Sandborn & Windswept
Research, research, research. The Design IX project is a U.S. embassy to be located in Casablanca, Morocco. So far the work in studio has been a focus on in depth research of the Moroccan culture and architecture. I don't mind the research but, three weeks of research might be a bit much. I doubt I will ever bill a client these kind of hours or include so much time into this phase of future work. However, I will always do research for my projects and come to the table with an understanding of what the client needs and unique elements to create truly one-off designs.
With all this said, there are many aspects to the Moroccan culture that is beautiful and ingenious. The rich culture of Morocco comes from the various cultures that have shaped country. Some cultures forced their will upon the country while others wove themselves into the country. The trick of this project will be to create a building that is fortified and safe for the inhabitants of the embassy while maintaining respect for the environment and people of Morocco. As a helping hand for this project our studio is interacting with the U.S. Department of State Bureau - Overseas Building Operation. Yeah, your likely entertaining the same internal dialogue I was when I first heard about this, "Wow this is really formal for a college studio." Relax, the real project that is already underway as the U.S. embassy in Morocco is well underway. This is just a learning process. Cue the "dun, dun, dunnnnn" and swarms of red tape flying across the room.
Deep breath, okay. Back to the simplicity of pointing at things one likes and clapping like a child. There is one major element to Moroccan, and middle-eastern architecture alike, that stands out in almost all of the images of regional architecture, arches. Arches galore! There are pointed arches, circular arches, keyed arches, double arches, and variations of many more. If you were to strip the core design elements down to their most basic form you would find that the geometric forms are results of circular designs in lieu of a more common square or rectangular forms. The images above are a my approach to a small section of a design with varying cantilever heights and arch designs.
