Living Waters- Bathing and Culture

Precedence: For my cultural model for bathing I choose Judaism and my specifically the act of Baptism, its symbolism and processes. Through Baptism Judaism has used "living water" ( water from nature ) to cleanse the spirit to show acceptance of God in their lives and as an act of purifying the soul from sin. Water in this is not only therapeutic for the soul but for the mental and physical as religion has been know to influence these.

Baptism a poem by Aumdoc

bathing in several spaces,

blending and mingling,

to cleanse old and new

fragranced and balanced,

primal tub of salted fluid,

mingles with my cells essence

a font in the night,

baptism of fluid moonlight,

and shadow

the fluid conforms to my body,

the moonlight envelopes my soul,

the shadow is my true self

old, old eyes.... yet a knew vision,

soaking and opening,

tales told and told.... the story unfolds

One of the things more specifically that was considered in my design process is a river as living water... In the Southern part of the US many baptisms have taken place in rivers and I developed my design on the idea of a river baptism and the idea as well that at a baptism event community id brought together to celebrate a dedication of ones self to ones beliefs.

Perspective of Living Waters Community Center: This area is where all therapeutic bathing occurs for everyone, friends and family gather here to have public and private conversation , privacy offered by the copper enveloped spaces provides for a more secluded space in a very public facility.Ramps are provided so that all can access all areas of bathing space and assistance is available when requested.

Floor Plan: the flow of traffic is very linear which gives you the since that you are going somewhere very specific and this journey is very special because you cannot enter the water spaces at just any point , you must go through the space which also encourages interaction between everyone.




Section of entrance and pool beginnings: This space is where you enter and exit the bathing area and may proceed to exit the center "Spa" it is equipped with a warm bath for those who prefer not to dip into the cold pool.

Elevation the length of the space : Show cool pool area where there is whee chair access and water levels of only 3 feet for easy play and wave action. The area is also equipped with seating space on both sides that offers a place to rest and relax.




Elevation of Curtain Wall and exit to other areas of the Center" Spa": In this 4.5 ' deep wall are 2 water falls that carry 60% living water to the pools in the space. also here is a tree encased in in the wall that acts a visual reminder of life and the power of water. The tree also acts as a visual aid to bring your eyes up to the ceiling to the unique track lighting installed.


Reflective Ceiling Plan: Shows layout of meandering track lighting (like the meandering of a river) and recessed and sky lighting that is in the space.


The final Perspective is of the Copper secluded swimming areas, these areas are the conversation spots of the facility with a circular shape they promote communication for group or individuals who require a more private place to relax.



FF&E:

Flooring: Dark Brown Corkin passageways and concrete flooring in pools
Walls :
Curtain wall : Mosaic tile
All others: polished and painted concrete. with with 4x 4 tiles throught in Cobalt blue and white.
Railing throughout space: Black painted stainless steel
Private bathing space:
Walls: sealed Copper
Seating: Keranji hardwood
Hardware:
Door Handles: round steel wire pull handle

Sketch Model of Secluded Space for bathing:

A Place to Dine...

To begin our second studio design project we were to first design a table and side table and then a space for then to exist, I found my inspiration first in two of my favorite design eras, art nouveau and modern, I found it a challenge to find the right mix between the two and so I proceeded to pick something very important to a table which is a chair. The chair I choose was the Eboli Chair by Vincent Soto.



After reading u on the chair and its reviews it was stated that it was a mixture of 17th century Spanish architecture and modern architecture. Do i took a look and the chair a little further and also at spaces that have a baroque modern feel which I found to be very popular, the baroque style adds a hint of elegance to the more masculine modern style.

The Side Table:


The Dining Table:



The Space:

Urban Pathways........

Compostion of a Urban Pathway in my case an alley in New Orleans, LA and we were to turn it into more of a graphic.

Baptism as a Cultural Bathing Process.

For my cultural bathing experience and research I have chosen a Jewish historical act of bathing... I found the process on a website about the bible and hope that through this process I can manifest some of the elements in to a therapeutic spa experience...I really enjoyed the entire text that I read so I decided to post it so I wouldn't lose it but he most important things are highlighted in reds. I personally feel that going through any type of therapy is faith based, faith in oneself, faith in a higher being, and also faith in others that we can depend on, can all help to deliver ourselves in trying times.

The Origin of Baptism

by Wayne Blank

Although Christian Baptism may perhaps be regarded as having originated with John The Baptist, baptism by immersion in water ("baptize," whether in its original Hebrew or Greek forms, literally means to immerse in water) did not originate with Christians, or with John the Baptist. Jews practiced baptism as a traditional act of purification and initiation long before the coming of the Messiah. As a Jew (a Levite actually, John was the son of a Levite priest, Zechariah i.e. Luke 1:5, and John's mother Elizabeth, also a Levite, was a relative of Mary), the man who came to be known as John the Baptist would have been well familiar with the practice before he was sent, by some unidentified individual (John 1:33), who also may have been the one who baptized John himself (there is no Biblical record of John's own baptism) to baptize, proclaiming "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." (Matthew 3:2 RSV).

The Origin of Baptism

The ancient Levite priests (see Levites) were commanded to perform a symbolic cleansing in water (as described below, it wasn't simply taking a bath) before, and while, performing their priestly duties:

"But thus shall Aaron come into the holy place: with a young bull for a sin offering and a ram for a burnt offering. He shall put on the holy Linen coat, and shall have the linen breeches on his body, be girded with the linen girdle, and wear the linen turban; these are the holy garments. He shall bathe his body in water, and then put them on ... Then Aaron shall come into the tent of meeting, and shall put off the linen garments which he put on when he went into the holy place, and shall leave them there; and he shall bathe his body in water in a holy place, and put on his garments, and come forth, and offer his burnt offering and the burnt offering of the people, and make atonement for himself and for the people." (Leviticus 16:3-4,23-24 RSV)

Symbolic acts of cleansing weren't just done by the priests, as evidenced by Naaman the Syrian being cured of leprosy by a "baptism" in the Jordan River. He at first didn't appreciate what Elisha told him to do, or why. He later learned that it wasn't the water that healed him, it was because of his act of obedience and faith that God made him "clean":

"But Naaman was angry, and went away, saying, "Behold, I thought that he would surely come out to me, and stand, and call on the name of The Lord his God, and wave his hand over the place, and cure the leper. Are not Abana and Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? Could I not wash in them, and be clean?" So he turned and went away in a rage."

"But his servants came near and said to him, "My father, if the prophet [see Prophets] had commanded you to do some great thing, would you not have done it? How much rather, then, when he says to you, 'Wash, and be clean'?" So he went down and dipped himself seven times in the Jordan, according to the word of the man of God; and his flesh was restored like the flesh of a little child, and he was clean. Then he returned to the man of God, he and all his company, and he came and stood before him; and he said, "Behold, I know that there is no God in all the earth but in Israel" (2 Kings 5:11-15 RSV)

This "cleansing of what ails you" took on a much greater meaning with Christianity:

"Baptism, which corresponds to this, now saves you, not as a removal of dirt from the body but as an appeal to God for a clear conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ" (1 Peter 3:21 RSV)

Christian baptism, by immersion in water (just as the dead are usually immersed in the earth), symbolizes what Christianity is all about:

"Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? We were buried therefore with Him by baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of The Father, we too might walk in newness of life [see Resurrections]. For if we have been united with Him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with Him in a resurrection like His." (Romans 6:3-5 RSV)

"and you were buried with Him in baptism, in which you were also raised with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead." (Colossians 2:12 RSV)

"for in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith. For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's offspring [see Physical and Spiritual Israel], heirs according to promise." (Galatians 3:26-29 RSV)

Artistic Compostion

This is a photoshop document created form a few images found on the web. Our assignment was to create an image that embodied 2 words, mine were Industrial and Melancholy..... In doing this I knew that I needed to define and visualizde these words in my own mind to try and figure out what images to find to help me create my own... I am very happy with the outcome I feel like there is balance between the moon and the man made island object and that the overall color of blue induces the idea of sadness but I also wanted the over cast of light to show that they weren't in that light and were in a since in the dark, in a state of depression and the metal reflection helps show the industrialization of this island as well as the building on such a small area. Over all, once i found images i like they themselves inclined me to the idea.....very fun.

chitower quad design

Design Manifesto

Design is about he human experience through our sense in the gesture of color , form, texture, and most important of all light.