INTIMACY V DISRUPTION

We propose to concurrently explore the idea of intimacy and disruption through the introduction of fire to the site. This intervention will study what effect the introduction of an atypical activity has on users and local inhabitants and how and why fire creates an intimate space.

Fire as a medium can mediate between intimacy and disruption, depending on its scale and intensity. On the scale of the camp fire it can evoke a primeval sense of protection, by emitting heat and in darkness it defines a visible perimeter, a space of intimacy. However out of control and on the scale of a forest fire or building it can be dangerous and disruptive. For our intervention/experiment, the forest fire is a good example. Whilst being ultimately disruptive and destructive, some ecosystems have evolved with fire as a natural and necessary contributor to habitat vitality and renewal.

We will design, construct and examine various fires based on different scales and typologies. The scale can be considered from intimate to disruptive, and the project should define specific instances in which each condition is manifested at each scale.

PROCESS/RESEARCH

We will use fire as a tool to introduce new disruptive activities to the site and to magnify the intimate spaces already identified. Fire in an urban environment is an unusual activity and is generally restricted to a BBQ on a summers day or a bonfire over New Years. This is related to a number of factors; the legality of burning material in built-up areas, the difficulty in procuring materials to burn and a lack of designated spaces. These are the issues our design will need to address. We would like to engage with the existing rhythms and flows of materials, information and movement. In this way we can, for example, look at burning waste materials from the workshop, which will also control how long the fire can burn for and when it can burn. The composition of the physical structure will begin to deal with the question of intimacy and protecting the fire from the wind and rain.

Certain safety measures will need to be implemented to ensure that the fire does not become out of control. We will construct a fire proof platform on which to burn structures. We will also need to consider getting in touch with the local authorities.

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DESIGN

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DESIGN

One of the aspects of the design is that of a closed loop system that will capture and re-use the waste materials from the activities our intervention performs. It is insufficient to simply burn the waste material from the Architecture faculty without addressing the the ecological ramifications of the combustion process. The diagram below is a basic overview of how the energy production and recycling process will work in the intervention.

PROTOYPE DESIGN

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REALISATION

The realisation plan includes:

• Timeline of realisation
• Material and equipment list
• Technical implementation

REFERENCES

Swoosh Pavilion, AA summer pavilion

Art615, Sudents of Aalborg University, art615

RELATIONSHIPS TO PROJECTS

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VALIDATORS

1.Heleen de Bothof. She has created a master-plan which includes the site. She can help us by validating the proposal and providing feedback as well as giving us some advice on how it can be realised in relation to her ideas for development.She will validate our design proposal.

2.Sabeth van Wybergen: in charge of the logistics of removing waste from the university. they remove a large metal container 4 times a year, which is full of mixed materials - mostly models.She will validate the process or system - Help with the logistics of supplying waste material.

3.Boy scouts. Makes fire in the urban environment. They have some space on the perophery of Delft. We can provide a space for them to create a fire in a more central urban space. They can act as users of the fire and it can help to increase the visibility in the city.Scouts will validate how the space can be used and whether the process functions and is successful.