- Investigating Morphology in Relation to natural Light and Openings in a Crematorium - LIGHT TRANSFORMATIONS DISSEMINATING DESIGN AND RESEARCH FRIEDERIKE VON MEISSNER - MASTER THESIS ARCHITECTURE 2017 FRIEDERIKE VON MEISSNER MASTER THESIS IN ARCHITECTURE 2017 MATERIAL TURN STUDIO ARK EXAMINER : DANIEL NORELL SUPERVISOR : JONAS LUNDBERG Light Transformation - Investigating Morphology in Relation to natural Light and Openings in a Crematorium - Friederike von Meissner © Friederike von Meissner, 2017 CONTACT : f.vmeissner@googlemail.com Master Thesis in Architecture Chalmers University of Technology EXAMINER : Daniel Norell SUPERVISOR : Jonas Lundberg Gothenburg, 2017 PART 1 - PROJECTPLAN PART 3 - RESEARCH CREMATORIUMS TABLE OF CONTENT 1.1 - Abstract 1.2 - Why ? - The Intention 1.3 - What ? - The design proposal 1 .4 - Design Idea 1.5 - What not - Exclusions 1.6 - How - The Process 1.7 - Why me ? - Personal impulse 3.1 - Sequence of a Crematorium - Employees 3.2 - Sequence of a Crematorium - Bereaved 3.3 - Crematorium in Parma - Zermani Associati Studio 3..4 - New Crematorium - Johan Celsing 3.5 - Vestfold Crematorium - Pushak Architects 3.6 - Klockarbackens Funeral Chapel - Bernd Nyberg 3.7 - Mortuary at Asker Crematorium - Carl Viggo ||Building References || Light References 3.8 - MIT Chapel - Eero Saarinen 3.9 - New Crematorium - Johan Celsing 3.10 - Mortuary Hall - Juri Troy 3.11 - Church of Light - Tadao Ando 3.12 - Klockarbackens Funeral Chapel - Bernd Nybergs PART 2 - DISSEMINATING DESIGN || Design Proposal for a Crematorium || Design Process 2.1 -Discovering Openings 2.2 - Discovering Building Sequence 2.3 - Discovering Final Design || Physical Properties, Distribution, Benefits of natural Light 5.1 - Light - Physical Facts 5.2 - Daylight Duration over the World 5.3 - Benefit of Natural Light PART 5 - INVESTIGATIONS PREPERATION COURSE || Natural Light as a spatial Tool 5 .4 - Light Matters : Heightening the Perception of daylight - Interview Archdaily with Henry Plummer - 5.5- Why Light needs Darkness - Ted Talk with Rogier van der Heide || Deconstruction of the Bathhouse in Vals by Peter Zumthor 5.6 - The relationship between Volumes and linear Light 5.7 - A Filigree Network of Joints for Darkness and Light 5.8 - Axonometric of the Bathhouse 5.9 - Detail - Fissures and its construction PART 4 - INVESTIGATION TEXTURE AND LIGHT 4.1 - In praise of Shadows - Describing Light 4.2 - Solar information Henningsvær 4.3 - Investigation setup 4 .4 - Texture variations - Compared solid and transparent 4.5 - Texture studies - Investigation of texture scale 4.6 - Light and Texture - How to treat lit and shadowed surfaces 4.7 - Continuation - The light defines the surface 4.8 - Conclusion || Light and texture Investigation || Introduction || References || Lightinvestigations 5.10 - Introduction 5.10.1 - Photoseries hight 17 cm 5.10.2 - Photoseries hight 10 cm 5.10.3 - Photoseries hight 17cm | rotation 120° 5.11 - Conclusion || Thank You PART 2 - PROJECT PLAN ABSTRACT The amount of natural light in the northern hemisphere is a substantial issue. The drastic seasonal contrast between the scarcity of light in the winter and the ever-present glow in summer influences build environments and their appearance. Light can change a space in many ways. The purpose of this master thesis is to understand how to use natural light and its season- al changes, in combination with various openings, can emphasise a space and its presence. This work intends to create an environment, which character is asserted by the variations of natural light. How does the atmosphere of a space transform when it interacts with the movement of the sun and different openings? During this master thesis, scale model studies have been an integral of the investigation, to understand how light behaves and how it can influence the appearance of a space. Addi- tional the model studies, photo series documented the different outcomes, to display the light diversity and compare the results. To create atmospheres driven by the incoming sunlight, I used models and renderings to see how the space changes when it interacts with the sun conditions on Lofoten, Norway. The idea was to have various openings to emphasize certain situations throughout the building and the day so the bereaved have the opportunity to experience some special moments during their grieving process. The building will act as an abstract sundial. The investigations are based on scale models in which different light scenarios are manual- ly simulated. The result is implemented in a crematorium in Henningsvaer, Lofoten in which the contrasting lighting situations, according to the seasonal changes, are used to create “character changes” in the build environment. What happens when the space is effected by the sunlight and its shadows? 2.1 WHY ? I experienced a variation of natural sunlight myself while travelling through the north of Norway. It is impressive how different a place can look in a certain light situation. To experience the same environment in extremely different lighting situations can change its appearance completely. I want to explore how natural light can influence a built environment and how it interacts with different openings. What possibilities do we have with various lighting and different openings to enhance the character of a Space? How does it change in context with natural light? It would be interesting to see how light is treated in different fields like art history and photography. What can we learn out of these fields, which qualities can be implemented in architecture? How can we work with highlights and shadows to transform the character of a space? How does soft and hard light influence the built environment and what difference does it make? There are a lot of existing studies about natural light in the field of healthcare. For example, and how it influences recovery times but this master thesis should not be about that. This is about how the qualities of natural light can improve a build environment and how it can change the character and atmosphere of a building. 2.2 The Intention WHAT ? The question I am working with is how natural light can change the atmosphere of a built environment when it interacts with various openings. The investigation will be based on experiments with scale models, in which different lighting scenarios will be demonstrated through simulated light, in interaction with the openings. How does the space changes when the amount of incoming light is controlled by the openings? 2.3 The Proposal DESIGN IDEA This work intends to create a crematorium in Lofoten, Norway. The Light changes are drastic throughout the summer and the winter, which in my opinion is very interesting and challenging to work with. A bright day in the summer compared to a dreary day in the winter will create very different atmospheres in the built environment. The atmosphere in a cre- matorium is an essential element I intend to focus on. I want to investigate what various impressions can be created by working with light and diverse openings. The intention is to let the light influence the space. The movement of the sun and the shadow it creates during the day in the rooms, could influence the way openings are created and placed. 2.4 WHAT NOT ? It will not cover the research about natural light in general, since it is already cover by my preparation course. Another delineation will be light in context of healthcare. It is one of the studies I could include in my investigation since it gives feedback about the influence light has on us, but it won´t be included in this master thesis. 2.5 Exclusion HOW ? This master thesis will be a research by design proposal. During the process of my master thesis scale model studies will play a significant role in the investigations, to understand how light behaves and how it interacts with diverse openings. The investigation will be based on experiments with scale models in which different scenarios are going to be simulated. These simulations will be documented in photo series, to be able to compare the outcomes. The design will be developed concurrently using sketch-, material- and model studies. In the process, I will try to further develop the methods I learned in previous design studios. 2.6 The Process WHY ME? I had the opportunity to investigate light in a more general way in the master prepara- tion course in “Matter, Space, Structure “with Morten Lund, Kengo Skiorick and Johannes Luchmun. I started to investigate natural light and how it influences a Space. I think it is a very interesting topic how natural light influences its surroundings and especially how it can change the expression of a space. I did general research about natural light and its behavior when it interacts with various openings. Additionally, I did a case study about the bathhouse in Vals by Peter Zumthor, which I found very inspiring regarding the lighting situ- ation and the way he worked with light, shadow and openings to guide visitors through the building. I investigated light in a very general way based on physical facts, to start with, to continue with my own experiments, which in the end were about how light enters and how certain parameters influence the way you experience the space. After I experienced the dif- ferent light conditions myself by traveling to the north of Norway, I intend to implement the knowledge I gained into my master thesis. I think it is very interesting to use the drastic seasonal changes, which are considered as a complication, to your advantage and include the interaction of light and different openings, to create something beautiful and unique. 2.7 The personal Impulse DESIGN PROPOSAL OF A CREMATORIUM Chapel 0 -1 -2 0 EntranceFarewell Hall Furnance Room Memorial Spaces EVENING SUN SUMMER MIDDAY SUN SUMMER MORNING SUN SUMMER Orientation Spaces 1:100 MORNING SUN WINTER MIDDAY SUN WINTER EVENING SUN WINTER SUMMER LIGHT WINTER LIGHT Chapel 0 -1 -2 0 EntranceFarewell Hall Furnance Room Memorial Spaces EVENING SUN SUMMER MIDDAY SUN SUMMER MORNING SUN SUMMER Orientation Spaces 1:100 MORNING SUN WINTER MIDDAY SUN WINTER EVENING SUN WINTER SUMMER LIGHT WINTER LIGHT INTRODUCTION The design proposal for a crematorium in Henningsvær, Lofoten is not supposed to be a fully functional design. The focus lies on the influence natural light has on a built environment. I focused on the spaces I considered most important in the process of grieving. This project aims to take the metaphor of a journey and the idea of the process and apply it to a crematorium. The path through the architecture represents the journey through life. By experimenting with various openings, different atmospheres and environments have been created. This gives significance, transition and meaning to the various stages of the architecture. Siteplan 1:1000 100m Siteplan 1:500 SITECONTEXT The site is located in Henningsvær, Lofote in Norway. I chose this site because in this environment the drastic seasonal contrasts between the scarcity of light in the winter and the ever-present glow in the summer. You experience the roughness of the sea depending on the season but find protection in the building. The path towards the architecture leads you from the protected inland to the exposure of the site. The site itself sits on the furthest northern point of Henningsvær. On this spot, the building is exposed to the full sun movement over the day without any obstacles. The architecture itself has a variation of spaces orientated along the movement of the sun. It becomes a part of the journey and acts as an abstract sundial inside, changing not in a flash but growing slowly, steadily brighter. MATERIAL EXPLORATION The entire structure is created out of concrete to allow the light to play a prominent roll and let the beauty of the raw concrete come forward in its natural state. The variation of openings was used to create diverse atmo- spheres and impressions. The openings were explored in relation to the movement and angle of the incoming sunlight according to the seasonal changes. Exploration was undertaken as to how a journey could be cre- ated in the sequence of the building, through the openings and incoming light. From dark to bright and direct to subtle luminescence. Floorplan -1| -2 1:100 A A B B Floorplan 0 1:100 A A B B GROUND FLOOR PLANS The first floor plan shows the entrance hall and chapel (the only parts above ground). The plans act as diagrams for the functions of each space. The orientation of the spaces rely on the movement and angle of the sun. The second floor plan shows the furnace room, farewell space and the memorial spaces. These marked out area supports the family members in their process of grieving. The building is designed to guide the visitors through the spaces in a natural manor. Section A-A 1:100 Section B-B 1:100 SECTIONS AND ELEVATIONS The sections of the crematorium show a series of simple connected spaces. The loop which leads through the architecture connects the areas. Each room is a unit in itself but together they form a journey. It also shows the variation of openings and its light changes. The elevation shows the harmony of the context together with the structure. FURNACE ROOM FAREWELL SPACE MEMORIAL SPACES CHAPEL ENTRANCE ORGANISATION Two layers organize the architecture to reinforce the idea of an abstract sundial. The light changes through the whole architecture and gives each space a new hint of the incoming sun. The entrance introduces the light in a very subtle way keeping the illumination focused on the walls, to introduce the variation of lighting in the spaces you are about to enter. THE CHAPEL The chapel is the first room for the bereaved to enter. Here the light flows in along the short end caught between the wall and the thicker ceiling to introduce an incandescence. Conversely, the light can vanish instantly or intermittently flash as the clouds roll past the sun. The intention is to create a subtle atmosphere with a seraphic glow which changes during the day. THE FAREWELL SPACE The farewell space faces the vast grandeur of the open sea through a window covering the entire front wall, which allows the sunlight to stream directly into the space at a specific time of the day. Additional to the illumination the orientation of the space towards the sea gives a total feeling of calm for the bereaved creating a place of spiritual repose. There is also the option to withdraw from the main space to a ledge out- side the large window to embrace the exposure of the elements. THE FURNACE ROOM The furnace room is one of the most important spaces in the crematori- um. This is the room where the body goes on its last journey. The large roof opening invites the sun to illuminate the surface of the furnace block. 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