Hello everyone, long time no hear! I am updating the blog, so there is going to be a bunch of episodes being posted this week. Additionally, I will be catching up on the episodes, and posting new ones. So please, sit back, pull up a chair, and enjoy! I had a few major struggles when I was moving, like having my access cut off unexpectedly to some of my files and sources. So please don’t be surprised if there are still a few changes occurring throughout the week. (Top image credit to Image by Michele Lianza from Pixabay).
TRANSCRIPT:
I hope you brought your swimsuit, It’s time for Architecture, Coffee, & Ink.
30 second Intro song
Hello, this is Hollywood C. and you’re listening to Architecture, Coffee, & Ink. A podcast dedicated to introducing concepts, detailing out designs, and tackling the architecture you might not realize the meaning behind. I’m your hostess and I am here today to start introducing you to the designs that make you wonder why.
tag line: So I ask you to brew your coffee, grab your sketch book and pen, and let’s begin.
Hello dear listeners old and new! I am so excited to be talking with everyone this week! I got just had my first committee meeting for my thesis at the end of last week! We have discussed a direction and put forward our plans and mapped out where everything is going to be going! In light of that, let me just give everyone an update before the episode starts! And don’t panic, Architecture, Coffee, & Ink isn’t going away, because that kind of sounded like the next thing I was going to say was it’s not you, it’s me. Moving forwards, I am going to be focusing my thesis on a particular town and a particular building within that town-focusing on interviewing those families, companies, and individuals whose lives were centered around that building and company. From these conversations, I will be translating them into drawings and giving a voice to those who normally go unheard. To drum up some suspense, I think I will keep the official building quiet until next week.
Now, before anyone freaks out or puts the podcast down, I know that for many of you, you are here for the tales of architecture from around the world, so not to worry! Each week I will be producing two episodes, one titled like normal which will be our normal global case studies and interviews, and a separate episode that is specific to my thesis. Think of it as getting all of the BONUS episodes every single week, and keeping the interest going as I finish up my degree for the next 3 months. But this way, if you don’t want to listen to the interviews and conversations, you can just enjoy a normal episode. It should kick off next week, but I am tentatively taking a research trip this weekend. So the episode might just have the sound of water and crickets in the background as I record outside. So no worries and no fears, like anything driven by research, what you started with, and the results you projected, might not be what shows up your study is finished. But what I enjoy most about this plan is I am going to start tackling all of the promised episodes, and still get to talk to some amazing people and firms, and I look forward to continuing this journey with everyone.
But, in this episode, we are going to be talking about Lake Titicaca. Or more aptly, the Mystery of Lake Titicaca. In all honesty, there were a lot more #vanlife posts and videos being watched before the research this week. Experiencing the site through different perspectives actually really helps change the understanding of the locations. And a shameless self-plug, if you want to learn more about the skoolies and van life, check out the episode from last season, with Caleb Brackney. But what I think we as designers are trying to incorporate more in the recent years, is the various different ways you can experience a site. Don’t get me wrong, we as a profession have a longstanding history with perspectives, but lately the methods of achieving that perspective have dramatically shifted. For me, starting with some of these social medias and videos trends really show how people experience landscapes and buildings in a way that we sometimes struggle to convey in conversations alone. Now, obviously I am a huge talker, and enjoy the conversation and conveying what clients need into drawings.
But what makes this site so interesting is that we are going to be talking about somethings that are super old, some that are new, and some practices that have managed to survive multiple generations to today. But before we begin, remember to check your sources, check your facts, and more importantly check me. I should never be your primary information source. So without further ado, let’s begin:
History:
So, yes, I actually divided this episode up into titled sections, because this location has just an amazing and fascinating history that it just boggles the mind. And I will not be able to get through all of the amazing people and cultures who live there. I really encourage you to continue researching this episode, as it truly is an awe inspiring location that I was barely able to scratch the surface on. But the name of the lake is actually from the Spanish-the original name, is considered to be lost, but the current name is titi-puma and caca- has a series of possible translations but current theories believe it to be gray. Referring to the stone statues of a gray puma found on Isla del Sol, one of the Islands in the region. Other possibilities include “Rock of Puma”, “Lancepoint”, and “Crag of Lead”.
But overall, I am going to focus on the lake itself and the pre-Columbian Inca and Tiwanaku. So, this lake actually straddles the border of Bolivia and Peru, the border actually dances right through the middle of the lake, so bring your passport with you. It is roughly 190 km x 80km or 118 mi x 50 mi, and averages around 107m or 351 ft deep. This 8,372km^2 or 3,232 sq miles of lake is actually located way up in the Andes, at an elevation of 3,812 m or 12,507 ft. And when I say elevation, I mean that the top of the surface reaches that. So if you want to calculate the range of the lake, removing the water, you need to take that elevation I just gave and subtract the minimum and maximum depths. But the lake is considered to be the highest navigable lake-meaning that unlike other lakes, you could technically see barges and commercial crafts around the lake. And is up in the Andes Mountains, and is located on the Andean Plateau I believe. There is over 40 islands-I several articles that claimed all different variations of 40+, so I am just saying over 40 to be safe and avoid spreading misinformation.
It is the largest in South America of fresh water lakes, and has a straight that connects the second half the lake. The deepest part of the lake reaches 280m or 920 ft, which is so cool to me, because as many of you have guessed, I absolutely love water. I don’t think I have ever fully recovered from my surfing days. There is over 25+ bodies of water that feed into the lake. But, moving into the mystery, the lake has been home to multiple groups of people over its long history. Among the most famous names is the Inca and Tiwanaku, but multiple other tribes and groups of people have long since called the region home. The history can basically be divided up into three major times, according the UNESCO article, one period prior to People was start of the earth until 10000 BC, the next period started from 10000 BC to 16th century, and then 16th century to now. And even the 16th century can be further divided up, between the Incas at the beginning and the 16th century is when colonialism kicks off hard, so for the sake of the episode, imagine colonialism as the start of the modern era.
The two groups of people most important to remember through this episode, is the Tiwanaku and the Incas. The Tiwanaku had a total of maybe 20,000 people, while the Incas were the largest empire and reached a peak after 1525, and reached a total area of 2m sq. km or 770, 000 sq miles.
But moving into the story of the people themselves, I wanted to talk about the various cultures that have inhibited the region-and the buildings that they left behind. This area was in the news on and off over the past few years, as there have been studies and research done into an underwater temple. And we will return this is in a moment. The Lake itself is believed to be an extremely important part of the creation myth for the Incas. It is believed to be the emergent place of Con Tiqui Viracocha. From him, he crafted humans from stone, the Moon, and the Sun. And amongst the various islands, you can find the locations that the Sun and Moon-capitalized because the Sun and the Moon were deities, found homes for them and their progeny. The remains of the buildings can be seen scattered across the islands, including the underwater temple. It was also believed to be the home of the Manco Capac, the original Inca King.
While the land bound sites all yielded exactly what you would expect-shards, fragments of bones, art, etc. the same can be said for the underwater temple-including terraces and walls. And enough evidence to support the idea that this area was occupied by both humans and animals and was originally dry land. After a series of studies, including the documentary I watched and including in the sources, the decision has been reached to eventually turn the site into an underwater museum. The plans are currently being developed for it to cost a total of $10million USD or 8.6 million euros to build and construct. The truth is that this location will serve as a homage to all of the cultures and artifacts that believed to have been the start of several different cultures. The underwater site is believed to be from the Tiwanaku people, and is so important because it single handedly showcases more than we had previously known about them. Including rituals, ceremonies and buildings. Additionally, some artifacts look like they were offered to the lake later on, meaning that just because the site was submerged, doesn’t mean that it was abandoned.
If you read up on the subject, you will notice that they discuss several of the offering and artifacts, and mention the reoccurrence of pumas, Llamas, and several other creatures, with gold and other offerings. Many times they were carved from stones and crafted as pendants, and used in ceremonies. This belief of the power of the lake has transcended, as there is a belief in a spirit or that the lake itself has mystical properties, with several stories of offerings needed to be made if you take from the lake. Even the Spanish colonizers believed that the people would dump in gold, as a part of a pilgrimage.
But my favorite thing to mention about this lake is the lake monster. Because every lake needs a lake monster. It was discussed in the book, The Islands of Titicaca and Koati, by Adolph F. Bandelier, in 1910. He credited it to being a seal, or a similar creature, and I was extremely disappointed to be unable to find anything else about it-that I trusted source wise.
Now & Then:
So I titled and included this section deliberately, and titled it Now & Then because the things we are going to be talking about include concepts and practices that have been practiced in history for quite a while. The most prominent of these are the floating islands and the waru waru. So starting first with the waru waru, this is actually a method of farming, using raised beds. When you research it, you will see some extremely amazing photos that look a lot like crop circles or the Nazca lines. Basically, they look like huge drawings in the ground due to the combination of canals and raised beds. It allows for water to surround the bed and helps maintain the temperatures and control soil erosion, and several other benefits. The most famous images are flat, and the technique is being revitalized, however, it does occur vertically up the hill as well. Which is the terraces you dear listeners are probably most familiar with.
Additionally, there is the floating islands, which is made from totora, a beautiful reedy plant that is used in everything from boats to homes, and more importantly, in the floating islands themselves. As the name suggests, the totora is used to construct the island, and anchored with stones to support 5-7 residences per island. It needs to be maintain frequently, with careful attention to maintenance schedules. But the people themselves are tribal members of the Uru Chulluni, and maintain beautiful works, and artistry alongside fishing, jewelry and crafts. When I say beautiful, I do mean that. The entirety of the works and islands I have seen showcase a deep technical knowledge and mastery of their craft and the way of life. As part of an initiative taken in the 90s and again in 15′, solar panels have slowly become integrated into the designs. The homes themselves are often one shared central room.
The concept of this has sparked several movements, including as far north as in British Columbia, Canada, where several other modern floating islands live. I have seen several videos over my lifetime about it, and maybe will consider a follow up episode later on. But back to the totora plant, it actually has medicinal attributes, and this bulrush is actually also used in Easter Island as well. At one point an exhibit of a boat made from this was in the Smithsonian.
Creatures:
I am ending this episode on a rather rare note, I am actually going to talk about one of the creatures that call the lake home, because one is actually currently undergoing efforts by scientists to save it’s life. So, it has a rather rude nickname, that I’m not allowed to say and keep my show rating, but it is called the Lake Titicaca giant frog or Telmatobius culeus. It is the largest frog that lives in only in the water-so not the largest frog ever, but, the largest aquatic, and has loose skin baggy skin, that comes in a bespeckled and marble effect. Currently, I saw it mentioned that the body-excluding the leg- will sometimes be up to 14.5cm or 5.7 in long and live anywhere in the lake up to 100m or 330 ft deep. Unfortunately, these cute little guys are facing affects from mining and development.
The reason I bring it up is that frogs species are considered to be what biologist call indicator species in the environment. Dusting off my old biology degree for a second, indicator species are normally the first species in an area to be affected by things. So, if there is an increase in pollution, or toxins in the environment, you can normally see a corresponding decline in the numbers of the wild frog populations. Hence indicators, they show whether an environment is good or bad. So, if you as designers are evaluating the health of an existing condition, this is actually one of the studies I would highly encourage you to look up for that region. Now, I can almost see you listeners asking, why do we need to know that as designers? Well, if you are participating in a revitalization project, or designing a landscape or park, or any hundreds of variations like that, this actually might be a sign of a larger environmental issues that might not be being addressed, that could majorly impact the success of your project.
I do have a real world example that has nothing to do with this area, I know someone, who wants to remain anonymous but wanted to share their story, who was fresh out of school a few decades ago, into their first real office architect job. They were placed on their first lead project, and the task was to design a park to accompany the building the rest of the team was working on. They didn’t realize that there was pre-existing environmental damage from an another lot up the street that was missed in the original reports. They said that altogether, several thousands of dollars of high end plants were lost, because the toxins in the soil were too high for them to survive. Because they weren’t using phytoremediation plants, or plants designed to combat the issue, but instead using ornamental plants. Extremely delicate to start. But the thing they mentioned seeing, was a lot of dead amphibians, small mice, and creatures that everyone originally assumed were dying because of the previous owners putting down poisons.
But once again a big thank you to all my listeners! I know I say this every week, but please: Please rate and review. If you liked it, loved it, hated it, let me know. I love feedback, and hearing from everyone, and more importantly, sparking conversation. We again have a Facebook page and private group, both of which are under the same name: Architecture, Coffee, & Ink, which is again, pretty young. https://architectureink.design.blog/, is the website, Everything will be linked in the show notes. I will be posting the transcript and some images on the blog later in the afternoon, so please keep an eye out for that, but as always,
May your coffee mugs be full, and your ink wells never run dry.
60 secs end song re-looped.
SOURCES:
“37 Terrific Facts about Lake Titicaca: How Much Do You Know about the Highest Navigable Lake in the World?” Free Ideas For Family Fun & Learning. Accessed July 10, 2022. https://kidadl.com/articles/terrific-facts-about-lake-titicaca-how-much-do-you-know-about-the-highest-navigable-lake-in-the-world.
Aitana. “Lake Titicaca Floating Islands: Mysteries That No One Told You.” Exoticca Blog, May 21, 2021. https://www.exoticca.com/us/blog/lake-titicaca-floating-islands/.
Blakemore, Erin. “Evidence for Ancient Religion Discovered in Lake Titicaca.” Culture. National Geographic, January 25, 2022. https://www.nationalgeographic.com/culture/article/evidence-ancient-religion-discovered-lake-titicaca?loggedin=true.
Centre, UNESCO World Heritage. “Lake Titicaca.” Lake Titicaca – UNESCO World Heritage Centre. Accessed July 10, 2022. https://whc.unesco.org/en/tentativelists/5080/.
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Dockrill, Peter. “A Mystery Religion Pre-Dated the Incas by 500 Years, Stunning Lake Discovery Reveals.” ScienceAlert. Accessed July 10, 2022. https://www.sciencealert.com/stunning-discovery-reveals-mysterious-religion-pre-dating-the-incas-by-500-years.
“Don’t Fall in Lake Titicaca!” IMG blog. Accessed July 10, 2022. https://www.mountainguides.com/wordpress/2019/01/24/bolivia/dont-fall-in-lake-titicaca/.
Geggel, Laura. “Offerings to Supernatural Deities Discovered in Lake Titicaca in the Andes.” LiveScience. Purch, April 1, 2019. https://www.livescience.com/65126-lake-titicaca-offerings.html.
Geggel, Laura. “Offerings to Supernatural Deities Discovered in Lake Titicaca in the Andes.” LiveScience. Purch, April 1, 2019. https://www.livescience.com/65126-lake-titicaca-offerings.html.
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