Fall 2008

Studio with Greg Jackson

This semester my studio teacher was Greg Jackson, the architect for the Bernheim Forest Visitor Center.  The Bernheim background sparked the project for the semester.  Our project included guidelines that the Bernheim Forest had a conservation camp that could have 20 researchers.  Two areas were to be created: a housing unit and a meeting place.  We even went to the site where the project was focused and  examined it to get a feel for the environment.  My main concept was the idea that the two buildings shouldn’t harm the environment by taking up too much space, and that interactions needed to occur to have the researchers become one with the landscape.  Interactions included: researchers to nature, researchers to buildings, researchers to researchers, and nature to buildings.  The housing unit I designed was a wood cabin that relied on rain water to supply showers, and sunlight to illuminate the house while heating.  There are only the bare needs provided to the people, so that way they get a true feel and understand the nature surrounding them.  I placed all 20 researchers within the same structure to allow the spread of knowledge learned.  Getting outside perspective on matters allowed new doors to be unlocked.  The meeting house is a separate building designed to provide food and a meeting place for the researchers.  Having the meeting house away from the housing unit forced the researchers to venture out into the unknown even though they may not want to.