studio:04+05

Identification of signature element: the sharing element of vertical gallery

The notions of playing and creating are inherit within and represented by the Apple product line. Learning and shaping can been construed as by-products of Apple usage and culture. But the concept of sharing is not an intrinsic nor intuitive process for the general public and consumer. There is a great deal of sharing that occurs between the consumer and the retailer in the form of the Genius Bar and Apple's unique approach to the retail environment. But very little dialogue occurs between patrons of the store while they are within the store walls. What if we could create an architecture that fosters such a dialogue? What is that manifestation? Social seating, digital creation studios, product displays? A digital gallery where one could post or blog their work, creative expression, thought of the day, etc.









Success of the vertical gallery to share will be critically linked to ones ability to observe or percieve the space. Developement of the space will occur through the use of shifts in plan, section, horizontal and vertical planes to form or manipulate perception of the vertical gallery as you move into, out of, around, and through. Also important will be the investigation of the vertical gallery's relationship to the surrounding urban fabric, such as Copely Square, the neighboring alley, and the shared party wall. How is it seen from the pedestrian? the taxi cab? the subway? "Vertical and oblique slippages are key to new spatial perceptions", Steven Holl. - as they directly relate to the vertical gallery.

theory:03 boston

Recap of group writing session from Thursday 1.18.2007

"If the whole world were to follow you, Victor, where would you lead them?"

_AIA High School Design Competition
_giving something back to my community (high school) that lead me to architecture and helped to define my direction in life.
_tradition
_teaching something. (not necessarily academia) Informing about the practice and processes in design and architecture
_discovering passion
_rediscovering passion within myself and creatvity
_being able to hold on to that desire and passion translating into my daily work. By informing or contributing to others, I discover new things about and for myself.
_vehicle to so so: as an advisor and volunteer

Carli:
"How do address the amount of schooling required? A design competition may lend itself to art students - how can you bridge the gap to include math/physics students, or those who may be interested in construction, the environment, sociaology, economics, history -how can you open all young minds to the potential of an architecture education? Professionally can you be a mentore to someone, have them shadow you? How can you encourage undergrads to come back to Toledo once they get their degrees?"

Tim:
"I would like to be able to discuss or talk about any ideas you may have so that you can advance those ideas further. The firm I am in has a vast amount of resources that allow me to tap into for ideas. I would like to extend that to you. We have M/E/P engineers, environmental, civil, tunnel, scientists, etc. The quantity is endless. Plus all over the world."

Joe:
" Do you have a local high school "Explorers" program? I was involved in this as a high scholler. A mentor/professional volunteered time every other week and took us to local firms to hear discussions about their workm what inspired them. Also, how do you also intgrate "interns" in the office? Sometimes they lost in the daily grind - being able to be a good mentor to them too."

discussion diagram developed by affinity group: Rick, Carli, Tim, + Joe

studio:03 boston.p4

study model 2
more exploration of the concepts in sketch and first study model









select comments from review:
_ In reality, the store will be all hustle and bustle. How can you still magnify the heirarchy of the sharing space when it can't be just through images?
_Can you get more variation between levels?
_Explore bringing form inward on site rather than projecting outward.
_Playful. Where's this? And how do you define it?
_How does the architecture play? Could it be through color? forms? product interaction?

my thoughts in addition to the comments above
_I am really interested in the question of how does the architecture share and want explore this more. Sharing of natural light, mechanical systems, water, party wall, fire egress within the space of the alley and adjacent building, digital content, product display, sharing in context of Copely Square.
_How does color and texture through materiality further the experiences of play, create, share, learn, shape?

studio:03 boston.p3

perspective study model


entry and discovery, main retail display of new Apple products



circulation and social area around gallery, further browsing of Apple



multi-level gallery with large and small digital displays, audio stations, blogging terminals, a variety of seating options both theatrical and intimate

studio:03 boston.p2

Through the exploration of sketch perpsectives there is an attempt to generate the experience of the conceptual storyboard.

Within
Play - entry and discovery
Create - builds on discovery through use, digital studios
Share - communicate that which is created, observe, post, blog, gallery

Transition - retail environment, a certain amount of transperancy is achieved when we move from within to the outside. It is not a simple linear progression, but one that is repeatedly endlessly with many variations.

Outside
Learn - gain knowledge or experience
Shape - build upon knowledge to create new perceptions



perspective sketches

selected color renditions

select comments from review:

_Try drawing spaces from within inside the space. Walls/floors may be less important then...

_Investigate Times Square.

_I agree. Times Squaare serves all people, nationalities, sexes, information, etc.

_Sketch indicating/inquiring about delineation of public vs. private within store

studio:03 boston.p1

Apple @ Copely Square

storyboard

Interpreting what I feel most signifies the Apple experience and their products, I arrived at five key elements that drive the storyboard, possibly the architecture, and more importantly asks the question - how does the architecture, in turn, drive these experiences?

The activities or processes of play, create, share, learn, and shape are intrinsic within every Apple product.

play


create


share


equal learn + shape

theory:02

I wonder if Paco Underhill had a hand in the revolutionary "self check-out" lane in the grocery store?! Nothing requires more patience than standing in line behind the shopper with a full cart just to by a pack of gum or gallon of milk.

studio:02

The following is from email:

"Rick, Given you interest in parrallax images, I thought the attached image might be of interest. It was done under the direction of one of my professors at MIT. The assignement was to analyze and urban space (in this case Kenmore Square in Boston) by moving through it and using the variations of tone/overlap/gradient as a way to understand and investigate the urban edges. Chris"

Chris's image:



"Chris, Thank you for sharing. It is a very active image and I am quite interested in it. One of the first things that I find my eyes looking for is where the edges and defined boundaries are. They exist within the image but are somewhat hidden in all the "activity" of the overlaps and gradients.

I am really enjoying where this analysis is leading me. I have been making sketches and notes in my notebook today while at the office. In particular I wonder how parallax scrolling from video game design could effect a built space. At the risk of jumping ahead for our intensive, I have already played with this idea and the interaction in a retail space. How do the program elements of an Apple store interact with the consumer? If the goal or path is to buy that piece of new pop culture and technology, what happens if you metaphorically and perhaps physically juxtapose an old video game mechanic (parallax scrolling) with this retail experience?

I will try to get a second set of drawings done before I leave for Boston. I may simply post the sketches from my notebook.

~Rick"

Notebook sketches:





"Rick, If you have time, post that image, and our ensuing dialog on your blog. What interests me the most about this approach (and of the parallax scrolling) is that there is always some "space" outside the cone-of-vision. That space is never constructed in the video game (to save space/memory, etc.) and in Big Brother some of that space is also left off (see Anne's Assignment 1 post), but when you ultimately present your proposal for an apple store, it will be a building proposal, which will mean that it needs to be "complete" (i.e. the space outside the cone-of-vision needs to be there). What could be interesting is to see how that might be a natural break in the building language? Your initial thoughts re: Apple - Video Game, are interesting, ... the one thing I would caution you on is what actually is the "goal or path". I am not sure if it is, as you note, to sell that new piece of pop culture. See my comment on Carli's blog (under "Shopper to Consumer". The goal of the retail store does not necessarily need to be to "sell". Chris"

studio:02

diagrams from studio:01







plan + section A





Not sure where this is going yet... but I find it an interesting idea that planes along the bottom of the plan and the left side of the section could be in motion (moveable) effecting the middle plane and creating the far plane beyond and varying perspectives.



plan + section B



These two sketches are meant to be an exploration of the space that "occurs" within the one dimensional plane of the mirror. The space in the mirror gives us clues as to what the rest of the room outside of the screen shot/point of view can show us.

studio:01

research links

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parallax

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parallax_scrolling

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steven_Holl

http://www.arch.columbia.edu/index.php?pageData=8/24/0/1687

http://www.stevenholl.com/

studio:01

Mirrors as spatial devices create the perception that a space is larger than its physical boundaries. This "trick" is used in many small strip mall restaurants, which are typically situated in long narrow spaces, to enhance or expand the feel of the dining area. In this paticular built environment the mirror has a very similar effect. The mirrors serve two purposes. One purpose is to create and expand. The second is to hide and disguise. Both have a variety psychological effects upon the inhabitants.



The mirror replaces the window. Or does it simply mimick the window? When you remove the still screen shot from the diagram one is able to focus on the arrangement of the "windows". In the diagram below, the blue plane represent the living spaces windows. The locations of the mirrors in the built environment are the same locations that one could expect a normal window to be.



These windows create an environment that is outside of the inhabited space, offering views into that environment, much the same way that a window does. The red planes offer a suggested fixed plane that exists in this created environment of the outside.

When we take into account the functional needs of the fish bowl experiment, normal windows would not function well. Enter the second function of the mirror to diguise and hide the peering eyes of the observer (camera). What does it mean to inhabit a "windowless" space? Is the BB7 house a windowless space? I would answer that yes and no. It has no view of the outside world as a normal window would, but it does have windows into other spaces. While mere copies or reflections of the inhabited space, they are dynamic.

Dynamic space versus static object.

Constantly changing perspectives are based upon the view point. The yellow planes in these two diagrams below depict planes based upon the eye level and position of the individual, who is in a constant state of motion. These planes could only truly exist if we stop the motion of the film clip.





The key here is to understand that we experience these planes as the are created and uncreated during the continual shifting of the view point. Through the simple act of walking across the room or turning/tilting your head, you visually create and uncreate the percieved environment within the mirror. The space outside the "window" has its own life and vitality.

theory: interesting thought from a student blog

Taken from a student blog on archinect...

"While I would agree that architects need to carefully consider our opinions and beliefs and not make simplistic normative judgments - at the end of the day, designers need to have opinions. Good designers are those who are brave enough to take a stand on issues and postulate ways in which the future might be improved through design." - http://www.archinect.com/schoolblog/blog.php?id=C0_398_39

...thinking on this statement. Simple enough statement. How does it inform my statement of belief... "Our work this semester is going to be aimed at a statement of belief that each of you will create, beliefs about your aspirations and goals and what constitutes good work, with some research to back it up. " - Herb Childress

~R

studio:01

Mirrors are a one dimensional plane that gives the illusion of the three dimensional world through reflectivity. In the built environment (confines) of this reality, a built one dimensional construct is used to alter or hide points of view.







A point of view = perspective. In particular a 1-point perspective. The mirror or one dimensional plane defines and creates other planes.





Some of these planes are constant and never change. Most are in a constant change of state, depending upon the infinite number of perspectives, or points of view, that one could assume.

journal: wow what a first few days

The title says it all. I cannot believe the ways in which my mind is starting to explore the built environment around me and the effect it can have on us all. The flood gates have opened and I think Herb is right in his comment on my first journal entry... I am asking those questions much sooner than I realized.

~R

theory:01

"gates construct and manifest social relations - in this case , segregation." - Bickford

The manifestation of segregation, as noted in "ghettos" and "CID's" by Bickford, is a result of cultural and social viewpoints. In my opinion, segregation is not "constructed" or derived from our built environment, rather our built environment is constructed to serve the purposes of the culture it houses.

The rich build to keep the poor from taking what they have: greed. Social inequality is seen everywhere in our society and it's polity. The point that it exists within the notion of public spaces cannot be denied and this discussion serves to bring attention to those built inequalities, but thus far Bickford implies that architecture is one of the causes of such segregation. I would argue that this is not true. While I do not have the data and research to back such a counterpoint at this time, I still believe it to be closer to the truth.

In my experience, daily practice of architecture is reactive to the needs and desires of the client; it is not the proactive force that we would like to believe. Could it have this power? Possibly. It has in the past. But the daily practice of our profession does not embody this power or thought process on any level other than a contrived notion to justify someone's creative desire. However, I do believe that the built envirnoment can do just what Bickford suggests, but I do not believe that the majority of the profession embraces this notion. There are individuals and groups of individuals that take architecture to this level of social/cultural/economic responsiblity.

~R

As a side note, I found the beginning of Bickford's discussion disturbing and difficult to relate to given that I am a middle class white suburban male. I have a tendency to focus on the specific items in a discussion and understanding the overall message is sometimes a difficult task. In the end I agree with the authors viewpoint. I just do not agree with some of the specific arguements she uses.

edit 1.04.2007

journal: As I begin

A few questions that I hope to discover the answers to in the coming months...

What kind of architect do I want to be?
How will I lead in my profession?
What are my core design values and philosophy?
(Re)define Design Process

Very basic questions that I do not think that I have truely asked of myself.

~R

Test post

Good evening,

Just a quick post the verify if my blog is working correctly.

~R