Yanelle Suarez
Page | 2
Page | 3
Page | 4
Breaking the Monotony
The modern qualities that have come to be the aesthetically pleasing characteristics of Architecture, defy the laws of the working forces in nature. The proposed design in the pages to follow, takes the lines of most resistance, and follows a set of guidelines which aim strictly to break typical rules of “perfection� in Architecture and design. A conscious effort to misalign and straddle the bounds of linearity is apparent. The rise and fall of material, the slight change in elevation and texture, allow for a different experience, the user is enticed to reach forward and discover the unevenness, they are drawn towards the irregularity.
Page | 5
Page | 6
Course Description
This Design Studio course centers around three (3) primary activities: Reading, Discussion, and Making. These three primary activities were further broken down to sub-activities: Analysis, Interpretation, Reflection, Identification, Materiality, and Exploration. As the studio progressed and assignments began to have more significant and personal impacts on individual students, the design work began to explore individual means of approaching the meta-project that is sometimes called civilization, urbanity, western culture, or humanity. Upon selecting one of the numerous readings from the beginnings of the Design Studio, students were to select an architectural detail to explore. The detail should be fully de-constructed, reinterpreted and redefined to reflect ones own perception of the piece of work in relation to the analysis of the reading.
Page | 7
Page | 8
Table of Contents
Readings & Assignments Analysis | Quotes | References Precedent Study Conceptual Study | Identification | Interpretation Preliminary Design Material Findings | Processing Materials | Sketches Design Process Art of Making | Composition | Movement | Placement | Transition Technical Drawings Assembly | Delivery Final Photographs Placement | Presentation
Page | 9
Page | 10
Readings and Assignments
The semester commenced with the following series of Architectural Philosophical readings: R01_Intellectual Adventure of Ancient Man R02_Descartes’ Meditations_Translated by John Veitch R03_Bachelard, Gaston_The_PoeticsOfSpace_1994 R04_Pallasmaa, Juhani_The Eyes of the Skin R05_Philosophical Intuition_Lecture given at the Philosophical Congress in Bologna
Page | 11
5’-2”
Full Height
4’-9”
Eye level
4’-3”
Shoulders
3’-3”
Elbow at rest
2’-10”
Waist
1’-6”
Knee Cap
Page | 12
Body Proportion Studies
Assignment 01 1. Trace your body using Masking Paper and White Chalk. 2. Measure the distance between limbs at rest and compare the movement, form, and bending of your body when in use. 3. How will your project cater to your body type and measurements? 4. Add further details to your original trace in order to gain a better understanding of your proportions and figure.
Page | 13
Catherine Ingraham
“The donkey makes the “ruinous, difficult and dangerous curve of animality” and typifies the “looseness and lack of concentration” of human beings in distraction –that is, the primitive or nonmodern human being. The donkey in all of these guises threatens the triumph of geometry –an urbanism and an architecture of geometry, of positive action, of overcoming and ascending to power(nationhood), of sanity, nobility, and self-mastery.”
Page | 14
The Burdens of Linearity. Donkey Urbanism by Catherine Ingraham
Le Corbusier
“Man walks in a straight line because he has a goal and knows where he is going; he has made up his mind to reach some particular place and he goes straight to it. The pack-donkey meanders along, meditates a little in his scatter-brained and distracted fashion, he zigzags in order to avoid the larger stones, or to ease the climb, or to gain a little shade; he takes the line of least resistance.�
Page | 15
Juhani Pallasmaa
The Shape of Touch “The hands are the sculptor’s eyes; but they are also organs for thought, as Heidegger suggests: ‘[the] hand’s essence can never be determined, or explained, by its being an organ which can grasp[...] Every motion of the hand in every one of its works carries itself through the element of thinking, every bearing of the hand bears itself in the element[...].’” “The tactile sense connects us with time and tradition: through impressions of touch we shake the hands of countless generations.” “Gravity is measured by the bottom of the foot; we trace the density and texture of the ground through our soles.“ “Our skin traces temperature spaces with unerring precision; the cool and invigorating shadow under a tree, or the caressing sphere of warmth in a spot of sun, turn into experiences of space and place. “
Page | 16
The Eyes of the Skin by Juhani Pallasmaa
The Intellectual Adventure of Ancient Man
“The fundamental difference between the attitudes of modern and ancient man as regards the surrounding world is this: for modern, scientific man the phenomenal world is primarily and ‘It’; for ancient-and also for primitive-man it is a ‘Thou.’“ “Thou” is transparent, problematic, articulate, and unprecedented. It is a live presence which reveals itself. “It“ is scientific and relative to others; science sees “It.“ “Myth is a form of form which transcends poetry in that it proclaims a truth; a form of reasoning which transcends reasoning in that it want to bring about the truth it proclaims; a form of action, of ritual behavior, which does not find its fulfillment in the act but must proclaim and elaborate a poetic form of truth.“ “We shall find that if we attempt to define the structure of mythopoeic thought and compare it with that of modern thought, the differences will prove to be due rather to emotional attitude and intention than to a so-called prelogical mentality.“
Essay by Frankfort, Wilson, Jacobsen, and Irwin. University of Chicago
Page | 17
Page | 18
Concept Statement
Man, with his heavy hand and selfish ambition, tramples over the land and all of its natural elements. Man has established himself as the dominant acting force when working with natural materials. Man does not work with material, but rather, forces the material to yield to his will. He decides the material will conform to a specific shape a size, and so he molds it his liking. The aim of this project is to discover the flexibility of material, specifically abandoned materials which were discarded because of their inability to meet a set of standards. Be it salvaged or reclaimed materials, recycled pieces, or scraps that would otherwise be disregarded, the design is unveiled as the materials are pieced together, exploring either their interconnectedness or incompatibility. The challenge in this, is to really analyze material, spend time with it in order to discover it’s potential without forcing it to act as something; to stare at a building piece for hours until you have listened to its story, until you’ve come to appreciate it for all that it already is. By breaking the confines and rigidity of typical Architecture, where elements meet at a perfect end or are built along centerlines, the intent is to realize the potential of materials, without having to run them through machinery to meet a typical standard.
Page | 19
Elements of Design Statement
Space
Materials Color
Details
Decoration
Location User
Unity
Page | 20
Movement
Exploration Proportion
Rhythm Idea
Architecture & Symmetry Bilateral Symmetry Rotation and Reflection Cylindrical Symmetry Chiral Symmetry Similarity Symmetry Spiral or Helical Symmetry Translational Symmetry
Statement
Space
Exploration
Materials
Proporti
Color
Details
Decoration
Location User
Asymmetrical Balance
Unity
Suggested Space
Misaligned Symmetry
Page | 21
Stonehenge 3100BC Salisbury, England
Design for Mankind Yugoslavia
Page | 22
Architecture as Sculpture & Monument
Stonehenge is a monumental work of architecture which has been theorized to have served multiple purposes throughout its time in history. Built in prehistoric times, the modern interpretation of the monument is based purely on excavations. The reasons behind its building are unknown. Archaeologists criticize that writings on Stonehenge are nonsense and speculation, and no-one will ever truly know what its significance ever was. Setting all of the speculated texts aside, and looking at the monument as it physically stands today, knowing how much historians and architects have glorified it, we are left wondering what elements make this particular monument so popular. In my analysis, I found an undefined, defined space. There are gaps in these walls, and there is no roof. There are areas to inhabit and engage with, but these areas are uniquely defined by each user. There is not much of a concrete, predetermined space. There are boulders for sitting, leaning, lying, and resting. There might even be passageways, halls, corridors, and beginnings of arches. Given this analysis alone, any monument can essentially be defined as architecture if enough attention is given to it. In a broader sense, if an object is large enough, or a sculpture grand enough, those too can fall into architecture. Using this logic, I will further explore the potential for a design that has no concrete limits, but its use and potential will be determined by the user.
Page | 23
Kids Plaza Osaka 1996-97 Japan
Rogner Bad Blumau 1970 Thermenland Styria
Markthalle Altenrhein 1998-2001 Switzerland
Page | 24
Friedensreich Hundertwasser
Such was his hatred of straight lines that Hundertwasser said, “Just carrying a ruler with you in your pocket should be forbidden, at least on a moral basis. The ruler is the symbol of the new illiteracy. The ruler is the symptom of the new disease, disintegration of our civilisation.” Serving as a testament to his hatred of strong lines, Hundertwasser’s works, expressed his allegiance to nature, emphasizing its power and showing how man is but a guest in nature’s realm; and he must behave as such. Hundertwasser refused to succumb to generic forms and resulting styles of technology and mass production. As a result, his works touch the souls of inhabitants giving a sense of warmth and acknowledgment. He flourished on creativity and forged a symbol for a turn away from traditional and soulless architecture. Hundertwasser felt that any given work should be solely about the viewer/ user and his experience, and have little to do with the artist. While he was selfless in his designs, respectfully designing for the viewer, at no point does the viewer ever become more important than the dominant working force that is nature.
Page | 25
Weeping Woman 1937
Seated Female in a Garden 1938
Three Musicians 1921
Page | 26
Pablo Picasso
Of Picasso’s many paintings, I’ve chosen the four (4) to the left to reference in my design. Their clear confusion and wondrous mystery, are intriguing and drawing. They leave viewers wanting to uncover the truest meanings and intentions. What is we are looking at? There is evidently more than the colors and figures immediately discovered, so what is the depth of these 2 dimensional pieces. In the Three Musicians composition, what serves as the back drop for this painting, the framing, causes the overall work to seem as though it is lopsided. The painting toys with your balance and depth perception. The colors and lines make it difficult to decipher where one musician ends and another starts. It is most comparable to a finite continuity, and ending fluidity, an obvious and uncertain movement. The sharp precision of the Woman Seated in a Garden, illustrates the lengths Picasso was prepared to go in order to unify every aspect of a complex composition. Various details suggest different sources in the outside world, of these, the most prominent reference is the spider web. Its actual intricacy, is reflected in the painting reflecting Picasso’s interpretation of it and its stimuli and allusion.
Page | 27
Page | 28
Preliminary Design
The search for materials is a vigorous one. Typical lumber mills provide standard sizes for materials which have been precut, and prefabricated, to meet the standard needs for the general users and buyers. Materials are made to adapt to the needs of the general population; be it anything standard from coffee and dining tables to doors and windows. The gentle touch of man and intricate craftsmanship, has been lost due to financial costs and budget restraints. With that, mass production through the use of machine and advancements in technology has become the dominant working forces. Taking into consideration the reality of standardization, and exploration intentions, I began my search for unwanted scraps and chunks of wood. Whether the wood was abandoned, salvaged, or reclaimed, I was in search for pieces that were deemed disposable and unusable. Upon finding and selecting these chunks of wood, as I referred to them, I went in search of wood materials that were different in appearance but similar in function. In other words, I needed to find reclaimed and salvaged materials which varied in size and style, but would come together, in the end, to work as a cohesive whole. An entity in which you could see the beauty in destruction and find the strength of material which had been abused and reached the end of its predetermined life cycle. This design seeks to promote and enhance the essence of natural and man’s will to yield to its strength. A design in which man joins two opposing forces while always respecting the dominant forces at work, the forces which are too often forced to bend to the workings of machine. Page | 29
Images featured: Signature Pieces
Beyond the Dirt
What the eye meets is only the very surface of all things, the mask, the protective and worn layer. Those who do not venture beyond that mask, are confined to their own minimal efforts. For those who seek more, who yearn to find the whole story and see just how much there is to offer, are those who receive the greatest reward. Beyond the dirt covering these pieces of wood, were beauties and treasures that amounted to more than what was initially perceived, the perception of a dirty, unusable, and unworthy material. Before ever even taking these salvaged pieces of wood to the fabrication lab, they were pressure cleaned and left out to air dry. The majority of these pieces were covered in a thick layer of dirt, with insects who had made a home; some were wet from the rain and dew, while others had never been put in a kiln to dry because it had already been decided that they would be of no use to any buyer; whether the reason was their obscure size or cut or their imperfections. Page | 30
Perfect Imperfections
One of the main focuses of this project, is to highlight all of the natural imperfections found in materials. The weak and broken pieces are to be kept and reinforced; the cracks are to be filled and placed so that they are seen and acknowledged, not hidden; for it is not the clean and whole pieces that are important, but rather it is the perfect inexactness of a material; a being which has lived and served. There is a story to be told in every curved and warped piece; every ding, knot, and bow is essential to the whole. The live and sap edges, the bark and the roots, they are all a part of the character of each given piece. Not a single Signature Piece was in any condition to be considered perfect, they’d likely be labeled defective. Some were cracked down the middle, some dead in prominent areas. Some had bark left along the edges; there were holes and uneven areas anywhere you passed your hand, and none of them conformed to standard sizes. They were perfect for the concept of this project. Perfectly imperfect.
Page | 31
Salvaged & Reclaimed Materials
The labor intensive deconstruction and design workings with pallet wood is nothing short of frustrating and gratifying. Shortly after my exposure to reclaimed and salvaged materials, I was drawn to those who explored similar design potentials, who could provide the materials of interest. McKenzie Construction LLC, a company based in South Miami, specializes in design, craft, and construction with reclaimed materials. They receive copious quantities of recycled materials from various larger companies. Being in South Florida, we have convenient access to large amounts of Dadeland Pine, as such, shipping pallets constructed in the area, are primarily fabricated of Pine. However vendors who receive shipments from areas, near the rain forest for example, have access to much more exotic and vibrant species of wood. McKenzie Construction works with these vendors and collects their disposed shipping pallets, some of which were donated to me for this project. (See images below)
Page | 32
(Left-Right) Wyoming Snow Fence. Western Red Cedar. Red Oak
Useful Disposables
Less than 3% of the nearly 700 million pallets manufactured and repaired end up in landfills. 54% of wood pallet are stored, burned of disposed after the first shipment. The shipping pallet users who dispose of these materials, are more than willing to have hand them off. As such, the potential to upcycle this amount of pallet wood is extensive. Snow fences, intended to stop the blowing snow from drifting farther, and allow piling beside the highway rather than letting the pile it on the road, are replaced at the end of their life cycle and often discarded. Over time, the wood becomes weathered and has a wondrous beautiful aesthetic. Throughout the project, Wyoming Snow Fence is used to accentuate aspects of the piece. Instead of sanding and refining the wood, I left it untouched in order to keep the weathering of the wood as a featured appearance. Remaining scraps of discarded Green Heart, Purple Heart, Red Oak, various Pines, Mahogany, and many others were salvaged and re-purposed. Page | 33
Page | 34
Cedar
Maple
Dade County Pine
Walnut
Yellow Pine
Purple Heart
Hidden Beauty
Beyond the dirt one would find exotic wood species. The pieces featured to the left range from red woods to white, Sea Grape to Mahogany and Spalted Maple. Prior to pressure cleaning the salvaged material, the vibrant hues of red and shades of brown were masked by thick layers of dirt and moss. The species were indecipherable and looked as though they were rotten or dying. It was not until the dirt and grime were removed, and the wood received a few passes of the palm sander, that one could see the hidden beauty. The blazing reds and oranges of Mahogany breathe taking. Sea Grape is a hard and stubborn species, for it does not easily reveal itself, nor does is it quick to yield to man’s touch however, with enough patience, I found the soothing shades purple. Some species were more inclined to succumb to their refinement while others were more relentless. Consequently, patience and effort are both paramount to the craftsmanship. The majority of my time was spent working with the materials in order to prepare and unearth them, to observe how they respond to man’s tools and to one another.
Page | 35
Established Design Framework
This project has the potential to take place on innumerable scales. At a large scale, the piece can be experienced and observed outdoors at museums and parks, along building facades, and even as a divider of space. Given that the piece is not entirely solid, it allows for a play on the public vs. private front; for it both separates spaces and areas, while also maintaining a certain level of openness that does not allow for an complete and total separated or closed of essence. Presently, the project is built on a significantly smaller scale. The overall framework measures to approximately 5’-0” by 3’-6”. For the purposes of this design concept, the framework serves only to determine the outermost boundaries, without demanding that the frame be filled completely. The foreordained framework caters to my specific, intended use. At this scale, the project would function in a home, or site of similar size and environment. The piece would comfortably separate a larger space into to smaller spaces, without entirely obscuring one from the other. Likewise, the piece could also serve as a functional sculptural element which allows users to engage with it.
Page | 36
Page | 37
Page | 38
Design Process
In an attempt to work with the rawness and natural essence of materials, you will find that the pieces refereed to as “signature pieces” have, for the most part, remain untouched. Where areas of reinforcement were needed, structural linear elements have been used to reinforce, and join, those specific areas. While the aim of this project is to yield to the material at hand, the linear, salvaged and recycled materials are used to combine the various elements, in order to create a cohesive functioning entity. The placement of the signature pieces is solely dependent on their relative proximity to one another. Which ever two pieces can best compliment each other, strengthen one another, and enhance their neighbor, shall be joined near each other. Although the project functions at various scales, a general framework measuring 5’-0” by 3’-6” guides the extent of the scale for this project; fitting for the intended use and conforming to my body proportions.
Page | 39
Placement & Balance
Linear elements are used to both create a continuous flowing movement in and throughout the piece as well as assist in the coordination between signature pieces. Variation in wood species are used as a means to reinforce the communication between pieces through use of color and accents. Placement of elements with texture, such as weathering and processing, are also used to create a cohesive language. The juxtaposition of larger elements, the signature pieces, is dependent on their asymmetrical balance. A thinner large piece which carries the same visual weight as a smaller wider piece, will complement one another as they keep the cohesive whole in balance. In the same way, a piece which is heavily adorned with bark and weathering, will counterbalance another which is vibrant in color.
Page | 40
Composition
The overall composition is a constant movement of balance. The fabrication of this composition was unique in that each element is a composition of its own. In essence, the overall composition is series of compositions; each one incapable of being assemble or built until its counterpart was designed. This set of guidelines is intended to keep the eye in constant motion. The viewer is intrigued, confused, and captivated. At this moment, linear elements are delicately placed in order to move the user through and around the piece. The linear elements pull and guide the viewer from one moment to the next. Vertical elements carry the viewer, not only up and down, but also over and across to the horizontal planes. These linear elements are uneven; some being higher and lower than others as well as varying in length. This forces the viewer to make a conscious decision, to either finish experiencing one area, or continue along his path to the next undiscovered composition Page | 41
Page | 42
Preservation
In order to preserve all aspects and element of the wood, some reinforcement and preservation methods were necessary. For the areas with large cracks, holes, and voids, resin was poured to ensure that the wood would not fall apart any further or continue to split. Linear wood members strengthen the cracked and warping pieces so that they are held in place. Wood glue and nails join all wood elements and assist in the straightening and maintaining of the overall composition.
Page | 43
(Left) Lap Joint to reinforce and stabilize warped Vertical Signature resting element.
(Left) Lap Joint to join horizontal Signature shelving to vertical linear elements for stability. Vertical supports installed below for further reinforcement.
(Right) Dado Blade Joints (Top) Lap Joint (Bottom) Mortise & Tenon Joint Page | 44
Joinery
A combination of Lap joints, Mortise and Tenon, and Tongue and Groove joints hold the composition together. Each joint is unique to its condition in that it works, not only to join two pieces, but also to ingrain two different elements. The joints are atypical throughout the project, ranging in size, cut and assembled in order to fit a specific linear wood element. The sizes range anywhere from 1/4� to 2� in depth, depending on the piece which will be inserted.
Tools selected for joinery, depending on the size of material, varied among the Dado blade, chisels, table saw, and miter saw.
Page | 45
Page | 46
Transition through Color
Variations in wood species create a fluid language throughout the composition. The colors communicate an ongoing transition, linking individual pieces to their adjacent counterparts. The pieces may intercept their matching species or create a contrast, creating a slight break, in order to move the eye to the closest similar color or force it to jump. The transition from one piece to another, one species to another, and one element to another, is done through color. The wood species colors create a movement from one area to the next, allowing the user experience to go uninterrupted, and enhancing the unity of all of the separate elements and compositions.
Page | 47
The Art of Making
Man is a tool using animal. He is never found with his tools, and is nothing without his tools. Tools allow man to explore the depths of materiality and its endless possibilities. It would be a sin to give man’s hard earned skills to a machine. Machines can be violent and aggressive means of buildings. They strip man of his creativity and diminish his relationship with material, for a machine can do the work of one hundred men. It is man’s exquisite touch that molds and sculpts material so wondrously. The roughness of machine is cold and heartless, the machine does not acknowledge the work it does, only that its sole purpose is to do the work. Pushing wood through the steel blades of a saw, filling the air with a woody fragrance, I see sawdust fly towards me and create a cloud of dust around me, I lift my mask to take a deep breathe. Small chips of wood land on my forearms and in my hair, coating me in scents on pine, cedar, and oak. The rattling of uneven wood against the table as I sand over the rough surfaces sends a vibration through my arm. I pass my empty hand across the surface to feel the difference in texture. The loud humming of the planar across the room is distracting while I try to organize my work. The chisel slips from the in between my fingers just before I bring down the hammer. I realign my tools, only to splice the hard Green Heart beneath the chisel head; the joint was almost perfect, but my heavy hand and rushed motions broke it. The act of building, of making, is an art. It takes patience and diligence. It is frustrating and tedious. It is satisfying and rewarding. The art of making is many things; good, bad, and all things in between. It is an art unique to the individual and to the project; an art with no concrete rules, guidelines, or limitations. Page | 48
Page | 49
Page | 50
Technical Drawings
The assembly process is a delicate one; so delicate that designer sometimes rework their design in order to make the building process simpler and faster. It is a process of trial, error, and ongoing problem solving. Quite often, the principal means of assembly does not work the way one had initially imagined it would, at which point, the design may need to be mildly refined or entirely altered. This process forces builders to explore up tools, techniques, and building methods. The predetermined guidelines for assembly for this design concept, did not allow me to alter the signature pieces previously seen. As such, the assembly process required that I assemble each unit as individual compositions; the challenge being, that no single piece could stand or function on its own. At the completion of every composition, the compositions would then begin to come together in order to provide structural support for their neighboring piece. In the pages to follow, each composition is broken down into separate units, which are then further divided, until they develop their own presence, and are prepared to create an asymmetrical visual balance and structural counterbalance.
Page | 51
Page | 52
Elevations Page | 53
Page | 54
Page | 55
Page | 56
Page | 57
Page | 58
Page | 59
Page | 60
Photos
Through building, man forms a relationship with material. He knows that which he has touched; that which he has spent so many hours analyzing. He understands the relationship he has come to form and know; as this relationship is an intimate one. The art of making enables man and material, man and nature, to form a union. During the countless hours spent together, man becomes familiar to the touch of each piece he works with. He remembers the splinted pieces and the fibers and grains of the wood; for man is the force which brought the pieces together. He assembled each piece with intricacy and deliberation. He remembers where the glue holds the pieces together and where the nails pierce the wood. He can quickly find the imperfections, he can highlight them. He passes his hand cautiously along the unfinished surfaces. He can follow each uneven, rugged surface to where it meets another end. His work has developed a character, a living presence, one only he understands.
Page | 61
Page | 62
Page | 63
Page | 64
Page | 65
Page | 66
Page | 67
Page | 68
Special Thanks
I would like to say a very special THANK YOU to the following group of people.... Michael Tisdale with the Hurricane Collection and Benji Power and Mike Arnspiger with Mckenzie Construction, for their time and donations. Thank you for sorting through the reclaimed and salvaged materials, and providing me with enough wood to create this Master Thesis Project. Eric Peterson for his patience and dedication to his students. I cannot express how absolutely thrilled I was to have you as a mentor and professor for my final design studio. Tomas Suarez for his encouragement and support. Anielka Arguello and Julia Sarduy for their continuous support and motivation through frustrating design and building moments throughout the entire semester.
Page | 69