The Beginning : A Reignited Fire

Welcome

to

 Eric Manahan Architecture

This blog will follow the development of my work and the evolution of my resume.  

I plan to have an entire hypothetical project which will begin at the macro scale and work its way into the micro scale, without following a linear time line.

This projects client will be yours truly.
As it is hypothetical I have infinite funds.  

So, THANK YOU for joining me on this adventure!

- EM

Step 1: Location, location, location!

The site is an absolute necessity for any architecture to exist.  It is the ying to architectures yang.  The site and the architecture are in a constant state of give and take.  A perfect example of Newtons First Law of Physics: For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction.

So the logical first step of this project is to find my canvas.

Colorado Summit County Land

Located in Colorado, this land is for sale with the intent of development.

My first step was to do my best interpretation of the picture above.

I took to Rhino and made the following site.

A bit of context

The next phase will be site analysis.  Orientation, sun paths, etc.   

Step 2: Site Analysis

The following diagrams help influence the orientation and design of the future structure.  They will feed the structure with external information, and the structure will respond accordingly.

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Soil Type

Granular Soil

Granular soil is a soil with high sand and/or gravel within it.  Granular soils are generally suitable for building, considering they are still penetrable by water upon compaction.  The installation of containment walls may be necessary to prevent shifting.

Transportation of Materials

There is a highway about 10 miles north of the site.  There will be a road constructed from the site connecting to this highway.  Trucks and machinery will be able to access the site with ease.

Bed Rock

The bed rock is located 3' below the ground at the lower level and 16' below the ground at upper level.

Step 3: Schematic Design: Sketches

These sketches are apart of the preliminary design phase.

Their purpose is to flush out ideas, and hone the design.

I believe in simplicity.

And I follow through with this philosophy throughout all phases of design.

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1/16 Site Model

Step 3: Schematic Design: Diagrams

After narrowing my design through sketches, I came up with a grid system based on the Golden Ratio.

This is a major decision, for this Golden Ratio will be deeply ingrained throughout the project.

  Not only does the grid follow this ratio on the site in plan, but it also follows through in elevation.

 This allows for clean proportions, structure, and programming.

  

As you can see in the following digram made in AutoCAD.

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