EARTH CURVATURE STUDIO
FALL 2014
CONTEXT AS MATERIAL I HOW TO READ PLACE
School of Architecture I The University of Texas at Austin
ARC 560R / 696
Visiting Professor – Wendell Burnette
STUDIO THESIS:
Each student should evolve their own architectural language or voice with a clear set of personal ethics and an original
poetic vision toward an environmentally responsible architecture that also strives to timelessly resonate with a “special
place” as the first and most important goal of sustainable design. The site with the Earth Curvature art installation expands
the scope of your work to include the planet and our place in the universe in the largest sense and America and its’ Great
Salt Lake Desert in another sense. Early assignments will require you to model and draw analytic-like drawings of the site
and its art installation before a site visit early in the semester. Other analytic-like drawing assignments will include the work
of certain artists concerned with light, place and similarly related themes. Others will include envelope and building skin
performance (environmental / phenomenological). In the end (as described below) you will be expected to develop and
defend your own architecture for this site and program at a Design Development level at the conclusion of the semester.
EARTH CURVATURE
LOCATION:
The intersection(s) of The Great Salt Lake Desert and Interstate 80.
Site: North side of I-80 between mile marker 21 and 22 (roughly the center of an ‘‘arrow’’ straight 40-mile stretch of due
east-west bound interstate traffic). Standard length exit-entry ramps off and onto I-80. Parking for 100 vehicles and 50
truckers would occur between the east-westbound lanes. A tunnel under the westbound (north) lane will provide drop-off
as well as pedestrian and service access to the Rest Area.
Alternate Site: North side of I-80 at Bonneville Salt Flat turn-off (west end of I-80) at a point that engages the western end of
the Land Art Installation. Parking requirements same as listed above. Pick only one site.
PROGRAM:
A 20-40,000sf Zero Energy Rest Area / Museum that engages a proposed Land Art Installation entitled ‘‘Earth Curvature.’’
The Rest Area / Museum should provide 10-20,000sf of space(s) for ‘‘experience of place’’ as interpreted by each student.
Additional spaces for engaging the specific context of this ‘‘place’’ should include:
•
•
•
•
a 2,500sf café for 50+
museum exhibit spaces
600sf for M/W restrooms with 4 WCs / 4 Lavs / 2 showers each for 25 campers | 25 truckers
required support spaces for all of the above
LAND ART INSTALLATION:
341 logarithmically decreasing spaced poles form a straight line in space intersecting the curvature of the earth at the site,
which is a water-leveled surface where objects go over the horizon between 2.9 and 3.2 miles depending upon your height
above the surface of the earth. A passive audience of continuous traffic (365 days a year 24/7) engages the art piece at
high speed and in a span of 20-40 minutes more readily experiences the curvature of the earth and perhaps a greater
awareness of our planet and our selves.
The Land Art Installation was initiated by an inquiry from Bill Timmerman (photographer/ amateur astronomer) about how
to experience the curvature of earth, Site/design concept is a collaboration between the two of us, which began with trips
to the Great Salt Lake in 2000 and 2004 and continues.
**The Land Art Installation is not part of the design problem. Incorporate the ‘‘Earth Curvature’’ as a given; see attachment.
‘‘The best magic of all is the magic that is real.’’ ------Artist James Turrell
LANDSCAPE AND HISTORY:
Research into the specificity of place could include deep geologic time, ancient inhabitation, cultural histories from the
westward expansion to the quest for land speed records, as well as a landscape and circumstance that could promote
planetary awareness and environmental stewardship to a wide and diverse audience of all ages.
‘‘Have an Idea, Act as an Architect.’’ ------Architect Renzo Piano
CLIMATE AND CONSTRUCTION:
Research and choose the appropriate low and/or high tech strategies for building in a harsh undeniable climate with
limited material resources but with a strong connection to intercontinental traffic, as well as the large metropolis of Salt
Lake City and surrounding local communities. The saltpan is an unforgiving reflector of heat and light by day, and by night
takes on the qualities of arctic snow.
‘‘A building should be able to open up and say, ‘I am alive and looking after my people,’ or instead, ‘I’m closed now, and I’m looking after
my people as well.’ This to me is the real issue: buildings should respond. …They should open and close and modify and re-modify….That
is a part of architecture for me, the resolution of levels of light that we desire, the resolution of the wind that we wish for, the modification
of the climate as we want it. All this makes a building live.’’ ------Architect Glenn Murcutt
REQUIREMENTS:
SITE SKETCHES / EXPERIENTIAL NARRATIVE:
Should convey your ‘‘reading of the place’’ and substantiate your interpretation of ‘‘context as the malleable material’’ for
your proposal. Narrative should be 150 words maximum and convey through storytelling ‘‘what experiences you want the
visitor to take home with them’’. Site sketches should include ephemeral plans/sections/sketch perspectives of intentions,
environmental site strategies, ‘‘ranges of experience’’ you desire for the visitor, which consider the length of time one might
choose to rest in this ‘‘place’’ and the ways various programs can engage ‘‘experience of place’’.
SITE PLAN:
Show structural and spatial organization of vehicular arrival, parking, as well as pedestrian flows to, from and between
spaces, interface of all with site context inclusive of Zero Energy strategies for Site.
SITE ANALYSIS:
Climatic Data Research------Latitude Location, Sun Angles (Equinox & Winter and Summer Solstice), High and Low
Temperatures (Day and Night), Prevailing Winds, plus additional Weather Data for developing a Psychrometric Chart of
Comfort for Passive Cooling/Passive Heating Design. Investigate alternative methods for maintaining relative comfort day
and night through the winter, summer and shoulder seasons through passive/active environmental design.
Water Analysis------Considering site location, investigate all methods to optimize Water Efficiency. These can range from the
method of sewage disposal like composting toilets to grey water and rainwater harvesting for night-time and day-time
heating/cooling and/or landscape irrigation. What is the environmental impact of water and sewage treatment on site?
Energy Analysis------Considering the high number of cloudless sunny days in this desert location, investigate all methods for
harnessing Solar Power. Are there low scale methods for harnessing energy from wind power? Is Geothermal Cooling a
viable option on this site? What are the optimum conditioning/lighting strategies to reduce total energy consumption?
Materials and Resources------what materials will best serve the collective goals of a Zero Energy Local/Global Rest
Area/Museum? What role will the materiality of your design play in the Visitor Experience? What materials are best suited
to resonate with the specific qualities of this ‘place’, such that a memorable experience is mined for each visitor to take
home with them. What of these materials possess the least amount of embodied energy? What is the relative economy of
your ideas? Both in financial/environmental terms (short-term/long-term) and in terms of good environmental design that is
constructed with the least resources, requires the least amount of long-term maintenance, and gives something back, in
other words --- it stands the test of time.
•
Studio Site Model of entire art installation (approximately 35 miles x 5 miles) to represent Earth Curvature.
•
Studio Site Model at 1/64’’ = 1-0’’ Sketch Models (3 initial iterations minimum + final concept model at this scale)
•
Architectural Plans (Floors and Roof): showing all program elements, circulation and spaces with structure,
materiality, environmental performance, and experiential qualities defined.
•
Architectural Sections and Elevations: location(s) of section cuts/elevations that best convey design intent of
spaces with structure, materiality, environmental performance, and experiential qualities defined------at designer’s
discretion.
•
Individual Architectural Site Models at 1/8’’=1’-0’’ (3 study models + 1 Final Model)
•
Wall Sections: two minimum that clearly articulate the building envelope [skin(s)] in terms of materiality and
performance in terms of tectonics and poetics.
•
Wall Section Model at ½’’ = 1’-0’’
•
Site Assembly/Construction Cartoons: show sequence of construction------minimum nine slides.
•
Three-dimensional Images: nine vignettes minimum, two minimum that incorporate land art installation.
•
Additional Images: at designer’s discretion.
•
Develop and present all drawings at a legible size and scale, in relation to design intent, and keeping with
requirements for presentation.
EARTH CURVATURE STUDIO
FALL 2014
CONTEXT AS MATERIAL I HOW TO READ PLACE
School of Architecture I The University of Texas at Austin
ARC 560R / 696
Visiting Professor – Wendell Burnette
560R / 696 STUDIO SCHEDULE
___________________________________________________________________________________
Week I
F
8-29
First Day of Class
Burnette Visit
Site Model Organization / Reading Assignments /
Drawing Exercise 1: Artist / Drawing Exercise 2:
Site + Art Installation / Field Trip Organization
PURCHASE AIRLINE TICKETS
Week II
Week III
M
9-01
Labor Holiday (classes excused)
Tu
9-02
Last day of the official add/drop period
W/F
9-03/05
Independent Study
M/W 9-08/10
Independent Study
F
Drawing Exercise 1 + Drawing Exercise 2
FINALIZE TRAVEL ARRANGMENTS: HOTEL/CAR
Principal Reading Assignment due + class discussions
Drawing Exercise 1 + Drawing Exercise 2
9-12
Burnette Visit
Drawing Exercise 1 + 2 DUE
PIN-UP: Drawing Exercise 1 + 2
S
9-13
Reading assignments discussed
Drawing Exercise 3: Envelope
Week IV
M_F 9-15_19
Independent Study
Week V
M/W 9-22/24
Independent Study
F_Su 9-26_28
Field Trip
Drawing Exercise 3 DUE WED 9-17
Presentation / PIN-UP/ Discussion
Site Model DUE WED 9-24
Burnette Visit
Meet at SLC
Week VI
M_F 9-29/10-03
Independent Study
Week VII
Th
10-09
Desk Crits
F
10-10
Schematic Design Pin-up Review
Week VIII
M_F 10-13_17
Independent Study
Week IX
W
10-22
Mid-Term Review / Burnette UT Austin Lecture
Th
10-23
Desk Crits
F
10-24
Desk Crits
Burnette Visit
Burnette Visit
____________________________________________________________________________________
Week X
M_F 10-27_31
Independent Study
Week XI
T
11-04
Last Day to Drop w/ Dean’s approval
Th
11-06
Desk Crits
F
11-07
Desk Crits
F
11-14
Independent Study
Week XII
Burnette Visit
EARTH CURVATURE STUDIO
FALL 2014
CONTEXT AS MATERIAL I HOW TO READ PLACE
School of Architecture I The University of Texas at Austin
ARC 560R / 696
Visiting Professor – Wendell Burnette
STUDIO READINGS WRITING ASSIGNMENTS
Personal Narrative: ½ page (8 ½ x 11), 10 pt. – tell me something about yourself.
Due Wednesday, September 3rd. Email to Prof. Burnette @ [email protected] at the end of day.
Readings + Essay + Discussion: Sign up to read a minimum of one book from the three principal books below + one from
the supplemental reading list. Prepare and submit two 4 page (8 ½ x 11), 10 pt. essay of your book and / or reading and
share a synopsis of your essay with your colleagues in a 10 minute discussion per essay. Essay I Presentation may be
supplemented with images on 11 x 17 while meeting the minimum requirements stated above. Also, please submit as a
low-res PDF and email to [email protected]. Principal Reading List synopsis due Wednesday,
th
September 10th and Supplemental Reading List synopsis due Wednesday September 24 .
Principal Reading List:
The Desert: Further Studies in Natural Appearances
John C. Van Dyke, 1901
Scenes in American Deserta
Reyner Banham, 1982
Sverre Fehn, The Pattern of Thoughts
Per Olaf Fjeld, 2009
Supplemental Reading List:
Wind, Sand and Stars
Antoine de Saint-Exupery, 1939
Desert Solitaire: A Season in the Wilderness
Edward Abbey, 1968
The Nature of Light & Color in the Open Air
M. Minnaert, 1958
Donald Judd: Colorist
Hatje Cantz, 2000
Zenithal Light
Elias Torres, 2004
Eye and Brain: The Psychology of Seeing
Richard L. Gregory, 1998
Spiral Jetta: A Road Trip through the Land Art of the
American West
Erin Hogan, 2008
Land Arts of the American West
Chris Taylor, 2009
Atmospheres
Peter Zumthor, 2006
The Void, The Grid & The Sign Traversing the Great Basin
William L. Fox, 2000
EARTH CURVATURE STUDIO
FALL 2014
CONTEXT AS MATERIAL I HOW TO READ PLACE
School of Architecture I The University of Texas at Austin
ARC 560R / 696
Artists
Visiting Professor – Wendell Burnette
Envelope
The Lightning Field, 1977
Catron County, New Mexico
Walter De Maria
Harpa Concert Hall & Conference Centra
Reykjavik, Iceland
Henning Larsen Architects w / Artist Olafur Eliasson
Walking the Line, 1967 - Present
Multiple Sites
Richard Long
Kunsthaus Bregenz
Bregenz, Austria, Peter Zumthor
Double Negative, 1960
Overton, Nevada
Michael Heizer
Aluminum Boxes, 1982-1986
Chinati Foundation, Marfa, Texas
Donald Judd
Roden Crater, 1970s - Present
Flagstaff, Arizona
James Turrell
Spiral Jetty, 1970
Box Elder, Utah
Robert Smithson
Sun Tunnels, 1973-1976
Lucin, Utah
Nancy Holt
The Comb of the Wind, 1977
San Sebastián, Spain
Eduardo Chilida
Storm King Wave field, 2009
New Windsor, New York
Maya Lin
The Gate in the Gorge, 1986
Louisiana Museum, Denmark
Richard Serra
Phase Mother Earth, 1968 & 2008
Kobe, Japan
Nobuo Sekine
Identity Stretch, 1975
Lewiston, New York
Dennis Oppenheim
Not A Cornfield, 2005
Los Angeles, CA
Lauren Bon
Running Fence, 1976
Christo and Jeanne-Claude
Near Bodega Bay, California
Cartagena Auditorium & Conference Center
Cartagena, Spain
Selgas / Cano
United States Federal Courthouse
Salt Lake City, Utah, USA
Thomas Phifer
Fine Arts Museum
Lille, France
Jean Marc Ibos and Mytro Vitart
British Pavilion Seville Worlds Fair 1992
Seville, Spain
Nicholas Grimshaw + Partners
New York Times Headquarters
New York, United States
Renzo Piano Workshop
RMIT Design Hub
Melbourne, Australia
Sean Godsell
EUROPAALLEE21 Lagetrstrasse House
Zurich, Switzerland
Gigon / Guyer Architekten
Besancon Art Center & Cite de la Musique
Besancon, France
Kengo Kuma & Associates
Denver MOCA
Denver, Colorado, USA
Kengo Kuma & Associates
Beijing National Aquatics Center
Beijing, China
PTW Architects
Kunsthaus Graz
Graz, Austria, Spacelab Cook-Fournier
Prada Tokyo
Tokyo, Japan , Herzog de Meuron
Phare Tower
Paris, France, Morphosis
Museums, Hotels, Visitor Centers and Rest Stops (Reference)
Vøringsfossen Waterfall Area
Vøringsfossen, Eidfjord County
Carl-Viggo Hølmebakk
Steilneset Memorial
Barents Sea in Vardø, Norway, Peter Zumthor
Hedmark Museum
Hamar, Norway
Sverre Fehn
Norwegian Glacier Museum
Fjaerland, Norway
Sverre Fehn
Aukrust Centre
Alvdal, Norway
Sverre Fehn
Pedras Salgadas Spa & Nature Park, Portugal
Bornes de aguiar, Portugal
Luís Rebelo de Andrade , Diogo Aguiar
National Tourist Route Trollstigen
Romsdalen, Norway
Reiulf Ramstad Arkitekter
Arthur and Yvonne Boyd Education Centre
New South Wales, Australia
Glenn Murcutt
Les Cols Restaurant and Pavilions
Olot, Spain
RCR Architects
Ruth Lilly Visitors Pavilion
Indianapolis, Indiana, USA
Marlon Blackwell Architect
Amangiri Resort
Canyon Point, Utah, USA
Marwan Al-Sayed, Wendell Burnette, and Rick Joy as I-10 LLC
The Chedi Chiang Mai
Chiang Mai, Thailand
Kerry Hill Architects
Hotel Aire de Bardenas
Navarra, Spain
Emiliano López Mónica Rivera Arquitectos
Remota Hotel
Magallanes and Antártica Chilena Region, Chile
German del Sol
Fasano Las Piedras
Punta del Este CP, Uruguay
Isay Weinfeld
Juvet Landscape Hotel
Valldal, Norway
Jensen & Skodvin Arrkitektkontor + other interventions
Liasanden - Mountain road project
Videseter Railings - Mountain road project
Gudbrandsjuvet – Viewing platform
EARTH CURVATURE STUDIO
FALL 2014
CONTEXT AS MATERIAL I HOW TO READ PLACE
School of Architecture I The University of Texas at Austin
ARC 560R / 696
Visiting Professor – Wendell Burnette
SALT LAKE CITY | Itinerary
Friday, 26 September 2014
10:12
Arrive Salt Lake City
11:00 – 12:00
Tour of Salt Lake City Federal Courthouse
351 South West Temple (meet 400 South Street)
Salt Lake City, Utah
Sergey Akhpatelov - m.801.808.0796
12:00-2:00
Lunch Break
2:00–3:30
Drive to Golden Spike Museum
3:30 – 4:00
Golden Spike Museum
32 miles west of Brigham City
Utah, via Utah Hwy. 83
(435) 471-2209
http://www.nps.gov/gosp/planyourvisit/directions.htm
4:00–5:00
Drive to Spiral Jetty
5:00 – Sunset
Spiral Jetty
Box Elder, UT
http://www.diaart.org/sites/page/59/1310
Architect - Thomas Phifer
Artist - Robert Smithson
Sunset at 7:17
9:00
Dinner / Check-in Hotel at Salt Lake City
Saturday, 27 September 2014
8:30–9:30
Breakfast
9:30–10:00
Drive to Utah Natural History Museum of Utah
10:00–12:00
Natural History Museum of Utah
301 Wakara Way
Salt Lake City, UT 84108
(801) 581-6927 Museum Receptionist
http://nhmu.utah.edu/contact-us
12:00-1:00
Lunch Break at Natural History Museum of Utah
1:00–2:00
Drive to Main Site
2:00–3:00
1 Main Site Visit
Location Details see ‘Syllabus”
3:00–3:30
Drive to Bonneville Salt Flat
3:30–4:30
Alternate Site Visit - Bonneville Salt Flat
Interstate 80
Wendover, UT
Coordinates: 40°47 59 N 113°48 00 W
st
Architect – Ennead Architects
4:45–6:15
2nd Main Site Visit
Sunset at 5:45
6:15-8:30
Dinner Break / Night Site Visit Suggested
Sunday, 28 September 2014
6:30–7:30
Drive to Sun Tunnels
7:30–8:30
Sun Tunnels at Sunrise
NW Utah, 40 miles N of Wendover, five miles S of Lucin
Coordinates: 41.303501, -113.863831
http://clui.org/ludb/site/sun-tunnels
Sunrise at 7:34
8:30–9:30
Drive back to breakfast in town
9:30–10:30
Breakfast
10:30–3:30
3rd Main + Alternate Site Visit
3:30
Departure to SLC Airport
Artist – Nancy Holt