architectural school projects

FIRST EXERCISE AT CIRIANI ATELIER: THE CELL

This project makes us return at once in a abstract approach of the architectural design. We are supposed within the framework of this exercise not to have any preliminary image. Our design answers criteria of orientations, directions,of space, sight, use, verticality, horizontality etc… For my part I must admit I have no completely played the game producing this simple project curiously regular and even symmetrical completion with counter-current of the projects of the other students. The various parts are integrated in two centripetal and centrifugal overlapping sets. This overlap of whole volumes and the apprehension of the scale are the two very relevant elements of this exercise. It will be necessary to await the realization of the mosque of Orly so that I accept this step and to appreciate its benefits of them. The abstraction enables us to take distance compared to our own work and to appreciate thus this one durably as any project of architects who are used to us as models.

                

SECOND EXERCISE AT CIRIANI ATELIER: THE IMAGE
After the abstract exercise of the cell our teacher H. CIRIANI learns how to use an image without in being slave. I took for image Keith Richards. The matter is at the same time reserve and the swaying walk. I took as a starting point a project of R. STERN what encouraged me to work in an orthogonal way inside the curved general figure. My professor drew my attention to the fact that the curves were to be also perceived in global manner inside where the transparencies partly high of the separating walls. That also contributes to the intelligibility of the plan at least within the framework of an architectural walk.

At the time of my first draft H. CIRIANI reproached me for having drawn a guitar and to be thus too literal. Then I deformed my project until the silhouette of Keith Richards appears and leaves the guitar as a plane second. I presented the drawing in bottom on the right at back then I turned over it. At this time the image appeared of a blow, H. CIRIANI then said me that I had finished my project. It was one month before returned, I were very constrained of knowing that I had finished whereas my project appeared so simple to me.

 

 

EXERCISE AT CIRIANI ATELIER: HOUSE FOR AN EDITOR

From Corsica origin I was initiated very early with the Italian art. I thus approached this project of large house like a palate being summarized with the treatment of his frontage forgetting of a blow the preceding lessons. H. CIRIANI said to me that I went towards a dead end.

Wanting to give a space turn to my frontage Palladian, H. CIRIANI showed me whereas in the relation of a vertical plane and of a horizontal plane, solution 1 associates the vacuum with vacuum and the full with full and that thus displacements of the horizontal plane of induce any significant upheaval of space dominating.

Contrary in solution 2, where the vacuum and the full are very overlapping, least displacement affects the nature of space. Thus each position corresponds to a choice and a particular direction. The whole of the project is conditioned by least displacement. The resolution of the least portion of partition is done with an accentuated conscience than it proceeds of an overall process.

Then on his councils I undertook to study the houses of Corbusier. I then perceived the following paradox: The scale of the house is coarser than that of a building. One could say that the house takes shape with a boxing glove. The scale of the house must be the domestic scale. Another paradox space representative of the house is vaster than that of a housing unit of a collective. By looking at my sketches H. CIRIA NI was astonished to see that I passed indifferently from the scale of a hotel to that of a house, it was acted in fact by the training of the scale. It is besides in my opinion this apprehension of the scale which distinguishes to a large extent the architects.

The day of returned H. CIRIANI explained why my reversed pyramid was the same principle that it had used for these projects of mega-urban structures in the Seventies and that however my project resembled a house well. The paradox was thorough on its account. While posting clearly and without complex my gaps CIRIANI gave me much. It will take me three years after the diploma to assimilate the direction of the sketch proposed by my professor.

EXERCISE AT CIRIANI ATELIER: URBAIN PROJECT - IVRY

    

It is difficult to approach a vast urban project in an abstracted way, but some is our attention paid to fabrics surrounding, the art of the urban composition cannot limit itself to prolong existing it.

The site considered connected the station of Ivry. Student, my only urban references were the “street” and the “place”, sheer coincidence with research in Italy to rehabilitate the traditional bases of our cities. I thus proposed a street leaving from the station leading to a place in edge the Seine. A curved building bordered the street giving a more contemporary style to the unit. The role of a teacher is to transform an intuition into intention, thus the curved building established a progression towards the place, privileging an orientation of the unit giving a direction to the project. My professor, CIRIANI, proposed to me to translate this orientation with only two rectilinear buildings by drawing aside them towards the place. One week before returned, CIRIANI required of me to find the angle to be given to this space. Having observed one month earlier than the place of Capitole in Roma an angle of approximately 15° formed than one also finds in front of the Basilica of Saint-Pierre, I proposed this angle which has the aim of destroying the effect of prospect since the narrowest point. Two parallel buildings flee, by precisely drawing aside them from 15° perceive them to you parallel. Thus the sides disappear and the building of the bottom appears definitely larger.

This approach can appear abstract, but it is by no means about a sight of plane. The impact is quite real on the level of the pedestrian and this with a minimum of means. The first realization which concretizes this step is the project which I studied as collaborator of C. MARTY with Cergy for 90 residences.