Cristina Murillo_Ductal Concrete Panels by OTA+

Design: Kory Bieg (K Bieg Design), Andre Caradec (S/tudio U/nder M/anufacture)
Concrete: ConcreteWorks

They where contacted by ConcreteWorks to test the limitations and potential of Ductal; an ultra-high performance fiber reinforced concrete. The material offers superior strength, durability and the capacity to span large openings with minimal thickness when compared to traditional concrete. In addition, the material is highly moldable and can be poured into small pockets, filling gaps that would otherwise be impossible using standard reinforcing. They used advanced computer modeling software to generate a pattern that would allow seamless tiling from one panel to the next. In addition, the pattern could grow or shrink and be open or closed, depending on the requirements of the client, site and program. The design could be implemented on the exterior of a building as a superficial rain screen, or integrated into a weatherproof exterior facade system. It could also be used on the interior of a building as visual screen or focal wall. The panel was fabricated using a CNC mill. The mill allowed them to bypass the time-consuming process of drafting 2d drawings. After finalizing the computer model, they simply uploaded the 3d information directly to the milling machine, which then cut the form from a block of foam. Ductal was then poured into the foam mold. After a few days of drying, the final panel was extracted from the mold and ready to be installed.

On the left is an image of the CNC milled foam mold, before the Ductal is poured. The image on the right is a rendering of the 3d computer model used to mill the mold.

Lowey Bookstore by Jakob+ Macfarlane - Sam

Take a Stance by Hella Jongerius – Hannah

‘Taking a Stance- 8 critical attitudes in chinese and dutch architecture and design’ presented works of four Dutch and four Chinese designers. For this exhibition in the Dutch Cultural Centre in Shanghai, Hella Jongerius designed an interactive cupboard that gave a representative overview of her work and the themes she deals with: craft and industry, options, archives and imagination. 

Hella Jongerius has designed a cupboard with flexible moving sections that sits with her Coloured Vases. The Cupboard is made of multiple materials; the frame is metal with 15 moving wood boxes in each, the boxes are covered with different materials and each of them holds a ceramic colored vase in them.

Hella is known for using abstract and intriguing design materials, methods and fabrications but no websites or articles went into detail on how the cupboard was constructed.

Images include: detail of vases, construction, final close up and full front and back photos:

Cristina Murillo_YJP ADMINISTRATIVE CENTER BY HHD_FUN

HHD FUN architects from Beijing China built a temporary office in Binhai China. This building is called YJP Administrative Center. It features a patterned metal skin enclosing verandas. It is covered in panels of twelve different shapes that are distributed across the surface of the building according to how much light is needed in each of the rooms located behind the panels.

The enclosed porch is arranged around the building to afford visual access to the CBD area from within the building. This allows the occupants to survey the surrounding construction site. The size of openings within the facade relates directly to the lighting requirements for particular activities within different areas of the building. The porosity of the facade is designed to produce the required conditions for these activities. The integration of the density of the patterned facade with the various inner functions forms a key focus of the project. The facade openings serve as view frames. The opening size and orientation is varied in a continuous manner introducing topological difference across the facade. The whole facade is constructed from six forms, reflected to give twelve types of identical components, making the building process highly efficient. This meant that the building to be constructed in less than seven months.

Montana Shrader - Gary Chang, 24 Room Apartment

Designer: Gary Chang (Shelving precedents)

Imagine a 344 sq. foot room that transformed into 24 different configurations and unique spaces. This is what Gary Chang accomplished in over 30 years to the tune of $218,000. It was also the apartment he grew up in. He remembers sleeping on a couch and always fighting for his own space; it is because of these experiences he wanted to create the ultimate spatial flexibility, to use every inch of space in a way that was streamlined and highly effective. He accomplished this by using a series of sliding wall systems. For example, a shelving unit with CD’s can be pushed away to reveal a linen closet, which can then be pushed away to reveal a spa tub with a guest bed above. The sliding walls panel run on a series of tracks and wheels bolted into the ceiling. It is a result of numerous partitions adjacent to one another that pull out to reveal another “room” of the house.

The façade is a series of yellow tinted three rectangular windows. This allows the feeling of sunlight to warm the interior space and gives the illusion of sun throughout the day. The light also bounces off the mirrors on the ceiling, further illuminating the space. However, the windows themselves can open and close, allowing for flexibility in various lighting conditions. Chang says that because of the tinted glass he hardly has to use artificial light in the day. He was careful of the material choice on the windows as he sees it as a window to the world, and wanted it to reflect the interior structure of the space.

The materials in the project are mainly reflective. The floor is a high gloss finish, there are mirrors on the ceiling, and many materials are man-made to allow for greater flexibility in the ever-sifting space. Many of the shelves pull down and therefore the materials had to be able to accommodate specific sizes, and widths that allow for the compactness. The purpose behind the reflective materials is to bounce light around the tiny apartment.

His has renovated the space four times with numerous different configurations, often through plan views and them implementing certain parts; each time he studied the various effects it has on the space and outcome. The sliding wall panels are by far his most successful use of space yet (even allowing for a bar area). He has designed the space so it’s efficient for him, not where he’s efficient for the space, the space works for him.

Assignment 2A: Precedent Research

Precedent research (built)

YJP ADMINISTRATIVE CENTER BY HHD_FUN - Christina

Villa Nurbs by Cloud 9 - Jenni

Obayashi House by Ando and Eliasson - Lisa

FOA’S RAVENSBOURNE SCHOOL - Ashley

Dominous Winery by Herzog & de Meuron - Crystal

John Lewis Department Store by FOA - Elisabeth

The Atrium at Federation Square by Lab Architecture Studio - Hannah

Louis Vuitton Roggongi Hills Store Jun Aoki - Ashly

Louis Vuitton Nagoya Store by Jun Aoki - Xin

De Young Museum by Herzog & de Meuron - Sam

Institut du Monde Arabe by Jean Nouvel - Keith

Christian Dior Ginza Store by Kumiko Inui - Rachel

Spanish Pavilion by FOA - Montana

Airspace Tokyo by Thom Faulders - Jun

Beijing Noodle by Design Spirits - Alex

Precedent Research (prototyped or conceptual)

Honeycomb Morphologies by Matsys - Paige

Cloud by Bouroullec - Guin

Living Glass by The Living - Amy

Ductal concrete panels by OTA+ - Christina

Migrating Formations by Ali Rahim - Jenni

Flatform by Marble Fairbanks - Ashley

Night Garden by Rael San Fratello Architects - Rachel

Bone Wall by Urban A &O – Lisa

West Coast Pavilion by Atelier Manferdini - Guin

Shelving precedents:

Inverted spaces: Jens Reinert - Ashly

The furniture of Allen Wexler - Paige

Neil Barett store/Tree shelving by Zaha Hadid - Alex

Transformer shelf by Martin Saemmer - Jun

alog shelving system by Johnannes Herbertsson & Karl Hendriik Rennstam - Crystal

White Desert Bookshelf by Karim Mekhtigian - Keith

Heklad Stal Shelf by Bility -Amy

Hillside Storage by Claesson Koivisto Rune- Xin

electrodes by Nick Dine - Elisabeth

Take a Stance by Hella Jongerius - Hannah

Tiny Apartment in Hong Kong transforms into 24 rooms by Gary Chang(youtube) - Montana

Bookshop Lowey by Jakob + Macfarlane - Sam

References:

The Function of Ornament by Farshid Moussavi

Digital Fabrications: Architectural and Material Techniques by Lisa Iwamoto

Websites of various designers

Research your assigned precedent(s) from the list above. Prepare a blog post presentation of your research for your classmates. The title of your presentation should include the name of the project and the designer (as written above) and you should label the post precedent research ( you will see this option when you post in the lower right hand corner) In your presentation you should include:

1. The name of the project and the architect
2. Multiple images of the built work
3. Construction / fabrication drawings / templates
4. Images of the construction process if available

You should be able to discuss:

5. The concept behind the project
6. The effects of the façade on the interior and / or at the urban scale
7. The materials used in the project
8. The use of the computer in the project for example, did the designer use the computer to 3d model a form and then contour it?
9. The fabrication techniques and tools involved in making the project. For example, did the designer use a water jet cutter or a cnc router?

Due: Monday, Oct. 11 8:30 AM