Hector, Katy, Alex, Tamara, Andrew
Living in Pallet Town
By, Hector
By, Hector
Photo by Tamara Siemering |
As it so happens, before this experience I had a very limited knowledge of construction and architecture. The techniques that we used allowed for one as unskilled as me to learn the basics and to be able to build much more efficiently as time went by. The use of pallets allowed not only for fast progress but for the participation of all members of the team and was the perfect structure to affix the adobe to.
SkepticismBy, Katy
I was originally very nervous about this process. I don't really know why I signed up for this specific team because I don't sketch, nor am I any architectural "visionary." I was very skeptical of the designing process because I felt very unprepared for the task at hand. The "idea" of creating a studio sized structure sounds cool and fun, but once we began our work I started to worry that we may not actually be able to complete what we start in...9 days. I thought, "how can a few you tube videos and instructional readings prepare us for labor intensive, hands on construction?" My idea of our design was simplicity. We need to keep this structure simple so that we can finish before we leave. This made me anxious--
Photo by T. Siemering |
All Hands On Deck
By, Tamara
Over the course of our Learning Cluster I learned first-hand that design and construction are two very different things. Before we began working on the art studio in Argentina, the design team tossed around ideas and sketches of what we envisioned our adobe art studio would look like. Then the actual construction and mud mixing began. Over our nine days on the land I learned much about construction and working with the earth. I had never built anything that required hammering before, aside from nailing boards in the backyard as a child, and the occasional “I’m helping Daddy” nail.
Photo by T. Siemering |
Predictions and Conclusions
By, Alex
After the basic frame was constructed for the casita/studio, I finally breathed a sigh of relief. I could once and for all envision the final product of our efforts. Back home I tried again and again to sketch what I imagined would be our structure, but never felt confident with my ideas. I thought about slanted roofs and sky lights, the color of the dried adobe and the amount of windows.
Once I stood back and saw the structure complete, I realized that as practical I thought I had made me ideas, they were still too complicated. I finally understood that simplicity was the greatest practicality, and that form follows function.
Then, finally, the process of rolling the hay filled adobe and placing it between the sticks and planks of the future walls of the casita began. The work was tiring and so much more difficult than originally thought, bloodied hands and sweaty bodies bent down to roll another pack of adobe…and another…and another. The process of smoothing and filling the walls seemed endless, for once the hard labor was completed, the tedious facet came immediately after. “Smoothing” the adobe once it was in the walls was more than difficult as random sticks and straws cut and poked our palms and bumps and dips were relentless in their existence. After one full day of filling and smoothing, the first and largest wall was completed. I felt incredibly satisfied, and we all left the land feeling rather accomplished.
Once back on the land the following day, I found, to my great dismay, that all of the adobe that we had spent hours smoothing had cracked and chipped like a dry desert. My horror was quickly relieved as Pablo explained that this was normal, and that the aesthetics of the walls would be restored once the final layer of horse manure and clay was thinly applied.I look forward to seeing photos of the absolute final result, as when we left the entire structure was completed, but not as visually pleasing as I had hoped.