Going Native in Rowayton

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Azaleas are a lot like people in that they have good sides and bad. 
Bruce Beinfield 

"Architect Bruce Beinfield is another important columnist and unique voice for The Beat, a legend in his field, an engaged and concerned member of his community, and an environmentally ­focused creator. His knowledge is vast and his columns both informative and thoughtful. Be sure to read "Going Native in Rowayton." - FC Beat Editor Wendy Logan

Making Waves. Math is Cool Stuff.

Beinfield Architecture's recently installed "wave" fence is the crown on a new play area at the Stepping Stones Museum, just in time for the ELLI* Program for children ages 18 – 36 months.

The new "wave" fence

Rendering by Jonathan Velasquez

Given the collective effort to layer educational content into all aspects of the museum, the Beinfield team offers the mathematical basis for the design:

“We divided the circumference by 12 which yielded a wavelength of 17 feet.
(204/12 =17) The amplitude of the wave is 13.75 inches which was based making arcs that were .5 times the wavelength, or 8.5 feet. The attached template was a result of those calculations. It was an understanding of these simple mathematical principals that enabled Colin and me to supply a revised template based on the decisions made in the field, in a timely manner.
Math is cool stuff.”     Bruce

Beinfield Architecture designed the new wing of the Stepping Stones Museum in 2009 which earned three "green" awards, and was one of the first projects in the state to achieve LEED Gold status. "The design employs a range of solutions, from energy efficiency and use of alternative energy sources, to ensuring healthy indoor air quality and water conservation."

*Early Language and Literacy Initiative -
A captivating 8-week series of play-filled classes designed to engage children in a
multidisciplinary exploration of their world and support parents and caregivers as children’s first teachers. Classes take place throughout the museum and align with Connecticut Early Learning and Development Standards.

                                         

                                    

Wearable Houses and Walking Cities

Looking at 60's - 70's pop-inspired architectural collaborations - beautiful drawing/collages that clearly influenced the graphic scene -

Archigram was an avant-garde architectural group formed in the 1960s - based at the Architectural Association, London - that was futurist, anti-heroic and pro-consumerist, drawing inspiration from technology in order to create a new reality that was solely expressed through hypothetical projects. (Most of their plans were never actualized.)

Instant City is a mobile technological event that drifts into underdeveloped, drab towns via air balloons with provisional performance spaces in tow. The effect is a deliberate over-stimulation to produce mass culture, with an embrace of advertising aesthetics. The whole endeavor is intended to eventually move on, leaving behind advanced technology hook-ups.

V+A article

MIT article

Instant City/ Peter Cook / Archigram

Plug-in City / Peter Cook/ Archigram

Walking City 1964 Ron Herron/ Archigram

Most famous of Archigram projects, started trend of mobility. City‐sized pod with

legs. Allowed the city to move locations, for weather changes, natural disasters,

economical needs,etc.

“The pre-packaged frozen lunch is more important than Palladio”
Peter Cook, Archigram

Plug‐in City  1964

Consisted of a mega structure with removable, use‐specific units. The city not only

allowed units to plug into the city, but also allowed linking between entire cites.

Suitaloon is a speculative design for a personal, individual and portable dwelling unit which may be ‘worn’ for transport and unpacked for occupation.

Each suit has a plug serving functions similar to a key. This plug allows one to connect to another Suitaloon or leave own house or pack to be collected upon return. When number of suitaloons are interconnected larger communities could also be formed. 

Suitaloon / Michael Webb / Archigram