Assignment: to create a dwelling inspired by the Vessel

Professor
Vince Mulcahy

The initial Vessel exploration was intended to expand the intrinsic qualities of the provided tool, in this case a spatula. The lesson of the vessel was creating a singular framed view. The frame is used to draw attention to the mundane or "the nothing."  Taking many cues from the Vessel, this dwelling project seeks to define the nothing in the landscape.

Hovering over the water, the inhabitant descends into a long hallway. Long slits create a sense of anticipation for the view at the end, facing the city of Ithaca across the lake.  However, the glass at the end is frosted. The viewer is reoriented by two large glass planes above and below. Nothing, in this case, is found to be the space between the raw elements: sky and water.

Related Projects

1. Vessel ︎︎︎
2. Dwelling ︎︎︎

The primary vertical axis connecting the sky with the water becomes the organizing principle for the drawings. Plan, perspectives, and section are aligned and stacked vertically. 

It was important that the presentation model reflect real, natural materials. Instead of using balsa wood, the dwelling is constructed out of planed down lumber, knots and all.