The road, as Jackson refers to it in the “contemporary world” is a place defined by the event of driving. “Indeed, [roads] have often become for many the last resort for privacy and solitude and contact with nature. Roads no longer merely lead to places; they are places.” No other activity can safely take place on a road under normal circumstances. Like Jackson was saying, traveling on the road, whether it is for a long distance or a simple ten-minute drive to work, is usually associated as a peaceful experience. I think this is because the modern person is typically so busy that the unavoidable travel from point A to point B can be a nice break in their fast pace life. Personally, I don't like to be in the car for more than about 3 hours, the experience becomes monotonous, especially while driving through Texas. Also, if I am driving I prefer to be alone, it seem more peaceful that way and I feel more comfortable only being responsible for myself. I think the most enjoyable roads to drive on are the little country roads on a sunny day, with little traffic.
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Sunday, October 18, 2009
Question #2
Question #2:
How does Jackson define space vs land? how does he relate this to the road? how does this effect public and private place-making?
Jackson defines space as a sense of place, which is the result of habit or custom. He describes a sense of place as "genius loci" that it means the "guardian divinity of that place." Jackson feels that a space is defined by an event or by the result of habit or custom, like the same schedule. He doesn't think that space and land are the same, but that space can be defined by something other than area. Land, he says, wasn't set aside in the beginning for anything special. Land was formed into towns, using a grid with public squares or a main commercial street that acted as the public space. The land became an ideal possession and people wanted their own "space" within the land, so they would buy land far away from town to have a secret hideaway. Jackson shows that eastern towns were designed with public squares to be "space" within the buildings for relief, but western towns were designed without these spaces. The public "space" in western towns was the main street where people crossed paths and gathered.
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Saturday, October 17, 2009
Event Specific Site
Every late winter in Houston,a 300 acre parking lot is converted into what is known to be the world's largest rodeo. The Houston Livestock and Rodeo event attracts 1.8 million over the course of 20 days each year.
The Reliant Park site in Houston was designed to specifically accommodate this large event. Located in a densely populated and urban district, surface parking dominates the landscape rather than parking garages. The city of Houston and private groups understood the need for the city to have a main square to serve as a gathering space for the 6 million people in the region, even if it isn't centrally located. While he pavement surrounding the structures in the park is also used for parking lots, it is very much a space for public use.
The flexibility of the site also allowed it to serve the region when nearly 40,000 people were evacuated from New Orleans in 2005 and were in need of temporary housing and medical treatment.
The Reliant Park site in Houston was designed to specifically accommodate this large event. Located in a densely populated and urban district, surface parking dominates the landscape rather than parking garages. The city of Houston and private groups understood the need for the city to have a main square to serve as a gathering space for the 6 million people in the region, even if it isn't centrally located. While he pavement surrounding the structures in the park is also used for parking lots, it is very much a space for public use.
The flexibility of the site also allowed it to serve the region when nearly 40,000 people were evacuated from New Orleans in 2005 and were in need of temporary housing and medical treatment.
Friday, October 16, 2009
Question 4 car mechanics
what does Jackson describe as the culture of car mechanics?
the culture of the car mechanic is essentially the culture of the evolution of the American city. The mechanics described in Jackson's article and the urban planners that created the modern American metropolis are really just fantastical improvisors - simple trial and error will do. Ultimately, creating order out of chaos and making do with the realities at hand are the over-arching mantras that determine the layout of both an engine and the haphazard accumulation of human habitats that are the city. In this sense then Jackson's view of the mechanic in relation to his car is one of love and livelihood - in the vein of a romantic western cowboy and his trusty companion horse. Albeit Jackson's view mechanic does not address the fact that many unscrupulous mechanics have no love of what they do and instead the interests of economy and time become their reason they do what they do. Since architects and urban planners are ultimately at the mercy of the interests of their clients, this also warps their relationship with the city from one of a cowboy and horse to one of a mechanic and his tool.
Event =)
So, I know that put this question up for the football fans but when I read the question I thought of woodstock. Woodstock was a three day music festival (as I'm sure most of you know) that was held out on a 600 acre dairy farm. The space before Woodstock had little to no program, but for those three days it was transformed and defined by the music and people that attended. Most people there probably did not even know that they were on a dairy farm. It became defined by the program that evolved there for instead of it's original program. People literally would drive their cars out onto the land and would sit ontop of them to see the stages better. Awesome.
Auto Mechanics
J.B. Jackson depicts the culture of auto mechanics as a culmination of blue-collar workers, without much formal education, who desire to re-create an order. Mechanics also have an uncanny ability to improvise considering their working conditions. Additionally, they care so much for their cars that in turn, the cars can teach them certain life skills such as precision, accuracy, and decision-making. He stated “…[mechanics] wanted to be a part of the technological world around them.”
I think that this is somewhat of an idealistic description of what a mechanic should be. In reality, I believe that there are many mechanics that care significantly less about the automobile of the customer as they do for their own “pride and joy”. Since many mechanics don’t have much formal education and just want to make money and move through the customer line as quick as possibly, they tend to do a poor job and I rarely trust them with my own car.
I think that this is somewhat of an idealistic description of what a mechanic should be. In reality, I believe that there are many mechanics that care significantly less about the automobile of the customer as they do for their own “pride and joy”. Since many mechanics don’t have much formal education and just want to make money and move through the customer line as quick as possibly, they tend to do a poor job and I rarely trust them with my own car.
Question #1
A drive-in movie theatre is a perfect example of where the place is designed by an event. It cannot be used during the daytime, and the only thing that makes up its architecture is the giant screen, a projector and a parking lot. Cars come when its dark enough, you tune your radio to the frequency that the movie is being broadcast at, and people enjoy a good time with friends.
Question 1
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The first idea of an event that defines the space especially with the use of cars are Green Bay Packer football games. Our stadium is surrounded by almost a quarter mile of concrete for tailgating. Packer fans from all over Wisconsin gather around fires from the cold and eat brats and talk football. Cars of all sizes wield flags of green and gold. And if you dont claim a spot in this sea of metal and rubber, you always can park on the nearby lawns of green bay residents. It certainly is an event that attracts not only people with football tickets, but people who want to show their packer pride.
Regarding structure and spaces, the first efficient parking for cars for a year long event are the two structures right on the river by Michigan Avenue, Chicago. These are without a doubt the biggest parking garages i have ever seen with my eyes. And they are always full. People from all over the world come to chicago and walk down michigan avenue. These two garages fulfill the need for parking for the whole mile long walk of shopping. They are literally skyscraper parking garages. The structures are efficient, fast, and get the job done. Personally, even though they are older looking, I find them visually appealing with the different color cars sticking out of the ends.
Genius Loci
EVENT - ACL
an even that makes a strong genius loci is ACL. in the reading, the author says that a sense of place is created by a "lively awareness of the familiar environment, a ritual repetition, a sense of fellowship based on a shared experience". ACL is all of this. Each time we return to zilker for the event, we are greeted with a familiar environment of people being out in the sun to enjoy music. With familiarity, there is a comfort in returning, there is an expectation that we will have as good a time here as we did the day before, or the year before. Which brings me to repetition. It's a yearly event that goes on for 3 days at a time. 3 days is just long enough to get very comfortable with the atmospher that's set up there and then one can repeat the visit yearly. And finally, and probably most importatntly, is the sense of fellowship based on a shared experience. There is a level of friendliness that is uncommon in such a large group of people because we are all there for to enjoy some music. And then of course after ACL, people love to talk to other people who went. And as far as a shared experiences, this year there was the weather and wear of the park that was so unusual to experience. And now the thousands of people who attended this year, especially the three-dayers who watched the transformation of the grass to mudpit, will have that in common.
STRUCTURES/SPACES - UT CAMPUS
a series of strucctures and spaces that creates a sense of place is the UT campus. The master planning of the whole thing makes for coordinated architectural styles and materials as well as very nicely planned public spaces. When on UT's campus, there is a distinct atmosphere and when looking at pictures, you would know the UT campus from any other area because it has it's own sense of place.
BOTH - SXSW
Finally, a genius loci that is created by both architecture and events would be South by Southwest in Austin. The event draws a huge crowd and so for a week, the downtown area is flooded by pedestrians, many o f whom are musicians carrying instruments and most who are just music afficionados. The event creates a unique atmosphere in the city, and is also yearly, so there is a familiarity with this atmosphere. But the architecture of the city makes the event as well. This includes of course the many venues in the downtown area that accomodate for SxSW, as well as all the architecture that is experienced just from moving about the city for the event. It has a particularly strong effect because tthere is so much walking involved that one really experiences the city at the street level.
an even that makes a strong genius loci is ACL. in the reading, the author says that a sense of place is created by a "lively awareness of the familiar environment, a ritual repetition, a sense of fellowship based on a shared experience". ACL is all of this. Each time we return to zilker for the event, we are greeted with a familiar environment of people being out in the sun to enjoy music. With familiarity, there is a comfort in returning, there is an expectation that we will have as good a time here as we did the day before, or the year before. Which brings me to repetition. It's a yearly event that goes on for 3 days at a time. 3 days is just long enough to get very comfortable with the atmospher that's set up there and then one can repeat the visit yearly. And finally, and probably most importatntly, is the sense of fellowship based on a shared experience. There is a level of friendliness that is uncommon in such a large group of people because we are all there for to enjoy some music. And then of course after ACL, people love to talk to other people who went. And as far as a shared experiences, this year there was the weather and wear of the park that was so unusual to experience. And now the thousands of people who attended this year, especially the three-dayers who watched the transformation of the grass to mudpit, will have that in common.
STRUCTURES/SPACES - UT CAMPUS
a series of strucctures and spaces that creates a sense of place is the UT campus. The master planning of the whole thing makes for coordinated architectural styles and materials as well as very nicely planned public spaces. When on UT's campus, there is a distinct atmosphere and when looking at pictures, you would know the UT campus from any other area because it has it's own sense of place.
BOTH - SXSW
Finally, a genius loci that is created by both architecture and events would be South by Southwest in Austin. The event draws a huge crowd and so for a week, the downtown area is flooded by pedestrians, many o f whom are musicians carrying instruments and most who are just music afficionados. The event creates a unique atmosphere in the city, and is also yearly, so there is a familiarity with this atmosphere. But the architecture of the city makes the event as well. This includes of course the many venues in the downtown area that accomodate for SxSW, as well as all the architecture that is experienced just from moving about the city for the event. It has a particularly strong effect because tthere is so much walking involved that one really experiences the city at the street level.
Question 1
An example of a place that I find defined by an event is a local baseball field were the only "architecture" is a back stop and a few benches. Places like these are usually only occupied in the evenings and the weekends, and during these times a sense of place is formed by the presence of community and ritual. Large groups of people come together to unite and promote local pride, and to just have a good time. When thinking of evening games, the imagery that comes to mind is a row of cars surrounding the field with their headlights on, lighting the field and forming a sense of union and participation amongst the players and the viewers. In the end, it is really the presence of people that define the space and atmosphere of these events. During the day, when the space is not occupied, the place is just a few pieces of metal structure in an open field and really nothing more.
Question #8
I believe that Americans are of two minds on how we ought to live. There is the group of people who believe that we should be living a ‘green’ lifestyle. These people would be less inclined to want to drive long distances to get to work or to reach a grocery store. They are likely to live in apartments in a city's center or at least in very tight community with their neighbors. The other group of people doesn’t care so much about how long it takes to get to work, they want to live away from all of the noise and congestion that tight urban spaces offer. It is not that the second group of people doesn’t care about the environment; they just care more about living in what they consider a comfortable situation. This will probably involve having a yard or a space that they can define as their own. The second group of people live a quiet lifestyle while the first seem to live a more busy one.
Question No. 1
State Fair of Texas, Fair Park, Dallas, TX
Fair Park in Dallas is typically a 277-acre crime ridden concrete playground. Decorated with Art Deco buildings from the Texas Centennial Exposition along with many new and old museums and exhibition buildings, the Fair Grounds is a deserted city for much of the year. The buildings which are used outside of the few weeks of the State Fair of Texas are all located on the perimeter of the complex, avoiding trapping one's self in a dangerous situation.
However, for 24 days every year the State Fair of Texas activates this area of South Dallas. An area where most people would not imagine of going any time of day and parking their car virtually unattended, becomes a place where people are paying upwards of $20 to leave their car in an area previously undesirable. The Fair Grounds is packed each day of the celebration with corny dog lovers and stock show entrepreneurs. However, the day the Fair closes, so does this area of South Dallas. The area becomes, again, what it truly is. The rides and the midway become dormant and stationary for 341 days until the fans return.
Parade
A Parade is temporary event which completely changes a typical road or path into a celebration. A route people are typically using to get from point A to point B, changes entirely. The vehicle also helps define the parade, by transforming into floats and entirely different forms.
Jackson's statement: "americans are of two minds of how we ought to live"
Q: Do you agree or disagree with Jackson's statement: "americans are of two minds of how we ought to live". explain your answer.
A: As Jackson addressed the concern of urban sprawl and the continuation growth of low density suburbs in our society, he looks to the mentality involved in a society that advocates and publicly envy European urban design. The paradox came from the negative public opinon about suburb and urban sprawl, with promotion of density and the expansion of public transit. He presents that even though there is this public atmosphere for our cities to move toward an European model of a density and rich public life, action speak louder then words, and urban sprawl continues.
Jackson's explanation is that Americans are of two minds. Publicly they see the negatives associated with American urban planning (heavy traffic, environmental impacts, waste of use of space), but Privately they all want "a piece of land, or small house in the country where we can lead an intensely private nonurban existence, staying close to home"
I agree with Jackson's point of view, but I think his range of application is limited. I have the opinion that all people secretly plan and hope to live in a private house with a piece of land they call their own, where they have no neighbors. European cities are a by product of the path of least resistance. Through regulation, high costs of living, and low supply of land for development; the urban planning took the shape it has. However people still dream of the private house where they can retreat from the world.
Americans had the luxury of cheap land, relaxed zoning codes in the country side, and an economic drive to develop. If Europeans had the same opportunity they would have American looking cities as well.
A: As Jackson addressed the concern of urban sprawl and the continuation growth of low density suburbs in our society, he looks to the mentality involved in a society that advocates and publicly envy European urban design. The paradox came from the negative public opinon about suburb and urban sprawl, with promotion of density and the expansion of public transit. He presents that even though there is this public atmosphere for our cities to move toward an European model of a density and rich public life, action speak louder then words, and urban sprawl continues.
Jackson's explanation is that Americans are of two minds. Publicly they see the negatives associated with American urban planning (heavy traffic, environmental impacts, waste of use of space), but Privately they all want "a piece of land, or small house in the country where we can lead an intensely private nonurban existence, staying close to home"
I agree with Jackson's point of view, but I think his range of application is limited. I have the opinion that all people secretly plan and hope to live in a private house with a piece of land they call their own, where they have no neighbors. European cities are a by product of the path of least resistance. Through regulation, high costs of living, and low supply of land for development; the urban planning took the shape it has. However people still dream of the private house where they can retreat from the world.
Americans had the luxury of cheap land, relaxed zoning codes in the country side, and an economic drive to develop. If Europeans had the same opportunity they would have American looking cities as well.
Question 1
The State Fair is an event that occurs once every year. It is customary for students and alumni alike to make the trip to Dallas in order to participate in the Texas-OU football game. The fair would not be the same without it. This entire area, including the stadium, is set aside for pure enjoyment, and because of that it carries a strong identity. In a way, it is rather temporary; a one-day event where families and friends pile into cars to head to the Cotton Bowl. In times such as these, the automobile represents the very things people sought after in creating it: adventure, experience, and freedom. In terms of public space, it can almost be thought of as a town square. A place where people come together for a shared purpose, and engage in social interaction. For fans supporting the same team, it is even a symbol of unity. It has a strong sense of place that welcomes both pedestrians and vehicles. The long awaited football game is defined by crowded streets, traffic, carnival rides, and even fried butter. The Red River Rivalry is cherished for its prominent history and unique atmosphere. For this reason, I wonder how the experience may change if the game is moved to a new location in the future.
questions on J.B. Jackson reading
THIS ONE IS FOR YOU FOOTBALL FANS: document a place defined by an event. extra credit for one involving vehicles.
how does Jackson define space vs land? how does he relate this to the road? how does this effect public and private place-making?
if the road is the first and most basic public space per Jackson's discussion of odology, does he seem to think this occurs when people are in cars? what do you think?
what does Jackson describe as the culture of car mechanics?
trace the impact of the truck on American architecture.
explain what Jackson means when he talks about how 'docile we have been in complying with the scientific definition of the highway as a managed authoritarian system of steady, uninterrupted flow'. why do you think this came about?
describe some of the pleasures or positive human/emotional responses that Jackson ascribes to highway travel. describe one of your own.
do you agree or disagree with Jackson's statement: "americans are of two minds of how we ought to live". explain your answer.
would you say jackson is utopian, realistic, or dystopian in his reading of suburban america? (the answer can be some a mix) explain
describe GENIUS LOCI made by an event or series of events; one made by structures and spaces? can you think of one that is made by both?
how does Jackson define space vs land? how does he relate this to the road? how does this effect public and private place-making?
if the road is the first and most basic public space per Jackson's discussion of odology, does he seem to think this occurs when people are in cars? what do you think?
what does Jackson describe as the culture of car mechanics?
trace the impact of the truck on American architecture.
explain what Jackson means when he talks about how 'docile we have been in complying with the scientific definition of the highway as a managed authoritarian system of steady, uninterrupted flow'. why do you think this came about?
describe some of the pleasures or positive human/emotional responses that Jackson ascribes to highway travel. describe one of your own.
do you agree or disagree with Jackson's statement: "americans are of two minds of how we ought to live". explain your answer.
would you say jackson is utopian, realistic, or dystopian in his reading of suburban america? (the answer can be some a mix) explain
describe GENIUS LOCI made by an event or series of events; one made by structures and spaces? can you think of one that is made by both?
Friday, October 9, 2009
Smithson's and Le Corbusier
The Smithson’s thought of the House of the Future as a car itself. There were enthralled by the idea of mobility. Automobiles such as the caravan further encompassed this by organizing and containing everything one needs. This is what they tried to model their house after this idea of a mobile living unit. Not only did they take the shape and construction techniques from the car, but also the notion of freedom. Similarly, Le Corbusier’s houses represented the sense of modernity and functionality, which is derived from the automobile; however, they differ in the concept of mobility and ability to grow over one’s lifetime. The Smithson’s tried to create a self-embodiment which we so often associate with our automobiles.
#1
The Smithsons felt that cars were an expression of individual freedom and personal status. Essentially, the more luxuries offered, the higher social standing one was to enjoy, much like the associations of a larger home. During that era, the car drew much comparison to buildings and the Smithsons reinforced that view particularly with houses. Throughout the reading, features of the car's interior are compared to household appliances.
Today, the contemporary car is viewed in a completely different light. Having a vehicle is seen as more of a necessity rather than a luxury. With the improvements in mass production, almost anyone can enjoy a car of good quality, which dilutes the value of the status connotation. Based purely on anecdotal evidence, the car also is less likely to draw comparisons to buildings and homes and more likely to be compared to the human body or other natural forms.
Today, the contemporary car is viewed in a completely different light. Having a vehicle is seen as more of a necessity rather than a luxury. With the improvements in mass production, almost anyone can enjoy a car of good quality, which dilutes the value of the status connotation. Based purely on anecdotal evidence, the car also is less likely to draw comparisons to buildings and homes and more likely to be compared to the human body or other natural forms.
Question 11
I think that hygiene is so important in this house because of the time period and the mindset of the people at that time. The world had just seen two world wars that had taken many lives, inflicted much economical damage, and torn apart many families and countries for good. The second world war saw the introduction of a power that could produced worldwide destruction: the atomic bomb.
So, in response to this, man (the architects) sought to return to a place free of the contamination of illness, war, and famine, and all the things that were associated with them. So, they in turn modeled a house after the Garden of Eden. The house, what is a single loop of spaces wrapped around a glass-enclosed "lung" of unbreathed air that one simply viewed and could not inhabit. From everything to mail slots that could be accessed from the inside to a process of admitting guests that involved a "decontamination" of sorts with a grille that send out a burst of air to remove dust. The house is a bomb-shelter, a hermetically sealed bubble that discourages against "the outside".
To me, it is interesting that the architects sought to protect themselves from the "outside", and create an idealized outside within the building. I think that the architects were not trying to protect themselves from the harms of mother nature, but protect themselves from the harms of a world that had been contaminated by man itself, and return to purity. That is exactly why the patio space could not be inhabited.... so that man could not contaminate it once again.
House of the Future vs. the Dymaxion House
The house of the future and the dymaxion house are comprable because they have very similar drivers. They are each an attempt at a dwelling that is mass produced, and easily transported. They are also similar in that they are clear reactions to the mentality of the people of the times in which they were designed. The effects of world war II are quite evident in the designs of both houses. Each seeks to be a sort of shelter. Each structure removes the inhabitants from the outside world and tries to make them safe from it. This is most evident in the houses efforts at a very sterile interior environment. A clear point of comparison is the curviness found in each place which makes it very easy to maintain, and in many ways maintains itself. The dymaxion bathroom is the best embodiment of this idea. The house of the future is made to have the ability to be cleaned by a damp cloth. Another main point of comparison is the clear inspiration by the car. Each house is always ready to move. The notion of being in a car is also captured by both houses. The interior is disconnected from the outside, protected. The sterilization of air is a direct parallel to air conditioning.
There is contrast where the car is concerned as well. With the dymaxion house, the car was used as inspiration due to its efficiency. This involves both the economy and speed of mass production as well as an efficiency of use of space. The inspiration of the car in the HOF seems to have more to do with its experiential qualities for the most part, rather than an efficiency of construction and cost. Another major point of contrast is the use of windows in each house. In the dymaxion house, there is a ribbon window that stretches around the entire structure, putting an emphasis on the horizontal world and surroundings immediately outside the house. It still conveys a strong feeling of enclosure, but allows a connection to the surroundings of the house. The windows are definitely about looking out from within the structure. From the outside, the windows don't give anything away, unlike the windows of the HOF, which are there solely to allow people to look in. This house is about turning in on itself and being completely self-sufficient. The windows are there against the architects' will and only further the sense of a little microcosm that is only concerned with itself.
Finally, there are just a few other points i'd like to mention. In each house, you get the sense that a new material is the driving force of the architecture. There are differences in execution here, though. Where the dymaxion house makes good, honest use of the plasticity of aluminum, the HOF is just a fake, made of plywood and coated to look like plastic. It is true, however, that these new materials were major players in the design of each house. The fates of these houses are fairly comprable as well. Each house "represented not infinite flexibility but a singular, self-supporting shape that would, like any other consumer product, be abandoned as soon as a new model came out". And it's true. Each house was practically thrown out before it was even given a real chance. Contributing to this is the fact that "the appliances [were] so closely integrated into the structure that to change the refrigerator would be like getting a larger glove compartment in a 'Volkswagen' dashboard - it would be simpler to get a new car". Each house's design was inheritely at a disadvantage because they could never be considered as viable options for long term living.
There is contrast where the car is concerned as well. With the dymaxion house, the car was used as inspiration due to its efficiency. This involves both the economy and speed of mass production as well as an efficiency of use of space. The inspiration of the car in the HOF seems to have more to do with its experiential qualities for the most part, rather than an efficiency of construction and cost. Another major point of contrast is the use of windows in each house. In the dymaxion house, there is a ribbon window that stretches around the entire structure, putting an emphasis on the horizontal world and surroundings immediately outside the house. It still conveys a strong feeling of enclosure, but allows a connection to the surroundings of the house. The windows are definitely about looking out from within the structure. From the outside, the windows don't give anything away, unlike the windows of the HOF, which are there solely to allow people to look in. This house is about turning in on itself and being completely self-sufficient. The windows are there against the architects' will and only further the sense of a little microcosm that is only concerned with itself.
Finally, there are just a few other points i'd like to mention. In each house, you get the sense that a new material is the driving force of the architecture. There are differences in execution here, though. Where the dymaxion house makes good, honest use of the plasticity of aluminum, the HOF is just a fake, made of plywood and coated to look like plastic. It is true, however, that these new materials were major players in the design of each house. The fates of these houses are fairly comprable as well. Each house "represented not infinite flexibility but a singular, self-supporting shape that would, like any other consumer product, be abandoned as soon as a new model came out". And it's true. Each house was practically thrown out before it was even given a real chance. Contributing to this is the fact that "the appliances [were] so closely integrated into the structure that to change the refrigerator would be like getting a larger glove compartment in a 'Volkswagen' dashboard - it would be simpler to get a new car". Each house's design was inheritely at a disadvantage because they could never be considered as viable options for long term living.
House of the Future: consumer product?
The House of the Future in itself, was an experiment in plastic, the new material of the time. Because the building was seemingly all plastic, and was filled with plastic products, it very quickly took on the nature of a consumer product. This is most evident in the fact that it was meant to be mass produced and transported easily on a truck. The problem with this is that the house had very limited flexibility. It was not composed of elements that could be combined in different ways. Instead, it was a series of shapes that were designed to fit together to create only one form. Because of its singular shape and limited options, it was destined, like any consumer product, to be replaced by the newest model. Colomina compares the House of the Future to a "glossy ad" which promoted a product that would be popular for a time, but would soon be abandoned in favor of a more modern substitute.
Question 12-1
In- The house purposefully had windows for outsiders to catch a glimpse of what was going on inside of the HOF. I think the idea behind this was to start futuristic trends. These views illustrated how futuristic couples treat and react to each other, their clothing style, and even displayed the latest technologies like a telephone loudspeaker and the answering machine. These views gave the outside world insight to what the future had to hold.
Out- The views from inside the house outwards seem to be non-existent, or just ignored. I feel that the point of the house is to escape from the current world therefore views to the outside were not desired.
Question 14 - Solar Decathlon vs. H.O.F.
The Solar Decathlon Competition is a competition setup by the Department of Energy where Schools of Architecture and Engineering design and build houses that produce all the energy they use (net zero energy). http://www.solardecathlon.org/ 
The competition strive for livable attractive designs of zero energy use housing, where the goals are to explore the energy efficiency, environmental impact, and energy sources to the extreme. The competition houses are sent to Washington D.C. where they make a solar village. The entries are open to the public in an outdoor museum style.
The competition and entries draw many similarities to Smithson's "House of the Future", exhibited in 1956, where it tried to imagine the house design of 1981. The Solar 
Decathlon motives are to cause students to think about the energy challenges that all people will face in the future. The solar house is a design that would fit this energy challenging future, made from cutting edge design techniques and materials. "The Solar Decathlon shows us what is possible today and points the way to a brighter future." -Steven Chu - Secretary of Energy
Decathlon motives are to cause students to think about the energy challenges that all people will face in the future. The solar house is a design that would fit this energy challenging future, made from cutting edge design techniques and materials. "The Solar Decathlon shows us what is possible today and points the way to a brighter future." -Steven Chu - Secretary of EnergyRice University created the ZeRow house in the 2009 Competition that took a row house approach and is designed to be an affordable net zero energy use house. (http://www.solardecathlon.org/2009/team_rice.cfm) The idea was to make a house that the average person could afford, and keep it on a tight budget.
Like the H.O.F the ZeROW House is designed for mass production, transportation by truck, and to be put into tight neighborhoods. The H.O.F thought of all these aspects as important to the future, the ZeROW house team also felt mass production is important by making an affordable house. The transportation was required on their design due to the nature of the competition and having to transport it from Houston to Washington DC. As for the house design, it is designed to be placed in the 5th ward of Houston and donated to a poor family. The Row house design is perfect for the tight fit and integration into the neighborhood.
While the HOF showcases the use of new materials like plastics and designs like modern curves, the ZeRow House exhibits energy cheap and sustainable designs. The house showcases 'cores', the wet core and light core. The cores are the systems needed for the house to operate. The home is designed as a whole system, and the demonstration is the result of the whole house design concept.
As a design piece, both houses were only displayed for 3 weeks and then left the museum community. The ZeRow house is in practicle use, and the whereabouts of the HOF is unknown. The designs are made in a particular way because of this aspect. They are made with great detail to work to one goal. To showcase it at an event. The showcase has a theme and the design is tailored to that moment and theme. This leads to a very specific non universal design. Colomino stated "How do we look-back on a forward looking house?", but I think it is more appropriate to ask How do we look at a house designed for a particular exhibit or competition?
Question #2
The House of the Future was prefabricated in a factory and shipped on a truck to the site. This method of prefabrication does not allow for any manipulation by the owner, and causes each of the units to look the same. The house was not meant to be put together in many different ways, but to have one layout made by curving plastic shapes. This method of pre-fab takes individuality out of the house. It would be individual as far as it was an odd shape that most people had not seen before, but if many were bought in the same area they would all look the same. The user could not define which interior spaced preformed which functions because all of that was decided in the factory when it was being built. This way of doing pre-fab limits the number of people who would buy the unit.
Thursday, October 8, 2009
Question 4
The House of the Future spoke more to the idea of object and consumerism than the idea of house and architecture. The house allowed the examination of plastic as a futuristic material. The article says the house was to be a "showcase of plastic" being the "dream material" of the time, that sought to bring out the characteristics of plastics rather than emulating traditional building materials. At first, the idea was American homes that aimed to be dream homes simply needed to fill their homes with plastic. Later on, the idea of the 'container' spread to the house itself. In this, the house is seen as an object, a consumer desired object, rather than a traditional house. The HOF was treated as "staged architecture," something to be viewed, much like the art inside it. The article asserts that "the HOF represented not infinite flexibility but a singular, self-supporting shape that would, like any other consumer product, be abandoned as soon as a new model came out." Much like any consumer product, the is always high demand for the newest design. The Apple Ipod is a current example. Nearly each year, a new model comes out, and immediately people want it. An updated design, a few new features are all it takes to be eaten up by the consumer driven desire for newness. As for this desire to cross into the House of the Future, it may not be as good. The house then becomes dispensable, just another object to collect and discard when it is out of date. Today, and for many years now, civilizations have been more sedentary. Nomadic need for temporary homes has been set aside for permanent settlements. Though the abandonable home fits the model for our consumer side, it does not serve the needs of the way we live.
Question No. 1
The Smithsons saw their car as a "moving living room" during a time of "'car inhabitation."' The car was used as an empty space - with limitless possibilities as to the use. The children would laugh and play and do all sorts of activities from drawing to playing games to do with the exterior world around (whether that be the car itself or the landscape through which it traveled). In addition, the adults - namely architects - sketched and photographed along the journey. The car was treated as precious material, photographed and captioned in the same manner as one would a permanent built home.
Today, not much has changed. However, we do not see the car as a "moving living room" but rather a separate entity within itself. Whereas with the DS and the old Volkswagen Beetle the experience had much to do with the journey, the exterior world around and all that surrounded it, the modern car has much to do with the interior and forgetting that you are driving a long distance haul or a short trip to the store for milk. The modern features of a car entail fine stitched leather, an abundance of digital media - radio, HD radio, Satellite radio, CDs, and even DVDs - and on many high-luxury cars a heavy tinting on the windows. The world around has been literally faded out. However, we do still see the car in terms of performance of a single limited task and means of construction. However, the scope of these criterion have expanded. The car must now not only get us from place to place, but it must also have an acceleration rate quick enough to beat the car next to us, as well as be able to play hours of digital music or cartoon shows on a monitor in the rear - or at times in the dash. It has become multi-functional. The attraction of the car has flipped completely interior. The car still needs to get us from place to place, it just has to do it faster and with less of the "bore" of a drive. Finally, the means of construction. In the past, details were exalted and praised, shown with artistry and pride. However, now seams and things are hidden away behind panels and layers of bond-o and paint. The obvious construction of the car has been veiled beneath a layer of sleek and shine. The car has become much like the House of the Future - molded in plastic although only in a sensory way. The car is much like the H.O.F., in that it is built in the most efficient manner and not at all in the way which it appears. The car has a rigid frame throughout, whether it be door panels or roof, it has structure that is not as smooth and flowing as the car would give hint to. It is simply a skin stretched tight over the frame and made to look at, like the unrealized cloud in the House itself.
Eames House comparison
The article talks about how the House of the Future allows for the materials that make it up define the spaces within the house. The HOF has rounded walls that become the floor and the ceiling without any noticeable transition to distinguish wall from ceiling from floor. This idea was revolutionary for it's time. People were not used to seeing buildings that looked "plastic-like." Unfortunately, HOF was not really made of plastic but instead was made of plywood that was covered with a plaster and a shiny protective coating to make it appear more "plastic-like." They wanted the house to represent a new style of living that gave the people who lived inside the house more privacy and created a more controlled environment, which is ironic because the smithson's idealized the caravan and this idea that people were free to explore and experience adventure.
Eames house, like the HOF, is one of the first examples of a house being made of a steel frame. It was a common material that was used for the war but the materials had never been implemented into a house before. Eames house was made of a steel frame that allowed for the Eames to have a live-work household, a household that blends the boundaries between living and working spaces. So that the Eames could have a very integrated household and lifestyle. The steel frame ALSO creates a relationship between inside and outside. It is often referred to as a buffer zone. The HOF is a solid structure that is not as permeable as Eames house, creating this separate environment.
#11
The era previous to the HOF was full of war, atomic bombs and overall destruction. I think in a sense the thought of having a constantly clean environment was always thought of to rebuild the new world after the war, and set a new standard of good hygiene. For example, the double shell doorway that had the dust blower in between represents a purity of entering a sacred space that should always remain clean from the outside world. Another example is the inner garden can't be accessible for people, trying to keep the outside world with dirt and contamination separately from the inner sacredness of the HOF. Hygiene was just engraved into that generation of houses due to the war the previous era.
Question #3
3. How is the Smithsons comparison of house and car different from Corbusier's?
Corbusier always placed luxury sports cars in front of his houses to emphasize modernity and minimalism. He looked at prefabrication of houses the same way as cars. The car was supposed to link the nature of construction of the house to the factory construction of houses. The Smithsons thought of the HOF as a car, because it had a "level of performance" like a car and the construction was similar to that's of a car.The HOF was supposed to be transportable by truck, and this new idea of mobility and freedom to move around the country was a new obsession at the time. The Smithson's linked their house to the car in it's level of mobility because they believed their HOF could move anywhere. The curvy walls of the house linked the house to a machine like airplanes or cars - something aerodynamic. The Smithsons said they wouldn't compare their house to a car like the Citroen like Corbusier did, but a Volkswagen Beetle. The Beetle is a practical, utilitarian car. The house was to function like a machine like the Beetle does because the machines inside fit into their slots like the engine fits into the Beetle. The Beetle represents a compact efficiency that the HOF had. Corbusier's Citroen was a machine, but it was shown next to his houses to show the modern designs and clean lines of his houses.
Corbusier always placed luxury sports cars in front of his houses to emphasize modernity and minimalism. He looked at prefabrication of houses the same way as cars. The car was supposed to link the nature of construction of the house to the factory construction of houses. The Smithsons thought of the HOF as a car, because it had a "level of performance" like a car and the construction was similar to that's of a car.The HOF was supposed to be transportable by truck, and this new idea of mobility and freedom to move around the country was a new obsession at the time. The Smithson's linked their house to the car in it's level of mobility because they believed their HOF could move anywhere. The curvy walls of the house linked the house to a machine like airplanes or cars - something aerodynamic. The Smithsons said they wouldn't compare their house to a car like the Citroen like Corbusier did, but a Volkswagen Beetle. The Beetle is a practical, utilitarian car. The house was to function like a machine like the Beetle does because the machines inside fit into their slots like the engine fits into the Beetle. The Beetle represents a compact efficiency that the HOF had. Corbusier's Citroen was a machine, but it was shown next to his houses to show the modern designs and clean lines of his houses.
Question #1
The Smithsons viewed their cars as an extension of the home. In As in DS, Alison Smithson talks about the car as a "moving living room...with children in the backseat drawing or playing invented board games to do with the car and architects sketching and photographing the landscape as seen through the windshield." They feel that their cars are a compact, efficient, smaller version of the occupiable space in a home. I feel that contemporary cars today are also seen in a similar way. I feel that people are still treating their vehicles as extensions of their homes. The car seems to be used as that bridge between home and the road. For example, the car is used as storage for items that are needed when away for the home. TV and movies can be watched in the car, often to entertain the kids while driving. The interior is designed for comfort, with the seats acting as furniture. The list goes on...but overall, I definitely feel that cars today are still seen as an extension of the home.
Question #12(2)
12. how does the house relate to nature?
Well, you see, basically the HOF presents two incredibly different but not necessarily incompatible responses to nature. As alluded to before, the house is incredibly paranoid and insulated from a hostile nature. This hostile nature includes the world of germs, bacteria, disease, uncomfortable temperatures, and things otherwise detrimental to human health, as well as more man-made hazards such as war and pollution. In this sense then, the house responds to the modern condition and reality of nature with cold denial. Thus, if the hostile nature is what the house is trying to avoid, then the ideal nature, nature as seen through the eyes of Adam and Eve is its necessary goal. The multi-layered encapsulation of the "tube of unbreathed air" that composes the center of the house is the untainted Garden of Eden around which the house is fashioned. All views, purified by glass walls, lead inward towards this slice of heaven.
Well, you see, basically the HOF presents two incredibly different but not necessarily incompatible responses to nature. As alluded to before, the house is incredibly paranoid and insulated from a hostile nature. This hostile nature includes the world of germs, bacteria, disease, uncomfortable temperatures, and things otherwise detrimental to human health, as well as more man-made hazards such as war and pollution. In this sense then, the house responds to the modern condition and reality of nature with cold denial. Thus, if the hostile nature is what the house is trying to avoid, then the ideal nature, nature as seen through the eyes of Adam and Eve is its necessary goal. The multi-layered encapsulation of the "tube of unbreathed air" that composes the center of the house is the untainted Garden of Eden around which the house is fashioned. All views, purified by glass walls, lead inward towards this slice of heaven.
Questions on "Unbreathed Air" article
Answer 1 of the questions below on the Colomina article--you'll see there are a couple that are for specific students. please try to spread answers out.
1. compare how the Smithsons felt about their cars to to contemporary cars.
2. discuss the construction of the House of the Future as it relates to prefabrication
3. how is the Smithsons comparison of house and car different from Corbusier's?
4. discuss the H.O.F. in relation to consumer products. is this a good thing?
5. Julie: compare the Eames House and the H.O.F.
6. Kayla: compares the Dymaxion House and H.O.F.
7. how does the HOF reflect the social/historical context of its day?
8. what parallels could you make between #7 and contemporary context?
9. what is effect/affect of curving plastic walls and furniture?
10. how is the house archaic? medieval? futuristic?
11. why is hygiene so important in the house?
12. discuss the implications of views in the house: in/out/up/broadcast
12. how does the house relate to nature?
13. Colomina discusses how the house is both playful and paranoid. explain how and discuss why those may paired.
14. The Solar Decathlon Competition just opened in Washington DC. Schools of Architecture and Engineering design and build houses that produce all the energy they use (net zero energy). Check out the Rice entry and discuss it in relation to the H.O.F. (connection to and separation from outdoors, its role as exhibition house, material use, etc. http://www.solardecathlon.org/
1. compare how the Smithsons felt about their cars to to contemporary cars.
2. discuss the construction of the House of the Future as it relates to prefabrication
3. how is the Smithsons comparison of house and car different from Corbusier's?
4. discuss the H.O.F. in relation to consumer products. is this a good thing?
5. Julie: compare the Eames House and the H.O.F.
6. Kayla: compares the Dymaxion House and H.O.F.
7. how does the HOF reflect the social/historical context of its day?
8. what parallels could you make between #7 and contemporary context?
9. what is effect/affect of curving plastic walls and furniture?
10. how is the house archaic? medieval? futuristic?
11. why is hygiene so important in the house?
12. discuss the implications of views in the house: in/out/up/broadcast
12. how does the house relate to nature?
13. Colomina discusses how the house is both playful and paranoid. explain how and discuss why those may paired.
14. The Solar Decathlon Competition just opened in Washington DC. Schools of Architecture and Engineering design and build houses that produce all the energy they use (net zero energy). Check out the Rice entry and discuss it in relation to the H.O.F. (connection to and separation from outdoors, its role as exhibition house, material use, etc. http://www.solardecathlon.org/
Friday, October 2, 2009
Conventional Cars Technology
Internal Combustion Engine
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:4-Stroke-Engine.gif
Multiple Displacement System
http://www.dodge.com/en/2009/durango/performance/powertrain/Thursday, October 1, 2009
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