iar 202. wi2.

The first space I designed reflects the properties of a crystal in its symmetry, brightness, and transparency. The room is 32'4" x 22'. The "kit of parts" I chose for this space was two walls and a column. One enters the room from a door centered in the wall and ascends several stairs to a higher level. A small pool, seven feet square and three feet deep, welcomes the occupant upon ascension. The pool serves for bathing, relaxation, and meditation. A column rises from the center of the pool. Directly above the pool, a projection from the ceiling echoes the interior void of the pool. Built into this projection are lights to illuminate the water. Natural light comes from six windows on the wall opposite the entrance and four windows on the wall to the right. An seven foot long inward-facing couch faces the pool on either side, the back of which serves as a wall, seven feet high. The walls provide for additional semi-private spaces, in which one can relax, prepare food, eat, etc. On the lower level, a toilet and a sink are located left of the stairs, in a little nook that receives the most privacy from the outside. A shower head projecting from the wall is located to the right of the staircase.

The second space reflects the process of crystallization - a shift from liquid to solid, water to ice. The room is very linear, measuring 11' x 32'4". For this space's "kit of parts," I chose two columns and a wall. One enters opposite a long wall containing six windows. Six windows are located on the wall opposite the door, which serves to illuminate the entire space. The left side of the room is rather asymmetrical, informal, and free-flowing. It consists of bathing and food preparation/consumption facilities. A wall separated the different functions. Beginning halfway along the length of the room, six stairs ascend to a higher level. The stairs and the higher level form the "solid" and "crystalline" side of the room. This side is completely symmetrical. A bed projects from the shorter wall and faces the stairs. A column frames the bed on either side for symmetry and a sense of formality.

The third space reflects the crystallization of an idea. The space is a square - 22' x 22', with two windows on the wall opposite the entrance and two windows on the adjacent wall to the right. The "kit of parts" I chose was two solids carved for occupation. One enters from the far left side of a wall and begins a short journey around the room, walking around the perimeter on a raised platform - one solid - and gradually "spiraling" inward and upward towards the center. This represents the journey one undertakes in the formation of an idea. The spiraling path also reflects the idea of meditation, as one ascends slowly and methodically. Along the way, in the corners of the room, are areas for food preparation, bathing, and using the bathroom. In the center of the room is a semi-enclosed nook - the second solid - with a cushioned seat, symbolizing the realization - "or crystallization" - of the idea. From this nook, one can look out towards the two windows of the wall opposite the entrance.