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🧵 Thread (88 tweets)

james, the giant peach@JimmyRis• almost 5 years ago

What does it mean for a space to have Life?

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10/6/2020

james, the giant peach@JimmyRis• almost 5 years ago

Replying to @JimmyRis

In what ways is Beauty universal? Cultural? Personal?

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10/6/2020

james, the giant peach@JimmyRis• almost 5 years ago

Replying to @JimmyRis

Do you draw a distinction between the Ornamental and the Functional? What is the function of an ornament?

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10/6/2020

james, the giant peach@JimmyRis• almost 5 years ago

Replying to @JimmyRis

The functions of ornament: - celebratory - identity - legibility - boundaries

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10/12/2020

james, the giant peach@JimmyRis• almost 5 years ago

Replying to @JimmyRis

https://t.co/uQTc04CoEu a great example of a functional ornament, used to cover and support seams in construction

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10/12/2020

james, the giant peach@JimmyRis• almost 5 years ago

Replying to @JimmyRis

Our first studio project for the course is the creation of an ornamental feature or object The idea is that an ornament is not simply a pretty or nice object that you hang on the wall, but is emergent from the wholeness of a space Without the ornament, the space is incomplete

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10/12/2020

james, the giant peach@JimmyRis• almost 5 years ago

Replying to @JimmyRis

Another core tenet of Christopher Alexander's design philosophy is thinking through space design in terms of "what activities would you like to be afforded" what sorts of activities can an ornament afford?

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10/12/2020

james, the giant peach@JimmyRis• almost 5 years ago

Replying to @JimmyRis

Creating for and reducing friction to doing X tends to lead to X being done

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10/12/2020

james, the giant peach@JimmyRis• almost 5 years ago

Replying to @JimmyRis

The residents at our spot wanted a place to gather, to dance, to do movement practices, etc. We talked about plans to do this but rarely followed through: we didn't really have a dedicated space for this!

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10/12/2020

james, the giant peach@JimmyRis• almost 5 years ago

Replying to @JimmyRis

After setting up a space with a nice soft foam floor and various yoga mats and pillows and the like, making plans to gather became mostly unnecessary: we just started gathering and dancing as an emergent consequence of there being a great space for it

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10/12/2020

james, the giant peach@JimmyRis• almost 5 years ago

Replying to @JimmyRis

In Alexander's terms this is a Center: a gravity well, a center of activity around which STUFF happens, and all spaces are composed of and emergent from these Centers

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10/12/2020

james, the giant peach@JimmyRis• almost 5 years ago

Replying to @JimmyRis

I'm constructing an altar in this central gathering space, a Center in the Center (Centers are also composed of and emergent from Centers, recursively)

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10/12/2020

james, the giant peach@JimmyRis• almost 5 years ago

Replying to @JimmyRis

I'd like to encourage a practice of gratitude for the community As a core activity, I'd like an altar to be space that inspires gratitude, a place to bring your gratitude, a place to offer when inspired to offer

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10/12/2020

james, the giant peach@JimmyRis• almost 5 years ago

Replying to @JimmyRis

In service of this, I've decided to make an offering bowl or dish to anchor the altar as my ornament project :) Next steps are to decide on materials... I'm going to start playing with both wood and clay, and see what feels right

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10/12/2020

james, the giant peach@JimmyRis• almost 5 years ago

Replying to @JimmyRis

So I found an old mirror and was excited to shatter it and tile with it! But by the time I presented the idea in class it had morphed into a CONCEPT 😳 reflecting your gratitude, bringing your offering and receiving your self, shattered but whole...

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10/25/2020

james, the giant peach@JimmyRis• almost 5 years ago

Replying to @JimmyRis

“You’re thinking like a modern artist. It’s not about the concept, it’s about feeling!” This feedback hit home. I was overthinking, over conceptualizing, when the task was to engage with the material and feel out it’s structure

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10/25/2020

james, the giant peach@JimmyRis• almost 5 years ago

Replying to @JimmyRis

So I restarted: big lump of clay, a few tools and colors and a design inspiration in form of Narcissus the Peacock

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10/25/2020

james, the giant peach@JimmyRis• almost 5 years ago

Replying to @JimmyRis

Narcissus pictured here :) https://t.co/Kgzrpmjz6e

james, the giant peach@JimmyRis• almost 5 years ago

Update: Narcissus the Peacock comes over pretty much every day to stare in the mirror and preen 🦚 https://t.co/EOzpRkPQBA

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10/25/2020

james, the giant peach@JimmyRis• almost 5 years ago

Replying to @JimmyRis

I smoked a fat J and sat down at my nifty impromptu workstation https://t.co/pEwQifSuYy

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10/25/2020

james, the giant peach@JimmyRis• almost 5 years ago

Replying to @JimmyRis

And proceeded to craft a piece for 3 hours straight, constantly rooting back into the core message of Alexander’s work: “Do the next right thing” It was mantra and guide https://t.co/0Hik4bB8jR

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10/25/2020

james, the giant peach@JimmyRis• almost 5 years ago

Replying to @JimmyRis

A few hours and a few “sit back and scratch my head and think about what’s missing” moments later: https://t.co/EKp8ccSvjK

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10/25/2020

james, the giant peach@JimmyRis• almost 5 years ago

Replying to @JimmyRis

Today in class: we're choosing locations and ideas for our major individual projects which we'll be completing over the spring. The biggest feedback was: context, context, context

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10/28/2020

james, the giant peach@JimmyRis• almost 5 years ago

Replying to @JimmyRis

When you bring a room into wholeness, you're healing the house When you bring a house into wholeness, you're healing the neighborhood When you bring a neighborhood into wholeness you're healing the city https://t.co/Eqz5beaNuT

james, the giant peach@JimmyRis• over 5 years ago

RT @wrathofgnon: “When you build a thing you cannot merely build that thing in isolation, but must repair the world around it and within it…

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10/28/2020

james, the giant peach@JimmyRis• almost 5 years ago

Replying to @JimmyRis

Our current efforts in studio are to build a piece of furniture 🪑 Something functional. Needed. What the space is needing. I’m making a toilet 🚽

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11/6/2020

james, the giant peach@JimmyRis• almost 5 years ago

Replying to @JimmyRis

I’m introducing a simple bucket toilet as my main use toilet: 5 gallon bucket, do ya business in the bucket and layer in some carbon material (eg leaves) https://t.co/mKIexPkqME

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11/6/2020

james, the giant peach@JimmyRis• almost 5 years ago

Replying to @JimmyRis

So I’m making a nice wooden piece for the bucket to nest inside :)

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11/6/2020

james, the giant peach@JimmyRis• almost 5 years ago

Replying to @JimmyRis

My first pages of sketches was preoccupied with the function of the thing: I’m looking for a feelingggg (closest I got was that simple stump in the middle) https://t.co/TXquEwvqFf

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11/6/2020

james, the giant peach@JimmyRis• almost 5 years ago

Replying to @JimmyRis

These small sketches are an intentional exercise: Alexander puts forward the exercise to make LOTS AND LOTS of intentionally low resolution sketches The low resolution allows the FEELING of the thing to shine through without getting lost in details

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11/6/2020

james, the giant peach@JimmyRis• almost 5 years ago

Replying to @JimmyRis

Yesterday I walked all around looking for the perfect spot: then I got the idea that this thing should be portable! Banish the geographic constraint, just make a nice place to sit in serenity

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11/6/2020

james, the giant peach@JimmyRis• almost 5 years ago

Replying to @JimmyRis

Today’s efforts at a mock-up produced this: A very janky uneven three legged stool, legs made from wood we cut this week on the land, and the plastic seat from my bucket toilet standing in for the seat for now https://t.co/6jASxQFT0H

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11/6/2020

james, the giant peach@JimmyRis• almost 5 years ago

Replying to @JimmyRis

Thoughts on what to replace the seat with les to the best feeling sketch yet! A thick luscious slab with a hole in the middle, stable and firm And stirrups attached for squatting of course 😸 https://t.co/hxU483h4ZL

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11/6/2020

james, the giant peach@JimmyRis• almost 5 years ago

Replying to @JimmyRis

Tomorrow I’ll go down to the lumberyard and find a yummy slab 🤞🏻

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11/6/2020

james, the giant peach@JimmyRis• almost 5 years ago

Replying to @JimmyRis

Slabs https://t.co/IOUhJh17Jt

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11/15/2020

james, the giant peach@JimmyRis• almost 5 years ago

Replying to @JimmyRis

Starting work now on this lil slab o’ redwood https://t.co/NFL0JZrBIK

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11/15/2020

james, the giant peach@JimmyRis• almost 5 years ago

Replying to @JimmyRis

A ponder: do I wanna have it bark down, where you sit on this beautiful flat plane, or bark up with a smooth area in the middle but bark on either side of you (like you’re sitting on a fallen tree)

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11/16/2020

james, the giant peach@JimmyRis• almost 5 years ago

Replying to @JimmyRis

Hit it with the 40 grain paper on the radial power sander, slab didn’t know what hit it https://t.co/WbCpxhU5iZ

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11/16/2020

james, the giant peach@JimmyRis• almost 5 years ago

Replying to @JimmyRis

There’s a crack in my slab... an opportunity to play with ornament as means of reinforcing the slab beautifully! https://t.co/I4bt6ElWnS

james, the giant peach@JimmyRis• almost 5 years ago

https://t.co/uQTc04CoEu a great example of a functional ornament, used to cover and support seams in construction

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11/19/2020

james, the giant peach@JimmyRis• almost 5 years ago

Replying to @JimmyRis

Do those leather straps on wooden chests actually help to strengthen the wood? Could I maybe employ that to help keep my slab together? (btw “leather straps chest” and “leather straps wooden chest” produce VERY different Google image results) https://t.co/UQPPuWCTrR

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11/19/2020

james, the giant peach@JimmyRis• almost 5 years ago

Replying to @JimmyRis

Made a crude frame from oak branches to get a feel for different leg angles and such https://t.co/hHk8kIvSGf

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11/20/2020

james, the giant peach@JimmyRis• almost 5 years ago

Replying to @JimmyRis

While my toilet is not quite done, we’ve moved onto our final project for the semester: A House For Oneself 🏡

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12/1/2020

james, the giant peach@JimmyRis• almost 5 years ago

Replying to @JimmyRis

Alexander puts forward that the ideal way to develop a home is 1) on the physical site in 1:1 scale, 2) with the folks who will inhabit it He focuses on generativity in the design of spaces, mocking up and trying and moving bits around and really allowing the place to unfold

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12/1/2020

james, the giant peach@JimmyRis• almost 5 years ago

Replying to @JimmyRis

Our first task was to choose a site :) The only requirements were to be able to stake out the house in full size, and leave these stakes in place while we work over a few weeks I happen to be in a beautiful place with the space necessary https://t.co/jm0pkb36cW

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12/1/2020

james, the giant peach@JimmyRis• almost 5 years ago

Replying to @JimmyRis

We were then tasked with creating a 200:1 model of the site, including the immediate surroundings Working on that now

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12/1/2020

james, the giant peach@JimmyRis• almost 5 years ago

Replying to @JimmyRis

Welp https://t.co/OeYZ37xoql

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12/3/2020

james, the giant peach@JimmyRis• almost 5 years ago

Replying to @JimmyRis

The next step was to develop, or begin to develop, the site plan. This gives me a two dimensional map to plot site info on, like the path of the sun, wind, and existing centers that must be accounted for (like a neighbors house or views that we want to ensure are preserved) https://t.co/oMMy9B2hUC

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12/6/2020

james, the giant peach@JimmyRis• almost 5 years ago

Replying to @JimmyRis

Now that I have both a small model to scale and a site plan with environmental information, I begin to stake out the structure of my house and garden 1:1 on the site Perhaps counterintuitively, will begin with the garden not with the house

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12/6/2020

james, the giant peach@JimmyRis• almost 5 years ago

Replying to @JimmyRis

Doing this mockin up and staking out on-site is an essential part of Alexander’s process, to really get a feel for how the space evolves as you make changes https://t.co/Qmj2nWt5Vg

james, the giant peach@JimmyRis• almost 5 years ago

He's firm: the only way to design truly living buildings is on-site, 1:1, trying things and unfolding it.

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12/6/2020

james, the giant peach@JimmyRis• almost 5 years ago

Replying to @JimmyRis

Starting with the garden is also an essential part of the process: he holds that the main function of the house is really to support and strengthen the positive space and energetic qualities of the garden.

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12/6/2020

james, the giant peach@JimmyRis• almost 5 years ago

Replying to @JimmyRis

The garden has more environmental considerations: it needs sun, it needs access, it shapes and flavors the approach to the house and it impacts all of the surroundings in a profound way

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12/6/2020

james, the giant peach@JimmyRis• almost 5 years ago

Replying to @JimmyRis

Using my site map and walking around the area my first attempt at staking out a well shaped garden hugs the existing decking and leave this open field in the middle The feedback I receive is to open it up: the whole area and the whole field are the garden really https://t.co/6mcPX03ZwI

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12/6/2020

james, the giant peach@JimmyRis• almost 5 years ago

Replying to @JimmyRis

https://t.co/S6KFOZVLjE

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12/6/2020

james, the giant peach@JimmyRis• almost 5 years ago

Replying to @JimmyRis

https://t.co/G0U9KbSC2i

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12/7/2020

james, the giant peach@JimmyRis• almost 5 years ago

Replying to @JimmyRis

https://t.co/OoKhLFq9cB

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12/7/2020

james, the giant peach@JimmyRis• almost 5 years ago

Replying to @JimmyRis

After some trials and adjustment and a few “step back and feel the curve”s later https://t.co/zQ2nLgb35z

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12/7/2020

james, the giant peach@JimmyRis• almost 5 years ago

Replying to @JimmyRis

Looking at what I just did on the small model and site plan for perspective https://t.co/t1y1HxteKa

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12/7/2020

james, the giant peach@JimmyRis• almost 5 years ago

Replying to @JimmyRis

Thinking about house structures now https://t.co/sR6CPtlnmf

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12/7/2020

james, the giant peach@JimmyRis• almost 5 years ago

Replying to @JimmyRis

Thinking through the same on the site plan and model https://t.co/KS7ZxzpJNv

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12/7/2020

james, the giant peach@JimmyRis• almost 5 years ago

Replying to @JimmyRis

So the garden forms this Positive Space (one of the 15 principles) by being plump and following the terrain to fill itself out https://t.co/onD3udUT7Q

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12/8/2020

james, the giant peach@JimmyRis• almost 5 years ago

Replying to @JimmyRis

With that in place, I shift to placing the house structures to support and enhance this positive space Instead of a single structure, I’m imagining using a long structure to both frame the garden and divide the area into two strong centers https://t.co/o0Aw2VvCev

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12/8/2020

james, the giant peach@JimmyRis• almost 5 years ago

Replying to @JimmyRis

This way the long structure can create a private courtyard area and privacy for a sleeping place tucked into the hillside (the small blue box on the left)

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12/8/2020

james, the giant peach@JimmyRis• over 4 years ago

Replying to @JimmyRis

I added this curved building idea on my small model and the class agreed it had a nice feeling to it :) https://t.co/nhpTOyX0LW

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12/14/2020

james, the giant peach@JimmyRis• over 4 years ago

Replying to @JimmyRis

Our next step is to make a larger model (50:1) zoomed in out structures to get a bigger view and start to add detail Currently here https://t.co/H9Yh5hC8K2

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12/14/2020

james, the giant peach@JimmyRis• over 4 years ago

Replying to @JimmyRis

Hacking on my 50:1 model: final presentation of it tomorrow! I’m building out the outdoor areas and my banya Here’s a little outhouse and sauna, as a treat 😸 https://t.co/WoV2dbuiCJ

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12/17/2020

james, the giant peach@JimmyRis• over 4 years ago

Replying to @JimmyRis

Thanks to the fractal nature of nature branches and saplings make great scaled down trees 🌲 🌳 https://t.co/Z1YSSGJZo0

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12/18/2020

james, the giant peach@JimmyRis• over 4 years ago

Replying to @JimmyRis

🏕 🔥 https://t.co/9cfOorWHg9

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12/18/2020

james, the giant peach@JimmyRis• over 4 years ago

Replying to @JimmyRis

Booyah! 200:1 scale 50:1 scale https://t.co/WVRl9nWKwQ

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12/18/2020

james, the giant peach@JimmyRis• over 4 years ago

Replying to @JimmyRis

A 150-foot redwood at 50:1 is 3 feet tall 😳 https://t.co/tX95vRAAb9

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12/18/2020

james, the giant peach@JimmyRis• over 4 years ago

Replying to @JimmyRis

Been a minute since I’ve updated here

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3/13/2021

james, the giant peach@JimmyRis• over 4 years ago

Replying to @JimmyRis

This second semester of Building Studio has been dedicated to one thing mostly: working on our Individual Project https://t.co/zF6PsqNCiD

james, the giant peach@JimmyRis• almost 5 years ago

Today in class: we're choosing locations and ideas for our major individual projects which we'll be completing over the spring. The biggest feedback was: context, context, context

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3/16/2021

james, the giant peach@JimmyRis• over 4 years ago

Replying to @JimmyRis

I've chosen to work with the great coffee shop in town (at which I am a regular ☕) to help them develop the outdoor seating area in front of their place! https://t.co/OEyDcHPykZ

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3/16/2021

james, the giant peach@JimmyRis• over 4 years ago

Replying to @JimmyRis

We begin with a site analysis and identification of centers: these are the salient elements of the environment that shape and flavor the experience of being in the space https://t.co/2VLPTGvONY

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3/16/2021

james, the giant peach@JimmyRis• over 4 years ago

Replying to @JimmyRis

Then, through interviews with the owners and stakeholders, a Project Language is developed https://t.co/k26AwoND5K

james, the giant peach@JimmyRis• over 4 years ago

His advice for interviewing folks about what a space needs in terms of design: interview individuals (not groups) and try the following:

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3/16/2021

james, the giant peach@JimmyRis• over 4 years ago

Replying to @JimmyRis

This language shoots to create a word picture of the proposed structure without piddling toooo much with details https://t.co/bVmVbIycoa

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3/16/2021

james, the giant peach@JimmyRis• over 4 years ago

Replying to @JimmyRis

https://t.co/pZwqXiE5va

james, the giant peach@JimmyRis• over 4 years ago

a pattern language built from the deep visions of the different folks involved is like a poem of statements at all scales that describes in poetic but concrete fashion what that world could be like

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3/16/2021

james, the giant peach@JimmyRis• over 4 years ago

Replying to @JimmyRis

https://t.co/pZwqXiE5va

james, the giant peach@JimmyRis• over 4 years ago

a pattern language built from the deep visions of the different folks involved is like a poem of statements at all scales that describes in poetic but concrete fashion what that world could be like

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3/16/2021

james, the giant peach@JimmyRis• over 4 years ago

Replying to @JimmyRis

Then I moved into the development of a scale model of the area, to get a great zoomed out view of the context and allow for low stakes experimentation with structural ideas

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3/16/2021

james, the giant peach@JimmyRis• over 4 years ago

Replying to @JimmyRis

in the fall I created 200:1 and 50:1 scale models of the place I'm living for a house proposal: for the coffee shop project I've chosen 100:1 mostly on a hunch as to the correct resolution https://t.co/cnGn9ehYr8

james, the giant peach@JimmyRis• over 4 years ago

A 150-foot redwood at 50:1 is 3 feet tall 😳 https://t.co/tX95vRAAb9

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3/16/2021

james, the giant peach@JimmyRis• over 4 years ago

Replying to @JimmyRis

The beginnings: https://t.co/4m1pMiGsDe

james, the giant peach@JimmyRis• over 4 years ago

Neighborhood is coming together https://t.co/ggnBcRahRL

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3/16/2021

james, the giant peach@JimmyRis• over 4 years ago

Replying to @JimmyRis

and now with trees :) https://t.co/vR3AJNMArv

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3/16/2021

james, the giant peach@JimmyRis• over 4 years ago

Replying to @JimmyRis

Feedback this morning in class: I need to expand the borders a bit to get all the surrounding structures, and add in finer details on the cafe itself and it's immediate area to get a better feel for what's really going on there

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3/16/2021

james, the giant peach@JimmyRis• over 4 years ago

Replying to @JimmyRis

Starting on that now (in my recently created spot!) https://t.co/W34gx8nxmL

james, the giant peach@JimmyRis• over 4 years ago

Finally made a lil workable workshop area for my architectural models, fabrics, crafts etc https://t.co/dckKAxbpGU

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3/16/2021

james, the giant peach@JimmyRis• over 4 years ago

Replying to @JimmyRis

Details :) https://t.co/EQ0d4MFFnB

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3/20/2021

james, the giant peach@JimmyRis• over 4 years ago

Replying to @JimmyRis

My first crack at a proposal for a semi-covered seating area! https://t.co/JzohftYiSt

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3/25/2021

james, the giant peach@JimmyRis• over 4 years ago

Replying to @JimmyRis

The feedback was mostly: it’s sloppy af 😂 Took some care and cleaned up my curvy bit here, really made it pop https://t.co/9njDyrSz0f

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4/2/2021

james, the giant peach@JimmyRis• over 4 years ago

Replying to @JimmyRis

Other main feedback: those toothpick posts are weak sauce and don’t speak to anybody Brought in some beefier posts (again, very convenient baby trees look like tiny adult trees) What do you think? https://t.co/UYadVslfIt

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4/2/2021

james, the giant peach@JimmyRis• over 4 years ago

Replying to @JimmyRis

Huge quality upgrade! Got the balsa in the mix, stained and all :) Also these bracings at the top of the pillars... gamechanger https://t.co/RALM37qBzx

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4/12/2021

james, the giant peach@JimmyRis• over 4 years ago

Replying to @JimmyRis

Playing with a lil arbor action https://t.co/njDatXORCq

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4/12/2021

james, the giant peach@JimmyRis• almost 5 years ago

Replying to @JimmyRis

Back to Building Beauty meta-thread: https://t.co/DFog6M1xbH

james, the giant peach@JimmyRis• almost 5 years ago

🏗 Building Beauty 🌺

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12/8/2020