BLOG 12 Steel Architecture Case Studies 1-4

BLOG 12

 

CASE SUDY 1

Project name: St. Andrews Beach House

By Sean Godsell Architects

Location: Victoria, Australia

Typology: Residence

Beach houses are an escape from the hectic urban life. The aim is to make the best use of the view around and cater to the timely need of the client.

To address the humidity in the beach coast and the extreme weather conditions of Australia, the project features Oxidised mild steel used for industrial floor grating, Brise Soleil shutters to tackle the sandy hot winds and is raised on columns to minimise contact of the steel material with the earth; furthermore angles, brackets, window frames, handrailing, structural supports(beam and columns) are also of oxidised mild steel.

To conclude, the material used here is undoubtedly to respond to the climatic factors of the location.

 

CASE SUDY 2

Typology: Public Restrooms

Project name: Prefabricated Nature

By MYCC Architects

Location: Cedeira, Spain

Typology: Residence  

Prefabricated nature is a holiday home, its form inspired from its surroundings of rich pastures, row crops and pitched roof houses. The house is mainly made of weathering Cor-Ten steel in shutters and the building skin, to protect the inmates from storms and other climatic intruders. 

 

CASE SUDY 3

Project name: The Trail Restrooms

Miró Rivera Architects

Location: Austin, Texas

Located in the banks of the Colorado River followed by some landscaping, the trial restrooms is similar to a spiral roll of steel panels unfolding to the view of the Colorado River. The trial restroom marks the end of the biking trail that stretches up to 10 miles.

As one approaches these restrooms, privacy is provided along the path, by freestanding steel panels of ascending heights laid in a staggered manner. The varying heights give an organic look that blends very much with the landscape. The restroom facilities include a drinking water fountain, a shower, urinal, sink, and a bench inside. To ensure minimal maintenance, heavy-duty stainless steel is used for the plumbing fixtures. When seen in the plan, the metal panels are laid in a staggered manner to ensure the privacy and the required lighting and ventilation for the user.

 

Forty-nine freestanding Corten steel panels each 19mm thick and stands tall in a range of heights from 610mm to 3960 mm, and of widths 305-610mm. These vertical plates are supported at the footing by bolted steel angles. This continuous shallow concrete footing goes up to a depth of 2 feet. The main material of this project COR-TEN steel is used in the cladding, roof, and the door. The materials used in the restroom facilities are of Type 4 steel alloy, which has up to 0.55% of copper, nickel, and chromium altogether.

From the weathering effects, the Corten steel has acquired a rustic appearance that merges well with the scenery of the landscape in the Colorado river banks, providing a rural touch to the Urban Setting. Regardless of the scale and function of the project, the Trail Restrooms has emerged as a sculptural landmark in Austin.  

 

CASE STUDY 4

Project name: Kunst-Depot, Henze & Ketterer Art Gallery

By Gigon / Guyer Architekten

Location: Wichtrach, Switzerland

Project type: Art Gallery

The Henze & Ketterer Art Gallery adheres to the building code norms, hence its pitched roof and eaves, yet the perforated steel sunscreen, also a rain-screen, is not only a response to the climate but also an indication of its modern artistic approach.

 

- Janani Venkateswaran

N.of words - 575

REFERENCE

Materials for Design 2 by Victoria Ballard Bell and Patrick Rand