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nine fictitious sites. 2022
Harvard GSD Thesis, Mack Scogin & Hyojin Kwon
nine fictitious sites. 2022
Harvard GSD Thesis, Mack Scogin & Hyojin Kwon
“The question of architecture is … the taking place in space. It invents something which didn’t exist beforehand and yet at the same time there is the inhabitant, man or God, who requires the place prior to its invention or causing it. Therefore, one doesn’t quite know where to pin down the origin of the place.”
-Jacques Derrida
Architecture is a desire where its origins are at once imagined but remain elusive.
Unlike the permanent stable house, “Home is where the heart is,” a space in the mind, a fabric beyond the built, physical, finite house, “a place that shelters daydreaming and protects its dreamer.” Home is always on the move, oscillating between nostalgia and uncanny. Nostalgia is an accumulation of memories into a place; uncanny is the doubts towards that place. Home does not offer reassuring familiarity; it provides everyday needs but departs from the norms. It contains memories but asks for a different way of remembering.
This home is completely incomplete, a starting point of departure——Architecture that liberates.
The Thesis narrates the wandering life of an imagined Land Surveyor*, combining memories and dreams of temporal stays into nine abodes in different landscapes. It questions the notions of self and the singular archetypal home.
*The Land Surveyor is a person who roams, roves, and wanders around to determine the distribution and allotment of land. Prior to its division and demarcation by borders and boundaries, the land remains a smooth space, a vast unknown mass. The Land Surveyor’s homes precede properties and ownership; his movements across landscapes are free from the concept of paths and roads. No matter how long he stays, the Land Surveyor is never indifferent to his immediate landscapes, nor do specific places determine his identity. He is the precedent of the nomadic subject, whose identity remains floating, shifting, overlapping, or multiplying with his surroundings and belongings. He is always becoming. The land surveyor measures and records. For things beyond measurements, he simply records.
-Jacques Derrida
Architecture is a desire where its origins are at once imagined but remain elusive.
Unlike the permanent stable house, “Home is where the heart is,” a space in the mind, a fabric beyond the built, physical, finite house, “a place that shelters daydreaming and protects its dreamer.” Home is always on the move, oscillating between nostalgia and uncanny. Nostalgia is an accumulation of memories into a place; uncanny is the doubts towards that place. Home does not offer reassuring familiarity; it provides everyday needs but departs from the norms. It contains memories but asks for a different way of remembering.
This home is completely incomplete, a starting point of departure——Architecture that liberates.
The Thesis narrates the wandering life of an imagined Land Surveyor*, combining memories and dreams of temporal stays into nine abodes in different landscapes. It questions the notions of self and the singular archetypal home.
*The Land Surveyor is a person who roams, roves, and wanders around to determine the distribution and allotment of land. Prior to its division and demarcation by borders and boundaries, the land remains a smooth space, a vast unknown mass. The Land Surveyor’s homes precede properties and ownership; his movements across landscapes are free from the concept of paths and roads. No matter how long he stays, the Land Surveyor is never indifferent to his immediate landscapes, nor do specific places determine his identity. He is the precedent of the nomadic subject, whose identity remains floating, shifting, overlapping, or multiplying with his surroundings and belongings. He is always becoming. The land surveyor measures and records. For things beyond measurements, he simply records.
“建筑的问题在于[......]空间中的发生。它（建筑）发明了一些事先不存在的东西，但同时，又有居住者，人或神，在它被创造前就需要或制造了这个场所。因此，人们不大能确定场所的起源。”
建筑是一种渴望，它的起源可被想象，但仍难以捉摸。
不像稳固的房屋，"家是心之所在"，一个精神空间——超越可建造的、有形的、有限的住宅，"一个庇护白日梦和保护做梦者的地方"。“家”总在移动，在“怀乡”和“异样”的情感之间摇摆不定——“怀乡”是记忆堆砌出的场所；而“异样”则是对这个场所的怀疑。家宅并不提供令人放心的熟悉感：它满足日常需求，却偏离常规；它包含记忆，但要求以不同的方式被记住。
这是一个完全不完整的家，一场出走的起点——一种自由的建筑。
设计叙述了一个虚构的土地测量员*的漂泊生活，将关于居住的记忆和梦境结合成九个不同地景中的家宅。
*土地测量员是在漂泊和漫游中确定土地的分布和分配的人。在被边界分割和划定之前，大地是一个平滑的空间，一个巨大而未知的体块。土地测量员的家先于财产和所有权；他在地景中的移动不受路径概念的限制。他不会对周遭的风景漠不关心，而这些场所却不能对他的身份产生决定性的影响。他是游牧的主体，他的身份与他所处的环境和所拥有的物品重叠、相加，总是处在漂浮和变化中。他总是在成为。对于超出测量范围的事物，土地测量员只是记录。
——雅克·德里达
建筑是一种渴望，它的起源可被想象，但仍难以捉摸。
不像稳固的房屋，"家是心之所在"，一个精神空间——超越可建造的、有形的、有限的住宅，"一个庇护白日梦和保护做梦者的地方"。“家”总在移动，在“怀乡”和“异样”的情感之间摇摆不定——“怀乡”是记忆堆砌出的场所；而“异样”则是对这个场所的怀疑。家宅并不提供令人放心的熟悉感：它满足日常需求，却偏离常规；它包含记忆，但要求以不同的方式被记住。
这是一个完全不完整的家，一场出走的起点——一种自由的建筑。
设计叙述了一个虚构的土地测量员*的漂泊生活，将关于居住的记忆和梦境结合成九个不同地景中的家宅。
*土地测量员是在漂泊和漫游中确定土地的分布和分配的人。在被边界分割和划定之前，大地是一个平滑的空间，一个巨大而未知的体块。土地测量员的家先于财产和所有权；他在地景中的移动不受路径概念的限制。他不会对周遭的风景漠不关心，而这些场所却不能对他的身份产生决定性的影响。他是游牧的主体，他的身份与他所处的环境和所拥有的物品重叠、相加，总是处在漂浮和变化中。他总是在成为。对于超出测量范围的事物，土地测量员只是记录。
The story records the strange life of a Land Surveyor. Although the documentation of the beginning of his journey is lost, we know from a fragmented biography that residences in eight different landscapes are attributed to his: in the metropolis 1, between rowhouses 2, in a parking lot 3, on the road 4, on the water 5, in a forest 6, in the hill 7, in the desert 8. The ninth home is never found. It is said that it orients towards the sky 9. Geologists, surveyors and architects exhausted atlases and catalogs, but their efforts were in vain. No one than the Land Surveyor himself has been in those places. He stays for different lengths at each place, surveying, observing, or simply admiring the landscapes while occupying them with his accumulated everyday objects and incremental memories. His home grows as he lingers, and because of his loneliness, his home becomes his companion thus acquiring a similitude to humans or other creatures.
Yet, always propelled by the desire to find his mysterious commission, the Land Surveyor disembarks for the next location. Often in a hurry, he leaves behind everything that he called home. Then, he is suddenly in an unfathomable nostalgia. Right away, he starts assembling his new abode with a vague resemblance to the last one (he simply could not remember clearly). Creation eases his pain and as the surrounding landscape takes more of a hold of his, memory would soon descend into a blurry distant background. So then, for a little while, he is content with the fresh start and the new looks of his banal and familiar things. Although at times, dusty memories resurface, they appear to be dream-like. In fact, it is plausible that he did not really remember, but rather dreamt of them. He repeats this process another seven times, leaving behind eight empty shells along his route. To the question, where are you going? He always answers, “Away from here, away from here.” Some said that the Commissioner resides ‘elsewhere.’ It is most likely that the Land Surveyor never got there.
Yet, always propelled by the desire to find his mysterious commission, the Land Surveyor disembarks for the next location. Often in a hurry, he leaves behind everything that he called home. Then, he is suddenly in an unfathomable nostalgia. Right away, he starts assembling his new abode with a vague resemblance to the last one (he simply could not remember clearly). Creation eases his pain and as the surrounding landscape takes more of a hold of his, memory would soon descend into a blurry distant background. So then, for a little while, he is content with the fresh start and the new looks of his banal and familiar things. Although at times, dusty memories resurface, they appear to be dream-like. In fact, it is plausible that he did not really remember, but rather dreamt of them. He repeats this process another seven times, leaving behind eight empty shells along his route. To the question, where are you going? He always answers, “Away from here, away from here.” Some said that the Commissioner resides ‘elsewhere.’ It is most likely that the Land Surveyor never got there.
这个故事记录了一个土地测量员的奇异生活。虽然他旅途开始时的文件已经遗失，但我们从零散的传记中得知，他曾在八个处于不同地景中的家居住——在大都市里 1，在排屋之间 2，在停车场 3，在路上 4，在水上 5，在森林里 6，在山里 7，在沙漠中 8。 他的第九个家从未被发现。据称，它朝向天空 9。 地理学家、测量员和建筑师穷尽了地图集和目录寻找这些住宅的踪迹，但他们的努力是徒劳的。除了土地测量员本人，没有人去过这些地方。他在每个地方停留不等的时间，测量、观察或仅仅是欣赏风景，他逐渐积累起的物品和渐进的记忆占据了这些空间。他的家随着他的逗留而成长，由于他与生俱来的孤独，家成为他唯一的伙伴，这使它们变得有点像人或其他生物。
然而，寻找神秘委托的欲望推动着土地测量员。他常常匆忙地将一切他称之为家的东西抛下，起程前往下一个地方，然后又突然地陷入一种不可解释的怀乡情绪中。这时，他会立刻开始搭建新的住所，它似乎与上一个家有模糊的相似之处（他根本就记不清楚了）。创造缓解了他的痛苦，四周的风景占据了他的心，回忆很快退为一个模糊而遥远的背景。因此，在一段短暂的时间内，他对于新的开始和熟悉事物的新面貌感到心满意足。虽然有时，记忆会重新浮现，但似乎更像是梦境。事实上，很可能他并不是真的记得，而是梦见了它们。他又重复了七次这样的过程，沿途留下了八个空壳。对于“你要去哪里？”这个问题，他总是回答："离开这里，离开这里"。有人说，委托人居住在'其他地方'。土地测量员很可能从未到达那里。
然而，寻找神秘委托的欲望推动着土地测量员。他常常匆忙地将一切他称之为家的东西抛下，起程前往下一个地方，然后又突然地陷入一种不可解释的怀乡情绪中。这时，他会立刻开始搭建新的住所，它似乎与上一个家有模糊的相似之处（他根本就记不清楚了）。创造缓解了他的痛苦，四周的风景占据了他的心，回忆很快退为一个模糊而遥远的背景。因此，在一段短暂的时间内，他对于新的开始和熟悉事物的新面貌感到心满意足。虽然有时，记忆会重新浮现，但似乎更像是梦境。事实上，很可能他并不是真的记得，而是梦见了它们。他又重复了七次这样的过程，沿途留下了八个空壳。对于“你要去哪里？”这个问题，他总是回答："离开这里，离开这里"。有人说，委托人居住在'其他地方'。土地测量员很可能从未到达那里。
......The scissor lift when expanded is measured 3800 mm and 1300mm, small and nimble. The metropolis has almost everything, so it was easy to begin living atop the scissor lift. He did little adjustments, only installing four curtains on each side and a large ceiling fan with a diameter of 750mm. Summer is almost shadowless. It was the perpetual fluttering of the curtain and blowing of the hot air that reminded him of childhood. He used to be extremely bored in the summer, with nothing to do, running from buildings to buildings until he was exhausted. And then he would go home to stare at the spinning fan until his eyes hurt. When he then closes his eyes, they left an imprint of a swirling maze. He now enjoys the time of doing nothing; with his eyes closed, the distant noises of busy streets are indistinguishable from kids chattering or birds chirping. Despite his high-up position, nobody seems to notice him. They pushed the lift around to move through the busy streets. Rather like a ghost, he floated through the city. He extended his survey of land into the city’s windows and the inhabitants of the metropolis. Looking from a distance, he records but never interacts. At night, he heard bored piano playing, or nervous footsteps down on the streets. He would let his imagination run a little, of what’s happening behind closed doors, where are the lonely passenger going or what’s on their mind. He found an odd console in other people’s loneliness.......
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剪式升降机展开后的尺寸为3800mm x 1300mm，小而灵活。大都市里什么都有，所以很容易就能开始在剪式升降机上的生活。他没做什么调整，只在四周安装了窗帘和一个直径为750mm的大吊扇。夏日几乎没有影子。正是窗帘的飘动和热风的吹拂，让他想起了童年。他曾在无事可做的夏天，从一栋楼跑到另一栋楼，直到筋疲力尽。然后他就会回家盯着旋转的风扇，直到眼睛发疼。这时，他闭上眼睛，就会看到它们留下的旋转迷宫的痕迹。他现在很享受无所事事的时光；尝试分辨远处繁华街道的噪音与孩子们的叽叽喳喳或鸟的鸣叫。尽管处在很高的位置，却似乎没人注意到他。行人路过繁忙的街道，把升降机推来推去。他倒像是一个幽灵，在城市中漂浮着。他把对土地的调查延伸到城市的窗户和大都市居民上。他在远处观看，记录但从不互动。在晚上，他会听到无聊的钢琴演奏，或下面街道上传来的紧张的脚步声。他任由自己幻想，在关着的门后面正发生着什么，孤独的行人要去哪里。他在别人的孤独中找到了一种奇特的安慰。......
......So, you see, his house is only the facade of a row house. A smiling face that says I love people. Brick wall, five steps up, a front door, a doorbell, and a light. Above, two symmetric windows with the same awnings, air conditioner, gutter, and two birds sitting on the cornice. The wall is thick with a corridor and all the essential rooms hidden inside. But behind the thick wall, a large foldable room can be pulled out from the back, extended like a camera lens. He also found it similar to his theodolite. The room is narrow and wide, low and tall, and extremely empty. This is where he spent most of his time, distant from others. It is both the narrowness of the room but also the wide, tall, far-away window that he desires........
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所以，你看，他的房子只有排屋的门脸。砖墙，向上走五级台阶，前门，门铃，和一盏灯。再往上是两个对称的窗户，有和邻居同样的遮阳棚，外挂的空调，排水管，还有两只站在檐口的鸟。墙很厚，一条走廊和所有必要的房间都藏在里面。但在墙背后是一间可折叠的房间，像相机镜头一样延伸。这个房间又窄又宽，又矮又高，极其空旷。他大部分时间都呆在这里，与他人相距甚远。他所渴望的既是房间的狭窄，也是那宽阔高大的远处的窗户。......
