Wall Project

One of my goals in designing the front wall of the community center was to have the exterior of the building suggest how the spaces inside interact. The elevation of the building is very similar in form to the plan, with the two opposite-sloping roofs corresponding to the two angled walls of the façade.

Another one of my goals was to make each architectural element along the entry path guide the viewer through a set of experiences. The above photo shows the approach to the front of the building from the main entrance to the courtyard. The double-layered wall hides the actual entrance to the building, but the sloping edge of the front wall, and the triangular roof overhang jutting out to meet the far wall, suggest that the entrance is between the two walls. The long header beam on the outside of the wall reflects the slope of the roof, which would otherwise be hidden. The beam also suggests the direction of the path to take into the building. The two windows (the front Zen View window, and the triangular clerestory window above the main hall) converge to a point on this beam, focussing the viewer's attention on it.
The opening between the walls is visible from the other side of the building, as is the sloping roof and the interior windows and light shaft. The entry door to the main hall is just behind the front window, visible in this view. The entrance to the building is therefore visible from this location, but not immediately accessible. Reaching it involves passing through the outer room and turning the corner.

The outer room is designed specifically to encourage movement through the space. The tall, narrow, Zen view window affords a view of only a slice of the courtyard at a time, encouraging the viewer to move past it to get the full effect. Once a person is standing in front of the window, the high sill encourages them to move back towards the door to get a better view. The light shafts create a sense of mystery about how the light enters the space, which is only resolved by passing under the light shafts on the way into the main hall. The acutely angled corners of the outer room also create a sense of tension or energy and encourage movement through the space, discouraging people from lingering in corners and steering them toward the entrance.
The above photo shows a glimpse of light entering the building through the Zen view window. The lighting is equivalent to midday in spring or autumn.
The columns in the building's interior reflect the proportional grid of the elevation. The façade is divided into five equal segments horizontally and two ten-foot high segments vertically. The movable screen inside the building also reflects the same division rotated on its side. As a further reference to the proportions of the building, the two colors of the screen correspond to positive and negative spaces on each of the exterior walls. The beam that surrounds the two columns closest to the entry forms a rectangle with the edge of the light shaft outside, emphasizing the prism of negative space that one passes through to enter the building. When the screen is moved to close off the entrance, it cuts diagonally through this negative space, destroying it while continuing the plane of the inner wall. Even when the screen is closed at night, however, light from the inside of the building will still shine through the translucent material.