“ The project is about investigations and developing concepts and methods to generate architecture “

INHABITATION OF A CHANGING LANDSCAPEINTRODUCING NEW OCCUPANCIES AT THE WEST COASTWEST COAST: DENMARK: VIGSØ

TONE MARIE HORVE | AAA | INSTITUTE1 | MAKING REAL V-09 | THESIS | 18062009

3

Thesis ReportAarhus School of Architecture

Tone Marie HorveV-09 - Institut 1 - Making Real

Tutor: Chris Thurlbourne

content

1.0 introduction

aim..................................................................................9 vision..............................................................................11 site..................................................................................13 composition....................................................................15

2.0 landscape

landscape.......................................................................19 zones..............................................................................21 history.............................................................................29 existing occupancies......................................................31

3.0 general investigations

introduction.....................................................................35 programming..................................................................37 storyboard......................................................................45 slice in landscape...........................................................47 sketches.........................................................................49

4.0 specific investigations

map of occupants...........................................................55 investigation parametres................................................ 57 movement: model testing...............................................59 movement on site...........................................................61 movement + time............................................................65 existing occupancies......................................................67

5.0 case studies

introduction.....................................................................73 method...........................................................................75 case study#1: bunkers...................................................77 case study#2: summerhouses.......................................113

6.0 conclusion

conclusion......................................................................137 personalreflection..........................................................139

_____________________________________1.0 INTRODUCTION

AIMVISION

SITECOMPOSITION

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1.1 AIM

The project investigates the relationship between an ephem-eral landscape and its occupancies. It is inspired by this years theme of `Institute for Architecture and Esthetics concerning: the nonpermanent and the temporary way of living. It is a study of how these occupancies are merged into this landscape and how to introduce new occupancies in the same landscape.

Movement and time are the main parameters.

The project will on behalf of the investigations propose con-ceptsandmethodstorethinkdwellinginasitespecificsetting.It is both a method and a comment of how to rethink dwelling - and using the landscape as form generators.

1.2 VISIONS

My vision is to describe the relations between the permanent and the ephemeral in a changing landscape. The project seeks to reinforce the ephemerality on the site - making it more vis-ible through a spatial experience for people visiting the area.

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1.3 SITE

The project investigates the landscape of Vigsø; a small village at the North-West coast of Denmark. The Danish West coast is dominated by its strong wind and shifting weather - but it is most known for its spectacular nature - parts of it became a national park in 2007 (Thy National Park).

On the site, there is a holiday center; Vigsø Bugt Feriecenter (174 summerhouses) which is the most dominat-ing occupancy in the area. Further down towards and in the seayou`llfindabigenclaveofbunkersfromthe2.WorldWar.These two different occupancies (bunkers and summerhouses) acts as case studies in my investigations.

1.4 COMPOSITION

The project is divided into 3 parts; the landscape, the occupants and the provisories. Landscape and occupants are investigations of existing conditions. The Provisories are my conceptual proposition. Model making and drawing are the main tools.

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1. Landscape.............Vigsø | West coast of Denmark

2. Occupants....................Bunkers | Summerhouses

3.Provisories...Refugiums: Birdwatcher | Artist | Surfer

Existing

Add(My Project)

________________________________________ 2.0 LANDSCAPE

LANDSCAPELANDSCAPE ZONES

HISTORYEXISTING OCCUPANCIES

2.1 LANDSCAPE

The site attracts a lot of people mainly because of its spectacu-lar nature and wildlife. It’s also enriched by its historical layer; there are several bunkers situated on the cliff side and all the way into the water.

The site is affected by several external factors - and it is al-ways changing - through wind, erosion, waves and ocean currents. These ongoing processes makes the landscape dy-namic and complex - the project concerns movement and time as strong site generators. These forces are used as generators to investigate and propose new occupancies in Vigsø.

Left: A comparison of the same landscape, 1954 and today.

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3

2

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1954

2009

2.2 LANDSCAPE ZONES

The landscape consists of 3 main landscape zones:

1: CLIFF | BEACH2: KLIT LANDSCAPE3: SUMMER RESERVOIR

CLIFF | BEACH

The natural forces along the West coast are so powerful: Causing the coastline to move and change, eruding in to the land. It is never constant. The bunkers have become a symbol of this silent, ongoing movement.

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2 1

KLIT LANDSCAPE

The klit is a landscape made by sand drifting from the beach - making it hard for normal vegetation to survive - resulting in a naked landscape without sheltered space.

SUMMER RESERVOIR

The summerhouses are built in enclaves into the landscape - they all have the same construction and design, only varying in size. They offer a general way of dwelling and are connected to the Vacation center which offers a wider range of facilities.

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2.3 HISTORY

During the 2. World War, the Germans put up an extensive coastal battery along the danish West coast. There are around 50 bunkers in this landscape – displaced from its original posi-tion. They were hidden into the cliff. Because of external fac-tors as erosion, wind, waves and the sea eating up the coast-line – there is an ongoing, slow movement of the bunkers.

In 1966 the Danish Association for Holiday (Dansk Folkeferie) decided to built up a village of summerhouses – 174 in all.

2.4 EXISTING OCCUPANCIES

The occupancies; bunkers and summerhouses, are both a part of this complex landscape – which they have in different ways merged into: The summerhouses controlled, the bunkers less controlled – which underline the bunkers temporarity and the summerhouses permanence. The bunkers act as an ephemeral occupant whereas the sum-merhouse act as a constant occupant. They act in contrast to each other.

Def. Bunkers: A military bunker is a hardened shelter, often buried partly or fully underground, designed to protect the in- habitants from falling bombs or other attacks. They were used extensively in World War I, World War II, and the Cold War for weapons facilities, command and control centers, and storage facilities.29 31

________________________ 3.0 GENERAL INVESTIGATIONS

INTRODUCTIONPROGRAMMING

STORYBOARDSLICE IN LANDSCAPE

SKETCHES

3.1 INTRODUCTION - general investigations

Theveryfirstinvestigationsconcernstherelationsbetweendifferent factors on the site: Conditions, users, activities, pro-gram and geography. It also investigates the interrelationship between them.

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3.2 PROGRAMMING#1

IstarttoprogramthesitebydefiningsomecategoriesIwanttoinvestigate: conditions on the site, who are using the area, the activities going on, the geography, proposing a program that makesuseofthefindings.

The different categories (in diagram on the left) are connected through lines - as a method to visualize the relationship be-tween each category.

3.1 PROGRAMMING#2

After programming and studying the outcome and the connec-tionsthatappearsinthediagram-Ibecomemorespecificinmy program concerning which user I want to appeal to, and which program I want to work with:

Program: Refugium/ Accommodation for specific needs

User: Birdwatcher, Surfer and Artist

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DIAGRAM1: Users in area DIAGRAM2: Connecting users in the area, creating meeting points.

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3.3 STORYBOARD

The summerhouses are put out in the landscape in big en-claves.ThefirstthingyouseewhenyouenterVigsøaretheserather anonymous summerhouses, but together they become a part of geometrical structure in the landscape - put in a rigid grid. They are occupied in the summer, almost empty in the winter - becoming hibernations waiting for its summer guests. They appear as something solid and permanent according to its very shifting surroundings.

Walking over the naked Klit landscape, you slowly discover these big bunkers popping out of the landscape and slowly dis-appearing into the sea; the bunkers. As if they have just started a very slowly journey towards the horizon - acting as a contrast to the much more planned and permanent summerhouses. The bunkers once had a role in the landscape - as protection space, today they act as an attraction and playground. What if they were put into action again, into play? As a last thing before disappearing...

3.4 SLICE IN LANDSCAPE

My site is a slice in the landscape - illustrating the purpose of the project. It is a method of studying existing occupancies and introducing new ones - the slice contains a wide variation of landscape and occupancies - I am concentrating on two of them; the bunkers and the summerhouses.

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Sketch: Zoning the landscape Sketch: Programming users into the landscape; the birdwatcher on top - the surfer towards the sea surveying waves - the artist ? I want to create meeting points between different people.

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_________________________ 4.0 SPECIFIC INVESTIGATIONS

MAP OF OCCUPANTSINVESTIGATION PARAMETERS

MOVEMENT: model testingMOVEMENT ON SITE

MOVEMENT + TIMEEXISTING OCCUPANCIES

4.1 MAP OF OCCUPANTS

Drawing is one of my main tools of investigation. In plan I have been drawing onto the site along the way - adding layers of information, not removing anything - to create a history through time and through drawing.

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TIME

MOVEMENT

EXISTINGOCCUPANCIES

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4.2 INVESTIGATION PARAMETERS

One of my visions about investigating an ephemeral land-scape, is to draw information out of this landscape - and into form, into architecture - creating structures that adapts these qualities. The main parameters then is time - movement - investigated through existing occupancies.

4.3 MOVEMENT: model testing

Photo diagram on left: An early model - investigating move-mentandlight.Thephotosarepartsofastopmotionfilm-where simple planes put together creates complex spaces and light conditions. The model generated a later idea of working with moveable elements.

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Summerhouses:

ControlledRigid gridSheltered

NO MOVEMENT

Bunkers:

DisplacedUncontrolledPassive

MOVING

TENSION

4.4 MOVEMENT ON SITE

Site model built in 1:1000: It is an abstraction of the model, as with the site plan - I draw onto the site, in model - analyzing movement and connections between existing occupancies. Sketch: Drawing vertical movement on site

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2008

2004

1999

1995

1992

1986

1981

1954

2008

2004

1999

1995

1992

1986

1981

1954

4.5 TIME + MOVEMENT

Diagram of 6 different time scenarios of the site - illustrating the changing coastline and the adding of new occupancies (summerhouses in 1966).

4.6 EXISTING OCCUPANCIES

Diagram of bunkers and summerhouses - my two case studies

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OCCUPANT#1: BUNKERS

OCCUPANT#2: SUMMERHOUSES

OCCUPANCIES

BUNKER

SUMMERHOUSE

Photos of bunkers and summerhouse

________________________________________ 5.0 CASE STUDIES

INTRODUCTIONMETHOD

CASE STUDY#1: BUNKERSCASE STUDY#2: SUMMERHOUSES

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THE BEACH

THE SUMMERHOUSES

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Bunkers:

DisplacedUncontrolledPassive?

MOVING

CASE STUDY#1

Summerhouses:

Controlled?Rigid gridSheltered

NO MOVEMENT

CASE STUDY#2

5.2 METHOD

The two case studies acts in contrast to each other.Eachofthemhavedefinedamajoruserandminoruser.Idefineamethodforeachofthetwo,andparticulartoolstowork with. The methods seeks to propose concepts for new occupancies.

5.1 INTRODUCTION: case studies

My case studies, and method applied are: In each study, exist-ing occupancy works as a “fundament” for a new occupant - which I introduce on behalf of the investigations I make. The bunker site is about slow movement and displacement. Sum-merhouses exist within a rigid grid, as permanent occupants.

In each study I will introduce my refugiums for artist, birdwatch-er and surfer.

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5.3 CASE STUDY#1: BUNKERS

MAJOR USER: SurferMINOR USER: Artist, Birdwatcher, Tourist

BUNKERS: IDEA

- to create a more site specific and temporary way of occupation

REFUGIUM for artists to stay over longer periodsBIRD TOWER to attract both birdwatchers and add to a public routeREFUGIUM for surfers to stay for short-/ longer periods

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THE BUNKERS ARE SLOWLY DISAPPEAR-ING FROM THE LANDSCAPE AND INTO THE OCEAN - THEY ONCE WERE PROTECTED IN THE CLIFF SIDE - AND ACTED AS PROTEC-TION SPACE FOR MILITARY IN THE 2. W.W. TODAY THEY HAVE MERGED INTO THE LAND-SCAPE AS ORGANISMS RESTING ON LAND BEFORE THEY ARE MOVING THE LAST BIT INTO THE WATER. I DON`T WANT TO CHANGE THIS, BUT I WANT TO GIVE THEM SOME AT-TENTION AND COMPANY ALONG THE ROAD - AND USE THEM AS FUNDAMENT FOR NEW OCCUPANCIES - ON THE BUNKERS CONDITIONS.

IN EXTENSION TO THE VIGSØ ACCOMMODA-TION - I WANT TO CREATE REFUGIUMS FOR AN OTHER GROUP OF VISITORS; SURFERS - BIRDWATCHERS AND ARTISTS.

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BUNKERS: AS LANDSCAPE

The bunkers are merged into the moving landscape I will act upon. I don`t see the bunkers as a landscape, but a part of it - following the same movement.

BUNKERS: METHOD

I use the bunkers as fundament for a new occupant: the new occupant is extruded from the bunker - becoming a part of it. The new occupant emphasize and visualizes the ongoing slow movement.

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1

2

3

BUNKERS: FUNDAMENT FOR NEW OCCUPANCIES

Drawing upon bunkers

BUNKERS: PRIVATE SPACE - PUBLIC SPACE AS GUIDELINES

Public and private spaces triggers spatial organizing.

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PRIVATEPUBLIC

Sketch: Programming through drawing

BUNKERS: ADDING VOLUME

Model working: Bunkers are solid objects made of concrete and iron construction. I will use the same construction technique: Preserving the bunkers presence. I will not anchor the new cast into the bunkers.Through balance and gravity, the independent volumes are connected to each other through wire.

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Modelworking: FrameworkModelworking: Casting on bunkers, extruding surfaces

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Modelworking: Casting on bunkers, extruding surfaces Modelworking: Casting on bunkers, spatial details (upside - down)

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vigsø1994

vigsø1954

TODAY

20302050

2070

vigsø1974

Sketch: MODEL testing, movement: generating temporary space

BUNKERS: TIME SCENARIOS: REGISTRATION

Slow movement: Study of movement through bunkers and its new occupant

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Sketch: New occupant helps bunker moving in a specific directionSketch: MODEL testing, movement: generating temporary space

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Sketch: TIME scenarios bunker1 Sketch: TIME scenarios bunker3

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5.4 CASE STUDY#2: SUMMERHOUSES

MAJOR USER: TouristMINOR USER: Artist, Birdwatcher

SUMMERHOUSES: IDEA

- create a flexible and open way of occupation

REFUGIUM for artists to stay over longer periods.BIRD TOWER to attract both birdwatchers and add to a public route.SOCIAL GATHERINGS for all people in the area for social events; exhibitions, summerpartys for summerguests etc.

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IN EXTENSION TO VIGSØ ACCOMMODATION I WANT TO CREATE NEW OCCUPANCIES IN AN EXISTING CONFIGURATION . BUT MORE CUSTOMIZED - THE GUEST CAN DECIDE HIM-/HERSELF HOW TO DWELL - ON BEHALF OF HIS/HER NEEDS. THROUGH EXPANDING EXISTING GRID, I WILL ADD NEW ACCOMMODATION. VIGSØ VACATION CENTER IS SITUATED IN A RIGID GRID WITH VERY CONTROLLED DIRECTIONS.

THE ACCOMMODATION IS PUT OUT AS A GENERAL WAY OF DWELL. I WANT TO GIVE THE GUESTS AN OPPORTUNITY TO CREATE ITS OWN OCCUPANCY AND CUSTOMIZE FUNCTIONS AFTER NEED.

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SUMMERHOUSES: METHOD

I use the existing grid as fundament for introducing new oc-cupanciesinthesummerreservoir-andthenreconfiguretheexisting functions.

SUMMERHOUSES: AS LANDSCAPEmodelphoto

The summerhouses are part of a planned and rigid landscape. They are built into it and in contrast to the bunkers, not ex-posed to the natural forces.

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SUMMERHOUSES: RECONFIGURE GRID

Adding new directions onto site - expanding existing grid - adding new occupancies.

SUMMERHOUSES: RECONFIGURE VIEWPOINT AND MEETINGPOINTS

The summerhouses are protected from the harsh wind, and built into the landscape - the view and the horizon are there-fore limited.

The summerhouse offers a very common and general accom-modation with all the basic functions to survive and enjoy the reservoir - what if some of them offered a customized way of living, attracting other people? The artist... the surfer..

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SUMMERHOUSES: RECONFIGURE GRID

Adding new directions onto site - expanding existing grid

SUMMERHOUSES: RECONFIGURE FUNCTIONS

Boxesoffunctionsbeingreconfigured

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SUMMERHOUSES: RECONFIGURE SUMMERHOUSE

Modelworking:Reconfigurationofvolume Sketch: Storyboard

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SUMMERHOUSES: REFERANCE

Moving box

__________________________________________ 6.0 CONCLUSION

CONCLUSIONPERSONAL REFLECTION

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6.1 CONCLUSION

The project is about investigations - and developing concepts and methods to generate architecture. It seeks to propose two different ways of occupation in an ephemeral landscape. One is about reinforcing an ongoing movement, the other one is about adding movement to an permanent occupancy. To orchestrate (iscenesætte) time and movement, letting it be-come part of the architecture and the occupancies in the area. My case studies aim to bring landscape and its phenomenons into architecture. It is not only about reinforcing the ephemeral setting-buttobecomesitespecificwhenoccupantsinhabitacertain place, to draw the ephemerality out of the landscape and into architecture.

The concepts should be read as both a comment - but also an architectural proposal. It is a comment on the bunkers role today, as passive attractions along the coast - and it is a com-ment on the summerhouses positions and permanence in a shifting landscape. I see my project as an ongoing process and it could be continued to a next occupancy.

6.2 PERSONAL REFLECTION

Summing up the process: It has been a lot of fun - I have en-joyed it and used that enthusiasm as a driver. At the same time, there has been frustration. I would say that it has been founded in the projects format, being investigations more than a concrete architectural proposal. My aim for the project was to investigate an ephemeral landscape, and then use the outcome to make conceptual proposals for each case study. I have enjoyed the investigations and it has triggered a lot of ideas of how to develop them and to use their potentials. As I have mentioned already in the report, the project is a com-ment of rethinking dwelling. That could have been a project in it self. I have experimented and developed methods of rethink-ing dwelling in a particular site.There have been a discussion about how conceptual or how realistic the proposals should be - and how concrete? For me the experimenting and the investigations are the core of the project, but when experimenting architectural themes, I think it is important at the same time to be able to develop potential and realistic proposals. I have learned a lot in this process, what I think I have learned the most - is to believe in your own process - then the project will be able to test both the extremes and the realistic parts.

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