The Prospect and Refuge Theory in ArchitectureThe theory has been influential in the fields of landscape design, architecture and art, (Haughton-Moss, 2015). Grant Hildebrand is one such Architect who has since adopted the theory and applied it to architecture (Hildebrand, 1999). Grant Hildebrand established that by balancing the relationship between six core principles, a person will experience a greater sense of well-being. These principles, grouped in pairs are; prospect and refuge, enticement and peril and order and complexity. Hildebrand came to this conclusion having applied and tested those pairs of principles on the houses of Frank Lloyd Wright.
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Interior Prospect and Refuge Strategies
Arthur Stamps put forth five hypotheses to achieve interior prospect and refuge.
H1- the transition from small, dark, and low to large, light, and high and vice-versa; H2- the transition from dark to light and vice-versa; H3- the transition from low to high and vice-versa; H4- the transition from small to big horizontally and vice-versa; and H5 - width |
Additional Design Precedents1. Lambay Island - Edwin Lutyens - A sense of enclosure
2. The Salk Institute - Louis Kahn - Natural materials used as infill in a hard concrete structure. 3. Il Bagno de Bellinzona - Aurelio Galfetti - Lightweight enclosures resting within a hard, heavy primary structure. |
Structural PrecedentsIt was necessary for the structure to achieve long spans in order to house the buildings of the co-operative under one roof. Therefore, three precedents were analysed to establish the most appropriate primary structure to evoke a sense of enclosure. These were; Mies Van der Rohe’s Berlin Gallery - a two way spanning steel structure spanning 40m in both directions, Paulo Mendes da Rocha’s Casa Butana - a one way spanning concrete structure supported by four columns, and Vilanova Artigas School of Architecture - a concrete waffle slab structure supported by a series of columns.
The analysis of the precedents was conducted using drawings. Those drawings heightened my awareness of the projects in terms of their scale and spans. It led to the development of a structural system in line with Vilanova Artigas’ School of Architecture. Given the abilities of a concrete waffle slab to achieve long spans and perforations for light and ventilation, it was the most appropriate option to house the large spaces needed in the co-operative. |
Testing Stamps' Hypotheses OneThe proportions and spatiality of the pedestrian entrance were tested using 1:50 and 1:100 models, perspectives and plans. By designing the space as a small, dark and low space [H1] (Stamps, 2007), a sense of refuge is achieved. This space is offset by transitioning into a large, light and high space.
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