CLIFF PAVILION at Taft point, Yosemite National Park
Yosemite National Park is located in the northern part of California. It is regarded as one of the most beautiful natural places in the world and has many stunning and breathtaking views to be seen from all angles.
Taft point, is a viewing area on a cliff in which you can oversee a massive part of the inner valley.
Taft point, is a viewing area on a cliff in which you can oversee a massive part of the inner valley.
DESIGN INSPIRATION
I understood that I wanted to create some sort of cantilever for this project. I decided on a natural substance, wood, to have a nice environmental feel towards the environment, and I wanted to create something that would subtly celebrate the environment and surrounding.
I decided that it would cantilever without any visual supports, but rather the strong, rock foundation in the area, and having part of the wood in the building to become one with the foundation. The structure and having it be balanced was the most important part of this design concept. I used thin wooden 12x6 foot beams, to scale, and constructed it with that as the sole material. It is very sturdy as a horizontal beam, as it is stacked tightly, and serves as a second foundation for the entire pavilion. |
The planks across the floor are all placed in harmony, eventually leading to further supports, and finally leading to the roof of the structure.
RHYTHM AND STRUCTUREI realized that if I wanted to create something structurally sound that would in part add to the experience of how the pavilion felt, I would have to rely on the ideology of rhythm and strength with numbers, while still remaining light.
The wooden beams all have a role in the structure of the pavilion, and many of the beams have different roles. The roof holds the floor, and the floor holds the roof in an exchange of tension and foundational strength. |
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The roof material meets in the middle at the top and builds a vertebrate for the construction. Some of the roof material in certain parts even goes straight into the ground as shown above. However, all of them meet at the top to create a stronger backbone.
MODEL PROPERTIES
The properties of the model include a cantilever of 17 inches after a horizontal surface. There is a simulated foundation and cliff footing, along with a "glass" peeping edge and wall. The structure can support up to 5 lbs at the very edge, creating a very large moment of force, but is still sound. It is made solely of chipboard and tacky glue.
Here are a couple more angles of the pavilion along with a rendering at Taft point, in Yosemite California.