Hi everyone. I’ve just completed my Year 3 at the University of Newcastle (Australia). I’m new to this fantastic forum and I thought that I could upload one of my Year 3 projects for criticism. Please feel free to comment on them. Thank You so much! :)

The Site is located at Newcastle city (East), and the client is the Newcastle Regional Museum. The city of Newcastle is being fondly remembered as an industrial town that is once home to the giant BHP steel industry.

The new building site is currently being occupied by old shop houses just next to the existing Regional museum. The brief calls for a new wing of the museum which would showcase exhibits from the steel company BHP which used to be the main financial backbone of Newcastle.

the view from Hunter Street with the existing NRM on the right.

The front view...

I have adopted a simple site strategy. I’ve allowed visual linkage from the Visitor’s car park towards the main Hunter Street. A welcoming landscape void is a intended contrast along the heavily build up Hunter street. The ground is opened up, letting people use the ground, penetrating the site. And it would evolve into an identifiable urban space in time.

Site analysis...

The Roof Plan...

Ground Floor Plan

The Second Storey Plan ( Level 3 )

Section ....

another section...

Elevation

The translucent façade fins allows air to enter and absorbs the changing light of the sky… gives a hint of its inner life according to the angel of vision and daylight. The patterns also allow the user to experience certain framed view of the streetscape.

The interior columns are cladded with bright orangey panels integrated with lighting and artifacts display panels. The bright orange colour reminds us of the fiery torches used in the steel factories…

This exercise aims to incorporate the principles of the ecologically sustainable development (ESD). The proposal encourages low energy passive heating and cooling strategies in different seasons.

I had fun working on this project and I hope you guys would enjoy reading it... :)

Do feel free to make any criticism or doubts... :) thanks !

Hey mate, I remember seeing this project up in the Romberg building ... I'm looking forwards to doing this project next year.

Nice work.

hi..

I thought I could also upload my submission panels (3 A1) and models for comments... :)

Hi axie!
Thanks for your kind words... I bet you'll enjoy this project next year...!

Cheers!

hi everyone.. pretty surprised at the lack of posting at this forum.
by the way.. I liked the way you bring pedestrians into the site and your layering of the facade.cheers!

Timmy

Sorry mate sometimes they just fly off the new post list on the main page and go into the background, asking again for reply generally works.

I will throw in one big opinion here (no two) this presents as an opportunity to guide one through the history of BHP and Newcastle for that matter.

Your design is rather contemporary from end to end and seems to contain little construction and cladding of steel. For me the idea of entering small / old and getting bigger and newer as one passes through history seems to be lost.

BHP is steel and a form exploring it's use and manufacture seems more appropriate to this project not thereby relying on the content of the building but what the building represents. Thereby being not a home for the transformation but part of the transformation itself.

Ok first the bad crits.
I think you left open spaces barely designed.
In 1 you set that building back leaving that empty space in the front wich even though it has a purpose in the plan you leave a huge solid wall from the building next to it. You could have arranged your building in a way that covers the whole length of the wall and you could open it up wherever you thought suitable.
In 2 you make the visual link but there is no design for it. There is nothing showing that the entrance from the parking lot belongs to your complex neither is there something guiding you in that direction.
In 3 I see it's an existing driveway, but wasn't there a way you could have used that space at least in the upper levels not to leave two parallel walls that form an alley wich is useful only for cars?

Apart from that and even though I agree with what Richard said, I think the project is very nice. You developed a beautiful language with a complete constructive solution that seems impressive for a 3rd year student. The building massing is good apart from those two issues.

Well you have handed it in and it is a nice presentation. Well done.

I would have to say that your decision to work a facade of glass and polycarbonate for a museuem that is the home of steel, seems incongruous. I think some exploring of steel techniques, expression of steel, etc, would have been great.

Also use newish techniques and experiment cos you have bhp putting in the cash. Some influences form me in this project may be jean prouve and the pompidou centre, in paris..

I think you may have had some ideas in experimenting with some new techniques, glass and steel, you seem to know your construction, sometimes this is great to have strong ideas but i think you can work off that and ask is this the most appropriate for the project or do you just say blow it and i'll have some fun..,.

anyway they are my thoughts..

hi Timmy.. thanks for ur comments..!

Greetings Richard!

thank you for your valuable comments!.. my proposal is being cladded with steel panels all over except for the north facing facade. .. :).. and I have to agree that I have not fully explored the versatility of steel construction. :) would keep your pointers in mind... thanks so much once again! cheers ! ! !

Hello there Cacapis.. ! here's my thinking process....
As for...

part 1 - I was thinking of creating a enclosed outdoor cafe space... the intention is that public would use the cafe space chilling out.. and might create an interest for them to visit the museum one day... the landscapped seatings along the road side.. I thought it might be more visually attracting for the pedestrains...

Part 2- oh... that area was meant to exhibit the larger exhibits that could not be place inside the building. ( Ops.. I forget to mention it in the previous post ).. I had proposed a light weight shed over them. One point I have considered that the passer by would catch an un obstructed glimpse of the huge exhibits ... and they would see trhough the site as well...

Part 3 - I had thought about doing some cantilivered spaces across the driveway.. as the neighbouring block was a single level storage and loading / unloading bay... I felt there wasn't a need for them to be visually attached together...


Hi there ouesty! thanks for your posting! :)


Thank you Cacapis, Ouesty and Richard for your kind comments.. It was much food for thought !.. :)

Cheers everyone!!

I would have to say that your decision to work a facade of glass and polycarbonate for a museuem that is the home of steel, seems incongruous. I think some exploring of steel techniques, expression of steel, etc, would have been great.


I must say I agree here.

You have done an absolute bucket load of work - that in itself is impressive. Your presentation (choice of techniques, layout, colours etc) is also very well done - an asset to you and any future employer. Congratulations there. :craqueur: As a tutor said to me, "It's nice to see so much passion on the wall". Keep it up.

However, I will say that when I look at your images I don't see a steel museum - it just looks like another commercial building (but a nice one). It really needs to be more identifiable as a museum of/for steel. Perhaps a bit more research into the mining/smelting/extrusion process may have yielded some further inspiration.

Apart from that, you should be pleased with your achievements. Excellent work. :cheers:

hi Bruce!
thanks so much for your comments!

god bless!