Architecture Saved My Life JK Choi’s Graduate Thesis Project 2010
Washington State University Pullman WA 01
Washington State University School of Architecture & Construction Management. PO Box 642220, Washington State University, Pullman, WA 99164-2220 USA Copyright 2010 All rights reserved Architecture Saved My Life Chrends book about architecture heroism Created by JK Choi Committe Members: School of Architecture Director Gregory Kessler --------------------------------------------------Graduate Coordinator/Studio Instructor Paul Hirzel --------------------------------------------------Faculty instructor Ayad Rahmani --------------------------------------------------- Faculty Instructor Gregory Turner-Rahman --------------------------------------------------
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First of all, Thank you God for all the wisdom and grace. Special thanks to friends and teachers who helped me through the process of getting the architecture degree: Paul Hirzel, Ayad Rahmani, Gregory Turnerrahman, Kim Singer, Robert Barnstone, Deb Ascher Barnstone, Phil Gruen, Taiji Miyasaka, Anna Mutin, John Abell, Matthew Cohen, Darrin Griechen, Rena Klein, David Wang. And Thanks to graduating friends Laurie Nii, Alan Abdulkader, Dan Blohowiak, Wyatt Oday, Monica Degraffenreid, Laurin Kinker, Laurissa Hale, Derry Betts, David Drake, Stephen Foster, Shona Bose, Katie Chapman, Shane Herzer. Thank you for my family members for their unending support.
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Abstract
First of all, there isn’t any decent architecture children’s book about architecture heroism that would potentially reach children for their architectural interest. Architecture is a fascinating subject which possesses unlimited possibility; architecture is a greatest topic for growing children and their development. This book is dedicated to architecture children of the future, who will save the world. There have been stories, rumors, and prophecies about the apocalypse, the end of the world; through the precedent works of novels, tellings, and movies, we can encounter people’s great interest in this issue. Recently, there have been increased attention about doomsday December. 21. 2012, which released considerable number of books and movies as well as examples of some defensive architecture. It is unclear to know when the world will actually end or not, 04
however, people’s attentiveness about this issue will be larger no lesser. My question was, “can architecture answer this question?” Us humans, want to live within hope, and faith; when we were children, we wanted to be a superheroes and become ones who saves the world. On that occasion, establishing a background of certain belief is quiet important since we accomplish things because we believe in it. Therefore, In order to rescue the world in the future, we must enlighten children with architectural fascination and courage, so that those ones grow up to be architectural heros of the world.
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Contents: Introduction Apocalypse, who cares? • Apocalypse precedents • Architecture precedents
Research Super Hero Study
Analysis Process into children’s book
Solution Thumbnails and sketches Conclusion Final drawings Bibliography & sources
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Introduction
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Apocalypse architecture children’s book?
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I was always interested in the world apocalypse. And often times imagined how the end of the world might look like. At first, I wanted to design ‘apocalypse pod’ architecture for my graduate thesis project; creating a architecture type which can protect people from some catastrophic events such as tsunami, nuclear bomb, earthquake, or a zombi attack due to incurable disease spread. However, as I sketch down my imagination on the paper, drawings looked like more of a transportation type rather than architectural building. Moreover, my committee members did not think apocalypse architecture pod was a strong idea; but concept of apocalypse architecture was quiet unique enough to pursue. At that moment, a new question arose; how can I generate a new kind of thesis analysis about apocalypse architecture. Recently, hand full of novels and movies about apocalypse came out in book stores and theaters.
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I was very impressed by the film “2012 doomsday”, “The book of Eli”, and “ I am legend” by its innovative stories and absorbing computer graphics. I as a thinker and a designer, I wanted to investigate in a fascinating architectural story, also generate unique style of architectural rendering. Short time, my committee professor suggested to put my idea in the children’s book format. Most people thought ‘apocalypse’ was too violent to be a subject for children’s book. Be that as it may, as I researched into today’s popular children’s books and games, I found that a lots of them are quiet ominous; children’s books such as “Harry Potter”, “Lord of the Rings”, and “Twilight” are truly dark novels. As generations change, people’s perspective of interest are widened and it is rapid; especially children’s shorttempered interest are quiet different compared to old days.
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Idea of the end of the world is awfully dramatic, and terribly sad. I did not want to write a sad ending story, nevertheless, I wish to write a fascinating story about architecture saving humans and the world; story of an architecture that has overruling power over any forces, an such an heroic type which can change the minds of people. I thought to myself, maybe I don’t have to write the story myself; the story can be written by anyone, imagined and created by many others. I figured out that my only duty is to pass down the spark, and the fire will remain flaming over generations; which means if I could pass down my fascination about architecture saving the world, it will be done more efficiently. Therefore, my solution to the world apocalypse is to write an architectural heroism children’s book that will make more children desire to be an architects whom eventually will save the world.
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“Mayan calendars are not the oldest known calendars in existence. But they are the most accurate. Where our traditional Gregorian calendar year results in an error of 3.02 days over the course of 10,000 years, the calculation of the Mayan calendar year results in an error of only 1.98 days over that same number of years. According to these Mayans, the age in which we are currently living marks the end of a 500 year long cycle that they call the Trail of Tears.� Ancient Mayan Tun Calendar.
Mayans predicted that something significant will happen in the december 2012; and historians translated, and predicted that this date could be the doomsday. However, no one knows what will happen in the end of the Mayan Calendars. So far, most of the apocalyptic prophecies were incorrect because world still standing just fine. Yet, there is a important lesson to be learned in this matter; a lot of people are curious about the end of the world; they may refused to believe it so, but the idea is imprinted in our bloods. I learned that a lot more people were interested in the 16
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issue of the end of the world than I expected. In this case, architectural research on the issue of apocalypse is quiet legit because architecture (building) is supposed to protect people from natural forces such as temperature, wind, water, fire, or any discomfort. If architecture can not perform it’s duty in the event of the apocalyptic tragic, it is very problematic. I researched on the various types of apocalyptic events that may happen, In order to study architectural defense system. Chines I-Ching calendar. I-Ching prophecy also predicts something catastrophic will happen in year 2012.
Based on my search, Book of Revelations of the Bible tells most descriptive occurrences of the world apocalypse out of all the other predictions. Book of Revelations describes the end days in great detail, which enabled me to closely investigate on the possible architectural elements. According to the story, There will be two major events both composed of different stages of proceedings; such as high speed winds, displacement of all lands, hails of firestone, spirit of 18
Book of Revelations of the Bible reveals events of apocalypse.
death, big wave swiping the world, ocean turning into blood and etc... So far, these kind of events seems quiet not preventable by any existing technology, also it is beyond any physical capacity. Therefore, I decided to incorporate higher level of architectural system into this project which lead me into researching an “architecture superpower�. The research chapter of this book studies various superpowers of superheroes such as American Avengers and more; and investigates for possible architectural application. Architectural superpower gives another level of fantasy to the story, providing all kinds of interesting implementations of existing structural elements into an method of the architectural superpower. Purpose of my architecture children’s book is to implant an architectural fascination and love in the minds of children which will enable them to imagine and create heroic architecture works. 21
Apcalypse Precedent movies
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There have been hand-full of apocalyptic movies since the film industry; great imaginations on how to survive from the dreadful moments. Architecture often becomes an protective component in those movies; protecting humans from monsters, natural disaster, and from weapons of war. The movie 2012 doomsday (2010), demonstrated a possible apocalypse architecture type that looked like a space-ship; its main facility was located hidden in the deep mountain passage, only accessible for private party. This was an interesting type of apocalypse architecture example. Identically, movie Total Recall presents architecture as a protective barrier, which takes place in foreign planet. In this movie, architectural facility becomes only place of safety because there are not enough air on the rest of the planet. We can see from precedent works, many times architecture behaves as a method of protection. 25
Film Deep Impact presents underground facility as an architectural protection.
Film 20 Years After presents subsurface inhabitation of people in a relation with the post apocalypse architecture example.
Distant from previous movies, film ‘Deep Impact’ and ‘20 Years After’ shows human inhabitation in underground setting; this study lead me into studying a subsurface type of architecture which required different scale of built environment due to its limited build-able area. One of my final product looked into the issue of underground occupancy, and addressed Film Wall-E presents unique story of post apocalypse of the world.
the architectural scale into an aspect of architectural superpower. By researching the precedent movies and it’s architectural examples, I was able to differentiate my final product from previous works, as well came up with the different kinds of architectural impications which resolved the problems of current technology.
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Precedent architectural works
Example of a living architecture.
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The architecture theory not only theorizes rational building projects, but sometimes generate dream like concept images that bring out different thoughts. There have been architectural renderings which showed imaginations of ‘other’ world; that concept image later becomes tools of designing future architecture. Conceptual architectural drawings are quiet significant for my thesis project because I could look at what have been done already, as well as relate my project with the some of the aspects of previous Kounosuke Kawakami Exotica 2007
precedent works. A dream like concept drawings is very similar to the settings of the children’s book because often times, both share elements of unusual environments; dream like architecture drawings have full tendency to be easily turned into a children’s book. Images on the left are architectural rendering of unusual place which makes people wonder, and triggers them to imagine such place of ‘different’ world.
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Vasco Mourao “Long Time No See”
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CEBRA_TOONS cartoon concept drawings.
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Thomas Hillier “Eternal Punishment”
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Precedent art works also set examples of living architecture; where buildings became a living object that moves and talks. There have been lots of examples which buildings became human like species that is able to think and condensate with people. This is an important precedent work because in my thesis project, architecture becomes a living object that grows larger with the main character while developing friendship with each other. “The Emperor’s Castle originates from a mythical and ancient tale hidden within a woodblock landscape scene created by Japanese Ukiyo-e printmaker, Ando Hiroshige. This tale charts the story of two starcrossed lovers, the weaving Princess and the Cowherd, who have been separated by the Princess’s father, the Emperor. These characters have been replaced by architectonic metaphors creating an urban theatre within the grounds of the Imperial Palace in central Tokyo.”
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Superhero Study
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R
esearching the Superhero’s superpower for the
potential application into architectural superpower!
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Children’s book Analysis
Architecture apocalypse pod drawings.
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Renderings on the left are beginning process work of my children’s book, where I studied behavior of children in their play grounds; and later those playgrounds become protective shield. In the beginning, I was interested in the creating a world of children; therefore, my personal research often looked at the unification of children in various environments; possibly in result, create their own world after apocalyptic event.
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Another part of my personal research was on the investigation of strange architecture, which later leads me into my final solution. It was called “My Neighbor’s Strange House”; I was studying a strange type of architecture that contains weird architectural elements. You can see my initial drawings in the page 7 in this book. 47
Solution Thumbnails and Story
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In order to make a children’s book, you first need story and corresponding thumb nail sketches. These are sketches of my imagination which shows my deep down architectural fascination. Images on the left are architecture superpower thumb nail sketches which were generated after the superhero study research. I specifically applied well known superheroes and their superpowers; all of them combined in a architecture, so that architecture can become the lord of superheroes; setting architecture as over arching super-being above all other superheroes. As you can see, architectural elements are so broad and diverse, you can easily apply any kind of superpowers from famous superheroes. This shows that architecture can be the master of all the superheroes. Architecture is awesome.
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S d H e s e c v w A a i a s e b a A t o w A t s P
Saved by Architecture Foretold day had begun; seven seals from the scroll have been removed. Most of the earth was destroyed, except … JK have been walking for long time, on an empty land. JK has not seen anyone since the last day. He was very lonely. He walked past the broken city. He walked past the ash suburb. He even walked past the burnt forest. Stil did not see anyone. JK was scared of the quietness. “Hey!” JK heard someone, so he looked around. He didn’t see anyone. “Hey, I’m here under your feet” JK dug the ground and found a small white cube. JK could not believe his eyes, a talking cube. “What is your name”? JK asked “My name? I don’t have one…” Cube spoke again. “I am JK, and I wil call you Architecture” They decide to walk together, to the journey of new beginning. Architecture began to grow, grew very fast. JK can no longer carry him in his hands. One night, Four angels from the four corners of the world unleashed the wind. JK asked the Architecture to be a shelter for him. He entered through a door. “Where are you from Architecture”? Architecture speaks, “I am from planet of Buildings, I Fell on the earth when all the stars fell on the earth”. JK saw a plant on a cliff. “Architecture can you get that for me, you can cantilever, like my arms” JK grabbed the green plant and planted it in the Architecture. “Can you help me get some sunlight”? Architecture gave him a window. Earth water became bitter and was not drinkable. One Rainey day JK was thirsty but he had no cup. Architecture captured rain water gave him a small pool of water. It was night of the full moon. Big wave of water struck them and swipe them into the ocean. However, Architecture already was waterproof, it float up to the surface. “JK look! What is that flying object”? Architecture built stairs so JK could come up to the roof. JK answered, it’s a balloon. It came to them. “What is that noise”? JK asked as he was waking up. Hail of fire and blood hurled down the earth burning everything that was leftover. “Don’t worry”, Architecture answered. Architecture reinforced its shell to keep out the fiery hail. Architecture arrested a small blazing hail to light the interior of it. JK and Architecture talked for long time on that loud night. A spirit sounded his trumpet, and a third of the sun was struck, a third of the moon, and a third of the stars so that a third of them turned dark. A third of the day was without light, and also a third of a night. For couple of days earth stood stil , silence was nor peaceful but spooky. Apocapod and little children was about to experience the end of the world. There was a great earthquake. The sun turned black, and whole moon turned blood red, and the stars in the sky fell to earth, as late figs drop from wind. The sky receded like scroll, rolling up, and every mountain ad island was removed from its place. Ahhhhhh! Architecture ~! Parachute!!~ Architecture launched a tent like superstructure to prevent from falling into the earth core. After that event,
Conclusion Final drawings
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Wow
! This is the word you are looking for.
This is an one and only architecture children’s book about architecture heroism. While thousands of years of architecture history, there has not been any book about architecture heroism and its superpower. This is a new movement, beginning of an architecture future; I dedicate this book to the architecture children of the future. 83
Bibliography And Sources
Bibliography Anderson, Vicky. “Tribal Elders & the Mayan Prophesy « The Awakening.” The Awakening. 2 Sept. 2010. Web. 13 Dec. 2010. <http://hiddenlighthouse.wordpress.com/2010/09/02/tribal-elders-the-mayanprophesy/>. Patric, Alvin. “Search Results for Mayan.” My Lifestyle... 19 Nov. 2009. Web. 13 Dec. 2010. <http://freddieslifestyle.blogspot.com/ search?q=mayan>. Elan. “64 Hexagrams - Tribe.net.” Tribes - Tribe.net. 16 Oct. 2010. Web. 13 Dec. 2010. <http://tribes.tribe.net/e_ching/photos/38d65aefe28d-4385-a128-fadaf2b69667>. Apollo, Adam. “I-Ching ::: Experience Encoded.” Harmonic Dimensional Matrices - Magical Keys - Sigil Arts - Telepathic Systems. 1 Dec. 2010. Web. 13 Dec. 2010. <http://adamapollo.info/sacred_ knowledge/i-ching/>. Griffin, Mike. “Life Coaching, I Ching, And The Superior Man (or Woman).” The Law of Attraction | The Science of Getting Rich | As A Man Thinketh | The Real Mike Griffin | Mike Griffin. 3 July 2009. Web. 13 Dec. 2010. <http://www.therealmikegriffin.com/1834/life-coaching-i-ching-and-the-superior-man-or-woman/>. arkin, Clarence. “The Book of Revelation by Clarence Larkin • News from Sergey.” Sergey Marechek. 16 Aug. 2008. Web. 13 Dec. 2010. <http://sergey.marechek.com/blog/2008/08/16/27/>.
apocalypse movie pics A Member of AboveTopSecret.com, Darkstar86. “What Does This Pic Look like to You?, Page 1.” AboveTopSecret.com - The Leading Site For Conspiracy Theories, UFO, Paranormal, Political Madness, and Other “Alternative Topics” 19 Aug. 2010. Web. 13 Dec. 2010. <http://www.abovetopsecret.com/forum/ thread604375/pg1>. Hoffman, Jordan. “Science Fiction - Interplanetary Sea Cruise UGO.com.” Movie News, TV Show Guides, New Video Games, Hero Machine, Cool Stuff - UGO.com. 6 May 2010. Web. 13 Dec. 2010. <http://www.ugo.com/movies/interplanetary-space-cruise>. umastre, Micheal G. “Articles » » Top 5 Doomsday Movies of All Time.” Content Writer, Blogger, SEO Writer, Technical Writer, and Ghostwriter for Hire. 23 Nov. 2009. Web. 13 Dec. 2010. <http:// www.thefinestwriter.com/blog/top-5-doomsday-movies/>. onlinemovie.com. “20 Years After Online Watch 2010 Free,20 Years After Episodes Online Movie, Download 20 Years After.” Free Movies Online Watch,Free Movies Download,Online Movies Watch. 1 Jan. 2009. Web. 13 Dec. 2010. <http://www.ionlinemovie.com/Movie/Drama/20-Years-After/>. ilmsnobs.com. “Wall-E.” The Filmsnobs: Role Models of Online Film Criticism. 19 Nov. 2008. Web. 13 Dec. 2010. <http://www. filmsnobs.com/index.php nowShowing=reviews&by=shimes& id=868>. architecture precedents Jeff. “Kounosuke Kawakami.” BOOOOOOOM! - CREATE * INSPIRE * COMMUNITY * ART * DESIGN * MUSIC * FILM * PHOTO * PROJECTS. 15 Feb. 2009. Web. 13 Dec. 2010. <http://www. booooooom.com/2009/02/15/kounosuke-kawakami/>.
Sabine7. “”Long Time No See” by Vasco Mourao.” MoCo Loco Modern Contemporary Design & Architecture. 3 Feb. 2009. Web. 13 Dec. 2010. <http://mocoloco.com/art/archives/010453.php>. Frost, Mikkel. “Cebra Toons.” CEBRA_toons. Web. 13 Dec. 2010. <http://cebratoons.blogspot.com/>. Hillier, Thomas. “The Emperor’s Castle.” BLDGBLOG. 19 Oct. 2009. Web. 13 Dec. 2010. <http://bldgblog.blogspot.com/2009/10/emperors-castle.html>. Superhero Study Wikipedia. “Superhero.” Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. 7 Dec. 2010. Web. 13 Dec. 2010. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Superhero>.