Chuck Marini

K.G.

2006-12-05T20:39:35Z

Kahn speaks of light and its importance in architecture and how architecture is dictated by basic laws. Tenets such as door frames being large enough to fit a human and the wheel on a cart being circular. Gershenfeld talks of computers and their evolution, concepts and realities of personal fabrication tools, and the division between owners and workers separated by resource availability. Both Kahn and Gershenfeld see the desire in humans to create. Kahn sited dissension to the norm as being the impetus while Gershenfeld sees creativity existing in people. Gershenfeld was surprised at the response to the PFT program.

Where's my pen?

2006-11-28T16:58:29Z

The technopoly Postman refers to is here. He speaks of technologies shaping thought and culture. Architectural possibilities have increased since the advent of computers and software such as CAD and 3D applications. I believe free thought still exists in design, however, the use of CAD informs many designs. Why make something complicated? Because now we can do it easily on a computer. Is this a result of CAD software? Maybe, maybe not. It has certainly been made more accessible. Software drives purpose and thought to create complicated architecture. Meanings change and "sketching" on computer becomes commonplace for architectural visualizations. Beliefs change about accomplishing this task. As line drawings become scarcer, software driven design fills in and what was once the nature to think of design in the realm of paper and pen becomes digital.

Me in the warehouse

2006-11-08T16:33:45Z

Textile Calculations

2006-11-08T16:24:10Z

Mathematics exists in everything around us. Most notably, while flipping through an Architectural Digest magazine, it is found in textile advertisments. Ad's for carpet, drapery, bed linens, table clothes and napkins. The geometric patterns are all mathematically based. Some may be designed with purpose and others soley by the inherent mathematics in our brains. The colors too, have a mathematical patterns. Much of the properties of these textiles can be explained mathematically, right down the the woven fabric.

Sitting and Standing

2006-10-25T14:23:58Z

How can we keep a bus stop shelter warm and protect passengers from the elements while keeping it free from vagrants looking for a home. A bus stop shelter is usually assembled from 3 walls and a roof. The design is to protect people from outside conditions but to avoid creating a comfortable environment. Solutions to this have been offered in the way of heat lamps. Unfortunately they don't do a heck of a lot in a Minnesota winter with cold wind screaming by the shelters pulling warm air out. There are limitations to how these shelters can be situated, but an emphasis on placement could have a large impact. Perhaps even take some ideas from tents used in alpine climbing.

A similar concept is embodied by the seats in our lecture auditorium. They are designed to overcome the affects of gravity and of mass (student sitting) in a cost effective way. The design opposes form breakdown and therefore function breakdown which leads to costly expenditures. The wooden seats are molded into a semi uncomfortable shape which retains it shape and lasts much longer than a cushion seat. Solutions to this opposition could be the use of foam seats. Foam seats could be a middle ground between comfort and utility. They are more costly and prone to deterioration yet more pleasurable with the sitter.

Colors in the sky

2006-10-12T01:39:40Z

Every fall yellows and browns and reds color our view. This phenomena of leaf transformation brightens the world. One last flare of energy before fading out. The physical and chemical makeup of leaves are constant and immutable. Their color changing patterns are irregular yet what remains constant is that they will change colors and fall to earth. These changes occur as the light dwindles in the northern hemisphere and the mercury drops. Branches become bare only the produce new leaves next year following the path of those previous. Leaves die so that trees may sustain their life trough winter and their nutrient rich compost scatters the ground to be used by those trees which dropped them.

Roman Forum

2006-10-04T02:40:35Z

Converging lines of history occupy the Roman forum. Covered for many years yet energy still exists there. A gateway to a grand history of not only Italy but the world. Uncovered ghostly architecture punctures through the earth. Once set above ground now a part of the earth. Some half covered, some fully exposed yet rooted strangely to the earth as earth reminds us of our physical path.
All man made objects are reclaimed by the earth. An energy exists of past lives. Not only of those ancient, but of those contemporary and their mystical coexistence. Shrouded in the Roman haze, fog or city pollution, a solemn energy occupies the forum and humanity becomes apparent.

Sprawlin'

2006-09-26T15:04:04Z

Amongst many social issues, urban sprawl is one that is increasingly problematic. The results of urban sprawl is the destroying of land, habitats, and plant species and in the end creating new environments less desirable for living. Beautiful countryside gets developed with cookie cutter houses and small ecosystems disappear. Higher gas prices and longer commutes have not seemed to deter people from moving further from city centers.
Many solutions exist to this issue. One way of slowing the rate of urban sprawl would be to stop increasing roadway accessibility. Also, pressure can be applied at local levels but given the current social climate, many people are happy to cash out and move. Another solution might be to build more high-rises in metro areas which is happening but slowly. The more difficult it becomes to live in the country the less desirable it is. Therein lies the answer to curbing urban sprawl.

Guns and Ammo

2006-09-19T01:19:31Z

Midtown Mercado

2006-09-19T00:23:15Z

Cars pass by on Lake Street. The small neighborhood is active with pedestrians running out to purchase goods. It was active before the renovation and perhaps more so now. There is a bus stop in the Midtown Market parking lot. People are waiting. Some dropping off, some picking up. The bus stop handles more citizens then a standard one along the street. Across the street from the bus stop lie some shops. They seem newer then the Sears building yet rundown. They don't appear to be leaving like some places that suffer from gentrification. These shops have had a foothold in this part of Minneapolis for some time.
Energy is observed in the passing of cars and pedestrians, the exchange of services for living, and the history in the neighborhood architecture. The bright new awnings of shop windows and clear glass of the Midtown Market keep people from simply passing by. Newness seems to attract people. The more pristine and accessible this place is, the more exchange of energy there would be. One suggestion to increase and yet calm the energy surrounding Midtown Market would be to create a green space.