Farnsworth: Preservation as Provocation

Fa r n swo rt h:

Preservation as Provocation

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From the inception of Mies Van der Rohe design, the relationship between site and architecture was very intimate. Lord Peter Palumbo, the owner of the Farnsworth house after Dr. Farnsworth described this relationship as “an aura of high romance.� Mies Van der Rohe considered the landscape as an extension of the architecture. The glass walls blur the division of the interior and the exterior space. Also the black sugar maple, the Fox River and the rest of the landscape set the stage for the architecture. So why is the Farnsworth being relocated? Relocation of the Farnsworth house became imminent and necessary due to higher rain runoff and stronger storms that rise the Fox River to a level that has damaged the interior of the house. Also the desire and need to expand programs and services at the Farnsworth have resulted in the necessity of a new visitor center with a greater capacity to shelter more activities and visitors. This proposal moves the house to a new location and recreates the landscape to mitigate flooding while creating new environments that change every season. The new visitor center contrasts the house, but still alludes to it, and acts as the gateway into the new site.

Architecture

Daniela Martinez 4th year

Yaneli Monjaras 4th year

Landscape Architecture

Diana Alcantara 4th year

Julianne Pineda 4th year

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The Barcelona Pavilion 1929

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Tungendhat House 1930

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Lake Shore Apartments 1951

Why is the Farnsworth House important?

By the time Mies van der Rohe designed the Farnsworth house, he was an experienced architect and he had worked in important projects like the Barcelona Pavilion and the Tungendhat House. But it wasn’t until the Farnsworth House that he was able to fully express his ideas about modernism and architecture. The Farnsworth House is the embodiment of the elegance and the simplicity that characterized his designs along with his relentless attention to detail and proportion.

The F 1951

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The Farnsworth House 1951

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Pomona to Chicago In studio we had a field trip to Chicago in which it gave us an in person perception of the site and location of the Farnsworth. We also experienced downtown Chicago and got to see more of Mies work like the Lake Shore Drive Apartments, the United States Postal Office, and many more. This walk thru of Chicago inspired us for our architectural design. In particular the IIT McCormick Tribune Campus Center by OMA. The ever changing angels inside continued to keep our eye in motion and always wondering. After this visit we stopped by the S.R. Crown Hall by Mies. This was such a soothing and resting place, with simplicity and attention to detail. After much of Mies Van Der Rohe in Chicago, we learn that Mies was in the detail and that less is more.

So in order to contrast, the visitor center would have simplicity but with angels for the ever moving motion that could contrast with the Farnsworth and its less is more.

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Choosing the Site We have proposed an option of relocating the house to the Farm Field West at the River and fill it.

This options relocates the house to the south west corner of the Farm Field, at a distance double from the original 115 feet, but only to fill and have a five percent slope to comfortably slope down to the river at a distance of approximately of 200 feet.

The house is protected from flooding by elevating it above the flood line. The new house floor elevation is at 573 feet. This location allows to retain some original distance from the river, like the old site location. Though this is a change geographically speaking the placement of the house is to mimic the old site. The same curvature and proximity to the river allows for a mimic in the original setting. However the same proximity will still allow flooding even if the house is being replaced, thus; the fill of 9 feet allows for the house to be protected from flooding. This relocation of the house changes site, views and circulation, while maintaining the proximity of the Fox River and maintaining the same curved setting.

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Topography Re-grading the cornfield is key flood mitigation for the receiver site. Directly around the new site for Farnsworth, the original topography is transformed to create the bowl condition similar to the original site. The house sits at the 573 elevation and still allows the house to be flooded without destroying the interior.

The rest of the cornfield is graded into terraces that step down towards the river.

These terraces provide a more controlled flood pattern while also breaking up the spaces for more specific programming. A large 50’ swale is incorporated into the landscape to catch runoff and redirect it into the Fox River. It begins at the Farnsworth site, nestled against the curve of the bowl so that all the water from the slope above falls directly into the swale. It flows between slopes and cuts through the terraces before opening out to the river. The swale itself does not slope, but instead acts as a series of pools divided by walls that catch water, fill, then spill into the next pool.

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Sections Sections throughout the site show the different relationships between programs. In Section a-a’, the three terraces are shown, with each terrace programmed differently. Section b-b’ shows the relationship between the Visitor Center and the Farnsworth House.

Section c-c’ shows how the swale moves.

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Circulation Three different types of circulation are used throughout the site – elevated, ground level, and depressed – in order to create different user experiences. Two main types of paths run throughout the site, the tour path and the wandering path which both come off of the visitor center. The tour path is mainly ground level circulation and is 10’ wide to accommodate for tour groups. The wandering path moves mainly along the river and through the intimate spaces and along the creek.

The river walk runs along and above the river to move the people close to the water. It begins in the east most picnic area and moves all the way to the original site and is lined with three pavilions, at both ends and in the middle.

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Planting The overall landscape proposal is driven by some of the concepts of Lanning Roper. The design follows more natural forms because the intention was not to be aggressive, but adaptive. By focusing on seasonal gardens and program, it will not only make the house interact with nature, but it will make the landscape change with the seasons as well. Preservation of the existing landscape is one of the main goals, that is why a few interventions are made in the original site and the significant changes are proposed on the existing agricultural land.

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Receiver Site Four main trees surround the Farnsworth in its new location that mimics the original. The trees are in the same positions as the original site, however different species are used, each representing one of the seasons. To the west of the house are fields of seasonal plantings and to the east is the swale running down the slope. More than just an object in the landscape, the house and surrounding area will be programmed to hold events, concerts, or art showings.

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Architectural Language The approach taken for the design of the visitor center was to create a building that contrasted with the architecture of Mies van der Rohe.

Providing a replica of a Mies van der Rohe building as the visitor center, would only become deceiving. With that said, the visitor center was designed to be directional; a space in which one’s eyes moves around constantly. Concrete was chosen as the main material to contrast the way the Farnsworth house interacts with the ground. While the Farnsworth house appears to barely touch the ground, the visitor center is embedded into the site. But even though the visitor center steps away from Mies van der Rohe, it does utilize some of the elements that characterize Mies architecture. The visitor center is structurally held up by columns and walls are only used when necessary (restrooms, storage, etc.) This opens up the plan and provides flexibility for the owners. The few permanent walls go all the way up to the ceiling and are located away from the perimeter of the building, similar to centralized cores Mies provides in some of the buildings. The outer surfaces are glass, using the landscape as wall paper similar to the Farnsworth. The roof is projected out similar to big overhangs Mies designed for some buildings like the Neue National Gallery.

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The visitor center has open floor to ceiling windows. This mimics the Farnsworth house allowing maximum light and for walls to become a wallpaper of our ever changing landscape with the seasons.

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1. Lobby 2. Store 3. Womens Restroom 4. Mens RestRoom 5. Mechanical 6. Storage 7. Kitchen/Prep 8. Cafe/Eating area 9. Multipurpose Room 10. Gallery

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Once visitors enter the building, they will be greeted by the lobby area.

Here they will be able to purchase their tickets and have a view to the site.

View of the gallery with temporal partitions. These partitions can be removed to combine the gallery and multipurpose room.

View of the Gallery and Multipurpose Room Combined.

The food area is part of the service core. Here visitors can enjoy food and the view to the site.

In this section one can see the different levels and ceiling heights. The different angels of ceilings are what depict the area as a place for interactions and movement and when compared to the Farnsworth it will show a contrast.

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Circulation The shape of our building is a modified rectangle that is divided into two triangles that define program. The upper triangle area is for leisure that has double height ceilings, in which people get their tickets, grab lunch or buy a gift. The lower part triangle side is the educational area and it has two stories. The lower part is the gallery and multipurpose areas. These are rooms that are adjustable to accommodate any type of event.

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The second floor is for the staff and also provides an area for observation to the public. This observation deck gets a different level view to the Farnworth and the new proposed landscape. The other triangle is for lobby area, gift store and kitchen.

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Approaching the entrance one will see the lobby area to obtain tickets. One has the option of taking the elevator up to the second floor to experience the observation area and relax or simply on the ground floor walk down the middle of our dividing program, out to paths of our different tours

The large floor ceiling windows are inviting and bring visitors in to experience the visitor center, the activities and program are an incentive to keep people inside, but our floor to ceiling views are also pulling the visitor out to the landscape and Farnsworth house.

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Tours There are two different types of tours, the Historical Tour that takes groups out to the original site then ends at the Farnsworth, or the Modern Tour that swings out over the terraces then comes back to the Farnsworth.

On the Historical Tour, the first stop is a cantilevered platform that hangs over the creek. It provides a view of the overall original landscape and gives the tour guide a chance to introduce the history of the site. Next is the original site that encapsulates the history from Dr. Farnsworth to Mies to Roper. Finally, guest end at the Farnsworth and are taught the techniques to saving the house. For the Modern Tour, a brief talk at the visitor center covers the history of the site. Guest then move to the pavilion that overlooks the terraces and are showed how flood techniques were used to save the house. This tour also ends at the Farnsworth.

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Original Site The proposal for the original site is to keep the Lanning Roper landscape intact.

However, the vacant footprint of the Farnsworth will be transformed into an outdoor exhibition space. The idea for the space is to highlight the three main phases of the site. The first phase was the original site provided by Dr. Farnsworth. The second phase happened when Mies Van der Rohe designed the house, and the third phase happened when Palumbo hired Lanning Roper to design the landscape. The latter one is already well represented since the landscape design will remain undisturbed. However now that the original Black Maple tree (crucial for the placement of the house) is gone and the house will not be present any longer, a memorial that showcases Dr. Farnsworth and Mies Van der Rohe seems appropriate. The proposal for the memorial is to replant the original Black Maple tree to allude to Dr. Farnsworth and the original site. To remember Mies van der Rohe, a representation of one of his chairs will be placed under the tree. The chair will be vacant as a symbol of the vacant site. To define the space, a series of concrete strips will be placed following the footprint of the Farnsworth. However this strips will change in height and size to give the sense that the paving is disappearing into the landscape. The change in height will also provide sitting for the visitors.

Scale 1/32� = 1’-0�

View of the proposed memorial. Concrete slats change in elevation to provide sitting. The black sugar maple and the chair are the central space.

The Farnsworth House

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The Farnsworth House Is Here to Stay Daniela Martinez Hernandez

From the inception of Mies Van der Rohe design, the relationship between site and architecture was very intimate. Lord Peter Palumbo, the owner of the Farnsworth house after Dr. Farnsworth described this relationship as “an aura of high romance.” Mies Van der Rohe considered the landscape as an extension of the architecture. The glass walls blur the division of the interior and the exterior space. Also the black sugar maple, the Fox River and the rest of the landscape set the stage for the architecture. So why is the Farnsworth being relocated?

Relocation of the Farnsworth house became imminent and necessary due to higher rain runoff and stronger storms that rise the Fox River to a level that has damaged the interior of the house. Also the desire and need to expand programs and services at the Farnsworth have resulted in the necessity of a new visitor center with a greater capacity to shelter more activities and visitors.

The Farnsworth house was originally designed to flood up to the top of the lowest terrace of the house, resembling the image of a boat house. The house is located just above the floodway at an elevation of 564 ft and its structure elevates it to a level of 569 ft. However in the last 18 years the house has suffered damage from three 100-year floods that can reach an elevation greater than 570 ft. What this indicates is that even though a 100-year flood has only 1% probability of happening in a year, the house is at risk. To keep the integrity of the house, the house has to be raised at least 4 ft. This is problematic because to keep it in the same site, one would have to do intensive grading that would seriously damage the native landscape and the Lanning Roper Landscape Design. So the best option is to move the house to the corn field where a grading strategy could be applied and the 100-year and the 500-year flood plains do not go as deep into the land. The new location was selected because it has a sense of

enclosure thanks to the corner condition created by the creek and the Fox River that resembles the corner condition created by the Fox River Drive and the Fox River at the old site. Also this new location provided enough space to do grading that could mimic the conditions of the old site. To prevent any future damage to the interior of the house, the house was placed a tad farther from the river at an elevation of 568 ft. However, the house still maintains a relationship to the river since the river is still visible and the house will have moderate flooding, just the way Mies Van der Rohe originally designed it.

To maintain the old site undisturbed, it was decided to locate the Visitor Center at the corn field too. Considering the extent of the land and the walking distance from the “old site” to the “new site”, it was decided to avoid the western 1/3 of the corn fields. To avoid any complications with flooding the visitor center was placed on high ground but with enough distance from the road to avoid noise from cars and to be able to provide a drive-in that helps transition from the highway to parking. This drive-in provides a glimpse of the site and a view of the visitor center before parking. It is designed to keep the Farnworth hidden from the visitor’s view, so it can be unveiled once people enter the visitor center. The new location also has a view to the Farnsworth house and to the new landscape design. The position of the visitor house also provides reasonable tour distances from old site to visitor center, and new site to visitor center.

The approach taken for the design of the visitor center was to create a building that contrasted with the architecture of Mies van der Rohe. The Farnsworth house is the embodiment of the architectural language Mies developed throughout his architectural career. It showcases the elegance and the simplicity of his designs

as well as his relentless attention to detail and proportion. Providing a replica of a Mies van der Rohe building as the visitor center, would only become deceiving.

With that said, the visitor center was designed to be very directional; a space in which one’s eyes moves around constantly. The spaces also get contracted and expanded in a way that it moves people out to the glazing areas or to the outdoors. This was possible through the triangular shapes of the floorplan and the roof’s changes in elevation. The program was laid out in a way that most of the public areas are downstairs. This includes the lobby, the store, the food area, the gallery and the multipurpose room. The gallery and the multipurpose room were designed as one space, they can be dived or combined depending on the space needed. The second floor holds most of the private areas. Which includes the offices, the break room for workers and the conference room. Even though this is an area mostly designated for the employees, visitors are welcome to go upstairs to the observation area. Concrete was chosen as the main material to contrast the way the Farnsworth house interacts with the ground. While the Farnsworth house appears to barely touch the ground, the visitor center is embedded into the site.

Even though the visitor center steps away from Mies van der Rohe. It does utilize some of the elements that characterize Mies architecture. The visitor center is structurally held up by columns and walls are only used when necessary (restrooms, storage, etc.) This opens up the plan and provides flexibility for the owners. Also to achieve the Miesian open plan, a space frame system was used for the roof with a tetrahedral shape. This allows longer spans and therefore less columns. One example of this system is the Yale Art Gallery by Louis Kahn.

The few permanent walls go all the way up to the ceiling and are located away from the perimeter of the building, similar to centralized cores Mies provides in some of the buildings. The outer surfaces are glass using the landscape as wall paper the same way the Farnsworth does. The roof is projected out similar to big overhangs Mies designed for some buildings like the Neue National Gallery. The outdoor areas of the visitor center were designed in a way that the paving around the visitor center starts to disintegrate into the organic swells of the landscape.

The visitor center is ADA accessible from the paths that are equally accessible, so there is no need of ramps. In the interior, an elevator is also provided to provide access to all levels.

The proposal for the Lanning Roper landscape is to keep the vegetation intact.

But the vacant footprint of the Farnsworth will be transformed into an outdoor exhibition space. The transformation of the site can be divided in three layers.

The first layer was contributed by Dr. Farnsworth who provided the original site, then the second layer was provided by Mies Van der Rohe with his architecture and then Palumbo with the Lanning Roper landscape design. The latter one is already well represented since the landscape design is still there. However now that the original Black Maple tree, which was crucial for the placement of the house is gone and the house will not be present any longer, a memorial that

showcases Dr. Farnsworth and Mies Van der Rohe seems appropriate. The proposal for the memorial is to replant the original Black Maple tree to alluding to Dr. Farnsworth and the original site. To remember Mies van der Rohe a representation of one of his chairs will be placed under the tree, alluding to the time he spent there supervising the construction of the house. The chair will be vacant as the representation of the vacant site. To define the space a series of concrete strips will be placed following the footprint of the Farnsworth. However this strips will change in height in size to give the appearance of disintegrating into the landscape and will change in height to provide sitting.

The grading of the “new site” is derived from some of the swell shaped pools of daffodils that are part of the Lanning Roper design. Most of the new swells happen at the cornfield. These swells are also highlighted by different kinds of planting. One of the most appealing characteristics of the “old site” is that it is very private. Once one walks towards the house one can get the feeling of being in a bowl that embraces and protects the house. So for the grading proposal a similar condition was created at the new site. More trees were added close to the river to create intimate spaces at certain spots where the designed paths split. This areas can be used for picnics or other activities close to the river.

Where trees are less prominent, canopies derived from the shape of the visitor center will be provided. In this way the geometry of the visitor center is carried out into the site for a better integration. Also some of the areas at the end of paths provide a change for elevation. For this spaces cantilevers will be provided. An outdoor amphitheater was also provided on the western part of the cornfield.

This are has a view to the Farnsworth and will be used for lecture or other big events. Because this site gets a good amount of rain water and snow, a strategy for storm water management was implemented. The water helps irrigate plants, the plants filter the water and then it goes back to the river.

Providing flexibility to the visitors is key, so two main tours will be provided. The longest tour will start at the outdoor area of the visitor center and then it will continue into the Lanning Roper landscape. For this tour the guide will go over the additions of the Palumbo era like the tennis court, the pool and the Lanning Roper landscape design. Then they will proceed to the site of the memorial and then it will culminate at the Farnsworth house. The shorter tour would take the visitors through the paths located to the east of the creek and they will only visit the Farnsworth house. Visitors will also be welcome to explore themselves some of the areas provided like the picnic areas, canopies and cantilevers.

The overall intent of the design is to create new experiences to the visitors, but without overwhelming the most important feature of the site, the Farnsworth house. Some of the characteristics of the old site were used, but without imitating the old site completely. Also new architecture was deployed to create a contrast with the Farnsworth house to let the visitors appreciate the simplicity and the elegance of Mies Van der Rohe architecture.

Farnsworth House Relocation Proposal Yaneli A Monjaras

Designed in 1945 and constructed in 1951 the Farnsworth’s house is a vital American iconography, a representation of the International style of architecture as well as a modern movement. The streamline design of Modern structure is a signature from the famous architect Mies Van Der Rohe.

Mies constructed this glass box residence with very few materials. Though there where very few, those selected were carefully thought out, to the point of Mies himself selecting a placement for every travertine tile. The house was design to be raised above ground to avoid flooding, but at the same time Mies design and placed the house so that the water would rise and ever so slightly touch the home.

Mies vision of the house being placed at a proximity to the Fox River and have the water fairly touching the house was one of our main goals to keep. Mies vision was not the only goal, keeping the house integrity without the threat of flooding was our main concern. We have proposed an option of relocating the house to the Farm Field West at the River and fill. This options relocates the house to the south west corner of the Farm Field, at a distance double from the original 115 feet, but only to fill and have a five percent slope to comfortably slope down to the river at a distance of approximately of 200 feet.

The house is protected from flooding through elevating it above the flood line.

The new house floor elevation is at 573 feet. This location allows to retain some original distance from the river, like the old site location. Though this is a change geographically speaking the placement of the house is to mimic the old site. The same curvature and proximity to the river allows for a mimic in the original setting.

In this option the original distance is roughly maintained the difference of 100 feet or less. However the same proximity will still allow flooding even if the house is being replaced, thus; the fill of 9 feet allows for the house to be protected from flooding. This has a significant fill in which it would create a slight five percent slope, that being the reason why we push back the house about 100 feet to avoid more fill creating a hill top setting for the house. There is still less than a foot of water touching the house, thus our team in landscape architects suggested

and designed a slight swale on the 589 foot elevation to help those extreme high rise of water.

This relocation of the house changes site, views and circulation, while maintaining the proximity of the Fox River. This allows for a new design for the Farm Field along with new tours and approaching the house. The new planting starts at the demising area of landscape of Lanning Roper. We have created a pedal like effect on the site starting very small and light with planting and gradually increasing to the new site and taking over the Farm Field, to create a new ambience and intimate area for such a large area. The level of height in plants are mostly accruing around the Farnsworth relocation to create an effect Lanning Roper create for the original area. We start to diminish the height and density to catch a glimpse of the house at the Visitor Center. While the planting is done in this pedal like shape taken form the Lanning Roper landscape design (that surrounds the Farnsworth house), it also is highlighted by our path ways, for the tours. Some are raised above ground and others are kept at ground floor level.

The different tours are what dictate the pathways. We have the historical tour, which takes people from the visitor center out to the original site starting with our new proposed pedal like shape landscape while slowly approaching the Lanning Roper landscape. Crossing one of either two bridges and finally arriving to the Memorial of Mies and Dr. Farnsworth and also the tree that existed at the site.

This tour re-gathers and returns to the new site seeing and the changes of the historical Lanning Roper landscape migrating to the new proposed landscape and finally arriving to the new site. This is filled with new landscape all while maintaining the same feeling of the original site placement with a mimic of surroundings and plants.

The other option for the tour is a short distance to the Farnsworth house which starts at the Visitor Center where the short version of the history of the Farnsworth house is told, all while catching a glimpse of the Farnsworth house. There are about two stops to rest and gather, and for a bit of historical background. These gathering spaces are a mix of the visitor center and the landscape. Then the

same experience from the historical tour of pedal like placement of plants and pathways is taken and placed in the Farm Field site to take the visitor to the Farnsworth house, this allows for a similar experience.

The location of the visitor center was selected on the distance from the new location of the Farnsworth House. We wanted the visitor to be received in an intimate long journey from the street with a feeling of lost in the woods and landscape, and making it seem like the visitor center is deep within the site. We wanted the visitor center to be clean and open plan as the Farnsworth, but with a different feel to appreciate each building individually. We decided to go with Concrete, for a contrast in material to make the visitor center have weight, but at the same time be open and simple with clean connections. The shape is an inspiration from the OMA building in Chicago, Illinois Tech. University. We took all the mixed angels to keep the viewer’s eye moving. This would cause a transition from the visitor center to the Farnsworth, allowing the viewer to appreciate the Farnsworth to the fullest, were the viewers eye is resting in the simplistic modern design. The visitor center has the front façade open with floor to ceiling windows as well as the south elevation. This mimics the Farnsworth house floor to ceiling windows allowing maximum light and it allows for the walls to become a wallpaper of our ever changing landscape with the seasons.

The shape of our building is a modified rectangle that is divided into two triangle defining program. One side has two stories where the private area is located on second level for the staff. The lower part is the gallery and multipurpose areas.

These are rooms that are adjustable to accommodate any type of event. The other triangle is for lobby area, gift store and kitchen. This area is a place for interactions and movement. The large floor to ceiling windows are inviting and bring visitors in to experience the visitor center , the activities and program are an incentive to keep people inside, but our south elevation view are also pulling the visitor out to the landscape and Farnsworth house. This design is a mixture of invitation to inside and outside for great experience in both parts.

Farnsworth Proposal Diana Alcantara

The Farnsworth House, by Mies van der Rohe, is one of the most well-known architectural masterpieces. It is not only one of the most iconic pieces by Mies, but also an outstanding example of modern architecture. Therefore, its importance to find methods to mitigate the current issues and protect it for future generations to learn and experience from it. The purpose of the project is to develop different strategies to help preserve the Farnsworth House from the current flooding events and apply the principles of historic preservation to protect its integrity.

The Farnsworth House faces with two main issues based on its current location: the proximity of the Fox River and the storm events that occur during the raining season. In consequence, one of the main goals is to mitigate the impacts that the flooding events generate to the house.

The physical, historical and cultural aspects related to the house were taken in consideration to define its new location. The house is located in a floodplain close to the river. Consequently, flooding is the most important issue to work with. Even though we moved the house to be at a higher elevation and further distance, we still allow the house to flood to fulfill the purpose of the house of being elevated on stilts. Furthermore, Mies wanted Dr. Farnsworth to enjoy nature from the interior of the house. For that reason, we chose the new location to be near the creek. We wanted the house to keep its physical boundaries to provide the sense of enclosure, for privacy purposes. Another important feature the team wanted to preserve, was the direct view to the Fox River, so the south facade still faces to the river.

The grading was modified to mainly protect the house from future major flooding events. However, the house was originally designed in response to the flooding conditions of the site, so the space around the house is allowed to flood in a more controlled way.

Lanning Roper’s landscape design on the original Farnsworth site was one

the features as a group was decided to preserve and develop. He worked with flower gardens and historical garden landscapes. Also, he believed that plants and green sculptured spaces could be manipulated to flatter the exuberant geometry of materials like glass and concrete. Based on his approach to work the landscape on the original site, as a team, we decided to respect and remain almost intact the existing landscape.

The overall landscape proposal is driven mainly by some of the concepts developed by Lanning Roper. One of the goals for the project was to not only have the Farnsworth house as a unique feature on the site, but also make the landscape attractive to people too. That is why, creating seasonal gardens and seasonal program along the site will not only make the house interact with nature, but it will make the landscape change with the seasons as well. The design follows more natural forms because the intention was not to be aggressive, but adaptive. Preservation of the existing landscape is one of the main goals, that is why a few interventions are made in the original site and the significant changes are proposed on the existing agricultural land.

Because one of the main goals is to promote interaction with the landscape, there has been defined two systems of paths, suspended and buried paths to create a richer experience while exploring the site. Also, the circulation allows a closer interaction with the river. Another feature the team wanted to bring back was the use of the landscape as an outdoor gallery for different events and exhibitions.

“Nature, too, shall live its own life. We must beware not to disrupt it with the color of our houses and interior fittings. Yet we should attempt to bring nature, houses, and human beings together into a higher unity.” Mies van der Rohe The Farnsworth House is mainly known as a glass pavilion sited on stilts that takes advantage of the surrounding landscape which makes it one of the best examples that show the strong relationship between architecture and nature. The house is one of Mies’ iconic projects where the main structural elements used are steel and glass. The house is defined by eight white I-shape steel columns that support the frameworks of the roof and floors. The house is raised 5 feet and 3 inches off the ground, allowing the structure to extend into the landscape because he intended the house to be light on the site to not disrupt the landscape.

The architectural proposal for the new visitor’s center follows the concept of respect the existing elements on the site. That is why, the response of the team was to develop a different architectural language to create contrast and not compete with the clean lines and shapes from the Farnsworth House. The location of the visitor’s center was determined to be closer to River Road for better and faster access to the site. As a result, the language of the new building has a triangular geometry. The triangular floor plans push people to look out to landscape. The building has two floor plans. The first floor focuses on a public program where

the gallery, multi-purpose, store, lobby and café are located. The second floor has the private program, mainly to employees, where the offices, break room and conference room are located. Also, the roof of the visitor’s center follows the same language. Additionally, it is very important for the team to create interaction between the building and the landscape. That is why, the surrounding landscape we are expanding the architectural language of the building to different pause stations we have along the site. However, each architectural structure will be site related. On the other hand, the materials used for the visitor’s center are slightly different from the Farnsworth house. Concrete is used as the main structural element and the glass is used to provide vistas of the landscape. Therefore, the main design of the building has a flexible floor plan where the spaces are allowed to be modified if the program changes. Additionally, the parking and outdoor patio will interact together as well. In terms of the volume, many variations were developed to increase the experience of the visitors and to achieve a volume proportionally balanced to the Farnsworth house.

Based on the proposed architectural and landscape features, the team developed to different tours to allow visitors appreciate and explore the site. The first tour is the Historical Tour and it allows visitors to explore the whole site, including the original site of the Farnsworth house, the sculptural garden, outdoor galleries, meditation gardens, experience the waterfront of the river and discover the Farnsworth house in its new location. The second tour is the Current Tour and allows people to have a shorter tour and visit the Farnsworth house in its new location and explore some of the gardens on the site.

As a team, we respect and admire Mies van der Rohe work, therefore we consider having a monument/memorial needs to take place on the original/current location of the Farnsworth house to honor the house and the reflect the influence of the main people related to the house. As a result, there are four elements that represent each phase of the house. The Black Maple Tree represents Dr. Farnsworth and her love for nature. Another element proposed is the Barcelona chair which is a very iconic piece by Mies van der Rohe located where he used to sit underneath the Black Maple Tree and look at the house. Finally, the footprint of the house is defined by rectangular concrete elements that are either seating area for hardscape which will function as an out gallery.

The new location proposed for the Farnsworth House is two feet below the 500year flood line which provides protection from extreme flooding events and don’t allow water to go inside the house, but still allows the site to flood. Also, the swale is a stormwater management used to manage water runoff, filter pollutants and increase rainwater infiltration on the site. Also, the landscape proposed f the new location is richer in flora. There are different seasonal gardens that will be featured each season and a rain garden that will capture rainwater runoff and improve water quality into the Fox River and groundwater. Additionally, the planting material will allow habitat for native wildlife.

Project Proposal Julianne Pineda Introduction Although the Farnsworth House by Mies van der Rohe is seen as an architectural icon, constant flooding forces a transformation of the site. This proposal moves the house to a new location and recreates the landscape to mitigate flooding while creating new environments that change every season. The new visitor center contrasts the house, but still alludes to it, and acts as the gateway into the new site.

The new location of the house falls east of Rob Roy Creek. Conditions that create the original site were sought out for the new location. First, Fox River Drive acts like a barrier to the west of the house and helps create the bowl condition that Farnsworth sits in. In the same way, Rob Roy Creek acts as that new barrier and new topographic changes mimic the sense of enclosure. Keeping the house as close to the river as possible is of upmost importance in order to mimic the views of the original site. Additionally, to highlight those views, the house is turned slightly to stay parallel to the river and, where the house is facing, the trees are less dense than other spaces. While the areas directly adjacent to the house resemble the original environment, the rest of the landscape is transformed to create difference experiences from a river walk to private spaces to lounging areas.

Landscape Design Grading Re-grading the cornfield is key flood mitigation for the receiver site. Directly around the new site for Farnsworth, the original topography is transformed to create the bowl condition similar to the original site. The house sits at the 573 elevation, where to the front (south), the slope moves at 5% and to the east, it moves at 1% in order to direct any runoff away from the house. The 573 still allows the house to be flooded without destroying the interior. The rest of the cornfield is graded into terraces that step down towards the river. These terraces provide a more controlled flood pattern while also breaking up the spaces for more specific programming. The lowest elevation closest to the river is the 566 terrace. To the west and north, the next terrace sits at 568. Above that to the east is the landing is at the 570 elevation. Finally, to the west of that sits the Farnsworth at 573 and the visitor center at 580. A large 50’ swale is incorporated into the landscape to catch runoff and redirect it into the Fox River. It begins at the Farnsworth site, nestled against the curve of the bowl so that all the water

from the slope above falls directly into the swale. It flows between slopes and cuts through the 568 terraces before opening out to the river. The swale itself does not slope, but instead acts as a series of pools divided by walls that catch water, fill, then spill into the next pool.

On the west side of the creek, cut is used to create more intimate spaces for visitors of the site. This area is accessed through the wandering path where people can stop and sit in nature surrounded by plantings and forest. Majority of he area is cut 1-2’ below grade to create a sense of enclosure. Along the path, mounds are built up to divide these spaces while depressions are used to create even smaller gatherings. When grading to the west side of the creek, the goal is to avoid as much disruption to the original forest as possible.

Circulation Three different types of circulation are used throughout the site – elevated, ground level, and depressed – in order to create different user experiences. Two main types of paths run throughout the site, the tour path and the wandering path which both come off of the visitor center. The tour path is mainly ground level circulation and is 10’ wide to accommodate for tour groups. The path comes off the west side of the center then branches off into two different types of tours, the Historical Tour that takes groups out to the original site then ends at the Farnsworth, or the Modern Tour that swings out over the terraces then comes back to the Farnsworth. On the Historical Tour, the first stop is a cantilevered platform that hangs over the creek. It provides a view of the overall original landscape and gives the tour guide a chance to introduce the history of the site.

Next is the original site that encapsulates the history from Dr. Farnsworth to Mies to Roper. Finally, guest end at the Farnsworth and are taught the techniques to saving the house. For the Modern Tour, a brief talk at the visitor center covers the history of the site. Guest then move to the pavilion that overlooks the terraces and are showed how flood techniques were used to save the house. This tour also ends at the Farnsworth.

The wandering path moves mainly along the river and through the intimate spaces and along the creek. The river walk runs along and above the river to move the people close to the water. It begins in the east most picnic area and moves all the way to the original site and is lined with three pavilions, at both ends and in the middle. The picnic pavilion is at grade and marks the beginning of the walk. From there, the walkway ramps up to the 569 elevation and holds that the rest of the way through. The pavilion in the middle gives direct views to the Farnsworth while the pavilion at the end provides views to the original site.

Moving off the river walk to the west of the creek is a 5’ path that is depressed into the landscape. It moves through private spaces, then sits on grade along the creek. These spaces allow for more intimate movements for guests. The tour path bridges over the wandering paths so that the tours are not disturbed.

Planting Majority of the original planting to the west of Rob Roy Creek are kept in order to preserve the integrity of feeling of the space. The new planting occurs in four main forms throughout the site – forest, seasonal, rain gardens, and grasses.

The shaping and designing of the planting takes the language from the Lanning Roper site and scales it up to create drifts along the landscape. The forested areas are mimicked from the original foresting west of the creek. Many of the spaces along the river are also preserved or mimicked to keep the original foresting. The seasonal plantings occur in the majority of the drifts around the site. Each shape holds specific planting to a particular season and are organized to create a different feeling each season. Grass is used in areas that are more programmed, mostly on the terrace steps. The area directly around Farnsworth is grass to allow 360 access to the house and make the space more programmable for events and large groups. Lastly, the large swale running throughout the site along with one of the lower terraces are planted as rain gardens. These plants help infiltrate more water into the soil instead of letting it run off into the river.

Visitor Center The new visitor center is designed to compliment Farnsworth while still setting itself apart. By using two colliding triangles, the visitor center acts as a directional marker towards the Farnsworth House. Instead of steel, the visitor center is made of concrete and glass. While Farnsworth has a sense of floating above the landscape, the concrete gives a sense of sitting or permanence in the landscape.

The idea of the two colliding shapes pulls people into the building then pushes them out into the landscape. On the first floor, people enter into the lobby and exit through the lounge. There is also the gallery, multi-purpose room, and gift shop.

The second floor is more private and consists of offices, conference rooms, and break rooms for the employees.

Receiver & Original Site Four main trees surround the Farnsworth in its new location that mimics the original. The trees are in the same positions as the original site, however different species are used, each representing one of the seasons. To the west of the house are fields of seasonal plantings and to the east is the swale running down the slope. More than just an object in the landscape, the house and surrounding area will be programmed to hold events, concerts, or art showings.

The original site is now only visited by the Historical Tour groups. The site acts a memorial to Mies and Dr. Farnsworth and the dialogue they had between each other. Two-foot wide horizontal concrete lines recreate the original shape of the house. While some of the concrete stays at grade, other slabs rise up to create seating and vies that mimic the original height of the house. The sugar maple is replanted in its original spot and a Mies chair sits underneath as a nod to him.

Farnsworth: Preservation as Provocation ARC/LA402 Winter 2016 Hoyos Wilcox Diana Alcantara Daniela Martinez Hernandez Yaneli A Monjaras Julianne Pineda