It is finished.

Let it speak for itself:

The slate Guild Hall is a success--
it breathes all elements that were first designed for
and carries the torch for Felix Lorstrom.

Finalizing the Product

We burned the old design and gave it a rebirth.
Our design brings all elements together and metaphorically created harmony.

The guild hall for the Freemasons is a:

Communion of the trades like a:

orchestra concert drawing their string at once together.

 

No words--JUST DESIGN

DESIGNING THE WORK SHOP

within our building the WORKSHOP chose to be very important.
to work with a space that is needed to fulfill a desired application
one must chose space wisely.


Our choice--make it open, wooden and light-filled.

We have changed our look in the end
but stuck with the initial design premise.

The Man: Mr. Felix Lorstrom

Our building finds its first roots within the narritive:

Mr. Felix Lorstrom asked for a design of a Guild Hall in Buckingham, VA

His biggest interest was in the newly created guild:
-He is revitalizing the values of trade
-his goal is to bring forth the initial guild and separate from the club-like group which is now present
-his idea is to bring the community together with markets and show the skills of the trade


his choice of material was a local slate which certainly
is used in a masonic temple and masonry buildings
today

A neat idea I came up with: veneer slate slabs and reinforce with steal forming black of slate.

 The piece can then be interlocked with fingers

 and lastly strung together to form arches

 

Though this idea was wonderful and genius, 

the price to which it would account 

is beyond the conceivable. 

I could not justify using it. 

The Masonic Temple

Freemasons: a cult or guild?
With the arrival of this new project we are fighting to change the face of the Freemasons and bring masonry to a new level.

Here are the idea, themes and facts:
-Buckingham, Va at 36* latitude
-George Washinton was a grand freemason in Virginia
-the group is becoming too public as a club
-esoteric and certain aspects are private
-"less of secret society, more of a society with a secret"
-meet, eat and greet at the lodge

On sothern side of the building, the stone would heat and people would eat

-social festivals met and formed the 'southern'

The Presentation: Part 1

A rather rich and prestigious Luthier

titled William McCanter desired the creation of a building.

What fostered from his appreciation casted to life a wonderous work

that expressed the Guitar center as a masterpiece of wood skill and devotion.

With the quality of light a mere tinkling of value is cast upon the viewer.

Tree Choice: your choice?

I'll lie here and learn How, over their ground,
Trees make a long shadow And a light sound.
- Louise Bogan, 1898-1970

With the creation of a building comes the

creation of a site.

With the creation of a site comes the 

choice of vegitation.

What mere choice could equal the detail within 

this structure?

California Pepper Tree

California Pepper Tree

Carpet Juniper

Maple

With these choices the relative accuracy I find to be wonderful. With the quality of thin lines the building displays, the pepper tree compliments the movement with the hanging leaves and tall thin trunk. This allows the space outside to cover the walls of the neighboring buildings and create an enclosure of space. The Juniper blankets the ground like the flooring of the building once again complimenting the movement of the building and contrasting with the height of the pepper and maple trees. Lastly, the maple exhibiting a strong trunk and powerful branches fill the last part of the space with one singly centered piece where all points converge. Like the building the single stage extruding from the building compliments the maple in the same way. The maple as well is understood as a strong proponent of the guitar world as a wondrous wood used in the fret board.

The growth rate pertaining to the pepper tree and juniper are quite speedy and used due to this reason. Though the maple does not hastily grow it becomes a 'ritual of growth' which pertains to the creation of guitars--a process of time and patience.