How to get out of a loop Tomorrow’s the big day, and I have been stuck in a loop. Floor plans and elevation plans are due and I have so many ideas but none which seem to be good enough. I yearn to be creative and innovative-two words which encompass the essence of architecture these days-but all of my plans and details seem to be getting lost in each other. My case studies of Moroccan, West African and the Middle East have packed my research with seeds of creation, challenging me to integrate vernacular architecture with western ideals. So, with so many grand ideas, it would be nearly impossible-and a bad idea-to integrate all of them. How do I deduce which one’s to pull out and foster? That’ll be the key to progressing. For this project I’ve been extremely intrigued by Los Angeles’s weather, and how to integrate it into the design, and what better way that to bring the natural foliage and structures inside. (Especially since the jump off point for this project was fine particle air pollution.) Through research I learned that all of the desert climate vernacular architecture focuses on making the middle of the home, the heart of the home, through an open air courtyard. In Morocco, the windows are small and the courtyard adds to the naturally built in chimney air-flow throughout the house. In West Africa, the villages have courtyards which focus on social gatherings and communication. In India, the courtyard is the most important part of the home and is considered sacred and honored by not placing any bulky furniture in the middle of the room. Because of these cross-cultural similarities, I’ve focused on creating a courtyard experience that encourages natural interaction, even through their occasional rainstorms. I’ve added a large courtyard that feeds out to the street feeling both enclosed and personal, but also allows public interaction and movement through the space. My ideations and 3D sketches have focused on creating visual layers, similarly to how molecules have many layers and textured shells. I’ve been working mostly with floor plans, and creating sketches that are literal translations of buildings. To further my research I’ve been binge watching episodes of Extreme Houses on HGTV to better understand how to push the capabilities of material. However, with all of this extraneous research, tangible sketches and drafting, my brain has been turbulent. I’ve been dreaming of floor plan and waking up with images of interiors, but with no real direction or clarity for my project. So yesterday, I learned how to escape this building momentum of a circling idea: In order for me to move on, I have to commit. I have to commit to a plan, I have to step back and inhale and remember what the focus of the project it. Less about what it’s going to look like and more about how it’s going to feel. I have to commit a layout and evolution plan to scale on paper and walk away, feeling satisfied. I’ve done the work. I’ve completed my cultural research. I’ve mulled and marinated in the rich, hearty information, and now it’s time to cook. Some designers might think of this point as having the hardest work behind them. Having the background research completed and the initial design drafted to scale, the fun begins. However, fun is also work. For ever single design decision, I want to relate back to my core principles: 1. Sustainability 2. Connecting people with nature to form individual experiences and 3. Being alive-both plant life and human life.
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AuthorAs a student at Cornish College of the Arts in Seattle WA I entertain a variety of factors while designing space. Archives
May 2016
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