Y1 P4 - HomeWorks
Stage 1 site analysis including intuitive sound mapping
This project involved designing a shared home for two musician and architectural communicator couples along the River Loxley. Balancing private living with work spaces, the brief challenged me to consider acoustics, adaptability, and sustainability. Through site analysis, client engagement, and iterative design, I started to develop a compact, flexible home that responds sensitively to both its users and its environment.
After interviewing the clients, I noticed their daily routine followed a three-part rhythm—echoing the movements of a sonata.
The first movement—exposition—mirrors the clients' morning rituals, setting the tone for the day like the opening themes of a sonata.
The second movement—development—reflects the varied and ever-shifting nature of the clients’ workdays, echoing the contrast and exploration found in a sonata’s middle section.
The third movement—recapitulation—mirrors the clients’ evenings, when individual rhythms resolve into shared meals and social time, bringing the day to a harmonious close.
By likening my clients' daily routines to a sonata, I analysed their day through the lens of rhythm, harmony, and melody. I examined the rhythm by comparing time spent in movement vs stillness, the melody by contrasting loud vs quiet moments, and the harmony by noting the balance between public and private activities.
Inspired by musical notation, the form blends curves and straight lines to guide users through the rhythm of their day.
Using the site’s slope, I created a flow from public to private spaces, moving toward the quiet river.
STAGE 3: Form
In developing my massing, I focused on translating my client analysis and the three-part sonata structure into spatial form.
My design prioritises passive environmental strategies to minimise energy consumption and enhance user comfort.
Final design model photos
The Sonata House explores the relationship between structure and inhabitation, where architecture becomes a score, and its users the musicians. Inspired by the movements of a sonata, the home is divided into three distinct zones that support daily life, work, and performance. Just as rubato introduces expressive freedom into music, the design allows its users to shape the rhythm of their routines, creating a fluid, adaptable home that harmonises structure with spontaneity.
Context plan and section 1:200@A1
Section 1:50@A1
Persepctive section
Public function isometric