Final Learning Portfolio

Heather WoodARCH 21

Fall 2010

ProgramWe were asked to design a temple with sacred qualities. It was to be timeless and imbued with reverence. • The scale of the “temple” doesn’t relate to the usual size of human beings, but to the indeterminately

larger stature of the “god” to whom it is dedicated. The “temple” has its own ideal system of proportions within its own fabric. This characteristic contributes to its detachment from the found world. At the same time, fellow humans will construct your temple design. Thus both the “god” and human scale must exist together. The “temple” does not provide for the bodily needs or functions of mortals.

• The “temple” relates, by axis, to something distant and above the ordinary: a sacred place on the peak of a distant mountain, a star, or the rising sun.

Activity or Event Areas • a. An approach that is ceremonious linking the “found world” of your making to the “temple” • b. A transitory area that bridges between outside and inside; profane and sacred • c. A place to contemplate the natural world and our relationship to it • d. A place to contemplate the inner space of the human mind • e. An inner sanctum or genius foci (the spirit of place) that bridges the natural world and inner • space of the human mind. • f. Associated paths that link the three places within the “temple”

Site• I wanted to create a site

that had as many elements found in nature as possible. I included mountains, valleys, a cave, and an area of flatlands. I oriented the opening of the cave towards the north axis, so that it would be dimly lit.

• One mountain sits on the north south axis and will always remain lit because of the path of the sun. The other mountain is oriented towards the east west axis. The sun will rise behind it, and cast light on it as it sets. These were experiences I wanted bring attention to through the use of framed views.

First Iteration

First Iteration

• I struggled with this design because I lacked direction. I had not yet developed fully my concept of the sacred, so many elements in this design were arbitrary and thoughtless.

• I had however decided on the sun’s path, so I was able to orient my temple in the way that I wanted, despite being unable to create a temple form that I was happy with. The platform of the temple is oriented towards the rising and setting sun, offering you a way to track the time (perhaps this is not such a positive thing in a sacred place. Shouldn’t one be able to contemplate life and oneself for hours on end, without the stress of time?)

• The entrance to the temple requires you to climb a steep/treacherous (albeit low) mountain- you cannot merely walk into this temple- you must earn your right to be there. The narrow path tests one’s nature. If you are not courageous enough to cross, you will not reap the benefits found in the space of the temple.

To be honest, I feel that this was something of a throwaway iteration. Withouthaving direction, I was struggling to satisfy the program requirementsmerely for the sake of satisfying them. I had not yet implemented my ownguidelines or concepts into the design, and clearly it suffered because of it.

It was not a complete waste however, as a few things were made more clear tome- after this design I realized the importance of creating an environmentfree of the pressures and stress of passing time. In some areas, like the spaceto contemplate the inner mind, I would have to block the path of the sun,allowing one to sit and meditate for as long as they’d like. This was my first selfimposed guideline to follow. This was a minor step, sure, but at least I now hadsome direction to go from here!

Inspiration

• I realized after my first iteration the importance of a fully developed concept. Without one, my designs would continue to lack meaning or purpose, which I equate in my mind to have no value. I spent some time after iteration 1 developing my concept of the sacred, using images as inspiration and guidance. Because I was new to the process of model-making, I struggled with my own ideas- I became too heavily reliant on these inspirations. They influenced what I did in my designs- the shape of the floor, the location of the temple. I became fixated on them, and lost myself along the way.

I became fixated on this idea of a womblike space. A cocoon seemed like anideal place to find safety and comfort, offering a good environment forself-reflection. This prompted me to move the location of my temple toincorporate the cave element into my design.

Second Iteration

• I moved my temple’s location so that one would enter down through the cave, and then ascend upwards after contemplating the inner mind. Many things were still unclear to me at this point but this idea of using the cave became a fixation of mine. Despite the limitations I imposed on myself (like creating a way back out of the cave) I continued to work with this design.

• Even the drawings and explorations I did at home were about how to improve this specific design. I was not fully utilizing the explorations because I was determined to find a way to make my idea work. I wasn’t able to look at any other design options- unfortunately I didn’t realize how fixated I was until the very end, and I missed out on opportunities to improve my design.

• I do still feel like the idea of using natural elements as a base for my design could theoretically be successful. My concept was that nature is sacred, and without it, nothing else can exist. For this reason I wanted my temple to be rooted in the natural world and use it as a base to grow. The design of my temple was to take on a similar form to represent the growth one will go through on their journey from temple’s beginning to end.

• Iteration 2 lacked sacred qualities. It reads as a children’s maze with arbitrary elements. I could not answer ‘why’ anything appeared the way it did, with the exception of the location of the temple, and the slight upward angle of the walls. It was a meager attempt at reaching towards the heavens. Why was this wall curved this way? Why is this wall lower than that wall? There is no answer to these questions yet; I was still merely going through the motions- adding arbitrary details to fit the program guidelines. For this reason, I was not yet happy with any of the work that I had produced. There was no meaning behind it, I felt I could not defend it.

Third Iteration

• I elevated this temple off the ground in an attempt to separate the sacred from the profane

• The curvilinear spiral stairs work to create upward movement and direct ones view towards heaven.

• Each program area has its own level, beginning with a descent below ground to contemplate the inner mind, and ending on a raised platform framing views of the mountain tops.

• At this point I was beginning to move away from arbitrary elements, and towards elements with meaning, though there are still elements in this design that lack purpose (ie the columns on the second floor)

• I wanted to keep a curvilinear, rounded shape to guide one up towards god, and I also wanted to use cut out to allow one to see where they have been (ie the rounded hold on the second floor that enables you to see down to the level you came from)

Fourth Iteration

• This iteration continued with a curvilinear form heading upward. The arbitrary circle in iteration three was addressed in this iteration with a wall to make peering over the edge safer.

• To be frank this iteration holds little value to me. It is a prime example of what poor design I’m capable of when my work lacks integrity and focus.

• I still had not allowed myself the opportunity to explore other forms of temple or locations for it via drawings. My drawings were still focused on improving the design I already had- not how to change it (which, in retrospect, I can say would have been a good idea)

Fifth Iteration

• This was my first ever skeleton model, and it forced me to think about my design in a way that I hadn’t previously. I never took time to think about structure or supports- trusses or haunches. They were irrelevant to my designs before this one.

• I tried to include qualities that would be found in real architecture while still maintaining a level of abstraction in my design. I tried to incorporate a cantilever system as well as tensile structures.

• I failed to meet the program requirements in this design because I struggled with framework. How do I use a skeleton model to show paths and stairs? How do I differentiate between wall supports and window openings? Adding these types of program responses was possibly the biggest challenge I had faced thus far.

• I had not developed hierarchy in my line weight because I used only one type of wood to construct my model. This made differentiating things even more difficult than it might otherwise be in a skeleton model.

• Using wood was a limiting factor in my design. I am already model making challenged and this seemed to pose a lot of problems for me. How can I create a perfectly rounded platform with straight sticks?

• Between this iteration and the final one I had to experiment both via drawings and via material explorations. I had to learn the limits of my materials, and adjust my design wherever I may need.

Sixth Iteration

• My obsessions with a cocoon!• I met the parameters laid out for me in the program, but barely. • Each area was addressed but I don’t think the spaces were clear. Some were left

very minimal and only made sense once I described them. I struggled with readability to the very end in the class. The space to contemplate nature was an ongoing issue for me- I did not understand how to create and inside space to offer an area to contemplate nature and the outside. (reminds me of my refusal to spend money on a wallet- a space to hold the money I am spending on it)

• For this reason the ‘nature’ areas usually remained open and unchanged- a meager attempt at offering one an unobstructed view of the world surrounding them.

• The shape of the platform does curve outward towards both mountains. It frames the views of the rising sun on one side, and of the south facing mountain on the other side.

• I am happy with the concept I settled on for my temple, though it did not come to fruition like I’d hoped. The idea of this temple growing from the ground, and of the temple itself opening up and growing from this cave into something beautiful is a sucesful concept in my opinion. Unfortunately, my fixation of cocoons, and my inability to use inspiration as a guide rather than something to copy hindered my design .

• I feel I reached a point in my designs where I finally have a direction. As the semester comes to a close, and I reflect on my work, I see many of the errors I was too blinded to see at the time. I have learned from them, and will continue to progress, working on my ‘temple’ over winter break. I am inspired by the level of learning others achieved in the course, and know that if I allow myself to explore options and take risks I will reach a successful iteration soon.

• Regardless of some of my failures I have gained an immeasurable set of tools and knowledge. I have developed a tectonic language, that prior to this course was essentially nonexistent. I’ve learned to trust the iterative process, which was something I struggled with throughout Design 101 and the first half of Arch 21, and through our wall, floor, and ceiling studies I gained insight into the way our surrounding manipulate us everyday (narrow paths, steep stairs)- and how I can use that to manipulate behavior in my own designs!