Creating Dreambridge 1
Running Head: CREATING DREAMBRIDGE
Creating Dreambridge
Angel K. Morgan
angelmorgan@opendoor.com
(541) 482-8954
Creating Dreambridge 2
Abstract
Angel K. Morgan visualizes a physical space in which her dream-arts curriculum could
be implemented to its maximum potential. She created a floor plan and prototype model
for “Dreambridge: A Dream-Arts Community Center.” Functional, beautiful spaces were
created in the 3/16” to 1’ scale model with the intention to facilitate the needs of the
groups and individuals of all ages, in building the bridge between their dreams and
waking lives. The future students of Dreambridge will do this through many different
forms of creative expression. Morgan describes her design choices, with influences from
Anthroposophical architecture of Rudolf Steiner, straw bale building, sacred geometry,
and Chinese blue glazed tile roofing. The elements of the floor plan, the rooms and their
functions are explained. It was discovered that an invisible impression of a peace sign
energizes the structure like a foundation stone. The selection of materials, artistic
process, and choices and discoveries outlined along the way, led to the “birth” of an
exciting idea that wants to manifest for the community on a human sized scale.
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Table of Contents
I.
Background
II.
Design Choices
III.
Elements of the Floor Plan
IV.
Unplanned Surprise Foundation
V.
Selecting the Materials
VI.
Getting Messy
VII.
Taking Shape
VIII.
Painting the Bones
IX.
Finishing the First Room
X.
Forming Organs
XI.
The “Ninth Month” Roofing Blues
XII.
Transformation Recognition
XIII.
Enlightenment
XIV. Discussion and Conclusion
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Background
In collaboration with the development of a dream-arts curriculum, an innovative
structure was calling to be born. I began to visualize the conception of a physical space
in which this new curriculum could be implemented to its maximum potential. Drawing
the first draft of a floor plan was my first acknowledgement of this conception. I had
done so in a very lucid state of mind, quite open to what would flow onto the paper in the
most natural way. I was on my way to creating a floor plan and prototype model for
Dreambridge: A Dream-Arts Community Center.
I wanted to create spaces that would be both functional and beautiful, and to
facilitate the needs of the groups and individuals of all ages in building the bridge
between their dreams and waking lives. The future students of Dreambridge will do this
through many different forms of creative expression. They will need to be in a setting
that is intimate enough to feel supported in their work, but large enough for their
environment to be inspiring and exciting to them. It would need to be equally
inspirational to guest audiences and visiting members of the community.
Design Choices
The interdisciplinary skill of “dreambridging” requires the right kinds of spaces,
and in order to draw them, I relied primarily on the three words that had guided me most
when I was a Waldorf teacher: imagination, inspiration, and intuition (Steiner, 1963).
The approach I took to design was originally inspired by the creative and organic,
flowing nature of Anthroposophical architecture of Rudolf Steiner, who:
conceived of the liberation of form as part of a much broader quest
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that would define the spiritual essence in modern existence. Free form
and organic motifs in architecture were intended to contribute to an
environment of healing in a technological age. Architecture was both
context and catalyst for a higher state of human development… Steiner
stated in a lecture given in 1914: ‘And when we animate everything that
presses, bears, and curves, that crafts surfaces and masters completed
forms –we begin to live by opposing and playing with the forces that
shape the world, and by creating art we explore fantasy and endless
metamorphoses.’ (Brumfield, 1991, p.264)
I was also inspired by the versatility of straw bale building, which allows for
beautiful, adaptable walls that “can be built to suit a variety of esthetics. From rounded
and lumpy to straight and elegant, straw walls can take on many shapes and textures
depending on how they are detailed. Finishing choices are almost unlimited” (Magwood,
Mack, & Ohi, 2000, p. 8).
Another draw for me to the idea of working with straw bale in my design was the
quiet, ambient aspect of the inside atmosphere in these structures (p. 8), as there would
surely be multiple activities occurring at once that would require soundproofing between
rooms. The environmentally friendly fact that straw bale walls save energy by requiring
less heating and cooling was also attractive to me, and influenced my choice to design
thick, circular and curved walls.
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Elements of the Floor Plan
After it was drawn up, the floor plan contained these rooms: a central dream circle
room, an art studio/classroom, four practice rooms, a store with dream-arts books and
supplies and a reading area, an art gallery, a theater with a stage and screen, two
bathrooms, the Director’s office, a front desk administration area, a financial office, a
kitchen and eating area, and an outdoor sharing space with a fountain, pond, and fire pit.
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Table I.
Rooms and Their Functions
Room
Function
Dream Circle Room
Different age groupings gather to learn & practice
dream circling, classes requiring open space indoors
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Art Studio/Classroom
Dream-Arts classes requiring tables, chalkboards, reserved
time as art production space for Dream-Arts projects
Four Practice Rooms
To work on Dream-Arts projects in preparation for showing
or performing, signed out in time slots
Books & Supplies
A store that provides books on Dream-Arts and related
topics, arts supplies, a reading area to relax & study
Art Gallery
Scheduled showings of dream-art by Dream-Arts students,
and dream-music performances
Theater
Scheduled performances by Dream-Arts students: dreamdance, dream-music, dream-theater, dream-poetry, dreamfilms- intimate seating, may require multiple performances
to preserve comfortable, cozy nature of experience
Two Bathrooms
Obviously necessary
Director’s Office
Where I can meet with individual students, to help them
choose art forms that work for them to creatively express
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their dream work-- Scheduling of Dream-Arts classes,
Dreambridge shows and performance calendar
Front Desk
This is the first place people go for information, guidance,
and direction- to get oriented to Dreambridge and its
offerings for the community, and enroll in courses
Financial Office
Required for organization and accounting purposes
Kitchen & Eating Area
Necessary to sustain a vital, thriving community- food is
also what keeps dream circlers from falling asleep
Outdoor Sharing Space
For Dream-Arts student presentations, performances and
classes requiring an outdoor space, evening dream circles
and dream stories around the fire, community meetings
Unplanned Surprise Foundation
After drawing the floor plan, I observed that in the unseen spaces between what I
had drawn, there was an impression of an upside-down peace sign, weaving through the
center of the buildings and flowing through the doorways, connecting the circular rooms
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and outdoor space with the message of peace. Since this was not a conscious decision for
me to draw it that way, it was a wonderful discovery, and felt as if it had appeared from
my dream-mind as some kind of messenger.
I re-drew the floor plan inversed, so that the peace sign could be right-side-up
facing the front. Although I knew this impression would not be seen from above the
structure due to roofing, it felt to me that its message of peace will function similarly to a
foundation stone, which is often buried underneath the foundation to protect and energize
the inside of buildings in Anthroposophical architecture (Steiner, 2000). The difference
here is that firstly, it is made of air and not stone, and secondly, it is invisible but not
buried.
If all the doors are opened wide, time made and the space cleared, people will be
able to walk the path of the peace sign if they want to. The center of the large, allencompassing peace sign embraces a smaller, central peace sign with the walls of the
dream circle room. At this stage of gestation, I recognized that this very special “baby”
was a “love child.” In the drawing of the floor plan, I lightly colored the invisible peace
signs so they could be seen more easily, although I did not choose to color it in when
making the three-dimensional model.
I had configured the seven large circle rooms into a hexagonal shape, due the
harmonious aspect of sacred geometry, and the common appearance of the hexagon in
water crystals that have been linked to the most positive, and healing emotions (Emoto,
2005).
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Steiner often said that the integration and coherence of architecture integrated into
a community has an affect on social harmony (Steiner, 1927). The more angular shapes I
designed on the ends of the facility grew out of the need for a connecting “skin” on the
outside of the central rooms, to help integrate, and “bridge” their functions. The result
reminded me of wings, extending out from an angelic messenger of peace.
Selecting The Materials
I decided to use air-drying modeling clay that would be compatible with paint,
glue, and paper. I had an aesthetic sense of color and direction without a finished picture
in mind. This stage of shopping for the materials reminded me of preparing a “nest” for
an expected child, without knowing the sex or being influenced by gender. Letting it be
what it is going to be, and assisting the growth process with love was my task.
Getting Messy
Working on the walls of each room in clay gave me a real sense of purpose. The
dream circle community that I host as facilitator started to take notice and want to
become involved, just the way people in a community notice a round belly, and want to
help when the time comes. The idea was exciting, and everyone could not wait to see the
new “baby.”
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Taking Shape
At that point, I could see that this structure would be coming into reality, and
there was no turning back. It was like feeling an in utero kick and push on my organs,
and I had to stretch myself larger in order to take care of it. Before I knew it, weeks had
passed and it was time for me to gesso, and to integrate everything into one cohesive
body.
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Painting The Bones
Painting the hallway floor was like defining a skeleton and strengthening the
bones. I chose a gold-yellow hue and was pleased with the result. It looked light and
sunny, warm and inviting.
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Finishing The First Room
The first room I was inspired to paint, drape, and finish was the theater. I
designed this space after a theater from my dreams that appeared and re-appeared in them
on several occasions over the years. It is black, with a white scrim/screen and red velvet
curtains. The completion of this space “set the stage” for the rest.
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Forming Organs
Every room had a purpose in relation to the other rooms; similar to the way our
organs have special functions in relation to each other. I engaged in creating the
individual rooms, each one uniquely indicating and emphasizing the flavor of its
function. I used small glass, metal, and marble beads, wood, stone, paper, paint, and glue
to complete the spaces. Each time, I imagined myself at work in the room, and imagined
others at work there too. My dream community in Ashland also began seeing themselves
at work and play in these spaces. Nagging for completion, and telling me they wanted
this creation to manifest in its full size, I felt encouraged to work harder to complete the
model. It was a lot of hard work, and took more time than I had predicted.
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The “Ninth Month” Roofing Blues
The outside space did not come together easily, and I was feeling rather frustrated
at this phase of the artistic process. I decided to back off for a while, and when I did, I
realized that in order to complete the outside landscaping, it needed the roof first. I
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sketched a rendering of the building from the front, and added a red tile roof on the first
draft. After some reflection on this design, I decided to change the red tile to blue, as I
was not really going for the look of a Mission. I searched online and found some
pictures of Chinese blue glazed tile roofing that I liked. Without a lot of knowledge
about roofing, I still had the desire for solar paneling, and skylights everywhere. I left as
much as I could flat for the solar paneling, and traced skylights over the floor plan in as
many spaces as made sense.
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This stage felt like the ninth month of a pregnancy, when the belly is big and the
expectant mother grows impatient for the birth of the child. It was also difficult to think
about much else, and consumed most of my days. The good news was, it was a planned
parenthood, and I did not feel resentful, just exhilarated and tired.
Transformation Recognition
I cut the main roof shapes out of corrugated cardboard, and glued pieces together
until I was satisfied enough with the shapes. After I set them down and spray-painted
them blue, I noticed that the large, flat, skeletal part of the roof was in the shape of a bat,
hanging upside down.
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This was significant to me because the bat is a “power animal” (Andrews, 1993) for me,
and has been for many years. To me, the bat signifies transformation by death and rebirth, which are primary aspects of the inner work I do with dreams. Bats are also
creatures that are awake at night, a symbol to me for lucid dreaming. Like the peace sign
beneath it, this roof shape was a product from my subconscious. I may not have planned
them, but the intentions were clearly there.
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Enlightenment
The skylights placed over the rooms, looked natural and fluid. I could imagine
the rooms and hallways filled with natural light from the sun, moon and stars. It was
beautiful. Placing the final roof pieces on Dreambridge was incredibly satisfying.
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It allowed me to finish the outdoor space and landscaping as much as possible, without
overdoing details, and leaving enough room for the dream to keep dreaming itself. Some
of the earth I left uncovered on one side for that purpose; to indicate future dreaming of
what to do there, such as: a garden space, storage buildings, or anything else I have not
dreamed about yet that will be needed in the life of Dreambridge. I try not to be an
overbearing parent.
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Discussion and Conclusion
My experience of engaging in this arts based inquiry would probably have left me
with some pretty hefty stretch marks, had I not felt so “downstream” in my flow with it
all (Hicks, 2007). The hard work of the process was enhanced by the joy of it, and as
much as I loved creating this project, I consistently reminded my creative self to take care
of my “mothering” body, soul and spirit. I think and feel that doing so has fed the project
and made it more abundant and thriving.
It is an understatement to say that this experience has been an important task for
me. It has allowed me to apply my imagination, inspiration, and intuition (Steiner, 1963)
in the creative formation of a model that could bridge dream work with creativity in a
cooperative community environment. In fact, this baby integrates all of my passion for:
Dream Education, Creativity, the Arts, Community, Human Development, the Evolution
of Consciousness and Spirituality, and living in harmony with our natural Earth.
“This is a vision that needs to be incarnated!” (S. Krippner, personal written
communication, September 2007).
Although it is incredibly fulfilling to have explored this vision that has come
through me by way of an arts based inquiry in architectural design, this is only the
beginning. Dreambridge has its whole life ahead of it.
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References
Andrews, T. (1993). Animal speak: The spiritual and magical powers of creatures great
and small. St. Paul, MN: Llewellyn Publications.
Brumfield, W.C. (1991). The origins of modernism in Russian architecture. Berkeley:
University of California Press.
Emoto, M. (2005). The hidden messages in water. New York: Simon & Schuster.
Hicks, E., & Hicks, J. (2007). The astonishing power of emotions: Let your feelings be
your guide. Carlsbad, CA: Hay House, Inc.
Magwood, C., Mack, P., & Ohi, E. (2000). Straw bale building: How to plan, design and
build with straw. Gabriola Island, B.C.: New Society Publishers.
Steen, A.S., Steen, B., Bainbridge, D., Eisenberg, D. (1994) The straw bale house. White
River Jct., VT: Chelsea Green Publishing
Steiner, R. (1927). Ways to a new style in architecture. London: Anthroposophical
Publishing Company.
Steiner, R. (1963). The philosophy of spiritual activity. New York: The Rudolf Steiner
Publications, Inc.
Steiner, R. (2000). Architecture as a synthesis of the arts. London: Rudolf Steiner Press.