Project Description
The San Marcos Creek Development Project is taking a look at downtown San Marcos to see how to improve the area while preserving the creek. The section of land stretches from Discovery Street to Bent Avenue and in between San Marcos Boulevard and Discovery Street. In development, San Marcos has to take into account the flooding of the nearby creek and how it would affect the environment and buildings. Our project took a look at this development plan and created our own plans for the downtown area. Each group was assigned a plot of land within the location where we were given the task to develop it on our own. We looked at the regulations for the land to see what requirements our buildings had to meet, and we incorporated the sun path diagram and golden ratio. Our final product was a scaled, laser cut building that we assembled to show to the community.
Process
At the beginning of the project, we chose roles that each member of the group would have. The other members of my group were in charge of surveying and engineering. I was the architect who was in charge of the design and technical illustration of the buildings. In this role, I had to take into account the scaling and other aspects within the creation of the building, such as including the golden ratio and the sun path diagram. However, I also took on parts of the other roles to support my other group members. In hand drawn sketches, I scaled buildings and planned out the floor plan and how the building would look on the outside. I had to take into account the sun path diagram to know where the building will receive the most amount of light, and incorporate the golden ratio into the design of the buildings. On the buildings, more windows would be placed on the south side because that is where it would receive the most light. I also created awnings using trigonometry to block the sun during the summer, but still allow light in the winter. We used golden ratio with an "L"-shaped building by taking the longest line and cutting it into two unequal yet proportionate parts to create the inside of the "L" and the end. Next, I drew the sketches in Illustrator and scaled them so they could be sent to the laser cutter. The laser cutter would cut out the building in wood pieces, and we assembled them to create the scale model.
Pictures
Math Learning
I learned a different area of trigonometry that I didn't know about before: using the Sun Path Diagram. I didn't know much about the sun path diagram or how it was used in trigonometry, but after this project, I know how to use trigonometry in designing buildings. The sun path diagram also showed me where the sun was going to be shining on my building at different times of the year. This helped me figure out where I needed to place more windows for efficiency and how I should build my awnings to allow for a certain amount of sun.When going to the site, we used triangulation to find the size of the pond on our plot of land. Other than the pond, there was nothing on our site, so we started off with a clean slate. With the Golden Ratio, I didn't know anything about it, let alone use it. This project taught me how to use it while designing and my group used it in our "L"-shaped buildings. We used golden ratio with an "L"-shaped building by taking the longest line and cutting it into two unequal yet proportionate parts to create the inside of the "L" and the end. I also learned about the different types of coordinates: Polar and Cartesian. Polar coordinates tell me how far away something is and at what angle, and Cartesian coordinates tell me how far along and how far up something is. Overall, I learned a lot of math throughout this project and I know how to truly use it within architecture.
Reflection
My biggest takeaway from the project was learning about the plan. I didn't know that his San Marcos plan was happening until this project, so it really opened up my eyes to what was happening in the community. I also learned how to use the golden ratio and sun path diagram, which I did not know anything about before. In terms of Habits of a Mathematician, I have grown in the "Be Confident, Patient, and Persistent" habit because I have had to use this skill during the project. I would come across many road blocks that made me frustrated, but I pushed through them to be successful. This meant I needed to be patient with myself, even if everything wasn't coming together as quickly as I wanted them to. A challenge I faced was the workload. I would have work from other classes to balance with this project, so to have an easier time with the project, I wanted everyone in the group to split up the workload equally. This would have everyone contribute equally and it wouldn't be as much work. However, as time went on, I found that I was taking on more of the work because my group members would forget or get caught up on one thing for a while. Work wouldn't have gotten done on time, so I took on that extra work to make our group successful, even if I had to stay up late. It was challenging to balance everything, so I had to be the leader of the group and make sure my group members got their work done on time. I do recognize the work that my group done and I am thankful, but it was still difficult to have to help everyone on their work. I did enjoy building the 3D models because it was hands on and not on a computer. I also enjoyed surveying our plot of land in person because I felt that I truly knew what I was working with and what I had to keep in mind.
Exhibition
Exhibition was a great turn out and seemed to attract an audience who was genuinely interested in what we did. With my group, not many people came to talk to us because of our awkward placement on the map, but who we did talk to asked us very thoughtful questions. I was able to explain everything about the project as did my group members for the most part. So, from my perspective, exhibition was a success. In my role, I felt I really grew in the process. I learned how to use illustrator more, but I also learned how to do the other roles. The most challenging thing was to get all our work done on time because a group member wasn't holding up their end of the project and failed to get their buildings printed. However, they did produce a 3D model on their computer to show at exhibition. I do celebrate all the work my group accomplished and that they were able to talk about the project very nicely.