Instructor Jerry Lum
LEARNING PORTFOLIO ARCH 101 Anne Perez Spring 2016
Project 1: What’s your sign? In#order#to#design#and#build#a#sign#that#communicate#our#personality,#we#have#to#follow different#steps.# First#of#all,#personal#quali=es#have#to#be#found#so#that#they#can#be#interpreted#with visual#images. Theses#images#will#be#then#turned#in#a#collage. A@er#lis=ng#many#of#them,#I#chose#3#adjec=ves#that#define#me#best: Econfident Eintui=ve Elogical I#think#the#collages#have#to#be#both#esthe=cal#and#mysterious#enough#so#that#they cannot#be#understandable#at#the#first#sight. I#decided#to#try#to#express#these#quali=es#through#symbols#although#symbols#are#o@en cultural#and#not#universal,#but#the#messages#are#quiet#clear.
Somebody(intui-ve(chooses(the(right(key(that(open(the lock(and(then(finds(and(follows(his(way.((((
For(logical,(I(chose(to(draw(a maze.(I(think(it(is(a(good(image to(suggest(this(idea.
The(last(collage(is(maybe(the(less(sugges-ve.(Each step(of(the(ladder(is(enlighted(to(reach(the(summit(of the(mountain(to(show(that(I’m(confident(about(the future.
Phase&1: It’s&now&/me&to&build&my&sign. A:er&a&/me&of&reflec/on,&I&take&it&that&these&quali/es&mixed&altogether&make&me&very adaptable&and&flexible. To&symbolize&this&idea,&I&plan&to&make&a&bird&and&its&nest&put&on&an&igloo&to&show&that I&can&seGle&wherever&I&go. The&igloo&is&made&from&foam&and&the&bird,&from&cardboard,&but&I&use&branches&for&the nest&so&that&the&whole&structure&is&a&bit&heavy&for&the&cardboard&&frame.&The&solu/on is&to&reinforce&it&with&triangles&in&the&coins. At&the&end,&everything&is&stable&enough.
The&weakness&of&my&work&is definitely&the&frame&that&cannot easily&hang&on&the&wall. It’ll&be&my&goal&for&the&next&step! &
Phase&2: The&second&genera0on&of&our&sign&that&is required&should&deliver&the&same&message&in an&abstract&way. This&0me,&I&decide&to&build&a&strong&T?shaped to&hang&the&sign&on&it,&but&the&weight&must&be light,&so&I&use&cardboard,&foil,&foam&and coAon. The&idea&I&want&to&share&is&that&this&sign symbolize&a&very&light&house&I&can&bring&with me&anywhere.&The&shape&of&a&tree&with&4 layers&that&represent&the&4&seasons,&but&with a&very&light&trunk&made&of&coAon,&reects&the 0me&that&ies&on&the&stable&and&movable habitat. But&on&top&of&it,&the&hat&made&from&foil&is&the strong&element&like&an&indestruc0ble&roof&to protect&the&structure&above.&&
Project 2: A journey of Discovery in search of lost wonder
For$this$project$$Jerry$wants$to$lead$us$not$only$to$look$at$something$and analyze$it$but$to$describe$what$we$feel$and$how$it$inspires$us. We$have$to$visit$some$places$we$don’t$know$and$take$at$least$50$photos and$then$select$5$of$them$and$comment$on$them. I$found$it$a$very$interesBng$exercise$in$the$sense$that$we$are$forced$to$look at$what$we$see$in$a$different$way$than$usually,$and$to$asked$ourselves quesBons$we$don’t$take$Bme$to$ask. $
This%trip%of%discovery%starts%with%a%unusual%place where%the%feelings%are%o6en%contradictory:%%a cemetery. It’s%probably%the%last%one%le6%in%SF%since%all%of%them have%been%moved%outside%the%city. And%this%@ny%place%just%next%to%the%mission%Dolores seems%forgoDen%by%human%beings.%Some%of%the tombs%are%hidden%by%the%lush%vegeta@on%and%one feels%more%in%a%secret%garden%than%in%a%place%of buried%people.%The%very%quiet%neighborhood reinforced%this%feeling%of%peace%and%solitude.%No flowers%on%the%graves%except%those%fallen%from%the trees%around.%Nobody%remembers%the%sleeping inhabitants. My%eye%is%aDracted%by%a%gravestone%obeliskJshaped. And%I%remembered%how%the%Egyp@an%obelisk%was related%to%the%sun%god,%was%said%to%be%a%petrified ray%of%sunlight.%I%wonder%if%the%person%who%is%lying under%it%can%feel%its%warmth%and%light…%% %
The$following$spot$is$very$different$from$the$first$one!$Much more$noisy$and$lively. It’s$noon$and$The$Transamerica$Pyramid$is$surrounded$by$people who$come$in$and$out,$the$streets$nearby$are$blocked$and$busy but$the$small$park$behind$allows$a$moment$of$rest$and tranquility. This$image$was$like$the$water$trying$to$reach$the$trees, themselves$trying$to$reach$the$building. In$this$case,$the$nature$cannot$compete$with$the$human$edifice. Another$shape$that$reminds$the$ancient$Egypt…$will$it$be$there$in 6000$years? From$the$park,$I$noJced$a$big$building$made$of$glass$and$steel. The$pyramid$is$reflected$in$it.$It$looks$like$a$reflecJon$on$water. The$design$is$clean$and$crisp$so$that$it$looks$both$elegant$and sophisJcated. It$brings$to$my$mind$a building$called$“le$pavillon noir”$in$my$country.$Same materials$and$a$similar design.$$ $
From%there,%starts%one%of%the%only%diagonal avenue%of%the%city:%Columbus.%This%par<cular situa<on%gives%a%special%shape%to%the%buildings at%each%street%corner,%the%most%famous probably%being%the%Sen<nel%Building. This%narrow%red%brick%building%is%set%back%from the%road.%Everyone%is%free%to%imagine%the meaning%of%the%geometric%symbols%used%on%the wall.%The%windows%divided%in%3%triangles%are especially%odd.%%
The%journey%ends%in%the%Golden%Gate%Park.%It’s the%<me%of%the%day%when%the%light%starts%to fade%so%that%everything%seems%to%be%seen through%a%filter.%Next%to%the%conservatory%of flowers,%some%guys%are%playing%music,%guitars and%drums,%and%the%whole%combina<on%ends up%in%a%perfect%harmony%for%a%while.%%
Project(3:(A(wall(of(wonder ( For(this(project,(we(have(to(build(a(wall(that(evokes(wonder.(It(should(be(inspired(by the(journey(of(discovery(we(made(just(before(and(reflecAons(that(followed. EveryAme(I(am(visiAng(a(city,(what(I(am(interested(in(is(to(feel((the(parAcularity(and the(atmosphere(of(the(area(by(exploring(and(walking(throughout(it.(I(generally avoid(the(most(popular(and(tourisAc(spots(by(losing(my(way(in(the(streets. The(architecture(tells(more(about(history(and(the(inhabitant’s(life(than(anything else.(It(definitely(defines(the(idenAty(of(a(place. Each(crossing(brings(a(sensaAon(of(excitement(and(curiosity,(giving(more opportuniAes(for(new(discoveries. I(love(the(idea(of(being(free(to(imagine(what(is(happening(behind(the(walls(of(a house(or(how(it(is(decorated. It’s(also(a(bit(frustraAng(not(to(be(allowed(to(enter(and(anybody(has(probably experienced(the(saAsfacAon(of(being(able(to(catch(sight(of((a(place(usually(hidden from(view(when(doors(opened. The(journey(of(discovery(had(brought(me(in(the(middle(of(San(Francisco,(downtown precisely,(where(shape,(size,(style(and(funcAon(of(construcAons(are(so(diverse. ( (
Those&reflec*ons&make&me&think&about&what&I wanted&to&design&for&the&project. The&first&version&of&my&“wall&of&wonder” represented&&the&top&of&a&building&or&a&house&in a&urban&area. When&I&lived&in&New&Zealand,&our&home&was&a modern&3&floors&wooden&house&with&a&small room&in&the&top&of&it&that&could&only&be&reached by&&steep&stairs.&Perfect&for&a&study&room&with&a 360 &view&on&the&bush&and&far&from&the&noisy part&of&the&house. I&wanted&to&recreate&this&feeling&of&being hidden&from&the&rest&of&the&world&but&being able&to&observe&it. This&is&the&reason&why&3&big&rectangular&and parallel&windows&are&designed&on&the&wall. I&like&the&concept&of&a&triptych&that&doesn’t&give you&the&opportunity&to&see&a&scene&as&a&whole, but&force&your&imagina*on&to&fill&the&gaps&in between. &
It#also#gives#a#rhythm#to#the#townscape#and#the#fact the#windows#are#misaligned#contribute#to#a#more interes8ng#perspec8ve. In#order#to#have#a#bird’s;eye#view#of#the#city,#the#wall is#inclined#toward#it.#It#gives#almost#the#sensa8on that#you#can#dive#into#it,#well,#your#mind#at#least! The#shape#is#hexagonal#like#a#honeycomb#to#express the#idea#of#a#study#room#where#the#occupier#is#as busy#as#a#bee#to#produce#his#“honey”#and#where#he feels#secure#in#an#in8mate#and#cosy#place.## ADer#trying#to#develop#my#project,#I#realized#that#it was#difficult#to#make#it#more#complex#without building#some#extension.
While&choosing&a&different&approach&for&the second&itera3on&of&my&wall,&I&s3ll&picture&it&in&an urban&environment. The&main&idea&was&to&create&a&construc3on&that could&evolve&through&3me&by&adding&modules related&to&one&another. In&order&to&see&every&single&part&of&the&building,&I had&to&arrange&it&so&that&every&block&could&coexist without&covering&each&other. Each&element&is&offset&from&the&others surrounding&it,&to&create&different&layers&and spaces&between&them. Despite&the&different&styles,&sizes&and&shapes&of the&blocks,&a&sense&of&unity&is&transmiCed&through geometrical&repe33ons. On&the&right&side,&2&rectangular&towers&are connected&by&the&edge&of&their&walls&and&on&the leF&side&the&2&oblique&parallel&plans&are&the&most significant&aspect&of&the&design. To&affirm&the&character&of&privacy,&the&ver3cal beams&in&front&of&the&façade&could&give&a sensa3on&of&a&cage&but&at&the&same&3me,&increase the&feeling&of&safety. &
What%I%really%appreciate%in%a%city,%and%especially%in%a%city%center,%is%that%you%have%the sensa5on%of%visi5ng%diďŹ&#x20AC;erent%periods%of%history%in%a%same%picture%due%to%the%evolu5on of%building%design. The%mix%of%several%architectural%styles%plays%a%huge%role%in%the%a>rac5on%to%a%new place. I%wanted%to%translate%this%idea%by%adding%new%components%to%the%exis5ng%ones%in%order to%create%a%residen5al%home. This%is%the%story%I%imagined: Years%ago,%a%young%couple,%recently%se>led%in%the%city,%was%discovering%an%area%well known%for%its%bad%reputa5on.%The%narrow,%poorly%illuminated%streets%were%oCen%the scene%of%pickpocke5ng%and%pe>y%crimes. But%this%was%also%the%oldest%part%of%the%city%ďŹ lled%with%many%remains%of%the%ancient 5mes,%giving%it%a%touch%of%nostalgic%beauty. At%the%turn%oďŹ&#x20AC;%an%alleyway,%two%small%towers%surrounded%by%a%neglected%yard%drew their%a>en5on. They%inquired%at%an%old%man%who%was%passing%by,%about%it.%The%property%was%no%longer inhabited%and%the%construc5on%was%the%only%ves5ge%of%the%enclosure%wall%of%the%old city%from%the%Medieval%5mes. Thus%started%a%long%journey%towards%an%outstanding%transforma5on. The%wellJpreserved%old%elements%have%been%kept%and%their%contrast%with%the%added contemporary%construc5ons%brings%an%interes5ng%perspec5ve%to%the%place. %
The$many$wide$openings$of$the$new$structures$stand out$compare$to$the$narrow$ones$of$the$ancient buildings. The$beams$that$make$the$connec9on$between$front and$back,$give$a$feeling$of$open$enclosure. For$people$exploring$the$city,$this$elegant$edifice cannot$leave$them$indifferent. Even$the$old$stone$steps$that$once$probably$led$to the$ancient$wall$are$s9ll$there$and$find$use. When$the$family$expanded,$so$did$the$house.$One could$suppose$that$three$genera9ons$live$in$the separate$elements$and$can$shiC$places$within$the house$as$they$get$old: The$right$part$is$for$the$grandparents,$in$the$peaceful area. The$teenager$lives$in$the$leC$front$independent studio,$to$go$out$without$drawing$aEen9on…$And the$younger$children$with$their$parents$in$the$leC part,$in$the$background,$where$there$is$enough space$for$a$big$playroom. $
This%is%also%where%the%whole%family%can%get%together%from%3me%to%3me. the%purpose%is%to%give%a%sense%of%mystery,%(is%there%s3ll%any%hidden%passage),%curiosity due%to%the%mix%of%diďŹ&#x20AC;erent%architectures,%but%also%to%feel%like%living%in%here. %
This$is$my$last$rough$model.$I$add$connec,ons$between$all$the$elements$and$a$very open$wall$on$the$right$front$that$matches$the$por,co$on$the$leA$side.
The$same$evolu,on$and$expansion$seems$to$take$place$at$the$whole$city$level.$The central$area$is$connected$to$the$other$areas,$and$each$of$them$has$a$speciďŹ c$role (shopping,$business,$residen,al),$and$during$their$lives,$people$move$from$a neighborhood$to$another$depending$on$their$age,$interests$or$income. $