Dan Parker - Portfolio 2023

Dan Parker
Portfolio

Contents
Human
Architecture
Non-Human
Architecture Furniture Art
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Pneuma Pavilion
2016
12
Prosthetic Habitats, AU
2020
20
Enfold Coffee Table
2017
24
Second Skin
2013
8
Urban Agriculture Centre
2016
16
Prosthetic Habitats, IT
2022
22
Adaptable Stools
2017
26
Digital Trees
2018
10
Mergence
2017
28
Eudoxia
2019
Portfolio | Dan Parker
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Dan Parker
Dan Parker is a designer and researcher at the University of Melbourne, Australia. His
PhD investigates innovative design approaches that can support coexistence between
humans and other animals in urban environments. His interdisciplinary research
combines work in ecology, design, and environmental humanities. Dan conducts
fieldwork in the Italian Alps and studies a Diploma in Modern Languages (Italian) at
the University of New England. He holds a Bachelor of Environments and a Master
of Architecture from the University of Melbourne. Specialising in digital architectural
design, Dan has taught several design subjects, worked in architectural practice, and
held positions in digital fabrication labs.
Email: djwparker@gmail.com
Phone: AU: +61 431 534 112; NZ: +64 22 401 9988
Web: dan-parker-design.con
Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/dan-parker-a2821383
Place: Melbourne, Australia & Nelson, New Zealand
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Pneuma Pavilion
2016
Pneuma Pavilion is a temporary installation design to cope with Melbourne’s
climatic extremes and fluctuating social calendar over the summer period.
Pneuma, meaning ‘breath and spirit’, discerns topographic, social and
environmental data in order to react to varying social and environmental
conditions within an exposed pocket of Alexandra Gardens. Using Arduino
and live sensors, its cells open and close to control lighting, shade, shelter, and
ventilation. The entire pavilion changes its form to either provide smaller and
more intimate spaces for everyday use, or big open spaces for large events.
Collaboration: Ryan Huang & Suyi Zha
Supervision: Paul Loh and David Leggett, & Joshua Russo-Batterham
Awards: Editors’ Choice Award in Laka Reacts Competition 2016
Featured: Making as Pedagogy: Engaging Technology in Design Teaching
(Loh 2017), Machining Aesthetics: Tool Making as Design Research (Loh and
Leggett 2018)
Medium: 1:1 Physical Prototype, Digital, Pin-Up
Tools: Rhino, Grasshopper, 3D Printer, Laser Cutter, Arduino
Portfolio | Dan Parker
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Deflate
Inflate
Deflate
Out
Transparent
JUNCTION
OPEN
Opaque
Opaque
Transparent
Inflate
Deflate
TRANSPARENT
Out
Opaque
Transparent
Transparent
JUNCTION
Inflation Mechanisms Cell Details Physical Prototype
OPAQUE
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Portfolio | Dan Parker
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Urban Agriculture Centre
2016
Urban Agriculture Centre is mixed-use development proposal for the old
Burwood Brickworks in Melbourne, Australia, designed to meet the Living
Building Challenge principles. Its brief called for a reimagining of retail-centre
design within a new community of parklands, connecting to a civic plaza
and local homes. The project aims to integrate regenerative processes that
provides education about innovative closed-loop production chains. To do
this, its gridshell roof weaves built form with regenerated natural systems. The
parametrically designed roof undulates to collect water and inject vegetation
into the plaza, while strategically placing solar panels in most exposure areas.
Solar exposure simulation
Rainwater runoff simulation
Collaboration: Yeoh Hui Li
Supervision: Andrew Milward-Bason, David Ritter, Dominique Hes
Tools: Rhino, Grasshopper, V-Ray, Photoshop
Portfolio | Dan Parker
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Axonometric
1:1.5
Camera Trajectory
Start point of trajectory
S
t
Static Footages
Camera Orientation
Transition Dropping
1
Z: 530.0
4t
Z: 980
5 Z: 500 3
Z: 820
Mergence
2
Z: 700
6
Z: 820
2017
7
Z: 980
Z: 530.0
17t
Z: 980
x: 0.0
y: 0.0
z: 0.0
Z: 199.20
Entrance
Z: 775
22c
Z: 775
20s
20t
Z: 980
19
Z: 820
14t
Z: 980
9s
8s
21c
Z: 775
12s
10
Z: 775.2
Z: 500
Mergence proposes a conceptual environment for Shimmerlands, a summer
festival that hosts Music, Film and Dining at the University of Melbourne.
Drawing from the cross-cut filming technique, this proposal aims to merge
storylines from these various programmatic functions. In order to merge these
programs, the design employs a tensile envelope structure which dynamically
adjusts to divide or connect events. The final output of this project is a four
minute film using footage of a physical model shot from a six-axis robot.
Notation serves as the primary generative technique to develop the film’s
physical model, camera trajectory, and storyboard.
16
23c
Z: 775
13
Z: 820
18
Z: 510
15s
11
Z: 510
24
Phase 2 Phase 3
25s
Collaboration: Hangxu Wang, Yinong Lin, Lohas Ji & Luke Latham
Medium: 1:150 Model, Film, Pin-Up
Tools: Rhino, Grasshopper, Adobe, Laser Cutter, 6-Axis Robot
15s
26s
34
15s
35
36
26
32
28s
27s
15s
31s
29
30
33
Portfolio | Dan Parker
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Camera Attached to 6-Axis Robot Arm
Film Opening
Section
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Prosthetic Habitats, AU
2020
Provision of prosthetic habitats is increasingly necessary because accelerating
urbanisation degrades habitat opportunities for wildlife. In response, this
research project develops habitats artificially. It involves collaboration between
architects, engineers, biologists, ecologists, city government, park authorities,
and arborists. The project focuses on designing prosthetic nests for a
characteristic and threatened species, the powerful owl (Ninox strenua), in the
ecosystem of greater Melbourne. Habitat loss caused by urbanisation forces
these owls into inner-urban areas, where they can hunt but not nest due to
a lack of tree hollows. Existing measures, such as nest boxes, have known
aesthetic, ecological, and practical limitations. Addressing this, the project
develops a multi-scale workflow to specify interventions that can make existing
urban environments into plausible owl habitats. Innovative uses of digital design
and fabrication technologies inform the resulting nest designs according to the
specific geometry of the host tree, the needs of owls, and analyses of natural
owl nests. Techniques used to aid the construction of these complex structures
include 3D scanning, generative modelling, 3D printing and augmented reality
assembly.
Supervision: Stanislav Roudavski
Awards: Best Thesis Runner Up in the Bates Smart Award
Medium: Digital + 1:1 Physical Prototypes
Tools: 3D Laser Scanner, CloudCompare, QGIS, Rhino, Grasshopper, Hololens
Portfolio | Dan Parker
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Repurposed Foam
3D Printed Wood
Hempcrete
13

Left: Computer model of a hollow on a 3D scanned tree
Middle: Section showing design features for owls
Right: Computer mapping of habitat suitability
Portfolio | Dan Parker
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Prosthetic Habitats, IT
2022
This project brings together international expertise from design and ecology
to develop and test prosthetic habitat-structures for the boreal owl (Aegolius
funereus). Prosthetic habitat-structures are necessary in response to
degradation of natural habitat-structures and biodiversity losses. This project
focuses on hollows for boreal owls as an example which highlights the needs
and opportunities for better design. Sadly, these owls could lose 65% of their
habitat in the Italian Alps by 2050 due to climate change. In 2018, Storm Vaia
toppled many of the hollow-bearing trees that boreal owls rely on for nesting.
Prosthetic hollows are increasingly important because human activities reduce
the availability of woodpecker-made hollows many animals rely on for shelter
and nesting. Recognising the collaborative opportunities between architectural
design and ecology, this project asks: how can advanced design techniques
improve the design of artificial hollows? It proposes that innovative materials
and construction techniques can enhance prosthetic hollows by developing
structures that are sustainable, suitable for target species, and feasible to
implement. The project designed, built, and evaluated prosthetic hollows made
from novel biomaterials (soil, hemp, mycelium, wood, plastic, and others). The
hollows have been exhibited as living labs in Trento and Monte Bondone, Italy.
Supervision: Stanislav Roudavski and Kylie Soanes
Awards: Best Thesis Runner Up in the Bates Smart Award
Medium: Digital + 1:1 Physical Prototypes
Tools: Rhino, Grasshopper, Hololens, Laser-cutter, 3D printer
Portfolio | Dan Parker
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Soil
Hempcrete
Mycelium
Plywood
Plastic
Log
17

Left: A lifecycle approach to the design of hollows
Right: Computer simulation/modelling for nonhuman stakeholders
Portfolio | Dan Parker
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Vertical pattern to direct
water away from entrance
Ventilation hole
Horizontal pattern to
support easy egress
Thicker structure in
areas of main support
Holes for fixings
Wood shavings fill base to
accommodate 2–6 eggs
Dimensions: 700x400x300mm
Drainage hole
Moss growth
Water runoff
Solar exposure
Pores in moister and
darker areas
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Enfold Coffee Table
2017
Enfold endeavours to exhibit a continuous and flowing piece, free of any
fixings. The coffee table achieves this by heat-folding a single sheet of clear
acrylic such that tabletop quadrants approach one another but never meet.
Its fabrication process induces the smooth curvature using dowels, gravitydraping,
and CNC-cut moulds. Parametric modelling helps to produce
shimmering apertures for both structural and aesthetic purposes. These
perforations increase in size to ensure sufficient support for the tabletop, while
removing excessive weight from the large cantilevered structure. Conversely,
wavering perforations dwindle in areas of most stress to support the pivotal
junctions.
Supervision: Supervision: Jas Johnston and Adam Markowitz
Exhibited: Ex-Lab: Digital Furniture Fabrication, Dulux Gallery, Melbourne
Medium: 1:1 Model, Clear Acrylic
Tools: Rhino/Paneling Tools, Laser Cutter, Heat-Gun
Portfolio | Dan Parker
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710
Unfolded 710 Plan (Net)
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Adaptable Stools
2017
This project conducted an experimental design-and-make exercise on a sharp
2-week deadline. Its outcomes, Adaptable Stools, explore the potentialities
of 3D printing. Given the economical and dimensional limitations of 3D
printing, the prototypes use small jointing mechanisms to craft full-scale
stools. Through iterative prototyping, each of the prototypes achieve intricate
and moveable joints. Stool 1 uses minimal surfaces to reduce material use,
Stool 2 folds away through rotation of interlocking joints for easy storage
and transportation, and Stool 3 employs a detachable swivel-top to allow
the user to rotate when seated. As put by Ex-Lab, “this playful open-ended
experimental process develops a deep understanding of materials and process
of making that facilitates the creation of unusual, unexpected and innovative
outcomes.”
Collaboration: Felix Zhan
Supervision: Jas Johnston and Adam Markowitz
Exhibited: Ex-Lab: Digital Furniture Fabrication, Dulux Gallery, Melbourne
Medium: 1:1 Physical Model
Tools: Grasshopper, 3D Printer, Table Saw, Ban Saw, Drill Press
Portfolio | Dan Parker
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Second Skin
2013
This project showcases a wearable volume that accommodates the body to
explore, measure, and negotiate the boundary of personal space. Accordingly,
the wearer can orient Second Skin in several ways in order to respond their
recanting feeling of personal space. Second Skin uses angled contours
and reflective mirrors to guide, block or manipulate the wearer’s vision in
accordance with their sense of personal space. The design employs 3D
scanning (photogrammetry) and computational modelling such that the form
responds uniquely to the wearer’s body.
Collaboration: Diana Galimova & Yi Lu
Supervision: Angela Woda and Paul Loh
Exhibited: 2nd Skin Exhibition, Wunderlich Gallery, Melbourne
Featured: Making as Pedagogy: Engaging Technology in Design Teaching (Loh
2017)
Medium: 1:1 Physical Model
Tools: Rhino, Card Cutter
Portfolio | Dan Parker
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Digital Trees
2018
Digital Trees depicts one of few remnant trees in Melbourne’s inner-urban
landscape that have survived since before European settlement. Ongoing
urban expansion has cleared much of Melbourne’s indigenous vegetation,
resulting in fragmentation of habitat structures, displacement of animals,
and declining biodiversity. Besides this ecological importance, Wurundjeri
people have long honoured river red gum trees as a source of tools and
ceremony. Unconventional mediums of capturing and representing enable new
opportunities for promoting the protection and acknowledgement of these
important remnants. In this piece, 3D scanning captures one remnant river red
gum’s isolation and fragility.
Collaboration: Alex Holland
Exhibited: Con.ceit, Red Rock Regional Theatre and Gallery, Corangamarah
Featured In: Nonhuman Stakeholders (Parker and Kermode 2019)
Medium: Inkjet Print on Canvas
Tools: 3D Laser Scanner, Faro Scene, Meshlab
Portfolio | Dan Parker
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Eudoxia
2019
This public artwork is part fabulation, part reconstruction of the mythical
city of Eudoxia, as recorded by Italo Calvino in his novel, Invisible Cities. The
installation recalls Eudoxia’s troubled past and predicts its uncertain future
by never settling into a moment of quiet. Its unsettled composition reminds
viewers of the city’s fragile existence, confronted with supernatural forces and
an ephemeral population. The floating gothic arches, pilasters and ground of
stone provide a vision of the city neither restrained and whole, nor entirely fluid
and fractured. The project, temporarily located in central Melbourne, utilised
parametric tools and computer-aided manufacturing techniques for its design
and installation. Its palette of materials represents the many conflicting faces
of Venice, juxtaposing soft foam elements with extravagant museum-grade
lighting, marble, and brass.
Collaboration: Scott Woods, Michael Mack, Kim Vo, Aengus Cassidy, Darcy
Zelenko, Mitch Ransome, Danny Ngo & Ying Lee
Medium: 1:1 Installation within a Space Cube
Tools: Rhino/Grasshopper, CNC Machine, Metal Laser Cutter
Portfolio | Dan Parker
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Dan Parker
Dan Parker is a designer and researcher at the University of Melbourne, Australia.
He is currently pursuing his PhD, investigating radically inclusive design measures
for nonhuman animals in urban environments. Alongside this work, Dan’s research
at Deep Design Lab has focused on generative and parametric design, mixed
reality, 3D scanning, nonhuman perspectives, interdisciplinary and interspecies
collaboration, and geographical information systems. His work has been funded by
multiple grants, distinguished through awards in competitions, and shown at several
conferences and exhibitions.
Dan holds a Bachelor of Environments and a Master of Architecture from the
University of Melbourne. He has taught design subjects at the Melbourne School
of Design (MSD), and Monash Art Design & Architecture (MADA). Specialising
in digital architectural design, Dan has held positions at the Digital Fabrication
Laboratory (FabLab) and Design Worldwide Partnership (DWP).
Email: djwparker@gmail.com
Phone: +61 431 534 112
Web: dan-parker-design.con
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dan-parker-a2821383/
Place: Melbourne, Australia & New Zealand
Image: Digital Trees (see p.8)
Portfolio | Dan Parker
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Resumé
Software
Rhino
Grasshopper
Adobe Suite
QGIS
Excel
C#
Fabrication
3D Printing
Robotics
3D Scanning
Laser Cutting
Hololens
Vac Forming
Contents
Education
Publications
Resumé
3
2019- Doctor of Philosophy | University of Melbourne
2018 Master of Architecture | University of Melbourne
First Class Honours
2015 Bachelor of Environments | University of Melbourne
University College Scholarship for academic excellence, SportFit Scholar for
gymnastics
Academic Appointments
2018-19 Research Assistant | University of Melbourne + Deep Design Lab
Supervised by Stanislav Roudavski and Theresa Jones, Melbourne School of Design +
Melbourne School of BioSciences (Australian Research Council Grant, Future Cities
Grant, William Stone Fund)
2017- Technician | Digital Fabrication Lab (FabLab)
Supervised by Jas Johnston, Melbourne School of Design
Academic Teaching
2019 Senior Tutor | University of Melbourne
For Foundations of Design: Representation, Bachelor of Design
2018 Studio Co-Leader | University of Melbourne
For Interspecies Design, Master of Architecture
2018-19 Studio Tutor | University of Melbourne
For Digital Design, Bachelor of Design
2020 Leonardo | MIT Press
Towards Interspecies Art: Prosthetic Habitats in Human and Owl Cultures by Dan
Parker, Stanislav Roudavski, Bronwyn Isaac, and Nick Bradsworth (forthcoming)
2019 Kerb 27 | RMIT Landscape Architecture
Nonhuman Stakeholders by Dan Parker and Edward Kermode
2019 Impact: Design with all Senses | Springer
Modelling Workflows for More-than-Human Design: Prosthetic Habitats for the
Powerful Owl (Ninox strenua) by Stanislav Roudavski and Dan Parker
Invited Talks and Conferences
2019 Foundations of Design: Representation | University of Melbourne
Lectures in Thinking in Orthographic Space and Notation
2018 Spectra Art + Science | Australian Network for Art and Technology, Adelaide
Towards Interspecies Art: Prosthetic Habitats in Human and Owl Cultures
2018 Threatened Species Day Symposium | University of Melbourne
Prosthetic habitats: designing nesting hollows for the Powerful Owl
Grants
2018 William Stone Trust ($27,375) | University of Melbourne
For Prosthetic Nest Sites: An Ecological Alternative for the Powerful Owl
2018 Future Cities Seed Funding ($4,470) | Melbourne Sustainable Society Institute
For Prosthetic Habitats: Designing Urban Nests for the Powerful Owl
Awards
Contents
Prosthetic Habitats
[Design]
Eudoxia
[Art]
Digital Trees
[Art]
Enfold Coffee Table
[Furniture]
Adaptable Stools
[Furniture]
Pneuma Pavilion
[Architecture]
Second Skin
[Wearable Art]
3
4
6
8
10
12
16
18
2018 Teaching Assistant | Monash University
For Foundation Studio 2, Bachelor of Architectural Design
2018 Best Thesis Runner Up | Bates Smart Award
For Prosthetic Habitats: Design Through the Lens of the Nonhuman Agency
2017-18 Technical Tutor | University of Melbourne
For Foundations of Design: Representation, Bachelor of Design
2016 Editors’ Choice Award | Laka Reacts Competition
For Pneuma Pavilion
Architectural Practice Positions
2016 Red Box Award | Living Building Challenge
For Urban Agriculture Centre
2017 Student Architect | Design Worldwide Partnership (DWP), Melbourne
In education, sport and recreation, and aged care sectors
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