Class Reflection: November 6th

This week's class was lectured by Jean Trottier, a professor of landscape architecture. His presentation guided the class through the site planning process. It is always very helpful to have a thoughough presntation of these processes. I really appreciate the techniques used from the very beginning of the design. To be honest it made me wish we had had more direction in this regard in terms of our last mapping project. I think that his way of breaking down the analysis of a site really helped to understand topography in a visual and 2D way. I like the technique of layering several base maps portraying ecological factors, and I wish that developers of suburban areas would consider using these sorts of systems to better plot their sites. When exploring the exurban site that my studio group studied, there was a blatant disrespect of the natural environment. The concept is so simple: when layering all of the factors you have mapped (flood area, wetland, zoning etc) you end up with differing densities of overlap. The lightest areas are ideal building sites, as they are affected by the least amount of obstacles. Why not at least consider theses pathches created as a guidline for the site?

Other topics discussed were the effect of slope and soil type/quality. I fell in love with the home he showed us by Patkau Architects. They opted to preserve the most beautiful location of thier site and build around it. The result is the upper floor flowing continuously with that desirable plane, leaving it to be enjoyed in it's true state... untouched. Stunning!

Class Reflection November 6, 2008

I found that class class taught a useful lesson about the importance of respecting the land that we build on rather than expecting the land to conform to our design wishes. In the past few years, more than ever before, mother nature has demonstrated her power. Floods, tsunami's and earth quakes are her way of throwing temper tantrums, giving us no choice but to stop ignoring her, and start recognizing the harm our way of living is causing her.

If there was one thing that I took away from today's lecture it was not to build on the most beautiful point of your site. Upon first thought it seems like something you would never do, an obvious statement. However, as I thought about the anxiety and excitement that comes with the design process I realized that making this mistake is something that I could potentially be faulted for doing. I feel that learning key lessons such as these are so integral to our foundation learning and by being able to see designs, such as the beautiful Barnes house Dr. Papenek showed us, it really drives it home (for lack of a better expression).

Dr. Papanek's emphasis on utilizing slope and the importance of understanding the concept was also something that I found to be quite valuable. I find that design so far for me has been a constant struggle of balancing creativity with feasibility. In today's world it seems that almost all designs are possible, but as Dr. Papenek showed with the houses in the mountains, ignoring the natural slope of the earth results in structures that look awkwardly juxtaposed against the landscape, and not in a cool way.

All in all last class really put the importance of understanding the environment into context for me, I really felt that I gained a broader perspective of what the landscape is telling us.

Class Reflection November 6

During this lecture, the speaker emphasized the importance of the site planning process. Through his lecture I learned that site analysis, documentation, and inventory are critical before building, but even before designing for the site. I enjoyed the speaker's interactive demonstration of slope as well. Before this lecture I did not realize that there are so many important ways a designer must record and understand their site before building. This seems almost like an extension of the relationship I envision between the designer and the client, another point the speaker touched on.
The case studies presented gave important context to the site analysis described by the lecturer. His description of the comfort zone and case study of Zion and Breen's NY park was particularly interesting. All the factors that architecture must consider continue to inspire me, and designing for the comfort of humans, but also of wildlife and the natural landscapes seems essential. Perhaps the key points I took from the lecture was not to build on the best part of a site, and that the built environment should morph and adapt to fit into the context of the natural landscape. These principles are ones that architects like Frank Lloyd Wright were concerned with and I think that they greatly improve the quality the built environment, and those who inhabit them.

Reflections for November 6 Class

I felt that this week's lecture would have been quite useful last week as it touched on the subject of mapping. But nonetheless, Dr. Jean Trottier provided a very useful lecture on design process. He gave us a quirky analogy of how eating a lobster is similar to design, if you don't understand how the components fit together, it can get pretty messy. He also made a good point that scales are irrelevant, and that the functions of spatial elements can be applied anywhere. It's very important to understand spatial hierarchies and how they relate no matter what discipline of design we may choose. Dr. Trottier went through the steps of development program, site documentation and inventory, and finally analysis. The GIS mapping system was also introduced to us, a program that all designers now use to understand the land on which they build on. It's so important to understand what is going on in the soil and hydrology to prevent disastrous accidents ie. building on places prone to mudslides.  Slopes also are a big part of consideration when building a structure. Using a simple trigonometry equation you can figure out the slope of any site, finally an application of grade 10 math. A strong message Dr. Trottier left with us is that we shouldn't build on the most interesting part of a site, instead we should use it! An observation that seems so logical and simple, but not often practiced.  The example used was the Barnes House, by Patkau Architects. Instead of building on the top of the mountain, the house was designed to work with the slope. The entrance of the house is the lowest point and you worked your way up to the common area where the beautiful view was the climax. This way the view became a very powerful experience, indeed a very successful way to design.

Class Reflection: November 6th, 2008

Professor Jean Trottier from the landscape dept. spoke of the details involved in site planning. I found his presentation particularly interesting not only because of an interest in landscape form and its pertinence to the design process, but because it opened my eyes to the pressures and reality of failure that a designer must deal with. Knowing how the land beneath the ground we walk on functions is just as important as the way the structure will appear above the landscape it rests on. Utilizing slope concepts and other ways of building that can predict the way the land will move with the structure are useful, but never definite. This is something that must be realized when approaching any design endeavor, that the earth is a much more powerful place than we perceive it to be. His examples of homes distorted by the natural processes occurring beneath the soil and some completely destroyed as a result of our own neglect of the landscape, such as the effects of erosion on a hillside that has been clearcut of trees to make space for the structure. There are certain things we cannot control in nature and then there are choices we can make that are informed and thoughtful in respect to the natural landscape.