Project 1_Precedent Study and Analysis

Introduction



Learning Outcome
On successful completion of this assignment, students will be able to :

• To produce building analysis which document intentions, concepts, patterns, disciplines, architectural language and contextual relationships.
• To produce graphical development, expansion and elaboration of intentions, concepts, patterns, disciplines, architectural language and contextual relationships as integration to design project. 

Tasks

A. On-line Group Forum (10%) (Individual-80% and Group-20% Assessment)

On-line group forum is used in this exercise as an effective virtual learning discussion platform for
students to work as a team to help each other in exploring the precedent studies of a chosen
building with cultural, historical and architectural significances.

Through the active on-line discussion forum, students even outside class session will be able to
exchange views, share and debate the knowledge derived from the precedent studies to best
grasp as well as to encourage a comprehensive analysis of the underlying conceptual ideas of the
building. This on-line forum discussion will also prepare them for their verbal presentation during
Studio critic session.

The study of precedent required students to gather architectural information, so that they truly
appreciate the essence of the building; have in-depth understanding of the building systems at
work, as well as recognize the series of important elements that realize design aspects of the
building.

Students are required to answer the questions listed below for the On-line Group Forum:

Brief General/Background Questions:

1. Who is the architect or founder of the building?
2. Where and when was the building built?
3. What is the form, or shape of the building?
4. What is the function or purpose of the building?
5. What materials / methods are used for construction?
6. What makes your building historically significant / meaningful?


This project,
An analysis presentation board consists of illustrative and abstractive diagrams, drawings and text.
The drawings should include actual and conceptual design ideas of floor plans, building sections,
analysis diagrams and sketches expressing clarity and in-depth investigation of the precedent
studies. The drawings should be composed on one A2 board only and strictly hand-drawn and
hand-written.

You should find as much information on your assigned building as possible. Some projects have
more information available than others. Your assignment is to provide an in-depth analysis of the
building and provide thorough reflections of the questions listed in the subsequent section. 

3D Abstraction Model (20%) (Group) 

3D Abstraction Model is a model expressing the details of some aspect or part of a building. Only 
the most significance and relevance is extracted and simplified in order to express the important 
and noteworthy design concept analysis of the building. 

In this task you will create an abstraction model to communicate your precedent and conceptual 
analysis. Your model should be in the form of 3D abstraction expressing the building significant 
Partí of the precedent studies and conceptual analysis. Models should communicate the important 
structure and components, as well as the creative and innovative ideas and concepts. 


The model is 30 cm x 30 cm in dimension with 10 cm depth. Material: Balsa timber. 

Submission

Building: Notre Dame de Paris (Gothic)
Group Members: Crystallina Alecia, Choong Lai Mun, Megan Chung and Ronn Chua

I. Online Forum
What is the form and shape of the building:

-Notre-Dame de Paris, France is one of the finest Gothic style Catholic cathedral in this world

-Notre-Dame is very tall (35 metres high) and was the first church space with higher ceiling so that the interior filled with more light

-The layout of Notre Dame De Paris is in a  in a form of Latin cross (Basilican Floor Plan), serving as a reminder that Christ is the saviour and unifier of men (as most French cathedrals)

-A transverse, or horizontal, structure bisects the nave (the length of the church) to create a cruciform shape as seen in this aerial view of Notre Dame

-It oriented along an east-west axis with the entrance on the west end

-It built with great skeletal stone structure with pure structural logic

-As the Gothic architecture,it emphasized strong vertical lines, high vaulted ceilings, minimal wall space, pointed window & door openings and buttresses walls

Flying Buttress

-Notre-Dame de Paris was among one of the first architecture with the use of flying buttresses in order to provide the exterior support

-A free-standing support attached to the outer walls to resist the lateral thrust of a vault

Pointed Arch

-It shows the pointed arches in order the balance or make the vaulting spaces of irregular space. Just like the Malay mosque that we can see in Malaysia

The Ribbed Vault

-The ribbed vault used columns to support the weight

-The rib vault which is a relatively thin stone vault set of the framework

 Large Windows

-It has 113 windows (to enhance the light)

-North Rose Window in Notre Dame Cathedral, Paris , the red and purple colours of the window are gold nanoparticles of different shape and size mixed into the glass.

-The stained glass windows of the Notre-Dame are very beautiful and a significant number of them date from the 13th century when the cathedral was constructed. 

II. Analysis Presentation board

Analysis on Building plan-section/elevation analysis (i. Plan to Section or Elevation, ii. Natural light
penetration).Also, how does the building reflect the spirit of the time and place for which it was built and
what is the initial ideas and design concept of the building?

III. 3D Abstraction Model

Abstraction Model

 

with Gothic Details: Flying Buttress, Ribbed Vault, Pointed Arch, Rose Window

Reflection

In this project, I learn that different style of architecture in different period have their characteristics. In this modern day, we the architecture students should have to know different style of architecture as this may help us in creating idea and style needed for specific building.
As a successful architecture student, we should have to observe, research and get a well deep knowledge on building style. In this project, I did know many things about Gothic style and it does give me some inspiration and information on Gothic cathedral.

In order to finish the abstraction model with accurate information, my teammate and I help each other to complete it on time. I also get other info that I missed out from them and they are helpful and fun to make history not that boring. They are awesome people and I would happy to group with them.