Brynhildur Guðlaugs: Sensual Landscape

Sensual landscape A thesis project

by Brynhildur Gudlaugsdottir Tutors: Belinda Tato & Jose Luis Valleja

IaaC

29th of june 2009

North American Plate

Plate boundaries Akureyri

Iceland is located on the MidAtlantic Ridge, which makes it one of the most volcanically active places in the world.

Reykjavík

It sits astride the boundary between the Eurasian and North American Plates which runs across Iceland from the south-west to the northeast of the island.

The most volcanic activity is concentrated along the plate boundary.

Euresian Plate

deep - sea trench

fold mountains

Structure of the earth The Earth has several distinct layers. Each of these layers has its own properties. The outermost layer of the Earth is the crust and then comes the mantle in the middle and at last the core innermost.

lava

earth crust

mantle core

Together the earth crust and the mantle create seperated plates that are constantly moving, either apart or together.

Where they move apart it creates new earth crust with the convection of lava, but where the plates move together, they become thicker and create fold mountains.

If one of the plates moves under the other one they create a deep - sea trench.

North American Plate

Geothermal areas High temperature geothermal areas

Euresian Plate

precipitation

Hydrologic cycle

vapor

There are over 20 high-temperature steam fields in Iceland that range from 150 °C to 250 °C in temperature

Natural hot springs

This is what allows Iceland to harness geothermal energy that is used for everything from heating houses to heating swimming pools.

There are about 200 volcanoes located in Iceland and over 600 hot springs.

to homes steam exhaust hot water tank

Flowchart

to homes

Afloftarar steam sequester

humidity sequester

well

well liquid distil coolers

main pumps

High pressure steam Low pressure steam Sequester water

cold water tank Condensed water pumps

Condensed water Cool water

station pumps

Hot water cold water pump

Case studies

type of bath

H2 O

H2 O

water used for therapy

steam used for therapy

minerals in the water used for therapy

Si

Mg

shape of structure

process / affect on the human body

silicon

100° celsius

magnesium

organically shaped by site

formally shaped - not regarding site

Hot

Cold

nerve stimuli quiet, soothing effect

nerve stimuli stimulating, invigorating effect

spiritual affect important

The Blue Lagoon

H2 O Si Mg

silicon

Situated in the middle of a large lava field and created by geothermal seawater. The hot water comes from holes as deep as 2000 meters and is

used to fill the natural spa with warm and comfortable water but is also used for powering the nearby natural energy station.

magnesium

The Native American Sweatlodge

H2 O

The aim of the ceremony is to purify one’s mind, body, spirit and heart. The lodge is dark, moist, hot and safe. A sweat is typically four sessions, called rounds or endurances,

each lasting about 30 to 45 minutes. The darkness relates to human ignorance before the spiritual world and so much of the physical world.

The Stone People spirits are

awakened in the stones by heating them in the sacred fi re until red-hot. One at a time they are placed in the shallow pit inside the sweat lodge. After the stones are in

100° celsius

the pit, the entrance is closed and sealedand the sweat begins.

The Japanese Onsen

H2 O Si Mg

silicon

An Onsen is a Japanese public bath which uses naturally hot water from geothermally heated springs. Onsen come in many types and shapes, including outdoor and indoor baths. Traditionally, onsen

were located outdoors, although a large number of hotels have now built indoor bathing facilities as well.

magnesium

The Russian Banya

H2 O

The “parilka” or steam room is lined with benches on at least three levels. It houses a large stove with smouldering stones radiating heat, surrounded by large buckets of water and a giant ladle.

A bather takes a ladle full of hot water and pours it directly onto the stones, immediately fi lling the room with hot, dense steam. The essence of the Russian banya is steam. Producing the right

steam is crucial as Russians make a distinction between the light and drysteam or the thick and wet one. This is essentially what diff erentiates the sauna from the banya: The latter has wet, moist steam,

100° celsius

while the former is based on hot, dry steam.

Remains of Roman public baths

H2 O H2 O

100° celsius

Remains of a roman bath in Bath, England

All Roman bathhouses contained a series of rooms which got progressively hotter. Most contained an apodyterium—a room just inside the entrance where the bather stored his clothes. Next, the bather progressed into the frigidarium (cold room) with its tank of cold water, the tepidarium (warm room), and finally the caldarium (hot room). The caldarium, heated by a brazier underneath the hollow fl oor, contained cold-

Tepidarium

water basins which the bather could use for cooling. After taking this series of sweat and/or immersion baths, the bather returned to the cooler tepidarium for a massage with oils and final scraping

Caldarium

Apodyterium

with metal implements. Some baths also contained a sudatorium, a moist steam bath, and a laconium (a dry, resting room) where the bather completed the process by resting and sweating. The Roman

Frigidarium

baths varied from simple to exceedingly elaborate structures, and they varied in size, arrangement, and decoration.

Interior Gulf Stream The house is designed by using two sources of heat.

Two metal planes with different temperature, are extended in different hights and create a movement of air using the natural phenomenon of convection.

Philippe Rahm architects

The shapes of the house will be cut out from the shapes of the thermal movement.

Rising hot air cools when it contacts the upper cool plane and is then reheated when it contacts the hot plane, thus creating a constant thermal flow like a mineature Gulf stream.

Field of interest

The Torfajökull region Country: I ce la n d Subregion Name: So u the r n I ce la n d Volcano Type: Str a to v o lca n o Volcano Status: Hi s to r i ca l Last Known Eruption: 147 7 Summit Elevation: 125 9 m

A stratovolcano, also called a composite volcano, is a tall, conical volcano composed of many layers of hardened lava, tephra, and volcanic ash. These kinds of volcanoes are characterized by a steep profile and periodic, explosive eruptions.

Beside Torfajökull © Páll Stefánsson

The Torfajökull area of southern Iceland is an uninhabited area containing a wide variety of terrain and some of the most beautifull in Iceland.

Jökulgil © Páll Stefánsson

Torfajökulssvæðið © Páll Stefánsson

Hrafntinnusker © Páll Stefánsson

This is also one of the most powerful thermal region in Iceland, named after a glacier, Torfajökull which is a

large rhyolitic volcano massif, with a 12-km-diameter caldera. It is located in the neovolcanic zone in south Iceland.

Brattháls © Sigurgeir Sigurjónsson

The diversity of geography In this region we have an extreame diversity of geography. The area is crowded with peaks and mountains. Many of the peaks are pointed others are askewed or flat, some

Jökulgil © Sigurgeir Sigurjónsson

Jökulgil © Sigurgeir Sigurjónsson

Jökulgil © Ragnar Axelsson

Landmannalaugar © Páll Stefánsson

of them are like a box, some jagged like a sawblade, some wide and rounded, other domed or steep hemisphere.

The spectrum of colors

Reykjadalir © Sigurgeir Sigurjónsson Landmannalaugar © Sigurgeir Sigurjónsson

Landmannalaugar © Sigurgeir Sigurjónsson

The rhyolite mountaines have not a lot of vegetation, they are steep and momentum The palagonite mountains are covered with moss.

The Torfajökull region is one of the few places in Iceland where you have incredible diversity of colours from natures hand.

The rhyolite mountaines span almost the whole spectrum of colors. From light grey to blue, green and light yellow, to orange, pink and dark red.

The limit of the spectrum is set by the white glaciers and the dark, almost black, palagonite mountaines.

The concept Reykjadalir © Sigurgeir Sigurjónsson

The goal of the project is to create a bathing facility for the hiking people that travel around the Torfajokull region in Iceland. The structure or the

facility will be an adaptation to the already existing hot springs that are situated all around the area.

Focus on the environment versus body behaviour.

Certain areas of the structure would be influenced by different degrees of temperature,

color, light, material and etc. The guests of the facility may move around this landscape and freely choose an athmosphere according to their desire.

Hydrotherapy Hydro- and hydrothermal therapy are traditional methods of treatment that have been used for the treatment of disease and injury by many cultures.

The recuperative and healing properties of hydrotherapy are based on its mechanical and thermal effects.

Generally, heat quiets and soothes the body, slowing down the activity of internal organs.

Cold, in contrast, stimulates and invigorates, increasing internal activity.

thermal flow

hot

steam

relax

warm

cold

change

hot

relax

cold

Immitated landscape steam

warm

Existing hot spring 43°c

Existing hot spring38°c

change

hot

steam

relax

warm

cold

change

hot

steam

relax

warm

cold

change

hot

steam

relax

warm

cold

change

Moving in the landscape

move along the structure

hot

relax

cold

thermal flow steam

warm

change

hot relax

cold

warm change steam

View on site

view to Hrafntinnusker

view to the mountains

view to Torfajökull

view to the river view down the valley

view to Mýrdalsjökull

Steam

Relax

Functions Hot

Change

Warm

Cold

Scale 1:100

The site

Existing hot spring 43°c

Existing hot spring38°c

Scale 1:300

steam

Steam bath > 80°c

Steam bath

Scale 1:300

hot

steam

Relaxing area 25°c - 30°c

Relaxing area

Scale 1:300

relax

warm

hot

steam

Changing area 22°c

Changing area

Scale 1:300

relax

warm

change

hot

steam

relax

warm

cold

change

hot

steam

relax

cold

warm

change

Density of pipes

Steam

Hot

Warm

Relax

Change

Cold

Psychology of colors Red

increases blood pressure stimulation vitality ambition anger endurance irritation sexuality

Green

good for the heart comfort laziness relaxation calmness balance soothing affect connection with nature

Black

comforting and protective mysterious silence death passive

Pink

muscles relax calm protection warmth nurture unselfish love

Blue

lower blood pressure cooling soothing affect calmer relaxing mental control clarity creativity

Brown

earth home stability security

Orange

stimulates the sexual organs benefitial to digestive system strengthens the immune system positive on your emotional state. opens emotions antidepressant.

Purple

Grey

independence self-reliance evasion non-commitment separation lack of involvement ultimately loneliness.

Yellow

stimulates the brain energetic happy uplifting clear thinking good judgment organization self-confidence optimism

purifying suppresses hunger balance narcotic soothing numbing stimulating intuition and imagination peace cleans emotional disturbances sensitivity stimulates creativity, spirituality and compassion.

Psychic power protection

White

ultimate purity peace comfort dispels shock and despair. freedom openness

Temperature

Steam Hot Warm Relaxing Change Cold

Duration

Shape

Color

Light

Material

No light

Concrete & Earth

Dimm

Concrete

Natural

Wood

Natural

Grass & Turf

Smooth

Wood & Concrete

Natural

Stones

Brown > 80° celsius

40° - 45° celsius

15-20 minutes

2-15 minutes

Security

Red Endurance

Yellow 38° celsius

no limit

Uplifting

Green 25° - 30° celsius

no limit

Balance

White 22° celsius

no limit

Ultimate purity

Blue 10° - 20° celsius

< 3 minutes

Clarity

Brown

Red

Green

White

Security

Endurance

Balance

Ultimate purity

Blue Concrete & Earth

Concrete

Grass & Turf

Wood & Concrete

Clarity

Stones

Yellow Uplifting

Wood