the site

people - place - event

I thought it would be helpful to establish a web of the ideas floating around since the beginning of the term. The list above is brief but it includes many of the important subjects that have come up. Between the the three merging concepts of latex castings, foundations and the narrative, all three are starting to come together towards an architectural proposal.

To make an architecture work their was mention of three things that need to occur: people, place and event. It is obvious that these things are needed, but one can only understand it when they experience it in their own context.

I think it would be really great if the proposal for the place remained amongst the trees, specifically in the area where it is highlighted on the map near the railroad bridge. Near the bridge, the experiments thus far with the stretching of the latex like a canvas and inquiries into the meaning of foundations (through the act) has lead me to imagine a canvas being stretched between the two concrete pillars beneath the railroad bridge that can act as communal outdoor theatre (event). The seating would be built in the trees around the forts of Sabrina's play and Clearwater and other local towns would be able to come together and enjoy movies or perhaps the forts during the day. Maybe there could be a big tree trecking/zip lining complex during the day and theatre by night! It's a bit out there, but I think it would be amazing to have a huge projection on the railroad, the very same thing that the town was founded on!

Quilted skins

Individual skins of surfaces from different parts of the village. These skins are currently being sewn together like a quilt. As the narrative evolves, so does the scale of the quilt. New skins, build on new chapters of the narrative. The quilts will eventually provide the formwork to one of the first experimental ideas of inflatable pods that will be placed amongst the trees. Some of the other remaining quilted skins will be used in other forms of experimentation once placed in the context of Sabrina's environment (the forest).

installation

One of the last latex castings taken was in this abandoned house. Built over 200 years ago by the Germans, it was remodeled in 1910 and remains in the exact same condition today. Stepping into the house, is like entering a time machine. I chose this room for the casting of the floor. The only room left empty with only a few traces such as an old thrasher and a hoe that used to be pulled by horses to plow the fields.
Removing a layer of soot, the casting left an imprint within the floor. After it's removal, it felt fitting to project the skin within the context of the environment in which it has been taken from. Being in the presence of the skin that has taken details of a surface that is often dismissed, seemed like a shocking revelation when it was stretched and projected over the very surface it has been removed from. It provoked a completely different experience in the room, where this time I was not only aware of the objects or the decay that exists in the room, but also the individual characters that may have once consumed these walls.

The detail picked from the castings is quite incredible. Many resemble mirror images of the surfaces casted. Interestingly they all become individual and unique characters and the story behind even the lines and cracks tells us more than we are able to perceive.

In the picture above on the right, the middle floor board used to hold a secret jar with over 2,000 polish zloty. This abandoned house, used to belong to my uncle (bachelor for 86 years) who passed away early this year and left the house to me. My uncle never stepped foot in a bank. He did not trust anyone, but he did trust the safety between the floor joists of his own home.

pig skin

Early this week, my family had killed a pig for the winter. We spent most of this week making sausages, bacon, smoked ham and much more. My grandmother was telling me about the skins inside the pig, specifically the one that protects the lard and how it reminded her of my project with the latex. I removed the skin and stretched it in our cellar, thinking it might be worth a bit of research. The skin which was soft and very sticky at first eventually hardened and has become the same skin as that of a drum. This also led me to think about stretching the skins and playing with the latex castings that I've been covering the town with!

Shifting scale

Looking at different scales of patterns in our presence, there is compelling evidence that shows that the movements and even the structures of bodies are very similar. From the structures of bones, worm patterns on tree branches to even the movement of our machines when man is in control of his path. The movements meander just the same as water follows the path of least resistance. I find myself unable to withdraw from this phenomenon that is present before us and even within us.

The latex that I have been using to cast the surfaces has projected these details in various sizes. Each time the skin pods are inflated, the details change in size and project a more intimate interaction with the object. It was interesting to see my cousins, who at first were laughing at my work, would actually pick up the pods and inflate them after I turned my back, unable to resist interacting with the material even though they found the texture grotesque at first.

It would be interesting to see how an architecture could work where the user has to establish the structure of his setting in some way. Like pitching a tent for a place to sleep, the pods can act in similar ways in building temporary structures and perhaps the trees can act as supports! Perhaps it could lead to a new way of building permanent structures... but than the question can continue with 'what are permanent structures?' and 'what do foundations mean in building permanent structure?'

tree climbing

Tree trecking in the park across our farm. My adventures in the forest was a real attraction for the town. I tried to explain that a story is being built around a young girl who questions her roots and is trying to understand her place both on her farm in Canada and Poland, yet the only thing she understands is the forest. Being in the trees reminds her of her own home. The pneumatic pods become her fort built in the trees.

I started climbing trees with the help of a rope and reached a height of seven meters until I was unable to continue further. Behind my trail...

Eager children in the village couldn't help but follow Sabrina's path on her adventure to see the world around them in a new way.