[philosophical observatory]
collaborators ... Madelene Sandmer
location ... Atacama Desert, Chile
year ... 2023
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This project explores the philosophical concept of Qualia, or the subjective aspect of conscious experience, and its correlation with architecture. The physical observatory is purely hypothetical, functioning primarily as an exploration of the conscious experience of space.
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In this project, the emphasis lies on the process of creating aesthetic and visually pleasing presentation material. We considered various phenomena for observation, but early on settled on something abstract and philosophical. Additionally, we were intentional about articulating and investigating the phenomenon within the architecture explicitly. The goal was to integrate the phenomenon into the architecture rather than keeping them separate.
(1) SUPER Image of selected rooms
(2) SUPER Image of selected rooms
(3) Axonometric SUPER Image of selected rooms
(4) Landscape Images with complex
”Design an observatory to observe a phenomenon.”
The project brief for this course is intentionally open-ended, encouraging creativity. Early on, we embraced that freedom, choosing to keep our interpretation of ”phenomenon” equally abstract. Rather than observing a tangible event, we focused on the phenomenon of experience itself, specifically, spatial experience. This approach allowed us to explore architectural design detached from conventional function, with the sole intent of evoking spatial sensations.
(5) Landscape model out of machine-cut paper
(6) Landscape model out of machine-cut paper
(7) Four different model cross-sections of four different rooms. 3D-printed gypsum approx 30mm x 30mm x 15mm.
(8) All four models next to eachother.
(9) Hand for scale.
Within this framework, we iterated through hundreds of contained spatial experiences, carefully curating each one. We selected a remote, undisclosed site to situate them, presenting our project through the lens of exploration rather than traditional design. Instead of ”designing,” we framed our process as one of ”discovery.” Rendered images took on the aesthetic of aged travel Polaroids, while accompanying texts mimicked handwritten letters, reinforcing the project’s experiential and exploratory nature.
(10) Rendered images printed on polaroids with a handwritten letter. Creating a narrative of exploration as a metaphor for the design process
(11) Rendered image of the entrance to the complex and the first 5 rooms.
(12) Rendered image of a corridor between the rooms within the complex.
(13) Rendered image from within a room with a large suspended volume hanging from the ceiling.