Geodesic Temple

A sculpture by Disorient.
http://geodesictemple.com
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ABSTRACT

Geodesic Temple is Disorient's interpretation of an ancient gathering space. It is a modular structure--composed of human sized octahedra--that rises above the playa and provides a beacon for community. From a distance the Temple seems complex, but the viewer encounters a fundamental shift upon discovering the simplicity of the components. This challenge to expectation inspires, opens the mind, embodies the Burning Man spirit and acts as a Rite of Passage.

OVERVIEW

Geodesic Temple is a modular structure--composed entirely of human sized octahedra--that rises and seemingly floats above the playa surface providing an awe-inspiring beacon for all members of the Burning Man community and a powerful haven for those seeking to create, or participate in transformative ritual experiences.

Geodesic Temple is an expression of the Disorient philosophy that individual cells working together create the ever-changing landscape of life. Disorient is based on a biological model. It is an art-centered, inspirational and a nourishing collective that feeds on positive energy. It is open source and creates systems that can be taken apart by others and from which new systems can be developed

As detailed below, the design of Geodesic Temple uses the octahedron (double pyramid) as a modular building block to create a highly innovative, self-supporting structure. The octahedron was intentionally chosen as the atomic unit of Geodesic Temple because of its meaning and significance as one of the five platonic solids, which have been used for eons in sacred geometry and spiritual architecture.

According to various esoteric traditions, each of the five platonic solids carries special teachings. The octahedron, also known as “the seed of life,” is symbolic of the union of heaven and earth, which exists within each of us. It also represents the Heart Chakra, serving as an expression of self-love and compassion. The octahedron is connected with the element of Air, which represents consciousness, the breath of life, and new beginnings.

From this rich symbolic basis, Geodesic Temple derives a special power to enable profound personal realizations and transformative collective experiences. From a distance, the Temple seems complex, but as the viewer comes closer, she encounters a fundamental shift of awareness upon discovering the simplicity of the components. This shift of awareness serves to challenge expectations, opening the heart and mind to infinite new possibilities, thereby embodying the Burning Man spirit and acting as a Rite of Passage, in and of itself.

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION

Geodesic Temple is a meta-modular, self-supporting, burnable structure made of octahedra, a regular polyhedron with 8 identical equilateral triangular faces which is also a geodesic volume and a platonic solid. The octahedron is used as building block to create a self-supporting structure meaning that the resulting architecture does not have a frame onto which other elements such as facades are added. In that sense, it is about transparency and truth. All octahedra have similar sizes and are made of 2x4 struts. The choice of using the octahedron as the basic module of Geodesic Temple was dictated by the physical qualities of the octahedron.

Modular

Modularity is one of the core principles of Disorient as expressed in the Disorient Model ( http://wiki.disorient.info/index.php?title=Disorient_Model ). The radically modular Geodesic Temple is no exception. Geodesic Temple is a meta-modular (modules made of modules) structure based on a single module, a octahedron. It is exclusively composed of 144 octahedra, all similar. Each octahedron is made of 24 identical 2x4 wood struts.

Economy

Triangles are stronger than squares as that they are inherently triangulated. Geodesic Temple is economical because of the inherent strength of triangles; it takes less material to build a modular structure using octahedra than it would using classic orthogonal building blocks. Octahedra will be assembled on site to reduce the carbon footprint of the project.

Skin

Sides of octahedra can be partially or completely skinned individually. Skinning the structure with plywood or fabric would provide additional shade and help with the burn but will have to be taken into account when calculating the wind resistance.

Reuse

As an art collective, Disorient has created artworks recycling material from previous installations for the past 11 years and developed a decentralized approach supported by a vast vocabulary of "modules" ( http://wiki.disorient.info/index.php?title=Disorient_Model#Disorient_Module ). The octahedra used for Geodesic Temple will become part of Disorient's visual vocabulary and will be reused and reconfigured for future installations either as a version of Geodesic Temple or as other structures. You can see examples of several structure configurations based on the same octahedron at http://geodesictemple.com . In addition to the octahedra, any remaining tool, materials, and supplies after disassembly will be stored and reused by the art collective for future projects. We plan to obtain, to the fullest extent possible, supplies from Build It Green! NYC (BIG!NYC), Materials for the Arts and other sources of salvaged and surplus building materials. We have dedicated a team to locate recycled materials.

Safety

Geodesic Temple should not be climbed on. It provides shade and a meeting place for members of the community to gather and interact with each other.

CONNECTOR

Simas Connector connects 2x4 struts into octahedra

Version 1.0 (Mars 2011) - Simas Connector 1.0 is a made of three 1/16" steel plates welded together. Two Simas Connectors are needed at each apex of the Octahedron (See pictures above).

Version 1.1 (April 2011) - Same as 1.0 plus 45 degree reinforcement bar on the side, between the plates.

Version 2.0 (May 2011) - Based on previous versions. Increased steel thickness to 1/8". Increased length of 4 segments to allow for a 3rd hole for additional 1/4" bolt.

Lowroad Connector connects octahedra together

April 2011: GeoTemAlpha was assembled using off the shelf metal plates screwed into the 2x4 struts.
May 2011: New longer-lasting solutions are being developed.

FABRICATION

From the experience we have gained assembling our own geodesic domes and our expertise with large-scale inflatable structures we understand that precision is crucial at every stage of the building process when putting together large geodesic structures as any mistake will amplify down the line if not corrected immediately.

Following this example of wood compound angle connection, both ends of each 2x4 strut are cut at an angle so they fit tightly together when the octahedron is assembled. Having the 2x4 struts cut before they are delivered to the Playa (need quotes from wood providers) would help us reach a satisfying level of accuracy and reduce on-Playa production time.

On Playa we will have cells (cells are teams in Disorient jargon http://wiki.disorient.info/index.php?title=Disorient_Model ) dedicated to specific parts of the assembly process. The highly repetitive aspect of this construction permits members of each cell to become experts at the specific tasks that they perform which translates into a more accurate fabrication and a safer structure.

The different steps of on-Playa assembly are performed in parallel by several cells.

Octahedron Assembly Cell

Creates octahedra by connecting 2x4s together. Connect the ends of the struts that are precut at an angle to fit tightly together. Repeat the process until the octahedron is complete. A jig is used for this step to assure that all octahedra are created equal. Galvanized strapping is used for reinforcement where needed. Some members of this cell are responsible for quality control. Octahedra that will not comply to the design will either be corrected or, if beyond correction, used in related projects which require a lower level of accuracy such as Disorient camp frontage or Disorient mutant vehicle transformation.

Octahedron Connecting Cell

Creates "C" modules by connecting octahedra together on the ground. Two types of C modules are created: "regular" C uses 3 octahedra, "long" C uses 5 octahedra. Long C modules are used only at the base of the structure. Both types of C modules can be assembled on their flat side on the ground by a crew of 6-8 using 6' ladders.

GeoTem Assembly Cell

Specializes in connecting C modules together. After creating 4 GeoTem04 by connecting two long C modules together with one C module this cell will connect the top octahedra of the existing structure together with C modules. This task will be repeated many times until the entire structure is complete.

Geodesic Temple is one of the most ambitious projects attempted by Disorient in its 11 years of existence, yet we have never been in a better position to successfully transform this idea into reality. One of the strengths of Disorient is its community and the tight connections that bind its members. Its base of veteran burners has welcomed newcomers for the past decade, many of which are now part of the core group of DOers (Disorienters). Disorient is always open and welcoming to newbies. 230 DOers camped at Disorient in 2010 and about 1,500 more since its inception. Geodesic Temple is a new direction for Disorient. We are confident that we can build this piece thanks to our dedicated workforce of literally 100s of on-Playa DOers.

LIGHTING

Leo Villareal, the founder of Disorient, designs the lighting solution for Geodesic Temple and supervises its implementation.

The current solution uses sequenced LED fixtures (ColorBlast type) installed inside and outside the structure. Color: Pornj (pink and orange), Disorient's color.

Other options being considered (solutions 1, 2 and 3 are included in the budget):
1. Elements of New Leo Sign (2010) mounted on the struts. Color: Orange.
2. Sequenced LED modules mounted on each outside octahedron connector.
3. Strobe light inside each octahedron.
4. The Temple transforms as you view it from different angles. It transforms and disorients the eye to warp into what shape best suites the viewers perspective. What if we were to be able to control and manipulate that perspective? What if we are at times able to create different forced perspectives? One moment it's a pyramid, the next it's a series of stacked octahedron's, look again and it's a pair of giant circles.

The color blasts and strobe lights are quite punchy and give us a huge and dramatic look - they will be the "big punchy effect" side of the piece. However to allow for singling out the shapes and controlling them we need something with more finesse: RGB LED tape. If we pick key elements of the structure and outline them with the LED tape we will be able to change and merge the colors of various connecting points to create the illusion of different geometric shapes (and change their color as we see fit).

It's a big task and involves a lot of hardware but we already have most of what we need, as well as a Disorienter who happens to be a very good wholesale source for the LED tape. The 12v RGB LED tape can be used in conjunction with the controllers we used on the pixel wall at the Art Car Wash in 2010. Each board is 32 channels of single color or 10 separate controls for RGB (with a couple leftover channels). By stringing them all together using DMX we will be able to map the different segments to the console. Form the console we can pull up what we need/want when we need/want it. In this manner we will be able to pick out individual elements and adjust their color as we see fit. Another option is single color tape. Pink is easy to find but orange may be a bit of a problem. This would be less colorful, but would significantly reduce the number of control channels needed.

INTERACTIVITY

Geodesic Temple provides shade in the day, light at night, and serves as an inspiring gathering place for members of the community any time of the day or night. It will play host to Sacred Dance, Vibrational Sound Healing, as well as spontaneous and planned ritual activities of all sizes and is also an ideal setting for individual or group meditation practice.

The entire experience of visiting Geodesic Temple is interactive in that one’s proximity and position in relationship to the Temple results in a continually transforming visual experience and forming new shapes and patterns from every perspective. One moment it's a pyramid, the next it's a series of stacked octahedra. Look again and it's a pair of giant circles. As one moves around the Temple, perspectives change and the entire structure visually oscillates between order and chaos.

Once inside, a sense of comfort inspires anonymous strangers to become sympathetic players. The temporary community that hatches inspires members to interact and share. Ideas are articulated, meanings emerge and a newly found sense of belonging leads to a state of flow and wellbeing, facilitating spontaneous rituals suited to the individual players and the unique collective energy arising from those present.

Another key interactive and participatory element, will be daily Moop sweeps beginning at sundown, in which visitors are invited to join one of several coordinated lines spiraling outward from the center of the Temple, in a silent moving meditation focused on leaving no trace.

Due to its size and complexity, Geodesic Temple is not intended for participants to climb upon. To enable safe physical interactivity, several octahedra are left free standing to be rolled around, climbed inside of, and otherwise manipulated by participants. This is intended to enable participants to gain a deeper connection with and understanding of the sacred geometry that imbues the structure.

SOUND COMPONENT

The practitioners of Sacred Dance and Vibrational Sound Healing may bring in supporting music to maximize the transformative impact of these interactive rituals.

Disorient's Geodesic Temple team members advising the implementation of these rituals include:

an MA Dance Candidate from York University, Toronto who is conducting a literature review in relation to community ritualistic dances and interactivity with spatial installations and
a member and researcher in Positive Psychology with the Institute for Spirituality and the Mind at the University of Pennsylvania.

Accordingly, the Geodesic Temple should be placed an appropriate distance from other installations to respect their sonic landscapes.

BURN

Geodesic Temple will be burned.

Playa Burn Scar Prevention and Burn Shield

Protecting the playa surface is a critical element of the burn plan. At the completion of the construction phase, we will place Decomposed Granite spread underneath and around the installation perimeter to protect the playa during the burn. We welcome input on the best practices for incorporating DG into the base of the installation in terms of the depth and spread of the DG.

Fuel

We understand that the 2x4 struts as shown on GeoTem06 may be too far apart for the fire to start and propagate well and we can think of three possible solutions to remedy this issue.
1. Add combustible material such as hemp bags 3/4 filled with hay inside the octahedra located in the lower part of the structure (show on sketch combustible material placement throughout the structure).
2. Reduce the length of the basic 2x4 strut from 8 feet to 6 or 4 feet. The design concept would remain the same but the resulting structure would have more octahedra, more levels and more wood in general to reach the same dimensions (make sketch showing structure made with octahedra using 4' and 6' 2x4s).
3. Incorporate wax and burlap bags into the lower section of the structure to act as an accelerant.

We are actively seeking input on best practices for this kind of burn, and welcome advice from Burning Man experts.

Burn Preparation

In the morning and afternoon before the burn, all electrical components and lighting and any other non-burnable components will be removed from the Temple. During this time, we will cone off the perimeter for the safety of participants. Following this, any materials supporting the burn (such as cords of wood, hemp bags or other materials) will be loaded into the sculpture.

Burn Safety

A perimeter will be formed around the installation during preparation for burning. Pre-Burn, the inner perimeter will be supported by project staff, and we will request participation from Rangers and DPW as well in holding the perimeter. The Burn Perimeter will be formed one hour prior to the Burn. A safety kit and fire extinguishers will be on hand and we welcome the presence of Rangers and ESD staff on the inner burn perimeter.

LEAVE NO TRACE

The LNT plan is a critical component of any playa-bound project. Ocean, who participates in Disorient as well as DPW, has participated in DPW Playa Restoration since 2007 and will contribute to the management of the Geodesic Temple LNT plan from setup to burndown. In 2008, 2009 and 2010, Disorient theme camp received a Green rating on the moop map, supported by the efforts of LNT leads FriarTuck, Tejawe, Ocean, and others. We have succeeded in leaving no trace for an Esplanade camp of 230 and will do so for the Geodesic Temple construction and camp as well.

Setup

The setup phase is the most high risk phase for moop. This phase of the plan is designed in particular to avoid moop from wood chips and metal. Each aspect of the setup phase is addressed below.
Arrival/Camping: Pre-event, many artists camp at the site of their sculptures to facilitate work in a timely fashion leading up to the event. While this is not always the case, we consider this a possibility and planning assumption. This requires camp infrastructure, which includes: workshop, small kitchen, shade, and camping area. Disorient has developed a comprehensive LNT plan which we will apply to the camping pre-event aspect of the project, whether at the site of the installation or on the Disorient designated theme camp. This plan is available at: http://wiki.disorient.info/index.php?title=Lnt_plan

Workshop: The playa in the workshop area will be covered in drop-cloths/tarps to prevent as much as possible the dropping of metals (screws) and wood chips. The Workshop area will be mooped at the end of each day.

Kitchen: The staff kitchen will be supported under a carport and will also include drop cloths/tarps to prevent kitchen moop. While the early arrival crew may also have the support of an RV with amenities and generator, the planning assumption is that a staff kitchen will exist and will also require an evap pond/holding tank, which will be evaped or pumped via a contractual arrangement with a service provider.

Shade: A central shade will be constructed during the construction phase, over the workshop and in the communal area. The common shade areas will have drop-cloths or carpets to prevent moop from reaching the playa.

Construction site: The actual site of the installation will be mooped at the end of each day and a metal rake will be used to pick up any screws. Any wood chips will be picked up.

Event

During the event, we expect that many will visit the Geodesic Temple and that any events occurring at the Geodesic Temple may result in moop by participants. The Geodesic Temple will have daily moop sweeps, spiraling out from the temple in a combined line sweep/free range technique. The goal is to moop anything left behind between sundown to sunset. The Geodesic Temple moop crew consists of at minimum 25 participants per shift. The participatory and interactive aspect of this activity is that visitors to the Geodesic Temple during this time will be encouraged to participate in the daily Scavenger Hunt for quality playa treasures and other moop.

Post-burn

During the night of the Geodesic Temple burn, we expect that the burn participants may leave behind moop of all kinds. In order to assure that the perimeter surrounding the burn site is mooped, double the weekly number of moopers (50) will be coordinated to line sweep and free range fashion. Disorient will work with heavy machinery to scoop up the burned remains and DG.

ROLES (preliminary list)

Director: The Eye of Disorient
Light art: Leo Villareal
Design: Clarice Bodganov
Producers: (Ky), (Dimitri), (Tejawe)
Architects: Devyn, Silvia (modeling), (Aura)
Connector: Lowroad, Simas
Structural: Nathaniel, Denis, Robert
Math: Seven
IT: Dimitri
Accounting: Steve B
Project Manager: Victoria Wagner, Preston (Alpha)
Material sourcing and purchase: Elixir
Recycled material sourcing: Nelly, Archer
Build Lead: Jay Mingle
Octahedron Assembly Lead: Victoria Wagner
Octahedron Assembly Cell 1: 4 people (Phil)
Octahedron Assembly Cell 2: 4 people (Simas)
Octahedron Assembly Cell 3: 4 people (Denis)
Octahedron Connection Lead: Thunderstick
Octahedron Connection Cell 1: 4 people (Elixir)
Octahedron Connection Cell 2: 4 people (Moira, Dr Deb)
Octahedron Connection Cell 3: 4 people (Phil)
GeoTem Assembly Lead: Jay Mingle
GeoTem Assembly Cell: 4 people

Light Cell Co-Leads: (Mads), (Jason Blip)
Light Cell: 10 people
Electrical: Muvment

Shop Master: (Britelite)
Kitchen Cell: 1 person (task: make sure builders stay hydrated and fed)
Burn Cell: N/A
PR: TBA
Photo/video/blog documentation: (Jan), (Magellan), ...
Time Lapse photography: Ori Leibovitz
LNT Lead: Ocean
LNT Cell: 175 one-hour shifts

Contact 2011(at)geodesictemple(dot)com if you wish to be added to this list.

TIMELINE

February
First stress tests

March
Location: NYC
Compound angles tests
Octahedron connection tests
Build physical models
Octahedron assembly tests
Build octahedra and assemble them into GeoTemAlpha for GlamTech (April 2)

April
Sat 2: GeoTemAlpha at GlamTech

May
6-15: More structural analysis
16-25: Order, paint and cut new wood members. Fabricate new connectors
26-29: GeoTem04 at PDF

June
Location: NYC
Wed 8: Deliver materials and tools to Governors Island.
Thu 9: Assemble GeoTem04 at Figment

July
22-24 GeoTem04 at Country Club

August
2-6 GeoTem04 at Escape2NY
Location: BRC, NV
http://calendar.geodesictemple.com

September
Sat 3: Start break-down
Sun 4: Complete break-down.

BUDGET

http://budget.geodesictemple.com

FUNDRAISING

Geodesic Temple Carre. A silk scarf sporting several versions of the Temple. For sale in the near future.

PROPOSALS

Sent: Feb. 1, 2011
File:Geodesic Temple BM2011ArtGrant.pdf, File:GeodesicTemple CityOfDreamsPavilion2011Grant.pdf, Figment Sculpture Garden.
Sent: March 1, 2011
Playa Del Fuego
Sent: May 14, 2011
Secret Garden Hamptons

TEMPLE LIBRARY

GeoTem07

Height: 61' Length: 116' Width: 82'. 24 struts x ?? octahedra = ?? 2x4x8' struts.

GeoTem06

Iteration of GeoTem04 and GeoTem05

Height: 64' Length: 82' Width: 82'. 24 struts x 144 octahedra = 2736 2x4x8' struts.

GeoTem05

Iteration of GeoTem04

Height: 52' Length: 57' Width: 57'. 24 struts x 55 octahedra = 1320 2x4x8' struts.

GeoTem04 Arena Hexa

Height: 32' Length: 110' Width: 95'. 12 struts x 65 octahedra = 780 2x4x8' struts.

GeoTem04 Arena Square

Height: 32' Length: 83' Width: 83'. 12 struts x 52 octahedra = 624 2x4x8' struts.

GeoTem04a

Height: 32' Length: 33' Width: 33'. 24 struts x 21 octahedra = 480 2x4x8' struts.

GeoTem04 (Playa Del Fuego Spring 2011 Odessa, DE, Figment NYC 2011)

Height: 32' Length: 33' Width: 33' Weight: ~2000 Lbs (including metal connectors and hardware). 12 struts x 13 octahedra = 156 2x4x8' struts.
Line drawing 3D model of GeoTem04: File:GeoTem04 line.skp

Dead load analysis

Dead load+Wind analysis

Assembly sequence

1. Connect 5 OH to create big C #1
2. Connect 5 OH to create big C #2
3. Add 1 OH to big C #1 to create Arch #1
4. Add 2 OH to big C #2 to create Arch #2
5. Raise Arch # 1 and #2 and connect them together from the top of the truck.

GeoTemAlpha (Disorient presents: GLAMTECH)

GeoTemAlpha is the first Geodesic Temple to be built. It is a proof of concept made of seven octahedra that form approximately half of GeoTem04. It uses the Lowroad Single Strut Cord design. 2x4 struts are assembled into octahedra using the Simas Connector version 1. It is painted fluorescent pink. Produced by Preston and Jay.
Height: 15' Length: 27' Width: 30'. 12 struts x 7 octahedra = 84 2x4x8' struts.