Conceptual Architectural Design Explorations
we treat every site as a blank canvas, testing ideas about massing and light through iterative sketches. our conceptual work focuses on how a structure can terrace, peel, and open up to its environment.
Terraced and peeled 5/8… a diagram showing the transformation from a solid block to a terraced building with a peeling roof.
A 3d model of the terraced and peeled concept, showing individual units with green roofs.
Visualizations of the concept, showing how the terraced form creates private outdoor spaces for each unit.
A frontal view of a pyramidal version of the terraced concept, with a large glass facade.
Terraced and peeled 4/8… diagrams showing the development of a building with curved, peeling walls.
A 3d model of the concept, showing how the form creates a sheltered courtyard.
Renders of the concept, showing a copper-clad facade and a rooftop pool.
About this collection
the terraced and peeled forms shown here start as simple hand sketches, not computer renderings. this process allows us to study how sunlight travels across the building envelope and how to effectively layer indoor and outdoor volumes before we commit to blueprints.
architectural design often moves too quickly to screens, missing the nuance of form. our conceptual explorations serve as a test bed for ideas we later apply to residences and commercial master plans. when we talk about a structure peeling, we mean creating a roofline that folds down to become a wall or a floor, creating a seamless landscape integration.
we focus on three critical aspects:
- massing strategies: reducing or expanding the building volume to respond to site contours.
- light infiltration: how fenestrations and skylights can pierce through stacked volumes to reach the core.
- site fluidity: allowing the landscape to flow under, over, and through the built structure.
this study of form is not purely academic. the techniques developed here, like the large cantilevered sections or the curved facades, inform the structural coordination we provide for actual builds. by modeling these complex geometries, we gain clarity on material usage, such as exposed concrete, stone cladding, and glazing requirements, ensuring the final structure maintains the integrity of the original sketch.
Ochre Architects
we are a team of architects who value the history of our craft. every project we take on, from a single home to a stadium complex, begins with a hand-drawn line. we enjoy the friction of the design process, working through multiple options until the massing feels right.
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