Rooted Love;
the love hut 24 hr design competition
1st place winner
Ideas Forward puts on 24 hour competitions where the prompt is released at a set time during the day, with the submissions due exactly 24 hours after. Each team is given only those 24 hours to prepare a competition board responding to the prompt. This particular prompt was as follows:
Theme: Hut
Create your own program in your interpretation of what might be “love and a hut”.
Personifies this utopian image in architectural design.
Localization: somewhere where you want to contemplate your love.
Number of people: a couple.
proposal…
Love and Utopia are bounded by timelessness, as well as the need for work.
Both achievable, they require constant attention and diligence, even once arrived.
Rooted Love proposes that the structure itself becomes a metaphor of the growing love. Taking a long time to develop and requiring constant attention, the structure grows with the relationship rather than being about the relationship.
‘Tree sculpting’, the natural bending and shaping of trees over a long period of time is utilized for the contemplative love hut. The structure itself will take years to grow, just as true love takes to develop. Requiring attention, each time back to tend the trees - pruning, cutting, guiding, a new experience awaits – yet a familiar one.
At the end of it all, two individual units become a whole as the trees join at the top, and the temporary interior structure is removed. Bounded by geometric form and natural utopianism; framed by us, and built by nature, here we contemplate our rooted love.
Competition Board
Jury Comments
“Between reason and utopia is the root that sustains the dream. Among the complicated and complex is the “ structure” that allows the difference . The proposal allows the combination beetween root / structure the dream / utopia in an interesting way and relevant and complex approach..”
“Rooted Love is conceived as a perfect metaphor of established utopia through a very simple hut. What is the interesting in design that the structure is able to develop itself with different shapes, colors, utopias, structures and discourses that can be articulated in a much more innovative way, either architecturally or fertilely. The design approach relies on its innovative and original attributes through personalities or structural analysis. The presentation is very understandable, easily readable and colors represented here, emphasizes different spatial arrangements and this gives a technical clue about how it will be developed, or can be transformed for the future arrangements. Materiality, texture and construction values are well defined here.”
“Rooted Love fulfilled all the criteria of a winning design: simple yet strong concept, beautiful design, aesthetically pleasing presentation, and in-depth descriptions of features and details. The entry lets nature grow the hut over time as a metaphor of love and (lasting) human relationships developing and maturing at a steady and sustainable pace. The element of time in this spatial construct has been introduced very poetically.”
“The author of «Rooted Love» offered a beautiful metaphor for growing love. According to the author’s idea the enduring love should be expressed in a live blooming designs in a form of the geodesic Fuller’s dome. Two tree trunk, symbolizing two lovers, growing together and coalescing, eventually forming a unified whole. Great idea and excellent presentation.”
The Vision of Utopia Starts with the Precision of Numbers; step guide…
Since the project will take anywhere from 25-50 years to construct, it is crucial to get the tree spacing and geodesic sphere size calculations correct.
Step 1 • Choose a Location Significant to the Relationship.
It could be the first place where they said, ‘I love you’, or maybe the location where they first kissed. This location, whatever the occasion, becomes a landmark of a loved moment.
Step 2 • Choose a Flowering Native Tree
Flowering trees, quiet and domaint at times - like love, are reliable in their appearance. Every spring when the tree flowers, even if lasting but a couple of days, becomes a reminder of the love shared.
Step 3 • Size the Project
Using the chart below, based on maximum height from the chosen tree, find a rough estimation of your sphere radius (r). For precise measurements, use the formulas below and solve for (r).
Step 4 • Plant the Trees and Build the First Geodesic Sphere Ring
The first ring is just the start. The young saplings are weak and brittle. Constant attention is needed during this step to insure proper development. Come back often to contemplate.
Step 5 • Tend the Trees & Build Your Love
Come back to the growing monument. Help guide the tree branches along the temporary structure, and when appropriate, add more structural rings. Keep coming back until the trees join at the top.
Final Step • Remove Temporary Structure, Enjoy
The trees are now fully united as one at the top. The temporary structure now becomes a ghosted skeleton of the past. Un-bolt and remove it. The space, monument, love hut is complete.