Monday, May 10, 2010

Inspirational Photos from Germany, Australia and Switzerland

Merkel’s Birth Town, Hamburg

Source: Michiel van Raaij, “Eikongraphica,” http://www.eikongraphia.com/?p=988 (accessed 10/05/10)
It is likely that the valley would in fact been an urban environment, and the bridge would span between two buildings and over water...

German Snapshots

Source: Bravo Bike, “Germany: Bicycling aound the lakes of Munich”, http://www.bravobike.com/html/eng/viajes/alemania/lagomunich.html (accessed 10/05/10)

Source: Georg Parthen, “landscape,” http://www.welcometohr.com/tag/landscape/ (accessed 10/05/10)


Kerr’s Birth Town, Gunnedah

Source: Australian Natural Resource Atlas, “Water resources,” http://www.anra.gov.au/topics/water/overview/nsw/gmu-unincorporated-area-gunnedah-basin.html (accessed 10/05/10)
This appears to be relatively flat...

Australian Snapshots
Source: yaBloggy, “Land of Kangaroos Australia”, http://travellingboard.net/countries/land-of-kangaroos-australia/ (accessed 10/05/10)
Australian desert is relatively flat, thus not leading itself to be a suitable valley landscape


Source: AgriVenture, “AgriVenture New Zealand,” Codebrush, http://www.agriventure.net.nz/gallery.php?country=australia (accessed 10/05/10)
Australia’s plunging coastline would provide a more suitable environment for a valley

Keller’s Birth Town, Tuscumbia, Alabama
Source: pixdaus, “Pixdaus page 219,” http://pixdaus.com/index.php?pageno=219&tag=win&sort=tag (accessed 10/05/10)
This would be a beautiful valley, but challenging to create...

Swiss Snapshots
Source: Brian, “2007 Europe Motorcycle Trip,” http://www.ski-epic.com/2007_europe_motorcycle_trip/index.html (accessed 10/05/10)

Source: Switzerland-Trips, “About Switzerland”, http://www.switzerland-trips.com/aboutSwitzerland-touristinfo.html (accessed 10/05/10)

Research on Clients

Angela Merkel
Country of origin: Germany
Power Type: Political
Current job: Chancellor of Germany and Chairman of the Christian Democratic Union
Brief background:
- “pragmatic politician who inspires confidence”
- “pragmatism and ability to compromise”
- “grew up in a rural area outside Berlin”
BBC, “Profile: Angela Merkel,” BBC news, http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/4572387.stm (accessed 10/5/10)
- “current member of the Council of Women World Leaders... whose mission is to mobilize the highest-level women leaders globally for collective action on issues of critical importance to women and equitable development”
Wikipedia, “Angela Merkel,” Wikimedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Angela_Merkel (accessed 10/5/10)

Miranda Kerr
Country of origin: Australia
Power Type: Sexual
Current job: Model, skincare line, charity involvment
Brief background:
- “raised in the small town of Gunnedah”
- “Kerr launched an organic skincare line, Kora, in Australia with co-founder George Moskos”
- “Kerr has been called ‘the next MacPherson’.”
- “We love her because she has the most incredible girl-next-door look and she's also insanely beautiful. It means women are not intimidated by her looks and guys think they might be able to talk to her. It's a fantastic combination ... people want to be around her” (Russell James)
- “"the perfect endorsement", citing her ability to "truly sell a product."” (Ursula Hufnagl)
- “Kerr's charitable work includes Wildlife Warriors Worldwide and Children International”
Wikipedia, “Miranda Kerr,” Wikimedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miranda_Kerr (accessed 10/5/10)

Helen Keller
Country of origin: Switzerland
Power Type: Political?
Current job: author, political activist and lecturer
Brief background:
- “was the first deafblind person to earn a Bachelor of Arts degree”
- “outspoken in her opposition to war”
- “She campaigned for women’s suffrage, worker’s rights and socialism, as well as many other progressive causes”
- “born...in Tuscumbia, Alabama”
- “The Keller family originates from Switzerland”
- “Keller went on to become a world-famous speaker and author”
Wikipedia, “Helen Keller,” Wikimedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Helen_Keller (accessed 10/5/10)
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EXPT 3 BEGINS
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Sunday, May 2, 2010

Submission: Links

FINAL SKETCHUP MODEL:
http://sketchup.google.com/3dwarehouse/details?mid=bda88b8cd3675b1ddc3717fa670217eb&prevstart=0

FINAL CYRSIS MODEL AND LANDFORM:
http://www.filefront.com/16358193/Rachael3290708.zip

Submission: The Landform

Ramps
Keupper is required to walk up to the meeting place. Her approach demonstrates her aspiration to be as influential as Darwin. From the meeting place, they can look down at her work as Darwin provides advice.

Darwin can enter his space via the entrance Keupper uses, or around the side. His approach to the meeting place is a very small ramp; this is because I like the idea that Keupper can come right up to his door step to look at what Darwin’s doing. Although Keupper can come quite close to Darwin’s work, Darwin remains relatively distant from Keupper’s space as he doesn’t have much of a connection to Keupper. (Keupper has more of a connection with him).

Grass
The landform spilling into the client’s spaces is to remind them of their purpose and intention. For Keupper this is like a grounding – a constant reminder of how her research, experimentation and development is to bring benefit to developing nations, and to make green energy more affordable for all. The grass corner in her lab can be seen through the door leading to her research room. The grass back wall of Darwin’s studio is to show (and remind him of) his great connection with the land, its history and origins, as well as his plight to answer questions surrounding such matters.

Submission: Final Architecture






This final design has been slightly modified in comparison to the original design. This is to make the client’s spaces bigger and to create the opportunity for the ramps to be a gradual gradient.

Spaces
Keupper’s space consists of 4 elements;
1. The first room – office/research area
2. The second room – Lab
3. Storage – Around the side
4. Long hallway – has a book case at the end

Keupper’s hall is the large dark wall that protrudes out of her space. The fact that the wall has become a narrow hall is to challenge the assumptions made about the thickness of walls and to explore the cavity between the two standard parts of a wall.

Darwin’s studio is one large room. I imagine it to be set up like a library; books lining the walls, free standing shelves, desks and computers (I’m sure Darwin would have found these to be a useful tool).

The meeting place is a patio between the two labs, which is designed to give Keupper a greater interaction with Darwin and his work.

Textures
The dark texture communicates the final product/theory. I applied this to the large walls so when the clients walk around the structure they are constantly reminded of their purpose and goal.

The medium texture represents the experiment/action stage, which appropriately communicates the activities carried out in the client’s spaces.

The light texture shows brainstorming. This will be the primary activity the two clients will engage in and thus covers the majority of the structure.

Submission: 36 Custom Textures

I wanted to base my textures on the process each of the clients took to reach their final theory/product. I determined 6 steps based on my research and selected quotes: initial idea, brainstorming, research, forming a concept, experimentation and final theory/product. These steps are communicated directly through the 6 textures running diagonally from top left to bottom right. The remaining 30 textures are variations on the steps in the processes. Any 6 textures that are in a line are able to be viewed diagonally, horizontally and vertically – each line of these 36 textures communicates a light to dark gradation, showing the dark can only be determined by what surrounds it. The texture of a certain stage of the process can be applied to the space that is indented for such activities.

Submission: Final 3 Axonometrics

1. This is a combination of 15 and 7. This is successful as the land would be able to be modified to create ramps at an appropriate gradient. The meeting place is positioned as a bridge link structure between the two ends, where the scientists’ labs and research areas are. The meeting place allows the clients to look into each other labs as they discuss their ideas. Keupper travels up as she aspires to be an influencial as Darwin, similary from the meeting place you look up to Darwin’s space. Darwin comes down to help Keupper, and looks down onto Keupper’s studio critically as a teacher.


2. This is a combination of 1 and 17. The tunnel in this is really successful, as part of the meeting place is undercover. I am unsure where the client’s space would be placed in this structure, because one end is completely open (an unappropriated space for a lab)...


3. This is a combination of 3 and 7. The meeting place is well positioned – the idea is they pear up to look at Darwin’s work and duck down to view Keupper’s (again tried to communicate her admiration to be an influential). However, the structure seems very jarred as there are so many deck-like-rectangles.

The most established structure is 1. I will choose this as my final design.

Submission: "Electroliquid Aggregation" Quotes

“What started off as a brainstorming session has resulted in the iJET cell concept, which will provide renewable energy to some of the least developed countries, is to become one of the most powerful and one of the most comprehensive ideas that has ever arisen on earth.”

Deborah Smith, “Thinking outside the square finds light in oven”, Sydney Morning Herald, (August 20, 2008) http://www.smh.com.au/news/energy-smart/thinking-outside-the-square-finds-light-in-oven/2008/08/19/1218911717526.html (accessed 18/4/10)
Peter Landry, “The Scientists: Charles Darwin”, Biographies, http://www.blupete.com/Literature/Biographies/Science/Darwin.htm (accessed 19/4)


→ This shows Kuepper’s aspirations to be as influential as Darwin (who was said to have the most powerful effect on human understanding of their origins).

→ I also think the inclusion of “brainstorming” is significant for both scientist as it reflects the development of their ideas – Darwin’s theory emerged from comprehensive study of the historical evidence, while it was Kuepper’s creativity and desire for science to benefit the everyday lives of people that resulted in her idea.

→ Kuepper’s development is to benefit society in a practical scene; Darwin’s theory has more of an understanding based effect on society – by juxtaposing the quotes it shows the contrast in their approaches.