Bath House Research and Influences

References:

1. Unkown
2. Private Onsen near Mt. Fuji. Arcana Izu,  photo by Ken Lee 2010
3. Hotel Riad Spa, Morrocco
4. Bath house in the Temple of Corellion in Myth Drannor
5. Traditional Onsen natural-spring bathhouse
6. Japanese Onsen

These are a collection of bathhouses I found and really liked. Some of these will influence my design. I like the use of wood in each image, it ties in the aspect of the forest with the room and gives the atmosphere a natural/organic feel. Number 3 is a great reference as it has these large columns which the Dadley building ha, and turns them into a feature of the space. In 6 I like the submerged stone step, separating pools. It adds depth and interest in the design. I also like the idea of the whole room being submerged in/ being water with wooden decks/paths to move around like in number 4.

My little experiences:

These are a series of photos I took in the past few weeks from Hamilton which got me thinking about the sort of landscape, atmosphere and feeling of being in a forest. I can see the shapes, colours, textures and lighting in each photo which i want to reflect or consider in my bathhouse design to make i feel like a more authentic forest bathing experience.

This is one of my favourite photos I have taken in the outdoors in New Zealand. I love the way the light streams into the shot through the leaves of the tree above, highlighting its pigments. You can see he reach of the waterfall splatters, even though it was quite a few meters away from where I was standing. It was a hot day but that spot, under the forest canopy, in the shade, getting mist blowing over, that was a magical feeling. In my bathhouse I wish to have people connect with New Zealand nature the way I did. An experience and memory to last a lifetime.

Te Aranga Guidelines

This week we were introduced to the Te Aranga design principals and how we should include them throughout our research, design, and presentation. They address the processes of economic, social, environmental and spatial development changes. Founded on Maori cultural values, they provide guidelines to enhance outcomes for the design environment.

Guidelines that stand out to me most are Mauritanga (maintaining the vibrancy of the site and protecting it), Kaitiakitanga, Manaakitanga and Whanaungatanga. I would like to incorporate these principles into my design.

Site: geo maps

Measuring Site

This week we also received a printed floor plan more or less to the 1:100 scale. As a group we got to visit the site and take measurements of the walls, beams, columns and exterior measurements we might need.

Building Group Model with Contours

Our group also met this week to start our group model. We started by layering up cardboard and cutting along the contour lines we got from our site plan.