno Vignoni pool.

After many alterations and stages of developing these drawings were produced. The building would be accessed by a staircase located in the gap between the bath and the Palazzo, the stairs themselves could be used as an extension of the pavement and as a space to spend time and socialise. This idea led to another idea. The stairs could in effect link the square with the grounds that the bath would gain ownership and expand the settlement. This would mean that the bath would actu-ally not be on the fringe of the town; it would act as a hinge between the main pub-lic space of the settlement and the new green space.

This strengthens the pres-ence of Hammams in this project as they were often part of a bigger civic facility such as a garden, mosque or bazaar.

Sketch showing how the promenade would move across the site and link the square with the garden and then the path.

The idea developed further and the staircase ex-tended to edge of the site linking with the route above the settlement thus creating a new access/gate to the square from a much more impressive point. Also in reverse, the route to which the prom-enade is linked can be used more often instead of the one that is accessed through the car park; they both lead to Vignoni Alto.

The proposal would also stretch in along the path of the promenade.

The Promenade - New Gate

Image on the left shows the view the promenade will have when approaching the square and the image above shows the path it would join.

The production of this model coincided with the new developments of the proposals and both were devel-oped in parallel.

1:20 Atmospheric Model

Sketches of the structure and spatial organisation of the proposal show the inten-tion of creating continuous spaces that are defined by their vault like ceilings creating an open environ-ment.

Before starting the con-struction of the main model, I made a sketch model to test dimensions and light-ing.

To construct bricks for the interior of the bath, I cast panels which were scored with a blade and then painted with watercolour.

The base of the model.

The drawing of the long ele-vation of the proposal (sec-tion through the promenade) shows how the steps gradu-ally adapt to the topogra-phy and link the path at the top to the square. The bath which is at full height at the edge of the square gradually eats into the ground until its roof levels out with the promenade.

This encourages its merging with its context as its roof can be used as part of the new public space of Bagno Vignoni.

These images of the ther-mal baths in Vals by Peter Zumthor deal with a similar condition.

An idea that started as way of bridging the gap be-tween internal and external morphed into a notion with a stronger sense of place. The permeable wall after the changes made to the proposal would house the pool making the space where it is located semi external.

Outdoors bathing is repeatedly seen in Roman baths, baths in Val d’Orcia and most significantly in Bagno Vignoni. It is a highly refreshing experience and the difference in temperature between the air and the thermal water make bathing a very intrinsic and destablising experience.

Permeable Walls - Semi Outdoors Bathing

The image on the right is from Rory and Christopher while bathing in Bagno Vi-gnoni at night.

The image below is taken from the external pool of the Vals thermal baths. In a very cold temperature, the experience of bathing the thermal waters was the most memorable moment of the visit to this building.

This is an image from the inside of a farm building in the small village of Lucig-nano d’Asso in Val d’Orcia. This method of laying bricks is wildly used in the region and is to let buildings breathe and make the walls permeable.