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Professor: Jerry LumArch 101 – Fall 2012

Final Learning PortfolioRomy

Vargas

The Human Condition The human condition consists of a broad range of

general events that are inherent to human existence. Concerns and questions regarding the meaning of life, isolation and, my personal favorite, the inescapability of death. There is nothing more obvious to the human condition than death, its something that bonds us together, a fate we all share. Although I say this as if it is so apparent, I did not come to this conclusion until tragedy struck in my personal life.

After my group was established, we originally agreed that the human condition is forming relationships and creating communities for social interaction. Socialization and community, as vague as that sounds, became our underlying inspiration. We also wanted to create something that was interactive and functional. My original drawings on scratch paper consisted of swinging constructions to host multiple individuals, a fun interactive swing to propel laughter and lighthearted enjoyment. My drawings meant to exist in the country site as well as the cement courtyard.

Between our first class meeting as a group and our first off campus meeting, I experienced the loss of my grandfather. This event completely changed my perception of the human condition and brought to light the fate of each individual being. Death became the new focus of our sculptural biography. When you lose a loved one it forces you to reflect on the fragility of life and its briefness. Instantly, I started to reflect on my life and the good and bad decisions I made in my short 22 years of existence. Where do I want to be in terms of accomplishment if I reach the age of 90 like my grandfather? Am I fulfilling the goals today I set for myself during my childhood? My grandfathers death put my life into perspective, but how to translate my perspective into a sculptural biography became a new challenge.

Since we don’t know what awaits us post-mortem, our goal is to momentarily evoke the experience of death through highlighting the briefness of life. I created a small scale representation of an enclosed memorial. The profile of the iteration forms a trapezoid with a series of wooden slats that forms the walls of the structure. Within the wooden walls of the structure, on the right and left side, is a Plexiglas planter that is to be filled with soil as well as the wooden walls that surround the Plexiglas. Within the trapezoidal planter is a flexible hammock for resting. The planters in the slope of the iteration are mainly for aesthetic purposes. The concept behind this coffin-inspired piece is to force reflection upon the person who chooses to rest inside the confining walls. The Plexiglas is strategically placed near the left and right shoulder of the person occupying the space and the grass that is planted should run along the perimeter evoking feelings of resting six feet under. The only view while resting should be the sky. Feelings of death should provoke reflections of ones life.

Site specification was a huge factor that, unfortunately, was not incorporated into my coffin-like design. At this point we claimed the shaded corner of the Batmale Hall courtyard that also contains the highest point of the threaded cement wall. Thankfully, a member of my group used the wall in her design to introduce verticality. Her design was inspired by the sectioning approach as well as the human skeleton: mainly the sectioning and curvature of the spine. Her iteration inspired us as Team Kühl to create our narrative.

Past-Present-Future

Past Present Future will reflect the narratives of the human condition by momentarily evoking the experience of death through highlighting the briefness of life. In this installation, one will experience the simplicity of a new, innocent beginning which will transform over time into what is complex and more meaningful. By using vertical framework and emphasizing the step-by-step development of the structure and its entirety, the viewer will understand that what is presented directly in front of them is the beginning and the end of a journey. One will experience a state of silent reflection once they enter into the overhanging structure and rest under what will feel like the middle of the journey. Once resting in the center of the cocoon-like space, one will be able to see our interpretation of a simple beginning and a somewhat complex future.

The spatial journey will be constructed by using three main overhanging structures which will represent the three phases of life, “past, present, and future”. We will attempt to create a clear sense of life’s journey through each phase by constructing a gradual transition from an optimistic beginning to a reflective present and the inevitable, complex yet unknown future which is death. The installation will be an extension of the cold concrete flooring of Batmale Hall’s courtyard and will gradually ascend up the wall and balcony. Ultimately, we aim to evoke the feeling of solace and peace by creating a balance between past and future.

“Architecture is a Sculptural Biography”

Thankfully a member of the group discovered chair seats and

chair backs from old school desks stacked In the back of the classroom. There were four different seat types: two different back rests and two different seats. The total number of wooden pieces reached around 200. The next challenge and question we faced was, “How would we construct something from these wooden seats that resemble anything close to our original design intent?’ We spent several classes trying to figure out how to connect the pieces together and taking advantage of the curvilinear characteristics that they all possessed. Finally, I imagined the smaller wooden pieces would be connected with 1” key rings to allow movement. If we were to just drill them directly into one another we would inhibit our ability to mold our design. The idea was to drill four holes on each side like the points of a compass and connect a strong durable key ring to four other wooden pieces and so on to create a large-scale kinetic, wooden blanket. Most of the construction could be done indoors in case of rain or harsh weather conditions. I created a small scale model to represent the site and the possibilities that could be achieved with miniature pieces that resembled the wood.

Our number one challenge from the start was keeping our proposals cost effective and maintaining a realistic design strategy. There was a list of expectations that our designs should adhere to if we wanted to create a successful sculptural biography:

Evoke design languageAspect of journey - Journey is primarily for our guest jurors -Accidental encounters -Pathways and placesHow do we get them to gather or interact? -Sensing a briefness of beauty -Identify examples of fleeting beauty

To test out our construction theory, I purchased four 1 ¼’’ key rings from Home Depot and drilled the four holes into four pieces of wood. I then connected them with the help of a butter knife and it turned out to be a success. We then decided to order the key rings in bulk and spend our class time drilling the holes and making the connections. Our Experiences are unique to our own lives, yet we are connected like the key rings to a network of shared spaces and community.

By linking the wooden units in a repetitive scheme we

achieved a predictable design that had plenty of room for flexibility and great potential for movement and interactivity. The pattern is reminiscent of of snakeskin. In the shaman tradition snakeskin shedding represents death and rebirth. This is the closest and most obvious link to our original intention expressing rebirth and death. Recycling the discarded wooden chairs was a rebirth of the material’s into a new structure.

Construction Process

Because the location we chose was frequently flooded with water, mud and surprisingly fecal matter. To meet the challenge of navigating the constant hazards of slipping we decided to elevate the structure and create a functional wooden framework held together with screws and nails. The next step to unify our design was to use the larger scale wooden seats in an overlapping, repetitive arrangement.

After completing the floor we had planned to connect the each sculpture from upper level and hang them down to connect onto the floorboard. This strategy continues the wooden unit pattern from the stable base and extends it upwards into the hanging section of our installation. Blending the stable with the flexible.

Before we could erect the sculptures we experimented with their form and flexibility.

We wanted to create chairs so people could rest, reflect and enjoy the spatial experience. We used a prefabricated heavy duty construction frame to support the seats. Since the wooden pieces were originally meant for sitting, we brought them back to life and gave them function again. Instead of having a fixed position the chairs were hinged and equipped with springs to prevent over extension while reclining.

The chairs are functional as well as interactive. When

an individual reclines in the chair an action is triggered throughout the structure. That action was inspired by a marionette as well as kinetic architecture. Each bench controls a different hanging structure by pulling a cable taught that is connected from the top of the sculpture then guided through eyehooks and pulleys that are extended from threads in the cement wall down to the backs of the benches. The reclining motion pulls the cables and twists the sculptures creating a helix rotation and resembling a human spine. With our spines we control the wooden spines.

We constructed wooden anchorage boxes that wrapped around the wooden rails above and extended over the concrete wall. From each anchorage box we implanted an eyehook and used airplane cable to suspend the sculpture from the second level. Two of the anchorage points were utilized for lightweight pulleys. Gravity was an environmental variable that became a cause for concern after one of the sculptures slipped from the cable and fell to the floor. It became a double-edged sword: on one hand the best way to dictate the shape and form was to hang it but on the other hand we had to make sure that it was going to be durable during rainy days and heavy weather conditions. Since it was an interactive construction, it had to be reinforced to prevent injury if someone tugged the cables too hard. The reason we chose to use airplane cables as opposed to rope was because the cables are strong, thin and flexible. The cable doesn’t lengthen over time from constant strain which makes it an ideal match to meet the needs of a precise interactive reaction. To view the video of the kinetic sculpture please copy the link below:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ysoN46M_0s

Metamorphosis Rhythmic wooden petals that are bound together ascend from the undulating wooden ecdyses, scaling the cement

fortification. Each petal parallels a fingerprint: everyone is born with one but no two prints are the same. Each wood grain contains a unique history but is banded to one another in a network of shared spaces and community. Walking underneath the damp, frigid awning there is comfort in resting. One is able to recline with the force of the spine, altering the environment in an evocative, unexpected way. The puppeteer proceeds to twist the metaphorical, hanging vertebrae in a helix rotation making room for new life, new DNA or simply a reinvention of ones self: a memorial to youth and past memories. While reclining, the acoustics during the movement of the springs, cables and vintage wooden seats, is reminiscent of an archaic wooden ship dictated by the wooden sails and the repetitive wave-like pattern that is the floor. Sailing aimlessly in an unpredictable environment is a present day conflict, being unaware of what the future holds and finding solace in memories.

Post MortemStrengths - Altering your environment is an evocative and unexpected idea - Re-use of materials/re-purposing exemplified the goal of he project - The vintage appeal of the wooden pieces and their individual unique history truly captured the “past” - Engineering was successful in producing an interactive environment - Flat floor with undulations and modules is effectively executed and, in person, the highlight of the structure. - The varying patterns among the wooden pieces - Cost effective and resourceful

Weaknesses - The attachment of the strands ant the bottom corner were aesthetically displeasing and served only for function instead of function and design

Unexpected Discoveries - The archaic acoustics that echo from the springs and cables are reminiscent of an old ship.

Missed Opportunities - In terms of construction we wanted to cover the wooden support system under the benches and create a better flowing transition from seat to floor.

Challenges Remaining - Redesigning the area where all the hanging sculptures meet - Restoring the pieces to its original condition so other classes can use them

Reflection Creating a 3D large scale model definitely proved to be challenging. Choosing the final design, getting the finances in

order, construction, labor, and working with other students to form a collaborative effort makes it really easy to lose the sole intent of the project: which is the process of design. I learned that it really is important to embrace each element that the instructor is trying to teach as well as the people around me, even if it sounds arbitrary at first it will gain meaning through time. Our group took a risk incorporating a kinetic spatial experience, especially since none of us have prior engineering knowledge. All that we had to rely on was theory and research to form the various pulley connections and reactions through trial and error. I gained a new confidence in large scale construction that will only enhance the complexity of my small scale designs in Arch 102. I embraced the challenges of working with recycled materials that don’t conform to the linear standards that other groups frequented. My ability to adapt to working with a challenging material resulted in a successful interactive sculpture and space that the guests found entertaining .