Objective view.

Subjective Observatory.

 

Studio. 2015

 

In the fall of 2015 I was back at Chalmers for my final year. The theme of the studio I chose was centered around the book Walden; or, Life in the woods by Henry David Thoreau, and explored the notion of isolation in contemporary society. The setting for these explorations was the island of Vargö.

My design aims, as a whole, to create an environment that enables the occupant to observe the surrounding landscape as objectively or subjectively as they need, in order to be able to see themselves, and their troubles, in relation to it.

Subjective view.

Vargö area + site.

Concept.

 

Two distinct views are chosen to observe. The views are on either side of the scale, one that creates an objective situation - a view of an island, and one that creates a subjective situation - a view of the seafloor.

Program.

 

The proposal is composed of two separate structures framing the two views. The structures are connected by a path.

One structure is a cabin, and the other a dock. The connecting path comprises steps, stairs, a bench and a wall, placed in the landscape where needed and in order to establish a clear direction towards the cabin.

Path between Dock and Cabin.

Design.

 

The formal and material language of the design is derived from the idea of extending the timeframe of the observation to more than a hundred years.

 

Form & Material.

 

By using an imitation of the material found in the surrounding landscape, the illusion of a structure carved or eroded out of the landscape was achieved. The illusion is then contradicted by using a formal language composed of -human made- straight lines and right angles.

Time.

 

The design is intended to be able to become a ruin, and later be re-used without the loss of architectural quality. It was therefore necessary to ”hard-code” the core architectural experience into the non-interchangeable elements of the design.

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Cabin plan.

Cabin section.

Dock section.

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Dock plan.

The Dock.

© 2016