
Interface Between Shadow
When I first saw the site, it was under 35 degrees sunlight. There were people using the space but only under the shade. As I was observing the site over a day period, the main users of the site were people who ate lunch, people having a break from exercise and in the late afternoon those from the pub across the street who sat on the grass area just to sober up before heading home. That is why I wanted to create more shade within the site so more people could use the area. However, this site isn’t only being used during summer and the weather will not be fine every day, therefore I couldn’t simply build a cover from the sun or cover the site with vegetation. Also I noticed that the condition of grass in the area was quiet good when there isn’t anyone taking care of them. That is why I decided to design the outer side of the site. Building a ramp or a retaining wall seemed like the best design choice since it creates shadow during the day and at night people could sit or lay down on the other side.

Using the non-tanglible design elements
The two types of shadows got into my mind and I decided to make these ‘Hunch’ from these two elements. The first hunch is object creating shades and the second hunch which is shades coming from nature. Then I couldn’t pick between the two, so I decided to make a third hunch which I called it the design concept because, it was the mixture of both elements.
This hunch is showing a seat/path that is covered by a retaining wall and vegetation

Design outcomes


Expeted usage of designed seating
From the hunch exercise I have come up with an initial design. This is not the final design but just something with the right concept and keeping me on the right track. I have constructed a retaining wall on the edge of the site which can be accessed from outside. To help the access towards the car park on the top left side, I have not changed the topography and made more efficient path to and from it. The biggest aim for this concept was to use the element shadow and the idea of interface into design.

Expected shadow movement
The final design was made with both of the shadow casting elements in mind. By creating a berm across the site diagonally, I have solved the problem with central part being too opened. By changing the topography and having it merged with the berm, my project has become more of a landscape architecture project instead of simple structural architecture design. This design brings the concept of interface together where interface is a boundary between two things and my site can be accessed from all corners, which is a development from the initial design. Instead of separating the site and the non-site, I have created a subtle change on the edge of the site which brings the park together with the path outside of the site area. The topography was inspired from the ‘Fold’ system which was discovered during development stage. Two separate earthquakes happened on the top left side of the site and the bottom right side of the site, thus creating such shaped topography. The vegetation were kept from the existing trees since these trees already created good shades where people likes to sit in, the trees themselves are a heritage to the site and also they are local which makes them ideal connection with the site.


Seating effects surrounding elements
This shadow movement is to show the shadow the berm is creating over a day. This is telling me that my shadow element of structure is also creating shadow which means I have succeeded on that part. There are also the shadow made by the trees. The exposed part of the berm is creating significant amount of shades for people to be active in. also there are the canopy shades and the shadow created by the surrounding houses to enlarge the area of shadow.

Transect of the park showing the change of level