Highrise Update

An update on our Highrise project:

We have finished our structures model two minutes early! It is clad with finesse, bolted with strength and lifted with elegance. The highrise so far speaks happily of our progressing design. Starting with a structure supported by dangerous suspension now floats intermittently above a market and green space.

The highrise is held up through a giant sheer tower holding elevators, plumbing electrical and venting neatly within its open mouth. Eight super columns support the cantilever residence spaces which are self supporting with the help of a waffle ceiling. A front sheer tower elevator allows for access all levels. Lastly, a supporting leg holds the building in place.

Waffle Ceiling

Northside of Building

Simplified levels

West side of building

Louver cables

A view from above

The beginning of 'KKE Competition'

What is treasure?
Something Obtuse?
Something valuable?
Something worth money?
Experience?
Memories?
Love?

Is it something that you would never rid yourself of? The object or memory you hold dearest at night in your arms...

{this is a competition to change mere garbage into a treasure}

I started with history. Brought nature into the mix. Threw in some spices. Stirred well. Finally, I received a toy. The history of "garbage" is much greater and stronger than you first imagine. These are items&objects that meant something to someone during sometime. The history may have been from the: 90's 80's 70's 60's 50's 40's 30's or possibly the 20's. 

I need to find what makes history, garbage and treasure mix. 

What would a wee child care for? 

When this child is an elder would he have kept something precious?

The experience of the purest mind brings to light something vast in mankind--something wholesome and powerful. We find true love in treasures. These may be something small and meaningless or something grand and expensive. But in truth it is something you care to keep for all eternity. Something that only your beloved may inherit.

An ancient toy for my childhood--shipped neatly in a old shipping crate--delivered with history of man and animal. Drudged-up through past materials crafted in a new dawn in an ancient style. This is precious to me--this is a treasure. The experience of the organic wood shaped effigy nicely fitting the hand. A packing crate brazened with the luxuries of the 20's and style of the 1890's. This items is an antiquary object of sorts. Something that I may be myself. 

While it fits me, my experience, my metaphor--it also harbors 'solid craft' and well refined skill. It is something that can be loved, bought or gifted. It is a treasure.

Something Obtuse? Yes

It is a skillful endeavor to find the metaphor of man. Of myself in fact. I tried to work towards something that really speaks of my values and ideals in design. How so? Through recreation of past into present. Through my love of the folklore, archaeology and traditional toys. Through skillful wood crafting. Through imagination and romanticism. Through elegance and simplicity. Through the use of experience to describe the nature of an object--the phenomenological connection to the object. Through the use of skill most of all. It is not simply an object but a manifestation of my design, my 'brain' & my subconscious.

All object here crafted from recycled materials - plywood, cherrywood, copper wire, printer ribbon, springs, screws, TV clamp, glass, rusty nails & old varnish.

A Response to a Book

The Craft of Research

Responded to by Jeremiah Johnson

In response to the chapters presented by Booth Colomb & Williams, I have been exposed to a vast array of ideal in writing. The main points focus on researching both a topic as well as the reader. I will express my analysis of three topics: the audience, the topic and the problem.

I: Know thy audience. When focusing the skill in crafting research and writing, taking into account the human appraising your discourse is intelligent. Your writings exist as a medium to the readers. It must be formatted so they learn, focus and interpret while enjoying the experience. This is just as important as the topic itself. Do you write a technical draft for school children? Do you write a children’s book for a CEO? Let us then question our audience. We need to design our writing and research so the reader cares for the topic as well as feels a need to listen. This will bring your topic to a strong denouement and allow the audience to enjoy every moment.

II: Be particular. Now that we understand audience as a key component, we must find a topic. I find that designing a topic is more than a choice. It stands to reason many quantitative and qualitative questions. You must sift through your experiences, your cares, your knowledge and emotions. With so much to labor through, choosing becomes difficult but is imperative to the reader. You must not simply throw facts their way. You must make it condensed into one topic. This topic then forms one question. Firstly, finding topics in your interests can help. Do you truly care about your topic? Secondly, narrowing the topic is vital. “A topic is probably too broad if you can state it in four or five words:” (39) Penultimately, the topic must mean something—it must become a question. This will allow your research to take roots. I believe this to be both the hardest and the most rewarding step. It focuses the project. Lastly, the topic must make a difference. The audience needs to know why it is significant to them. You must also know so you can write. Finding the question will focus your topic into a problem that the audience wants to solve.

III: Make it significant. Why is there a need for your topic? Will it make a difference in the real world? This may be the most important focal point. All designs should be much grander than a pretty object placed neatly for the audience to view; it must make them marvel. So deciding a problem for your topic to revolve around is vital. This problem also needs to be solved. In your design, what will it produce that solves this problem in the real world? I find that the greatest projects are grandiose enough to reach for the moon, but personal enough to be solved simply, easily and in a well to-do manner. The choice of economy is important as well. Will this project be solved by the wealth of a ‘prince’ or is there a design with the same prowess that is cheaper? All problems can be solved multiple ways. Finding that solution is something you must work towards. The problem though must first be found.

In Final Response, all parts of the design process are holistic and intertwined. They respond to each other, change & morph and progress to an ultimate closure. Researching is the first step in the project. This allows you to find the seed that forms something powerful. You can do this through your audience, your topic and a solvable problem. So let the research reign as it is crafted from the depths of experience.

A highrise Site Model

Our Site Model
An industrial part of the city
Laid with old aged structures

The use of pallets to construct the model spoke highly of the space
To bring our highrise to this industrial area will potentially 
bring back the 'old-time romance' & wealth to Rincon Hill

Conundrum:
Am I under some spell?
What can I do about this confusion?
I have a problem, I am unable to understand the issue?


aWordPoembyJeremiahJohnson

A Past Post in Present Time

I love to design 'games.' These objects should be held on a pedistal and honored as a sculpture of taste. While some are wretched the act of creating a 'game' is wonderful, trying and perplexing.

For my grandparents, a game to enjoy!

Part-Time Investors

Titled: "The Raft to Reformatory Refuge"

Titled: "Edge of Earth" (SOM model)

Titled: "City City Where are you?"

Sketch the Experience & Draw the Highrise

Once more I find myself on the brink of stress and ultimate enjoyment! Finally, the once prevailing "form" design has left and opened the 'Gates to Gestalt Design.' A mere impression of my physiological design style--an invention of mine.

It started before my phenomenology days. Slowly I developed an intent through game design. With the use of 3-days strait in a workshop and surrealist music, the Art-form was born. By asking questions either by yourself or with a group, your subconscious mind opens the imagination to the building: the materials, the experience, the senses, the people & the time. As you progress through the building in your mind, you find patterns, connections, notes and way-points. These images form an experiential design. The influence is powerful and mighty.

My dear friends Joe and Ari were the official tested. They are held in great honor and glory!

The Market - built under the highrise

An Atrium Space

The midway Green-space

Dear Highrise Project,
   
         I have written you a letter 97 pages to end.
Why shan't you write me back?
I try despretly to design well for you.
Is it not enough?  
Do you need more of my time that I do not possess?

Farewell till we meet once more--at least until Saturday.

Love,
Jeremiah

Title

Defining a Site

Table of Contents

page 32 of 97

page 33 of 97

page 34 of 97

page 35 of 97

A Structure Mo'del of the Jin Mao To'wer

How shall something stand?
Suspension Cable?
Sheer Tower?
Pillar?
Arch?