GRI.D DANNY
GRIFFIN

GUIDANCE

Investigating the art 
of writing instructions

Geometry Engines
Feedback Loops
Path Planning

About

Framing the Last Landscape

Valle de Guadelupe,
Baja California, Mexico
Program: Winery

MIT, Core III Studio  

Instructor: Sheila Kennedy
Collaborator: Zhicheng Xu

   

How do we “land” a building without conventional foundations?

The Valle de Guadalupe is overflowing with vineyards. The ecosystem is shriveling, rejecting the winemaking process, sustained only by the lifeline of water piped from the Colorado River. The last landscape waiting to be developed remains on the steep terrains, yet the developers want to flatten them too.


1:300 Site Model

Site Condition
1:300 Site Survey Model


Shade from the boulders foster micro-climates on the slope that support the winemaking process.  In situating the winery, we want to leave the boulders in place while providing more shade to the local ecosystem.

1:500 Site Plan: “The Last Landscape”
Concept Models:  Instead of disturbing the land, can we use the existing boulders as footings?

1:25 Framing Study: Conventional Approach to Light-gauge steel on boulder foundations


Aside from the challenge of landing on the boulders, access to the site is limited,  and construction techniques need to be accessible to learn for local labor force.  We look to light gauge steel as a conventional technique available to transport the minimum amount of material to the site, but conventional framing with orthogonal connections would not minimize the amount of material transported to site


Fabricating a crimping tool    
Crimping to introduce curvature

To optimize the shapes of steel in an accessible manner on site, we prototype a crimping tool to form radii into the light gauge steel members. The crimping improves the rigidity of the framing, and allows us to  shape the structure in response to the loads required to span between the boulders.

With this approach,  the forming of the steel becomes simple to understand, and accessible regardless of skill level.

Forming Instructions
Prototype Assembly



Plan View: Structurally Optimized Beam landing on Three Boulders


3D View: Structurally Optimized Beam with Radius Framing




Working with Crimped Frames


1:1 Mockup     

1:50 Longitudinal Section

1:25 Section Model
1:25 Model Detail: Canopy Cladding



1:25 Model Detail: Occupiable Beam


1:25 Model Detail: Typical Section 1:25 Detail Section: Thermal Enclosure