Design Journal Entry - Module 1

I think it would be a bit hypocritical to have an exhibit built to showcase and educate on novel sustainable technologies when the exhibit itself is not a net-zero building. Particularly from 176A last quarter, I’ve come to realize that achieving net-zero energy on a building is not nearly as difficult as I had previously thought. As such, I thought I’d like to have an extensive PV system to accompany the building, and I’d want to orient the building such that the majority of the roof space is southward facing. In addition, (and I don’t have a picture of it here but) I’d like to take inspiration from the Y2E2 building itself, which has a boxy light on the wall of one of its hallways that lights up green when the building meets a certain requirement for energy reduction — this could be a great thing to implement in the building, and could even be a part of the exhibit itself.

Additionally, I’ve done a fair bit of embodied carbon work during my structural engineering internships in the past, and I understand how important it is to build with sustainable materials in order to reduce a project’s carbon footprint. Natural materials like timber are not only structurally sound (as mass timber), but also have biogenic carbon storage capacities. Timber is also architecturally mesmerizing, and it promotes a sense of wellbeing and connection with our natural environment (something that could be a great feature of sustainability exhibit). Some cool timber structures are below; the second is a picture of the central outdoor atrium of Diller Scofidio + Renfro’s McMurtry Building at Stanford, which I visited for the first time the other day (it’s not a timber structure, but the use of timber cladding is fantastic). I was absolutely enthralled by this central space in particular, which leads me to my next point…

I love the idea of an exhibit that immerses the visitor in the nature outside; and one of the best ways to do this includes courtyards and outdoor (or glass cladded) walkways. One of the best museum’s I’ve been to is the Louisiana MoMA in Copenhagen, and it has some of the most creative ways of displaying its exhibitions in or against the backdrop of nature. Our design brief mentioned that the two Bay Area sites offered would have breathtaking views as a natural backdrop to the exhibits, and I would definitely want to take advantage of those.

I’ve taken a limited number of architecture studio classes in the past, and I’ve always wanted to design something that was nestled into a hill and would have a layered form in response to the natural topography. This is why, depending on the specific topography, I’d like to set my exhibit on one of the Bay Area sites as specified in the design brief. I think a layered structure would not only provide the unique opportunity to have spectacular, pointed views on every level of the building, but also provide a natural flow for the human traffic through the museum (perhaps from top to bottom). One of my favorite instances of a building responding to its topography and natural environment is Frank Lloyd Wright’s Fallingwater house, shown below.