Stage 2 Portfolio

ACADEMIC
POR
TFO
LIO
180404753
2019-2020

ACADEMIC PORTFOLIO
BENJAMIN OSTA
180404753
2019-2020

Benjamin Michael Rene OSTA 180404753
B-
C-
Group A, Individual C
Yet to be Marked

This PDF is interractive :
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In the content table, click on the colored
box to go to the matching project.
Any Illustration with was made post final
review.

CONTENTS
CHARETTE WEEK
&
A DAY IN THE LIFE
AT HOME IN THE CITY
Study Typology
Glasgow 2030
DWELLING PLUS
APOLOGIA
ENGINEERING EXPERIENCE
EXPLORING EXPERIENCE
APOLOGIA
NON DESIGN WORK
APPENDIX
PAGE
8
6
76
62
61
54
31
18
12
11
125

6 STAGE 2
Academic Portfolio 2019/2020
CHARETTE WEEK
T
he Soft Studio project had for objective
to explore and create a soft space. The
pictures on the left show some personal re-
search on what Soft is. The pictures on the
right show the group work and vote of what
looked like the softest pictures, that we then
pined on the wall. The vote defined our group’s
definition of Soft and helped us develop ideas
for the studio. This one was divided in multi-
ple groups to cover the ceiling, the wall and
the floor. I was in the floor group.
SOFT STUDIO

7 STAGE 2
We created a gigantic doughnut bean bag.
Thanks to Bazaar Group who provided foam and
bean bags, we arranged them into a shape that
seemed comfortable for a sitting position with
a laptop. We then arranged fabrics around it
with pins and sewed everything together. We
added a wooden table in the middle with lamps
that we painted to get visual effects on the
table and the fabric.
Our studio was voted by the students of archi-
tecture as ‘Charette Studio of the Week’.

8 STAGE 2
A DAY IN THE LIFE
A
Day in the Life (of you) was a personal
exploration of our daily lives. What do
we do everyday ? How do we do it? and when ?...
I expressed it through montages, plans, el-
evations, and sections of objects I use and
places I see everyday.
MORNING ROUTINE MONTAGE MIDDAY MONTAGE ON PLAN

9 STAGE 2
Drawing plans, sections and elevations of ob-
jects and places that surround me everyday
forced me to study them in more depth than
usual.
DESK PLAN
Desk Elevation

10 STAGE 2
BED SECTION ROUTES IN THE HOUSE, PLAN
The plan on the right hand side took me a week
to make. In a notebook I wrote and took notes
of every step of my morning routing before
leaving for the studio.

11 STAGE 2
11 STAGE 2
t ww
The projects that I accomplished in the first semester taught me more than ever about architecture. The rich-
ness of the Glasgow 2030 project and Dwelling Plus project along the other ones made me realize how some parts
of architecture function. It taught me how hard the job actually is. The attention to details of literally ev-
erything is astonishing; from the city scale to the human scale, every detail is needed to create a design that
responds to a certain site for certain people.
It is that attention to details that made me strive to create more. But it is also what I find more difficult
about the course; to think about everything, every detail, every issue that could happen. Because the projects
are infinite, there is always something to improve, to upgrade, to modify, … Which makes the hardest part of
architecture to know where to start and when to stop. Moreover, I think that everything I did for Dwelling Plus
helped me learn about real life architectural situations.
The other projects, like Glasgow 2030, helped me a lot with my personal development as well. Especially in
the group work, I noticed quite a difference in my confidence compared to last year or to the first presentation
on the Typology Study. All the reviews, oral presentations and pin ups helped me express my ideas in front of
students and tutors with more ease.

12 STAGE 2
AT HOME IN THE CITY
T
his project was all about understanding a
precedent. In this case, our group stud-
ied La Cité Radieuse or Unité d’Habitation by
Le Corbusier in Marseille, France.
These are photographs that I took while visit-
ing the building in 2015. They show the over-
all looks of the appartment block.
Unité d’Habitation is a modernist residential
housing building that was developed by Le Cor-
busier after World War II. His goal was to
provide accomodation for those who lost every-
thing during the war. The appartments’ style
itself was developed in 1920 and became very
influencial after the war to create a lot of
housing.
TYPOLOGY STUDY

13 STAGE 2
Master bedroom
Children bedrooms
Bathroom
1:50 Plan 1:50 Plan 1:50 Section
Kitchen
Dining and living
room
1:50 Dwelling
1:50 Traced plan and section of an appartment
in
“Unite d’habitation”, Marseille:
Entrance
Unité d'habitation, also called "La cité
radieuse" (radiant city) was built in
1947. It is a postwar modernist
concrete building.
It is composed of 337 apartments on
12 stories, as well as a Hotel.
L
La cite radieuse is an independent
family dwelling. Indeed, it includes
an art school, shops, swimming pool,
an art gallery, and a gastronomic
restaurant.
One apartment is the size of the width
of the building. Le Corbusier really
thoug
thought about movement within the
rooms and building as well as the
the utility of the building by giving
independence to the inhabitants
My role in the group was to explore and study
the dwelling aspects of the building which
are all the human scaled details of the Unité
d’Habitation.

14 STAGE 2
Corridors and door to the
appartment
Gastronomic Restaurant
Art school, health center
Swimming pool
Le Corbusier’s Human scale
Shopping street
Hotel room
Unité d’Habitation has multiple communal spac-
es. Indeed, Le Corbusier’s goal was to make an
independant city within the building.
The document on the right is a montage I made to
show the anemnities available, like a school,
a restaurant and many other facilities.

15 STAGE 2
These montages show how the building is as-
sembled. Every couple of appartment is symet-
rical and connected by the central corridor
(in red). The patern is repeated like shown
in the building’s section. Le Corbusier also
made the corridors with very low light because
he thought that seeing your neighbours in the
corridors was awkward (that is what the guide
told the group during the visit).

16 STAGE 2
The diagram on the right hand side shows the
sunpath and how the building is oriented so
that both sides get sun during the entire day.
The pictures show the different views from the
rooftop in correlation to the orange arrows.
The plan shows how one appartment takes the
entire width of the building, offering sun and
views from both sides.

17 STAGE 2
These images are parts of the group’s presen-
tation that I believe are very relevant:
On the top left is Oscar’s atmospheric drawing
and collage. It regroups all the details of the
building into one piece.
On the bottom left is Collin’s montage. It
shows the independance of the building as it
is located in the middle of a park.
On the right hand side is the group model
that shows the dwelling atmosphere betweeen
the corridors and appartments.

18 STAGE 2
GLASGOW 2030
AT HOME IN THE CITY
G
lasgow 2030 was a group project to study
Glasgow, Scottland, as well as a site
where we would design and create a building of
our choice.
The field trip lasted two days; the first one
was dedicated to visiting the city on our own,
and the second was dedicated to the groups’
analysis of a specific site with a tutor.
The photographs are my personal favourites of
Glasgow. They show the duality of the city, a
run-down city (in some areas) with a rich his-
tory and important architecture.
The project takes place in the Gorbals, locat-
ed on the south side of the river Clyde.

19 STAGE 2
1285
metioned
1350
Stockwell
bridge re-
built out of
stone
1571
Elphinstone
family pur-
chases the
land of Gor-
bals
1607
“Burgh of
Barony and
Regality”
1658
Carriag-
es banned
from bridge
due to insta-
bility
1661
AOP - Ann-
excation of
Gorbals to
Glasgow
1777
Bridge
upated to
contempo-
1654
1773
1783
1790
Division
of joint-
ly owned
lands. Own-
ership now
with town
council
1806
Status
raised to
Police
burgh
1821
Bridge re-
move and
replaced
1977
Large scale
demolition
1984
Central
mosque
opens
1986
Court opens
1950
1912
1876
1839
Here is a chronological history of the Gorbals.

20 STAGE 2
These montages are interesting and useful to
understand our site in the Gorbals. They show
the view, the proximity to the river and the
spaces where improvements can be made.
THE SITE
AREAS FOR IMPROVEMENT
VIEWS
OVERALL SITE

21 STAGE 2
6.8m
6.0m
6.6m
5.9m
7.1m
6.3m
6.7m
6.9m
7.6m
9.2m
5.8m
7.4m
7.1m
6.4m
Slop
ing mason
ry
Slop
ing mason
ry
Car Park
(Park And Ride) Play Area
Sloping
mason
ry
Car Park
El Sub Sta
Slop
Sloping mas
on
ry
Harbour
Upper
MHWS & MLWS
Mean Low Water Springs
MLWS
Mean High Water Springs & Mean Low Water Springs
MLW
River Clyde
Mean High Water Springs
Upper Harbour
Mea
Mean High Water Springs
Mud
Mud
Mud
Sloping masonry
Shingle
Shingle
Shingle
Shingle
Mud
SL Gantry
L
Ga
ntr
y
SL
Ga
nt
ry
SL
Ga
ntr
y
SL
Ga
ntr
y
SL
Ga
ntr
y
P 0 75
CARLT
ON PLACE
SO
UT
H
PO
RT
LA
ND
ST
RE
ET
N
IC
H
O
LS
O
N
S
T
R
E
E
T
BR
ID
GE
ST
RE
ET
CO
BU
RG
STR
EE
T
OXFORD
STREET
NORFOLK STREET
R
O
P
E
S
ST
R
EE
T
EN
U
E
GORBALS
CROSS
M
ET
R
CARLTON
COURT
OX
FO
RD
LA
NE
NELSO
N
STREET
CLYD
E
STREET
AIRD
'S
LANE
GO
OS
EDUB
BS
Cycle
Hire
Victoria Bridge
Stockwell Bridge
S
u
sp
en
si
o
n
B
ri
dg
e
TC
B
TCB
on site of
LB
TCB
Station
4
2
8
1
25
76
78
1
63
19
17
21
23
15
21
83
140
15
4
5
Carrick Quay
67
65
7
1
5
to
15
Custom
House
Quay Gardens
Shelter
24
14
3
50
to
5
3
5
5
144
81
15
63
3
26
to
34
20
3
15
5
54
3
15
1
20
12
20
Laurieston
61
of Wales Hospice
PH
54
45
15
3
22
148
122 to 128
PH
134 to 142
69
Bank
100
Offices
144
45
to
2
Police
78
Training
36
to
40
58
PH
27
Shelter
Shelter
ESS
4
0
Skills Academy
1
Shelter
6
0
65
Prince and Princess
70
80
72
37
7
3
140
18
29
to
35
PH
Training
42
56
House
44
Centre
Bridge Street
148
150
16
to
71
Government
49
Cumbrae House
152 to 156
16
74
69
4
1
6
1
90
15
9
Glasgow Central
School
3
48
(H
ote
l)
128 to 134
133
1
99
2
Riverside Campus
21
46
to
Mosque
City Of Glasgow College
22
8
1
63
13
6
4
37
19
67
Club
84
3
44
4
25
Sheriff Court of
Glasgow and Strathkelvin
42
87
14
36
to
40
52
14
1
132
ESS
(Underground Station)
13
3
to
13
9
88
149
The Briggait
130
16
1
29
76
12
2
5
ESS
PH
PH
15
7
15
3
138
27
El Sub Sta
64
to
72
14
1
to
15
5
129
13
7
118
3
155
141
to
147
Wa
rd
Bdy
P Co
nst Bdy
P Const Bdy
7.1m
Car Park
N
IC
H
O
L
S
O
N
S
T
R
E
E
T
15
3
20
PH
olice
78
aining
ESS
4
0
70
House
4
4
1
6
71
49
74
4
1
chool
3
48
G
42
This diagram (left hand side) gives a better
understanding of what kind of activities take
place arround our site.
In those two collages and diagram (right hand
side), I also wanted to show what the street
looks like.
SUNPATH AND BUILDINGS STREETS
COLLAGES

22 STAGE 2
Nov 05, 2019 14
7.4m
A
N
E
OXFORD STREET
S
O
U
T
H
P
O
R
T
L
A
N
D
C
O
B
U
R
G
S
T
R
E
E
T
LB
Club
74
3
1
4
3
144
8
1
1
5
3
1
5
1
5
1
2
0
1
2
1
5
3
148
122
2
36
to
40
ESS
3
7
140
18
Training
Centre
7
1
1
4
132
Scale 1:800
and database rights 2019 Ordnance Survey (100025252). FOR EDUCATIONAL USE ONLY.
We divided the different streets of the site
between the members of the group. I did the
poster to show the atmosphere of Oxford Street.
I took a picture of every building along the
way and took notes on what I could observe.
The two diagrams show how to access and go ar-
wround the site.
OXFORD STREET ANALYSIS
MOVEMENT ON SITE

23 STAGE 2
It is important to understand who lives in the
Gorbals to get the atmosphere and ambiance of
the site.
For that matter, Collin thought interesting
to make a trash map of the site. He created a
survey of the trash laying around which were
mostly drinks: beers or Iron Brew.
DEMOGRAPHIC
TRASH ON SITE

24 STAGE 2
MASTER PLAN
This is the overall master plan for Glasgow
2030. It shows the areas to improve.
The point of this master plan is to develop
the neighbourhood for 2030 at the same time as
building a residential compound south of the
courthouse.

25 STAGE 2
GROUPS ON SITE
The site was divided in three sub-groups. Me
and Jack made plans to improve sub-site B.
On the right hand side a montage shows the
improvements for site A and the drawings show
the improvements for site C on top of the
courthouse.

26 STAGE 2
POSITIVE/NEGATIVE SPACE PROPOSAL PLANS
These different plans and diagrams are the
work we both did with Jack trying to improve
two blocks of buildings.

27 STAGE 2
TRANSITION PLAN
This diagram shows the evolution between the
actual site and the proposal plan for both
blocks.

28 STAGE 2
PRECEDENTS AND MATERIALS
These plates show different precedents, materi-
als and colors that we thought would work for
the site.

29 STAGE 2
JACK’S ATMOSPHERIC DRAWING
On the left hand side are my personal atmo-
spheric drawings. And on the right hand side
are Jack’s drawings of these two blocks.
ATMOSPHERIC SKETCHES

30 STAGE 2
SITE MODEL
This model shows the overall modifications for
the site.

31 STAGE 2
DWELLING PLUS
GLASGOW DIFFERENT SITES
D
welling Plus is a personal approach on
a site in the Gorbals. The goal of this
project was to find an architectural response
to the Gorbals of Glasgow.
The map represents the different sites avail-
able in the area we got assigned and I chose
site C on Courtyard 1.
The brief was to create an appartment block
with some sort of activity space for the in-
habitants of the building as well as the ones
in the Gorbals. In addition to this space, we
had to follow the same philosophy of shared
and communal spaces that are present in Unité
d’Habitation of Le Corbusier.

32 STAGE 2
SITE’S MOOD PLATE
A mood plate is a montage that represents the
atmosphere on a site. It shows the different
colours, buildings, textures, materials, ...
and it is a very useful way to understand a
particular space.

33 STAGE 2
Slit house by EASTERN design
Housing project, Stockholm, Sweden by Bjarke Ingels
Apartment No.1, Mahallat, Iran / AbCT
P
R
E
C
E
D
E
E
N
T
S
House, Switzerland, Designed by Ungertreina
PRECEDENTS
These precedents heavily inspired the materi-
ality as well as the overall shape of my de-
sign. The prefabricated ‘apartment boxes’ for
a housing project in Sweden gave me inspira-
tion for my orignial design (next page). The
other precedents inspired me for the layout
as well as some design aspects. For example,
I used the vertical cuts in concrete shown on
the picture on the right hand side.

34 STAGE 2
ORIGINAL DESIGN SYMETRICAL APPROACH
The drawing on the left hand side is my orig-
inal design and idea for this project. The
original idea was to divide the building hor-
izontally and vertically:
The central piece in the “U” shaped building
would be a greenhouse located on the ground
floor.
Activity spaces would be located on the first
floor. One side would host an arts and craft
center and the other would host botanical bi-
ology workshops.
The other floors would be private accomoda-
tions.

35 STAGE 2
COMMUNAL CONCEPT
These diagrams show the ideas I collected
to create communal spaces in the building.
Instead of creating a single communal space
for 6 appartments (14 inhabitants), I thought
that one communal space per floor would be more
adapted for a tall building.

36 STAGE 2
SITE SECTION & ENVIRONMENT
This page shows the site section with photo-
graphs of the site as well as the building
surrounding it.
The site section shows the space available as
well as the scale of the site. That way, I
could understand the space between my design
and the buildings accross.
SITE ANALYSIS

37 STAGE 2
Who lives here?
• Married couple with a daughter.
The wife is an artist and the
husband is an entrepreneur
working from home.
• Botanical biologist couple
responsible of the green house
and biological activities. The
have two sons.
• Lesbian couple owning a flower
shop in town.
• Married engineer and teacher
with two children.
• Influencers couple home-
schooling their son.
• Family of three whose father is
a sculptor and the mother a
psychologist.
FUTURE INHABITANTS
This is a list of the inahbitants. I modified
a long paragraph on who lives in the project
to a more simple bullet point and images list.

38 STAGE 2
This page is a material moodplate. It rep-
resents all the different materials that I
wanted to use in my building. The materials
are the following: Concrete, Timber and Glass.
MATERIAL MOOD PLATE

39 STAGE 2
1:1000 SITE MAP
This site map shows the integration of my de-
sign onto the site.
It also leaves a lot of space for an open area
with a park.
FLOOR PLANS, ELEVATIONS, SECTIONS

40 STAGE 2
These are the floor plans of the activity spac-
es and the first floor of the private area.
The ground floor is dedicated to expose the art
done in the workspace on the left side of the
first floor. The right side of the first floor is
dedicated to biology, plant growing and plant
cloning for the greenhouse in the central part
of the building.
FLOOR PLANS

41 STAGE 2
In my original plan, I chose to create mezza-
nines in every appartments with the bedrooms
and bathroom.
After the mid-term review and the chat with
the tutors, we agreed that the mezzanines were
not the best idea for the appartments. This
was mainly because it complicated the struc-
ture and because the floors were not thick
enough to support a mezzanine this big.
I then re-designed the entire building, fol-
lowing the main shape, but instead of mez-
zannines I simply added a second floor with a
normal staircase instead of a spiral one.
FLOOR PLANS

42 STAGE 2
The communal spaces were on the mezzanine floor
level. Post review, I decided to create a
doorway from the second floor of the appartment
going direclty into the communal space.
I chose to do that in order to motivate the in-
habitants of each floor to share an open space
with a TV, sofas and tables. Since most of the
residents have children, it made sense to have
a safe space where they could play together
leading also to parents interacting with each
other, therefore creating a sense of community
in the apartment building.
On the fifth floor is a rooftop terrace which
can be used the way residents desire to.
A barbecue is already installed but the rest
is up to the inhabitants to create a space for
themselves.
FLOOR PLANS

43 STAGE 2
The buildings adjacent to mine do not exist at
the moment and I considered that they would
be designed by my peers who chose the other
sites.
ELEVATIONS

44 STAGE 2
Thanks to my original section I was able to
understand that my floor and ceilling thick-
nesses did not make a lot of sense.
I thus modified these floors and ceillings which
explains why the building is now higher but
making much more sense structuraly.
I also changed the spiral staircases to normal
ones as I switched the mezzanines to a regular
second floor.
SECTIONS

45 STAGE 2
The vertical access of the building is divided
in two:
In yellow is the activity access staircase
that anyone can use if they have an activity
planned.
In red are the private access stairs to the
appartments.

46 STAGE 2
The next three pages are renders and drawings
to show the materiality and the atmosphere
that the building gives.
I personnally enjoy the duality of the build-
ing. Indeed, one side (north facade) is very
warm, covered in a timber cladding with big
windows. The other side (south facade) is raw
concrete, more discrete and volumetric. And
the smaller windows give more privacy to the
inhabitants from the street.
NORTH FACADE RENDER
SOUTH FACADE RENDER
RENDERS

47 STAGE 2
NORTH FACADE RENDER
DUALITY RENDER
The bottom renders show the materiality of the
building, as well as the difference of glass
and window sizes.

48 STAGE 2
COMMUNAL SPACES ATMOSPHERIC DRAWINGS
These atmospheric drawings show how the commu-
nal spaces can be used.

49 STAGE 2
These two drawings/montages show the integra-
tion to a residential block. I personnaly en-
joy the bottom one; it shows the discrete
side of the building and how it integrates
itself in the street. With buildings next to
it, it becomes almost impossible to see the
“crazy” and original side of my design.
PARK AND BUILDING INTEGRATION DRAWING

50 STAGE 2
PLANT WORKSHOP MONTAGE
PARK VIEW MONTAGE & DRAWING
Here, the montage shows how the plant workshop
can be used. It could display a homemade plant
wall as well as planters in special shelves
with UV lighting to clonne certain plants.
The terrace also provides natural light and a
colder weather for outdoor plants.
The bottom drawing shows a view from the park
at the bottom of the building and also shows
the originality of the northern facade.

51 STAGE 2
On this page, the diagram shows the views that
an inhabitant of this building gets:
The northern side in green has big bay win-
dows.
The top floors inhabitants could even see the
river Clyde, and have a great view of the park
and the city on the other side of the river.
The southern facade, in yellow, offers multi-
ple smaller windows to give a more private
sight on the street. Moreover the view into
the Gorbals is not as impressive than the one
of Glasgow.
In red are the eastern and western facdes that
do not give any view, especially since there
will probably be some buildings next to mine
in 2030.
VIEWS DIAGRAM

52 STAGE 2
COMMUNAL ROOM MONTAGE BEDROOM MONTAGE
These two rendered plans show one of the lay-
out of an appartment as well as one of the
three communal rooms.

53 STAGE 2
PARKVIEW MONTAGE

54 STAGE 2
ENGINEERING EXPERIENCE
ORPHEUS 1950
T
he theme of our project was ‘reflection and
mirroring’. In the movie Orphee (1950),
it is possible to see the importance of mir-
rors and special effects around the idea of
reflections. In this movie, mirrors become the
doors to the underworld or the real world, it
is the only way of passage for the dead or
Death herself. The transparency and fragility
of the glass are represented all across the
movie. In the scene we had to analyse, Eurid-
ice dies and demonstrates the fragility of
life as well as the fragility of the mirrors
when Death breaks it on her way back to the
underworld. The permeability of the glass how-
ever gives a texture and a feeling to the mir-
ror. Also, the sound created when someone goes
through a mirror gives a feeling of discomfort
due to the high-pitched noise it makes. All
the phenomena surrounding the mirrors create
a heavy atmosphere. Our role as a group was to
grasp this feeling and reinvent it in our own
film and exhibition.

55 STAGE 2
The goal of this project was to connect films
and architecture.
In the movie Orphee, the space factor is a very
important one. Indeed, the physical spaces in
the movie are very interesting: the classical
French house used in our scene of the movie
gives a good understanding of the layout of
houses at that time. The mirrors in the movie
create another dimension, another space inside
the physical space thanks to the reflection in
the mirrors. Jean Cocteau broke that dimension
by making it real and interactive with the
characters of the movie.
THE MOVIE

56 STAGE 2
OUR MOVIE
To create our movie, we analysed the scene
that we had to mimic. We analysed the differ-
ent feelings and sensations that every detail
gave. We then re-created those sensations
with objects and sounds. We used reflections,
light, glass and ink, and different angles
like close ups, slow motion, reverse,...
The video we made felt quite disturbing and
seemed like a journey including different ele-
ments that represented our interpretation of
the movie.
The stills on the right are some of the dif-
ferent elements that we used for our film.

57 STAGE 2
BUILDING THE MAQUETTE
The second part of the project was to build
a maquette that put the film and our movie in
correlation. We chose to create a “portal”
similar to the mirrors seen in the film.
We built a wooden structure (2 meters long,
1.6 meters high). Its narrow size made it un-
comfortable thus translating the feelings of
the film. We then added tin foil all around it
to play with reflections like the mirrors.

58 STAGE 2
THE MAQUETTE
The experience of going through the “portal”
was quite uncomftable too due to its size. We
even got unexpected results due to the noise
of the aluminum foil that rendered the experi-
ence even more unique.

59 STAGE 2
THE FESTIVAL
For the film Festival we put a fresca on the
walls with some important stills from our mov-
ie as well as arround it, still from Orpheus,
that related to ours.
We also displayed some of the objects used in
our movie like the foils, aluminum plates,
bowl, glasses and candles.
We also had a speaker playing the sound of our
movie which was composed of different sounds
and modified sound bites from the movie.

60 STAGE 2
THE FESTIVAL
We thouht that our pin up was a little bit
hidden behind our mauqette, but I personnaly
thought that it would force the tutors and
students to go around it and expericence our
project in all its fullness.

61 STAGE 2
61 STAGE 2
t
Exploring Experience was the most autonomous project we did.
In fact, creating our own brief was very liberating. It felt easier than usual at start, but was in fact hard-
er than first semester Dwelling Plus project. The advantage of following my own brief was that I followed and
integrated whatever I liked in terms of styles and ideas. What was also really important and interesting was
to create a building of which I understood the structure and integration to a certain site with the help of
tutors. I started this project with the goal of promoting “unknown” fashion in the North of England. However
I learned that I was wrong and that high fashion brands came to the north of England for inspiration in the
way people of the working class dressed. For example, overalls in the 1990s or polos in the 1960s that were
then adopted by brands like Balancciaga and Gucci. I was also pleased to learn about the fashion design process
and how a workshop works, usually in an open plan with successive developpement stages to end up with a final
piece of clothing. In addition I watched the Netflix show Next In Fashion which taught me how similar fashion
is to architecture in the way that we have to think about every detail of a piece.
Working during Covid-19 was quite challenging too but it taught me how to work with what I have as well as
learning how to use new programs such as Sketchup, rendering programs, and the Adobe Pack in general.

62 STAGE 2
EXPLORING EXPERIENCE
BISHOP AUCKLAND
T
he present photographs were taken during
the field trip to Bishop Auckland and are
my personal favourites.
The town of Bishop Auckland is rich in histo-
ry and architecture as it was the residence
of the bishops of Durham. Unfortunally it is
quite run-down in some places nowadays.
For this project we had to come up with an idea
for a festival and design a building around
the theme we chose. I thus chose to design my
building for it to host a Fashion Festival.

63 STAGE 2
Fashion in the North of England was actually
more influencial than I thought. Indeed, the
“working class” fashion became really import-
ant in the South of England especially un-
der the time and influence of The Beattles in
the 1960s. A good example are overalls which
first became fashionable in Manchester and made
their way through fashion in the rest of the
world. A lot of the inspiration for high fash-
ion brands actually comes from working-class
clothing which is then refined to a high fash-
ion standard.
The festival would be sponsored by a high
fashion brand, and would help more independant
creators to elevate to high standards as well
as giving them a scene to show their talents
and creations.
On the right hand side is the map of the event.
POSTER / FRONT OF FLYER BACK OF FLYER

64 STAGE 2
SITE ANALYSIS SITE DIAGRAM
Site 5 was very promising as it was empty and
with very little constraints due to the unoc-
cupied buildings around it.

65 STAGE 2
SITE ACCESS DIAGRAM SUNPATH DIAGRAM
The access to the site is pretty straigh-
forward, especially with the pedestrian acces
from the mainstreet. There is already a car
park which I divided in two. I used one side
as a private access for delivery and the other
as a car park for the employees working in the
building.

66 STAGE 2
SITE PHOTOGRAPHS
Here are photographs of Site 5 which is a
semi-enclosed space:
On one side are unused buildings with an open
area of dirt as well as a car park.
On the other side of the site is the road,
a house in renovation and a new appartment
block.

DEERHOUSE
Tower
Reception & Workshop
Deerhouse Mimesis
Arch
Building
67 STAGE 2
MIMESIS
The brief for this project was to use mimesis
in our design. We had to choose a detail from
a pre-existing building and incorporate it in
our design.
I personally chose the Deerhouse. It was a
refuge for deer in the Bishop’s park. It is
composed of a court with a double wall. The
outside wall is composed of arches and the in-
terior one is plain. There is also a tower on
one side where the Bishop and his court could
picnic and watch the deer.
I chose to mimic the arches in the deerhouse
and incorporate it in my design. The diagram
shows the arches of the deerhouse as well as
the arches of my own design. The tower from
the original building is then replaced by the
main reception and workshop.
DEERHOUSE

68 STAGE 2
FIRST DESIGNS AND IDEAS
These drawings are my first drafts to try and
use the arches as a main design feature.
I also got inspired by Spanish houses with a
terrace and covered path to create a double
layer of arches.
On the bottom left was my final corner window
design. But after the review with the struc-
tural engineers, I decided to change it as
they explained how it would be very hard and
expensive to realize. I thus changed it to a
simple corner window.

69 STAGE 2
TERRACE
PH
OT
GR
AP
HY
ST
UD
IO
BR
EA
K
RO
OM
WO
RK
SP
AC
E
FLOOR PLANS
The floor plans shown here show the simplici-
ty of my design which revolves arround per-
formance. Every space is delimitated by its
function.
Indeed, the workshop is cut off from any public
space and has a direct access to a private car
park with a big storage room.

70 STAGE 2
The building is divided in three parts:
- The reception: it has a front desk, public
bathrooms and a big corner window that gives
view on the park.
- The workshop: it has a big storage directly
connected to the car park for easy deliver-
ies on the ground floor. It also has 5 meter
long tables to create and design clothing and
the changing rooms that are connected to the
catwalk. The second floor of the workshop has
a bathroom, a break room, some workspace with
sofas and bean bags, as well as a photography
studio.
- Event space: it has the central piece, the
catwalk where models would walk to display
clothes. It also has a bar as well as anoth-
er catwalk that surrounds the entire room and
gives access to the terrace. There is also a
discrete door that gives into the break room
for models to go on the first floor to enrich
the event experience.
PUBLIC TO PRIVATE DIAGRAM
SURFACE DIAGRAM
ELEVATIONS

71 STAGE 2
These are sections that show how straight for-
ward the building actually is and the section
shows the proportions of the building.
INHABITED SECTIONS

72 STAGE 2
RENDERS
This overall render shows how the building
integrates with its surrounding. The render
also shows the Parisian style roof. I chose
to mimic a Haussmanian style roof to create a
link between the north of England’s fashion
with the well-known French fashion. Moreover,
I personally thought that this type of roof
would blend quite well with its surroundings
and site.
The diagram on the bottom left shows how my
design relates to the deerhouse on a different
aspect: the court. Indeed, the main event
space is surrounded by arches and creates a
big open space similar to the court for the
deer.

73 STAGE 2
RENDERS
These are different renders and captures of the
building. I personnally like the two on the
bottom left. The one under the terrace and
rows of arches shows how warm the building ac-
tually is despite its remarquable size.
The render in plan view without the roof shows
the scale of the building in site and also
displays the semi-private outdoor area as well
as the big park with the pond.

74 STAGE 2
WORKSHOPH RENDER & EVENT SPACE DRAWING
The first render is an atmospheric one about
the workshop and gives an idea of the avail-
able space.
The bottom drawing shows the exposed beams in
the roof structure as well as the first floor
catwalk going arround the building. It gives
another point of view for spectators, as well
as another possible path for models.

75 STAGE 2
STRUCTURAL RENDER STRUCTURAL DIAGRAM
STRUCTURAL RENDER
STRUCTURE
I chose a quite simple steel frame structure
for the building with an exposed steel beem
roof structure. The steel beems can be used to
attach lights to the ceilling for the fashion
shows.
Most of the roof structure was designed post
review with the help of my grand-father who is
a Civil Engineer.

76 STAGE 2
NON DESIGN PROJECTS
ARC2009 SEMESTER 1
AMENT:Constructional
Precedent Report

77 STAGE 2
Constructional Precedent Report December 13, 2019
1
A
AR
RC
C2
20
00
09
9 S
SE
EM
ME
ES
ST
TE
ER
R 1
1 A
AS
SS
SE
ES
SS
SM
ME
EN
NT
T:
:
C
CO
ON
NS
ST
TR
RU
UC
CT
TI
IO
ON
NA
AL
L P
PR
RE
EC
CE
ED
DE
EN
NT
T R
RE
EP
PO
OR
RT
T
P
Pr
re
ec
ce
ed
de
en
nt
t B
Bu
ui
il
ld
di
in
ng
g: Haus D – Yonder Architekture und Design, in
Tuttlingen
C
Ch
ho
os
se
en
n D
De
et
ta
ai
il
l:
S
St
tu
ud
de
en
nt
t: 180404753
2
O
Ov
ve
er
rv
vi
ie
ew
w:
:
H
Ha
au
us
s D
D, by Yonder Architekture und Design is a unique house occupying a
small site in the city of Tuttlingen, Germany. I chose that building because of
its interesting layout and materiality. The terrain did not seem at first adapted
to build anything on it as the topography from east to west differs by three
meters.
On its east side, Haus D features two interior stories, a front yard and an
exterior drive. And on the west side, it accommodates one interior storey and
a back yard with an exterior garden.
Its layout is as interesting as its materiality. Indeed, the building is created
around two concrete walls crossing at the middle of the house with the outer
walls fixed on it, it is made with wooden frames and covered in a black plastic
lining.

78 STAGE 2
3
The interior materiality was made very
sober and comfortable by using pine for
the timber, raw concrete and glass.
The interior design responds to the site’s
characteristic: “Two upright concrete
slabs, arranged in the form of a cross,
divide the living area into four segments.
The rooms spiral around this structure,
clockwise from bottom to top” (Archidaily.com). This special layout creates a
spiral around the building from a concrete slab at the entrance of the house,
then to the living room, to the dinning room and kitchen, to the master
bedroom on the second floor, and finally to the roof terrace which offers a
view on the city’s south side and on the garden.
4
Massing:
These massing drawings show
the overall shape of the
building, which usually cannot
be seen in the photographs
because of the black lining and
aluminium roof.

79 STAGE 2
5
This drawing shows the concept of the house, which is its inner movement: it
creates a spiral from one room to the other up to the master bedroom
because of the two concrete wall intersecting creating multiple spaces.
6
The floor plans bellow show the layout of the Haus D.
First floor
Ground floor

80 STAGE 2
7
These section bellow, give a better understanding of the building.
8
L
Li
ig
gh
ht
ti
in
ng
g:
These two diagrams show the efficiency of the lighting in the house.
Ground floor First floor

81 STAGE 2
9
These two hand drawn
diagrams show the
movement in the
house.
On the ground floor,
there is only one way to
go in the house and
only one exit to the
garden.
The first floor is the
central spot where
there is access to
multiple rooms.
The different paths
inside the house are
shown with the red
arrows.
First floor diagram
Ground floor diagram
10
C
Co
on
ns
st
tr
ru
uc
ct
ti
io
on
na
al
l D
De
et
ta
ai
il
l R
Re
es
se
ea
ar
rc
ch
h
This photoshopped diagram shows the different technical layers in the
building.
As a matter of fact, the concept of this house is divided in three “layers”:
Timber frame walls
and roof
Concrete central
structure
Floors and access

82 STAGE 2
11
Different techniques and materials were used in the construction of this
house.
The list bellow gives an idea of the number of materials used for its
construction:
- Aluminium Plates
- Laminated wood
- Thermal insulation
- Wood fibre insulation
- EPS Thermal insulation
- Vapor retarding plates
- OSB vapor barrier
- Timber Rafters
- Laminated maritime pine wood
- Epoxy resin
- Cement
- Moisture seal
- Concrete
S
St
tr
ru
uc
ct
tu
ur
re
es
s:
Scale drawing of the roof:
1
1:
:2
2
Aluminum standing-seam roofing
25mm laminated wood boarding
40x60mm battens
5mm underlayer
40mm thermal insulation
200mm wood-fiber thermal insulation
3mm vapor-retarding layer
20mm laminated maritime pine wood
80x240mm timber rafters
Outdoor
Indoor
12
Scale drawing of the wall:
:
1
1:
:2
2
Outdoor
Indoor
Black
polythene
textile
fabric,
rear
ventilated
60x40mm
battens
120mm
wood-fiber
insulation
140x140
timber
frame
wall
with
wood
fiber
insulation
20mm
OSB
as
vapor
barrier
50
mm
wood
fiber
insulation
15mm
gypsum
plasterboard

83 STAGE 2
13
Scale drawing of the floor
1
1:
:2
2
These three sections show the exact structure of Haus D. and give a better
technical understanding of the building itself.
Indoor
Ground
3mm epoxy resin coating
65mm cement and subfloor heating
screed
120mm EPS thermal insulation
5mm moisture seal
250mm concrete slab
14
After taking a close look of the structure of the house it is possible to zoom
out and have a better understanding of the general structure of the house.
This section shows interesting parts of the building within 2 different spaces.

84 STAGE 2
15
I
In
ns
su
ul
la
at
ti
io
on
n:
Most of the insulation used in the house is Wood fibre insulation (yellow).
Made from wood wastes and water, it creates a natural lightweight and cheap
material for a cost-effective house.
Another material used for
insulation was EPS boards (grey),
extremely light, it is perfect for
fixed structure.
Thermal insulation is also a must in
Tuttlingen, Germany, as it can get very
cold in winter.
Multiple materials were used to help with the insulation as well as the safety
of the building.
A vapour control layer as well as a moisture seal is needed to protect the
timber in the structure of the house as well as the furniture.
Diagrams:
Roof insulation Wall insulation
Floor insulation
These three diagrams show how the
insulation system works in the house
by repeating a similar pattern.
16
T
Ti
im
mb
be
er
r f
fr
ra
am
me
e:
:
Timber framing or “post and beam” is
a building technique using timber to
create space. The timber is
assembled forming a rectangle with
structural parts in that rectangle,
then filled with insulation.
The asymmetric drawing on the right
shows how the structure would look
like using timber framing with
insulation.
The photo below is an example of the construction of a house in America using
this timber framing technique.
Photo of a house, using timber framing
Wood framing has a lot of advantages such as the efficiency of construction,
the quality and ease of a timber frame built, as well as its capability to insulate
against everything, using less space and materials. Indeed, timber framing
creates a lot of empty space in the walls where all types of insulation (noise
cancelling, thermal insulation, vapour control layer…) can be placed easily.

85 STAGE 2
17
The diagram on the
left shows the
composition of a
wall of Haus D.
B
Bl
la
ac
ck
k: plastic lining
B
Br
ro
ow
wn
n: timber
Y
Ye
el
ll
lo
ow
w: wood fibre
insulation
B
Bl
lu
ue
e: Vapour control
layer
G
Gr
re
ey
y: plaster wall
The diagram
on the right
shows how
the timber
frame
technique is
integrated
to the wall.
18
C
CO
ON
NS
ST
TR
RU
UC
CT
TI
IO
ON
NA
AL
L D
DE
ET
TA
AI
IL
L R
RE
EA
AL
LI
IS
SA
AT
TI
IO
ON
N
Realization of a 1:10 model showing a cut-out of the building.
The purpose of this model is to get a physical understanding of the building.
Materials used:
This diagram shows the
technical section of the
building as well as the
placement of the 1:20
model.
- balsa wood
- foam bored
- orange film
- acrylic
- grey card
- black card

86 STAGE 2
19
P
Pr
ro
oc
ce
es
ss
s:
Floor and base for the window.
Wall and window.
20
15mm Gypsum Plaster board
50mm wood fiber insulation
20mm OSB (vapor layer)
60x40mm timber battens
Black polythene textile fabric
140mm timber frame
15mm Laminated pine floor
65mm cement subfloor
30mm impact sound insulation
120mm EPS insulation
5mm moisture seal
250mm reinforced concrete floor
140mm wood fiber insulation

87 STAGE 2
21
Triple glazed window
Black aluminum window frame
Timber support for the window
22
Overall view of the model

88 STAGE 2
23
L
Li
is
st
t o
of
f i
il
ll
lu
us
st
tr
ra
at
ti
io
on
ns
s:
:
F
Fr
ro
on
nt
t p
pa
ag
ge
e:
:
Own photographs of the 1:10 model
P
Pa
ag
ge
e 2
2:
:
Photograph from https://www.archdaily.com/914321/haus-d-yonder-nil-architektur-und-
design?ad_source=search&ad_medium=search_result_all
P
Pa
ag
ge
e 3
3:
:
4 photographs from https://www.archdaily.com/914321/haus-d-yonder-nil-architektur-und-
P
Pa
ag
ge
e 4
4:
:
Own massing sketches
P
Pa
ag
ge
e 5
5:
:
Concept sketch traced from Detail Inspiration
P
Pa
ag
ge
e 6
6:
:
Floor plan traced from Detail Inspiration
P
Pa
ag
ge
e 7
7:
:
Sections of the building traced from Detail Inspiration
P
Pa
ag
ge
e 8
8:
:
Diagrams traced of floor plans and section from Detail Inspiration
P
Pa
ag
ge
e 9
9:
:
Diagrams of floor plans traced from Detail Inspiration
P
Pa
ag
ge
e 1
10
0:
:
Photoshopped concept traced from Detail Inspiration
P
Pa
ag
ge
e 1
11
1,
, P
Pa
ag
ge
e 1
12
2,
, P
Pa
ag
ge
e 1
13
3:
:
1:2 scale drawings of a section from Detail Inspiration
P
Pa
ag
ge
e 1
14
4:
:
1:20 scale drawing of a section of the building traced from Detail Inspiration
P
Pa
ag
ge
e1
15
5:
:
Two photographs of insulation from Pinterest.com
Diagrams of insulation traced from section from Detail Inspiration
P
Pa
ag
ge
e 1
16
6:
:
Hand drawn sketch of a timber frame structure
24
Photograph of a house using timber framing from Pinterest.com
P
Pa
ag
ge
e 1
17
7:
:
Own diagrams explaining the timber framing technique
P
Pa
ag
ge
e 1
18
8:
:
Diagram of floor plan from Detail inspiration
P
Pa
ag
ge
e1
19
9,
, P
Pa
ag
ge
e 2
20
0,
, P
Pa
ag
ge
e 2
21
1,
, P
Pa
ag
ge
e 2
22
2:
:
Photographs of 1 :10 model

89 STAGE 2
25
B
Bi
ib
bl
li
io
og
gr
ra
ap
ph
hy
y :
https://www.archdaily.com/914321/haus-d-yonder-nil-architektur-und-
https://muwooden.com/haus-d-raw-concrete-and-wood/
https://inspiration.detail.de/single-family-house-in-tuttlingen-
114571.html?slideraccess=1
http://www.constructionchat.co.uk/articles/timber-frame-buildings/
https://www.thebalancesmb.com/what-is-insulation-types-of-insulation-
845080
https://www.homebuilding.co.uk/timber-frame-guide/

ARC2009/2010 :
CASE STUDY:Cowan
Court, Cambridge
NON DESIGN PROJECTS

91 STAGE 2
COWAN COURT
Cambridge
6a architect
Fig. 1 - Parti Plan Diagram
Fig. 2 - Parti Sectional Diagram
UNI ID: 123456789
ARC2009 / ARC2010 Semester 2 assignment 2019
CASE STUDY
2
DISCLAIMER:
Due to COVID-19, it was impossible to access a printer, nor the
software (InDesign, Illustrator) needed for this essay because of
not being able to move home. Consequently, some of the images,
drawings, diagrams are from an internet source rather than hand
drawn or traced. Thanks to the University, I managed to get hold of
the two software on the 25th of March, not leaving enough time
for me to trace everything. The images, drawings, and sketches
that aren’t handmade are notes with a red asterisk.
I refer to my email correspondence with John Kinsley on the 25th
of March.

92 STAGE 2
3
COWAN COURT
SITE SUMMARY
Fig. 3 - Site Analysis Plan
Fig. 4 - Site Analysis 3D view
Cowan Court is located in Cambridge, England. It is a 68-room, 3 story
student accommodation for Churchill College. Cowan Court is consid-
ered to be the first wooden brutalist building ever made. The building
itself is an interpretation of the other accommodations around built in
1960’s. Cowan Court is a timber frame building using a wooden cladding
recycled from old trainlines. The two staircases in the building are made
with concrete to mimic the brutalist style of the other accommodation.
4
COWAN COURT
Fig. 5 - Floor Plans to scale
Fig. 6 - Key Section to scale
SPATIAL SUMMARY
Ground Floor First Floor

93 STAGE 2
5
COWAN COURT
SPATIAL SUMMARY
Fig. 7 - Photograph
Fig. 9 - Massing Diagram
Fig. 8 - Photograph
Fig. 10 - Plan to Section diagram
Fig. 11 - Additive Subtractive Diagram Fig. 12 - Symmetry & Balance Diagram
6
COWAN COURT PROGRAMME SUMMARY
Fig. 13 - Circulation To Use Diagram Fig. 14 - Hierarchy Diagram
Fig. 15.a Usage of floors
This diagram shows how the layout of the building in a section. The organ-
ization in the building is quite simple, indeed, the ground floor is focused
around the communal interactions that the students have in the accommo-
dation. The top floors are private with the student rooms. Finally, the base-
ment is used as storage for the entire facility,
Fig. 15.b Private to outdoor space
Cowan Court provides a spacious courtyard accessible from large doors on
the inner walls. The floors above have a indoor – outdoor feeling through
big bay widows all around the building. The court is a very important detail
in the building because it offers real light and natural ventilation system.
The path in blue is protected by a counter leaver made out of untreated
pine wood, creating a warm environment.

94 STAGE 2
7
COWAN COURT
PROGRAMME SUMMARY
Fig. 15 - Programme Analysis Diagrams
Fig. 15.a -Usage of Floors
Fig. 15.b - Private to outdoor space
Private
Outdoor
Link/Path
8
8
COWAN COURT LANGUAGE SUMMARY
Fig. 16 - Parti Diagram Fig. 17 - Geometry Diagram
Fig. 18.a – Scaled elevation and montage
This montage shows the language expressed in the façade. The weathered
timber looks very brutalist and works with the concrete foundation of the
building. The widows, with the untreated pine shutters give of a more
modern and warm language to the building, making the rooms more
welcoming.
Fig. 18.b – Massing sculpture
This timber sculpture shows the overall volumetric language of Cowan
Court. The sculpture was made by 6a architect for the proposal. It shows
how the timber can be brutalist and volumetric, it is a preview of the actu-
al building.

95 STAGE 2
9
COWAN COURT
LANGUAGE SUMMARY
Fig. 19 - Unit to Whole Diagram Fig. 20 - Repetitive Diagram
Fig. 18 - Language Drawings and Diagrams
Fig. 18.a - Scaled elevation and montage
Fig. 18.b - Massing Sculpture
*
10
COWAN COURT DESIGN INTEGRATION
Fig. 21 - Photoshoped axonometric
*Photoshoped
Axonometric
The design of Cowan Court is quite integrated to the technological side of the
building. Indeed, a lot of the elements such as glulam, concrete staircase, un-
treated timber, weathered timber. These materials are directly exposed into
the design of the building.
The glulam and cladding are made with untreated pine wood and is placed on
the path going around the court creating this warm feeling. It doesn’t need to
be treated since it is protected from the rain. The weathered timber recycled
from train tracks is very durable and works very well as an exterior cladding
against water and heat loss.The concrete staircase only has a design purpose,
and that is to remind the brutalist style of the other accommodations.
The timber frame and glulam inside the building is expose on the ceilings for
example showing bit beams of wood and structure creating warmth around
the white plasterboard. Even more the shutters made from untreated pine
wood are one the elements that connects design and structure the most. In-
deed, besides being shutters, it is also the detail that makes the façade stand
out as well as connect the building to the other accommodations.

96 STAGE 2
11
COWAN COURT
DESIGN INTEGRATION
Fig. 22 - Design Integration Illustrations
*Photoshoped
Diagram
GLULAM stands for Glued Laminat-
ed timber. It is a type of engineered
wood product constitued by layers
of timber glued together with mois-
ture resitant, durable adhesive.
The picture on the left show some
untreated timber cladding as well
as Glulam structure, highligted by
the red lines.
Fig. 22.a - Facace elevation
and section
Fig. 22.b Exposed GLULAM
12
COWAN COURT ARC2009 FOCUS
Approved Document K
The two identical concrete staircases are the“real”brutalist element in Cowan
Court.
Section 1.2: The table shows the rise and going possible in different types of
building. Cowan court had a rise of 160mm and a going of 230mm which falls
within the standards.
Section 1.13.b: The building has a handrail of 1000mm high which is the
minimum for buildings that aren’t dwellings
Section 1.10: The headroom in stairs need to be over 2000mm from the pitch
line to the ceiling. Cowan Court’s lowest ceiling is 2600mm from the ground
floor to first floor.
Section 1.14: A flight of stairs can’t exceed 16 risers. The longest flight of stairs
in Cowan Court is 11 risers.
Section 1.16: Landings of stairs need to be as long as the width of the stairs
themselves. Every landing of stairs in the building forms a square measuring
the width of the stairs, which complies with the regulation.
Fig. 23 - Detailed Scaled Section and Plan of Staircase

97 STAGE 2
13
13
COWAN COURT
ARC2009 FOCUS
Fig. 24 - ARC2009 Focus Illustrations
Fig. 24.b Close Stair Section
Fig. 24.d Detailed Section Showing Handrail Height
Fig. 24.a Excerpt from Approved document K
Fig. 24.c Excerpt from Approved document K
14
COWAN COURT ARC2009 FOCUS
Fig. 25.b Detail Section showing Headroom
Fig. 25.c Photoshoped image showing
Headroom

98 STAGE 2
15
COWAN COURT
ARC2009 FOCUS
At least stairs
width
Fig. 26.b Detailed Section
showing Risers
Fig. 26.d Detailed Plan showing Landing
Fig. 26.c Excerpt from Approved document K
16
COWAN COURT STRUCTURE
Cowan Court’s structure is a wooden framed,
highly insulated with triple glazed windows.
It has a concrete foundation and paths on the
ground floor as well as two concrete staircases,
one with a lift shaft. Parts of the building
are overhung like the first floor creating a
covered path on the ground floor. The oak-
bored facades contain concealed ventilation
outlets, and the building envelope is made
out of irregular weathered bands of 30mm tick
vertical oak boards reclaimed from railways.
Despite its volumetric and brutalist style,
Cowan Court is a quite light weight building.
Indeed, the primary order of the building is
the timber structure as well as the concrete
staircases. Then comes the insulation and
wooden cladding as a secondary order, and
finally, as a tertiary order, the weathered timber
forming its shell.
Fig. 27 - Stucture Illustration
*Photoshoped Diagram
Fig. 27.a Construction Photographs
Fig. 27.b Wall Diagram

99 STAGE 2
17
COWAN COURT
STRUCTURE
Fig. 28 - Structure Illustrations
Fig. 28.a Sectional Diagram Wall Fig. 28.b Plan Visualisation of Oak Cladding
Fig. 28.c - Window and Shutter Plan Diagram
18
COWAN COURT STRUCTURE
Cowan Court is an environmentally friendly building. Indeed, it is timber framed
using Glulam, as well as reclaimed weathered oak from old train track for the
exteriorcladding.Theonlyconcreteonsitearethetwostaircasesinthebuilding.
Its main feature is the courtyard. Indeed, the big courtyard has an important
role in the environmental design because of its natural ventilation and
natural lighting. As well as giving a semi-private green space inside of the
accommodation. Cowan Court’s first and second floor are covered in windows
toward the courtyard, letting as much light as possible. During the winter, the
light heats up the corridors, in summer, the windows can be open and get a
natural ventilation of the building, cooling it down.
Thebuildingisheavilyinsulatedwithtripleglazedwindowsandwoolinsulation.
The glulam used in the timber structure has interesting properties like being fire
resistant to a certain level as well as being very lightweight but 18% stronger
than normal timber. Having these properties it is possible to use less polluting
materials to complete the properties available with Glulam.
Fig. 29 Structure Diagram

100 STAGE 2
19
COWAN COURT
ENVIRONMENTAL DESIGN
Fig. 30 - Environmental Design Illustrations
Fig. 30.a Sunpath Diagram
*
The impact of the sunpath isn’t
that important due to the size of
the courtyard in the building.
Fig. 30.b Stuctural Materials Diagram
This diagram shows
the simlicity of the
materials used in the
building.The materi-
als used in the build-
ing such as Glulam
for the timber are
quite cheap, resist-
ant, and environ-
mentaly friendly.
20
COWAN COURT ENVIRONMENTAL DESIGN
Fig. 31 - Courtyard Diagram
This diagram shows the advantage of the courtyard. It deflects or captures
solare radaition, and is constantly ventilated.The ventilation really helps to get
rid of the exterior convection of heat. Plus the amount of light that the buld-
ing gets in considerably large and cost effective on electricity.

101 STAGE 2
21
COWAN COURT
FORM FACTOR
Values:
Total Floor Area :
3350m2
Total Exterior Surface:
3440m2
Building Volume:
14374,5m3
Fig. 32 - 3D Sketch
HLFF = 3440 / 3350 = 1.03
SVR = 3440 / 14374,5 = 0,24
U VALUE
Fig. 33.a U Value Table
Fig. 32.b Wall Coposition
Values:
Rse = 0.35
Rt = 10,6
Equation
U = 1/Rt
U = 0.095
22
COWAN COURT

102 STAGE 2
23
COWAN COURT
Figures & Illustrations
Bibliography:
Fig. 1 – Parti Plan Diagram
Fig. 2 – Parti Sectional Diagram
Fig. 3 – Site Analysis Plan
Fig. 4 – Site Analysis 3D view
Fig. 5 - Floor Plans to Scale
Fig. 6 – Key Section to Scale
Fig. 7 - Photograph
Fig. 8 - Photograph
Fig. 9 – Massing Diagram
Fig. 10 – Plan to section Diagram
Fig. 11 – Additive Subtractive Diagram
Fig. 12 – Symmetry & Balance Diagram
Fig. 13 – Circulation to Use Diagram
Fig. 14 – Hierarchy Diagram
Fig. 15.a – Usage of Floors
Fig. 15.b – Private to Outdoor Space
Fig. 16 – Parti Diagram
Fig. 17 – Geometry Diagram
Fig. 18.a – Scaled Elevation and montage
Fig. 18.b – Massing Sculpture *
Fig. 19 – Unit to Whole Diagram
Fig. 20 – Repetitive Diagram7
Fig. 21 – Photoshoped Axonometric *
Fig. 22.a – Photoshoped Detailed Elevation
and Section *
Fig. 22.b – Exposed GLULAM *
Fig. 23 – Detailed Scaled Section and Plan
of Staircase
Fig. 24.a – Excerpt from Approved Docu-
ment K
Fig. 24.b – Close Stair Section
Fig. 24.c - Excerpt from Approved Docu-
ment K
Fig. 24.d – Detailed Section Showing
Handrail Height
Fig. 25.a - Excerpt from Approved Docu-
ment K
Fig. 25.b – Detail Section Showing Head-
room
Fig. 25.c – Photoshoped Image Showing
Headroom
Fig. 26.a - Excerpt from Approved Docu-
ment K
Fig. 26.b – Detailed Section Showing Risers
Fig. 26.c - Excerpt from Approved Docu-
ment K
Fig. 26.d – Detailed Plan Showing Stair
Landing
Fig. 27.a – Construction Photographs
Fig. 27.b – Wall Diagram
Fig. 28.a - Sectional Diagram Wall
Fig. 28.b - Plan Visualisation of Oak Clad-
ding
Fig. 28.c - Window and Shutter Plan Dia-
gram
Fig. 29 - Structure Diagram
Fig. 30.a – Sun path Diagram *
Fig. 30.b – Structure Materials Diagram
Fig. 31 - Courtyard Diagram
Fig. 32 – 3D Sketch
Fig. 33.a – U value Table*
Fig. 33.b – Wall composition
ILLUSTRATIONS
Every drawing and diagram was hand mande exept the ones with a red star *
24
COWAN COURT
“6a architects – Cowan Court”. 2020. 6a.co.uk <http://www.6a.co.uk/projects/
more/cowan-court> [accessed 2 April 2020]
“7 amazing benefits of interior courtyards | homify”. 2020. homify.com.my
<https://www.homify.com.my/ideabooks/733829/7-amazing-benefits-of-
interior-courtyards> [accessed 2 April 2020]
2020. <http://www.greenspec.co.uk/building-design/insulation-materials-
thermal-properties/> [accessed 2 April 2020]
“Cowan Court”. 2020. Architecture.com <https://www.architecture.com/
awards-and-competitions-landing-page/awards/riba-regional-awards/riba-
east-award-winners/2017/cowan-court> [accessed 2 April 2020]
“Cowan Court - arcspace.com”. 2020. arcspace.com <https://arcspace.com/
feature/cowan-court/> [accessed 2 April 2020]
“Cowan Court - Wood Awards”. 2020. Wood Awards <https://woodawards.
com/portfolio/cowan-court-2/> [accessed 2 April 2020]
“Cowan Court by 6a architectsArchiExpo”. 2020. Projects.archiexpo.com
<https://projects.archiexpo.com/project-241249.html> [accessed 2 April 2020]
“Cowan Court, Churchill College, Cambridge | AJ Buildings Library”. 2020.
Ajbuildingslibrary.co.uk <https://www.ajbuildingslibrary.co.uk/projects/
display/id/7942> [accessed 2 April 2020]
“Glulam Roof Beams - Sydenhams Timber Engineering”. 2020. Sydenhams
<https://www.sydenhams.co.uk/timber-engineering/engineered-timber/
glulam-roof-beams/> [accessed 2 April 2020]
Griffiths, Alyn. 2020.“6a Architects adds timber-clad halls to University of
Cambridge campus”, Dezeen <https://www.dezeen.com/2016/10/19/6a-
architects-timber-clad-halls-residence-1960s-campus-churchill-college-
university-cambridge/> [accessed 2 April 2020]
BIBLIOGRAPHY

103 STAGE 2
25
COWAN COURT
“Inspirational timber case studies”. 2020. Trada.co.uk <https://www.trada.
co.uk/case-studies/cowan-court-churchill-college-cambridge/> [accessed 2
April 2020]
“SunCalc sun position- und sun phases calculator”. 2020. Suncalc.org
<https://www.suncalc.org/#/52.2122,0.1006,18/2020.04.02/12:00/1/3>
[accessed 2 April 2020]
“Thermal Conductivity of Metals, Metallic Elements and Alloys”. 2020.
Engineeringtoolbox.com <https://www.engineeringtoolbox.com/thermal-
conductivity-metals-d_858.html> [accessed 2 April 2020]
BIBLIOGRAPHY

NON DESIGN PROJECTS
ARC2020: Disserta-
tion Proposal: Cathe-
dral-Mosque of Cordoba

105 STAGE 2
1
Dissertation Plan
Theme: Colonisation Exchanges
Building: Great Mosque of Cordoba
Question: How did the complex history of Spain’s colonization influence the Great Mosque of
Cordoba’s architecture?
Personal Approach:
I want to understand how the mosque-cathedral of Cordoba survived and transcended the centuries
through different eras, religions, rules. I would like to understand the cultural impact of these
different colonisation through the architecture of the Great Mosque of Cordoba.
The architecture of the cathedral-mosque is not the only interesting aspect, I personally am
interested in the symbolism behind the Islamic culture, with the differences in its subcultures. I am
also interested in how the situations in North-Africa had an impact on what happened in Hispania.
I would like through this essay to learn and know about the Islamic culture in architecture: its
symbols, meanings, technology, innovations, and everything that lead to culturally rich building
like the Great Mosque of Cordoba.
The idea of personally explore the city over summer is thrilling, to create a personal research on
the town and cathedral-mosque. I also want to learn about other buildings and towns with similar
histories like the Alhambra in Granada for example.
2
Introduction: (800 words)
- Cover the rich overall history of Al-Andalus (region).
- Explain the terms: Caliphate, Emir, Umayyad…
- Different periods, deferent reigns, different religions.
- Theme of colonisation, definition of colonisation
- Question
- Plan
Plan:
Part I:
Context behind the history of the Great Mosque of Cordoba
- The Roman temple
The origin of the Mosque of Cordoba was a Roman Temple dedicated to Janus. It was built in
Hispania Baetica, one of the three regions in Hispania and corresponds to modern Andalusia.
The temple Dates from 1st
century BC
- The Visigoth
The Visigoth are a Germanic tribe that revolted against the Roman Empire. In 412, they sacked
Rome and started invading Gaul. In the 5th
century, the Visigoth took control of the Iberian
Peninsula, fighting the Byzantines for the for Baetica which they completely took back in 584.
The Visigoth ruled over Hispania for almost 3 centuries until the beginning of the 8th
century.
- Basilica
The Visigoth conquered Cordoba in 572 and built Saint Vincent Martyr’s church in 584 on top of
the Roman temple. Some parts of the basilica are still visible today like superb mosaics discovered
by Felix Hernandez.
Part II:
The Moorish conquest of the Iberic Peninsula
- The Conquest
In 711, the Moors of Berber and the Islamic Arabs crossed the Strait of Gibraltar. Lead by the
general Tariq ibn Ziyad, they conquered Hispania in a series of raids during an 8-year campaign.
They continued through the Pyrenees but were defeated by the Franks during the battle of Tours
in 732.

106 STAGE 2
3
- The Berber Revolt
In 739 Maghreb fell into a civil war known as the Berber Revolt until 743. The Berbers revolted
against the Umayyad putting an end to the Eastern domination of Maghreb.
The Umayyad dynasty was dethroned by the Abbasids. The Umayyad Caliphate Abd al-Rahman
I fled to Maghreb then Iberia and founded the Emirate of Cordoba,
a new branch of the Umayyad dynasty, after defeating the
governor of Al-Andalus, Yusuf al-Fihri. The Moors ruled over Al-
Andalus for centuries thereafter.
- The languages
The languages spoken during Muslim rule were Andalusian
Arabic and Mozarabic, which influenced the Spanish language.
Both languages went extinct after the expulsion of the Moriscos in 1609 (17th
century).
Part III:
The creation of the Great Mosque of Cordoba
- A shared religious building
The first traces of the Mosque of Cordoba date from 714. The Visigoth agreed to share half of
Saint Vincent’s church. During the time of the conquest, all the churches in Iberia were destroyed
except Saint Vincent’s.
- The great mosque
It is around 30 years after the arrival of Abd al-Rahman I, in 786, that the Great Gosque of Cordoba
was built. Abd al-Rahman I ordered the deconstruction of part of Saint Vincent’s church to create
the Great Mosque using some of the materials from the church. He also allowed Christians to build
new churches temporarily.
A year later, in 787, the building is entirely a Mosque.
The Mosque is built on the model of Umayyad Mosque of Damas, Syria.
4
Part IV:
The architectural diversity of the Great Mosque of Cordoba
- Moorish Architecture
Moorish architecture is typical of North Africa and is also found in parts of Spain and Portugal.
The Moors were dominant in the Islamic world from 711 to 1492.
The characteristic elements of Moorish architecture are muqamas, horseshoe arches, voussoirs,
domes, crenellated arches, lancet arches, ogee arches, courtyards, and decorative tile work known
as zellij (Arabic) or aulejo (Spanish). One of the major monuments of Moorish architecture are the
Great Mosque of Cordoba and the Alhambra. It is in Hispania that Moorish architecture reached
its peak of influence.
- The Mosque expansions
Abd al-Rahman built the first mosque with a square court, a patio of Los Naranjos (court of orange
trees), a surrounding wall attached to a rectangular praying space with 11 naves and 12 bays in
front of the court.
Hicham the First made some modifications inside of the mosque: praying galleries for women as
well as an ablution basin.
In 833, Abd al-Rahman II expands the bays
In 961, Al Hakam II builds the Mihrab and creates the crossed arched dome.
In 987, Al Mansour could not expand the mosque because of the river Guadalquivir. He thus
expanded the Mihrab by doubling its size.
Space: The mosque of Cordoba is 23 400 m2
, second biggest mosque in the world after the Mosque
of Mecca.
- Spaces
2 spaces: outside and inside
1. Patio (or Portico Sahn Houses), the minaret beneath the Renaissance tower, part of the
Haram (or prayer room). That first space was added by Abd al-Rahman III.
2. The interior of the Mosque is characterized by the sets of bicolor columns and arches. It is
divided in another 5 parts, each represented by the modifications made through history.
Article: The Visual Construction of the Umayyad Caliphate in Al-Andalus through the Great
Mosque of Cordoba.
The article gives a chronological detail of every aspect of the Mosque and the interesting details.
- Domes and arches

107 STAGE 2
5
The Mosque has multiple different arches and domes.
- Article: The Visual Construction of the Umayyad Caliphate in Al-Andalus through the
Great Mosque of Cordoba, by Susana Calvo Capilla
This article shows the different stages and architectural components, for example the Visigothic
columns. It also gives an explanation of the architectural transition to a Mosque as well as the
classical Umayyad aesthetics.
There is a lot of information on the symbolism of different details in the architecture of the Mosque.
Pictures and Drawings supporting the architectural description:
https://en.wikiarquitectura.com/building/mosque-of-cordoba/
- Book: The Islamic Crossed-Arched Vault in the Mosque of Cordoba, Paula Fuentes
Details behind a complex vault in the Mosque.
- Book: The Meaning of the Great Mosque of Cordoba in the Tenth Century, by Nuha N. N.
Khoury
Architectural details of the Mosque as well as a lot of information about different spaces, symbols,
and meanings. Very useful to understand how the Mosque works.
- Information on the Minaret and Orange Courtyard:
https://en.wikiarquitectura.com/building/mosque-of-cordoba/#
6
Part V:
The importance and influence of Spain’s colonization in the Mosque’s architecture
- Book: The Great Mosque of Cordoba in the Twelfth and Thirteenth Centuries, by Heather
Ecker.
It gives a detailed explanation about the transition from a Mosque to a Cathedral. Loads of facts
and details to quote which help to understand the situation at that time.
- The Taifas and warfare between Muslim and Christians
The Taifas are a product of a civil war from 1009 to 1013. It divided the
Caliphate of Cordoba into multiple kingdoms. In the 11th
century, the Taifas
kings asked for help to the Almoravids to defend against the Christian raids.
The warfare between Muslim and Christians lasted multiple centuries until the 15th
century, in
1492 AD when after a long siege, the last sultan Muhammad XII surrendered.
- The Christian acknowledgement of Islamic Architecture
Cordoba was taken by King Ferdinand III of Castille in 1236. The Christians did not destroy the
Mosque but instead modified it into a church then into a cathedral.
- The Cathedral
The Christians walled of the opening between the courtyard and the praying room to create a single
entrance.
Field Trip to Spain:
I would like (if possible) to go on a field trip this summer to visit towns like Cordoba, Grenada,
and Toledo to visit monuments that were greatly influenced by this complex history. As well as to
witness the impact that it left on the modern Spanish Architecture.
Conclusion:
- Architectural success
- The price of colonization
-

108 STAGE 2
7
Sources:
"Mosque of Cordoba - Data, Photos & Plans - WikiArquitectura". 2020. WikiArquitectura
<https://en.wikiarquitectura.com/building/mosque-of-cordoba/> [accessed 17 May 2020]
2020. <https://www.jstor.org/stable/10.7591/j.ctt5hh0cv> [accessed 17 May 2020]
"BBC - Religions - Islam: Muslim Spain (711-1492)". 2020. Bbc.co.uk
<https://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/islam/history/spain_1.shtml> [accessed 17 May
2020]
"Mosque-Cathedral of Córdoba | cathedral, Córdoba, Spain". 2020. Encyclopedia Britannica
<https://www.britannica.com/topic/Mosque-Cathedral-of-Cordoba> [accessed 17 May 2020]
paultre, christian, Damien Gautreau, saoudi abdelaziz, Gilles d'Hallouaran, and Mathieu Repiquet
and others. 2020. "ARCHITECTURE MUSULMANE : LA GRANDE MOSQUÉE DE
CORDOUE", Club de Mediapart <https://blogs.mediapart.fr/edition/lislam-et-
loccident/article/131216/architecture-musulmane-la-grande-mosquee-de-cordoue> [accessed
17 May 2020]
"Spain - Muslim Spain". 2020. Encyclopedia Britannica
<https://www.britannica.com/place/Spain/Muslim-Spain> [accessed 17 May 2020]
"Umayyad Caliphate". 2020. En.wikipedia.org
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Umayyad_Caliphate> [accessed 17 May 2020]
"Who were the Moors?". 2020. Nationalgeographic.com
<https://www.nationalgeographic.com/history/reference/people/who-were-moors/>
[accessed 17 May 2020]
8
Bibliography:
1001 Buildings you must see before you die, Mark Irving, 2007
The Great Mosque of Cordoba in the tenth century, by Nuha N. N. Khoury, 1996
The Great Mosque of Cordoba in the Twelfth and Thirteen Centuries, by Heather Ecker, 2003
The Islamic Crossed-Arch Vaults in the Mosque of Cordoba, by Paula Fuentes, 2018
The Visual Construction of the Umayyad Caliphate in Al-Andalus through the Great Mosque of
Cordoba, by Susana Calvo Capilla, 2018
Architecture, by Jonathan Glancey, 2016
Cordoue: La Grande Mosquee, by Henri Chevret, 2012
The sound of the cathedral-mosque of Cordoba, by R. Suarez, J.J. Sandra, J. Navarro, A.L. Leon,
2005
• For a better understanding of the Islamic Culture in Spain:
The Moriscos, by Luce Lopez-Baralt
The Mozarabs, by H. D. Miller
Michael Scot and the Translators, by Thomas E. Burman
• For a better understanding of “colonisation”:
Transculturation: Cities, Spaces and Architecture in Latin America, by Felipe Hernandez
Edge of empire: Postcolonialism and the city, by Jane M. Jacobs
The Location of Culture, by Homi K. Bhabha
• Books to read over summer:
The Illustrated History of Islamic Architecture, by Moya Carey, 2012
Making Sense of Islamic Art & Architecture, by Adam Barkam, 2015
Western Islamic Architecture: A Concise Introduction, by John D. Hoag, 2014
Islamic Art and Architecture, by Robert Hillenbrand, 1999
Islamic Design: A Genius for Geometry, Sutton, Daud

ARC2024: ESSAY:
Berlin
NON DESIGN PROJECTS

110 STAGE 2
1
ARC2024 ESSAY
Question 2 : Choose a city that has been addressed in one of the lectures in this block, and through
a careful reading of it’s history and development of its urban form, examine, through the Koolhaas
text, the question of how that city has come into being, and how it may, or may not be considered
to have areas or quarters of a ‘generic’ nature. Where the fabric is not ‘generic’, what gives it a
local or non-generic character?
2
The city of Berlin is nine times the size of Paris even though its population is smaller.
Berlin is located in the North-East of Germany and straddles the riverbanks of the Spree River. It
developed as a fishing town called Koln and became a strategic location for trade routes in the 12th
century. It has now a surface of 391 square meter and counts 3.7 million inhabitants. Although it
was dramatically affected by the first and second World Wars, it became one of the most influential
cities in Europe, politically and economically after its industrialization. Berlin is also a very ‘open
city’ with half a million foreigners from 185 countries as well as thirteen million visitors a year,
and counts 180 museums which is actually more than there are rainy days a year. The city uses all
the bunkers and underground system used in World War II for its underground metro as well,
making the city twice as big as it appears on the surface. Berlin is a constantly evolving modern
metropolis.
Remment Lucas Koolhaas (1944) is a Dutch architect, architectural theorist, urbanist and professor
in Practice of Architecture and Urban Design at the Graduate School of Design at Harvard
University. He is considered one of the most important and influential architectural thinker and
urbanist of his generation. In addition of being a founding partner of Office for Metropolitan
Architecture, he is an author and a philosopher. He wrote in 1995, The Generic City which is a
pragmatic view on the modern city and its arise from what was once a city. He discusses through
metaphors how the ‘generic city’ is created and works.
Based on Koolhaas’ theory of the ‘generic city’ and the historical evolution and development of
the urban city of Berlin: How did Berlin came into existence as the modern capital it is today?
How some of Berlin’s quarters and areas may, or may not be considered as ‘generic’? And, where
are the urban characteristics that are local or simply ‘non-generic’?

111 STAGE 2
3
This essay will show how Berlin came into being through its rich historical past. Then will be
discussed the different historical approaches to the city of Berlin as a ‘generic city’ through
Koolhaas theories, and lastly the urban fabric that is proper to the city as local or ‘non-generic’,
based on Koolhaas’ essay.
Historically, Berlin is a constantly evolving city. Originally divided in two fisherman
islands and surrounded by walls since the first settlement in the 8th
century. Geographically, the
city was strategically placed on the Spree River, giving an easy access to market routes from East
to West in Europe. The name Berlin was established in 1244 as the official name of the city. Berlin-
Koln was located between the two fortified towns of Köpenick and Spandau to then merge into
one town in 1307 for political and security purposes under Brandenburg, the local ruler. It is in the
14th
and 15th
centuries that Berlin-Koln became more important as it became the permanent
residence for the princes of Brandenburg in 1411.
Only “after the 16th
century, German art started to free itself form Medieval consciousness”1
and
detached from Gothic art. In fact, as the Alps created a barrier, Germany could not get information
from the South.
Also, Italian artists and masters from the Renaissance introduced the new art in Germany.
It is only in 1685 that the city expended beyond its fortified walls, changing the mapping of the
city. Indeed, with the expansion of Berlin, bigger buildings and landmarks appeared. Due to this
development Berlin became more gridded. From the 17th
century Berlin started to develop its own
identity, after the Renaissance, the city entered in a quest to find ‘character’.
1
Westermann Verlag, Brunswick
4
Image 1
The map above represents Berlin in 1710 and shows the birth of a grid outside the walls. Guided
by a need of organization and uniformization, gridding a city is the first step to make it generic.
This is illustrated by the repetitive pattern in the South-West quarter.

112 STAGE 2
5
Image 2
In the 19th
century, architects started thinking about planification. This map of Berlin from 1836
shows how fast it developed, and how now it is almost impossible to see the walls surrounding the
city anymore. Different axis cross the city and the plaza at the end connects them. Changes are
seen in the architecture with the appearance of new styles of buildings while preserving classical
buildings. Moreover, willing to celebrate the past the city built museums on the northern part of
the island
6
Image 3
Image 4
Image 5
These are three of the five museums built on museum island: Altes Museum, 1830; Alte
Nationalgalerie, 1861; and Neues Museum, 1855. These show how Berlin is developing an identity

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through history by preserving and displaying it. The end of the 19th
century was also marked by
the construction of the Reichstag which was then demolished in 1945 symbolizing the end of the
Second World War.
The 20th
century was the most important era for Germany and especially Berlin as “Germany saw
dramatic political shifts during the 20th century—the rise of Hitler, the Cold War, the fall of the
Berlin Wall—and those events had a profound impact on the built environment of its capital city”2
.
Indeed, the 20th
century shaped today’s Berlin. The Germanic Empire (1871-1918) gave a
‘confidence boost’ to the city of Berlin as a capital for it to develop and create. ““Architecturally,
2
Rhodes, Margaret, Liz Stinson, Michael Calore, Arielle Pardes, and Liz Stinson and others. 2020. "Explore a Lovely Map of Berlin’s Historic
Architecture", WIRED
Image 6
8
no other city really represents the 20th century as well as Berlin,” writes Derek Lamberton, founder
of Blue Crow Media, an independent publisher of maps and apps for world cities.”3
The Staatliches Bauhaus, commonly known as Bauhaus is as school founded by the architect
Walter Gropius in 1919. “The Bauhaus School went on to establish itself as a design movement
whose legacy can still be felt today”4
, indeed the school followed a strict philosophy of “placing
function before form, creating unfussy products that would be available, and useful, to the general
public”5
as a reaction to the Gaudy lifestyle that was fashionable at the time. Unfortunately, when
the school moved from Weimer to Berlin in 1932, the Nazi party considered its work as
‘degenerate art’. The school was shut down and never to re-emerge, but its style and philosophy
still live through modern buildings.
Image 7
This building is the Bauhaus Archive in Darmstadt, founded in 1960 by Gropius and other
members of the Bauhaus movement as a tribute to store all the documents related to the movement.
3
Rhodes, Margaret, Liz Stinson, Michael Calore, Arielle Pardes, and Liz Stinson and others. 2020. "Explore a Lovely Map of Berlin’s Historic
Architecture", WIRED
4
Holmes, Natalie. 2020. "5 Highlights of 20th Century Architecture in Berlin – ArtTrav’
5
Holmes, Natalie. 2020. "5 Highlights of 20th Century Architecture in Berlin – ArtTrav’

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9
World War I (1914-1918) caused a terrible economic downfall for Germany as they had to pay for
the damage made during the war, as stated in the treaty of Versailles. And, after the instauration
of the Weimer Republic (1918-1933), the architectural development stalled because of the Great
Depression.
In 1933, Hitler was named chancellor and the Nazi party quickly took power over Germany; it is
the start of the Third Reich. The Nazis had great plans for the city of Berlin. Indeed, in 1930,
Hitler, who was not in power yet, and his architect Albert Speer (1905-1981), had already planned
some changes. He built the New Reich Chancellery, an extension to the palace of the prince Antoni
Radziwiłł in 1939, as he commented that the Old Chancellery was more suited for a “soap
company” rather than the Greater German Reich.
Image 8 & 9
10
These represent the New Chancellery designed by Speer, with the influence of classical
architecture that Hitler appreciated. One of Speer’s most famous work is the design of Volkshalle,
a huge domed building, that represented Hitler’s interpretation of a roman palace. It was supposed
to be 290 meters high with a 250
meters wide dome, but was never
realized. To the right is a model of
what Hitler and Speer planned for
Berlin. Speer was in command of the
construction of the Luitpoldarena, a
84,000 square meter deployment area
for the Nazis over the Luitpoldhain
park built in 1906, showing the
architectural ambition of the Nazi
party (image 11).
Image 10

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11
“Hitler’s style” was a distorted neoclassicism which was “multiplied, altered, exaggerated, and
sometimes distorted to the point of ludicrousness”6
. Speer thought of Hitler’s architectural ideas
as “exorbitant [in] size and bombast in architecture to a general megalomania”7
.
Because of the destruction caused by World War II (1938-1945) most of the Nazi architecture got
destroyed during the bombing on Berlin.
6
Albert Speer, Inside the Third Reich, trans. Richard and Clara Winston (New York, 1970), p. 77
7
Albert Speer, Inside the Third Reich, trans. Richard and Clara Winston (New York, 1970), p. 194
Image 11
12
This shows that the Nazi architecture was bound to fail due to its egocentrism. Indeed, Hitler only
thought about the “greatness” and aesthetics of buildings instead of thinking about buildings at a
human scale:
Because most of Hitler's architectural aspirations existed only as sketches, scale models, or
blueprints, it is impossible to measure the extent to which Hitler's political successes were linked
to his use of architecture.8
8
Holmes 2020
Image 11

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13
After Hitler’s suicide and Berlin’s capitulation in 1945, 50% of the inner city was destroyed,
including most of the Nazi’s architecture. It is the start of the Cold War. At that time, the country
is divided in two parts by a wall built in 1961: West-Berlin shared by the United Kingdom, France,
and the United States of America and East-Berlin was to the Soviet Union.
In the reconstruction a lot a brutalist architecture came up following the Bauhaus philosophy, with
big housing block, promoting housing efficiency over aesthetics.
Image 12
14
This is the Neue Kreuzberg
Zentrum, built between 1969 and
1974, it was part of the “demolition
and renovation” program for West-
Berlin.
On the East, the USSR was
following more of a post-Stalinist
architecture like the image bellow.
Image 14
Image 13

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15
After a historical approach on the city of Berlin showing how it developed into being what
Berlin is today, one can understand Koolhaas theory of the ‘generic city’. Koolhass’ definition of
a ‘generic city’ is quite complicated, but exploring it through Berlin can make it easier. Berlin
started to become generic once the walls around the center disappeared. It expanded outside the
two islands of Koln and Berlin, grids appeared on the maps as well as axes dividing the city in
different quarters.
On the photoshoped map is represented what was a start as a ‘generic city’. In blue, the main axes
connect the inner-Berlin to the outer-Berlin; in purple are grids created by buildings; in green the
new plazas and market space. The center of Berlin loses its functions as a center which are moved
where needed outside what were the fortified walls.
Image 15
16
The Generic City breaks with this destructive cycle of dependency: it is nothing but a reflection
of the present need and present ability. It is the city without history. It is big enough for
everybody. It is easy. It does not need maintenance. If it gets too small, it expands. If it gets too
old, it just self-destructs and renews.9
This quote explains how the Generic City loses interest in the center, because the center itself
loses its function. The need for expansion is bigger than the one of a center.
It is not until the beginning of the 20th
century that Berlin really started developing as a ‘generic
city’. Indeed, the Bauhaus philosophy by Gropius “pioneer of modern architecture”10
, clearly
defined the city as generic through architecture. The objective of the Bauhaus architect was to
solely focus again on the practical aspect of a building instead of its aesthetic, thus creating a
new way of creating, building, and living. The Bauhaus institution had three different directors
that each followed the Bauhaus philosophy while expressing different styles:
While Gropius promoted flexible and cost-efficient building by means of prefabricated
components, Meyer’s buildings focused entirely on meeting their residents’ needs. By contrast,
Mies van der Rohe was mainly concerned with removing boundaries between the interior and the
exterior. The results vary strongly. Just as the buildings of the three directors are very different
from one another, the buildings of students and masters are not consistent in style.11
The Bauhaus movement was cut short due to the Nazi insurgency in 1933. But after World War
II the movement grew to occupy most of the reconstruction of Berlin and Germany. Indeed, with
the destruction of Berlin and its economic situation in 1945, the city was hard to re build. That is
why Gropius’ got the idea of cutting down construction expenses by using prefabricated
elements. Architects had to use a minimalist style and come up with new engineering ideas to cut
9
Koolhaas 1995, p1250
10
Lee F. Mindel 2020
11
"Architecture". 2020. Bauhaus100.com

118 STAGE 2
17
down prices. For example, the Shell Haus overlooking the Landwehr Canal is considered one of
the first steel-framed high-rise building. It was designed, engineered by Emil Fahrenkamp and
finished in 1932, and “is widely regarded as one of the most influential office block designs of its
era”12
.
Hitler was very fond of classical architecture, for its importance through size and style. When he
became chancellor, Speer was designing most of the buildings, outdoor parks, and assembly spaces
for the Nazis. Hitler’s plans for Berlin were generic due to his “vision” for the “grand future of
Germania”. Indeed, they planned the new Berlin to be a ‘mega-city,’ but that obviously never
happened.
After the war and destruction, Berlin changed drastically. Moreover, as mentioned in the section
above, with the start of the Cold War Berlin got divided in two parts: East and West. A lot of new
architectural styles came out in that reconstruction, following movements such as brutalist, post-
modern, modern architecture… There was at the time an “architecture and innovation war”
between both sides of Berlin. For example, the architect Otto Bartning was one of the architects
12
Holmes, Natalie. 2020. "5 Highlights of 20th Century Architecture in Berlin - ArtTrav"
Image 16 & 17
18
responsible for “the reconstruction of West Berlin under the motto “the city of tomorrow””13
illustrated in Interbau.
Interbau opened in 1957 and was simply a generic city-like building to answer the non-generic
Stalinallee on the East side: “Interbau was intended to "demonstrate the new, democratic western
Germany to the outside world, which was on the side of the French, British, Italian and Americans,
not only politically but also culturally”14
. However one can argue that Stalinallee, on the image
below, is generic by its size not only its style.
As Koolhaas argues, “the urban plane now only accommodates necessary movement,
fundamentally the car”15
, as visible bellow:
13
"Interbau 1957" 2020
14
"Berlin Interbau (1957)" 2020
15
Image 18

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19
Also, with Museum island in the East, West-Berlin was deprived of cultural centers and created
“culture forum” to compete with the East, which included Mies Van der Rohe’s Neue National
Gallery (1969) that is a “modernist answer to Museum Island and the New National Gallery to
become its centerpiece”16
.
16
"Neue Nationalgalerie" 2020
Image 19
20
But, Koolhaas describes Mies’ work as uninteresting: “Mies made up his mind once and for all
against interest, for boredom”17
, as well as criticizing his simple designs as “boxes”. One could
argue that the above building transcends the idea of a “box” by mixing the interior with the exterior
through huge windows and a plane room supported by pillars, making it as generic as any other
“daring” building built in that era.
West-Berlin was progressive, architecturally speaking, to create a “new city”, a generic city,
whereas the East followed a strict Soviet style, inspired by the past.
The 21st
century also marked Berlin in its development as a generic city. Architects continued to
restore the city and develop it into the modern capital it is today. New generic and non-generic
buildings appeared at that time due to very strict designs regulations in historical spaces. A perfect
example is the famous DZ Bank Berlin, designed by Frank Gehry. Indeed, its façade is plain and
simple, which also resembles all the other building around it.
17
Image 20

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This image shows the simplicity and uniformity of the façade: “close your eyes and imagine an
explosion of beige”18
.
This image shows the beautiful covered atrium inside the bank: “the atrium is a void space: voids
are essential building blocks of the generic city”.19
18
19
Image 22
Image 23
22
On the other hand, the interior of the Bank is unique, covered in glass with some of Frank Gehry
signature shapes and spaces.
Considering Koolhaas’ text, one can define Berlin as non-generic. Indeed, since the Northern
renaissance in the 16th
century, Berlin tried to find an identity. Every artist in Germany tried and
reproduce new arts from Italy and its masters. The same goes for architecture, with the construction
of classical buildings such as the opera in 1742.
The gate of Brandenburg was built in 1791 as a key entry point to the city, giving Berlin this
“grand” classical entrance. Here Berlin’s identity is expressed through buildings of the past, by
creating a new architecture. Koolhaas explains that “identity becomes like a lighthouse – fixed,
overdetermined: it can change its position or the pattern it emits only at the cost of destabilizing
Image 24

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23
navigation”20
, meaning that identity is a trend that keeps a city in the past as well as resisting
“expansion, interpretation, renewal, contradiction.”21
Another example of non-generic building is the Berlin Cathedral. Its original building was created
in 1465 but followed a number of renovation and remodeling over the centuries. Every remodel
was to follow the artistic and architectural trends of the century: the modest church got replaced
by a baroque style cathedral in 1747 and got “remodeled into a classicist building following a
design by the esteemed Berlin architect Karl Friedrich Schinkel.”22
20
21
22
Ermengem 2020
Image 25
Image 26
24
The Nazi architecture was not considered as generic. Indeed Hitler wanted Speer to design every
building as a new type of classical building. Inspired by the roman architecture, the objective was
to give Berlin a “power-like” status through its architecture. Speer designed buildings following
Hitler’s megalomania, to turn Berlin into “Germania” and become the most powerful mega-city in
the world. The Reich sports field shows the extent of their ambitions.
This building was finished in 1936 for the German summer Olympics. It was a great period to
show off the rise of the Nazi party before de war and “was supposed to show German triumph in
organization, choreography and sport but also architecture and art.”23
Speer and Hitler’s most
ambitious project was Germania’s great hall or Volkshalle. It was supposed to be similar to a
roman pantheon but at a significantly wider scale: “Everything in it had to be taller, wider and
more imposing than anything else to reflect the superiority of his supposed Aryan super-race.”24
Hitler was also in a constant competition with the West, especially America because of the scale
buildings are in big cities: “Hitler actually wrote alongside the plans: "Must be bigger than Grand
23
Riha, Tadeas, and Tadeas Riha "A Tour of Berlin's Nazi Architecture
24
Berlin, Allan. 2020. "New exhibition unveils Adolf Hitler's plans for Nazi super-city", Express.co.uk
Image 27

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25
Central in New York!."25
This shows Hitler’s obsession and use of architecture to reflect an image
of power and superiority instead of using architecture to greet people’s needs.
Most of Hitler’s gargantuan projects never came to fruition because of World War II. The post war
reconstruction was also to remember events from World War II. Loads of reconstructions are
interesting such as the Reichstag’s dome. The original one was replaced with an entirely new glass
dome and an inside structure. Even though made of different materials and modified functions
with an added ramp, it still keeps its original form, shape, and identity.
25
Berlin, Allan. 2020. "New exhibition unveils Adolf Hitler's plans for Nazi super-city", Express.co.uk
Image 28
26
Image 29
Image 30 & 31

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In conclusion, Berlin is perfect to explore the Generic City through Koolhaas’ theories. It
developed quickly and came into being in only a few centuries. The political, economic, and social
shifts that Berlin experienced changed it every time; from the Renaissance, to World War II and
the 21st
century. Berlin has a complex history and one can witness how the city tried to keep its
identity by conserving its monuments, creating an island to promote art, and recreating other styles
and arts developed during the Renaissance by Italian masters. Even during the Nazi era, Berlin
developed in a classical way through Hitler’s demands and Speer’s designs. One can say that Berlin
was on a quest to find its own character since the 16th
century, but also that on the contrary Berlin
is a progressist city promoting innovation rather than the past. The Bauhaus movement marked
that era through its philosophy, especially after World War II and the complicated economic and
social situation. Mostly architects tried to find new ways of creating efficient living spaces for the
inhabitants of Berlin and Germany in general. Berlin is a Generic city that remembers the past and
keeps it close to it through strict building and design regulations; but Berlin is also very open-
minded and opportunistic to develop with daring architects creating bold buildings.
Word count: 3 305
28
List of figures:
Image 1 Plan of Berlin 1710, Wolfgang Schneider
Image 2 Plan of Berlin, drawn and engraved by J. Dower, 1836
Image 3 Altes Museum, 1830
Image 4 Alte Nationalgalerie, 1861
Image 5 Nues Museum, 1855
Image 6 New Chancellery
Image 7 Bauhaus Archives, Weimer
Image 8 New chancellery, 1939
Image9 New chancellery, 1939
Image 10 Model of Berlin, though of by Hitler and designed by A. Speer
Image 11 Luitpolderena
Image12 Berlin, 1945
Image 13 Image of the Berlin wall, taken in 1986 by Thierry Noir
Image 14 Neue Kreuzberg Zentrum, 1974
Image 15 Soviet apartment block
Image 16 Photoshoped map of 1836
Image 17 Shell Haus
Image 18 Shelll Haus
Image 19 Interbau
Image 20 Stallineallee
Image 21 Neue National Gallery
Image 22 DZ Bank Berlin, designed by Frank Gehry
Image 23 DZ Bank Berlin, designed by Frank Gehry
Image 24 Berlin Opera
Image 25 Gate of Brandenburg was built in 1791
Image 26 Berlin Cathedral
Image 27 Sports field for Summer Olympics 1936
Image 28 Drawing of Volkshalle
Image 29 Reichstag, renovated
Image 30 Reichstag new dome
Image 31 Section of the new dome of the Reichstag

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References:
"Architecture". 2020. Bauhaus100.com <https://www.bauhaus100.com/the-
bauhaus/works/architecture/> [accessed 26 January 2020]
"Berlin Interbau (1957)". 2020. Architectuul.com <http://architectuul.com/architecture/berlin-
interbau-1957> [accessed 26 January 2020]
Berlin, Allan. 2020. "New exhibition unveils Adolf Hitler's plans for Nazi super-city",
Express.co.uk <https://www.express.co.uk/news/history/514707/exhibition-Adolf-Hitler-
Nazi-super-city-Germany> [accessed 28 January 2020]
Ermengem, Kristiaan. 2020. "Berlin Cathedral, Berlin", A View On Cities
<https://www.aviewoncities.com/berlin/dom.htm> [accessed 28 January 2020]
Holmes, Natalie. 2020. "5 Highlights of 20th Century Architecture in Berlin - ArtTrav", ArtTrav
<https://www.arttrav.com/eu/20th-century-architecture-in-berlin/> [accessed 26 January
2020]
"Interbau 1957". 2020. Grandtourofmodernism.com
<https://www.grandtourofmodernism.com/sites/details/110/> [accessed 26 January 2020]
Koolhaas, Rem. 1995. Generic city (Sassenheim: Sikkens Foundation)
Lee F. Mindel, FAIA. 2020. "Alvar Aalto, Le Corbusier, Walter Gropius, and Other Architects
Designed This Community in Berlin", Architectural Digest
<https://www.architecturaldigest.com/gallery/alvar-aalto-le-corbusier-walter-gropius-
berlin> [accessed 26 January 2020]
"Neue Nationalgalerie". 2020. studio esinam <https://www.studioesinam.com/pages/neue-
nationalgalerie> [accessed 26 January 2020]
Rhodes, Margaret, Liz Stinson, Michael Calore, Arielle Pardes, and Liz Stinson and others.
2020. "Explore a Lovely Map of Berlin’s Historic Architecture", WIRED
<https://www.wired.com/2016/12/explore-lovely-map-berlins-20th-century-architecture/>
[accessed 25 January 2020]
Riha, Tadeas, and Tadeas Riha. 2020. "A Tour of Berlin's Nazi Architecture", Jayway Travel
<https://jaywaytravel.com/blog/berlin-nazi-architecture/> [accessed 28 January 2020]
Stuart, Charlotte. 2009. "Architecture in Nazi Germany: A rhetorical perspective: Western
Speech: Vol 37, No 4", Tandfonline.com
<https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/10570317309373796> [accessed 25 January
2020]
Westermann Verlag, Georg. 2020. "German Renaissance Art: History, Characteristics", Visual-
arts-cork.com <http://www.visual-arts-cork.com/history-of-art/german-renaissance.htm>
[accessed 23 January 2020]

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APPENDIX
This appendix regroups all the design work
I did in my sketchoob this year. It is in
chronological order.

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