FINAL PORTFOLIO:

ARCHITECTURE 101

Spatial Experiences:

Travelling Through

the Inner Mind of An Architect

By: Sabrina Tong

Collaboration Team: Brenda Gabbac, Nick

Wilson

BEGINNING STAGES OF MY

EXPLORATION:

Archways that welcomes people to move

through the mind of an architect would be

installed.

My intent to create a canopy like

effect joined the three archways by

curving elements between to provide

a welcoming and open shelter.

EARLY STAGES:

The canopy uses verticals and

horizontally curved lines to

wrap around the canopy from

the top.

A curvilinear structure along

with angular corners and edges

accentuate the corners of the

building along with seating

arrangement.

It provides symmetry and light

to pass through in organic

shapes.

The seating arrangement serves

as a shelter to inhabit human

interaction and relaxation.

This is a place to rest and take

shelter from winds that travel

through Batmale.

BRENDA’S 1ST CONCEPT:

• Brenda’s model of a canopy

was very organic and had an

implied pathway due to the

arrangement of seating.

• The ethereal feeling and

lightness to this effect gave me

the idea of incorporating it into

my archway design.

• Seating area was created

and we wanted to explore this

idea of giving people tranquility

and a sense of warm welcome as

they enter through.

• The use of fabric or rope was

something that we wanted to

explore by hanging it straight

atop the columns that would be

made of wood.

• Seating was planned to also

be made of lumber.

NICK’S ITERATION:

• Angular seating

arrangements give

different elevations to

have people sitting to

face one another.

• The elevation

compliments the angles

and corners of the

building.

• This is lined up

against the wall to create

more polygons and give

shade.

Nick’s Iteration:

2ND DEVELOPMENT:

Openness and a sense of light would pass through as people walk through them.

The embrace of a canopy-like effect was

explored and planned to connect with fabric,

or rope.

The archways would be curved and set

off with organic layers of fabric, wire, or rope

that intertwine the elements that make you

feel light and ethereal.

BRENDA’S CONCEPT:

The curvature of the canopy is what helps bring light in as well as shade.

Playing with organic shapes of leaves we are able to design seating placed in various arrangements that imply a path.

FINAL DECISION:

•With the use of dynamic,

harsh

lines, we compliment the

angular corners of Batmale

Hall.

•There is repetition of

rectilinear designs that we

choose to dissect into

triangles.

•To figuratively represent

one of the most important

tools of an architect, we

mimicked the 30 60 90

degree triangle.

•The curved elements in

this design from the

beginning stage of

development changed from

curvilinear to rectilinear.

ITERATION CHALLENGES:

Having explored the ideas similar to what has been made, I was fixated in

details that have been done before. Gazebo type designs and flowers,

things seen in nature, etc.

I needed to focus in on an element that complimented the site specifically

in terms of shape and structure.

The challenges was combining our ideas into one as we were improving

the iterations and getting ready to construct our designs in the courtyard.

Brenda and Nick seemed to have similar ideas on the design of the seats,

but I felt if they were more different, we would have had more options and

variety of different ideas that could have been more interesting.

Translating the space to be a place of tranquility

Creating a narration for the spatial experience

Exploring the idea of symmetry vs. asymmetrical design

Money saving materials

CREATING A LARGE SCALE STRUCTURE: Clean Up Area

Gathering Materials:

(6 pieces) 2”x4”x96” Lumber

(6 pieces) 92” Pinewood

Box of 2.5” Screws, 3” Screws

Power drill, drill heads, etc.

Pullsaw

Hammer

Wrench

Rope

Elmer’s Wood Glue

Wooden Pallets

Chalk

Measuring Tape

Ruler

Pencil

Box Cutter

Pliers

Nails

Particle Board (8 ft)

Wood Grater

Hooks

Turn Buckles

ARCHWAY CONSTRUCTION:

The lumber was cut from 96” pieces and down to 8 feet in height and width. The hypotenuse is bigger than the two lengths.

There are two pieces of the lumber sandwiching the frame standing vertically. The hypotenuse is also sandwiched to create stability.

Step in between to go through the archways.

These are about 4.5” short from the ceiling so as a result we must create something to elevate the whole thing.

Wood glue was used to hold the pieces in place and the pull-saw was used to cut the angles of the hypotenuse.

We used 2” screws in four corners of the vertical piece that went through all layers.

On the other side we used two screws to reinforce stability.

We did these for all 3 frames.

ARCHWAY SUPPORTS:

The attachment of buttresses would elevate the archways as they were constructed to touch the ceiling and relate to the height of the building.

The buttresses were 9’ ¼”. Pinewood was cut to the desired height and wedges about 3 ½” were attached to the bottom of the wooden panel. 2” screws were used to attach the pieces as they were laid down.

Two screws were placed into the wedge and a total of 4 screws went through the arch.

Placing it on all 4 corners I was able to elevate the arches to make them stand. I did these for all 3.

FRICTION FITTING THE ARCHES:

• After finishing the

buttresses, the arches

were friction fitted to

the ceiling and pressed

down to the floor with

supports.

• The twists allowed

us to fit at least 4 ½” to

hit the ceiling and

grant the arches more

stability and joined it to

the building.

• This made the

arches more site

specific as we finished

and come to a close

with setting them up.

STEPS FOR ELEVATION:

They are about 8’ in length to elevate the steps in order to step over the archway as a way to promote hierarchy.

Underneath include blocks that are wedged to create equal weight distribution.

The steps that are elevated are modeled after temples in Asia that allow people to step over into a place of worship.

It is a symbol of reverence.

EXPERIMENTING WITH ROPE:

• Rope was used to create grid like patterns that mirror the other side of

Eric’s canopy. It is meant to give structure and provide a barrier as Nick has

suggested. The idea came to him and it was done. My take on it was that it

should have only been added to the top, because it gave a feeling of being

trapped.

OBSERVING FROM INSIDE:

As you sit and observe, you can definitely see a good plain view of

the projects, stairs, and trees. It is a tranquil feeling, yet still feels empty

and enclosed due to the rope. I wanted to think of something else to add into

our design.

INSPIRATION TO THE DYNAMIC

CORNERS OF BATMALE HALL:

• What is more rewarding to me than adding in a set of seats? Perhaps a bench in the

shape of the buildings sharp turns and corners at the end of the tunnel.

The sharp corners would have to be cut on a 45 degree angle and added with an inch

spacing for the backing. Three layers of lumber would be paired next to one another and

nailed to boards that are sitting vertically and horizontally. The legs touch the floor will

support and grant stability.

• This idea is inspired by Jeppe Hein, who is the artist that designed Social Benches

and displayed in Juxtapoz magazine.

Zigzag Chair Construction: The length is 41”, the seats are approximately 18”-18 ½”, and the last leg is 18

½”. The grain was a challenge to work with as they are cut exactly the right dimensions, sometimes it still won’t line up correctly and straight because of how the wood is cut. Using thinner wood might have helped our construction and prevented further mishaps with our attempt.

It was a great experience to try and make it, but we should have stuck to a thinner size and used brackets to seal the corners where they tend to bend and warp.

ZIGZAG CHAIR CONSTRUCTION:

ZIGZAG BORDERS/BARRIERS:

These barriers help to guide the foot traffic towards the exit to the next entryway.

They are chosen to be zigzags to compliment the shape of the building.

Replicating the corners, I came up with this idea to give an avante garde feeling to the end of the archways.

Similar shape to the 30 60 90 degree triangle, we designed the frames to be congruent to the dynamic corners of the building. In spirit of the shape we create something new from the elements that already exist in the building by multiplying the shapes and repeating it in the benches and the zigzags are used to mark the path and create a border.

CONCLUSION:

The archways take on a similar concept to express the silence which is marked by the openness of space in between. The light is the knowledge that is binded through ropes and grants our eyes the movement to architect as he travels from place to place. As you step into it, you start to reminisce the places you traveled. In my travels I have visited the Temple of Heaven where steps are elevated in the archway as you enter. Taking this note and architect becomes enlightened as he sees and experiences new places and ideas. What I saw was a new way of entering in reverence to a monumental structure that held itself in the highest spiritual being of nirvana. Similarly an architect finds no boundaries in his exploration, therefore always reaching for hierarchy and new ways of improving their ideas and being connected with the world.

“What man makes, nature cannot make, though man uses all the

laws of nature to make it. What guides it to be made, the desire to make it,

is not in universal nature. Dare I say that it is Silence, of lightless,

darkless desire to be, to express a prevalence of spirit enveloping the

Universe.”

- Louis Kahn, 1967. Space and Inspirations. Speech held for the

New England Conservatory of Music in Boston. Quoted in: Louis Kahn,

Essential Texts. Norton 2003, page 225