University of Animation - Analysis of Spaces

 The following is a breakdown of the spaces needed for my design. These graphs illustrate several different charcteristics of the spaces, such as sizes or how they relate to one another.

 

University of Animation- Program

Based off my research, I've come up with the following program for a university that focuses on everything that has to do with animation.

Studios (Traditional hand drawn, claymation, etc)
Computer labs
Classrooms
Screening Rooms
Sound Booths
Conference Rooms
Theater/Auditorium

Then of course, there are general things needed in a university:
Offices
Cafeteria
Library
Gymnasium

Uses and Circulation

Taking a look at the different forms of circulation throughout the building. Also exploring the different uses of the spaces within building; for instance the private and public areas of the building.

I. Fine Arts School in Beijing, China; designed by Synarchitects.

The school is made up of several buildings, connected together by bridges and such. The main entrance (red arrows) is marked by the central area that serves as a bridge between the north and south side of the campus. There are minor entrances as well (orange arrows).

Due to the language barrier and the small text, it was hard for me to decipher the precise uses for each space. So I settled for dividing it up more generally, by private (dark blue) and public (yellow).

II. Cartoon Network Studios in Burbank, California. Designed by STUDIOS Architects.

The flow of the floorplan seems to be in a grid structure. The main path is in red while secondary paths are in orange.

Although there are no lables on the plan, I could infer the uses of the spaces. The private areas are pushed towards the back while the public areas are the first thing you see coming in from the entrance.

III. Pixar Animation Studios in Emeryville, California. Designed by Allied Works Architetcure.

The main entrance and main path is in red. The secondary paths are in orange. All of the public spaces are acceible from the main path.

The public areas and private ares are kept separate by doors and walls. The private areas are along the perimeter of the building mostly. The public areas are the first thing you see coming in from the main entrance.

These diagrams created by the architect analyze the different uses of the spaces both in plan and in section.

Geometry and Natural Lighting

Taking a closer look at the basic shapes that are in the buildings and how sunlight enters the buildings. 

 I. Fine Arts School in Beijing, China; designed by Synarchitects.

 

Besides the dominant curve, the building is mostly compromised of rectangles.

Since this building is in Beijing (which is in the northern hemisphere), the sun is coming from the south. The red arrows represent the sun coming from the south. The amber colored arrows represent the other areas where sunlight enters the building. This school is free standing, no other buildings or structures close by, so it gets sun from all sides. There are also several atrium spaces, which is represented in the light yellow color.

The building gets plenty of sunlight

II. Cartoon Network Studios in Burbank, California. Designed by STUDIOS Architects.

 

The dominant shape in the design tends to be the rectangle.

This building is located in California, so the sun is coming from the south. The red arrows represent the direct sunlight from the south. It also has light coming in from the east. The north side of the building receives no sunlight since its up against a parking garage. The west side receives minimal sunlight, since its in an alleyway and is used as a service entry.

The top two floors, however, have additional sunlight due to these black and white silo-shaped skylights.

III. Pixar Animation Studios in Emeryville, California. Designed by Bohlin Cywinski Jackson 

Here again, the most common shape is the rectangle.

This building also stands alone so it gets sunlight all around. The red arrows represent the direct sunlight from the south. The large atrium in the center brings plenty of sunlight to the inner offices.

The atrium really brightens the atmosphere.

 

Symmetry + Hierarchy: 3 Examples

 I. Fine Arts School in Beijing, China; designed by Synarchitects.

Overall Symmetry of the 6th Floor Plan

Symmetry of the smaller spaces on the 6th Floor Plan.

Hierarchy of spaces. Dark red emphasizes the important spaces; medium red is of middle importance; lightest red is of lesser importance.

II. Cartoon Network Studios in Burbank, California. Designed by STUDIOS Architects.

The first floor is made up of irregular shapes, there are a few that are symmetrical.

The different shapes and sizes help differentiate the spaces. Dark red emphasizes the important spaces; medium red is of middle importance; lightest red is of lesser importance.

 

III. Pixar Animation Studios in Emeryville, California. Designed by Bohlin Cywinski Jackson.

There are a few examples of spaces with symmetry on the first floor.

The different shapes and sizes help differentiate the spaces. Dark red emphasizes the important spaces; medium red is of middle importance; lightest red is of lesser importance.

Symmetry + Heirarchy

While doing some research for my building typology, I looked for examples of symmetry and hierarchy in their design. For symmetry for instance:

This floor plan of the Fine Arts School by Synarchitects shows a curved design that is mostly a mirror image of one wing to the other.

University of South Florida's Fine Arts Hall is an example of bilateral symmetry.

The Los Angeles Convention Center is another example of symmetry.


Hierarchy is another important part of design. Studying plans of various buildings, I used colors to separate the different areas of the building:

This is Cartoon Network Studios' first floor plan. The area in magenta is probably the most important area, seeing as how it's the entry. The blue area in blue is probably an important administrative area since it comes right of the entry. The areas in green, yellow, purple and saffron seem to be different departments. The area in cyan is likely a service area.

This is University of Michigan's Art and Architecture Building. There are three large areas that serve different purposes. The pink area is likely an area of studios. The area in blue are probably classrooms. The green area is a large common area (most likely the entry area) connecting both wings.

This is Pixar Animation Studio's First floor plan. The area in yellow is the entry and the main lobby. The indigo area is a theater. The areas in green, cyan, and pink are different office areas for different departments. The area in saffron is a cafe and screening room. The area in purple is an outdoor porch area.

Using symmetry and Hierarchy to one's advantage can create interesting structures and realistic designs.