(Coming across this post now, which originally was published on April 9 2011, I was reminded of the actual construction which was around 1995 when I was living in Fernwood. I wish I had taken photos of it! It was awesome. I would do it again – this time using four re-bar.)
Several years ago, the wish for a simple outdoor room in the front yard where a lawn was being replaced with a meadow/habitat and a site for a permanent summer house was being considered, led to playing with some plasticine and pipe cleaners. This structure resulted.
I cannot find the photos of the actual room; they would not be digital, in any case.
So you will have to imagine three twelve-foot lengths of thin, flexible, magnificent re-bar being inserted into holes in the ground, two ends to each hole.
The process involved two people at each end of a length of rebar, holding it at waist level, horizontally, who would walk slowly toward each other as the rebar assumed an arch shape.
Previous experimenting with the 12 inch pipe cleaners to achieve height and distance between the ends for equal space had determined where the holes would be made in the ground.
What was not evident using pipe cleaners (oh, the joy of surprise in design!) was how the re-bar would orient itself at the top of the arches. It swayed and rocked and then settled.
After a few minor adjustments to depth of holes and positioning, we tied the re-bar with – hmmm, I think it was fishing line, to stabilize it. Then lace tablecloths from garage sales were draped over the supports. Instant room. The door opening could be changed depending on the drape of the cloths.
While reconstructing what was done then, I wondered what would happen if four re-bars were used.
Looks interesting. Even more so when the ends are adjusted not equal distance apart.
The overlap of the re-bar would likely be intriguing.
The sixteen yards of unbleached cotton I could not resist at a thrift store awhile ago could be wrapped and clothes -pinned to the supports. Then maybe decorated by the grandkids with squirt bottles filled with liquid paint.