performance

Page 1

DESIGN 3

PRECEDENT ANALYSIS: ICA BOSTON DILLER SCOFIDIO +RENFRO


CONTENTS: PERFORMANCE/ NYIT FALL 2010 MUSICARCHITECTURE DESIGN 3: PRECEDENT ANALYSIS: ICA BOSTON DILLER SCOFIDIO + REFRO STEREOCLOUD MUSIC ACADEMY

ARCHITECTUREMUSIC

APPENDIX: VISULATIZATION 2 INTREPID COMPETITION NEW SOCIAL ARCHITECTURE

aalaim01@nyit.edu 845.380.0923


performace: MUSIC ARCHITECTURE Architecture in the 21 century needs not only to be aesthetically pleasing and functioning but also must actively perform. Projects this semester attempted to perform on many levels. Perform socially, physically and digitally. The most relevant model for today is the connections and possibilities inherent in the ‘Internet.’ It acts as a new social model and fosters a new social attitude of ‘sharing.’ Architecture should perform to convey a current social paradigm to best shape the world we live in. In this way architecture must be able to adapt and offer flexibility in design as the nature of the modern world is always in flux. Now the architect must be able to generate a facilitating framework rather than a conditioned space. Music has architecture and architecture is musical. The are forever entwined in mankind’s culture and DNA. the architecture of music is based on proportion, scale, repetition and the spirit of the piece. The spirit can then be added to the modern canon of the times known as zeitgeist this needs to be understood to generate relevant architecture.



DESIGN 3

PRECEDENT ANALYSIS: ICA BOSTON DILLER SCOFIDIO +RENFRO


DESIGN 3 PRECEDENT: ICA BOSTON



DESIGN 3 PRECEDENT: ICA BOSTON




DESIGN 3

STEREOCLOUD: CUNY MUSIC ACADEMY RED HOOK BROOKLYN For a new music academy located in Red Hook Brooklyn, a fresh take on the educational institution was implemented. “Networked spaces” or sharing spaces became the concept for the entire institution. A network of these generic spaces created the unconditional field, the cloud floating above the public spaces and performance hall below. The unconditioned field eliminate conventional hierarchy in design an places the inhabitant at the center of the design analogous to the Internet. The relation between the design and Internet is in the spirit of the Internet providing a new platform for music development. The school hopes to create the culture and environment necessary to mod the next great generation of musicians and foster music creation rather than the conventional conservatory.

“A LIBERAL SOCIETY CAN’T TELL ITS PEOPLE WHAT GAMES TO PLAY BUT CAN PROVIDE A PARK FOR THEM TO PLAY THEM” Gopnik, Adam . “Olmsted’s Trip.” The New Yorker. March 31 1997.


DESIGN 3

STEREOCLOUD SITE/CONCEPT this page:

collage of site visit (video at http://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=7lSYERVzcTY) spoke and hub subway map

local mass transit map

analytical zoning map

Red Hook felt very mysterious on the day we visited. It was a drizzly overcast cool day. It felt isolated and was difficult to reach. One there was very quite and pleasant I was surprised by the amount of green, it is very different from anywhere else in New York. The site lies at the crux of two local axes, the old industrial and new cultural. From this crucial placement the school was thought to represent this situation in the musical realm. Reinventing industry and generating culture. Other site influences included idea of ‘loft space which is the primary unit attracting artists to Red Hook.


MUSIC INSTITUTE

this page: initial sketch ‘network concept’ sketch of ‘educational network’ sketches study section sketch


DESIGN 3

STEREOCLOUD

CONCEPT this page: reseach into unconditioned field construct

packing solids

sketches of attempts at from generation based on a polar grid

The concept for the music academy started from the concept of educational facility as a network. This then was closely ties to the siesmic shift in the music industry based on the internet as the new platform for sharing, creating, and consuming music. The fusion of these ideas came to attempt to generate form based on a snapshot of a network. Eventually this was refined to the notion that a network is actually a framework that provides facility for the activities within it. This concept of the unconditioned field became the three dimensional driver for the project. Studies on how to create a field appropriate for physical architecture were done including the study of packing solids. Additionally program elements were studied based on a module.


this page: midterm board: programatic considerations


DESIGN 3

STEREOCLOUD AXONMETRIC this page:

STRUCTURE

structural axonmetric

SHADING FROM FRAME

THEATER

study perspectives

The 3d construct became the structural members in the design. Beyond structure the exposure and experience of inhabiting the frame was a key conceptual idea in the design. The perspectives in the frame became similar to the frame tiles of 3d packing shapes. The idea of parallax and non hierarchy are at the heart of these decisions. Egress stairs were made to comply with the buildings organization. The regularization of modules would make the building a candidate for prefabrication and rapid construction.The third floor requires an additional egress path at it does not connect to the north stair shaft. The floor planes of the upper floors also create a parallax as you would walk by in tandem with the frame and its transparency give the entire building a cloud like aesthetic both visually an perceptually as it changes with your movement.


EGRESS this page: egress axonmetric

perspective of 3D construction

study axonmetic views ‘moving’ planes cantitruncated cubic (packing shape) 3D tile image


DESIGN 3

STEREOCLOUD NOLLI/ PARTI this page:

SITE PLAN

1:100

Nolli map

From comments at the midterm it was apparent you cannot just have an unconditioned field as architecture. It is actually a paradoxical as architecture is an act of conditioning. So to compromise this paradox a system of ‘levels of conditioning’ was implemented. The cores were thought of as a rock which the ideal unconditioned space was carved from. The semi conditioned public space took crystallized form twin hexagons which disintegrated into the unconditioned educational spaces above. The open space between the hexagons became public park space with an amphitheater.


REALITY COMPROMISES THE UNCONDITIONED FIELD INCORPORATE “LEVELS OF CONDIIONING” REACTION TO MODERN MUSIC INDUSTRY CRISES

PROVIDE “PROGRAMMABLE” EDUCATIONAL SPACE

UNCONDITIONED

LIKE THE INTERNET OR CENTRAL PARK FRAME ACTIVITIES

CREATE A MUSICAL EDUCATION NETWORK CORRELATING TO THE SHIFT IN THE MUSIC INDUSTRY

CREATE A CULTURE FOR FUTURE GENERATION “NETWORKED SPACE” IS SHARED AND FLEXIBLE CREATE AN ENITIRE FACILITY OF “NETWORKED SPACE” WITHIN A UNCONDITIONED FRAME

CONDITIONED

CREATE A FRAMEWORK ALLOWING FOR ENDLESS POSSIBILITIES= UNCONDITONED FIELD

ARCHITECTURAL PARTI

PREFABRICATED COMPONENTS

UNCONDITIONED ARCHITECTURE FACILITATING NEW CONCEPTS OF MUSICAL GENERTAION

this page: final concept board

plan parti diagram

section parti sketch axon parti sketch cross section sketch (carving)


DESIGN 3

STEREOCLOUD

PLANS this page: second floor plan

ground floor plan

ADA RESTROOMS

ADA restroom plan

The plans show the progression from conditioned to unconditioned space as you move from lower to upper levels. The program was broken down into components. The core, ‘unconditioned network’ which was comprised of repeated ‘programmable chambers’ and the lobby and main theater spaces which were divided hexagons. To accommodate the educational program a hexagon attached to a rectangle became the standard module that could accommodate a classroom, public practice room, private practice room or student lounge depending on the schools needs at a certain time. In this way the school would be able to program its hardware. The library would be the database of all the recordings accessible in the editing chamber making the entire educational facility the digital library. Also the minor theater would be accommodated by the staggering of the educational space. The pattern of the frame also alternated each floor allowing for double height spaces.


this page:

forth floor plan

sixth floor plan

third floor plan

fifth floor plan

UNCONDITIONED CONDITIONED

program components CORE

(RESTROOMS/ EGRESS STAIR)

MAJOR THEATER

(CAFE/ STORE)

LOBBY

OFFICE

/EDITING ROOM

(CLASSROOM/PRACTICE/ LECTURE/ LOUNGE)

PROGRAMMABLE CHAMBER

MNOR THEATER

EDUCATIONAL SPACE

LIBRARY

PROGRAM COMPONENTS


DESIGN 3

STEREOCLOUD

EXTERIOR RENDERINGS this page: south elevation

se perspective

entry perspective

perspective aligned on grid perspective of grand stair

To best express the aesthetic of the structure the enclosure strategy was to be as transparent as possible. This best displays the dynamic of the network with and allows for the parrllactic effects to the viewer. It also lightens the building so not to be such a intruder in Red Hook. The fascinating piece it when you are perpendicular to the geometry and the building opens up contrasted by standing at other ends where the overlapping projection of the frame creates a very dense appearance. This changing effect also lends it self to a cloud. Also technically, it was a chance to cross platform Revit, AutoCAD Photoshop and Illustrator


STEREOCLOUD BROOKLYN EXTERIOR PERSPECTIVES

this page: east elevation

night perspective with context perspective on level 2 moving from elevator to main theater


DESIGN 3

STEREOCLOUD

SECTIONS this page: cross section through amphitheater and public plaza

cross section through theater

D

The regularity of the concept of an unconditioned field is present in the building sections. The light grey hatch represents the core area and may include egress stair and or restrooms. The darker hatch represents what is seen in projected elevation. The cross sections also show the caving aspect of the design which rationalized the design of the cores which was a major design challenge. The two boundaries for the unconditioned ideal space become the core and air and both of these surfaces are carved. The cored are then bounded by the geometry of the lot line making the back wall.


this page: cross section through lobby and grand stair longitudinal section


DESIGN 3

STEREOCLOUD

SECTIONS this page: &'&

5* # ' (#%

574

sun studies

&17$.' 9#.. 5;56'/ &+((75'4 &7%6

+6 5 74( #%'

JUNE 21

8'06

&+4' %

6 57 0.

&#/2'4 9+6* 6*'/4156#6

CURTAIN WALL WINTER OPERTION

&17$.' 9#.. 5;56'/ &+((75'4 &7%6

#%'

(.114 5;56'/

DECEMBER 21

%6 5

70.

+6 5

74(

4(#

57 %'

&'&

5*#

OCTOBER 14 (BEGIN HEATING SEASON)

&#/2'4 9+6* 6*'/4156#6 8'06

&+4'

winter summer

SUSTAINIBILITY

double glazed wall performace diagrams

(.114 5;56'/

CURTAIN WALL SUMMER OPERATION

volume of one chamber and editing room unit MAY 14 (END HEATING SEASON)

To make the idea of an open space feasible with a practicing music school and active noise control system was developed. It records eternal noises and transmits the anti-wave sound canceling the noise creating an isolated chamber. Simultaneously this records all students all the time allowing sharing on the database (library) as well as enforcing social transparency. The wall system would operate to warm air in the winter and cool air in the summer. As the panels are faceted on is typically shaded and the other receives more direct sun. A damper controlled system would regulate the internal climate. The upper three floors are designed to shade each other in the summer months and allow for light to penetrate in the winter. Also the frame is densest in the south direction also providing shading.


JUNE 10 AM

JANUARY 10 AM

ACTIVE NOISE CONTROL

this page: active noise control diagram

sunlight studies summer perspective

winter perspective


DESIGN 3

STEREOCLOUD

FINAL 1/8TH IN MODEL this page: perspective in context

upper floors

upper floors ‘unconditionality’

The architectural model at 1/8” showed structure walls and floors. It was conceived as essentially a kit of parts. The structural pattern was cut and folded and then joined at connection points. The hexagon and rectangular floor plates were set in between the frame. The cores were then added as well as any other ‘conditioned’ pieces. Essentially it was kit of parts.


this page: birds eye

sixth floor looking down

birds eye

fifth floor looking down

minor theater

major theater


DESIGN 3

STEREOCLOUD

MODELS this page: 1/16� model

quater inch detail model

detail of sixteenth inch model

birds eye sixteenth in model

Digital prototyping was used to generate models. In addition to the 1/8 in model a 16th and 1/4 were part of the final presentation. The 1/16 showed structure and enclosure. The quarter showed the condition of the facade. Study models from the entire semester also show the process and alternative forms generated.


this page: sixteenth inch model

sixteenth inch model

study model of 3d construct study model

icosahedron (packinf solid) study model

alternative 3d construct.


Music is undergoing a revolution. No longer do you buy music conventionally. Progressive musicians are embracing the internet as the primary method to transmit and share their vision. This new structure of the industry has been moderated by blogs. Relevant (bloggable songs) that influenced me this semester: Feel free to listen: search artist/track at Hype Machine (www.hypem.com) New outline ----Intro Central Park -- BRAIN (science) (computer) (cybernetics) Connection between Society, technology and architecture (socio-archi-technolgy ) -Society and tech Examples: (current events/examples) Music industry Wiki leaks Facebook -Tech and architecture (William Mitchell?) Industry revolution (upmerge?) CAD BIM -Architecture and society Internationalism failure Moma examples (open source, hardware/software) As a example of synthesis b/w of arch, socio and tech --Collectivity (need to read of reference) FILE SHARING -Social “connectionism” as Socio-cybernetics

artist

track(s)

XX

crystalized basic space not in love master of none gila hey cool kid stilyagi still sound im leaving everwhere castles in the snow undertow beetles set you arms down desire lines coronado peripheral visionaries lucidity rococo modern man everybody’s under your spell get some conversation 16 high and unabridged living in America freakout red paint cameras shake the shackles

crystal castles beach house cloud nothings puro instinct toro y moi twin shadow warpaint

-Cybernetics as architecture (architectecture) --?? HEART (art) spirit Social conscience? Conscious? ness Soul in architecture (orr) vs suburban life (banality) Intuition’s role (wireless) --(hand/ printer/ output) Criteria for (new) architecture Brain + heart How to adapt existing conditions “Unconditioned architecture” “unconditioned culture” = freedom (liberal democracy) globalized (not politically but culturally) Entering a ‘pure age’ vs a baroque (historically) Architecture as education (didactics) --(voice/ speaker/ loop) New EDUCATION= (broad)cast: media driven (Klein and Black) Education in architecture: old vs new (And how its all wrong) Tech vs art and right Concept vs practical Applications to general education (pattern recognition) ---Conclusion(s)ary hypothesizes Is a new paradigm necessary? Am I saying it should be open and you cannot label it? Does it matter? Will we go baroque? Will we stop? Are we in a crises? Can we change. Is aesthetic architecture dead? Utopia? Fantasy vs reality vs virtual? New (my) generation evolution and purpose. “America” as the new global culture forever.

deerhunter young galaxy tame impala arcade fire duke spirit lykke li the national les savy fav DOM tapes ‘n tapes maĴ and kim crystal stilts


perfor mance: ARCHITECTURE MUSIC

Architecture like music is a reflection of zeitgeist. Personally I believe music is an evolution of zeitgeist. The spirit of relevant artists adds up to a sort of social subconscious. This should be understood as an influence on architecture. Like the internet and digital revolution also become a part of current zeitgeist influence architecture. Music becomes a crucial component as it can be somewhat prophetic as architecture should strive to be. Great architecture is eternal. It boils down to the acts of music and architecture are entwined on a social cultural level and need to both be understood in order to create relevant architecture of the future. In Gaia theory the entire world is an organism, and like any organism it needs a nervous system headed by the brain. This is the internet. Music and architecture are the projection of the collective brain in the attempt to create an better future to sustain mankind’s existence. Music and architecture are essential acts of life and exist not only in the physical but spiritual realm. Spirituality is a fundamental need of man and mankind. Architecture, music and zeitgeist become an expression and act of the soul.


APPENDIX

VISUALIZATION 2


V

AAID-240

VISUALIZATION 2 NYIT SCHOOL OF

2 AND DESIGN

ARCHITECTURE

12 17 11

AXONMETRIC PROJECTION

LAB 3

V

FINAL SET 3 / 4 ALEX ALAIMO PROF. E. LU

AAID-240

VISUALIZATION 2 NYIT SCHOOL OF

2 AND DESIGN

ARCHITECTURE

ORTHOGRAPHIC 12 17 11 FINAL SET 4 / 4 PROJECTION

LAB 3

ALEX ALAIMO PROF. E. LU


APPENDIX GY

ER

TE

NA

TH

NN

N

TIO GY LO NO CH TE A ICS N SE EE RY PHYS FE AT GR TO N LI RY TIO HIS VIA ISTO ALT

EA

ST

CO

EN

ER

BR

RE

LIFE

H F OR LIG ISTOR Y E HT

EC

T PU

BLI

RVA

NSE

CO

A

VETERANS

ORIGINAL RENOVATION

C

MIL

ITA

RY

H

SIGNATURE WALL

SP IR IN

E AT UC ED

E

USS INTREPID

FORM

STEEL WOOD

ORIGINAL

PERSPECTIVE VIEW

THE FORM IS GENERATED BY THE GEOMETRIES ON THE ORIGINAL SHIP DESIGN CONTRASTING THE 12 DEGREE PITCH OF THE LANDING FLIGHT DECK, AS THE AREA FOR THE STRUCTURE SITS A THE CRUX OF THESE GEOMETRIES. THE CLASSROOM SPACE WILL SERVE AS A DIDACTIC EXAMPLE OF THE SHIPS HISTORY.

5' - 0"

STARBOARD

TO REFLECT AND INFORM THE PUBLIC OF THE ORIGINAL WOOD CONSTRUCTION THE FLIGHT DECK, A WOOD MODULAR TILE SYSTEM WOULD ACCENT THE INTERIOR SPACE, WHILE THE EXTERIOR WOULD BE CLAD IN STEEL LIKE THE SHIP IS TODAY. THE CONTRAST IN MATERIAL ALSO SERVES AS A DIDACTIC EXPERIENCE FOR THE PUBLIC.

UP DN

DN

HANGER STORAGE

CE, P IS

CLASSROOM

HANGER ENTRY

MECHANICAL CLOSET

48' - 0"

45' - 0"

62' - 8"

BOMB ELEVATOR

MAINTENANCE STORAGE

UP

GROUND FLOOR PLAN SCALE: 1/8” = 1’0”

INTREPID AIRCRAFT MAINTENANCE FACILITY

ATION

RENOV

CONCEPT & SITE

HONOR

91' - 6"

2

1

DD 131

DD 131

3 DD 131

MAINTENTANCE

NAUTICAL NAUTICAL

AERIAL AERIAL

WIND GENERATION WIND GENERATION

STRUCTURE STRUCTURAL MODU

THIS HANGER IS A NEW PROPELLER FOR THE INTREPID AS IT GENERATES MOVEMENT TOWARDS RESTORING HISTORY, ATTRACTING TOURISTS, AND PROMOTING SUSTAINABILITY

PORT

TEAM ZETA ARCHITECTS: ALEX ALAIMO JESSICA ROSE JARDINEL AUSTIN REED ENGINEER: ROBERT PINKERTON

FULLY CONDITIONED SPACE

UNCONDITIONED SPACE

FIRE RATED EGRESS CORRIDOR

PARTIALLY CONDITIONED SPACE

CLASSROOM

ADA SEATING

PUBLIC WALKTHROUGH PATH

COMPRABLE ADA PATH

HANGER

INTREPID AIRCRAFT MAINTENANCE FACILITY

STRUCTURE

UPPER LEVEL PLAN SCALE: 1/8” = 1’0”

6'

- 0"

120 DEG BRACKET PREFABRICATED DECAHEDRON MOMENT CONNECTOR PRESSURE TREATED 2X8

TEAM ZETA ARCHITECTS: ALEX ALAIMO JESSICA ROSE JARDINEL AUSTIN REED ENGINEER: ROBERT PINKERTON


1 A102

MAINTAINENCE STORAGE

CLASSROOM

VERTICAL CLEARANCE 13' - 3"

TOP OF MEZZANINE 12' - 3"

HANGER STORAGE

7' - 8"

TOP OF FLOOR 0' - 0"

6' - 2"

BOMB ELEVATOR

ARCHITECTURE

BOMB ELEVATOR SECTION 1 1/8" = 1'-0"

CLASSROOM

INTREPID AIRCRAFT MAINTENANCE FACILITY

TOP OF MEZZANINE 12' - 3"

HANGER

HANGER STORAGE

TOP OF FLOOR 0' - 0"

3

E-W SECTION 1/8" = 1'-0"

TOP OF MEZZANINE 12' - 3"

TOP OF FLOOR 0' - 0"

ARCHITECTS: ALEX ALAIMO JESSICA ROSE JARDINEL AUSTIN REED ENGINEER: ROBERT PINKERTON

HANGER SECTION 1/8" = 1'-0"

5 DECEMBER 21 WINTER SUNRISE & SUNSET

JUNE 21 SUMMER SUNRISE & SUNSET

SOLAR PANEL SOLAR TRANSLUCENT DAYLIGHTING

PASSIVE HEATING AND INSULATION

VENTING

PASSIVE COOLING & VENTILATION

INSULATION

(+)

RADIANT FLOOR HEATING

SOUTHERN VENTILATION

(+)

(-)

(-) (-) (-) (-)

INTREPID AIRCRAFT MAINTENANCE FACILITY

(+) (+)

SUSTAINABILITY

2

TEAM ZETA

TEAM ZETA ARCHITECTS: ALEX ALAIMO JESSICA ROSE JARDINEL AUSTIN REED ENGINEER: ROBERT PINKERTON


APPENDIX WRITING

DRAFT 2: The Conscious Network: Architecture’s Social Role Revisited Technology has brought the world closer together and has revealed the most important thing is not the ends themselves but the relationship, communication between people. The internet is the modern medium for this exchange. More than any other time in history we are a global culture, and no one person has power, it becomes more democratically dispersed everyday. More than ever anything you do can be seen by others and can have an effect on others we are more connected today then we have ever could have imagined. For example ‘smart phones’ connect any person to everyone from anywhere all the time, the black and white lines of time and space are becoming blurred (Mitchell 28). The vehicle for this is the internet, which is really a framework, a system of connections, essentially a tabular rasa, for anything to happen. Where in the past architecture provided purpose and an identity for a building, or city, now in reflecting the current ‘networked culture’ it must try and do the opposite allowing a space to be defined by its inhabitants. The architect is no longer the creator of specific spaces but he is the generator of an unconditional framework to accommodate the necessary change in the world today. Architecture becomes the most permanent objects in an ever ephemeral world thus making it a powerful tool in shaping society and culture. The origin of architecture was a social idea, organizing communities and communicating the beliefs of a culture. As a society we now becoming conscious of the problems we created, we a aware of social problems more than ever. Since the industrial revolution we have been burning fossil fuels. Since the middle ages we have displaced nature to build cities. Since the birth of the middle class ‘poverty’ has plagued the planet. However now as a global culture we are self-conscious of these issues and feel obligated to resolve them. It is architectures responsibility to society and culture to reflect the times current ‘zeitgeist.’ In today’s digital age society expects of itself to solve the problems we have created and the architect holds responsibility to take action because he or she has the power and means to do so. The paradox facing architecture in the 21st century is it must have a conscious and a permanence in a fleeting world where ideas are everywhere. Ouroussoff commenting on the MoMA exhibit “Small Scale, Big change: New Architectures of Social Engagement” writes, “Andres Lepnik and Andres Weller…make(s) a powerful case that it is possible to create work that is both socially uplifting and architecturally compelling.” Ouroussoff is extending architecture beyond its normal boundaries and proclaiming it is possible for it to act as a tool for society. To implement this, the architect must meet two criteria in design: incorporate modern ‘networked culture’ and contribute socially by resolving a social problem. The preceding examples all demonstrate the modern idea of ‘networking’ in their design while solving a social problem. Three specific examples and two from that exhibit include Olmsted’s Central Park, Teddy Cruz’s Casa Familiar, and Alejandro Aravera’s Monroy Housing projects that all resolve social problem using the modern notion of the network. Looking to the past for a precedent of a framework answering a social problem it is no surprise Fredrick Law Olmstead’s parks are still functioning today. Unlike his European counter parts he did not design the park for a specific purpose like drinking tea, or aristocratic gardens, Olmstead envisioned a park for the middle class. Gopnik expresses this point “A liberal society couldn’t tell its people what games to play, but it could build a park where they can play them (101).” In essence Central park is a park of American democracy, a framework to house any


activity for anyone, analogous to the internet today. The park socially solved the problem of leisure providing entertainment to the masses in a dreary urban environment. The park also performs a sustainable agenda, oxidizing the city air and visually bringing ‘green’ into the environment both major considerations in sustainable design today. People now could for free step away from there day and enter this space of relaxation and leisure. Central park also like the internet has no center, except for you and your activity. Central park is so relevant today every inch is still used today and will never be changed because of its ideas about a social framework and flexibility. Central park is the prime example of the permanent, eternal architecture able to function well into the future, whereas other projects become dated and function changes or it must be demolished. Teddy Cruz uses the idea of a ‘programmed space’ at the core his project Casa Familiar. The project aims to provide a community center for an overcrowded, makeshift community of the border town San Ysidro, CA. Of the many social aspects of the project one of the core ideas is the plaza between components. Basically the project is a complex of closely packed buildings with a plaza between the spaces, think of the plaza as ‘hardware’. The plaza serves the community in a variety of ways (see image 3) based on a programmed schedule of community needs, think of this as software. The space, the hardware performs different functions based on the needs, the software. At different times the plaza serves as a community kitchen, community forum, and gallery for local artists. Cruz suggests purposes and programs but ultimately it is up for the community to decide what it needs at a certain time. This open ended architecture provides the opportunity for the space to change and adapt to future needs and conditions. The projects also ties generations of people together. Housing is provided for seniors that provide childcare for young families all housed in the same complex. This connection between generations is also in the spirit of the today’s age of social connection. Cruz’s Casa Familiar provides a solution to structure a needy community with a space which frames the connection of people, a democratic public space. In the a similar spirit but executed in a different way Elemental lead by Alejandro Aravera completed its housing project Quinta Monroy providing an open end which lets a community solve its problems similar to the idea of ‘open source’. In a similar poverty, ‘ad hoc’ neighborhood as San Ysidro architect Aravera proposed a ‘half house’ which came to fruition after calculating a they could produce twice as much housing on their budget by not completing the entire house. The way it works is a town home is constructed and next to it is an empty shell which the owner can build out to their own needs (see image 4). If a family needs more bedrooms for their children they can build them, if they want to rent out an apartment to provide extra income they can. The apartments are subsidized but the owner has the option to finish the open piece. This creates a structure a frame for the community to grow, while marinating its identity. The architects only provide half the project and the user provides the other half based on their needs. The open source idea is what lead to people creating apps for the apple, once a platform is developed the user can customize to their liking. The flexibility and freedom granted by the architect makes the architects solution work. Like all the projects mentioned Quinta Monroy provides a frame that allows for definition later on. In Orr’s “Mediation on Building” he writes “the purposes for which building are built and the structures themselves, however, are temporary marriages at best” this does not have to be the


APPENDIX WRITING

case, as illustrated in the previous examples (paragraph 11). By not defining a ‘purpose’ the flexibility of a space can transcend time as Central Park does today. However agreeing with Orr in the same article buildings must have a soul, which can be the social answer within a building. The architect of the future has a social responsibility to answer social problems of the world but also must recognize that in today’s world the networked space, a open ended space is the space of now because it allows for the space of tomorrow. The architect now is responsible for constructing a framework facilitating for endless possibilities within. It is now understood the brain functions as a frame for neural impulses, like the internet acts as a frame for society, like gravity acts as glue between celestial bodies, at all scales everything is now understood as interlinked and this construct provides the frame for countless possibilities within. In the beginning humans found themselves in the wilderness of nature and today we are in the position for creating our own natures, in our architecture. Hopefully architecture acts like an extension of society having the brain and heart to move society forward and restore the homeostasis of planet earth. ALTERNATIVE INTODUCTION FOR 3RD DRAFT Central park is nested in perhaps the densest population centers in the country at the same time it is also the only location large enough to lack a wi-fi connection. Ironically, Central Park and what we consider the internet today share the similar architecture. Both facilitate for all users, both encourage interactions, both become a manifestation of the notion of democracy. In describing the Central Park’s creators, Fredrick Law Olmstead intentions, Gopnick writes “A liberal society couldn’t tell its people what games to play. But it could build a park where they can play them” (101). The internet serves the same function that Gopnick is describing on a modern level. Going online today is analogous to visiting central park 100 years ago. Central Park and the World Wide Web both provide escape from reality and become a form of entertainment and socialization. Neither have a center, as the user is always the center and there are countless users. If we take the common ground between central park and the internet a new social paradigm reflecting the age we live in begins to emerge. Works Cited Gopnik, Adam. “Olmsted’s Trip.” The New Yorker. March 31 1997. Mitchell, William J. “Cyborg Citizens.” City of Bits: Space, Place, and the Infobahn. Cambridge, MA: MIT, 1996. 27-43. Print. Orr, David W. “A Meditation on Building.” The Chronicle. October 20, 2006. Ouroussoff, Nicolai. “Real-Life Design: Erecting Solutions to Social Problems.” The New York Times. October 15, 2010. http://www.moma.org/interactives/exhibitions/2010/smallscalebigchange/credits


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