Economics of Construction

Economics of Construction

In the Swiss canton Fribourg, when two villages were recently consolidated, a need arose for a new community centre. The design is based on contextuality: It seeks to sustain the town's traditions with respect to form and materiality. The architects sited the new building in keeping with the other important buildings (church, school, dining establishments, etc.): the gable is perpendicular to the street. In front of the entrance is a new village square, its centre occupied by a tree. The pitched roof picks up on the existing formal vocabulary of Freiburg's farmsteads, which have no overhang whatsoever. The entire building's outer skin of calcareous tufa emphasizes its sharp-edged appearance. The ­facade incorporates stones of three different widths, and the transition is smooth to the roof's shingled slabs. As time passes, this surface will host a variety of mosses, and the building will thus take on a natural patina. Calcareous tufa has large pores and can thereby prevent ground moisture from rising up into it, an ideal building material that has been used in this ­area from time immemorial for buildings' bases and foundations. The stone had previously been provided by a nearby quarry, but the efforts to revive the disused quarry were not successful, and Italian stone was ultimately used.

On the outer wall of the backstage is a large window which can be fully opened and thus provides an option for a stage with the audience seated outdoors. Opposite the hall are the conference rooms, administration, foyer, and bar. The colour concept and atmosphere of the spaces present visitors with stark contrasts: The foyer and the administrative area are characterized by concrete painted white and plasterboard walls, light-toned wood veneer and terrazzo with white aggregate, while in the meeting room the mood is set by oak parquet and the dark cladding of the wooden louvers. The lighting concept also works with contrasts. Large spherical l­uminaires shed light on the entrance, whereas neon tubes in the spaces between the louvers supply light in the hall.

Details

1:20 Section

1:400 Floor plan

1:400 Sections

1:5000 Site plan

Foundations are the part of the building which is in direct contact with the ground. They transmit to the soil, all the load from the building. They are designed to support the walls and the roof and to provide a solid base on which to build the house. The type of foundation chosen will depend on two variables: the total building load, ie, the weight of the house, and the type and quality of the subsoil. Image below demonstrates how the pressure is released onto the soil (Nindo, 2006).

Strip foundations are the most common type used because they offer good strength for their cost. They are created by excavating a trench deep enough to avoid damage to the foundation caused by changes in the topsoil. Usually the trench has to be dug until clay is reached. The bottom of the trench is covered with at least 150mm of concrete. Once the footings are complete, cavity walls ...