Chapel development

Once I had the forms for the graves developed I started to think about the chapel and archival space. I want to place the chapel near the hill because it is an important site condition that is under utilized and starts the terrace-like slope of when I wanted to place my cemetery expansion. Like the forms I used a curve to retain the hill allowing the entrance to cut down into the landscape. I then continued this curve to a straight line to make the side wall of the chapel space. I then continued original lines of the grave forms to the area of the chapel and it create the overall shape and structure of the program. Sectionally the chapel is higher than the archival space and I used the walls of shelves in the archive to seperate the two spaces. I used skylights to puncture the roof and allow for natural light to penetrate the roof. I still felt that the chapel space lacked light so I looked for materials that they used that could solve this issue. I like the use of glass block in the morgue and felt that the light passing through the glass would create interesting light effects. Further evaluation I realized that the light might be too harsh so I decided to add a perferated metal wall to filter the light while still creating intricate lighting. My apporach to the archival space is that it will be used to hold important memoirs of the deceased. I put a storage room where the walls of the room intersect the grave wall. Staggering heighted shelves line the walls of the space with a central circular skylight above a single viewing table. The entrance to the archive is on line with the circulation for ease of access. Since this is a space for safe keeping I placed a metal sliding wall that can seal off the entire space.

Forms

I started to examine other projects of miralles and penos to see how they approach developing the forms in their work. The way they institute curves off of tangent lines. My initial design is based off straight lines that intersect and that is the starting point miralles uses when doing curves, ex croissant excercise. I started to use a circle template to dissolve the harsh angles and create better circulation using curves to wind the visitors through my design. The forms below were developed using this technique. This transformation also helped to resolve the awkwardness of the compression to expansion areas. The relationship of spaces to mimic the feelings one has when they lose a loved one. The compression is the initial shock and grief while the expansions allow for reflection and recovery. I designed it so that the points of compression are the places where the ground slopes down to the next level. I then had the open parts be where I placed the graves. This way the experience of seeing the dead is more about celebrating the lost loved ones lives and not depressing feelings about their death. 

Post Mid Crit changes

My approach to integrating my project into the site was to terrace the natural slope of the land using the tombs to retain the excess dirt. I continued to develop my concept of compression and expansion to conceptualize the way people deal with death. The compression expresses the feelings of depression and the grieving process, while the expansion expresses how someone eventually accepts the reality of death and begins to celebrate the life of the deceased. This concept was derived from the drawdel study I did of the existing site condition near the stairs. Below are the plans of the current schematic design.

I had my Mid Crit this week with three guest critics. They had very interesting suggestions about how to advance my project. The major concerns were how I connect my addition to the existing site and that the forms seemed awkward, especially since I was using rigid lines and one curve retaining wall around the hill. The suggestions I received during the crit were very helpful in developing my scheme. I was told to look at some of Miralles and Penos' other projects and evaluate how they reached their forms to develop my design in relation to my concept. I also need to scale down my project because it seemed to have very large spaces where circulation was not delineated.

 This plan is the overall form that I derieved from the wire frame drawing of my drawdel, I am going to observe other precendents to try and develop the form of the addition.

This paper drawdel is showing how the cemetery will start to create multiple levels but I want to make it so you cant see the whole entire cemetery in one view at the top. I may create a 3 foot wall (top of the tomb wall holding back the land youre standing on) this way you can look over and see the whole site at once. I feel that is important since the original design was not meant to be seen in its totality in single spot.

Advancing schemes

This is a practice drawdel to try and work with the overall shape of the cemetery and the flowing of spaces. More refinement is needed!

Scheme development

These are my practice drawdel studies based on photographs of the the wire frame drawing I did of my original site study drawdel stair. The folding and lifting of edges are starting to develop a series of plan forms as well as changes in ground. Over laying this on the site I can start to depict what tomb walls will be retaining walls and also how the structure embraces the terracing of the landscape.

Drawings Update

I have completed all of the drawings. My mold is still in the process of being cleaned from the transfer of the mold when casting. It is taking a lot of time but I figured it would be a good idea to post everything I have completed in addition to my Drawdel.


First is the Wire drawing without paper. It is a perspective view of the stairs as one would ascend through the transition point. I find it difficult to photograph.

This is the axon drawing of the stair with the views highlighted with a series of images one would see approaching the stairs, in the stairs, and looking back down the stairs.

This is the plaster drawing without paper. I found the effect of light really adds the depth that I wanted to achieve with this drawing. Still have some cleaning up to do.



Attempt at mold and plaster drawing without paper

The process of molding is difficult because I have to think about the finished product but in reverse and flipped. This is my practice and I know how to improve it for my actual final. My final is currently in the mold and curing. Initially I was going to do a series of molds but have decided to complete two wire drawings without paper that are more detailed of individual perspective views and one larger plaster drawing without paper of the entire transition. This way when I present I will place the two wire drawings with my plaster drawing and it will be some what of a collage presentation. 

 Before the plaster was cleaned from coming out of the mold

On the light table to enhance shadows

Finished Draw(del)

 So I made final changes to my drawdel by manipulating the sides to create depth and also to mimic the transition the stair creates between spaces. I then placed it over the window by my desk to see how light effects the drawdel. Below is also a sketch of my axon of the transition but a finish image on final paper will be published shortly. 

Draw-del..part II

So I attempted to complete the draw-del. I like the way the stairs and the roof were executed but there is something about the two sides I just feel are too bland or mediocre. I also need to darken the floor plan drawing. Any suggestions on how to improve the side views would be appreciated. Heres some photos:

Draw-del

So I decided to use the plan and two sections to create my draw-del. Cutting and removing bits to create a side profile one side the stairs the other the more sculptural outside. This is a break down of the views one has you either look into the stairway or are looking at the more sculptural forms that are where the graves are. I still want to add more to them but I need to re evaluate the design and see if it really strengths the point of the different views I am really focusing on

Developing ideas for maps

So I have been struggling with how to approach the drawing and draodel that we need for next Tuesday. I have been thinking too much in a metaphorical sense rather than just depicting what is actually there like a normal map would. After presenting the three possible maps that I thought would show the transection that the two side create when they collide today I had my studio professor bouncing ideas off me about what scheme was more of the direction I should take. One interesting analysis was the way views are created, developed, and manipulated at this intersection through the wall. Something that I could really progress with an axonometric view that shows the continuity of the views as they round a corner and proceed up and through the grave deposits as well as the fragmented, planed out views at select positions. The drogel I am looking at is to lay the plan and sections of the area I'm focusing on and using it to map the transfer through life and death based on the levels of views one sees in the experience. I wanna emphasis the curvature of the path because it is an interesting vantage point

Book Construction Images

Final book presentation

Presented our books to our professor and the architecture librarian John Schlinkie. I felt I took a more literal approach to the project but as I looked at my project it kind of also had an abstract quality. As you thumb through the book you can see the brains multiple levels and just like the book which goes through breaking down the brain so does my adaptation of the original book. I enjoyed the project and like the way it turned out in the end.

Initial Design Ideas

After I went to the library to get a book with similar features I began to divide the book up and experiment with different techniques. At first I looked into carving out an object leaving a void in the shape of something related to the meaning of the book. The other option was to recreate the subway paths on the cover by carving three dimensional connections to important words and images. My other possibility was to carve away the negative spaces and create a three dimensional brain carved out of the book. Im leaning towards doing both the paths of the cover and the brain. I experimented with the brain some more and i found a techniques that will be more effective. Taking the outline of the brain and cutting it into all of the pages i can then use a blade to round and carve the details of a brain I can make a realistic brain.