Sketch Problem

Recently Mike proposed a sketch problem - to design AMC (Appalachian Mountain Club) huts along the AT (Appalachian Trail) in an "organic architecture" fashion. Currently, there are huts along the trail. These buildings are typically made from local stone and wood - but they are not necessarily organic. (nor were they intended to be when they were originally designed)

After looking at several precidents in the realm of organic architecture - such as FLW, Bart Prince, Bruce Goff, Mickey Muenning - I attempted to come up with a few quick sketches to solve the problem of an "organic hut."

First, I took into account the site and site conditions - rocky, steep peaks, above tree line (without trees), small/low lying greenery. Weather conditions are the most extreme in New England - temperature ranging from below zero to over 100 degrees (and this can all happen on a day in July). Four storm centers converge over Mt. Washington, the highest of the peaks in NH. When storms collide over the mountains - the weather can be severe.

Second, I wanted to take into consideration the local materials such as stone and wood - although I do not believe that by simply constructing a building from local materials makes it "organic." I believe that if the building appears to "come from the site itself" - working with the site, the landscape, the materials, the weather - that it then becomes organic.

Third, I wanted to keep in mind that people will be using these huts for shelter in the summer months - and that when they are inside, in addition from being sheltered from the weather, looking out onto the view would also be important.

In order to accomplish this sketch problem - I sketched over photographs of the White Mountains and the AT.


Here I wanted to explore the cairns (stone trail markers) on the trail and how the rudimentary shape of the cairn could influence a shelter.



Then I explored the existing architecture of the huts and how they could be designed (or redesigned) in order to incorporate elements such as large sloping roofs (to collect water) and high row windows to capture light.


Finally, I played with the forms in terms of the landscapes - creating large sloping roofs to resemble jagged peaks, low roof pitches to resemble the flat (grassy) lands, wood/stone exteriors, solar panels to collect sunlight...