DO Work Part II

After watching the first concert, I realized a few things. First, we need pop cicles, that would put our booth over the top!! Second the ground condition is going to be great. The terracing has been hard work (esp. in the rain) but I believe it will help tramendilously! I wish we would have stuck to our original idea of the canopy taking up the entire site. I think the whole site could use a bit of shade. But nonetheless what ever we get accomplished this semester, will have a positive overall effect on both sites!

The Spring Jubliee should be an exciting time...until then, DO Work SON!!!

Do Work...

Spring break was very interesting, we (some of us) did work! We saved the Clemson site from erosion! And in Pendleton we poured a big ass slab of concrete. But really Spring Break this year was a lot more fun than years past, since I usually stayed and worked in studio, so at least this Break I got a lot of sun. And worked on my 22's (biceps)!

Also drew up the plans for the grill, picked on Janis a lot, and recruited more temporary helpers( since it is so damn hard to get work out of some of the slackers) LoL. No but really I did really recruit some more help!

A GROUND BREAKING WEEKEND...

The weekend was full of energy in both groups. First, since both sites broke ground before Monday it appears we are all ahead of schedule. Clemson site mocked up the idea on Friday evening, and Pendleton broke ground Sunday afternoon. Both were achieved with the majority of the groups participation! We had a positive energy the whole time which will hopefully remain with us through the next couple of months.

At Clemson, we collected 300ft of bamboo in less than 30 minutes. Thanks yard in which we collected it from. The journey back to the site with 15 - 20ft poles was also an adventure. Once we erected the poles and triangulated them, we noticed that Brad was right. The installation really was not that big. People stopped by and asked what we were doing and as I explained to them, they were really excited!

At Pendleton, we dug for about 3.5 hours. My M.V.A (most valuable architect) was by far S.Wade, (hell of a digger). Collectivley we got the job done with only a little dirt clump fight! But all and all we had a lot of fun.

Three days after the review...

seemingly the review last Friday was successful! The projects seem to be moving forward and becoming simplified at the same time. New lines are being drawn and areas are becoming defined. With the studio time coming close to an end, I believe everyone is getting very anxious to start building. I, myself understand that this is probably not the best solution or attitude to take towards a project. I think the more we can get done in studio the better. I see it as a design challenge, like every semester before...I would make it in studio, figuring out everything that I could and then make it in the computer. The way I always saw it was, if I could figure out everything before I made it in the computer, then making it in the computer would be simple. On the other hand, I understand we as a group or class have little to no experience in real world construction, although, we do have plenty of design experience. This is why I am glad to see the project becoming more simple and less complex, although wanting to "start making things" should start in studio, working every possible scenario out with 'little sticks' prior to using more expensive building materials on site I believe will be much more beneficial and less expensive. Sometimes jumping into something works, although sometimes it does not. If we are tired of working in studio and think it is easier to just go to the site and start making, I think we might be wrong. But only time will tell...

The Deconstruction and Reconstruction of the Ron Box

The last few days have been very exciting for everyone. We have successful cut down the Ron Box in a series of interesting sections, re-captured the hidden or imbedded doors which lay insided the former Ron Box. Met plenty of the locals as we cooked weenings, drank pop, talked with the cops, and burned 95% of the wood which made the old Ron Box. Yesterday, two days after the bon fire, we built a mock up 1/4 scale version of one of the letters of the new Ron Box. The concrete is still curing and should be ready for its world or studio premiere tonight! More work to come...

Simplifying Pendleton...

Progress of the Pendleton site...the site model has been completed and four renditions for the site have been built and placed in the landscape. Ideas are starting to come together more as a group now than ever. With the completion of the landscape model, people are saying it is easier to think about context. The girls are working on the ron box and us guys are considering concrete. I have brought in a few on my concrete and fiber optic study models from a few years ago, to maybe inspire the ron box or the way we light Pendleton. After today...

Preparing Pendleton cause...We Are Back!!!

Although we still have not completed the grill, thrown a bbq, involved the community so much, the wheels are definitley turning and the bulbs a flicker'n.

The last week we have been on-site a handful of times and the community is becoming aware! One car stopped by and asked 'what are ya'll going to do?' Robbie E. responded and informed them of some of our up and coming moves. Another man who was walking by stopped and asked us, 'when are ya'll gonna get started?' I told him that 'we are starting!'

Signs are being made, the landscape is becoming united, lights are to be installed, changes are coming! The process has been very exciting, the team is seemingly on the same page, participation is solid and expectations are high.

Ideas on starting and completing Pendleton...If we are honest, some of us can be working on the site: deconstructing the 'ronbox', laying out the lines in the landscape, fixing the bbq, selecting materials, getting materials to the site, wrapping the inside of the memory box, removing the steel frames of the existing (or not so much) porch, cleaning the site, preparing the site. While others finish the look of the (ampetheater/stairs/benches), select lights, understand the folds of the landscape, consider the historical marker, write text for the historical marker, talk with the community, and think of ideas to incorporate the community.

I am sure there is much more than that to do, but if we can be doing some of these at the sametime, I think we can finish in a few months. Or maybe we phase it out and only think about some of it this semester. But I think, if we use are time wisely we can finish our ideas.