Mist by Audrey Tseng Fischer

Mist

Audrey Tseng Fischer

Spring 2018

â&#x20AC;&#x153; Without a certain amount of mysticism there is no appreciation for the

feeling of reverence, and, along with it, for the spiritual significance of humanity.â&#x20AC;?

- Daisetsu Teitaro Suzuki The Training of the Buddhist Monk

The Lodge at Oyunuma Comprehensive Building Design Studio May 2018 University of Waterloo Studio Professor : Andrew Levitt Printing, binding, and layout by Author

Index Prologue

1 Dry

2 Collection

3 Condensation

4 Evaporation

5 Suspension

6 Reflection

7 Mist

Epilogue

Prologue

Site FIG. 0.1 A photograph of a hot spring taken by Sankyo Kabushiki Kaisha.

The site of the Oyunuma Mist Onsen rests near the Oyunuma Pond, Hokkaido, Japan. Oyunuma Pond is fed by a geothermally heated groundwater, percolating through the heated rocks in the Earthâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s mantle, erupting as steam at the earthâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s surface.

(FIG. 0.1) 9

Prologue

FIG. 0.2 A poem by Henry David Thoreau depicting Mist. References are highlighted. FIG. 0.3 An excerpt from Juhiani Pallasmaa’s book regarding mist. References are highlighted. FIG. 0.4 Etymology of mist in The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. References are highlighted.

FIG. 0.5 A photo of the Oyunuma Pond taken in the winter showing steam rising.

Mist By Henry David Thoreau Low-anchored cloud, Newfoundland air, Fountain-head and source of rivers, Dew-cloth, dream-drapery, And napkin spread by fays; Drifting meadow of the air, Where bloom the daisied banks and violets, And in whose fenny labyrinth The bittern booms and heron wades; Spirit of lakes and seas and rivers,— Bear only perfumes and the scent Of healing herbs to just men’s fields.

(FIG. 0.2)

“ Mist and twilight awaken the imagination by making visual images unclear and ambiguous; a Chinese painting of a foggy mountain landscape, or the raked sand gardens of Ryan-ji Zen garden, give rise to an unfocused way of looking, evoking a trance-like, meditative state. The absent-minded gaze penetrates the surface of the physical image and focuses in infinity.” - Juhiani Pallasmaa, The Eyes of the Skin: Architecture and the Senses

(FIG. 0.3)

mist (noun) 1. a cloud of tiny water droplets suspended in the atmosphere at or near the earth’s surface limiting visibility, but to a lesser extent than fog; strictly, with visibility remaining above 1.5 miles (1 km). “the peaks were shrouded in mist.” 2. used in reference to something that blurs one’s perceptions or memory. “Sardinia’s origins are lost in the mist of time.”

(Fig. 0.4)

(FIG. 0.5) 11

Prologue

FIG. 0.6 The site is accessible by vehicle along the Noboribetsu Onsen Dori, and accessed by bikers along a path through the River Oyunuma Pond Natural Footbath.

(FIG. 0.6)

Site (Oyunuma Mist : Onsen) River Oyunuma Natural Footbath Oyunuma Pond

Rain Hot Spring Geyser

FIG. 0.7 Diagram shows the natural process of thermally heated groundwater. Rainfall percolates to perch as groundwater, heated by the Earthâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s magma, and over the course of time emerging to the surface in hot springs or geysers.

Porous rock layer Hot underground water

Porous rock layer

Magma

(FIG. 0.7)

FIG. 0.8 Location of the Noboribetsu Geothermal Field, Kuttara Volcano, southwestern Hokkaido, Japan. Map taken from Yoshihiki Goto, Hirotaka Sasaki, Toshimasa Torigughi and Akira Katakeyamaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s letter titled A Phreatic Explosion after AD 1663 at the Hiyoriyama Cryptodome, Kuttara Volcano, Southwestern Hokkaido, Japan.

(FIG. 0.8)

Prologue

FIG. 0.9 A watercolor by Gloria Tseng Fischer titled Daffodils. My mother, Gloria, sent this card to me while I was away.

(FIG. 0.9)

“Emptiness which is conceptually liable to by mistaken for sheer nothingness is in fact the reservior of infinite possibilities.” - Daisetsu Teiaro Suzuki

When Professor Andrew Levitt flipped through images of our studio’s site, one image in particular fascinated me: a photograph of the Oyunuma Pond during the winter. Steam rising from hot springs created a veil over the mountainside. This blurred image brought to mind my mother’s watercolor (Fig 0.9). Her paintings intentionally leave moments of her subject empty (void of color) which invites the painting to be completed by the viewer. Similarly, the practice of Zen echoes this perception of ‘incomplete’ as whole. The awareness of various interpretations can be depicted in art as an ambiguous, yet personally rich, reality. Zen thought achknowledges limitations of one’s ability to conceptualize a reality that is universally defined. A reality composed of expressions and experiences. The Oyunuma Mist Onsen expresses the experience of mist. One can have many interpretations of mist, as conveyed in Henry David Thoreau’s poem (Fig. 0.2). As such, the Mist can be experienced as dryness, collection, condensation, evaporation, suspension and reflection. The expressions of Mist are ephemeral, and grounded in one’s experiences.

This ephemerality embodies phenomenology - a space to see, smell, taste, and listen. One can play with light, breathe in flowers, prepare a meal, or anticipate falling water. Here, there is a lightness to being.

The ground gives warmth, water and a place to find balance - a space to experience touch. Here, the earth is expounded, presenting a stage for phenomenology.

Prologue

Experiences of mist Program

Water

Structure

Double wall

Parti

Dry accommodation

Collection showers

Condensation greenhouse

Evaporation tea house / archive

Suspension kitchen / lounge

Reflection entrance

Mist spa

Dry

Fig. 1.0 A maguette.

The opposite of a water saturated environment is dryness - an experience which aids a higher degree of contrast between hydration and dehydration.

(FIG. 1.0)

Dry

FIG. 1.01 A print by Eiho Hirezaki titled Ghost in front of the mosquito net. The veil allows a degree of privacy and distance from the natural world, whilst still allowing the wind and light to filter in. FIG. 1.02 A print by Hasui Kawase titled Rainy night at Maekawa. The light from the enclosures illuminate the path and used as way-finding.

(FIG. 1.02)

(FIG. 1.01)

Light cannot be experienced without dark. Similarly, mist cannot be experienced without dryness. Damp, wet, and saturation is best contrasted with dryness. The experience of being dry in a bathhouse begins with a towel wrapped around one’s body. The towel absorbs the bathwater and provides privacy. The image of a veil, conveyed in Eiho Hiresaki’s print, parallels functionality paired with privacy of the towel. Curtains drawn in a home also echo these properties. Curtains in the Oyunuma Mist’s quarters functions to define barriers, obscuring views, give privacy, while also serving as an insect screen. One engages the curtains by act as a second enclosure, opening to air, sunlight, the passerby, while also allowing introspection, shadows, and privacy. The curtain gauges a level of intimacy with the surroundings whilst sheltering the inhabitant. Gaston Bachelard writes in The Poetics of Space,

The house shelters day-dreaming, the house protects the dreamer, the house allows one to dream in peace.

To favor Bachelard’s perception of a house as a space to dream is to realize Thoreau’s conception of mist as “dream-drapery.” Or, a curtain.

Dry

FIG. 1.03 A rendering of visitors behind the curtains. FIG. 1.04 A representation of light filtering through a curtain. FIG. 1.05 A view of the quarters. The buildings float against the mountain side just as mist drapes along the mountain ridges.

(FIG. 1.03)

(FIG. 1.04)

(FIG. 1.05)

Dry

FIG. 1.06 Structural section Structural plan The quarters is composed of two systems. The occupied system is a steel structure which transfers all dead and live load into steel columns, which sit on top of the second system. The second system, steel and concrete, sits within the site and retains water from the rain, greywater, and black water systems.

(FIG. 1.07 ) FIG. 1.07 Section 1:150 though path. The visitor walks on an elevated steel platform.

FIG. 1.08 Plan 1:00 The floor is composed of heated concrete, inviting the occupant to sit on the ground.

(FIG. 1.06)

(FIG. 1.08 )

Dry

FIG. 1.09 Rendered section 1:100

(FIG. 1.09)

FIG. 1.10 Detail section 1:20

The enclosure has operable windows on North and South facing windows, allowing air to cross ventilate. Radiant floor heating provides the inhabitant with a warm surface to sit, rest, and relax on. Double wall is composed of a reflective glass exterior and curtains on the interior. Glass allows natural light, views, and ventilation for the visitor. Curtains provide privacy and shading whilst keeping out insects.

(fig. 1.10)

Collection

fig. 2.0 A maguette.

Mist is a phenomenon composed of a collection of water droplets. The density of the collection causes a reduction in visibility.

(FIG. 2.0)

Collection

FIG. 2.01 A woodblock print byTakahashi Hiroaki titled Interior of the Kannon Temple at Askakusa. Print illustrates the relationship between passerby and inhabitants. Pedestrians can only observe activity, unable to make out the guests.

(FIG. 2.02)

FIG. 2.02 A still of the film Castle in the Sky directed by Hayao Miyasaki. The image shows a drawing of Laputa, a Castle in the Sky. (FIG. 2.01)

Mist makes objects unclear. There is an ambiguity to the reality behind a cloud. What is there? Humans have imagined entire cities in the clouds from dreams of their shape, their size, their shadows. Hayao Miyazaki directed a fantastical film titled Castle in the Sky about an orphan’s discovery of the mystical floating city of Laputa (Fig 2.02). Italo Calvino wrote a story in Invisible Cities about building the city in the sky called Thekla.

Work stops at sunset. Darkness falls over the building site. The sky is filled with starts. “There is the blueprint,” they say.

The shower room, like Thekla, will only be transparent and clear when not in use. One will be able to see inside the building when it is unoccupied - the structure, the materials, the forest behind. Once someone turns on the faucet to shower, the space will fill with steam and fog - making the interior objects unclear. The inside will become a mystery once again. As water droplets collect on the side of the glass, one loses visibility through the window. The water saturated environment provides privacy for the individual. The steam envelopes their naked body. One may look through into the enclosure from outside, but they would only see a figure - detail is vague (Fig. 2.01). The shower water and condensation will drain and collect below the floor in a large pool.

Collection

FIG. 2.03 A misty view of a person showering. FIG. 2.04 A clear view when the showers are unoccupied.

FIG. 2.05 A rendering of the exterior of the shower room illustrating the relationship between user and passerby.

(FIG. 2.03)

(FIG. 2.04)

(FIG. 2.05)

Collection

FIG. 2.06 Structural section Structural plan The shower and laundry structure is composed of two systems. One system is the occupied steel system whose loads fall onto the columns. The second system is a concrete and steel systems which retains water underneath the occupied structure.

FIG. 2.07 Path section 1:150 The visitor walks on a slightly elevated path.

(FIG. 2.07 )

FIG. 2.08 Plan 1:100 The user will walk on wooden decking. They are able to see the water collect below.

(FIG. 2.06)

(FIG. 2.08 )

Collection

FIG. 2.09 Rendered section 1:100

(FIG. 2.09)

FIG. 2.10 Detail section 1:20

Rainwater and condensation is collected through gutters on the roof and drained into a natural filtration system. The water is then drained into the cistern and enters the gray water system. The enclosure is ventilated through operable windows near the roof. This allows the excess heat and steam to escape. The double wall is composted of two layers of glass. The exterior layer mediates inside/ outside environment - air is vented, sunlight is gathered. The interior layer controls views - glass fogs up when steam is introduced to limit visibility.

(fig. 2.10)

Condensation

FIG. 3.0 A maguette.

Water condenses into droplets when hot air and cold air is in contact. The condensation blurs oneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s view of the inside, or outside, whilst providing nourishment for the plants.

(FIG. 3.0)

Condensation

FIG. 3.01 A print by Imao Keinen titled Two riders on horseback. The print depicts the layers of diminishing visibility, similar to the phenomenon of condensation decreasing visual clarity.

FIG. 3.02 A woodblock print by Imao Keinen. (FIG. 3.01)

FIG. 3.03 Twelve Things to Avoid written by Jao Tzu-jan during the yuan Period. Zen Buddhism was introduced to Japan and heavily influence the Japanese perception of their natural world. The except was taken from The Mustard Seed Garden Manual of Painting translated from Chinese and edited by Mai-mai Szefirst and published in 1956. The book was the main reference for depicting landscape.

(FIG. 3.02)

The Twelve Things to Avoid (Shih Erh Chi) By Jao Tzu-jan The first things to avoid is a crowded, ill arranged composition. The second, far and near not clearly distinguished. The third, mountains without Châ&#x20AC;&#x2122;i, the pulse of life. The fourth, water with no indication of its source. The fifth, scenes lacking any places made inaccessible by nature. The sixth, paths with no indication of beginning and end. The seventh, stones and rocks with one face. The eighth, trees with less than four main branches. The ninth, figures unnaturally distorted. The tenth, buildings and pavilions inappropriately places. The eleventh, atmospheric effects of mist and clearness neglected. The twelfth, color applied without method. (FIG. 3.03)

Japanese representation of the natural world has always expressed a harmony between humans and nature. The cultural significance of the environment, as influenced by Zen Buddhism, emerges in the aesthetic realm. The deeply rooted appreciation towards the natural world manifests in rituals, clothing, and gardening. The Japanese hold seasonal festivals for the moon, snow, cherry blossoms, etc. Their kimonos are decorated with floral patterns, they tend to dwarfed tree (bonsai), and create miniature landscape in trays (bonkei). Nature is never depicted as mere representations of the external world, rather as expression of harmony. Imao Keinenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s print of Two riders on horseback expresses nature as a mysterious entity - one unable to be perceived with human eyes. Yet, the two riders keep moving into uncertainty. Similarly, the greenhouse will have vagueness to what exists behind the water saturated glass. However, it is because of the intensity of condensation on the glass the interior plant are able to be nourished and provide humans vegetables and tea. The greenhouse and garden space is a traditional place to realize a cultureâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s relationship to the landscape. Therefore, the greenhouse in the Oyunuma Mist Onsen echo the harmonious relationship between people and the forest. The ephemeral (materialized in a glass enclosure, farmers tending the vegetation, and visitors) and the grounded (emerging as the plants, water, and soil) exist in unity.

Condensation

FIG. 3.04 A rendering of the greenhouse during spring. The interior flowers are screened by water droplets on the glass.

(FIG. 3.04)

FIG. 3.05 A rendering of the greenhouse during winter. The water is heated geothermally, producing a screen of steam that surrounds the greenhouse. Water condenses on the glass and obscuring the view of the interior vegetation.

FIG. 3.06 A rendering of interior of the greenhouse. (FIG. 3.05)

(FIG. 3.06)

Condensation

FIG. 3.07 Structural section Structural plan The greenhouse is a steel frame structure whose concrete foundations retain earth from inside and outside the enclosure. The enclosure is primarily made of glass and supported by interior columns. The walls are fixed to cantilevered beams and the foundation. (FIG. 3.08) FIG. 3.08 Path section 1:150 The visitor walks above a stream of rainwater / overflow.

FIG. 3.09 Plan 1:100 A rendered plan of the glass floor - allowing the visitor to see the plant below and captured dew.

(FIG. 3.07)

(FIG. 3.09)

Condensation

FIG. 3.10 Rendered section 1:100

(FIG. 3.10)

FIG. 3.11 Detail section 1:20

The sun heated interior and the cold exterior create condensation on the window panes. The cold outside air falls through the double wall - water collects on a larger surface area. The water droplets fall down the glass into a gutter. The gutter then irrigates the water into the plant bed. Excess heat is ventilated through the top of the greenhouse.

(fig. 3.11)

Evaporation

evaporation

Figure. 4.0 A maguette.

Evaporation is a condition when a liquid become a gas. Visitors are invited to enjoy a tea ceremony and watch the vapor from the cup dance in the light.

(FIG. 4.0)

Evaporation

FIG. 4.01 A woodblock print by Yoshikawa Kanpo titled Evening Dew Morning Fog. Kanpo depicts dew and fog sharing a meal and exchanging conversation. This print gives character to these phenomenon.

(FIG 4.01) FIG 4.02 A woodblock print by Kawarazaki Shoudou titled Jasmin. These flowers are used as fragrance and tea.

FIG. 4.03 Flowers to be grown in the greenhouse.

(FIG 4.02)

(FIG 4.03)

â&#x20AC;&#x153;With lacquerer there is an extra beauty in that moment between removing the lid and lifting the bowl to the mouth, when one gazes at the still, silent liquid in the dark depths of the bowl itself. What lies within the darkness one cannot distinguish, but the palm senses the gentle movements of the liquid, vapor rises form within, forming droplets on the rim, and the fragrance carried upon the vapor brings a delicate anticipation ... a moment of mystery, it might almost be called, a moment of trance.â&#x20AC;? - Jun-ichiro Tanizaki, In Praise of Shadows

Mist is experienced as evaporation - the process of turning liquid into vapor. Yoshikawa Kanpo expressed this process as two characters in his woodblock print: evening dew and morning fog (Fig. 4.1) and created a stage for these entities. The tea house will behave as a backdrop for the tea vapor created during tea ceremonies. The vapor is invited to dance in the still air and be observed against the dark wooden screen. A single light source from the sky will refract through the suspended water droplets, illuminating the tea vaporâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s performance. Along the edge of the tea house are hang-drying tea leaves. The freshly picked jasmine (Fig. 4.3) from the greenhouse will dispel their scent through the ventilation to the outside air. Passerby will anticipate the tea ceremony from the smell of jasmine. Below the tea house rests a pool of hot spring water pumped from the thermally heated groundwater. The visitor will sit on the wooden floor and feel the heat rise from below.

Evaporation

FIG. 4.04 A rendering of drying tea leaves. The jasmine picked from the greenhouse is hung to dry inside the teahouse. The scent fills the enclosure and spill outside to passerby.

FIG. 4.05 A rendering of the vapor from hot tea illuminated by the skylight again the dark wooden screen.

FIG. 4.06 A rendering of a tea ceremony. Light falls through the skylight. The water vapor from the tea is illuminated. (FIG. 4.04)

(FIG. 4.05)

(FIG. 4.06)

Evaporation

FIG. 4.07 Structural section Structural plan The tea house is composed of a steel structural system which sits on top of concrete foundations. The concrete foundations contain geothermally heated water. The roof is held up by interior steel columns.

FIG. 4.08 Path section 1:150

(FIG. 4.08)

The visitor walks on a path above geothermally heated water. Mist rises from the reveal between the path and the structure holding the water. (FIG. 4.07) FIG. 4.09 Plan 1:100 A rendered plan illustrating the steam captured in the cypress wood screen. The steam from the pool escapes surrounding the teahouse with mist.

(FIG. 4.09)

Evaporation

FIG. 4.10 Rendered section 1:100

(FIG. 4.10)

FIG. 4.11 Detail section 1:20

The jasmine scented air is ventilated through operable windows. The surface visitors sit on is heated from a thermally fed pool below. The hot water creates steam, giving the illusion of a floating platform. The double wall is composed of glass and a screen. The glass keeps the wind out of the enclosure and allows for views into the tea house. The interior wooden screen are made from cypress wood, which turn dark when exposed to moisture. The dark wood acts as a display for the tea vapor.

(fig. 4.11)

Suspension

suspension

Figure. 5.0 A maguette.

Mist is composed of water droplets suspended in the air.

(FIG. 5.0)

Suspension

FIG. 5.01 A woodblock print by Zhao Haipeng titled View of Kyoto Kiyomizu Temple in the Mist. The mist clouds the structure which holds the temple on the mountain - giving the illusion the building, like the mist, is suspended.

(FIG. 5.01

The state of being suspended in the air is natural to mist. However, the act of suspension for people alludes to physical and mental tension, whether hanging from a bridge or sitting on the edge of their seat during a suspenseful film. In Japanese depictions of mist in paintings the mountain ridges float, as do buildings, trees, and other grounded elements (FIG 5.01). However, the paintings still evoke a sense of Zen. Although physically there is tension, one is not aware of the feeling mentally. After a night of restful sleep, or a day spent walking through the forest - when one is ready to sit down with other guests for a communal mean - one finds themselves hanging in atmosphere just like mist. Unacquainted visitors will dine on a floating platform, suspended in an enclosure. Sharing this experience will break the social tension. Just as Zhao Haipeng expressed a calmness to the tension of suspension, too will the dining experience. In traditional onsens, Japanese slow cook their eggs in hot spring water. This dish is call Onsen Tamago. The guests will be able to cook their own eggs in steam rising from the thermally heated spring water below the enclosure. The stream beneath the building will create steam, giving the perception of a suspended building.

Suspension

FIG. 5.02 A vignette of the suspended eating platform. The tabletop, which is the only component grounded, provides heat and water for the diners.

FIG. 5.03 A vignette of onsen tamago - a Japanese egg which is slow cooked in the onsen hot spring water.

FIG. 5.04 A rendering of the steam from the thermally heated pool falling down the topography, covering the ground and giving the illusion the building is suspended. (FIG. 5.02)

(FIG. 5.03)

(FIG. 5.04)

Suspension

FIG. 5.05 Structural section Structural plan The kitchen/lounge has a suspended steel structure. The enclosure floats on top of the earth and is hung from a steel framing system. All interior columns are tension systems.

FIG. 5.06 Path section 1:150 The path is hung from supports on either side. The path follows water which is heated to create steam under the building.

(FIG. 5.06)

FIG. 5.07 Plan 1:100 A plan with illustrations of the outdoor access to the hot water for hot spring cooked eggs - a common dish to find near onsens. The dining table has a heated surface to keep the food warm or used for shabu-shabu, a hotpot dish. (FIG. 5.05)

(FIG. 5.07)

Suspension

FIG. 5.08 Rendered section 1:100

(FIG. 5.08)

FIG. 5.09 Detail section 1:20

The geothermally heated water falls down the steep hill, giving the illusion of a suspended building. The eat area is hung from the ceiling, except for the table that provides heat and water for the diners, which seemingly comes from the ground. The double wall system is composed of a glass exterior, to allow to views, and a hung glass interior, to provide a space for ventilation.

(fig. 5.09)

Reflection

Figure. 6.0 A maguette.

As one enters the Oyunuma Mist Onsen they are first invited to reflect. Mist allows the opportunity to think without visual distractions and clear oneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s mind.

(FIG. 6.0)

Reflection

FIG. 6.01 A woodblock print by Takahashi Hiroaki titled Winter Moon. The building is illuminated and reflected in the rippling water. FIG. 6.02 A woodblock print by Shiro Kasamatsu titled Rainy Evening at Shinobazu Pond. The pathâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s texture is represented by the light reflecting from the lamps - showing the difference between the dry and wet surfaces.

(FIG. 6.02)

(FIG. 6.01)

“The reflected world is the conquest of calm” - Gaston Bachelard, Water and Dreams

One may or may not enter nature for the purpose of bringing calmness or silence to one’s mind, however surrounding oneself in natural forces allows one to surrender and to let go of competing thoughts and reflect. Mist; visceral, inward focused, non-intellectual. Walking through mist is meditative - one’s sight is obscured, bring focus to one’s physical selfbeing. One is made aware of their body as the mist envelopes them. The mist beckons one to navigate mentally, evoking a meditative state. (FIG 0.3). As one enters the Oyunuma Mist Onsen, they are allowed to reflect physically and mentally in the entrance pavilion. The water is still and all surfaces are highly polished, offering the guest to gaze into their reflection. The echo of one’s footsteps reverberate throughout the enclosure. The guest is aware of their self, uncompromised by external factors. This is how you look. This is how you sound. In the process of transitioning from the social world to the natural world, the Oyunuma Mist Onsen provides the visitor a space to reflect.

Reflection

FIG. 6.03 A representation of the building during the daytime. The glass is highly reflective, mirroring the surrounding landscape. The water also reflects the environment.

(FIG. 6.03)

FIG. 6.04 A representation of the building during the night. The interior of the building is illuminated, acting as way-finding. The water on either side of the path reflect the buildingâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s illumination and the moonlight.

FIG. 6.05 A representation of light reflection off water. (FIG. 6.04)

(FIG. 6.05)

Reflection

FIG. 6.06 Structural section Structural plan The entranceâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s structure is a steel structural system. The exterior glazing is held by a light steel frame. The interior is composed of steel framing system and concrete shear walls.

FIG. 6.07 Path section 1:150 The visitor walks along a reflective metal path. There are gutters on either side with a shallow layer of water to reflect light.

(FIG. 6.07)

FIG. 6.08 Plan 1:100

A rendered plan illustrating the entrance. One walks over the reflective pool before entering the concrete interior enclosure. The shop is located at the Northwest side of the building, selling tea harvest for the greenhouse and serves in the teahouse. Two wall protrude from the glass enclosure to direct temporary visitor to the bathhouse and alternatively the longstay visitors to their quarters.

(FIG. 6.06)

(FIG. 6.08)

Reflection

FIG. 6.09 Rendered section 1:100

(FIG. 6.09)

FIG. 6.10 Detail section 1:20

The exterior shell of the enclosure is ventilated through openings at the roof level. Rainwater is collected and drained into the pool. The exterior shell allows no wind at the pool level, keeping the water still and reflective. The double wall system is a combination of curtain glass and a dark polished concrete wall. The two walls will act as a mirror and reflect light.

(fig. 6.10)

Mist

Figure. 7.0 A maguette.

Mist is a culmination of dryness, collection, condensation, evaporation, suspension, and reflection.

(FIG. 7.0)

Mist

FIG 7.01 A woodblock print by Torii Kotondo titled Combing Hair. Bathing is a personal and communal act and requires certain levels of privacy and alternatively intimacy.

FIG 7.02 A woodblock print by Torii Kotondo titled Fragrance of the Hot Spring. (FIG 7.01)

FIG. 7.03 A woodblock print by Ogata Gekko titled Dragon Rising to the Heavens at Mount Fuji.

(FIG 7.03)

(FIG 7.02)

“To disappear into deep water or to disappear toward a far horizon, to become part of depth of infinity, such is the destiny of man that finds its image in the destiny of water.” - Gaston Bachelard, Water and Dreams

Mist drapes over the mountains, as if to claim it’s own dream-scape. It falls to the lowest crevice the ground has to offer. It drifts across the underbrush creating a shroud of mystery. The bathhouse is a haven for mist. The warmth brings life to water - releasing it from the ground. The vapor rises out of the shadow to dance in the sunlight. The mist indulges in the spacious enclosure, covering all surfaces with ambiguity. It plays while human figures feel their way around the spa, touching all surfaces, gathering all the condensation, and turning faucets to enable the water droplets to rise again. The bathhouse is a place of both sensory deprivation, and intensification. The guest may not be able to rely on their vision, but their tactile knowledge allows them to sense their way around the bath to gather their bearing. The space is dark and saturated with mist, inviting one to reach out and hold on their built-in handrail to navigate their way. The floor dips just before the stairs down into the bathwater, making the visitor’s feet aware of the upcoming water before they submerge themselves.

Mist

FIG. 7.04 A representation of the approach to the onsen. Mist will rise from the bathhouse to invite the visitor to anticipate the approaching

FIG. 7.05 A representation of the bathhouse - mist. (FIG 7.04)

FIG. 7.06 A representation of the shower area of the bathhouse. As the visitor washes their body before going into the onsen, water falls through the wooden floor and collects on the heated floor. The floor is hot enough to create steam to obscure oneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s vision. Sunlight filters through the skylight against the wall and onto the water. The waves of the water are reflected onto the wall.

(FIG 7.05)

(FIG 7.06)

Mist

FIG. 7.07 Structural section Structural plan The spa is composed primarily of concrete shear walls with an interior steel structure. The pool is uninterrupted by columns and have larger beam depths.

FIG. 7.08 Path section 1:150 The visitor will walk on a path which rests below the ground level. Either side of the path has gutter filled with water.

(FIG 7.08)

(FIG 7.07)

Mist

FIG. 7.09 Plan 1:100 A rendered plan of the interior atmospheric conditions.

(FIG. 7.09)

Mist

FIG. 7.10 Section 1:100 A rendered section of the interior atmospheric conditions.

(FIG. 7.10)

Mist

FIG. 7.11 Rendering of inside bathhouse. FIG. 7.12 Rendering of walkway to outside. The space is dark inviting one to hold their hand out onto the handrails to navigate through the pathway. FIG. 7.13 Rendering of one walking into the pool. Sight is absent in a misty environment. The tactile sense to be one’s ‘eyes.’ Water overflows onto the path to make the visitor aware their are approaching the bathwater. FIG. 7.14 Double wall system. Light falls through the skylight, illuminating the plumbing wall. The steam is contained within the glass wall and does not touch the pipes. The floor is heated through radiant floor heating, keeping the guests feet warm.

(FIG. 7.11)

(FIG. 7.12)

(FIG. 7.13)

(FIG. 7.14)

Epilogue

FIG 8.00 A watercolor depicting of the Oyunuma Mist Onsen.

As one leaves the Oyunuma Mist Onsen, they are left with only a memory. The painting of the onsen (FIG 8.00) is a recollection; a remembrance of oneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s journey through the site from dry to collection, condensation to evaporation, suspension to reflection, mist to the path in-between. The collection of pavilions are never to be seen all at once. Just as dreams are fragments of consciousness, likewise are the scenes in the painting. Just as mist creates ambiguity, too does the Oyunuma Mist Onsen.

(FIG 8.00) 95

5 4

6 3

1 DRY / accommodations 2 COLLECTION / showers & laundry 3 CONDENSATION / greenhouse 4 EVAPORATION / teahouse 5 SUSPENSION / kitchen & lounge 6 REFLECTION / entrance 7 MIST / onsen