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Case study 10- Villa Mairea
Architect: Alvar Alto

Phase 01- Exploring the window

Study case 10- the first analyse of Villa Mairea

With Jannik Nisgaard

In Groups of 2 persons we had to choose a window, at the villa Mairea house, for further investigations. We felt a certain interest in two small windows placed very discreet in the construction, which only could be seen inside from the dinning room. The original thought of Alvar Alto was that the man of the house, could be setting in his chair and from their, eating while he could make interaction with the nature, though the windows. The interesting thing with the windows was that only the logs of the trees were visible.

In the end we decided to chose a different type of window, a sliding door witch interacted with a big fireplace, as are shown in the model picture down under.

Phase 02- process, tangiable interaction

Phase 02- Drawings

The drawings contain plan 1:100, section 1:100, elevation 1:100 and a sectional details in 1:20. The drawings documenting the selected subject and its and indicate the relations to the drawings.

Phase 02- Model 1:100, Papakura

The model is a simple volumetric model of the building to which the subject belongs. Therefore there is no openings, no details just volume.

Phase 02- Model 1:20, Spatial concept and non-scale interpretation model

The 1:20 model is a critical concept model, and the non-scale interpretation model, together expresses the tension between the two openings.
A phenomenological interaction of light and a feeling of tension

Phase 02- Model 1:1

In our model 1:1 we were told to build a geometrically simplified, non-operational model of the chosen window subject. We were foremost looking at scale in relation to the human body, not at the technical features of the window. That is why the window glass is missing.

The chosen window was in fact a sliding door, which had interaction with a big fireplace. In that fireplace, Alto had made a certain ornament, a little niche in the brick wall looking like a vase.

We decided to build that construction and therefore we had to build parts from both of the section.

From redrawn section, were we able to upscale  the drawing to 1:20, but we needed it to become 1:1. Therefore we decided to make a grid directly on the materials, and from there were we able to draw a 1:1 drawing, and cut out the fragment, which we needed to finish our construction.

In the end everything was painted white, and suddenly the construction appeared as a sculpture.

Manifesto

My teacher told us to make a little Manifesto about desires, obsessions and spaces regarding the common subject for the year, ''Openings''.

Manifesto

How can you in architecture, describe the person Morten?

Well my background comes from the building industrial, and before I started at the school of architecture in Århus, I finished my BA as a Constructions architect with special in sustainability.

I like buildings and especially how the constructions have been put together, and in particular the finishing of the structure, combined with how the nature collaborate with the building.

My great obsession in architecture must be recycling and in particular sustainability architecture, where you put the environment and people in focus. If you add urban planning and working together with the nature, you properly could define what kind of an architect, I want to become.

I care a lot of interesting in old history, especially ancient Greek, roman, south American and Egyptian. Therefore I travelled a lot in the past, not only to see the differently culture, but to experience the great architecture and monument, which you can find in these countries.

I like architects like Mies Van Der Rohe and Tadao Ando. Not only for some of the great buildings and reforms they have contributed with, but also for their use of materials such as concrete, steel and glass.

As a former bricklayer I have a certain thing for concrete, a material I really would like to express my self in, for example in models and other design assignment. I admire Mies for his use of big glass sections and his way of turning the inside to become like the outside, and pulling the nature into his buildings. Together with a clean geometry, is this some of the things I would like to work with, during this semester.

I also like Ando for his practising with concrete and his certain way of leading people of track in his architecture, for in the end finally reveal what his intension really are.

If I could make some kind of temporary architecture with concrete, glass and combined with urban planning, this could also be a very interesting project.

It could also be very cool to make a meeting place for people and relate it to the Openings assignment.

I like working with my hands for example modelling, drawings, sketches etc. and really looking forward for the next year’s assignment, Openings.