EXP 3: Final Lumion Environment

Final Lumion Environment:

The image captures below depict my final Lumion environment, highlighting specific areas that relate to my theory. The concept behind the bridge was to create a physical space that pushes architectural and engineering theories to both teach and inspire students. 

View of both the folly and bridge from the valley floor: This image highlights the placement of both components causing the observer to question their structural stability. This is contradicted by the strong geometrical design, which architecturally depicts durability and strength. These challenging concepts cause one to develop their own ideas on how it is structurally supported, both educating students on engineering principles and inspiring their own thought.  

Placement of Bridge within Valley: The structure of the bridge appears to be wedged into the valley, highlighting the floor plan of the space. The bridge is focused around the circular centre that provides navigation paths throughout the school and meeting places for students. It uses a unique architectural design to create incidental spaces that students must navigate through to access different areas of the building. This facilitates their interaction, developing their ideas of architecture within their studies.  

View of the Underside of Bridge from Valley Floor: This image highlights how the bridge links all three sides of the valley and emphasises the floor plan inspired by Mies Van der Rohe. The development of the traditional architectural understanding of bridges and structural forms creates a unique building that inspires students to develop unconventional ideas. 

View of bridge from perpendicular valley, highlighting the outdoor recreational area

Open Meeting Room for Students, observed from the spiralling ramp: The architectural design of the school causes all staff and students to pass through the central spaces as they navigate throughout the school. This, in combination with placing the student meeting rooms in the central spaces, facilitates the interaction of students and staff. With the increased discussion students become open to more ideas, providing inspiration for the development of unique and groundbreaking ideas.

View of the Landscape from Centre Balcony: When exploring the structure one may notice the lack of windows throughout the workspaces and rooms. The conventional use of glassed windows has been developed to challenge architectural principles, instead creating open windows on each balcony. These windows are created by the corners of the triangular elements and the roof above to frame views of the landscape. They highlight to students that breaking the conventional uses of architectural objects can create unique experiences for the user.

Interior View of Library: This large open library provides a quiet place for students to study.

Folly and Moving Elements:

The final folly has a unique structural design, as it is cantilevered from the side of the valley by a beam that is small in relation to the size of the entire structure. Both the folly, and view of the bridge from it, are intended to cause students to question their structural stability and facilitate discussion during the monthly 'Dean's Lunches'.

The folly, moving elements and bridge are interconnected to provide a navigation path that highlights my theory to the observer. Firstly one must access the folly via the moving glass platform. Once on the structure the two panels on the folly open up to frame a view of the bridge, allowing one to observe its architecture and structural nature. Subsequently the three textured, triangular elements of the bridge open up to reveal the underside of the main structure. This highlights the floor plan of the school, where students can learn of its inspiration from Mies Van der Rohe's groundbreaking designs. Their observations throughout the navigation path allow them to learn principles of architecture and engineering, encouraging them to challenge everything they learn within the school to push boundaries within their studies.

Cantilevered folly located on valley floor

This short clip of the moving elements of the folly and bridge, shows the navigation path described above.