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Sojourn in Silence
Music, architecture, and the notion of a journey... ---by Josh Riek
-A Terminal Master’s Project Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Architecture School of Architecture and Community Design College of the Arts University of South Florida May, 2015 Chair Steve Cooke
Professor of Architecture University of South Florida
Committee Stanley Russell
Professor of Architecture University of South Florida
Robert MacLeod
Director, School of Architecture University of South Florida
Chaddy Hanwisai
Adjunct Professor of Architecture University of South Florida i
Table of Contents 3 Abstract Where it all comes from...
-5 Introduction The problem that I am really trying to tackle...
-9 Investigation A review of the historical and current state of architecture and music...
-9 Compare/Contrast
Music and architecture
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12 Education Why music is more established than architecture
13 3 Types of Musical Creation Notation, composition, and event
16 Understanding Music What to listen for and why
21 Creativity How it works and how to use it
24 Brief Summing it all up
27 Graphical Precedence
Sources of drawing and other visual media that have served as inspiration...
-28 Geoffrey Bawa Figure 26, Figure 27
29 Lebbeus Woods Figure 28
30 Kowloon Walled City Figure 29, Figure 30, Figure 31
31 Transfer Case Diagram Figure 32
32 Machinarium Figure 33, Figure 34
33 Time Machine Blueprint Figure 35
34 Nature 1/Nature 2 Figure 36
35 A Home for All in Rikuzentakata Figure 37
-37 The Journey
Experiencing the Kumano Kodo pilgrimage...
-40 Photography
Snapshots from Kumano Kodo
46 Day One
A written log of the experience on the Kumano Kodo
48 Day Two
A written log of the experience on the Kumano Kodo
50 Day Three
A written log of the experience on the Kumano Kodo
-53 Balance
The role of music in the design process...
-56 Graphical Logs
A written experience of the traveler with his hot air balloon
-59 Node .001
A song about tenderness...
-71 Node .002 A song about chaos...
-87 Node .003 A song about anger...
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103 Node .004
A song about anticipation...
-119 Node .005 A song about joy...
-133 Node .006 A song about love...
-149 Conclusion
After it’s all said and done...
-150 The Scroll Section
The entire journey in one graphic...
-152 Works Cited
Where the information came from...
-154 List of Figures Image index...
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Fig 1, Japanese home at sunset
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Fig 2, View of valley from the Japanese house
Abstract Where it all comes from... ---: Thesis, pp2-3
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Music and architecture are fundamentally very similar in nature. They go through essentially the same process of creation, and the typical end result is still an immersive experience. The only difference really is the medium with which they work. One deals mainly with sound, and the other with space, although in my experience they cross boundaries quite frequently. But if you look at past civilizations, you see that pieces of music and architecture defined entire cultures of people, whether it be a powerful orchestral composition symbolizing the independence of a nation or an iconic structure at the center of town. But fast-forward to today, music is being mass-produced at an incredible rate, and what today is the greatest hit song will in a week be almost forgotten. And architecture experiences something similar, with a series of cheap boxes that are placed all over the map that offer little to nothing to their surrounding context and culture. And yet, there are still pieces of music that move people, sounds and melodies that “strike a chord� with people and leave a lasting impression. And while this can happen with architecture, I struggle to think of an experience like it from any modern structure. I wish to figure out what caused this lag in architecture, and I want to delve deep into the relationship between music and architecture to discover what links have been broken and how to repair them, making memorable and emotive spaces that can leave a lasting impression on others.
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Fig 3, Process of first drawing
Introduction The problem that I am really trying to tackle... ---: Thesis, pp4-7
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I am both a designer and a musician. One of my greatest struggles while in architecture school has been to make sure I never lose my passion for music composition while I’ve been buried in a steady volume of other things to do. But in hindsight, design has always been something of an ancillary function for my learning and understanding of music. My education as an architect has contributed greatly to my education as a musician. It was as I began to realize this that I became very excited at the prospect of incorporating music as a design tool at the start of my thesis. As I researched, I began learning more and more of the studies that those ahead of me have contributed to the realms of music and architecture. Those I will get into later. But what I wanted to touch on was what I noticed tended to be missing. There is a good amount of study done on the relationship of music and architecture surely, but it nearly always ends up with very little discussion on the emotive experience. Common throughout all of these bodies of research are studies on proportion, rhythm, harmony, repetition, and so on. And yet meager notions can be found to anything beyond an almost entirely visual sense. Considering the lasting effects that music has on people transcending features like repetition, I sought to capture through my own research what architecture has lost: a powerful and cognitive experience.
series of works by artist Jean Tinguely titled Métamatics. In order to define the term “metamatic” it must be broken down into its parts, which are meta- and -matic. Meta- is a prefix which means self-referential, as well as something beyond or in change.1 The suffix -matic comes from the Greek term matos which means a willingness to perform, or a need to act.2 When combined, these pieces become a whole that translates into the need to self-refer. In other words, it is the very spark of the creative process, the desire of self-expression that engages people in this creative process. It is the force beyond basic program and function that conceives original and thoughtful interpretation.
Fig 4, Jean Tinguely’s Métamatics series
In the end I chose the (admittedly refreshing) route of putting program and function somewhat to the side so that I might instead be purely engaged in the search for this new powerful experience. Instead of a prescribed function that often turns inhabited space into instructional space, I left function as something more determined by the inhabitant, left to the whims of any and every person that experiences this idea of a space. Things that at first seem well-defined or precise in their meaning on second glance become obscure or more defined by our own experiences that we bring to the space. In a way it becomes less about what they do and more about what they instill and leave behind.
The intent with this term is to demonstrate that these architectures I create are meant to be perceived in unique ways by unique people, fostering a deep and changing meaning as the experience of them progresses. These metamatic structures embody a changing involvement that sparks a response in its inhabitants. It is architecture that fosters intuitive actions as well as impulsive circumstances. By way of their own lack of a prescribed function, they encourage someone to make it make sense through a culmination of their own previous experiences. This person is involved in the construction and observance of the space, and hereby emerges spaces more so of contingency and opportunity rather than exact function.
The situations that present themselves to the inhabitant will change the inhabitant’s perspective, and I came to refer to this design process as the with it they will in turn leave some mark upon the space. term metamatic design, a term originally taken from a That mark will be present for the next inhabitant to help 6
1 2
Dictionary.com. <http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/meta->. Ramesh, Sandhya. <http://www.quora.com/What-does-the-suffix-matic-mean>.
in summoning their own creative interpretation and new set of ideas. This chain of creative energy continues as more people visit these nodes. The curiosity of each person alters possibilities, and meaning is forged rather than given to the spaces, especially by means of the emerging soundscapes and context of each node. From here the notion of a journey comes into play. Borrowing from musicâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s typically more chronological experience, the journey is its spatial reinterpretation as a stitch to tie the two mediums of music and architecture together. The journey is the force that unites all of these nodes, it is the experience outside of the climactic participation in a powerful emotional experience. The nodes then each become representative of a singular emotional response to a certain aspect of a journey, certain pinnacles of the entire experience. And the journey is the thread that weaves it all together. The emotions are taken from a certain body of research that names the six basic moods of music as sadness, joyfulness, fearfulness, tenderness, love, and anger.4 I tweaked these to better suit the purposes of a journey and spatial experience, and they became: tenderness, chaos, anger, anticipation, joy, and love. These are the nodes of a journey.
Fig 5, Metamatic concept diagram
With this, the nodes are each given a context that is generated from their respective emotion. These topographical situations become the soundscapes for each node that the journey intertwines with. They are the emerging musical presence within the work. The This is the set of ideals that I have for the body of work in this thesis... emotional power of the spaces comes from the emerging soundscape embedded within. 4
Jencks, C. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Architecture becomes musicâ&#x20AC;?
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Fig 6, Kumano Kodo: end of day 1
Investigation A review of the historical and current state of architecture and music... ---: Thesis, pp8-25
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Music and architecture have always adhered to a strong interest in the experiential. They cross many disciplines and concerns, a focus on careful composition and a craft provided for others. It takes both a careful eye and a careful ear to perform either well, and both mediums can claim their share of iconic milestones throughout the course of history. But as there are many crossovers, there are also many differences. Architecture can be described as a physical, tangible, visible, inaudible symbol; conversely music can be described as an abstract, intangible, invisible, audible symbol.3 Of course, there is some debate over this, as certainly architecture contains audible qualities and sometimes a nice dose of intangible concepts. As well music is not always so abstract or invisible for that matter. But for the sake of simplicity in explanation, these are the main opposing forces that separate music from architecture. In essence, architecture becomes something of a more visually dominant entity, often hard to edit or maneuver. It is more a static creation that attempts to serve a very tangible purpose. Music, conversely, is an aural experience. It can be edited and changed with ease as per the composer’s or performer’s whim, and its themes and motives are more often than not of a more abstract nature. 3
Imaah, Napoleon Ono. “Music: A source of inspiration and harmony in architecture—An African view.”
Fig 7, Venn diagram comparison of architecture and music
As to the power of music and architecture, there are some potential explanations for the lead that music has on an emotive experience. Music is typically a more intangible formulation, and it is the intangible that has a more evocative power than the tangible when appropriately applied; the intangible as well evokes emotional reactions more quickly than the tangible.3 As things become more tangible, the tendency is for them to also become more stale and expected. It is the qualities of the intangible that lend an experience its power, encouraging those observing to engage more with it and develop an understanding of it. As a predominantly visu10
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al society, those things that become more visual become more expected and tangible, and so it is easier for an aural experience like music to contrive an emotive response as it is less readily understood. Another factor in the differences between music and architecture has to do with how each is experienced. Architecture, unlike music, is more correctly understood and perceived from a number of distances, paths, speeds of movement, and so forth.4 Music, generally, is chronological; it is experienced in a certain prescribed order and understood fully only in this planned path.
Imaah, Napoleon Ono. “Music: A source of inspiration and harmony in architecture—An African view.” Jencks, C. “Architecture becomes music”
Fig 8, Comparison of Le Corbusier’s Villa Savoye to a guitar
Architecture, by contrast, can be walked through in an infinite variety of ways, seen from a distance, inhabited for many different lengths of time, and so on. It is best thought of as fragments of a musical experienced organized in a (hopefully) holistic experience. These fragments cannot be set in a particular order, as the inhabitant still has much more control over their experience within this architectural composition than they would within a musical one. In architecture, the placement and relational fields between these fragments of a composition must 3
be carefully considered. There is a harmonious and consistent relationship between the component parts of a whole composition, ones which linger in our brain as we continue to move about an experience.3 Just as in music where a melody or theme may stick in the head of the listener, so too must parts of architecture attempt to make something that leaves an impression that stays with the inhabitant. And as in music where this theme or melody may resurface with a dynamic change or shift signaling something new in the composition emerging, architecture may continue these impressions in varying ways that designate a change in itinerary, use, or context.
Imaah, Napoleon Ono. “Music: A source of inspiration and harmony in architecture—An African view.”
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There are also some examples of innovations in music that meanwhile saw shifts in architecture as well. One example is that of Notre Dame. The church’s famous composer Pérotin was known for his ability to stack three or four melodies over top of one another to create great harmonic blocks that moved over one another; at the same time the architects for Notre Dame were stacking three or four levels (arcade, triforium, gallery, and clerestory) in such a way as to be just as pleasing to the eye as Pérotin’s music was pleasing to the ear.4 At Fig 9, Interior of Notre Dame times the more formal nature of music finds its way into the more formal translation in architecture. These new technical leaps in the formal composition of music have the designers, builders, and craftspeople are all interconinspired the construction and sometimes the spatial flow nected by contract and dependent upon one another, of buildings. as well they are often ignorant and openly contemptuous of one another’s ways.5 One cannot refer to all of these One important consideration when looking at different people as architects as all involved in a musithe differences between music and architecture has to cal composition can be referred to as musicians. Further, do with the educational system that each uses. Musical those engaged in the building process have no common education is fairly standard everywhere, with themes architectural language with which to communicate effeclike theory being taught in all schools; architectural edu- tively, such as the standard musical notation that all mucation is nowhere near as consistent, hosting a consider- sicians learn in the beginning of their education. In other able variance between schools, location, and opportu- words, the makers of a concert are all musicians, while nity.5 Musical education holds a long history of consistent the makers of architecture are often anything but.5 teachings, meanwhile every architectural school seems to have its own school of thought that may not be con- Music education embodies a much more deepsistent with anything accept the styles of its professors. ly resolved format than does architecture. In the western world, music schools were established during the There is also a much more cohesive language 18th century, forming a universal music education that used to communicate music in school and elsewhere that spreads even to primary and secondary school educaarchitecture lacks. In music all players involved, from the tion; architecture, conversely, has nearly nothing even composer to the conductor to the performer, are all con- at the high school level, typically not more than classsidered musicians and share a common body of knowl- es such as art, mechanical drawing, physics, and math.5 edge and a universal musical language; in architecture Musical education is something that is readily accessible 12
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Jencks, C. “Architecture becomes music” MacGilvray, D F. “The Proper Education of Musicians and Architects.”
As this thesis document is for a degree in architecture, a bit more study on the musical aspect will be more helpful to an audience potentially more educated in architecture. There are three main forms of thinking about and constructing music, these being notation, composition, and event.6 There are variances between all of these, but as a general the creation of music can be divided into these three basic categories.
to any and all that take an interest, even at a young age and in all public schools. An education in architecture is not set up, much less readily known to those that may take an interest. There are no classes that relate directly to it, but rather typically a few general topics that dance around parts of architecture as a practice and profession.
The first type of musical creation, notation, is perhaps the most common form used to communicate and write music. Among types of notation the typical choice for a composer is a score. What is fantastic about a score is its ability to let the composer look at their composition as a whole; it grants the composer the ability to hold the entire thing in their hands with past events integrated in with the future, giving the composer the chance to create a balance in the composition by seeing the music.6 As music is seen as an entity experienced chronologically, musical notation gives the composer the chance to break from such limits. It gives them an ability to look at music both diachronically (as a whole or a large portion) and synchronically (at a point in time).6
Factors such as this do nothing to help promote architectural education. Not only can people not educate themselves on architecture as successfully as can music, but knowledge of it also becomes much more limited to the public than does knowledge of music. The successful education of music around the country produces not just conductors and composers, but also future educators and audiences.5 A better and more consistent and available education for architecture would contribute to a better public knowledge of it.
Notation is a very prevalent design tool in architecture as well, perhaps even architecture’s main form of communication through the design process. Architectural notation is commonly that of the line drawing, or in construction’s terms it would be the construction drawings. As music is never experienced all at once, neither is architecture, and it is the plan drawing we typically use like the score to carefully balance and proportion our entire composition, making sure all pieces work with the whole.
Fig 10, Process of creation diagram for architecture and music
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MacGilvray, D F. “The Proper Education of Musicians and Architects.” Shaw Miller, S. “Thinking through construction: notation, composition, event - the architecture of music.”
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Fig 11, Musical score
The score is a tool which gives shape to an otherwise ephemeral thing6, like music or the working design of an unbuilt project. But because of their abstract representative quality, the score is inevitably reinterpreted by its performers. As new sounds emerge through the experiments of these performers, new notations are made to supplement these changes.6 Similarly in architecture, construction drawings may be reinterpreted by the contractor or construction workers, which often leads to quite lengthy specifications and text (another form of notation) to insure as little as possible is often left for the builder’s imagination. Different composers, on the other hand, have had varying degrees of restriction within their notation. Such composers as Brian Ferney14
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hough were known to notate compositions to extraordinary detail, the purpose not being in the inevitable failure of the performer to meet all of the expectations of the performance but rather in their struggle to do so; contrastingly composers like John Cage were known for indeterminacy in their notation, and it was more about the loss of the authorial voice in the composition and the variance of each performer’s own interpretation.6 The second of the three main types of musical creation is the composition. The root of the word composition lies in the term “disegno”, meaning the idea or artistic conception, which was always associated with drawing.6 The composition is the embodiment of the
Shaw Miller, S. “Thinking through construction: notation, composition, event - the architecture of music.”
Fig 12, Architectural plan
musical piece, its conceptual idea manifested. Typically in modern music the composition is referred to as the written form of music, the notation. But in earlier music composition was practiced aurally, in which musical information was communicated to others through use of the body and the enactment of sounds and gestures; in other words music composition was a communal affair.6 It was this idea that initially sparked my interest in the metamatic design principles mentioned earlier in the introduction portion of this document. It had to do with the engagement and communication between groups of people through shared experiences, as well as the changes made to the compositions those experiences are housed in by way of each personâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s reinterpretation 6
and addition to the basic ideas present. I imagined small communities or groups using the spaces created for this thesis referenced later in the document as spaces of change for the continued storytelling and composition of their collective experiences, much like that of early music composition. Musical composition can most basically be defined as the organization of music, or the combination of its elements; it is about the process.6 Composition is a term very familiar to architects, and in many ways its meaning is the same. It is the organization of all elements into one cohesive whole, whether that be notes and movements in music or spaces and details in architecture.
Shaw Miller, S. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Thinking through construction: notation, composition, event - the architecture of music.â&#x20AC;?
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But always it goes back to the idea of process, or further it is the active engagement in the process. As such, many of a composition’s features are derived from improvisation.6 Composition is very often about actively tweaking and perfecting, or recomposition. As a performer may change a piece of a composition, they shed light on new possibilities to the composer and the audience. Composition is always likely to change, as it should be to fit the changing needs and wants of different individuals. The process of the composition can be carried on by many different players, each with their own individual interests and abilities working as part of the whole. The third form of creation in music is the event. Typically musical performance is seen in the western world as the point of delivery in fullness of the original musical idea, but an alternative (and perhaps better) method of looking at it is to say that the work or musical idea is the product of the performance between audience, performers, and composer, or the site in which meaning is forged, not given.6 The musical idea in the later definition is one that is allowed to change and evolve through repeated performance. The musical idea becomes a process, or a dialogical principle6, in which each new performance influences what the next one will be, and a growing dialogue continues through more events, altering the musical idea. The event, perhaps more than the other musical creation techniques, is about the experience. It is the most direct embodiment of the musical idea. The experience of it is physical, intellectual, emotional, and social6, and it is the best way to share a musical idea with others. In architecture the event can be looked at as the finished 16
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construction of a building or project, or perhaps even the physical construction of the architecture. It is the labor of craftspeople and designers manifest into a translation of the original compositional idea. As well the event is the experience of the building’s inhabitants at any given time, and every action that they make to help shape the architecture. For the purposes of this thesis, it is also important to understand some of the fundamentals of what to listen for in a musical composition. The ability to break apart any piece of music and began to understand it is necessary to grasp some of the finer details in a musical composition. As well as it is crucial to understanding some of the details and construction techniques to greater appreciate a piece of architecture, knowledge of the foundations of music will be discussed as a way to help introduce what are a multitude of similarities between music and architecture. Due to the steadily increasing availability of music and architecture both, it has become very easy to avoid understanding either medium. But still a better understanding invites a better appreciation. Music and architecture both are arts that exist at a singular point in time and space, and it is the job of any who experience them to be able to pull the parts together in their mind and be able to recognize the overall concept. In music, the listener must be able to string together a series of fragments from a linear progression and imagine those being put back together in such a way as to recognize the tune and concept.7 There are three separate planes upon which people listen to music: a sensuous plane, an expressive plane, and a sheerly musical plane.7 Those have to do
Shaw Miller, S. “Thinking through construction: notation, composition, event - the architecture of music.” Copland, Aaron, and Alan Rich. What to Listen for in Music.
Music contains four essential elements: rhythm, melody, harmony, and tone color.7 Architecture by comparison tends to lack any type of consistent kit of parts such as this, and there is much to be gleamed from observing such a coherence that all music fits into. An understanding of these parts are necessary in determining some of the motives and compositional forces at play in the body of work for this thesis. Rhythm can be described as the physical motion of a piece of music. It is maybe the most primal, but also the most important as it designates how fluid a composition works together and moves between its individual parts. It is like the itinerary in a piece of architecture, how a person is being guided Fig 13, Tone color in architecture through its space. The next is melody, the mental emotion of a piece of music. It is the main line of focus in a composition, and as well it is what generates the overall feeling with, respectively, the experience of a subjective emo- and experience of the music, including its changes. It is tion, a gesture or specific expression of something, and the overall atmosphere in a space, the emotion that an a technical appreciation. Each moves, in essence, to the architecture evokes. It is also often its hierarchy. next level of refinery in the understanding of a musical (or architectural) experience. Harmony is perhaps the most complex of the musical elements. It can be described as the relationship To a certain extent, variety and complexity are of the different elements in a musical composition. It is necessary in a composition. The greatest composer in how all parts work together as a whole. As such, harmomusic is one who’s work’s meaning is slightly different ny is perhaps the overall force that drives a composition, with every hearing7, as the music finds a way to remain it unites each individual element into a singular entity. interesting and alive. It gives a layer of depth that al- Similarly in architecture it is of course how each individual ways reveals a little bit more about it with each experi- component in a space ties into the overall form, uniting ence, and as a result its power and significance remains. the architecture into a cohesive thing. The last element, While a common theme among modern architecture is tone color, is the timbre in music. In other words, it is simplicity to the highest degree, that simplicity also re- the choice of instruments chosen to play any and every quires small moments of intense complexity as a contrast. part of a musical composition. A violin and a flute can Harmony inextricably includes contrast3, it cannot work play the exact same note, but the sound of that note will without an opposing force to bring attention to it. sound drastically different between the two. That is tone 3 7
Imaah, Napoleon Ono. “Music: A source of inspiration and harmony in architecture—An African view.” Copland, Aaron, and Alan Rich. What to Listen for in Music.
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Fig 14, Structure and craft of a violin
color. The choice of which instruments play a certain part of a melody in music can have very drastic effects on the emotive qualities of that melody, and so tone color becomes a careful consideration in composition. Tone color in architecture is the choice of materials and textures in a composition. The choice of which material is used in a space can have just as much of an impact on the emotive qualities and feeling of it. It is up to the architect to thoughtfully consider what a space is made from to guide its inhabitants through the experience. Just as important is knowing when to change a material as the architectureâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s melody (or itinerary) shifts.
sition is deciding upon its structure. There is an enormous wealth of different varieties of musical composition, of which nearly all I will not get into. But there are still some important considerations on structure in general, and how it can be applied. Author and musician Aaron Copland in his book What to Listen for in Music states about structure: â&#x20AC;&#x153;Whatever outer mold is chosen, there are certain basic structural principles which must be fulfilled. In other words, no matter what your architectural scheme may be, it must always be psychologically justified by the nature of the
Through these four basic elements of rhythm, melody, harmony, and tone color a composition begins to take shape. The next stage in designing any compo18
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Copland, Aaron, and Alan Rich. What to Listen for in Music.
material itself. It is that fact which forces the composer out of the formal, given mold.â&#x20AC;&#x153; 7
*For further reference see Venn diagram on page 10
Fig 15, Diagram of the similarities between architecture and music
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In terms of the structure of a composition, such a quote is invaluable advice. The structure must always be justified by the material it is made from. A cohesive architecture requires a careful use of physical structure that will support whatever programmatic and conceptual needs that need be met. It is this formwork that unites the four elements of a composition, giving them a tangible body with which to inhabit. As a means of unifying both the elements and the structure of music, there is a certain formal balance which must be made. Formal balance is created by repetition; among the types of repetition there are exact, sectional, symmetrical, variation, and development.7 These types of repetition are fairly self-explanatory and do not warrant much explanation, but their overlap with the form of architecture is quite obvious. The form of music can also be looked at as a series of wheels within wheels, with the formation of the largest wheels being remarkably similar to the smallest.7 Without translating this too literally into architecture to design a fractal building, there are uses to such an analogy. It speaks of how to achieve both a formal and spatial balance at multiple scales in a cohesive and sequential manner. As Mies van der Rohe organized the placement of the nuts and bolts in the Farnsworth house off of the same golden ratio structure as the layout and plan of the entire house, the repetition of structure at varying scales can begin to unify an architectural design. Now that a fairly in depth coverage of music has passed, the next topic of importance that both ties music and architecture together as well as bringing it full-circle to the work in this thesis is the topic of creativity. 20
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Copland, Aaron, and Alan Rich. What to Listen for in Music.
Fig 16, View of the Farnsworth House
Fig 17, Plan of the Farnsworth House
Fig 18, Elevation of the Farnsworth House
“Creativity is like pornography. It’s hard to define but you know what it is when you see it. And it can get you into a lot of trouble bringing it into school. Like mobile phones.”8 This is the first sentence of the foreword in a book titled Dancing About Architecture: A Little Book of Creativity. The book is a criticism of how students are taught in the modern world, in which it argues for the need of art and creativity to mingle with the methods that teachers and educators use to convey their messages. Further it contains much wisdom and insight into how one may better act creatively and in what ways other individuals known for their creativity go about their own processes.
Fig 19, Dancing
Sir Ken Robinson defines creativity as “the process of having original ideas that have value.“ Further, he states that creativity normally occurs “through the action of different disciplinary ways of seeing things.”8 Creativity is an act that occurs when different disciplinary paths cross one another, the result of two seemingly unrelated things being merged into one new idea. The author Phil Beadle attempted an experiment with one of his co-workers, whom was also a teacher like the author. He asked her to draw a dance about the Sagrada Família. While the drawing was certainly nothing of particular note, and a bit abstract, there are still very interesting results to consider. It was through this process of taking one form of something and examining it through the lens of two other forms that this teacher has created a new means of notating dance.8 It is very likely that if Beadle had asked her flat out to invent a new means of notating dance, she would have potentially stared at a blank page for a month. 8
Fig 20, The Sagrada Família
Beadle, Phil, and Ian Gilbert. Dancing About Architecture: A Little Book of Creativity.
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An exercise like drawing a dance about the Sagrada Família tells us that outcome is completely lead by the process. Merging different art forms into the process will gleam different (and most likely more interesting) results that can contribute to a new and original body of work. It allows us to process and then reprocess these different mediums in such a way that we not only get more interesting outcomes, but that knowledge tends to be understood more acutely, in a much greater depth, and also in a more readily retainable form.8 This type of creative exploration is how new and inventive ideas come to fruition. In the process of creativity, it is important not only to mix multiple mediums, but also to start the process with some questions unanswered. Musician and artist David Byrne from the group The Talking Heads once said: “To some extent I happily don’t know what I’m doing. I feel that it’s an artist’s responsibility to trust that.”8 David Byrne is also the artist responsible for an installation titled Playing the Building that served as early inspiration for the structures I designed that can be found later in this document. Playing the Building converts an old open building into a giant musical instrument; a series of devices are attached to beams, pillars, and pipes that produce a series of three types of sound, which are wind, vibration, striking.9 The building itself is what resonates and the whole structure is converted into a device anyone can play. Under a similar train of thought, another musician and artist Eno developed a series of strategy cards that were designed to help the creativity of a musician in the studio recording environment. They were a series 22
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Fig 21, David Byrne’s Playing the Building installation
of cards that attempted to get the musician’s mind working in a different way whenever they were stuck on something. These cards could say anything from “Remove specifics and convert to ambiguities” to “Do nothing for as long as possible.”8 The point is that it would change the musician’s mindset and get them thinking of something different and potentially unrelated as a means to spur creative thought. It provokes those unanswered questions, and introduces enough mystery for something new to happen. Along a similar line, Eno also suggests that when defining a process of creativity a person should attempt to “set up a situation that presents you with something slightly beyond your reach.”8 Creativity is about not having all the answers, and instead using a given (however seemingly unrelated) topic to generate thought and production to help produce answers and more questions.
Beadle, Phil, and Ian Gilbert. Dancing About Architecture: A Little Book of Creativity. “DavidByrne.com - Art - Playing the Building.” DavidByrne.com - Art - Playing the Building.
Fig 22, Joseph Cornell’s Untitled (The Hotel Eden), 1945
In accumulating ideas, Joseph Cornell’s series of assemblages are an excellent precedent to creativity. He finds seemingly unrelated things, and figures out how they belong together, building a shadowbox that dreams up a narrative by all these found object’s relation to one another. They are an assembled collection of artifacts that provoke a dialogue with one another by their placement and arrangement. Multiple mediums are collaged together through intuition, formulating a long list of both questions and answers that continue to arise upon closer inspection.
Fig 23, Joseph Cornell’s Untitled (Soap Bubble Set), 1936
1. Gather raw material. Use the first two pages of Google, as well as an image search. And throw in a wild card from the fifty-seventh page or so. 2. Go away and digest the information. Take a walk. Come back when you feel ready. 3. Look at it from an entirely different angle. Record partial ideas. Riff. Travel up blind alleys. 4. Think about something else. Let your unconscious do the work, let yourself dream the solution. Cleanse your creative palette. Listen to loud music, play guitar along with it, involve
Full-circle back to the author Phil Beadle on his book about creativity, he sums up the creative process by writing a step by step outline on how to engage in producing an idea. His list is summarized as follows: 8
yourself into something deeply, something that stimulates you but bears no relation to the task. Rest. 5. The idea appears. You dream the perfect
Beadle, Phil, and Ian Gilbert. Dancing About Architecture: A Little Book of Creativity.
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song. 6. Reconcile yourself to failure and stop being a perfectionist. Good enough will do. Accept the idea and carve it until it is good enough. 7. Serve it up. Of course, once it has been served up, you may find it was all rubbish. No matter. Rip it up and start again.8
ative process. Using this as a formula, all of the projects in this thesis were done within the constraints of a week. This was to assure that nothing was spent too much time on, keeping the dilemma of the centipede from encroaching upon the process. Creativity was given ample time to develop without over-thinking any portion of the work, and the quality of the work was not diminished by an excess of preparation or conscious thought. On my very first architecture jury in this school while I was enrolled in the Intro program, a jury member looked at my final model and then pointed to my draft model, and said (to the best of my memory) “I think you had it here. You should have stopped here and it looks like you just built this final because you were supposed to build something else.” I have kept that lesson well.
These steps became a template to use in producing architectural drawings and models, as well as its accompanying music. Step by step they were what I used in cultivating the ideas and work in this thesis. Another writing on the creative process that struck as very inspirational was a old poem titled The Centipede’s Dilemma written by Katherine Craster. It goes as follows: Creativity is a social act just as well as it is a solitary one. It is a normal force in human nature that all A centipede was happy - quite! people experience. In reference to the Watchtower Bible, Until a toad in fun it observes that - “created with an eye for beauty, an Said, “Pray, which leg moves after which?” ear for music, a flair for art, an urge to learn, an insatiaThis raised her doubts to such a pitch, ble curiosity and an imagination that invents and creates She fell exhausted in the ditch - man finds joy and fulfillment in exercising these gifts.”3 Not knowing how to run.10 Creativity is little more than nature, it is a necessary part of life. It drives us forward and inspires us to make. At first glance this is a simple poem. But upon closer inspection it gleams an important truth. Once The creations of this thesis serve to not only be conscious attention was brought to the centipede about acts of creativity through the mediums of music and arhow she walked with her one hundred legs, she found chitecture, but they also look to inspire creativity in othherself incapable of walking anymore. In other words, ers. The structures that I have created are for solitary many tasks are done through a primarily subconscious experiences, and they are also meant to be exchanged thought process, and switching such tasks to conscious and shared experiences with others. They are meant to thought trips the brain up. Over-thinking a task can have teach creativity and allow for social creative functions to a negative reaction to a task, especially during the cre- take place that alter the nature of these structures. 24
3
Imaah, Napoleon Ono. “Music: A source of inspiration and harmony in architecture—An African view.” Beadle, Phil, and Ian Gilbert. Dancing About Architecture: A Little Book of Creativity. 10 Inglis-Arkell, Esther. “The Centipede’s Dilemma: Why You Forget How to Do the Most Basic Tasks.” Io9. 8
Fig 24, Preliminary sketch of the balloon
Claude Bragdon states that all of the arts aspire toward the condition of music’s ability to express a “universal law of becoming,” with the goal of an expression of the “creative spirit of man at its freest and finest.”5 These works aspire to that goal, instilling a desire for the creative spirit inherent in human life to flourish. 5
MacGilvray, D F. “The Proper Education of Musicians and Architects.”
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Fig 25, The canopy of Kumano Kodo
Graphical Precedence Sources of drawing and other visual media that have served as inspiration... ---: Thesis, pp26-35
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I have been interested for quite some time in finding a new and unique method of architectural representation. While there are certainly nice things to say for the drawings and graphics that architects produce, it is also important to be very critical of the medium. Perhaps more often than any other form, architects use line drawings. These line drawings, most commonly in the form of plans and sections, convey the layout and spatial relationships of a project. And while they are very effective in doing so, they have also evolved into a type of graphical representation that is only readily legible by other architects. No matter how beautiful the section may be, it is not something that clients and other persons typically understand. Often in the predominant style of modernism, a section drawing is made to be as plain and stark as possible, just a line drawing represented as simply as possible. But there is nothing engaging about this drawing. There is nothing that will make the client peer into it and attempt to imagine the experience of the design. There are no details that give a sense of excitement to the client by way of being led by the drawing and figuring out how it works and what happens within it. I have been looking at a possible way to change that. Following are a series of precedents that I have found do something unique along these lines, and as such they are just as important a body of research as the facts written previously. These are drawings that engage the observer, bringing them into another world full of possibility.
The drawings of Geoffrey Bawa are a magnificently detailed series. An Indian architect that helped to define a modern Indian architectural style, his works are a celebrated achievement. The careful obsession over every single tiny moment within these drawings is enough to catch peopleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s attention, even those less attuned to the nuances of architecture. The way in which Bawa draws his entourage is enough for any person to thoroughly understand the site and context. Types of trees and foliage are carefully specified, and the way in which the architecture nestles itself into the landscape is clearly and easily read. The meticulous precision of the drawings brings into clear focus a level of comprehensibility that just about anyone can understand, or at least feel the desire to understand. It was Bawaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s drawings perhaps more so than any other that gave the inspiration to design musical contexts based on soundscapes. While these drawings have little to do with music, the detail alone within them allows the observer to imagine the soundscapes of the place. These drawings became sound maps that later influenced the journey map that prescribed the path connecting all of the nodes referenced later in the document. The sound of waves, the sound of plains, and the sound of forests, amongst others, were referenced here and brought into the soundscape design that later became the path. 28
Fig 26, Kandalama Hotel site plan
Fig 27, Pradeep Jayewardene House site plan
Lebbeus Woods is a man well known throughout the architecture community for his theory and his drawings. His style and taste for scraped salvage and war-influenced design have been the motivation for many spectacular renderings. In particular the section shown left is a very captivating one, showing many layers of human habitation crammed into one drawing. The amount of thought and detail on how multiple people inhabit the space is quite wonderful. Without reading too much into the drawing, there are quite a bit of things going on. It entices the observer to dig deeper into all that is happening, inviting the eye to wander through multiple levels of habitation by the fluidity of spaces. Spatial relationships are excellently crafted, and even more so is the strong gesture of materiality. Not just formally, but in the materials it becomes fairly clear what this structure is made of. But it is still misleading enough to pose a number of questions that encourage the observer to want to understand more. It certainly looks busy, does it also sound busy? Fig 28, Walls of Change, Lebbeus Woods
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Fig 29, Kowloon Walled City section drawing
Fig 30, Kowloon Walled City section drawing detail
Fig 31, Kowloon Walled City section drawing detail 2
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The drawings of the Kowloon Walled City in China are perhaps one of the best examples of graphical rigor. The amount of detail hidden within these drawings borders on the insane, as is the insane density of this vertical city. Not only is there enough detail to allow an observer to easily put themselves in this place, there is such a wealth of detail that it is easy to become lost in it, swallowed whole. This is the type of drawing to stare at for hours. Not only is the observer brought into the graphic, but they are given literally hundreds of roles to choose from. Each role has its own distinct personality to match, represented by the trinkets and possessions that lay around them. Both individuals and community are represented here, and interaction between different roles is consistent throughout the graphic. Both the detail and quirkiness of the drawing are a heavy contributor to the series of node drawings found in the body of work for this thesis.
This graphic representation is perhaps a bit of an oddball. The diagram is of a part of a four-wheel drive system that connects to the transmission. There are a couple of reasons why I am interested in it.
Fig 32, NP203 New Process Transfer Case Diagram
A part of the interest lies in the careful organization of every part to form a hollistic whole. Every piece is exactly in its right place, and would belong absolutely nowhere else by way of its exact form. Everything clearly works together, and an observer is therefore encouraged to examine it carefully to understand it. Another reason is the detail inherent in all of the drawingâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s parts. Part of this has to do with its careful organization, as already stated above, but the level of details within every component is quite engaging. It fosters a sense of movement that causes a chain reaction through the drawing as each detail unites to the next. Even without its context, it still illustrates a clear and precise function of its own accord. 31
Fig 33, Machinarium video game scene 1
These two pictures come from a computer game called Machinarium. The entire game is handdrawn. There is generally a sense of attachment to things that are done by hand, it is a unique sense of connection to art that has the trace of the human touch in it. Beyond anything that an Autocad drawing can conjure, people associate with hand drawings on a much deeper level. Beyond that, the scenes in this game capture a certain sense of environment that is very powerful. There is a quality in the detail and especially the style that makes a very inclusive and immersive landscape, almost believable despite its obviously surreal atmosphere. The strangeness of this game found its way into my attempt at a better architectural graphic. 32
Fig 34, Machinarium video game scene 2
Another pick from something a little outside the realm of architecture, this image is a piece of concept art representing a time machine blueprint. Shown in both section and perspective, there is certainly some overlap in choice of communication technique. As has begun to be a common theme amongst these graphic precedents, one element that stands out in this drawing is the level of detail. All components down to the smallest pieces are thought of and accounted for. Everything has a strong relation to the human body, and proximity of different elements are tight, but carefully considered. There are even a few dimensional markers to help emphasize the scale of the illustrations.
Fig 35, Time machine blueprint concept art
The human body is extremely prevalent, even without the use of any drawn human figures, and that is the main point to make here. By removing people from the drawing, the observer is encouraged to speculate on what inhabitation in that space is like. Rather than using a drawn person as a diagram to determine how a detail or element in the drawing is supposed to be used, the observer instead must immerse themselves into the space and imagine themselves how each of those components is to be used. It is this fact that is one of the keys to my graphic explorations. I determined that a graphic can become a more effective communication tool when enough scale and detail is used to suggest habitation but people are removed from the drawing for the purpose of implicating the observer in the drawing. 33
This sectional study does perhaps a better job at communicating organic architecture than many other related examples in the field. Comparing two shots side by side, one of nature and one of its constructed counterpart, a dialogue between the two is formed that raises many questions on how design might be looked at.
Fig 36, Nature 1 / Nature 2, Patrick Bourgeois
The drawings remain very speculative, but at the same time reveal enough thought to be taken seriously. The character of the hand sticks out here, and that coupled with the easily identifiable forms of nature make for a graphic that is easily legible by someone outside the architecture profession and language. As a form of communication, this drawing has a clear message that one does not need an architectural degree to read, and it is served in such a way that is pleasing to the eye as well as intelligible. At the same time there is enough going on in the graphic to hold attention. New details begin to emerge as one looks for longer, and hidden moments begin to reveal themselves. It remains exciting and original enough to warrant a second look.
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Another sectional drawing, this example is one of the liveliest of the precedent graphic category. At this point it seems to be almost a requirement that engaging graphics be drawn by hand, but it bears repeating: a significant portion of the reason why this drawing is appealing has to do with the character of the hand in its craft. Seeing physical evidence of the human touch in a design stimulates a natural interest in an observer, sparking an associative response in which the observer identifies with the thing under consideration. The reason that I have been going back to this graphic repeatedly throughout the year, however, has to do more with the atmosphere it has created. An entire community is fit into one small house, connected by a fluid motion of spaces. The thorough representation of human habitation in the drawing is quite amazing, and many of its little nuances have been great inspiration in my own designs. It represents human flourishing to a fantastic degree through its careful articulation of details and its multiple little gatherings of people performing a plethora of different tasks. This drawing without a doubt suggests a better method of architectural representation that can be clearly understood by anyone.
Fig 37, A home for all in Rikuzentakata, Akihisa Hirata Architects
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Fig 38, The path, Kumano Kodo pilgrimage
The Journey Experiencing the Kumano Kodo pilgrimage... ---: Thesis, pp36-51
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One aspect of my architectural education that has taught me numerous invaluable lessons is that of travel. Beyond a shadow of a doubt, much of my greatest lessons came from abroad. I cannot stress enough to anyone how important it is to get outside and see what goes on in the world outside of your own community. And so I have much gratitude to share with my school for the high regard in which it held our semesterly travels. Once in thesis, the travels cease to be a class-wide thing. They become something of a more personal journey. The thesis trip is something planned by each individual student, or in some cases a group of students if they so choose to travel together. But the planning and arrangements are all up to the student, not the class or the school. And the only limits on the travel destination or length of time are up to the studentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s discretion. I decided to partner up with one of my classmates and friends Israel Sanchez, and together we made plans to go on a pilgrimage. His thesis revolving around the idea of a journey as well, the plans fit well into both our interests in our respective theses. After much research on the matter, we kept returning to the idea of a pilgrimage in Japan. Both of us had, on separate occasions, traveled to Japan previously, and had both been enamored by the cultureâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s profound sense of respect and appreciation for design and details. Needless to say, the decision of where to go was not a hard one to make.
The pilgrimage we had in mind was called the Kumano Kodo. Our journey was set to be four days in total. We were to arrive in Osaka, where we would spend a full day to adjust to the time difference and the city, and then on the next day we were on our way to the trail. Overall it was a good half day of hiking on the first day, followed by two full days of hiking, and then a fourth day of exploration in a small town and the transportation back to Osaka. Me and Israel had decided to do this journey the old-fashioned way, everything that we brought on our trip to Japan was carried on our backs. If we were going to truly experience a pilgrimage, then we were going to do it without the added aid of luxuries such as luggage service and the like. The journey itself was trying at times, me and Israel both being little more than malnourished and outof-shape architecture students that were totally unprepared for such a form of physical activity. But that aside, we couldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t help but often pause to take in the natural beauty of our surroundings. The lush vegetation, meandering streams, and cool mountain air were ever present to engage our senses and remind us of our reasons for a little bit of strain. The walk was beautiful, every second of every day. It was sometimes steep, and sometimes treacherous, but absolutely magnificent.
sphere, an entity. And from the silence smaller sounds could be heard, little details otherwise lost to a world of motion. It was breathtaking. My time there instilled in me a profound appreciation of silence, in all its subtle varieties and forms. Sometimes it is the absence of things that brings a better appreciation for what is there. I took time to record these sounds and silences as I walked the Kumano Kodo. Sometimes the only noise was that of shoes grinding against gravel, other times it may be nothing but a small stream of running water. Sometimes the noise was the slight chirping of crickets in the evening, and sometimes the sounds were practically nothing at all but the emptiness of the forest. These sounds became inspiration for me, the music of nature. They have found their way into some of my own music, and in my mind they help to create a sense of journey and emotion in their own right that creates an atmosphere and a space out of an aural experience.
This trip was beyond a shadow of a doubt the most important body of research in this thesis, and it necessitates a bit of documentation to explain it. What follows is a more detailed account of each day in Kumano Kodo, noting the sounds I was hearing, the emotions I felt, and the experiences I had that I believe led me to a greater understanding of my goal in creating a new Whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s more was the sound of the place. After architectural experience through the idea of music and the plethora of noise and stimulation of Osaka, the ut- journey. ter silence of the trail was shocking. The sounds of vehicles, people, and a million other small discordant voices gave way to pure and beautiful silence. Once out of the towns each day and away from the noise of cars passing by in the distance, the silence became an atmo38
Fig 40, Me and the canopy, Kumano Kodo pilgrimage
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Fig 42, Japanese house interior Fig 43, Japanese house exterior Fig 44, View of valley in the morning
Fig 45, Ascending stone path Fig 46, Stone path and light Fig 47, Figure / ground
Kumano Kodo Photography
Fig 48, The canopy Fig 49, Canopy and light in the afternoon Fig 50, Light of the canopy and shadow of the trees
Fig 51, Israel and the light Fig 52, Israel and one of his sticks Fig 53, Israel and the falls
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Fig 54, Trees, shadow, and topography Fig 55, A shaded mountainside Fig 56, From light to dark
Fig 57, Bridge over water Fig 58, The first narrow bridge Fig 59, Stream and path
Kumano Kodo Photography
Fig 60, Light on the stream Fig 61, Stream and path Fig 62, Descending stream
Fig 63, Israel is giving up Fig 64, Walking path meets car path Fig 65, Valley leading to Chikatsuyu
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Fig 66, On the way to a detour Fig 67, The rest of the traveling companions Fig 68, Echoing intercom announcement
Fig 69, View after the detour Fig 70, Overlooking a valley Fig 71, Small town with tea plants
Kumano Kodo Photography
Fig 72, Tori gate outside Hongu Taisha Fig 73, Hongu Taisha Shrine Fig 74, Banners lining the steps up to Hongu Taisha
Fig 75, Yunomine Onsen Fig 76, Steps in Yunomine Onsen Fig 77, Yunomine Onsen from above
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While on this particular day more time was spent looking down at our feet to ensure our own well-being, there were often breaks, under the mask of conversation of course. We would pause to take in the nature around Day one... us while our breath caught up to us, and we shared in the joy of starting a journey together, despite the fre The first day, we departed from Osaka ear- quent bits of suffering. ly in the morning, taking the train out to a town called The terrain itself varied through the path up the Kii-Tanabe. The ride was about two hours’ worth, and it was interesting to see the dense infrastructure of the city mountain. Sometimes there were a series of horizontal slowly give way to small towns built around industry and logs laid out in increasing heights, forming a crude form the coast. Upon our arrival in Kii-Tanabe, we then had to of stairs. Other times there was a line of rough stones take a bus out to the beginning of our pilgrimage route. compacted together at varying widths, another type of Our ride took us to a small town in the valley known as stair to scale. And more often there was nothing at all but Takijiri. Once there we made a brief stop in the visitor’s the sporadic web pattern of roots breaching the surface center, where we picked up a fairly detailed map of of the soil and rock, forming a series of footholds to step the trail that would come in quite a bit of use over the through. As one might imagine, these paths could at times next few days. Israel and I each washed our hands at be quite treacherous, and a lot of attention was generthe tsukubai (a stone basin used for ritualized cleansing11) ally required when walking. There was added danger in the fairly frequent presence of steep drop-offs just off before setting off on our hike. the edge of the path. These drops were at times right We were told that the first walk was a short at the edge of a path only a few feet in width, and one, around two hours or so. What we weren’t aware of often they were more straight down than any other diwas the matter of how steep the climb was; it was mostly rection. Personally I thought this added quite a bit of exuphill, with the occasional dip downwards. The path was citement to the journey. There was an ever-present posstraight up a mountain. What in estimation to the locals sibility of something bad happening, and indeed even was two hours we quickly discovered was perhaps for some shrines along the way were dedicated to people those who made use of the luggage service and that in which something bad did happen, but it gave a cerwere also accustomed to terrain, not Florida locals with tain energy and sense of adventure to the walk that I heavy bags on their backs that were used to seeing the wouldn’t have wanted any other way. horizon line in all directions. Two hours went by, and then Speaking of which, there were a number of perhaps another two or three hours after that, all the shrines and trail markers along the path. Every time we time climbing higher and higher. happened upon one, we took a minute to stop and ob46
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“Tsukubai.” Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation.
serve our surroundings. Often there was a plaque with information on what the shrine meant (luckily there was also a portion written in English) and these plaques had a broad swath of different stories to tell. Sometimes they were dedicated to a specific person that came through that particular part of the trail, sometimes it could be about a person that even collapsed there after a long journey through many of the pilgrimage paths and never quite made it all the way to their destination. Other times they were dedicated to a person that happened to live in isolation along a part of the trail, or sometimes a natural event that occurs annually or otherwise that can be viewed from the particular marked spot. Some had places for ceremony or prayer, and others were little more than a small stone on the ground. Towards the end of our first dayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s trail, we took a detour that brought us to the top point of the mountain. From the vantage point we could look back and see the small town of Takijiri far below, tucked away deep in the valley, a glimpse of where we came from on our first day. The view was spectacular, the tips of other mountains reaching skyward, the sky a deep, clear blue, and the sound an empty silence far above the reach of cars and communities.
our lodging was a beautiful traditional Japanese home that we had completely to ourselves. The house was mostly made of wood and plaster, the whole interior smelling subtly of cedar. The floorboards made a quiet, deep sound as I padded through the home. There was a room with a hearth dug into the floor, and above it hung a dark tea kettle, its support a thin steel rod that rose high up above to tie into the wooden rafters in the ceiling. Adjacent was another room, past a set of sliding doors, that was a simple six tatami mat dining room. Across both of these rooms spanned a wall of glass overlooking the valley far below and the distant mountains. The owner was kind enough to drive us to a nearby supermarket, where me and Israel picked up some local food, and used the kitchen to make a nice dinner for ourselves, as well as some drinks for the next day of hiking. That night we were lulled to sleep by the slight sounds of crickets and the gentle stream in the distance.
The end of our day found us in another even smaller town high up in the mountains called Takahara. A small stream ran side-by-side with a path that wound through the town, and we followed this path to our lodge, where a nice couple introduced us to our accommodations. Having made the reservations rather quickly before we left, Israel and I were not too clear on the details of where we were staying, and to our immense surprise 47
Day two...
The morning of our second day we awoke early and stepped out to the tea room to find a beautiful sight. The valley below was blanketed in a thick covering of clouds, a smooth sea of white edging against the peaks of mountains. Outside were the sounds of birds chirping and calling out, as well as the ever-present stream. Light streamed through the windows, illuminating the tea hearth, shining on the wooden floor. It was incredible. Me and Israel used up the rest of our food stock from the supermarket to cook ourselves a nice breakfast, giving us full bellies for the road. As we left, we gave our thanks and goodbyes to the kindness of the owners, and began on our way up through the small town of Takahara, following the path of stone and its accompanying stream. The path beyond the town was a little more cleanly articulated than that of the previous day, at least for a while. It was made of a clean path of stones worked closely together, with a fine cut edge along both sides. Moss and lichens found their way through the gaps between the stones, as well as on some of the stone’s surface. The morning light streamed through the forest of trees, and it was this day that a certain typology of forest began to reveal itself. Nearly all of the trees were the same: very tall and thin, and all perfectly straight. They seemed as an endless forest of colonnades holding 48
up a thin level of foliage high above. Eventually the path dissipated into the more common form of a narrow dirt walkway, littered with roots, and the occasional bit of simple infrastructure such as steps. Knowing that this day’s hike was a much longer one, and knowing that me and my traveling companion tended to take our time, we tried a little harder to keep pushing through. The locals told us it was about a five hour walk, so we could only guess at how long that meant for us. But we still managed to find a few places for rest. I took various recordings along the way, everything from a close-up of a chirping cricket, to the crunching of gravel under shoes, to the silly conversations that Israel and I shared along the way. One place of great interest was where the path met with a stream. As the trail continued, it meandered along with the stream, in a number of instances spanning across the water with a series of narrow makeshift bridges. The sounds of babbling water beneath these bridges brought a serene atmosphere to the walk, in some ways forcing us to stop as we took it all in. While this was a little after midday, I became aware of how much the dense straight trees and mountainous landscape blocked the sunlight. There were moments of shear beauty while the sun peered its way through the foliage as we followed the stream here, the water gently illuminated by tiny fingers of light. In general this day’s hike was much less strenuous than the last. While the previous day saw practically nothing but climbing steep paths, this day was much more steady. While the path increased and decreased in elevation, it was by many less degrees, and if anything more of the walk found us going down. There were still
Fig 41, Light through the colonnade, Kumano Kodo pilgrimage
a number of steep drops from the side of the path, but nothing too intense directly in front of us. The day was long, but the hours flew by as we breathed in the serenity of the natural landscape. In the evening we arrived above the valley town called Chikatsuyu. We descended down into the valley and found our way out to the next lodging, once again greeted by the familiar sound of the occasional car passing by and the daily noise of a community going about its business. In our lodging we were treated to a traditional Japanese dinner, which consisted of a broad range of small courses of fish (both cooked in a hearth and raw), various vegetables (may of local origins), rice, and green tea. At dinner we met a girl from Germany by the name of An Ya, who told us of how she was hiking through the same route, and had already gathered a bit of a travel company along the way. Since we were all heading to the same destination, we devised it would be nice to join her and the rest of the company the next day. We planned our next morning together, and at that, headed off to a much needed and well-deserved sleep. 49
Day three...
In the morning, in the valley town of Chikatsuyu, Israel and I awoke early for a traditional breakfast at our lodge. Similar to dinner from the previous night, breakfast was another series of small courses of fish, egg, assorted vegetables, rice, and green tea. We met with An Ya again for the meal, sharing in a pleasant time together before the longest day’s worth of hiking. We met the rest of the company at the main path through the town, me and Israel’s group growing from two to six. Besides An Ya, there were two middleaged ladies and experienced hikers from Salt Lake City, Utah by the name of Willa and Cricket, and a man from Kyoto named Yoshi. After some discussion, we arrived at the conclusion that if we ever wanted to make it to our destination before nightfall, we were going to have to take a bus a short distance up the trail and start from there. And so it was, after a brief ride in comfortable bus seats, we were on our way down the trail once again. We came across many more shrines and other sites along the way, one of the first being a small and very old-looking cemetery at the edge of a hill. The trees took on the same similar form of an endless series of tall and perfectly straight columns, giving the feeling of a monumental sense of enclosure. And the added benefit of company to pass the time with was a wonderful addition to the walk. Before long we encountered a portion of the 50
trail that was sealed off in lieu of a recent mudslide. There was a detour we had to take instead of roughly the same distance; that detour was perhaps one of the most difficult parts of the entire pilgrimage. Its path carved directly up the mountain and back down again, with very few pauses in between. The path was made mostly of logs cut into the dirt, forming a nearly endless set of rather uneven stairs, and a rope was held by a series of poles on the outside edge of the narrow walkway, forming a loose barrier between the wall of the mountain and a steep drop down. Willa and Cricket kept a brutal pace through the whole process, fully aware of the fact that today’s hike needed it if we were to reach the end before dark. Israel and I struggled behind them, the gap between us steadily growing, as we huffed and clawed our way forward. But reaching the top of the mountain was worth all the effort. We took in the view of a narrow valley seemingly sliced through a massive heap of earth, cleaving it into two separate land masses. As the walk continued, me and Israel began to inquire about Yoshi’s story. As it turns out, it was a story quite inspiring to hear. Yoshi was born in Kyoto, to a family that ran a business in computer engineering. Yoshi took it up well, took on to the work well enough and made good money. But at some point, the man realized that he hated it, he didn’t enjoy the work and he couldn’t stand to do it any longer. And so against his parents’ wishes, he left. He left behind his family, his friends, his possessions, everything he had and traveled to Kumano Kodo, where he had planned to walk the entire pilgrimage before traveling elsewhere to become a fisherman. To me, it brought a whole new perspective on the idea of a pilgrimage. I never inquired on his religious beliefs or
faith, but what he was doing was a profound, life-changing, and incredibly sacred thing, to drop everything in life and go out in search of a new meaning. His story touched me, and I found a new respect for the man.
At the end of the town, we passed through a tori gate and walked around to the front of Hongu Taisha. To our surprise, it was quite crowded with people, an obviously busy spot for tourists, and a huge contrast from the usual solidarity and quietness of the trail. I watched as many people approached the shrine in a customary ceremony, clapping and bowing while they tossed coins into a large wooden basin, and tugged on a large rope connected to a metal chamber with loose pieces inside overhead, producing a clanging sound of metal rolling around in metal. Deep within the shrine there was the occasional sound of deep drums being hit, and the chanting of those inside performing rituals. Facing away from the shrine, we walked down a long stretch of steps lined with banners on each side, obviously the more public entrance to the shrine, that led us to a city in which we caught a bus out to our various places of lodging for the night. This was where An Ya and Yoshi left us, as they were staying in other towns.
The trail went on, the silence of the forest still an ever present entity. But now was the added sound of multiple footsteps crunching on terrain, and the quiet murmurs of conversation to pass the time. We met another stream along the way, our path following it for a number of kilometers as it slowly changed to a concrete and stone basin overgrown with lichen and moss. As we split ways from the stream we encountered a tiny town with a few stands containing wares for travelers. The stands were unmanned, with little more than a box with a price tag on it next to the goods for sale. We bought a bag of delicious local oranges, and divvied up the contents. The town seemed to be mostly based around the growing of tea plants, which I had never seen before; they grew into dense bushes that lined the mountainsides in near-perfect rows, twisting with the curvature of the landscape. Me and Israel arrived in a small town called Yunomine Onsen, along with Willa and Cricket, just as Towards the later part of the evening, we finally the sky was turning dark. We took the time to grab a reached our destination: Kumano Hongu Taisha. Hongu beer in a small restaurant in celebration of our time toTaisha is one of the three main shrines along the Kumano gether, before they headed off to their own place of Kodo pilgrimage, and in fact serves as head of all the lodging, as they still had more hiking to do the next day. Kumano shrines across Japan.12 On our approach we The term “onsen” in Japanese means hot springs13, Yunowalked through a small town, in which suddenly an inter- mine Onsen being simply a small town built around natcom announcement began to be broadcast. Yoshi loose- ural hot springs. Israel and I took this opportunity to exly translated it for us, explaining that it was merely a test perience these hot springs as it got late, and I can recall announcement. But the amazing part was the sound of few instances in my life that were more relaxing than that it, it reverberated out into the mountains and bounced of a dip in a hot spring after a long three days of hiking. back at varying intervals. It gave the surreal effect of a sound echoing through multiple chambers at once. 12 13
“Hongu Taisha.” Kumano Travel: “Onsen.” Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation.
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Fig 78, Trail Marker, Kumano Kodo pilgrimage
Balance The role of music in the design process... ---: Thesis, pp52-57
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What does a journey do for architecture? A journey is the story, it is the experience that stays with us. The journey is the embodiment of the experience, and it is what gives us the ability and the interest to pass that on. Music tells a story, by its very nature. It comes from the heart, some emotion of some half-hidden thought, surfacing in the mind of the musician and in the effect of the composition. It is another way of communicating a journey, of storytelling. Its shape is abstract, but its meaning is still there, clear as day. Architecture is there, in the journey and in the music. It is what makes it up, its building blocks. Those blocks can change as the story is passed on from one hand to another, but its essence is still there. And its essence is what I am looking for. The essence of the journey will always shape the architecture. Its details may change, its patterns shift, but it will keep its essence and remain wholly the same. If I can gather the essence of a journey, and mold it into both a model and a piece of music, your eyes will wander through the model in the same way that your ears will wander the music.
Because I am a musician, and because music is such an integral part of the process, music needed to play a role in the designs I sought out. So I bought a nice microphone and got to work on writing some music. I enlisted the help of a couple friends for this endeavor, a fellow architecture student Vignesh Madhavan and an old band-mate and friend Bryan Wallace. The purpose was to write a concept album that tells a story. Just as the rest of the work in this thesis is comprised of a series of nodes that make a journey, so too would the songs on this album be the nodes of a journey. These nodes correspond with the same emotions as the architecture, which were tenderness, chaos, anger, anticipation, joy, and love. What happened was that these songs became yet another piece of the whole that defines this entire peregrination. These songs evolved into the soundscapes that each node is nestled into, supporting the emotional content of each climactic experience. As well these songs were just another step in the process. Each node was designed in a different order. Sometimes the song would be written first and it would inform the model. Sometimes the drawing would come first, and then the song would be informed by it. Other times the model came first, and then next could be solved the corresponding drawing or song. The music became just as involved a part of the process as any other medium, drawing or model. The music was essential to the resolution of this thesisâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s body of work. I made a Soundcloud page to post these songs to, youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll find the URL below: https://soundcloud.com/josh-riek 54
Fig 79, Final presentation pin-up view 1 Fig 80, Final presentation pin-up view 2
To help inform the process, I wrote a series of moments in time to explain the content of each individual song. The content of each song is recorded through the experience of a traveler that is going on this journey. He is a tinkerer who invents a hot air balloon as a means of traversing this path, using it to guide his way on a solitary journey. The reasoning behind the hot air balloon as the preferred means of travel has to do with the fact that it is the only method of transportation that is not directly obeisant to the whims of the driver. While it is possible to raise and lower the altitude of a hot air balloon to catch varying directions of wind, it is still not a very accurate means of travel, and much of where the path leads is up to nature. Similarly the journey I have made is not an exactly prescribed thing. The emotions of each node represent those climactic moments of each corresponding emotional experience, but emotions are not quite so easily apportioned. Multiple emotions can be experienced simultaneously by any person. And so the intent of this journey is that any person that travels it may take whatever path suits them. Every person experiences events differently, so it would only make sense to allow the path to be traveled differently as different people experience a different order of emotions. The order that I have given to this path represents only the path that the afore-mentioned tinkerer takes in his hot air balloon. Following is his experience on this sojourn of silence...
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A Space for You Tenderness...
Upon seeking out a journey, an escape, the traveler, or tinkerer, turns to his work. An inventor of sorts, this man begins the construction of his peregrination. His thoughts take him to far places, the machines of his mind turning as his hands set to their tasks. As he busies himself with his work, he moves into a deep trance, apart from the rest of the world, existing in his own space. A moment in time brings him the solace of his own invention, until at last! He is done. The journey beginsâ&#x20AC;Ś
Untitled: [Chaos] Chaos...
The traveler flies high above his home. Below is his city, its familiar partitions ever moving, ever changing. Smoke billows from many rooftops as far below the lives of thousands continue on, all parts of a great working machine. The city breathes a breath unlike any living thing, its inhalations sweeping through alleys and streets, stirring the settling dust. The noise of this great beast is hardly noticed, unless one spends some time away from it. There is no order to the noise, but if one listens for long enough, high above the Warmth is felt at the touch of commotion, one can begin to pick out his own creations. The traveler is pre- the notes of a great symphony: a maspared as he boards his balloon, allow- terpiece of motion and change. ing the ropes holding it down to unwind. A gust of wind picks up, and as the traveler takes one last look at the stable ground below, he is off.
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The Storm Anger...
The flight of the balloon is aimless. It travels where the wind leads, and the journey is in the hands of a force beyond control. The traveler begins to feel the edges of stress, struggling with this release of guidance, this illusion of control. The growing pressure reaches a climax as the balloon wanders into a storm. The traveler is thrown into a powerful gale, and he seems as an object, a puppet, put to the whims of another. He lays anchor, embedding stringers deep into the face of the cliff, pulling taught his ship and guiding him through a blur of energy and motion. There is a certain harmony to a storm. It is a great shifting thing, terrible and beautiful. But it contains at its core a pattern, a force that holds little equal in its power. It is from this force, this great harmony, that the traveler emerged, humbled and ready for the next adventure.
You Need This
Cashmere
The Waltz
The traveler finds himself in need of a moment of pause from his journey, a relief from the wears of travel. He happens upon an old town, one that at first glance appears to be almost abandoned. Upon more scrutinous observation, however, one may begin to notice the touches of human kind, the maintenance of a special place. Human hands have cared for this land. The traveler notices a platform upon which to land, and guides to this spot. As he gets closer, he begins to see the mechanisms of a great chain of processes.
Up and up the traveler goes. He breaches the surface of the clouds, and yet he continues to climb. At last his ascent takes him to platforms in the sky. The sun sets over the horizon, and the sky is bathed in a reddish glow. The traveler lands his balloon down at the edge of a long bridge and hops out to take in the sights.
It has grown dark and all is still. The stars wash over the sky, illuminating a cliff face, set against the calm, lapping waves of the ocean and the clear reflection of the stars in the waters below. The traveler lowers his balloon down to land at the edge of this cliff, where he ties it down and shuts off the burner to let it deflate. A small path is highlighted before him, and above it a series of paper lanterns hang loosely, barely rocking in an almost imperceptible breeze. The traveler knows what lies at the end of this path. With a gentle sigh, he climbs the last steps up and follows the path to the end of his journey.
Anticipation...
His balloon lands with a quiet thump upon the platform, and instantly the process takes off. The traveler hops out and begins to work his way around his landing and down a small spiral staircase, all the while the sounds of one step after the next of a mechanical process can be heard over his quiet footsteps. The traveler anticipates the end of this chain, and as he reaches the ground, a cleared-away spot is revealed to him. He steps towards this spot, consisting of a simple table top and chair, and as he approaches, the final trigger takes place and a heated tea kettle pours him his welcome.
Joy...
Clouds swirl in the strong breeze as he walks toward the nearest house. In the distance he catches sight of a long line of small floating objects, and as he traces this line up it leads to a small platform nearby: it is a fan facing upwards that lies beneath a trampoline. Just as he notices, a small object hops onto the platform and it instantly bounces high up and over to the next small net. Before any doubts wrench at the travelerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s mind, he smiles and follows suit, hopping onto the trampoline and bounding off towards he next.
Love...
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Fig 81, Map of the journey
Node .001 A song about tenderness... ---: Thesis, pp58-69
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The first node in the journey is about the emotion tenderness. This is something a bit more quiet, more subdued. In this case it is about the start of the journey, but it does not necessarily have to be. It is a fragile moment, a moment in which you enter a zone of protection, a place which gives a slight sense of safety and refuge. It is protecting, but at the same time it is a diaphanous space, being wrapped in a delicate skin. It is about a quiet place, one in which sounds from outside resonate through, but lightly. The soundscape of this node is located within a forest. It sits tenuously upon the ground, spreading its roots to anchor itself between the trees. It is a vertical space that works its way up through the canopy, finding its way above the tree-line. It scoops the subtle sounds of the forest into the space, and by way of its hollow form it spreads the sounds out through the space, reverberating within and out of the top. It is a quiet space that encourages quiet from those within. Its form and its soundscape suggest to the inhabitant to tread lightly, and to appreciate the silence and calmness of the space. And further it is about ascension, about working up to something. In this case it is about working up to the view at the top.
This graphic represents the beginning of the travelerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s journey. His balloon is finished, and he prepares the final tasks before launch. A large wheel holds the balloon fast to the ground, and slowly eases up as the craft takes lift. Below is a canal system, and within nestles a small sailboat. This boat is representative of the potential other options with which one may take to travel on their journey. This boat will disappear for now, but we will see it again before long. There are no people anywhere within this graphic, nor will you find any within the others. In my search for a new and unique style of architectural representation, as discussed previously in this document, I came to a certain conclusion as a means to make this series of drawings more engaging: I removed all people from them. What this does is it puts the observer in the place of the people, inviting them to imagine what it is like to be within these drawings, visually, haptically, and aurally. There are enough details and interactive conditions to keep the observerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s interest and attention, and it as a result engages the viewer, bringing them into this new graphical world, attracting them to make sense of it.
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Fig 82, Node .001: A Space for You
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Fig 83, Entrance to node .001
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Fig 84, Side view of entrance to node .001
Fig 85, Destination above the canopy, node .001
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Fig 86, Section .001
The form and spatial itinerary for this node .001 is derived from the sonata-allegro form in musical composition. The layout of a sonata-allegro piece is set in a tripartite division, which can be illustrated as A-B-A, these letters being the exposition, development, and recapitulation phases.7 In the exposition phase a theme is introduced and the pace of the music moves fairly quickly; the content of the composition is presented in its earliest state. The development section sees the pace of the music slow down some. This section is defined by two main rules: it generally begins with a partial restatement of the first theme to remind the listener of the starting point, and during the course of the development the music modulates in a series of far-off keys which create a better sense of homecoming for when the original tonality is reached in the last phase.7 The recapitulation was originally a restatement of the exposition, but eventually evolved into something shortened or new, the reason being that following all of the struggle and turmoil of the development phase it only makes sense to have some new and informed type of conclusion that changes the original theme.7
to the very end of the sonata-allegro. This piece is meant to stretch the boundaries of the musical form, creating a sense of climax through the use of the composition’s musical material seen for the last time and in a new light.7 Node .001 is organized in a very similar nature. It can be divided into three main levels, each ascending from the previous. It begins high up in the forest, moving the inhabitant into its protective shell and circling them through a space situated at the base of the enclosure. A view of the entire interior is given, but with an understanding that will change as they move up. A small stair works around a column and brings the inhabitant to the next level, in which they walk into a secondary enclosure, a more solid one wrapped in a towering spiral staircase supported by arches. There is a moment of pause in which a small balcony juts from beneath the rising skin of the architecture, and from there begins a slow ascent up the curving stair. After a steep and very lengthy climb (similar to the first day spent on the Kumano Kodo trail) the inhabitant arrives at the destination, a small space up at the top that not only affords a view up through the light well at the top, but also a view of down below, providing the inhabitant with the chance to see where it was they came from.
Two extensions were added to the sonata-allegro form, one on each end of the composition. These are There is also an introductory portion in which a the introductory section and a coda at the end. narrow walkway squeezes the traveler into the enclosure of the project. This is the inhabitant’s chance to expe The introductory portion is (of course) placed at rience the monumental scale of this site, before passing the beginning of the composition. It is almost always slow through its interior threshold. And there is also a coda at to signal that the exposition hasn’t begun yet, and may the very end, in which the final tier breaches the surface either be an entirely independent piece of music or a of the skin up above the forest’s canopy. It affords a full slow version of the main theme.7 The coda is added on view of the nature seen from a new perspective. 7
Copland, Aaron, and Alan Rich. What to Listen for in Music.
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Fig 87, Overall view of node .001
Fig 88, Interior perspective of node .001
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Fig 89, Coda space, node .001
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Fig 92, Interior 2, node .001
Fig 90, Interior 1, node .001
Fig 91, Spiral stair, node .001
Fig 93, Interior 3, node .001
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Fig 94, Map of the journey, node .001 to node .002
Node .002 A song about chaos... ---: Thesis, pp70-85
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The second node in the journey is about chaos. The space allures the inhabitant in, drawing them closer, accepting them within the many halls that are its strata. The proportion is monumental, the height of its many halls dwarf the human scale. The form is repetitious, these halls are all of the same size, leading only to more halls. As one walks further within, the space only seems to stretch. It appears an endless passage in all directions. Within these identical crevices a series of erratic paths move, weaving their way between column and arch. These paths shift around bends, shoot upwards, and plummet downwards just to suddenly disappear behind a column. Their capricious nature encourages the inhabitant to follow, until an entrance to them is found. The soundscape of this node is located within the desert. Just as the sands may shift and what one day is a dune may the next be a valley, the space within this node is an ever-changing entity housed within the illusion of order and repetition. The subtle and sometimes violent sounds of the desert slip their way into the space, finding no bearing as they bounce and move, echoing through seemingly random endless halls. A sound may appear to come from a certain direction, while the source comes from another, and yet visually the sound seems to be from a third location.
Chaos is a normal part of every journey. The stress of travels are bound to take hold, and the pressure of being lost within an unfamiliar place is bound to happen. The hassle of preparing and planning for such an undertaking, and then the inevitable failure of said planning and preparation will add a touch of chaos to anyoneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s adventure. In this graphic the traveler is flying over a city, his home. The dense urban infrastructure obscures the ground, and the many large scale buildings and machines seem to grow higher and higher, with an organic life all their own. The chaos is inherent in the seemingly random patterning and play between numerous unique forces. There is also a form of chaos in the view of the traveler. Seeing the city from above and hearing the great many clashing sounds competing for dominance, coupled with the tensions of leaving home, morph into a chaotic experience for the traveler. In the foreground of the graphic there is an exchange of different roles working for attention. Amidst the chaos there is the home of a wealthy patron, sitting below the live/work space of a designer. Connected by a bridge another cluster designates a maintenance room, with a small quarter below for that service personâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s cramped home.
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Fig 95, Node .002: Untitled: [Chaos]
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Fig 96, View from above, node .002
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Fig 97, View of interior 1, node .002
Fig 98, View of interior 2, node .002
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Fig 99, Section .002
The desert climate is known for its harshness. It can be unforgiving, offering very little water or source of food. It ranges greatly in temperatures, being sun-baked and hot during the day and becoming frigid at night. And the desert can spring surprises upon the unwary traveler, things such as dust storms and mirages.
The space works similarly with sound. Noise bounces between these mirrors and through these halls, resounding a chaotic frequency of whose origin is hard to determine. The space is a ventriloquist space. As one person watches another moving about elsewhere through the node, they may seem to be to the personâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s left, but they may actually be in front of them. And as Its landscape, being made of sand, can shift this second person takes a few steps, their sound may and flow, covering and revealing things that may lie be- appear to come from the left of the first person. neath. It is this property that affects node .002. At times the sands may overtake the nodeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s foundation, washing The mirrors are also meant to be made of a setheir way into the space and burying it, so that only some ries of partitions. An inhabitant may shift or rotate certain of the paths and steps rise up from the sands to see the parts of a mirror, changing the direction in which sound sun. Other times the sands may uncover the node, rais- bounces and altering the reflections of the space that ing it up on a tall plinth that overlooks the desert. disorient any other persons observing. Light can be manipulated in a multitude of ways to alter how the space Within the node, working along with the mean- is perceived. Sources of light as a result seem to come dering paths and steps, are placed a series of great ver- from many places as they work off of the changing mirror tical mirrors. These mirrors frame entire archways, block- positions and sliding reflections. With so many changes ing certain paths through the space. They cast reflections through such a repetitious design, the experience beof the paths and halls, blurring the limits of the territory comes one of chaos for the traveler, as no destination and confusing any distinct sense of direction. These mir- within ever reveals itself, but rather the paths always rors call into question what is real and what is reflection. continue to shift and move as if trying to get somewhere They frame straight walkways and bend with turning cor- that never existed. ners, so that movement throughout the node changes the perception and understanding of the space. It is as a great mirage to be lost in, always shifting in height and direction, guiding the inhabitant through an endless loop of ever-changing environment. 77
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Fig 100, Front elevation of node .002
Fig 101, Interior perspective of node .002
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Fig 102, Rotation around node .002 and the changing perception
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Fig 103, Entrance threshold 1, node .002
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Fig 104, Entrance threshold 2, node .002
Fig 105, Entrance threshold 3, node .002
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Fig 106, View of node .002 at sunset
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Fig 107, Map of the journey, node .002 to node .003
Node .003 A song about anger... ---: Thesis, pp86-101
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The third node in the journey is about anger. This space funnels the traveler into its depths, dark and foreboding. It does not seek to harm, but neither is it necessarily inviting. The space of anger is massive, looking to overwhelm its occupant. It is as a vertical chasm, cutting into the land and stretching its walls high above, bending them in upon the space. It digs underground, letting sparse light through, and even as it climbs skyward it covers itself, not wanting the light intruding too much within its shelter. A great many tasks are underway here, all of them competing for their own dominant presence of sound and function. The soundscape of this node is a meeting of two forces; it is the datum that runs along the seam. The node sits upon the threshold between the ocean and a rocky shore, arching over the landscape. It scoops the sound of waves meeting a mass and sweeps them into its interior, spreading the sound through the space and amplifying it as the noise builds. The soundscape is an overwhelming experience, one which its inhabitants become trapped in the middle of, forced to endure. Every means of retaliation against the sound is useless, any noise that is quieted will have too many others soon to take its place.
Anger is an emotion bound to happen amidst the stress of travels. A journey requires it, for a pilgrimage is not meant to be an easy feat. Struggle is a necessary component of a journey, and serves as a contrast to the better parts of an experience, making those parts seem that much better. While anger is not typically an emotion sought out by most, it will still inevitably find its way in. In this graphic the traveler has found himself caught in a storm. An uncontrollable and unforeseeable force, this storm has encroached upon the journey. The traveler ties down his balloon to a series of cliff faces in the hopes to wait it out. He finds himself helpless amidst a much greater fury, bound to its whims much as his balloon is bound to the rocks. The sojourner is stuck, and despite all the anger at being caught in something so miserable, there is nothing that can be done. He is fastened to his position, left to brood until the storm passes.
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Fig 108, Node .003: The Storm
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Fig 109, Side view of node .003
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Fig 110, Another side view of node .003
Fig 111, Set of machines overlooking the water, node .003
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Fig 112, Section .003
The emotion of anger comes in many forms, but always it is an intense and immersive feeling. Anger can spur a quick and fierce response, or it can cause someone to brood, distant and apart from others. But it is an emotion as essential as any other, acting as a necessary contrast to the generally more sought after states of being. The site of this node .003 sits on the cusp between two locales, in the middle of two contending forces. On one side is a rocky crag, on the other an ocean. These two sides meet, the byproduct of which is a somewhat continuous sound. The sound of a steady stream of waves lapping against and striking the cliff face. The node sits right over top of this, arching its structure over the land and into the water. This structure supports a heavy wall that covers over it, responding to the ground in places where they meet and pulling away from the water. Within this wall covering is an area of ground below in which a boat may dock, in the event of any travelers arriving by such a means of transportation.
noise. They work in tandem with the sounds of the ocean hitting rock to add to an overall ambiance, one of an overwhelming breadth. The space inside this node is intentionally dark. Materially heavy walls are supported by large structure that seeks to cover up from the light. Inside is a monumental dark space brimming with the noise of many mechanisms moving and individual machines operating. There is a cap over the top of the structure where the two main walls meet. This cap is punctured by a series of light wells that squeeze inward as they project down into the space, cutting off as much light as possible.
This piece of architecture, straddling the shore, is meant to be an immersive experience of dissonant noises. Dimming the light helps to amplify attention to the noise, and the scale of everything attempts to make the inhabitant feel small within its confines. Much as a brooding anger becomes a dominant contender for a personâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s attention and focus, so too is the traveler within this node forced to be wary of the overwhelming force There are also a series of large mechanisms within. that are embedded within this large wall. Some hook into the wall and lift large portions up in ways that interact with the ground. Others support a cable system suspended over the water that can be lowered down into the sea. The intent of these kinetic devices are not so much a specific function as another means of making 93
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Fig 113, Node .003 arching over the water
Fig 114, Interior perspective of node .003
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Fig 115, Site plan .003
Fig 116, Interior view of node .003
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Fig 118, Exterior view at night, node .003
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Fig 117, Light wells and truss, node .003
Fig 119, Interior view at night, node .003
Fig 120, Exterior wall facing the water side, node .003
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Fig 121, Interior to exterior threshold with machines, node .003
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Fig 122, Map of the journey, node .003 to node .004
Node .004 A song about anticipation... ---: Thesis, pp102-117
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The fourth node in the journey is about anticipation. In a certain sense, this node is about a smaller journey within the journey. As anticipation requires a progression to allow it to grow, this node must comprise a miniature peregrination to lead up to a climax. Therefore it is path and destination that are important here. A certain frequency of sound is played by something far above, enticing the traveler to climb higher. This sound provokes the traveler, drawing upon their curiosity to lead them on. The soundscape of this node is nested high up in the mountains. At such elevations wind begins to build in strength, and this node draws upon that energy. The wind fuels an auditory experience that grows as the altitude rises, encouraging the journeyers onward. On and on the journey works its way up the mountain, and still the sound builds. Until at last a final ladder is reached. This long climb takes the sojourner up and up, to a horizontal platform embedded at the peak of the mountain, the soundâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s source. Here the sound is all encompassing, wrapping the inhabitant in its wind-fueled tones. But it is not over yet, a surprise still awaits on the other side...
Anticipation has to do with having a certain amount of realization in what is going to happen before it does. It means there is a hope or expectation involved that carries the person through. Or at least it means the person believes they know what to expect. This graphic uses the play of expectation and hope and turns it into a process that can be followed step by step in the drawing. What is contrived is a Rube Goldberg machine. As the balloon lands, its weight pushes down on a platform that pulls on a hook attached to a string. This hook is jerked up, causing it to pop a balloon that is tied to a horizontal lever. The lack of support from the popped balloon allows the lever to fall, activating an accordion-type arm that rises and pushes on a series of gears. These gears wind a small canon which fires a ball up and over to a small mitt that then drops the ball into a machine. This machine lowers the ball into a claw that drops the ball down on an extended hose. As the hose compresses it shifts a set of rack and pinion gears that in turn both ignite a small burner and tilt a now heating tea kettle towards an awaiting tea cup. Meanwhile the traveler is finding his way down from his landing platform, listening to the sounds of this great chain of events and watching the process unfold, the anticipation of the warm cup of tea growing with each step. 104
Fig 123, Node .004: You Need This
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Fig 124, Shadows of node .004 being supported by a mountain
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Fig 125, Beneath the sound reeds of node .004
Fig 126, Stair threshold through the soundproof membrane of node .004
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Fig 127, Section .004
For a feeling of anticipation to take hold, something must first be given to the person that is to feel this emotion. Some kind of clue or direction that allows them to begin to be both curious and interested in whatever they are to be lead to. But not everything about the anticipated experience should be given away at first, some things must be left to the imagination until the final moment at the end when the experience is fulfilled. That is the curiosity that drives a person forward to accomplish the goal that is set for them.
a great harmony is sung by the winds at the top of the mountain. The volume of the sound is loud enough to be heard from the base of the mountain where the local journey begins, affording the travelers an auditory glimpse of what is to come. As the travelers climb further up the mountain, the harmony from these sound reeds slowly builds in volume. The higher they go, the more acute this sound becomes. The sound expands and strengthens, all the while gaining more and more of the travelerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s attention. Until at last arrives the final climb up the main ladder. Once arriving at the node itself, the harmony of the sound reeds is all-encompassing, it is a panoptic aural force that is the hierarchy of the space. From this point the inhabitant is invited through the center of this node and over to the opposite side, where a small spiral staircase works its way up through the sound reeds.
There are two things in this node that do this, one visual and one aural. The first is a glimpse of the node itself delicately sited at the very top of the mountain. A far-off impression of the task at hand is a feature that lingers in the mind of the traveler as they trek up the mountain, a reminder of what is to come, and with enough time between seeing it in the distance and actually reaching it to allow the traveler to sort of mentally embellish it. This small staircase twists up to the top and pushes through the skin of the structure. On the other The aural factor that sparks curiosity in the trav- side lies a shallow bowl of a space that rests above the eler is the set of tones that the node at the top of the mountain, framing a full view of the sky that the traveler mountain makes. Hung from this node in such a way as has just about reached after such a long climb. But what to be wrapped in its skin and also hovering above any is most obvious is the sound of the space. The sound of inhabitants at the node are a series of massive hollow silence. The skin of the node doubles as a sound-proof wooden tubes. These sound reeds catch the wind that barrier, and upon emerging from the other side the harmoves at such high altitudes to produce a sound. These mony of the sound reeds is completely blocked off. It is tubes can be constructed at varying lengths that cor- the anticipation of the silence the traveler was not even respond with the fourths and fifths in music, that way expecting, but it is exactly what they needed. 109
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Fig 128, View of node .004
Fig 129, Interior perspective of node .004
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Fig 130, Perspective .004
Fig 131, View 1, node .004
Fig 132, View 2, node .004
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Fig 133, Overall view of node .004
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Fig 135, Entrance into node .004
Fig 134, Light permeating the skin, node .004
Fig 136, Overall view of node .004
Fig 138, Entrance into node .004
Fig 137, Climax space through the sound-proof barrier
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Fig 139, Entrance to node .004 during sunset
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Fig 140, Map of the journey, node .004 to node .005
Node .005 A song about joy... ---: Thesis, pp118-131
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The fifth node of the journey is about joy. Joy uses compression and expansion, it is about bursts of energy and moments of elation. It is a way to show the power of the spirit and it celebrates vitality. The space of this node draws the inhabitant inward, squeezing them into a vertical space. This space grows taller and taller as excitement grows. A defining moment is reached and this vertical space bursts out into a wide open area, gathering the eye and guiding it upwards towards the sky. The soundscape of this node is set in a wide open plain. Fields of grass rustle as a playful breeze swirls near the ground. All is fairly quiet, and yet the space is inviting to loud sounds. The open area invites the traveler to yell, to be as bold and as clamorous as desired. The plains are free, they celebrate any and every lively action that takes place within. The enclosure within this node is one that projects and emphasizes these noises, shooting them skyward. Noise is encouraged, it adds to the character of the space. It brightens up the atmosphere of the place, much as the large vertical walls around it catch and distribute light visually.
Joy is about freeness, an openness. It is about being content and excited about the possibility of many options. It is about being happy to have a choice. This graphic on joy sees the traveler high up in the sky, amidst the clouds. There is habitable space here, a small community built in the upper atmosphere. The traveler arrives during dusk, and the clouds are alive with the energy of the wind and the sun, catching and spreading the colors of the fading light. The scene is brimming with energy, celebrating the location. There is a small home here, along with the recurrent theme of the captainâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s wheel, hinting at other means of transportation. A bridge connects the main landing spot for the balloon to adjacent platforms, spreading out across the air. There is also a string of trampolines set above fans that are blowing upwards. These smaller platforms make for a playful and joyful means of egress in the sky. They can be hopped on, and they bounce whatever does so over to the next available landing, hurtling people and objects through the air. There is freedom here in the sky, the freedom to do as one pleases. A traveler here may either find somewhere quiet to rest or seek activity to relish in.
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Fig 141, Node .005: Cashmere
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Fig 142, Lookout space threshold, node .005
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Fig 143, Vertical threshold into main space, node .005
Fig 144, Overall view of node .005
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Fig 145, Section .005
Joy is an emotion about things going right. It could be a series of fortunate events, or just stuff that tends to please. Joy is a feeling of utter contentment, of being happy with the way things are going. It is also about having the freedom to pursue different whims. One cannot be joyful without the freedom of choice. This node .005 is a space that offers freedom of choice. It is a space in which a traveler may enter and feel completely secure and free, given the chance to yell, to run around, to dance, to do whatever it is the person decides to do. It is an enclosure that is walled in, but at the same time it is very open. It gestures upwards towards the sky, while designating a personal field, and so despite the enclosure, it does not feel as such.
centuating the exaggerated perspective. Perhaps the most drastic angle in the hallway is the ceiling plane, which drifts upward to meet the extended height of the main space. The ceiling plane is constructed of a repetitious and weaving series of structural members and a translucent skin that bows down over the hall. It not only lets a character of washed light into the space, but it also becomes a floating ethereal entity that hovers above the walls, something ominous and leading. It helps to absorb sound, calming the noise between the outside plains and the potentially loud main space on its other end, only allowing a subtle reverberation between the walls of the hallway.
There is an elongated threshold that takes joyful sojourners to the main space. This threshold is a tall and narrow hall with a skinny vertical triangular aperture. It squeezes the inhabitants inside, ushering them through this slender crevice.
On the other end of the main space two solid vertical walls squeeze together and pinch a small elevated area out of the large space. This smaller section acts as a breather from its larger counterpart, a place of rest after enough energy is released in the larger section. This small area overlooks the plains, situated a The proportions inside the hall borrow from a little above the ground. It is about a calmer sense of joy, Baroque methodology of design. As one continues for- one in which there is also the freedom of choice to do ward through the hall, the walls very subtly angle in- nothing, to relax and be content. wards. This gives the illusion of the space actually extending back farther than it appears, as it devises a forced perspective. Similarly the floor angles upwards slightly, leading the traveler up to the main space and also ac125
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Fig 146, Space of rest, node .005
Fig 147, Interior perspective of node .005
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Fig 148, Space of rest over the fields, node .005
Fig 149, Threshold between main space and rest space, node .005
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Fig 150, Threshold into vertical hallway with main space beyond, node .005
Fig 151, View of node .005 and main space at night
Fig 152, View of node .005 at night
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Fig 153, Map of the journey, node .005 to node .006
Node .006 A song about love... ---: Thesis, pp132-147
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The final node on the journey is about love. Love is one of those touchy subjects that every musician has written many songs over. It is perhaps the most celebrated of the emotions, and also potentially the most catastrophic when it fails. The space for this node is an intimate one, nestled high up above the sea. It is sheltered by a fragile shell, a protective barrier that is also vulnerable itself. The space brings the inhabitant through a thin flowing sheet, transporting them to a new place veiled in a gently swaying shroud. It is small and delicate, a tiny other world. The soundscape for this node is set up high above the ocean. The gentle lapping of waves barely make their way up to the sanctuary space at the top, and a series of light screens help to shut out noise from outside. The space is made so that sound does not travel far within. Inhabitants must be close to one another to converse, and even then the sounds are only soft. This space is a soundscape of quiet. It encourages individual meditation and close companionship.
Love is a very fragile thing. It doesn’t take much, and someone’s passions can be flipped, shattered like a pane of glass. But there is a certain power to that fragility. There is strength in its delicacy, because it means that people will fight that much more to defend it. In this graphic love is expressed through the end of the traveler’s journey. After all of the experiences, weariness and fatigue have set in, the traveler has found it’s time to end his journey. He is forever changed by the things he has seen and done, and as the night settles in he finds that few things sound better than to rest and reflect. He lands his balloon upon a platform at the end of a rock outcropping and allows it to deflate. It will be a while before he needs his balloon again. The boat which was seen in the first graphic of the journey has made its reappearance, reminding that there are still other peregrinations to be had. The traveler walks up the quietly lit path before him, scaling the last steps of his adventure. While where he is going is a bit of a mystery, I imagine that somewhere up ahead there is an empty hot spring, a place where he can ease his burdens and relax, much like the end of Israel’s and my pilgrimage to the Kumano Kodo trail in Japan. 134
Fig 154, Node .006: The Waltz
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Fig 155, Ladder leading up to main sanctuary space, node .006
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Fig 156, Single support column and spiral stair, node .006
Fig 157, Sanctuary space and supporting light wells, node .006
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Fig 158, Section .006
Love is a quiet emotion. Not to say that it does not have power, it can hold immense sway in a personâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s actions, but still it is a quiet thing. Love is hesitant, careful even. But when it happens it can take over very quickly.
into open water before swimming back to the dock and starting again. This tier is also the main surface that allows for something such as a small hot air balloon to land.
The design for this node .006 takes this fact into consideration. For the traveler to become fully involved with the node, it takes some time and some work. A great many stairs must be scaled, and two separate ladders on either side also span great heights to climb. It is physically demanding to get to the top. But getting there provides what the pilgrim seeks.
The last ladder awaits at one end of the platform. At its top, it follows along a massive truss before halting at a small jutting floor. The final space has been reached. This space, the sanctuary space, is surrounded by three large translucent screens. These screens are meant to help block and absorb sound, as well as provide a secondary means of enclosure. The same trusses and structure that support the screens continue higher, arching overhead and towards the center of the sanctuary space. At their apex a system is hung that lowers a series of six cylindrical light wells. Around these light wells is draped a semi-transparent fabric that covers the sanctuary space, providing the primary means of enclosure.
Scaling the path for this node starts before even arriving at its base. It sits out at sea, and so getting there means traveling either by boat or by air. If one were to take the boat, they would arrive at the dock beneath the structure. From here the boat may be tied off and the work begun. A ladder juts out from the waters and through one end of the dock, continuing up a ways to a small round platform. This platform is mostly so that the Inside the sanctuary space sound is muffled. The traveler can stop to appreciate the new view up while cloth that surrounds it helps to damper the sound, and they stop to catch a breath. the screens beyond those do what the fabric cannot. The space becomes one of intimacy. In order to carry From here begins a long climb up a steep spiral on conversation, two people must be within close proxstaircase. These stairs twist around the singular column imity to clearly hear one another. It is also a space for supporting the entire node. Following this path affords solitude, blocking out the noises and distractions of the the traveler a constantly rotating and changing view of outside world and bringing the traveler into a more perthe surrounding ocean. Once the stairs have been scaled sonal realm. The only sounds from outside that may be the path moves to a second tier, this time a little larger heard, very faintly, are the gentle lapping of waves far than the first. This second tier provides another moment below out at sea. The sanctuary space is as its name to rest, while giving an even higher view up above the implies, it is a refuge and a retreat for the weary traveler sea. It is here that a person also has the option to use to reflect back on their travels. one edge as a diving board, plummeting down below 139
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Fig 159, Overall view of node .006
Fig 160, Interior perspective of node .006
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Fig 161, Section .006
Fig 162, View of the sanctuary space and surrounding structure, node .006
Fig 163, Light wells and supporting structure above the sanctuary space, node .006
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Fig 164, Overall view of node .006 at night
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Fig 165, Glow of the sanctuary space and screens at night, node .006
Fig 166, Exterior to interior, sanctuary space, node .006
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Fig 167, Sanctuary space at night, node .006
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Fig 168, Kumano Kodo: small man-made waterfall
Conclusion After it’s all said and done... ---: Thesis, pp148-149
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Architecture does not cross over into other disciplines enough. The current trend in the modern architectural office is to designate a broad swath of consultants and advisors to do more and more of the work. As a result, the architect’s responsibility is diminishing as an increasing variety of the work is passed on to others. This in many ways is leading to more stagnant and commonplace designs being built. If architecture as a powerful experience is to survive, architects must take back that responsibility, push for more risks, and cross more seemingly unrelated mediums and boundaries to achieve greater heights in design. One of a nearly infinite variety of ways to do this is to combine musical and architectural practices. This can begin to bring new questions to the table on design, such as the importance and consideration of the space as a soundscape. To use a similar example as Aaron Copland’s: if you are sitting alone in a room reading this document and a single note on a piano is struck, it completely changes the atmosphere of the room.7 Thoughts like this, and experimentation done with these other types of mediums are what can make architecture something great again. Reviving the latent architect’s passion for investigation and exploration, putting the burden back in their hands, will bring back the significance of the compelling emotive experience in architecture. 7
Copland, Aaron, and Alan Rich. What to Listen for in Music.
The Scroll Section
To best represent the spatial journey of this thesis, and especially the different contextual relationships between all of the different soundscapes, I made a single long scroll section that incorporated all six of the different nodes into one long graphic. Throughout each of the sections there are a series of lines that flow through the nodes. These are diagrammatic interpretations of sound waves and their motion through each space and context. Within each node there is also a color gradient that coats the projects. These are representative of a sound intensity map of each architecture. The whole graphic during presentation day spanned a full fifteen and a half feet in length, and was three feet in height. Following is my best attempt to give it a place in this document... 150
Fig 169, Scroll section, nodes .001 through .006
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Works Cited
Bachelard, Gaston, and M. Jolas. The Poetics of Space. 1994 ed. Print. Beadle, Phil, and Ian Gilbert. Dancing About Architecture: A Little Book of Creativity. Wales, UK: Crown House Pub., 2011. Print. Capanna, A. “Music and Architecture: A Cross between Inspiration and Method.” Nexus network journal 11.2 (2009):257-271. Copland, Aaron, and Alan Rich. What to Listen for in Music. New York, N.Y: Signet Classics, 2011. Print. “DavidByrne.com - Art - Playing the Building.” DavidByrne.com - Art - Playing the Building. Web. 23 Apr. 2015. <http://www.davidbyrne.com/archive/art/art _ projects/playing _ the _ building/>.
Dictionary.com. Dictionary.com. Web. 16 Apr. 2015. <http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/meta->. Ekwall, Å. “Volutes and Violins: Visual Parallels between Music and Architecture.” Nexus network journal 3.2 (2001):127-136. Fowler, m i c h a e l & l o w b a r. “Reading John Cage’s Variations III as a Process for Generating Proto-Architectural Form.” Leonardo 45.1 (2012):34-41. “Hongu Taisha.” Kumano Travel:. Web. 24 Apr. 2015. <http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e4953.html>. Imaah, Napoleon Ono. “Music: A source of inspiration and harmony in architecture—An African view.” International review of the aesthetics and sociology of music 35.2 (2004):169-182. Inglis-Arkell, Esther. “The Centipede’s Dilemma: Why You Forget How to Do the Most Basic Tasks.” Io9. 21 Apr. 2013. Web. 23 Apr. 2015. <http://io9.com/the-centipedes-dilemma-why-you-forget-how-to-do-the mo-475673410>. 152
Jencks, C. “Architecture becomes music: as abstract art forms based on rhythm, proportion and harmony, architecture and music share a clear cultural lineage. Now, through digital expression, architecture can attain new heights of creative supremacy.” Architectural review .1395 (2013):91. Kaye, L. “The Silenced Listener: Architectural Acoustics, the Concert Hall and the Conditions of Audience.” Leonardo music journal 22.1 (2012):63-65. MacGilvray, D F. “The Proper Education of Musicians and Architects.” Journal of architectural education 46.2 (1992):87-94. “Onsen.” Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation. Web. 24 Apr. 2015. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Onsen>. Ramesh, Sandhya. “What Does the Suffix -matic Mean?” - Quora. 26 May 2013. Web. 16 Apr. 2015. <http://www. quora.com/What-does-the-suffix-matic-mean>. Schafer, R. Murray. The Soundscape: Our Sonic Environment and the Tuning of the World. Rochester, Vt.: Destiny ;, 1993. Print. Shaw Miller, S. “Thinking through construction: notation, composition, event - the architecture of music.” AA files .53 (2006):38-47. “Tsukubai.” Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation. Web. 24 Apr. 2015. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tsukubai>.
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List of Figures
Fig 1, Japanese home at sunset Fig 2, View of valley from the Japanese house Fig 3, Process of first drawing Fig 4, Jean Tinguely’s Métamatics series; http://beausievers.com/bhqfu/computer _ art/ Fig 5, Metamatic concept diagram Fig 6, Kumano Kodo: end of day 1 Fig 7, Venn diagram comparison of architecture and music Fig 8, Comparison of Le Corbusier’s Villa Savoye to a guitar; Imaah, Napoleon Ono. “Music: A source of inspiration and
harmony in architecture—An African view.” International review of the aesthetics and sociology of music 35.2 (2004):171.
Fig 9, Interior of Notre Dame; https://www.flickr.com/photos/73064996@N08/8507709348/ Fig 10, Process of creation diagram for architecture and music Fig 11, Musical score; http://www.janebrockman.org/JBmusic.html Fig 12, Architectural plan; http://www.zenitharchitecture.com/residential/high _ end _ villa.html Fig 13, Tone color in architecture Fig 14, Structure and craft of a violin; http://galleryhip.com/violin-sketch.html Fig 15, Diagram of the similarities between architecture and music Fig 16, View of the Farnsworth House; https://www.behance.net/gallery/12471003/Mies-van-der-Rohes-Farnsworth-House Fig 17, Plan of the Farnsworth House; https://www.behance.net/gallery/12471003/Mies-van-der-Rohes-Farnsworth-House Fig 18, Elevation of the Farnsworth House; https://www.behance.net/gallery/12471003/Mies-van-der-Rohes-Farnsworth-House Fig 19, Dancing; http://www.hancockcollege.edu/publica_ ffairs/announcements/2013May14YouthDanceSpringRecital.php Fig 20, The Sagrada Família Fig 21, David Byrne’s Playing the Building installation; http://www.creativetime.org/programs/archive/2008/byrne/project.html Fig 22, Joseph Cornell’s Untitled (The Hotel Eden), 1945; http://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2011/09/ dime-store-alchemy-joseph-cornells-surrealist-boxes/245370/
Fig 23, Joseph Cornell’s Untitled (Soap Bubble Set), 1936; http://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2011/09/ dime-store-alchemy-joseph-cornells-surrealist-boxes/245370/
Fig 24, Preliminary sketch of the balloon Fig 25, The canopy of Kumano Kodo Fig 26, Kandalama Hotel site plan; https://www.pinterest.com/purearchitectur/geoffrey-bawa/ 154
Fig 27, Pradeep Jayewardene House site plan; https://www.pinterest.com/purearchitectur/geoffrey-bawa/ Fig 28, Walls of Change, Lebbeus Woods; http://angryarchi.com/blog/post/the _ perfect _ drawing Fig 29, Kowloon Walled City section drawing; http://www.visualnews.com/2011/01/05/kowloon-walled-city-pictures-and-cross section/
Fig 30, Kowloon Walled City section drawing detail; http://www.visualnews.com/2011/01/05/kowloon-walled-city-pictures-and cross-section/
Fig 31, Kowloon Walled City section drawing detail 2; http://www.visualnews.com/2011/01/05/kowloon-walled-city-pictures and-cross-section/
Fig 32, NP203 New Process Transfer Case Diagram; http://www.offroaders.com/tech/Diagrams/np203.htm Fig 33, Machinarium video game scene 1; http://fr.forwallpaper.com/wallpaper/machinarium-games-plaza-wallpaper-normal-wall papers-840629.html
Fig 34, Machinarium video game scene 2; http://www.video-game-wallpapers.com/714464?in-series=machinarium Fig 35, Time machine blueprint concept art; https://www.pinterest.com/bosiljevac/time-spiral/ Fig 36, Nature 1 / Nature 2, Patrick Bourgeois; https://www.pinterest.com/imogen0595/moments-in-drawings/ Fig 37, A home for all in Rikuzentakata, Akihisa Hirata Architects; http://www.toto.co.jp/company/press/2012/11/pdf/20121119. pdf
Fig 38, The path, Kumano Kodo pilgrimage Fig 40, Me and the canopy, Kumano Kodo pilgrimage Fig 41, Light through the colonnade, Kumano Kodo pilgrimage Fig 42, Japanese house interior Fig 43, Japanese house exterior Fig 44, View of valley in the morning Fig 45, Ascending stone path Fig 46, Stone path and light Fig 47, Figure / ground Fig 48, The canopy Fig 49, Canopy and light in the afternoon Fig 50, Light of the canopy and shadow of the trees Fig 51, Israel and the light 155
List of Figures cont.
Fig 52, Israel and one of his sticks Fig 53, Israel and the falls Fig 54, Trees, shadow, and topography Fig 55, A shaded mountainside Fig 56, From light to dark Fig 57, Bridge over water Fig 58, The first narrow bridge Fig 59, Stream and path Fig 60, Light on the stream Fig 61, Stream and path Fig 62, Descending stream Fig 63, Israel is giving up Fig 64, Walking path meets car path Fig 65, Valley leading to Chikatsuyu Fig 66, On the way to a detour Fig 67, The rest of the traveling companions Fig 68, Echoing intercom announcement Fig 69, View after the detour Fig 70, Overlooking a valley Fig 71, Small town with tea plants Fig 72, Tori gate outside Hongu Taisha Fig 73, Hongu Taisha Shrine Fig 74, Banners lining the steps up to Hongu Taisha Fig 75, Yunomine Onsen Fig 76, Steps in Yunomine Onsen Fig 77, Yunomine Onsen from above Fig 78, Trail Marker, Kumano Kodo pilgrimage Fig 79, Final presentation pin-up view 1 Fig 80, Final presentation pin-up view 2 156
Fig 81, Map of the journey Fig 82, A Space for You Fig 83, Entrance to node .001 Fig 84, Side view of entrance to node .001 Fig 85, Destination above the canopy, node .001 Fig 86, Section .001 Fig 87, Overall view of node .001 Fig 88, Interior perspective of node .001 Fig 89, Coda space, node .001 Fig 90, Interior 1, node .001 Fig 91, Spiral stair, node .001 Fig 92, Interior 2, node .001 Fig 93, Interior 3, node .001 Fig 94, Map of the journey, node .001 to node .002 Fig 95, Node .002: Untitled: [Chaos] Fig 96, View from above, node .002 Fig 97, View of interior 1, node .002 Fig 98, View of interior 2, node .002 Fig 99, Section .002 Fig 100, Front elevation of node .002 Fig 101, Interior perspective of node .002 Fig 102, Rotation around node .002 and the changing perception Fig 103, Entrance threshold 1, node .002 Fig 104, Entrance threshold 2, node .002 Fig 105, Entrance threshold 3, node .002 Fig 106, View of node .002 at sunset Fig 107, Map of the journey, node .002 to node .003 Fig 108, Node .003: The Storm Fig 109, Side view of node .003 157
List of Figures cont.
Fig 110, Another side view of node .003 Fig 111, Set of machines overlooking the water, node .003 Fig 112, Section .003 Fig 113, Node .003 arching over the water Fig 114, Interior perspective of node .003 Fig 115, Site plan .003 Fig 116, Interior view of node .003 Fig 117, Light wells and truss, node .003 Fig 118, Exterior view at night, node .003 Fig 119, Interior view at night, node .003 Fig 120, Exterior wall facing the water side, node .003 Fig 121, Interior to exterior threshold with machines, node .003 Fig 122, Map of the journey, node .003 to node .004 Fig 123, Node .004: You Need This Fig 124, Shadows of node .004 being supported by a mountain Fig 125, Beneath the sound reeds of node .004 Fig 126, Stair threshold through the soundproof membrane of node .004 Fig 127, Section .004 Fig 128, View of node .004 Fig 129, Interior perspective of node .004 Fig 130, Perspective .004 Fig 131, View 1, node .004 Fig 132, View 2, node .004 Fig 133, Overall view of node .004 Fig 134, Light permeating the skin, node .004 Fig 135, Entrance into node .004 Fig 136, Overall view of node .004 Fig 137, Climax space through the sound-proof barrier Fig 138, Entrance into node .004 158
Fig 139, Entrance to node .004 during sunset Fig 140, Map of the journey, node .004 to node .005 Fig 141, Node .005: Cashmere Fig 142, Lookout space threshold, node .005 Fig 143, Vertical threshold into main space, node .005 Fig 144, Overall view of node .005 Fig 145, Section .005 Fig 146, Space of rest, node .005 Fig 147, Interior perspective of node .005 Fig 148, Space of rest over the fields, node .005 Fig 149, Threshold between main space and rest space, node .005 Fig 150, Threshold into vertical hallway with main space beyond, node .005 Fig 151, View of node .005 and main space at night Fig 152, View of node .005 at night Fig 153, Map of the journey, node .005 to node .006 Fig 154, Node .006: The Waltz Fig 155, Ladder leading up to main sanctuary space, node .006 Fig 156, Single support column and spiral stair, node .006 Fig 157, Sanctuary space and supporting light wells, node .006 Fig 158, Section .006 Fig 159, Overall view of node .006 Fig 160, Interior perspective of node .006 Fig 161, Section .006 Fig 162, View of the sanctuary space and surrounding structure, node .006 Fig 163, Light wells and supporting structure above the sanctuary space, node .006 Fig 164, Overall view of node .006 at night Fig 165, Glow of the sanctuary space and screens at night, node .006 Fig 166, Exterior to interior, sanctuary space, node .006 Fig 167, Sanctuary space at night, node .006 159
List of Figures cont.
Fig 168, Kumano Kodo: small man-made waterfall Fig 169, Scroll section, nodes .001 through .006
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Thank You Thank you to all of those whom have helped me along this journey... You are forever in my thoughts and continue to be an inspiration to me Thank you a million times 161