I find Sketchup good for quickly creating window reveals to experiment with different elevation layouts. Because two sides of the tower are more or less windowless because of the services/core, the window placement looking over the new public space is visually important. The window sizes are all relative to the grid of the building, 1400 wide or 700 wide. All windows are floor to ceiling to emphasise the verticality of the tower... which sadly looks quite stumpy at the moment. I plan to rearrange the staircase from a single flight to a dog-leg stair to create more vertical space, improving the proportions of the building - ultimately making it more slender. The experiments below are in chronological order:
Too few windows
Windows too wide (1400)
Windows too controlled
Too many windows?
The interior of the tower will be white blockwork, keeping the monotonous, brick essence that I am trying so hard to convey in the rest of the design. The floor to ceiling windows will give people of all heights a good view out into the public space below:
700mm openings
1400mm openings
The large openings on the top floor gallery offer the best views north out to the woodland and playing fields, and east towards the main university library - an important view as it gives visitors a visual link to the university library tower and across the site.
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