[ volume one ]
capstone semester one may 2019 - august 2019
[ volume one ] deavan lauth
01 02 03 04 05 06
[ response to form ] [ found objec t s ] [ nesting house ] [ shaker village ] [ columbus, indiana ] [ capstone research ]
01
[ response to form ]
re spons e Epigraphs in Lieu of a Preface “When all the souls had chosen their lives, they went before Lachesis. And she sent with each, as the guardian of his life and the fulfiller of his choice, the daimon that he had chosen, and this divinity led the soul first to Clotho, under hand and her turning of the spindle to ratify the destiny of his lot and choice, and after contact with her, the daimon again led the soul to the spinning of Atropos to make the web of its destiny irreversible, and then without a backward look it passed beneath the throne of Necessity.� - Plato, Republic X, 620e
7
[ response to form ]
who are you meant to become?
how will choices and lessons shape me?
re spons e to 2D After continued research on Plato and his beliefs, I came to the understanding that Necessity is one “spindle” in which all things turn. When a soul is first born, it is nothing more than the spiritual and immaterial part of a human. However, before visiting and rectifying its choices with Lachesis, Clotho, and Atropos, the insignificant soul is granted with the mental abilities of a living being: to think, to reason, to feel, and to remember. With these mental abilities and the looming command of Necessity, the soul is allowed to visit these three “spindles” to fulfill and lay the foundation for its specific life-long course. In translation of the response into 2D, I wanted to highlight that although each soul may start out the same, it is the needs, choices, and lessons that make up an mature individual soul.
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[ response to form ]
re spons e to 3D Along with the research completed for the 2D translation, I also came to the conclusion that the guardians of life: Lachesis, Clotho, and Atropos are in fact, sisters of past, present, and future. Like I mentioned earlier, when a soul is in its infancy, it is granted only with basic mental abilities. With these abilities, it is then allowed to think, reason, and make decisions based upon its current needs. Throughout its life, the soul will experience several situations that will require it to look back into the past (Lachesis), evaluate its current state (Clotho), and plan for the future (Atropos). In my translation of the response to 3D, I took elements from my research to create a working set of gears that highlighted the importance of the chain reaction created by the needs of Necessity, and the choices and lessons learned from Lachesis, Clotho, and Atropos.
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02
[ found objects ]
elemen t al e x plor at ion From the numerous readings assigned over the length of the project, one quote stuck out to me over all the others: “In order for ourselves, our goods, and our information to work, they cannot merely have a presence; they must be designed to catch our attention, to seduce, to make sense in an ever more confusing environment.” Prompted to only investigate into three found objects, a site within DAAP, and a prosthetic piece that pulled the whole thing together – project two explicitly demanded that elements, even before they were identified, must draw in maximum amounts of attention, all the while they were to create some sense of understanding in a building born out of mass confusion. In all forms of the project, this quote from designers Diller and Scofidio, led my exploration for objects and a site.
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[ found objects ]
found objec t s An important factor I took into consideration during the completion of the project, was the opportunity of students to explore the elemental, constructive matter-forces of materiality and how they could be influenced and integrated into an existing building condition. Within my own personal exploration, I studied how various objects could render material finish, the apparent or non-apparent structure of objects, and the light and shadow effects from all three elements working together. In the final installation, I chose specific object materiality and placement to attempt making my found objects sensible within the location in DAAP, all the while creating enough intrigue and contrast to draw outsider attention.
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[ found objects ]
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03
[ nesting house ]
bird s earching What can happen when you are given a blank canvas? What can happen when you are allowed to freely choose your clients? What can happen when you design the blank canvas to embody the spirit of your client? These were all questions that plagued my thoughts when we were asked to begin “bird searching”. Initially, when prompted, I began my search by looking for a bird with intriguing habits and impeccable nest building capabilities – but my research didn’t lead me to be inspired by the client. In complete contrast to my first attempt, in my second go around, I decided to look for a bird that hailed from an unremarkable species and one with not so great nest building skills. Fortunately, in this second attempt, I found the one bird that fit the “beak”, the Cliff Swallow.
23
[ nesting house ]
ne s t ing hous e Once my “client” was selected, I began research on the “unremarkable” species of bird. By the time that I was finished within my personal exploration, I was inherently surprised to find that although the Cliff Swallow may seem uninteresting – they are quite the opposite. What intrigued me most about the species and what I then wanted to embody in their new nesting house, relied heavily on their color, movement patterns, and nest building capabilities. Cliff Swallows tend to live near places with water, so that they can “brick lay” their nests with mud. In the final design, I incorporated the layering and organic forms to mimic their unique nest building process, while also adding an additional threshold that they could swoop into.
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[ nesting house ]
transverse section
longitudinal section
27
04
[ shaker village ]
31
05
[ columbus, indiana ]
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06
[ capstone research ]
how might we begin to manipulate social contex t s and space to create a more inclusive and enriching environment for all groups of people?
t he ar t of bringing people toge t her
1
2
Establishing a “Sense of Place”
Creating Neutral and Level Ground
a “sense of place” is developed when people chose to invest meaning into a space over an extended period of time
when established, a “sense of place” should exude familiarity and comfort creating neutral ground requires the designer to generate a space where people are not tied down - they are free to come and go as they please
when established, a “sense of place” can be expressed person to person, through emotion, biographies, imagination, stories, and shared personal experiences
to bring people together, a space needs to be deemed “level”, where there are no requirements or restrictions that would prevent a person from participating or feeling accepted
a “sense of place” is not biased or clouded with stereotyped judgments, but instead, open to the engaging and social interactions shared between all people
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4
5
Allowing Accessibility and Accommodation
Staging Areas for Interactions
Constructing the Anchors
an established “sense of place” is known to emanate an aura of magnitude - drawing in and bringing together all types of people
it is proven that social interaction versus isolated interaction, promotes a positive mental well being and sense of safety among people within a space
the art of bringing people together is dependent upon three things: the place, the feel, and the areas for interaction
to successfully draw in the crowds, a space needs to be accessible by everyone whether they are rich or poor, man or woman, white or black, or able or disabled to enhance the feeling of familiarity and comfort, the established place should feel accommodating - most public spaces are designed to be extensions of one’s home
if areas for conversation and interaction are not established, how would you be able to encounter familiar faces and make new acquaintances
if created spaces cannot construct and establish anchors of functionality, refuge, and interaction within their communities the places will fail to develop meaning to those who which invest their time
to bring people together, spaces need to be comfortable, relaxing, and unbiased - only then will relationships begin to form
we need to begin to blur conventional and stereotypical separations to create millions of effective co-doing spaces
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[ capstone research ]
preceden t one Potter’s House - Dallas, TX [ co-mingling ] An inclusive coffee shop that invites all types of people to interact, share a meal, or rent a book.
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preceden t t wo 1819 Innovation Hub - Cincinnati, OH [ co-working ] An inclusive place of thinking, making, and doing, of discovery and delivery, for the University of Cincinnati, its community, and for the city and the world beyond its borders.
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preceden t t hree Freehand Hotels - Chicago, IL [ co-living ] A semi-inclusive hotel that invites its guests to enjoy its provided amenities, interact with other guests, and live a comfortable shared lifestyle.
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[ capstone research ]
manipul at ion s tudie s In attempt to manipulate social contexts, how can i use the art of bringing people together and the arrangement of space to create an efficient co-doing space? [ Two Entrances and Two Exits ] How would users feel if no interaction was required to navigate through the space? Would it really be working towards co-doing? [ Two Entrances and One Exit ] How would users feel if no interaction was required to navigate through the space until their desired departure times? [ One Entrance and Two Exits ] How would users feel if they were forced to interact with one another within the space? How would they leave the situation? [ One Entrance and One Exit ] How would users feel if they were forced to interact with one another within the entirety of the space? Is this co-doing?
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[ capstone research ]
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[ capstone research ]
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[ capstone research ]
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[ capstone research ]
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[ capstone research ]
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[ to be continued ]