Arch 101 Instructor: Jerry Lum Matthew Lujan Spring Portfolio 2016
Final Project: Bay Area Roots In week nine of our arch 101 class we had formed various groups to construct a designed structure on one of the seven sites we were assigned. I had been matched with three other team mates which included Winnie, Dillion, and Helioisa. Our site was in a nod of three trees ascended on a hillside in the upper north west of the courtyard. Though it was a very appealing spot to allure you to the luxuries of the beautiful view and nature that surrounded it, we did not take into account the challenges of building between trees and on a hillside slope. Our goal and intentions was to not only make a sturdy and safe structure but to accomplish a design that would blend well within our site, while trying to use our design language to the best of our abilities. We had also chosen a different path than the assigned schedule to accomplishing our final project week by week, but in the end it was all a learning process and I am extremely happy with the way it had turned out.
Researched Structural Approach & Inspiration Week 9
Written Reflection: My groups site had consisted of a trifecta of three trees ascended on a hillside with a vista view of Daly City. Our structural approach was to use the trees as an assistance to create a suspension type bridge pathway that led through the nod of the trees to create a similar feeling as if you were really on a bridge. Although we had failed to succeed in creating a rough model prototype of our project we did find a light at the end of the tunnel in this aspect and decided to design on site. We found it to be more comforting to design on site than in model form due to the fact that we could get a better visual of what was possible for our given site.
S.W.O.T. Analysis Strengths: We found that even though we were not capable of presenting a rough model, our failed models did lead us to making a group decision and started designing on site.
Weaknesses: Our weakness was that we did not present a scaled model and due to this incident we did run into a lot of unforeseen problems with our site such as having to redesign on site and take in account of the roots and other obstacles that run through our site.
Opportunities: It lead us to have the opportunity to challenge ourselves and to work as a team to make the right decisions for what our goal was instead of what each individual wanted.
Threats: Our only potential threat or challenge at this point in junction was the fact that we did not take into account of how closely other groups were going to be building next to us and also the challenge of the slope and roots of our site.
Week 10 Site analyzing and design experimentation
Written Reflection: As we begin to design onsite and the obstacles start to unravel we run into a bit of a writers block, or in this instance designers block. We are starting to pay for the consequences of not having a successful scaled model and doing proper site analysis. So we are at a bit of a set back at this point but even during these hard times we pulled together as a team and started to experiment with our stair like platforms and started to play ink blot therapy with our project. We took a lot of much needed time to really stop and think about what we see for the future of our site and our project. So as we took our time deciding on what we wanted, I think we came to a conclusion under the circumstances for what was best for our site instead of what each individual wanted. Which in my opinion was a great compromise and the smartest.
Strengths: Our strengths in this weeks challenges would have to be the way we came together as a team and put our opinions aside and decided on a decision that best suited our site and what would work best. Having a negotiable and reasonable team is key to succeeding in your goals
Weaknesses: Our weakness in the process of our week ten group efforts would have to be the fact that we had taken to long to decide on a set design. Given that circumstance it set us back on our weekly schedule and what we needed to achieve progressively week after week, therefore we had a lot of catching up to do according to the scheduled criteria.
S.W.O.T. Analysis Opportunities: Though we had a “time� setback with our project, it did give us the opportunity to think out our design and to make sure that we had a set idea for what we all wanted for our future site.
Threats: Our biggest concern was that we were watching everyone be so on schedule that it was a little intimidating that we were so out of the loop. Groups were already at least 30% complete while we had just landed on a design. We had a lot of catching up to do.
Week 12 & 13 Discovering our Narrative
First Draft Narrative The Bay Area Roots
San Francisco has had a very unique culture and community throughout its history and recently it has been changing in a way that is unlike ways of the past because of the rise of technology. EXPAND AND RELATE TO YOUR DESIGN The area that we have chosen for our site is on the hillside outside of Batmale hall at city college of san Francisco in between a triangle of trees. When you approach THE hill you are confronted with the issue of how you are to ascend the slope which is NOT ONLY representative of the hilly landscape of san Francisco BUT ALSO the rising amount that it costs to live in San Francisco because of the wave of people that have come to the bay area because of the booming tech industry. Â We created a pathway for people to go up the slope by placing a set of stairs and this acts as a gateway to our project and the projects that are situated all across the top of the hillside. As you follow the stairway up the hill you enter the area created by the triangle of trees, we have placed a terraced like platforms to allow you to be able to move with ease across the hill between the trees. Creating an experience that encompasses the beauty of the site and allows for a story of san Francisco to be thought about as you move throughout it.. As you get up the hill you have two choices, go to the left or go to the right. If you go left you encounter a raised platform that is in between two of the three trees. On this platform there is a bench to sit on and enjoy the space of the trees which allows for an intimate area that you can sit, relax, and enjoy the views of the surrounding area and projects that have been created by our school community. To the right there is a platform that extends out past the tree to the right side and allows for a view of the city and beyond. As you enter the platform you have a view shaped by a pattern of extended wood pieces on top of a railing that follow the shape of the hills in the southern part of the city. As you look at the area shaped you can see many aspects of the city and surrounding area, you can see the area known as the excelsior which has been home to a strong culture that has shaped san Francisco, you can see multiple schools that kids from all of the city go to, daily city which is now an area which native san Franciscans have to move to because of the rising costs, and as you look over the hills you can envision Silicon Valley that extends south and is the home of the tech industry. - Edited by Jerry Lum Â
Second Draft Narrative The Bay Area Roots EXPLAIN THIS TITLE. IF YOU KEEP IT, THEN THE FOLLOWING NARRATIVE MUST RELATE TO IT…THE BAY AREA… AND ITS ROOTS San Francisco has had a very unique culture and community throughout its history and recently it has been changing in a way that is unlike ways of the past because of the rise of technology. EXPAND AND RELATE TO YOUR DESIGN–WHAT UNIQUE CULTURAL AND COMMUNITY ASPECTS ARE RELEVANT? HOW HAS TECHNOLOGY CHANGED SF DIFFERENTLY THAN IN THE PAST? WHY IS THIS AN IMPORTANT ASPECT TO BE ADDRESSED THR0UGH YOUR DESIGN? The area that we have chosen for our site is on the hillside outside of Batmale hall at City College of San Francisco in between a triangle of trees. When you approach THE hill you are confronted with A STEEP slope THAT IS NOT EASILY NEGOTIATED. IT IS NOT ONLY representative of the hilly PHYSICAL landscape of san Francisco BUT ALSO OF the rising COST OF LIVING in San Francisco. because of the wave of people that have come to the bay area because of the booming tech industry. SILICON VALLEY IS FILLING THE WALLETS OF ITS WORKFORCE AND THEY IN TURN ARE DRIVING UP THE HOUSING COSTS. THIS STEEP SLOPE LEADING TO OUR SITE IS NOT EASY TO NEGOTIATE. HOWEVER, AS ASPIRING DESIGNERS WHO WISH TO MAKE THE WORLD AROUND US A LITTLE BETTER THAN WE FOUND IT, WE HAVE LITERALLY AND FIGURATIVELY PROVIDED A SERIES OF STEPS TO SAFELY NEGOTIATE THE UNWELCOMED CHALLENGES. THIS PATHWAY IS OUR GATEWAY TO NOT ONLY THE PLACES WE HAVE CREATED, BUT ALSO TO THOSE OF THE OTHER TEAMS WHO INHABIT OUR HILLSIDE. We created a pathway for people to go up the slope by placing a set of stairs and this acts as a gateway to our project and the projects that are situated all across the top of the hillside. As you follow the stairway up the hill you enter the area created by the triangle of trees, we have placed a terraced like platforms to allow you to be able to move with ease across the hill between the trees. Creating an experience that encompasses the beauty of the site and allows for a story of San Francisco to be thought about as you move throughout it. AS VISITORS EXPERIENCE YOUR INSTALLATION, WHAT ASPECTS ENCOUNTERED OR PERCIEVED CAUSE THEM TO RECALL “A STORY OF SAN FRANCISCO?’ EXACTLY WHAT STORIES? IF THIS IS NOT RELEVANT NOR CREDIBLE, EDIT THIS OUT OF YOUR NARRATIVE.
Second Narrative Continued As you get up the hill you have two choices, FIRST NOTICE THAT IT APPEARS TO VISUALLY FEATURE OUR NEIGHBORING TEAM’S DESIGN. BEFORE PROCEEDING TO THEIR STRUCTURE, WE INVITE VISITORS to GO EITHER TO the left or go to the right. If you go left you encounter a raised platform that is in between two of the three trees. On this platform there is a bench to sit on and enjoy the space of the trees which allows for an intimate area that you can sit, relax, and enjoy the views of the surrounding area and projects that have been created by our ARCH 101 community. To the right there is a platform that extends out past the tree to the right side and allows for a view of the city and beyond. As you enter the platform you have a view shaped by a pattern of extended wood pieces on top of a railing that follow the shape of the hills in the southern part of the city. As you look at the area shaped you can see many aspects of the city and surrounding area, you can see the area known as the Excelsior, which has been home to a strong culture that has shaped san Francisco, you can see multiple schools that kids from all of the city go to (AWKWARD – REPHRASE), daily DALY City which is now an area which native san Franciscans have to move to because of the rising costs, and as you look over the hills you can envision Silicon Valley that extends south and is the home of the tech industry. TELL US WHY THIS IS IMPORTANT AND RELEVANT…HOW DOES THIS RELATE TO YOUR OPENING STATEMENTS ABOVE? THIS NARRATIVE NEEDS TO BE WRAPPED UP…LIKE ANY STORY, IT NEEDS A HIGH POINT, A CLIMAX, SOMETHING FOR YOUR AUDIENCE TO REMEMBER WITH MEANING. -Edited B y Jerry Lum
Final Narrative San Francisco has had a very unique culture and community throughout its history and recently it has been changing in a way that is unlike ways of the past because of the rise of technology. The area that we have chosen for our site is on the hillside outside of Batmale hall at City College of San Francisco in between a triangle of trees. When you approach the hill you are confronted with a steep slope that is not easily negotiated. It is not only a representative of the hilly physical landscape of san Francisco but also of the rising cost of living in San Francisco. Silicon valley is filling the wallet of its workforce and they are in turn driving up the housing costs. This steep slope leading to our site is not easily maneuvered . However as aspiring designers who wish to make the world around us a little better than we found it, we have literally and figuratively provided a series of steps to safely negotiate the unwelcomed dangers. This pathway is our gateway to not only the places we have created, but also to those of our fellow teams who inhabit our hillside. As you follow the stairway up the hill you enter the area created by the triangle of trees, we have placed a terraced like platforms to allow you to be able to move with ease across the hill between the trees. Creating an experience that encompasses the beauty of the site and allows for a story of San Francisco to be thought about as you move throughout it. As you get up the hill you have two choices. First notice that it appears to visually feature our neighboring teams design before proceeding to their structure, we invite visitors to go either to the left or go to the right. If you go left you encounter a raised platform that is in between two of the three trees. On this platform there is a bench to sit on and enjoy the space of the trees which allows for an intimate area that you can sit, relax, and enjoy the views of the surrounding area and projects that have been created by our ARCH 101 community. To the right there is a platform that extends out past the tree to the right side and allows for a view of the city and beyond. As you enter the platform you have a view shaped by a pattern of extended wood pieces on top of a railing that follow the shape of the hills in the southern part of the city.
Week 14 Beginning Construction
Written Reflection: As we began our construction process our design started to take form over the next couple of weeks. Though we are designing on site instead of originally from an established designed model, we discovered our obstacles on hand. One of the first obstacles that we had designing on site was that we did not take into account for all the roots that ran in variously different directions as well as the irrigation that was embedded into the soil as well. We had to make a couple of different modifications to our design but still remained what we had originally discussed in the beginning. Our second problem we had ran into on site was that we did indeed strike an irrigation pipe and had to take more cautious measures from here on out to make sure we did not disrupt any further pipe lines. But rest assured it was an easy fix and was repaired in no time.
S.W.O.T. Analysis
Strengths: Our strengths throughout this week was that even though we faced our problems on site was that it did not affect us from keeping or design that we had originally anticipated and we kept a positive team attitude and solved our problems in no time.
Weaknesses: Our weaknesses this week weren’t so much weakness’s but challenges we had ran into but through positive attitude and teamwork we over came them together and persevered through it all.
Opportunities: Given the circumstances of a broke pipe, I did personally have the opportunity to learn something a little off topic of our project. Fixing Irrigation systems. Having this unforeseen chance to learn a little something different in the process
Threats: At this point in the process we did not really have any possible threats that discouraged us in developing our design.
Week 15: 30% Completion
Written Reflection: As our project starts to take more of an appealing form to the visual looker we start to gain confidence in our design and project as a whole. At this point in the project we began to lift the morale of the team due to the fact that it is starting to look like an actual structure. Being the first time I ever made something in a classroom definitely started to get me a little more passionate and excited about what we were doing here. We started our project design out with a symmetry of stairs which eventually connected to the first top platform at the end of the stairs which then continued the pattern of the design of our stairs. It remained important to us to keep this pattern throughout the design process to give it an equal balance.
Strengths: Our strengths that we had accomplished this week was successfully keeping the symmetry pattern throughout our structure and keeping it well balanced into the ground and leveled. Not an easy task to do for your first construction project if I do say so myself.
Weaknesses: It was during this week where we had a team member drop from the course that we had originally been trying to contact for quite sometime. It wasn’t necessarily a huge downfall in the construction of our project but it would have been great to have an extra designer.
S.W.O.T. Analysis
Opportunities: We had start to gradually overcome the slope factor in our site and also the way we maneuvered around the roots and irrigation system.
Threats: The process of leveling out our first platform and integrating it successfully with our stair system was a big challenge and key factor in equally balancing out our design.
Week 16: 60% Completion
Written Reflection: During this weeks construction process we successfully worked with the roots and irrigation system of our site to carefully integrate our second platform that connects from our first into the ground. Through careful placement we were able to modify our platform to the best of its abilities with 4X4 support posts which were then re-bared into the ground for extra stability and support. We had designed our second platform to equally connect with our first one to give it a more balanced feel to it. This platform in our design was a key success to our project for the fact that it gives you access to the vista view point of the Daly City hills.
S.W.O.T. Analysis Strengths: Our accomplishments during this stage of our construction process was that we were able to map out the irrigation and roots more clearly so that we can design our platform around them. Having done that our platform took shape to the way nature would allow it to move through it.
Weaknesses: One of our downfalls was that we were not able to construct the platform we had originally anticipated but in the end it ended up being fine. We loved how nature would only allow us to move in certain directions.
Opportunities: This gave us the chance to see how unforeseen obstacles occur and the way we can adapt to the best of our abilities while still accomplishing our intended goals.
Threats: Once again the roots and irrigation system was our biggest obstacle in this weeks construction.
Week 17 100% Completed!
Written Reflection: As we come to the end of our project we had discovered that designing on site is not necessarily a bad thing and sometimes you have to take risks to get things moving. We pretty much “went for it� during this project and in the end we had an overwhelming end result which I don’t think any of us had envisioned it would be. The fact that we were able to create something so large, maneuverable, sturdy, with a little bit of design incorporated into it was one of the greatest accomplishments I have done to this day. I can not express into words how happy I am that this was the beginning of something that I wish to pursue in my future.
Semester Reflection: I had never anticipated that this studio class would teach me so much about design and architecture but also about how I see things in everyday life so differently now. I was fortunate to have such a passionate, patient and mind molding instructor that deeply cared for his students to thrive and to push their potential to their limits. Excuse my language but I am not going to kiss ass here but I think that if I would have had any other teacher my hopes for taking a path in design and architecture would most likely not have been encouraged as they are now at the end of this semester and year. I have learned so much all the way from design language to model making and hands on designing experience in the construction of a structure. I took the knowledge of asking why things are shaped the way they are and I will never again stop asking why things are the way they are. Thank you Jerry Lum for believing in me and for being so patient and an understanding human being.
Spring Semester 2016