So this weekend I checked out the newest MAX line through downtown to PSU. I chose this line because it was newest, and had some interesting station design besides traditional shelters.
One of the things I noticed about the Green Line stops were that they had different paving than other streets throughout downtown. The roads were treated with brick pavers around the pedestrian walkways (sidewalks, crosswalks, etc.). I thought it was a nice treatment to the line because it will slow down traffic as well as make them aware of the MAX and people using it. Another one of my favorite things about the new line were the actual shelters located at the stops. They seemed very industrial and architecturally pleasing. With stainless steel and glass being the main components to the shelters, as well as mostly stainless steel throughout the stations, it had a touch of roughness and permanence but also the glass lightened it up and allowed for a softness to wash the shelter. One of the things I noticed was some of the shelters were littered with leaves on the roofs. I liked the effect that it made with the fall colors being washed onto the glass. As far as access, the whole line really creates a pedestrian friendly design with the paths being extremely wide and open for security reasons, and the signs that designate the station name and number are clearly located and maps are made visible as well. The streets that the MAX runs on are very well designed, include a MAX only lane, are wide with trees lining the whole route. It made for a very nice ride that felt comfortable and safe at most of the stops. It was a great study for the upcoming station design in Studio.
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http://www.arcspace.com/architects/alsop/stratford/stratford.htmlThis is the link to arcspace where ALSOP has their new design for a train station in Stratford, London. It's a really cool design that facets its way from platform ground to platform ceiling. I like the wrapping of the skin and it becomes this undulating form that takes over the station and protects the passengers on the platform from weather and passing trains. Definitely an inspiration!
Here is the link to the site with tons of images! http://www.arcspace.com/architects/alsop/stratford/stratford.html So we were given the challenge of creating a sun screen for the overly exposed South and Western facades of the City Hall in Gresham, Oregon. Although there was a short term between the introduction of the assignment and the presentation date (5 Days), we were up for the challenge. I began with the idea of continueing my panel that I created a week ago and somehow translating that into a vertical sun screen of some sort. I looked into a horizontal shade as well but ideally it didn't seem to fit the issue of the western facade.
I also began to notice that the panel I made would be too intrusive on the window views if it stayed one large panel that sits on the window. Instead, I thought of cutting the panel into multiple strips of about 6 in. in width and the full height of the window. The strips would then be attached to a metal rod that would span the length of the window wall so that the panels would be moveable either by human manipulation or mechanically. At some points of the day, you could slide all the panels out of the windows view, or as the sun sets, you can move the panels into the areas you need the shading most. The panels ability to be manipulated also adds variation to the facade throughout the day. Since the panels would be made of cardboard and placed on the interior, the light levels would dramatically decrease and create a more comfortable environment for the employees of City Hall. The cardboard would block the direct sunlight coming in from an angle, and bring in the ambient light in general patterns based on the depth of each piece. The panels would be placed with the flat edge against the window and the organic side facing the office. The organic side would provide workers with a visually stimulating environment as well. so this is pretty cool. I found these images of cardboard lights that you can hang in your home. I dont know how safe they are as far as catching on fire...BUT it does look cool and makes me think that my cardboard panels have all kinds of potential for design! :) Check it out!
I just finished the last lamination of my 24x24 panel. Its made of cardboard that has been laser cut and laminated to create a panel where light can make interesting shapes and shadows. This was a long process but so worth the end! It looks amazing, the shape of the light and what you see and can't see is what makes the panel interesting.
I can't decide if I like the flat surface better or the organic side better. They both have such interesting elements. The flat side creates an illusion where you're not sure where the shapes are coming from. The organic side is just pleasing to the eye and you can see through it just as well. I am being more drawn to the organic side because of the space and shape it has potential for. The space could be in terms of seating, shelving, resting, etc. The shape could be in terms of how the shape of the contours can also add light and shadow to the surface. What I do know is that I need to create a video sequence of moving your eyes around the panel in different spots because it creates a flow of beautiful light moving throughout the panel. Some big, some small, and at some points you can almost see through the entire thing. I have to work on that video tomorrow! When I put the model in a dark room and directly lit it, the light source that came out was similar to if you were staring at it in natural light. I actually prefer the natural light better than the dark room because the panel takes on a more interesting shape both in the actual panel and with the light and shadow that it creates. This is a good sign for me to carry it on to the sun screen because it looks better in natural light meaning it doesn't need artificial light to create the image I want it to. For now, enjoy some photos that I've taken of the process and the final product! Comment about your opinions if you have any! Thanks! I am gonna start my blog! I don't have much to say today except that I am super excited about what is to come in this class.
In the first days of Studio, Nancy Cheng brought up a book about digital fabrications. Inside there was a project featured by two men from a winning design competition entry for the University of Art and Design in Helsinki. They were asked to create a space to experience and listen to music within the dimensions of 2 1/2 cubic meters. The ended up being a cave-like space cut out of a square box made of stacked cardboard. It's a beautiful solution with a nifty little space inside! I am intrigued by what kind of space you can create by just laminating a material like cardboard! I love the idea that you can create little pockets of goodies by cutting away at a surface elegantly. I also like the idea of creating a habitable place out of a single material that potentially goes from floor to wall to ceiling. Maybe creating seats, shelves, holes, etc. out of the surface would make it even more interesting! This is something I would look into for the light rail station portion of the design studio. But for now I am working on a single panel construction that will influence a sun screen for a structure. Currently I am working on a Rhino model for this study I am doing on how density in laminated cardboard can create "hot spots" of light without actually puncturing a plane. It will have a mostly organic shape on one side and a flat edge on the other. I am also working on bending light in another concept. I have an idea to use plaster and puncture it with holes that kink and expand/compress for interesting light sources against a flat plane. You may be lighting a flat plane, but you find light sources going all over the place because the actual route to the surface is bent or compressed. Below are some images of the study models I am working on. A work in progress! |
meellen hagen . architecture student . blog . fall 2009 . archives
December 2009
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