Application of Exemplars

Process and Justification

I selected the actual section cut because a longitudinal section showed more interior zones than a cross section. I felt the more space I showed, the more I would be able to demonstrate the spatial layout and functional zoning of building, therefore giving the viewer a greater opportunity to understand my building and how it worked.  I also chose to cut through the stairs so there would be some understanding of how access and egress worked in my building.

My section drew elements from multiple sections; I used the criteria (particularly experience and tectonic) in determining the appropriate selection.

I followed the simple line work of Steven Holl and Jean Nouvel (and Langdon Reis) in order to contrast structure with space. This gave a clear indication of structure without being overly technical, something that could have taken away form the drawing's overall clarity as well as distracted the viewer from spatial qualities.

Jean Nouvel particularly inspired the layering and transparency of my interior elements, such as people and furniture; I believe this technique offered depth and a sense of movement in the section. Steven Holl's use of light and shadow was also inspiring, however I decided to make my lighting less opaque than Holl, as clarity of drawing was too important.

Again, Holl's real yet simple context and background were influential, but the contrasting of presence and absence of colour by Renzo Piano were the driving force in my own background.


In all this I remembered the brief: "Your drawings are to communicate as much information as possible about your building." Every decision centred around the question "does this add or subtract from understanding my design?" For example, when considering the use of lighting in Holl's V&A at Dundee, I felt that the opaque quality in the light would make it harder to identify furniture and people, which were important to understanding function and scale. Again, because of this, I focused heavily on expressing the 'Experience' of the building; this gave animation to the space, conveying as much understanding of spatial qualities and zoning to the viewer as possible. A simple line drawing section may have fulfilled the tectonic criteria, but would it have conveyed the experience criteria? I therefore mixed and maximised techniques as I felt best expressed the design intent.