The qualities of the basics: Base Building Design

Abstract

A building can be understood as an integration of two parts, a base including structures serving multiple users and frame physical conditions for inhabitation, and an attachment including all the elements changing in times and determined by users. The skills of designing a base, rather than a complete building is beyond traditional architectural discourse and yet to be understood. The paper firstly introduced the concept of base building, the significance and its relation with the separate components – the Infill. Then it describes the qualities of the base buildings characterized by permanency, adaptability, simplicity, organized public spaces, and efficient service systems. The paper analyzes buildings designed by Baumschlager Eberle (BE) by focusing on four base systems, namely the structure, operable facade, common spaces in hierarchies, and low energy service system. It demonstrates the sustainable approaches of architecture: long lasting, high comfort with low energy. It concludes that the qualities of the architecture ensured by the initial design are mainly embedded in the base buildings. A skillful base building design with high quality opens a new horizon for the architecture.