The Group Final Project

For our final Arch 199 project, we designed the city of Octavia, a fictional place imagined by Italo Calvino in his text Invisible Cities. This city is described as “the spider-web city” and is held up solely by ropes and chains between two mountains. All buildings hang below the support system. Those who live in Octavia cannot be certain of their fate from day to day because, as Calvino points out, “they know the net will only last so long” (Calvino, 75). We took these ideas and transformed the fictional place into a real structure with a twist: the whole thing was made out of candy.

Using Lifesavers, Twizzlers, Fruit Roll-Ups, Starburst, Gummy Bears, dental floss, Hershey’s Kisses, and some rope, we created Octavia on a scale that spanned the size of a room. Below our city, marshmallow clouds rested upon a bedsheet that represented the void into which the city would inevitably fall. There were three main support ropes, with floss, Twizzlers, and Fruit Roll-Ups creating the rest of the spider web. Everything else hung from these supports, with nothing rising up.

Our construction of our masterpiece was most definitely on the fly, but it turned out much better than we initially thought. Our original idea was to have a dozen or so skewers with a pineapple on each side with some fruit on the skewers and some rock candy hanging as well; we were quickly told that this was too small scale and we had to shoot for the stars! When we finally secured our exhibition locale, the famous “Eagle’s Nest” room in Temple Hoyne Buell Hall, we really took a big step forward. We constructed the city in phases and different waves of volunteers. The structure went up Sunday, the houses and city elements early Monday, the clouds below on Monday night, and the great finishing touches before the unveiling on Tuesday.

With candy, we tried to recreate a lot of the elements from the description, keeping the principle that everything ‘hung below’ instead of rising. So our city, concentrated at the centre with clusters of ‘ground-scrapers and houses’ hung below. We also included elements such as people who inhabited the city. Ultimately ,we were able to create an edible model of a city that the inhabitants know will last so long, by making it out of substances that we wanted our audience to interact with and tear down.

This project provided an interesting experience, particularly with our choice of city, as it required us to pour all the knowledge we had accumulated over the course of the semester into a delicious model.  I’ll be the first to admit that I swiped a few starbursts and hershey kisses during the construction phase, but it was, nonetheless, an engaging project to have to assemble a city based solely upon a one page description provided by Italo Calvino.  Some features were deliberate and some features were unintended, but in the end I think we did a bang up job assembling Octavia for the class, not to mention it was incredibly delicious.

Creating an edible model of Octavia definitely turned out tougher in the end that I originally thought it would be. What seemed to be a simple design in the beginning led to multiple iterations before we could finally put all the pieces together. Although we wanted to make the model completely edible, we found that that would be next to impossible on the scale we were given, spanning the Eagle’s Nest. We needed to include a few non edible supports that would help steady the project until the Giants came and tore down the city. As we could see first hand, no one was ever sure when the city would be no more.

Week 13 - Philo

    For our final trip, we checked out Philo, Illinois, which happens to be "the center of the universe" according to their water tower. We looked at this small town to generalize small towns of the entire Midwest. We looked at the layout of the grain elevator and railroad as the center of town. We also learned about how the main roads are right there with the businesses, and then it turns to homes and then farms as you get farther away. It was a nice little town, but a bit quiet in my opinion. It was interesting to see how the large German population led to a Catholic influence on the area, which contains a Catholic school and church. Also, we were able to check out the local tavern for some snacks and sodas which was a great way to wrap up the class a bit.

Week 12 - Education Building/Krannert Art Museum

    This week we went and explored the Education Building and the Krannert Art Museum. The Education Building, pictured above, looks a bit like a Greek Temple. Internally, it's a pretty-symmetrical building with a plethora of classrooms and offices. As an engineer, it's certainly a building I would never step in if it wasn't for this tour. The building had two unique features that really caught my attention. First of all, it was really cool that you could get out on the balcony that wraps around the building. All of the offices allow you to get out there to look around and enjoy the weather. However, if you really want to enjoy the outdoors, the best feature is the garden on the West side of the building. It's a lovely walled-off area, with trees, shrubs, flowers, and benches to just relax and hang out. It really surprised me that something so nice was hidden away there.

    The other half of the trip was the Krannert Art Museum, which was our choice to check out. It's an unnoticed copper and granite building on the South end of campus, on the military axis. Inside we checked out a bunch of different art, which while cool, doesn't belong much on an architecture blog. 

Week 11 - More Campus Buildings

    This week we checked out a few of the buildings on campus that we haven't gotten around to yet. The first was the Main Library, pictured above. I've only been in the basement and passed through a couple times, so I had not seen much. There's three really cool features in the building. There are two massive, beautiful staircases inside. There's also a massive study room on the East side, with high ceilings and windows to give the building its height externally. Finally, there are the Main Stacks on the West side, which is a movie-like maze of shelves and books. It really is a cool building.
    The other two buildings we checked out were the Foreign Languages Building and Smith Memorial Hall. The Foreign Languages Building has a very interesting, "upside-down-pyramid" look to it. Supposedly, it is supposed to be an upside-down Tower of Babel. It has a unique sense of unity inside, and aims to bring the cultures together with openness. Smith Memorial Hall is just South of that, and is probably best described as a "little Foellinger Hall". It's a lovely building with a large auditorium with a stage, but just not of the scale of Foellinger.

Week 10 - Construction

    This trip we headed to a construction site, to see some of the near-end progress of the new veteran's building on campus. This was a unique tour because it was the first time we saw something that wasn't done. You could admire the design of the building for sure, as it thought about a lot of things. There are two elevators inside, and multiple lifts in the rooms to help the disabled. There are also large windows in the lobby area, so the veterans are able to see around the area and feel safe. It's considerations like those that most would forget about or not notice.

    However, the part of this trip that was really interesting was the construction aspect. You could see a massive project coming together, after years of funding, designing, and building. There were tons of workers on site, and the scene was bustling. It really was cool to see all of the detail that is needed.

Week 10 - Campus Cemetary

    This week we went to Mt. Hope Cemetery, on the South side of campus. It was a beautiful day, but a slightly gloomy tour. The first thing we did was check out the mausoleum, pictured above. It looked very nice in there, and had many tombs and a nice chapel. However, I found the latter part of the tour more interesting. We studied the layout of a cemetery, which is something you don't think about too often. It is divided up by many scattered roads, which serve to move cars and machinery throughout. The sections are not labeled, but you can pick out the patterns by looking at names and the type of headstones. There are sections for different religious affiliations, veterans, and families. There were two especially interesting groups. One was the wealthy families, who would have sections reserved with statues and obelisks. The other one that caught my attention was the athletic staff section which was closest to the football field. Overall, it was really interesting to think about how they lay out a cemetery, as you usually are not thinking about something like that when in one.

Week 9 - Campustown

    This week we took a tour through Campustown, which effectively is Green Street between 1st and Wright. It's the center of non academic life on campus, and is make up of restaurants, shops, and bars. We learned about the battle between the University, Champaign government, and local business, and saw how it shapes the environment. Basically, Boneyard Creek was a sensitive subject, so Green Street does not have any interaction with the creek, and the creek is actually ran underground.
    When it comes to the buildings, there are a few things in common. The buildings are mostly two stories, and all have glass fronts and tend to have awnings. An extremely interesting feature of a few buildings is that they've been built onto existing houses. The Clybourne and Firehaus both are built that way. I've been there many times and never noticed that those buildings are part house. We also got some interesting history of buildings, such as 309 Green being built where Burger King used to be.

Week 8 - Downtown Champaign

    This week we toured Downtown Champaign, starting from the train station and heading West down University. We learned of the city's history, such as how it began as West Urbana and eventually became it's own city. We also discussed some high level themes. As seen above in the image, there are two street grids. One is the conventional North, East, South West. However, the other is at a slant, and actually aligns itself with the railroad line. Throughout the trip, I also noticed many buildings for the first time. I usually just drive through downtown as fast as possible, so I've never seen or noticed the city hall, the churches, and the theaters. I also was able to see the parts that make it similar to many other places. The street names are common, like State, Church, and Main. It also follows a traditional pattern, with businesses in one place and away from that is the parks, schools, and churches. Overall, it was a very valuable experience where I gained insight into not only Champaign, but city layout.

Week 7 - Career Expo

    This week our class made the hike to the I Hotel which is a bit South of campus. I spoke with Thornton Tomasetti and Jimmy Johns, but the longest and most informative conversation came from Nucor. In particular, a subdivision of Nucor was there, called American Buildings. Nucor's made up of 20,000 employees, but American Buildings has about 250 people. They're located in El Paso, IL, and have four internal divisions. They focus on commercial buildings, typically buildings used for manufacturing. In the case that you joined them as an entry level architect, you would be part of a team and focus on detailing and estimating. After buzzing through the facts, I started to talk to them about myself and my Computer Science background. They let me know that they do hire CS students, but I already have an internship lined up.

Week 7 - BIF

    This week we took a tour through BIF, the Business Instructional Facility. We focused on the functional design, and the ways that it worked to be Lead Certified. The most noticeable feature of this is the roof. BIF has this interesting overhang that is surprisingly useful. As seen above, the Southern wall of BIF's atrium is entirely windows. This does a great job of letting in sunlight for passive heat in the winter months. However, in the summer when heat is not wanted, the overhang blocks the sun since it is much higher in the sky.
    Another approach that BIF takes is the materials. BIF was built to last, and the floors are specifically chosen to take wear and tear for an extended time. Also, BIF has gardens on the roof. This helps absorb sunlight, and causes the water that hits the roof to go to good use. In addition, there are arrays of solar panels on top of the lecture hall on the Southwest corner. While they don't provide a ton of electricity, they at least contribute some. Overall, BIF was an interesting building that I never have taken much notice of.

Week 6 - Creation of a Place

    This week in class we presented our created places for the first time. It was a day of realizing mistakes, where most of us discovered how many rules we broke and all of the things we could have done better. However, it was certainly a time of learning. Not only did I learn which constraints I failed to fulfill, but I learned a good amount about design. We did a great job of discussing how a place implies ideas, and really focused on the different axes of the building and the implied sense of flow.

    When it comes to my place in particular, I had a vision in mind, but realized afterwards that the idea did not work. I was picturing a theater, but due to the constraints, my design would not work. Also, as discussed in class, we should not be focusing on what the place is, but instead simply on the place itself. For the next presentation, I will certainly be making some changes.

Week 6 - The Erlanger House

    This week we took a trip to the Erlanger House, over in Urbana on Indiana Avenue. I've been to the house before, but it is always interesting to check the place out. It's not your conventional home, and the front is actually a brick wall, as seen above. The crazy thing is that this house is across the street from a lovely park, and I think most people would want plenty of windows in front to see the park. However, the Erlanger House has privacy, and it's own set of nature. Inside that brick chamber is actually a courtyard, and there are plenty of plants and animals in the courtyard and back yard when the weather is nice enough.
    However, the privacy is not what makes the home. The home has hard brick walls, and symmetry throughout. The house is incredibly minimal, hiding away utilities, the refrigerator, and even wall switches and outlets. The house also has a dance floor, and is very open. While this makes the place great for entertaining, I personally feel it lacks coziness and a sense of being a home. I would not want to live there if it was up to me.
    Overall, in an architectural viewpoint, the house is very well done. It's well planned, and certainly achieved what Mrs. Erlanger wanted in a home. She had privacy, elegance, and a place to entertain. The place is certainly a unique and cool place to check out.

Week 5 - Raise the Roof

    This week we took a tour through some of the campus buildings, looking at Huff Hall, the Armory, and the Football Training Center. We focused on the methods used to hold up the massive ceilings these buildings have.

    First up was Huff Hall. It does a great job of having many trusses that lead into one another, creating almost a web that supports the roof. The largest flaw with this gym was the multiple pillars in the stands, which block the view of events from the seats at times. We next looked at the Armory, as pictured. The ceiling is a surprisingly beautiful set of arching trusses, which come all the way from the ground up until a single point where they are held together by a single peg. The armory has never really struck me as too visually appealing, but I really could appreciate the inner track area here. Last we looked at the Training Center. This was interesting because the trusses run long ways across the building, and then secondary supports run the shorter path. Since the building was kept small enough, this was a cost effective way to make sure the roof was high enough for sports to be played inside.

Week 4 - Threshold

    This class session we discussed thresholds, and everyone had to bring in a threshold that they made, whether it was a model, a drawing, or a poem. I took a twist with the assignment, and did a threshold that relates to me. Since I am a Computer Science major and work with a lot of different software, I made a website. Websites have many thresholds in them, with one of the biggest forms being links to other pages. For this reason, I made a page that lets you choose between architecture and computer science, bringing you to a site about either one. My site can be found here: http://sapatostudios.com/threshold/

    Of the other projects, a few interested me in different ways. The drawbridge was very cool, since it really did function and could be raised or lowered. Also, I enjoyed the horse race bets, as it was an unconventional threshold, similar to my project. It will be interesting to finish up the rest of the thresholds and see what else is out there.

Week 4 - Mechanical Systems Tour

    This week we stayed right in the building, Temple Hoyne Buell Hall, and looked at our own mechanical systems. It's interesting because we don't heat or cool ourselves with gas or electricity, but instead use steam provided by Abbott Power Plant. This is actually common for most buildings on campus.
    When it comes to the specifics of Temple Hoyne Buell Hall, there are two lower floors that contain a lot of the mechanical systems. However, we were not able to get access down there. Surprisingly, we still we able to see a lot and discuss many things. As you can see in the picture above, if you look into the windows, there are large ducts that carry air throughout the building. Temple Hoyne Buell Hall is interesting because it does not try to disguise or hide its inner workings. You can easily see the large air ducts, but also you can see water lines, electricity, and roof drains throughout the building.
    On this tour, I learned a lot about functional design and the many things that you need to worry about when creating a large building. You don't tend to think about the mechanics of a large building, and usually instead notice the aesthetic design and the grand space. It's interesting to notice how they designed the building's air flow, and where to supply and where to return air. Even the way that the air ducts have to have pathways through the building, so there is that extra height on the building where they run, and then there are cut outs in the internal windows and walls for everything to run through. Overall, the building and the tour really help you notice how much work goes into a large building.

Week 3 - Krannert Tour

    This class we took a tour of the Krannert Center. I actually took a tour last year through Krannert, and this was basically the same tour, as we followed the same route and covered many of the same things. However, Krannert is certainly a world that I do not normally visit, so it was nice to check out what was happening throughout the building.

    We gathered in the huge atrium there, and met multiple employees and students there, all who are very welcoming. Everything there is pleasant, including checking our coats and them joking about how they will defend them. We were not able to get into all of the theaters, but we were able to view a few and discuss the specialties and attention to details of each. We also traveled down into the behind-the-scenes levels of the building, checking out the hustle of the wood shop, wardrobe, and class rooms.  

    So what did I take away from this tour, and what architectural notes do I have? I noticed that Krannert is built in both functionality and aesthetics. The building does not have a particularly notable exterior, but really shines once you get inside. The theaters are elegant and well taken care of, and it really is interesting how when a guest walks in, you simply notice the theaters and head on in. Only if you catch an elevator or head down the stairs do you see the industrial and functional design, and see how much work is really occurring. It's incredible how much goes on behind the scenes that you never notice. Another part of Krannert that interests me is the vast lobby area. We were told that it is 1.5 acres, or 9 tennis courts of space. It allows every show to be sold out and still be able to support everyone being in the lobby. Last, the attention to detail caught my eye. Materials were hand picked by the Krannerts when they donated the funds, and the acoustics and design was clearly thought out.

Week 3 - The Column Hunt

This week we needed to hunt down the five types of columns listed on our course website. Here's my findings. I decided on the "thumbs up" approach because to include myself hugging the column in the photo meant you couldn't see the column too much.

Doric

This column was a decorative piece on the West side of the Main Quad.

Ionic

This column was from the English building on the Main Quad.

Corinthian

This one was on the South side of Gregory Hall.

Tuscan

This one was taken at Grainger Library, on the Engineering Quad.

Composite

Lastly, this column was at the Natural Resources Building, on the South end of campus.

Week 2 - The Abbott Power Plant

    For class this week we hiked all the way over to the Abbott power plant, located in the Southwest corner of campus. We had a pretty brief tour through the plant, led by an engineer who works there full time. We quickly were given hard hats, eye goggles, and ear plugs, so you knew things were about to get real.
    The power plant inside is basically exactly as expected. It consisted of many machines and pipes, whirring and making a bunch of noise. Also, it was pretty warm in there at different spots, even with it being very cold outside. We were shown how they have many duplicates of each type of generator, whether it ran on coal, natural gas, or oil. They tend to burn natural gas and coal only, and one smoke stack is the steam from the natural gas and the other is the steam from the coal.
    One of the most interesting facts I learned on this trip is that the Abbott power plant does not power all of campus. They provide a lot of steam for the buildings, but actually we still have Ameren electric lines coming into campus that provide a lot of our power.
    The most fun on the tour that I had came from a silly part of the trip. On the West side of the building, they have conveyor belts that take the drop offs of coal and lift it up into the building. We were able to step into the tunnel-like frame that goes around the belt, and is tilted on about a 30 degree angle. The fun part about this is that you lose your sense of balance. The floor, walls, lights, and belt are all tilted, so you eyes tell your body that "down" is actually at an angle. So with gravity pulling you slightly sideways, you feel as if you're going to fall over. It's a very disorienting yet fun feeling to have your eyes and sense of balance disagree, as long as you can step out and suddenly be fine again. Overall, our trip to the power plant was a fun, concise, and informative trip.

Week 2 - The Axis of Campus

    For my first day of class, we took a walk from the South quad to the northernmost buildings. We discussed a few different buildings and areas, but mostly focused on the "Axis" of campus. The axis runs North to South, and shifts in the different sections of campus. In the South Quad, the axis is the farthest West. It starts from the center of Temple Hoyne Buell Hall, and passes David Kinley Hall. It is the West path of the South Quad.

    We then reach what many would consider the main part of the axis, which is the Main Quad. Here it shifts over just a bit East, right by the Undergraduate library. This is the most heavily frequented area, and also the heart of campus. One would have hoped that the newer buildings and expanding quads could have followed this part of the axis.

    Next, we traveled up into my hometown, engineering. The John Bardeen Quad, also known as the Engineering Quad, takes another shift East. The axis actually emerges from where the Union is located. As you head even farther North, you actually experience another shift. The farthest North Quad, with the Beckman Institute, starts it's axis from the Northern doors of Grainger Library.

    So why does this matter? What did I take away from it? Well, this is a classic example of a growing campus and set of many architects working. When looking at a single section of campus, the buildings and styles tend to work well together and have a pattern. However, as the university has grown at such a rate and used so many different architects, some shifts have occurred. Personally, as an engineer, I like when things all line up. However, this specific instance does not bother me much, and I am just glad that I can quickly get through campus, whether it is by foot or bus.