Inhabitants Within Threshold - vtechworks.lib.vt.edu · Inhabitants Within Threshold Threshold as Antidote for Urban Density Thesis for Master of Architecture Degree Virginia Polytechnic

Inhabitants Within ThresholdThreshold as Antidote for Urban Density

Thesis for Master of Architecture DegreeVirginia Polytechnic Institute and State University /

Washington-Alexandria Architecture CenterRyohei Saito

Inhabitants Within ThresholdThreshold as Antidote for Urban Density

Ryohei Saito

Thesis submitted to the faculty of the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University in partial fulfi llment of the requirements for the degree of

Master of ArchitectureIn

College of Architecture & Urban Studies

Jaan Holt, Committee Chair

Susan Piedmont-Palladino, Committee Member

Paul Emmons, Committee Member

October 31st, 2008Alexandria, VA

Keywords: Threshold, Ma, Intermediary, Intermediate, In-between, Urban Density,Territories, Inhabitants, Dwellings, Hostel

Copyright 2008, Ryohei Saito

Inhabitants Within ThresholdThreshold as Antidote for Urban Density

Ryohei Saito

ABSTRACT

The objective of my thesis is to explore and re-defi ne the relationship betweenthreshold and urban density. Threshold is an architectural medium, which divides and bridges spaces with certain meanings. Density is the defi ning character of the urban condition expressed consistently at diff erent scales: from a city to a block, to a building and to the human habitation. My design project is about an application

of threshold in architectural design within the context of urban density. The effi cacy of threshold is tested in both external and internal conditions: the existing condition of the site and the internal workings of the program. To test the thesis, a design of a

youth hostel in Washington D.C. was undertaken.The experiment was carried out with the following hypotheses:

1) that threshold is an architectural instrument that mitigates the urban density.and 2) that threshold negotiates the territories among the inhabitants.

The design experiment demonstrated the hypotheses and therefore, confi rmed the relationship between threshold and urban density.

iii

Table of Contents

Abstract ii

Acknowledgements v

Introduction 1

Research 2

Program 6

Site 10

Design Project Act One: Articulation of the Concept 15 Act Two: Preliminary Design I 19 Act Three: Preliminary Design II 23 Act Four: Design Development 28 Act Five: Final Design 34

Conclusions 61

Bibliography 62

Photo Credits 63

iv

Dedication

To my parents, who supported me from distance.And to my dearest friend, Jiankun Li, who stood by me along the way.

v

Acknowledgement

I would like to acknowledge and extend my gratitude to my thesis committee for their support and guidance. Without their expertise, I would not have completed this project.

Susan Piedmont-Palladino: for her discernment and knowledge in the social matters of architecture.Paul Emmons: for his faith in imagination and aspiration in architecture.Jaan Holt: for his sharp vision and persistent pursuit to discover architecture out of the ordinary.

I would also like to thank all other WAAC faculties and Henry Hollander for making my experience at the school very special.

I wish to thank my friends and classmates who helped and encouraged me along the way.

Greg Porter, Po-Hao Chen, Preeti Katyarmal, Josh Housdan, Tugce Akinci-Yalt, Nicha Duriyaprapan,

Michael Rodriguez, Thomas Cheung, James Lancaster, Dawn Chila, Mike Blake, Tim Wright, Sara Kass,

Karisa Davis, Haseeb Farooqi, Jeff Gowen, Benjamin Butz, Samson Cheng, Ryan Patterson, Carolina

Dayer, Pablo Zun, Ariel Bonomo, Javier Mesa, Aaron Moran, Masakatsu Inoue, Alec Luong, Arjun

Sharma, Naif Atlahlawi, Jon Foote

Special thanks goes to my girlfriend Jiankun Li.

Introduction 1

Introduction~ Inhabitants Within the Threshold (“Ma”): 間 ~

When I consider my thesis as a journey, its departure point is clearly marked by my extensive trip in Japan in the summer

of 2007. I visited Machiya (townhouse), one type of Japanese ver-nacular architecture. The foyer, as shown in the photograph, was so inspiring that it provoked me to reconsider the notion of thresh-

old in architecture. It was this ambiguous space that mysteriously drew my attention. The encountering has marked the beginning of my journey.

In traditional sense, threshold is a strip or line that marks a clear separation of two spaces. It is rather an abrupt moment of the spatial transition.

My interest in threshold, however, lies in the ambiguous moment in which one can inhabit and experience the spatial transition. It is the intermediary space that constructs relations between inside/outside, light/dark, and public/private. The Japanese concept of Ma portrays more accurate description for the threshold in ques-tion.

Ma means an “interval” between two (or more) spatial or temporal things and events. It carries an experiential connotation in space and time. It is not only “something” within objective, descriptive reality but also signifi es particular modes of experience.1

My thesis is an attempt to inject threshold (Ma) to generate design for collective dwellings in the context of urban density. Its applica-tion will be investigated through the negotiation of territories at diff erent scales: between the site/neighborhood, the public/private, and among the individual inhabitants.

1 Pilgrim

A corridor that separates indoor and outdoor in Noka (farmhouse)

A foyer of Machiya (townhouse)

Research

Research 3

Analysis on the Chinese character of Ma - 間

It is made up of two elements, the enclosing gate or door (mon) and

the inner character meaning either sun (hi) or moon (tsuki.) The

visual image suggests a light shining through a gate or door.1

Therefore, Ma implies not only the spatial condition but also the

particular moment of time.

Below are the combinations of Ma with other characters, which

extend its meaning to people, space and time.

人間 (nin-gen) people

空間 (kuu-kan) space

時間 (ji-kan) time

＿間 (_ma) moment, interval, threshold

1 Pilgrim

日 sun (hi)

門 gate (mon)

間 moment (ma)

Iconography of Ma

An entry gate leading to a house via passage. A series of threshold is perceptable in depth.

Research 4

Precedents Study: Machiya

Machiya, which literally means a townhouse in Japanese, is an urban type of Japanese ver-

nacular architecture. The notable characteristic of Machiya design is in its deliberate way of planning to counterbalance the surrounding density. Amid the dense layout of rooms, the notion of threshold is evi-dent. An example is the foyer shown in the previous photograph. The foyer is a threshold where one can experience the spatial transition from the outdoor to indoor, from the public to the private. Another design element is the eaves on the storefront. They not only provide protection from the rain but also defi ne the threshold before the entrance. The following passage describes how the threshold, the eaves in this case, can aff ect the behavior of the inhabitants:

There is a man standing at the door, casually looking out. Whether he is looking up the sky, or waiting for his guest’s arrival, such is an act of vagueness without clear purpose, just looking out.It is as if he is just breathing in the air from outside.The evening sky with stars, the moonlight, and the lights from the neighborhood, the occasional pedestri-ans – he is simply observing the scenes, pausing at the threshold.1

Machiya exemplifi es the eff ective use of threshold as an architectural device to alleviate the urban density.

1 Shimamura

Fig. 1 Aerial View of Machiya in Kyoto (date unknown)

Street View of Machiya in Kanazawa

View to the entrance of Machiya in Kanazawa

Research 5

Precedents Study: Kowloon Walled City, HK

Kowloon Walled City was an urban settlement which has exhibited the sheer power of human habitation in its ex-

treme urban density. The City’s rise and fall coincides with its political background. The area was free from the jurisdiction of British colony and was also left ungoverned by Mainland China. This has made the City home to many refugees from China after WWII. The City saw a rapid growth in 1970s until late 1980s. It was ordered to be evacuated and was eventu-ally demolished in 1993.

This precedent demonstrates fundamental ideas about urban dwellings:1) that a building can be perceived as a city, as it is a con-glomeration of components that form the whole.2) that a building is ephemeral, as a city is in constant state of mutation, like a biological organism.

The idea on scale and relationship between a city and a building is condensed in an analogy made by an architect Aldo Van Eyck as follows:

Tree is leaf and leaf is treeHouse is city and city is houseA tree is a tree but it is also a huge leafA leaf is a leaf, but it is also a tiny treeA city is not a city unless it is also a huge houseA house is a house only if it is also a tiny city1

1 Aldo Van Eyck

Fig. 2 Aerial photo of Kowloon Walled City in 1973.

Fig. 4 A man takes water from communal water pipe.Many amenities are shared by the residents.

Fig. 5 The building facade expresses the chaotic growth.Fig. 3 Aerial photo of Kowloon Walled City in 1989.

Program

Program 7

My Program and Site are thoughtfully selected in concert with my thesis

topic.

The Program is a youth hostel. It is a collec-tive dwelling for travelers, whose lodgings are transient in nature. The travelers enter the City and experience a series of thresh-olds in scale and density as they arrive in the hostel. Strangers at fi rst, the guests may seek to socialize with others or isolate themselves for refl ection. Particular events and the nature of functions challenge the notion of thresholds among the inhabit-ants.

Program 8

conventional hostel

bathroom living dining kitchen locker

b b b

bb bb

b

b bb

bbb

bb

b bb

bbb

b

b bb

b

b bb b

b

bb

b

bb b

b

bb

bb

b

new hostel

bathroom living locker

bathroom living locker bath-

room

bathroom living dining kitchen locker

= bed

= room

= public amenities

= chamber-type bed

b

b

Legend:

The purpose of these diagrams is to analyze and re-arrange the components of basic functions of a hostel. It breaks down to

the simplest terms such as bed, room and bathroom.

A conventional hostel provides a maximum number of beds per room and separate communal bathrooms to share. Its effi cient space planning and high occupancy make it possible to keep the hostel accommodation at low-cost.

My proposal is to alleviate the density of occupants in the hostel by diversifying the room types and sizes. The ultimate challenge is to bring more sense of privacy, and at the same time, promote the interactions among the guests. The idea of threshold plays a key role in order to achieve this goal.

b bb b

b circulation core

public corridor

b

b

bb

bathroom showerliving

b

bbathroomshower

bathroomshower

Hostel 11-M

b b

public corridor

entrance receptionlobby

lounge

lockers

internet

kitchen

cafeteria

bar

the City

b

Site

Site 10

Fig. 6 Aerial photo of the vicinity of the Site.

Site 11

M Street

11th

Str

eet

The Site is at the intersection of M and 11th Streets, NW Washington DC, a

few blocks west of the Convention Center. With an existing building intact on the corner, the site poses a challenge to fi ll in the void space; it is an urban infi ll project. The adjacent apartment building exposes its façade with many windows facing west, confi rming the sense of density. The negotiation of territories between the Site and the neighborhood is a vital part of the design problems.

Site 12

100’

120’

View from SW corner

The existing building remains as a solitary structure on the site.

Site 13

View from 11th Street

The adjacent apartment building shows its façade with apertures. View from the intersection

View from M Street

Design Project

Act One: Articulation of the Concept

Design Project 15

Abstract drawing in attempt to articulate the idea of threshold or Ma - intermediary space between the two territories.

Imaginary building section that emphasizes the notion of threshold.Threshold can be represented in three architectural elements:

Lines of Floor elements (change in elevation, change in material)Layers of Wall elements (means of separation / enclosure)

Edges of Roof elements (change in height, edge of overhang)

Design Project 16

Above: A conceptual model - a cube with implosion of thresholds.Left: A collage with the cube as modules - the idea of repetition of units.

Parts as constituents of the whole.

Design Project 17

Above: A conceptual model - linear elements that interweave in section.Left: A collage with the model.

Act Two: Preliminary Design I

Design Project 19

Design Project 20

Section of the rowhouses.

This was the very fi rst scheme. It is comprised of three separate buildings. The row houses on 11th Street are suites for the hostel guests. The dormitory building replaces the existing liquor store on the north side of the site. And the third component, which faces on M Street, contains the communal functions of the hostel. Access to the guest rooms is fed by the walkway on the back, which connects all three buildings, mak-ing the circulation a dialogue with the adjacent apartment building. This scheme revealed the design problems concerning the Site and Program: on which street does the hostel belong to? From which street should the main access be given to the building? Is the access central and controlled? Would the typology of row house be appropriate for the program? These were the questions to be considered further on.

Design Project 21

A photo montage showing the elevation on M street.

A photo montage showing the elevation on 11th street.

Act Three: Preliminary Design II

Design Project 23

The next scheme has evolved on the formation of modular units around a courtyard. As beginning, the structural bay was determined by the width of a conventional hotel room

(about 13 ft), which is then set by the orientation and size of bed. The module plan would allow the rooms to stack vertically, and therefore making the structural grid simple. But

the design challenge remained on how to diversify the room types and sizes while keep-ing the structural grid.

Design Project 24

Schematic Ground Floor Plan Schematic Ground Floor Plan

0’ 10’ 20’ 30’

Design Project 25

Schematic Mezzanine Floor Plan Schematic Typical Floor Plan

0’ 10’ 20’ 30’

Design Project 26

Schematic Building Section Schematic Building Section

0’ 10’ 20’ 30’

Design Project

Act Four: Design Development

Design Project 28

At this stage, the building started to take its own shape, ex-pressing its own parts that compose the whole. The compo-nents are clearly articulated by the reveals, which helped to unite the ensemble, including the existing building on the corner. The reveals bridge the old and the new, acting as thresholds. They also contribute to the experience within; multiple entrances/exits are set up at these in-between spaces. They are also aligned with the circulation axes, and the framed views from inside give the sense of density within.Provision of the Mezzanine level was also an important fac-tor in the design. The Mezzanine level serves as a threshold between the ground fl oor (public domain) and the second fl oor (private domain.)

Design Project 29

Ground Floor Plan Mezzanine Floor Plan

0’ 10’ 20’ 30’

Design Project 30

Typical Floor Plan 4th Floor Plan

0’ 10’ 20’ 30’

Design Project 31

West Elevation (11th Street) South Elevation (M Street)

0’ 10’ 20’ 30’

Design Project 32

Conceptual building section.

Design Project

Act Five: Final Design

Design Project 34

Design Project 35

1

2

3

4

6

57

8

9

a

ab

b

c

c

dd

Ground Floor Plan

1. Entrance2. Reception3. Staff Offi ce4. Lobby5. Courtyard6. Multi-purpose Room7. Cafeteria8. Bar9. Kitchen

0’ 10’ 20’ 30’

Design Project 36

a

ab

b

c

c

dd

3

4

4

4

4

4

2

2

1

Mezzanine Floor Plan

1. Lounge2. Terrace3. Dining Space4. Void

0’ 10’ 20’ 30’

Design Project 37

B1 B1 B2B2

B1 B1 B2B2

F G

AAAAAA

Guestroom Key Plan

1

2

3

a

ab

b

c

c

dd

2nd Floor Plan

1. Common2. Kitchen3. Void

0’ 10’ 20’ 30’

Design Project 38

B1 B1 B2B2

B1 B1 B2B2

C

C

C

D

D

F G

Guestroom Key Plan

a

ab

b

c

c

dd

1

2

3

3rd Floor Plan

1. Storage + Housekeeping2. Common3. Terrace

0’ 10’ 20’ 30’

Design Project 39

E E E

E

E

E

D

D

F G

Guestroom Key Plan

a

ab

b

c

c

dd

1

23

4th Floor Plan

1. Storage + Housekeeping2. Common3. Roof Terrace

0’ 10’ 20’ 30’

Design Project 40

2

1

a

ab

b

c

c

dd

Roof Plan

1. Swimming Pool2. Decking

0’ 10’ 20’ 30’

South Elevation

Design Project 41

0’ 10’ 20’ 30’

West Elevation

Design Project 42

0’ 10’ 20’ 30’

Section A-A

Design Project 43

0’ 10’ 20’ 30’

Section B-B

Design Project 44

0’ 10’ 20’ 30’

Section C-C

Design Project 45

0’ 10’ 20’ 30’

Section D-D

Design Project 46

0’ 10’ 20’ 30’

Unit Typesscale: 1/8” = 1’-0”

Design Project 47

Type A Type B2 Type CType B1

Unit Area = 291 sf.No. of Bed = 2 Singles

Unit Area = 196 sf.No. of Bed = 2 Singles

Unit Area = 130 sf.No. of Bed = 1 Single

Unit Area = 146 sf.No. of Bed = 1 Single

Unit Typesscale: 1/8” = 1’-0”

Design Project 48

Type EType D

Unit Area = 297 sf.No. of Bed = 2 bunks

Unit Area = 253 sf.No. of Bed = 1 Queen

Unit Typesscale: 1/8” = 1’-0”

Design Project 49

Type GType FUnit Area = 199 sf.

No. of Bed = 1 KingUnit Area = 409 sf.

No. of Bed = 3 bunks

Design Project 50

Single Double Queen King

Design Project 51

Design Project 52

Design Project 53

Design Project 54

Design Project 55

Design Project 56

Design Project 57

Design Project 58

Design Project 59

Conclusion 60

My research and thesis was about confi rming on the effi cacy of thresholds in urban den-sity. The design project was an experiment, in which, combined with the site and program, my thesis was demonstrated. Through the design experiment, I have come to understand that the denser the environment we surround ourselves, the greater the effi cacy of threshold becomes. Threshold is an architectural instrument that mitigates the density, negotiates the territo-ries, blurs the boundaries, and it is inhabitable.

Bibliography 61

Bibliography

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Correa, Charles. Charles Correa. London: Thames & Hudson, 1996.

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Sitte, Camillo. City Planning According to Artistic Principles. New York: Random House, 1965.

Sullivan, Louis. Kindergarten Chat. New York: Dover Publications, Inc., 1979.

Taut, Bruno. Alpine Architecture. New York: Praeger, 1972.

Viollet-le-Duc, Eugène Emmanuel. Lectures on Architecture. New York: Dover Publications, Inc., 1987.

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Photo Credits 62

Photo Credits

All images are by the author, unless noted otherwise.The use complies with the fair use provisions of the US copyright laws.

Figure 1, on page 4:Ito, Teiji. The Elegant Japanese House; Traditional Sukiya Architecture. New York, Walker/Weatherhill, 1969

Figure 2, 3, 4, 5, on page 5:Girard, Greg. City of Darkness: Life in Kowloon Walled City. Cambridge: Cambridge Univer-sity Press, 1989

Figure 6, on page 11:Google Map