DESA1002 'Nine Quarter City' Marshall Blecher

Abstract

The 9 Quarter City Project advanced the themes of 'assemblage and transformation' that were introduced during first semester. The Project was based in a large fictional city which was a composite of nine actual cities (Tokyo< Dubronvik, Bern, Isfahan, Venice, Jerusalem and New York). Each tutorial group was allocated one of these reference cities and each student was given a single city block, represented on an A3 page at 1:200 scale. These blocks served to catalyse the design process and eventually house our finished models. I was allocated L12, a block in the South East of the Tokyo 'Quarter'. I chose to design an onsen, or Japanese thermal bathhouse. Bathing in onsen is an extremely old and rich tradition in Japan and I thought that Tokyo would be an ideal location for a modern take on such a traditional building type. I began the process by researching the city which i would be 'building' in. The block plans were taken from satellite photographs of the reference cities so we could pinpoint the exact location of our blocks. My block was in the colourful Asakusa district of Tokyo. I found that this area was notable for its mix of historic and modern architecture and society. I tried to capture this dichotomy in the collage which we created for our first exercise. From here i began formulating a spatial layout for my building. Initially I created an abstract representation of the different spaces in a colourful montage. I then created a 3D representation of these spaces and then a basic floor plan for my building. My design evolved further with each new exercise and with feedback from my tutor and fellow students. I encountered many challenges along the way; how to relate the circulation of water to the circulation of people, how would I create a peaceful and private place in the heart of a bustling city and how would I make it look good? I would like to think that my final proposal represents a logical and aesthetically pleasing response to these challenges. The second semester of the Bachelor of Design in Architecture has proved to be inspirational and enjoyable. My understanding of the design process has grown and I have come to greater appreciate the depth and complexity of the architectural profession. I look forward to another year of inspired education.