1. WEATHERS PERMITTING
A Field Guide to Transitional Environments

2. Long Horizontal Pleat Short Horizontal Pleat Continuous Discontinuous
Small
Large
Symmetrical Asymmetrical Wide Narrow
Tall Short Steep Incline Shallow Incline

3. WEATHERS PERMITTING
A Field Guide to Transitional Environments
Principal Guide: William O’Brien Jr.
Assistant Guides: Cecilia Ho
Sunnie Lau
George X. Lin
Alex Marshall
Travis Williams
© 2010 by William O’Brien Jr.

4. 7
CONTENT
09 Introduction
PART I Environment Characterization
12 Chapter 1 - Organizations
18 Chapter 2 - Composites
24 Chapter 3 - Structures
28 Chapter 4 - Boundaries
PART II Environment Identification
36 Chapter 5 - Circulation
40 Chapter 6 - Hydrology
44 Chapter 7 - Mediation
48 Chapter 8 - Inhabitation

5. 9
INTRODUCTION
Weathers Permitting attempts to unearth alternative
resonances between natural processes and cultural
practices. It seeks to sponsor a renewed curiosity
in spatial, temporal and conditional patterns of
environmental transition to which we may have
grown accustomed.
The installation is conceptualized as a terrain
-- a continuous and varied landscape which resists
rigid typological classification. Rather, through
formal and compositional metamorphosis, the
terrain enfolds a spectrum of diverse, yet affiliated
landscape characteristics. It is designed as an elevated
boardwalk with unconventional properties including
malleability and water retention. Conceived as
a flexible construct, the design makes use of the
common-directionality and inherent material-
flexibility of parallel planks of wood in order to
guide the locations of folds in its surface. Zones of
transition between two-dimensional surface and
three-dimensional volume offer multiple littoral
zones which mimic the variety of aquatic conditions
typically associated with coastlines. Participating in
the repetitive cycles of time and the indeterminate
patterns of weather, depressions in the terrain collect
and evaporate water intermittently, registering the
oscillation of environmental conditions.
Exploration of an ambiguous field often benefits from
a guide. Here we provide you with “A Field Guide to
Transitional Environments” to help in identification
and characterization of elements, occurrences and
conditions that you may encounter while in the field.

6. 11
PART I: Environment Characterization

7. 13
CHAPTER 1 ORGANIZATIONS ORGANIZATIONS
12’ x 2’
Millable Sections
Mill Direction
Fig. 1.1 Fraxinus Americana Fig. 1.3 Plain Sawn Timber
80’0” (White Ash)
Fig. 1.2 Regional Distribution Fig. 1.4 Milled Log Yield (Plainsawn)

8. 14 15
ORGANIZATIONS
Asymmetrical (As.)
Straight (St.)
Sweep (Sw.)
Arch (Ar.)
Sw.
As.
St.
Ar.
Ar. St. Sw. As.
Fig. 1.5 End Grain Variability Fig. 1.6 Relative Face Grain

9. 16 17
ORGANIZATIONS
Cu.
Bw.
Cup (Cu.)
Tq.
Bow (Bw.)
Cr.
Tourque (Tq.)
Crook (Cr.)
Cr.
Bw.
Cu.
Bw.
Cr.
Tq.
Cu.
Tq.
Fig. 1.7 Lumber Behavior Fig. 1.8 Plank Distribution

10. 19
CHAPTER 2 COMPOSITES COMPOSITES
Visor rotation
2’0 angle, 15˚, Typ.
150˚
30˚
5’0 Typ. 15˚
z
Hinge Point,
Canopy rotation
105˚
Varies per
canopy angle y
Fig. 2.3 30˚ Rotation
20’0
16’0
45˚ 135˚
30’0
22.5˚
z
14’0
Node, R=2’0 Typ. 8’0
112.5˚
2’0 yp.
T
Wood plank deck y
Fig. 2.1 Component Dimensions Fig. 2.4 45˚ Rotation
Hinge point,
Typ.
x 60˚ 120˚
180 - x
z , varies*
x/2 30˚
z
120˚
*Depth of deck 90 + x/2
varies based on pleat y
profiles (see chapter y , varies*
Fig. 2.5 60˚ Rotation
3, W profiles) Fig. 2.2 Component Rotation Analysis Component Angle Analysis

11. 20 21
COMPOSITES
Visor rotation angle
Pleat profile
Fig. 2.6
Pleat Profile
Composite joint
Planks
Fig. 2.7 Fig. 2.9
Joint Intersection Plank Generation
Node for spline
generation
Fig. 2.8
Rails Fig. 2.10
Complete
Geometric Description

12. 22 23
COMPOSITES
Fig. 2.10
Planks
Fig. 2.11 Fig. 2.13
Folded Profile Braided
Fig. 2.12 Fig. 2.14
Folded Capped Deck Plank Manipulation

13. 25
CHAPTER 3 STRUCTURES STRUCTURES
Wood plank deck
Self -healing rubber
membrane
Substructure
Tertiary structure
Footing
Figure 3.1 Component Composite Figure 3.2 Composite Structure

14. 26 27
STRUCTURES
1°
41.4
15.00°
0°
75.0
90
75.0 °
.00
60.0 5.00
°
0°
30.00°
0
4
° 0°
.00 45.0
60
°
0°
30.0
15.00°
18.00
Fig. 3.3 Profile Angle Study at 15, 30, 45, 60, 75, 90 Fig. 3.6 Profile Angle Study: 15, 30, 45, 60, 75, 90
Top Alignment Bottom Alignment
48.00
41.57
12.42 1°
41.4
24.00
33.94 0°
75.0
0°
15.00°
60.0
0°
45.0
30.00°
90
45.0
30.00°
.00
75
60.0
.00
°
0°
0°
15.00°
°
18.00
Fig. 3.4 V Profiles Study (length in inches) Fig. 3.7 V Profiles Study (length in inches)
92.73
83.14
67.88
48.00
41.57
12.42
24.00
33.94
1°
41.4
15.00°
30.00
90
75.0 °
6.21
0°
75.0
.00
60.0
45.0
°
0°
°
0
12.00
0°
0° 0°
16.97
.0 45.0
60 °
30.00
20.78
15.00°
23.18
24.00
18.00
6.21
Fig. 3.5 W Profiles Study (length and height in inches) Fig. 3.8 W Profiles Study (length and height in inches)
Pleat Profiles

15. 29
CHAPTER 4 BOUNDARIES BOUNDARIES
Fig. 4.1 Plank Saturation Rate Fig. 4.1 Plank Fluctuations Relative to Nailing Patterns

16. 30 31
BOUNDARIES
Horizontal Horizontal Cloud
Swath 1 Swath 2
Core Sample
Horizontal
Swath 3 Rain
Horizontal
Swath 4
Deck Plank
Substructure
Water
Wood Plank
Rubber Membrane
Substructure
Gravel
Ground Fill
Anchor
Fig. 4.3 Key Plan Fig. 4.4 Core Sample Axon

17. 32 33
BOUNDARIES
Fig. 4.5. Horizontal Swath 1: Fig. 4.7. Horizontal Swath 3:
Transition from Dry to Wet Changing of Orientation
Fig. 4.6. Horizontal Swath 2 Fig. 4.8. Horizontal Swath 4:
Bifurcation Transition from Trough to Visor

18. PART II: Environment Identification

19. 37
CHAPTER 5 CIRCULATION CIRCULATION
Fig. 5.1 Meander
Fig. 5.2 Swarm Fig. 5. 3 Occupiable Texture

20. 38 39
CIRCULATION
Fig. 5.4 Taped Surfaces Across Entire Terrain

21. 41
CHAPTER 6 HYDROLOGY HYDROLOGY
Wood Plank Deck
Fig. 6.1 Plumbing
Substructure
Tertiary Structure
Self Healing Rubber Membrane
Gravel
Ground
Fill
Footing
Fig. 6.2 Medium Size Pool Use

22. 42 43
HYDROLOGY
Wood Plank Deck
Substructure
Self Healing Rubber Membrane
Gravel
Ground Fill
Tertiary
Structure
Footing
Fig. 6.2 Small Size Pool Use Fig. 6.3 Large Size Pool Use

23. 45
CHAPTER 7 MEDIATION MEDIATION
Fig. 7.2 Shade at 8am, 12pm, 2pm
Fig. 7.1 Visor Dual Performance Fig. 7.3 Individual and Collective Shade Zones

24. 46 47
MEDIATION
Fig. 7.4 Shade from Expanded Component Fig. 7.6 Rain Collection
Fig. 7.5 Shade from Overlapped Component

25. 49
CHAPTER 8 INHABITATION INHABITATION
Seat plate
Wood Plank Deck
Substructure
Tertiary
Structure
Footing
Fig. 8.1 Seating (for 607 people)
Fig. 8.2 Edge Seat Condition Detail
Fig. 8.3 Tapered Seat Plate

26. 50 51
INHABITATION
Steep (60˚)
Fig. 8.4 Edge Seat Detail Plan
Middle (52.5˚)
Fig. 8.5 Edge Seat Plate Detail
Shallow (45˚)
Fig. 8.6 Typological Under Visor Zones

27. 52 53
INHABITATION
Fig. 8.7 Figure / Ground
Fig. 8.9 Terrain Figure and Courtyard Ground
Fig. 8.8 Figure / Ground Variability

28. 54 55
INHABITATION
Fig. 8.10 Massing of Characterized Geography
Fig. 8.12 Plan of Density Conditions
Thicket Zone Normal Distribution
Fig. 8.11 Elevational Datum For Geographies

29. NOTES

30. NOTES NOTES

31. NOTES NOTES

32. NOTES NOTES

33. Inches