Cross Grain Analysis.

After experiencing a long review and over exhausting myself the last few days. I assume that comment #3 from the critics will be a good starting point "addressing the cross grain." Therefore, I went back to the site map and study the site context to see if I can draw up any conclusion that might help me with the following model. The result was the following pics. I gotta say..some interesting view and space begin to form..what you think?

Molding the Concept

After gathering all my site analysis and the internal research of the structure, I started my massing and program analysis of the project. The result is the following images. I presented all the model during one of my pin-up and here are some of the comments to consider from the critics: 1) How does the section get activated? 2) Why do certain puncture colors happen? 3) Question the direction of grain, should I begin to address the cross grain? and 4) Understanding the construction of the building through forming or some modern form of tech. construction? So..I consider almost all the issues that was stated and the result will be posted soooonnnn....

Site Diagramming

My next step was to determine the primary and secondary circulation that happen within the context. The Orange represent the Senior path of travel whether by bus or walking from senior housing. While the yellow represent the youth that is scatter over the surrounding neighborhood. This allow me to pin point the main vertical circulation that occur within the structure and allowing me to configure the program around the circulation . At the same time allowing me to re-enforce the idea of creating a dynamic fluctuation(interweaving) of program interaction, such as the library, recreational and the youth program across the horizontal band of elderly program. Which will become my next programmatic study to tackle.

Spaces Within II

Zooming into the model. You will begin to see possibilities of space emerging and how program can begin to intermingle.

Spaces Within I

In order to study the inside space I created two identical model with different shading components. The result open up to other possibilities to investigate, such as how the model touches the ground and addressing the condition of the opposite grain.

Diagramming the external and internal space

After building my fast sketch model for the project, I step back a bit and created a diagrammatic model that will potentially allow me to understand the relationship between site, program and context to program analysis. However, this model allow me to see the potential of how elements might interact with the ground and the roof, but it didn't informed me on how interaction might happen within.

Conceptual Model

At the beginning I created a fast sketch model on how I imaging the project can become. Specially addressing some of the specific issues: 1) interaction with the surrounding context
2) the relationship between ground and the structure 3)the relationship between programs.

Location & Intuition

The site that I have dedicated my project on is located between Martin Luther King and Natural Bridge. On the northern end of Natural Bridge is mostly Industrial Facilities, while Forest Park is located on the opposite end. The Main corridor, Union Blvd is mostly Retails, surrounded by residential and a few small scatter churches. When I first develop my initial section my first intuition is fluctuation and interaction. As a result this is how I began to tackle my project on a diagrammatic level.

Conceiving the IDEA

This is my first time ever to be blogging so please excuse me from altering the interface a thousand time. The purpose of creating this blog is to start a dialogue between my friends that I have met over the years to give feedback and at the same time informing them about process..good or bad. This will also allow me a further understanding of the project and develop a more technical complexity. Since most of them is scatter across the nation, I believe blogging is the best solution. However, this isn't solely addressing the design minded but also to allow my family and other to understand the processes and the rigorous effort that has being dedicated to our profession. I hope to inform them what we go through to produce the end product and at the end of the day is worthwhile. Let us begin on how "The Cultivator Dispenser" idea is conceived.....


The Inter-Generation Media Center came about from a rigorous Design Thinking research. I will cut out the details and just state a synopsis about the project. The project aim to allow the youth and the elderly to learn and intermingle with each other. At the same time closing the generational gap between technology and history. Allowing the youth to teach the elderly about the technology and vice-versa, the youth learning from the elderly on their history, culture and life experience.