smiling faces wanted, apply within

2007-01-18T23:56:00.000-08:00

New collaborated design!

This image, showing the third, fourth, and fifth panels, is the scheme for the screens showing the grid of circles to be cut by the router. They are color-coded by depth which will be determined after our material is selected [depending on what thickness of foam we can obtain]. The pink area is the deepest, signifying the center of the swirl pattern. On either side of this area, the depth that the router must cut becomes less and less. A common (slight) depth will be used on the entire surface. The brown sections are the portions of the fan shape that we incorporated. The depth of these areas does not taper like that of the swirl design, but remains one common depth, but deeper than the entire surface. The linear portion of the screen [blue in the first image] is the only area that has been left with no holes. This is a fluid connection that will be affixed to the five panels. This will allow them to be connected with minimal visability.

Seismic City : San Andreas Fault

2006-12-18T12:12:00.000-08:00

EARTHQUAKE RISK

Earthquakes are known to occur mostly along fault lines, which are the edges of the earth's tectonic plates. These sections, large and small, of the earth's crust shift at approximately the same rate that your fingernails grow in one year. Along the fault lines, earthquakes are bound to occur and very frequently because of their uncontrolable and constant motion. Earthquakes form our mountains and create valleys, even at the bottom of the ocean (of course this process has occured over a long period of time). Small earthquakes can move the plates millimeters at a time, where a single large earthquakes can move the earth's crust one or two meters. The positions of continents in our world today are beleived to have drifted from the supercontinent, also known as Pangaea, and settled somewhat permanently into their current positions.

Earthquakes are much more common in specific areas than others, even along the fault lines, where they are most prevailent. High population and conscentration of buildings puts pressure on the earth and has been known to cause plate movements and earthquakes. For example, Taipei 101, the tallest building in Tokyo [at more than 500 meters] is beleived to have reopened an old fault line. Speculation says that the building has caused two earthquakes since it's construction due to the 700,000 tons of stress that the building puts on the earth. Recently, an earthquake was provoked by engineers attempting to extract geothermal heat from deep inside the earth. They stopped their experiment in Zurich due to the fact that their "drilling" caused an earthquake [magnitude 3.4] in nearby Basil, Switzerland. Although population may not directly cause earthquake activity, megacities and megastructures can certainly trigger a quake.

About 1/3 of the world's megacities [cities with a population of 2 million or more] are located near fault lines. Of the 13 most populated cities in the world, 10 are located in areas of high risk for earthquakes alone. However, it is purely coinsidence that populated placed along the coast, an aesthetically pleasing and popular location [frequently in high demand], lie parallel to fault lines. This idea follows along the same lines as the theory of the supercontinent, seeing that a land mass, once a single intity, broke apart creating new coastline along the fault lines [edges of the today's tectonic plates].

These areas are subject to repeat seismic activities and damages from earthquakes that have occured and will continue to occur. It is ironic that fault lines double as popular areas prone to urban growth and development. Since these areas of risk are now heavily populated they receive the most destructive impacts from earthquakes due to damage and casualty.

Earthquakes occur several hundred times a day. Earthquakes are so powerful that they have been compared to their energy equivalents [other natural disasters, bombs, etc.] according to the destruction that they both ensue. Because of these disasters and the physical and economical damage that they cause, there are seismic monitors that record the earth's reverberations and can even predict future occurances. There are seismic monitoring stations located around the world to monitor these earthquakes as they occur and record the effects of the shock and aftershocks to come. This data can be viewed publically on certain educational websites such as www.iris.com. The quakes are measured using the Richter Magnitude Scale [1 - 9.9]. Since this technology can prevent casualties, but cannot prevent damage, warnings are the only way to avoid an earthquake. One of the factors that most contributes to damage after an earthquake is fire. [As if the damage from the actual earthquake weren't enough!]

MAPPING

The mapping shows earthquake data which occurs over a period of 2 1/2 months, from April 15, 2006 - June 30, 2006. The fault lines, although not physically represented, start to appear by the earthquake patterns that occur over this short amount of time. Columns stand in the epicenter of each earthquake. [the height of the column representing the magnitude of the earthquake measured by the Richter Scale 1-9.9] These columns extend in a plane according to the directional movement of the tectonic plates at each specific location. The length of the axes is dependant on the amount of time that has passed since the earthquake occurred. The direction of the constant plate movement is apparent and time causes these conditions to intersect. Frequency and density of the earthquakes create masses that are the beginnings of a new world.

What if there was a way to construct or develop a city that embraces an earthquake instead of constructing to withstand the physical effects of a quake [like most cities]?

PROPOSAL

LOCATION : The San Andreas Fault. The fault, 1300 kilometers long, runs near the pacific coast from the west to the south of California. A right-lateral strike-slip fault, the San Andreas forms the boundary between two tectonic plates : the Pacific Plate and the North American Plate. Located in the San Francisco area, the San Andreas fault is surrounded by urban development. The cities in the San Francisco peninsula [and surrounding area] include : Daly City, Pacifica, San Bruno, San Francisco, and South San Francisco.

San Francisco is the second most densely populated city in the United States.

Because the San Andreas fault is a strike-slip fault, the city takes on these characteristics. This is an early collage of how components can slide and lock into other key structural components.

A Seismic City is a megacity located on or near a fault line [one that "cuts" through the land, not the ocean]. The Seismic City is constructed as a continuation and an improvement to a populated city that already exists and experiences earthquakes frequently or is located in a high risk area. The Seismic City is dedicated to research facilities, public aid, and seismic stations. The city monitors the movement under the earth's crust.

The cities begin to form from linear axes that parallel the direction of the tectonic plate movement at that specific location. One of the axes follows the path of the San Andreas fault on the left side, in the direction of the movement of the Pacific Plate. This axis consists of a series of three Research Centers. The other axis is -35 degrees, the direction of the North American Plate. All of the Earthquake Towers, which are the destinations for the Earthquake Complexes, are turned at this angle.

Seismic City is a proposal that a high-risk city embrace an earthquake as it occurs while also serving as a haven for research. After the 1906 San Francisco earthquake, 5,600 Earthquake Shacks were constructed to house approximately 16,000 of the people that had just become homeless. The proposal is derived from this concept of constructed housing units for relief, but units that are portable and ready-made.

COMPONENTS

1] Earthquake Complexes. These complexes leave the Research Centers upon detection of an earthquake occurance. When an earthquake strikes, the earthquake complexes are shipped to one or more stations in the city or cities nearest to the epicenter. They are stocked with damage supplies, first aid, vehicles to aid in moving debris, firetrucks, and ambulances. They also provide shelter for people that have been temporarily put out of a home. There are three different sizes of units that are sent out for earthquake relief depending on the magnitude of an earthquake. Whether it be a magnitude of 1-3, 3-6.5, or 6.5-9.9, three units of certain size are released from the Research Center.

Transportation : The shacks are somewhat large buildings [comparable to an average low-rise commercial building] and are transported by cable. San Francisco is well-known for its use of cable cars throughout the city. They were first introduced in 1873 and are still used today. Although the earthquake shacks do not travel on the ground, the system is integrated into the city as they function similarly to ski-lifts. T-bar lifts, the most durable lifts, support the cables and allow easy transportation of the supply units. Earthquake Shacks slide in and out of the Research Centers on cables and are transported to their destination tower where they are locked in place.

The city is a combination of static and dynamic components. The Earthquake Shacks are dynamic in movement from the Research Center to the Earthquake Tower. They are in transit while the earthquake is occuring. The Research Centers and the Earthquake Towers are both static.

2] Research Centers. There are three Research Centers aligned on the left side of the fault. These centers monitor seismic motion and project exaggerated vibrations and sounds during an earthquake. The centers project these sounds at an audible level. People that live in the city will be able to hear an earthquake as it occurs. Earthquake Shacks are manufactured and shipped from these locations. The Research Centers cover the span of eight city blocks [allowing for required space to manufacture the supply units].

3] Earthquake Towers. At least one tower is located in every city surrounding the San Andreas fault. The tower is not only the destination of the Earthquake Shack, it becomes the permanent location. When a shack arrives, a "cradle" slides out of the tower from an available space. The shack is lowered onto the cradle from the cables above. The cradle then retracts into the tower, locking the unit in place. After the supplies have been used and people have been sheltered or treated, the shack remains in the tower becoming a permanent construction. The program of the unit can then change according to the needs of the city after the earthquake.

developments in vyew

2006-12-07T13:29:00.000-08:00

healing

2006-12-01T11:45:00.000-08:00

fault line sutures. buildings to slide in and out. interchangeable sections of the building mass created by the earthquake plane. the sections that slide out to span the fault line are static. the units that remain in the earthquake plane are dynamic.
city sutures. flexible shell that connects to the existing city. using the existing structure by building over, in, or grounded on. this is the framework for exchangeable units, which move/vibrate with the earthquake.
[these images show how buildings are like sutures which address the fault line as a wound]. the buildings must also have connections with the city [a suture connection as well, following a linear path such as the earthquake plane].

culture shock: embracing the issue

2006-11-27T14:05:00.000-08:00

fault line = open wound
buildings = sutures [how do you treat the wound]

suture
n.
The process of joining two surfaces or edges together along a line by or as if by sewing. The material, such as thread, gut, or wire, that is used in this procedure.
The line or stitch so formed.
Medicine. The fine thread or other material used surgically to close a wound or join tissues. The stitch so formed.
Anatomy. The line of junction or an immovable joint between two bones, especially of the skull.
Biology. A seamlike joint or line of articulation, such as the line of dehiscence in a dry fruit or the spiral seam marking the junction of whorls of a gastropod shell.
tr.v., -tured, -tur•ing, -tures.

Buildings are projected in the earthquake planes on each side of the fault line. Connections are made from one side to the other as and earthquake occurs. grow. stretch. close. connect. link. Sections slide from the permanent structure and begin to bridge the gap across the fault line. But like a wound, the fault line is numb, meaning that the shock from the quakes are absorbed. However, the city [of course somewhat resistant to an earthquake, like any city at risk strives to be] shakes with the earthquake. Flexible panels on the exterior of the structure wiggle/tremor during the earthquake.

culture shock

2006-11-19T08:51:00.000-08:00

Seismic cities are located in the intersections of planes created in my mappings. These planes are originated from the epicenters of earthquakes and extend in the direction of the movement of the tectonic plates according to time. Certain intersections are very dense, apparent by observing from a global scale. These specific locations pinpoint the hub of a city or a grouping of cities.

But what makes a "Seismic City?" The three main programs of the city are:
1] residential/commercial buildings to withstand the tremors of an earthquake. This two story house made of wood and stucco was built to withstand earthquake tremors measured at a magnitude of 6.7, the same magnitude as the reverberations recorded near the epicenter of the 1994 Northridge earthquake that caused a significant amount of damage to the city of Los Angeles [estimated 40 billion US dollars]
The housing as well as research stations are completely enclosed in the earthquake planes [instead of being built on the ground plane].

2] research centers to monitor seismic motion and projecting exaggerated vibrations and sounds during an earthquake. People that live in the city will be able to hear an earthquake as it occurs. The city will be dedicated to research facilities and seismic stations. When cities or urban areas are located on land, they monitor the movement under the earth's crust. However, when a city is located in the ocean, the research can be geared more toward water displacement, created waves, and vibrations underwater.
3] flexible transportation to link the outer "planes" of the city [since the hub is the only part where the building planes intersect]. However, one thought is that the the roles of the city and the transportation are reversed. If instead the transportation were static and the city were flexible, this could eliminate damage, but deeply impact physical communication within the city. The architecture would absorb the impact of the tremors, but the roads systems could be effected by the impact because they may be less grounded or structurally sound. Elizabeth Hickok created the city of San Franciso out of jello and studied the effects of a simulated earthquake to observe the possibilities.

discovering the seismic city

2006-11-16T19:13:00.000-08:00

The "seismic city" is formed in the intersection of time and direction of plate movement of earthquakes from each of the epicenters. The cities are grounded on the axes of the earthquake planes which house program in the city. People that inhabit the city don't live on the ground plane, but on the earthquake plane. The axes define the main transportation. The hub of the city is formed with a series of intersections of planes. Further, a flexible sheild shades the city and is able to withstand tremors of an earthquake.

2006-11-13T12:58:00.000-08:00

maybe just coincidence...

2006-11-10T12:09:00.000-08:00

About 1/3 of the world's megacities [cities with a population of 2 million or more] are located near fault lines. These areas are subject to repeat seismic activities and damages from earthquakes that have occured and will continue to occur. But, what if building MEGA can cause earthquakes? However, facts show that population [and thus megastructures or supercities] does not necessarily cause earthquakes to occur. People simply like to live along the coast and the coastline many times falls on or near a fault line. Referring to the supercontinent, think about where the current coastlines were before the continental drift. When the earth's crust began to break apart and shift, new coastlines were formed along the fault lines [the edges of the tectonic plates]. These areas of risk are now heavily populated and thus receive the most destructive impacts from earthquakes.

So it seems that fault lines have created areas prone to building and population explosion [ideal or asthetic living conditions] which are subject to destruction and may even cause earthquakes to be more frequent. How ironic!

These seismic cities, the megacities located near fault lines, which already exist, can be redesigned and new seismic cities can be built. I am proposing that these new seismic cities be built in areas of intersection [of time and direction of plate movement] created through my mappings. They have potential to be submerged cities where those intersections occur in the ocean.

But can we build a resistance to a natural disaster? Could a new solution stop the cycle of building and destruction and in a sense stop earthquakes from causing damage?

locating seismic cities

2006-11-10T11:57:00.001-08:00

Fault lines are located at the edges of the tectonic plates, which are constantly in motion. Along these lines, the movement of the plates is made aware by the occurances of earthquakes. Because of these disasters and the physical and economical damage that they cause, there are seismic monitors that record the earth's reverberations and can even predict future occurances. The images include earthquake data over a period of 2 1/2 months. The fault lines, although not physically represented, start to appear by the earthquake patterns that occur over this short amount of time. Columns appear to grow from the epicenter of an earthquake. [the height of the column represents the magnitude of the earthquake measured by the Richter Scale 1-9.9] These columns extend in a plane depending on time since occurance and direction of tectonic plate movement at each specific location. When you look at the mappings, notice the high frequency of earthquakes in the Southeast Asian area specifically.
[basemap for the earthquake mappings showing each tectonic plate by color]

Earthquakes are much more common in specific areas than others, even along the fault lines. One expanation is that population density correlates with seismic occurance. High population and conscentration of buildings puts pressure on the earth and has been known to cause plate movements and earthquakes. The locations of the top 13 most populated cities in the world and their countries support this theory.

Not only risk of earthquakes, but risks of other natural disasters or phenomenons have an apparent correlation with population. Here you can see the comparison of countries that are vulnerable to more than one hazard, whether risk of hydro, drought, or geophysical, and the population density by country. This is apparent even when looking at countries alone.

Here the risks and population density are pinpointed for exact locations of risk occurance and more accurate population numbers.

Another theory, taken from Pangaea, is that mountains and valleys are created or were created by the movement of the tectonic plates. In comparing the occurances of earthquakes to the elevation map, you can see that where there is the highest seismic risk, there usually lies a mountain range, a coastline, or both. In the ocean, ridges and trenches are formed, although these are not apparent at ground level. Earthquakes that occur along the fault lines located in the oceans can cause tsunamis and changes of elevation. These highs and lows are representative of the collision and separation of the plates over a long period of time.

[This image shows an overlay of global risks and vulnerabilty]

The direction of the constant plate movement is apparent and time causes these conditions to intersect. Frequency and density of the earthquakes create masses that are the beginnings of a new world.

My proposal for a new world begins to be shaped from my earthquake mappings conscentrating focus on areas of highest seismic risk. Based on the patterns shown in the maps, earthquakes were more prevelant and had more impact in these areas. Seismic cities could be built in existing areas of risk and new seismic cities could be built in the intersections of earthquake planes. These cities would be constructed with lightweight and economical materials to resist forming great pressures on the earth. Population in these areas could grow specifically in the new cities, as the old cities would be redesigned.

it's not my FAULT!

2006-10-23T09:15:00.000-07:00

2D mapping

2006-10-18T13:01:00.000-07:00

earthquake animation

2006-10-18T10:02:00.000-07:00

[in formZ, the cylinder changes from green to yellow-green. the country is india. there appears to be a shadow of the animation that appears to the left. this doesn't show up in formZ. open to suggestions]

time progression

2006-10-16T10:39:00.000-07:00

My maps show progression over time of earthquakes that measure on the Richter Scale. The outline of the tectonic plates becomes very easily visible after one year of recordings. I am mapping the fault lines and the movement of the plates and how this is visible and seismically recorded by earthquakes in particular [other natural disasters also occur along the edges of the fault lines, mapping out the tectonic plates as well].

2006-10-13T11:58:00.000-07:00

I have all of the tectonic plates drawn and extruded on a base map in formZ. I am moving the plates with animation. The problem arises when the plates interact with one another. I am struggling with forming the edges of the two objects into one form. Maybe my problem would be solved by simply creating new objects which form into pulsing mountain shapes at the location of potential earthquakes instead of trying to mesh two plates together. Another problem is what occurs in the rifts or the trenches as a result of the moving plates. I am not sure what could represent those areas.

2006-10-11T10:46:00.000-07:00

[seismic recording]

[magnitudes and energy equivalents]

first animation attempt

2006-10-06T17:36:00.000-07:00

random animation!

2006-10-06T17:29:00.000-07:00

Fault lines are the edges of the parts of the earth's crust that shift at approximately the same rate that your fingernails grow. These parts of the earth's crust are called tectonic plates. Along the fault lines, earthquakes are bound to occur and very frequently. Earthquakes are what form our mountains and create our oceans (over a long period of time). Small earthquakes can move the plates millimeters at a time, where large earthquakes can move the earth's crust one or two meters. The plates are moving in certain directions, and will continue to effect the position of our continents (however slightly).

Earthquakes occur several hundred times a day. These earthquakes can be monitored as they occur on certain educational websites. The quakes are measured using the Richter Magnitude Scale (a scale of 0-10). Seismic stations around the world monitor these earthquakes and can also predict when an earthquake will occur. This technology can prevent casualties, but cannot prevent damage. The power of the earthquakes can be compared to their energy equivalents and the destruction that they both ensue.

[map shows the high risk areas of earthquakes in the United States]

north sea wall

2006-10-04T00:06:00.000-07:00

Known for it's vast marshes, more than one third of The Netherlands is below sea level. However, the country is one of the most populated in europe and the third largest agricultural exporter in the world. The precious land is said to be slowly sinking when it dries out, and the north sea is rising over time, therefore the North Sea Wall exists to protect The Netherlands from the harsh North Sea.

This image shows which parts of Holland are above sea level (red) and which areas are below sea level or vulnerable because of possible flooding (blue).

The Dutch have gone to extremes in building this massive wall, but what they don't know is if it will continue to withstand the North Sea. They have discussed the possibility of building elevated roads, houses, and even cities to avoid problems of population and flood damage. Although protecting the land is a first priority to continue success in agriculture, there is always a possibility to build cities above the land or sea.

The Maeslant Barrier is one part of the Delta Works. These arms, if stood up, would each be the height of the Eiffel Tower and weighing four times as much.

how is galeries lafayette mega?

2006-09-29T08:21:00.000-07:00

My understanding of mega is not only that something is big, but that it appears that way. The galeries lafayette is not mega, it appears mega. The facade of the building reflects the surrounding skyline while the entry-level is transparent and glows with light. By viewing other buildings reaching the sky on the exterior glass, galeries lafayette is the tallest - it merges construction and nature.
The interior atrium is not mega either, based purely on size. It is not an impressive megastructure. But what Jean Nouvel designed is mega because he has created a structure that appears to reach infinity. When you stand on the ground floor and look down into the atrium, the glass and reflections seem to carry the cone shape downward - here exists the illusion of infinity.

24.09.06 progress

2006-09-25T12:50:00.000-07:00

All of the foam and masonite ribs have been cut on the CNC. We have finally won the battle (over control of the CNC... we have owned it for the last week at least). Next is fitting in the clear side panels. They are sandwiched between outer masonite rings and held in place by a layer of foam. The SUMO logo looks amazing! We are glueing the last of the chair - the end is near. The SUMO is going to be beautiful! Clean-up and then all that is left is the door (and any other finishing touches).

graphics proposal

2006-09-18T14:16:00.000-07:00

graphics proposal for lexan or lucite side panels

foam ribs

2006-09-18T14:10:00.000-07:00

First foam ribs cut with the CNC! Check out the cool joints!
Today Vinnie and Trevor taught us how to use the CNC to cut the foam using two different files. They built a wood frame to keep the foam up from the base so that the router can cut all the way through the material. It seems pretty easy to use. All that is left to do after the CNC finishes cutting is to sand off the tabs and fit the ribs together.

lost in translation

2006-09-18T10:22:00.000-07:00

This is me, before going down to the woodshop!

tgif

2006-09-15T12:51:00.000-07:00

My work for today consisted of making changes and modifying the pod file, helping melissa research and test solutions for seating cushions, and glueing the wooden rods to the cardboard ribs of our rather unsturdy lifesize model. My face expresses all of my feelings at this moment...

galeries lafayette

2006-09-15T10:08:00.000-07:00

In exploring MEGA, what is bigger than the building itself? Structure is what it is, but elements such as light and space have the ability to change a person's concept or sense of a building. Do these elements force someone to think in terms of scale? Can buildings appear to be larger, deeper, wider, or taller than they really are?

I am doing a study on a series of independent megastructures lining Friedrichstrasse in Berlin. The first, located on block no.207, is the building accomodating the Galeries Lafayette, a french department store. It was designed by the French architect Jean Nouvel from 1991-1993, and constructed from 1993-1996. From the outside, the building's sleek glass surface shows a reflection of the sky and surrounding buildings. Not only does the reflection cover the large glass structure, but it gives pedestrians a phenominal view. The four sides of the building AND the roof are made of glass; transparency, which is simultaniously paired with reflection, enhances both lighting and views inside and out; it is a theme to carry light to the inside space, but also give off light to the outside at night. Lighting makes the building appear taller, longer, and larger and makes the inside appear more open. Inside the building, there is an atrium structure made of two cone shapes, one inverted and covering the lower cone. The larger cone opens from the ground level to the ceiling (seven storeys) and the smaller cone penetrates the four underground floors.

The building's eleven storeys are opened up by this whirlwind-like shape to allow natural light into every level from one common core. The light filters in and fills the central space, enabling people to see not only reflections, but all other floors up and down. A person can view the multifunctions of the building by looking through the glass. From the ground level opening, one could lean over and look up or down into the atrium. When I was there, I saw people shopping, dining, working, etc. I also wondered what would happen if I dropped something into the lower part of the atrium, which seems to spiral down infinately.

ideas come and go...

2006-09-13T17:59:00.000-07:00

Today we celebrate the completion of the first life-sized model of the pod (sumo... or whatever)! Using the laminated cardboard ribs was an awesome idea for a study model AND it actually held everyone without any disasters. The sitting position was quite comfortable, for both me and Jason. And despite the general consensus that I can't roll the pod while in it, I believe i can and will (because I am fun). I think I have found a new home!

gather to worship at MEGA SCALE

2006-09-10T22:27:00.000-07:00

Basilica di San Pietro in Vaticano is the most prominent building in the Vatican city as well as one of the largest churches in the christian religion. The cathedral covers an area of 5.7 acres (23,000 square meters), not including the entrance piazza with it's colossal scale. The foundation of the church was laid in 1506, but wasn't completed until 1626. Architects and designers who worked on and carried out the construction of St. Peter's include: Bramante, Guiliano da Sangallo, Fra Giacondo da Verona, Raphael, Antonio da Sangallo, Baldassari Peruzzi, Michelangelo, Giacomo della Porta, Paul V, Carlo Maderna, and Bernini. Not only does the building's scale demand it's importance, but MEGA also applies to the number of famous architects who competed for the design and the height of religious importance (location and site). St.Peter's Basilica, one of the holiest sites of the Christendom, is the original burial place of the apostle Peter (the first bishop of Rome). The cathedral is on the site of the Constantinian basilica and houses over 100 tombs, including mostly popes, some members of Catholic English royalty, etc. St. Peter's is the patriarchal basilica of Constantinople.

Piazza San Pietro leading to the basilica takes on an oval and trapezoidal shape (directly in front of the basilica). This very large space has the potential to overwhelm a visitor, but it doesn't. Although at a colossal scale, the piazza, designed by Gian Lorenzo Bernini, has divisions articulated by paving patterns and different colored stones. The obelisk in the center of the oval shape forms a gigantic sundial marked by circular stones on the pavement. These aspects create smaller spaces inside the vast piazza that relate to human occupancy. The elliptical colonnades is said to enclose a person with "maternal arms of mother church."

The Christian religion is the largest religion in the world, claiming 33% of the world population.

The Basilica of Our Lady of Peace of Yamoussoukro (1990) in Yamoussoukro, Cote d'Ivoire (Ivory Coast) is now the largest christian place of worship, covering an area of 30,000 square meters.

new proposal

2006-09-06T14:33:00.000-07:00

see more on melissa's blog...

ergo-dynamics (ergonomics)- design research

2006-09-04T12:14:00.000-07:00

ideas, solutions, proposals

communication

2006-09-01T10:58:00.000-07:00

Video-conferencing is working relatively well, but sometimes communcation loses some meaning. In general, I understand the purpose of our research, but I can't always be sure that what I produce is the most effective. Many images that I have been working on will not upload onto the blogs, but maybe this is just a server error. Please give me feedback on my personal blog about my postings on the megablog... Thank you!

akashi-kaikyo bridge

2006-09-01T08:56:00.000-07:00

The Akashi-Kaikyo Bridge, also known as the Pearl Bridge, is a part of the Honshu-Shikoku Bridge Project in Japan that connects Honshu island and Shikoku island through a series of three major bridge systems. More specifically, the Akashi-Kaikyo, which crosses the Akashi Strait, along with another bridge, which crosses the Naruto Strait, make up the Kobe-Naruto system.

This series of bridges was neccessary for transportation among the Japanese islands because of the consistently tragic weather conditions. The Akashi Strait, which is an international waterway, is subject to hurricanes, tsunamis, and earthquakes every year. Besides being a busy shipping port, it annually recieves about 57 inches of rain and gale winds. In 1955, two ferries sank in a severe storm while crossing the Akashi Strait, killing 168 children. Their death triggered the planning of what would become the world's largest suspension bridge, begun in May of 1988.

The Akashi-Kaikyo Bridge is 3,911 meters in length and has three spans: the central span being 1,991 meters to satisfy the required 1500 meter shipping lane and the others each 960 meters. Held up by two deeply anchored support towers that rise 298 meters above sea level, the highway is supported by a system of trusses (a complex network of triangular bases)that allows wind to blow through the structure below the highway. The bridge was built to withstand 286 kilometer per hour winds, harsh sea currents, and an earthquake that measures up to 8.5 on the Richter Scale. On January 17, 1995, and earthquake hit during the construction of the bridge causing the central span to grow by one meter (from 1,990 meters to 1,991 meters). In addition to the scale of the two towers, they were each constructed with 20 tuned mass dampers (TMDs) or pendula designed to swing opposite the force of the wind and therefore cancelling any sway that may occur. The bridge was finally opened for traffic on April 5, 1998. Not only is this the longest suspension bridge in the world, but also the tallest and the most expensive.

a plan for tokyo bay, 1960

2006-08-30T12:22:00.001-07:00

In 1960, with the rise in suburbanization surrounding the city of Tokyo and the growing need for a daily commute, traffic and congestion were rapidly increasing. Major cities like Tokyo, which has a radial structure, cannot be functional with such a large and still growing population (over 10 million). Many cities that have a central focus (a civic hub) expand freely in a radial pattern, however, the bay prohibits the growth of the city of Tokyo to the southeast.

KENZO TANGE proposed a utopian city plan (allowing for 15 million inhabitants) that would span across Tokyo Bay on a central axis. The foundation of the plan was a network of expressways: a transportation system for direct communication throughout the city. Branching from the three-level expressway system are residential units and office buildings.

expansion over water

2006-08-30T11:49:00.000-07:00

(proposed plan for tokyo bay)

(port of genoa)

These are both port cities whose growth has potential to grow/extend over the water. The tokyo proposal is much more intense and massive because direct transportation and living will occur suspended midair. This bridge network creates a new possibility for the entire city. Renzo Piano's proposals for the port of Genoa include moving industry, the airport, and storage containers out onto manmade islands. The direct transportation in this case would be routed through a tunnel underneath the mouth of the port. The manmade island would simply be a better use of space. However, both plans include monorail transportation, which is much more environmentally aware and allows many people to travel rapidly (like a subway system above ground.

semester goodies

2006-08-25T12:16:00.000-07:00

Continuing in the architecture program at Clemson, I expect that this year will be more challenging (in more ways than just being the forth-year studio) than the previous years. After studying in Genoa, I was able to incorporate and address different cultural needs that were present in the city as well as Italian cities in general. I think that web communication will be similar to my semester abroad in that a new language will be infused. Communication through the internet will surely prove to be challenging, especially to me, because I have not proven to be very computer savvy (and that during last semester i didn't use ANY design programs). However, I see the importance of online communication in the job world and I understand how powerful images and presentations can be if they are done well. I see this semester as a perfect opportunity to master graphic design and digital presentation online, which will greatly increase my ability to put out an awesome portfolio. I hope that this class will boost my confidence and teach me how to create a powerful portfolio to apply to graduate school. I know that this is going to be a demanding 4 months, but I can't wait.