Appunti Atelier for Technologies Parziale 1

Design and Materials in the Hotel

At the 6th floor, Marc Newson used wood lacquered panels, where the floor alternates wool carpeting with marble. The goal was to envelop the guest in a provocative, modern yet relaxing atmosphere where nothing prevails over anything else. These two common areas are streamlined down to the minimum, thus giving the guest a peaceful passage to his/her room.

The first floor, Zaha Hadid used composition of acrylic, and the curved furniture is sculptured from the wall, giving a perspective as a uniform space (thanks also for the new technological materials, HI-MACS® natural acrylic stone delicate composition of 70% natural stone powder derived from bauxite, 25% high quality acrylic resin and 5% natural pigments.

Marmo bar, in the same hotel, we can see the curved entrance made by marble, but not as we used to know, but using slate lite, 1mm stone (finisci slide). Thanks to modern machines, we were able to reduce the amount of natural material used, in order to understand the.

ecologicalperspective (cut, glue, etc).

Maserati Showroom by Ron Arad, same approach solving the interiors by the presence of one big functional piece of furniture (carbon fiber, created with a mixture of different fibers, resin etc). This introduces another topic based on planes fusion, which is also in common with sharp edge joints, is the fact that somehow it requires high effort in terms of design and real construction elements. It's a non conventional way joining two different parts, requiring special attention from the workers and designers solutions that require special materials and special skills.

Ann Demeulemeester shop, Soul 2007 by Mass Studies, we can see this innovative facade paneling, applied also for the interiors (material: felt).

Emporio Armani, Hong Kong 2004 by Massimiliano Fuksas, the red ribbon is one unique element, which solves different functions, like becoming shelves, desk, bar, etc.

Una Hotel Florence, 2003 by Fabio Novembre, the skin type of surface.

From the detailed POV, the joint is given by the mosaic use, as we can see in different interiors made by him. The vertical elements are installations to show off the application and versatility of the mosaic, but they're also the joint between the floor and the pillars. Spatial effort is required by this type of joint. We should focus on the joint with different planes, as they're more hygienic (in spaces like hospitals) and allow a very accurate cleaning.

Sharp edge creates synthetic architecture, and from the geometrical POV is not a continuous volume, but with an angular shape. In the Housing in Kothener Strasse, Berlin 1986 by Oswald Mathias, the windows reminds us of a texture. Housing in Bremen, 1958-62 by Alvar Aalto presents a mix of the sharp edge and fusion of planes. The sharp edge can be done not only on the same level, but also on different levels, as we can see in the Red and Blue Chair. House project, Lido di Venezia 1923 by Adolf Loos presents

The idea of a uniform surface. The framing and the relationship between "cornice" and the wall is minimal. In real construction we need an element to protect the horizontal surface, where in this case it is reduced at the minimum, as in Mueller House, Prague, 1930. This aspect is extremely important in the facade design.

In minimalist architecture there are a lot of sharp edges made actually with the "material absence", as we can see in the John Pawson House, in particular the absence of the "cornice" window. This type of solution is very abstract and fascinating, but also complex to make - like joining perfectly the wood floor with the walls.

In Lima apartment, the perfect alignment between the door and the marble wall is very difficult to obtain. This result requires skilled workers. Mount Fuji Architects Studio, Near House, Tokyo 2010. Sharp edge is applied also for furniture, as we can see in Less, by Jean Nouvel. The MUDEC museum.

by David Chipperfield Architects, is extremely interesting because it has sharp edges solutions, integrated with furniture, that actually has different hidden cabinets. The material used is valchromat, a MDF wood with different colors. Hotel Puerta America, Madrid by Zaha Hadid: customized technologies, specialized materials and special construction in terms of skills and handicraft. Fashion store, Berlin: shelves and the ceiling are made by a material subtraction, creating a negative joint. Aparicio + Fernandez Elorza, Architectural documentation centre, Madrid: The subtraction of material is created by using high shaped profiled which subtracts material into the slab volume material, introducing a lighter sensation, in order to reduce the volume of different parts. Negative Joint: Introduction of small or large gap between the building parts, creating and highlighting all the singular parts. In the Residential extension, Costance by Christoph Maeckler, we can see how.Il ​building è costruito, in cui gli elementi sono combinati - il volume bianco si sovrappone alla parte superiore del plinto. I due volumi sono sottolineati da questa giuntura negativa e riescono a trasmettere una sensazione più leggera dell'architettura. Separare l'edificio dal terreno è pratica comune (vedi altri progetti). Nella Villa Tofu vicino a Kyoto, di Jun Tamaki, possiamo vedere una parte scavata all'interno dell'edificio, creando un completo distacco dal suolo, poiché il tetto sembra fluttuare sull'edificio. Nel disegno dettagliato possiamo subito vedere la giuntura negativa creata attraverso una fessura d'ombra, bloccando la percezione del materiale mancante. Nella Seadrift Lagoon House, in California, dello Stanley Saitowitz Office, la giuntura negativa è creata da un'apertura "coperta" con finestre. La Gipsoteca Canoviana, a Possagno, di Carlo Scarpa, è un perfetto esempio di una giuntura negativa, data dai diversi piani del tetto e delle due pareti verticali, dove la luce entra nell'edificio. CarloScarpa uses this type of joint very often, because he really highlights and focuses on the different materials​ and the joints used to keep them together.​ The negative joint is also a method used in order to detach the materials for constructional​ ​ ​purposes​: materials behave in a very different way, they expand and contract according to humidity and temperature differences, and this joint avoids the tension transmission between elements. Crackles may verify between different materials, and we must pay attention to wood (natural hygroscopic material) or steel (subject to considerable expansion and contraction due to heating) in contact with mortar and gypsum. Shadow gaps can be created also in interiors, created with special profiles (aluminium and LED) between the wall and the floor. In the past, all the shadow gaps were created and constructed by workers, which require certain skills (geometry). Profiles can be used also as fusion planes - not as negative joint -​in order to

Obtain a continuous surface. Negative joint can be created for handrails, to highlight the different materials, or a trick in order to avoid inaccuracies - for example the difference between mortar and wood planes.

Positive Joint

The positive joint is an addition of material: two different elements are combined together, and a third element is added to allow and protect the joint between the two main materials. We can talk about articulation when we analyze this type of joint, because we can see it as a "multiplication" of materials, giving a clear highlight of the materials. Typical of traditional construction: to avoid possible inaccuracies, the best solution is a positive joint, because a third element "covers this problem". It can be considered the most simple and effective solution, and somehow increase the architecture and interior durability; they're interesting in terms of maintenance. Of course we have to be bold.

Robie House, Chicago

1908-10 by F.L.Wright in the​facade we can zoom into the brick wall and notice two​different types of joints, and they’re adopted and​designed not for some technological goal, but for aperceptual and aesthetical (formal idea) concept​.

The horizontal lines are highlighted and streamlined: this horizontal expansion it’s achieved between the brick joints. The vertical joint between the brick is flushed with another brick surface, creating a sharp edge joint, conceived in order to disappear. The second joint is made by the difference between the mortar and the bricks, a negative joint slightly excavated, made in order to highlight the horizontal structure of the building.

In the interiors we can see the positive joints on the ceiling, Antigone neighbourhood, Montpellier, 1985 by Ricardo Bofil. Made with concrete prefabricated​ heavy weighted panels, but the esthetic appearance reminds of the ancient greek temple.

Stoclet Palace, Bruxelles 1905-11 by Josef Hoffmann

presents several positive joints, where the different colored stones highlight the corners of the building, thanks also to the black usage: the building is seen as a combination of planes, joined on the corner by the angles.

Combination of different joint types in interior design

1. The choice of joint types and the constraints of materials and materials' technology

   A fair faced concrete fireplace, made with on-site-concrete: when it's a fluid mixture it can be very flexible and versatile, used to create extremely complex and sculptural forms. The fluid is poured inside the formworks (made with steel or wood panels): after a month, the concrete dries up, and it "cures", which means it passes from a fluid to a solid status. The joints between formworks become a shape inside the concrete. A 45° element is introduced into the formwork, in order to avoid a 90° concrete corner, because it's very fragile and it can chip. Fair faced concrete has to be

1. very accurate.

2. The joints types and the building performances

The joint choice is also about performances: when we design a detail, we will deal with the form and with all the issues among it. When a joint is used on the facade, it has to prevent all the external risks, like natural events, in order to be resistant during the years.

3. The joints types in conventional technology details

Thanks to the traditional construction, the joints explored are