Idea 1 | Copper details that patina with age. Pondering the tan heel being in patent against a much more mat, grained leather covering the heel and front half of the upper. The cut-away aspects meant to reveal and compliment both metal detailing and the wearers foot.

Idea 2 | Some flight of fancy, a nod to the mythical messenger Hermes, the ‘wing’ detailing only appears on the exterior of each shoe, ankle buckle to the interior. The shaping of the toe box, counter and heel (smooth, sculptural, wooden) add to a sense of whimsy, and also draw the eye along invisible lines.

Idea 3 | Began with an image of a Japanese Noh mask, abstracted and made into Pop art. The ankle detail is mirrored on both sides, like one half of a mask pulling towards the other. The bands represent a kind of tension, as the heel cutout and sphere demonstrate a kind of suspense as well.

Idea 4 | The moebius strip as inspiration. The single fold in a soft leather slipper that exposes the delicate inner arch of the foot.

Idea 5 | A nod to Dr Seuss. The spherical omission in the platform is offset by the continuation of the heel to cover the sides and back of the foot.

Idea 6 | The edge of the knife. There’s something beautiful about the evolved shape of highly efficient knives, something worth sheathing.

Idea 7 | A touch of colour to highlight the details. A minimal sandal with ankle strap.

Idea 8 | A little harder edge. Exaggerated rigid leather, wooden heel and studded leather softened by a ribbon closure and sock-like mesh upper.

More to come!

The summer atelier was precluded by a short trip to New York city and Boston, and a theoretical survey of structure types. Concurrent to the survey of structures, we explored the techniques and structure types in a series of maquettes. From there an analysis of the site and the inner dome of the Oratory was combined with our structure study to form the basis of our installation. Once the details of construction were decided, we organized the acquisition of materials, tools, construction, site safety, vernissage and media relations. The results was a 60m public installation at the base of the Oratory, to be appropriated in whatever way deemed by the user. The following are highlights taken from final project booklet (unfortunately not bilingual).

Ecological Sketch | One, Two, Three, Four, Five, Six, Seven, Eight

An intermediary study of  various factors to create a more efficient and ecological development.

Presentation Boards in French | One, Two, Three

Images shown below are of our two final maquettes. The first 3 are of the general 1:50 scale building, covering its general form and site occupation. The rest are of our 1:20 scale break-away model at various stages of undress.

// POVRAY_KAKON_OWENS.pov
// POVRAY exercise in modelling the Bahai Temple for South America
// G. KAKON and J. OWENS
// April, 2007
// POV Ray for Windows 3.6
//

#include “colors.inc”
#include “shapes.inc”

//perspective (default) camera
camera {
//location <0, 5, 0>
location <3, .6, 3>
//location <2.5,3,-2>
look_at  <0,0,0>
right    x*image_width/image_height
}

// light source
light_source { <20, 100, 30> color rgb <.3,.2,0>}
//light_source { <2, -5, 3> color White}
light_source { <0, -.5, 0> color Yellow }
light_source { <0, 1.5, 0> color White}
// background
background { color rgb <0, 0, 0>
}

// ———————————————————– ground
difference {

box {<-3000,-1,-3000>,<3000,0,3000>
texture { pigment{ color rgb <.8,.8,.7>}}}
cylinder {<0,-2,0>,<0,.1,0>,.6
texture { pigment{ color rgb <.8,.6,0>}}}

}
// ———————————————————– end of ground

// ———————————————————– axes
#declare axes =
object{
union {
cylinder {<0,0,0>,<3,0,0>,.03
texture { pigment {color Red}}}
cylinder {<0,0,0>,<0,3,0>,.03
texture { pigment {color Green}}}
cylinder {<0,0,0>,<0,0,3>,.03
texture { pigment {color Blue}}}
}

}
//object {axes}

// ———————————————————– shell
#declare stretch = 1.5;
#declare scaler = .95;
#declare Shell =
difference {
object {
sphere{<0,0,0>,1 scale<1,stretch,1>}
translate<0,stretch,0>
scale (1/stretch)}
object {
sphere{<0,0,0>,1 scale<1,stretch,1>}
translate<0,stretch,0>
scale (1/stretch)*scaler}
//texture{ pigment { color White
//     filter .5}
//     finish { ambient 0.15 diffuse 0.8
//             phong 1 reflection 0.82}
//} // end of texture
}
// ———————————————————– end of shell

// ———————————————————– wing
#declare wing =
intersection {
object { Shell }
prism {
linear_sweep
linear_spline
-2,  2,  3,
< 0.0, 0.0>, < -2,  0>, < -2*cos(45), -2*sin(45)>
}
//texture{ pigment { color White
//                  filter .2}
// finish { ambient 0.15 diffuse 0.8
//         phong 1 reflection 0.82}
// } // end of texture

}

// ———————————————————– end of wing

//object { Shell}
//object { wing }

// ———————————————————– top
#declare top =

#declare cut1 =
difference {
object { wing }
object {
box {<-2,-3,2>,<2,.45,-2>}
}
texture{ pigment { color White
filter .2}
finish { ambient 0.15 diffuse 0.8
phong 1 reflection 0.82}
} // end of texture
} //end local

difference {
object { cut1 }
object {
sphere {<-1.8,2.95,2.15>,3}
}
//texture{ pigment { color White
// filter .2}
// finish { ambient 0.15 diffuse 0.8
//     phong 1 reflection 0.82}
// } // end of texture
}
// ———————————————————– end of top

//object { top}

// ———————————————————– stem
#declare stem =

union {
object { top }
object {
cylinder {<-.25,.2,-.25>,<-.38,.45,-.38>,.01
}
}
translate <-.2,0,-.30>
rotate 185*y
rotate -5*x
rotate 10*z
texture{ pigment { color rgb <1,.95,.8>
filter .2}
finish { ambient 0.4 diffuse 0.9
reflection 0.3}
} // end of texture
}
// ———————————————————– end of stem

//object {stem translate <0,-.4,0>}

#declare Count = 0;
#declare r = 9;
#declare n = 9; //CHANGE NUMBER OF PETALS
#declare out =
union {

#while (Count <= n)
object {stem
//translate <-.02*r,0,0>
rotate <0,Count*(360/(n+1)),0>
}
#declare Count = Count+1;
#end }

object {out translate <0,-.4,0>}