Corpus - experimental housing

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Journal Title

Journal ISSN

Volume Title

School of Arts, Design and Architecture | Master's thesis
Location:
P1 Ark A

Date

2015

Department

Major/Subject

Rakennusoppi

Mcode

A-9

Degree programme

Arkkitehtuuri

Language

en

Pages

56+10

Series

Abstract

This is an experiment to build a three-storey extension to the existing three-storey housing in Otaniemi using thermal clay block masonry structure. Burnt clay is one of the oldest and most used materials in human history. Its use in architecture has been developed through the course of time. It started from monumental masonry structure in Mesopotamia and developed further in Roman era thanks to the invention of arch structure. The evolution of masonry structure reached its peak in Gothic architecture. After the Gothic period, the evolution of masonry structure almost stopped. It was Gaudí who succeeded in developing masonry structure further, eventually continued by Dieste. The use of burnt clay changed radically when wall and facade became free from structure in modernist architecture. Meanwhile in Finland traditional massive masonry construction survived until 1960s when industrialization and the new thermal insulation regulations made massive masonry quite uneconomic and unrealistic. Thermal clay block masonry construction has been developed since the air quality in buildings came to be discussed in 1990s. As examples of use of the thermal clay block consturction I present two buildings. One from Finland cladded with hand-made bricks to adapt to the surroundings. The other from Croatia with a crystal-like shaped outer shell supported by steel frame hanging out from the main clay block volume. The space in between the volume and the skin is actively functioning as a mediator between the volume and the external environment. I found that the space between the volume and the facade presents many possibilities. Then I present the use of brick in Otaniemi. There is a certain idea of use of brick by Alvar Aalto in the sense of weight and permanence. I also present the idea of relationship between interior and exterior in architecture of Alvar Aalto before I finally present my own design for the experimental housing. In my design the core of the building is monolithic thermal clay block construction, which is supported functionally and environmentally by the access corridors and the balconies. The building is cladded with clay shingles to adapt to the surroundings.

Description

Supervisor

Siikala, Antti-Matti

Thesis advisor

Siikala, Antti-Matti

Keywords

clay, clay block, masonry, housing, Otaniemi, access corridor

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Citation