Sketch Problem 2

 

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SKETCH PROBLEM 2: Site Visit, Field Sketches and Diagrams 
Assigned: April 7,  2023
Due:  April 14  (pinup from field trip in studio following field trip, in studio or TBA)

D R A F T

Above image: field sketching exercise, UVA Maine Coast Studio, Acadia National Park, Little Moose Island,  Maine,  D. Harding Photo, 2014.

OBJECTIVE

This is a short on site sketching exercise in which you observe, draw and take notes on two potential sites that will serve as the basis for the studio design brief. It will begin with a tour led by an Oregon State Park Ranger who is an environmental scientist. The sketching will consist of extemporaneous thumb nail sketches and photos based upon site observations.  Sketching can be supplemented by photos and/or videos typically within the capacity of a cell phone camera today. However sketching should not be replaced by photos. These are rough study sketches, not finished presentation drawings.

PEDAGOGY

The process of sketching causes you to think more about what you are seeing. A series rapid thumbnail sketch distills and catalogs what there is to see while only approximating dimensions and key relationships between site elements. See in figures 1 and 2 below some field sketches by Kevin O’Hara and Katie Gallagher for a University of Virginia studio taught by E. Mark in 2014.

Figure 1. Kevin O’Hara Sketches, UVA Maine Coast Studio, Acadia National Park, Big and Little Little Moose Islands, 2014. Select image for higher resolution.

Figure 2. Katie Gallagher Sketches, UVA Maine Coast Studio, Acadia National Park, Big and Little Moose Islands, 2014. Select image for higher resolution.

MATERIALS

You can sketch on any medium you wish. However, a sketch book with a few different weight lead pencils tends to work well. You may also try your hand at water coloring; however, the wind on these oceanfront sites may preclude this.

This is not a definitive must do list, but the kinds of subjects that you could incorporate into field sketches and notes. The first five items are primary.

 INCLUDE

The first five items are primary.

  • An overlay of water drainage and ponding as you may be able to estimate by looking at slope, guesstimating upstream sources of water, and ground conditions.
  • Direction and intensity of winds by looking at tree shapes, and evidence of wind-throws and wind-snaps.
  • Sunlight angles and sunlight penetration of tree coverage.
  • Pace off areas which could serve as possible building sites and annotate dimensions in your sketch.
  • One or two approximated sections through the site including the ocean, as an educated guess.
  • Evidence of animal tracks.
  • Evidence of new  and old clusters of plants and trees.
  • Illustration of key views
  • Annotation of potential circulation pathways and egress onto and off the park sites.
  • Sources of potable water and electrical power.
  • Evidence of coastal erosion and geological instability of overlooking cliffs.
  • A trip tick of a series of views moving through the site.

ALSO INCLUDE SITE POTENTIALS AND ASSETS

  • Places for quiet reflection.
  • Places for community gatherings.
  • Places for smaller cluster of residential units.
  • Places for cultural events.
  • Places for food preparation and common dining.
  • Places for sanitation and hygiene.Water sources.
  • Electrical PowerSources
  • Site Entrance and Egress Alternatives

 

EXCLUDE

  • Precisely dimensioned drawings.
  • Mechanically constructed  2 and 3 point perspectives.
  • Fussy accuracy.
  • Polished final renderings.

 

REQUIREMENTS

  • Pinup sketchbook and optionally print or display photos on April 10th or 12th.
  • Primary requirement:
    • Sketch and take good notes to establish an overall feel for the setting.
  • Secondary requirement:
    • Photos and videos that provide a secondary record of the sites.

 

ADDITIONAL SUGGESTIONS

  • Help each other with respect to sharing techniques.
  • Focus on process more than what the result looks like.

OPTIONAL BACKGROUND READING

These books are available in print in the Design Library:

Paul Klee, The Pedagogical Sketchbook, Praeger, 1962.
Paul Laseau and Norman Crowe, Visual Notes for Architects and Designers, Wiley & Sons, Incorporated, 1984.