Final  Portfolio.   We learned a lot this semester and everything we learned was always connected. You could always use the knowledge you gained from the previous project and apply it to the next. We started the semester with something very abstract, which was the ice breaker project. After the ice breaker project, we moved slowly to more traditional architecture, which involved nodes and pathways. We went to the park and discovered some path ways and nodes and how we felt about standing on nodes and pathways. Of course we discovered the difference between nodes and path. They both portray different feelings. The nodes could be the favorite place in the house and all the circulation routes can be pathways..

Everybody discovered this connection that made paths and nodes project and that became the focused of their project. During the path and nodes project we explored frames and surfaces. By making model out of frame we learned about spaces, about line weight and how to create

unity. After all this we moved to the final project. In our final project, we had to create structure that would respond to the hillside

   THE CONTINUATION OF PATHS AND NODES

For the second part of the semester we continued with paths and nodes but we move on into working with frames and surfaces. We tried to develop tectonic frame work and get some inspiration from Aviation. We had to work more on the hierarchy of line weight and integrating coordinating forms. When I brought my first frame work model, I had a big problem; I had two independent structures. One of them was made of wood work and other one out of wire work. Because there was no connection between wire and wood, Professor Jerry told me to integrate the wire and wood. He also told me it was to simple and symmetric, I had to make it more complex and asymmetric.

Frame and Surfaces

Second Frame Model When I brought my second frame model, it was much better than the one before. I was close to creating a tectonic language but still needed to be more complex and asymmetric. There were other problems; I had no line weight and readable logic. The model was supposed to be a cave frame. The right side with open space with high ceiling and more light came inside. It was representing the words of relief and relax. Second hall way was darker then the first hall way which was like more threatening. After the frame work we moved onto to the final project.

Second Iteration

Final Project.   Our final project was gave us a monument to find wonder. We had to choose the topic and we had to express our feelings. It could have been memories or experiences or something else. After the class, I went home try to research about it and also, try to get inspired by some Buildings or shapes. I didn’t research about the site. Nowadays,  Santiago Callatrava  is the most popular architect. I was also inspired by Santiago’s work.  I research about it and tried to figure out how he creates the shape and forms. I was inspired by Lyon-Satolas Airport Railway Station.  He got the shape of the airport from the shape of a bird. After that I decided to get the shape a snake cobra. But, I didn’t think about how it was going to respond to the site

Inspiration from Lyon-Satolas Airport Railway Station

Inspiration from Cobra shape.

First Iteration.

I just chose my topic and started to make a model. My topic was about the educational journey. It had to represent high school time, community college time and university but, I didn’t choose the adjectives at the beginning of the project. I was not sure I was on the right track or not. I made the model with two things. These two things were two cobra shapes. One was looking from the top to bottom, which is north to south side. The other one was from bottom to top, which was

south to north

Looking from Top.

Side View and Front View

Feedbacks When I presented to the class there was one good thing about it; which were the two shapes that were responding with each others. The rest of the model didn’t respond to the site. Also it didn’t connect to the idea because, I didn’t choose the words and there were no site analyses. It looks like three  people made it.

After the first iteration, I went home and tried to come up with different shapes that it could respond to the site. I was still confused on what to do. I decided to choose the words.  • Hall of High school.          Excitement,  Attraction,  Liking. 

• Hall of Community Collage.   Curiosity,   Hope,   Motivation.   • Hall of University.   Confident,  Achievement,  Relief.

Second Iteration. After I chose my words, I started to make my second model. The second model was a cylinder shape but it was three buildings, which were separate from each other. There was still the cobra shape on the last building, because it looked like it was reaching it. When I presented to the class, I still needed to work more and more on the details. I just put 12 windows for first building, because it could represent the 12 years in the high school.

Second Model.

Also, there were 12 steps inside of the building which also could represent 12 years of the high school. The second building was the Community college which will have 2 windows and 2 steps. The third building was the university time, there were 8 windows and 8 steps to represent 4 years university time, 2 years master and 2 years PhD.

Feedbacks

From the feedback, there it was said there was no connection and there was no form meaning. I didn’t even work with the words that I chose. Also I need to make clean craft.

Side View.

General Idea of Third Design My idea was people coming from the outside to the first building. When they enter the building, they will take the stairs to the outside, which will go to the second building. When people are going to the second building, they have to walk from the balcony. They have to circle the first building. Second and third buildings were undefined at that moment.

Third ITERATION.

When I start to make the third model, I still hadn’t worked on adjectives. I tried to figure out how to get to the first building to the second building and also to the third. I decided to make multiple path ways, because some people go straight to the university after high school and some of them go to community college. So, I decided to make multiple path ways, the pathway pass by the second building but there is no entrance to the second building. That same pathway goes

to the university too.

Top and Front View.

Feedback.  The building didn’t related to the hillside. It was still too general, I

had to make it be more specific. The building was still symmetrical. I have to make it asymmetric. Another big problem was I had to make it more personal. Also, Professor Jerry told me to make the narrative.

After the third iteration I decided to make the narrative and I need some pictures from hillside that I could relate to hillside. Also, I discussed about project with my friend, Moralma, which is also an architecture student . She told me that I have to be inspired by the words to make the building. How can I make people experience excitement or relaxation and attraction in the building. After that, I understood what we tried to do in architecture 21. Before that I was so confused. And after that I started writing my narrative.

Narrative.

  After we received the final project, I went up to the hillside with a camera. I took a couple of pictures and sat down for little bit on top off the hill. I could see the stadium clearly; people were playing games and some off them were jogging. When I checked around little bit more there was another hillside in front of me, which are houses, that are lined up in curvilinear shape. When I checked the left side, which is the north east side, houses were more rectilinear. After a couple of minutes, I came up with an idea that I should combine two forms. I have to add to my building a curvilinear shape and rectilinear shape. And after I left, I was thinking all the way home about what do I have to build and what words do I have to use? Finally I came up with my educational steps. I tried to think about that what I felt when I was young and on the first day of school?

I became excited. Also, community collage is more attracting after high school. Now I started thinking that if I get a bachelors and master or PhD, it might be relief for me. Of course if I get married there will be no relief, there will be another life starting over.  After the words, I decided to make my building into a cylinder shape, because when I look at the stadium there is a half cylinder shape on each side. The top of the cylinder will be curvilinear and the windows will be rectilinear. There will be curve path way to the first building, which will be the primary building and the excitement. There will be 12 windows that represent the school years. The windows will start from the bottom part to the upper part to show the progressiveness. When the client gets into to the building, the client will see little light on left side with the door on the upper level which will attract them. But, when they want to go towards the light they have to take a bridge

The bridge runs from left to right. It is going to be 10 feet high. The bridge will take people to the secondary building and they will be excited when they walk through the bridge.  The second building will be shorter than first building which will be 7 feet high. The east side and west side will be big rectilinear windows. It will represent the community college. When the clients walk through that building they have to come outside which there will be a cylinder shape as the resting area. There will be bench to sit and they can see the all the view from there. The bench will be like stairs but it will be bigger and it will be a circle. It will be made of 8 stairs. It will represent the 4 years for the bachelor’s degree, the 2 years for the master's degree and the 2 years for a PhD.  Basically, the view is on the top, not on the bottom. It also can be an art building.

Fourth Iteration. When I went to class, my model was not completed, there was only two building. Also, there was a surprise that one of the jury was in the class. Her name was Misoama. She told me that I am working more on symbolizing the building. I should work more on the adjectives and more on the details .Also, Professor Jerry told me that I have to make it in smaller scale, it was too big and I that I needed to do some

drawings and descriptions on the board.

Front and Top View.

After the fourth iteration, we had one week to get to the final, so I started to work on the final presentation and final model. I just added some curvilinear stairs to the outside, because people have to feel the curvilinear emotion. Inside of the building is a curvilinear bridge. Other thing that I added was the high school building and city college building overlap, because I went straight from high school to community college and I didn’t waste any time.

Final Drawings.

Oblique.

Final Model.

Side Views.

The final presentation did not go as well as I wanted it to go there are still many things I need to learn so I can apply them to future work. One of the big mistakes I made was that I did not relate to the hillside and the front of the building is huge and a rectilinear shape that doesn’t respond to the building. I knew that mistake before final. I should a made a U shape that would be hugging people. Also, Professor Tim told me that the windows were not representing high school years, no feeling on the windows. Hopefully everything I learned from this semester will help me create a lot more abstract work and come up with better explanations and reasons for every move I make when I make a model. Even though I made couple of wrong decisions from this project, this is going to help me for the future..