Design Exercises

Beginning my ideas and designs for my clients ritual, I began to think about the use of the space and the possibility of using another shape as the basis to the design. I struggled in the begging to really come to the idea of firstly just grasping the area as a whole - where do you enter - how do you enter - does the hallway stay the same, do you narrow it down - make it dark to relate to the darkness of the night then come into an open space referring to the morning natural light. My thoughts weren't settled on how I was firstly going to approach this project in terms of design.

After the first few drawings of not too much, I started to think o different approaches. Using a majority of the house to have nothing but darkness, then a staircase up to an elevated, circular terrace with wooden pillars all around the edge to create multiple shadows cast throughout the entire day (feedback of this seemed to get a whirlpool vibe - so essentially I am not communicating my brief correctly yet). Small decks/terraces with closed roofs and cut out areas to cast different shadows.

This plan above and section below I think was my most successful of the day and so far as I can see the space capturing the day and afternoon sun and the pillars going around the circular edge combined with the lines of the roof would form multiple different shadows at each stage of the day, but will also cross over each other forming some forever changing appearances. I have left a section of the area open as although I want shadows coming in, it also needs to be bright and filled with sun. Below in the section - I decided to put a sky light that would be positioned to shine into the entrance way/front door. This is just an idea, but I may want the entrance to be dark so that the designed area of the deck is the light of the house. To the back wall I also put a garden wall as my clients ritual makes her feel fresh and lively.