2020.04.13
Finding the Forest—
A Collection of Markers Cast into the Woods of Germany’s Black Forest “Flying Mother Nature’s Silver Seed to a New Home in the Sun” ARCS 4107 Studio 7— Winter 2020 Prof. Inderbir Riar
Bryson Wood Azrieli School of Architecture & Urbanism Carleton University, Ottawa Canada
ARCS 4107— Inderbir Riar
“Finding the Forest”
i. Techniques of Casting
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Bryson Wood
ARCS 4107— Inderbir Riar
“Finding the Forest”
At the beginning of the studio, I set out to explore techniques and methods of casting. Means for creating heavy, tactile and grounded and things. These techniques began to create a series objects; not yet at a specific scale or program, but rather objects focused merely on mass. It was not till I had created a near catalogue of cast forms did their identity in terms of use come to fruition. It was clear that they could be markers. Markers to be discovered; Markers either devoid of all context or ones which held hyper-specific relationships to their surroundings. This series of tests were the ground work which established the direction for the project. I then began to ask where home was for these masses.
i. Techniques of Casting
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Bryson Wood
ARCS 4107— Inderbir Riar
“Finding the Forest”
i. Techniques of Casting
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Bryson Wood
ARCS 4107— Inderbir Riar
“Finding the Forest”
i. Techniques of Casting
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Bryson Wood
ARCS 4107— Inderbir Riar
“Finding the Forest”
i. Techniques of Casting
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Bryson Wood
ARCS 4107— Inderbir Riar
“Finding the Forest”
i. Techniques of Casting
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Bryson Wood
ARCS 4107— Inderbir Riar
“Finding the Forest”
01. Site
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Bryson Wood
ARCS 4106— Inderbir Riar
“Finding the Forest”
Bryson Wood
Sitting on the Eastern edge of Germany’s Black Forest, roughly an hour and thirty minutes south west of Stuttgart sits Rottwaser. The meadow town comprised mainly of grassed fields and small summer cabins— is a breath of openness in the traditionally dark canopies of the Black Forest. As the site for project, the series of collection markers attempts to exist in equilibrium between the specificity of their surroundings (Rottwaser) and the arbitrary nature of their forms. In each spontaneous condition, markers create an experienced and specific connection through the contrast to its surroundings. Though independent and autonomous in their own right— each marker operates by turning your focus to it’s immediate context. This redirection acts as a catalyst for seeing and experiencing the places in which you move through— conditioning both attentiveness and rediscovery. Hoping to be found or discovered each collection site stands out in the landscape. But by creating an intimate relationship to the context in which it exists— each marker is casted into the landscape, belonging as much as it stands out. 02. Collection Markers
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ARCS 4107— Inderbir Riar
“Finding the Forest”
The Black Forest, Germany
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Bryson Wood
ARCS 4107— Inderbir Riar
“Finding the Forest”
Rottwaser Lauterbach, Germany
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Bryson Wood
ARCS 4107— Inderbir Riar
“Finding the Forest”
Rottwaser Lauterbach, Germany
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Bryson Wood
ARCS 4107— Inderbir Riar
“Finding the Forest”
Rottwaser Lauterbach, Germany
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Bryson Wood
ARCS 4107— Inderbir Riar
“Finding the Forest”
Rottwaser Lauterbach, Germany
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Bryson Wood
ARCS 4107— Inderbir Riar
“Finding the Forest”
Rottwaser Lauterbach, Germany
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Bryson Wood
ARCS 4107— Inderbir Riar
“Finding the Forest”
Each collection site holds its own qualities unique to their immediate context. Whether they sit sunken below the canopy of the trees, stand tall as a signaled lookout to the landscape or frame curated views beyond Rottwaser, each marker operates autonomously while maintaining firm contrast to the landscape that is the Black Forest. They are all positioned within relative proximity to one another but not close enough to make visual connections. Rather than leading people on a treasure hunt of sorts— each discovery is hoped to be as spontaneous as the one that came before. While Marker 01 sits centrally located within the meadow as a loose way finding device, the others sit quietly waiting to be found.
03. Collection Sites
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Bryson Wood
ARCS 4106— Inderbir Riar
“Finding the Forest”
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Bryson Wood
ARCS 4107— Inderbir Riar
“Finding the Forest”
Bryson Wood
01, Lookout
02, Bothy
03, Grid
04, Frames
05, Hut
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ARCS 4107— Inderbir Riar
“Finding the Forest”
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Bryson Wood
ARCS 4107— Inderbir Riar
“Finding the Forest”
01 Sitting atop the wooded hill in the middle of Rottwasser’s meadow, marker 01 acts more traditionally in terms of a way-finding device. The tall lookout pierces above the dense canopy and projects a view over the Black Forest’s rolling hills. Focusing on verticallity– the spire centres a spiral stair directly through the heart of the thick perimeter and up to the viewing platform.
Marker 01: Lookout
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Bryson Wood
ARCS 4107— Inderbir Riar
“Finding the Forest”
Marker 01: Model Casting
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Bryson Wood
ARCS 4107— Inderbir Riar
“Finding the Forest”
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Bryson Wood
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ARCS 4107— Inderbir Riar
“Finding the Forest”
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Bryson Wood
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ARCS 4107— Inderbir Riar
“Finding the Forest”
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Bryson Wood
ARCS 4107— Inderbir Riar
“Finding the Forest”
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Bryson Wood
ARCS 4107— Inderbir Riar
“Finding the Forest”
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Bryson Wood
ARCS 4107— Inderbir Riar
“Finding the Forest”
02 Embedded under the thick canopies central to the character of the Black Forest, marker 02 sits quietly. The three carved masses create semi spaces of shelter (if that is what you are in search of). If shelter is not your need or desire– than they provide a beautiful place to pause, sit and reflect as you look up through to the canopy.
Marker 02: Bothy
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Bryson Wood
ARCS 4107— Inderbir Riar
“Finding the Forest”
Marker 02: Model Casting
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Bryson Wood
ARCS 4107— Inderbir Riar
“Finding the Forest”
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Bryson Wood
ARCS 4107— Inderbir Riar
“Finding the Forest”
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Bryson Wood
ARCS 4107— Inderbir Riar
“Finding the Forest”
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Bryson Wood
ARCS 4107— Inderbir Riar
“Finding the Forest”
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Bryson Wood
ARCS 4107— Inderbir Riar
“Finding the Forest”
03 Marker 03, again embedded under the thick canopy sits in contract to the business of trees which populate the area. The heavy gridded mass lies sunken into the soil and provides an area to gather and pause. Focused neither inwards or outwards the form is meant to blend into the rhythm of the trees while standing out physically.
Marker 03: Grid
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Bryson Wood
ARCS 4107— Inderbir Riar
“Finding the Forest”
Marker 03: Model Casting
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Bryson Wood
ARCS 4107— Inderbir Riar
“Finding the Forest”
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Bryson Wood
ARCS 4107— Inderbir Riar
“Finding the Forest”
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Bryson Wood
ARCS 4107— Inderbir Riar
“Finding the Forest”
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Bryson Wood
ARCS 4107— Inderbir Riar
“Finding the Forest”
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Bryson Wood
ARCS 4107— Inderbir Riar
“Finding the Forest”
04 Marker 04 sits as a gesture to the rolling landscape that is synonymous with the breaks in the Black Forest. Existing in the meadowed grasses of Rottwaser and out of the trees, two tall frames focus your view beyond. Simply redirecting your perspective towards the landscape they allow for moments of solitude.
Marker 04: Frames
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Bryson Wood
ARCS 4107— Inderbir Riar
“Finding the Forest”
Marker 04: Model Casting
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Bryson Wood
ARCS 4107— Inderbir Riar
2020.03.30 Bryson Wood
“Finding the Forest”
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ARCS 4107— Inderbir Riar
“Finding the Forest”
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Bryson Wood
ARCS 4107— Inderbir Riar
“Finding the Forest”
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Bryson Wood
ARCS 4107— Inderbir Riar
“Finding the Forest”
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Bryson Wood
ARCS 4107— Inderbir Riar
“Finding the Forest”
05 Riffing off of the German vernacular, marker 05 sits sunken into the grassed meadow. While in the traditional use– users inhabit the space created underneath the pitched roof, here visitors sit atop in an act of blurring scale and use. Drawing on axial lines that reach outwards and perpendicular to Rottwasser’s meadowed fields beyond, it focuses views both away and towards the woods.
Marker 05: Hut
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Bryson Wood
ARCS 4107— Inderbir Riar
“Finding the Forest”
Marker 05: Model Casting
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Bryson Wood
ARCS 4107— Inderbir Riar
“Finding the Forest”
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Bryson Wood
ARCS 4107— Inderbir Riar
“Finding the Forest”
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Bryson Wood
ARCS 4107— Inderbir Riar
“Finding the Forest”
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Bryson Wood
ARCS 4107— Inderbir Riar
“Finding the Forest”
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Bryson Wood
ARCS 4107— Inderbir Riar
“Finding the Forest”
04. Final Thoughts Discovery and the Destination
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Bryson Wood
ARCS 4107— Inderbir Riar
“Finding the Forest”
We tend to romanticize the idea of the journey over that of the destination. I find in the end that these are just words and people don’t truly mean it when they say the journey is more important than the destination. We often don’t fully experience the settings which we actively choose to pass by. We can say that we experience the journey— but it is an experience of cumulative memory and not one of significance or richness. We can’t make planned stops within the journey because this premeditation becomes an arrival which segments the journey. We instead must discover along the way to create memorable experiences which enhance the journey.
04. Final Thoughts Discovery and the Destination
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Bryson Wood
ARCS 4107— Inderbir Riar
“Finding the Forest”
Thank you—
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Bryson Wood