Int. Studio & Seminar: Bridge Project 4 – Monuments Probed & Presented

My monument is a monument to anyone who has ever been in the foster care system.

On the ground level of my monument, you see the frame of a house, within the frame is an entrance in the ground. When you open it, it leads to the underground level.

The above ground dimensions are 17′ x 17′ and 11′ in height.

The underground part of the monument is a square room, 17’x17′ and 9′ ceilings.

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The floor plan from the above ground part.

(notes: in the front where the door should be–inside–is the underground entrance

no foundation, just grass [kept up])

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view of the back and side 1 of the underground room

(notes: windows you can’t see out of on both sides [because Earth])

Against the back wall, there will be nothing but an unplugged standard refrigerator. On the refrigerator will be graded assignments or drawings foster children are proud of. I chose to do this because when I think of home I think of the kitchen because that’s where my family would congregate and the refrigerator is where your childhood achievements hang so everyone can see. Foster kids often times do not have this so I wanted to give them a space. I chose to have the refrigerator unplugged because although their papers can hang, this is not their home, there is no family here, it is a reminder t others that the refrigerator is empty.

I chose to add windows so the room feels like an actual room in a home, also because it can be hard for these children to see beyond their current situation. Many children, especially as they get older, deal with depression, anxiety, and other mental health issues. The blocked window is representative of that.

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a perspective drawing of the house frames. The frame of the house will be made of heavy timber (like Western Red Cedar)

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the front wall of the underground room.

the ladder is the only way in and out of the room, which represents hard transitions from home to home. On the wall with the ladder are drawings foster kids have done of their perfect home. The drawings are hung for you to see as you enter and exit the space.

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a sketch of the above and below ground monument together.

Below ground room: wood, dry wall, paint, glass.

Below ground (front wall, side wall) 3D model.

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Above ground 3D model:

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Imagined Houses:

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imagined house 1

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I digitally made examples of the houses some of the kids might draw.

 

Materials:

small and large popsicle sticks, tacky glue, permanent marker, SketchUp Make, pencil, bristol.

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