Jenna Hauck: Architectural Design I

Project 01: Fibonacci Cube

This project focused on studying the Fibonacci Sequence and using the sequence to create a series of proportioned planes. Using those planes, we were tasked with making three architectural objects, suited for a specific landscape, using three planes each. Next, we were asked to choose the object we thought best suited the landscape, and using basswood and six more Fibonacci planes, make a model of an architectural object that also defined a 8"x8" cube.

Landscape: Tundra

I was assigned the Tundra biome as my landscape for this project. Through my research, I learned about both the Arctic/Antarctic Tundra and the Alpine Tundra, with most focus on the Arctic Tundra. The Arctic Tundra is a flat, cold landscape that receives most of its water through snow. The Arctic Tundra does not grow trees, and most plant life in this landscape is non-vascular flora such as liverworts and mosses. The Tundra has long, harsh winters with strong winds and snow that tends to persist for long periods of time. One very important characteristic of the Tundra that had to be considered for this project is the permafrost, or the frozen ground that persists across the landscape. The Tundra presented a very unique set of challenges for designing withing a cube with only a few planes to use for every feature that would be needed for the architectural object.

Drawings and Model

Plane Study Drawing

Plane Study Model

Plane Study Model

This portion in the project required looking at three models built with three different sized Fibonacci planes in response to the assigned landscape. The model depicted in the elevation and paraline drawing combines the aspect of elevation and large protective walls that are needed for the landscape. The two models depicted in the images play with the concept of a large elevated plane and a small, enclosed space in response to the Tundra landscape. I chose the model depicted in the drawings to move on for the cube portion of the project since it combined both the elevation and enclosure aspects that responded the best to the Tundra's weather and permafrost.

Final Cube: Isometric

For the final segment of the project, we were tasked with building out from the three plane model that was best suited for our landscape. The original three plane model is painted in blue in the cube model and the drawings. We were given six extra Fibonacci planes to use and an unlimited amount of basswood, and were allowed to build as we wanted on our model to define the 8" x 8" cube. For the Tundra biome, I decided it was best to use my large planes to enclose one corner of the cube. I then used my two new medium sized planes to make stair-stepping style floating platforms up the side of my original large plane. I used my small planes and basswood to make a wall pushed away from the object to act as a blocking wall to keep snow drifts from forming directly on the side of the object. The overall design intent was to provide an enclosed, but elevated architectural object in order to keep the object off of the permafrost and protected from the harsh winds and snow.

Final Cube: Model

Final Cube: Interior Perspective