Here are 12 iterations I came up with knowing only the location—the courtyard—but not the size or particular section of the space we would have. I based my designs on how to incorporate community into a pre-determined space assigned to students. The designs were to be site-specific and to involve both students of the campus and people from the community to interact in the courtyard within the design we were to create. Each iteration has brought upon me a different set of issues, like for instance some of of the iterations ended up looking like a sculpture and realizing that it would be a problem with finalizing and choosing the best designs. 

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Proposal design 101 Group Cosmopolis 

Community is a big concept that can include many things and ideas, but for Team Cosmopolis it ideally includes the notion of belonging—of being part of the community. One might suppose that one can be geographically in a community and not feel like they “belong,” but our goal is to enhance that feeling of belonging for those that come by. We think of this concept “community” as a place for human gathering and interaction and to voice that sense of belonging. CCSF is such a community and the courtyard of CCSF is just such a place. In other words, the courtyard of CCSF can be seen as a central community-gathering place to express the unique character of the CCSF community on campus and the surrounding neighborhood.  

We would like to enrich this open courtyard area with sparkling jewels of color, eclectic materials creating vibrant surroundings where everyone from long-time residents to students, faculty and staff who take pride in how their neighborhood looks and feels. This is the atmosphere we hope to inspire in people when they happen to walk by whether they are students going from class to class or a neighbor out taking a stroll. We want to make it an inviting place that is unique because of the community-specific design installments that have been chosen by team Cosmopolis.  

We proposed Area’s A, B, and C, which are the two planter-areas and the center square area between area A and area C, can best express Cosmopolis’s visual design concept. Our concept, and the designs that express it, are on a grand scale, but the plans will allow space for people to walk around it safely. Our concept of “Community” design would be inviting and would “wow” people that will walk around it, play with it or just relax and take in the view of the collaborative design. Our goal is to create a welcoming atmosphere that will inspire connections between all the people in the community.

The territory granted to our team was Area A; which is located in the Northwest side of the courtyard with one of the planers.

InspirationsWith my last iteration, I wanted to incorporate a lattice design because it reminded me of interconnected segments as a metaphor for the interconnectedness and network of the different elements of our community.

Inspirations of lattice

Inspirations for the entry way

The entryway was inspired by a team member and myself whose design seemed to resonate my thoughts .

Andrew’s

Andrew’s Maria’s

Maria’s

Maria’s

A redwood lattice of triangular shapes with panels going from a gradation of dark black; to grey; to white and transitioning from two-dimensional to three dimensional design—is the initial attraction of this iteration. The triangular shapes built into the lattice mimics the triangular, three-dimensional structure of the entrance to the internal space, and mimics the triangular shapes described by the concrete wall it’s juxtaposed to—the folding plates almost morphing from the wall onto the ground—the structure almost seeming to land on the ground and resting in place. Attached to the wall at both ends, the jaunty angles of the three major panels turn to encompass the semi-enclosed, three dimensional area opening a pathway to the inside of the structure. Once inside the lattice structure, the black, grey to white transitions on the outside of the structure, are mysteriously transformed into a surprise of warm red, orange and yellow colored panels that contrasts sharply with the austere, rectilinear concrete of the Batmale Hall building. To get to the inside space, the viewer enters the opening in the three-dimensional structure that grows out of the two-dimensional form of the pathway that spirals inward. Once inside, the pathway leads to an intimate and sheltered space—a place to contemplate, and to reflect on one’s surroundings.

The mysterious entryway requires the viewer to crouch through the three-dimensional space acting as a veil—almost as if traversing a pathway through the woods—a transition from the public to the private—that opens to a warm and inviting clearing. Once inside the view reveals the warm colors reminiscent of nature, creating a private, meditative, magical environment in contrast to the bleak and severe concrete of the wall and the buildings—as if one is sitting in a secluded grove of trees. It creates an intimate place to sit, to experience accidental encounters, and to socialize with others. The planter box acts as a break in the concrete—a piece of the natural Earth; of nature and of the ground.

While the space inside is reflective; a respite; the warm colors of the panels also make it a comforting, protected space. The colors are energetic and echo the great variety, energy and life of the community around us. We chose the site that had the most light we could get and the wall that would allow us to anchor our structure.

The reflections of light as the daylight changes also sets a quiet and reflective mood as it casts a glow inward on whatever or whoever is inside. It playfully beckons us to visit with its colors and angles and its lights and shadows. It provides shelter from the wind, a place to rest, contemplate and, by chance, to enjoy a secret meeting place. 

Team Narrative of Cosmopolis

The creative process began collectively with our group with each member assigned to come up with an idea—a scaled model of their design based on one-half inch equal to one foot. The group of four came up with two models—one by Andrew and one by myself—that resonated with the group. We married the two ideas into a cohesive model that would strengthen our over all concept and create an intriguing entrance to a semi- private and intimate space.

AndrewLattice designed by Maria

Andrew’s design of Benches

Our project theme called “Community,” will make the viewer experience a first impression of a hard, angular structure in contrast to the rectilinear strictness of Batmale Hall and echoes the top angles of the courtyard wall it is attached to. There are cold grey, white and black triangular shapes in juxtaposition to the grey concrete wall. It invites the viewer to first explore the outside of the structure and then, to discover an unexpected entrance and pathway—a mysterious, veiled entry that the viewer must navigate and duck under and through—that opens to an inner environment of warmth, color and comfort in contrast to the cold hardness of the surrounding concrete wall and building. Upon entering, the viewer is invited to sit and relax and take in the views of the surrounding trees that peek over the structure. The structure itself acts as a shield to the wind and to the stark concrete that makes up the majority of the surroundings. On the inside one comes upon the warm wooden benches and the unexpected break in the concrete that acts as a forest floor, so to speak. The triangular blocks act as stepping-stones challenging the viewer to walk and balance on them, and that can be rearranged and played with.

Intentions

Gesture Drawing of the Community Project

The planter box is the center of our starting point and we did a tape layout of the circumference. Before we could begin we had to clean up the area. The planter box, which became our “forest floor,” had to be cleared of weeds, cigarette butts and other trash. We first marked the location and position of the outline of the structure with tape. We chose this site that had the most light we could use the wall that would allow us to anchor our structure.

We began with the difficulty of the storm trying to deal with the ankle deep mud in the planter box. We decided to put mulch down to counteract the mud and to create “ a forest floor”.

The next process was attaching the support posts to the concrete wall . We figured out the bolt size which was ¾ “ and we cut ¾” threaded rod into 6’ lengths and installed them into the concrete wall. To secure the posts we notched two horizontal pieces to enter lock with the posts and secured these horizontal pieces with the threaded rod to the wall with nuts and flat washers.

Here our team member Andrew rips the 2 x 4‘s down to 2 x 2’s using a table saw, so we were able to start assembling our frames. The design is not only reflective and contrasting to the environment surrounding it but is built with the interconnecting points of the structure coinciding with four the corners of the concrete block design of the ground and the planter box; and with the vertical striations of the concrete of the courtyard wall. Also, the frame structure was designed to fit exactly into those striations on the wall. Allowances had to be made to fit the wood-framed, mesh fabric-structure into the grooves of the wall.

We began the installation process of the panels. We did this by taking larger pieces of foam core and one team member held the foam core up to the lattice while the other team member traced with a carpenter pencil the outline of that particular panel. Then we cut them to size according using an exacto knife and a cutting mat.After all the panels were cut, we began the process of what colors should go where within the folding plates.

We wanted warm colors for the interior , so we decided to go with two primary and one secondary color, red , orange and yellow. For the exterior, we wanted to use the same cold values within the concrete surroundings of the wall and Batmale Hall. We wanted to do this to intensify the vibrant warmth when a viewer enters the intersanctum of the community.

Materials used to create the hues of the panelsColor wheel used to create the jewel hues and value scale colors

The use of metallic paint used then set to dry . Later, sprayed adhesive and placed the cellophane and trimmed the excess.

Buying the material at the fabric store Installing the fabric with staples

A step back looking into the fabric material installed

Here, I am installing the panels using the wooden stops we created by cutting down redwood scraps to ½ x ½ x 5.The interior stops were installed first throughout the panels. Later the panels were inserted and secured with the exterior stops. In the bottom left picture, we see the end post of our large panel press fit into the slotted grove of the concrete.

The final installation of the project from the exterior walking towards the entrance. The juxtaposition of the triangular shapes were designed to create the enclosure and to generate an interesting and intriguing pattern of varying shapes and sizes to entice the viewer to circumvent the structure and come upon the opening to the inside respite. They had to be designed not just to create an interesting fusion pattern and visual weight with the mesh fabric structure, but also to act as an efficient support of the structure itself. The challenge, also, was to ensure that each panel was different than its connecting panel in both shape and color yet to maintain structural integrity.

The viewer enters from here to the inviting warm interior where seating invites the community to relax and enjoy the intimacy created by the structure.

The crosses peeking through the top of the mesh structure are street lights as making a conversation with our site.

Our focal point arrival

Here are more close-up shots of the interior of the space.

Benches unstained

Benches with the stain finish

Here are different views of the installation at different angles , times of day and from the top view of the 7th floor of Batmale Hall looking into the structure.

A view of the structure at dusk which brighten up the area and made it a cheerful place to walk by. The picture on the right has a blue tarp which is not part of the structure. I was getting the tarp ready to cover for the storm that was heading to site.

A top view from the 7th story floor of Batmale Hall over looking over the top of the structure. A view from under the entryway

Post Mortem

Strengths The biggest strength of this project was the cohesion of the two iterations that succeeded in creating one overall successful structure and space for this community experience. The construction of the skeletal structure was very successful in that it is sturdy, inviting and intriguing.

The most challenging aspects of the realization of our design was that we were faced with three, consecutive storms that were heading our way; the actual construction took place at a time when school was out which meant there were no bathrooms that we could use (except for on the day of the football game) and no electricity available for our tools. This meant we had to get a generator to power the tools necessary to build the structure, which I was able to make available for our use. The team decided to work through the Thanksgiving break to get the project done. I am glad we did this; otherwise, I truly believe we would not have met our deadline.

Weaknesses One basic weakness was the use of the foam core that reacted to the adhesive and the moisture in the air. With a larger budget for wooden panels we could have avoided the warping and curvature of the panels. We were very conservative with cost towards the end of the project. Also, the benches could have been done with a finer finish in color and design thought of finish. The finish mesh material could have been given also a better finish in covering the staples.

Missed Opportunities Time management; We were slow in the beginning process deciding on which of our specific designs would be used. We felt rushed towards the end trying to get the panels installed and doing all our finishing touches.

Challenges remainingThe finishing touches of the mesh fabric installation. The way the fabric was attached to the framework with more time we would have liked to conceal the staples with a inner wooden frame. The same with our panels it would have been a cleaner look if instead of several stops holding the panels in place, if we had full stops surrounding each panel on each side.

Reflections:I appreciated the dynamic of creating an environment from beginning to end that described a communal experience that is enveloped by our structure. The development of the structure from the small scale modeling to the life size structure was inspiring by the way we were able to create a structure from the beginning to the end was an amazing experience for me.

I also discovered the challenge of getting four individuals on the same page. As the process went on, two of us emerged as project leaders and drove this project to completion.

We gained a lot of knowledge and hands on experience using the various tools. Also, how to anchor a structure, and how to transform a space from one environment into another that enable us to complete our project in what I feel was a statement of quality, craftsmanship and success.

I learned of the importance of a cohesive design and building plan, which will help me to understand the obstacles to creating and building a design from concept to actualization. What a big difference working from bamboo materials from our scale models to real lumber. We couldn’t just simply use glue anymore. We used different strategies to notch the pieces of wood together, which was pre-drilling the wood otherwise it would split easily the wood when screwing the screws in the wood.

Also, there were moments where I had to control myself from making head decisions; even though, I didn’t agree with them. I felt I had contributed my share of work and supplied the power tools and hand tools available to get the project done. All three members of us, agreed with democratic decisions. For instance, the installation of the fabric and hues. But there were times when certain tasks and the quality of workmanship wasn’t enough. Like we were told that it would be better to cover the staples used to secure the fabric onto the wood. It definitely needed to be covered or concealed into a finer finish by covering it with a strip wood. The member who was the designer showed no interest to correct it. Also, I agree with the jurors critique of our benches. They felt that they could have been finished with better finesse. For instance, it wasn’t my choice of color of material and the benches could also have had a better finish. We were going to cover the benches with lattice and create triangular shapes on top of them to reflect the rest of our project; however’ time was an issue so we didn’t go through with what we should have done. The jurors also felt that there wasn’t attention given to the benches which was a center point and a place that forces you to “come here have a seat” intentions. On a good note, I felt that the jurors did like the craftsmanship we put into the project and how it intrigued them to go to our site. A juror said that a lot of Architects tend to shy away from color and that it was also a good strength in our part in doing so. Also, they told us how we did a great job into putting attention to the detail of having the closeness circulation of mimicking the lattice wall and the courtyard wall.

I really enjoyed my experience in this class , it caused me to think differently about the way I process an idea and transform into a tangible product. I know I will use the information gained from this class to all my future classes and projects thinking outside the box.

Cosmopolis Project Finale