Temporal Environments

From Kites to Site

Abstract

This fixation at the intersection of flight and design is the premise for the workshop. The history of the kite is deeply rooted in design, architecture and as the author’s discuss in this paper, may also enable a rich discussion of deeper and perhaps a more intuitive mode of contemporary site investigation.  With a long legacy tied to both recreation and utility, the kite has been used for communication, scientific study, and as a landscape-scale measurement tool, yet it is the profound benefit of near-instant-flight and design realization - the act of ascending quickly and gracefully from the ground, on nothing but the wind - provided the foundation and inspiration for this short design workshop.