PORTFOLIO - Jackson Skarda

PORTFOLIO

BY JACKSON SKARDA

NAAR, NEPAL

IN THE MOUNTAINS OF NEPAL, SNOW COVERED PEAKS RISE AND FALL BELOW BLUE SKIES, STRETCHING ALL AROUND LIKE A PANORAMA. RED, GREEN, AND BLUE PRAYER FLAGS, ALL STRUNG OUT IN A LINE ALONGSIDE A DIRT PATHWAY, FLUTTER IN THE WIND AS HIKERS AMBLE FORWARD TOWARDS THE AWE-STRIKING HIMALAYAS, WHICH ONLY SEEM TO STAY THE SAME SIZE FOR THE HIKERS, NO MATTER HOW FAR THEY TRUDGE FORWARD. PEOPLE COME FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD TO HIKE THIS AREA, AND MANY OF THEM WILL FOLLOW A ROUTE KNOWN AS THE ANNAPURNA CIRCUIT WHICH CONNECTS TO A PLETHORA OF OTHER ROUTES AND DESTINATIONS. ONE SUCH DESTINATION IS THE VILLAGE OF NAAR, A REMOTE VILLAGE THAT CAN BE HIKED TO FROM THE ANNAPURNA CIRCUIT IN LESS THAN A DAY. ALONG THE WAY TO NAAR, HIKERS WILL EXPERIENCE HAND MADE SHRINES, PRAYER FLAGS, AND INCREDIBLE VISTAS THAT CAN HARDLY BE DESCRIBED IN WORDS.

NAAR VILL AGE MUSEUM

EXISTINGROUTE

THE INTERIOR SHOULD BE CONNECTED TO NATURE AT EVERY MOMENT, GIVEN THE INCREDIBLE SETTING OF THE HIMALAYAS AND ITS MEDITATIVE PROPERTIES.

SETTING THE PROJECT INTO THE EARTH WOULD REFLECT THE LOCAL CUT AND FILL DESIGN, AND HELP WITH THERMAL PROPERTIES.

SOUTH WEST ELEVATION

EAST ELEVATION

THE PROJECT IS ORGANIZED IN SECTION THAT LEAD ONE INTO THE OTHER. THE ORGANIZATION ALLOWS FOR GENTLE TRANSITION BETWEEN SPACES.

BUILDING ENTRY

ARTIFACTS AND PANORAMA

BELOW GROUND MEDITATION

HIKING PATHWAY TO CENTER

FROM CENTER TO NAAR OR NEXT VILLAGE

THE CIRCULAR FORM IN NEPAL CULTURE HAS MEDITATIVE SIGNIFICANCE, AND IS OFTEN USED IN METAPHORS FOR LIFE.

CIRCULATION DIAGRAM

THE ROOF IS AN EXTRUDED BUTTERFLY PROFILE THAT FOLLOWS THE PATH OF THE BUILDING AROUND, AND ENDS AS THE SPACE GOES BELOW GROUND LEVEL.

TO NEXT VILLAGE

FROM NAAR VILLAGE

BY BECOMING PART OF THE PATH FROM ONE VILLAGE TO THE NEXT, THE PROJECT BECOMES PART OF THE HIKERS JOURNEY, AS WELL AS A GENTLE GESTURE.

A B

THE PROJECT SPACES COULD THEN BE ORGANIZED IN A LINEAR FASHION, ALLOWING FOR SEAMLESS TRANSITION BETWEEN SPACES. THESE SPACES WOULD BE BASED ON THE VARIOUS TYPES OF ART IN NEPAL. UPON DOING RESEARCH, I WANTED A SECTION FOR WALL-BASED ART, SHRINES, LOCAL ART, POTTERY, AND SMALL COPPER STATUES. THE WALL-BASED ART WOULD BE FOR NEPAL’S TAPESTRIES AND FRESCOES, AND THE SHRINE ROOM WOULD BE A LARGE MEDITATIVE SPACE WHERE PEOPLE COULD MOVE AROUND THE LARGE SHRINES. I ALSO INCLUDED SPACE FOR THE LOCAL VILLAGE TO CONTRIBUTE TO, AND AN OPEN DISPLAY FOR ANY TEMPORARY EXHIBITS.

LOBBY SERVICE

SITTING AREA

WALL BASED ART

SHRINES AND MEDITATION

WALKWAY OPEN DISPLAY LOCAL ART POTTERY MEDITATION REFLECTION POOL

AFTER SEEING THE WALL-BASED ART, YOU MOVE INTO THE SHRINE ROOM ON THE SOUTHSIDE OF THE BUILDING. THIS AREA IS LARGE AND GETS THE MOST DIRECT SUNLIGHT. HERE, THERE IS SEATING AND PLENTY OF SPACE TO MOVE AROUND, OBSERVE, AND MEDITATE ON THE LARGE SHRINES. ALL AWHILE, THE CASCADING MOUNTAINS TOWER OUTSIDE. THIS MOMENT IS THE CLIMAX OF THE PROJECT. IN TERMS OF ELEVATION, IT IS THE HIGHEST MOMENT OF THE PROJECT, BUT IT IS ALSO THE WIDEST MOMENT IN THE RIBBON. AFTER THIS MOMENT OF PAUSE, YOU MOVE INTO A SECTION FOR LOCAL ART, WHERE YOU CAN EXPERIENCE THE ART OF NAAR. NEXT, IS A LONG STRETCHING TABLE FULL OF NEPAL’S POTTERY HERITAGE. IT’S IN THIS SPACE THAT THE SLOPING FLOOR HAS BEGUN TAKING YOU BELOW GROUND.

WOOD JOIST SYSTEM

WOOD SOFFIT SYSTEM

BEAM AND COLUMN SYSTEM

WOOD PLANK FLOORING

WOOD FLOOR STRUCTURE

CONCRETE FOOTINGS

RETAINING WALL

THE LARGEST SPACE IN THE MUSEUM HAPPENS ON THE SOUTH SIDE, WHERE THE USER CAN WALK THROUGH SHRINES, TAKE IN THEIR HISTORICAL AND SPIRITUAL SIGNIFIGANCE, AND MEDITATE ON NEPALS CULTURALY RICH PAST. THE LARGE AMOUNT OF SPACE ALLOWS PEOPLE TO WALK AROUND THESE SHRINES, WHICH IS HOW THEY ARE MEANT TO BE EXPERIENCED.

THE MIDDLE SECTION OF THE PROJECT IS MOSTLY ITS MUSEUM SPACES. THE STRUCTURE IS MADE OF TWO GLULAM PIECES, WHICH ARE BOLTED TO CONCRETE RETAINING WALLS. JOISTS RUN

INBETWEEN THESE MEMBERS SUPPORTING A SOFIT SYSTEM, THICK INSULATION, AND A WATER COLLECTION SYSTEM WHICH RUNS IN THE SPINE. THE FLOOR HAS UNDERPANEL WATER HEATING.

THE END 05

THE FINAL MOMENT IN THE BUILDING PROCESSION

HAPPENS AS THE BUILDING DIGS UNDERNEATH ITSELF, SINKING INTO THE EARTH. THE HEAVINESS OF IN THE PHYSICAL SENSE, PROVIDES AN OPPORTUNITY TO REFLECT ON THE SPIRITUAL AND MEDITATIVE SENSE OF HEAVINESS THAT COMPANIES THINGS COMING TO AN END. AS THE USER ENDS THE MUSEUM PROCESSION THEY ENCOUNTER A LONG REFLECTION POOL WHICH REFLECTS THE LIGHT WHICH POURS IN FROM A SKY LIGHT ABOVE. THE USER MOVES ALONGSIDE THE REFLECTION POOL TO A SEATING AREA IN FRONT OF AN INTENTIONALLY FRAMED VIEW.

MEDITATION REFLECTION POOL

WHEN FIRST REACHING THE REFLECTION POOL, THE USER CAN SLOWLY SEE THE MOUNTAINS BEING REFLECTED FROM THE FRAMED VIEW, AND THE SKYLIGHT CAUSES THE WATER TO REFLECT AND SCATTER ON THE CEILING.

SEATING SPACE

THE FINAL SEATING AREA ALLOWS FOR BOTH LITERAL AND METAPHORICAL REFLECTION, AS THE PATH STRETCHES OUT BEYOND THE BUILDING. THE BUILDING ENDS HERE, BUT JUST AS NOTHING REALLY ENDS, THE USER CAN CONTINUE BACK INTO THE NATURE WHERE THEY HAD COME FROM.

CORTEN

CORTEN IS AN ART MUSEUM IN DEEP ELLUM DALLAS DEDICATED TO THE ART OF DONALD JUDD.

INSPIRED BY A RECREATION OF HIS WORK PICTURED HERE, THE SITE FEATURES A SERIES OF BOXES SURROUNDED BY CORTEN STEEL.

THE FROGS LEAP WINERY PROJECT SEEKS TO CREATE A WINERY THAT NOT ONLY FUNCTIONS TO PRODUCE A PRODUCT, BUT ALSO CREATES A LEASURE SPACE FOR FOOD, DRINK, AND SUNSET WATCHING IN THE NAPA VALLEY. TAKING ADVANTAGE OF THE BEAUTIFUL NATURAL VIEWS, THIS PROJECT OPENS UP ITS FACADES ON EVERY SIDE. RISING FROM THE EARTH, THE PROJECT USES THE NATURAL COOLING THAT EXISTS BELOW GROUND. AS IT DIPS DOWN TO THE GROUND, IT CREATES A RAMP FOR PEOPLE TO EXPLORE ITS LARGE, WALKABLE ROOF, AND EVEN GREATER VIEWS.