Equus;

The character I was fortunate enough to receive was the Fire Chief. I found my character to have many distinct characteristics which aided my design process. The very first line of the paragraph which is relative to my character says ‘He reads and re-reads books about the Joan of Arc...,’ I thought this was ironic because the fire chief himself possesses similar qualities to that of the French maid who saved France during the war. Similarly, the Fire Chief possesses a high level of leadership and charisma; and to the people he saves, he is a saint. When I think of a saint, symbolically, I think of the most predominant religious symbol today, the cross. This symbol then formed the main pathways or dividing of spaces at the core of my first model or idea, with the units surrounding. This model is a series of large open spaces which are predominately separate but also linked by small details extending from one space into the other. I thought that this model best conveyed how the fire chief possessed a number of separate and unique characteristics which intertwine with the good work he does on a daily basis. When the fire chief walks down these paths, it should evoke a reflection on his persona. I later manipulated this to better suit my design.

Funnily enough the second model or idea is based upon a rock. A rock is a humble, yet strong, resistant, fire withstanding part nature. The base of this Monolith Structure (a large single upright block of stone) is a pentagon with the tower featured at the roofs peak. Internally there is a large mirror panel above on the smallest of all the roof panels. This is deliberate, as I wanted this experience to make the Fire Chief feel small and almost insignificant when he looks up at the mirror. At certain times of the day it can be a pleasant space and at other times a reflective space. It’s also a reminder of his weaknesses; how powerless he would be without his crew and a method of dampening a growing ego. The long, thin openings on the roof serve to manipulate the light across the interior throughout the different stages of the day, drawing him into the empty space at sunset to reflect and digest the happenings of each day.

Juanita Castillon