Plateaus: Tectonic alteration

Abstract

The project Plateaus deals with the subject of reusing existing buildings as part of a new development. The project is built around two main premises: working with a collaborator on an intended development and creating a theoretical method of approach. The intended project is regarding to industrial buildings located in the area known as ‘Eternitten’, which are meant to be made into housing complexes in 2016. As a way of learning how to approach existing buildings a theoretical method called ‘Tectonic Alteration’ has been developed. The essence of this method is to uncover tectonic potentials in the existing building, and then develop and incorporate it into the new design, in order to create an added value in the finish result. The design is based on a concept of plateaus, inspired by the typography of the area and the terraced architecture of the surrounding buildings. By looking at the structural system of the old buildings, a new system has been developed to join with the old and create a coherency in the overall expression. This is done with a subtle contrast in materials and joints, to differentiate new and old. A new structure is built upon the old, and by the use of concrete decks plateaus have been made. These are then used for recreational green areas, access via stairs going from one to the other, in a vertical transition. Dwellings are then placed in accordance with the structural system, adjacent to the green areas, accessed by a gallery. In order to provide private areas in relation to the public, each apartment is fitted with a porch in from, creating a buffer to the gallery, and given the residents a space of their own. The apartments are shaped by the construction, and work a principle of transition from the entrance to the opposite facade. On the porch there is a great view of the city and in the living room there is a focus on light. There is a line of sight going through the apartment showing this transition, and it is emphasized by a window with seating on the opposite side, a space where the resident can sit and enjoy the sunlight.

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A master thesis from Aalborg University

Plateaus: Tectonic alteration