Thesis COMPLETED!

I haven't been writing very much lately, because as I said in my recent post, most of the stuff that I need to work out had been worked out and it was just a matter of production. I thought that I would do one final post to tie up loose ends in case anyone runs accross this.

I presented my thesis in the downtown studio at 3:30. I was one of the last people to go, which meant that I missed almost everyone's... not because I wasn't there, but because I couldn't sit still. I got downtown at about 10:10, just in time to see ELeben's presentation. Although JWo said that her perspectives were 'too humerous' and he couldn't consider them (since when is an Ewok NOT appropriate for a render of a farm?) I enjoyed her presentation and was glad it went well.

The other one I paid attention to was KS's. She was happy with her presentation as well. Her boards looked great and she spoke very well for having worked on her model all night. I was sorry but unsurprised when she didn't come out drinking with us Saturday night.

I was able to pin up my boards at lunch, so Team and I took our time to make sure everything was square. Although the sectional model was a smidge too close to the site plan everything else worked quite well: I showed the 2-D matrix of interpretable sections, the 3-D matrix of ambiguous spatial conditions, some diagrams of the site, the model that I made after mid-term, a site plan, small medium and large focus diagrams of the site and details, three perspectives and a sectional model of the site. It wasn't a lot of information on the boards, but I was happy with it and thought it was enough: it explained what I wanted to say without too many distractions. I was also really happy that Team worked out a way to bolt the models to the wall so they could be part of the presentation boards instead of sitting on a table.

I wrote out cue cards before I went down in the morning, so the presentation was mostly a matter of reading them: not too much ad libbing because I wanted to be precise about what I was saying. They were great because I was able to consider exactly what words said what I meant so there would be less confusion. There was about one card for every powerpoint slide.

I was happy with my presentation and felt I described everything, although I haven't mastered endings yet and there was a HORRIBLE silence after I finished up. It took about a minute for anyone to speak and I was a little concerned. Luckily, when they did talk they said:

"mature"
"successful"
"from the first class you have always loved to draw"
"congratulations"

It was the best crit I have ever had.

There were a couple of quibbles: JBass said that he wasn't convinced I had placed the ambiguous spatial conditions optimally and someone else had questions about the materials, but I was delighted with how my presentation went. I've got my fingers crossed for a thesis award. I've always felt really average at the school so it was nice to get a little validation.

I was also very happy that I was able to thank everyone properly. Team, ShortBus, Mr. Clean and the Vegan were all amazing, and Coach Scap was an unexpected addition. Team Fun ended up being huge: last Thursday I had 7 people building my final sectional model and while I was extremely stressed, they did a great job.

This week I've moved out of my desk at school, written my thesis book, cleaned house and tried to get used to spare time again. It feels weird and I miss having the single focus, but it was great to play soccer in the sun yesterday (even though I now have funny tan lines from my shin guards.)

Next task: find a job. This means putting together my portfolio... blech.

Bedtime stories

Once upon a time, Archigeek decided to go to grad school...

Thesis Advisor M has suggested I put together a narrative of my project to keep track of what is and isn't important to show for the presentation. I think it will be a good way to focus my efforts on what is really important and cut down on my distraction (I'd like to point out that I stopped writing in the middle of that sentence to go check out some web sites )
So how does my project start?

This thesis began with an interest in details and ambiguity. I wondered if there was some kind of mechanism with which designers could indicate possible uses of a space without being specific so there were lots of possibilities. After looking at the work of Vernor Panton and some others, I decided that the best way to do this was by using small-scale interventions. That way the whole space wouldn't be affected, just portions of it.

Since I decided I wanted to start with the small scale and was interested in Panton, I went to Architectural Graphic Standards to look at how small small-scale is. When I was there, I noticed that there is some overlap in the measurements for certain things, and since a surface that is a table can also act as a seat is ambiguous, I started to overlay different examples of humans using furniture to produce a surface or section that could do a couple of things at once.

I found this productive, so chose 13 Graphic Standards that I felt addressed a variety of conditions and crossed them with each other to produce a huge number of ambiguous spatial conditions. Some of these were more successful than others, so I picked a representation of the best ones to work with further.

While the sections were interesting, they weren't yet spatial, so I decided I wanted to see what would happen if I combined them in a different way. While the ambiguous spatial conditions were interesting, their use was still limited to what I could imagine. But part of my idea of articulated space is that the architect needs to provide for uses that she can't imagine: the sections didn't address this.

I decided to go into Maya and created 3-D versions of combinations of sections. Each example took two sections and lofted between them. This meant that there were spaces that weren't one thing or another, and the use wasn't regulated by me because the shape was a byproduct of this process. I pursued this with all the sections and created a matrix of 45+ different chunks of habitable space.

When I started to assemble these, I realized that I had to apply some outside influences to arrange them. I had already picked a site that I thought would be productive because the use fluctuates significantly during the day and would vary according to measurable influences, so I began to diagram all the things that influence the site and might influence the placement of the ambiguous spatial conditions.

I spent a week diagramming everything I could think of that varied according to time: daylight access to site, program requirements, pedestrian movement, pedestrian speed. I laid them all out on a single map and realised that it would be possible to insert specific programmatic uses at certain points with the remainder of the site either ambiguous spatial condition that was not linked to program (the midpoint between two sections), or flat space that could be used as a pathway or have a relationship to the sections.

I looked at the solar access to the site and decided to place all the program in the north west corner to minimize shade cast into the site. I looked at the average speeds for paths across the site and decided that the less travelled areas were the best place to add the sections. I decided that the entry to the underground bus loop should have a habitable roof that could also function as a stage, and decided that the rest of the ambiguous spatial articulations should be arranged with the same form.

The end result of this is a ground plane that, at certain moments, undulates to create folds that can be used in ways defined by the original Architectural Graphic Standards.

The end.

Getting personal

When I started this blog, I decided I didn't want to talk about how I felt about thesis and the process because I was going to let people know about it and noone wanted to hear me complain. But I don't know anyone that reads it, and I've had my final committee meeting, so I thought I would blow off a little steam with the understanding that yes, I do love my project and I'm very fond of the School of Architecture, my professors, and the other students.

So in no particular order, a list of questions.

Why do my friends come to sit at my desk and complain about how much work they have to do? And that they can't wait until it's over? I have to produce a thesis project, and I have three weeks of hell to go through. Have they not noticed that I'm at school all the time?

Why does drinking coffee make my stomach decide to suceed? It's apparently trying to abdicate from my abdomen in an intensely painful way.

Why didn't I wear a sweater, or at the very least a long sleeved shirt today? It's freezing.

Why does stress make me hurt my feet so it's hard to walk? Am I trying to prevent myself from leaving my apartment, or possibly even my bed?

Why doesn't complaining about this make me feel better?

Do people actually believe I'm relaxed? And how is saying 'You'll be fine: you're Archigeek!' supposed to reassure me? That's the problem. I'm Archigeek. And she doesn't know what she is doing.

Why is this so unpleasant? I swore I would try to enjoy this thesis as much as possible because it's likely it will be my last real design project. But here I am, moaning and groaning.

What is the best way to deal with someone saying 'I miss being a student. You're so lucky: these days I rarely get home before 7 at night' ? Can it involve some slapping?

Will I ever lose these circles under my eyes? Are the wrinkles I've noticed for the first time this semester permanent?

Why is facebook so addictive, and why won't my friends do more things so it can take up more time?

Did I waste as much time this weekend as I think I did? Was what I was doing instead of homework actually a waste of time? Can I claim that martini drinking as brainstorming time? When am I going to drink my next martini?

Is not going to yoga giving me more time to work on my project, or just making me less focused?

Why can't I start the project that is due April 20th? Do I want to fail?

Why do all my muscles hurt?

Is Team Fun actually going to be fun? Are Team, the DBA, Short Bus, Mr. Clean and The Vegan going to want me dead? Am I going to want them dead? Is there going to be a murder/suicide in the studio, leaving the concrete floors awash with blood?

Can I do this?

This would be an excellent time to delurk, if you feel so inclined.

Final Committee Meeting: Today Only!

I have my last meeting today before the big presentation May-5th-or-6th. I've been awake for too long and haven't exercised properly since Saturday night, so am both sleepy and jittery. Hooray!

I'm pretty happy with most of what I've put together since the last meeting, but there are a couple of holes that concern me. The massing for most of the site should be fine because I'm not going to get too detailed and have some parameters that take care of most of the decisions. The same is true for the structure: there are only so many options, so I just need to pick one and see it through. The issue that concerns me most, however, is weather protection.

The Flame has been concerned about weather protection from the get-go. While I agree that in Vancouver it makes sense to have covered seating areas, I'm not sure if the auditorium (the only area that I plan to really resolve) is the best place for it. The reason? Sightlines. I've been trying to organize the whole site so that you can see the stage part from pretty much anywhere so that it can act as a small stage, an auditorium, or as a huge demonstration/gathering space. I want people looking from their windows able to participate in the stage: I want the whole plaza able to focus on this space.

How do you fit shelter into this? Any roof-ish structure is going to ruin the sightlines from somewhere. There are two walls, it's true, but they are only 3' above grade, and so won't be suitable for hanging any shelter from. I also want to make it possible for people to hang over the edge of them to listen/watch, and any shelter would really detract from that.

Something moveable might be the answer, but it seems so late to be introducing a new element. If I leave it the way it is, I can argue that in this instance there is no shelter because the way the auditorium functions precludes it, but there are lots of other opportunities for shelter in other collections of ambiguous spatial conditions around the square that I have not resolved. If I do add something I run the risk of it becoming the focus of my presentation because it doesn't fit or evolve naturally from these ideas. Yes, there should be shelter. But is it right in this case?

It's funny: I'm usually the most pragmatic of designers. I focus on stairs, shelter, envelope: all the boring stuff we are taught not to care about. But for this project I've thrown the existing program out the window, created a hugely dangerous site, spec'ed some suspicious details.... all in the name of design. If this were to be built, would the design be worth the hassles? That's my working theory, but I don't know.

I'm at T minus one month, one day. I'm going to take it easy this weekend (woo hoo! LONG weekend) and try to keep it down to 20 hours total at school. I'm going to talk about some of my presentation stuff with my committee this afternoon so I can get a better idea of what I should be getting done.... and Tuesday I'm going to send out an e-mail to all the people I've discussed thesis work with so I can figure out who is doing what and when. There are a couple of major players...

Mr. Clean: lightening fast with ACAD, Mr. Clean is best known for his work with physical models, but is now banned from the shop due to his advanced age. Mr. Clean will be tapped to draw and tidy sections.

The Vegan: The Vegan owes me one (1) flash movie, as a direct swap for work done on his thesis. He's going to be producing something very much like what I did for him: an animation that shows how use of the site varies throughout the day/week. He's going to be including shadow patterns as well, so I think it could be a great movie. His mayan expertise will also be required to help with renders.

Team: Team is going home for a week between April 21st and May5/6, but his tofu-powered precision should be put to good use on a mid-sized model of the auditorium with some structural details. I'm not sure how big it will be, but the intent is to show the structure and the relationship between the auditorium and the underground bus loop.

The DBA: I've been in talks with the DBA to build a full size model of some furniture for my reviewers to sit on. This needs to be approved by my committee, as Thesis Advisor M has suggested it may not be a good use of my resources (AKA, money and DBA) so he may end up working on a site model.

Short Bus: The only girl on the A team, Short Bus will be photoshopping and illustrating renders. I would prefer to only have people I know in my images, but we'll see if that happens.

I'm hoping to force sArs, AL, Orphan Annie and possibly some others to give a hand, but too many people is more of an issue at this point than not enough. Orphan Annie has said she might be able to cater, which is great for The Vegan and Team.

I'm stoked about the reformation of Team Fun as a kick off to summer. Go Team Fun!

Still aboot

I haven't fallen off the 3rd floor of Lasserre: I've just entered production/design phase, so I don't have as much to think about.

I've been trying to design the auditorium/staircase from the bus loop as a prototype so that I can do basic massing for the rest of the buildings and mark it as similar. While assembling ambiguous spatial conditions for the auditorium is interesting, I found I was making too many spot decisions.

I went to yoga this morning to think about it and decided (during breathing, giving support to the theory that more blood in your brain helps you think) that what I need to do is design ambiguous spatial articulations to deal with the specific needs of the auditorium. Although I love the look of the lofted Maya 3-D models, they don't actually deal with the realities of the space.

When I was designing, I found myself slapping together solutions for edges where people might fall and desk seats where people need to get in and out. So, today I'm going to try to carefully design two or three units that can deal with this: that are a combination of the Graphic Standards sections but work in both long and short section so people can sit easily.

I'm also going to rethink the ramp access to the site. I placed wheelchair access on the north/east side of the auditorium, but I found the ramp really guided where the ambiguous spatial articulations should go. To this end I'm going to try to stretch the ramp throughout the auditorium so that the whole thing is articulated. The landings work well as rest spaces and are suitable for circles of seating for conversations (using the desk/seat ASC that I assembled in DS)

I hate that I only came to these conclusions the day before I meet with Thesis Advisor M, but I'm glad I was able to look at what I produced yesterday and understand why it doesn't work so I could formulate ideas as to what might work. My way of designing is so SLOW.

Pre-meeting crunch

I got a sneak preview of a new-ish plan for the transit plaza today. Hughes Condon Marler is preparing a presentation for tommorrow between 2 and 6 at the SUB. It overlaps a little with my committee meeting, but I'm sure I won't need 4 hours to look at the plans, so I'm going to stop by.

I was lucky enough to get a jpeg of the new plan, and have been converting it to 3-D to get a better idea of what the changes are and what's going to happen to the plaza. The architects are still working with an idea of using intended traffic patterns to carve out the shapes of the building.

I've spent the past week looking at the old plans, and I noticed two things. The first is that the new plan does not show the carving away as clearly as the old one, and the second is that the current site preforms in the inverse way: that is to say, the entire space is defined by the parts that you cannot move through.

This may be an exaggeration. You can climb over the grassy knoll on your way from the Pit Pub to the Bookstore, but nobody does. The knoll serves the same function in the space as the raised stage in Herman Hertzberger's Apollo schools.

"At first sight it would seem that the potential of the space would be greater if the block could be moved out of the way from time to time and, as was to be expected this was indeed a point of lengthy discussions. It is the permanence, the immobility, and the 'being in the way' that is the central issue, because it is indeed that inescapable presence as a focal point that contains the suggestions and incentives for response in each situation as it arises. The lock becomes a 'touchstone' and contributes to the articulation of the space in such a way that the range of possibilities of usage increases" (Herman Hertzberger, Lessons for Students in Architecture, p. 153)

If the Grassy Knoll is to be removed, it should be replaced with something can address some of the same needs. I'm going to argue that the link between the at-grade plaza and the below-grade hub can have the same qualities of permanence, immobility and 'being in the way'.

I'm going to propose a diagrammatic plan for tommorrow (which I of course have not yet started work on) that organizes the plaza around an expanded stairway. I'm going to arrange elements to encourage use as an outdoor stage/theater and to create sunlit social spaces. I think the retail space and buildings in general need to be secondary to the stair, and I think it can be a great focal space.

What does the stair need to function as an auditorium?

• A focal point to act as a stage: This should probably be fairly large so there can be a variety of different kinds of presentations that occur. Maybe also the possibility of projecting behind it? Some kind of wall or corner? Frosted glass to present on?
• An escape route for people leaving the transit hub: No matter how many people there are in the 'auditorium', it will always be neccessary for people to use the bus loop even when there are presentations. It should be possible to get to the base of the stairs without stepping on anyone even when there are lots of people or walking across the 'stage' area.
• A slope: Obviously the stair will have some kind of slope, as it is a stair. But what slope? I think it's a good idea for it to be fairly shallow so that there is more stair to be an auditorium
• A comfortable place to stop: It can be hard to stand on stairs because they are designed for movement and not for resting. The stairs are going to have to be a bit deeper than the norm, and I would also like to incorporate some seating in a way that sitters do not have their views blocked by standers.
• Other programs built-in: The space needs to work even when there isn't a crowd using the auditorium. Most of the time it will be used by small groups or single people (alone, as compared to not in a relationship. hee.)

I'm going to try too put together a plan/section/something that addresses these issues.

Diagrams

I spent today working on diagrams.

This is actually three diagrams layered on top of each other. I'm hoping to come up with more, but I'm a little stuck at the moment. The coloured dots show premium inhabitation areas re: sunlight, the black dots show speed of movement, and way in the back is a map of the underground bus loop.

I love the way this looks now, but I wanted to get more than three diagrams to layer: the more information I can pull from the site, the better my decisions will be. I like this way of showing information, and I find that layering the different ones on top of each shows very clearly what parts of the site are appropriate for interventions.

There's something about crowds vs. individuals that needs to be part of this diagram as well. I want an area that can transform from being auditorium-like to a social area where people can chat. It could be a simple as a raised stage in one area, but I would prefer raked seating because I think it would be used more.

I spoke to UBC properties trust yesterday, and they said they would get in touch with Karen Marler at Hughes Condon Marler so I can get the real plans for what they are working on. They have to be ready for Tuesday because there is a public presentation, but I'm hoping to get them before that because my committee meeting is next Tuesday. If I don't hear from HCM tommorrow, I'll have to call them. I hate doing that.