       
Utz, Cynthia : Assignments
It's fine, cynthia.
Assignment 6
Library 101
Assignment 4
Assignment 3
Assignment 2
Assignment 1
assignment #6
Architecture
Summary
Ellen Dunham-Jones, the director of the undergraduate program of architecture introduced architecture as not just something that "looks cool." She put a lot of emphasis on how buildings are a reflection of the designer. She introduced the term "solo practitioner", collaborative teams, and historic preservation. Dunham-Jones introduced the architect as a discipline that is shifting from and "old man's profession" to a younger crowd, popularized by architecture contests.
Terms
- Solo practitioner- an architect (generally) who has left a firm to start their own individual firm. The solo practitioner is responsible for all the work that comes through the office, even the menial jobs that would normally be passed off to underdogs. They have the advantage of being able to give the client full attention and meet them on their level (evening and weekend consultations). (http://www.pgstephen.co.uk/)
- Sustainability- a process that can be maintained indefinitely, a system's ability to maintain itself (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sustainability#Precautionary_principle)
- Design- (in respect to architecture) focusing on elements of a concept and looking at them on a whole (http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/architectural-design.html)
Questions
- How can someone distinguish a building that's just a building from a building that is a work of architecture?
- How does architecture define our culture in relation to public spaces? Can we encourage community through our architecture?
- Is becoming an architect worth the time it takes the be licensed and gain respect to do what you started wanting to do...design buildings? Is it worth the "old man's profession?"
Building construction
Building construction uses holistic thinking that encompasses all parts of the process of a piece of architecture. They relate to the architect, owner, engineers, and subcontractors directly. Through out the lecture he emphasized the facilitation of information from one part of the process to the other. He also emphasized the quickly changing relationships involved in building which is become to be more team like and less linear like it had been in the past.
Terms
- stakeholders- there are many different stakeholders in today's designing world, which quickly becomes very complicated in large scale projects. There's the client, and within the client are the architect, the engineer, the different levels of the owner who commissioned the project. there are many approaches to this complex system including BIM and AEC (http://easyweb.easynet.co.uk/~iany/consultancy/stakeholders/stakeholders.htm)
- team- a team is a group of people working together for a common goal, according to the learning center a team is formed whenever two or more people purposely collaborate ideas, a team must have trust, commitment, vision, and inclusion to be truly effective in accomplishing its established goal (http://www.learningcenter.net/library/building.shtml)
- developers- a person or company that increases the value of a parcel of land by improving it or creating something new, they typically work in a team with engineers and architects to improve the site. developers can either be prompted by clients to build for them or build offices or homes to sell or rent out. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Real-estate_developer)
Questions
- How do you network in order to have a consistent income?
- Is it easier to work with a client and build what they want or try to guess what a renting client would be looking for when building?
- What role should the owner play in relation to the developer?
Industrial Design
Summary
Abir Mullich emphasized the human-factor involved in industrial design. When designing a product the designer must account for not only how it looks and whether or not it is structurally functional, but must also undertake the task of designing something that will be more of a help then a pain to the user. The tool shouldn't create more problems then it solves, other wise it won't be used. Industrial design is a problem solving process that focuses on people, environment, the future, and functionality.
Terms
- humanizing- to make more human like, to design in respect the the user (user-centered design) (http://www.lexic.us/definition-of/humanize)
- applied arts- design that serves a daily purpose in addition to being aesthetically pleasing and/or artistic (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Applied_arts)
- interaction- mutual reciprocation of actions, so interactive products are ones that act and react as the person is using them. (ipod, push a button change a screen) (http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/interaction)
Questions
- How do you design products that will satisfy and overcome the problems of as many users as possible?
- How do you know when to design for a small group of users (excluding medical equipment)?
- How does a team of designers decide what is most important to the users?
- A product is never going to be perfect, but with each new prototype new problems emerge; at what point to do you say that a project is finished?
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library 101 assignment
Barnes, Christopher F. "Hurricane disaster assessments with image-driven data mining in high-resolution satellite imagery." IEEE Transactions on Geoscience and Remote Sensing 45.6 (2007): 1631-40. Engineer Village. Georgia Institute of Technology Library. 11 Oct. 2007 .
Behar, Michael. "5 Bold Ideas For A Hurricane-Proof New Orleans Why just rebuild the Crescent City when we can reinvent it? Here, the complete plan for riding out a category-5 storm." Popular Science 268.2 (2006): 56. ProQuest. Georgia Institute of Technology Library. 11 Oct. 2007 .
Block, Walter, and Llewellyn H. Rockwell. "Katrina and the Future of New Orleans." Telos 139 (2007): 170-85. Sociological Collection. EBSCO Host. Georgia Institute of Technology Library. 12 Oct. 2007 .
Brown, Joseph E., and Kenneth Caldwell. "New Orleans : One Year After Katrina." Urban Land 65 (2006): 11-45+ . Avery. EBSCO Host. Georgia Institute of Technology Library. 10 Oct. 2007 .
Campanella, Richard. "Geography, philosophy, and the build/no-build line." Technology in Society 29.2 (2007): 169-72. Engineer Village. Georgia Institute of Technology Library. 11 Oct. 2007 .
"Comprehensive regional plan needed for reconstruction." Engineering News-Record 255.10 (2005): 23-25. Engineer Village. Georgia Institute of Technology Library. 11 Oct. 2007 .
Craig, Robert M. "Hurricane Katrina's Impact on Nineteenth-century Cultural Landmarks." Society of Architectural Historians Newsletter 49.6 (2005): 2-5. Avery. Georgia Institute of Technology Library. 10 Oct. 2007 .
"ENVIRONMENT; NEW ORLEANS : TWO YEARS LATER; Cheap, clean and green; 21st century neighborhood takes shape in the 9th Ward." Los Angeles Times 29 Aug. 2007, home edition ed.: A16. ProQuest. Georgia Institute of Technology Library. 10 Oct. 2007 .
Fredrickson, H, J Furey, C Foote, and M Richmond. "Environmental Consequences of the Failure of the New Orleans Levee System During Hurricane Katrina; Microbiological Analysis." Performer: Army Engineer Waterways Experiment Station, Vicksburg, MS. Environmental Lab (2007): 91. NTIS. Illumina. Georgia Institute of Technology Library. 11 Oct. 2007 .
Graettinger, Andrew, Rakesh Gupta, Thomas Skaggs, Steven Pryor, and Kenneth J. Fridley. "Performance of wood-frame structures during hurricane Katrina." Journal of Performance of Constructed facilities 21.2 (2007): 108-16. Engineer Village. Georgia Institute of Technology Library. 11 Oct. 2007 .
Grimes, Christopher. "A Political Storm Two Years After Hurricane Katrina, Many of New Orleans' Residents Have Still Not Returned Home. Is This What Some In Actually Wanted?" Financial Times 18 Aug. 2007 [London, UK] : 20. ProQuest. Georgia Institute of Technology Library. 10 Oct. 2007 .
Holtzman, Anna. "Why Are So Many Displaced Residents of New Orleans Being Left Out of the Rebuilding Process?" Architecture 95.3 (2006): 72. Avery. EBSCO Host. Georgia Institute of Technology Library. 10 Oct. 2007 .
Kelman, Ilan. "Hurricane Katrina disaster diplomacy." Disasters 31.3 (2007): 22. Sociological Collection. EBSCO Host. Georgia Institute of Technology Library. 12 Oct. 2007 .
Nobel, Philip. "Welcome restraint: in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, something strange happened: architects kept their mouths shut and their hands off their pens." Metropolis 25.4 (2005): 64-66. Avery. EBSCO Host. Georgia Institute of Technology Library. 10 Oct. 2007 .
Nossiter, Adam. "New Orleans of Future May Stay Half Its Old Size." New York Times 21 Jan. 2007, late edition ed.: 1.1. ProQuest. Georgia Institute of Technology Library. 10 Oct. 2007 .
Olshansky, Robert B. "Planning after Hurricane Katrina." Journal of the American Planning Association 72.2 (2006): 147-53. Avery. EBSCO Host. Georgia Institute of Technology Library. 10 Oct. 2007 .
Reid, Robert L. "Building safety: FEMA report explores building performance during Hurricane Katrina." Civil Engineering 76.11 (2006): 20-22. Engineer Village. Georgia Institute of Technology Library. 11 Oct. 2007 .
"SAKS REOPENS NEW ORLEANS STORE; MORE THAN ONE YEAR AFTER HURRICANE KATRINA, UPSCALE RETAILER MAKES TRIUMPHANT RETURN TO CITY." Daily News Record (2006): 10. FirstSearch. Galileo. Georgia Institute of Technology Library. 12 Oct. 2007 .
"Scruggs Group pulls rug out from under State Farm's hurricane Katrina settlement: motion takes carrier by surprise; some speculate it could be a negotiating tactic." National Underwriter Property & Casualty 111.11 (2007): 6. FirstSearch. Galileo. Georgia Institute of Technology Library. 12 Oct. 2007 .
Solnit, Rebecca. "Comment & Debate: The Lower Ninth is rising from Katrina's awful ashes: Two years after the hurricane devastated New Orleans, an influx of volunteers is fortifying an inspirational regeneration." The Gaurdian 29 Aug. 2007 [London, UK] : 28. ProQuest. Georgia Institute of Technology Library. 10 Oct. 2007 .
Sommerhoff, Emilie W. "Finding Shelter ." Washington 94.10 (2005): 9. ProQuest. Georgia Institute of Technology Library. 10 Oct. 2007 .
Stark, Judy. "THE HOUSE THAT KATRINA BUILT." St. Petersburg Times 28 Jan. 2006: 1F. LexisNexis Academic. Georgia Institute of Technology Library. 11 Oct. 2007 .
"URBAN PLANNING; NEW ORLEANS : TWO YEARS LATER; Rethinking the riverfront; Builder seeks to reconnect the city to its river, blending contemporary architecture with the historic." Los Angeles Times 29 Aug. 2007, home edition ed.: A16 . ProQuest. Georgia Institute of Technology Library. 10 Oct. 2007 .
Vlahos, Dean. "Let's Stop Building Sandcastles." Engineering News-Record 255.11 (2005): 51. Engineer Village. Georgia Institute of Technology Library. 11 Oct. 2007 .
Watkins, John P. "Economic Institutions Under Disaster Situations: The Case of Hurricane Katrina." Journal of Economic Issues 41.2 (2007): 477-83. Sociological Collection. EBSCO Host. Georgia Institute of Technology Library. 12 Oct. 2007 .
Wilson, Alex. "An Ecological Vision for Rebuilding New Orleans: Planning for a Cleaner, Greener Crescent City." Landscape Architecture 96.1 (2006): 64-69. Avery. EBSCO Host. Georgia Institute of Technology Library. 10 Oct. 2007 .
Whoriskey, Peter, and Spencer S. Hsu. "New Orleans Gets a New Hurricane Plan; Mayor Emphasizes Evacuation, Not Shelters;Buses and Trains to Run." The Washington Post 3 May 2006, final editio ed.: A03. LexisNexis Academic. Georgia Institute of Technology Library. 11 Oct. 2007 .
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assignment #4
Lecture 1
Craig Zimring focused his argument in two parts, 1) towards designing buildings that naturally incline occupants to use stairs or other forms of hybrid exercise rather than people movers and 2) towards designing hospital rooms that prevent hospital related illness or injury. Like the speaker on designing universally Zimring developed his argument with statistics on obesity in the first half and health costs in the second. These statistics supported his argument for architecture that supports hybrid exercise and gRitz Carltonh hospitals. Important terms and concepts: everyday exercise, Americafs health, and our health system.
Key terms
- Behavior- a response to internal or external stimuli, how something functions or operates, reaction to the environment. This term was mentioned many times in this lecture. In the context of this lecture it refers to how people are reacting to the spaces they are in and how the spaces shape their behavior. gWe shape our buildings, and afterward our buildings shape us.h ~Winston Churchill (http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/behavior)
- Convenience- simplifies work, suitability, opportune, easily accessible, close at hand. This applies to both parts of the lecture and truly is the center of both. Design should to shape its occupants behavior through easy of access to healthier and safer life styles. (http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/en%3Aconvenient)
- Layout- arrangement, arrangement of parts. Zimring really emphasized laying out architecture for convenience to shape peoplefs behavior, so even broader than convenience he was preaching effective layouts. (http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/layout)
Questions:
- How can the layout of a building be designed to balance encouraging hybrid exercise and universal design?
- Does encouraging hybrid exercise make life more difficult for those who are unable to experience that exercise? Should we be essentially rewarding people for walking up the stairs instead of taking the elevator while not providing that same more pleasurable conditions for those in wheelchairs or with canes or bad knees?
- How can we balance the need to conserve resources and building gRitz Carltonh hospitals?
- How will it make those of lower class feel about the allocation of the governments resources?
- How can we justify these extravagant hospitals when we are letting people die on the streets of preventable diseases?
- Will this continue to hurt the increasing problem of not enough beds in hospitals?
Lecture 2
The photographer seemed to really jump around a lot from point to point and the whole lecture seemed like an hour of her musings about Atlantic Station, the good and bad of Utopian architecture, Atlantic Station reflection of trends, destroying the past for the new, history preservation, among many other comments the Atlantic Station made on society. I think that it could have been a very affective presentation if she had focused on one of her many musings (many of which would have been interesting to expand on). The one that stood out the most was historical preservation, which was her purpose of documenting the site of Atlantic Station. Key concepts she touched on were: utopian architecture, industrial site, and development.
Key terms
- Utopian architecture- leveling an area and building it from the ground up. This is what the developers did in Atlantic Station. They swept away the steel mill that was previously there and built buildings and parking decks, green space and lakes in its place. (notes)
- Industrial site- a site for the purpose of creating a product not directly involved in research (http://www.pnl.gov/main/publications/external/technical_reports/PNNL-13834.pdf) The site of Atlantic Station is built over an old steel mill, which is considered an industrial site.
- Development- act of growth, a large group of houses or apartments, often similar in construction. Both of these adequately describe the process of Atlantic Station. It was an act of growing the city of Atlanta and producing more usable space. By the same definition the homes are similar to each other and certainly numerous. (http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/development)
Questions
- How do we preserve history while still developing efficient neighborhoods?
- How do we decide what parts of our past are worth saving?
- What say should the public have in a development like Atlantic Station?
- Do we know enough about our behaviors to build entire communities from scratch that act efficiently and positively shape our behavior (walking rather than driving, creating community among our neighbors)?
Lecture 3
The speaker on the 26th talked about the appeal of Palladian architecture and its elements. He spoke of who Palladio built homes for and how he began to revolutionize the approach to design through systematic diagramming and sectioning buildings. Key terms: Palladian, Golden ratio, harmony.
Key Terms:
- Palladian- characteristic of Andrea Palladio Architecture. Being that he is the topic of the lecture this is very relevant. Those characteristics include: classical elements, columns, harmony of proportions, symmetry, grid layouts, cross patterns
- Golden ratio- (1 + ã5)/2 beginning in the Renaissance ages architects used this ratio believing that it was aesthetically pleasing. Palladio was a Renaissance man of sorts as an architect in the Renaissance ages (http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/golden%20ratio) (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Golden_ratio)
- Harmony- pleasing arrangement of parts. Palladio strived for his works to all have a very harmonious look.
Questions:
- How can Palladian architecture be applied to todayfs buildings?
- Are the proportions and rules that he uses on farm homes appropriate for other types of buildings too?
- When did we begin to lose touch with careful architecture like Palladio built?
- Can elements of his design philosophy be carried over into modern architecture?
- How influential was his process of documenting designs?
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assignment #3
Lecture 1
The speaker discussed issues of design and disability and how we can begin to intergrate universal design. He set up his argument for universal design by showing the need through statistics then continued with specific design problems and solutions his company is working on. The speaker emphasized universal design, disability, and accessability to information.
Key terms:
- universal design- designing architecture products, and information systems that are accessible to both abled and disabled persons
- barrier free education- a group that works to tear down the barriers that prevent disabled students from using computers, labs, distance learning
- human factor- understanding human capability and designing around that concept
- How can designing for the majority be coupled with designing for the disabled with out dramatically slowing the design proccess?
- Should you only make accomadations for common disabilities or all that you can gain knowledge of?
- What accomidations could you ake for someone wit a learing sidability?
- How do you get away from :hospital" products in the home?
Lecture 2
The speaker spoke on the relationhsip between the construction industry, architects and the client. The presentation tracked the construction industry from the past, current practices and where we are headed. At each of these time intervals he explained the relationship between the three parties. He went into the problems in construction (from the disconnect between architects and BC to slow building) and how those problems are currently being addressed. The most common term in the lecture was intergration, meshing of feilds and joining where there is a disconnect of proccesses
Key Terms:
- Vertical Integration: linking and overlapping the design building proccess.
- Economies of Scale: larger companies are (theoreticaly) more efficent due to the acculation or resources
- Extended Enterprise: the sum of a company including it's sub contracting and connections
- How can we overcome slow product delivery?
- What areas of the construction industry need to be addressed first?
- How much does the industry really need to be expanded?
- How can we overcome negative attitudes towards the construction industry?
Lecture 3
Steven P. French came and spoke about the Geographic Information Systems Research Center (one of 6 centers in COA). He explained what GIS researched (maps and layered information). He showed us projects that have been completed and those that are already completed which mapped areas thermally, and with remote sensing, among other means. His main focus was displaying a lot of information in one space that is easily readable and how GPS and other systems are being integrated into city planning.
Key terms:
- GPS- global positioning system, sends a signal from the device to a satilite back to the device to tell you where you are, incorporated in vehical navigation systems and tracking devices.
- Remote Sensing- the concept that Google Earth uses, satilite images of cities, generally one pixel is equal to 1 meter (San Fransisco's 6in= 1 pixel)
- Lidar- measures scattered light to find the distance from an object the device is, used for measuring elevation and to measure atmospheric wind speeds
- How quickly will this technology be integrated into society if at all?
- How can these tools be used to help raise the poverty level in 3rd world countries?
- Where does it cross the line of privacy?
- Will it be more hurt than help?
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assignment #2
Lecture 1 (Classical Architecture)
The first lecture in of the assignment focused on classical architecture in various aspects of classical architecture and how it lives in society today. The lecture was given by 7 different professionals in the field of classical architecture. Each speaker focused on a different application of classical architecture from high-end residential and commercial to planned communities (traditional neighborhoods) to renovations and lower income housing. Frequented words or phrases of the speakers were such like high-end residential, traditional, Greek, details, proportion, and columns.
Key terms
- High-end- superior quality, usually high price (http://mw1.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/high%20end)
- Traditional- customary pattern of thought, handing down of information from one generation to another, cultural continuity in social attitudes, customs and institutions (http://mw1.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/traditional)
Speculate
- Professional- How would one design classical architecture to be functional? How do you give a client what they want and still allow the architect to be creative under the classical rules?
- Discipline- Where can classical architecture be applied (low income housing? Restaurants? Businesses?) How does choosing to design with a classical tone affect what materials are used in the building and outside???
- Teaching- How do you teach a balance between a classical approach to design and accommodating for growing and quickly changing technology?
Lecture 2 (Solar Decathlon)
The second lecture discussed the Solar Decathlon project in which Georgia Tech is participating. The speaker briefly explained what the Solar Decathlon was. Then he described the design process and other departments that are involved in the project. He also explained the complications of moving from design and conception to building an actual product or in this case, home. The lecture was truly focused on conveying the difficulties of a cross disciplinary project and how design needs to consider more than how it looks on paper; but also how it will interact with its environment, how it will be constructed, and many other factors.
Key Terms
- Off the Grid- living with out depending on external sources to provide energy in its many various forms, can also refer to growing your own food, self sufficent (http://blogs.move.com/do-it-green/2007/05/18/off-the-grid-living/)
- Zero energy home- a home that produces only as much energy as it needs with renewable resources (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zero_energy_building)
Speculation
- Professional- How do you network to create a very precisely engineered machine that functions together, which requires multilevel research?
- Discipline- How can you work with professionals of other disciplines to create an intergraded project?
- Teaching- How do you teach students to work together to work together? How do you teach organizing a large scale project over multiple semesters with out one key leader?
Lecture 3 (Design Process)
The guest on September 5th spoke about the design process. He used the installation projects as examples to show how designers move from idea to development into something physical that you can touch. He explained the difference between old ways of conceiving ideas and the way that it has begun to develop. He also discussed questions that are now being asked and how production is changing to become more customized and individualistic. The main focus of the lecture was on how to produce products efficiently and he frequently used the term gmass customizeh.
Key Terms
- Mass customization- "Mass production of goods with differing individual specifications through the use of components that may be assembled in a number of different configurations. -Mass customization is a cost-efficient way of offering some of the benefits of customization" (http://www.investorwords.com/3001/mass_customization.html)
- Conception- the process of forming ideas, the sum of a person's ideas, originating in the mind (http://mw1.merriam-webster.com.dictionary/conception)
Speculation
- Professional- How do you create projects that consider all the aspects of production? How do you go about researching all the options and networking to put out a product at its maximum potential?
- Disciplinary- What all needs to be considered when approaching a design idea?
- Teaching- How do you teach an Industrial Designer to consider all the aspects? What kind of projects can you assign that can demand a student to consider the all the variables that a product takes to go from the drawing table to the functional table?
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assignment #1
Installation #1....The Waterfall (the three-story installation in the atrium)
1. Description:
The wooden installation located in the atrium of the East Arch. Building is very complex and has many parts to it (whether originally intended or not). The majority of the structure consists of plywood (possibly birch) about 4 inches wide and half an inch thick, varying in length and curvature (one, two, or no curves at all). The over all structure simulates a waterfall falling from the 3rd story of the atrium to the 1st through 80 parallel lines, approximately evenly spaced. Through the centers of the boards at crucial points are holes through which a long bolt is run and 1 and 1/2 inch pieces of hollow pole hold the boards parallel. Not all the edges were sanded.
The joints were all originally intended to be clean and attached with wood glue, which is true for some of the joints while others are the creative solution to various construction problems. One line of joints was not cut at the appropriate angle. This row has a triangular piece connecting one set of boards to another by metal plates with teeth that grip the wood. A few rows are joined by wood glue and screws. One row of joints are attached with metal plates with holes for the screws. Still another row of joints was spliced to be joined with other spliced boards, instead unspliced boards and spliced boards were joined togther. Not all of the joints were properly attached, a few deviate and sit at an angle rather than flush.
Each board was marked with a letter (A-J) or in one row's case a roman numeral (II) and a number. When facing the installation the numbers start from the left at 1 and continue to the right to 80. The letters start at the bottom at A and continue up to the third story to J and II, I assume these numbers were used to guide the installing the sculpture. It is difficult to tell whether the installers began at the top or the bottom. The bottom begins at A, so I originally thought that they started at the bottom and worked their way to the top. However, the boards on the third floor are labeled II rather than a number, which leads me to believe that they began at the top and worked their way to the bottom, realizing that roman numberals weren't as logical as letters. In addition, the inconsistances and flaws are signs of inexperience. I believe that the installation began at the 3rd floor and continued down to the 1st floor, due to the lessness of flaws in the bench at the bottom.
There is evidence that the original design included a bolt running through protruding curve (possibly intended to be a bench similar to the bench on the first floor. Chunks are taken out of some boards and not all the bolts have nuts on the ends (whether that is a product of time or construction i don't know.
The entire structure is bolted in several places, at the 3rd and 2nd floor railing to the concrete barrier, then rests on the floor of the first level. On both the 3rd and 2nd story railing there are 6 brackets that sit on top and around the concrete.
The bench on the 1st floor has 3 boards inbetween each of the waterfall boards to support the weight of and make it more comfortable for people.
The overall structure is 80 parallel boards that flow imitating a water fall. When standing perpendicular to the installation one can see through to the other side. But, like a waterfall, though in different ways, objects on the other side are distored. You can't see the whole object, things are broken up and disconnected. Standing back from the structure two things are at play to give an affect of a waterfall. 1) the natural morning-afternoon light draws the eye to the top of the structure where the "waterfall" begins and 2) the parallel lines draw the eye down the structure for the flow of the "water".
The way that the light comes through the boards is similar to how light comes through a waterfall when you are standing behind it. You almost feel enveloped by the water and the coolness. On purpose or not, when standing on the 2nd floor behind the installation cool air comes in between the boards and the water flows over your head.
The whole structure is the appropriate width and thickness for the space. The installation is grand, but not too grand for the space (like a overly large column entry way for a 1950's lower-middle class home.
Few shadows are cast by the structure in the morning and afternoon.
This structure is not sacred, like the Barcelona Pavillion is considered to be. Students/ people have stuck gum on the side and written "lovely" words on the boards and thrown trash beneath the bench. As beautiful it is, despite it's flaws, I don't think it is respected for the masterpiece it is.
Speculation:
The motivation of the waterfall is multi-folded. To capture the beauty and grandness of a river cascading over an edge and bring it inside. To create a structure that is interactive, that a person can appreciate for both its practical and emotional purposes.
I think that the designers were asking questions like: What are the key properties (besides the water) that characterize a waterfall? How does water bridge from one level to another? What kind of curves and lines are part of a waterfall? How would you capture the fluiditiy of water in solid wood? How could you make wood look like it should be moving?
I would imagine that they began with the idea of a waterfall and built from there. Then sketchs and studies of wood. Then various models. Then a final idea. Then they would begin to decide how it would be assembled.
I would name this installation Waterfall because of how it imitates key aspects of a waterfall (translucence, flow, rushing [through the curves between the 3rd and 2nd floors], coolness [ac in the summer], and power).
I can imagine this powerful waterfall surging over a cliff and crashing into the ground below, maintaining it's strength over time, people walking behind it and enjoying the coolness in summer.
Installation #2....The Wind (the long piece that runs along the terrace just outside the atrium)
Description:
The second installation is made of 1/4 inch polycarbonate strips bolted together. The beginning of the structure consists of ~1 foot wide rounded pieces that are stacked ~2 feet high. Every 5th piece is set off "center" and the whole stack is leaning, like a stack of paper napkins that someone has pushed off to the right. The curved rectanglular stack continues for ~3 feet then begins to seperate and expand vertically. As the distance between the sheets increase vertical polycarbonate spans every other space between sheets. Tabs fold off of either the vertical or horizontal sheets and attach at a 90 degree angle.
Every other sheet arches inversely to each other, so when one sheet arches toward the ground the other sheet arches up toward the sky. At the points where the sheets arch toward each other the sheets are joined together.
As the arches begin the structure curves around a colunm and streams off of the front of the column.
All the joints, with the exception of bolting into the concrete in 4 places, have been connected with small metal wall ancors.
About 1/3 of the way along the structure the stacked-alternating arches split out and connect in a net like way in 3 layers. They split in this fashion- from the first line of splits 6 strips per row split from 3 wide hubs. each of those 6 come together as 4 then split into 3. Each of the 3 split and meet with other strips and follow that same pattern spliting 5 more times (3,3,3,2,2) then coming to a single double layered strip. Standing right below the net you can see that the strips alternate from nearly parallel to the ground to perpendicular to it. When standing back from the installation it appears to be a 3 grids stack on top of one another and torqued.
At the jointed strips in the middle 1/3 the ends of the strips are rounded. They are joined by a bolt that runs through each strip and is seperated by 2 nuts. because of the translucent property of the polycarbonate the joints form ovals. The joints start large then shrink as as the sculpture swells and then become larger as the installation approaches the 2nd story beam, a theme carried through out the entire installation.
Each strip is marked with dots, assumedly for construction purposes, like braille. I could not figure out how different patterns of dots were organized logically.
Wires screwed into the concrete ceiling of the building help to support the weight of the structure. One of these wires is not doing it's job and has fallen over the structure.
While the structure ends at a beam level with the interior 2nd floor the round-ended strips seem to reach and continue on.
All the bolts line up almost perfectly when you step back from the installation ~30 feet. The torque in the netted strips make the installation appear to be random despite its very organized arrangement.
I believe that the designers began construction at the ground level and worked their way to the top because of the complexity of the base. Then followed the structure around the building support and up to the beam.
The light comes through the polycarbonate and reflects off of up turned surfaces. Images are distorted because of the torques of the plastic. Despite the materials themselves the installation seems more translucent than transparent because of the layers of twisted plastic. The shadows of the sculpture give the illusion that it is opaque because of how dark the shadows are.
Time has taken a toll on the installation and is grimmy from dirt blown up onto the structure and parts of the bends in the plastic have small cracks.
Speculation:
I think that this installation was built in an attempt to capture the essence of wind. The designers may have been motivated by how wind flutters the leaves and moves the trees, how it swells and bends around curves and picks up from the ground.
The designers could have asked questions such as: How does wind bend around other structures and move across open spaces? How can wind be depicted? How can you show how wind feels?
I think that they started with the questions and then began with several ideas of how to answer those questions. With the answers to the questions came what materials. Then the designers found a space and designed around that space with the best depection of wind. Then came a detailed plan of construction and how its built. Then the production of the pieces. After all the materials were collected the pieces were assembled at their current location.
This installation reminds me of wind. I can imagine standing in the middle of it and wind twisting around myself, powerful and graceful. I would name this installation Fall Wind because it reminds me of how leaves flutter.
I think that I imagine this particular wind pushing boys kites into the sky and enveloping little girls dancing. I can see this wind enjoying people enjoying it. and laughing.
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