Desert of Delight

The desert is such a fascinating landscape. In all the worlds many ecosystems and biomes is there a harsher environment than a desert? Okay, yes Antarctica is pretty harsh and frigid. But still, deserts make up approximately 20 percent of all landmass on earth, in some areas stretching across continents. They are dry climates with very little water and have tempertures that range from unbelievably hot to ridiculously cold between night and day. Yet even still, life thrives in these seemingly uninhabitable locales.

I was once fortunate to have the opportunity to live intamately in one of these deserts. This occured during an exhilarating 6 and a half months while at the FLLWSA in Scottsdale, Az.

Taliesin West is the home reknown architect, Frank Lloyd Wright built for his family, school, thriving architecture practice, and followers way back in 1937. The complex still exists in floundering glory today, and I was lucky enough to enjoy its many blessings while in grad school there (and another 6 months in Wisconsin - FLLW's summer home) while studying organic architecture and an incalculable number of other things.

The blessing of all blessings was indesputably the chance to really experience the desert. Apprentices (continuing the tradition from the Depression Era) were inclined to sleep out in 8'x8' shepherd's tents - essentially a canvas pyrimid held together by four aluminum poles, erected from a wooden walled base ontop of an angular concrete slab. Here is a photo of the tent I lived in for several months:

Clearly - nothing too complicated. Just a place to sleep with a mattress on a bed frame, a lantern and a few candles for late night reading, maybe my yoga mat, and an alarm clock I didn't need because the sun as it rose over the mountain reflecting off the white canvas was bright enough to wake the dead.

This - living in simplicity, fully confronting the forces of nature and creatures of the desert - was the most effective way (it turned out) to learn architecture! What better way to investigate the concept of shelter when invested in a relationship that forced an understanding of what there was to be seeking shelter from.

While living in a tent, apprentices could design a more significant shelter that they would build in their second year. They are given $1000 by the school to manifest this dream (not quite Trading Spaces style, but almost.) Most usually these projects far exceeded these budgets. However, apprentices are bestowed upon them the most educational opportunity imaginable - having to deal with construction schedules and occaisional disasterous issues. In the end, they benefit (as few architects often do) by actually learning from their mistakes while inhabiting these unique structures. Here are a few of my favorites out back at TWest --

Red Roof - truely one of my top 5 favorite places to sleep in the whole world. There was many a good party at the Red Roof under the starry dome of the desert.

This is Ben Knowles's 2003 Shelter. It was a desert interpretation of Japanese pod living.

Ironwood - the most expensive ($12,000) apprentice shelter ever constucted circa the mid-90's - made of steel (rusted) and structural glass - it traverses a wash atop a triangle of I-beams.

The Hook - designed by Luis Salazar, and built Winter 2004

The Pirate Shelter, which I graciously assisted my dear Canadian friend Joy Charbonneau in constructing Jan. - Mar. 2004

And just for good measure - the shelter I designed, that despite my believable images, I swear was never built:

Spending the winter months in a tent in the desert encouraged me to invest in a zero degree sleeping bag. The wind sometimes would howl cacophonously through the night, slamming the canvas against the hollow poles. When it did rain infrequently, canvas as a material made an unlikely protector from the sudden moistness. And as I mentioned before, there were incidents with all kinds of critters of the desert. Packrats were a particular nuicance, but you can imagine all the stories I have about rattlesnakes, scorpions, "africanized" killer bees, javelina (herds of wild pigs), coyote, and indeed a curious mountain lion.

But all this has instilled in my soul a particular fondness for the desert. It is a peaceful place, a wild place, and a place of profound inspiration and breathtaking beauty. I was so very pleased when the planets alligned to make it possible for me to traverse through the American Southwest yet again back in April.

I had just decided to settle in San Antonio, and in my new station wagon needed to pilgramage back to Taliesin West (TWest) to pick up a trunk or two of my belongings. I also coordinated with the Registrar for the compiling of my school transcript. It just so happened that my little visit was going to coincide with the little visits of a few of my very close friends - Julie & Fred. We would be having a reunion of sorts. Kevin, we left at the floundering institution, and were eager to see him through his final days before he announced his plans for exodus like we had the previous fall. We also planned on assisting him build his shelter.

Certainly, the idea of spending time with my friends filled the extent of my being with empowered glee. However, I think I was most excited about travelling across the American Southwest, revelling in the delights of the desert, and then jounrneying back through the American Southwest again. And all by my lonesome. It was destined to be fantastic!

Stay tuned for those adventures soon.

Comments

[Wes Zernial]

Ahh...$1000 bucks for a zero degree sleeping bag that you can take with you. You must be the smart one at your school since everyone else left there $1000 bucks back in the desert.

[Nicholas]

This is more exciting than radio.

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