Architectural Design Architecture Portfolio: Process & Form

SPATIAL INVESTIGATIONS: PROCESS & FORM

AD4623 Assessment 001 | Felix Adebayo

DESIGN NARRATIVE

1. Spatial Order & Grid Logic 2. Light, Shadow & Photography 3. Artist Research: Michael Heizer 4. Site Analysis: Context & Environment

This portfolio documents a progression from abstract structural studies to concrete site analysis. It explores the relationship between mass, void, and environmental context through iterative modeling, photography, and mapping.

PHASE 01: SPATIAL ORDER

Exploration of grid logic utilizing planar materials. The objective was to establish structural coherence through folding procedures, interlocking mechanics, and recursive repetition, strictly avoiding adhesive connections to test inherent structural integrity.

PHASE 02: PHOTOGRAPHY & LIGHT

Investigation of luminous flux and its role in manipulating formal perception.

Structural experimentation utilizing modular elements to test tensile limits.

High-contrast monochromatic photography employed to analyze the mass-void dialectic.

MICHAEL HEIZER: LAND ART

Heizer removes earth rather than adding to it. His work, such as 'Double Negative' and 'City', transforms excavation into sculpture. The absence of material becomes the form itself.

• Double Negative (1969): 240,000 tons of rock removed. • Munich Depression: A large conical pit challenging gallery traditions. • City (1970-2022): Monumental scale ancient ritualistic forms.

ARCHITECTURAL IMPLICATIONS: MASS & VOID

Analyzing Heizer's "Double Negative" informs the spatial strategy for the current intervention. **Negative Space as Primary Generator** Rather than additive construction, the design explores subtraction—defining volume through the removal of material to create "absence as form." **Monumentality & Perception** Scale is manipulated to dictate user movement; vast voids create moments of pause, while compressed thresholds accelerate circulation. **Material Continuity** The link between geologic substrates and built form is emphasized, treating the site itself as the primary material.

SITE CONTEXT

Analysis of Urban Morphology: Royal Crescent & Royal Well

The site is characterized by the juxtaposition of the Royal Crescent's fluid, curvilinear geometry against the rigid, orthogonal urban fabric of the bus station precinct. This duality creates a complex circulation node requiring mediation.

ENVIRONMENTAL MAPPING

WIND DIRECTION Prevailing winds are channeled through the crescent curve, creating venturi effects in the rigid urban corridors.

SOLAR PATH The south-facing crescent maximizes solar gain, while the northern access points remain in shadow, influencing pedestrian thermal comfort.

SENSORY & CIRCULATION MAPPING

Analysis of noise pollution (Red=High, Yellow=Low) and vehicular vs. pedestrian separation lanes.

CONCEPT SYNTHESIS: FROM GRID TO FORM

Spatially integrating grid logic with site constraints creates a unified architectural language. 1. Mathematical Geometry Utilizing ruled surface structures to generate continuous spatial volumes that mediate between rigid boundaries. 2. Dynamics of Form Upward-thrusting tectonics articulate a "frozen kinetic energy," responding to the verticality of the urban context. 3. Circulation Strategy Radiating patterns organize the central mass, guiding pedestrian flow through intuitive spatial compression and release.

SYNTHESIS & CONCLUSION

The design research effectively bridges abstract material studies with concrete site analysis. By translating the spatial logic of the paper models into the landscape scale—informed by Heizer's subtractive methodology—a robust architectural language has emerged to address the complex circulation and environmental constraints of the site.