Systems IntegrationARCH 464

Timothy Nelson

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3Nexus World HousingOMA

Courtesy of @ flickr eligotman.jpg

Nexus World Housing

ARCH 464//TIMOTHY NELSON//NEXUS WORLD HOUSING//OMA

Composite Drawing

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Vertical Lightwells

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Wedge

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Single Unit

ARCH 464//TIMOTHY NELSON//NEXUS WORLD HOUSING//OMA

9Nexus World Housing

The Nexus World Housing project was a collaboration between Arata Isozaki and Rem Koolhaas to develop two apartment towers in a Japanese urban context. The concept was to incorporate the luxuries of the suburban environment into a densely-filled city. The primary system is a vertical development with open space for natural air and light. OMA defines the projects intention as a superblock with freestanding perimeter buildings . . . to introduce a new urban lifestyle in Japan. (oma.eu/projects/1991/nexus-world-housing) The project consists of dwelling units, which occupy all three floors of the structure. Each unit enjoys its own courtyards, privacy from the surrounding city, and natural light filling most of the space. The open-air courtyards, on the ground floor, give the feeling that the units are single-family suburban homes detached from its neighbors. The large curved roof lines, which mimic the mountains that surround the city, provide privacy and allow natural light to flood the upper floors. The second floor is surrounded by a textured black concrete wall which provides the occupants with a level of privacy from the surrounding city. The apartment complexes sit on neighboring plots in the Kashi District of Fukuoka, Japan. There are 4 shops and parking on the ground floors. There are 24 dwelling units, each with its own front door accessed from the ground floor. This is the only point of chance interaction between the inhabitants of the complex. Once inside occupants enjoy the privacy and isolation for the surrounding city, while still experiencing the open air and natural light. The units stretch vertically with the individual sleeping quarters on the second floor and the living spaces on the third floor. With the black concrete wall surrounding the center faade of the complex and the bedrooms on the second floor, the residents can enjoy the maximum amount of privacy. The third floor with its large half dome ceilings and terraces provides maximum amounts of natural light and fresh air. Each unit contains its own staircase to occupy every floor. Nexus World Housing uses the building envelope (the large black concrete form) to block out the surrounding city. The residents are given privacy and the sleeping areas are situated on the level that the concrete wall blocks. The black concrete is elevated off the ground floor to make the site feel open and accessible. The storefronts invite pedestrians to occupy the street front, while having no access to the residential units. The vertical occupation that the units provide, allows for the structure to act in the same way. Columns and shear walls run continuously from the ground to the roof. There is no overlap from one unit to the next so the loads are handled in a vertical manner. The concrete exterior wall is supported by the floor plates, which bring the loads back into the columns and walls. All wet walls and plumbing is situated to the rear of every unit, which allows the mechanical services to only have to be run up one wall. The rear of every unit had two open shafts that provide air and access to these service walls. The passive system that is utilized in this project comes from the vertical courtyards and shafts, which allow air and light to penetrate every level of the building. The envelope system for the Nexus World Housing is made up of four components.

1. The solid concrete northern walls at the rear of every unit provide the structure and plumbing systems to the building. They house the stairs to circulate vertically through the units. There are also concrete walls that divide the units from each other. These walls allow for privacy and noise cancelation.

2. The all-glass southern face at the front of every unit provides natural light to flood the space. In the winters, the sun can warm the space and heat up the concrete floor slabs throughout the day. The courtyards that penetrate vertically allow the light and air movement on all three levels.

3. The thick ash-black concrete wall that surrounds the top two floors of the building provides privacy from the surrounding city. It also insulates the sleeping areas, which are located on the second floor, creating a cave-like environment for the residents.

4. The wave-like shelled roof, which spans four units, extends the height of the top-floor. Natural light and air are collected and hot air is able the rise and escape the units. With three wave roofs on each building, the front elevation creates a topography that mimics the mountains that surround the city.

Unit in Model

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Nexus World Housing

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Unit Section

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Program and Circulation

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ARCH 464//TIMOTHY NELSON//NEXUS WORLD HOUSING//OMA

Ground Floor

Structural Columns

Cement Wall

Floors and Walls

Roofs

Initial Exploded Axon

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Project: PolarStudio 4A

Structure

Site Context

Circulation

Program

Composite Drawing

ARCH 464//TIMOTHY NELSON//STUDIO 4A//POLAR

Passive Systems

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Passive Systems

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Water Collection

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Water Collection

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Project: Polar

A. The passive systems in my building are centered around the large lightwells that penetrate the building in multiple areas. They bring in southern light, exhaust hot air, and collect rain water and snow of the Big Bear climate. The lightwell walls are angled at a 15 degree angle to maximize the amount of surface space while still providing structure to the building. The northern walls are garage doors which completely open the space to the California atmosphere, bringing in Big Bear's fresh mountain air and many seasons.

B. The active systems in the building begin with the radiant heat flooring which covers all of the interior floors of the space. The heat will then rise through the space and expel out through the lightwells. All of the active systems emanate from the large main wall that bifurcates the building in half. The systems branch out from the main wall like a tree trunk. The lighting system would be supported by the large amounts of daylight that is able to enter the space. The roof and base of each lightwell has heat tracers that melt the snow and convert it into usable grey water.

C. The water collection system becomes a major factor in the design of the building. One from an aesthetic appeal, to view the snow falling from the comfort of being inside. But as Big Bear is in a drought zone, the collection and use of the buildings own water will not be a drain on Big Bear Lake. The roof is angled to drain the water to the base of the main wall which houses a large water tank. As the snow melts from Snow Summit, the project focuses on displacing the water into the sewer system which takes it to Big Bear Lake. The structure of the building is one of wood frame construction. The main wall is a concrete core that floor beams span from. The lightwells were original thought of in the design process to provide but secondary walls were constructed to divide the units and made better sense to use to provide support. The lightwells could then be opened up more to provide the passive systems. The "snow aquarium" on the social side of the project does provide structural support from the glulam beams that span and hold up the roof. The materials that are used in this project are wood, stone, and concrete. This is a common design intent for alpine architecture which uses local materials. This eliminates having to haul materials up the mountain on winding mountain roads. The aesthetic also allows the building to blend into the neighborhood environment. The materials and systems designed for this project play into the cost of the building. An initial cost will play into making a contemporary luxury hotel that people will be willing to pay a top dollar while they enjoy Big Bear's many outdoor activities. But these costs will be made up for throughout the following years from the water collection and use of the passive systems not putting a strain on the city's infrastructure.

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Active Systems

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Exploded Axon

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Initial Composite Drawing

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Stemmed DeckInverted T Beam

Corbel

Column

Column BaseExpansion GapSlab on Grade

Grade BeamPiles

3/4 Strip FlooringNailed 4-5 O.C.

3/4 Plywood SubfloorNailed to Sleepers

6 mll. Poly or Molstop Vapor Barrier

Radiant Tubing2 x 4 Sleepers

@12 O.C.3/4 Plywood

Floor Joist

Glulam Beam

Garage Door Motor

Garage Door Tract

Insulated Glass Door Panels

Exterior Wall Finish

Mounting FinWeather Barrier

Steel Support Mullion

Thermal BreaksInsulated Dual Glaze

Windows

Cap Bead or Sealant

Corrugated Steel Roofing Panels

6 mll. Poly or Molstop Vapor Barrier

1 x 4 Lath

Insulation3/4 Plywood

2 x 10 Roof Joists

Section Detail Model

ARCH 464//TIMOTHY NELSON//STUDIO 4A//POLAR