When designing a space for contemplation, the site one chooses is just as important as the actual design itself. The Dell, designed by Nelson Byrd Woltz Architects, was built in 2004 to reuse and repurpose storm water by a landscape transformation. The reasoning behind this particular site is the fact that it has a water element within. The purpose of placing the contemplation space on the pond at the Dell was to encourage people to reflect on themselves and the world around them surrounded by trees, vegetation and more importantly water.
You approach the site from the south side, facing the pond straight. Even the site has this serene and calm feeling as you walk through the luscious trees and hear the stream on your left. The new designed “bridge” allow you to walk on the water, giving one a feeling of superiority and the excitement of walking on water. The bridge is made up of flat stone blocks placed with space in between them so that the water can flow through. A precedent example of this is presented on the right.
This transition space is all about the sensation of walking on water. Standing on water gives you a perspective you wouldn’t normally be able to see. As you slowly walk on the bridge, the structure visible in front of, you start being more aware of the surrounding environment with the water trickling beneath your feet, the sounds from the forest on your left and the wind blowing through the trees. You approach the stairs and take 3 steps to walk into a new space.
It’s a complete perception change in the senses. The first symptom is the visual shift since you stepped from a bright open space into a dimly lit enclosed one. Your eyes try to adjust as you slowly start paying attention to different elements in the structure, that you wouldn’t in normal circumstances. The structure is an enclosed cube. It’s surrounded with thick stonewalls with small openings of windows covered with glass. One of the most interesting qualities is that the floor is completely insulated glass, through which you see the water beneath your feet, since the structure is slightly raised above the water level. Also the roof is slanted with a huge glass aperture on the edge, allowing you to see the forest on the east side and the sky opening up above your head. All of these elements are forms designed for the purpose of the contemplation space. The aim is to change one’s perception of the world around him/her by the controlled hindering of mostly visual but also other senses. The glass windows have small wooden panels on the interior façade so that the visitor can push it towards different directions to get different frame of views of the exterior. Even a small shift in perception will effect one’s emotions and ideas about the surrounding environment. This structure is purposed for visitors to shift their views on the world and to get new ideas, find solutions or simply just think.
The visual experience is provided by the size and location of the window opening on the façade. They were strategically placed both to frame the specific exterior views and also to let light in from certain angles. The south façade and the west façade have less and smaller openings compared to other facades. The west façade faces the traffic and this decision was based mostly to limit the sound of vehicles to a minimum. The south façade was designed so that the sun wouldn’t heat up the space to an uncomfortable temperature. The roof and floor are glass material due to the concept idea of shifting from the ordinary visual components where the roof and floor are enclosed with windows only on the walls.
Throughout the day as the sun follows along its path from east to west the light quality and angle in the structure changes, relating to the idea of the visual experience. The windows are especially placed to capture the sunset and the sunrise. Charlottesville has one of the most incredible sunsets and it is an amazing experience to see it in an enclosed space through a focus frame.
This structure is designed to be used all year around. Even though Charlottesville doesn’t get extreme temperatures too often this structure could be comfortably inhabited throughout the year. The stone blocks provide not just thermal mass at the edges on the bottom of the structure but they also raise it above the water for the concept idea of the project. The walls are also stone which both relates to the materiality of surrounding structures and also provide a cool temperature during summer and keep the heat in during winter. The glass facades are more difficult during winter since they don’t keep the heat inside as much as stone. Therefore the glass openings on the wall facades are kept to a minimum. The fact that the floor is glass creates difficulty that is solved by putting cushions and blanket on the floor, which could be placed however the visitor wants them. Thus they are not permanent and inflexible installations also provide warmth and comfort during the cold winters. There is a slightly elevated bed-like panel going along the north side to provide a more private space and another sitting area in addition to the cushions on the floor.
The air movement and ventilation is done with minimal structural modifications. The slanted roof has a small horizontal opening going along one side of the structure. The windows on the rooftop can be opened along with the windows on the west side to create airflow through the enclosed space. Since the heat would rise up the rooftop window would allow a comfortable temperature for the visitor. Also the sound of the forest is highly calming and comforting when the rooftop window is opened, since it’s facing east towards the forest.
The concept idea of the contemplation space is the sensory experience provided mostly by visual framing of the facades. The structure is designed to provide a comfortable climate for the visitor without the use of external energy. With small structural manipulations the 16’ by 16’ cube is transformed into a space of self reflection and sustainable structure.