Education as Site: Using Architecture to Communicate Nature’s Behaviours.

I’ve finally gotten around to having the energy/desire to post my thesis work online. I’m very proud of the work I did in the amount of time I feel I actually had direction. Without further adieu:

Abstract:

This thesis is an architectural exploration of The Serpentine Fen Wildlife Area in Surrey, British Columbia as a public park and an opportunity for environmental education for children. As public education becomes more environmentally con- scious, there is a need for architecture that sup- ports how the child interacts with and perceives their natural environments.

This thesis proposes the use of a single archi- tectural element as a transition between multiple site conditions to create a dynamic link between earth, air, water which affords the abilitity for a relationship to be developed between the user and their environment. This element will consist- ently be present in the user’s journey through the site and serves to encourage interaction with the identified site conditions. The thesis investi- gates how this continous element acts as locus, datum, frame, reference, stage and devise to en- hance the child’s experience of nature.

Thesis question:

How can architecture create a connection be- tween children and nature?

I’m definitely not going to post the body of the work here, though I will post a link at the bottom for those of you brave enough to open it.

Instead, I’ll just post the images I made!

SITE:

Site conditions:

Plans/Sections/Renders:

ON

ABOVE

IN

UNDER

WITH

Link to archived pdf.

I have a series of models that I made that I haven’t properly documented yet but I will do in the near future. I also did a lot more mini-renders, 2 for each ‘site condition’ and another 15 to describe the wood ribbon path throughout the site. After I document how they were presented, I’ll do another post about that.

Final pinup:

I’ll have my degree in-hand hopefully by mid-June because I won’t be attending convocation on May 22nd.

Cheers!

Thesis work for my MArch.

My thesis title is Site as Education: Using Architecture to Communicate Nature’s Behaviours.

My thesis question is: how can architecture create a connection between children and nature?

The concept is to use a single architectural element that transitions between 5 different tectonic conditions of the site to afford unique experiences in each condition. The architecture is a simple wooden ribbon that twists, wraps, folds, flows and threads its way through the Serpentine Wildlife Area in Surrey, BC. As part of a larger ecological and environmental pedagogy and curriculum , the ribbon will form classrooms along the path for early childhood environmental education. By interacting with the architecture, the user will be encouraged to interact with their immediate environment.

Here are a couple images I have been working on:

Birdwatching and jungle gym pavilion.

Kindergarten entry building.

Urban meat-bunnies.

My sister is an avid urban farmer and her hobby is beginning to look more and more like an urban hobby farm than patio garden. Currently, she is breeding rabbits for meat and her female has five babies. Who knew you could raise rabbits for meat in a condo on the 27th floor in Yaletown?

I have been playing around with the latest VSCO film pack 3 and watermarking in Lightroom 4, so please bare with me if you find it over-processed/stamped.

Enjoy!

Thesis…

I’m currently working in my final project for my Masters of Architecture so I have not put any effort into formulating posts. Hopefully I’ll be finished this spring but there is a possibility it might continue into late summer… I sure hope not though!

I’m looking forward to getting back home and digging my feet back into the amazing beer and food scene in Vancouver and the pacific northwest!

-r

the inspired biologist

I don’t think I can accurately describe how special it was to be able to see these costumes and props from the movies that have brought me such wonderment and comfort over the years… While I was staying with my brother, we watched Episodes 4-6 again, and it reminded me of our childhood and how these movies fostered our imagination and creativity over the years…

We stared deep into the eyes of the exalted one, Jabba the Hut, oggled Princess Leia’s gold bikini, felt the plight of Han Solo frozen in carbonite, felt the comfort of Master Yoda, marvelled at the Imperial fleet, and trembled at the feet of Darth Vader!

Thanks again to the Telus World of Science Edmonton for hosting this amazing exhibit, and to my brother for sharing it with me!

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Street Photography.02

This is a continuation of the Stephen Shore inspired street photography work. Nothing special but it was nice to get out for a ride in the beautiful autumn weather we’re having in Halifax.

Street Photography.

Here is my feeble attempt at some street photography inspired by Stephen Shore, for my photography elective that I’m taking. I decided to go heavy with the VSCO film presets on this one too for fun and to give it a more retro look. I’m actually not unhappy with the results.

I just picked up my camera and went for a walk around downtown Halifax, which really is only 2 streets (Spring Garden and Barrington). As I take more photographs and get into the “groove” while shooting, it becomes easier and easier to disregard how crazy I must look. I usually end up just going for the shot I want and don’t pay attention to how people feel about me taking their photo. Thus far, I haven’t been met with any hostility and people usually look like they feel guilty about “interfering” in the shot by ducking or sheepishly smiling as they walk by.

Thesis.

I apologize for the lack of content recently. I’m about halfway through the first semester (“Thesis Prep”) of my thesis for my Master of Architecture.

It’s rather time, effort, energy, concentration, imagination, enthusiasm, motivation… etc intensive hence my lack of posting photos. I’m hoping to get out to PEI for a photography adventure for my elective soon, but we’ll see!

Here’s a map I’m working on showing just the building footprints and roads in Surrey, BC. Nothing special, but I’m hoping it begins to inform me about the relationship between the built and natural environment in Surrey. Surrey isn’t very dense at all, it’s basically made up of two things: suburban housing and the agricultural land reserve. “Surrey City Centre” is basically a strip of malls along the highway, a couple residential towers and they sky train… long way to go. I have high hopes for the city though, I feel that it has the potential to be an amazing city but there are a lot of contentious developments exasperating the degradation of the natural landscape that isn’t contributing to the city moving forward. Anyways… quick graphic.

Happy Birthday Dad!

the inspired biologist

A few weeks ago, we celebrated my father-in-law Rob’s 60th birthday with a surprise party!  We started the day with a picnic with Ryan and Michelle’s cousin Christle and her husband Floyd, who came over from the Island (Floyd wearing the most amazing Marvel Hero shorts of course)!   The Sidhus hosted the party in their beautiful new home and Rob’s friends and family all joined in on the surprise (nice work Jeri)!!   With nearly a bottle of scotch given as a gift by every guest, Rob’s now got quite the library!  Happy 60th to my wonderful father-in-law – you deserve it!

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Cinemagraph02.

Here’s a higher quality (2.3mb) 800x450px cinemagraph I’m working on for my photography course. The next step is to put in the vintage photograph I was re-photographing. Anyways here’s the sneak peak.