Sunday, October 6, 2013

Charrette 1: I Love Lamp



Choosing our first charrette, my group wanted to find something unique, so we chose a large cement block with a lamp on top of it. It was an interesting choice because of the contrast between the cement block and the lamp. We cut it specifically so our section would encompass both the lamp and the cement block. This section is a corner of the entrance to the Hatcher Graduate Library, connecting the stairs and the ramp. The section primarily consists of a cement cube roughly 4x4x4 with a lamp on top of it. The cement block gives this section a base so our object doesn’t have the illusion of floating. The lamp has a very unique structure, and we chose to cut it down the middle. This cut doesn’t show the legs of the lamp, which can be misleading because it makes it seem as if the lamp is floating. The cut down the center of the lamp gives it a sense of openness by not showing all the parts of the lamp.

This section reveals how the solidity of the cement block plays a role with the stairs. The cement block has a structural presence with the handrail wrapping around it, creating a pathway towards the entrance of the Hatcher Graduate Library. It also has a solid form and weight, creating the foundation for the lamp. The intricate lamp on top of the block creates a sense of sophistication, being more than a standard plain lamp. The cut of the lamp creates a sense of openness, because it doesn't show the legs, almost evoking a floating sensation. Our section places emphasis on function and sophistication to create an atmosphere of the library. This section evokes characteristics that are associated with the Hatcher Graduate Library, which is stability and intricacy. 

If we were to use a plan, it would dramatically change our section. A plan is a horizontal cut about 4 feet high. This would only capture the cement block, making a plan consisting of simply a large black square. Using a plan would make the lamp vanish completely, which would take a lot away from our section. Even though a plan would reveal more about the blocks relationship with the stairs, it takes away the aesthetic element of our section.





















3 comments:

  1. For our first charette, my group chose a large cement structure located to the right of the front staircase which leads to the Hatcher Library. On top of the cement block stands a lamp, which was also cut in half. The section allows us to see the internal components of a structure. In this case, most of our section would be a large black square, since the cement block is roughly a 4x4x4 solid cement cube. Without the section we wouldn't know for sure if it was hollow or not. However, the lamp's part of the section is pretty tricky. Since the lamp stands on 4 legs, the cut only went through the middle of the lamp and never actually cut the legs. This creates a little bit of confusion when looking at the section because it would look almost as if it is floating. This would show the openness created by using 4 legs for the lamp instead of one central pole.

    The section reveals the weight of the cement structure at our location. You can tell that it is used to act as a barrier from the staircase and the rest of the diag. They want all the traffic to flow into Hatcher's front doors, whether coming from the front stair case, or the ramp located behind our cement structure. They built multiple cement structures around the building in order to give it a strong and sturdy presence.

    Our location would be extremely different if we looked at the plan. A plan is when you cut your area horizontally at about 4 feet high. The plan would look like a large black square since our cement structure is completely solid. The lamp sitting on top would "vanish" and there wouldn't be much to see. The plan may show where the surrounding staircase meets the cement block, however. The plan would just further show the solidity of the object.

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  2. During our first charette, we were challenged to find an interesting section. My group chose to a cement block that was roughly 4'X4'X4' and has a lamp located on top of cement block. This cement block leads you up the stairs to the Hatcher Graduate Library. This section is compelling because of the contrast between a very solid structures compared to a structure that plays with the space around it. The section lacks a lot of information including that the lamp has a centered base while the lamp present has 4 legs. Its also has a misconception that the lamp could be floating because the legs are not shown in the section.

    The section shows us how the stairs interact with the solid structure and the relationship between the handrail and the solid structure. The section also shows how tall the whole structure. This solid column allows for the each railing to wrap around this solid structure. Since the railings are leading up to the Hatcher Library this allows the library to look sturdy and strong. The tape on the physical object shows where the “cut” would occur if we as architects were making a section drawing which helps us visualize these how the physical object would be cut.

    The plan of the column and lamp would be very different then the section because it would show the length and width but not the height of the objects we chose. The plan would indicate that there were 4 legs to the lamp but the shape, size and structure of the lamp would almost disappear. The railings leading to the Hatcher could be shown in the plan but it would only further the understanding of the solidity of the object.

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