iar 202. jenga 5.0.

Jenga 5.0 resulted in the joining of two teams to produce a team of six and an eight-story design. Our concepts fit together seamlessly to produce what I believe was the most successful Jenga design that I was involved in. We became team Trepide, building upon previous concepts of flow, dematerialization, and capture and release.

Design program and appendix:

Physical models:

detail model

iar 202. jenga 3.0 + 4.0.

For Jenga 3.0, we organized ourselves into teams of three to design a two-story structure with public spaces that reflected our initial concept words. Cassie, Kelly, and I became team Evolution, with respective concept words of flow, pendulate, and crystallize. Our design reflected the ideas of change, flow, and transparency.

As part of Jenga 3.0, our group produced 4 papers to demonstrate the main points of the books we read for this semester's studio. Three of the boards were individual, while the fourth presented a combination of ideas.

Following is my 8.5 x 11 composition, depicting the main points expressed in Witold Rybczynski's Home: A Short History of an Idea:

For Jenga 4.0, team Evolution (Cassie, Kelly, and I) doubled the number of units in our design, rotating and stacking them on top of our Jenga 3.0 structure. The result was a four-story building that reflected the same concepts in a more developed way. The following team proposal/prospectus documents both Jenga 3.0 and 4.0:

Physical model for Jenga 4.0 (photos courtesy of Kelly Harris):

iar 202. jenga 7.0 initial thoughts.

With each new project presentation, I am increasingly impressed by the work of my peers, particularly the level of detail attained in each group's design. I feel that our group Trepide (Kelly, Cassie, Sharon, Dajana, Blakeni, and I) was fortunate to be joined with team Emerge, consisting of Abigail, Corry, Austin, Leslie, Kathryn, and Kacie. Their presentation last Friday was clean, well organized, and professional.

During this afternoon's group meeting, the twelve of us decided on the team name "Portmanteau," underscoring the joining of the two groups. We also discussed the differences and similarities between our two designs. One common approach was a strong emphasis on contrasting horizontal and vertical elements. In Trepide's design, we expressed horizontality through the use of patios jutting out from the building mass; to accentuate the building's verticality (as well as our concept of gradual dematerialization), we designed columns extending through the patios, decreasing in diameter with each successive level. Team Emerge achieved horizontality through elongated, C-shaped patios and verticality through lengthy, upright beams.

It seems that our respective design strategies can be tweaked and used in conjunction to communicate these common concepts. As a group, we entertained the idea of designing a structure in which the first floor is the most unified, expressing strong connections between various parts, while upper floors begin to deviate from that sense of connectedness. Emerge expressed a similar concept in their design. In my thinking, such a design strategy would work well with Trepide's concept of dematerialization. However, Austin mentioned that our potential design could be viewed in the reverse: as disconnected elements ultimately coming together at the bottom floor of the building.

As of now, these ideas are quite abstract and have yet to take shape or undergo revision.

iar 212. illustrator rendering.

iar 202. 4+4=8 charrette.

This past Monday's studio class - the first day back after spring break - presented our team Evolution (Cassie, Kelly, and me) with the challenge of two charrettes. In each charrette, we were to collaborate with another team of three to merge our group's building design with theirs, resulting in an eight story structure. The deliverables required were as follows:

[1] A statement of approach discussing how both projects would come together under a conceptual framework that accounts for materiality and the readings we have completed

[2] Concept sketches: one overall exterior, one perspective of a public space, and one detail

[3] Diagrams illustrating circulation, systems, and design language

We were only given one hour for each charrette. Based on what we were able to produce, Patrick and Claire will decide which two teams should be paired up for the upcoming Jenga 5.0.

The first team we collaborated with was Caravaggio, consisting of Dajana, Blakeni, and Sharon. We were fortunate in that our designs were somewhat similar and our concepts blended well. Cassie and Sharon took care of the written statement, Kelly and Blakeni produced the concept sketches, and Dajana and I worked on diagramming. Being that our concepts were similar, it felt very natural to discuss and devise diagrams with Dajana. We were able to work quickly and efficiently as we documented the ideas of openness, accessibility, flow, circulation, alternation through materiality, verticality merging with horizontality, moments of enclosure, and a progression toward lightness. Upon finishing the charrette, it seems that we all had a sense that our two teams should be chosen to work together for the next assignment.

The second charrette paired us with team Interlocking, consisting of Brian, Jamaan, and Audra. Unfortunately, Audra wasn't in class that day, so we had one less person to help put ideas together and produce coherent deliverables. Nonetheless, we were able to complete our work. Kelly and Brian tackled the concept sketches, Cassie and Jamaan diagrammed, and I attempted to pull everything together into a written statement based on what I could observe. Although I do not have my finished statement on hand, here is what I am able to post based on a rough draft:

"The design language implemented by Evolution and Interlocking is about the stacking and interlocking of ideas. Also, a sense of anticipation guides circulation through the use of wrap-around patios, which also serve to unify the levels. Circulation is essential to both of our previous designs and is dictated by the use of systems.

For our materials, we have chosen a richly-colored concrete for the building facades and a polished concrete for the first seven floors. Wooden details would add richness. All columns would be wooden and the eighth floor would incorporate wooden walkways."

Although I feel that it would be easy and enjoyable to work with team Interlocking, I admit that our team's design and concepts didn't merge as well with theirs as they did with team Caravaggio's. In the end, the outcome is up to Patrick and Claire.