Architecture and the construction industry are the set forces for civilians to provide weatherproof spaces and help escape from extreme weather conditions. But the question is, “Why to keep the weather out if it can be invited in.”
With mundane Mondays and constantly rushing lifestyles, one highly seeks peace and silence. Hurry syndrome is a rapidly increasing concern in the 21st century. A person with hurry syndrome is always in a never-ending rush, eventually losing the time and skill to appreciate what’s changing in their surroundings. By definition, the Weather condition is a state of surroundings concerning the rain, wind, sunshine, cloudiness, dryness, etc. Whereas, Architecture is the skill and practice of designing buildings. But in the aesthetic world, weather can be seen as a constant shift in surroundings and architecture as a medium to appreciate it.
Connecting weather and architecture is not just about making green buildings, but the jargon is “Beyond Green buildings” to create “Calming effects” because there is “No substitute to nature.”
We build not just to resonate with the sustainable functions and comfort of living but to ensure that we don’t lose the connection to what’s happening around us. Listing features and principles in designing for establishing a connection to weather is subjective to people, places, and specific surroundings. Few such examples have been portrayed further to help connect architecture to weather in a certain still of designing.
1. Chupei Reception Center by CYS.ASDO Architects | Weather Conditions
The functional interiors of the reception center in Chupie District invite an aesthetic experience of the outdoors with a strategic design approach. As nature flows throughout this office space, it makes specific views of passing hours and seasonal changes. With the application of setback design, surrounding nature gets revealed to every corner of the reception center. With layers within walls, it generates a sense of space definition to create hierarchical boundaries within programs to specific spatial functions. Irregular yet intentional wall openings frame various intriguing views, sunlight, seasonal changes, shadows, and visual depth to the surroundings.
2. SEO inc. and Jun Hashimoto (The rain-chain exterior)
Rain is a beautiful phase of weather change that clung to all your visual and other sensory organs. The rain chain is also known as kusari-toi in Japanese, which in simple terms means to hang something to the roof of the structure to function as an eave spout. This detail is a legacy of Japanese style starting from 1558-1600 AD in the azumchi momoyama period, where ropes were made by woven hemp plants and hung at home’s eaves. The co-op Kyosia building belonged to the Japanese consumers cooperative union which maintained the legacy in form of rain chain facade detailing. The building’s facade is completely covered with various rain change designs in its front and back facade to appreciate the rain and enjoy it. To make use of this rain chain detail various sit-outs have also been designed along the floors of the building to enjoy the overlooking rain chain detail.
3. Weather House by Not Architects Studio
Envisaged in the screens of metal mesh wrap around two sides of this corner residential plot based in Tokyo’s Shinagawa district designed by Not Architecture Studio. The site is situated between two parks in front and side respectively and a walkway connecting them closeby to the site. To create an aesthetic visual effect from those parks and get them inside the building interiors, the designers wrapped the exterior of the building with metal mesh. The mesh detail in the facade makes it ambiguous to what extent it is a city and to what it is a house. Along with that, the building has three stories further connected with an external staircase running along the building facade. The external staircase wrapped around the building have different widths and gradients, portrayed as a path changing according to weather. At times it becomes a hill where you can sit and look at the scenery, and sometimes a plaza where everyone can gather. The usage of the staircase and closeby areas change with weather and hold a sense of adaptivity and dynamism in themself.
4. Dancing Light Residence by Kendle Design Collaborative | Weather Conditions
The dramatic roof residential building set in Paradise Valley in Arizona is one of its kind buildings. The drama of angular slope and strategic angles to provide adequate sunlight inside the house with all passing hours of the day create a visual pleasure and depth to enhance the minimal interiors of the house. With the selection of materials, the folks at Kendle Design Collaborative turned natural light into a playful element that changes its effects with changing daytime. The roof consists of separate forms that float above the walls rather than resting on them with the help of support pillars. The element of Dancing light in this house is the outcome of thoughtful use of wood boards mimicking desert sun and walls of glass with a carefully placed swimming pool to reflect light up and out.
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Available at: https://www.themanual.com/culture/dancing-light-residence-kendle-design-collaborative/
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- Nute, K., 2017. The Washington Post. [Online]
Available at: https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/how-to-stay-calmer-more-alert-and-save-the-environment-bring-the-weather-indoors/2017/08/11/4da49836-6b09-11e7-b9e2-2056e768a7e5_story.html?tid=usw_passupdatepg
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