Materials...

Seann and I have been progressing steadily as we make final decisions on form, floor plans, circulation corridors and towers etc. On Friday we were working on elevation studies and working on making material choices. To decide what materials to choose we began to look a case studies that dealt with materials we were thinking about... We mainly worked with the south side Friday as it was the main entrance facade and a good source for natural lighting. Since our site is in Goodland, KS we know that it is going to be very important for us to shade any openings. We worked with wooden louvers on the outside of the building and wooden panels that would slide on tracks on the inside of the building. Since our building shows a lot of emphasis on cantilevers and a separation between floors we were concerned about making the front facade all one material or showing it as one material. The elevations that we came up with are combinations of the different ideas that came about.

Making progress...

Alright... so I think Seann and I have finally settled on a set of floor plans for our Ag Research Facility in Goodland, KS. We have started to put into Revit and are looking at the 3D model to search for the best structural pattern. It's been a busy week, so we are just hoping to keep making progress... since the deadline is near. Pictures are to come...

Form found... structure built...

Having a good start on our Agriculture Research Facility, Seann and I have finally settled on a form after much debating on site layout and access. The form that we decided on comes from the notion of the grid pattern of seeds within the center of a sunflower. We next looked at our design from a structural point of view

and built a model to allow ourselves to fully understand our

design and fix flaws that came about. Our next move is to fully

define and put into scale the spaces within our building.

History of the Red River Valley... architectural expression

Diving into the new project, designing an Agriculture Research Center, inspiration must be gathered from somewhere. As Steve Martens might put it, you need to "stock your bank" with all the information possible so that you can move forward on to the next step of the process.

It is necessary to look at the agricultural systems, work ethic, and materials of the past for inspiration. The way things were done in the past in the Red River Valley made it what it is today. With westward expansion of the railroad and the opportunity for land grants, people kept moving west. Small plots of land were used for growing, and with success, more land was planted.

Present agricultural equipment and materials must also be taken into consideration. It is our current work ethic that brings about the metaphor of the "machine in the garden." Mechanical equipment, has taken over the horse and human hands.

These together can bring upon new possibilities...