A presentation this week to an architect partner’s team sparked the open-ended thought of innovative structures that are adaptive to performance and usage. I was browsing some forums and came across a project so innovative that was hard to not share. I think the motive behind the plan (although ambitious in a traditional environment) held a good message to AEC folks looking to help an owner’s project reach its fullest potential: consider the surroundings of a space, and use this to improve the building’s function.
The project designed by NYC architect, Christian Wassmann, involved a Miami structure that was shaped based on the sun’s path. This standalone ground-up three-story soon was a multi-family home for a renowned chef and his close friends and family.
The core of the structure consists of a concrete spiral walls and holds a staircase that provides access to each room. This core was carefully calibrated to match the sun’s exact path during the peak of summer. Located in Miami, this building is open to catching the sunshine benefit other seasons in the year as well.
A synopsis of the project clarifies that “Its shape was determined by the path the sun takes during the summer solstice – the longest day of the year in the northern hemisphere, which falls annually on 21 June.”
“This curved wall is simultaneously structural, functional, and sculptural,” stated the architect.
“Conceptually, the curve, which is based on the sun path diagram of the site, serves as the spine of the project.”
Overall, the project’s scope is no simple undertaking. What I like relative to the commercial construction world is the view of all a project’s participants coming together to pave the way for an intriguing concept that meets the needs of the owner, however specific they may be. This is a theme common to the projects taken on among the JH Greene team, and each new proposal introduces a new opportunity for our team to remember an owner’s intentions and exceed expectations.
Sources referenced:
dezeen.com/2017/10/08/christian-wassmann-sun-path-house-bungalow-extension-miami/