thoughts, drawings, questions

Hello. These are some conceptual drawings I have been working on for the ideas I chatted with you all about on Tuesday, and some other ideas I wanted to share with you as well.  

_Recumbent Clock tower

Reinvention of something traditional. Spatial conditions created by moving parts. Opportunity to occupy something typically unavailable. Juxtaposition of clock in Flinder's Station with satellite belfry (as close de facto) and existing belfry in St. Pauls with recumbent clock. How could these two things communicate with each other? How would this affect/inform the city?
 
This is the 10,000 year clock I mentioned in class- http://longnow.org/clock/
(the coolest part is that with only ten bells, it plays a different chime everyday for ten thousand years. WHAT.)

_Urban Farm (and Agro Pods)

Close becomes a forum for markets and meeting- what types of conditions are needed for both of these programs to exist in one space? Parasitic vegetable agriculture pods cling to sides and rooftops of existing buildings, maximizing space in limited urban context, capitalizing on sunlight, providing sustainably-grown produce to consumers on local scale (at close market).

If you guys haven't heard of Vertical Farming before, here is a website. There are some really interesting large-scale designs on here too. http://www.verticalfarm.com/

Other ideas I am working with right now:

_Four Million mm Lense: A Community Photography Project

After finding this hella cool map: 

I am interested in designing a pavilion which facilitates the sharing of photographs taken by individuals to form a cohesive city image. The close is to be a public venue with film projections of images collected throughout the city via de facto camera stations (and iphones?). By allowing the public to take images, the projections at the close become an intimate view of Melbourne as seen through the lens of its occupants.  Maybe individual film rooms or pods show images from individual camera stations? Maybe images from various areas of the city are synthesized into one experience? Maybe both?

_Inverse Atmosphere

Four seasons a day, evrrryday. What is that? Inconvenient. I propose a refuge from this unpredictable, erratic weather. This project is to read the current weather conditions and provide the exact opposite. If it is rainy and gloomy out, this pavilion/intervention will be a place for people to bask in warmth and light. If it is sunny and sweaty out, it will provide a cool, misty escape. The de facto would be a reinterpretation of a weathervane that will inform the inverted atmosphere. 

13 responses
These are unique and VERY interesting proposals - you have a VERY AWESOME way of thinking - it's GREAT!

A friend of mine is in another studio that just have had to 'track their movements around north melbourne' using and iphone app - which then translates to google maps - i'll find out it's name for you - as it may tie in well with you 4th idea - so then you could have an interactive map showing where people are taking their photos from???

I'll find out and bring it to class this arvo for you
x

wow! Thanks, Rivkah. That sounds really neat! It would be awesome to be able to show where the images were being taken. great idea!
hey just incase you didn't get them...
it's maptraker or instamapper
xx
A very interesting idea. There's a lot you could do with this if you plug into the way the technology is developing A
Hmm Some intriguing ideas here. I wonder though, how can these projects be hyper site-specific? What about the scraping patterns on the sandstone and the windows of the schloss and the asphalt on the surface on the crypt and the streetscape of flinders lane? A
the map of melbourne is absolutely gorge-!! Fantastic idea too on the collaborative image thing :)
Ammon,

Thanks for the feedback, but I am confused as to whether you are proposing I look at those details as a different project, or to factor them into one of the above? Im feeling a little deflated in the realization that none of my projects seem to really be what the church wants in a practical sense, or be able to make money very easily.

Mads - definately don't feel deflated!
I thought your ideas were so strong and interesting!
DON'T give up on them!
Just 'transform' them into an architectural proposition!

eg - the urban farm example.

I LOVE IT - stick with it - but then just add to it.
Small defactos = vertical hanging walls with fresh produce.
Large defacto = the market - GREAT IDE - MUCH NEEDED BY THE CITY
THEN ADD

An underground cafe where the chef's cook with the produce from the vertical walls and market - a unique experience to add to the experience of melbourne!

DON'T GIVE UP ON THIS - IT'S GREAT!

thanks, Rivkah!

I was also thinking about adding a local foods cafe of somesort, or maybe cooking classes or something? Are crop shares popular in Melbourne? At home a lot of the local farms sold crop shares to people, which is essentially a basket of harvested vegetables every week (whatever is in season) that can be picked up at the market. I thought maybe if the pods were maintained by church volunteers, they could sell crop shares to make money also?

yeah - these idea's sound AWESOME!

Melbourne is has a massive cafe/coffee culture - so something that taps into this - i think is perfect! we are food snobs!!!

And as far as i know - crop shares aren't common place in melbourne - especially the CBD - so this idea definately has alot of merit! So you are also proposing something of need/new.

I really like this idea as the proposal is also good for the city of melbourne and the people - not just the 'church.'

KEEP UP THE FAB WORK!!!
xx

Is it also about the environment it creates? And contrasts?
What spatial qualities do the pods offer? A
Incorporate them and continue Be brave not reactive, your vision is valid and valuable. (The church might only see through their own eyes.) Other eyes are valuable, Just have a go at it A