Getting Ready...

THE PRECEDENT | LOTUS HOUSE; KENGO KUMA

I've always loved this travertine screen, by Kengo Kuma, and no matter how much I have tried to force using it as a precedent, it has never found its way into my designs.

Coincidentally, when flipping through a Stone Design book to look for a different Kuma project for some inspiration, I happened to open to this page instead. Needless to say, the one time I had no intention of looking to the Lotus House for a spark, it finally gave it.

What is so beautiful to me about this screen is the contrast of its delicate form versus the implied strength and solidity of masonry.

Coupling the form of this screen with a planted, living element seemed a good path, so I took it.






THE IDEA | CONCEPTULIZING

Though Kuma's screen and living walls are gorgeous, the biggest problem with them is this: they cost your arms, legs and then some. And as appealing as building and using my hands was, I think that the biggest draw of this course was to take these ideas and technologies, and put them within reach of normal people with normal sized wallets. What became the most important to me was designing something that was easily replicable by anyone with access to basic tools.

The idea was that these long blocks would stack as a normal masonry wall would, but would be staggered to create voids where plants could grow. These blocks could easily be slid into place over rebar reinforcements. Once in place, an expanding concrete mixture would be poured in the rebar cavities to further support the structure.

Also, to reduce the weight, I decided to make the wall thicknesses as narrow as possible. Since the blocks would be long and narrow, this meant that the broad sides would be put into tension. Being masonry, concrete acts well in compression, but needs a little assistance when being put into tension. So, since this class is also about experimentation, I decided to try reinforcing it with fiber glass.

THE REAL DEAL | REALIZING THE PROJECT

• fiber glass
  

[1] The tools for mix-in, fiber glass reinforcement. A sealed container to keep the fiber glass in; 'Fiber glass mat' found at a local hardware store in the painting section; Coffee and scissors (maybe not simultaneously); protective gloves and mask to protect from fiber glass. [2] I unfolded the fiber glass mat and cut about 2" strips (any size really works; cutting strips just makes shredding the mat more manageable). [3] After shredding, I had several inch long, individual strands. [4] I mixed in enough to make my concrete look thoroughly hairy. [5] Then I mocked up several potential wall thicknesses. [6] A broken mock-up piece with fibers showing.

• the form

My final block was designed to be 6" wide, 7" deep, and 24" long, made from 3/4" ply. Knowing that I would need to make many of these blocks, I decided to make a form that could be easily reused. So, I went with a hinged system that could be opened and closed at a user's leisure. To ornament the faces, I decided to create 'scoring lines,' with one pattern on each broad side so that the block could be reversed to add variation to the overall screen's appearance.

[1] To create scoring on the faces, I used a table saw, set at 45 degrees. After making a cut on some MDF, I just flipped the board over to create pyramidal strips. Repeat as needed. [2] The 'score strips' glued to the mold wall. [3] Top view of 'score strips' on broad sides of mold. [4] Attached to the base of the mold are the mass to create a planting vessel in the final brick, and PVC pipes to create a voice to slide the rebar through. It's important to keep in mind that what you build in the mold will be reversed in the final product; a mass created in a mold (the angular mass in the middle of picture 4, in my case) leaves a void in the physical product (a planted void for my project). [5] Hinges attach from the sides of the mold to the base. [6] All pieces are painted with oil-based primer to protect the wood from moisture and wear (at least, kind of).


The final mold will be held closed with straps. This way, it's easy to open and close with out damaging the plywood mold.

NEXT STOP, POURING!