Anatomy of a Living Building is a project that reframes the traditional approach of building systems to a designer. This project argues that buildings benefit greatly from treating their systems as design opportunities.
The project is currently in progress. If you would like to hear more about the project or think you might be able to help, please reach out. You can download in progress booklet for this project below.
Sample of precedent analysis from project miro board
The first step in this process was to do an extensive literature review while defining our scope for this project. This started with a review of the structural expressionist movement.
The decision was then made to focus on adaptive reuse projects specifically, as a way to realistically isolate building systems. This decision lead into an analysis of Jeanne Gang's "Art of Architectural Grafting".
Finally, I had to catch myself up on modern systems design and planning (which mostly involved reading engineering textbooks).
Step 2 - Analyzing Precedent
Sample spread from precedent analysis
After the foundation was built, the next step in this process is to identify different ways in which buildings already utilize their systems as design elements.
To start, I outlined bad methods of addressing building systems that are extremely common.
After this I did a precedent analysis of nearly a hundred different buildings that were then narrowed down to 16 different projects which showed key methods of system utilization.
Sample of sketches from site visit and picture of site
The current step in the process is to find buildings that can be used as a theoretical redesign example and to analyze them thoroughly. This project will involve two redesigns but currently only one site has been chosen.
After a thorough analysis has been completed, the process of designing and documenting the design will begin.