MASP students

MARIO: FIRST EXPERIMENT

Garden #2 - 19 February 2020

Our first experiment took place on the 19th of February 2020 at 43 Lewisham Way MARs Research Garden. We focused on the analysis of the site, by being on site we tried to analyse it through a different, embodied and sensorial approach. Instead of using the conventional architectural methods of measuring and analysing a site we decided to invent new ones and experiment.

As Juhani Palasmaa mentions in his book “The eyes of the skin”:

"Every touching experience of architecture is multi-sensory; qualities of space, matter and scale are measured equally by the eye, ear, nose, skin, tongue, skeleton and muscle. Architecture strengthens the existential experience, one’s sense of being in the world, and this is essentially a strengthen experience of self. Instead of mere vision, or the five classical senses, architecture involves several realms of sensory experience which interact and fuse into each other."

Our exercises and experiments were responding on the following themes: points of view, measurements, soil analysis, water, connectivity with the area.

• Points of view: using our bodies and moving in different levels, we explored the space (both inside the building and in the garden) to get a complete and sensorial understanding.
• Measurements: instead of using any measuring device we tried to embody this measurement and understand the site through our bodies. We used our footsteps to count the perimeter, we created a unit with our bodies and calculated the area of the green space, we climbed the staircases to count the stairs.
• Soil Analysis: we collected batches of soil from different spots in the garden and used a soil analysis kit to check the quality, the PH and the nutrients. We also used soil as a material to create a collective drawing.
• Water: we dug 3 holes on the garden and poured water in order to check the porosity of the soil.
• Connectivity: each one of us walked on a different route towards green spaces and main stations. The aim was to explore the area around the garden and find points of interest. We came up with assumptions and some common impressions.

Kiki, Enrique, Sean, Lucy, Francesca, Rachael, Olga