I'm about 8 weeks into my 6th year terminal project. Thus far it's been mostly nose-in-the-books and hassling people for information, however, this is not an atypical process. Instead of looking at just the Macro site ( the level we employ typical architectural conventions), I am focusing on the micro sites as well. Before I dive into this, let me break in with the overall terminal progect thesis statement (or question)....”What if Kawasaki Motors wanted to get into the Agriculture market?” Lincoln, NE houses one of the largest Kawasaki plants in the U.S. (In fact, the N.Y. rail cars are made here.) 
Kawasaki makes everything except Agriculture equipment (aerospace, tunnel borers, wind farms...yep ton's of possibilities) . So I am proposing a Research and Development facility to help them answer this question. The end result is not as important as the process I am choosing to use to get there.
I've been collecting Kawasaki engine parts as well as farm-hopping for agriculture products (which has been liberating, although I am from Nebraska I am a city kid that wears cowboy boots, but just for the sake of fashion.) With all these parts in hand, I've started to dissect them and the Macro site on the same matrix. The matrix lines up all the sites on an equal hierarchy so there is no variance in prestige (i.e. the left cylinder head from an ATV is as important as the proposed building site) This methodology is closely paralleled by the Eames's Power of Ten I'm sure most of you saw in physics or architecture classes. The micro sites offer suggestions on what Kawasaki manufactures and what currently exist in the agricultural realm.
Literature:
Darden, Douglas. “Condemned Building”
Kelly, Kevin, “Out of Control”
Pamphlet Architecture 12 - “Building Machines.”
Lim, CJ “Devices a Manual of Architectural + Spacial Machines”
Borden, Iain “ Skateboarding, Space and the City”
Farm Tractors from 1855 -1995, a compilation of Tractors tested at the UNL
Benham - “Theory and Design in the First Machine Age.”
Artists:
Lissitzky, El.
ParkeHarrison, Robert (The Architect's Brother, really good!)
Tinguely, Jean
Hughes, Aidan “Brute.” (KMFDM Album Art)
Movies:
Vertov, Dziga - “Man with a Movie Camera.”
Gilliam, Terry “Brazil” (1985)
Eames - “Power of Ten.”
“Aliens 3” - Lebbeus Woods's Involvement
If I haven't proved it yet, I am a gear head. I am interested in the Machine Aesthetic, not the utility, not the function, but the aesthetic. The modernists used the idea of the “machine” as an aesthetic also; however this was beauty in appearance and simplicity. This mistake led to shiny metals and simple machine looking objects, i.e. the ridged metallic teapot at the time resembled skyscrapers. The problem with this is the lead into pure appearance and function. A machine is motion; it cannot sit still. If the machine is to have an architectural motive, it must reject utility and economic drive. This is evident by the “packaging” -as Heidegger referred to it - which envelopes the machine for an economic aesthetic propelled by formal notions of beauty. The motorcycles and ATV's that Kawasaki produces have succumbed to this. While the machine housed within the molded plastic skin may be upgraded the “body” or color of the packaging is the most susceptible to annual model updates. The Ninja's sleek design looks “fast” therefore to entice the potential buyer. The skin is the information layer of the machine.
Soon I'll post the results from my halfway critique. Now back to my Dane Cook break.
-AJ
Graphic from the inside of a John Deere Combine
Autman Taylor Steam Tractor I found, I was facinated by the mechanical expression
The Matrix due to be finished soon. A visual catalog of all my research components
8 Comments
do they not call it 'thesis' anymore?
who are your advisors?
It’s a technicality; it is dubbed a “terminal project†because a "thesis" is too vague of a description. This is a hot topic in the college right now because some of the 6th students are involved in more thesis oriented research projects as opposed to a precise terminal (end of the education) project (i.e. landscape, urbanism, Katrina disasters, and my project)
terminal sounds bad, like cancer. or maybe like you are going to get kicked out if you don't shape up. this is your terminal project, son!
Lol, maybe it is a motivation tool
Thre reason it is NOT called thesis is that the unviersity has very particular requirements for a "thesis" and a design project does not qualify - essentially, the work thesis has been declared off limits despite the fact that many students engage in "thesis-like" explorations. the choice of the word terminal is unfortunate (given all of the deadly references) and uninspired, like much of the language used in the college.
Ah, I get it...
a-HA! I know who "omasf" is!
we just called it "diploma" project
Block this user
Are you sure you want to block this user and hide all related comments throughout the site?
Archinect
This is your first comment on Archinect. Your comment will be visible once approved.