“How virtual becomes real” 2016
- 19 July 2016
- By Alberto Pugnale
- In Form-finding, News, Parametric Design, Scripting/Tooling, Teaching and learning
- 0 Comments
The 6th edition of “How virtual becomes real” continued the research into the applications of form-resistant structures. The virtual and the real were synthesised by means of both physical form-finding and numerical/digital technologies.
The studio began dedicating 4 weeks to numerical and experimental form-finding, as well as to fabrication exercises of outstanding case studies. Technology and construction aspects of shell and gridshell structures were highlighted throughout the activity. Below you can find a few pictures from the first classes, where the students were asked to find structural form of post-formed timber gridshells (see also www.gridshell.it) and pneumatic shells.
Students at work during week 1
Photos and drawings by Alex Morse, Ben Forster and Yueling Yu
After experimenting with timber gridshells and pneumatic form-finding (see How Virtual Becomes Real 2015 for further info), the students learnt about fabrication techniques on outstanding case studies. Below a few pictures of the student’s drawings, tests and physical models.
Please note that the following exercises on fabrication techniques were meant to teach the students to develop a critical approach towards model making. They were also conceived to highlight potential similarities between model making and actual construction techniques, bearing in mind that a certain degree of speculation and discrepancy between the two things is inevitable. Having said that, understanding the shell/gridshell geometry (which was generally simplified for construction reasons) was the key for the students to produce a realistic result. Once the students got that, they could easily define an effective fabrication/model making method.
CASE STUDY 1 – PALAZZETTO DELLO SPORT (Sport Hall) in Rome
Students: Frances White, Jian Tan, Qianlin Ding
CASE STUDY 2 – SHUKOV’S BUILDING FOR THE PLATE ROLLING WORKSHOP, in Vyksa
Students: Atreyu de Lacy, Kaihang Chen, Joseph Lui
CASE STUDY 3 – SMITHSONIAN AMERICAN ART MUSEUM
Students: Alex Morse, Ben Forster, Yueling Yu
In week 5, the students had to choose one of Mies’ iconic projects from a shortlist of three (the Farnsworth House, the Crown Hall at the IIT, the new National Gallery in Berlin). Their task was to replace the ‘Miesian box’ with a shell or gridshell structure. They also needed to maintain the approximate building scale, and use the same brief and site, but other than that, they were completely free.
We felt there were at least 3 good reasons why there was great potential in a synthesis of the work of Mies and shells/gridshells:
1) the articulation and expression of structure in Mies’ work has clear parallels in the work that we made reference in Studio 20;
2) it is not coincidental that successful shell/gridshell projects tend to have a degree of ‘minimalism’ about them;
3) the ‘connection’ between the underside of the roof and the internal partitions can be a problematic one in shell and gridshell structures (Mies was certainly circumspect about this relationship and keen to privilege the reading of the overall architectural gesture).
Below you can find a selection of the final projects, together with the pictures of the final MSD Exhibition.
Project and models by Xuyou Yang (Chelle)
Project and models by Kaihang Chen
Project and models by Joseph Lui
Project and models by Ben Forster
Project and models by Shenghang Xu (Hocci)
Project and models by Frances White
Project and models by Jian Tan
Models by Qusai Anteet
Presentation day (7 June 2016)
Projects and models by Kaihang Chen, on the left, and Alex Morse, on the right
Studio 20 at the final MSD Exhibition, SEM1-2016 (16 June 2016)
Studio Leaders: Alberto Pugnale and Louis Gadd
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