Sand, Individuality with Community

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SAND, INDIVIDUALITY WITHIN COMMUNITY is c ountryside real?

B arc elona, Sp ain O c tober 2013 Tutor: Sam Cherm ayef f Proj ec t Typ e: Individua l P r o ject

I n 1989, B rodsky and Utkin designed the Cr y sta l P a la ce, bea utif u l an d m ysteri o u s , but an unrealizable drea m. It is a mir a ge, a n ima ge o f o ne’s desir e to go to th e c o u ntryside. It seem s bo th f a r away, a nd a t the edge o f the City. Bu t w h en a p erso n v i s it s he will find no roof no r wa lls. Cr y sta l P a la ce is o nly layer s o f gl as s. Wh en o n e di s covers this illusion, will he ha ve the desir e to r etur n?

B a sed on the story of Cr y sta l P a la ce, a ser ies o f questio ns a r ise. I f co u n trysi de i s a m y t h, if c ountryside is a mir a ge, will yo u ha ve the desir e to v isit it agai n ? D o es o n e f i nally learn the very ess ence o f co untr y side, the edge o f the city ?

I n t h e 1970s when c it ies develo ped r a pidly, peo ple w ho lived in th e co u n trysi d e ten d e d to m ove into c it ies for liber a tio n a nd f r eedo m. They fo und jo bs an d o p p o rtu n i ti es and c reated their own c ity life in the co smo po lita n. Ther e wa s a h u ge ch an ge i n l i v i n g f r o m t he c ountryside to the city.

Nowadays, due to t he ra pid develo pment o f cities, citizens a r e fo rced to m ove w i th t h e sam e p ac e as t he c ity. This fo r ce dr ives peo ple to wo r k in a m ach i n e l i k e way, w i t hout c reat ion dig est ion o r indiv idua l tho ughts. As G. Simmel (1 9 5 0 ) s tated i n h i s p u blic ation ‘The Met rop o lis a nd Menta l Life’ , ma n is a dif fer entia ti n g creatu re. H i s m i n d is stim ulated by the dif fer ence between a mo menta r y impr ess i o n an d th e o n e

w h i ch p receded i t. Man i s a creatu re w h o s e ex i s ten ce i s de pe n de n t o n di f fe r e n c e s .

Wh en o n e w h o l i ves i n th e ci ty real i z es th at everyo n e i s th e s a m e , h e wi l l s t r i ve fo r ch an ges to create a di fferen t l i fe to th at w h i ch th e o th ers a r e h a v i n g ; j u s t a s i t h a pp en ed w h en m an m oved fro m co u n trys i de to ci ty 4 0 years a g o .

I n o rd er to fi n d i n d i v i du al th o u gh ts an d em o ti o n s , w h i ch can be c a t e g o r i z e d a s i n di v i d u al i ty, o n e m ay h ave th e d es i re to go o u ts i de th e ci ty, to t h e c o u n t r y s i de , a n d seek i n di v i du al i ty. I n th e co u n trysi d e i t i s ru ral an d q u i et. H oweve r , t h e r e i s a r e a s o n th at 4 0 years ago p eo p l e s o u gh t a m etro p o l i tan l i fe, d ri v i n g t h e m to m ove to t h e c i t y.

D o es ru ral an d q u i et p rov i de a p l atfo rm fo r o n e to fi n d i n d i vi du a l i t y ?

‘Individualism is attained within community. Without community, there is only isolation.’

Lebbeus Woods,1995.

F i n d i n g i n di v i du al i ty at th e edge o f th e ci ty m ay o n l y b e a m i r a g e s i n c e i n di v i du a l i t y do es n o t m ean i s o l ati o n . I n d i v i du al i ty n o t o n l y h ap p en s w i th i n c o m m u n i t y, bu t a l s o i n every i n di v i d u al ’s m i n d.

c ity c o u n t r y s i de 。。 sa n d, in dividu a lit y wit h in c om m u n it y

。 sa n d, in dividu a lit y wit h in c om m u n it y

Mu t a t i o n i n B a r c e l o n a Sequence 1 Sy n o pi s i s B a r c e l o n a m u t a t e d o n a c l e a r t u e s day n i g h t wh i l e eve r yo n e wa s dr e a m i n g . A h o l e a ppe a r e d o n Mo n t j u i c Mo u n t a i n a n d s a n d po u r e d o u t i n to t h e c i t y, i n to Barcelona.

Sa n d f i r s t f i l l e d pa t h way s o f t h e m o u n t a i n . G r a du a l l y i n to t h e m a i n s t r e e t s , s i de s t r e e t s , pa t h way s , a n d c o u r t ya r ds . H ow wo u l d pe o pl e r e a c t ?

So m e m ay l i k e i t j u s t l i k e l i k i n g t h e be a c h . So m e m ay h a t e i t be c a u s e s a n d i s c o a r s e a n d i t g e t s eve r y wh e r e .

H oweve r , n o m a t t e r wh a t t h ey do , t h ey l e a ve fo o t pr i n t s a n d m a r k s . T h e s e pr i n t s a n d m a r k s i n di c a t e d h ow e a c h i n di v i du a l r e a c t towa r ds t h i s c i r c u m s t a n c e , wh i c h s h ows i n di v i du a l i t y.

It t h e n wa s a l l ove r t h e pl a c e s .

B a l c o n i e s , a pa r t m e n t s , s to r e s , dr i n k s a n d fo o d. Do pe o pl e s t i l l h a s t h e s a m e fe e l i n g s wh e n t h ey f i r s t s e e t h i s s i t u a t i o n ? I t a f fe c t s t h e da i l y l i fe o f t h e c i t i z e n s . Ve h i c l e s , f a s h i o n s , a n d h a bi t s a r e a l t e r e d. Wi l l t h i s be c o m e a n a t t r a c t i o n o r a de t e s t a t i o n ? Wh i l e t h e i r r e f l e c t i o n s pr e c i s e l y r e pr e s e n t t h e i r pe r s o n a l e xpe r i e n c e s , t h o u g h t s a n d fe e l i n g s .

H ow wo u l d pe o pl e c o pe wi t h t h i s situation?

S a n d, i nd i v i d uality wit hin c om m unity 2 0 1 3

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WAT CH T H E F I LM N OW S an d | I n d i v i d u al i ty w i th i n Co m m u n i t y, i s a f i l m ba s e d o n a n a r c h i t e c t u r a l p ro j ect reth i n k i n g w h at co u n trys i de i s . Do e s c o u n t r y s i de r e a l l y e xi s t ? Or i s i t o n l y a m i rage th at o n e d es i re to g o ?

Wh at h ap p en i f co u n trys i de an d ci ty c o m e to g e t h e r ? H ow wo u l d pe o pl e react to th i s si tu ati o n ? H ow wo u l d t h i s a f fe c t t h e c i t y i n t e r m s o f a r c h i tectu re, cu l tu re an d each i n d i v i d u al ? H ow wo u l d t h e r e a c t i o n s o f t h e i n di v i d u al s affect th e co m m u n i ty? h ttp s ://v i m eo . co m /9 0 6 5 2 8 3 5

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T r a c e s a n d F o o t s t e ps Sequence 2 In di v i du a l i t y i s bu i l t u p by pe r s o n a l e xpe r i e n c e s a n d e m o t i o n s . Si n c e eve r y pe r s o n h a s i t s own e xpe r i e n c e a n d e m o t i o n s , h e wo u l d e xpr e s s i t i n a way ba s e d o n h i s own t h o u g h t s . Wh e n h e br ows e s a r o u n d B a r c e l o n a , h e wo u l d l e a ve fo o t s t e ps a n d t r a c e s . T h e s e m a r k s i n di c a t e h ow a pe r s o n fe e l s a n d t h i n k s . Wh e n t h e s t r e e t i s f a i r l y c r owde d, h e wo u l d f i n d i t di f f i c u l t to t r a c e h i s own fo o t s t e ps . T h i s i s a l s o a pr o c e s s o f i n di v i du a l i t y, de pe n di n g o n di f fe r e n c e s a n d f i n di n g h i s i n di v i du a l thoughts and emotions.

002 sand occupying space

S a n d, i n d i v i d uality wit hin c om m unity 2 0 1 3

001 traces & footsteps

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S a n d, i n d i v i d uality wit hin c om m unity 2 0 1 3

O r i g in al B a r c e l ona p hoto 2010

Sa n d Oc c u py i n g Spa c e Sequence 3 In t h e c i t y, t h e r e a r e a l way s s pa c e s a n d a r e a wh e r e n o t m a n y pe o pl e wo u l d g o . H ow wo u l d s a n d c o m m u n i c a t e wi t h t h e s e a r e a s ? Wh e n t h e r e is so much sand that it fills up these s pa c e s , wo u l d t h a t dr i ve pe o pl e to v i s i t o f t e n ? o r wo u l d t h e s e s pa c e s be l e f t ove r ? I n a n o t h e r wo r d, s a n d s o m e h ow s c u l pt s h ow u r ba n s pa c e s a r e u s e d by h u m a n a c t i v i t i e s , a t t h e s a m e t i m e , s h owi n g i n di v i du a l i t y o f a wh o l e c o m m u n i t y.

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O r i g in al B a r c e l ona p hoto 2010

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MONTJUIC MOUN TAI N Sa nd sta r ts po ur in g o ut f r o m the to p o f the mo unta in. Som e o f the pa th is covered by sa nd. P eo ple m ay need to discover a new way uphill.

PI ER Les s s an d i s by t h e p i er du e to t h e s t r o n g w i n d n ex t to t h e s e a .

s e c t i o n aa

I n th e ci ty o f B arcel o n a, th ere are l o ts o f di fferen t sp aci al ch aracteri s ti cs . I t i s cru ci al to p o i n t o u t th ese q u al i ti es an d to ex p l o re an d ex p l ai n h ow san d wo u l d affect th ese area an d h ow wo u l d i n di v i du al s react an d p recei ve.

F l at ro o fs m ay l ead to accu m u l ati o n o f san d , w h i ch i n crease th e load i n g o f th e s l ab .

CO U R T YAR D Accu m u l ati o n o f san d at co u rtyards w i l l refl ect th e reacti o n s o f i n di v i du al s, o r even co m m u n i ti es w i th i n th at area.

O PEN AREA The a mo unt o f sa nd sc ulpts the f r equency of usa ge o f o pen a r ea in a signif ica nt way.

R OU NDAB O UT Ve hi c l e s leave t rac es and d e f i n e the d aily r o ut i n e s of the t raffic i n B a r c e lona.

P ITCH ROOF P itch r o o f s may r eso lve the pr o blem o f a ccumula tio n o f sa nd o f r o o f to ps.

LA R AMB LAS O n e o f th e bu s i es t s treets i n B arcel o n a w h i l s t p eo p l e l eave fo o tstep s an d traces .

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R O O F O F B U I LD I N GS

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I n di v i du a l i t y wi t h C o m m u n i t y Sequence 4 S a n d i s pa r t o f t h e n a t u r e , j u s t l i k e in di v i du a l i t y i s pa r t o f h u m a n n a t u r e .

Wh e n s a n d po u r e d i n to t h e c i t y, i t c h a n g e d t h e c i t y. T h e c u l t u r e , e c o n o m i c s a n d h a bi t s o f c i t i z e n s we r e c h a n g e d. T h e r e wo u l d be n o m o r e bi cyc l e s i n c e i t i s di f f i c u l t to r i de o n s a n d. Mo r e j e e ps a r e u s e d fo r t r a n s p o r t a t i o n . T h e r e a r e s a n d eve r y wh e r e t h a t m ay a f fe c t t h e r e s pi r a t i o n o f h u ma n h e a l t h . L e s s pe o pl e di n e o u t do o r s i n c e s a n d wo u l d be i n t h e fo o d a n d dr i n k s . P e o pl e wo u l d dr e s s di f fe r e n t .

A r c h i t e c t u r e wo u l d c h a n g e . T h e r e wo u l d be m o r e l i f t e d h o u s e s . T h e r o o f wo u l d be a l t e r e d to m i n i m i z e t h e lo a di n g o f s a n d o n t h e r o o to p. Ei t h e r le s s ba l c o n i e s wo u l d be bu i l t , o r m o r e e n c l o s e d pl a c e s wo u l d be bu i l t a r o u n d t h e c i t y.

T h i s i s a l s o a m e t a ph o r o f i n di v i du a l i t y c h a n g i n g t h e c o m m u n i t y wh i l s t in di v i du a l i t y c a n o n l y a t t a i n e d wi t h i n c o m m u n i t y.

S a n d, i n d i v i d uality wit hin c om m unity 2 0 1 3

002 sand occupying space

002 sand occupying space

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S an d, i n d i v i d u al i ty w i th i n co m m u n i ty 2 0 1 3

n o bal co n i es to p reven t accu m u l ati o n o f s an d gl ass ad ded o n ex i s ti n g bal co n i es to p reven t s an d fro m en teri n g th e p l ace p i tch ro o fs to p reven t s an d s tayi n g o n fl at ro o fs an d i n crease th e l o ad i n g o f t h e h i g h e s t s l a b o u tdo o r area l es s p eo p l e di n e o u tdo o r s i n ce san d w i l l get i n to th e fo o d an d dr i n k s S a n d, i n d i v i d uality wit hin c om m unity 2 0 1 3

l i fted s h o p s to p reven t s an d fro m en teri n g th e s h o p s