The minoko was a royal pain to draw, and ended up having to be put together square cm by cm like a giant quilt of triangles. It took me hours!! It was the only way to produce the complex curvilinear shape in SketchUp. At this point, it doesn't look exactly as the one I intend to build looks, but it's close enough for the time being. I'll be doing a blog soon on minoko in more detail.
Without further ado then...
Top view:
Bottom view:
Side elevation:
Front elevation:
3/4 view:
Cutaway, with cantilevers removed:
Cutaway, with rafters removed, showing decorative ridgecap internals, nuki, etc.::
Cutaway, rafters and cantilevers removed, to show upper roof framing and bracing:
There will be a few scabbed-on braces to be added to the upper framing which have been omitted from the drawing.
Another view of same, purlins now removed:
As it might look looking up from the ground:
A few details are omitted at this stage, such as the gable end grill and pendant, and the carving details which may or may not be added to the various lower structural members are not established either.
Now I can take a breather and the client can give me feedback, go and visit his local building department with the plans, and so forth. I have some preparations to do for the Fine furnishings Show in Providence, RI coming up in October, among other things. I also plan to finish off my 'Fan of the Fan' series here along with a few other topics which may be of interest to readers. Stay tuned, and thanks for coming by today. --> on to post 16
G'Day Chris,
ReplyDeleteHaven't posted many comments but have been following this thread on the Belltower with great interest. Firstly congratulations on achieving a commission that allows you to truly showcase your talents - maybe you had begun to despair that it would never come along?
The final result is .. well... simply stunning! All the more now that I have some small inkling as to the hours of study you have poured into it and the amazing complexity of the structure. Sounds like you have endured some dark days on the road to this point but managed to make it through to the other side.
One thing I haven't heard you mention, maybe I missed it in one of your posts, is the nature of the client - is it an individual, a business enterprise or a government organisation? I suppose some of the details are sensitive but I am intrigued to know who has the appreciation for Japanese structures, and the finances, to commission such an undertaking. And will the Belltower be on private landholdings or on some public open space where it might be admired by all?
Regards
Derek Cox
Hi Derek,
ReplyDeletegood to hear from you!
Yes, you are quite right in your thoughts that I might have begun to despair that such a commission might never come along.
Given the dismal economy, on the one hand, and the cultural lack of interest generally in traditional anything, and knowing the costs of this work typically mean that the client base is a rather thin end of a wedge, well, I was not always optimistic my chance would come along to do this sort of work.
And to get the opportunity here to build an entirely traditional Japanese structure with some very challenging constructional aspects, to have a client that really wants a traditional structure - it was most unexpected and I feel really lucky. Well, 'luck' is an interesting term - I've been spending years and years studying and practicing, so this is a case of preparation meeting opportunity I suppose.
I'm glad you like the result after the design work is largely done. I think the actual structure will look even better than my digital representation of it. The gable pendant, gable grill, copper roofing, and carving details will all be significant visual additions to what I have created virtually. I'm really looking forward to seeing it materialize.
Yes, you're right about the 'dark days' - there were some stressed-out sleepless nights and hair-pulling moments of frustration along the way. At some points I felt like I was stuck in the mud with wheels spinning furiously yet could make no progress day after day after day. It was by far the most difficult design challenge I have faced so far, and I have learned much, both about bell tower design and myself personally.
As for the client, I'll ask him first to see how much/little he would be okay with me revealing on the blog. It's not some big secret, but a matter of privacy of course.
I can tell you that the finished structure will be publicly accessible.
Thanks for your comments and questions Derek.
Cheers,
Chris
Hi Derek,
ReplyDeletegood to hear from you!
Yes, you are quite right in your thoughts that I might have begun to despair that such a commission might never come along.
Given the dismal economy, on the one hand, and the cultural lack of interest generally in traditional anything, and knowing the costs of this work typically mean that the client base is a rather thin end of a wedge, well, I was not always optimistic my chance would come along to do this sort of work.
And to get the opportunity here to build an entirely traditional Japanese structure with some very challenging constructional aspects, to have a client that really wants a traditional structure - it was most unexpected and I feel really lucky. Well, 'luck' is an interesting term - I've been spending years and years studying and practicing, so this is a case of preparation meeting opportunity I suppose.
I'm glad you like the result after the design work is largely done. I think the actual structure will look even better than my digital representation of it. The gable pendant, gable grill, copper roofing, and carving details will all be significant visual additions to what I have created virtually. I'm really looking forward to seeing it materialize.
Yes, you're right about the 'dark days' - there were some stressed-out sleepless nights and hair-pulling moments of frustration along the way. At some points I felt like I was stuck in the mud with wheels spinning furiously yet could make no progress day after day after day. It was by far the most difficult design challenge I have faced so far, and I have learned much, both about bell tower design and myself personally.
As for the client, I'll ask him first to see how much/little he would be okay with me revealing on the blog. It's not some big secret, but a matter of privacy of course.
I can tell you that the finished structure will be publicly accessible.
Thanks for your comments and questions Derek.
Cheers,
Chris