Adventures in Architecture

I went to a children’s centre to do thermographic imaging as part of my research work.  The children had created this beautiful web to stretch over one of the floor-to-ceiling windows… and through my camera, it looked like this:

So we’ve learned a good bit about haptic place-making so far! With my undergraduate research being on haptic way-finding and navigation, this is the first experiment in “place-making” I’ve attempted— a distinction I didn’t expect to come across so clearly.

We’ve had some glitches in the experiment which were a bit unexpected as well. Adjacent to the installation are 30 or so architecture students, experimenting in materiality, who’ve been running a generator and electric tools which has audibly contaminated the experiments a good bit.

On the first day, the acoustic sounds in Box 1 and 2 were both produced by single, electric metronomes.   In box 1 (the partially acoustically insulated box), the metronome was set to 120bpm, in box 2 (the fully acoustically insulated box) the metronome was set to 40bpm.  On the second day, two metronomes in the first box were set to 80bpm, and 4 metronomes in the second box were set to the same pace.  Changing the pace of the metronomes in the first day’s experiments seemed to significantly effect people’s perception of the space on the first day, which was notably lacking in the second set of experiments.

The results have been extremely varied, from people who’ve thoroughly enjoyed the experience, and have descriptive insight as to the different qualities of the space (though their perceptions of the two spaces are extremely varied as well), to people who were more confused about the goals of the experiment after they experienced the containers than when they’d just heard the description of the experiment.

I am finding that high thermal changes between the two environments are having almost the opposite effect on people as I would expect. One of the boxes is significantly cooler and less humid than the other, which I thought would be more comfortable and less “claustrophobic” feeling than the box which is warmer and more moist. Quite the opposite seems to be true. I’m not sure if it’s sense of vastness that’s more disorienting, or the lop-sided acoustic insulation, or the temperature difference which is creating the more disturbing environment; but that’s what we hope tomorrow’s set of experiments will determine!

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The shipping containers arrived yesterday at approximately 1pm, and construction of the haptic environments began shortly afterwards. Each box is a steel container, approximately 20′ x 9′ x 9′, with corrugated sides, a flat, wood floor, and four tie-rings on each side along the top of the interior. Chain link has been strung between the tie-rings, secured with zip-ties, for affixing the acoustic insulation (moving blankets, which are normally used to wrap furniture), and the tie-rings have also been used to hang the bamboo handrails, which are leveled and secured with sip-knots. Our site carpenter, Lee, is constructing two entry ramps which will both allow full closure of the doors, and will allow wheel-chair access into the installation.

Lee and I had some difficulty with the doors when we first tried them. I stepped inside to make sure the containers would be completely dark when the doors were closed. And they were!! But after shutting the doors, I was inadvertently locked in the container for a few minutes while Lee figured out the door mechanism. We spent some time outside the containers, learning how to operate the doors, so the same wouldn’t happen with visitors.

The first set of experiments is scheduled with the Sense of Place Conference delegates at 2:30pm today. A young high-schooler and aspiring architect named, Hattie, will be helping to run the installation and document the results.

More news to follow!…

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The Set up was in full-swing this weekend, with preparing materials for the installation. The two shipping containers will be lifted into place tomorrow morning up in the Strawberry Car Park of the Eden Project. Several major elements of the boxes were constructed in the last two days.

First were the handrails. Two “styles” of handrails were constructed from Eden’s surplus of bamboo stock. The first type included tactile warnings at the beginning and end of the rails, to indicated the ends of the box which will contain it. The second type was similar in that it employed the same kind of tactile warning system, however this rail also included tactile warnings at the locations where additional tie-ups would be attached. The railings will be hung from tie-rings located along the ceiling of the shipping containers. The railings have been equipped with a hitched slip-knot, allowing for a quick way to hang and level the railings once they’ve been clipped into the tie rings above.

The fabric was also prep’d for the olfacory queues.  Using peppermint extract, the sheets were sprayed down and scented.  This queue will test the viability of various deployments of scent.

Eight thermal boxes were also constructed which will be deployed to test the effects of heat variation on the perception of space; specifically scale.  The boxes were constructed of perforated stainless steel plates and duct tape, which will be arranged in various configurations within each experiment.

The metronomes have also arrived, which will test the “pace” of spaces.  From previous testing, it seems that slower audible tempos cause people to walk at slower paces.  Using a stop-watch, we’ll be monitoring the length of time people spend in each box, with each box containing a metronome operating at a different speed.  Do people spend more time in the box with the slower tempo?  We shall see!

Stay tuned for more updates on the project [and the conference] this week!

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The preparations for next week’s experiment have begun! Eden, the Sensory Trust and I are acquiring materials, prepping the site, and have set a schedule for running the experiment next week. We’ll be set up in the Strawberry Car Park at Eden as of Tuesday afternoon. The Experiment schedule is as follows:

Tuesday, public access 1pm-4pm

Wednesday, public access 10am-11am

Thursday, public access 10am-12noon; Sense of Place conference delegates 5:30pm-6:30pm

Friday, public access 10am-12noon; take-down Friday afternoon

This is a progressive experiment, meaning it will be adjusted and changed based on the feedback received from those who experience it. So we welcome and encourage you to come and experience the spaces as many times as possible next week, to maximize the amount of feedback we receive. The more we can learn from your experience, the better we can teach others!

Materials List:

Boxes (Environment Frame)
-Two 20’ x 9’ x 8’ steel shipping containers

Railing (tactile shoreline)
-5-7mm cord
(reinforced cotton core w/ synthetic-sleeve)
-bamboo
(Eden to provide)
-glue gun & glue

Insulation Rigging (tactile shoreline/ Acoustic shoreline/buoys queues)
-silver emergency blankets
(quantity: must cover 1240sqft)
(two 9’x9’ planes & six 9’x20’ planes)
-moving blankets
(60 count)
-chain-link
(35mm max diameter to thread through 40mm tie rings)
(two 50’ lengths needed)
-200mm S hooks
(verify size against spring clamps)
(50 needed)
-2 rolls duct tape
-moving blankets
-1 pack spring clips

Tactile queues (thermal, buoys)
-hand warmers/ ice packs
(1 set per experiment)
-metal flashing
-nuts and bolts
(4 per pair of flashing)
-100mm S hooks
(50 needed)
-100 feet small gauge chain link
(verify 100mm S hooks, 35mm chain link and small gauge chain link
can all be connected)

Olfactory queues
-peppermint extract
-bed sheet/ linen/ muslin
(1 queen size flat sheet, or 7-meters)
-needle/thread.
-plastic bucket/ tub

Acoustic queues
-metronomes (delivered)
-desk fans
(two needed- Eden to provide) [acoustic/ tactile]
Ramp
-two sheets plywood
-four count, 2×4’s

Miscellaneous
-2 power strips (Eden to provide)
-1 gas-powered generator
-2 extension cords (Eden to provide)
-two rolls untreated cotton/natural fiber twine 100’ each
-batteries
(metronomes use 2-AAA’s each)

More blogs to follow, as the experiment progresses!