Tuesday, June 14, 2011

HANDS ON ARCHITECTURE -2


The structure was made of reclaimed Cypress, which had to be hand-planed in the school's model shop. Adamson brought in extra tools and gave students training before they begin finishing the wood.

The pavilion was erected under a tent right on School of Architecture grounds, which gave wide exposure to the project to hundreds of students and professors passing by. It was built in three modules, so it could be transported by trailer for assembly at Motes Orchid.

“The Sales-Display Pavilion built by the UM Design/Build class is a structure perfectly matched to its site and use," said Motes Orchid owner Martin Motes, who bought the materials for the project. "The light airy design, providing ample air flow and visual interest reflects the best atmospheric qualities of the greenhouses where the flowers being displayed and sold have been grown. Similarly the choice of materials, predominantly native Cypress mirrors the wooden baskets in which the plants are rooted and the slat roofed growing house where they have been cultivated. The Design/Build Pavilion combines beauty and functionality in a way particularly suited to Motes Orchid.”

Adamson -- who has spent a lifetime living on-site in exotic places while he builds his site-specific, environmentally-sensitive designs -- said the project stressed hand craftsmanship.

"The important thing is students need to know the implications of their design. If you never touch the stone, the 2x4s, the materials -- you never know about your design," he said. "Simplicity is the lesson to teach to students -- to be practical. Students might want to overdesign something to show off to a professor, but this taught them that some of the best buildings are the more simple buildings.

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