The diagram shows the 2 courtyards in green, the gallery space in grey and the vertical circulation (which I am going to talk about in later parts) in black
The main design elements developed after the first diagram can be summed up in three points:
-Green spaces
-Concept of socializing
-Living unit design
The most important architectural element or design element of the project was my dream to ensure maximal connection to the outside by smart design and therefore create spaces with relation to outside factors like sun, light and fresh air. This idea possessed me so much that for quite a time during the process of designing the building i was only fixed on this idea. A situation that’s effect is definitely seen in the end result of the project.
So I was possessed about this need of green spaces and air and sun and light that i designed 2 courtyards and 1 galery space because the more openings there are the more sun is going to be brought down into lower stories and I decided I want a base of 2 stories and two towers coming out of it. Because by maximizing the facade area of the building the area for big windows and therefore again more light and sun is maximized. And I started to make my first model. As you can see in the picture it is only an concept-model but it summed up my ideas pretty good and i am proud that it has an resemblance to the final design as this is an indicator that I have been true to myself and my design ideas.
Another topic I read allot about during the first few weeks of the design process was the situation of socializing. I had to create a system where the elderly inhabitants can go to a social center and socialize with unknown people in a crowded and loud environment. But in the same time they needed spaces to calmly socialize in smaller and more familiar groups. I called this calmly more intimate socializing, familiar socializing. I knew from the start that this was an important subject and that it needed to be addressed some times in the design process, but it was about during the middle of the whole process that I got the idea of how to do it. I realized the problem was the transition between this 2 spaces (or space arrangements) whose requirements are so different. Therefore I created a third socializing space (or space arrangement), the community center a place only for the elderly inhabitants (but not in their used environment). These was an especially good idea as some required spaces like the health center or the cafeteria or the library for the elderly could be put in these area without any consideration as they were like spaces that were met to be together.
The last topic I singled out as needed to be considered right from the beginning was the design of the living units. These were going to be the most intimate space for the elderly some place they are going to call "My home" in their last years on earth. Therefore they had to be comfortable and again full of light and sun and fresh air with a view to the outside and comfortable chairs to sit in. But in the same time they needed to be functioning like a machine to fulfil all the needs of the elderly inhabitant and they needed to be small so the old people could manage to take care of them without help.
That is all I can say about my dreams and initial ideas. Now it was time to start developing the building and as anyone who is familiar with architecture knows that road is field with many difficulties. But let’s not be carried away by the notion of time and continue about these subject in the next part.
Concept-model: showing the idea of 2 courtyards inside of two towers, the gallery space in the middle and the walking path into the rough terrain.
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