Preliminary Layout

We were casting away and realized that we needed a reality check. So just how far had we come? Turns out, not quite as far as we thought. This lead to a redesigning period in which we devised an overall more successful design that also happened to be more manageable for the time allotted for the production of the project.

Here is a taste of what to expect for the final project.

Shapes

The border of our pathway is made from the following shapes. We kept with the theme of circles and rectangles that other groups are also using. There are other rectangles used, but their molds were made with shoeboxes of various dimensions and not all of them could be measured. The sizes represented are the average and most common sizes. If you click them you can view them larger and see their dimensions.

Concrete is Crazy: The Oasis Story

And no, I'm not referring to the well-known rock band. Instead, I am referring to something far more dear to my heart. The Pathways | Edges | Boundaries project has been a tremendous learning experience thus far. It has taught me, along with my classmates I am sure, the importance of taking risks and what design really is, all the while beating time management, teamwork, and leadership skills into our already sore brains.

[The Pathways | Edges | Boundaries project dictated that we create objects from concrete that respond to the dialog between the parking lot and the building edge.]

After the research process, and cumulative hours of debate as to how the project should be handled, we divided into five groups, each group taking an area. Four of the groups were assigned the islands in the parking lot that run along the building, while the remaining group was assigned the building edge itself as a space to address. The furthest island was deemed the desert, the next is the Way Station/ Mirage, then my beloved Oasis, and last the Gateway group.

I had the luck of landing in the Oasis group. We Oasians have some prime property in that parking lot. Three tree creating shade and an atmosphere that seems especially inviting when looking out over the bleak asphalt of the parking lot, or the sun radiating off of the rows of cars. People really do find it a place to walk through. While most islands were walked around, the Oasis was walked through. There is a distinct pathway through it where people have walked day after day, from their car to the building and back. Of course, this partly has to do with its size, but we would also like to believe that people are drawn to natural beauty, and compared to most of the surroundings, the Oasis has just this. But of course, in reality, it is just a traffic island and people do need to get to class.

And so we began to design. And re-design. And simplify. And then we would realize that the simple was not quite simple enough. And when we thought we had it, we started trying to execute our plans in concrete. Mortar mix, to be exact. We had to find an aggregate, and after trying such things as wood shavings, we decided on Pearlite. One of the benefits of Pearlite is that it adds virtually no weight to the concrete. Another plus was that it does not prolong the drying time, which was especially important concerning our time crunch to reach some sort of finish line.

After days of making circle and rectangular shapes, we decided to asses our situation. Really, we had to go back to the designing board. It is a fact of life that no matter how carefully one might plan, few things ever turn out the way they are intended. So we loaded up our concrete forms and took them to the Oasis. Naturally, we found that we were far from where we wanted to be. In an effort to make this something successful, we began to play with the shapes in the space and come up with a new way of laying them out. We decided to create a border to the pathway instead of filling the entire pathway with the shapes, as we had planned, and making the pathway itself out of gravel. I soon realized that this fulfills the objectives of the assignment better than our previous design had. It was a relief to know that things really do work out in the end.

Of course, it is not really the end yet. There is still putting up the exhibit and the critique, but those seem like small tasks compared to what is behind us. I have done things I never thought I would do and things I did not realize I was capable of doing. I never thought I would cast concrete or saw cardboard tubes with a handsaw and have a sore arm for days. I talked to people I would have never or rarely would have talked to who ended up being really interesting people. And most importantly, I have learned things I did not even know there were to learn.

And throughout the production process, I could not help but keep thinking, "So when we're out there designing stuff and we give the plans to someone for them to build or make, is this what we're going to put them through?!"

For photos, please visit
http://www.flickr.com/photos/myartificialsunshine/sets/72157609712308355/

Quite a Process

Dialog: Process and Final

This project required each of us to create two, and only two, distinct spaces from 12 4x6 pieces of Bristol Board and 12 bamboo skewers.

Questions: Dialog Critique

How is dialog created?
A dialog between two spaces can be created by putting these two spaces back to back. Adversely, it can also be created by distancing these spaces from one another, though may cause a third space due to proximity. An imaginary line may be created to cause the dialog between the two spaces. Continuation creates an interesting dialog between two spaces. This is one tactic I used in my project. The dialog may be created by the two spaces being identical, speaking in unison.

How is a sense of space/place defined?
A gateway can be created to welcome into a space, thus defining it. Proximity creates a space. This became a challenge in this project. Often one would have two spaces but find that the proximity of those two spaces created a third space. Each space can be distinctive. Some spaces are secondary while others are primary. Sometimes one space is large while the other is small, and, if one is small enough, it becomes the secondary space, and it may not be much of a space at all. Some spaces possess order while others have a sense of disorder.

How is the idea of system generated?
Systems are generated by adhering pieces of the kit of parts together then forming them into something else. A piece of the kit of parts may be transformed into something different, for example, splitting the skewers. They then become a sort of adhesive for the project.

How does the joinery support the project concept/strategies?
There must be structure to hold a shape. The shape of a project is what tells the story. The joints may create a sense of tension. A broken stick created a joint because some fibers remained attached to both sides. There is similarity in the broken skewers and the folded paper. Some joints are things piled, skewers glued to paper. The joints define the space.

How is scale utilized in the project?
Scale is one of the most important lessons to learn. Scale can be utilized by making one space larger than another. In every dialog, someone or something is dominant. Sometimes, however, the spaces may be of >u>identical size or scale. The skewers create a lot of small spaces that may be regarded as secondary or even tertiary. When the space are two different sizes, there is a more clear sense of two distinct spaces and thus a stronger dialog. Scale is always somewhat defined. In this project, the scale was defined by the size of the paper and skewers. Though they can be joined together to create larger pieces, there is still an inherent sense of scale due to the original size of the materials.

How do two-dimensional images add to the understanding of the project?
Drawings can show a lot of detail that a model may not show or make clear. This is because a drawing can be blown up and lines can be emphasized by varying line-weights. For example, the places where pieces of paper overlaps can often blend away, seeing that the paper is all the same color, especially from a distance. However, if one wished to do so, in a drawings the edges of the paper may be drawn in a heavier line-weight, and hidden lines may be utilized to show the underlapping piece of paper. Conversely, drawings can be simplified to give the viewer a more general and direct idea of the project. The actual structure and spaces can be easily defined since minute details are left out. Sometimes just the spaces may be drawn to emphasize them, while other material, though vital to the structure, is left out. Drawings are all about what one wishes to emphasize and de-emphasize.

How did the initial project idea evolve?
For some, the evolution came from the previous project. Some chose to choose a particular type of human dialog or conversation and go from there. Some used a precedent, for example, a symbol with a sense of meaning and a strong sense of dialog. For me, I began with a type of conversation, but then departed from that and attempted to make two spaces that were somewhat opposite and definitely distinct from one another. However, my end product was two spaces that were formed by one coherent piece.

Unity: Final

This assignment focused on creating a unified design out of 12 planes (4x6 cards of Bristol board) and 12 rods (10" bamboo skewers). I achieved unity by the repetition of the three planes with square in the middle, and the same number of rods at each corner, which were meant to not only hold the structure up, but to also point the viewer's eye inward toward the focus of the squares of negative space.







elevation


plan


graphic


gesture


contour

Compare and Contrast: Unity

My Design


Other Person's Design


I am comparing my project to one I feel is quite similar to mine. I feel that both attempt to achieve unity through the rods, or skewers, being upright and the planes, or paper, being horizontal. In the other designer's project, he pierced all planes with all rods, with all planes being one on top of another with some space between them. Mine, however, created square-like forms from 4 planes pasted together, with 3 rods piercing each intersection of two planes. I did this in a diagonal fashion, in an attempt to bring the viewer's eye to the central squares of negative space. The other piece has the rods piercing the planes in a line, with one at the middle forefront for support and perhaps interest.
The other project I feel was better crafted than mine. Though I put a considerable amount of effort into my product, I could not get it to stand properly. The other, however, seemed more sturdy. It was easier for me to get my layers evenly spaced, though, partially because I only had three layers to deal with.
Both products, I feel, created something that was greater than twelve simple rods and twelve simple planes. Both achieved a feeling of overall unity and visual interest. Both had steady, staccato rhythms, which drew the eye from one rod or plane to another. Our most unifying elements were repetition. Mine I feel was more successful in this regard, since I repeated the line-up of three rods per intersection of two planes, three larger planes made up of four planes from the kit of parts, and the squares of negative space not only in the middle of the larger planes but also created at each of the four corners.

UNITY: Another Iteration

This is getting better!

Unity in 12 skewers and 12 4x6 pieces of bristol board

This project is really interesting to me. I really am struggling, however, to create something that is really truly unified while at the same time creating a place. I really want to play with negative space and light, however, not being able to cut the paper necessarily or use any other materials (other than rubber cement or the likes as a bonding agent) seems not to be allowing me many options. I keep telling myself "But of course there are other options!" and then responding to myself, "But where are they?!" And then suddenly it becomes clear: I need sleep. But maybe not...



I formed a square shape in the center of the glued-together pieces of bristol board. I felt that this was unifying and was beginning to play with space and light. I also overlapped the paper in a specific way, creating a pattern to enhance unity.



I really like the thought of making this curve. Circles are sort of a symbol for unity, but I didn't necessarily want to go and make a circle out of these materials. I think it would be interesting though to suggest the circle with the curved paper. Hopefully, I could do it to the point that the viewer's eye forms the circle even when the lines aren't there.



I purposely put all of the pointy sides of the skewers up. Once again, it is a unifying element. Also, the structure stands better when the flat sides are on the surface it is sitting on. However, I am having a difficult time not having the pointy ends appear prickly-- sticking out from the structure in a somewhat violent way.





The skewers kept trying to overlap and cross, especially the ones around the outside. I thought it was interesting, so for this iteration, I decided to to glue them crossed so that they were more intentionally- and interestingly- crossed. This is also more unifying, since the skewers actually come together. The V shape imitates the point of the skewers.

12 Twigs: Process

A sketch for one idea I had



The first sketch I made of what developed into my final product.



Photos of models/prototypes: