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: -‐confident -‐intui=ve -‐logical 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 seOle 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 genera=on of our sign that is required should deliver the same message in an abstract way. This =me, 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 coOon. 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 coOon, reflects the =me that flies on the stable and movable habitat. But on top of it, the hat made from foil is the strong element like an indestruc=ble 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 interes=ng exercise in the sense that we are forced to look at what we see in a different way than usually, and to asked ourselves ques=ons we don’t take =me to ask.
This trip of discovery starts with a unusual place where the feelings are o@en contradictory: a cemetery. It’s probably the last one le@ in SF since all of them have been moved outside the city. And this =ny place just next to the mission Dolores seems forgoOen 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 aOracted by a gravestone obelisk-‐shaped. 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 no=ced a big building made of glass and steel. The pyramid is reflected in it. It looks like a reflec=on on water. The design is clean and crisp so that it looks both elegant and sophis=cated. 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 reflec=ons that followed. Every=me I am visi=ng a city, what I am interested in is to feel the par=cularity and the atmosphere of the area by exploring and walking throughout it. I generally avoid the most popular and touris=c 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 iden=ty of a place. Each crossing brings a sensa=on of excitement and curiosity, giving more opportuni=es 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 frustra=ng not to be allowed to enter and anybody has probably experienced the sa=sfac=on 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 func=on of construc=ons 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 interes=ng perspec=ve. In order to have a bird’s-‐eye view of the city, the wall is inclined toward it. It gives almost the sensa=on 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 in=mate and cosy place. A@er 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 itera=on of my wall, I s=ll picture it in an urban environment. The main idea was to create a construc=on that could evolve through =me 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 transmiOed through geometrical repe==ons. On the right side, 2 rectangular towers are connected by the edge of their walls and on the le@ side the 2 oblique parallel plans are the most significant aspect of the design. To affirm the character of privacy, the ver=cal beams in front of the façade could give a sensa=on of a cage but at the same =me, increase the feeling of safety.
What I really appreciate in a city, and especially in a city center, is that you have the sensa=on of visi=ng different periods of history in a same picture due to the evolu=on of building design. The mix of several architectural styles plays a huge role in the aOrac=on to a new place. I wanted to translate this idea by adding new components to the exis=ng ones in order to create a residen=al home. This is the story I imagined: Years ago, a young couple, recently seOled in the city, was discovering an area well known for its bad reputa=on. The narrow, poorly illuminated streets were o@en the scene of pickpocke=ng and peOy crimes. But this was also the oldest part of the city filled with many remains of the ancient =mes, giving it a touch of nostalgic beauty. At the turn off an alleyway, two small towers surrounded by a neglected yard drew their aOen=on. They inquired at an old man who was passing by, about it. The property was no longer inhabited and the construc=on was the only ves=ge of the enclosure wall of the old city from the Medieval =mes. Thus started a long journey towards an outstanding transforma=on. The well-‐preserved old elements have been kept and their contrast with the added contemporary construc=ons brings an interes=ng perspec=ve 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 connec=on 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 s=ll there and find use. When the family expanded, so did the house. One could suppose that three genera=ons live in the separate elements and can shi@ places within the house as they get old: The right part is for the grandparents, in the peaceful area. The teenager lives in the le@ front independent studio, to go out without drawing aOen=on… And the younger children with their parents in the le@ part, in the background, where there is enough space for a big playroom.
This is also where the whole family can get together from =me to =me. the purpose is to give a sense of mystery, (is there s=ll any hidden passage), curiosity due to the mix of different 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 le@ 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 specific role (shopping, business, residen=al), and during their lives, people move from a neighborhood to another depending on their age, interests or income.
Old places maOer
Old places help us, humans, place ourselves in the great arc of =me. The con=nued presence of old places contributes to our sense of being on a con=nuum with the past.
Architecture allows us to understand and learn about lost civiliza=ons. It has the capacity to enrich our concep=on of ourselves and of our place in the world.
Every memory is related to a par=cular place. When a site is damaged or destroyed, it only subsists in our mind and our life story is amputated for ever.
There is nothing like wandering in a city that exhibits the marks of =me.
Modern interven=on on historical sites is called “adap=ve re-‐use”.
The purpose is to reflect the past but without imita=ng it.
Between renova=on and reconstruc=on, the decision to be taken is not always obvious.
The past and present are beau=fully combined to create an unforgeOable building with mul=ple layers.
Some=mes, the contrast with the exis=ng structure is emphasized in order to highlight both new and old elements.
But occasionally, the intent is to keep a sense of memory, while simultaneously allowing the new interven=on to have its own iden=ty.
Adap=ve re-‐use can take the form of a bridge between past and present.
The elabora=on of the story board has had a very posi=ve influence on how I could develop my model. I realize now how important an appropriate research might be. The previous model was too predictable, and the different elements were not integrated to one another. They just stood side by side. The project had to be more risky, innova=ve so that each part had to influence the others. I definitely stuck with the idea of mixing an old structure with a contemporary one, that respond to each other. To make this clear, I choose 2 different building materials, cardboard and styrofoam. It’s now like a dialogue between white and brown, the old tower is going to be rejuvenated by the whiteness of the new construc=on. I’m almost sa=sfied with the way I build the stairwell; designing it was even preOy fun. The shape evokes present embracing the past. However, a liOle frustra=on s=ll remains, as I figured out too late how to properly elaborate the model.
FINAL PROJECT REQUIREMENTS Inspired by this semester’s topic related to wonder, we will collabora=vely design and install a full-‐size work on either the courtyard directly outside of Batmale 245 & 246 or on the hillside, adjacent to the courtyard. Each constructed design shall be a quest in search of lost wonder. Aspects of wonder can relate to =me, place, space, perceived experiences, and memory. Prior to the full-‐size construc=on of environmental installa=ons, we will implement a design process that u=lizes the methodology and tools introduced and applied in the first half of this semester.
Explora=on of folding: Tal Friedman is an architect who has been inspired by paper folding techniques. The project is made to resemble Origami not only in its structural and aesthe=cally values but also in its fabrica=on method, which is actually folding the sheets rather than individual panels as is being done today in architecture.
The origami art is far away to be obvious and even a simple model like the one I built, takes =me to figure out how to fold it.
Temporary chapel in Pompaples, Switzerland
The research into folded techniques end up in very interes=ng and innova=ve projects.
The musee des Confluences in Lyon, France
Explora=on of tensioning
This pedestrian tunnel is made of a heavy silvery fabric, stretched =ght over a curving frame. (Zaha Hadid)
Structures that use tensioning in architecture, are both temporary and permanent.
This is a model I build, made of wire and stretch fabric.
Explora=on of sec=oning
This is a temporary structure from students of an architecture school in France.
“The pavilion consists of iden=cal wooden pieces that have been stacked, twisted and assembled to create a poe=c dynamic volume,” said Kengo Kuma . "It offers an organic geometry by a geometric composi=on of wood."
Explora=on of tessella=on
Tobias Horrocks experiments in cardboard lead to dynamic forms that share a common grid but unique forms.
I N S P I R A T I O N
Marston Ave - Google Maps
Site analysis
https://www.google.com/maps/@37.7274966,-122.4492751,3a,...
Marston Ave
Date de l'image : mars 2014
© 2016 Google
San Francisco, California Street View – mars 2014
Google Maps
1 sur 1
This diagram indicates the wind data during the month of may. It’s clear that most of the =me, it comes from north-‐ west. April and May, the two months during which the construc=on will be held, are among the most windy months of the year. The site facing North, the top plaporm under the trees will be more exposed to the wind, but more sunny. 23/03/2016 20:20
On the graph below, the average of precipita=ons during the month of may, is quiet low.
Hillside (choice 1): Posi=ve aspects
• Great and clear views due to its top posi=on. • Natural landscape. • Very quiet area. • Very good sunlight. • Nice views both on east and west. • Plenty of space.
Nega=ve aspects • expose to the wind • uneven surface
Hillside (choice 2): Posi=ve aspects
• great views • use of the trees as an anchor. • natural landscape.
Courtyard (choice 3): Posi=ve aspects
• good sunlight. • even ground. • use of exis=ng holes in the wall. • quite protected from the wind.
Nega=ve aspects
• less sunlight due to the trees • uneven surface.
Nega=ve aspects
• most amount of traffic. • concrete environment. • surrounded by wall and building.
Here are the different sites I choose for the construc=on.
The hill is a special loca=on as it makes the connec=on with the residen=al area above. It’s like a link between the city college’s students and the city’s inhabitants.
Second choice First choice.
Third choice
Program analysis My idea is to build a wall-‐pavilion. It offers a poe=c volume from outside. Inside can be accessed as well. Two passages allow visitors to go in and out the wall. Once you are in, a seat that looks like a swing suggests people to relax and enjoy the view on the hills in the distance on the east side. It could be a reversible sit so that you can have the view on the path and the flowers as well on the west side. San Francisco is a city of immigra=on, a seaport of dreams for many people who came here in the hope of a new and beOer life. I have the idea of a structure that represents the passage between west and east for the migrants as well as a passage for students of the city college from adolescence to adulthood. There, they can stop to measure the way they went through and what they s=ll have to go.
TEAM and SITE It is =me to form the teams and people who choose the same site for their project decide to work together. Our team is made up of 5 women and the name we choose for it, is: “construc=on chicks”! Unfortunately, the site we wanted is already taken by another team, so we decide to choose the one next door. The “two trees site”. It was our second choice. ADVANTAGES • the 2 trees can have a very beneficial role: 1. by suppor=ng the structure 2. by being part of the structure • the moving shadows of the trees brings a mysterious side to the site. • the view is s=ll advantageous, especially on the north and east sides. • it is a natural site surrounded by others nice natural areas.
DISADVANTAGES • the ground isn’t flat at all especially around the trees, with an uneven slope . • the northwest wind is quite strong during spring. • the sun cannot access the site so we cannot play with lightning effects. • The site is far from the construc=on and tools area. One of the main side benefits, is that we’ll have to build a very site specific structure due to the par=cularity of the landscape. The challenge is to incorporate the trees in our design and to create a narra=ve that include them.
FIRST MODELS
The first model we started to work on, is a “curvilinear bench” that encapsulated tree2. In order to include tree1, we decide to create a path between the 2 of them that ends with another sea=ng area. The requirement for this project however, is to built walls and ceilings. We had the idea to construct a canopy like a “skirt” around the trunk of tree2, using tensioned fabric structure. A@er discussing about the project feasibility, it occurs that we would need more =me and knowledge to build such a design.
This is where the inspira=on of our bench comes from. Because of our lack of experience in construc=on, we really have to focus on a design that combine simplicity, feasibility but crea=vity to avoid the obvious.
The second model witch we work on, has been the “eucalyptus leaf”.
The idea was to create a structure that replicates the shape of the eucalyptus leaves, by hammering 2x2 lumbers into the ground and to link the top to each others with ropes in order to create a ceiling. We planned to hang some ropes as well to create more paths and nodes. The trees would be included inside the construc=on. A@er agreeing on the design, we bought a few 2x2 lumber beams and started to dig to bury it at least 1.5 feet under the soil. But we haven’t an=cipated that digging would be such a nightmare due to the many roots and rocks in the soil. It was impossible to hammer the 40 boards without damaging the site and hur=ng the trees.
We now have to be inven=ve again and we start worrying about the =ming, hoping we’ll have enough =me in order to complete the project. Our researches led us to a very simple design that we decided to experiment quickly.
This is called “reciprocal frame” and the principle is that each bean supports and is supported by the others. A@er a first test model, we decided to use the square model with 4 s=cks.
As we already bought some 2x2 lumber beams, we tried to build the paOern during the week-‐end by cutng the 8 feet beams in 3x32 inches sec=ons without le@over. As it is a flexible structure, we didn’t want to use screws to assemble the wood pieces and instead of rope, that was our first idea, we tried to fasten them with zip =es. They are easy to use, adjustable, we don’t need any tools, and they make the assembly very fast.
CONSTRUCTION PROCESS
MATERIALS
The only purchases we made at home depot have been: -‐ 2x2 lumber beams -‐ zip =es -‐ ropes TOOLS To cut the lumber beams, we used: -‐ Electric saw
Once we measured and cut the beams, every member of the team could work in parallel. It allowed us to speed up the process.
Not using any tools made it possible to build the structures directly on site. This was very convenient as we were able to adjust each part, to add some pieces based on the slope, and to try different combina=ons very easily. This was also possible thanks to the lightness of each dome we constructed.
The most difficult part of the project has probably been to adjust and combine the 3 domes in order to create the required paths and nodes and to incorporate the trees in the design. A@er different trials, we end up with one dome as a canopy between the trees, and the 2 others as shelters embracing a tree, each of them connected to the canopy by a rope.
FINAL DESIGN and NARRATIVE
In-‐TREE-‐Net a web of wooden connec=ng links, strong and delicate at the same =me. just like a natural representa=on of the internet.
LESS is MORE This saying is the perfect fit for our project: Simplicity and clarity lead to good design!
N A R R A T I V E
The site we’ve chosen has the par=cularity of being delimitated by 2 trees. Our first wish has been to integrate these trees as being part of our project. We seek to design and construct an interven=on with nature that redefines this exis=ng space between our two trees and transform it into a place. Furthermore, symbolical of our dependency on nature, we wanted the two exis=ng trees to play a significant and essen=al part of our design. No=ce that our canopy structure is suspended from these two trees. Our canopy is also inspired by the forms and forms of space naturally created by the boughs, limbs, and branches of these two Eucalpytus trees. It is not however a literal representa=on, but simpler and more orderly than what exist above. This seems to be the difference between what is made by humans and that made by nature. We wanted our work to be an extension of nature. In tradi=onal concepts, nature and civiliza=on (or culture), are 2 poles of a binary system. All that is made by human being is culture and all that is not created by man belongs to the other pole: nature. But it doesn’t mean that the cohabita=on between nature and culture can’t be harmonious. It should be the purpose of all human ac=vi=es, not to destroy or damage the natural environment but to live symbio=cally in harmony. In our design, we use the reciprocal frame principle in which each beam supports, and in turn is supported by all of the others. This is how we would like to interact and relate to not only fellow human beings, but also to our greater world. Because of the geometrical characteris=cs of the structure, the most appropriate forms of buildings using the RF are circular, ellip=cal and regular polygonal geometries. This technique has been used for many centuries and the first human shelters have probably been built using this concept. We have been seduced by the simplicity of the design that can be compared to individual animal or vegetal cells that mul=ply to form organs or roots, leaves, flowers… All human development starts with stem cells, which transform into our differen=ated but related systems. Like stem cells, we found that this simple RF paOern can be reshaped, morph, shrink, and expand to serve as our walls and roofs. These in turn define our three required nodes within our place. As everybody knows, the impact of human ac=vi=es on nature is more and more disturbing. Most people now live in urban area and we need to restore and keep natural and sustainable landscapes in urban centers. It is difficult mostly due to poli=cal conflicts in land uses.
N A R R A T I V E
Because we deeply care for our environment as future architects and interior designers, we choose to design and construct with simplicity and see to what degree we can achieve a desirable level of complexity. Furthermore, given the temporary existence of this project, we wanted to use materials and construc=on methods that allow us to not only deconstruct our installa=on, but also offer the possibili=es of reuse, reclaim, and recycling. The small piece of preserved natural area where our project takes place and the few trees on it, could be considered as survivors. The site of city college was ini=ally used as a jail and the idea of crea=ng a structure that looks like a cage or a trap, emerged in our minds. But unlike a cage or a trap that deprives people of freedom, our goal is to create an environment that is welcoming, allows others to enjoy this natural setng, and perhaps interact with one another in posi=ve and construc=ve ways, even if we are strangers to begin with. In this way, we are like City College that replaced the prison the preceded it. The reciprocal frames are fascina=ng. Star=ng with only very simple material in the form of rods, one can build a complex grillage structure made of one or a few similar RF-‐units by itera=vely putng RF-‐ units around one another. No central supports are required in the resul=ng RF-‐structures, and one can also disassemble and re-‐assemble these structures, facilita=ng their transporta=on from place to place. This makes RF a highly cost-‐effec=ve deployable system, par=cularly suitable for rapid construc=ons of temporary structures. Apart from the technical aspects, the reciprocal frames also have their intrinsic beauty. Similar to bird nests in the nature, which are built from discrete simple elements, the reciprocal frames share a common characteris=c of being a modular structure composed with simple rods. These rods nicely form self-‐similar and highly symmetric paOerns, capable of crea=ng a vast architectural space as a narra=ve and aesthe=c expression of the building.
R E F L E C T I O N S
This class has been a wonderful opportunity for me to improve in several areas. First of all, Jerry, who teaches each of us according to our sensibility, knowledge and personality, is very inspiring and pushes the limits of everyone in order to make us doing things we couldn’t imagine we were capable of. I’m much more open minded and I have the feeling that I’m watching the world in a different manner now. I feel that my crea=vity and confidence have grown at the same =me. My curiosity has also increased with my learning and I’m much more aware of what I want and I’m able to do. The final project especially is a very good lesson to appreciate and analyze your own reac=ons facing obstacles and difficul=es. Then, working in a team is always a challenge due to the many different characters you have to deal with. You have to adapt to the group and try to persuade the other members that your idea is the best when they disagree. It’s a very good training. To end, I would like to add that being part of this class has been a real pleasure! I’ve had the chance to meet so many great people, even if most of them are way younger than me… “Age is an issue of mind over maOer. If you don’t mind, it doesn’t maOer.” Mark Twain