Wednesday, March 23, 2011
ARCH 653 Project 1
Salk Institute, Louis Kahn

Description

Figure 1: Salk Institute, www.archdaily.com

The Salk Institute designed by Louis Kahn is located La Jolla, California. Kahn was commissioned to design the Salk Institute in 1959 by Dr. Jonas Salk, inventor of the polio vaccine. Salk’s vision included a facility with an inspiring environment for scientific research, and Kahn’s design decisions created a functional institutional building that also became an architectural masterpiece. His scheme became a symmetrical plan, two structures mirroring each other separated by an open plaza. The buildings each have six stories, with the first three floors containing laboratories and the last three with utilities. These spaces are connected to protruding towers that contain spaces for individual studies linked with bridges. The towers at the east end of the buildings contain heating, ventilating, and other support systems while at the west end the towers are six floors of offices that all face the Pacific Ocean, providing a warm tranquil setting for concentration. The separation of the laboratories and the individual study spaces was intended by Kahn, establishing the different activities. Due to zoning codes, the first two stories had to be underground, sinking the laboratories in the courtyard. In order for these spaces to receive ample sunlight, Kahn designed a series of lightwells on both sides of each building that were 40 feet long and 25 feet wide. The materials that make up the Salk Institute consist of concrete, teak, lead, glass, and steel. The open plaza is made of travertine marble, and a single narrow strip of water runs down the center, linking the buildings to the vast Pacific Ocean.  A person’s view is then directed towards nature, reminding people of their scale compared to that of the ocean.

Reference: www.archdaily.com




Parametric Modeling

Figure 2: parametric modeling of the window 

In the modeling of the Salk Institute, I have tried to design a parameter for the main concept of Kahn. I have realized that modular windows with shading parts are an issue that affects the skin of this design profoundly. In my parametric model, I have designed a window that can be adopted for all parts of this big building. Salk Institute has different heights in its levels. I tried to define a parameter that could be adopted  in both height and width, especially where the spans in which

windows are used, are completely different

. Having different   detail   in this  window 

was the point that  encourages me to make

connection between these items.

Figure 3: Examination in different proportion

First of all, I have tried to make relationship between the window’s width and the proportion of glass part and shading part. It is linear relationship related to the whole window frame’s width and width of glass part of window.

Figure 4: Examination in different proportion

The next was relating the height to number of shutter. I wrote formula for the number of array which relates the number of the shutter to whole height of window.

Figure 5: Examination in different proportion

Finally, I tried to design this parameter in the Revit as a adoptable window that has the special design, appropriate material and changeable in width and height.

Modeling Process

The plan of Salk Institute is a modular plan and has special architecture feature in each module. This project was my first experience in modeling a complete project in Revit. I have faced many problems while creating this model that I mention some of most challenging of them.

Figure 6: Exterior render

• Through my advisor recommendation, I tried to start this model in the Revit instead of CAD. Very big size plan of this building in different level caused many problems in terms of managing the wall in different floors.
• Some parts of the stair box had special design that I drew them as a mass, and making the connection between the masses and the walls and stairs was so challenging.
• I had topography and different pavement floor in my site and I had many troubles in connecting this outdoor floor to building pad and site topography.
• I had problems in creating mass for all of the water in this project. Although in comparison with other software such as 3D MAX, making water is more easier, controlling the water masses can be considered as one of demanding part of this project.
• Rendering, especially in interior views, was one of my big challenge in this project. I have tried several times for checking the light or other elements in each render. 

Figure 7: Exterior Render

Figure 8: Exterior render

Figure 9: Exterior Render

Figure 10: Interior render

Figure 11: Interior render