yoga center

hatha yoga center for wellness

2 intent3 site/existing building7 site mapping11 movement mapping15 mapping collages20 sketchbook/research/form study

49 plans50 final renderings

topics

Yoga is the union of the mind, body, and spirit; the individual with the divine intelligence of the universe. When the mind, body, and spirit have been purified, there is an increase in the flow of pra-na1 through the whole body, improving our capacity to work, think, digest, taste, feel, and experience life. The physical benefits of yoga, though rewarding, are not the primary focus of yoga. They are just a part of the yoga lifestyle.

“It is a science of balanced living, a path for realizing full human potential. In these tumultuous times, yoga provides an anchor to a quieter domain of life, en-abling people living in a modern techno-logical world to stay connected to their natural humaniy. Yoga offers the promise of remaining centered in the midst of turbulence.2”

Because downtown Baton Rouge is a new center of expansion, and is working to improve the dynamics and culture of this place, a counter-culture is a necessity for those wishing to embrace the faster-pace. This institution will serve as a base to nourish, develop, and center the newcoming society. Primarily, it will be a sanctuary to live, teach, practice, and spread the holistic lifestyle of yoga.

1 breath, or life-sustaining force.2 The Seven Spiritual Laws of Yoga. Deepak Chopra and David Simon.

hatha yoga ha the sun tha the moon yoga yoke

intent2.

site3.

green spacebuilding

site areaI-110

North Blvd.

I-10

Mississippi River

Capitol Lake

site

The downtown area contains a seemingly limitless opportunity to expand. This map is a layering of information that will directly and indirectly affect the expe-rience of the yoga center user.

site4.

The location of the yoga center exists on 3rd st., where many recent renova-tions and downtown revitalization proj-ects have cultivated the new culture that Baton Rouge is aspiring to obtain. The abandoned building at the corner of 3rd and main will be the grounds for the new center. Because of its rigid facade cou-pled with its decorative molding, it will become the perfect container for the op-posing interior phenomena.

Because yoga requires a sense of higher power, intimacy, nature, and self, this place will directly oppose the context of downtown Baton Rouge. It will exist in “another place.” While the building shell will address the space of the street and its pedestrian, the interior space will focus on the self and its higher power.

downtown baton rouge: the old welsh-levy building @ 3rd and main

site5.

north elevation. main st.scale: n.t.s.

east elevation. 3rd st.scale: n.t.s.

1st floor plan. scale: n.t.s.

2nd floor plan. scale: n.t.s.

3rd floor plan. scale: n.t.s.

site6.

site mapping.

The site exists in an area of downtown Baton Rouge where many new activities are arising. Each mapping creates an image of the new context that seems real, yet is not a true duplicate. When in the space of the site, there is openness and clos-edness. There are frames of sky, frames of earth, and frames of building. Because these relationships that exist within the site cannot be realized in a single im-age, these collages strive to encapsulate them.

site mapping7.

event mapping.a series of diagrams map the space of the moving limbs when participating in yoga.

1. the space of the right arm and the space of the left arm

2. the space of the right foot and the space of the left foot.

3. the space of the head and the space of the center.

An outward flow of space seems to emerge from these mappings. Though the limbs of the human body end at a specific place in space, the energy tends to emulate out-ward in all directions. The movement of each body part allows a different space to be realized. The space of the movement of yoga emulates towards a space seem-ingly chaotic in nature, which contra-dicts the advancement that results from the practice.

The space of the pause of each specific pose is the opposite of the space of the movement. A stasis exists where the forc-es come together in equilibrium and a mo-ment of oneness is experienced.

The diagrams following the space mappings refers to the concept of the building. The space of the building will rest be-tween the space of the movement (chaos) and the space of the pose (stasis).

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plans49.

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Sarah Calandrohatha yoga center for wellness

5th year, spring 2007