Impregnate material - KTH

In this course students are introduced to three modes of making the
physical and tactile in architectural design processes that inform the formal
language of architecture, those driven by: (i) artistic exploration and
sculpturing (form-giving), (ii) laws of physics (form-finding) and (iii) digital
design and production techniques (form-informing). Frank Gehry’s
act of crumpling a piece of paper could be categorized in the form-giving
mode. The second mode can be observed in works of architects such as
Antoni Gaudí and Frei Otto, where effects of gravity on hanging chains
(material components) and Plateau’s laws on soap films (governing formation
of bubbles from foam), respectively, formed the artefacts. The
third mode can be observed in projects presented by Iwamoto in Digital
Fabrications: Architecture and Material Techniques; where production
techniques, material processing techniques and digital objects (NURBS
surfaces, curves etc) are considered in very early design stages and impact
architectural language of the product .
While being introduced to the above modes of making, students are
thought to analyse and study the medieval architecture styles from the
lens of rule based system, to find inspiration for their own design. A rib
of Gothic style for example, is an undefined element /figure of Gothic architecture
that through act of weaving or bundling becomes a formal configuration
such as a column, window, arch, etc. Ribs don’t mean anything
by itself; as they are too thin for structure and too thick for ornament. So,
by bundling them one creates a column. It is this extra act and action of
bundling and weaving that interest us.
As for Gothic style the students masters the material while in the case of
film soap of Frei Otto or hanging chain of Gaudi, the students are thought
to give agency to material to find each other through rule based system.;
In which they set a machine with rules rather than mastering the matter.
The concept of impregnate material is therefore investigates analogy
computing VS digital computing to influence digital design- and production
tools as well as the digital practices that are informing our societies
culturally, socially and technologically.
Please see the examples of processes and artefacts in the next two pages.
Above images presents various modes and environment for production of artefact in this
course. Digital acquisition - 3d scanning (top-left), moulding (top-right), Digital model of
a minimal surface (middle) laser cut and 3d printed models of minimal surface (bottom left
and right respectively ).