Arch 1201: April 2010

Narrative

An underground dwelling for a busy working man who NEEDS time away from his job, family and world for contemplation.

This is the continuation of my working models as I have now combined bits of both the cave and maze version. I again have used the idea of light increasing the experience of isolation and depression. The new model contains three rooms which have different light qualities, different ceiling heights and different floor planes. The first room you descend down into is more like a corridor and contains a very thin ceiling with circular cutouts that appear like spotlights that create that sense of this space being focused on the observer. It includes long drawn out stairs toward the opening into the next room to translate the fact that it is a slow focused space. The following room includes slits in the roof which brings that sense of openness and freedom into the space. It includes offset levels that encourage running down and then up as it is a quick space that allows you to open up to the idea of contemplation. The last room has angled focused lights of different sizes. This space incorporates only one raised platform which reflects the idea of allowing one to contemplate on two different levels; a normal level and again at a heightened level. This is the continuation of the working model.

First Working Models- Cave

This was the second version of my first working model. This was the attempt at making this model as a cave/bunker. I believed that isolation and depression seem to correlate with the idea of being buried in a deep dark place. However I am still interested at this stage at incorporating that idea of the repetitive light into my model which is why this working model has turned out more like an open pavilion including an interior room, which although casts some nice lighting shadows does not portray that heavy dark feeling of depression or loneliness. Nor is it very closed in enough for it to be considered either a cave or a bunker. I do like the interior room that is below the ground plane though as the angled walls that include only one source of light from above seem to be closing in around you and I feel that reflects desperation, when everything is caving in on and there is nothing to do but let it happen. So this is the attempt at a cave model.

First Working Models- Maze

For the first working model I really had two ideas while starting working on my narrative. I felt that it would be a interesting concept to have a sort of maze that had the subject find there way through the craziness of the real world before coming to this place of contemplation. That way as they made their way through the corridors of the maze they reflected on how busy and complicated their lives can get and how they need time to get away from that to take time to think, reflect and contemplate as those all allow you to proceed through life with greater ease through informed decisions. I was also really interested in experimenting with different lighting qualities as Hopper makes the ceiling lights reflecting in the window very prominent in Automat. The lighting is the painting seems to increase and play off of the loneliness and I wanted to continue this translation into my model. So this is the maze version of my model.

Automat- Edward Hopper

My chosen painting is called the Automat by Edward Hopper. This painting was completed in the 1927 and portrays a lone woman sitting at a table having a cup of coffee or tea at an Automat which was in those times an automated diner in which customers would come in and insert coins into machines to get both food and drink products. Although this is a completely public place the woman appears to be alone and cut off from the rest of the world.
The big window in the back is filled with the night darkness and portrays this nothingness that is haunting. Critics and experts believe this to be a reflection of the darkness of the time that included prohibition and hedonism.
What drew me to this picture initially was the loneliness and isolation of this woman which automatically draws you to start making conclusions about her story. Is she recently widowed? Does she not have any friends or family? What has happened that she is so deep in her own thoughts that she is not interested in the mundane happenings of the outside world (accentuated by the down ward glance of her eyes).