Arkham Architecture: The Darkitect Kight

By Stephen Tutka

Part 1: Intro

Now at first thought you may question, “What do comic books have to do with architecture?” And I would respond, “What doesn’t architecture relate to?” But that is food for thought for another time.

First, I’d like to elaborate a little on why I sought out this correlation. Simply, I collect comic books and Batman is my favorite (sorry Marvel fans but my collection is almost entirely DC. Nothing against your fabulous multiverse it’s cool too). In my collection of comics my favorite ones are either my Batman collection or Blackest Night and Brightest Day (oddly, these have very little of the Caped Crusader seeing as how the first issue of Blackest Night opens at Bruce Wayne’s grave). I love these because they are extremely complex and address difficult decisions and topics. So, I guess there is your first correlation… the surface of a comic is just pretty pictures and easy to digest but when you delve in these series of illustrations they tell a story that is complex and much more than meets the eye. Every line tells a story, words are carefully selected, characters are given extensive backgrounds, they provoke feeling, and they aren’t just pictures anymore. So…. You still haven’t talked about architecture. Ok. Ok. Ok. Architecture isn’t just a building. Every line means something, buildings tell stories, materials and finishes are selected carefully, codes and clients define parts of buildings while others arbitrary, buildings have narrative, and can provoke feeling. I’m sure you can see more relationships between comics and architecture than me sitting here and quickly typing a blog about it. But let’s try something a little more fun…

BATMAN! How is it that the Dark Knight relates to an architect?

·         Both prefer to wear black

·         Both deal with authority figures and city hall

·         Both take responsibility for a team (Batman and Robbin, JLA, the Outsiders)/(Architecture Firm, Stamping a drawing)

·         Batman fights and works with villains/architects fight and work with contractors

·         Both try to look out for the community they live in and work for

·         Batman is a night person/ architects (at least architecture students) pull all-nighters

·         Batman trained starting at the age of 12 to stop crime in Gotham City/ Architects must (now) have a professional degree (M.Arch usually) from an accredited program, pass the ARE (7… soon to be 5… tests) within 5 years of each other, and complete IDP (intern development program, some 5600 hours) all to become licensed.

Is that enough evidence for you?

Skate Break: Who Knows

By Ryan Northcutt

            As we all entered hell week, we dreaded the massive amount of work that actually had to be done. Unforutnally there is no brain power between any of us as we us every last drop of thought on finishing the project for the semester. So much of the response from any of us sounds like a zombie or uh I don’t know. It’s an interesting time in our lives but the most important thing is to keep your head up, otherwise your probably face down in a keyboard sawing logs like there is no tomorrow, but tomorrow comes quicker because the second you wake up there is a mental breakdown and realization that there is no hope for this dreadful project.

            On a positive note, I am confident about my project and I believe that it will turn out well… as long as I spend the next 30 hours awake and working hard. A couple weeks back I found some rules by an artist named John Cage. These rules are very inspiring and motivation as they are for designers. Posted in front of me at all times, I am always inspired to stay positive and keep looking towards the bright side as we get near this almost near death experience we call architecture. I will post a picture of these rules because they are important and the do work.

I title every blog post skate break for a reason. As we spend long hours finishing this project, it is also important to take breaks periodically for many reasons; our sanity is probably the most vital. It’s a healthy habit. And speaking of habits.  Save your work… Learn Time Management… and Keep moving forward. Its hard enough to comprehend what we do in our heads. The worst part of all of that is the fact that we don’t give ourselves enough time and when we don’t, bad things happen. We lose work as our computer hits the bricks and we almost blow our brains out as it happens in blue before our eyes. The healthy habit of working diligently and logically is important to us and it gives us time to take a break every so often. So when you see your bug eyed desk mate, tell him to keep calm, take a break and think logically. There is nothing worse than spending more time panicing than actually getting good work done. The biggest issue is that I am way to focused on this blog than I am with my project. So time to get back to work!

Two Days to Go

By Nick Bosman

This is it! This is the last of this semester. We present on Friday and I am thinking of all of the things I need to do before then. It feels good to know how my building looks and how it goes together. Now all I hope is that I thought of everything and know the right thing to say when the reviewers ask questions. In other words, I will have to rehearse a little what I will say to defend myself in the line of fire.

            The toughest part of this semester was working with a group on the entire site plan, then doing our own site plan within that site plan. It’s like architecture inception. Working together and by yourself for the project for the semester can get on one’s nerves if it is not done right. Communication is the most important part of the whole thing. Groups just always need to know what each other are doing or no one will get anything done. It’s frustrating at times, but then sometimes it goes rather smoothly. Sometimes it goes really well. I have had groups where everyone was in contact and showed up on time, for the most part, when we meet.

            At this point, however, everyone wants to do more work than before. Earlier in the semester, no one felt the need to do as much as two days before the assignment is due. I am in a decent place I would say. I am a little behind according to my usual habits, but not fatally so. I have confidence we will get it together before this deadline. The only other class I need to worry about at this point is ARC 541. We have to finish the rest of the panels. But, luckily I have gotten A’s on all of them so far, so revisions will not take too much.

            At the end of the day on Friday, we will all feel relieved of the pressure, and some of us will just pass out right when we get home. Once I finish my board, I can worry about the models and the group board after. Sounds like a lot, and it can be, but I have ideas flowing that will make it better to do.

            I am ready for break and all of the things I can do to prepare for my thesis. I am wanting to visit Marlins Park in Miami. It is my main case study because it is LEED Gold certified. Other than that, I would like to travel to Montreal but that may be doubtful. 

Last Week

By Anthony Michael

Hey All,

These past few weeks have been rather hectic here in our studio.  With the fast approach of the end of the semester setting aside time to read and do a case study of sorts has been hard.  None the less I bring to you this week’s article. The building that Rem Koolhaas/OMA designed is part of a school that has a focus on the cafetorium as a center for human engagement.

Architecture and Freedom? Programmatic Innovation in the Work of Koolhaas/OMA, Cafetorium at Utrecht

This case study describes the work of Rem Koolhaas/OMA, and the programmatic innovations that attempt to break archeological ideologies that are embodied within special programs.  These programmatic innovations include the development of social encounters, and social segmentation. Koolhaas goes against the social paradigm of programmatic spaces and instead creates architecture that encourages the interruption of events, social encounters and create opportunities for action.  Throughout his design he creates a special structure that allows for a multiplicity of choices for movement of pedestrians by giving the building the feel of a “field” rather than just a piece of architecture. Koolhaas’ design is described as a “fan” of a tree effect within a building characterized by the multiplicity of numerous pathways throughout yet still maintaining a dispersed control through the building.  These types of structure control circulation and social interaction only within certain key access points.  Koolhaas gave the building as great sense of depth by reorganizing the structure of inhabitant space and visitor space.  Koolhaas kept the visitors main need on the outside of the structure and moving all of the inhabitant space deep within the building. Within the cafetorium there was a deliberate attempt to generate vastly diverse forms of social encounter. The building is broken up into various types of spaces called “synthetic landscapes.”  One of these landscapes are the examination rooms.  These rooms are described as interior landscapes that are able to be flexibly subdivided for different functions, as they are tucked five to six levels deep within the grid structure and allows for a high level of supervision.  This “permeable” special structure allows for students and users to freely discover their own shortcuts and routes throughout the building.  These circulation spaces are designed as a series of pause spaces of impromptu hang out areas between classes or exams. 

Dovey, K., & Dickson, S. (2002). Architecture and Freedom? Programmatic Innovation in the Work of Koolhaas/OMA. Journal of Architecture Education, 5-13.

Towards an Anti-BIM Looking Project

By Kyle Fountain

This semester we have faced the challenge of designing an Olympic legacy master plan in Barra Da Tijuca, Rio De Janeiro.  Although the master plan was a group project, we were also given an individual problem of designing a residential building, whether apartment, or hotel.  We spent all semester analyzing site conditions, historical, cultural, and geographic contexts.  Likewise, zoning and building codes were addressed for each individual project from construction type to egress and structural analysis.

During undergraduate studio classes, I would often jump into Revit, or another BIM software too quickly from the urge to produce fast plans, perspectives, and renderings.  Although I was happy with most of my conceptual designs, there were always a set of design decisions made simply because Revit could or could not do something.

The goal for this design was to remove BIM modeling completely except for a couple renderings for visualization only.  Furthermore, I intended to use sketches and models for quick iterations and concepts.  Every plan started as a sketch, scanned, and I drafted over the sketches into digital software for clean presentation diagrams and sections. 

One of the end products of this exercise was the profile of my building.  Aside from being derived from many inspirations and concepts, the wavy profile line could not be replicated without drafting over my sketch (I tried several times).  The following are initial iterations, process models, and sketches.

 Figure 1: Initial Sketch During Conference Call

The inspiration sketch above was derived from a conference call with two people, one a Brazilian native, and one living and working in Rio.  During this sketch were several notes important to Brazilians and their culture.

Figure 2: First Model Derived from Initial Sketches

Figure 3:  Further Sketches Incorporating Program and Context

Figure 4: Another Concept Model / Exacto Blade Receptacle

Figure 5: Site Plan Initial Sketch

Figure 6:  Structural Model

Figure 7: Perspective from Promenade

Thanksgiving and Grad Studio

By Chhanya Nidal

It’s again the time about article for Blog. One more article to worry about when you have your finals at your head on. These weeks I have been passing through very tough time which probably all the students in the studio are passing through.

I have been waiting for thanks giving for five days long holiday and eventually the thanks giving arrived. Most of the friends form studio went home spending some good time with their family. I could feel how it would be when we see our family when we are really having hard time alone from home.

Being far from home and family I did not feel so since we were invited for thanks giving Dinner by one of our studio professor Shannon McDonald. My first thanks giving at U.S. was awesome and I had a pretty nice break from studio work. For the past two three days we have been staying at studio working on our project. This was also a first experience staying long night away from apartment.

We are almost at the end of the semester and we our having our final presentation on Friday, December 4^th. I am kind of excited and nervous as well. Since the day I will be presenting what I have been doing in Design Studio for the entire semester. For the Architecture 551, we are doing a project in Rio, Brazil.

We had two choice to design. Either we could do a hotel or multifamily apartment. I chose to design a mixed use apartment which I am quite interested in.

I am not only designing a space or multi bed rooms for Brazilians but also creating a community for them. Brazilian are fun loving people who love to hang out and socialize as much as possible. They highly praised friendship and hospitality and have a strong family value and social interaction. Studying the nature of Brazilian, their culture and the climate were the point of departure for my design.

The units in my apartment ranges from studio to four bed room apartment with garden and live work apartments. I started the building in a cluster with pockets of green spaces in-between and a central open space as communal space. The varying roof of units are also used as terrace garden. I have been trying to create the place as per Brazilian need and nature. I had a very good time throughout this semester and are almost at the end. I wish all my hard work would pay at the final presentations.

Cairo Design Build

By Brittney Moutnt

It’s that time of year again, presentation week is upon us and we have exactly thirty-seven hours before everything we have been working on for the semester is to be pinned up for all of Quigley to see. It never fails that during this week I question my life choice about wanting to be an architect. So I am going to use this blog to help me through it by talking about something that supports my decision.

During my junior year of undergrad we all had the opportunity to be a part of a Design Build program that would work with an actual client, Delta Center, to design a shotgun style home located in Cairo, Illinois. We had to apply for a spot to be on the team of twelve to work with three professors on a renovation plan of an existing home, or a completely new construction project. I opted to work on the new construction project.

To begin the process we took a site visit trip down to Cairo to take initial site measurement of the new construction lot and a full work up of the existing shotgun home.

As a part of the new home design we worked directly with the client as you would in an office environment with the biggest new factor being the budget of the project. We worked in pairs to come up with three floor plans that we eventually pitched to the Delta Center, who would then select one design for us to move forward with on creating a full construction document set. After we presented the clients were ecstatic, and only had positive things to say. I remember that moment vividly because all I could think about was that this is what it will be like in an office.

I am so glad I took advantage of the opportunity to be a part of the first Design Build project at SIUC. It was a great experience that gave me a glimpse into my future working in an office. We finished the first phase of the construction document set, which was then passed along to the following Design Build group. The renovation home was renovated the following summer by a second group of students. I’m very proud to say I was a part of that process!