Afiqa Ab Gani(3309498)Subject: Comm 2Tutor: Jack May

Afiqa Ab Gani(3309498)Subject: Comm 2Tutor: Jack May

Afiqa Ab Gani(3309498)Subject: Comm 2Tutor: Jack May

Afiqa Ab Gani(3309498)Subject: Comm 2Tutor: Jack May

Afiqa Ab Gani(3309498)Subject: Comm 2Tutor: Jack May

Exercise 1- Critical Response

Casa Garau-Agusti by Enric Miralles Garau Agusti house is a family home designed for Senora Agusti and it is located at Belaterra, Barcelona, Spain, an area surrounded by mountains. The site is enclosed by suburban villas and there is also a picturesque church that lies across the valley waiting to be captured and froze from different locations at a distant. The main idea of this house would be to create different views of its surrounding and at the same time, it should give enough privacy to the owners from their neighbours. At the same time, the contours also somehow affected the flow of view that Miralles decided to include in this house.

By looking at the geometric pattern of the house, one can find the element of organic architecture to be rather obvious since the form of this house itself is the result of the site. Due to an existing villa located very near to the site, Miralles decided to place one side of this house very close to it while the main elevation of this house is left designed with its surfaces placed at many different angles. This angularity of the wall suggests the idea that this wall is positioned in a sort of fold-like pattern which is really the result of existing view-lines, contours and also the idea to create privacy to the owners by avoiding contact with neighbours. The resulting faade is not only fascinating but it also creates multiple surfaces on just one side of the house, which then allows the inhabitants to have many different views of the same location outside. This signature design also helped him in creating two very different elevations when viewed from the front and the back. On top of that, the angles created by the wall are also useful both inside and outside as views from inside the house runs out into a small strip of garden outside and at the same time, both spaces are suitable to place furniture.

The way Miralles has achieved success in designing Casa Garau Agusti in which its form is taken by its site; he achieved it once again before his death in his design of the Scottish Parliament which has been described as an arranged cluster of low-lying building that nestles into the land. The difference was that Miralles has made the Scottish Parliament seemed to be carved out of the land in Scotland while Casa Garau Agusti seemed to be a building that was folded into its surrounding mountains where the zig zag pattern created by its main elevation somehow interlocks with its environment. Another skill that Miralles has to offer is his ability to design buildings that does not just response to the site perfectly but also design the spaces in the building itself that really corresponds to the needs of the future users of his buildings. This can be seen in the spaces created within the house whereby the rooms formed overlaps and circulate into other rooms which reflects the relationships within a family and encourages the social well-being within a family. On the other hand, the Scottish Parliament has many spaces that promote casual interactions between MSPs.

Garau Agusti house spatial qualities and Chmar house, designed by Scogin Elam & Bray has quite a number of things in common. They both have spaces that are created by the overlapping of geometries which I think is quite common and also effective for a family house as these spaces will then act as meeting points that promotes the sense of togetherness in a family. These house are also considered to bring the idea of deconstructivism because of the angles and geometries that is created by it. This is rather interesting as this design conveys both ideas of organic architecture and as well as it can be characterized as having a deconstruction style. Miralles described the zig zag wall to be unique as its surface allows the inside to become part of the outside and vice versa which in this case, is almost the same as the Chmar house where it has series of sliding doors which could be used to divide or to break up the divisions of outside and inside.

The way Miralles has designed the house by clearly giving response to the site makes it a good example of a successful organic architecture. The spaces that have been expressed through the design of the house have also contributed in making this an excellent family home as it is really able to cater the needs of the owners.

Afiqa Ab Gani(3309498)Subject: Comm 2Tutor: Jack May