_PARIS

“..this satellite will send ideas into space, and ideas last longer than men.”

— Newton Minnow

A 10 day pit stop in Paris, a middle ground between American soil and Finnish waters. A sense of displacement, in time, in location, and in architecture.

First phase, we were removed from the classic Paris background, by being placed on the great cities out skirts, beginning our soul purpose of our journey, which is to study Finnish architecture in French territory. Being removed from the crowded landscape of Paris’ streets, and being planted into the row of farmlands, where a precedent of Finnish architecture laid known as Maison Carre designed by Alvar Aalto.

Learning its purpose to house artwork and garden parties, measuring and triangulating tree lines, pool walls, and terraces, one begins to understand Aalto’s purpose. Elongating lines, making the displacement of Finnish architecture adapted into French culture. Blending the building into the landscape, evoking a new sense of what a garden really means, less about pretty flowers, and more about framing views of 1950’s farmlands.

Within those 10 days, we began to not only understand a Fin’s work, but began to understand how to “work” like a Fin. Transitioning our thinking into the physical being of the building, dissecting and unfolding the parts that make up the whole.

Second phase began by transitioning from outskirts into the heart of Paris. Feeling the sounds of the city, through bouncing of sound waves off of the historical buildings we have only heard through our history classes.

Understanding why Paris is the city of love, the enticing night lights, the beauty of the language spoken, the understanding for the need of art and history, and especially the 3 euro bottles of wine.

Up early, out late, sitting in a small cafe with a small coffee, cognac, and cigar. Watching the last sunset, experiencing darkness for the last time.

10 days, turned into 10 seconds, within this time line.

_HELSINKI

“My home base- pop music and the Catholic Church.”

— Madonna

36 days begins our first stretch in Helsinki. Transplanting a home base from 35.9606° N, 83.9207° Wto 60.1699° N, 24.9384° E.

Home base meaning a place to sleep, a place to eat, a place to discuss, and a place to work. Therefore our home base being the city of Helsinki, begin to break up into major zones needed for mental being of camouflaging within the new culture.

Starting with theunderstanding of the sauna. Cleaning and constructing a fire, that you can later experience within a small wooded room. Sputtering water along the hot stones, feeling the heat radiate through your person, toxins being peeled off, jumping into a ice cold lake, and then repeating the process.

The process of group dinners, gathering the ingredients, standing by the fire with a beer watching the salmon cook, serving it around a large table, and proceeding to do shots of vodka and after dinner makkara. The night never ends, because the sun never sets, and the ambitions and conversations are whispered underneath the silver sunset.

The importance of understanding the process of a Fin, and their dedication to clean, detailed, and natural process, was our goal within this studio, along with assimilating ourselves with Finnish culture.

Within each drawing, each carved plane, and each particle of saw dust there was a purpose of re-creating what we saw in France into something tangible and visible for others to see.

A slow process, what one might expect within a 14 person project, but throughout the process we learned the history of Finnish architecture, and how major steps within the past guided Aalto, and in turn us to work through this project with great procession and admiration.

_CONSTRUCTION

The art of making can be applied to many things within the architectural world. The construction of a 2d drawing, 3d digital model, and a physical model is all the same. The process of going from a 2d drawing to a physical model involves trial and error. Creating pieces of thethree dimensional puzzle, to relay the idea that Aalto had in the beginning.

This model main theme hits on two different scales. One is the relation to the site, and the other is the relation to the human.

_1:100

triangulating through the space

placing each corner of the house

planting each tree line

mapping each terrace

an outsiders perspective

_1:10

depicting what it means to attend a Carreparty

art changing hands

champagne glasses overflowing

over ambiguous men making themselves known

enjoying the pleasures of life

_1:1

surrounded by empty walls

watching the change of tones in the sunlight

accepting the cold tile floor as a relief from the heat

guessing what it would feel like to be surrounded by such wealth

haunted by ghosts of leisure

_STOCKHOLM

“Mammia here I go again. My,my how can I resist you ”

— ABBA

A weeks break from the life in Helsinki was spent it it’s Nordic neighbor Stockholm. I did not have many expectations walking into the old city, but when entering it was not what I thought it would look like. I was expecting a hybrid, glass and steel structures mixed with stucco pastel buildings, but that is not Stockholm. It buildings and city formation takes from cities south of the Nordic countries, like small Italian country cities combined into a mega complex.

The winding roads made from large rocks, leading you into small retro shops and restaurants, almost nostalgic for the past. Hiking up hills, crossing lakes, and covering an ocean to get to the next city bundle. Almost like you living in a fairytale, and you are navigate your way to the castle.

A city deep in its historic roots, proud of its love for art and architecture, but also strong within awarding hard work and new findings,pushing for a better world, by awarding the Noble Prize each year. A neutral country is evident within its contradictory beliefs, but accepted, nonetheless.

The country side resembled even more of an Italian country side. Rolling hills, longevity of the site, and the collision between blue sky and green grass.

Skogskyrkogården, a cemetery 20 minutes outside of the city, was a peaceful break. Roaming throughout the large plot of land, dedicated to the process of preparing a body, celebrating life, and the final goodbye at the dedicated burial site. Yet, walking through the different plots, the overall mood was not somber. The hares, and small baby deer walk through the maze of stones, feeding off of the bright flowers decorating the plots and running back to their mother or their babies after they completed their journey. It was very peaceful in knowing that a site that you live for eternity will always grow and blossom.

_HELSINKI pt.2

“I believe that the presidential term should be limited.”

— Vladimir Putin

_PORO

depicted as a glisten of hope

a heroic figure

a master at distorting space and time

magical and beautiful

the reindeer is thought of once a year

by children impatiently waiting for their presents

by adults reminded of their happy memories

the thought of a reindeer is portrayed like any myth

like the stories told about the dinosaurs and woolly mammoths

the reindeer is an animal held it great regard

due to the stories and the rumors

reindeer are held in the highest regards

details like their muscular body to hold up their points on their racks

and ability to carry presents for the nice child of the world, and a cookie stuffed santa

their ability to float effortlessly throughout space, and agility to doge the many chimneys

depending on location, reindeer begin to lose its majestic meaning

herds left to roam under human supervision

only accessed through petting zoos and tourist destination spots

desperate for adventure

watching adolescent hope turn into reality

their overgrown stomachs on limp legs

their decorative décor left in a story book

they become the Nordic cow

wishing for a better life

waiting until they are recycled into other things

a new coat

a special stew

the story of the reindeer versus the reality of the reindeer is vastly different

yet regardless of the view, distorted or clear

the reindeer does one thing in both

please the people

merging the worlds together

by watching rudolph

while under a fur throw

distortion

_distortion

The perception of a reindeer is different depending on who you ask.

If you ask a child to describe a reindeer, they would describe a myth, a story told to them every year describing a brilliant animal floating through the sky, with their main purpose in life to bring happiness to children around the world.

When asking an adult, a fellow Nordic native, they would describe a different animal. In fact, if you described the animal without the name “reindeer” youmight mistake this animal for a cow. Strictly domesticated, used for its meat to feed families, and its hide to keep warm during the winters.

strictly utilitarian