Mars Final

2013

MARIALUISA

Architecture 101

5/22/2013

Final Portfolio

MARIA LUISA JAUREGUI

Having to design a life size project is definitely exciting with doses of stressful aspects to it,

which is understandable and manageable. Resources are available we just have to find the information

and put it together and with this project so far I’ve been exploring the various links and others to get a

better vision of worldwide architecture. I looked at plastics, stone, wood, plants, adobe; metal, moldable

clear rubber and fabrics but am predominantly focused on metals because I love the transformations that

metal is capable of and with the wall being dark gray concrete and the middle piece light gray, my

installations skeleton form will match the gray as well. Also for me though, with my father being in the

welding business, he’s a free valuable resource for metals.

What can be used the least to make the most is uncertain, yet PVC pipes, metals, fabric, plastic

containers such as soda, water and juice bottles, plants and wood could be resourceful enough to cover

areas, cheaply, uniquely, some extremely sturdy and beautifully. Thankfully there’s these great websites

such as junkitecture.com that shows worldwide installations done out of things such as plastic

recycling bins, red cups and clamps, PVC pipes and an array of combinations, paper and wood. These

structures are amazing and inspiring because the amount of creativity used to make such beautiful things

out of such simple objects is amazing. I connect with it as well because I am pretty resourceful as well

and love to use simple old things into new discoveries.

The most resourceful things we could use for my group would be what materials we have or

know how to work with, have easy access to and what is within our budgets. Wood, concrete and plants

are in our immediate surroundings yet wood and possibly thick tree vines would be useful materials.

Thankfully we have access to cars, my team mates are strong boys so possibilities are open enough.


Sketch ups of the

courtyard and early

made iterations. Overall

none of the people in

the group used sketch

up and especially not on

the final iteration

because of predominant

the curvilinear concepts

and lack of skills with

the program. Learning

and mastering sketch up

is also important. One

thing I will continue to

work on as well as other

programs.

MARIA LUISA JAUREGUI 3/18-3/25/2013

My overall inspiration is the human form and in this case made out of molded metal rods varying from 3

ft. to 7 ft. in height tightly or loosely overlapping to make walls differentiating in: thickness, positions, materials

and maybe color. These forms would also be partially - completely filled; covered with things such as fabrics,

plastics, rocks, plants, our own metal scraps or other metal shapes. Down below are examples of the artist,

Antony Gormley who, actually makes sculptured human figures out of metal in such mazing ways.

I also found infrastructures in Toronto that had been transformed into these Beautiful “Giant People” and

these were a perfect compliment to my vision because the usefullness of our angles and the beautiful look it has is

awesome. Having the figures holding up the cables in a Y shaped, either standing as an X or T and lining them up

across lakes, mountains, enhancing a landscape with them is really cool and it goes with our section of the

courtyard.


My first iteration as seen is made up of colored metal wires slightly varying in sizes using mainly gradualism. I also want to incorporate asymmetric shapes and dimensions to create a separation that is gentle and accessible yet intimate and appealing.

I’ m trying gradual positioning’s both ground set and hung to see the difference and also because we haven’t decided between the ground or a cable system. During the group discussion in class on 3/18 our individual designs were dissected and commented and thanks to my classmate and specially Mr. Lum’s suggestions and drawings I was better able to format layouts for my intended installation. I got a more realistic perspective on the materials, their limitations,

tricks and challenges. Specifically with these being metal the weight of them would be heavy.

A gradualistic formation would look really cool and with it being simple to do once the ratios and positions are established and it creates amazing repetitive made structures. I see that it could also give us another opportunity to take some shortcuts and just form partial human figures. A whole piece isnt necessary when layers are present and other materials are being incorporated into these frames. Having one body be formed by 2/3 partial frames would give us flexibility in transporting it and sectionize the work because having to do everything in one place or needing help to do


something is not the best way to go about a project at least, for me .

As we continued brainstorming our concept ended up being completely different from anything any of us had previously shown. No metals or natural resources.

We met up on Sunday Morning and decided on this. I loved the arches and tent concept it evokes. Its complementary to our site because of its curvilienear aspects and its gentle enclosure. It evokes unity and mystery


The main inspirations for our design were these structures. The use of fabric to make

dimensions, textures and designs within designs were complex yet simply made. It’s also a very modern

design that leaves much flexibility to cover or show off the structure itself or the surrounding

environment. I love how I am attracted to

these installations due to the many

possibilities that can be made. I’ve worked with fabric before while making costumes, table clothes,

curtains and weaved blankets, yet hadn’t seen works like this before. I’m so glad that I was able to know

about this new technique and that it’s useable for this project. It amazed me how the design of the fabric

is sharp angled because of the triangle shape, yet it complements the arches and curvilinear shapes of it

very smoothly and it’ll also

coincide with our section.

It will enclose the area

providing cover and

separation yet continue to

provide visibility.

I also love this design

because it’ll provide the

exact peek-a-boo visual

needed for our structure.

The faces on the wall of the

courtyard are an inspiration

that want to be shown

despite whatever is built

there. We want to make

something that will

accentuate it yet protect it,

therefore making it a

central station or point at

the courtyard.


This is our section in the courtyard,

which is a smooth curved wall with a “3000

faces “art installation in the center and a green

box in front of it. The box may or may not be

incorporated into the final design yet I think

that if we find a way to cover it up so that not

even the spiders can be of harm people can sit

down, lay, study and socialize there.

So the box has been used as the outline for our

base. Our Pvc pipes are being attached to pieces

of wood surrounding the box because with the

width of our space, different points are necessary

for our pipes and coincidently enough the boxes

dimensions were workable with our intentions.

Using just the ground to hold them down is not

enough because with the wind and general

movements, the pipes would go everywhere with

no solid foundation. Also just adding weights to


hold them down is

not enough because

we’re using arches

and again the wind is

a major affecting

condition.

Smooth

complimenting and

relating materials are

essential to creating

a beautiful, integral

well built structure.

Finding the best

ways in which to

connect materials

depend on the image desired, when there are various materials though that can be mounted onto each

other, layered, encapsulated or fused together, the

consecutiveness of design can continue. As long as

the materials are noticeably related by shape,

texture, color, direction or dimension with

complimenting connecting points, transitions are

achievable.

We decided to use wood, pvc pipes to make

our skeleton and stretch fabric to cover it, as a tent

and to connect those, grommets, S hooks and metal

wire will be used in the finishing design. To put all

this though PVC cutters, duct tape, Nails, saw, 1/8th

in. thin wires, a ladder, drills and similar tools are

being used. Our pipes will be held down by being

inserted into pieces of wood both on the ground and

on the wall around and about the central faces piece.


The strengths about this project are the materials and form because their solid coinciding

materials. Our enveloping design made up of arches stabilized by linear shapes made of wood that may

or may not be colored or covered along with the skin that will be made of white or colored stretch

material are all resistant materials. Well the fabric is not so resistant, it actually also proved to be a

weakness because when it comes to cutting into it because as incisions were done to accommodate the

grommets and the fabric was stretch, it would rip and unthread therefore limiting its flexibility. We

found out though that burning it with cigarettes or hot metal would prevent that. We also decided to

stick with white fabric which has not been the best since our site is right under a tree and the tree sap and

dust, dirt and such has gotten on the fabric as well as dirt from the floor and our hands. Keeping it as

white as possible will be one of our goals as well as the pvc pipes. The pipes and wood frames definitely

were the right choice because day after day of some especially windy times, the pipes resisted and stood

up intact. They swayed and swayed yet never broke or fell.

This is our work so

far with some key areas

established such as the

three pipes stemming

from the furthest corners

covering the box. These

are the perimeters of

our design and it’s still

going according to the

original model.

The pipes are being

held in place with

duct tape and metal

wire because we

have to be sure of

where we’re

going to drill

holes and add

eye hooks and

other pipes.

Also the

design could

change.


Some modifications have to be made to accommodate our vision because were noticing that it

wouldn’t look so good with all arches extending from a focal point in similar directions and no

intertwining ones between them. It’s also not enough support for the pipes to just be held together from

one end to another and it also goes against our intentions. Another weakness of working with concepts

that so tightly combine coverings and gaps is that the ending result has to always be somewhat kept in

mind so that the developing possibilities don’t take over especially negatively. As with ours some arches

were looking cool from our point of view yet from the top and envisioning the fabric coverings, it did

not go together.

This is our installation with its

skeleton complete. Held together by

pvc connector, no longer duct tape

or metal wire. Now that metal wire

is being used to hold the fabric in

eye hooks that have many S hooks

on it or where the dimensions of the

fabric are made by keeping the

fabric almost immobile. We have

started to cover it with sample

fabrics bought and trying out both

stretchy and stiff fabrics.


This is our experimentations with folding the fabric as

well as tension and creating gaps by just letting the fabric droop

a little instead of cutting it. We had limited supplies and it was

past the closing time of fabric stores so thankfully we were still

able to accommodate. I like this with its textured ripples and

under laying layers yet I’m thinking that doing the whole thing

with these specific traits wouldn’t look so refined. Also when

the wind is blowing really hard the fabrics move in opposing

weird ways.

The fabric

at the right

is a sheer material that was tried out and it

was cool how it provided visibility into the

inside, kept the potential for layering and it

swayed like boat sails in the wind which

looked really nice. Unfortunately aside

from being able to make sharp angles with

it, gaps and layers, dimensions are not

easily or smoothly created and

whether this will tie in well

with the overall fabric is still

debatable.


These

other

experiments were

not used because the

fabric stretched over

the ridge was cream not

white and the ridges were

removed because they

weren’t like by a teacher

and the ties over an arch

weren’t liked enough by

anybody to be used.

This is near to

completion;

we’ve

been working on it steadily finishing up figuring out how to cover as much area as possible still with the

initial concepts. Our pieces are getting bigger and our design is coming together.

It is having its covered sections such as the box that does provide an intimate spacial place across from

another space with a bench used for relaxing or

socializing. The box was covered up by a deck made

up of wood pieces screwed in.

This fabric piece was

installed by another team member and he did an

amazing job with creating dimensions with the fabric,

he put grommets in the middle of the fabric and used

tension to shape the fabric in a variety of ways as it

was being pulled.


This is a collage of our final work which is our sketches and board used for our presentation and close

ups of the best angles of our project which was the front side, bench and inner workings.

These pictures are by Luis and they are on presentation day


During this process a lot was learned about architecture, me, people and essential needs for success. It

was a fun yet scary and at many times overwhelming yet with every challenge overcome a higher level

of appreciation was reached and that was the positivity that served as part of the motivation to keep on.

Challenges such as getting a design together, deciding on materials, being sick for a long enough period

of time, adjusting to a mostly designated design, group indecisiveness; issues and time schedules

regardless of how exasperating, they were all worked through. It was an awesome experience to work

on something so big and so evolving, that I hope all students get to enjoy the amazing experience. It’s a

good way to learn about one self as a team member and as an individual under pressure or relaxed with

the imagination guiding the time.

One of our biggest challenges that presented itself was when we had to put the fabric on and I

and another team member specifically had to figure out how to do it adhering to the edges and certain

“specifications” of another member as well as our point which was to cover yet have visibility. We

really had to get creative and it actually changed and led the overall designs of the fabrics and also gave

us leniency in how we put the fabric, since we also had a tight time constrain.

As far as recycling the materials being used they all can be taken down and recycled, yet I plan

on taking some of the pipes and fabrics to a family member’s house and reusing them to build a similar

fabric structure for her back porch. Pvc pipes are also used for a variety of things such as household

items like hampers and laptop stands. Due to the fabric being cut in abstract forms, it could be reused in

another abstract project, regardless though it’s still disposable.

I definitely recommend not procrastinating on any aspect of this process because it will be

regrettable no matter what. It’s a process that requires dedication and precaution because as much as it is

flexible in design it is restraining in concepts and time. Going on a whim and trying to come up with

things on the spot are not successful or right ways of going about this because it is a group project and

one action leads and depends on another, so when there is no direction or not many directions to go,

getting stuck is for sure, with an unknown length. Seeking information is indispensable to life overall

and for this project as well. I saw what difference it made when I informed myself about certain

materials and inspirations vs. just creating something on the spot. Being prepared and having somewhat

of a basic understanding and motivation towards a focal point makes things so much better and success

easier to obtain. While going through challenges to be able to remain positive as well as promote it

between team members is a skill that should be obtained and mastered because no matter completing

something while being successful at it and feeling proud is the goal. Thankfully we finished the project,

I am happy with it and am so glad I was able to be a part of it and as said before, hope that future

students yet to come through this program and everywhere get to experience this. Thank you Jerry! Your

truly and amazing teacher.

Mars Final

Documents

beautiful things

resourceful things

adobe metal

metal scraps

metal shapes

simple old things

molded metal rods

pvc pipes