Monumental House: Intensity in Urban Housing

Abstract

The design led research involves a critical analysis of the current practice of urban housing, specifically within the context of Wellington, to establish and provide proof of the problem: the lack of intensity and longevity in the architectural language.

The theoretical lenses given by Kenneth Frampton, Aldo Rossi, Giedion, Sert and Ledger, and Sarah Williams Goldhagen on the architectural practice of monumentality and primary elements of the city are employed to provide a foundation for the research and enable it to be framed into a logical theoretical argument.

A graphic and critical analysis of Louis Kahn’s Salk Institute, PLOT’s VM Houses, and Aires Mateus’ Alcacer do Sal is undertaken of these case studies to provide architectural knowledge and proof of a solution to the problem.

Site analysis is undertaken; an investigation of the site and interpretation of context to establish design Influences. A brief is then developed to determine the programme and establish a framework for the design.

The iterative process of drawing, model making and construction of a visual argument are individually and collectively critiqued through a lens of formal coherence verses technical and performance requirements, complexity verses simplicity and clarity for public use, and the function of the block verses size and scale of space in relation to human experience.

The purpose of the design is to provide knowledge through the examination of urban housing as a primary element of the city. The monumental nature expressed through the architectonics is intended to establish whether or not this approach to housing creates intensity for the residents to genuinely take a stake in the city.