Adam Grimm - River Pyre 2019
“The building that either serves a single function or does something more complex in an
unexpectedly small space”
- Richard Horden
Calling it a project is not quite accurate as this has been more of a journey, an exploration, a voyage with concepts of design at the helm. This has been an evolution of ideas resulting in the interplay of a thing in a place; unpredictable, but holding some level of intrigue nonetheless. Design/build architecture is what I am drawn to – something that I can only hope to define as my career unfolds. Presently, I feel most connected to the process when I make and construct with my hands. No amount of pondering, planning, sketching, or any other type of investigation can replace the tactile experience of doing. Of course, less planning leads to more improvisation where deadlines are in play, but I find this mode
to be productive for me in most cases. To be in the moment, in unfamiliar spaces, and take action. To cling to a solution in the midst of urgency and constraint.
To understand my impulse to build is to analyze my own experience. This is an opportunity to tell you about myself, my past, etc. but that tale is boring. Instead, the “project” will hopefully speak to these attributes; my process, the build, and the journey over the past sixteen weeks distilled into a Statement on Interdisciplinary Design (SID).
River Pyre 09/01/19 - RP will be the foundation for a new exploration with ISU Arch 301 studio later this month.
Winton and Amalia Wilke visit before a morel hunt. “Beholding the itty-bitty, you feel momentarily
omnipotent. You have control.” - Mrs. James Ward Thorne
omnipotent. You have control.” - Mrs. James Ward Thorne
This work is a mashup of materials: old, new, highly refined, and spontaneous. This is a place to be alone, to contemplate, to rest, and be revived.
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Detail 05/03/19 - “Their very littleness gave me a way to contain myself; and suddenly I was not lonely anymore.” - Mrs. James Ward Thorne
One major discovery is that the spaces in which people exist is not necessarily “built” in the traditional sense. Rather than being surrounded by four walls, a floor, and a ceiling, the influence of technological devices creates unspoken boundaries between us. Our posture transforms from eyes forward and
searching to downward, facing what is in our hands, embracing a cocoon of oblivion.
searching to downward, facing what is in our hands, embracing a cocoon of oblivion.
Project presentation ISU College of Design 05/01/19
This project didn’t really take shape for me until I took my first trip out to Westbrook Artist Site near Winterset. Friday, April 7th was my first of four trips down to Westbrook Artist Site which became pivotal for this entire work. I did come with what I thought to be a fairly refined model for my build with consideration for the reuse of materials from Field Chapel, a previous student project already on site.
Still, I cannot overemphasize the importance of being there in person. Where I felt I was making headway in phases 2 and 3, I now realized how much I was missing by not giving site
research its due diligence.
This project didn’t really take shape for me until I took my first trip out to Westbrook Artist Site near Winterset. Friday, April 7th was my first of four trips down to Westbrook Artist Site which became pivotal for this entire work. I did come with what I thought to be a fairly refined model for my build with consideration for the reuse of materials from Field Chapel, a previous student project already on site.
Still, I cannot overemphasize the importance of being there in person. Where I felt I was making headway in phases 2 and 3, I now realized how much I was missing by not giving site
research its due diligence.
RENEWAL
CONSTRAINT
PROTECTION
CRAFT
DESIGN/BUILD
OMNIPOTENCE
CONTEMPLATION
COMMUNITY
SMALLNESS
SLOW MEDIA
INSPIRATION
VIRTUAL REALITY
MATERIALISM
Bench
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View looking in and out from NW wall
View to Field Chapel
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Drift log at the base
Hiking through the landscape and generally exploring the natural beauty of the area were essential for not only informing what the final build would be, but also for transforming and revitalizing my entire design process.
I learned that no amount of planning away from the site could have replaced the time experiencing the elements, the changing light, various elevations, textures, and limitless perspectives.
The field where the Field Chapel resides begins to taper and funnel to the West along the ridge of the Middle River where a path leads down to the water.
Hiking through the landscape and generally exploring the natural beauty of the area were essential for not only informing what the final build would be, but also for transforming and revitalizing my entire design process.
I learned that no amount of planning away from the site could have replaced the time experiencing the elements, the changing light, various elevations, textures, and limitless perspectives.
The field where the Field Chapel resides begins to taper and funnel to the West along the ridge of the Middle River where a path leads down to the water.
04/28/19 - Work in progress - Any manmade structure in nature can look invasive or out of
place; yet, the beauty of the natural environment began to compliment the structure in ways that I could not have accounted for.
place; yet, the beauty of the natural environment began to compliment the structure in ways that I could not have accounted for.
4/28/19 Field Chapel (Moore/Mahaffey, 2010) partially salvaged for use in the new work.
Before setting foot on the Westbrook site, I had formulated in my mind that I would be able to reuse the materials from Field Chapel, a previous student project shown on the left; however, the condition of the chapel was worse than expected. This would lead to greater improvisation on site where some of the material would be reused and implemented into a revised design.
Before setting foot on the Westbrook site, I had formulated in my mind that I would be able to reuse the materials from Field Chapel, a previous student project shown on the left; however, the condition of the chapel was worse than expected. This would lead to greater improvisation on site where some of the material would be reused and implemented into a revised design.
The build takes into consideration human occupancy, ventilation, sight lines, scale, and most importantly, its relationship to the landscape. This is not a domicile, but rather a monument to the impulse to reside in nature while wrapped in the safety of warmth and light.
New work in progress by Adam Grimm,
Viewed from across the Middle River late afternoon on 4/13/19
Large drift wood from flooding of Middle River under the structure.
Just before that path to the river begins, there is a sort of landing that hosts a few large pieces of driftwood that settled there from past flood waters. The area is partially hidden by a young tree line from the North and has an ideal vantage point of the river bend and sunsets to the West. I chose this spot for several reasons, but as the build progressed, the landscape began to take over and sort of justify the action.
- Adam Grimm, Iowa State University, Interdisciplinary Design, '19
Just before that path to the river begins, there is a sort of landing that hosts a few large pieces of driftwood that settled there from past flood waters. The area is partially hidden by a young tree line from the North and has an ideal vantage point of the river bend and sunsets to the West. I chose this spot for several reasons, but as the build progressed, the landscape began to take over and sort of justify the action.
- Adam Grimm, Iowa State University, Interdisciplinary Design, '19