ARCHXLAND 2020
Now I am an old man, my eye-sight is growing dim, I would like once more to see the green prairies with their beautiful flowers, the trees standing, the springs flowing as they did in the days of my youth.
- W. S. Wilkinson 1904 (Wilkinson accompanied his family to stake aclaim at the far end of WAS on Friday 04/23/1848. The Wilkinson’s were one of the first white settlers to Madison County, IA. His father, John Wilkinson had come originally from Ireland and lived out the last decade of his life farming/homesteading at WAS.)
The quote from William Sidney Wilkinson was part of the original materials provided to the Madison County Historical Society at its founding. It represents how well within a single lifetime European settlers had completely transformed the Iowa landscape. Wendell Berry’s own conclusion was, “to care for the land, we must live close to the land.” It is a not a call to preserve, conserve or view the land but to actually be engaged in living within the land. The first step is to address the ways in which we are currently separate or apart from the land before we can engage effectively in caring for it and the land for us.
In our prologue project, we will refer to Eric Higgs “Ecocultural Restoration”in which Ecological Fidelity and Cultural Fidelity are developed in tandem coordination. The ecological work of caring for the land is paired with “participation and cultural livelihood language, place, health and well-being, traditional knowledge, sustainable economies, regional design and social justice. These cultural aspects can also be summarized as tending for the past, present and future of the people living on the land. The respect for the people is well represented in Basso’s Wisdom Sits in Places and how the language of people living close to the land revealed a much deeper connection than most of us currently possess. The language (cultural fidelity and traditional knowledge) is an important vehicle for maintaining a sense of place. In other examples, such as Eating the Landscape (Salmon, 2012) and the project Reinstating-Lekwungen-Kwetlal-Food-Systems (2016) food become a means to restore or redesign our relationships. The duality of cultureXecological exists in parallel with architectureXlandscape.
We want to build on our observational inquiries in the field trip project to help us connect to a new site. Our prologue site will be the location of the Holliwell School. This site is part of our larger project location, the Westbrook Artists’ Site (WAS) that will follow.
- W. S. Wilkinson 1904 (Wilkinson accompanied his family to stake aclaim at the far end of WAS on Friday 04/23/1848. The Wilkinson’s were one of the first white settlers to Madison County, IA. His father, John Wilkinson had come originally from Ireland and lived out the last decade of his life farming/homesteading at WAS.)
The quote from William Sidney Wilkinson was part of the original materials provided to the Madison County Historical Society at its founding. It represents how well within a single lifetime European settlers had completely transformed the Iowa landscape. Wendell Berry’s own conclusion was, “to care for the land, we must live close to the land.” It is a not a call to preserve, conserve or view the land but to actually be engaged in living within the land. The first step is to address the ways in which we are currently separate or apart from the land before we can engage effectively in caring for it and the land for us.
In our prologue project, we will refer to Eric Higgs “Ecocultural Restoration”in which Ecological Fidelity and Cultural Fidelity are developed in tandem coordination. The ecological work of caring for the land is paired with “participation and cultural livelihood language, place, health and well-being, traditional knowledge, sustainable economies, regional design and social justice. These cultural aspects can also be summarized as tending for the past, present and future of the people living on the land. The respect for the people is well represented in Basso’s Wisdom Sits in Places and how the language of people living close to the land revealed a much deeper connection than most of us currently possess. The language (cultural fidelity and traditional knowledge) is an important vehicle for maintaining a sense of place. In other examples, such as Eating the Landscape (Salmon, 2012) and the project Reinstating-Lekwungen-Kwetlal-Food-Systems (2016) food become a means to restore or redesign our relationships. The duality of cultureXecological exists in parallel with architectureXlandscape.
We want to build on our observational inquiries in the field trip project to help us connect to a new site. Our prologue site will be the location of the Holliwell School. This site is part of our larger project location, the Westbrook Artists’ Site (WAS) that will follow.
Re-imagining the Holliwell School at WAS
ARCH 301 as the tracing of the Holliwell School of mid 19th to 20th centuries. A one room school house typical of the Iowa prairie. Initial project at was based on this site and related concerns for the ecology of Iowa native landscapes.
The Holliwell School existed for about 80 years at the Westbrook Artists’ Site (WAS). What is left at the site is a well, a mound, and some trees. The school structure was sold off in the 1950’s and relocated to another property to be used to store hay for cattle. The site without the school structure remains prominent as a small crest that affords views of the surrounding river valley, hillsides and gateway to the Holliwell bridge. The school provides a few interesting challenges. One is understanding the landscape via the history.
The Holliwell School existed for about 80 years at the Westbrook Artists’ Site (WAS). What is left at the site is a well, a mound, and some trees. The school structure was sold off in the 1950’s and relocated to another property to be used to store hay for cattle. The site without the school structure remains prominent as a small crest that affords views of the surrounding river valley, hillsides and gateway to the Holliwell bridge. The school provides a few interesting challenges. One is understanding the landscape via the history.
Hollwelll School 1890’s (entrance facing NE) northwest corner of school 41°19'16.38"N 93°57'27.99"W alt. 963
Numbering an astonishing 12,000 to 14,000 at one time, depending on what report you use, Iowa had more one-room schoolhouses than any other state in the union. Though the last one-room schoolhouses closed their doors permanently in 1967 through legislative decree, many of the structures remain today in various states of decay or renovation. They were spaced throughout the countryside in intervals no more than four miles apart, ensuring students had no more than two miles to walk to school.
In 1869, there were 75 one room schoolhouses in the county. Schools were one room and served students who were able to walk there routinely. The school was part of the grid organizing settlement of the land and signifies the transition of displacement “finding gold” to use the phase presented in “Becoming Native to This Place.” As noted, there is still a physical remnant or mark of this past inhabitation but mostly we feel an absence.
In 1869, there were 75 one room schoolhouses in the county. Schools were one room and served students who were able to walk there routinely. The school was part of the grid organizing settlement of the land and signifies the transition of displacement “finding gold” to use the phase presented in “Becoming Native to This Place.” As noted, there is still a physical remnant or mark of this past inhabitation but mostly we feel an absence.
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Holliwell Schoolhouse Project
Rain Pavilion by Griffin Lilly The space created was inspired by the water collection of the past and the form and footprint of the schoolhouse. The rainfall collected from the roof would run through the gutters out the scuppers and into a dry creek running roughly the center of the structure. The water would be filtered through wetland grasses and then once more through a rock filter before being stored in the cistern. The decking was elevated with the pump so users could access this interaction with more ease. This could be a space where you collect or distribute water via the pump or a location to retreat to during a rainstorm. One skill that is critical for good architecture is organization this site web/ flow chart is an approach to order. This acted as a tool to link and record thoughts on how the site and existing structure interact and so on. Site webs are a great was to get your ideas on paper in a much more visible format. The space also acts as a vantage point to take in the surrounding landscape and interact with it at a closer scale. |
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Mussel Restoration by Cam Scott
The overall goal is to address the past abuse of Iowa rivers by creating a facility to cultivate mussels in order to restore their populations so that future generations can once again enjoy a clean river system. The intention is to create a simple structure to house the necessary components of a mussel farm.
The overall goal is to address the past abuse of Iowa rivers by creating a facility to cultivate mussels in order to restore their populations so that future generations can once again enjoy a clean river system. The intention is to create a simple structure to house the necessary components of a mussel farm.
Haven Henningsen
Studies of existing barn (1930s) and corn crib (1945) at WAS.
The first step is to recognize that conservation traditions exist in cultural practices and beliefs that are separate from Western traditional conservation…. The views of the white ashes of forest trees that have been felled and burned for an agricultural plot may appear to an urbanite outsider to be a desecration of the wilderness, but a farmer may see it as an essential stage of renewal.
- Gomez, Pompa and Kaus 1992
The first step is to recognize that conservation traditions exist in cultural practices and beliefs that are separate from Western traditional conservation…. The views of the white ashes of forest trees that have been felled and burned for an agricultural plot may appear to an urbanite outsider to be a desecration of the wilderness, but a farmer may see it as an essential stage of renewal.
- Gomez, Pompa and Kaus 1992
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Griffin Lilly
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Wind Interactions - Corn Crib by Cam Scott
Harvest for corn happens from September to October when wind tends to come from North West or South West directions. In order to optimise grain drying capabilities, the Corn Crib has slits along its fascade which allow air to enter into the structure. While cold air is free to pass through the crib, warm air rises up to where the grain is stored where it is then trapped; allowing the grain to dry.
Harvest for corn happens from September to October when wind tends to come from North West or South West directions. In order to optimise grain drying capabilities, the Corn Crib has slits along its fascade which allow air to enter into the structure. While cold air is free to pass through the crib, warm air rises up to where the grain is stored where it is then trapped; allowing the grain to dry.
Ashlee Boelter
Ashlee Boelter and Eli Schwarzkopf
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Site visits
Ecocultural Landscape - Projects
The goal of the Ecocultural landscape beings with the harsh admission of the damage humans and specifically European settlers wrought. Regardless of past ethical and moral failings we have a current and future conditions in which we must care for land or the land will cease to care for us.
Joey Alessio
Bird and Bat Sanctuary
The Corn Crib was re-created as a bird/bat sanctuary with the sun and wind in mind. The space is open to the elements and open to the animals that can inhabit it. The program itself is a space for nature that humans can visit, but not inhabit. - Ashlee Boelter and Eli Schwarzkopf
Ashlee Boelter and Eli Schwarzkopf
Main site section
Dakota Dehnke