Fidel Archuleta
Arch101 Learning Portfolio
FINAL
Malevich Inspired Construction
Given a 2D painting created by Malevich known as Supremacist composition 2 Create an architectural form. Translating a portion of the image as seen above into a 3D architectural form. The repetition that the five arrows create sparked interest.
Takeaways
Challenges
Objectives •
Working with new material
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Establishing an approach
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Organizing ideas with craftsmanship
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Finding complexity • •
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Don’t use base on early iterations Establishing relationships 7 sec adhesives works the best Time management
The presence of rhythm creates predictability and order in a composition.
Architectural form and the human body both rely on structure to exist in the physical world
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Applying Analytical Tools to Promote Design Process
Objectives •
Applying Sketch Up to aid in the design process.
Strengths
Weakness • •
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Developing skills for new software Turning my design into a real tangible object outside of a drawing Organizing ideas with craftsmanship
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Stepping away from a base Established relationships Form Craft Time management repetition
• Designs is translatable through the Principles of design 2
Applying Analytical Tools to Promote Design Process
Objectives •
Weaknesses
Applying Sketch Up to aid in the design process.
Strengths
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Developing skills for new software
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Constructing my design into a real tangible object outside of a drawing
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Organizing ideas with craftsmanship
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Fixation on previous iteration
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Established relationships Form Craft Time management Repetition
History, culture, and time are captured and expressed through architecture 3
Exploring Design Through a Narrative & a Hike Through Nature Connections After breaking away from Ben Johnson Trail and leaving the heart of Muir woods national monument, we found ourselves diverting south from our once westward path of travel on to a rugged pathway known as Dipsea Trail. The scent of salty ocean air kisses my lips as the wind blew it through and then quickly past me, but then quickly returning as it bounced off the ancient red woods to the east retrieving the sweet brisk relaxing scent of the aged forest. Now coming forth into view rolling hills, as a slight view of the ocean enters the right horizon with every step. Onward and southward one hundred yards the ocean now makes up the horizon line to the west. But just southwest sits a structure cantilevering from the sloped terrain excitement and curiosity now pulse through my veins. In a place so natural and serene the clean lines and balanced angels draw my attention as It lures me in like a nocturnal insect to a flickering light. I break away from Dipsea Trail and approach the structure carving my own path into the grassy landscape with forced caution but a quickened step. No doors! No windows! Linear it runs east to west, with the trees at its back and the salty air at its nose. I slow my pace as a thought rushes through my mind is it here to take in the scents I described earlier? As I come into arms length I reach out as the structure welcomes my touch with a cold warmth keeping in contact I run my hands along its cold dense wooden surface. Now standing in front of the structure with the grand redwoods at my back. It’s angled walls break up my line of sight to an ocean view. As the sun parts the clouds, light enters the structure shadows form geometry, very reminiscent of how light passed through cathedral grove back in the heart of muir woods a connection is made. Now stepping into the structure it’s angled walls now standing next to them bestow a feeling of tension familiar to the feeling and presence that was left long ago by the fire that burnt hollows into the large giants years ago, which allowed me access to the heart of a living wonder. Now I stand in the heart of the structure taking in the warm glow of wood, light, and shadows. The encroaching walls bring about an unfamiliar space another connection is made. Etching forward tension turns into fear as I am no longer supported by the ground but by the structure itself. Looking forward the structure and I look out at the ocean as one and tension is released, freedom and redemption now pulse through my veins as I sit at the edge feet dangling taking in the scents and sounds, as the wind forces it’s way into the openings of the structure.
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Exploring Design Through a Narrative & a Hike Through Nature
Objectives •
Develop design through a narrative that describes spatial experiences
Weaknesses • • •
Symmetry Creating what was felt along my hike Expressing feelings
Strengths • • • • •
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Focusing in on my experience through nature Pulling away from 90 degree angles Created a pathway Tension New Iteration
Drawing gives us a visual approach to dealing with proportion
Exploring Proportion & Beauty
Objectives •
Weaknesses
Proportional transformations
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Symmetry
Strengths • • • • •
Creating what was felt along my hike Complexity Created a space for the pathway to end Tension Expressing feelings
Injecting harmonic, golden ratio or Fibonacci into design brings about visual harmony to the looker. •
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Exploring Proportion & Beauty
Objectives •
Explore design possibilities through scaling up construction designs
Weaknesses • •
Symmetry Time management
Strengths • • • • •
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Creating what was felt along my hike Complexity Created a space for the pathway to end Tension and Rewards Expressing feelings
Storyboard
Objectives •
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Developing a storyboard to enhance narrative and focus in on design. Words into images Evoke spatial experience
The Path
Combining images with words and feelings • Excitement • Self importance is lost • Tension • Pathway of tension leads to rewards • Rewards are remembered along the journey • Connections are made with path and a place made by human hands and human labor •
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Weaknesses •
Struggling with symmetry
Symbols and worldly connections evoke memories to create experiences with space. 8
Storyboard
Objectives •
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Developing a storyboard to enhance narrative and focus in on design. Words into images Evoke spatial experience
The Path Combining images with words and feelings • Excitement • Tension • Pathway of tension leads to rewards • Rewards are remembered along the journey • Connections are made with path and a place made by human hands and labor •
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Weaknesses • •
Failed iteration No connections made
Strengths •
Moved away from symmetry
A narrative organizes ideas which can then be applied to the design process A program creates a system to follow which is then applied to the design process 9
Frame & Surfaces
Objectives • • •
Design with a focus on structure How is the structure effected by the skin Take advantage of repetitive surfaces
Weaknesses • •
Strengths
Perfection of form slows down my creativity and flow of ideas No focus on second level skin
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Improved iteration Form follows function Movement through Repetition
Form does follow function Design by nature appears fluid and effortless at the joints Design by humans is forced and bulky at the joints
Nature & Space
Objectives • • •
Connections in nature structure and its impact on form Shape and form of each element and its connection to other elements.
Inspiration • • • •
Vertebrates Anatomy Repetition Striped Dolphin Stenella coeruleoalba.
Studying the skeletal system that makes up the striped dolphin was one of the key inspirations for creating the arch on the following page. The connections at the ribcage and spine create a compelling composition as the bone widens at the intersecting joint. The curvilinear form of the vertebrae is achieved by the spine bone being largest in the center then scaling down as it nears both ends. 11
Nature & Space
Strengths
Weaknesses •
Perfection of form slows down my creativity and flow of ideas
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Adjustable roof structure Movement through repetition Form rising from ground level Spacial complexity
When design responds to nature curvature and repetition are essential. Joints must attach in an effortless manner. Structural members of the spine in nature are repetitive. With that said design should be reflective of this natural trait when dealing with structural elements.
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The Process
At the beginning I enjoyed using sketch up to get ideas flowing, I also constantly found myself looking to nature for inspiration, the feelings and spacial experiences I remember as a kid are often pulled from the deepest parts of my analytic memory. The mojave desert was a special place for me growing up. These three factors pushed my creative process at the beginning. But inevitably with certain programs the ideas from these sources ran dry. So I purchased a book titled Calatrava Public Buildings. Inspiration for the arch I constructed was taken from this book. For some reason I steered clear of the internet as I felt looking up some of todays masters of architecture would be cheating. I gave into that idea when I found out that Calatrava found inspiration in the work of Antoni Goudi. As we neared mid terms I gained three important tools narratives, charcoal and the idea that inspiration surrounds me all I need to do is slow down and enjoy life to capture it. With that said I feel my experience as a builder creates fixations when constructing form, I strive for perfection at the very beginning of my process and in this process I sacrifice ideas. Knowing this I will use the second half of the semester to rid of this minor threat in hopes of developing a more efficient way to communicate my ideas.
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Rendering Nature
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Connections in nature structure and its impact on form Shape and form of each element and its connection to other elements.
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Program
Objectives Theme: Making the invisible perceivable in nature
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Creating the Unexpected
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Promoting the Unfamiliar
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Avoid the Obvious
Specifics • •
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Needs • • •
Wind protection 3 organized areas Light
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Entrance that invites (axis) Organized circulation of nodes and pathways (axis) Nodes that contrast significantly in comparison from other places and are mysterious and magical (at least 3 nodes). Creating the Unexpected and the unfamiliar in a wondrous way. Human Activities
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Design • • • • • • •
Triangles Structural stability Contrast with Batmale’s brutalist box Manageable folding capabilities Aerodynamic Structure, folding & skinning Entrance, seating area, meditation area & Exit Mitigate light
Weather Analysis
Weather, San Francisco Bay The following weather overview focuses primarily on weather conditions of the San Francisco Bay and the coastal waters outside the Golden Gate. The climate of the San Francisco Bay Area is broadly classified as a Mediterranean Climate, which generally means that summers are dry, sunny, and warm and winters are mild, wet and occasionally stormy. However, the Mediterranean Climate classification is somewhat of a simplification for the region. In reality the Bay Area has several climate regimes, sometimes referred to as microclimates. Significant differences in temperature, winds, and fog patterns over relatively short distances are due to variations in airmass between land and sea and to the complex terrain of the coastal mountain ranges. Gaps in the coastal mountain ranges further modify weather conditions on a local scale. Climate is an average of weather conditions over a period of time. Most people are more concerned with day-to-day weather and how it will affect them personally. Few people are affected more directly by weather than the mariner. An unexpected change in winds, seas, or visibility can reduce the efficiency of marine operations and threaten the safety of a vessel and its crew. Because of the many microclimates of the San Francisco Bay Area, mariners who navigate the waters from outside the Golden Gate, through the San Francisco Bay must be aware of how weather conditions can change significantly over short distances and over short periods of time. Mariners must also be aware of the unique weather conditions and weather hazards that are most prevalent during each season. Spring: Storms that periodically affect the region during the winter months often continue with regularity into March, but by April the storm track begins to shift north and storms rolling inland off the pacific become less frequent. The rainy season is typically over by mid- April. The variation in wind direction that occurs with passing storms occurs less frequently during April and mostly ends by May. During spring an area of high pressure over the Pacific gradually strengthens and moves north. Meanwhile, longer days and a more direct sun angle result in increased warming over land, particularly in the interior valleys. Warming at the surface causes air to expand and air pressure near the surface to fall. The resulting difference between higher pressure over the ocean and lower pressure over land brings about increasingly persistent west to northwest winds during the spring months. And these onshore winds can be quite strong. In fact, spring is generally the windiest time of the year in the Bay Area. However, springtime weather is highly variable and onshore breezes do not blow as consistently then as they do in the summer months. The region can experience several days of generally light winds before the next round of brisk west to northwest winds develops. Wind speeds with the stronger springtime wind events sometimes reach gale force over the coastal waters outside the Golden Gate, and approach Gale Force locally in northern San Francisco Bay. West to northwest winds during the spring months decrease farther inland and are generally lighter in the Central Valley compared to the Bay and Delta. Strong springtime winds over the coastal waters produce rough and choppy seas with a short period swell. The large long-period swells that are common during the winter months still roll through the coastal waters quite often during the early spring, but taper off considerably by late spring as the storm track across the Pacific becomes less active. Persistent northwest winds along the California coast during the spring months enhance the current of surface water flowing south and parallel to the coast known as the California Current. In the Northern Hemisphere, oceanic currents are deflected to the right by the Coriolis force. This deflection caries surface water offshore and causes cold nutrient-rich water from the bottom of the ocean to surge up along the coast. As moist air blowing across the Pacific comes into contact with the cold upwelled coastal waters, condensation occurs and a layer of low clouds and/or fog develops. The low clouds that form in this situation are called stratus clouds. Stratus clouds are gray with generally uniform bases. They usually do not produce precipitation, although drizzle can sometime occur if the stratus layer is sufficiently thick. Fog and low clouds typically form first over the coastal waters and are then swept inland with onshore breezes through the Golden Gate and other gaps in the coastal mountain ranges. When stratus and fog are present along the coast, meteorologists often use the term “marine layer.” The marine layer is a moist and cool layer near the surface that is capped by an inversion (a very stable atmospheric condition where warm air lies above cold air). The marine layer ranges in depth from just a few hundred feet to as much as 4000 feet or more. The depth of the marine layer depends on the height of the inversion above the surface, and the inversion height is regulated by various atmospheric conditions as well as land-sea interaction. The marine layer can exist without low clouds and fog, but typically clouds and/or fog are present when there is a marine layer. As spring progresses, the marine layer is present along the coast with greater frequency, and thus coastal low clouds and fog become more common late in the season as summer approaches. People often mistakenly refer to stratus clouds as fog or “high fog.” By definition, fog is composed of tiny water droplets that are in contact with the surface, essentially a cloud in contact with the ground. The distinction between stratus clouds and fog is important because fog reduces visibility and makes marine navigation more difficult or even dangerous. Stratus clouds, on the other hand, do not by themselves reduce the visibility at the water’s surface. Dense fog is defined by the National Weather Service as fog that reduces visibility to one-half mile or less on the San Francisco Bay or to one mile or less over the coastal waters. Spring and summer fog is not usually dense over the bays and into the Delta and Central Valley. However, fog can often be dense over the coastal waters when the marine layer is shallow (typically less than 1000 feet deep). During shallow marine layer scenarios, the coastal mountains act as a barrier blocking fog and low clouds from moving inland. However, even with a shallow marine layer, fog can still advect into the Bay through the Golden Gate. In this situation, dense fog is almost always limited to local sections of the San Francisco Bay, primarily from the Golden Gate to Berkeley. Because the atmosphere in early spring is more unstable than in the late spring and summer months, fog and low clouds are then less frequent. Also, when a marine layer does develop in the spring, it typically is not as shallow as the summer season marine layer, and so dense fog episodes occur more rarely. Dense fog is most common in San Francisco Bay, and especially in the Delta and Central Valley, during the winter months.
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The Site
PROS •
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Cons
Connection with campus; opportunity to attract students into architecture department Large open area Full sun exposure Corner location lends to great exposure to foot traffic Challenges can become strengths in deign
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Extreme winds funnel down Martson ave to the north east because of campus building layout Harsh Sun Uneven terrain
Material
Objectives •
Specifications
Source material
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2x6 Doug Fir Acrylite Resist White Anodized Aluminum 1/4 Inch Maple plywood Dominos Framing Screws 1.5” and 3”
Construction
Objectives • •
Methods
Create a structure with high level craftsmanship Prefabrication
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Domino connections Laying out for screws Applying panels
Construction
Objectives •
Methods
Create a structure with high level craftsmanship
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Precision Joints Shou Sugi Ban
Construction
Objectives •
Methods
Erect components
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Physical alignment Onsite notching
Finishing Touches
Objectives •
Methods
Finishing details
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Build Stairs Install acrylic paneling Construct seating
Final Thoughts
Good design comes at a cost, in order to achieve good design one must sacrifice time and energy. The time and energy spent seeking good design is the process in which i’m trying to establish and define for myself. As my team and I tried but failed in our attempts to harness light, I came to the realization that for the ones who are not willing to sacrifice, architecture will be unattainable and out of their grasp and my role and influences as a leader are limited to the personal drive of others. Failure in architecture is inevitable the greatest architects today have failed but in their failures they sacrificed to attain priceless knowledge that moves their process forward like light, passing from our sun through life on earth and then on for eternity to the outer rims of the universe.
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