Project Description

The intention of this project was to conduct an in depth analysis of a building which demonstrates best practice in the materialisation and making of complex architecture. A main requirement was the creation of a Revit 3D model to test modelling skills and enrich the investigation.

The below research paper presents a case study report on the Kansai International Airport in Japan by the Renzo Piano Building Workshop, completed in 1994. The analysis of the project places particular focus on what approaches were applied in order to deal with complexities of combining immense size and elaborate programme with the necessary systems and structure required and how decisions were made in these areas to strengthen the design concept.

In order to investigate this, importance is first placed on what informed the project, namely the context and conditions it responds to from which it received its initial inspiration. This is done before delving into the technical data, in order to critically analyse whether the technical resolution manages to capture the initial inspiring concepts of the architect and his team, despite the size and complexity of the project. This allows for a technical study whereby the practical solutions are tested in relation to the design programme and principles of the architect.

Through the use of schematic drawings, architectural drawings, details, computer aided exploration and 3D model analysis, this paper will uncover how a synthesis of form, systems, structure, space and user clarity was achieved in the building and how these relate back to driving concepts.