CCC Architecture

Dwelling

In the next part of the semester's project is to design a dwelling.  You now have a site context. You also have several spatial modules that you can combine to form a series of spaces. 

According to the Merriam-Webster a dwelling is "a shelter (such as a house) in which people live," but we can look closer at the root word "dwell". To dwell is to "to remain for a time." You are asked to design a dwelling for the purpose of dwelling. You are free to interpret the idea of what a dwelling is.

For this course we are not concerned about how our dwelling is built or whether we meet the requirements of a building code.  Instead the concerns are, how you are able to:

• Arrange the spaces logically in terms of sequence and room adjacencies
• Apply an organizational strategy to the arrangements (this may emerge later)
• Introduce principles of composition which include balance and variation
• Design for the scale of a human 
• Create beautiful spaces 

There is no rule book for this process. Design solutions come through trial and error. You arrange the objects, you adjust, you start again. After a while, you have a few solutions to choose from. One will become the one that is developed further. 

Assignment: 

Make at least four arrangements for a dwelling using your spatial modules on your site model. You don't need to label the rooms, but keep in mind what they are. 

When you have the first solution, photograph it. Take at least one photograph from above. Take enough photographs from the sides so that you could re-create the arrangement later. Do your best to have a neutral background for your photographs. We shouldn't see the objects on your desk, the windows in the room, etc. 

Once you have photographed the solution, start again. Develop another arrangement and photograph it. 

Repeat so that you have four sets of photographs, one for each solution. 

Upload your images to your Google Drive folder. Name the files so it is clear which solution they belong to. You might, for example, name the first group 1-1, 1-2, 1-3, 1-4, 1-5, ... and 2-1, 2-2, 2-3, 2-4, 2-5..., etc.

Additional Constraints:

• Your dwelling must have spaces to sleep, relax, bath, prepare food, dine, and gather. You are welcome to create spaces for other purposes.  You can think about your dwelling as a house having a living room, dining room, kitchen, bedrooms, bathrooms, OR you can create other kinds of spaces that would satisfy the functions normally associated with those rooms. 
• The number of modules that you use is up to you. The number of rooms is up to you.
• Your dwelling must have access from the upper level and the lower level of your site. The site has a nine foot drop. Your design must include a stairway that connects the upper level to the lower level. You do not need to add the stair at this time, but have in mind where the stairs might be placed. 
• Sizes of spaces must be somewhat aligned to the functions, but we will not go into detail about this.  However, the sizes of the spaces must be appropriate for a human habitation. Ceilings can be no lower than 8'-0". 
• You may carve into your site model. You may fill areas that are not already filled. You can not alter the site at the perimeter.
• You may rebuild or adjust your spatial modules. 
• All planes must be parallel to the edges of the site. No rotations. No curves. 

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