FOURTEEN

I feel very behind on my wood project. I have little more than five days to produce a final presentation, yet I feel that in order to meet this deadline, I would miss out on developing my project to its full potential. I wish I could carry this design into the next project (the masonry project), in order to incorporate wood and masonry and to see just how far I can take this design. It seems a shame to cut the development short.

THIRTEEN

After two weeks of work on the Snow Symposium, its time to return to work on my first studio project of third year. Here is a sketch I did today of my interior. Its very detailed for a sketch, but it was necessary for me to work out all the details that will be required for the final project. My next step is to make the structural system that I've chosen work for this specific design.

My intention was to create an exterior space on the interior. I decided to do this because of the open nature of my "outer shell". I felt that grouping a bunch of squarish rooms together would destroy the open feel. It would also hinder the natural convection of air which is essential to the passive cooling of this building. When it comes to the aesthetic qualities of this design, I wanted to create an atmosphere of exotic creativity. Because this venue is place where art is displayed and created, I wanted the building to help the artist and the art viewer to open their mind to new possibilities by placing them somewhere unfamiliar, yet not uncomfortable. Also, a place that does not outshine the art it exhibits. I find that when I travel, I learn and grow much more than when I am at home; When I am at home, the need to change or learn something new is very far down the list as far as needs go.
Unfamiliar, not uncomfortable
Attention grabbing, not attention demanding
Inspiring, not overbearing
foreign, not alien

What do you think?
-would you like to come to a place like this for:
       -fine dining?
       -an art workshop?
       -music lessons (voice, piano, guitar, etc....)?
       -art classes?
       -a wedding?
       -an art show opening?
       -to buy wine (a fine winery in the basement- connected to the restaurant)?
       -a family gathering or town meeting?
       -balls, galas, banquets, parties, masquerades, fiestas, festivals and dances?

TWELVE

Here is the final board for "Ange de Neige", my team's entry into the Winnipeg Festival du Voyageur Snow symposium.

I really appreciate the comments from the last post, especially Ginnie's note about the playfulness of the boards. Colour was added to these boards to try to separate its likeness from anything "wedding-like". I also kept the board as simple as possible, and the text as simple and unambiguous as possible. Though we were dealing with an abstract concept,I find that  long wordy descriptions (typical of architectural studio boards) are more confusing than enlightening. I found some of the descriptions on other teams boards practically impossible to follow. This symposium's target audience is the general public. These sculptures should be as accessible as possible.

What do you think?
-Is the final version far away enough from a wedding book?
-Is this sculpture accessible to the general public?

ELEVEN

Snow Symposium. The creation of a snow sculpture for the Winnipeg Festival du Voyageur has been my task for the past week and a half. My teammates Drew, Nathan and Dave have done a great job creating a metaphoric picture stemming from the iconic snow angel. We've taken this picture and transformed it into a three dimensional form. The snow angel is a shape in negative form in the snow. Our sculpture inverts this snow-time tradition with the embodiment of an angel of snow. We've named it "Ange de Neige" (Angle OF snow). Our form explores the creation of a snow angel, a pasttime which unites Canadians, Americans and any other country and culture that knows snow. Interestingly enough, practically every culture with snow experience has some form of the snow angel. I guess it's human nature to throw ourselves into the seasonal white powder and wave our arms and legs, then marvel at the shape we've created. It is fun, it is beautiful, it reminds many of us who claim a "mature" age of childhood winters.
It never ceases to amaze me how such a simple icon connects people from such vastly different cultures.
Whether our sculpture is chosen or not, I hope that it can unite humanity just a little more. Within the periphery of snow angels lie such things as presents, sledding, snowmen, hot apple cider, crackling fires and joy. This list embodies a seasonal spirit of kindness and tolerance. Ange de Neige is a reminder to the people of the world that we are connected, and that living in peace can bring the childhood joys of a snow angel into the realm of "maturity".

The following is an image of our preliminary boards.

Click to enlarge!

What do you think?
-Does this look like it belongs in a wedding book?
-what are some of your favourite childhood snow memories?
-Does a snow angel bring and specific memories to mind?

TEN

When it comes to materials, I'm going to use very large posts and beams cut from the California Red Fir (Abies magnifica). I'm also going to use the concrete tilt-up wall system for the back half of the building. Because concrete wall panels are usually detailed with simple reveals, I want to create a stamped concrete look on these panels! Here is how I want to do it:
     1- pour and stamp the basement concrete slab.
     2-Pour and stamp the first wall section on this slab using appropriate forms and methods
     3-pour and stamp each subsequent wall section on top of the first untill all wall sections have cured and are ready to be lifted into place.
     4-lift all walls into place
     5-pour a second layer of concrete on basement floor to remove the original stamp.

Of course, this will only work if certain conditions are met. The stamp pattern used must look the same in positive and negative form (if you want the walls to all look the same). Walls must always have a stamped surface to be layed out on (if you want both sides to be stamped).

What do you think?
     Can this stamped wall procedure work?
     Has it been done before?

NINE

The interior of this building is only an interior as long as the fabric membrane hangs down from the 60' tall wooden structure. To allow a cool breeze to pass through this space, the fabric can be lifted. Once this is done, es the space enclosed inside or outside?
I decided to MAKE it outside, even when the fabric is closed. From the atrium space, the other rooms in the building will appear to be a stone and wood buildings modeled after the very general Asian tradition. Though I want to stay away from the influences of Asian culture, the beautiful ancient Chinese and Japanese architecture fits so well with this design and the idea of a paper lantern that I decided to move in this direction, despite the attached culture. Below is a very rough sketch of what such an indoor exterior may look like.

click to enlarge!

EIGHT

The exterior of this building must be beautiful. I want visitors to spend a lot of time outdoors exploring the surrounding gardens and vineyards, but I want this building to be central. It is a centerpiece. I want people who see it from the road or the river to question, "Can I go inside that?"

click to enlarge!

What do you think?
     Is this a beautiful place?