Rebuilding a homeless outreach center in Adelaide / Australia.
first year master project 2
spring 2016 (10 weeks)
Project.
The hutt st center is being expanded in order to provide better support for it's clients. This requires a reconstruction of the existing building and should (if possible) circumvent temporarily closing down the outreach center.
Concept.
The hutt st center is a safe place for it’s clients, a point of continuity in an otherwise fragmented and nomadic existence. I’m trying to combine the concept of continuity with an open construction process. The aim is to keep the basic functions of the hutt st center working during the entire reconstruction project. Keeping the hutt st center as a point of continuity, de-constructing the current building and rebuilding it to the needs of the clients.
At it’s bare essence only the kitchen remains open, the open space during construction is used freely for a short amount of time. That window hints at ways to adapt the layout of the new building.
The new hutt st center is gradually rebuilt, corresponding to the interaction / behaviour of staff and clients. The southern part of the site is selected to start construction of the foundation (the rest of the site remains open to use).
The construction now starts from the bottom up, reconfiguring itself in response to users and context.
Spatial rules.
The building is configured in a gradient from public to private. The bathrooms, washing room and storage facilities for the clients are underground. The entrance is on the ground floor. The lounge and workshop are elevated a meter each from the ground. The building starts to ascend in a spiral formation that peaks with the staff offices, reconnects to the entrance via a small medical facility. The elements of the program shift in size corresponding to the specific needs and behaviour of the “users”. No part of the program should share floors, each part should be slightly higher or lower. Creating a distinct verticality in spatial experience of the building.
Form variations.
The proposal for the hutt st center is an experiment in “responsive” design.The concept aims to transform to the intended use without compromising spatial qualities.
Because of the confined space of the site, small variations in size have large effect on the spatial layout. Different interactions with the “users“ are chosen to create different versions of the building. Each iteration become representations of the users. The point of this process is to critique my concept and identify one that can (with corresponding spatial rules) create interesting architectural qualities, in each iteration.
In order to create a “responsive“ organic design, I’m trying to expand the design process through the construction of the building. Experimenting with an evolving structural form, that is simple and flexible.
