JUNGLE*topia

Ceremony photo's by Emily Wilson

2008-08-15T19:47:00.000-07:00

Communication Tubes

Climbing tower.
Overall site. Thank you for all your documentation Emily!

...more from the cermony...

2008-08-15T19:30:00.000-07:00

Third eye's were in full effect!

Opening Ceremony.

2008-08-15T19:22:00.000-07:00

We wrapped up JUNGLE*topia a couple days early to make sure we could participate in the most important aspect: PLAY!
The Procession to the Site:

Then we installed the EYE. Jon (left) Jan (right).

The Hands!

2008-08-15T17:44:00.000-07:00

For the hands we started with a rough sketch, than got out the jig saw and let the kids re-interperate/wiggle the lines we had intially started with .
Wonky tonk hands!
High-Five Sandwich!

Then we painted the hands...much like the EYE.
Kids love splatter!

Then Jon went in and put in some lines and installed them to the Central Figure.

The Eye of JUNGLE*topia

2008-08-15T17:03:00.000-07:00

An illustration of an eye was cut out of plywood to create the eyepiece of JUNGLE*topia. Each camper added a stroke, splash, squirt, or double do to include thier hand in the process.
Hmmmm...(Crocket) the color theorist.

After each camper left their mark, Jon Bocksel went back in and added some linear details.

The Stairs are in!

2008-08-15T16:48:00.000-07:00

This smaller tree space is in the process of becoming a pulley station to tree house west, a well as remaining a camera/documentation platform.

Barn Stairs

2008-08-04T12:04:00.000-07:00

Here is the full section of the barn stairs, we knew we would need to use somewhere.
Jesse and his wave are working on the time lapse photo booth, the booth will be used to document the general area of JUNGLE*topia a couple of times a day to create a progressive slideshow/animation.
The staircase happens to work out really well for this element.

Elements/Waves

2008-08-04T11:53:00.000-07:00

The campers have been split up into "waves" or groups to build certain nesecary flooring for their structure/element. Some of these elements are: Ladders, Bridge east, Bridge west, Tree house east, Treehouse west, The path, and the Time lapse photo booth. The waves will be continously changing thier element/structure so the idea of segregated ownership will be eliminated. This way the project can reflect the idea of group ownership.

Presentation

2008-08-04T11:43:00.000-07:00

The presentation went really well. The kids seem really stoked to have a say in what they want to build, and as we anticipated their ideas are creative, outlandish, serious, impossible, practical, fun, dangerous, easy, scientific, leisurely and AWESOME. Let the bubbling furnace of ideas begin!

The PATH

2008-08-04T10:21:00.000-07:00

The path up to site looks something like this. Travis (wave) counsler and his crew of campers are in the process of creating railings and other decorative elements. More updates on the path soon!

Inspiration

2008-07-23T17:43:00.000-07:00

Throughout this project will will be logging links, photos, and other momentos we are inspired by. Above are some of the things Jan and Jon have been inspired by. Next update we are going to log some of the campers inspiration and goals in the scheme of JUNGLE*topia.

Disasemble-able ramp at Dietch Projects gallery 2002.
Dietch ramp built by Simparch .

Mobile Hut also by Simparch, built from old handpainted billboards.
Maya Hayuk (amongst others) built this SHRED Playland in Pittsburgh some years ago.
Jon Bocksel's ramp in Brooklyn, a learning experience in large scale building.
Thomas Campbell Artist, filmaker, surfer, skateboarder, shanty sculpture builder.

Last but not least "The TreeHouse Book." This book has some great photo's into the lifestyle and modes of tree home dwelling.

Plastic Bag Rope (dance party!)

2008-07-23T17:29:00.000-07:00

Amy played some jams and soon enough we had a ton of rope made out of grocery store bags.
Lot's of pre-cutting and twisting involved. We are using 8 layers (or ply's) of 10 strips tied & twisted together...
....to make one four foot rope. Altogether we are going to make over 100' of rope.
Believe it or not it is very strong. Our gratitude goes out to Caroline for showing us the process and helping out. Recycled ropes will be used throughout the JUNGLE*topia platform for decoration and climbing structures.

Recyclying BEAMs

2008-07-22T20:10:00.000-07:00

The image above displays how the recycled 4x5 beam looks in thier new foundations.
First we built boxes for the foundations to lay on top of the natural granite ledge.

Beneath the box lays a rebar rienforcement.

Then we poured the concrete; at the end of it's hardening time we added a shoe that will hold the 4 X 5 beams in place.

Platform

2008-07-22T17:57:00.001-07:00

plat·form (pltfôrm
1. A horizontal surface raised above the level of the adjacent area, as a stage for public speaking or a landing alongside railroad tracks.
2. A place, means, or opportunity for public expression of opinion.
3. A flat elevated portion of ground.
4. A formal declaration of the principles on which a group, makes its appeal to the public.

Our JungleTOPIA (platform) will act as a space in which the Beam Campers can use intuitive decisions through building and manipulation, interpretive play, music making, performing, amongst other things that have been yet decided by the campers themselves. The campers will begin progress on the platform on July 26th 2008.

From Jon's drawing Jan made a scale model for the Platfrom.

Above is a drawing Jon did on site for the platform.

Cutting the stairwell out of the barn

2008-07-22T17:56:00.001-07:00

Jan and Jon Took the staircase form the barn to be re-used for JUNGLE*topia.
More photo's of the staircase use soon!

Pulling Down The Chapel

2008-07-22T17:53:00.000-07:00

A couple of ropes and the rest is history...

The barn

2008-07-03T19:44:00.000-07:00

About 1/2 hour from the site in Strafford NH, Jan found a beautifully negelcted barn that is going to make for some awesome wood recycling. The Barn is about 200 years old and alot of the wood will be planed to create a new surface for painting, while leaving the underside exposed to emphasize the history invovled with our structure.

Dissasembly of Chapel.

2008-07-03T19:21:00.000-07:00

The chapel was torn down to use it's posts for the main substrates of the central figure. The Chapel was built in the 60's and as rumor has it was helicopter lifted onto it's site (this thing was quite gargantuan).

Incredibly so the beams (4x5's) are in excellant shape and will make for great supports that will be put directly into our concrete foundations that are being poured.

Original Site March 2008.

2008-07-03T19:18:00.001-07:00

This is the original site of the chapel that has recently been disassembled to create new materials for the central figure of Jungletopia.