CourseDiscourse1701

Additional Blog Prompt
Read Architecture As Space by Bruno Zevi....draw out 5 key points (or questions that arise) from the reading and expand on them.

1) Are there better means for representing proposed architecture to the casual observer?

2) What role does the architect currently play in portraying work?

3) What is it about architecture which is so difficult to represent?

4) What falls beyond the 4th dimension?

5) If interior space is the protagonist of architecture, then what is our criteria for understanding it?

Prior to taking this class I have noticed that you can look at photos, floorplans, and models of a building, but they do not inform you about the quality of the space in an complete way. When proposing a new work, the architect uses a combination of the above representations along with his own description and imagination to portray his or her ideas. In a way, the architect both sees the future and designs it.

Some architects are begining to use virtual reality to preview and represent their work.

When I first heard of this I began to wonder if this is just another thing that will replace seeing a work firsthand, yet not suffice. I felt this way, until I read Architecture As Space.

The text proposes that time is the 4th Dimension in architecture, but this 4th dimesion "is sufficient to define the architectural volume. But the space itself-the essence of architecture-transcends the limits of four dimensions." The text then hints at what may be beyond the 4th dimension.

If I were to guess, my guess would be that what falls beyond the 4th dimension is the interaction each person has with a particular space. I feel that architecture is so difficult to represent and compare because each person experiences it so differently from the next person. This idea brings us back to virtual reality.

If you view what is beyond the 4th dimension in the way that I mentioned, then perhaps it is possible that virtual reality could come closer than past techniques which represent space. Virtual reality gives the viewer the opportunity to interact with space in a personal way that is not possible with photographs or blueprints.

The text touched on criteria for understanding the volume, but criteria for understanding space are still illusive. I feel this is because the criteria changes depending on the viewer.

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Read the last two readings in the course packet (Kahn and Gershenfeld) and speculate on what they are saying and how they relate.

After reading "Fab" by Neil Gershenfeld and "Silence and Light" by Louis Kahn, one concept stands out in my mind. Both men have considered in depth the motivations that fuel our design choices. Gershenfeld stated that when we began teaching his course at MIT called "How to Make almost Anything" he was very suprised to find that none of the students wished to enter the class for financial gain (to design products for the marketplace) or research. The students came to design and create items that they has always wanted, yet don't exist in the current marketplace, because they fufill personal desires and instead of broad public "needs." Gershenfeld mentioned that for an item to truly be personal. it must be created by the person who will use it and who desires it's creation.

This brings me to Kahn. In "Silence and Light" Kahn also spoke of the difference between design inspired by needs and design inspired by desires. Kahn said that architects is often forced to "give the world nothing but solutions of the needs, never free or experienced to guide prevailing desires to inspirations." He talked about how the current market demands draw a designer away from the natural design process.

Design>>>>>>>>Realization of a dream or belief>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>Form

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The Mother of all Blog Prompts
In text and image, comment on the idea of technopolies to an understanding of technology as an order of nature....

In Technopoly, Neil Postman comments of the impact made on cultures by new technological developments. Postman believes that new technologies cause cultural shifts which are often difficult to predict in advance.

Postman explains the impact of new technology on cultures as "neither additive or subtractive." Postman also states that "One significant change generates total change." This reminds me of the way Lance LaVine explained climate to our class in lecture. I believe he likened the nature of climate to cold water poured into a tub of hot water. You no longer have hot and cold water, but something new (warm water). Also, once the cold water is added, it cannot be removed. It has already become a part of the whole. This is the same sort of effect new developments have on the cultures they are introduced into.

Postman classifies cultures into three types with reference to technology: tool-using cultures, technocracies, and technopolies. Tool-using cultures are ones which use tools to meet basic and immediate needs. Tool-using cultures are defined as ones which use tools, but their tools do not normally inform their culture. In technocracies, "tools play a central role in the thought-world of the culture." Technocracies are also marked by a "clear call for a separation of moral and intellectual values."

Technopolies are not clearly defined in the portion of the text we were provided with. I understand a technopoly to be a culture in which technology not only informs the culture, but assimilates the culture. It becomes a means of perception of the said culture and also a means for measurement.

Lance LaVine discussed the way that building is often informed primarily by ideas of efficiency and cost effectiveness at the expense of meaning. He also discussed ways in which architecture informed by nature (light, gravity, climate, ect.) can be both efficient and meaningful. As I imagine the concept of technopoly I envision a culture in which future human achievement is shaped and inspired by previous technological achievements instead of meaning and human needs.

Postman mentioned that the invention of the clock has led to the "synchronizing and controlling" of humans, but he did not really make much further mention of the impact technological advancements have had on human perception of time. I found this surprising. Technological advancements have made us accustomed to immediate gratification of many of our needs. I wonder how this mindset impacts the way people value time and the amount of time people are willing to devote to a given task. I imagine that this does change the way we build the world around us. When I think about, I feel that technology really drives the way we build. New technologies always raise the bar as far as architectural expectations are concerned in the areas of cost, duration to build, durability of structure, use of materials, needs of the consumer, ect. It makes a person really wonder if we are building what humans want and need in their lives, or if we build what technology dictates.

Continue reading "Blog Prompt # 7...Technopolies and Technology" »

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Prompt #6 Find a series of images that somehow connect design to Mathematics. Comment.

I have chosen structural systems as my topic for this weeks blog prompt. Upon looking at the structural systems used in architecture, I noticed that most buildings are built using a few basic structural systems. These basic systems are used again and again and modified to suit each specific project.

It seems as though early builders probably did not have the mathematical knowledge we have today and must have done most of their building using trial and error to guide them. Over time, new systems have developed, due to both increased mathematical knowledge and advancements in materials. Today, designers use mathematical formulas and knowledge of materials to calculate the load that a structure can bear early in the planning phases.

I sketched some examples posted above and I have included some photographs of these examples in built form below. Some of these examples below use several structural systems.

As I look at these images I begin to ponder the ways structural systems really form the built environment. It seems like some structures are limited (as one would imagine) by systems, materials, gravity ect. At the same time, other buildings seem to be enhanced by their structural systems (or their limitations).

Continue reading "Blog Prompt #6-Structural Systems" »

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Observe and document some oppositions and their possible solutions around you.

Opposition of man and physical nature

Envelope opposition....This bridge in Baldwin, Wi is used by the farmer who owns this land.
The only way to access this land from the road in over this creek.

Opposition of mass and form

Adequate response...This barn in Hammond, Wi is right by my home. I think it is amazing. It can be seen from a great distance. From far away, it looks so weightless and delicate. It seems as though the roof is able to float. As you approach, and especially as you enter the barn, you realize that it is really a massive structure. The light exterior is contrasted on the interior by heavy stone and thick timbers.

Opposition of climate and enclosure

Adequate and probablistic response... This grain elevator in Baldwin, Wi was used to extend the season in which grain was readily available, thus opposing climate. It also keep grain dry all winter.

Opposition of Materials and Tools

Allow the opposition to shape the form.... This building in Houlton, Wi (across the river from Stillwater) is one of my favorite local buildings. I don't know anything about it really, but it looks like a little workshop or storage space. It seems like the owner may have needed a building and devised this according to the site and the materials which were readily available. I think it's charming.

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Find a document- visually and textually- a phenomena. It should include things, frameworks, and clockworks. Be creative.

Every spring, leaves sprout on deciduous trees and plants and they begin a process called photosynthesis. This is a very complex process which the tree uses to make food, or glucose. The tree takes water through it's roots, carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, and sunlight through it's leaves to produce food for the tree and oxygen, which is released back into the atmosphere in place of carbon dioxide. A chemical present in leaves, called chlorophyll, makes this process possible.

There are small passageways which transport materials between leaf and stem of a tree. Water brought from the roots is transported to the leaves through these passageways. Plants continue to produce food all summer. Often times, they produce more food than is needed to sustain life and food is transported from the leaves to the plant for storage through those same passageways. This stored food is used to sustain life during the long winter in perennial plants and trees. Wow! Plants are so smart. I wish I could power my home or car that way!!!

Plants prepare to stop producing food every year as tempretures drop, days become shorter, and rainfall decreases in the fall every year. As these events occur, the passegeway between leaf and tree closes. This restricts the water flow to the leaf. Due to a lack of fresh water, chlorophyll dissapates, and glucose production stops. As these changes occur, changes in the leaves are seen externally in the form of color. Plants are smart and beautiful.

The green color of summer leaves is caused by chlorophyll. It is present from the emergence of the leaf in spring. Orange colors are cause by carotene (the stuff that makes carrots orange).Yellow colors are caused by the presence of xanthophyll (which makes bananas yellow). The yellow and orange are actually present almost all summer as well. The can't be seen because they are masked by the green of the chlorophyll. An example of this that we see often is bananas. When bannanas are picked they are green in color. When the are separated form the plant they stop recieving water and the chlorophyll present in the fruit dissapates leaving the xanthophyll which causes the yellow pigmentation of the banana. Trees work the same way. In the fall when the passageway between the tree and the leaf constricts, water ceases to flow to the leaf. As a result, the chlorophyll in the leaf dissapates and the oranges and yellows become visable.

The red and violet colors of fall leaves are caused by glucose which becomes trapped in the leaves when the link between leaf and tree closes. These red colors are cause by a pigment which is formed called anthocyanin. This is the same pigment that makes violets purple and apples red.

The final brown color before the leaves fall comes from tannin, which is a waste product left in the leaf. At this point, the leaf is usually dry enough to break it's last connection to the tree and fall to the ground.

The variety of fall colors in leaves is directly dependant upon the amount of rain and the temperatures...as the amount of sunlight does not vary in a noticable manner. Summer drought and wetter than average Fall both affect the colors of the leaves. The most vibrant colors are the result of warm sunny fall days and cool crisp nights which do not quite reach freezing.

You could think of the interactions between the different parts of the tree in these processes as a system. You can also think of the larger sytem of the tree as a part of the forest. As the leaves fall the the forest floor, they absorb and hold rainfall, replenish soil nutrients for future growth, and provide food for microorganisms which live in the forest. You could also think of the forest as part of the Earth...and a critical part at that. The forest creates the air we breathe among other things we need and use. You could even think of the forest as a part of the Earth as a part of the solar system. As the Earth rotates, the days lengthen and shorten, which causes Spring after the long Winter, which prompts the leaves to sprout .... etc ....etc...

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Choose a place that you find meaningful. Find its Genius Loci. Describe it in text and image.

When asked to select a meaningfull place for this weeks blog prompt, the first place that came to mind was my grandparents backyard. It took me some time to sort through what it is about this place that makes it so meaningful. It is never easy to quantify these things, but I will try.

My grandparents live in Warrensburg, Mo and have lived in the same house since I was born. I spent a lot of time there as a child. I remember spending a lot of time telling them I was bored and there was nothing to do. They were wonderful and loving grandparents, but they were not the spoiling kind. I had a few toys and that was it. They were not afraid to tell me no either. That is probably what made them such wonderful grandparents. They gave me everything I needed and nothing I didn't.

So when I would go on one of my "I'm bored " fits, they would send me outside and say "Kids are never bored...you'll find something to do." For about 10 minutes I would sit there in agony and then I would realize I wasn't doing nothing anymore. I would find myself catching frogs and fireflies and turtles, watching the clouds, building a house with sticks, making a road in the dirt, watching the birds, collecting unique rocks, climbing a tree, ect. It was the kind of stuff kids need to do, but normally don't with all of the distractions of home, toys, tv, dance lessons, sports, friends, ect. My brother and I would spend day after day engaged in this "nothing to do"...or so I called it at the time.

When I go back there are of my senses become engaged by the way everything feels like Missouri and feels like home; like the sound of cicadas in the hottest part of the summer, of the way the air is more moist and thick than in Minnesota, or the way the Fall leaves fall at Halloween instead of the begining of October, or the way the humidity in summer makes it hot not just all day but all night too, or the way it snows in the winter and melts the next day, or the way that in Missouri, April showers actually bring May flowers.

In my grandparents yard, I can imagine that I am a kid again. I know that places history and it knows mine. Time melts away. I am sure my grandmother (who is almost 90) still looks out the window and for a second thinks she sees my brother and I out there covered in mud. To me that is the spirit of a place.

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Find a social design issue. Document it. Become an advocate for it.

I chose to visit the new Central Public Library in downtown Minneapolis and document it as a social design solution.

First, of all, the building itself in absolutely incredible. It was designed by architectural team Cesar Pelli and Associates. The 353,000 sq. ft. building is 5 stories. Four stories are devoted to the library and the fifth story will be home to the new Minneapolis Planetarium, which is scheduled to open in 2010. The library has a green roof which adds much needed greenspace to the downtown area to help clean the air. The building also has no interior load bearing walls so it will be adaptable as public needs and technology changes. The facade is wrapped in translucent and transparent glass which is meant to represent seasonal imagery such as snow, water, and ice. The interior space is very bright, open, and welcoming.

The new library should benefit the community in several ways. First, the library is very accessable to anyone who rides the bus, light rail, ect. This is important because many Minneapolis families have no access to a car. The library offers 300 computers for patrons to use the internet. I am sure many residents do not have internet access. I cannot imagine how different it would be to find a job if you had no internet access AND no transportation.

The library also has an enormous collection of...books. I guess I should have mentioned that first. I heard that there are the equivelant of 38 miles of books housed at the new library. That's a lot of books. Librarians use an electronic shelving system to keep the books organized and save space. I was impressed by the selection of books for learning language. There is also a resource center for non-English speakers at the library to help with their English skills. The Children's area also stocks books in 30 languages.

The library also features community gathering rooms which can be booked by the public, a children's area, an area specifically for teens, the language resource center, cd's, dvd's, a grand piano which I am assuming people are allowed to book times to practice on, art on display, and classes and special events.

I felt that the new library was a very welcoming space and I am excited to spend more time there. The only downfall is that since downtown parking is so limited, you have to pay to park and it is quite expensive. 3.00 for the first hour and $1.00 per hour for every hour after. At first I thought this was insane to charge to park at the library...since it would make it more difficult for low income people to have access to the library. But I don't know any way around that really. If parking was free, everyone working downtown would park there and library patrons could not find spaces anyway. The downtown location is great for those who use public transportation, but not so great for those who drive. But really those who use public transportation need convenient access to the library the most, so I suppose the public is well served.

It is wonderful to see the public's needs so well served by this civic building because Minneapolis has the fourth largest population of library card holders of the cities in the U.S. Also, 80 % of Minneapolis children have a library card...the the other 20% can get one any time and probably will want to if they visit the new Central Library.

Continue reading "Blog Prompt # 2-Central Public Library" »

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Go to the Midtown Market on Lake St. Observe. Define Energy. List
the ways in which you might create, use and exchange energy here.

This was the first time I had visited the Midtown Exchange, but I had heard a lot about it because my daughters father is a carpenter and had worked at the site during it's renovation for over a year. He was very proud of his work and I really enjoyed seeing what I had heard so much about.

When I arrived at the market I was first aware of the exchange of cultural energy because it surrounded my senses. The individual sights, smells,colors,sounds,and accents of the variety of cultures was interesting, but also the market as a whole was completely different from most American shopping settings.

The second energy exchange I encountered was emotional, which I experienced firsthand. I walked into a store and met the owner Jim who began telling me about his grandfather Bill. Bill was a merchant at the Minneapolis Farmers Market for over 30 years. Jim said that his grandfather would take him with him to the market as a child and when his grandfather passed away last Fall Jim decided to rename his store in memory of his grandfather. I was very touced by Jim for both his openness and his love and respect for his grandfather. Jim is pictured below with the organic beef sign.

I could feel historical energy in the market as well, like the carpenters boot print in cement which was preserved in the floor from when the building when it was originally built. The footprint lead me to imagine all of the ways the space may have been used for decades past, or not used.

The was a great exchange of social energy as well. This is a place where people who may not otherwise cross paths talk about melons, or cactus, or Norwegian pastry. Or perhaps the weather, or art, or their families. I loved to see the tables for chess and checkers. It made this more than just a place to exchange goods, but also a place to spend time, interact, and slow down.

Before I left I came upon a man who was playing an accoustic guitar and singing. On his break I asked him if it would be o.k. if I took a photograph of his guitar...since I feel it is impolite to walk up to a person and start photographing them or their personal possessions without permission. He said that would be fine and offered to play a song for me. He played two songs actually...one by Dave Matthews and one by Paul Simon. He was very kind.

I found the most remarkable thing about the market was the way it made people open up socially. I think this is because the atmosphere makes you feel included even if you have never been there. I see people everyday who are clustered into little pockets of people who look and sound the same and it was refreshing to be among such a variety of people at the market. I thought I would feel uncomfortable there but it was quite the opposite. I felt more included there than I do at most of the places life takes me.

Continue reading "Blog Prompt #1-Midtown Market" »

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