Air-atmosphere
 Air-atmosphere Test Project_Garden Terrace Parking Garage My thesis will look to find ways in which architecture can produce new types of nature and new concepts through which we may understand nature through the “air-atmosphere” strategy. The site for investigation will be a parking garage as it offers ripe potential for “aeration,” particular in dense cities like Hong Kong.
 garden terrace 8 Old Peak Road&herzog-meuron-1111lincoln-road-parking garage WHAT?My thesis will look to find ways in which architecture can produce new types of nature and new concepts through which we may understand nature through the “air-atmosphere” strategy. The site for investigation will be a parking garage as it offers ripe potential for “aeration,” particular in dense cities like Hong Kong. The thesis will look at how to carving out the air volume within the generic structure of parking garage and organize the fluid of air to serve not only introduced programs but also original parking area. Through the design, tabbing in air, scooping air and exhausting air will be considered more than literal ventilation system, but the process to engage lively human activities. The windy climate in Hong Kong and mature mechanical technique support in urban area provide the context to consider how to take advantage of both natural air source and mechanical ventilation system to generate various experience in “air garage garden”.  History of Air Architecture WHY?Architecture has always played a role as another form of nature and escape through dealing with the exterior weather, of which air is an important medium. In the architecture agenda, there are mainly two literal methods to take advantage of air: one is to use air to serve for inflatables, the other is to achieve well-controlled architectural environment by organizing air flow.In contemporary time, the discourse focus begins to shift to how to use “air” to render specific atmosphere for human experience, like some temporary installations or experiments done by Diller Scofidio, Philippe Rahm and Olafur Eliasson. Different from previous temporary installations, this thesis aims to find long-term ways in which architecture can produce new types of nature through the medium of air.  Air-Atmosphere Vocabularies HOW?Review 1.0_ Initial Design of Air-atmosphere in Parking Garage 1_Do study about high-tech and low-tech ventilation methods 2_ Do investigation and mapping of Hong Kong residential parking garage To find out the reason to introduce other program in 3_Initial Design of Parking garage a_Do investigation of the site: the selected parking garage Position in urban fabric, Environmental conditions (prominent wind direction), Usage conditions, Circulation link b_Try to take advantage of the exterior environment to refine the atmosphere through Air-atmosphere like Air-Lighting, Air-flow organization through the façade surface c_ Break down air volume, air massing and the whole air layout of the garage d_ Figure out what programs to introduce and how to basically define these program areas with Air Methods: _ Case study of what Diller Scofidio, Philippe Rahm and Olafur Eliasson has done _Simulate of air organization through models and videos _Models and drawings to show initial design Review 2.0_Analysis of Design Review 3.0_Refine Design Methods: _ models, drawings, renderings and videos to show air simulation Bibliography: Theory: _ Banham, The Architecture of the Well-tempered Environment (Chicago: University of Chicago Press,1987) _ Klein, Yves, Air architecture (Ostfildern : Hatje Cantz, 2004.) _ Anders Abraham, A New Nature: 9 Architectural Conditions Between Liquid and Solid(Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts, School of Architecture, 2009) _ Tuan, Yi-fu, Escapism (Baltimore, Md.: Johns Hopkins University Press, 1998) _ Olafur Eliasson, Olafur Eliasson: The Mediated Motion (Ostfildern : Hatje Cantz, 2004.) _Thoreau, Henry David, Walden (Boulder, Colo.: netLibrary, Inc., 2000) _ Beatriz Colomina, “Unbreathed Air 1956”, Grey room, No.15 (The MIT Press, Spring 2004) _ Laurent Stalder, “Air, Light, and Air -Conditioning”, Grey room (The MIT Press, 2010) Techniques: Hens, Hugo S. L. C., Building Physics – Heat, Air and Moisture: Fundamentals and Engineering Methods with Examplesand Exercises(Berlin : Ernst & Sohn, c2012.) Seminal/Current related Project _Exhibition at the Kunsthaus Bregenz: The mediated motion _The weather project, Unilever Series, Turbine Hall, Tate Modern, London, 2003 _ Philippe Rahm Architects |