ABPL200037 ARCHITECTURE DESIGN STUDIO: EARTH
A FETISH FIXATION NICOLE WEI MIN REN (836139)
Heather Mitcheltree - Studio 1 University of Melbourne | Bachelor of Environments | Semester 1, 2017
a place for keeping secrets something like a pavilion, on herring island.
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THREE RELATIONSHIPS The design process began with a study of three fundamental components of architecture: POINT, LINE AND PLANE; MASS; and FRAME AND INFILL. Each of their qualities and concepts explored to gain further understanding of the different relationships between each other. These will ultimately aid in the design of the final architectural project and help produce a quality composition.
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CONTENTS THREE RELATIONSHIPS
1.0 POINT/ LINE/ PLANE 1.1 Precedents #9 1.2 Model #10 1.3 Composition #11 2.0 MASS 2.1 Precedents #18 2.2 Composition #20 2.3 Scanned #24 3.0 FRAME & INFILL 3.1 Model #28
ARCHITECTURAL PROJECT
3.2 Diagram #30 4.0 SITE ANALYSIS #34 4.1 CONCEPTACLE #36 5.0 CONCEPT DESIGN & DEVELOPMENT #40 5.1 DESIGN DEVELOPMENT #43 6.0 FINAL DESIGN #44 7.0 REFLECTION #54 7.1 BIBLIOGRAPHY #55
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POINT/ LINE/ PLANE
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1.0
POINT/ LINE/ PLANE
The first relationship in the exploration of space and its connection with the earth. To me, this subject has a very linear quality, something that contrasts wildly with the earth as an undulating and organic form.
The Point. A singular moment that rests in space can symbolise a multitude of things. Co-ordinates or the end of a sentence. It can be a moment where you begin or you end, but never is it just in-between.
The Line. A point in movement in any direction. With motion, sharp or fluid, a rhythm and feeling can be grasped. It can bound and divide a space and even capture volumes or solids.
The Plane. Created as the enclosed space, bound by lines. It is the beginning of a volume and can occupy space in three dimensions – horizontally, vertically and diagonally.
(Kadinsky, 1979)
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POINT/ LINE/ PLANE PRECEDENTS 1.1
1. (Kandinsky, 1866) 2. (Slobzheninov, 2015) 3. (Mies Van der Rohe, n.d.)
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1.2
POINT/ LINE/ PLANE MODEL
The sculpture is an exaggeration of its elements. While it began as a simple idea of waffling, this sculpture is now only an illusion of waffling. None of the planes intersect and columns are utilised to form different levels and elevations throughout the sculpture. However, some ‘tease’ this rule and hover ever so slightly above the plane below. The coloured dowels highlight the absence of intersections and creates tension within the space. A hierarchy is also distinct, with top heavy elements aimed at evoking discomfort in its seemingly instability. Admist the square columns stand a singular round dowel. It’s purpose: to confuse and create mystery. As it is not in the middle of the sculpture there is no clear significance to its being. An explorer who walks past will be intrigued and questioning its place amongst the sculpture. But perhaps most importantly is the form of the shadow when the light hits the sculpture. The fragmented elevation is contradicted by the shadow casted on the ground where the illusion of the waffle is. With the sun, the structure essentially creates various versions of itself.
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Tall thin stilts protrude out of the earth square spikes driven into the wall, except one which was round and smooth. I wonder why. Their ends had fragments of unfinished walls and floors. Some are thin like a gymnast’s beam; others are as wide as… I don’t even know what. I can’t see how they defy gravity. Some just hover tauntingly above the plane below. A straight, a left, another straight. Their shadows on the ground create a scaffold on which none can climb. How then, shall I reach its pinnacle? This is not going to be easy.
The poem depicts an explorer stumbling upon the structure in a desolate area. It feels aggressive and with “unfinished walls and floors” indicating an uninhabitable space, an unwelcoming ruin. This combined with the violent imagery of spikes protruding out of the ground aim to create an unsettling atmosphere. He awes at the scale “as wide as… I don’t know what”, and feels trivial against the towering structure. Concept of P/L/P within prose. Point: full-stop Line: sentences Plane: the entire narrative However, aside from this I have also considered tempo and rhythm to convey P/L/P. Punctuation acts as anchors. Point (short beats): a straight, a left, another straight Line (normal length): This is not going to be easy. Plane: adding semi-colons, caesuras (hyphens) to draw out sentences; and paragraphs as a collection of lines (sentences)
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1.2
POINT/ LINE/ PLANE MODEL
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POINT/ LINE/ PLANE MODEL 1.2
1.2
POINT/ LINE/ PLANE MODEL
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POINT/ LINE/ PLANE MODEL 1.2
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MASS
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2.0
MASS The second relationship explored in the connection of space and earth is MASS. Mass is often about encompassing a volume, about creating a certain kind of atmosphere which is often associated with heaviness, darkness and as being omnipresent. Contrary to Point/ Line/ Plane, mass is viewed often as a more organic form. It is inextricably linked to gravity because of the general interpretation, however in other times its absence is fundamentally crucial. The voids. The potency of mass is always accented by its absence. It is a balance between the outside and inside world where the outside is connotated as open and free, whilst the inside is more sheltered and safe.
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1. (Williamson, 2016) 2. (Archdaily, 2010) 3. (Archdaily, 2013) 3
MASS PRECEDENTS 2.1
Within these examples, there are breaks, and moments of relief from the mass which breaks the tension and evokes a different feeling to a solid mass structure.
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2.2
MASS COMPOSITION The composition was built with layers of wax melted on top of each other. The textured form essentially created a mountain-ness landscape with crevices and valleys.
With light in the background, the wax takes on a soft translucent glow, where different shades of grey is illuminated. It also creates a very dynamic piece, as if paint swirling in water or smoke transcending. This is highly different to the dense mass seen to the left.
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MASS COMPOSITION 2.2 The form of the wax was unpredictable and meant in some areas it was uneven. Even in the densest parts of the compostion light still shines a litle bit through. The soft gradients formed produce an ethereal-like feeling that eludes the composition when there is no light shining through.
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2.2
MASS COMPOSITION
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MASS COMPOSITION 2.2
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MASS COMPOSITION SCANNED Medium: Wax on glass The composition scanned in black and white accents the solidity of mass: SOLID vs VOID. It contrasts its previous rendition against the light where the mass was translucent and a sense of depth is created by the density of wax.
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I created a triptych to explore the different experie several interpretations. One of which is that these grand scale and is zoomed into itself and then yet
ences of mass as this specific order allows for e are of the same mass, where it begins on a t again.
MASS COMPOSITION SCANNED 2.3 Orientated in portrait, they stray from the preconceived idea of mass on ground and dictated by gravity. Even when read in landscape, its depiction of mass is altered.
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FRAME & INFILL
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3.0
FRAME & INFILL MODEL
The third relationship in the exploration between structure and ground. Between permanence and transience; between linear and organic.
The Frame. Defined as the permanent of the two, it connotes rigidity and stability. It is a scaffold on which the infill is supported on.
The Infill. It has a more transient nature of the two. Temporary and fleeting, it can change and alter the entire structure.
Medium: Thread, MDF Secrets entrap its keeper. Multiple secrets come with multiple stories and lies and hence a ‘web of deception’ is achieved. Each different coloured thread symbolises a different story - a different version of the person (the cube). It begins to create an intricate weave that looks like a room full of laser beams. Be careful or you might trip up and everything will come out - physically (for the strings are in tension and figuratively (as certain things may be revealed). The cube is a very monolithic form. Uniform and structured, it represents the boundaries of the person. By outline alone, they seem like an ordinary person (cube) but when you look inside, there is a myriad of secrets that perhaps no one would dream of. In a way the model is a metaphor as a palimpsest of a person, where everything overlays each other very carefully.
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FRAME & INFILL MODEL 3.0
3.1
FRAME & INFILL DIAGRAM A gradual collection of secrets and stories will eventually break the frame with its tension, and the frame is only a very fragile skeleton.
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FRAME & INFILL DIAGRAM 3.1
fetish
noun | fe·tish | \’fe-tish also ‘fe-\
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ARCHITECTURAL PROJECT:
A FETISH FIXATION
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The chosen location is at the tip of the island, the lowest point on site. It is a spot visible from the mainland and the highways, meaning there is plenty of sunlight although sparse trees populate the edge of the water, and so it is only partially shaded. Heading inland there is a clear increase in density of flora. Greenery and sky dominate the view and walking back, you slowly feel immersed by the landscape.
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4.2
CONCEPTACLE FETISH FOOD PYRAMID My initial concept was narrowed down to food fetishes and hence I created a food pyramid out of unconventional eating items. From the bottom it is layered with rocks, glass, polystrene, driftwood, plastic bags and toilet paper. The idea was to create rooms full of these odd foods and people are able to eat out their own space. Even those who have the same odd food fetish, each individual would eat out a space differently. This idea would develop to encompass fetishes as a whole and to look at the psychology of harbouring such a secret.
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CONCEPTACLE 4.2 Almost all these materials (and many more) are incredibly harmful to the person consuming them. It is an intriguing phenonmenon to attempt to understand more about the psychology or emotions that come with a fetish of any kind. It will become a study into the emotional pressure and the social acceptance of the world.
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4.2
CONCEPTACLE THE CORRODED CUBE This conceptacle was created using acetone to dissolve polystrene foam. It depicts the harmful effects that keeping a secret as dark and as large as a fetish can have on a person’s mental, emotional and possibly physical state. It is about the pressure that one has from the society to maintain a certain image: a perfectly formed cube.
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CONCEPTACLE 4.2 Light begins to pass through the cube. Their secrets - unintentionally and unwillingly perhaps is slowly coming to light. The gradual metaphorical degradation of the person permanently damages them as there is no way to recover any polystrene that has been melted. It may be patched up in the end, but it will never be the same. There is a need to understand and accept themselves as well as society to do the same.
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The topic of fetishes is highly regarded as “taboo”. It is an incredibly secretive and at times humiliating thing for people to admit or even come to terms with. It is an innate, sub-conscious desire It is a very raw and primal lust which cannot be changed or eliminated easily. Some fetishes are more common than most, but generally it is still met with judgement and much controversy. Fear of social rejection, even selfrejection, humilitation and clinically significant distress can accompany more severe cases. Hence the need to encourage others to understand the psychology of such a secret. (“Fetishtic Disorder”, n.d.)
VOYEURISM Thin slits within the architecture allow for peeking and observing others who use the space. It represent the curiousity of society upon the world of fetishes despite looking down on it.
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Thin slivers of light offer brief moments of relief in the dimly lit room. Display cases and artwork on the walls are illuminated brightly as if drawing us like a moth to a flame. Come over, it seems to yearn attention, like a fetish that one tries so hard to push away but instead the desire burns stronger.
ISOLATION
PRESSURE
DEGRADATION
The exploration of the space is one done alone. It is a process necessary to immerse yourself in the emotions and grandeur of the architecture and the layout of the space.
There is a certain kind of person society expects you to be. Such pressure is amplified by the enormity of the buildings. It aims to evoke through slight claustrophobia, a sense of insignificance and inferiority to the ideal persona of society.
As the visitor begins to journey through the space, the buildings consecutively show different stages of deterioration. Doors become cracks in the faรงade and thin beams of light penetrate the building envelope.
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5.0
CONCEPT DESIGN & DEVELOPMENT 42
The design went through multiple stages of alterations. It started of in a rigid formation, but slowly began to evolve into a more organic flow. A parallel that can be drawn to the evolution of a person as they first enter society. A cookie-cutter idea of a person which begins to take an alternate shape and form into their own. The overall form then slowly begins to curve like the shape of the island. It creates a more natural flow for people to follow through. Its lack of linearity also encourages people to wander. There is no specific route to take, however the layout of the final form does guide visitors through the space so they are able to experience it in the way it was intended to be.
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DESIGN DEVELOPEMNT 5.1
6.0
FINAL DESIGN
The final design is rather brutalistic. The large towering concrete buildings have walls and columns grafting and penetrating most violently throughout. They create boundaries and open rooms, for there is always a sense of vulnerability. The buildings curl around following the shape of the island and as they do, their size begins to decrease representing the significance of society’s ideal person. The journey through the space is one that is meant to replicate self-acceptance and a final understanding of what it is like to have an obessive fascination, but it is unacceptable to express it. A singular round column in a mass of concrete cubes depict the alienation of having such a deep secret. Its location off to the side amplifies this meaning and also creates a discomfort with the visitor as there is no immediately clear significance to its role. Large concrete masses depicted delicately thin, envision a society of deceiving facades and fragility.
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1:200 @ A3
WEST ELEVATION
SECTION
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NORTH ELEVATION
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SOUTH ELEVATION
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Cubic masses of concrete rests heavily on the ground. Their enormity encompasses their surroundings where even the tallest trees are no match for them. The undulating landscape does nothing to prevent them from standing their ground. Harshly intersected into the earth, the concrete blocks stand prominently on the tip of the island, where outsiders are able to observe them freely. It is a modern ruin that depicts the gradual deterioration of a person within society. Secrets as socially unacceptable as fetishes can only act as catalysts to the reaction.
Stepping out, breath of fresh air. Only to find myself surrounded by monolithic structures. Perhaps the sky will offer some relief... No. The sky is but punctured by columns a metre wide, any sense of freedom to be interrupted by a rough concrete pillar with cracks running up its sides.
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Cubic masses of concrete rests heavily on the ground. Their enormity encompasses their surroundings where even the tallest trees are no match for them. The undulating landscape does nothing to prevent them from standing their ground. Harshly intersected into the earth, the concrete blocks stand prominently on the tip of the island, where outsiders are able to observe them freely. It is a modern ruin that depicts the gradual deterioration of a person within society. Secrets as socially unacceptable as fetishes can only act as catalysts to the reaction.
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A soft light shines from the cracks, a momentary glare from the sun draws me, yet again, nearer to it. I trace the crack and a bit of it crumbles. I stoop low to see inside. There, an item cased delicately in glass. A little time capsule, cleverly placed within these columns. Yes... Slowly chip away, break away the outer layers and the inside is revealed. Naturally, time will slowly erode the faรงade, but man always had a talent for interrogation. Now I want to know, how many more of these columns hold secrets?
I can feel a change as I move through the space. Moments where the walls come close make my heart speed faster, and I began to fe claustrophobic. There is an end though. I can through the gaps, light that teases freedom.
Quick! Past these towering blocks and out into open.
It is a heavy sigh of relief. I made it. I was neve truly isolated, but now the sounds of the river, highway and the people is so much clearer. Al this bank are others who have journeyed throu too. I made it. We made it.
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7.0
REFLECTION Studio Earth has given me a deeper understanding of the three relationships between architecture and the ground. Especially through the first three model exercises, I could explore various ways of designing from drawing to making sketch models. It allowed me to develop my interpretational skills, albeit with challenges here and there. It also helped me not only with regards to buildings, but with art, sculptures and the land. I found the design approach interesting, it does help to dissect the project and then to put it all back together in a different and new way. I was also able to hone multiple digital skills such as Rhino, Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop and Indesign. I did find the design process very slow and difficult, this meant that it did not leave much time for developing my final design. Now, I have come to realise that although undesirable, there will often be times of creative block and stagnancy. However, it was through my previous works that I managed to achieve the final form. Ultimately, having a brief and concept to do with something sensitive like fetishes has pushed me to create something unique and intriguing; and I have found this experience to be an absolute rollercoaster, but certainly engaging and challenging.
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BIBLIOGRAPHY 7.1 afasiaarchzine. (2012). Frank Gehry Familian House Project. Retrieved from http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-kGFiV9KRic0/UJATwgPPSQI/AAAAAAAAUAE/ogt9Sh0o_Qs/ s1600/Frank+O.+Gehry+.+Familian+House+Project+.+Santa+Monica+(2).jpg Archdaily. (2010). House on the Castle Mountainside. Retrieved from http://www.archdaily.com/80155/house-on-the-castle-mountainside-fran-silvestre-arquitectos Archdaily. (2013). House Gulm. Retrieved from http://www.archdaily.com/372826/house-gulm-aicher-ziviltechniker-gmbh Fetishtic Disorder. Psychology Today. Retrieved from https://www.psychologytoday.com/conditions/fetishistic-disorder Gehry Residence / Frank Gehry. (2010). ArchDaily. http://www.archdaily.com/67321/gehry-residence-frank-gehry Kandinsky, W. (1866). Point and line to plane.. Retrieved from https://au.pinterest.com/pin/48273027236726026/ Kandinsky W., & Rebay, H. (1979). Point And Line To Plane, n.p.: New York : Dover Publications, 1979. Mies Van der Rohe, L. Brick Country House. Retrieved from http://lashanranasinghe.blogspot.com.au/2013/06/exp3-developing-my-bridge.html Slobzheninov, A. (2015). Point, Line, Plane and Space. Retrieved from https://www.behance.net/gallery/23775305/Point-Line-Plane-and-Space Williamson, C. (2016). A Modern Lake House in Western Massachusetts. Retrieved from http://design-milk.com/modern-lake-house-western-massachusetts/
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