/  by Thomas DeVoss

studioarchitectura:

Environmental Sections. Took a long time to do this. Not the photoshop work itself which took around 6 hours but actually setting up the illustrator file and figuring out the details took a while. The drawing had to show sun angle as well, which is not very visible on the screen but I think it will be much more visible when its printed on an A2. If you have been following my previous posts on the project, you can see that its developed quite a bit from the concept sketch I had after the mid-semester review. I needed to show that it was a semi-conditioned space so I’ve made the interior in the winter section a bit warmer to show how conditioning works. There is a closed greenhouse that’s not connected directly to the housing as seen in my concept sketch but they still kind of work in tandem with each other, otherwise it would have been quite impractical. I haven’t shown any arrows to indicate how the ventilation works but the open louvers in the summer section indicate how the venting works in summer and they’re entirely closed in the winter section. They deciduous trees are good for shading in summer and letting as much light in as possible during winter, by shutting down during winter it and effectively reduces moisture build up which means lesser venting, which in turn means more heat is conserved. And bloody hell I need to get my sleep pattern back on track. 

/  by Thomas DeVoss

ryanpanos:

Inhabiting Infrastructures: Indian Stepwells | Socks Studio

The stepwells are generally storage and irrigation tanks in which sets of steps must be descended in order to reach for water and maintain the well itself. These structures are mostly common in western India and in arid regions of South Asia where they provide regular supply in regions affected by heavy seasonal fluctuations in water availability.

The stepwells, (the erliest date to 600 AD), essentially appear as infrastructural monuments for water collection, huge artifacts somewhere between landscape and architecture sunken in the earth. They are usually composed of two constant elements, a well and an access route: the well collects monsoon rain percolating through layers of fine silt (to filter particulates), eventually reaching a layer of impermeable clay. The second elements, the staircases, are descended to reach water and allow the use of the infrastructure. There are no two identical stepwells, as each one of them, – about 3000 were built -, reveals specific features in the shape and in the decorative motives; in some cases the stepwells host galleries and chambers around the well.

/  by Thomas DeVoss

mindyourgarden:

Fort St Jean

In Lyon, Fort St Jean hangs above a rocky outcrop on the left bank of the Saône river. The project, which accommodates the new school of public treasury, asserts the site’s great quality with very simple principles : “Landscape buildings” slip into the fortifications repeating the vocabulary of terraces, walls and glacis.

by In Situ

/  by Thomas DeVoss

mindyourgarden:

Boerenhol [ParK]ing

The Boerenhol’s [ParK]ing is an experimental garden. How recycling form, usages and the soil of a parking to create a new public space?
An innovative and ecological solution in a world where soils are more impermeable. The idea to remake a fertile ground from parking contributes to this debate.

by Wagon-Landscaping

/  by Thomas DeVoss

headyhunter:

Michael Grab has mastered the art of stone balancing. He explains how he does it. “The most fundamental element of balancing in a physical sense is finding some kind of “tripod” for the rock to stand on. Every rock is covered in a variety of tiny to large indentations that can act as a tripod for the rock to stand upright, or in most orientations you can think of with other rocks. By paying close attention to the feeling of the rocks, you will start to feel even the smallest clicks as the notches of the rocks in contact are moving over one another. In the finer point balances, these clicks can be felt on a scale smaller than millimeters. Some point balances will give the illusion of weightlessness as the rocks look to be barely touching. Parallel to the physical element of finding tripods, the most fundamental non-physical element is harder to explain through words. In a nutshell, I am referring to meditation, or finding a zero point or silence within yourself. Some balances can apply significant pressure on your mind and your patience. The challenge is overcoming any doubt that may arise.”

Find more heady works at www.headyhunter.com