Competition (among other things)

While the rest of America got snowed in this week, we just got a bunch of rain down here in the bayou. So to make the most of the unfortunate weather, we had a two day design competition.

The prompt included the following.

Competition: Pavilion for the Pass Christian Farmers’ Market

Program:

Accommodate (10) 10’x10’ stalls

Vendors shall be responsible for tables, etc. w/in stalls

Provide shelter from rain for vendors and customers

Provide power to (5) stalls

Structure shall be ‘eye candy’ to vehicular traffic on Hwy. 90 and Scenic

A secondary use for pavilion may be proposed

Maximum budget w/ labor and materials shall be $50,000

Location: NW corner of E. Scenic Drive & Davis Avenue

Base Flood Elevation (BFE): 19’

Average grade on site: 18.6’

SMART Code Zoning: T-5C (single story shall be permissible by variance)

Deliverables:

One board, 18x24, mounted on foamcore

                  Minimum: Site plan, use plan, rendered depiction, detail at ¾” scale

                  Indicate materials and finishes used

Due: On conference room table by 8am Thursday, Feb. 3

Prize: There will be one

I took my point of departure from a local typology called a "shoo-fly". These are small, elevated gazebos built around the bases of large oak trees. The name comes from the fact that there are more breezes higher up than on the ground. So by being elevated one won't be bothered the flies, mosquitoes and other bugs that bite because unlike humans, they do not like the wind. 

My entry is an elongated version of the shoo fly. There is a bench that wraps around the perimeter of the gazebo. The gaezbo also includes 5 live oaks, the canopy of branches form the roof of the gazebo. For my drawings, I built a rhino model and worked out all design details on the computer. This is a way that the computer has been beneficial in the design process of both this project and ones past. I like to build computer models the same way I would build in real life. I started with the piers, then added floor girders and joist, next was the deck boards, and finally was the benches and railings. So in building the model on the computer, I can see how it will be physically built in real life. As far as the schematic design phase, nothing beats a roll of trace paper and a drafting board. After I finished the rhino model, I used it to make drawings, a section and an exploded axon. 

We began looking at LEED our second week of studio. As designed, the Dang House qualifies for LEED Silver. So we are currently pursuing certification, there is a grant that will cover most of the registration costs. For the documentation, we have 8 students this semester, so by dividing up the documentation it becomes very light work. One of the aspects of LEED is recycled materials, so research has begun to find places we can get salvaged materials to build with. Therefore, we took a field trip to New Orleans last week to look at a place called the Green Project. It was a fun place, (kind of how I envisioned my Institute of Cultural Anthropology to function last year.) There was a big collection of things, we decided to come back and look again when we're in the finishing phase, this seemed to be what they had the most of, old tongue and groove board,  trim, doors, 1x lumber, power outlets, tile, paint, ect.

In case any of you were wondering what the city of New Orleans looks like, there was a map on the wall. On the top side of the river, the garden district is on the left, the business district in the middle where the river bends down, and the french quarter is to the right.

They had just started a garden in the back.

We then went to French Quarter to go to a tacky touristy place called "cafe du monde" (though the coffee is really good). On the way we passed through Jackson Square, this is where the "statues" hang out. People, possibly homeless, like the one below who paint themselves silver and sit still with a tip bucket in front of them all day. This guy was in the same position from the time we entered the cafe until we left. My theory is that he's asleep. We also met a street magician. 

On the way out of the city I noticed this Banksy piece. After returning home I googled to discover the transformation that this particular piece has undergone.

I end with very good news. Construction on the Dang House has finally begun. Our funding was delayed because of some legal red tape, but we finally made it through to be approved. Here are the pile drivers putting our foundation in place, yesterday we started notching the piles with chainsaws and putting the girders in place.

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