fantasy structures

[diane o'thirst]

Sounds similar to the setup we had with the Atlantis Pyramid in 2000. It had three levels, the top level was an observation post and not enclosed. I imagine one could enclose it with canvas dropcloths. Second level was accessed by loft ladder, had beds in three corners and was actually more like a catwalk; and first level was our temple/ritual space.

It had a 24' footprint and stood about 24' high. That thing was GIGANTIC; during the Friday night storm, we fit the whole village of 75 plus some stragglers far from home on the Esplanade.

You may or may not want to make it that big. Our master woodworker, Professor Rubik, bought 5000 pounds of wood on a flatbed and built it onsite; think he was out there a couple weeks ahead of time. He built the Pyramid in camp while Pepe built the Yoni Gate and Lingam Tower out on the Playa.

[Kinetic]

I don't want to go that big...I'm thinking that for 04 it will be Shannon, Dragontear and myself, and we don't need that much space. I just like the idea of having something elevated...after all my work spent building my cargo box w/sleeping space I should be happy but no, I want to go bigger. I'm even debating a bus with an elevated platform on top of that.

Of course I'm still trying to pay for all the stuff from this year but as with anything playa related, anything is possible.

[diane o'thirst]

I don't want to go that big...I'm thinking that for 04 it will be Shannon, Dragontear and myself, and we don't need that much space.

Maybe a twelve-footer, then. That would be <i>plenty</i> big enough for four, plus the inevitable visitors The thing to remember with pyramids is the length of the base of the wall is the height of the structure so you'd almost need a 24' pyramid for a walk-in: a 12-foot would be crawl-in (not that there's anything wrong with that) unless you hung hammocks to sleep in, then you could have a full 12' atrium with catwalk levels. Pyramids are gigantic, exceptionally stable structures that make incredibly efficient use of interior space: there's a reason the Luxor Pyramid has an atrium that ten stacked 747s could fit into.

[Bob]

<img src="http://www.strandbeest.com/popup/images/strandbeest0012.jpg">

http://www.strandbeest.com

[Bob]

<img src="http://www.strandbeest.com/popup/images/strandbeest0003.jpg">

<img src="http://www.strandbeest.com/popup/images/strandbeest0010.jpg">

[THE ORIGINAL DIGIMAN]

that site is tight
http://www.strandbeest.com
the most scareist thing i've ever seen.

very very cool

[Skyhawk]

subtly horrifying, bob.. and now I wont be able to get that click.. the horrible clicking.. out of my mind..



the horror.. the horror..

[spaceboy]

A ski jump w/ snow.
Rotating Krispy Kreme restaurant.
Genie bottle you could get into.
A wave pool.
Exact replica of Yoda's pad on Degobah. (cept taller)

[Raheer]

The Space Needle. Can't you see it? The real thing, transported from Seattle Center to Black Rock City?

Raheer, who needs to stop dropping acid before logging on.

[Kinetic II]

Spaceboy's idea of a genie bottle stands a good chance of becoming reality...after all for 03 we had the JOTS exhibit in the wholly other, we had the giant chandelier, and the temple of gravity...I could see someone building a large lamp and maybe even have it move around like the infamous duck did in 02. It's not a project I would build but one I'd love to see.

[robotland]

The three-level dome that we brought out this year kinda looked like the "I Dream of Jeannie" bottle- It would be easy to modify a geodesic structure to resemble her bottle, and have a ring of overstuffed cushion crashspace inside.....(hookah optional!) How about "Camp Nelson"?

[diane o'thirst]

Genie Bottle's been done...a couple years ago. They were on the next spoke street up from our camp in 2001, 7 o'clock between Esplanade and Infant. Not really a camp, more like an in-city installation/chill space where you could come, sit on comfy cushions in a cozy space, faerie lights, and chat with whoever's there. It looked like you could get about ten <i>very</i> friendly people in there at any one time.

Don't let that stop you, just because it's been done. It's do-able, it's a cool idea, see what you can bring to it

[yupimthenewguy]

you could build a dome, and excavate the interior for a below level pit, then adobe the outer walls with the dirtpile. almost like a sphere on the inside a 12' diameter circle could give that much spherical volume with only a minimal amount of work, one little u-haul could yield you almost 7000 cubic feet of living space on the playa and ill bet it'll withstand 100 mph winds.

[Chai Guy]

you could build a dome, and excavate the interior for a below level pit, then adobe the outer walls with the dirtpile.

Actually, they don't want you digging holes on the playa.

Digging Holes

Do not excavate holes in the playa. Small postholes (6 inches or less in diameter & less than 2 feet deep) used for structural support are the sole exception. When digging such a hole it is best to use an auger or a posthole digger, NOT a shovel. Bag the dirt you are removing so that it does not blow away in the wind. Refill the hole by carefully tamping the soil back into place. Repeat this process every few inches while dampening the soil. An inverted sledgehammer works well for this. Experience has shown that larger holes, sometimes used to sound-insulate generators or for pools, easily erode within a year's time, even when carefully backfilled. They leave a visible mark and create a serious safety hazard.

http://www.burningman.com/preparation/event_survival/protecting_the_environment.html

[yupimthenewguy]

after you are done the same amount of dirt would be replaced, very minimal divoting. kind of like the law of conservation.

[Chai Guy]

Experience has shown that larger holes, sometimes used to sound-insulate generators or for pools, easily erode within a year's time, even when carefully backfilled. They leave a visible mark and create a serious safety hazard.

[yupimthenewguy]

yup, realized that as soon as hit submit

[robotland]

If you were really jonesing to experiment with playadobe, you could probably shovel up enough material from the numerous small, ridgy dunes of dust that appear out in the Wide Open Spaces.....depending on your POV you could even be seen as performing a public service by reducing these "speed bumps" that can stop your bike dead if you plow into one.....at the end of the event the crumbles could be packed into your neighbors' postholes. (or pieholes, depending on what kind of neighbors they are....)

[Bob]

after you are done the same amount of dirt would be replaced, very minimal divoting. kind of like the law of conservation.

Even if you tried this at home, tested it by driving a fully loaded pickup and trailer over the "divot" at 60 mph, and got back to us with a report, you'd still be a fuckwit for doing it. You'd be wrong in both an ethical and geotechnical sense. The BLM would fine you for being wrong, watch you fill the hole wrong, and ask me or someone else from DPW to finish what you started. They's also make sure we checked it a month later and doublechecked it again after the winter rains, months after you're back at home smoking bowls in the hot tub. It would still be wrong, because even the best backfill jobs are still visible years later. The Rangers might think it's cool, though.