DESA1002 'Nine Quarter City' - <Wan Nurul Sabihah W Husain>

Abstract

BOARDING HOUSE IN MADRID The rational of making a boarding house in Madrid is to provide a comfortable place for the tourist to stay. The location of the house is close to the must-visit Plaza Mayor. The main idea that I would like to show in my design is creating a building which brings sense of belonging to the area. Initially, the building was made in different shape, which was more similar to other buildings in this site. They are block buildings. However, it was pretty hard to avoid difficult spaces when the building occupies much spaces on the ground floor. This is because I couldn’t provide windows for the building as there are too many people on the street that are able to see what’s inside the building. In that case, I changed the shape in a way that it only takes a little space on the ground floor which is for the entrance. I also designed the windows for the ground floor to be a bit higher than usual.However, what happened next was that my building was lacking the connection between the levels. Therefore, I sheared the second floor to create 1.5m gap so that you can see what’s happening on the lower floor. One of the walls on the top floor had also been removed and replaced by a hand rail so that you can see most of the spaces in the building.The whole building structure is mainly load bearing walls and slabs. However the ground floor is made of the combination of both load bearing walls and post and beam structure. Due to the large span created by the space before the entrance, huge columns were made so that they are able to support the slab on top of them. The building is made of concrete. The external surfaces of the building have red bricks cladding. Also, some parts of them are covered with climbing plants. The roof is made of glass with steel frame. I’m using steel because it is suitable for long spans. It is also the best choice when tensile strength is required, in this case due to the glass roof which is heavy.This is how the spatial relationship works. Before you enter the building, you are welcomed by the collonaded space. Once you’re inside the building, you will have to register at the counter provided and then you can go upstairs. While you are walking on the staircase, you are able to view the plaza which is famous for its collonaded walkway. The scenery that you’re viewing is similar to what you have just experienced before you came into the building. This shows you how the building itself is connected to the surrounding area. As you go upstairs, you’ll find yourself being blocked by a wall and the only thing that is obvious is the staircase. Therefore, of course you are going to use the staircase and go upstairs. This is the space where the kitchen and the dining area is located. The shape of the space is long. So you’ll feel like you have to explore until the end of this space, where another staircase is waiting for you. When you go to the upper floor, the same case reoccured where you’re blocked by walls which lead you to a spiral staircase. And now you have reached the top floor which allow you to view the Plaza Mayor through large windows provided. This is a space where the living room is situated. As a whole, the spatial sequences in the building is actually a journey to the top floor. What special about this floor is that it ressembles the main idea of creating a building that belongs to the area. See, when you stand by the window, you’ll feel like you’re standing inside the plaza due to the shape of the building which is a little extended into the plaza. Plus, it is a four storey house which is higher than the average height of the neighbouring buildings. Therefore, you are able to see what’s happening inside the plaza.