Learning Portfolio Arch – 101 Spring 2016
Heloisa Arantes
Reflections “To attain knowledge, add things everyday. To attain wisdom, remove things every day.� Lao Tzu This is how I am going to document and share my work here; adding new experiences and learning from mistakes!
What is your sign? Collages Using Collages to compose and extract the basics of the sign‌ Letting creative and imagination drive this project! I first thought I was supposed to know everything before making it, but each day I am learning that sometimes you just have to start the work and it will flow‌ I guess life is the same!
Collages
What is your sign? I tried to transform my thoughts into something possible! Sketching‌ Letting the pen translate what I had created in my imagination‌
What is your sign? Sign - Never mind searching for who you are. Search for the person you aspire to be. By Robert Brault.
Sign- (noun) 2.any object, action, event, pattern, etc., that conveys a meaning. A symbol used as an abbreviation for the word or words it represents. This is me, full of love, care and humanity. We are never alone! One helping another, life is better this way and that is my essence!
A Journey of Discovery: in search of lost wonder.
I am fascinated by historic buildings. My imagination drives me to infinity imagining what stories and moments lived in each piece of rust. I find the past a very important element, for creation, is misunderstood by most people, but indispensable to figuring out the future. My journey was in Los Gatos at Forbes Mill Museum a Historical Landmark built in 1854.
“The secret of change is to focus all of your energy, not fighting the old, but on building the new�. Socrates.
Evoking the Past.
Feeling _ An emotional state or reaction‌ _ Curiosity _ Wonder _ Strange _ Quiet _ Mysterious _ Beautiful
“Yesterday is just a memory, tomorrow is never what it is supposed to be.” Bob Dylan.
A very unique, charm, and small place; which first felt cold, lonely almost dead, but looking at the little details I could see the beauty and light of it…
“The is one timeless way of building. It is a thousand years old, and the same today as it has ever been. The great traditional buildings of the past the villages, tents and temples which man feels at home, have always been made by people who were very close to the center of this way.� Christopher Alexander.
My experience while taking this journey was wonderful! I could understand some simple aspects of elements like light, nature, space, atmosphere‌ What you see might not be corresponding to what you feel and smell. Because it was cloudy I could not see the impact of direct light instead I saw more of the structure and some very pristine details! I noticed that the town of Los Gatos has inherited the quietude and harmony, the composition of a building and nature, from the Forbes Mill. I could also feel the weight of the building reflected by the by bricks and few small windows and doors. There is a touch of spirituality involved as well.
Los Gatos
“Moments”
The End of my first Journey!
Building a Wall of Wonder “Mystery creates wonder and wonder is the basis of man’s desire to understand.” By Neil Armstrong. Based on my Journey to Forbes Mill Museum, in Los Gatos, I created a wall that evoked most of the feelings I experienced while there!
My first experience building a model! It was wonderful and meaningful for me; increased my passion for architecture and stimulated me to keep working hard to achieve the top and start a career. I could get an idea of how complex it could be… I can feel my eyes opening little by little to what involves when it comes to talk about building… creating… and it is just the beginning of this magical profession…
Building a Wall of Wonder
Building a Wall of Wonder Constructing Process_ Some of the aspects I like the most about creating this wall it was figuring out what materials would be best and would read my thoughts in a most precise way… which it took me few trips to the art store until I find what I was looking for… Using a knife and blade #2, I made the stones and the shape of the other elements… I use white glue and gorilla glue to make the connections… and finally I painted the model with acrylic paint and it dried over night. Style_ A monumental, symmetric design creating various spaces, which in each of one, different experiences through the openings and closings and the natural light rotating distinct shapes along the day…
Effective use of Parallelism Parallel plans can be: _ horizontally _vertically _obliquely _curvilinear
_Repetitive + Rhythmic elements + qualities – Promotes movement = Unity. _Opening in each plane can diminish as planes recede in space – sold planes are smaller in front and enlarge as they recede. _Elements in each plan ca be staggered – a layered revealing via displacement. _Edges of planes are revealed intact to emphasize each wall – edges are extended beyond intersecting planes – contributes towards an “open” design rather than “closed”. _Extended edges can announce significant aspects, such as
Effective use of Parallelism _Articulations in planes create intended grouping. _Contrast to parallelism + the orthogonal (verticals, horizontals, 90 degree angles) nature can emphasize sets of elements to promote sensuality + playfulness. _Elements in each plan ca be staggered – a layered revealing via displacement. _Displacement of edges can promote a sense of levetating defying gravity!
Design Process
Narrative and Design Process
Narrative This monumental design connects geometric forms harmonically. The roof embraces every part with it just like a wave, moving toward the sand and rocks, then moves away then kisses back new shapes with its curvilinear movement. The composition as a whole gives tension and relieve in a balanced way with its scale and weight, openings and light, details and supports awaking fear, curiosity, self-discover, anxiety, nostalgia unfolding opportunities in every path, step, walk, edge, curve and openings and so on. Triangles, rectangles, cylinder, tunnel and curves unify the composition with transparency and rhythm. Approaching contrast with big and small elements, open and close spaces, light and dark passages leading you to experiment an unique and exquisite journey. A discovery through passages going up and down and totality involved by this symphony that gets more and more excited searching for the end, but the finish walk side by side with the infinite moving with the wave from far and dark to live and bright.
Learning from Mistakes
That is what happened when I did not do an analyzes before started building it. Failed! Design is a process and there are the right ingredients to use just like a recipe! I learned a lot about this one!
Rough Models
Rough Models
Concluding Model Ending the project of constructing a model that includes all we covered from the beginning of the semester till now I made it emphasizing on curves that reflected on my narrative‌ Bringing monumentality, movement, danger, nostalgia, curiosity, wonder, beauty, mystery all in a balanced way. I tried to apply to my design some of the principles of basic architecture learned in class; an abstract model used as a metaphor; combining contrast harmonically; using parallelism efficiently. letting edges defining location; using depth in a dynamic way to complement the composition.
Concluding Model
Narrative This monumental design delineates curves harmonically. Floors and ceilings embracing every part of the design just like a wave hugs the sand, then moves away then kisses back new shapes with its curvilinear movement. The composition as a whole gives tension and relieve in a balanced way with its scale and weight, openings and light and details awaking fear, danger, curiosity, self-discover, anxiety, nostalgia unfolding opportunities in every path, step, walk, edge, curve and openings and so on. Its flowing curves unify the composition with transparency and rhythm. Approaching contrast with big and small elements, open and close spaces, light and dark passages leading you to experiment an unique and exquisite experience. A discovery through passages going up and down and totality involved by this symphony and rhythm that gets more and more excited and complex searching for the finishing, but the finishing walks side by side with the infinite moving with the wave from far and dark to live and bright.
Kit of Parts
Fin.
Final Project SITE – BETWEEN THE 3 TREES.