Problem Statement
Fear. This is the adversary many working architects face today. It is this fear of the future, this fear of change; this fear of disconformity that holds many of us back and sadly never quite let us achieve our full potential. As individuals who must know alot about many things we have the important task of taking upon our shoulders the responsibility of creating a more positive impact on the human race and the way we live presently and beyond . Thus far we have had a few individuals who were able to capture the essence of what it is to be an architect, yet those who have not "self-actualized" continue to weigh us down as a whole. This must no longer be the pattern if we are to bring to fruition what it truly means to be an architect.
Critical Position
As a designer and creator of the built environment I feel I have the responsibility of not only producing functional, aesthetically pleasing entities but also the innate duty of creating works that are able to reach into the depths of our psyche. My ultimate goal is to create buildings that begin to generate a more intimate relationship between humans and the built environment. These static ghosts that are seen strewn across our nation and the globe in general are a thing of the past, the future is ours for the taking and I intend on fully exploiting all that is within my grasp.
Thesis Statement
The human element is what is lacking from the built environment we interact with on a day to day basis. The ability to change from minute to minute, hour to hour, the constant state of flux that each and everyone one of us is capable of is what needs to be captured as much as possible when designing our structures. Buildings can and should be able to transform and show us emotion. Our buildings need to talk to us in ways they have never done before and we should not be afraid to help them achieve this. My goal is to design a School of Architecture that manages to encapsulate all that is important in my eyes, a school in which the future generations of architects will learn from the world they live in for 3 or 4 or 5 years and take that knowledge and share with the rest of the world.
Sunday, April 17, 2011
Sunday, January 23, 2011
Concept Development
From the early beginnings of my career as an architeture student i have always been a firm believer in the idea of a concept. I feel it important to add a character a personality, a deeper meaning to your structure. With the help of a concept that is able to apply itself to your ideals, goals etc your building will not only reflect a deeper understanding for context, fuction and uses but will in progress create a name and a meaning that will undoubtedly leave a mark on each and every would-be user and maybe even establish itself as an icon in the depths of history. For this specific project i decided to focus on the one thing that sperates an architectural institution from most other modern day universities, its studio culture. In my specific school there will be a total of 5 years for the Undergrad program and 3 years for the Graduate program. The studio is the heart of each and every year and quite obvious the heart in the instruction of architecture. After much research i decided upon the concpet of Aphelion which is defined as the point on its orbit when earth is farthest from the sun. I felt this idea suitable and will help me greatly in designing a school in which a character such as the studio needs to be celebrated and given a respect and hierarchy visible and experienced by all.
Concept: Aphelion
Philosophy/Bullet Points
*Freedom and education should go hand in hand, hence why the studio culture is so pertinent in the instruction of architecture design.
*Studio culture aligned with this idea of Aphelion starts a negotiation between subjective and objective realities, a truly importnat life skill.
*Studio culture just like aphelion follow parameters that define them as they are but there is a a degree of unpredictability with both which stray away from the caged setting of classrooms.
*In this ideal way of teaching/learning one learns to create his/her own structure, amonst the skill sets learned are self discipline and organization.
*Amongst many basics to the concept of aphelion, Apsis is a strong character related to celestial mechanics and defined as “center of attraction”, relative to season.
*Milankovitch Cycles
Describes collective effects of changes in the earth’s movement upon its climate.
*Keplers Laws
1) orbit of every planet is an elipse with the sun at 1 of 2 focii.
2) planet moves faster near the sun, so same area is swept out in a given time as at larger distances
These ideas have helped to form an overall idea and experience that i want to convey to the inhabitants of downtown and beyond with my new addition. Its important to understand that my project will belong to the context and therefore must fit within the context. A building that manages to exist mutually while showing great personality and features unique to itself is sure to be a great addition to an already budding city with high ambitions.
Provocative Dynamic Design(PDD)
Formal/Spatial Synthesis
Referencing back to the site analysis i went back and extracted a few findings. I was in search of Aphelion and Apsis within this information. I began to study the intricacies created by the overlapping of the layers these diagrams had created. I found many instances which i decided to extract and incorporate into the designing and layout of my school. Therefore embedding some of the surrounding urban landscape within my entity.
Scheme 1
Studio, designated by the yellow is conveying the idea of Aphelion. It is the furthest from any of the other surrounding program. This scheme hopes to give studio prominence by its location. As i mentioned before, design and placement of the studio is critical as it is the heart of my institution.
Scheme 2
The next scheme is an approach towards Apsis. Another form of giving prominence to something is by placing it centrally and making it your main actor. Studio shrink in size a bit as to not overwhelm but fit in and work simultaneously with the rest of the program.
Scheme 3
The third scheme also pursues Apsis but this time studio is given an upgrade in size. Since studio is the essence of any architectural school it has to be dominant and almost overwhelming in contrast to the rest of the program as to give the utmost importance.
Plan Deformations
The drawings took me further into how the studio’s could either embrace the rest of the program or build itself from the inside out.
Physical Models
The models were further explorations as to how the studio could be manipulated and sprinkled throughout the rest of the program.
Concept: Aphelion
Philosophy/Bullet Points
*Freedom and education should go hand in hand, hence why the studio culture is so pertinent in the instruction of architecture design.
*Studio culture aligned with this idea of Aphelion starts a negotiation between subjective and objective realities, a truly importnat life skill.
*Studio culture just like aphelion follow parameters that define them as they are but there is a a degree of unpredictability with both which stray away from the caged setting of classrooms.
*In this ideal way of teaching/learning one learns to create his/her own structure, amonst the skill sets learned are self discipline and organization.
*Amongst many basics to the concept of aphelion, Apsis is a strong character related to celestial mechanics and defined as “center of attraction”, relative to season.
*Milankovitch Cycles
Describes collective effects of changes in the earth’s movement upon its climate.
*Keplers Laws
1) orbit of every planet is an elipse with the sun at 1 of 2 focii.
2) planet moves faster near the sun, so same area is swept out in a given time as at larger distances
Human Element
Dead Architecture
Architecture for the most part has lost its personality and slowly become a monotonous language which no longer manages to evoke emotion. I am here insisting that our future buildings begin to convey more of a personable image. The traits that make humans unique and incredibly magnetic have to be relayed in our architecture in order to start a form of revival in our field.
Contextual Impact of My School of Architecture
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| A mutualist relationship between downtown and school |
 |
| Performative program/Personality |
 |
| Triggering Moment |
 | |
| A self sustained Environment |
Provocative Dynamic Design(PDD)
 |
| Facade that will be capable of displaying student work to surrounding city |
 |
| It is vital that studio culture and tertiary classes be integrated to maximize learning experience. |
 |
| Interactive classrooms that will maximize and stimulate the learning experience. |
 | |
| An outer shell that transforms and manages to encapsulate the true meaning of Morphing. |
Formal/Spatial Synthesis
Referencing back to the site analysis i went back and extracted a few findings. I was in search of Aphelion and Apsis within this information. I began to study the intricacies created by the overlapping of the layers these diagrams had created. I found many instances which i decided to extract and incorporate into the designing and layout of my school. Therefore embedding some of the surrounding urban landscape within my entity.
 |
| Downtown Limits |
 |
| Density/Infrastructure |
 |
| Overlapping Layers |
Scheme 1
Studio, designated by the yellow is conveying the idea of Aphelion. It is the furthest from any of the other surrounding program. This scheme hopes to give studio prominence by its location. As i mentioned before, design and placement of the studio is critical as it is the heart of my institution.
Scheme 2
The next scheme is an approach towards Apsis. Another form of giving prominence to something is by placing it centrally and making it your main actor. Studio shrink in size a bit as to not overwhelm but fit in and work simultaneously with the rest of the program.
Scheme 3
Plan Deformations
The drawings took me further into how the studio’s could either embrace the rest of the program or build itself from the inside out.
Physical Models
The models were further explorations as to how the studio could be manipulated and sprinkled throughout the rest of the program.
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