Visualization Entry 1

This reading deals with the frenzied , naïve enthusiasm of a powerful new toy. Anyone who has been limited, and in their mind held back, by a short list of stilted visualization media, naively longing for a pure and vivid representation laid easily in front of them, of precisely what they desire, will easily, and with my sympathies, fall into this trap. A nearly infinite (by a human’s computational standards) opportunity for speed and processing power allow the nearly real to fall effortlessly into our laps. The anxious excitement of human achievement and this fresh, new ability, blinds us: we’ve been making good buildings for centuries without a MacBook Pro.

We’d be fools to scrap these new tools in favor of the older methods of plans, sections, diagrams, physical models, etc. A tool isn’t an end in itself; it is a means. Ultimate and instant power of computing can take us far, but only if one pays attention to the overall goal.

To take a few paces back, visualization is a method of outsourcing our concepts. That is the crux of the matter. Think of a juggler: only so many things can be up in the air, or else the flaming chainsaws he’s jugging rip him to shreds. Abstraction and visualization are a means to convert the conceptual to perceptual. One can see the papers and the table and the floor in front of them without thought, in the same way they can conceptualize the these very mundane objects easily if they close their eyes and think of them. But perception allows us to make a jump: the juggler can put some of the chainsaws on the ground so he doesn’t get wrecked, to juggle them later perhaps, or to even allow himself to imagine juggling them. (no jugglers were harmed in the writing of this paper)

Outsourcing concepts to raw perceptions doesn’t at all imply the representations need to mimic reality. On the contrary, concepts aren’t reality, they’re a truthful abstraction of the real. This is a very important point. Laws governing existence and order can be distilled and refined to useful concepts, which can be later represented in an unrealistic, but perceptually bountiful way.

Design Concept

My building concept deals with the ideas of conditional transparency and opacity. Glass is transparent at all angles, and concrete is opaque, but by constructing planar elements of thick concrete, thin aluminum and glass vertically and horizontally, moments of "gray", essentially experienced translucency, can be achieved.

Though this strategy could work with nearly any program in theory (as any solid concept should) my concept is particularly suited to a program with a blend of introverted and extroverted spaces. Experienced, free flowing transparency is important for all areas of public meeting and interchange, where as a lab space should experience internal transparency, folded inward away from the outside. And finally, office spaces should feel completely private for discussions and feel open and inviting during office hours. Day lighting an extroverted space is fairly straightforward, as a lot of literal transparency of materials is necessary. Composing an introverted space, on the otherhand, with a pleasing relationship with the exterior poses more of a challenge.

Suppose two parallel opaque walls of equal length. When inside that space, views outward are only forward and back, but are otherwise uninhibited. Passing by this space, however, prohibits any experience of the interior space until one's right on top of it. Therefore, anyone inside the space experiences pleasant exterior views coupled with experienced privacy and intimacy with relatively few gestures.

Running a day

I thought up a pretty awesome way to have a productive way. All I needed was a stop watch and a notepad.

Say I have 3-4 important things to get done, Call them Task A-D. I wrote down, in hour blocks, one particular task for each hour. If something takes more than an hour, I allotted multiple blocks. I structured it based on what I would want to do most after the previous task.

12-1 A
1-2 C
2-3 B
3-4 A
4-5 D
5-6 A
6-7 C

And so on...

The key here isn't to make sure you do the task at that time, but to NOT do the other tasks at that time; I literally don't allow myself to touch any of the other tasks. This offers a real relief, because often my work suffers because I spend so much energy worrying about everything else I have to do. If I'm hopping from island to island, and I can take solice in knowing the other tasks will get their block, I can really focus.

I'm writing this on a recreation block.

Favorite scores

Edward Scissorhands
Back to the Future
Star Wars
Jurassic Park
Star Trek (2009)
Lord of the Rings
Harry Potter
Memento

Did I miss any? What are yours?

Here
Beginning or end
When it's all gone
Why should I pretend
All these days
Will never come back
Do you remember
Or did you forget?

Stars - Ulrich Schnauss

"If we think we have physical imperfections, obsessing about them is only destructive. Low self-esteem involves imagining the worst that other people can think about you. That means they're living upstairs in the rent-free room."
-Roger Ebert

Lab

KEY:
- primary consideration
= possible consideration

SITE:

- Blend with sidewalk, blur line between public and private, begin “building” public space with more crisp gestures to begin a psychological connection with the building’s theme

- Use building massing to continue city fabric subtly without breaking

- Strong axis, directional changes to signify a change in program/use

= Consider possibility of a scant first floor plan with minimal footprint aside from lobby, moving up or down for program elements.


SEQUENCE OF ENTRY

- Lobby axial, subtly influences sequence of entry uninterrupted from exterior condition, directed views with transparency and opacity

- Lobby largely transparent to exterior, feeling of gradual entry, foyer more introverted, off central axis.

- All well lit from exterior with direct sunlight allowed in, comfortable adjustment of eyes from interior/exterior

MATERIALITY & CONCEPTS

- Warm materiality juxtaposed with sharp lines, edges, clean surfaces, precise exposed connections

- Clean, bright wood, thick floor, bearing walls and few columns

- Structure exposed and touchable/visible

- Abstractions of scientific methods: Precision, repetition, heavy root in facts and precedent, logical pillars and axioms, transparency and exposure, creativity

- Biological abstraction: cellularity, organic, adjustable and evolvable

LABS & SUPPORT

- Each lab has 2 full walls of windows, one partial wall of windows. Rest dedicated to needs of lab. Partial wall may be clerestory windows.

- Passive and operational shading, binary positioning if possible for ease of use. Warm, full lighting with minimal glare.

- Trees visible from at least one side

- Roof garden visible and accessible from one side, ideally shared with at least 1 other lab.

= Exterior roof gardens interconnected, optional part of circulation through building if the route is shorter and it’s a nice day.

- Conference room lit with clerestory windows to allow light in space, but to focus attention inward, large floor to ceiling windows with glass door on one side, appropriate sound insulation/acoustics

= Hallway adjacent to lounge + conference room to have floor to ceiling windows to bright exterior, strong axis

CIRCULATION

- Exposure to exterior, but views directed to destination where appropriate. In other words, vistas in direction of current movement, but redirection of view upon redirection of travel

OPERATIONAL AREAS

- Vertical, central spine where all functional requirements are carried out.

- Spine expressed and celebrated through the form of the building

- Loading dock and shipping area has convenient access to street, but should feel positive and productive, rather than a necessary evil.

- Restrooms easy to find, but tucked out of view.

-In most areas, HVAC is in plain view, layered/organized/painted to be aesthetically pleasing

You won't remember.

Always leave 'em wanting more.

When I'm at my best, I will master the silence.