Diploma Studio Project_Ben Dance

APPALACHIAN MEMORYSCAPESSPATIAL CODIFICATION OF RITUAL IN DESIGN

UNIVERSITY OF TENNESSEE COLLEGE OF ARCHITECTURE AND DESIGN

ARCH 490.599 | SPRING 2013

professor katherine ambroziak

haley allenmark allmon

cameron bolinchristina clouthier

ben dance: a mountaintop sanctuaryleslie hood

marion forbesmadeline jones

megan parisewa sroczynska

ulrike straube

Fig 1 | Collection of ritual: birdhouses by JR / heirloom planting

RITUAL STUDIES | PRE-DESIGN | DESIGN APPLICATION

APPALACHIAN MEMORYSCAPESSPATIAL CODIFICATION OF RITUAL IN DESIGN

Appalachian Memoryscapes 1 seeks to examine contemporary ritual theory and

explore its influences on architecture – spatial composition, habitation, human association, and memory. Ritual actions are value laden. They present a form of behavioral communication, participatory spatial constructs designed and performed to illicit specific responses and shape communal/familial identity. They reveal cognitive meaning and hierarchic structure in both sacred and common place. As temporal manifestations of culture, they are a function of human association with memory. Through a critical analysis of various interdisciplinary theories about ritual, students in this studio gained a better understanding of the specifics and nuances of the term and its potential bearing on design. We explored these studies through social, secular architectural programs in the context of an Appalachian culture.

Ritual is an elusive term that we often historicize, relegating it to a religious context (or to the realm of pagan, primal, or indigenous myth). We often excuse it as something of the past that lingers in modern society as a form of nostalgia or antiquated tradition. We overlook ritual’s qualitative potential that holds contemporary bearing, affecting sensory perception and serving intellectual, emotional, and communal functions. We don’t recognize its inherent process-oriented actions that transmit cultural stories and reinforce or build memories. In Remembered Lives: The Work of Ritual, Storytelling, and Growing Older, anthropologist Barbara Meyerhoff states that one of the most salient characteristic of ritual is its ability to function as a frame. It is a deliberate and artificial demarcation where “a bit of behavior or interaction, an aspect of social life, a moment of time is selected, stopped, remarked upon.”2 In this sense, she allows us to remove ritual from the typically assumed, comfortable religious context and apply it to the secular, banal, everyday world. This portrayal of ritual is helpful as it helps us open our views to what the term may mean and allows us to reconsider where and how it may be applied to architectural design.

The studio’s first task was to research ritual theory from the vantage of various disciplines and cultural perspectives. Our readings included texts by Meyerhoff, Catherine Bell, Thomas Barrie, Kakuzo Okakura, and Michael Graves. We worked through a “mind map” type of analysis to synthesize the text content and find divergences and similarities between the authors’ characterizations. As we did this, we defined for ourselves the spectrum of purpose, role, and spatial structure that rituals hold.

Southern Appalachia was the cultural context of our studies, providing a rich social and spatial environment for our examination. It is part of our regional heritage, yet, like ritual, its true meaning often evades us as we relate to stereotypical representations. Laden with its own idiosyncratic value system, Appalachia presented us with unique opportunities to explore tradition, folklore, craft, and identity.

This studio was interested in how architecture could respond to both the cognitive and behavioral potential of ritual. To balance the academic research, we participated in a number of activities against which we tested our new definitions. We took part in a nonce ritual memory ceremony, visited a museum, planted heirloom tomatoes, attended a baseball game, decorated Easter Eggs, painted our school’s graffiti rock, and explored place and culture with activities designed around a retreat in the Appalachian Mountains.

Architecture is a participatory media through which humans may symbolize and render social and psychological conditions. Continuing our examination of the everyday, we tested our objectives on more mundane building types such as the high school gym. This is a place of everyday physical activity and competition, yet it is also the stage for pep rallies that build community and spelling bees that promote scholastic excellence. It transforms to a dance hall for senior proms, the site of first dances and first kisses, rites of passage for American youth. It is universally accessible and in smaller communities is the place for voting booths and town hall meetings, reinforcing civic responsibility. The significance of ritual is inherent in each of these activities, affecting perception of place and needing to be recognized. The high school gym, motel, bus terminal, pediatrician’s office, and diner, these are the memoryscapes of our human consciousness, rendered significant through ritual’s foil.

ENDNOTES [PREMISE]

1 Memoryscapes are spaces for ritual action, serving intellectual, emotional, spiritual, and communal function. This term is defined in “To Trace the Shifting Sands: Community, Ritual, and the Memorial Landscape” by Judith R. Wasserman, Landscape Journal, 17 (1): 42-61 (1998), 45.

2 Barbara Myerhoff, with Deena Matzger, Jay Ruby, and Virginia Tufte. “A Working Definition of Ritual,” Remembered Lives: The Work of Ritual, Storytelling, and Growing Older. (Ann Arbor: The University of Michigan Press, 1992) 130.

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS [PREMISE]

Fig. 1 Marion Forbes. Collection of ritual: birdhouses by JR/heirloom planting. Studio room 301, Art + Architecture Building, University of Tennessee, Knoxville. 20 Feb. 2013

TABLE OF CONTENTS:

1.0 RITUAL STUDIES1.1 Annotated Bibliography1.2 Ritual Praxis [assignment 0A]1.3 Ritual Praxis [notes, analyses, and reflections]

2.0 PRE-DESIGN INVESTIGATIONS2.1 Programming Base Conditions2.2 Appalachian Communities Survey2.3 Site Narratives and Analysis

3.0 DESIGN APPLICATION3.1 Narrative3.2 Synthesis of Key Texts3.3 Synthesis of Key Activities3.4 Program Assessment3.5 Process [with annotation]3.6 Memoryscape Design [with annotation]3.7 Reflection



RITUAL STUDIES1.0

1.1 ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHYThomas Barrie, “The Sacred Path and Place”Julia Bourke [ed.], “An Alimentary Exercise in Ritual”Julia Bourke [ed.]

Fernando Monte, “Rites and Rituals”“The Public Bath”George Gintole, “The Bath as a Reiteration of the Cosmogonic Act”Frank Moya, “Hot Springs Hotel”

Julia Bourke [ed.]“An Architectural Idyll”Michael Graves, “Ritual Themes in Architecture”Doborah Gans, “Table Talk”

Barbara Myerhoff, “We Don’t Wrap Herring in a Printed Page”Kakuzo Okakura, The Book of TeaLaurel Shackelford and Bill Weinberg, “We’re Not Playing Catch Up”Philip Vannini, Dennis Waskul, and Simon Gottschalk, “Sensual Ritual and Performance”John Alexander Williams ”Ghosts, Bountaries, and Names

1.2 RITUAL PRAXIS [ASSIGNMENTS 0A]Activity 01: Plantint Ceremony | Memory Celebration Activity 02: Visit to a MuseumActivity 03: Field Trip | Site Visits Itinerary RecipesActivity 04: Planting II | Social HeirloomsActivity 05: Fragment Retrieval | Totem SacrificeActivity 06: American Pastime | March MadnessActivity 07: A Bit of Religion | Decorating Easter EggsActivity 08: American Pastime | Baseball GameActivity 09: Communitas | Potluck PicnicActivity 10: Collegiate Spirit | Painting the Rock


“To anyone interested in ritual in general, it becomes quickly evident that there is no clear and widely shared explanation of what constitutes ritual or how to understand it. There are only various theories, opinions, or customary notions, all of which reflect the time and place in which they are formulated.” 1

Barrie, Thomas. “The Sacred Path and Place,” Spiritual Path, Sacred Place: Myth, Ritual, and Meaning in Sacred Architecture. Boston, Shambhala Publications, 1996, pp. 51-78.

Bell, Catherine. Ritual: Perspectives and Dimensions. New York, Oxford University Press, 1997.

Bourke, Julia, ed. with Peggy Deamer, Lee Ledbetter, and Thomas Reed. Ritual. The Princeton Journal: Thematic Studies in Architecture, vol. 1, 1983.

“An Alimentary Exercise in Ritual: 1982 Princeton Esquisse Competition,” 7-21.Montes, Fernando. “Rites and Rituals,” 22-28.“The Public Bath” 42Gintole, George. “The Bath as a Reiteration of the Cosmogonic Act,” 43-47.Moya, Frank. “Hot Springs Hotel,” 48-50.“An Architectural Idyll,” 51Graves, Michael. “Ritual Themes in Architecture,” 52-56.Gans, Deborah. “Table Talk: A Discussion of Michael Graves; Set for the Ballet Fire,” 57-65.

Myerhoff, Barbara, with Deena Matzger, Jay Ruby, and Virginia Tufte. “We Don’t Wrap Herring in a Printed Page: Fusion, Fictions, and Continuity in Secular Ritual,” Remembered Lives: The Work of Ritual, Storytelling, and Growing Older. Ann Arbor, The University of Michigan Press, 1992, pp. 129-157.

Okakura, Kakuzo. The Book of Tea. The Project Gutenberg EBook (Free access), release date August 5, 2008 (EBook #769). http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/769.

Shackelford, Laurel and Bill Weinberg, ed. “We’re Not Playing Catch Up,” Our Appalachia. 1977 by Appalachian Oral History Project. Reprint: Lexington, The University Press of Kentucky, 1988, pp. 343-381.

Vannini, Phillip, Dennis Waskul, and Simon Gottschalk. “Sensual Ritual and Performance,” The Senses in Self, Society, ad Culture: A Sociology of the Senses, New York, Routledge, 2012, pp. 40-60.

Williams, John Alexander. “Ghosts, Boundaries, and Names,” Appalachia: A History. Chapel Hill, University of North Carolina Press, 2002, pp. 1-18.

ENDNOTES

1 Catherine Bell. Ritual: Perspectives and Dimensions (New York, Oxford University Press, 1997) x.

ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY1.1

TEXT RESOURCES

ACTIVITY 01: PLANTING CEREMONY | MEMORY CELEBRATION

BEN DANCEActivity 01

Odd Fellows Cemetery

Barbara Myerhoff states that nonce rituals are “those awkward, self-conscious ‘first annual’ events, laboring under their obvious contrivance, and the often touchingly transparent hopes and intentions of their participants.” (Myerhoff 131) The notion of being self-conscious and touchingly transparent correlates with much of our experience during the planting ceremony at Odd Fellows Cemetery that called to the memory of Ms. Mildred Tate, whose grave marker had been lost during the time period when the graveyard had fallen into severe disrepair.

Here is a rundown of the event, and the qualities of each segment of the nonce ritual (in bold). These are attempts to mimic the manner in which Barbara Myerhoff examined the Graduation-Siyum:

-Introductions – family, friends, and suporters (all) –OPEN/SECULAR-Examination of cemetery – (ka) –CLOSED/SECULAR-Words by Mr. George Kemp, great-nephew of Ms. Mildred Tate (family) –CLOSED/SACRED

-Placement of the crocus bulbs (ha,cc,mf) –CLOSED/SACRED-Distribution of soil (ma, cb, bd) –CLOSED/SACRED-Scattering the grass seeds (mp + family) –OPEN/SACRED-Laying a blanket of straw (kg + mj) –CLOSED/SACRED-Presentation of flowers (lh + family) –OPEN/SACRED

-Attention to others forgotten (supporters) –OPEN/SECULAR AND SACRED

-Time of sharing (family and friends) –CLOSED/SACRED

The opening ceremony consisted of introductions, an examination of the cemetery, and then words by Mr. Gerge Kemp, who was the great-nephew of Ms. Mildred Tate, and was raised by her when he was a small child. This piece of the ritual took on sacred tones, as it called for the remembrance of a deceased woman. There were very little, if any, elements of self-conciousness or awkwardness at this point of the process, as Mr. Kemp knew Mildred personally and was her blood relative, so he was naturally well prepared for this part of the ceremony. The flow of his words and his writing seemed extremely natural, and not forced in any way. He simply spoke about how he felt about his great-aunt, and his speech was loud and clear, and seemed to captivate the audience. From this point, we moved into our duties with respect to the ceremony, and that came in the form of the placement of the crocus bulbs, the distribution of the soil, the scattering of the grass seeds, the laying of the blanket of straw, and the presentation of the flowers. While we were mentally prepared for each of our responsibilities, we could not physically rehearse, and this is where Myerhoff’s description of “awkward and self-conscious” can be applied to the ritual. The sincerity was clearly evident in each action, but a feeling of self-consciousness was present as well. This was due to our concerted efforts to perform well in front of an audience, and to make sure that as much respect was paid to Ms. Mildred Tate as possible. These feelings were present at each stage, but they represented a genuine effort to make the planting ceremony a success, and it clearly was successful. Each of the family members were engaged in the, and it was apparent that they were pleased with our efforts.

After flowers were presented to each family member and the remainder left on the newly laid earth, the final stages of the ceremony commenced. While the family stayed behind to say some final words about Mildred Tate, we as students set about the rest of Odd Fellows Cemetery, and began picking up fallen gravestones. While this was extremely beneficial to the cemetery and also pleased the family members of Mildred Tate, there was no awkwardness present in this part of the ceremony. We acted much more naturally, even though our responsibilities at this point were still extraordinarily important to the overall goal of the Odd Fellows rehabilitation. The lack of awkwardness was most likely due to the fact that we were not performing in front of an audience at this point, so the entire process was completely devoid of nervousness and self-consciousness.

With the closing of the ceremony and the eventual feedback from the family members, it seems that the nonce ritual that was presented was extremely successful. Everyone involved was engaged in the ritual and each step in the ceremony was attempted with earnestness and a desire to perform to the best of ones duties. The “touchingly transparent hopes and intentions” (Myerhoff 131), of each participant made the nonce ritual feel genuine, and the slight awkwardness during some of the steps of the ceremony was due to everyone’s desire to perform their piece of the ritual to the best of their abilities. For these reasons, the Planting Ceremony was a resounding success, and stands as another significant step forward in the rehabilitation of Odd Fellows Cemetery.

Fig 2. Field NotesFig 1. Field Sketch

ACTIVITY 02: VISIT TO A MUSEUM


Museum of Appalachia

Our visit to the Museum of Appalachia proved to be extremely beneficial in our understanding of the history of Appalachian culture. The museums themselves contained an incredible amount of content. Countless objects, ranging from instruments, to weapons, to dolls, and even coffins and other funerary equipment were there for our observation. These tools and toys provided extensive insight into the manner in which things were crafted manufactured in these various communities. These elements carried a strong sense of authenticity, and it was especially apparent how “rough” some of these crafted items were. Dolls were pieced together with various appendages that didn’t necessarily go together, rifles were hand crafted, and many tools were as well. The structures themselves mimicked these makeshift characteristics as well.

The museum was easy to navigate and easily accessible. This made our experience very pleasurable, as we were able to gather whatever information that the museum had to offer. The authenticity of the content and the layout of the buildings themselves allowed us to become fully immersed in the experience. This was further enhanced by the fact that live animals roamed the property.

The progressive nature of the museum lends itself to a ritual like experience for the participants/observers. They are guided through a procession of sorts, and a series of thresholds begin to demarcate different sections of the museum. The authenticity of the structures which house the content help to enhance the notion that one could fully immerse themselves in the content presented to them.

Another interesting element worth noting is that the weather on the day of our visit was cold and wet. This cut down on the number of visitors at the museum that day, basically leaving the whole place to ourselves. Due to this, we were able to take in all of the elements of the museum at our leisure, which also proved to be beneficial to our experience.

The sketch below depicts the close proximity in which the various functioning buildings of a typical Appalachian community were situated together. The buildings begin to step up into and utilize the sloped terrain.

Fig 1. Field Notes Fig 2. Field Sketch

Fig 3. Field Sketch

ACTIVITY 03: FIELD TRIP | SITE VISITS


Visiting East Tennessee and Southern Virginia

The Ambroziak Family Fold. This phrase, first uttered by Marion Forbes in relation to the Carter Family Fold, describes our entire trip, from our departure for Roan Mountain on the first day, to our climactic finish when we reached the summit of Carver’s Gap, withstanding 40 mile an hour winds, and taking a picture that would ultimately be referred to as the “Ambroziak Family Fold”. A fitting title indeed after all of the experiences that we shared.

Numerous experiences stand out on the trip. Our encounter with JR Campbell, the principle and “king” of Little Milligan Elementary, certainly started the trip off with a bang. What seemed to initially be an awkward tour of a school that we had all but written off as a possible site turned out to be an exceptionally informative discourse with first hand accounts of the history of the flooding of Old Butler and the resentment towards the government and the TVA that still pervades the small town. This proved to be very worthwhile, and certainly changed my design goals for the rest of the semester. What once was a semester that would consist of a motel design at the gateway of a small town, immediately transformed into a new gym that could be the centerpiece of a small town.

Many other activities followed that strengthened the sense of family within our studio. Eating breakfast together stands at the top of that list. There’s something about food that brings people together. Our trips together continued the camaraderie. The trip to Bristol Motor Speedway was fairly awe-inspiring in and of itself. The fact that it is a 165,000 seat race track is really all that needs to be said. It becomes easy to understand the importance of NASCAR when one stands in the infield and looks around at the incredible amount of seating. Riding together in different cars, and getting to know everybody was such an important part of the trip, that it almost dwarfed the importance of the site visits in comparison. It is safe to say that nearly everybody must have come out of this trip feeling closer to the rest of the group. This was evident in our car ride home. No forced dialogue, nothing awkward. Just relaxation, music, discussion when discussion was warranted, and napping. The calm that was present in the car represented the success of the trip.

Fig 1. Field Sketches


Fig 3. The Ambroziak Family Fold Fig 4. Breakfast

BUTLER CEMETERY/GATEWAY SITE The first destination of the trip. Our meeting place, Butler Cemetery. The site sits atop a hill. Incredible views in all directions. The Appalachian Trail is visible, cutting it’s way through almost every location we visit. This cemetery holds incredible significance in the city of Butler. It is not only the burial location for New Butler residents, but it is also the location where the graves of Old Butler residents were moved. For this reason, it serves as a symbol of the forceful removal of the people of Old Butler, the only city to be flooded by the TVA. We would later hear first-hand about the intimidation tactics of the TVA when it came to convincing the residents of Old Butler to leave. Some never did, staying in their homes when the flood occurred. Regardless, this cemetery serves as a reminder of the old city, while still honoring the residents of the town of New Butler. This site holds a special significance for us as well, as it marks the first step in our 4 day journey through the Appalachian Mountains of East Tennessee and southern Virginia. An obelisk of sorts, demarcating not only the transition of an entire town, but acting as our first beacon on a trip through an area many were unfamiliar with.


LITTLE MILLIGAN ELEMENTARY Cold and tired, and ready to get to our cabins, we come to the last site on the Butler visit, Little Milligan Elementary. We question whether anyone will even use this site. While we stand outside in the dusk, about to leave, a truck pulls up, and an energetic man gets out, and welcomes us into the school. Slightly puzzled, we follow him in. It is established that he is J.R. Campbell, Principle, Third Grade Teacher, and “King” of Little Milligan Elementary. The awkwardness is heavy at first, as I am not certain if this interview will benefit our study of Butler. I am quickly proven wrong however, as the man provides us with accounts of the intimidation tactics of the TVA and the resentment that still exists in the town. When asked what he believed to be the center of the small town, without hesitation, he replied “this school”. Children sit in the same classrooms their parents sat in, providing an extremely familiar atmosphere. Physical activity is encouraged in the school, and every Friday begins with a game of dodgeball, a performative ritual of sorts for the small school. All of this talk piques my interest, and I quickly begin to think about the significance that this school, and the gym itself, holds throughout the community. Thoughts of a multi purpose facility begin to enter my head and I begin to think about possible design decisions. Fascinated with this concept, I immediately decide to switch my programmatic and site choices.

Fig 6. JR Campbell

BRISTOL MOTOR SPEEDWAY A tour of the Bristol Motor Speedway. The 165,000 seat arena is awe-inspiring. The importance of NASCAR is readily apparent and understandable. The thrill of getting to ride on the track at less than half the speed of the actual drivers furthers this understanding. As we stand in the winners circle, and look around, I am almost dumbfounded by the immensity of this place. Twice a year, it is filled to capacity with 165,000 people, where cheers and deafening engine sounds fill the entire structure. A haptic experience indeed. One can certainly imagine the many rituals that someone could possibly go through on race day, drivers and fans alike. I leave with a renewed interest in the sport, and a drive to attend one of these races myself. If ritual is performance and social drama, then Nascar possesses this in every facet of its being. From the conflict between drivers, to the fans wanting more crashes, this sport is performance and social drama at its best, and the connections it has to Appalachia and bootlegging moonshine during prohibition only further the significance that it holds in our studies.

Figs 7_8. Bristol Motor Speedway

CARTER FAMILY FOLD Phillip Vannini states that ritual is performance. This performance, he believes, consists of three pieces, the performer, the audience, and the context/focus. This defines our experiences at the Carter Family Fold. The performance was on stage, as the band played. We took on the role of the audience as we sat in the seats and observed. After the first song was played, a third element became readily apparent, that of the tap dancers who began to fill the space between the stands and the stage. The sound of the taps gradually overtook the performance and this became the focus of the show. We, as the outside observers were able to join in this dance soon after, creating a dynamic situation where we could actively change from the audience to the focus of the show. It was an incredible experience and our dances together again furthered the family atmosphere of the trip. We retired to our cabins that night with a sense of accomplishment, as we were able to experience AND participate in the event.

Figs 9. Carter Family Fold

CARVER’S GAP The last day of the trip. Our return to Knoxville is imminent, but we have one more task at hand, to ascend Carver’s Gap and take in the incredible sights that are offered at its summit. The hike is fairly easy at first, through tree lines and up a gently sloping path, but we soon come to the exposed part of the ascension. 40 mile an hour winds hit us at 30 degree temperatures, making the journey more arduous. We soon reach the top, however, and the view is incredible. Given the winds and the steep dropoff the slight danger of the experience, combined with the incredible views gives the experience a sublime quality. We gather together for a picture, known as the “Ambroziak Family Fold”. Our trip, and our connection as a studio is complete. The hike acted as a rite of passage for us, and once we reached the peak, we quickly came together as a group. We head home to Knoxville, worn out and ready for some relaxation.

Figs 10. Carver’s Gap

ACTIVITY 04: PLANTING II | SOCIAL HEIRLOOMS


Social Heirlooms

The initial goal of this second planting ceremony was to give us something to compare with our first planting ritual at Odd Fellows Cemetery. Unlike the nonce ritual of the first planting ceremony, this planting activity took on a much less performative atmosphere. We gathered around as a class in the more intimate environment of our own studio.

We began by selecting seeds for another member of the class. Leslie selected the Dr. Wyche’s Yellow for me. I then selected the Soldacki for Ewa, as it is a tomato seed that is in indigenous to her hometown of Krakow, Poland. From here we set about organizing our seeds, placing 5 or 10 seeds in each bag. From here, we placed soil into our own personal trays. Then, by following the specific directions placed on our particular seed packaging, we placed one seed into the soil of each tray. We watered each tray and then set them up on one of the tables in our studio.

This planting event took on many elements of ritual. The careful steps we took throughout the process, from choosing the types of seeds we would be using, to the bagging of the particular number of seeds, and finally to the process of physically planting the seed, the very rigid steps began to take on the process of a ritual. While an unrehearsed activity, and not particularly theatrical or performative, the very necessary steps in the process of this activity started to give the planting an elevated stature/significance, as it was apparent that each of us were participating in a very careful manner. We rigorously counted out each packet of seed and carefully placed them at the right depth.

The interesting element of this activity, is that, much like the first planting ceremony, this “ritual” will continue for as long as the seeds grow and the plants survive. We will need to rigorously tend to our seedlings, and eventually our plants, for them to successfully grow. In this sense, for this ritual to be successful, we must perform.

Fig 1. Field Notes

ACTIVITY 05: FRAGMENT RETRIEVAL | TOTEM SACRIFICE


Odd Fellows Cemetery

First warm day. A perfect day to return to Oddfellows Cemetery. This time however, we are the center of attention, we are the performers of this ritual. Much like the ending of the first planting ceremony, we are fixing fallen gravestones and retrieving lost fragments. I showed up early with Marion and Cameron, helping to adjust the grid pattern that had been laid over the cemetery, providing order to the chaotic remains, and representing a renewal for the site. The rest of the group arrived, and we set about retrieving fragments. We moved from grid to grid, carefully labeling each fragment we found. I worked with Ulrike and Ewa. For every fragment we found, there was a rigorous detailing of each piece, measuring and labeling each one as we placed them with the group. These pieces, consisting of gravestones and many other pieces, were to be taken to another site for storage. Pink ribbons wrapped around stone fragments represented the progress we had made throughout the day. The care we took documenting each piece elevated this activity beyond simply cleaning up a site. This was further enhanced by the fact that many of the pieces were parts of gravestones that represented people who have passed on, and in this case, many of their memories were lost when the cemetery fell into disrepair. Now, with Katherine’s efforts, these memories are being brought back to the forefront. We were able to help with these efforts, and able to take place in something bigger than we are.

After the fragment retrieval, we went to Chandler’s Deli as a studio. We were a family again, eating, talking, and laughing. The meal represented how close we had gotten as a studio, we truly were the Ambroziak Family Fold. I went home that day, feeling good about our efforts in the cemetery as well as how close that we had grown as a studio.

Fig 1. Fragments

ACTIVITY 06: AMERICAN PASTIME | MARCH MADNESS


Every year March Madness sweeps across the nation for 3 weeks at a time. Hardcore and casual fans alike are captivated by the pageantry, and the one and done, “do or die” scenarios that each game brings. Many root for the underdog, the double digit seeds, in hopes of seeing the small private school take down the big name public University. Others come together for the challenge of besting one another by choosing the best bracket. Our studio came together to participate in such a bracket challenge, which sat at $5 per bracket entry, leading to a pretty hefty pot for the winner (Marion eventually beat me out for the number 1 spot after Louisville was crowned National Champions). The thing about March Madness is that, in a way, the audience has a chance to become the performers as well. There is certainly a physical divide between the players and the fans, but the bracket challenges create a performance all their own, with competitiveness rivaling that which exists on the court itself. Different strategies are employed by each participant. Safe picks involving only higher seeds lose out to upset picks quite often, and this is the beauty of the tournament. While an underdog team may be over-matched and would typically lose to the higher seed 99 out of 100 times, for one night, that underdog can be better, David can topple Goliath. This is why we watch, and this is why we participate with such intensity.

The tournament also represents a significant time of the year for me as well, one that is typically filled with a hint of anxiety, as I watch my Cincinnati Bearcats attempt to advance year in and year out. It is a time for my father and I to reconnect, whether watching the games together or discussing them over the phone. The tournament is ultimately heartbreaking for all but one team, and there is a certain level of sadness involved in watching Seniors move on after their final game. It is those moments of triumph, though, that make the anxiety worth every second. Seeing Cincinnati defeat the heavily favored Florida State Seminoles in the last seconds to advance to the Sweet-Sixteen was an incredible moment, and one that my father and I were able to share together. It was made all the more gratifying knowing that they would get to advance on to face their arch-rivals to the North, Ohio State, in the next round. Moments like that keep me coming back year after year. Whether it is as performer or audience, the intensity of March Madness is an incredible experience that many across the nation look forward to on a yearly basis.

Fig 1. Sean Kipatrick, Sweet 16 Jubilationcbssports.com

ACTIVITY 07: A BIT OF RELIGION | DECORATING EASTER EGGS


Egg painting. It’s something that seems so simple, yet holds so much tradition in my life. On a Saturday afternoon, leading up to the print deadline for our penultimate review the following Monday, we sat down as a group to paint Easter Eggs. The table was quiet for awhile, as many of us were not only tired from working long nights, but were concentrating on painting our eggs. As time went on, however, conversation began to flow freely. Many of us told stories about our own Easter experiences, and our previous encounters with egg painting. I myself would ultimately turn my eggs brown as a child from attempting to add too many different colors. I took more care this time, though. It was a soothing experience, and took on many elements of ritual, as it served as a calming mechanism in the chaos of penultimate review preparation.

We all learned a lot about each other that day, even more than we had previously known. The notion of a family, the Ambroziak Family Fold, continued to run strong throughout all of our activities. This one was no different. We painted eggs for almost three hours, but time went by so quickly that it hardly felt like we had been there that long. It was not only a bonding experience for the group, hearing each member of the Fold tell a story of their personal Easter experiences, but it was also a therapeutic experience, relieving much of the tension inherent in the preparations for a review.

Fig 1. Eggs in Many Different Styles

ACTIVITY 08: AMERICAN PASTIME | BASEBALL


Baseball. It has been a part of my life since I can remember. Although a performer in the sport from age 4 to age 18, my first experience as a member of the audience was when I was 7 years old, at Riverfront Stadium, watching the Cincinnati Reds take on the San Diego Padres. There’s something magical about a baseball game. The smell of concrete, hot dogs, beer, cigarettes (at one time) all combine to create a smell that is distinctive to a stadium. The game of baseball is not extraordinarily fast paced, and that’s what makes it so special. It is one of only a few sports where the defense controls the ball, which means that the pace of the game moves at the whim of the pitcher. It is a sport that can go stretches without anything happening, causing some to declare it to be boring. That is what makes baseball wonderful, though, in that it can be “boring”, but then all of a sudden, it isn’t. A home run, a game winning base hit, striking out the side in extra innings. All of these elements create a fever pitch of excitement throughout the stadium provided the home team is on the winning end. It is America’s pastime after all, and a sport that can be both exhilarating and ruthless. One can be the hero one inning, and then the “goat” the next. A player can hit the go ahead home run in the top of an inning, and then commit an error that puts his team behind in the bottom half of the same inning. Accomplishments can be quickly forgotten, but so can failures. It is a sport that commands natural ability and incredible hand eye coordination. Most importantly, however, it brings people together. Baseball practice is by far the most social of the major sports. It is a calming element in the chaos of everyday life, as teammates constantly banter back and forth. This ultimately carries over to the games as well. The nature of attending a baseball game is also much more social than the more intense viewing experiences of football, basketball, and hockey. Fans can converse with one another throughout the game at their leisure, and they all share the common bond of supporting the same team, the “collective experience” that strengthens ritual, and in this case, the ritual of performance. Yet again it was always a bonding experience for my father and I, as we constantly discuss the strengths and weaknesses of the players (performers) on the Cincinnati Reds.

Our experience at the Tennessee, South Carolina game mimicked these qualities. While the Volunteers ultimately were destroyed by the visiting Gamecocks, the game was incredibly enjoyable. We sat and talked about various aspects of the game throughout. Heckling became a part of the experience as many began to focus on names of many of the visiting players, namely Joey Pankake in particular. Marion made numerous attempts to create a joke out of Joey’s name. The game was yet another bonding experience for the Fold. These experiences were facilitated by the nature of viewing a baseball game. A football or basketball game would not have provided us with the opportunity to calmly discuss and joke about many things, and as such, this is one of the many reasons that baseball is, and will be considered America’s Pastime for years to come.

Fig 1. Baseball Relaxation and Heckling Joey PankakePhoto Credit: Marion Forbes

ACTIVITY 09: COMMUNITAS | POTLUCK DINNER


The last supper. A potluck dinner. Everyone contributed their own dish to the group dining experience. Yet again, we were working together as a group for a greater good, in this case feeding each other. Another collective experience, another way to further enhance the bonds of our studio. It should come as no surprise that this final dinner really served as an example of how close we had grown as a studio. We truly were the Ambroziak Family Fold, as Marion had dubbed us so long ago. Dinner was followed by games of football, frisbee, and overall relaxation. It legitimately felt like a family cookout or a cookout amongst close friends. We all felt comfortable around each other, and it was an extremely relaxing experience. It was certainly a great finale to our semester of hard work. As daylight began to fade and people began to pack up their own dishes, we discussed plans for our final activity, our true studio finale, painting the UT rock...

ACTIVITY 10: COLLEGIATE SPIRIT | PAINTING THE ROCK


Following our last supper, we met as a group to paint the rock. Tradition. That is what describes the painting of the rock at UT. Each night, students gather to paint messages on the rock for all to see the next morning. We were simply exhibiting our school spirit by participating in this ritual, a collective experience for many at the University of Tennessee. Black and white were our choices of paint for this studio finale. The goal was to paint the entire rock black, and over the course of an hour or so, we were able to accomplish that. The closeness of our group really shined during this activity. We hoisted each other on our shoulders to reach hard to get places, helped others down from the top of the rock, and all took their turns contributing to the painting of the rock. We finished with a white moon, and the words “Ambroziak Family Fold” as painted by Megan. A fitting end to our journey together as a studio this semester. It was an incredible experience, and this final activity really served as the grand finale to the entire 3 months.

Fig 1. Final Activity for the FoldPhoto Credit: Ulrike Straube


DESIGN APPLICATION3.0

3.1 NARRATIVE

3.2 SYNTHESIS OF KEY TEXTS

3.3 SYNTHESIS OF KEY ACTIVITIES

3.4 PROGRAM ASSESSMENTgive specific program type

3.5 PROCESS [WITH ANNOTATION]in case you need sub categories

3.6 MEMORYSCAPE DESIGN [WITH ANNOTATION]in case you need sub categories

3.7 REFLECTION

NARRATIVE | A MOUNTAINTOP SANCTUARY

BEN DANCEA Gymnasium for Little Milligan

Butler, Tennessee

Six years old. I step into the gymnasium at Boonsboro Elementary School. For the first time in my life, I am partaking in organized basketball. I look around, nervous. I don’t know anybody here, not even my coach. I feel alone. I know I’m good at basketball, I make most of my shots in the back yard when practicing with my father, but these people don’t know that. Hell, they don’t know me at all. I’m struck by feelings of isolation, nervousness, and a desire to go home to mom and dad, where things are comfortable. For our very first practice, we are scrimmaging another one of the local teams. Not knowing anybody, I was dreading this first foray into a team game. Then a funny thing happened, the game started, and everyone worked together. The five of us, without even knowing each other, began to function as one, passing and shooting the ball at the right times. A few made shots and a couple of pats on the back, and I immediately felt comfortable. These kids I didn’t even know 2 hours prior were now my friends. More practices only strengthened this bond. By the end of the season, I had made friendships that would last me a lifetime.

What brought us together was a common bond. Durkheim states that “ritual functions to strengthen the bonds attaching the individual to the society of which he is a member” and it is the “collective experience” that brings people together. The team name we played under, the Boonsboro Bulls, was that common bond. It was something we subconsciously all banded together to support. We were fighting together for this team, against other teams that had the same goals. This cultivated friendships that were based around the support of this name, this team. Interestingly enough, in those early years, the closest friendships were between the kids who played on the same teams with one another.

It was the gym itself that facilitated these activities. It became a sanctuary for us, a place to escape from the monotony of the classroom, and other elements that brought stress to the life of a young boy. On the court we could be ourselves, we could let loose and be competitive. Frustration, competitiveness, and conflict were all things that had to be internalized in our everyday lives, but in the gym, we could work all of these things out through a medium that almost encouraged it. We learned how to respect one another, and how to resolve issues we may have had with each other, skills that would benefit us for the rest of our lives. Basketball was therapy for my young mind. There was no pressure on the court at that age, we only answered to each other. This didn’t just apply to basketball either. Physical education classes throughout my young life served the same purpose. For 45 minutes a day, I could escape the classroom and clear my mind through activities such as kickball or dodgeball. The gym, again, was my sanctuary. It quickly began to take on more and more importance in my life as I grew older. It was the site for our first dances, which marked a big transition in our lives, a coming of age during the awkward first stages of puberty.

If ritual is performance as Phillip Vannini states, then basketball, or other physical activity, begins to take on ritualistic elements. In the case of basketball, I was the performer, my parents and classmates were the audience, and the context was the team I played for and the gym I played in. As I moved into middle school, this dedication to a team, and this sharing of a common bond only grew stronger. By fifth grade, I was playing point guard for our middle school team. No longer were we separated by different team names, we were finally playing for one team, a team that the whole school supported. My role as a performer

took on more significance as the audience grew in number and the context became more important to everyone around me. People would talk about the games during school and a sense of pressure to perform began to take precedent in our daily practices. Coaches expected more, and most certainly subscribed to Vannini’s belief that one does not perform in sport if one does not ultimately win. The game of basketball, while still incredibly fun, began to take on more serious qualities as I moved into my teenage years. This pressure was heightened by the fact that I grew up with a father who placed a heavy emphasis on the importance of performance in sport. One thing remained however, and that was the incredible camaraderie that was established between all of the players on our team. We were fighting for one goal, one team, and that was our team, nobody else’s. Pride began to take on a whole new meaning for me at this point. I now wanted to make the name on the front of my jersey proud, not just the name on the back. I wanted to perform for the audience that took the time to come see us. The gymnasium, whether it was Carrington Field House at James River Day School (Middle School) or Van Every Field House at Virginia Episcopal School (High School), was the site of these feelings.

A different programmatic piece of the gymnasium entered my life once I moved into middle school and high school, and that was the locker room. This ultimately applied to not only basketball, but outdoor sports such as football and baseball as well. We gathered as a team in these dank, dark corridors hidden away in the guts of the building. Their oppressive cinderblock walls, cold metal lockers, and stiff wooden benches had little effect on the comfort we felt in these rooms. This was where we went over final gameplans, came together as a team, prayed together, listened to music together, celebrated together after victories, and huddled together after losses. In many ways the locker room became more important than the gym itself. If the gym was my sanctuary from everyday life, then the locker room was my sanctuary from the stresses of the gym or the field. It was the site of the entire gamut of emotions, pregame jitters, postgame elation or frustration. We worked out conflict amongst ourselves in there rather than on the field or in the gym. It was legitimately therapeutic for us. The locker room was also the site of many pregame rituals, distinctive to each of us. Sitting in front of our lockers, we each had specific steps we took to get ready for the game, and many of us remained in isolation during this time, locked in our own minds, mentally preparing ourselves for the task at hand, performers concentrating on how best to please the audience. This isolation always dissipated once we were ready to head out for the game and we came together as one to say the Lord’s Prayer. The locker room had become a sacred place.

Stepping back for a moment, I want to address another extremely significant role that the gym played in my life, and that is with respect to my relationship with my father. When I was a young boy, my dad was working Vice for the Lynchburg Police Department. This job had him working long hours and generally throughout the night rather than the day. For this reason, I would go days at a time without seeing the man, as he was generally asleep or at work when I was awake. He always found time to take me to the gym to practice, however, and this is where we bonded. Shot after shot for hours at a time, talking about life in between. The practices facilitated this conversation and the gym housed this activity. Throwing baseball or football, shooting the basketball, and practicing; these were the ways in which I got to know my father, and I loved every minute of it. The gym takes on an extremely sentimental value for me in this regard, as it facilitated one of the strongest bonds I will ever know in my life. N.D. Fustel de Coulanges spoke on the fact that ritual is enhanced by the “role of the ancestor cult” and of “joint family lineage”. My father and I went through our own ritual every Sunday morning. While my mother and sister attended church, he and I

would get up, cook breakfast together, and then drive out to the gymnasium or the baseball field for hours at a time. There were times I, being a moody teenager, would want to do something else, but looking back on it now, I wouldn’t change any of it. For my dad and me, the gymnasium was our church, our holy place. It facilitated a bond between father and son, and created a connection between us that will last forever.

Today, my use of the gymnasium has changed. No longer part of a team, I go to the gym to lift weights and better myself physically. It has become more selfish in nature, but one thing has not changed. The gym is still my sanctuary. Frustrations in class or at work can be quickly relieved with a two hour workout. My head, cloudy from the events of the day, is quickly cleared with a good workout. The locker room takes on a similar quality as well. Before every workout, I sit in the room, headphones in, taking my pre workout supplements and focusing on the task at hand. Elements of the “pregame” ritual have changed in some cases, but the locker room is still just as important as it ever was. I still play basketball as well, but now of the pickup game variety. After lifting I generally cool down on the basketball court, and play with whomever else happens to be there. I have remained the performer in this case, but one thing has changed dramatically, there is no team to support, to fight for. Pickup games certainly have “teams”, but there is no passion to achieve a common goal, and nothing to instill a sense of pride. Reasons for playing are only selfish at this point and this rears its ugly head during these games, as everyone, including myself, is looking for their shot rather than the open man.

As I have grown older, my role has changed from that of the performer to that of the audience. It is here where the “collective experience” and a common bond with others is still present. This is evidenced again in my relationship with my father. We talk about life and our weightlifting endeavors, but our conversation generally returns to what is now our most significant common bond, Cincinnati sports. From the University of Cincinnati to the Cincinnati Reds and Bengals, we talk about the players (performers) and lament heartbreaking losses and revel in the victories. Watching the NCAA tournament last year with my father, when the Cincinnati Bearcats defeated the heavily favored Florida State Seminoles to move onto the Sweet Sixteen was as powerful of an experience as any. We shared in the frustration and excitement, and when it culminated in a victory, we both took in the satisfaction of the victory as if we were the performers ourselves. This is why I believe sport holds such a significant place in the lives of many of us. There is permanence to being a fan of a team. I spend much of my time frustrated with the teams I watch, but I continue to watch. I feel that this is due to the fact that the context, the team name, that common ground is always there. In my own life, friends drift away, significant others leave, family members grow old, and things generally change rapidly. One thing remains constant, and that is the teams that I follow. The players (performers) come and go, but the team, the name remains. There is pride in that fact, and a sense of comfort, that no matter what, year in and year out, my teams will be playing the same number of games they played the previous year. It is this pride that I believe starts to carry over into my design for the Little Milligan gymnasium.

The town of Butler has gone through an incredible amount of change over the past 75 years, being the only city to be completely flooded by the TVA. The residents were forced to move to higher ground and adapt to a new life. There is a sense of pride throughout the community however, and this was immediately evident in our talks with JR Campbell,

Principle of Little Milligan. Mr. Campbell believes in the importance of physical education, which is a very Jeffersonian idea in and of itself, as Thomas Jefferson himself stated that one should, “encourage all your virtuous dispositions, and exercise them whenever an opportunity arises, being assured that they will gain strength by exercise as a limb of the body does, and that exercise will make them habitual...Give about two hours every day to exercise; for health must not be sacrificed to learning. A strong body makes the mind strong.” I want to create a gymnasium that not only holds a sense of permanence in the community, but also facilitates the many aspects which I touched on previously, including the “collective experience”, a common bond, a sanctuary from the trials of everyday life, locker rooms that encourage a sense of togetherness, a particular framing of the performance at hand, and a link between parents and children. The Little Milligan gymnasium should be a design that shapes the lives of the children who perform and the parents who observe and instills a sense of pride in the community as a whole, a common bond that they all share, that brings everyone together.

The current design places the gymnasium at the top of the hill, looking 20 degrees Northwest. Six pieces of ramped topography step towards the gym at the top of the hill, encouraging a procession that begins to highlight the importance of various aspects on site. Classrooms run along the pathways, outdoor and indoor. Larger pathways offer moments for groups of students to come together, looking to continue the bonds created by the “collective experience” encouraged by the gym. This procession culminates in the gymnasium at the top of the hill, a location not just for sport, but for the community as a whole. A multi-purpose structure that begins to frame the various ritualized aspects of the “collective experience” and the “cult of the ancestor”. This ultimately turned into a campus plan, with modifications being made to the original classrooms and cafeteria spaces as well. I want to create a center of community for the entirety of Butler, parents and children alike.

JULIA BOURKE [ED]“AN ARCHITECTURAL IDYLL”MICHAEL GRAVES, “RITUAL THEMES IN ARCHITECTURE”DEBORAH GANS, “TABLE TALK”

This section of Julia Bourke’s writing focuses on the work of Michael Graves, and Laura Dean’s ballet, Fire. It opens with Graves giving an account of his use of ritual in his own designs. He then describes his design for the stage set for Fire. Graves’ own account of his work is then followed by “A Discussion of Michael Graves’ Set for the Ballet Fire” by Deborah Gans.

Graves quickly delves into the notion of ritual and its applications in architecture, namely his own designs. He states that the, “physical elements or gestures of enclosure that compose an architectural surround are capable of embodying both pragmatic and poetic elements. While the window might originally have relieved the wall for the practical benefits of light and air, the same light and air become poetic when we find ourselves physically and emotionally renewed by these natural phenomena” (Bourke 53). This statement from Graves embodies many of the ideas of our studio this semester, taking something that is mundane in nature, such as a bus stop, gymnasium, diner, or motel, and elevating it by acknowledging special moments and opportunities for ritual in each of the designs. Graves then continues to examine the various aspects in which ritual can appear in architectural design, and how that design can, in turn, highlight said ritual. This can be evidenced in his examination of the ritual of procession, and how architecture can encourage or highlight the procession. In the case of the Sunar showroom in Dallas, it is the light that comes in from the large skylights that highlights the path through the building, guiding visitors along its path. This notion of procession was most certainly applicable to many of our designs as well. Be it Marion’s rhythmic column design along the length of her bus station, or my own path that leads students up to a gymnasium at the top of a hill, procession is a very important piece in not only framing views, but also setting up possible moments of ritual in our designs. Graves states that, “architectural promenades allow both linear and cyclical narratives to unfold as we pass through variations offered by the plan” (Bourke 54). It is here, however, that he breaks from the concept of three-dimensional procession, and examines how a two-dimensional painted surface can interact with it’s three-dimensional surroundings and set up a sort of, “tension between perspectival devices and objects or figures found in the painted field, the text or ritual of the painted field may be understood with some degree of simultaneity” (Bourke 54). A dramatic two-dimensional backdrop can serve to heighten the viewers experience when witnessing a performance in front of it. Graves acknowledges the ritual of performance with regards to the dances found in Dean’s ballet, and it is this backdrop, combined with the furniture layout that attempts to heighten the experience of the viewer by superimposing the imagery of the ballet in front of a backdrop. This notion again began to show itself in our design decisions when it came to highlighting elements of ritual. With mountainous sites such as Butler, Tennessee, and Damascus, Virginia, many of us were treated to incredible vistas that surrounded our designs, and highlighting these vistas as a backdrop to many of our moments of ritual served to strengthen and dramatize views and experiences within our structures.

Following up Graves analysis of ritual, Deborah Gans comes in with a critique of his work, as well as the play directed by Dean herself. She does, however, acknowledge

Ben Dance


another important quality that has played a significant role in many design decisions throughout our studio, and that is the notion that, “rituals establish a specific and immediate relation between the performers and audience. The participants in the rite are members of the same primal group as the beholders, and they occupy a shared stage” (Bourke 58). This notion of performance shows up in Philip Vannini’s article as well. Ritual as performance is a concept that showed up in our gymnasium designs, and learning about how Michael Graves employed foreground and background techniques to heighten that particular aspect of ritual certainly offered us plenty of insight on the matter.

This series of articles really exposed us to not only the manner in which someone specifically designs for highlighting elements of ritual, but how those design decisions can be critiqued as well.


JOHN ALEXANDER WILLIAMS“GHOSTS, BOUNDARIES, AND NAMES”

John Alexander Williams’ article addresses many of the cultural qualities of Appalachia. He discusses the fact that much of the cultural knowledge in the area has been passed down verbally from generation to generation, and that due to some aspects of isolation, there are many parts of Appalachia where cultural beliefs and traditions have gone untouched, and thus unaffected by the outside world. This gives the area a quality that is most assuredly distinctive from the rest of the country. Williams discusses the physical attributes of the land, the length of the trail (2100 miles), boundary shifts over the years, and even the correct pronunciation of “Appalachia”. He goes into great detail on many of these cultural and geographical elements of the region, especially focusing on the manner in which, “Appalachian people have always used narrative for entertainment and understanding, parsing their experience through Bible stories and folk tales, traditional ballads and country songs” (Williams 18). The culture is not only distinct, but it also remains strong to this day, as there is an incredible amount of pride that exists in many of the communities. There is not only pride, but Williams believes that, in many ways, we could stand to learn a lot from Appalachia;

“For much of the century, official attention turned on the question of why and how the region failed to keep pace with the material growth of an urbanized

consumer society, but at the beginning of the twenty-first century it is reasonable to ask whether Appalachia may have led the nation, not lagged

behind, into a future whose outline is only now just coming into view. In the new terrain of globalized market capitalism, the combination of exploitation

and per-/re-sistance, of crisis and renewal, that Appalachian history manifests may turn out to be instructive to every dweller in the postmodern

world”” (Williams 18).

It was at this point that we began to learn about the pride that exists in many of these areas, and we learned about that pride first-hand when we arrived in Butler, Tennessee, and spoke with J.R. Campbell, principle of Little Milligan School. Stories of returning home, standing ground, and general pride all influenced many of us when it came to designing and highlighting our various aspects of ritual.

Ben Dance


LAUREL SHACKELFORD AND BILL WEINBERG“WE’RE NOT PLAYING CATCH UP”

-To those who refuse to leave the land they love

Laurel Shackelford and Bill Weinberg’s We’re Not Playing Catch Up, is a study of a resilient Appalachian people. Shackelford considers and documents the progression of technology in the Appalachia region and its effect, for better or worse, on the social, cultural, and economic face of these people and communities. The basic question is set up asking whether these new progressions in technology and “quality of living” are just that, progressive or better, for a people that ardently adhere to their independent and personal ways.

The article explores these topics and others of a “modern” Appalachia through the investigation of several characters. One very important character is Robert Lampkins; an African American living in Blacksburg, Virginia. Shackelford chooses to highlight Lampkins’ story because of its heavy comment on the still very prominent issue of racial inequality in Appalachia. For years, Lampkins wanted to become an independent heavy equipment operator, but after putting himself through training and all he is still finding himself unable to become self-sufficient. Shackelford writes, “The main problem is his inability to borrow large sums of money he needs to buy his own heavy equipment.” Lampkins has a feeling that “whites, especially white financiers” resent and fear independent blacks. Shackelford writes that this has only made him focus more to fight for his goals on the land that he loves.

Another character is Benny Bailey; a doctor in Appalachia. “What you are going to see is people in Appalachia who are able to stand on their own two feet and think for themselves”, Bailey says. Bailey adheres to the his intervention of medical care in Appalachia for those that need it but is a strict proponent for the fact that the people there are not backwards and unintelligent; incapable of seeking out or locating their own aid. Bailey’s thesis is an argument that the people of Appalachia may be viewed as different but certainly are not “backwards” or unintelligent. Bailey writes, “We’re not playing catch up-we welcome outside capital and know-how, but will not indiscriminately copy what has worked, or not worked...”

As Shackelford continues, the inability to ward off life’s corruption outside Appalachia from coming in is discussed. The values of the Appalachian people are tested and Shackelford comments on their resilience to hold true to their past and heritage of these values.

Shackelford and Weingberg’s study of Appalachia takes a closer look at a people that are often disregarded due to stereotype and ignorance. This sheds light on a people that welcome progression but with a lens of scrutiny and value.

Cameron Bolin

PHILIP VANNINI, DENNIS WASKUL,

AND SIMON GOTTSCHALK“SENSUAL RITUAL AND PERFORMANCE”

This reading explores sematic relationships inherent in ritual and ritualization in the context

of the Cowichan Valley Culinary and Wine Festival.

Phillip Vannini begins with his experience of traveling to and arriving at the wine festival.

He continues to describe the act of wine tasting as a ritual drama, where every person has a

role. Within ritual drama there are performers, an audience, and context that help structure

engagement in ritual activity.

As another way of defining ritual and ritualization Vannini states, “Ritualization serves to

demarcate special transitions, but it also serves to give a sense of order to everyday life.”

This idea of structure and order is apparent in many discussions surrounding ritual. Vannini

continues to write about ritual relating to phenomenology and sensory perception and he

describes learned ways of tasting wine and being able to verbally describe his experience.

Similar to Myerhoff Vannini states that ritual involves active participation of “audiences”

and is crucial for the success of the ritual performance. He describes wine festivals as

“social dramas” and continues to state that, “all social dramas are rituals”. It is important

for the audience members to perform and gain “taste vocabularies” so they could actively

participate in ritualized expression.

Marion Forbes

THOMAS BARRIE“THE SACRED PATH AND PLACE”

Barrie’s Sacred Path and Place studies the connection between belief and form and how it manifests itself through ritual. He ties his research together with the leitmotif of the sacred path. Using this symbol, he delves into the articulation of ritual and procession through form. Barrie discusses the role of ritual in creating an identity for a place and for a people.

This reading has strong connections to our class discussions, bringing up issues of architectural form in direct relation to ritual procession and activities. Thresholds become a significant point of distinction and meaning. The act of turning, the significance of asymmetry and directionality all play into the development of a space on a higher level.

Barrie’s analysis of sacred places teaches us the importance of setting a moment apart from the rest. His mention of chaos refers back to the idea that the control of a moment might charge it with the power to impact an experience and memory, thus creating the implications of value and greater importance. The role of nature in spiritual architecture becomes its own character in engaging the site of through journey, contrast, and an activated moment of man-made versus the organic world. The Barrie reading is a strong account of the value of past-civilizations and the architectural framework of ritual.

Haley Allen


THE GYMNASIUMMark Allmon & Leslie Hood

Edits for particular project by Ben Dance

The gymnasium has had many different roles since it was created. Its evolution was simultaneous with that of organized sports. Up until the mid 19th century, the majority of sport related activities occurred outside and consisted primarily of hunting and shooting. As the Young Men’s Christian Association began to flourish, the gymnasium was adopted as part of the benefits of joining the association. Less than sixteen years after the first gymnasium addition to a YMCA was completed, over one hundred more were built across the country. This can be significantly attributed to the founding of the first athletic club in America in 1869. Initially, the main function of the gymnasium was to house the sport of gymnastics. However, as the popularity of organizations like the YMCA grew, the activities taking place within the space did the same. In the early 1890’s, the game of basketball was invented in a Massachusetts YMCA, and the purpose of the American gym was forever changed. Gone were the days of the balance beam and uneven bars, replacing them were bleachers, nets, and balls. Basketball exploded in America and within five years, it was included in intercollegiate sports programs. Today, we merely have to look down the road to see proof of America’s obsession with this sport. Basketball courts greatly outnumber the gymnastics gymnasiums. The arenas that have been erected in the name of basketball serve as physical representation of the gymnasium in all of its glory.

Beginning of organized sports

NYC YMCA opens gymnasium to attract members (equipment is geared towards circus stunts and later gymnastics.

Over 100 gyms at YMCAs in US

New York Athletic Club becomes the first of its kind in America

Basketball added to intercollegiate sports programs due to the lack of interest in other indoor sports

Volleyball introduced

1860s

1869

1885

1889

1890s

1894

(opposite) Fig. 1 | Fig. 2

Basketball hoopHemenway Gumnasium

However, the gymnasiums in rural areas serve as so much more than a house for one of America’s greatest pastimes, they bare a stronger resemblance to a community center than an arena. Especially in the sparsely populated areas of East Tennessee’s Appalachia, the gymnasium has adopted many functions, such as emergency shelter, community meeting hall, and dance hall. The same way the perception of the gym changes in the eyes of the occupants as they grow from childhood to adulthood, so does the function of the building. It is here that children of all ages come together for a number of activities, as they grow these gymnasiums serve as reminders to their childhoods, and as they become adults, the gym serves as a symbol of their heritage. Where life was once so carefree on the basketball court, the gymnasium adapts to the reality of life when it is used for emergency community meetings and shelter for the community during storms. While the community gym may be less grand in scale than the massive basketball arenas of today, it is safe to say that the gymnasium is a great importance to the Appalachia communities of East Tennessee.

Fig 3 | Titanics gymnasium

Fig 4 | xxx


Interior:

Athletic Court: 4,200 sf

Lobby/Trophy Display: 2,600 sf

1 Office: 450 sf

4 Restrooms: . 2 Public 200 sf ea 2 Locker Rooms 900 sf ea Storage:

1,200 sf

Mech/Elec: 1,000 sf

Total Interior: 32,000 sf

Exterior:

3 Intramural Fields: 40,000 sf

Outdoor Classrooms: +Gardens 22,500 sf

Procession Path: 950 lf 9500 sf

Total Exterior: 120,000 sf+

PROGRAM SIZING

ATHLETIC COURT

LOBBY/TROPHY DISPLAY

3 INTRAMURAL FIELDS

4,200 sf

This space is intended to support local community events as well as host sporting tourna-ments for the region surrounding the site. The space is to be large enough to support large events, as well as flexible enough to provide multiple uses simultaneously. This is the main space in this program. Sporting events, dances, and plays will occur on this court.

Lighting should be able to respond to multiple programmatic needs. It should be able to provide amply lighting for sporting and community events, but also be able to provide more controlled lighting conditions for more intimate events.

2,600 sf

This is the first space a visitor would experience. It should be welcoming and familiar, as well as relate to the local and regional context of Appalachia. The space needs to be well lit with a good relation to the garden and exterior views.

The lobby will also display any trophies or memorabilia from sporting events or local ac-complishments. Historical data and artifacts will also be on display here. This gives the project a relation to local and regional heritage. As well as anchor it in the regional psyche.

40,000 sf

This field space would be used for outdoor tournaments as well as a open public space for community use. It would be the size of the typical football field, but could host local recre-ation leagues as needed. The space could also be used for outdoor festivals or large public gatherings requiring a large open area.

This field space would be related to the athletic court in order keep the activity spaces in close proximity. This relation would allow for events to be held indoors as well as outdoors, and facilitate activities that can occur in both areas. Placing these two units together would

OUTDOOR CLASSROOM + GARDENS22,500 sf

The garden space is to serve a transitional moment from the public realm to the grounds and building of the project. This garden is to provide a moment of semi-compression before entering the lobby space, and inversely slowly decompress a guest leaving.

This garden will also closely relate to the intramural field. It should be a barrier for the pe-rimeter of the field and focus the space toward any preferable views. It will be a thick bar of program which can be engaged and experienced by a visitor. Providing moments of mental relaxation will be the intention of this space within the project.

PROCESSION PATH9500 sf

The trails in the region are a large part of the cultural identity. The Appalachian region is often associated with the Appalachian Trail. This trail is a large part of the outdoors American consciousness. Tapping into this part of the American consciousness will seed the project into the local and regional communities through supporting activities associated with the Appalachian Trail by providing a stopping point for hikers in the area. This project features a procession path that leads up from the existing school to the gymnasium, traversing a series of terraces that step up into the mountain.

Fig 5 | Gymnasium North Plymouth High School

Fig 6 | Public Gardens

Fig 7 | Recreation, UCLA

Fig 8 | Bamboo flooring systems

Fig 9 | Bike trails


PRECEDENTSZachary High School GymnasiumZachary, Louisiana2010Holly & Smith Architects The newly completed addition to the high school boasts a beautiful linear lobby that serves as a transition between the outside and the gymnasium. Within this space guests walk by the trophy display cases where they can marvel at the accomplishments of the athletes of years past and current athletes can dream of becoming a legacy to future generations. Another admirable aspect of this project is the façade, which stays true to exterior of the existing school while incorporating modern materials. Both the trophy transition area and the facade address the main objectives.

While the design of the gymnasium itself is very traditional, the axial windows above the goal works with the light colored walls to make the area feel more open than it is. Also, the use of the oversized trusses with the exposed blue ducts running longitudinally beside them works to not only elongate the space, but clearly define the different spaces within. The court, though it is on the same level as the rest of the floor, is given more spatial hierarchy.

Fig 10 | Zachary High School Gymnasium

Fig 11 | Zachary High School Trophy Room

Greeneville High SchoolGreeneville, Tennessee 2006Vaughn & Melton Design Greeneville High School underwent a complete reconstruction beginning in 2004 that doubled the square footage of the existing high school, integrated modern technology, and upgraded the athletic areas. Before the renovations, however, a competition gym for the high school basketball team was built to accommodate over three thousand people. Since the competition gym was not only relatively new, but also large, the new high school gym was designed to host volleyball games, wrestling matches, wellness classes, cheerlead-ing practice and pep rallies. The core is located underground behind the bleachers, and it houses a wrestling room for practice and storage, a large storage area, a men’s locker room and office, and a women’s locker room and office. Facilities for the football team are located across a one lane road in the Field House. This is the location for the weight room, football storage, additional coaching offices, trophy storage, the training room, more locker rooms, a classroom, and the in school detention/ alternative learning program room. (Also known as “The Vacation in the ALPS”)

Fig 12 | Greeneville High School Gymnasium

Fig 13 | Greeneville High School Weight Room


LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS [GYMNASIUM]

Fig. 1 Basketball Hoop. incompletethoughts, photostream. http://www.flickr.com/photos/61603002@N07/5625696711/Fig. 2 http://www.functionalhandstrength.com/images7/hemenway_gymnasium.gif | Hemenway GymnasiumFig. 3 http://archive.cyark.org/historic-photograph-looking-aft-in-titanics-gymnasium-mediaetcFig. 4 Fig. 5 http://ai3architects.com/case-studies/cs_plymouth_north_high_schoolFig. 6 http://gardenwebs.net/collections_public.gardens.htmFig. 7 http://www.recreation.ucla.edu/insidepage.aspx?uid=9f936fc7-4442-46d1-a0c2-ef38afbc2f61Fig. 8 http://hurflooring.com/flooring-systems/bamboo-flooring.htmFig. 9 http://blog.gaiam.com/blog/for-a-spring-green-bike-ride-try-‘rails-to-trails’/Fig. 10 http://www.hollyandsmith.com/portfolio/zachary-high-school-gymnasiumFig. 11 http://www.hollyandsmith.com/portfolio/zachary-high-school-gymnasiumFig. 12 http://www.gcschools.net/ghsFig. 13 http://www.gcschools.net/ghs Fig. 14 http://daclife.com/30-day-personal-training-experienceFig. 15 http://daclife.com/programs/indoor-walkrun-track

Collierville DACCollierville, Tennessee2009Renaissance Group This addition to the Collierville Community Center was completed in 2009. The addition con-tained two High School sized basketball courts and a weight facility. The gymnasium is used for both private recreational leagues including basketball and volleyball as well as public use. The gym is a gathering place for youth in the community. The space is needed in the area to provide safe space for kids and adults to spend time.

Fig 14 | Collierbille Community Center Race Track Fig 15 | Collier Community Center Gymnasium


MOUNTAINTOP SANCTUARY PROCESSEarly Design Concepts

Ben Dance

With the site of Little Milligan situated on a relatively steep slope, I wrestled with several design concepts for the placement of my gymnasium. The first inclination was to keep the gym relatively close to it’s original position, and keep it connected with the double loaded classroom space. This evolved over time however, and after looking back to the Acropolis, and the Parthenon itself, I decided to elevate the gymnasium, placing it up the hill from the school, looking out towards Old and New Butler, a sanctuary from the everyday. The next challenge was how to connect the gymnasium to the school, and a notion of a procession was established. A 1952 Alvar Aalto proposal for a cemetery that featured a series of terraces stepping down into the landscape to create a “premonition of death” became the inspiration for how I would approach linking the two pieces (gymnasium and classrooms) together. However, rather than a premonition of death, I wanted to create a “stairway to heaven” with procession routes ramping up the terraces to tackle the slope of the hillside. The next challenge was to link the two programs together without too much empty space in between, creating a campus plan. Inside each level of the terrace, various elements would inhabit the space, such as parking, extra classroom space and gardens. Two series of walls create precincts, the first containing the original classrooms and outdoor classrooms and facing west, towards agriculture, the second containing many of the play fields, terraces, and the gymnasium itself, facing east towards nature. The gymnasium itself would act as the culmination of the final wall looking north towards the city (New Butler_Old Butler), and the river/transportation. The gym would be constructed from a series of glulam beams nestled in a concrete base, with louvered glass facades on the North and East walls. The span capabilities of glulam beam construction was appropriate to the program, and looked to many of the arena designs for the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver. The procession up the terraces would be for the students, while the public (parents, general public, etc.) would enter at the top of the hill on the south entrance of the gymnasium. The idea was that this campus would create a community center for the city of Butler, one that would appeal to students and parents alike.

Figs 1-9 | Early Process Sketches

Fig 10| Existing Conditions

Fig 11| Early Proposal

Fig 12| Early Terrace Design_Mountaintop Sanctuary

Figs 13-15| Glulam Construction

Fig 12| Little Miligan in Relation to Old/New Butler

Fig 16| Second Terrace Design

Fig 17| Gymnasium Concept


Fig 19| Early Terracing Concept


Fig 21| Exploded Aerial Showing Glulam Construction

Figs 22,23,24|Further Developed Terracing Concept_Plan_ Wall Diagrams


3.6 MEMORYSCAPE DESIGNMOUNTAINTOP SANCTUARYA Gymnasium For Little Milligan

Ben DanceButler, Tennessee

The fully developed project. Campus plan complete. Gym fully designed. Various rituals established. The Mountaintop Sanctuary sits atop the campus, looking out over the landscape to the North. Old Butler sits in the distance, a reminder of the history of the city. Rituals of collective experience, ancestral cult, pride, procession, and performance are all highlighted on this campus The gymnasium is to be a center to the decentralized new Butler, for parents and children alike. The campus plan focuses on outdoor spaces as well as indoor. The lower precinct opens to the West, towards agriculture, while the upper precinct opens to the East and terraces down into Nature. A field is hidden in the woods beyond. Finally, the gym itself frames views to Old and New Butler, providing a dramatic backdrop for school dances, basketball games, voting, or working out in the weight room.

The next few pages will graphically demonstrate the final project.

Fig 1| Little Milligan Current Gymnasium

Old Butler-1 Mile North-Original city, flooded by TVA.

Little Milligan Elementary and Middle School-Site of design intervention.-Proposed community center.

New Butler-3 Miles North-No exact city center, displacement led to spread out settlements.

Figs 2,3,4,5|Original Classroom Plan (Modified), Site Relationship, Context, and City Center Diagram

Pathway

Gymnasium and Culmination of Wall

Garden Terrace = Key Piece

The Wall

Threshold

Existing Structure

Figs 6,7,8,9|Outdoor Classroom Plan, Wall and Path Diagram, Original Aerial, and Aerial of Proposed Design

AGRICULTU

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RREE

NATURE

CITY/RIVER

CITY/RIVER

Top terrace faces East and open up towardsnature. A series of smaller terraces lead down into the wooded area to the East and another field is hidden behind the trees.

Gymnasium faces North towards the city and theriver. In this case, transportation.

ERER

ATU

First terraces, original classrooms, and new outdoor classrooms open to the West, towards farmland and agriculture.

Two separate wall systems create two precinctsthat are joined by a threshold. Each precinct of the campus features different characteristics.

Figs 10,11,12|First Floor Gymnasium Plan, Precinct Relationships, Elevations of Gymnasium Design NSEW

Figs 13 and 14|Second Floor Gymnasium Plan,Full Site Section Looking East Demonstrating use of Terraces

Figs 15 and 16|First Floor Gymnasium Plan,Gymnasium Section Cut Through Locker Rooms Looking West

Figs 17 and 18|Second Floor Gymnasium Plan, Gymnasium Section Cut Through Basketball Court Looking East

Fig 19| Student Procession View of Gym

Fig 20| Aerial of Complete Intervention

Cult of the Ancestor.-When I was a young boy, my dad was working Vice for the Lynchburg Police Department. This job had him working long hours and generally throughout the night rather than the day. For this reason, I would go days at a time without seeing the man, as he was generally asleep or at work when I was awake. He always found time to take me to the gym to practice, however, and this is where we bonded. Shot after shot for hours at a time, talking about life in between. The practices facilitated this conversation and the gym housed this activity. Throwing baseball or football, shooting the basketball, and practicing; these were the ways in which I got to know my father, and I loved every minute of it. The gym takes on an extremely sentimental value for me in this regard, as it facilitated one of the strongest bonds I will ever know in my life. N.D. Fustel de Coulanges spoke on the fact that ritual is enhanced by the “role of the ancestor cult” and of “joint family lineage”. My father and I went through our own ritual every Sunday morning. While my mother and sister attended church, he and I would get up, cook breakfast together, and then drive out to the gymnasium or the baseball field for hours at a time. There were times I, being a moody teenager, would want to do something else, but looking back on it now, I wouldn’t change any of it. For my dad and me, the gymnasium was our church, our holy place. It facilitated a bond between father and son.

Fig 21| Student Gymnasium Entrance and “Wall of Fame”

Performance.-If ritual is performance as Phillip Vannini states, then basketball, or other physical activity, begins to take on ritualistic elements. In the case of basketball, I was the performer, my parents and classmates were the audience, and the context was the team I played for and the gym I played in. As I moved into middle school, this dedication to a team, and this sharing of a common bond only grew stronger. By fifth grade, I was playing point guard for our middle school team. No longer were we separated by different team names, we were finally playing for one team, a team that the whole school supported. My role as a performer took on more significance as the audience grew in number and the context became more important to everyone around me.

Collective Experience.-The interactivity of the outdoor classrooms really brought us together as students. We worked together to grow vegetables and flowers on the rooftop garden. What brought us together was a collective experience. Caring for and supporting the same thing was that common bond. Much like our support of the Little Milligan Buffaloes, this collective experience bonded us together. Durkheim states that “ritual functions to strengthen the bonds attaching the individual to the society of which he is a member” and it is the “collective experience” that brings people together.

Fig 22| Basketball Game with Backdrop

Transition.-My first school dance. I am incredibly nervous. This marks a huge transition in my life. The first slow dance. A possible first kiss. Coming of age. School dances are the site of many important moments in the young life of an adolescent. The procession up to the gym with my date and the grand entrance magnifies this fact. Streamers hang from the high arching glulam beams. We process down the hall together and out into the wide open space. I see my friends dancing with their dates and my nervousness begins to subside.

Pride. -The time has come to vote. I walk into the gym on the upper floor and see many of my neighbors and friends about to do the same thing. I look out to the North towards Lake Watauga, where Old Butler once stood, where my grandparents grew up. I think back on how we have stayed strong since the displacement. I am proud to live here, and I am proud to vote. The view has been framed in the distance, and provides a dramatic backdrop for the civic activities at hand.

Fig 24| Voting_Pride_Looking North

Fig 23| Middle School Dance_Transition

3.7 REFLECTION

BEN DANCEA Gymnasium for Little Milligan

Butler, Tennessee

I must say that this semester flew by. It doesn’t seem like that long ago that we were all sitting around the studio table discussing aspects of ritual in “The Book of Tea”. We had a very diverse studio, consisting of 4th Years, 5th Years, Graduate Students, and International Students. We had many different backgrounds and personalities, but as the semester went along we all grew closer, eventually becoming the “Ambroziak Family Fold”.

Much of this happened on our field trip. Staying in cabins, sharing meals together, and watching movies really brought us closer as a group. This really occurred to me on the ride home, when we had grown so comfortable around each other that there was no need for forced conversation. We talked when we wanted to talk and relaxed when we felt like relaxing. After awhile, I remember we put on a mix of 90’s music, and napped on and off the rest of the way, while reminiscing about the past whenever a favorite song was put on the mix.

So much happened over the course of this semester that it’s almost hard to keep track. We did 10 activities together, ranging from service opportunities to painting Easter eggs. Each of these rituals was successful in its own way, and I will cherish many of the moments along the way. We went to a baseball game, and each of us participated in March Madness, even the international students. We were even given an April Fool’s activity list of Chuck Norris jokes, which, I must say, I still look at from time to time to get a laugh.

This studio was unlike anything I had done before, and that’s a good thing, no, a great thing. Not only did we get to do things that no other studio got to do, but we also were able to design some pretty incredible projects that really investigated bringing elements of ritual into design. I am very grateful that I got to be a part of everything this semester, and that I was able to participate in this studio. I wish the 5th years luck as they move onto the job world, and I hope the international students enjoyed their stay and their time in this studio. For the rest of us, we have one more year, but this studio taught us much as we move forward, and will most certainly leave us with some wonderful memories.

Diploma Studio Project_Ben Dance

Documents

ritual actions

collection of ritual

work of ritual

portrayal of ritual

contemporary ritual

cultural context

architectural design

spatial structure