Friday, 3 April 2009

Library project

A reminder of what Horowhenua is, or WAS (if my ideas are listened to), planning to do

It's time to break free of the box. Click here to see some of my inspiration as I begin to create a more organic, natural form

Here are a few of the buildings currently influencing my thoughts - the dominant theme is increasing the use of natural materials and adding more visual and textural variety whilst maintaining a simple, understated, elegant feel.

I love the sculptural affect that his been achieved with cedar curves and slates on the Meredian Building in Wellington

I really love the textural variation that has been been achieved with bamboo in this building designed by Ricciotti.

I'm also incredibly passionate and excited by bamboo constructed buildings. This giant grass is a renewable, restorative and versatile building material. Structural bamboo has been certified for international building codes – the first time bamboo has ever been code certified. Now this certified structural bamboo material is available for use by architects and engineers throughout the world. Bamboo has superior ability to create biomass and replenish the earth’s oxygen supply, while creating high quality, beautiful structural material.

The Ancient Spirit of Bamboo
Symbolism. As an evergreen, bamboo is one of the "three friends of winter." Bamboo represents a strong but resilient character.1
Bamboo is quick-growing, high, straight, very strong, and evergreen. Therefore, the Chinese have compared "fair, straightforward, sincere people of high spiritual qualities" to bamboo since the ancient times.2
Garden. Bamboo is used in every traditional Chinese garden for its beauty, the rustling sound of its leaves in the breeze, and the feathery shadows it casts on walls of the garden.3 Traditional Oriental belief holds that a bamboo grove restores calmness and stimulates creativity. Bamboo groves were a favorite dwelling place of the Buddha.

"Three friends of winter". Plum, pine and bamboo symbolize in East Asia the virtues of the ideal scholar, purity of spirit, longevity, and flexibility. The plum tree perseveres through winter, blossoming white afresh through the snow. The pine tree endures evergreen throughout the seasons, and bamboo, always green and flexible, bends in difficulty, but does not break.4

All Pervasiveness. The western world, including Australia, is not yet taking the spectacularly useful bamboo plant seriously, in spite of millions being spent on research in Asia. There, bamboos feed the people, house them, grace and shade their environment, provide musical instruments, cooking and eating utensils, furniture, hunting weapons, ceremonial artifacts, carrying and storage baskets, lampshades, ropes and strings, roof tiles, hats and hundreds of other practical and spiritual uses. Accordingly, the people show great reverence for this wonderful plant, which is the fastest growing renewable resource known.5

Chinese Character for Bamboo: The Appeal of Nothingness. Bamboo is the natural symbol of the wealth of nothingness because it grows into space, which for the masters of Zen represents the subtle centre of spiritual development. More generally it is a symbol of fertility, altruism and a happy family in the image of a mother plant feeding her family around her.

The invention of the 8 trigrams in the YI KING (a sacred work in Asia) has been attributed to the legendary Fou-Hsi in 2900 B.C. The full strokes (YANG) and the separated strokes (YIN) suggest the stem of bamboo and its nodes. The cadences reflect the essential rhythms of life in TAO philosophy.6
source and further information www.bambooliving.com

Japanese architect Shoei Yoh is one of my all time favorite bamboo inspired architects - his buildings are soulfully delicious

The simple cedar slates appeal in this update of Tawa Library

And I definitely adore anything with a green roof.

here is the world's largest "living" roof - sitting proudly above Vancouver's Convention Centre

and another more humble abode with lawn upstairs!

I believe in the power of art to create healing, restorative and inspiring soul spaces for people. Art work can play a powerful role in determining the emotional resonance of a space. A space that envelops the senses (smell, touch, sight, smell, sound) and art work that is well considered (and therefore well designed for) rather than being tacked on is an important of designing for purpose.

Here's a few "natural" sculptures that have caught my eye as I have been driving around researching this project.

This special carving greets people as they arrive at Paraparaumu Library

There is absolutely no reason at all that the building itself cannot be a work of art. Just look at what our legal profession is up to re the new and exciting design for the Supreme Court of New Zealand designed by architects Warren and Mahoney.

The external bronze screen symbolises the strength, and durability of Pohutukawa and Rata trees. The whole building will be surrounded by a stone plinth with outdoor outdoor seating for the comfort of members of the public and visitors to the court - as well as to criminals on their way to a less impressive environment- jail!