final thesis book jkuehnis

Short si lence wil l do. . . everything stops where it belongs.

This book is presented in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Bachelor of Architecture degree at California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo.

This year long thesis project investigates the cultivation of serenity through small scale architectural interventions along a California coastal drive.

The journey is the dest inat ion.

I’d like to extend a special thank you to my advisors: Jonathan Reich and Brent Freeby, for continually inspiring me, challenging me, and motivating me to pursue such a conceptual project; to my parents, for supporting me in every way possible through five years of an intensive architectural education program, and to coffee, for keeping me alive, awake, alert, and enthusiastic.

Jillian M. KuehnisStudio: Jonathan Reich

June 2014

© 2014 Jillian Kuehnis

All rights reserved. This material may not be reproduced, modified, or distributed without the express prior written permission of the copyright holder. For permission, contact jilliankuehnis@gmail.com. Every reasonable attempt has been made to identify owners of copyright. Errors or omissions will be corrected in subsequent editions.

Architectural moments for pause along California’s Pacific Coast Highway.A thesis by: J i l l ian M. Kuehnis

C O N T E N T SWHAT IS IT?

A series of rest stops to evoke a sense of being in the here and now for those moving to fast beyond the living in life.

2 4The Sites

Distributing it along California’s Pacific Coast

Highway.

0 8The Theory

Creating a year-long provocative and influential

thesis project.

3 4The Projects

Bringing site specific, presence-inducing

interventions to the road.

8 6The Process

Writing and research to support the final realized

design.

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“The human being needs to recognize a part of nature to act within it without destroying it, without destroying himself, and so be able to enjoy the distinctively human values it offers you: the good and beauty, above all, need be retrieved and transmitted to younger generations.”

[Horst Werting]

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T H E T H E O R Y

“The car has made our cit ies uninhabitable. It is also the best way to escape them. Hurry and take the road to the roadless area, because it won’t be roadless long.”

[Terry & Renny Russel , On the Loose]

1 4Project Statement

To enhance and enrich a location without

overwhelming the given site.

1 0Concept Statement

Channelling the serene effects of nature and place to affect one’s disposition.

1 6Precedent Study

The National Tourist Routes in Norway verify the plausibility of the project.

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The American highway system is a great utilitarian achievement which allows one to travel across the United States without actually seeing anything. The normative value of “rest stops” is realized in their utility for supporting the function of goal oriented travel from place to place.

Rest stops could also serve as places for visitors to synchronize internal sense of being with a larger timeless presence – in the here and now, by channeling the serene effects of nature and place to affect one’s disposition.

C O N C E P T S TAT E M E N t

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The study and skillful use of light, view, sound, climate, seasons, cardinal orientation, soil, site history, sequence, and other site characteristics in the design of these interventions should allow visitors to return to the road with a clarity, calmness, and greater understanding of the world around them.

This will be done with small scale architectural interventions at slightly damaged roadside sites in otherwise extraordinary natural settings. They will illustrate the potential of architecture to orient in time and space, to enhance sensory awareness, to inherently inform and reveal, and to evoke a calm acceptance of the presence of what is true.

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ESCAPE. v. to slip away, as from confinement n. a means of distraction or relief, especially from reality or boredom.

RETREAT. v. the act of withdrawing as into safety or privacy; seclusion n. a place of refuge

RESPITE. v. temporary rest or relief; pause n. a pause from exertion; interval of rest and relief

PAUSE. n. a temporary stop or rest v. to make a brief stop or delay

REST. n. relief or freedom, especially from anything that wearies, troubles, or disturbs n. a period or interval of inactivity, repose, solitude, or tranquility v. to bring to a halt; to slow down and stop; to cease motion work, or activity

RELIEF. n. alleviation, ease, or deliverance through the removal of pain, distress, or anxiety n. something affording a pleasing change, as from monotony (diversion)

REPOSE. n. peace; tranquility; calm n. dignified calmness, as of manner; composure

REFRESH. v. to provide new vigor and energy by rest; to renew

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REST.

RETREAT.

RESPITE.

PAUSE.

RELIEF.

REPOSE.

ESCAPE.

REFRESH.

Whe

n lif

e m

oves

too

fas

t, r

est

and

reju

vena

tion

are

ofte

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rgot

ten.

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direction, tidal changes, etc.] for the purpose of locating them in the here and now.

- Each individual intervention will challenge preconceptions of the landscape and help to utilize the serene powers of nature to affect the disposition of visitors.

This thesis is an extension of another project that was commissioned in Norway in 1994 as a structured, sequential tourist route with a series of small, highly designed interventions that tell a story within each site.

- The individual interventions will each have their own identity but remain a piece within the comprehensive greater system.

- With recurring elements of coastline, mountains, and grassy hills, each project shall endeavor to be distinct in its own manner and purpose as to increase variation.

- The goal is to enhance and enrich a location without overwhelming the given site.

- The project will seek to educate visitors of some site specific detail [time, cardinal

P R O J E C T S TAT E M E N T

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The aforementioned project statement was derived from that of the Norway Tourist Route’s intent statement as recorded in the book entitled “Detour” by Nina Berre and Hege Lysholm; I have found that it aligns with my project ambitions accurately.

With eighteen interventions in the Norwegian series, distinct designs were created by various collaborative architecture groups. Although less detailed than the Norway project, I will be aiming to create a unique atmosphere and new relationship with nature at each site to challenge our preconceptions

of the landscape. In the case of the Highway 1 project, the mountains, coastline, and grassy hills are the recurring elements which must be diversified.

This is a study of how form may enhance and enrich an environment without overwhelming a certain location. Site specificity is the most important aspect of this project and I plan to take into account the various factors of each intervention to consciously work with it’s location.

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The National Tourist Route in Norway proved to be a great precedent study to verify the plausibility of this suggested project. This precedent was initially intended for the promotion of tourism through intricately designed small scale installations and visitor sites along a main tourist route in Norway. It demonstrated an alternate perspective towards rest stops and how they could serve as a design opportunity and population

enriching space rather than the traditional government issued version in California. These stops serve not only for the purpose of giving drivers a much needed rest, but also offer architectural beauty and an educational note. Furthermore, the Norway rest stops function to recognize certain site attributes that should be emphasized and celebrated that may not otherwise receive adequate attention.

P R E C E D E N T S T U D Y

TROLLSTIGPLATÅET

Architect: Reiulf Ramstad. Landscape architect: Multiconsult.

Photo:Jarle WæhlerStatens Vegvessen

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ASKEVÅGEN

Architect: 3 RW Arkitekter – Jakob Røssvik. Landscape architect: Smedsvig landskapsarkitekter AS.

Photos:top: Vegar Moenbottom: Per Kollstad

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TUNGENSET

Architects: Code ArkitekturLandscape Architects:

Aurora Landskap - Anita Vieseth

Photos:top: Hugo Fagermo

middle: Steinar Skaarright: Jarle Wæhler

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STEGASTEIN

Architects: Todd Saunders and Tommie Wilhelmsen.

Photos:top: Per Kollstad

bottom: Jarle Wæhler

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JEKTVIK

Architect: Carl-Viggo Hølmebakk.

Photo:Magne Myrvold

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TORVDALSHALSEN

Architect: 70° Nord - Gisle Løkken.

Photos:top: Jiri Havranbottom: Vegar Moen

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ØRNESVINGEN

Architects: 3 RW - Sixten Rahlff. Artist: May Eikås Bjerk. Landscape architect: Arne Smedsvig.

Photo:Steinar Skaar

SNEFJORD

Architect: PUSHAK arkitekter (Langeland, Drage Kleiva, Melbye and Gromholt.

Photo:Hege Lysholm

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“Each individual National Tourism Route shall have its own identity but equally so be a piece of an entire, comprehensive mosaic. . . Mountains, f jords, and the coastl ine are strong fundamental and recurring elements found in al l sections which therefore must be spiced up with different types of content in order to enhance each area’s distinctiveness.

“It is crucial that such areas be varied so that the different sections do not converge. With this as a point of departure it is necessary to be bold and resi l ient with regard to quality, particularly in terms of architectonic expression. Further, the aesthetic challenges shall normally be addressed in relation to the situation and atmosphere at the location in question, and in particular both functional and excit ing solutions must be created that have endurance and the abil ity to age with dignity. . .”

[Project Statement of the Norway National Tourist Route as stated by Nina Berre, “Detour”]

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“One of the best-paying professions is getting a hold of pieces of country in your mind, learning their smell and their moods, sorting out the pieces of a view, deciding what grows there and there and how many steps that hi l l wil l take, where this creek winds and where it meets the other one below, what elevation t imberline is now, whether you can walk this reef at low tide or have to cl imb around, which contour l ines on a map mean better cl i f fs or mountains.”

[Terry & Renny Russel , On the Loose]

T H E S I T E S

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3 0Projected Sites

Proposals for many sites including the four designs that have been initiated.

2 8Highway 1 Map

Relative proximity of the collection of proposed

sites along the highway.

3 2Site Strategy

Several factors contributed to the selection of each of

these projected sites.

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“We are like Antaeus of old, whose strength, ebbing whenever he lost contact with the Earth, his mother, became renewed each time he touched the ground. [We] need strengthening contact with nature once again. The natural world remains the common basis for all of us, even through it is changed beyond recognition from the world of nature known to our fathers.“

[Gyorgy Kepes]

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N

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TRINIDAD MUIR BEACH CRESCENT CITY SANTA CRUZ

T h e P r o p o s e d s i t e sMany sites were considered in the creation of this thesis project. So far, I’ve initiated design propositions for four of them.

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BIG SUR CAMBRIA GUADALUPE EL CAPITAN

“Adventure is not in the guidebook and Beauty is not on the map. Seek and ye shall f ind.”

[Terry & Renny Russel , On the Loose]

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S I T E S T R AT E G Y

Although it may seem as if sites were chosen at random, there were several factors that contributed to my selection of THESE eight areas.

1. Each site sits at a location with potential for a spectacular view; a view that would otherwise be given a drive-by without the opportunity for a comfortable place to stop, sit, and observe.

2. All areas were chosen as sites of varying degrees of previous land disturbances so that the interventions will not cause harm to pure existing, natural landscapes.

3. Many of the sites do share certain characteristics [coastline, steep cliffs, similar climates], however each one chosen has a specific attribute to distinguish it from the rest. The interventions will seek to emphasize

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additions to each site will merely become places to heighten the experience.

5. Four site intervention designs have been initiated. The remaining four sites will be recognized as proposed sites for the time being, but will give validity to the idea that there is potential for several additional locations.

this unique quality and highlight its power on the observer.

4. Interventions will be positioned to become a backdrop and architectural space to highlight the site rather than take the attention away from the it. This project is about returning perspective to the landscape to utilize the power of nature over a viewer’s mental disposition. Ergo, the architectural

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Everything isolated before my senses, they accept i t without question: a rustle of si lence. The surrounding nature evokes a state of contemplation within me.

T H E P r o j e c t s

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4 6The Dock

A dock that reaches down into the water in a lagoon

in Trinidad.

3 6The Branch

A branch or path into the foliage alongside the road

in Crescent City.

5 8The Portal

A portal which gives and takes a sweeping view in

Big Sur.

6 8The Den

A den that tunnels visitors into the warm ground just

past Muir Beach.

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Crecent City

On mountain’s edge, amidst a forest , rests a plat form that af fords a peaceful place to perch and l is ten; to chi t chat wi th the t rees.. . those tal l , ta l l t rees. Swishing their leaf covered l imbs in the swir l ing ocean breeze below.

T H E B R A N C H

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I jo ined themthe trees.

I sat in contemplat ionas the leaves rust led.Above me, below me;

trees al l around. Making music wi th their l imbs.

The glow of morning l ightpeeking in through the fol iage..

Fi l tered:the wind, the sun, my thoughts.

SITE

view

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T H E d o c kTrinidad

On a beach of a lagoon, where the highway touches the water, s i ts a dock. I t ’s pr ist ine pathway pierces through a reed-l ike structural system and dives down into the water.

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I t touched the t ides. Dove down slowly.

The dock’s surface la id f ixed,weathered away

by each surge of watersipping at i t ’s planks.

The cycles past lef t their marks behind.

I inched closer to the water ’s edge,

and touched the t ides mysel f ,as the sal ty breeze kissed my face.

SITE

view

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T H E D E N

Muir Beach

On a grassy hi l l that over looks the coast beyond si ts a den; a place of shel ter nest led into the earth where one can rest at eye level wi th the long grasses swaying in the ocean breeze.

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SITE

view

SITE

I burrowed.Down into the ground i t led me.

Into the warmthand the thick earthen wal ls.

I saw the grass of the hi l l ,c lose up and swaying.

Heard the wind,but was shel tered from i t .

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T H E P o r ta l

Big Sur

On a precipice si ts a path to draw vis i tors through a meditat ion space, removing them from turbulent thoughts of the road, pul l ing them through an open abyss, and then out into the air . Into the v iew; suspended.

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SITE

view

SITE

I heard them before I saw them them. The waves,

crashing on the cl i f fs below. An edge,

beyond the cl i f f edge.Where even my toes could feel the drop.

Suspended yet somehow surrounded.

The sky encased me.The fog

crept up to bury me in i ts mist .

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“For hours, and sometimes for days, I fel l without realizing it into the private explanation of the world. . . What deceived me was my own happiness; for peace is indivisible, and the surrounding world confusion found no reflection inside me. So I ceased to have any real sense of i t .”

[John Knowles, A Separate Peace]

T H E P R O C E S S

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9 6Other Precedents

Other inspirational architecture, art and land

artists.

1 0 2Form Studies

Exploring light, shape, shadow, hierarchy, and

texture.

1 1 6Abstract

An early showcase piece with the intention of cultivating serenity.

1 4 2Bibliography

Reading for research, selected quotes, and inspirational writers.

8 8Project Sketches

Process sketches selected from several iterations at

the four sites.

1 2 2Vellum

Furniture competition piece: a collection of

sliding shelves.

1 2 8Categorized Image

Organizing spaces for relaxation by size and

occupancy.

1 3 6Escape: Collages

Playful images for escaping the currents of

city life.

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s k e t c hProject Sketches

Several iterations were considered prior to the

final designs.

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r e s e a r c hOther Precedents

Precedent interventions at various sites of peaceful uncul t ivated nature.

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SNOHETTA ARCHITECTS

I strove to achieve Snohetta’s ability to highlight a surrounding landscape with highly designed components of an installation without overpowering the beauty of the site itself.

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MICHAEL HEIZER

Michael Heizer’s elegant formal explorations in nature are so elemental and boiled down that the work becomes incredibly powerful in its own respect.

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RODRIGO SHEWARD

A remotely located space to provide a direct relationship with nature while sheltering the occupant from its elements, the Observation Deck is a great example of the use of material integrity and simple design form to create a powerful place for taking in one’s surroundings.

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TASOS SAVVA

CORNELIA KONRADS

Land artists have a wonderful ability to effortlessly and precisely display a vast array of different responses to various sites. Additionally, while neither of the selected projects here serve any specific functionality, they do leave people with an experience, an impression, that can be altering and influential.

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A R T I F A C TForm Studies

“SERENITY: 1. The qual i ty or state of being serene; clearness and calmness; quietness; st i l lness; peace.2. Calmness of mind; evenness of temper; coolness; composure.”

[Webster ’s Dict ionary]

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STRUCTURE

How does a structure af fect the land below i t? Can an archi tectural instal lat ion mirror or descr ibe something about the land i t s i ts upon?

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LIGHT

What ef fects can be made with patterns

of l ight and shadow? At human scale, how could th is form study

be reinterpreted into an archi tectural

instal lat ion?

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TREES

How is dappled l ight perceived? How can the

ef fect be recreated? Why does a forest seem

so vast? What are the proport ional qual i t ies

of ta l l t rees to smal l humans?

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WAVES

What would waves look l ike spat ia l ly? How could the cur l ing, looping, f lowing forms of waves inspire a surrounding piece of archi tecture?

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TOPOGRAPHY.

How do level changes and descent

change perspect ive dynamical ly? How does

i t af fect the observer and their exper ience of

place?

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“We are al l acquainted with rare moments when meaning swells into double meaning or many meanings and the world manifests i tself not as separated territories but as a l iving whole. These are the moments in which single feel ing takes over and we seem to dissolve into the world around us. Children who are al lowed to be children sometimes reach happy complete involvement.

“Inevitably, most of us lose the marvelous capacity we had as children to sense l i fe in its ful lest whole. Present adult civi l ized l i fe is systematically cut up, scheduled, and parceled out. We l ive by t imetables and maps. We can recount the year, day, and hour in which something happened, and place it in the right house, street, and country, but we forget i ts taste and color. The capacity for sensing our belongingness, which gives l iving its color, richness, and, really, i ts justif ication, is drained out of most of us.”

[Gyorgy Kepes]

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CAVITY

Burrowing down whi le ref lect ing upwards; mutual re l iance of mater ia l on mater ia l

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PLATFORM

An extension of the space below; reaching beyond the exist ing

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PERCH

A balcony nest led into the landscape around af fording the opportuni ty to stand near ly suspended

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G A L L E R YAbstract

Short s i lence wi l l do. . . everything stops where

i t belongs.

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Task: create an artifact that embodies the BE. HERE. NOW. of life. I was seeking to create something that people would not think about, they would just instinctively reach out and touch it. The smooth and rough materiality of the elements evoked a state of contemplation for observers to forget outside distractions.

Solution: a blend of the elemental qualities of a zen garden recreated through the use and contrast of smooth, soft wood and the coarseness of beach rocks. It was more than just a material study, it was my first attempt to “cultivate serenity” in those interacting with the project.

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Until the chatter goes away...Until the object becomes the experienceIn the absence of thoughtThrough the blankness of focusBlankness and concentrationHaving thoughts without ideasIdeas without thoughtAnd all was conscious again.

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F u r n i t u r eVellum

“Craftmanship means dwel l ing on a task for a long t ime and going into i t , because one wants to get i t r ight .”

[Matthew Crawford, Shop Class as Soulcraf t ]

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Pract ic ing welds Making the frames

Attaching the tabs After powder coat ing

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Vellum was an opportunity for me to learn a new skill and to refine other ones. I am astounded that I went so long without learning how to work with metal. Even though it took me three attempts to get clean miters on the frame pieces and several days to practice my welds before putting the new skills to work, my perseverance showed in the finished product.

I also didn’t know much about the different types of wood prior to Vellum and took the chance to broaden my knowledge through talks with Vicky at the NRC, and the men at Aura Hardwoods. It was amazing to see my design become a functional, adjustable, high-quality piece of furniture so quickly and I could not be happier with how it turned out.

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ADJUSTABILITY

The four cherry wood shelves gl ide smoothly on their steel t racks to al low for several di f ferent arrangements wi th in the steel f rame.

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S t U D i e sCategorized Space

Organizing spaces for relaxation by size and

occupancy.

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Early thesis investigations led me to a few case studies which I highly regarded as places of solitude, comfort, and contemplation. From there, I worked to categorize my feelings regarding solitude and comfort. The study was initially to sort out which types of spaces accommodate the notion of temporary separation and solitude from a bustling society, but then delved into whether or not someone could be alone while

surrounded by others. Can solitude be experienced in a pair? In a group? And as a conclusion, my studies led me to the outdoors - a common place to get away to that can be seen in a variety of accommodating scales for one or for many.

In nearly every situation of serenity there was a relation with the outdoors or the elements of nature.

A c c o m m o d at i n g N at u r e

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ELEMENT HOUSE

Architect:Rintala

Eggertson

PALEY PARK

Architect: Zion & Breen Associates

PINOHUACHO OBSERVATION DECK

Architect: Rodrigo Sheward

KIELDER OBSERVATORY

Architect: Charles Barclay

MOSES BRIDGE

Architect: RO&AD

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Images of space sorted by scale: from left to right is from the no-one to the everyone (in scale and occupancy). The beach could have everyone and no one all in the same. Then from top to bottom spaces are sorted from everywhere to somewhere. Beaches are everywhere, but Paley Park could only be found in Manhattan. This was an investigation in whether I should be striving to create a space to adapt for anywhere it’s needed (the

everywhere) or to be something very site specific (the somewhere) and likewise if it should be capable of accommodating no one or anyone and everyone. Who is my target group of occupants? Should my project be able to adjust to audience and site needs or is it for one specific purpose and place? Each of the photos are places of retreat, reflection, observation, contemplation, and escape.

S o r t i n g S p a c e

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A park that accommodates var ious scaled

groups of people

A br idge to al ter the

perspect ive of i ts v is i tors

London Tube, An

unconvent ional shel ter when

necessary in t imes of

cr is is. People accommodate

themselves

A place to inhabit which

remains exposed to the

elements yet shel tered from

their force

Nooks, there’s something comfort ing

about being tucked in

Camping, a moveable

shel ter , most int imate in

scale

The great outdoors,

extremely vast in scale yet a source of

re juvenat ion

no-one (someone) everyone (anyone)everywhere(anywhere)

somewhere(here)

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Through these two diagrams I brainstormed the various ways that people might relax and where. I was curious about whether or not my project could ever cater to everyone and anyone. Relaxation isn’t always about a quiet place of escape... some people relax at a bar, some people relax by going to the gym. Regardless of how or where people relax, I was trying to find the tying element. What is it about all of these places that relaxes people?

All of which are alike in that they require a certain amount of focus. Focus on a task or thing rather than whatever was in their mind prior to becoming relaxed.

Perhaps serenity is found in the intense focus of whatever someone is doing. Applied to my project, a place of serenity could be created through meticulously focused views on something vast and undefined.

B r a i n s t o r m

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i m a g eEscape: Collages

“Dispel the clouds which hang over our brows, and take up a l i t t le l i fe into our pores.”

[Henry David Thoreau, Walden]

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Alexander, Christopher, Sara Ishikawa, and Murray Silverstein. A Pattern Language: Towns, Bui ldings, Construct ion. New York: Oxford UP, 1977. Print.

Berre, Nina, and Hege Lysholm. Omveg: Arki tektur Og Design Langs 18 Nasjonale Tur istvegar = Detour: Archi tecture and Design along 18 Nat ional Tour ist Routes. Oslo: Statens Vegvesen, Nasjonale Turist vegar, 2008. Print.

Blaser, Werner. Tadao Ando: Archi tektur Der St i l le = Archi tecture of Si lence: Naoshima Contemporary Art Museum. Basel: Birkhäuser, 2001. Print.

Coolidge, Matthew, and Sarah Simons. Overlook: Explor ing the Internal Fr inges of America wi th the Center for Land Use Interpretat ion. New York: Metropolis, 2006. Print.

“National Tourist Routes in Norway.” Nasjonale Turistvegar. Statens Vegvesen, n.d. Web. 20 Jan. 2014. http://www.nasjonaleturistveger.no/en.

Kepes, Gyorgy. “Kinetic Light as a Creative Medium.” Technology Review December (1967): Print.

Kepes, Gyorgy. The New Landscape in Art and Science. Chicago: P. Theobald, 1956. Print.

“Kielder Observatory.” Kielder Observatory, 2014. Web. 15 Oct. 2013. <http://kielderobservatory.org/>.

Kjeldsen, Kjeld, Jeanne Rank Schelde, Michael Asgaard Andersen, Michael Juul Holm, James Manley, and Glen Garner. New Nordic: Archi tecture & Ident i ty. Humlebæk, Denmark: Louisiana Museum of Modern Art, 2012. Print.

Knowles, John. A Separate Peace; a Novel . New York: Macmillan, 1960. Print.

“Pinohuacho observation deck / Rodrigo Sheward” 25 Jul 2008. ArchDaily. n.d. Web. 2 Oct 2013.

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R E S E A R C HBibliography

“Educat ion is exper ience, and the essence of exper ience is sel f - re l iance.”

[T.H. White, The Once and Future King]

Russell, Terry, and Renny Russell. On the Loose. Salt Lake City: Gibbs-Smith, 2001. Print.

Snøhetta. “Tverrfjellhytta, Norwegian Wild Reindeer Pavilion.” Snøhetta. Snøhetta, n.d. Web. 20 Nov. 2013.

Thoreau, Henry David. Walden. Columbus, OH: C.E. Merrill, 1969. Print.

Von Foerster, Heinz. “Logical Structure of Environment and Its Internal Representation.” in R. E. Eckerstron ed., Internat ional Design Conference, Aspen 1962. Zeeland, Michigan: Herman Miller, 1963. Print.