[Ingrid Herskind]

Looking at the use of the Chinese Timber Brackets and the use of these types of brackets in Japanese architecture made me think about why this style of column and bracketing system took root in East Asia while the Flying Buttress took root in Europe. The swooping roof and gentle curve does make the roof look like it hovers--making it magical and spirtual. When I think about the use of the Flying Buttress system in European churches, I think of the impact this architectural feature has on the vaulted ceilings and high arches. Both of these architectural wonders create a sense of awe and heighten the spirtitual feelings of the audience (churchgoer or pilgrim). I find it interesting that both the bracket system and buttresses have the same impact, but in very different ways. 

[Ingrid Herskind]

The Kowloon Walled City discussion in the video made me think about the informal society and ad hoc low rise settlements and how they catered to the needs of the majority population in Hong Kong for those 40+ years of its existence. I wanted to learn more about the walled city and found this article from the Business Insider: https://www.businessinsider.com/kowloon-walled-city-photos-2015-2#kowloon-walled-city-was-a-densely-populated-ungoverned-settlement-in-kowloon-an-area-north-of-hong-kong-island-what-began-as-a-chinese-military-fort-evolved-into-a-squatters-village-comprising-a-mass-of-300-interconnected-high-rise-buildings-1

The squatter's rights that happened after the large population of Chinese immigrants allowed for people to build without any real restrictions except for the height restriction of 13 or 14 stories because of its proximity to the airport! Supposedly, the streets and alleys were incredibly narrow and quite dangerous at night. They interviewed a postman who seemed to be one of the few people to know the ins and outs of the city.  I am really interested in these informal cities and the ways in which people work together to build their informal economies and cities to meet their needs. 

[Ingrid Herskind]

When we were talking about the Western influences (Colonial) on East Asia, I was also interested in the Eastern influences on American architecture. The Monokuro House in Torrance, California is made of corrugated cement fiberboard with sleek black exteriors. As you can see from the image, this house has a distinctive facade and a minimalist design and makes use of the inside/outside model in Japan. The inside of the house uses the same open space that we saw in the dwellings in Japan, and the garage doors open the living space to a Zen type garden. The other thing that I liked about this house was its use of different materials. It's nice to see the Eastern influence on Western architecture 🙂

[Ingrid Herskind]

When we were talking about the Western influences (Colonial) on East Asia, I was also interested in the Eastern influences on American architecture. The Monokuro House in Torrance, California is made of corrugated cement fiberboard with sleek black exteriors. As you can see from the image, this house has a distinctive facade and a minimalist design and makes use of the inside/outside model in Japan. The inside of the house uses the same open space that we saw in the dwellings in Japan, and the garage doors open the living space to a Zen type garden. The other thing that I liked about this house was its use of different materials. It's nice to see the Eastern influence on Western architecture 🙂

[Ingrid Herskind]

When we were talking about the Western influences (Colonial) on East Asia, I was also interested in the Eastern influences on American architecture. The Monokuro House in Torrance, California is made of corrugated cement fiberboard with sleek black exteriors. As you can see from the image, this house has a distinctive facade and a minimalist design and makes use of the inside/outside model in Japan. The inside of the house uses the same open space that we saw in the dwellings in Japan, and the garage doors open the living space to a Zen type garden. The other thing that I liked about this house was its use of different materials. It's nice to see the Eastern influence on Western architecture 🙂

[Ingrid Herskind]

I really enjoyed talking about the Hinoki wood that is used in the creation of the important shrines in Japan. Our discussion on the sustainability of this practice made me think about how this architecture will be impacted in the future. I found some articles on the topic where they stated, "Set to be finalized in March, the Forestry Agency’s new plan for the Kiso Valley calls for a 16,579-hectare conservation zone divided into three areas. These comprise a 3,874-hectare core of almost entirely natural forest to be strictly protected; another core area that is three-quarters plantation forest, to be gradually transitioned to a more natural state; and a third area of mixed natural and plantation forest that will serve as a buffer zone…. The question of the lumber industry’s survival, and the survival of traditional culture still needs to be resolved. How many trees need to be cut to maintain that culture?” said Shinji Takashima, director of the agency’s Kiso District Forest Office.”  It was interesting to see that they are also concerned about the forest and know that this traditional culture may not be sustainable.

 

[Ingrid Herskind]

While thinking about Buddhism and sacred spaces, I was interested in our discussion about the importance of the tea ceremony. Not only does the tea ceremony fit in with the tradition of ceremony and symbolism, but it also looks to the sacredness of space. In this time of Covid, I have found the act of steeping tea and sitting in a moment with tea to be important. 

I found this artwork below (Original woodblock prints triptych by Yoshu Chikanobu (1838-1912) - 'Tea Ceremony' (Chanoyu no zu) - From the series "Etiquette for Ladies" (Onna reishiki no uchi) - Japan - 1888) interesting as it shows a lot of the elements from our discussion on gender roles and use of indoor and outdoor space. It would be interesting to use this woodblock print and to talk about Japanese art/architecture in the late 1800s.

 

[Ingrid Herskind]

The more I reflect on the discussions, videos and readings from this class, the more it challenges me to reassess my views on Los Angeles architecture, megacities, and the use of public and private space in the West and the East. I plan to use the ideas of how Buddhism, Colonialism, and the incorporation of Western Modernism into East Asian design could impact how the cities of the future will deal with climate change. The discussions on how city planners and architects can challenge the conceptions of how we have built cities in the past has made me want to learn more about how we can build cities for the future: using sustainable materials, designing more accessible structures (economic, just, diverse, enabled), bringing nature into the cities, making the cities more humane. The readings on East Asian city planning and use of natural materials, the discussions on the “informal city” of markets and alternative capitalistic ventures, and the importance of seeing the “invisible” citizens of the city have made me rethink how I want to talk about environmental justice and ecological identity in my section of Identity Studies this upcoming semester. I’m thrilled to bring in the notes on the vernacular and informal city and to investigate ways in which my students can activate to support the homeless population in the greater Los Angeles area. Our school’s librarian is ‘fleshing out’ our library resources in East Asia studies and urbanization. I’ve also shared some of the readings with my friend who is our school’s art history teacher. Finally, I would recommend this seminar to teachers at my school and plan to participate in different seminars in the future. Thank you so much for an incredible experience.

 

[Ingrid Herskind]

I was really struck by the last part of our conversation in the last lecture. I've been pondering ways to live more sustainably and stumbled upon this video about "The 15 Minute City". The idea is that cities in the future will be designed to make everything accessible to its residents-- within 15 minutes. Work, leisure, shopping, exercise, and home life will all be walking and biking accessible. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=McGyONofhi4

This idea goes hand in hand with making cities more sustainable by not only incorporating nature into the inner city, but also decreasing travel time and emissions. I think I am going to focus on this idea for one of my lessons in my Identity section. I also am thinking about discussing the built environment from the materials perspective. 

[Ingrid Herskind]

I this crazy time of the pandemic, I've been thinking a lot about the idea of space. When were are following the "stay at home" model, and your apartment is tiny, it has made me think about clutter and the use of space. I was struck by the story in the reading about the lesson of silence and self-discipline in "The notion of sitting still in front of a Zen garden is not only about self-discipline, but about mental dissociation with everything else, save the few rocks, shrubs or raked sand that lie in front." I wondered if schools would be better served to have outside spaces like a Zen garden to reflect and seek serenity. Connecting this to the final lecture about the importance of nature in the city, I think it is also important to think of including natural spaces on campus for students to have the opportunity to reflect.

[Ingrid Herskind]

I was struck by this conversation as well. I teach a section of our senior Identity class and think I will investigate ways talk about architecture and art as a means of shared culture, but will still question the power of colonialism. The Portuguese structures in Gao made me think about how much of a culture is shared and how much is absorbed because it is seen as being superior. This is always something that I have to really think about. Like you said, teaching from a social justice perspective does make me want to think about the power of indigenous architecture and culture.

[Ingrid Herskind]

I, too, was struck by  the reclaiming of the river. I was also struck by the last part of the conversation we had in the meeting about the importance of nature and water in a living city. I've spent some time down at the LA River and have often wondered what could be done to reclaim the area and bring nature to the forefront in this part of Los Angeles. When Clay Dube talked about the industrial buildings and the train tracks surrounding the LA River Basin, I was disappointed with the city planners who never thought of the river as a something that would "feed" the city and its inhabitants. There are projects to try to reclaim the river basin, but it never seems to be a priority for the life of the city.

[Ingrid Herskind]

As I stated earlier, I had the opportunity to travel to Nepal in August of 2019 and spent time reflecting on the great Boudhanath stupa.  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boudhanath#/media/File:Boudha_Stupa_IMG_7804_2018_42.jpg   This stupa takes center stage and can be reached from all sides of the city. When professor Bharne talked about the design of the stupa, I was struck by how important the structure and shape of the Boudhanath stupa impacts its surroundings. The monks and pilgrims circle the great stupa day and night, giving respect, prayer and reflection. The symbols and design are perfect for the circumambulation. Daily, I strolled and meditated with hundreds of others and now appreciate the shape and structure of the stupa even more.

[Ingrid Herskind]

This video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cIC11jD3YlY shows the beauty of Zhujiajiao, the Venice of China. I was lucky enough to visit Zhujiajiao in the summer of 2019 with 20 high school students. I was struck by the quaint qualities of this town--loved the canals and the shops along the canals. While I was there, they were doing a huge commercial to show the beauty of the town and bring more tourists to the town. The thing that struck me about this place was the wonderful variety of spices at the market. This market was a stable market, but worked in the way that the last lecture discussed the markets in China. I learned so much about the economic flexibility in this market and loved being a part of the hustle and flow.

[Ingrid Herskind]

I really enjoyed learning about the "pop up" markets --but really wonder if these types of markets will be deeply impacted by Covid. The informal nature of these markets are what make them successful and an important part of the community and informal economy. What could happen to the livelihoods of these market vendors and what impact will the 6 feet rule have on the informality of these markets. One thing that does work well in a lot of the Chinese informal markets is the use of Wechat pay systems that take away the exchange of money. I would love to see this take off more in the US and think that contactless payment is a necessity in the post Covid world.

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