WORKING THESIS BOOK II Andrew Economou
TOWER PLANS Week 16
Modeling the tower digitally gives a quick way to achieve a greater spatial understanding of the building in its totality and a better sense of the interior conditions. Plan drawings attempt to capture the essence of the building as an orthographic.
descent from interior stair into central core
view from bathing pool towards entrance
the tower is open to the sky for light and rain
water is visible from the top of the tower
ground level central space defined by water is wrapped by temporary sleeping spaces
first level private room for the caretaker on the exterior
ground level entrance into tower
PROGRESS model the tower physically. understand each element necessary for the tower. how can the plans better represent the tower levels? what materials are the protected interior spaces made from? how could it manipulate or filter light?
WRITING Week 17
Construction of the cardboard model began as well as working on defining thesis terms and compiling and starting to edit text for final documentation.
Architecture, Place, and Time....[An Architectural Oasis?]
Architecture has the opportunity to facilitate/mediate/encourage human interaction with the environment and [help?] one to greater understand the natural phenomena of the world around us. The passing of time serves to [emphasize] nature’s effect on architecture. This can reveal tangible and definible attributes of environmental processes through a careful consideration for material and detail. The thesis began to study how architectural elements can respond to discrete environmental phenomena. How does architecture nurture light, water, wind, and ground? The question of place is critical to architecture, and the thesis necessitated a site where the environmental phenomena could have a strong effect on a potential structure. A desert site is explored for its strong quality of light, the wind and its effect on shifting the ground place, and the necessity of water [for humans traveling?]. (specific contextual/narrative conditions) If the structure serves a worthy purpose, a new caretaker must oversee the sustenance of the tower after the death of the previous caretaker. effect/affect?
Architecture as Oasis: Place and Time (thesis investigation) Architecture can amplify (facilitate/mediate/encourage) human interaction with the environment and thus deepen man’s perception of the natural phenomena in the world around us. The passing of time itself serves to [emphasize] nature’s effect on architecture. This weathering shows the tangible attributes of environmental processes and it can be strongly articulated through a careful consideration for material and detail. The thesis began to study how architectural elements can respond to discrete environmental phenomena. How does architecture nurture light, water, wind, and ground? The question of place is critical to architecture, and the thesis necessitated a site where the environmental phenomena could have a strong effect on a potential structure. A desert site is explored for its strong quality of light, the wind and its effect on shifting the ground plane, and the necessity of water [for humans traveling?]. (specific contextual/narrative conditions) If the structure is to be sustained over many generations, a new caretaker must oversee the maintenance of the tower after the death of the previous caretaker.
A replacement of what was lost with something that atones for the loss...this replacement is through an intensification of the place, where it emerges no worse for human intervention, where culture’s shaping of the land to specific use results in a heightening of beauty and presence. WG Clark, Replacement
It is our job to assuage the sacrifice and make building an act of understanding and adoration of the place. the physical place with its earth, sunlight, and view the cultural place, or locus of the traditions of human intervention the spiritual place, an evocative presence WG Clark, Three Places
PROGRESS test book sizes. keep writing to clarify ideas. what binding technique? who are other designers to read?
PROCESS MODEL Week 18
Modeling the tower out of cardboard gives a greater understanding of the parts necessary in the construction of the structure, and can help to determine how light could interact in the spaces.
public sleeping area uses the structure of the building to make the spaces feel private but still maintain visibility
the pool occupies central spaces as well as shaded areas for different experiences within the same volume
looking towards the interior stair and the main entrance
interior stair moving up from the base level
view of water view of sky
PROGRESS work on transparencies within the tower. use the screen system to modify interior light. how does light filter into the core? what defines the space for the water? what is the detail of the staircases?
SECTION DETAILS Week 19
The architecture required more specific detailed drawings in conjunction with the general cardboard lighting model. Stair details address the interaction with the ground as wind shifts the sand, while a detailed section addresses the tower’s overall interaction with water, ground, and sky.
concrete stair detail sand builds in reservoirs for each step
concrete stair detail different patterning possibilities for metal grate
section oblique of concrete stair
a hand pump for drinking water and pool for washing share space with public sleeping quarters
lower stairs belong to the ground and are made of concrete, where the upper exterior stairs belong to the wall and sky, and are made from metal
the building meets the sky by breaking down the solid concrete and transitioning to the sky
PROGRESS detail more specific connections in the structure. detail the concrete door. what is the ordering system of the screen? how does the screen move up the interior? do the outer walls respond more specifically to wind?
LOBBY Week 20
Photographs of the cardboard model seek to capture the light qualities of the interior spaces, and how the spaces can be further detailed. The images also aim to achieve an understanding of the spatial sequencing, from the tower as a point in the horizon to a structure one must circulate through, and how that circulation changes over time.
wooden screens filter the light into the core
procession down the interior stair
view from base of interior stair spaces of the pool have varying degrees of enclosure and lighting levels
view from entrance columns define degrees of privacy
a traveler approaches
progression from exterior metal stair to interior circulation looking into core
lobby exhibition February 20
PROGRESS detail the upper staircase. model sand blowing across the exterior. a vantage point for the landscape. make water more prominent. what is at the top of the tower? is a platform/lookout an appropriate space? is water storage on the top necessary? what is the wooden screen pattern in reality?
STAIR Week 21
The upper stair is detailed, showing how the circulation changes based on where it is in the structure. Sand filters entirely through the metal stairs and only with massive shifts in sand is the stair covered. The structural system is comprised of steel beams, stringers, and grated treads, indicative of its place as supported by the wall.
metal stair section detail
metal stair plan detail
section oblique of metal stair
PROGRESS make water more important. detail each space more specifically. tower from ground to sky. what is the tower’s significance in the landscape? what are views of how a traveler circulates?
LANDSCAPE Week 22
The significance of the tower in the site is questioned through drawing. Pulling back from the close details of the spaces is a reminder that the tower is a small point within a grand location. It is a vertical marker serving as a point of reference in the landscape, and occupying the top of the tower means it could serve as a means of orientation and view as well. Views into the pool attempt to give water more prominence in the space, as its function is crucial to sustaining the life of the building.
presence of the tower at completion of construction
presence of the tower in the desert over time
cutaway oblique of pool giving water more space for itself
PROGRESS give material specifics to the spaces. model the tower exterior. make a threshold of water upon entry. does the material change over time? what is the potential lifetime of the tower? how is it protected during sandstorms? would doing plans be helpful for reference?
CASTING MODEL Week 23
Casting a rockite model seeks to understand how the sun will interact with the tower as it sits in the desert, and of specific material and textural attributes of the building elements. Photographing the inverted mold helps to explore ways in which the true interior of the architecture can be detailed, and the spatial qualities of the exterior circulation.
inverse south elevation
inverse west elevation
inverse east elevation
chipboard texture detail
spatial inverse negative will become positive
spatial inverse interior will become exterior
closing the mold
pouring the tower in rockite
completed rockite model with metal stair added
views from exterior stair
light and shadow turning the corner from the north elevation going to the east
PROGRESS provide contrast. the texture will change over time. make plans moving up through the spaces. how can the negative inform the positive? is the tower oriented to the right directions? how does the tower meet the sky?
PROCESS PLANS Week 24
Individual plans do not represent the architecture and ideas very well, but taking collectively as horizontal sections, plans begin to tell the story of the building more fully. Plans are taken from the first point of contact where a pipe meets the underground water moving up through to the sky.
water meets pipe
pipe meets foundation
primary entrance level threshold of water to cross on entry
ten feet higher pool space begins to close
second entrance level caretaker’s private space to the east and south
third entrance level concrete light detail to south metal stair begins
PROGRESS need to understand the space above. more plans will show thickness better. concrete and metal should have different lines. how does the tower end? can existing structure interact with the top? can it be used to close the tower for storms?
OUTLOOK Week 25
The drawing explores how the tower could meet the sky. The space above must have some function, so with the height above the landscape, the space becomes an ideal place for orienting travelers and giving them a larger view of the landscape they are moving through. Looking east from the western perch, one has a frame to view the sun as it rises above the horizon, casting light across the vast desert where there was darkness before.
highest point of entry into the tower to the right is a steep staircase up to the outlook
small perches frame views out across the desert and allow for views into the well
PROGRESS complete the plans to show depth of levels. figure out how core can be covered from above. detail specific moments addressing natural conditions. what does the outlook look like as an orthographic? does the interior core even need screens? where does the human interact with the tower the most?
HORIZONTAL SECTIONS Week 26
Plans viewed as horizontal sections strive to show the many occupiable areas of the tower interior and exterior, the changing structural systems and thickness, and the depth of the spaces. This brings up questions of what function each area specifically serves, and how some areas might need to address natural phenomena more clearly.
400 feet below ground level pipe meets water
50 feet below ground level foundation meets rock
4 feet below ground level lowest level of pool
3 feet above ground level pool, hand pump, temporary rest
10 feet above ground level spaces start to become more divided
25 feet above ground level private quarters for caretaker
42 feet above ground level third entrance to the south
60 feet above ground level fourth entrance to the south after stair switches
78 feet above ground level last entrance to the north
84 feet above ground level outlook level
108 feet above ground level view from above
PROGRESS each plan should have less information. depth and organization will be shown better. move down in scale to show details within the plan. give sand more space on the ground level. how can the upper structure work with sand? should the north have a perch looking south? is the difference important? how should the pool space change?
WATER & LIGHT Week 27
Details address specifically how the architecture interacts with both water and light as environmental phenomena. The hand pump is crucial to understanding the role of water, as it is the main point of interaction between the human and the architecture. It is one place where the hand is guaranteed to interact with the building. The light well detail is important because it shows how even the harsh desert light can be brought into the tower in a controlled and deliberate way.
light elevation detail translucent concrete lets in light but not sand
plan of light above and below section oblique of light detail
hand pump section detail water is brought up as needed by travelers
hand pump plan oblique of water and floor detail
PROGRESS the pool drawing looks much better now. try to synthesize design in one drawing. does the light detail apply to many places? can sand have a greater presence? what details respond to different scales of time?
CYCLICAL & CONTINUOUS TIME Week 28
The tower responds to time at two different scales. Cyclical time is short term and event based, seen with the passage of a day between light and dark, or with a temporary sandstorm. Continual time is prolonged and long term, seen as details erode or as the building closes itself off to the rising sand. It is important for the tower to acknowledge both scales of time and have details that address the passage of time. Details addressing cyclical time are not permanent, while in general the details addressing continual time are permanent.
the tower can either be fully open, semi-enclosed, or fully closed in light wind, metal screens can cover the wall openings to buffer sand away but still allow light into the tower in the event of a sandstorm the caretaker will close the concrete doors and cover the opening to the core with a heavy weather resistant fabric
constructing the drawing one-point exterior perspective one-point interior perspective exterior oblique projection
entrance and lower levels of the tower threshold of water to cross upon entry light well detail for caretaker’s room and pool spaces concrete floor detail defines spaces for sand
PROGRESS update writing for the lobby. model the textural quality of interior. need updated interior perspectives. what is the floor of the pool? how does sand affect the water?
LOBBY Week 29
Architecture as Oasis: Place and Time Architecture can act as a refuge from the environment, protecting man from the extremes of natural phenomena. It can also filter these natural phenomena through architectural means, amplifying human interaction and deepening man’s engagement with the environment. As well, the cyclical and continual passage of time provoke architectural details to respond to their environment. The thesis studies how architectural elements can respond to discrete environmental phenomena. How can architecture presence and oppose water, wind, ground, and light? The Desert To explore the thesis question of architecture’s place in mediating man’s relationship with the environment, a specific place must be chosen. The environmental extremes of the desert provide a critical location to test how certain natural phenomena engage architecture. Light gives direction, yet the harshness of sunlight in the desert is dangerous. Ground gives foundation, yet sand blows about the landscape and is not a constant. Water gives life, yet is scarce in the desert.
negative chipboard mold for concrete pour
positive rough concrete pour
concrete tower base places to contain both water and sand
lobby exhibition April 22
models and early process drawings
Water In the desert, water is scarce, but is essential for survival. It can only be found in natural oases. For a structure to maintain use in the desert, it must provide water for travelers, acting as an architectural oasis and refuge. This water defines the central gathering spaces for the proposed tower, and the structure protects the life-giving water. A borehole is drilled down to the water table, bringing water up to the ground level to pool in the form of a bath and to sustain humans with a hand pump for drinking water. In preparation for entry into the central well, one must cross a threshold of water, washing their sandals and feet of sand. Bathing spaces offer varying degrees of light and shadow, and differing levels of immersion for visitors. The hand pump sits at the heart of the tower, grounded at the physical center of the space. Travelers seeking refuge and replenishment must pump drinking water as needed. The action of physically pumping water brought up from below the ground brings a greater understanding of the replenishing qualities of water and the effort to gather in the desert. Wind and Ground Ground is not a constant in the desert. Wind blows sand across the landscape, creating a shifting ground plane. For architecture to sustain itself in the site, the structure must respond to sand at both the scale of the site and the scale of the detail. Sand can be seen as individual grains infiltrating even the smallest of crevices, but can also accumulate into massive weight acting against the tower. How can the building respond to the extremes of sand on the exterior, but find ways to contain and presence sand on the interior? Construction of the tower begins at the level of the bedrock with a thick foundation slab. Wind blows sand from the west across the desert, and creates a second ground plane that builds up around the structure over time. The wall thickness responds to the exterior conditions, anticipating the increasing pressure of sand, but the structure also opens on the interior to define the well and frame the sky. The wall openings respond to the interior conditions, articulating circulation and inhabitation. Roughly cast concrete defines the texture of both the interior and exterior walls. Horizontal striations mark the levels of sand as it builds around the structure. As time passes, wind and sand will wear away the roughness of the exterior concrete and leave it smoother. The interior walls are not exposed to the extremes of the desert and will become a point of contrast. Stairs move from ground to sky and wrap the inside and outside of the tower. Regardless of the changing ground elevation outside, one may gain access to the well at the base of the interior volume. Light The sun is critical to existence, but in the desert it can also be unforgiving. Bringing light into the spaces of the tower is necessary, but shaded and dark spaces are also important to provide respite from the heat and serve as a contrast to the harshness of the desert sun. How does the tower allow and deny light to the interior spaces, and how can the tower acknowledge itself as an outlook to the desert landscape? The tower is oriented to the cardinal directions, and the entrances to the tower are situated along the north and south elevations. Approaching the tower from the south, a traveler is not provided with shade from the shadow of the tower, and only upon crossing into the space are they provided with cool relief. Moving from the top of the tower down to the well, sunlight becomes less intense and the dark, cool, rough concrete serves as a welcome refuge from the bright heat of the site. The tower meets the sky with an outlook that frames its surroundings. Small perches let one look down into the well and out across the landscape, reorienting a traveler to the cardinal directions, and mark the point of understanding the contrast between the warm horizontality of the desert and the cool verticality of the well.
PROGRESS edit plans to show levels more individually. photograph model in shifting sand. is the frame sizing correct for the perspective? is it possible to show more erosion? what architectural question defines you?
ROOM 300 Week 30
The work was presented again the following week for the thesis prize exhibition. It is presented more as a record of the whole year, moving from studies and explorations to the project, where the lobby exhibition was presented more as the continuation of the project. An abstract was written to summarize the thesis and the project for jurors.
a traveler approaches
turning the corner from north elevation to east elevation
Architecture as Oasis: Place and Time Architecture can act as a refuge from the environment, protecting man from the extremes of natural phenomena (occurrence?). It can also filter these natural phenomena through architectural means, amplifying human interaction and deepening one’s engagement with the environment. With the cyclical and continual passage of time, architectural details (scale?) are provoked to respond to their environment. The thesis studies how the elements of architecture can respond to (discrete) (varying degrees of) environmental phenomena. How can architecture presence (?) and oppose water, wind, ground, and light? The climatic extremes of the desert provide a critical location to test how certain natural phenomena engage architecture. Light gives direction, yet the harshness of the sun in the desert is dangerous. Ground gives foundation, yet continual wind shifts the topography (?) of the sand. Water gives life, yet is scarce in the desert.
Architecture as Oasis: Place and Time Architecture can act as a refuge from the environment, protecting man from the extremes of natural phenomena. It can also filter these natural phenomena, amplifying human interaction and deepening one’s engagement with the environment. With the cyclical and continual passage of time, architectural form and details are provoked to respond to their environment. In the climatic extremes of the desert, how can the elements of architecture presence and oppose water, wind, ground, and light? A vertical tower serves to orient travelers in the horizontal (?) desert, providing water, darkness, and protection from the arid heat. Water gives life, yet is scarce. (The architecture of?) A well brings water up from below the ground (the earth?) as both a pool and a pump, offering replenishment. Light gives (provides?) direction, yet the harshness of the sun (harsh/ ruthless sun) is dangerous (perilous?). Dark and cool spaces offer respite. Ground gives foundation, yet wind (continuously?) shifts the topography of the sand. Stairs move (ascend?) from ground to sky, allowing access to the well regardless (despite?) of changing elevations (continuous transformations in elevation?).
Architecture as Oasis: Place and Time [160 word abstract] Architecture can act as a refuge from the environment, protecting man from the extremes of natural phenomena. It can also filter these phenomena, amplifying human interaction and deepening one’s engagement with the environment. With the cyclical and continual passage of time, architectural form and details are provoked to respond to their environment. In the climatic extremes of the desert, how can the elements of architecture presence and oppose water, wind, ground, and light? A vertical tower serves to orient travelers in the horizontal desert, providing water, darkness, and protection from the bright arid heat. Water gives life, yet is scarce. A pool and a pump pull water from below the ground, offering replenishment. Light gives direction, yet the harsh sun is dangerous. Dark and cool spaces offer respite. Ground gives foundation, yet shifting winds change the topography of the sand. Stairs move from ground to sky, allowing access to the well despite changing elevations.
thesis prize exhibition April 27
thesis prize exhibition April 27
selected models and photographs spanning the entire year
PROGRESS still go and photograph in sand. need more interior shots of pool and core. what defines a tower and what defines a well? how’s that project book coming along?
MODEL IN SAND Week 31
Images of the model in shifting sand capture the exterior spaces of the tower and how those spaces change over time. The photographs are taken in sunlight to show the extremes of the light and shadow on the textured concrete.
the tower at completion of construction with all entrances open in time, the sand builds around the tower and changes the spaces definition of the structure slowly shifts from more of a tower to more of a well does this mean it is always a tower? has it always been a well?
primary southern entrance
the rising sand begins to change the exterior spaces
primary entrance is now almost halfway up the tower
aerial view the shadow is never cast on the south
tension cables create hallways from stairwells with the rising sand
PROGRESS just those interior photos left. show the difference between the interior/exterior light. how much more is there? should there be any more questions? is there a point to having them now?
MORE CARDBOARD Potential Ending
Pieces of the large cardboard model were swapped out and remade with a more updated version of the design to take images of the interior spaces, specifically views up and down the vertical core, and the view out across the desert from the outlook.
view down into the core from a perch
view out across the landscape framed from a perch
view of the pool coming down from the interior staircase
view from the hand pump looking up the interior core
entering the tower from the primary southern entrance
looking back at the entrance from the pool
this model is 4.5 feet high
there is no adequate way to end this book and the totality of the thesis work, and since nothing is ever really a conclusion I’m not even going to try.