Intensive Wrap Up!

What an amazing week!, It was unbelievable to meet everyone and spent time at the studio. Only a week but it felt like a whole month, I feel like I know everyone for a long time.

Well, I'm looking foward to see you guys again in January.

Here is a summary of my project for the Intensive, enjoy.

Dimensional Light
This project explores the concept of contrast between the light as a tri-dimensional volume and light as a two-dimensional object. The tridimensional light fills the space, defines an area; on the other hand, just like electronics the two-dimensional light stays on the surface as it diffuses onto the air.
Site
Walking around Copley Square at night I noticed how lively the area is; I couldn’t help to notice the role lighting plays on the buildings and the surroundings. The way it makes its tri-dimensional presence, bounces on different objects and screens the area changing the perception of the passerby.
Program
The electronic store in this building represents two-dimensional aspect of light. Electronics light is flat, they could show pictures, different graphics or videos but still the light produced by it is essentially two-dimensional. They all create a false sense of depth. The electronics store is within a tri-dimensional volume of light of the building complementing each other with their dissimilarities.
Massing
The main volume on the building will be illuminated from within creating a tridimensional light volume at night. The outer glass panels will filter the daylight creating different layers and texture into the space. There is a play between the positive and negative spaces created from carving the main solid volume, the verticality of the glass panels relate the adjacent buildings.

In my final presentation comments were made about the building's translucency from both inside and outside. How the "2D light" starts with technology and becomes a spacial experience or the "3d light". Also a comment was made about how the natural light will affect the space inside. We also talked about the building making reference to the stain glass windows from the church across the street. All these comment were very useful and I will be addressing the as soon as I can.

Object-Fabric Task

The University Club Tower is a 36 story building with luxury condo units in downtown Milwaukee. The Tower is part of a string of residential high-rises overlooking Lake Michigan along North Prospect Avenue. The unit prices range between $1.2 and $2.5 million and have staggering views of Lake Michigan and the Milwaukee Art Museum. It was designed by Peter Ellis from S.O.M. , the building was finished earlier this summer 2007. The tower is one of the highest buildings in Wisconsin and the tallest residential building in the state. The building is adjacent to the Kilbourn Tower which is also residential and it was finished in the year 2005. Designed by the local firm La Dallman, the tower stands at 33 stories and sits just 10 feet north from the University Club Tower.
Both buildings set a new standard of condo living in Milwaukee. In the last 10 years condos have been built at a fast pace around the downtown area. Just south of the University Tower are two of the oldest luxury living residential buildings around the area, The Regency, built in 1968 and The Cudahy Tower built in 1929. They are both very traditional buildings, built mostly of brick, granite and precast accents. There are buildings from each decade in the last 100 years along Prospect Avenue. The style and size varies dramatically, so there is diversity in terms of design.
The materials used on the University Club Tower are concrete, steel structure and curtain glass system. The concrete was “infused with ground quartz” so when sunlight hits it people see a glittery effect. The white color of the building relates to surrounding buildings like the Cudahy Tower and the Calatrava addition to the Milwaukee Art Museum. The building has a direct visual relationship with the museum as the floor plan’s radial shape to the south east directly overlooks the museum. There is a park across the street with picnic tables and several walkways that connect to the lakefront area. Residents are able to go down to the park and ride their bikes, walk their dogs or play "Frisbee".

Personally I think the University Club Tower blends well within its surroundings and the design works well considering its small footprint and its closeness to other buildings. It complements the Milwaukee skyline well with its prominent design. It also brings life to the area as more people move into the downtown area. I just think the price tag is way too high, unless you earn more than six figures or know someone who does you will never be able to experience life up there.

Observation and Analysis Task

For the city of Milwaukee, the lakefront is almost like a place of worship. During summer days, especially on the weekends, people from all over the city drive, walk, ride, skate, and stroll the parks and trails along Lake Michigan. There are festivals and special events all summer through early Autumn particularly at the “Summerfest Grounds” by the lake. The downtown area pushes right up to the lakefront, but there are not that many “pedestrian friendly” connections to the lakefront. Calatrava’s addition to the Milwaukee Art Museum attempts to rectify this problem with a dominant pedestrian bridge. The Museum works itself as an axis from east to west connecting Wisconsin Ave. visually and physically. O’Donnell Park is just in between the museum and Wisconsin Ave., the park is essentially on top of a parking structure. Di Suvero’s sculpture “The Calling” is located on the park area and is also aligned with the east-west axis. The sculpture was built in 1982 and when the museum addition was finished in 2001 some patrons of the museum wanted the sculpture to be relocated elsewhere because it obstructed the view of the high profile museum. What they did not understand was that Calatrava designed his addition to directly visually relate with the sculpture. If you stand on Wisconsin Ave. looking towards the lake the sculpture and the museum are perfectly aligned, as if they are one.

O’Donnell Park was the site of my Observation and Analysis task. The time was 6:45pm on typical summer weekday. My wife and I decided to go to the site after work; we packed up some food and drinks and headed down to the lake. When we got there we quickly sat on one of the picnic tables, ate and started sketching and writing. The atmosphere in the park was rather soothing, barely any noise; the landscape around the park help filter the busy traffic noise from Lincoln Memorial Dr. As the sunset gets closer the sunlight is blocked by the tall downtown buildings on the west, reflection off the glass buildings bounces light into the park. A light calming breeze comes from the lake as you can see and hear seagulls in the distance hovering over the lake. There are very few people around the area at this time of the day: a girl in rollerblades goes over the bridge as she tries to catch her friend; a group of teenagers gather around the plaza, some of them riding skate boards and some on foot; a girl stops her bike ride, sits on a bench and starts to talk on her cell phone; as I leave, an older couple walk towards the bridge and start taking pictures of the museum and lakefront.

The art museum and adjacent O’Donnell park are visual and physical links from the chaotic city to the peaceful lake. They reflect and bridge Milwaukee’s passion for the city and the lake. This area is the heart of Milwaukee’s business district, entertainment and dinning. It is the perfect harmony of nature and architecture working together to create an atmosphere of tranquility in the middle of a busy city.