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Description
The project, which involved the design of a boathouse to be used by a sculling team, started with investigation into the act of rowing itself. I became interested in rowing as a SYSTEM - how the different parts interacted, how the various sets of mechanics were related, etc., and sought to emphasize the same set of relationships in my building.

The boathouse was supposed to be able to store lumber, build/repair boats, store boats, and launch boats. By orienting and organizing these respective areas in specific ways (bearing in mind the turning radius of the boat and the relationship of the small site to the entire lake), I hoped to convey the idea of a system. As you move through the building, passing various overlapping areas and catching glimpses of distant landscape framed by multiple layers of programmatic activity, you start to get a sense for how the entire process works.

I like how the whole thing developed, but in the end I failed where I always do: My project lacked grace and elegance. I think, overall, it would have been successful...but I have a tendency to be a little too structured, and often that lack of freedom leads to a lack of interesting form. Oh well - at least I know what to work on.

Process drawings: [link]
Final drawings: [link]

Description
The project, which involved the design of a boathouse to be used by a sculling team, started with investigation into the act of rowing itself. I became interested in rowing as a SYSTEM - how the different parts interacted, how the various sets of mechanics were related, etc., and sought to emphasize the same set of relationships in my building.

The boathouse was supposed to be able to store lumber, build/repair boats, store boats, and launch boats. By orienting and organizing these respective areas in specific ways (bearing in mind the turning radius of the boat and the relationship of the small site to the entire lake), I hoped to convey the idea of a system. As you move through the building, passing various overlapping areas and catching glimpses of distant landscape framed by multiple layers of programmatic activity, you start to get a sense for how the entire process works.

I like how the whole thing developed, but in the end I failed where I always do: My project lacked grace and elegance. I think, overall, it would have been successful...but I have a tendency to be a little too structured, and often that lack of freedom leads to a lack of interesting form. Oh well - at least I know what to work on.

Process drawings: [link]
Final drawings: [link]