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SA N C 路 T U 路 A R 路 Y: Indulgence
of the
Spiritual
and
Julia Tanum Arria Fifth year thesis 2010-2011 Professor Karen Lange
Physical Senses
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Abstract
The modern way of living for most Americans involves 40-80 hours
a week of stressful work, unhealthy living conditions, poor eating habits, and health problems that arise from this lifestyle. Oblivious and accustom to the toxins that we put in our bodies and our buildings, we have become out of touch with the environment and our health. In turn, humans live in a constant state of stress; stress on the body, mind and stress put on the natural environment.
There is a need for a place of sanctuary, where one can go to re-
lieve stress and help heal the mind and body. While researching affective environments for counteracting stress, I was lead to designing a saltwater bathhouse including space for practicing alternative methods of healing. It will become a place for relaxation, meditation, and health. By exploring the meaning of sanctuary, in a non-religious context, and thinking of water as the medium for healing, this space becomes an escape from the toxic and stressful environments that surround us, and a place to gain a new perspective on the daily problems of life. In contrast, the location of this wellness facility is located on the totally toxic site of an oil spill.
Building on the site of an oil spill requires one to address the
connection to the history of site, while moving forward in a new direction. The contamination of the groundwater on the site posed a problem for the bathhouse, which is why I chose to take advantage of the saltwater from the ocean below. This Sanctuary provides a clean and healthy environment for the people of Avila Beach to exercise, heal, meditate, and reflect on the long history of the site.
1
sanc路tu路ar路y1
1.
a. A sacred place, such as a church, temple, or mosque.
b. The holiest part of a sacred place, as the part of a
Christian church around the altar.
a. A sacred place, such as a church, in which fugitives
2.
formerly were immune to arrest.
b. Immunity to arrest afforded by a sanctuary.
3.
A place of refuge or asylum.
4.
A reserved area in which birds and other animals, espe
cially wild animals, are protected from hunting or mo
lestation
1. http://www.thefreedictionary.com
2
ISSUE
With the many variations of the meaning of the term sanctuary,
the one common thread is the fact that it is a place for one to go, and escape. Whether it is a spiritual or religious escape, escape from the law, or escape from enemies, it provides an alternative environment of some kind. The idea of a sanctuary historically goes hand-in-hand with sacred architecture, or in other words, churches. Although I am not looking to research the designing of a church, I will try to find the common qualities that the building forms and environments of a sacred spaces have, and why they have certain affects humans. All the senses of the human body are important in architecture, and it is important to find ways that affect one’s senses in a positive way, promoting a healthy mind and body.
A place for someone to escape can take many forms. Because this
term can be adapted to many different meanings, it can also be referred to as a person, object, alcohol and drugs or music. Because of the stressful and toxic environment we live in today, a sanctuary for the body is what I am interested in, as well as a sanctuary for the mind. To do this, I must research sanctuary-type spaces, in all different meanings. This includes churches, roman baths, modern spas and retreats, to name a few. In addition to finding the logistical elements that go into a sanctuary space, there are also other phenomenological factors that contribute to a person’s experience.
The term sanctuary can be used loosely for the modern day spa.
Bathing is historically a very important ritual that has developed over the years. Often in Roman times, the bathhouse was integrated with spaces for healing. Water has many great healing powers, and many people find sanctuary within the ocean, rivers or lakes. Designing a sanctuary, a place of refuge from the polluted and stressful environment humans are surrounded by, should include places for physical healing in the form of exercise, massage, swimming and relaxing, as well as mental healing in terms of meditation. 3
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Material Experiments A series of three experiments, which play with materials, movement, people, texture and light. 5
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1
Toxic Mask
Today every human is exposed to hundreds of
harmful chemicals, whether it is in our food, clothing, buildings, or even our drinking water. Using aluminum foil as a material, I can create a variety of different molds of the human body. I covered my face with this metal and applied toxic chemicals to it, to examine the wrinkles up close. While looking up close at this landscape of my face in a different form, I found that this material has the capacity to show curvilinear forms, with triangulation.
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These pictures are close up examinations of the textures and light of the aluminum foil. After exploring different methods of alteration, I found that these small folded structures gave way to different textures within the negative spaces.
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Photo credit: Colby Reece
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2
Swing Intervention
The architecture building at Cal Poly is an interesting place to
study. It is different during the day and during the night, and it is the one building on campus that is known to always be on, and full of life. This is because the life of an architecture student involves spending long hours in studio. Unfortunately, it is often accompanied by a lot of stress.
In the midst of this stressful environment, I created a small swing,
but then suspended it from a large height of 42 feet. As simple as it may be, it became a social experiment that brought students and teachers together, and filled the architecture building with loud laughing, cheering and yelling. Although it put a smile on every face, of course it was bound to stir controversy, which is why it was taken down, but then secretly put back up in the middle of the night in a second location. This second location was more
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risky, in that the swing went over a huge set of stairs in the middle of the building, creating a very exiting rush, rather than the peaceful feeling of the first location. Tied off with climbing rope to the railing of the balcony on the fourth floor, this swing was extremely sturdy and was able to take the weight and roughness of many passing students. First, I only hung one line of rope with a knot at the end, to test the idea of a rope swing. This proved to be successful without much effort because it was used as a rope swing by only the students who dared. After realizing that a rope swing was
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The Under-Dog
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Photo credit: Colby Reece
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not enough, I built a small wooden seat, and connected that to two ends of climbing rope, reaching 42 feet up to the balcony above. While it may seem that this swing would propel you very far, it actually took a lot of work to get it high in the air. With this long span, this swing felt different than any other swing. It created a peaceful, long swaying back and forth, which was favorable to many. This experiment proved to be a successful stress Photo credit: Colby Reece
reliever in the middle of an extremely stressful environment.
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3
Pools
of
Light
An exploration of light, texture and color, ex-
perimenting with aluminum tubes found in a junk yard, I poured pools of resin at the bottom of each tube. This was my first attempt at using resin, so the mixture took me many tries to figure out. The tubes each varied in length, and by using aluminum foil as the material to cast the resin in, I was able to find different textures in the way that foil could be manipulated. I crushed some, while smoothing out others with my fingernails. I also experimented with paint colors, by mixing in droplets of acrylic paint and even creating some patterns with the paints. I found that many of the textures naturally cre20
ated by the aluminum foil resemble water. This brought to my attention the many possibilities of what I could do with light fixtures, or even walls, to create an interesting environment within a space. In addition, the dynamic of this experiment changed when it was put into photographic form, bringing it into a new light. This experiment currently hangs against the studio window, however, the different possibilities of displaying this piece are endless.
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Vellum
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Swinging Sanctuary
In an experiment addressing stress relief in the architecture build-
ing at Cal Poly, I installed my first prototype swing, Hanging from 42 feet in the entrance of the building. A swing provided the students with many smiles and laughs, in the middle of a stressful environment, therefore affecting them in a positive way. This swing is a simple and comfortable piece for an interior space. However, the vinyl material used on the seat is waterproof, so this is a weather resistant furniture piece, enjoyed by people of all ages.
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I had never upholstered any piece of furniture before, so this was
an exciting new task for me. I went to the local upholstering store and found a black vinyl material, which is weather proof, and I also got a thick chunk of dense foam for the cushion. Looking to Mies Van De Rohe’s day bed, I got 4 buttons made out of the black vinyl and tufted the cushion. In trying to figure out how to elegantly conceal the knots in the rope that hold the seat, I came to realize the cleanest way was to counter-sink holes into the underside of the wooden seat. This gave enough depth to hold the knot, and I could then upholster over that. I then put grommets in the fabric for the rope to go through smoothly. When it came to the rope handles that people would grab on to, I knotted it up a ways to create a thick spiraling pattern for the handles.
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Photo credit: Brittany Thornburg
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Photo credits: Brittany Thornburg
The swing was exhibited at the annual Vellum furniture competition showing, in downtown San Luis Obispo, CA. It proved to be a hit, as I watched many people, old and young, struggle to get their turn on the swing. Its durability proved to be tough, and strength of the rope was plenty.
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Case Study:
Therme Vals 31
Building:
Therme Vals
Location:
Vals, Graubunden Canton, Switzerland
Architect: Durisch
Peter Zumthor ,
and
with
Marc Loeliger, Thomas
Rainer Weitschies
Construction:1993-1996
In his book, Peter Zumthor Therme Vals, Zumthor introduces the
project with stories of Greek Mythology. He talks of the stories of bathing, and the female nude in nature. He then goes on to mention the Roman bathhouses in history, which also doubled as a place of healing. At the bathhouse, there were barbers who were also surgeons. They performed small operations and trimmed beards within the bathhouse, which is why the Roman thermal baths had operating rooms and physicians offices incorporated into the spaces. Zumthor then explains how in time, these sacred places with therapeutic baths eventually started to include indoor tracks, dormitories for the sick, and treatment rooms. By the time of the Late 32
Photo credit: Jason Schmidt
Roman Empire, there were over 300 of these facilities. The Romans recognized the healing power of the springs, and incorporated that with medicine of their time. Today, such a place rarely exists.
Zumthor also looked to the local architecture and landscape for
inspiration. The design of the Therme Vals relates to the topography of the hills, and the natural stone. On page 23, he states that he wanted the building to be something that “responds to the stone masses of Vals Valley, pressed, faulted, folded and sometimes broken into thousands of platesthese were the objectives of our design.� Indeed he did. The stones used in this amazing structure were quarried from a local site, which the locals have always used. Virtually all the buildings in Vals have roofs constructed out of the gneiss or mica slate slabs. Vals gneiss is strong, durable, weather and fire proof, beautiful and about 300 million years old. The Therme Vals uses 600,000 individual slabs of gneiss.
The Therme Vals is an addition to an already existing hotel in
Vals, but was built in a way that looks as if it was there before it. The in33
Our bath, a huge spatial continuum, a room that I walk into and instantly experience as a whole even though I can never see it all at once 34
(Zumthor, 38)
Photo credits: Tiago Oliveira
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Photo credits: Jason Schmidt
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spiration of quarries, dams, and caves is clear is the design. Within this pool structure, the massive shafts that are within it not only split up the spaces, but carry the many cantilevered concrete slab roofs. Each block has its own ceiling slab and floor slab. These cantilevers, also called “table tops” come together in a jigsaw puzzle manner, but never meet.
Right: Skylight slits between concrete table top roof.
Instead, these narrow gaps become
Photo: Jason Schmidt
slits in the roof that serve as expansion joints and skylights. These narrow slits are only about 6 cm wide, however the light effect looks larger because of the reflection on the stone walls adjacent to them. Not only are there expansion joints in the roof structure, but also in the floor. Some of these floor expansion joints are used for the flow of water as well. On the top of this concrete structure is a grass roof, which helps to achieve the image of the structure extruded from the hillside.
The level of attention to detail in this project is exquisite. The
spatial organization and programming of this place is as well. Some of the rooms and baths that are in this building include: sweat stone with Turkish o
o
o
showers and sweat chambers, 32 C indoor bath, 36 C outdoor bath, 35 o
o
o
C sound bath, 42 C fire bath, 14 C cold bath and a 33 C flower bath. Of course there are many other elements to this program such as massage rooms and underwater massage, physiotherapy, orthopedic bed, medicinal bath, and all the necessary service rooms.
Inside and out, Peter Zumthor’s Therme Vals is a great example
of how an architect can incorporate many elements of program together in
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Photo credits: Tiago Oliveira
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Photo credits: Tiago Oliveira
a graceful way, using influences of history and local building materials to drive the design. The Therme Vals won the 2009 Pritzker Architecture Prize.
Photo credits: Tiago Oliveira
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Site
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FOSSIL POINT
© The Tribune
Chevron Tank Farm, Avila, CA History
Avila Beach, in San Luis Obispo County, CA is home to about 8500
people, 800 of which live on the beach-front area.1 The larger scope of this landscape consists of a fresh water creek, plenty of room for farming, oak forests and natural hot springs. The name Avila came from Miguel Ávila, who petitioned the Mexican Governor of California for a land grant, which he was granted in 1846.2 There was a need for a wharf because of transportation of goods to and from the central coast, so in 1855 one was built at Cove Landing, which is now known as Pirate’s Cove. That wharf became unpractical because of harsh conditions, so in 1869, after lots were divided out and sold in Avila, an 1800 foot pier in Avila Beach was built. Today, the oldest building in town is the Port San Luis Lighthouse which was built in 1890.
Located on the beautiful bluff between Avila Beach and Pirate’s
Cove, is Fossil Point, a 95-acre property also known as the Chevron Tank 42
Site
43
1968. David Ranns © The Tribune
© The Tribune
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Farm. From 1914 to 1997 Chevron (formerly Unocal, and formerly Union Oil Co.) used this site as an oil tank farm, pumping 2 million gallons of oil every day through the site to the pier in Avila Beach, coming from Santa Maria and San Joaquin Valley oil fields. In fact, in the early 1900s Avila Beach was the largest crude oil port in the world.3 To get the oil from the tank farm on the bluff to the pier in Avila, required about 2 miles of underground pipelines, which ran under the town’s main beach front street. Consequently, these pipelines caused a world of trouble, and eventually destroyed the beach-front town of Avila.
In 1989 when a local worker was digging foundations in a site
at Avila, it was found that these oil pipeline had been leaking large unknown amounts of crude underground for decades. This leak, estimated to be 400,000 gallons of petroleum product, contaminated the main underground water plume which is only 7 feet below the ground in Avila Beach. It was devastating to the environment, so much that the discovery eventually lead to the complete clean-up, demolishing and renewal of this small beach town. Unocal disposed of 200,000 tons of dirt and sand from Avila Beach, and replacing the sand with “matching grain” sand from clean Guadalupe Dunes.4 When the excavation and “clean-up” was finished in 2000, the rebuilding of the beachfront began. The city was faced with the challenge of rebuilding their town from the ground up, however they envisioned it. Now, in 2010, one can walk the streets of Avila Beach and would never know this happened. The whole beach front street is completely brand new—even the Photo: The contractors cleaning up an oil pool and placing booms in an effort to contain it. This oil pool was excavated near San Luis Creek. Credit: David Middlecamp 1995 ©The Tribune
sand on the beach.
Unlike the new city of Avila, the site of the Tank Farm has not 45
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changed much since 1997 when Unocal stopped all operations and removed the oil tanks. This 95 acre bluff has some of the most beautiful views on the central coast, but it is fenced off with barbed-wire, and essentially abandoned. There is hope for the future of this site, however. For years Chevron and the community of Avila have been exchanging ideas during community meetings of what the future of this site could be. Many people want it to be open space, and some have suggested healing centers or museums. In addition to that, there are groups of Chumash that will have a strong voice in the future development. However, the ground, as well as the groundwater, is still considered to be contaminated by the leaked oil. Supposedly this problem is constantly being measured and on its way to getting fixed. In the future, the Chevron Tank Farm property will be made a part of Avila Beach community.
Geology
The central coast is in the middle of a subduction zone, where
the oceanic plate dives under the mainland plate. While rock is subducted down great depths, it is morphed into other rock types, then returns to the surface. The rock on the surface is called “melange� which is a mixture of all different rock types and ages. This is why there is such a variety of rocks along this coast. In addition to that, parts of Avila Beach are known for their great lava pillows, which formed once underwater when lava seeped through the earth and hardened in the ocean. Now those lava pillows have been tossed and turned and are left exposed on parts of the beach. In the Avila Beach area just below the Tank Farm site, the exposed terrain consists mainly of 25 million year old rhyolite.5 There are two faults in the area, one projects out seaward, and the second fault runs along the cliff, perpendicular to the first fault. Many of the rocks in this cliff area show sulfur and iron stains, which could be from the fault which releases mineralized water. 47
Climate
The temperate climate of the central coast is a quite comfortable
setting, with highs in the 80s and lows in the 40s.6 There is virtually no rain during the summer, and most rain, which is about 15 inches a year, occurs during the winter months. The prominent wind direction comes from the northwest direction.7 Because of the shape of Avila Beach cove, this little cove is much more sunny and hot than the rest of the beaches on the central coast. So beside the occasional fog and wind, the sunny and comfortable conditions of Avila Beach make it an ideal place for outdoor living.
Avila Beach Aerial View
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Sources: 1. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Avila_Beach,_California 2. http://www.avilabeachpier.com/information/local-history.html 3. http://www.sanluisobispo.com/2010/06/18/1184059/avila-beach-fossil-point.html 4. http://www.greatescapes.com/california/ci_5661034 5. “DIABLO CANYON AREA SEISMIC HAZARD OF THE GEOLOGICAL BEDROCK”, By Ralph Bishop Prepared for the Alliance for Nuclear Responsibility And the Santa Lucia Chapter of the Sierra Club 6. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Avila_Beach,_California 7. http://www.windfinder.com/windstats/windstatistic_san_luis_obispo.htm
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1890
Port San Luis Lighthouse built
1846
Miguel Ă vila petitioned the Mexican Governor of California for a land grant
1869
1800 foot pier in Avila Beach built
1926
Lightning strike ignites fire at Union Oil tank farm. The explosions released more than 150 million gallons of burning oil, a portion of which flows down San Luis Creek entering San Luis Bay at Avila Beach. Union Oil drains pipelines to the ocean coating the Avila and Pismo beaches with oil
1920 1855
The Avila Refinery explodes, burning to the ground
First pier built at Cove Landing (Pirate’s Cove)
Avila Beach and Tank Farm History timeline
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1942
Union Oil pipeline bursts on hillside above Avila, sending diesel fuel down streets and through yards. Crews collect oil in buckets and cover oiled streets with sand
1989
Oil in soil discovered during routine test for construction project on Front Street
1992
Unocal pipeline along Cave Landing Road ruptures, sending an estimated 600 barrels of oil into San Luis Bay. Ocean clean-up recovers about one-third of spilled oil
1954
Santa Lucia, a 100ton oil tanker burns while moored at Avila
2000 1983
Clean up finished and rebuilding of the town starts
Winter storm destroys Union Oil pier, and an unknown quantity of oil spills in San Luis Bay
1977
A leaking Union Oil fuel line causes an explosion on Front Street Reference: Avila Oil Time Line, San Luis Obispo New Times, Vol. 12, No. 51, August 6-13, 1998
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Site
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Site Model Each line in the topographic model pictured above represents 5 feet in elevation increase. The physical site model I built, shown on the right, contains layers that each represent 10 feet. As one can see, this site varies in elevation quite a bit. The two flat circular areas that are near the cliff were once the leveled planes which oil tanks once resided on. These flat, circular planes which are sunken down will eventually become part of the site which I build upon.
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Oil & 56
& Water 24-hour site visit 57
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24 hour site journal 11.07.10
On a gloomy day I approached the site for my first time. Consid-
ering that the Tank Farm has high and low terrain, along with cliffs and an eight foot barbed-wire fence surrounding all edges, it became a journey in itself to find a way onto my site. On the east side of the site, I parked at Pirate’s Cove beach, where even on a gloomy cold day there were a lot of cars. As I traveled the terrain around the fence trying to find a way through it I came across a lot of strange characters, even some in bushes, and at times I felt threatened. I later found out that Pirate’s Cove is an infamous gay cruising area, where a lot of shady things happen in bushes all over the landscape. This makes sense considering I came across a lot of left behind clothing and beer cans, just to name a couple.
I found a hole in the fence, at the edge of the cliff. It was very in-
timidating to me on that day, so I decided to come back another time when I felt more safe. While I was there that day, I discovered a cave, which is just one of hundreds along this coast, and many interesting plants and flowers. The natural landscape in this area is truly beautiful, and the sound of the rough waves of the ocean eroding the cliffs and carving the caves is soothing. The images to the left are of smoothed and eroded rocks I found along the cliff side. They reveal red and orange lines of sulfur and iron.
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11.09.10
I came back to the same spot today, but this time I had the cour-
age to cross the fence on the edge of a cliff, while simultaneously ducking through barbed-wire. It was actually much easier than I thought. After crossing the fence there were no people in this area, but I could tell there had been many times because of the foot trails carved in the mountain and the occasional beer or soda can on the ground.
After climbing through bushes and finding my way all over this
rough terrain I decided to make my way up the steep hillside, and try to get onto the developed areas of the tank farm. The whole time I was on this side of the site there was an eeriness that was unexplainable, the site felt full of energy and as if it was inhabited, but there was no one to be seen. Climbing up the side of this hill I found myself walking over oil. There was oil everywhere. Seeping out of the ground, and hardened as if it had just happened. However, there were rocks and plants breaking through the oil and covering it, making it blend in with the dirt. I was so surprised how much oil was on the grounds because from all the reports I have read, the conclusion was that the oil was cleaned up, but there were just some de60
bate on how safe the water was.
I made it to the top of the hill where the concrete roads start
and I was so relieved to be on solid ground, but so paranoid to get caught trespassing onto this abandoned Tank Farm. I kept hearing noises, voices, dogs barking and cars, but never seeing them. I eventually figured out that all of the sound from the surrounding landscape travels up to the site quite clearly. The remains of the Chevron Tank Farm are amazing. It is as if they completely abandoned the place in a day. I found Pepsi cans from the mid 1900s, and old pieces of metal from the tanks which had been destroyed. The flat, sunken circles of land where the tanks once stood are now empty pools with exposed pipes that give a peak into the infrastructure of pipelines that are beneath the land. I walked the roads to Fossil Point. The views from there were absolutely amazing and after visiting this area of the site I concluded that I will not build on the top of that hill, because that would be obstructing the natural shape of the hills. Overall, this was a successful first site visit, which gave a new perspective on the history and use of the site. 61
11.11.10
Today I entered the site from the east side, connecting to Avila
Beach. I wished I had done this the first time, seeing as how easy it was to walk through the human-sized hole in the fence. I once again walked through trails where I can across many beer cans, and it is obvious to me now that regardless of this large barbed wire fence, the community or the visitors of Avila Beach uses this land. The structures and large machinery that processed the oil are still on the site, rusted and worn down from the rain and fog. I heard a lot of noises coming from all different directions on the site: ocean crashing on the beach, strange animal sounds from inside the structures, pipes clanging together in the wind, and the brush moving in the wind, for example. I think it is odd the mixed feelings that I get on this abandoned Tank Farm. One minute I feel uncomfortable and scared because of all the oil and old structures around, and the fact that it is so big and empty. The next minute I am walking toward the cliffs and find a large empty pool, where a tank once stood, and there was water and plants growing in it. I am astonished at this beautiful surrounding. Nature has been taking over the rusted metal pipes everywhere, and there is a sense of serenity within this chaos. It feels very isolated, yet still connected to the town and beach. This area has a view of the whole bay, and yet because it is sunken down a bit, there is complete privacy. I knew as soon as I got to this point that this is where the sanctuary would be built.
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An area which once held an oil tank, now filled with water and plants- taken over by nature
Panorama view from selected site area
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The summary of my site visits came together in two words: oil
and water. The impact that both of these elements had on the site was overwhelming. When I read about the clean-up of the oil spill, I was lead to believe that the tank farm site was cleaned up as well. Unfortunately the oil is still there. It covers the ground in many places, and the pipes which once pumped it through still remain, and some are even covered in oil. The machines required to process the oil are still on the site, but nature has started to taken them over and rust them. I can only imagine what is underground on this site, the broken pipes and tanks, and spilled oil from a century of processing operations. Water has also had many effects on the land, as well as the existing infrastructure. Along the coast there are sharp cliffs and exposed geology which has been eroded from rain, fog and the waves of the ocean. Numerous caves have been carved into these cliffs, some big and some small. Rocks on the beach are rounded and smooth, exposing lines and patterns from geological activity of the past. Pipes and machines have been left to rust and corrode, creating amazing patterns of rust. The plants have over grown all the man made objects, and even the oil spilled on the ground. Even the empty, sunken down circles of land where the tanks of oil once stood are now filled with water, and plants. Although oil is a very indestructible material, water and plants seem to be most powerful in combating the man-made impacts of this site.
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Collage of rusted existing objects on the site
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Oil & Water
paint study
Using 2 mediums, oil paint and water color, I painted a series of
images of the textures I found on the site. I was curious to see how oil and water color blend and work together. To my surprise, I found they compliment each other quite well. However, it depended on the way that I blended them. When I put watercolor down on the paper first and oil paint over that, it was a nice mix. But when I try to put the water color over the oil paint it was much harder to get the two mediums to work well with each other. The concept of using the oil and water paints came from the underlying theme of my 24 hour site visit, and how oil and water had mixed in many ways on the site. These iterations of paintings try to capture the textural effects of oil and water on the site.
These two images to the left are paintings of the different tex-
tures, looking at them close up, from the eroded and smoothed out rocks that I encountered along the cliff-side on my first visit to the site. Pictures of these rocks can be found on page 58.
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This painting was to show the rocks on the beaches, painted with oil, getting tumbled and smoothed as the water crashes on the beach all day.
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This was an experiment to see the effects of oil under water color.
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This is an image I took on my site of a rusted, cut pipe sticking out of the ground. This was one of many rusted pieces of metal laying around on the site. The patterns created by the rust and what was left of the paint on this pipe were very inspiring to me. This pipe , which once pumped oil, is now taken over by the effects of water on the site. On the left page, I interpreted these patterns with oil and water color paint.
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This painting was inspired by the cracks in the dirt, from the wetting and drying of the land. There are also many traces of oil in the soil all over the site.
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Interpretation with oil and water of another rock formation, brought about by erosion and the power of water
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Textures/Patterns
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Studio 400 Book Show Installation 87
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15 Miles of String
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re-use re-store re-flect aknowleging past moving forward healing land site impact emotion wellness providing sanctuary for land and people swimming through space sanctuary for healing rusting weathering fluidity in circulation indulgence of the senses spiritual and physical paths powerful water liquid floating space silence
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indulgence and reflection in fluid spaces
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Building:
Shaw House
Location:
Vancouver, British Columbia
Architect:
Patkau Architects
This small home was designed on a steep grade, which made it hard to fit a lap pool on the ground while maintaining a good sized living space. The firm’s solution was to elevate the lap pool above the house, which creates a new dynamic with circulation and filtering light through water. This project inspired me to think about water as another programmed space, which can have a very dynamic relationship with the rest of the building. Because of the seismic activity at the location of this building, the majority of the structure is reinforced concrete.
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Photos from: http://modresdes.blogspot.com/2007/09/patkau-architects-shaw-house.html
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http://www.gwarchitects.ca
Building:
The Keefer Hotel
Location:
Vancouver, British Columbia
Architect:
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Gair Williamson Architects
Photographs by ClĂŠment Guillaum
Building:
Les Bains
Location:
Le Havre, France
Architect:
des
Docks
Jean Nouvel
101
Programming Pools:
1.
Large outdoor saltwater pool: 4,100 sq. ft
2.
6 small outdoor hot tubs each: 48 sq. ft
3.
Large indoor freshwater pool: 2,400 sq. ft
4.
Small indoor cold saltwater pool: 225 sq. ft
5.
Small indoor hot saltwater pool: 225 sq. ft
6.
Small indoor aromatherapy bath: 225 sq. ft
Additional:
1.
5 Meditation spaces each: 100 sq. ft
2.
2 Steam rooms each: 150 sq. ft
3.
3 massage/accupuncture/multi-use rooms each: 120 sq. ft
4.
2 underwater massage/mudbath rooms each: 150 sq. ft
5.
Multipurpose room for yoga classes and seminars: 1200 sq. ft
Services:
1.
Mens/Womens total: 2200 sq ft
2 Sets of changing lounges: 600 sq. ft
2 Sets of showers: 300 sq ft
2 Sets of toilet rooms: 200 sq ft
2.
Lobby/Lounge: 400 sq ft
3.
Small food area: 800 sq. ft.
4.
Staff Lounge: 300 sq. ft.
5.
Storage: 200 sq. ft.
6.
Laundry: 200 sq. ft.
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Pool service equipment facilities: not yet known
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5 4 3 2
5 4
1 3 2
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3 2
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Lobby Open studio
Offices
Yoga studio
Storage
Changing loung
Hot Pool Aroma Pool
Laundry
Staff
Mechanical Steam rooms
Indoor Pool
Massage rooms
Cold Pool
Outdoor Pool
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Juice Bar Lobby Open studio
Offices
Yoga studio
Storage
Changing loung
Staff
Hot Pool Aroma Pool
Laundry
Mechanical Massage rooms
Steam rooms
Indoor Pool
Cold Pool
Outdoor Pool
Outdoor Tubs
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Sequence of spaces
Views
Approach
Entrance
Lobby
Multipurpose room
Changing Lounge
Steam Rooms
Massage Rooms
Pool Area
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MAIN
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TRA
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PARKING
PATHWAY
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ROAD
BUILDING SITE
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Study Models 109
I started with a series of very small scaled study models to explore the shape of the site, and forms that my building could take. The model above was a study on skin, and how a wall plan could wrap around and encompass different elements of the program. The pattern created was directly inspired by the textures found on the rusted metal around the site. In model number 1, I played with slits in the roof, which angle down to become skylights. I also liked the idea of having one element that unifies multiple levels. In model number 2, the concept was to work my way down the site, towards the cliff, with each level over-looking the next. The yoga studio would be situated on the upper level, with a grass roof to access for outdoor activities. In model number 3 I wanted to explore simplicity in form, with a part of the building that protects from the winds and public view. Model number 4 has a grass roof thatis connected to the site, blending my building into the topography. It also has a seperate wing for the yoga studios.
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Carving the landscape Various studies on how to cut into the land, whether it is a pool, or an entrance into the underground. The model below helped me illustrate the many different ways to solve the entrance to my building which cuts through topography changes in the site. The foam is helpful in coming up with organic shapes as well. Model number 1 was directly inspired by the patterns of the rust on site, as well as patterns in the rocks and tide pools along the central coast. This could be applied to a design of a pool, or structure of a skin for the building.
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Schematic Design 119
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Collaged Sections
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Schematic diagram of water planes in space
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SAUNA WOMEN'S LOCKER
STEAM
STOR.
STAFF
MEN'S LOCKER
SAUNA COLD
HOT
THERAPY
ATRIUM STEAM UP
WARM POOL
MEDITATION SPACES
OUTDOOR POOL
N PRODUCED BY AN AUTODESK EDUCATIONAL PRODUCT
Level 0 Scale: 1/64”=1’-0”
PRODUCED BY AN AUTODESK EDUCATIONAL PRODUCT RECEPTION
ENTRY
UP
OFFICES WATERFALL PREP/STORAGE
ATRIUM
JUICE BAR
OUTDOOR LOUNGE
DN
INDOOR LOUNGE
Level 1 - Ground Level Scale: 1/64”=1’-0”
PRODUCED BY AN AUTODESK EDUCATIONAL PRODUCT
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SUN DECK DN
YOGA STUDIO
LAP POOL
ATRIUM
GREEN ROOF
Level 2 Scale: 1/16”=1’-0”
PRODUCED BY AN AUTODESK EDUCATIONAL PRODUCT -
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Final Design 137
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PRODUCED BY AN AUTODESK EDUCATIONAL PRODUCT
STAFF/ CLEANING
FLOWER BATH
STEAM ROOM UP
LOUNGE ATRIUM /POOL COLD
MASSAGE WATERFALL
WOMEN
MEN
HOT BATH
STEAM
MEDITATION ROOM
INDOOR/OUTDOOR POOL
SAUNA
WARM POOL
FOLD-UP GLASS WALLS
UP
WARM POOL
POOL
PRODUCED BY AN AUTODESK EDUCATIONAL PRODUCT
Level One Floor Plan- Pools & Spa Not to Scale
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142 PRODUCED BY AN AUTODESK EDUCATIONAL PRODUCT
PRODUCED BY AN AUTODESK EDUCATIONAL PRODUCT
ENTRY RECEPTION DN
STORAGE/ CHANGING
ATRIUM
INDOOR LOUNGE
JUICE BAR
OPEN OFFICES
WATERFALL
GREEN ROOF YOGA STUDIO
PRODUCED BY AN AUTODESK EDUCATIONAL PRODUCT
Level Two Floor Plan- Entry Level Not to Scale
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3
PRODUCED BY AN AUTODESK EDUCATIONAL PRODUCT
PRODUCED BY AN AUTODESK EDUCATIONAL PRODUCT
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1. W12x50 Column 2. Steel Channel 3. Rigid Insulation 4. Plywood 5. Waterproofing Membrane 6. 18 gauge COR-TEN Steel Panels 7. Stainless Steel thru-wall flashing 8. Reinforced Concrete
Scale: 1 1/2” = 1’- 0” 145
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PRODUCED BY AN AUTODESK EDUCATIONAL PRODUCT
GREEN ROOF
OUTDOOR WORKOUT SPACE
ATRIUM WATERFALL
LAP POOL
PRODUCED BY AN AUTODESK EDUCATIONAL PRODUCT
Level Three Floor Plan- Roof Not to Scale
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