Design charette

Earlier this year, the students involved with Spirit of Place at Catholic University and a few selected from Aalto university in Helsinki met at the Finnish Embassy in Washington, DC for a charette to determine the new Spirit of Place - Design project designated in Helsinki this year. The intense period of 9 days consisted of brainstorming, sketching, writing poetry and constructing models and eventually ended in what will be the final product, The Kalevalakehto. Oftentimes, I tend to prefer the process over the final product because of the surge of creativity that grips each participant. Can you feel it through these pictures? I wish I could have been right in the middle of it all.

Above, the students build the final poetic model to guide the

concept of the process.

The student's final models.

"The Egg opens, Vainamoinen is launched."

The poetic models.

"Swirling air and legs alight and the lands are formed....the Eggs open spilling out the mystery of Creation....launching windswept Vessels transporting the sage song-weaver Vainamoinen....always to be rekindled....recreated in Sampo's fiery light washed upon the shores.......in a whirling quiet of creativity."

These collection of statements from the Kalevala guide the project leading to the creation of the Kalevalakehto.

Travis assembling the steel roof of the model of the final design choice. (stay tuned for pics of the final model!) in an upcoming post!

The group with their group models.

Team Finland!Of course, some documenting.

We have about a month before the trip to Helsinki to get the project started and finished. Stay tuned from here until then as I introduce the major players in the project.