UWM ARCHITECTURE
"Cold Home" |
OVERVIEW:
Title: "Cold Home" Dimensions: 6.5 in x 7 in Medium: Card stock paper, Tape Date: April 2024 EXHIBITION TEXTThe Cold Home is a design building that portrays the beauty of an iceberg. I got the idea from a building in Denmark. There are a series of buildings on water that look as though they are carved out of ice. I love winter and I love being in a space that is cold and clean. To me, standing inside the Cold Home would be my dream place. The theme in my art is how our environments affect our identities, to me, the Cold Home represents the Cold environment of Wisconsin I grew up in. When I was a kid, I always wanted to live in a warm place with a beach, but now I am proud of the place I grew up in. The Cold Home represents how Wisconsin is cold but beautiful.
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INSPIRATION
When I was planning out my first architectural models, I used the three inspirations above. Because my theme was how our environments affect our identities I chose structures that involved nature. I really liked how the ice burg structure looked especially when imagining something similar residing in Wisconsin. I focused heavily on using card stock paper to create a similar structure to that of the one created in the first image. One of the things I really wanted to focus on was the way the building angles itself to take the form of an ice structure. The shadows that are cast from the light hitting the edges is what makes the structure look like ice. When planning and creating my architecture, I referred back to my inspiration multiple times to see where the edges were most prominent and how the buildings are angled, the most important thing I took to notice was how my building would sit near or on top of water while keeping its shape.
PLANNING
Cold Home - Paper and Tape (light from iPhone)
The first model I created was the "Cold Home" this model was what I used to create my final architecture. I used paper and tape to create the structure for this planning piece, then I used a light from my iPhone to take an image of what the structure would look light with light coming through the edges. I focused on form and shape for this planning model.
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PROCESS
To start my final model I created a base out of card stock paper. During COVID quarantine I did a lot of origami so I used similar skills to fold the paper the way I wanted. For the base, I cut out the right sized paper, then I took the middle and pulled it towards one side. I then took a straight edge (a ruler) and creased the edges so that the sides stood straight up. I taped anywhere I could see wouldn't hold on it's own. I tried to conceal the tape as best I could since I didn't want my final piece to look unprofessional.
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I then moved on to the side of my model. The main edge of my structure was supposed to resemble ice so after referring back to my inspiration, I creased edges to make the paper look like an ice burg. I had to cut the edges a bit since after measuring my base I knew the entire side I created would not fit without bending the base and ruining the structure of the model. I taped this edge to the base once it was properly cut, I kept the tape concealed as best I could.
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For the final portion of my model I created a back wall to both add to the aesthetic structural component and minimize the space inside the structure. To create this part I took a full piece of card stock paper and folded it three times over, leaving an edge to create a diagonal shape at the top. I then used tape to connect the back of this new piece of my structure. I made sure the paper was stable before fixing the remaining elements.
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I finalized my piece by putting everything together and taping the areas that did not stay in shape by themselves. I added a few extra elements like another piece of thin paper to the outer edge of the front of my structure. Later on, I decided to add texture by adding crumpled tissue paper to two areas of the outside of my structure. I did not tape the tissue paper since I didn't want any tape showing. I took the tissue paper and placed in inside some of the open edges on the walls of my structure.
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EXPERIMENTATION
I experimented with the tissue paper on my piece. Originally I wanted crushed tissue paper balls to then tape to the outside of my structure, but on accident I left a tissue paper under a rolled mat on my table and it created a feathery texture that I really liked. I decided not to tape the tissue paper because the tissue paper was see through and therefore would make the tape visible. I placed the two tissue paper pieces in ridges I made on the outside of the structure.
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I experimented with adding a roof, at first I thought it would be easier to add a normal looking roof and just creating a crease down the middle of my paper but when I tried to place the paper on top of my structure it looked wrong and I couldn't get any piece of paper to fit the diagonal top. I eventually decided to leave my structure without a roof, this worked out because my structure is only meant to be aesthetic and not a livable building.
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I experimented with extra outer elements to my structure. The first thing I did was create a large extra irregular shape to place in the front of the structure. As I experimented with fragments of paper pieces I liked the addition of a paper fragment in the corner of my structure. I experimented with the tape to try and make it the least visible as possible. Once I had a paper fragment I liked, I taped it to the corner. After trying my best with making the tape less visible, I gave up and just tried to put the tape further towards the back.
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CRITIQUE
Compare: The similarities between my structure and the structure in Denmark are the color, the shape, and the shadows. I mainly focused on how to create the edges of my structure to look like the architecture in the image on the right. I noticed how in the architecture in the Ice Burg structure in Denmark use lots of angles to create the ice look. When creating my model, I used a similar technique of angling some edges towards the back and making some edges stick out towards the front of the structure. I kept the main idea of the building in mind which was to make the model look as though it was carved from ice, I wanted my piece to resemble an ice burg. In my inspiration, the structure looks as though it was formed from ice, I tried to keep the same look in my structure.
Contrast: My structure is one piece whereas the "Ice Burg" building in Denmark is several structures formed together. I wanted my piece to resemble more of an actual ice burg, the "Ice Burg" building is a more abstract representation of an ice burg. I also did not want my structure to have windows or doors because my structure is not meant for anyone to be inside it. Another difference is the simplicity of the structure in Denmark, there aren't many edges in the individual buildings but because they are attached to each other, it makes the entire structure look as though it is ice. Since I only planned on one structure, I had to add in edges and texture to keep the same representation of ice.
Contrast: My structure is one piece whereas the "Ice Burg" building in Denmark is several structures formed together. I wanted my piece to resemble more of an actual ice burg, the "Ice Burg" building is a more abstract representation of an ice burg. I also did not want my structure to have windows or doors because my structure is not meant for anyone to be inside it. Another difference is the simplicity of the structure in Denmark, there aren't many edges in the individual buildings but because they are attached to each other, it makes the entire structure look as though it is ice. Since I only planned on one structure, I had to add in edges and texture to keep the same representation of ice.
REFLECTION
I really enjoyed creating my own architectural models for this project. I had never considered possibly going into architecture as a future job until this assignment. My favorite thing about creating my model was considering how I would make it in real life. I wondered about what materials would be used and where the lighting would be placed and how many people could fit in the structure or if the structure would be simply used for aesthetic purposes. I felt it was challenging to simply create an architectural model because I thought more planning needed to go into creating a structure. I didn't realize a lot of architecture was simply coming up with a cool idea and finding out how to make the idea into a 3D model. When creating my structure, I was focused on the form, shape, and stability. I really wanted my structure to resemble an ice burg, when I thought about where this structure would go I was imagining it to reside near one of the Michigan beaches here in Milwaukee. Creating my model and creating my ideation for my model I feel has helped me with the physical aspect of creating art. I had to think about how big something would be and I learned how to make scales of my model. I will use the skills I learned in this assignment when painting, creating a canvas, and in my ideation for future projects.
ACT
Clearly explain how you are able to identify the cause effect relationship between your inspiration and its effect on your artwork?
When researching architecture I noticed how architects use shadows and angles to create structures that resemble elements in nature. My inspiration of the ice burg structure in Denmark helped me create a structure that used a similar focus on the beauty of natures elements, in this case, ice.
What is the overall approach the author has regarding the topic of your inspiration?
Incorporating nature into structures helps us feel more connected to the environment around us.
What kind of generalizations and conclusions have you discovered about people, ideas, culture, etc. while you researched your inspiration?
I learned that people often create structures to incorporate nature in a variety of different ways, these ways can range from incorporating nature inside architecture, incorporating architecture inside nature, or resembling nature.
What is the central idea or theme around your inspirational research?.
My theme is how our environment affects our identities.
What kind of inferences did you make while reading your research?
I made the inference that when creating architecture, you not only have to focus on the aesthetic element of the structure but also the stability of the structure.
Clearly explain how you are able to identify the cause effect relationship between your inspiration and its effect on your artwork?
When researching architecture I noticed how architects use shadows and angles to create structures that resemble elements in nature. My inspiration of the ice burg structure in Denmark helped me create a structure that used a similar focus on the beauty of natures elements, in this case, ice.
What is the overall approach the author has regarding the topic of your inspiration?
Incorporating nature into structures helps us feel more connected to the environment around us.
What kind of generalizations and conclusions have you discovered about people, ideas, culture, etc. while you researched your inspiration?
I learned that people often create structures to incorporate nature in a variety of different ways, these ways can range from incorporating nature inside architecture, incorporating architecture inside nature, or resembling nature.
What is the central idea or theme around your inspirational research?.
My theme is how our environment affects our identities.
What kind of inferences did you make while reading your research?
I made the inference that when creating architecture, you not only have to focus on the aesthetic element of the structure but also the stability of the structure.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
https://www.archdaily.com/483415/the-iceberg-cebra-jds-search-louis-paillard-architects
https://www.archdaily.com/873882/tree-house-malan-vorster-architecture-interior-design
https://wamfiles.lib.umn.edu/2018/01/02/quirkiness-a-guide-to-the-architecture-of-minnesota/
https://www.archdaily.com/873882/tree-house-malan-vorster-architecture-interior-design
https://wamfiles.lib.umn.edu/2018/01/02/quirkiness-a-guide-to-the-architecture-of-minnesota/