INDIGENOUS PERFECTION

I happened to take a drive a couple of evenings ago. The late afternoon was warm and it was good to be driving rural roads. After 25 years of living up here, it is amazingly easy to find yourself on roads that you have never been on before. This afternoon was no exception.

In these pages, we have discussed the need to slam on the brakes when you see something of interest. That, as we have noted, is specifically encouraged when you are in a rental car. And sometimes you have to slam even when in your own car.

Yet other times, after you drive by something of potential interest, you ask yourself, did I just see what I thought I saw? In this specific instance, it was a slow brake. Then, because it was a rural road, it was reverse to the point of interest. And yes, I did see what I thought I saw. This structure takes the cake folks. This is absolutely the best.

This is a building that is at the top of someone’s driveway. It is tall enough to permit entry. I did not enter is as there were signs posted, do not enter. It would seem that it is simply some sort of playhouse. A building for the hell of it.

This building was constructed out of boards which were assembled flat. Most of the boards were 3/4” thick and were in varying widths; 6”, 8”, and wider. Some of the boards were thicker. Some of the wood elements are smaller and run perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the and construction.  It is set into a hillside.

The beauty of the horizontal lines, interspersed with the gaps, end conditions, and varying thicknesses was stunning. I simply could not believe the intricate patterns that were created by the most likely random means of assembly.  Building Without Architects does not get any better.

The next morning, I did my drawing. As we know, associations are extremely important. As I drew, I though of Rural Studio. They of course are famous for making buildings out of exceedingly common and economical materials. This is a building that they could have done. I also though of Herzog and de meuron’s early Ricola Storage Building, patterned off of stacked lumber.

This drawing took more time than most, believe it or not. It is time consuming to try to draw every board. Yet if you don’t draw every board, then the feeling is lost. All I managed to capture in this drawing is two walls and how a corner is formed. It is this particulate assembly which is intriguing. Each part is distinguishable. Each part is working as structure and enclosure just like every other part. You can see how they are working. And you can see how it was assembled. Hopefully my drawing starts to approach an understanding of all of this. For any of us, this absolute clarity of building is what we are after. To see it executed as an indigenous building is simply humbling.