Eye of Odaiba #2 - Massing Study Models

So now that we have explored the context of the site, we move on to a conceptual massing study.  Remember the goal is to create a camera obscura, so at the bare minimum it must have a pinhole for light to enter and a projection room where the image is displayed for viewers.  Beyond that, just about anything goes, so here are 3 massing options that I'm exploring.

This first concept is paying homage to boat traffic in the Tokyo Bay, including the massive cargo ships that come and go from the neighboring docks.

Eye of Odaiba #1 - Site Analysis

I am tasked with designing a camera obscura for the Shiokaze park on the island of Odaiba in Tokyo, Japan.  I know that's a mouthful, but let me break it down.

A camera obscura (latin for darkened chamber) is basically a pinhole camera that projects an image onto a surface for viewing.  The concept was conceived thousands of years ago and they have physically existed for hundreds of years but they continue to be tourist attractions around the globe.  Here is a video to describe what a camera obscura is:

First step in any design process is to analyze the site ...

Casita Design #1

A real estate agent approached me about designing a casita for his home in Orange County, CA.  A casita - Spanish for"small house" - is basically a guest house with a bathroom and no kitchen.  They often are used as a home office and are sometimes called a mother in-law suite.  

This casita will serve as a home office, but the main design requirement is that it must match the house.  The goal for any remodel or addition is to increase the value of a house and the surrounding community, but if a remodel is done poorly, it could have the opposite effect.

Lets start off with the palette - here is the existing house: