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ZACK MILLER PROFESSOR ZELIG FOK S E M E S T E R R E C A P Z E E N - A R C H 3 0 0 01 FALL 2020
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IT CAN BE NOTED THAT TYPICAL ARCHITECTURAL CONVENTION PRIVILEGES THE DISCIPLINE OF SPATIAL DEVELOPMENT THROUGH ORTHOGONAL DRAWINGS. CONVENTIONS SUCH AS FLOOR PLANS, SECTIONS, AND ELEVATIONS ARE USED TO DEVELOP ARCHITECTURAL SPACES, RATHER THAN UTILIZING THE PHOTOGRAPHIC IMAGE AS A BASIS FOR SPATIAL DEVELOPMENT. THIS PROJECT AIMS TO CHALLENGE THE CONVENTIONAL READING OF ARCHITECTURAL COMPONENTS WHEN THEY ARE RECONTEXTUALIZED IN A PHOTOGRAPHIC MEDIUM. IN A COORDINATED PARTNER PROJECT, BOTH CONVENTIONAL ARCHITECTURAL REPRESENTATION AND CONVENTIONS IN ARCHITECTURAL PHOTOGRAPHY WERE EXAMINED, ALONG WITH HOW THESE TWO NOTIONS BLEED INTO AND IMPACT EACH OTHER. SITED IN THE PICTURESQUE LANDSCAPE OF THE STORM KING ART CENTER IN ORANGE COUNTY, NY, A SINGLE BUILDING STRUCTURE CONTAINING A RESTAURANT AND WINERY WITH ACCOMPANYING VINEYARDS WAS PROPOSED. RESPONDING TO THE TYPICAL PHOTOGRAPHIC LANGUAGE OF THE SITE, AS WELL AS THAT OF MID-CENTURY MODERNIST PHOTOGRAPHY, THIS PROJECT ATTEMPTS TO UNDERMINE THE PRESCRIPTIVE, OBJECTIFIED NATURE OF SUCH IMAGES. A HYPER-COLLAGE, WHICH CAN BE DEFINED AS A POTPOURRI CONTAINING A LARGE AMOUNT OF INDIVIDUAL COMPONENTS CREATING A NEW CONSTRUCT, WAS UTILIZED. THIS SPECIFIC HYPER-COLLAGE UTILIZED STANDARD ARCHITECTURAL COMPONENTS, WHICH MAKES UP THE FACADE ENVELOPE OF THE BUILDING, DISTORTING EACH INDIVIDUAL PIECE’S “IMAGE” AND IMPLIED FUNCTION. THE DESIGN INVESTIGATION INVOLVED A CASE STUDY OF NUMEROUS OBJECTIFIED ARCHITECTURAL PHOTOGRAPHS, AS WELL AS CASE STUDIES OF CORRESPONDING ART WORK, SUCH AS PABLO PICASSO’S GUERNICA. IN RESPONSE TO THESE FORMAL INVESTIGATIONS, IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT SEEMINGLY NORMAL OBJECTS SUDDENLY BECOME RATHER INSIGNIFICANT WHEN VIEWED AS A GROUPED OBJECT, RATHER THAN VIEWING EACH COMPONENT ON ITS OWN. JUST AS IN GUERNICA, COLLAGING ARCHITECTURAL ELEMENTS TO CREATE ONE SINGULAR DOMAIN OBFUSCATES THE ABILITY TO VIEW EACH COMPONENT ON ITS OWN, AND THUS TYPICAL ARCHITECTURAL OBJECTIFICATION, EXEMPLIFIED IN MID CENTURY MODERNIST ARCHITECTURAL PHOTOGRAPHY, IS NEARLY IMPOSSIBLE.
THE WINERY AT STORM KING ART CENTER ZDM & RDJ
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R E S T A U R A N T
M E Z Z A N I N E
W I N E R Y
M E C H A N I C A L
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N N S S N S
G F O R E S T B E G L A K E E D B U I L D I N G E D V I N E Y A R D G P A V E D P A T E D L O A D I N G
H I N D S H S D O C K
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6 A BUILDING’S SITE MAY BE, PERHAPS, THE MOST SUBJECTIVE ASPECT OF ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN, THEORY, AND PRACTICE. THE SITE MEANS MANY DIFFERENT THINGS TO MANY DIFFERENT KINDS OF ARCHITECTS, DESIGNERS, STUDENTS, AND DRAFTSMEN. AT FACE VALUE, ONE MAY SAY THAT A SITE IS SIMPLY THE EXISTING AND NATURAL CONDITION THAT A BUILT ELEMENT IS RESPONDING TO, INTERACTING WITH, OR RESTING UPON. IT IS SIMPLY THE EARTH AND SOIL BENEATH A BUILDING AT A SPECIFIC COORDINATE ON THE PLANET. HOWEVER, ARCHITECTS SEEM TO HOLD A MUCH MORE ROMANTICIZED VIEW OF WHAT A SITE IS. WITH REGARDS TO SITE, FRANK LLOYD WRIGHT ONCE SAID THAT “THE GOOD BUILDING IS NOT ONE THAT HURTS THE LANDSCAPE, BUT ONE WHICH MAKES THE LANDSCAPE MORE BEAUTIFUL THAN IT WAS BEFORE THE BUILDING WAS BUILT.” WITH NO PUN INTENDED, IS WRIGHT RIGHT? CAN WE REALLY CONVINCE OURSELVES THAT MERE BRICK, MORTAR, GLASS, AND STONE CAN SOMEHOW ENHANCE A NATURALLY OCCURRING SCENE, SUCH AS THE SITE OF A BUILDING? ARE WE GLAMORIZING THE IDEA OF WHAT A SITE IS, PERHAPS WITH THE ARCHITECTURAL EGO SUBCONSCIOUSLY PULLING THE STRINGS, TO MAKE OURSELVES FEEL LIKE THE HEROIC DESIGNER THAT SWOOPS IN AND PRESCRIBES AN INCREDIBLE BUILDING TO A GRATEFUL COMMUNITY OR CLIENT? SITE DESIGN IS THE MOST SUBJECTIVE ASPECT OF ARCHITECTURE DUE TO ITS INHERENT NON-NEGOTIABLE NATURE. FORM, FUNCTION, MATERIALITY, AND STYLE IS A CONSISTENTLY EVERLASTING AND MAINSTREAM DEBATE AMONGST MANY ARCHITECTS. WE CAN GO BACK AND FORTH ABOUT WHETHER FORM FOLLOWS FUNCTION OR FUNCTION FOLLOWS FORM, WHETHER OUR BUILDINGS
SHOULD BE MADE OF GLASS, MUD, OR EVEN FUR, OR WHETHER OUR FLOOR PLANS AND SECTIONS ARE ACCURATE AND UP TO CODE. BUT SITE, UNLIKE THE ELEMENTS AFOREMENTIONED, IS A NON-NEGOTIABLE AND ETERNALLY EXISTING CONSIDERATION -- YET HAS AN EVERLASTINGLY NEGOTIABLE AND SUBJECTIVE RESPONSE. TO BEGIN WITH, THE SITE IS THE ONLY FORMAL COMPONENT OF A BUILDING THAT EXISTS EVEN BEFORE THE BUILDING IS BUILT. THE MATERIALS AND LABOR FORCE CAN ARRIVE TO THE SITE SEPARATELY, BUT THE SITE IS THE ONE TRUE EXISTING COMPONENT. ULTIMATELY, THE ARCHITECT RESPONDS TO A SITE IN A WAY THAT IS USUALLY PREDETERMINED BY EITHER HIS DESIGN, THE CLIENT’S PREFERENCES, THE CITY’S ZONING LAWS, THE ECONOMY, THE COUNTRY IN WHICH THE BUILDING EXISTS IN -- OR ALL OF THE ABOVE. ARCHITECTURE, IN ADDITION TO MEDICINE, IS PERHAPS THE ONLY PROFESSION THAT INTENTIONALLY MODIFIES NATURALLY OCCURRING FORCES TO ENHANCE THE HEALTH AND WELLBEING OF HUMANKIND. WE DESIGN SPACES TO SHIELD OURSELVES FROM HARSH CONDITIONS AND THREATENING FORCES -- AND WE INHERENTLY MODIFY THE SITE TO ACHIEVE THIS. SO, THEN, WHY IS A SITE RESPONSE SO SUBJECTIVE? ASSUMING AN ARCHITECTURAL PROJECT IS INITIATED WITHIN THE CONFINES OF PLANET EARTH (SOME ACADEMIC PROJECTS IN THE 21ST CENTURY ARE … NOT ON PLANET EARTH), THE ARCHITECT WILL HAVE TO GRAPPLE WITH SOME SORT OF PREEXISTING SITE CONDITION -- WHETHER THAT IS A NATURAL OR MANMADE CONDITION. THE SITE CAN BE URBAN, SUBURBAN, RURAL, OR TRUTHFULLY ANY KIND OF ENVIRONMENT. GIVEN THIS INNATE CONVERGENCE WITH THE EXISTING CONDITIONS, A SUBJECTIVE QUESTION ARISES: “WHAT’S NEXT?” DOES THE ARCHITECT CHOOSE TO EXCAVATE OR BUILD AROUND THE SITE? DOES HE CHOOSE TO LOFT HIS BUILDING IN THE AIR, OR SLING IT INTO THE LANDSCAPE?
THE SITE-BUILDING INTERFACE IS AN EVERLASTING NEGOTIATION FOR ARCHITECTS -- AND ONE THAT MUST ALWAYS OCCUR. UNLIKE CHOOSING MATERIALS OR PROGRAM LAYOUTS, THE NEGOTIATION WITH SITE HAS A CONSTANT VARIABLE: EARTH. IT IS PERHAPS THE MOST HUMBLING ASPECT OF ARCHITECTURE AS WELL -- A DISTINCT REMINDER OF OUR PLACE IN THE UNIVERSE. THERE IS OFTEN AN EGO ASSOCIATED WITH THE PURSUIT OF ARCHITECTURE -- A “SUPERHERO” COMPLEX THAT MAKES THE ARCHITECT PERCEIVE HIMSELF AS A SAVING GRACE TO THE CLIENT. YET, THE IMMACULATE SIZE OF OUR PLANET IN RELATION TO THE RELATIVELY SMALL FOOTPRINTS OF BUILDINGS SERVES AS A REMINDER OF HOW INSIGNIFICANT WE MAY APPEAR ; EVEN THE TALLEST SKYSCRAPERS PALE TO EVEN APPEAR WHILE LOOKING AT OUR PLANET FROM SPACE. INTERACTION WITH THE SITE IS NOT ONLY SUBJECTIVE, BUT HUMBLING. IT IS CLEAR, THEN, THAT THE NON-NEGOTIABLE ASPECT OF THE SITE CREATES SOME OF THE MOST UNIQUEAND SUBJECTIVE DESIGN DECISIONS THAT ARCHITECTS MUST FACE. PERHAPS OUR ROMANTICIZED VIEW OF ARCHITECTURAL SITES IS A BIT OVERBLOWN ON PAPER, AND IS CLEARLY DERIVED FROM THE CLASSIC EGOTISTICAL PSYCHE OF THE ARCHITECT. OR, PERHAPS, THERE REALLY IS AN ENERGY THAT OCCURS WHEN AN ARCHITECT TANGOS WITH THE ENVIRONMENT AROUND HIM.
WIC WRITING #1 ZDM
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THE PHOTOGRAPHIC QUALITIES OF ARCHITECTURE ARE SOME OF THE MOST OVERLOOKED VISUAL EXPERIENCES IN MODERN TIMES. UNLESS WE DIRECTLY INTERACT WITH A BUILDING OR A BUILT CONSTRUCT IN PERSON, THE ONLY OTHER WAY WE ARE ABLE TO VIEW IT IS THROUGH A PHOTOGRAPHIC DOCUMENTATION -- OR A PHOTOREALISTIC RENDERING/DRAWING. THOUGH ARCHITECTS TYPICALLY DESIGN SPATIALLY, IT CAN BE ARGUED THAT ARCHITECTS SHOULD CHOOSE TO DESIGN THROUGH PHOTOGRAPHIC APPEAL -- SPECIFICALLY WHEN DIGITAL VISUALS ARE THE PREVALENT FORM OF ARCHITECTURAL EXPERIENCE, SUCH AS DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC. HISTORICALLY, IT IS CLEAR THAT THE PRACTICE OF ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN WAS MOST TYPICALLY PERCEIVED TO BE A PROCESS OF SPATIAL THINKING: HOW ONE SPACE INTERACTS WITH ANOTHER, HOW PATRONS ENTER AND EXIT, AND HOW VARIOUS ROOMS AND FLOORS ARE ORGANIZED. OBVIOUSLY, THIS IS A VERY FUNCTIONAL AND REALISTIC ANGLE OF DESIGN. YET, A HIGHLY UNDERREPRESENTED BRANCH OF THE ARCHITECTURAL DISCIPLINE IS THAT OF PHOTOGRAPHY AND PHOTOGRAPHIC QUALITIES. IN ANCIENT CIVILIZATIONS, IT IS KNOWN THAT MANY BUILDERS AND CRAFTSMEN SPECIFICALLY DESIGNED AND DEVELOPED ARCHITECTURAL FORMS TO BE PERCEIVED “PERFECTLY” BY THE HUMAN EYE: PERFECT PROPORTIONS, PERFECT ANGLES, AND SEEMINGLY PERFECT INTERFACES BETWEEN STRUCTURAL MEMBERS. HOWEVER, EVER SINCE THE ADVENT OF PHOTOGRAPHY (AND MORE RECENTLY, AMATEUR PHOTOGRAPHY VIA SMARTPHONES AND DISPOSABLE CAMERAS), ARCHITECTS HAVE ARGUABLY NEGLECTED TO DESIGN WITH PHOTOGRAPHIC IMPLEMENTATIONS IN MIND. ONE SPECIFIC PIECE OF ARCHITECTURE THAT DOES ADHERE TO PHOTOGRAPHIC QUALITIES IS PIERRE KOENIG’S CASE STUDY HOUSE 22. IN UTILIZING PERFECT CARTESIAN FORMS AND VISUAL QUALITIES INVOLVING DEPTH OF FRAME, LENS LENGTH, LANDSCAPE, AND CROPPING, PHOTOGRAPHER JULIUS SHULMAN REVEALED THAT ARCHITECTURE COULD HAVE A DEEPLY IMPACTFUL INFLUENCE ON SOCIETY, CULTURE, AND THE MACROECONOMY. BY ISSUING WIDESPREAD COPIES OF HIS PHOTOGRAPHS OF KOENIG’S HOUSE, AMERICAN CULTURE HAD A NEWLY FORMED ARCHITECTURAL ARCHETYPE OF WHAT THE AMERICAN DREAM COULD LOOK LIKE IN HOUSE-FORM. AGAIN, THE ART OF DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION TYPICALLY FOLLOWED A FUNCTIONAL PATH THROUGHOUT MOST OF HUMAN HISTORY -- AND “ORNATENESS” WAS VIEWED AS A VENEER -- AN AFTERTHOUGHT TO THE FUNCTIONAL LAYOUT. REGARDLESS OF THE SPECIFIC CULTURE, TIME PERIOD, OR ARCHITECT, FORM TYPICALLY FOLLOWED FUNCTION. INTERESTINGLY, WITH THE ADVENT OF WIDESPREAD PHOTOGRAPHY (THANKS TO MAGAZINES, NEWSPAPERS, WEBSITES, AND MOST RECENTLY SOCIAL MEDIA), THE ARCHITECT HAS STARTED TO WISELY GRAVITATE TOWARDS DESIGNING FOR PHOTOGRAPHIC QUALITIES IN ADDITION TO FUNCTIONAL QUALITIES. ARCHITECTURAL REPRESENTATION IS CONSTANTLY EVOLVING. IN THE 1950S, MOST ARCHITECTURE VIEWED VIA FLAT IMAGES WAS VIA A MAGAZINE OR A POSTER. IN THE 1980S, VIDEO WAS A TYPICAL MEDIUM OF DISPLAYING ARCHITECTURE. AND NOW, WELL INTO THE 21ST CENTURY, SOCIAL MEDIA APPLICATIONS SUCH AS INSTAGRAM SEEM TO BE THE EASIEST FORM OF ARCHITECTURAL VISUAL COMMUNICATION AND DISPLAY. IT CAN BE ARGUED THAT ARCHITECTURE AS A DISCIPLINE IS A STRICTLY VISUAL AND SCHEMATIC FIELD. UNLESS THE ARCHITECT IS DIRECTLY INVOLVED AND PARTICIPATING IN THE LABOR OF THE BUILDING, HIS DRAWINGS ARE ALWAYS, ON PAPER (NO PUN INTENDED), FLAT VISUAL GRAPHICS. THE ARCHITECT DOESN’T DESIGN THE BUILDING; HE PRODUCES THE VISUAL GRAPHICS USED TO CONSTRUCT THE BUILDING. WITH ALL OF THIS BEING SAID, THE PHOTOGRAPH, IN A SENSE, IS JUST ANOTHER FORM OF VISUAL REPRESENTATION -- AND ONE THAT THE ARCHITECT SHOULD REGARD AS HIGHLY AS FLOOR PLANS, WALL SECTIONS, AND DETAIL DRAWINGS. WITH THE ADVENT OF PHOTOGRAPHY, SOCIAL MEDIA, AND THE CURRENT COVID-19 PANDEMIC, DIGITAL ARCHITECTURAL PHOTOGRAPHY HAS BECOME THE MAIN WAY OF VIEWING AND EXPERIENCING ARCHITECTURE AND BUILDINGS. IN 2020, WE ARE ABLE TO VIEW HIGH RESOLUTION IMAGES FROM MULTIPLE SCALES, ANGLES, AND VIEWS -- SIMPLY WITH THE SCROLL OF A PAGE OR THE CLICK OF A BUTTON. FOR THIS REASON, ARCHITECTS EVERYWHERE SHOULD REGARD THE PHOTOGRAPHIC ELEMENTS AND QUALITIES OF THEIR DESIGNS AS HIGHLY AS THEY REGARD ANY OTHER DRAWING OR GRAPHIC THAT THEY PRODUCE.
WIC WRITING #2 ZDM
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IT IS A COMMON BELIEF AMONG THE AMBASSADORS OF MANKIND, OR MORE SIMPLY PUT, HUMANS, THAT THE UNIVERSE IS THE FORCE IN OUR EVERYDAY LIVES THAT DETERMINES MUCH OF WHAT OCCURS. VARIOUS THEORIES AND HYPOTHESES SUGGEST THAT THE UNIVERSE (OR SOME OTHER DIVINE FORCE, SUCH AS GOD) CAN AND SHOULD DESIGN CERTAIN SITUATIONS AND CIRCUMSTANCES THAT ARE BASHERT -- MEANT TO BE -- FOR ONE REASON OR ANOTHER. SOME OF THESE THEORIES AND PRACTICES ARE RATHER RELIGIOUS IN NATURE, SUCH AS INTERPRETING THE FORCES OF THE UNIVERSE IN THE FORM OF AN ALMIGHTY GOD, AND OTHER PERCEPTIONS OF THIS INCREDIBLE PHENOMENON ARE RATHER SECULAR. THE NOTION THAT MANKIND HAS DEVELOPED, MAINTAINED, AND PRACTICED A MEANS OF COMMUNICATING WITH THE FORCES OF THE UNIVERSE IS NOTHING SHORT OF A MIRACLE. SOME CONNECT AND COMMUNICATE BY MEDITATION, PRAYER, REFLECTION, OR CREATION. SOME DIRECT THEIR ENERGIES TO A GOD, OR TO THE SKY, OR TO SPECIFIC OBJECTS, OR TO THE EARTH ITSELF. DESPITE THIS DIVERSE MEANS OF COMMUNICATION, THOUGH, ONE FACET REMAINS CONSTANT ACROSS ALL DENOMINATIONS: ARCHITECTURE. ONE SUCH COMMUNICATION WITH THE MIGHTY FORCES OF THE UNIVERSE IS BY UTILIZING ARCHITECTURE AS A MEANS TO CONNECT. ARCHITECTURE AND THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT ARE NOT SIMPLY SHELTERING STRUCTURES OR PLACES TO GATHER; HUMANKIND HAS RIGHTFULLY ESTABLISHED A MUCH HIGHER AND DEEPER MEANING FOR ARCHITECTURAL SPACES. PERHAPS THIS NOTION CAN BE ILLUSTRATED VIA AN ANALOGY TO BAKING: IN ORDER TO SUCCESSFULLY BAKE, THERE ARE A HANDFUL OF NECESSARY COMPONENTS TO ENSURE A PERFECTED END-PRODUCT. THERE MUST BE, OF COURSE, A BAKER. NOTHING ELSE CAN HAPPEN UNLESS THE BAKER IS PHYSICALLY PRESENT. THERE MUST ALSO BE INGREDIENTS: THE INGREDIENTS ARE THE SOLID MASS THAT WILL LITERALLY FORM THE END PRODUCT. THERE MUST ALSO BE A RECIPE: A SET OF INSTRUCTIONS TO ENSURE THAT ALL INGREDIENTS ARE UTILIZED PROPERLY, APPROPRIATELY, AND IN THE RIGHT PROPORTIONS. AND, FINALLY, THERE MUST BE A KITCHEN. THE KITCHEN IS THE SPACE THAT MAKES ALL THE ABOVE COMPONENTS (BAKER, INGREDIENTS, RECIPE) COME TOGETHER. IT IS THE VENUE THAT TRANSFORMS THE BATCH OF COOKIES FROM A COUPLE OF EGGS AND SOME FLOUR ALL THE WAY TO A PERFECTED DESSERT. MORE SIMPLY PUT, ARCHITECTURAL SPACES CAN BE VIEWED AS A MIDDLE POINT BETWEEN GOD AND MAN. IN THIS SCENARIO, MAN OBVIOUSLY PLAYS THE ROLE OF THE INGREDIENTS, AND GOD/THE UNIVERSE PLAYS THE ROLE OF THE BAKER. THE RECIPE IS THE RULEBOOK THAT IS USED TO FULFILL THE VARIOUS ASPECTS OF WHAT IS GENERALLY AND UNILATERALLY DEFINED AS A “GOOD LIFE.” SOME WOULD ARGUE THAT THIS RULEBOOK IS A SET OF LAWS, THE BIBLE, OR PERHAPS JUST SIMPLY THE GOLDEN RULE -- BUT, AGAIN, ALL HAVE THE SAME PRINCIPLE IN MIND. AND, OF COURSE, THE KITCHEN REPRESENTS THE ARCHITECTURE. THE ARCHITECTURE IS, ARGUABLY, A MIDDLE POINT BETWEEN GOD AND MAN. A CONNECTION BETWEEN THE UNIVERSE AND THE HUMAN EXPERIENCE ON EARTH. IT’S QUITE DIFFICULT TO NOT BE ROMANTIC ABOUT ARCHITECTURE. HUMANS HAVE NATURALLY PROGRESSED OVER TIME TO DEVELOP SPACES THAT TELL STORIES: SPACES THAT COMMEMORATE, MEMORIALIZE, HEAL, AND BRING PEOPLE TOGETHER. FOR THIS REASON, ARCHITECTURE IS A LITERAL DRIVING FORCE THAT UNITES BOTH THE ALMIGHTY FORCES OF THE UNIVERSE AND THE HUMBLE AND RESPECTIVELY SMALL INHABITANTS OF THE EARTH. IT IS UP TO ALL OF US AS ARCHITECTS AND STUDENTS OF THE DISCIPLINE TO MAINTAIN THIS HIGH HONOR.
WIC WRITING #3 ZDM
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IN REFLECTING UPON THE PREMISE OF THE PHOTOGRAPHIC STUDIO OF FALL 2020, A NUMBER OF CONCLUSIONS CAN BE MADE REGARDING THE PROCESS OF CHALLENGING ARCHITECTURAL CONVENTIONS AND UPHOLDING DISTINCT PHOTOGRAPHIC QUALITIES. GIVEN THIS WAS A STUDIO POLEMIC THAT IS SEVERELY UNDERREPRESENTED WITHIN THE ARCHITECTURAL DISCIPLINE, THINKING “PHOTOGRAPHICALLY” WAS A CHALLENGE IN AND OF ITSELF. ADDITIONALLY, THE NOTION OF ACTUALLY ALTERING THE PROCESS OF DESIGN WAS QUITE A DIFFICULT YET REWARDING PROCESS. HOWEVER, IT IS CLEAR THAT THIS ACADEMICALLY-DRIVEN APPROACH TO ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN CAN YIELD QUITE INTERESTING AND USEFUL INFORMATION FOR ARCHITECTS, ACADEMICS, RESEARCHERS, AND PHOTOGRAPHERS ALIKE. BEFORE ENTERING THIS FALL 2020 STUDIO, IT CAN BE ARGUED THAT I WAS A RATHER PRACTICAL AND REALISTIC STUDENT OF ARCHITECTURE. I WOULD SELDOM EMBRACE ANY DESIGN OBJECTIVE THAT WAS IN DIRECT VIOLATION OF CONVENTIONAL ARCHITECTURE. I WOULD TEND TO WRITE OFF ARCHITECTURAL RESEARCH AND CONCEPTUAL IDEAS AS UNREALISTIC, IMPOSSIBLE, IMPRACTICAL, OR EVEN BLASPHEMOUS. AND THOUGH I DO STILL FEEL QUITE STRONGLY THAT MUCH OF THE ARCHITECTURAL DISCIPLINE WITHIN THE CONFINES OF ACADEMIA IS INDEED QUITE RIDICULOUS, FOR LACK OF A BETTER TERM. THE REASON BEHIND THIS OPINION IS THAT I FEEL THAT THE BEAUTY OF ARCHITECTURE IS WITHIN THE DETAILS -- THE CONSTRUCTION DETAILS AND SYSTEMS THAT DISPLAY HOW VARIOUS COMPONENTS AND MATERIALS CAN COME TOGETHER TO CREATE AN ACTUAL STRUCTURE. IN MY TWO AND A HALF YEARS OF FORMAL ARCHITECTURAL STUDY AND PRACTICE, I HAVE YET TO SEE ANY GENUINE PROPOSALS FOR DETAILING AND CONSTRUCTING THESE LOFTY ABSTRACT AND THEORETICAL DESIGNS -- BUT THIS IS ALL BESIDES THE POINT. THE REASON I FEEL THAT I WAS ABLE TO TURN OFF MY “PRACTICAL SIDE” THIS SEMESTER IS BECAUSE THE IDEA OF PHOTOGRAPHICAL QUALITIES PORTRAYED IN ARCHITECTURAL WORK IS A CONCEPT THAT HAS SUBSTANCE TO IT. IT IS A CONCEPT AND A THEORY THAT IS BASED IN HISTORY, HUMAN NATURE, AND VISUAL TENDENCES. IT IS NOT BASED IN SIMPLY CREATING ARCHITECTURAL FORM --AS MUCH OF ARCHITECTURAL ACADEMIA TENDS TO ADHERE TO THESE DAYS. TO ME, IT SEEMS THAT TYPICAL 21ST CENTURY ARCHITECTURAL EDUCATION PRIVILEGES FORM, GRAIN, AND DRAWING OVER THE ACTUAL BROADER DESIGN THEORY ITSELF. THE PHOTOGRAPHY STUDIO, AS MADE EVIDENT BY OUR WORKFLOW, DOES NOT INHERENTLY MIND IF THE FORMS OR SPATIAL QUALITIES OF OUR PROJECTS ARE NATURALLY UNPLEASANT -- THE MOST IMPORTANT PREMISE OF THE PROCESS IS TO DESIGN FOR VERY SPECIFIC PHOTOGRAPHIC QUALITIES. NOT ONLY DID THE STUDIO CALL FOR AN INVESTIGATION OF DESIGN THEORY -- IT ALSO REQUIRED A FORMAL DESIGN PROJECT TO SHOWCASE THE REALMS OF PHOTOGRAPHIC RESEARCH THAT WE HAD DONE. TYPICALLY, ARCHITECTS AND ARCHITECTURE STUDENTS TEND TO START A DESIGN PROCESS WITH EITHER A FUNCTION AND/OR FORM IN MIND. SOME MAY START BY SKETCHING VARIOUS BUILDING SHAPES AND FORMS, AND SOME MAY START BY LAYING OUT A PROGRAM DIAGRAM. THE DESIGN PROCESS, IN ITS ITERATIVE NATURE, WILL THEN GO THROUGH SECTIONAL DEVELOPMENT, FACADE DESIGN, FLOOR PLAN LAYOUTS, MATERIAL STUDIES, AND, OF COURSE, SITE DESIGN. THIS PROCESS IS QUITE RIGID AND LINEAR. IN CONTRAST, THE PHOTO STUDIO OF FALL 2020 PRIVILEGED PHOTOGRAPHY AS A MOTIVE FOR DESIGN, AND THIS NEW AND UNIQUE ANGLE OF THE BUILDING DESIGN PROCESS WAS FASCINATING. IT IS CLEAR THAT ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN CAN BE APPROACHED IN A VARIETY OF WAYS, AND CAN INVOLVE A MULTITUDE OF THEORIES. THE PHOTOGRAPHY STUDIO WAS NO EXCEPTION, AND ABSOLUTELY OPENED MY EYES TO NEW MOTIVES AND PERSPECTIVES ON THE VISUAL SIDE OF ARCHITECTURE.
WIC WRITING #4 ZDM
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THE NOTION OF “FLASH” AS A NOUN CAN BE DEFINED AS “A SUDDEN AND OFTEN BRILLIANT BURST,” AND AS A VERB IT CAN BE DEFINED AS “BREAKING FORTH IN OR LIKE A SUDDEN FLAME OR FLARE.” THE EVENTS OF MAY 4TH, 1970 WILL CONSTANTLY BE REMEMBERED AS ONE OF THE RAWEST AND UPSETTING DAYS IN THE HISTORY OF NOT ONLY KENT STATE UNIVERSITY, BUT ALSO IN THE HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES AS A WHOLE. THE NOTION OF A POWERFUL, GOVERNMENT-SPONSORED NATIONAL GUARD USING DEADLY FORCE AGAINST COLLEGE STUDENTS HAS CONSISTENTLY BEEN A GRIM REMINDER OF THE BLEAK AND TENSE SOCIETAL DYNAMIC IN AMERICA DURING THE VIETNAM WAR. AS THE EVENTS OF MAY 4TH UNFOLDED, IT IS CLEAR THAT THE NATIONAL GUARD HAD NO PARTICULAR AND SPECIFIC HUMAN TARGET -- THEY WERE ORDERED TO FIRE AT WILL AT THE LARGE CROWD OF STUDENTS. TO THE NATIONAL GUARD, THERE WAS NO DIFFERENCE BETWEEN PROTESTER, BYSTANDER, OR STUDENT TRYING TO GET TO CLASS -- ALL WERE SUBJECT TO THE BULLETS OF THE NATIONAL GUARD. IN THIS MEMORIAL PROPOSAL, RAW MORTALITY IS SHOWCASED THROUGH A VARIETY OF FORMAL AND MATERIAL MEDIUMS. A NETWORK OF RECESSED PATHWAYS AND STAIRCASES REPRESENT THE CHAOS THAT OCCURRED AT THAT VERY SITE IN 1970. A FEELING OF HELPLESSNESS OVERCOMES THE VIEWER AND HE OR SHE STANDS BELOW GRADE, AND STARES UP TO THE MENACING FACADE OF TAYLOR HALL ABOVE -- JUST AS THE FOUR VICTIMS OF THE SHOOTING DID. AS A VIEWER PROCEEDS THROUGH THE “CARVED” PATHWAY, IT IS CLEAR THAT THE JOURNEY IS REMINISCENT OF WALKING THROUGH A CEMETERY. TO RECOGNIZE THE VERY SPOTS WHERE EACH OF THE FOUR STUDENTS WERE SHOT, FOUR DISTINCT AND RECTILINEAR MASSES EXIST; EACH BEARING THE NAMES OF THE VICTIMS RESPECTIVELY. NOT ONLY DO THESE MASSES SIMPLY IDENTIFY THE LOCATION AS TO WHERE EACH STUDENT WAS SHOT -- THEY ALSO POSSESS A MATERIAL QUALITY THAT ALLOWS VIEWERS TO SEE THEMSELVES IN THE REFLECTION OF THE MASS. THE MEMORIAL IS DESIGNED TO ALLOW A VIEWER TO SEE HIMSELF/HERSELF IN THE REFLECTION TO TRULY SHOW THE ASPECT OF RANDOMNESS WITH REGARDS TO WHOM WAS SHOT THAT DAY. THE SHOOTING COULD HAVE BEEN ANYONE -- A ROOMMATE, BEST FRIEND, CLASSMATE, OR NEIGHBOR. AS STATED BY THE CROSBY, STILLS, & NASH SONG OHIO, “WHAT IF YOU KNEW HER AND FOUND HER DEAD ON THE GROUND?HOW CAN YOU RUN WHEN YOU KNOW?” THE FOUR, 20-FEET TALL MASSES ARE CONNECTED NOT ONLY BY THE PATHWAY, BUT ALSO BY A CENTRALIZED MARBLE PAVILION BEARING THE WORDS “BLESSED BE THE TRUE JUDGE,” A PHRASE USED IN JUDAIC TRADITION TO RECOGNIZE THE DEAD. WITHIN THE PAVILION THERE ARE FOUR ETERNAL LIGHTS -- ARGUABLY THE “HEART” OF THE MEMORIAL -- TO ETERNALLY COMMEMORATE THE FOUR LIVES LOST ON MAY 4TH. THE ETERNAL LIGHT IS A SCULPTURE UTILIZING A STONE/ROCK TEXTURED FINISH TO PAY HOMAGE TO THE JEWISH TRADITION OF LAYING ROCKS ON TOMBSTONES. AGAIN, ALL ALLUSIONS IN THIS MEMORIAL PAY HOMAGE TO THE IDEAS AND TROPES OF WALKING THROUGH A CEMETERY -- BUT ALSO PAY HOMAGE TO THE NOTION OF POWER VS. VULNERABILITY -- A SOCIETAL ISSUE THAT STILL REMAINS UNRESOLVED TODAY.
K E N T S TAT E M AY 4 T H M E M O R I A L ZDM
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47' - 1 5/8" 13' - 0 1/4"
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LIVING RM
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DINING RM KITCHEN 3
BED RM
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47' - 1 5/8"
COVERED OUTDOOR SPACE
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2X9 JOISTS @ 16" O.C. W/ OSB SHEATHING ON EXTERIOR SIDE
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PARAPET WOOD "VIGA" BEAM
CEILING 12' - 0"
GALVANIZED METAL LATH OVER STUCCO NETTING
2X4 TOP PLATE NAILED TO VIGA BEAM 2' - 6"
BEDROOM 6' - 0"
DOUBLE HUNG 36"X72" WINDOW 2X12 "GRINGO" PLATE
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DOOR HEADER DETAIL TO COME?
12"X10"X4 1/2" ADOBE BRICK & MUD MORTAR
TYP. 2X4X12 STUDS @ 16" O.C. R‐11 BATTING INSULATION 5/8" GYPSUM BD. BOTH SIDES
PRESSURE TREATED 2X12 SILL PLATE
0' - 3"
LIVING ROOM
---
7' - 0"
2" R‐11 FOAM
2X4 PRESSURE TREATED BOTTOM PLATE 1' - 0"
1/2"X4‐1/2" KWIK BOLT LONG THREAD CARBON STEEL EXPANSION ANCHOR BOLT
1' THICK POURED & REINFOCED CONC. SLAB W/ OSB SUBFLOOR
WALL BASE TBD
2' - 0"
1' THICK CONTINOUS REINFORCED CONC. FDN. WALL 1'X3' POURED CONTINOUS REINFORCED CONC. FOOTER
2 A102
0' - 5 1/4"
0' - 6"
POURED CONC. BOND BEAM
1' - 0"
1 A102
22' - 10 3/8"
4 ---
14' - 10 5/8"
13' - 0 7/8"
5' - 2 5/8"
BATH
COMPACTED GRAVEL INFILL
3' - 0"
SANTA FE, NM HOME DESIGN ZDM
FIRST FLOOR PLAN 0' - 0"
FOUNDATION BOTTOM -3' - 0"
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THIS PROJECT INVOLVES A FULL DESIGN OF A UNIQUE BUT SIMPLE HOME IN SANTA FE, NEW MEXICO, FOR THE METHODS AND MATERIALS 1 CLASS. WE WERE TASKED WITH DESIGNING AND DOCUMENTING FULLY DEVELOPED ARCHITECTURAL DRAWINGS FOR THIS HOME.
OPTIONAL 5/8" GYP. BD. ON INTERIOR FACE 0' - 4 1/2"
3/4" STUCCO OVER 17 GA. NETTING & HOMEWRAP 2" R-11 RIGID FOAM INSULATION FASTENED TO BRICK
1' THICK POURED & REINFOCED CONC. SLAB W/ OSB SUBFLOOR
14X10X4-1/2" ADOBE BRICKS W/ MUD MORTAR
FINISHED FLOOR 0' - 0"
PRESSURE TREATED 2X12 SILL PLATE 1/2"X4-1/2" KWIK BOLT LONG THREAD CARBON STEEL EXPANSION ANCHOR BOLT
2" R-11 RIGID INSULATION FOAM COMPACTED GRAVEL INFILL FOUNDATION
1' THICK CONTINOUS REINFORCED CONC. FDN. WALL
BOTTOM -3' - 0"
1' - 0"
1'X3' POURED CONTINOUS REINFORCED CONC. FOOTER 3' - 0"
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THIS PROJECT INVOLVES PROPOSING AN ISOLATED GAIN ADDITION TO AN EXISTING HOUSE. THE SITE IS AT AN EXISTING RESIDENCE IN MAYFIELD HEIGHTS, OHIO, AND IS ROUGHLY 2000 SF. THE MAJORITY OF THE PROPOSED GLAZING FACES SOUTH, BUT THE MICROCLIMATE OF THE RESIDENCE IS AFFECTED BY NEIGHBORING HOUSES, BOTH ROUGHLY 12’ OFFSET FROM THE NORTH AND SOUTH ELEVATIONS.
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