Projective Architecture Case Study - Lateral Office

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05_LATERAL OFFICE PRECEDENT Alec Ring

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LATERAL OFFICE: PROCESS OF PRACTICE DESIGN APPROACH - IN THEIR OWN WORDS

RE-FRAMING THEIR APPROACH - MY WORDS

“Lateral Office is an experimental design practice that operates at the intersection of architecture, landscape, and urbanism. The studio describes its practice process as a commitment to “design as a research vehicle to pose and respond to complex, urgent questions in the built environment,” engaging in the “wider context and climate of a project– social, ecological, or political.” Lateral Office is committed to an architecture that responds directly to the demands of the 21st century - and the subsequent new typologies made possible by an architecture that brazenly confronts today. Recent work and research focuses on powerful design relationships between public realm, infrastructure, and the environment.”

By using research and data investigation combined with a sensitive understanding of different cultures, Lateral Office attempts to challenge our notion of Architecture by pro-actively inventing or reinventing architectural projects. With an interest in current social, cultural, political, environmental and economic problems, they use design as a tool to explore, respond and ultimately confront the complexities of our contemporary world.

MAC

Their architectural projects are positioned to create a sensitive balance (see below). The scaler range of their projects leaves room for future exploration while demonstrating an understanding of the finer grain intricacies. Their work creates a respectful yet critical conversation that moves across disciplines and cultures as well as vertically through all levels of society.

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“Design as a research vehicle to pose and respond to complex, urgent questions in the built environment, engaging in the wider context and climate of a project– social, ecological, or political.”

D ATA IN FE RR IN G

INVE NTIO N THE ORY

- Lateral Office

M IC RO

CU LT UR E RESPECTING

REA LIT Y PRA CTI CE

(previous) credit lateral office: afn rendering, (above) credit author: balancing act, (right) credit lateral office: mapped arctic data

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LATERAL OFFICE: CASE STUDY TYPES Political Issues

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IC

FOOD

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Cultural Issues

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Environ.

Issues

OR K

LEN

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Economic Issues

Social Issues A . SEARCHING FOR DESIGN PROJECTS

Arctic Food Network, 2012, Lateral Office

how broader issues can lead to new architectural explorations

Political Issues

Environ.

Issues OP

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Cultural Issues

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BA N LO

GISTI C S LE N

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Economic Issues

Social Issues

B. RE-INFORMING OF DESIGN PROJECTS how a specific place can address broader issues

From Place to Plant, 2011, Office

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LATERAL OFFICE: ARCTIC FOOD NETWORK Name: Designer: Year: Location: Project Scale: Program/Use: Users: Constructed:

Arctic Food Network Lateral Office 2012 Baffin Island Region, Nunavut, Canada Regional Infrastructure & Shelter Communal Use No

PROJECT OVERVIEW The population of Inuit in Canada’s north is increasing rapidly, resulting in a young population with an average age of 25. Over the past half century the Inuit have also become increasingly dependant on resources and food from the south.

Together these two factors have proved devastating on the inuit culture, health and social wellbeing and has also proved expensive for and a cause for tension between the Inuit and Canada.

Strengthening an existing network of winter snowmobile trails by constructing rest-stop cabins and a regional network of hunting cabins, arctic farms and camp hubs, the Arctic Food Network (AFN) aims to address social, economic, environmental, political and cultural issues in Nunavut. Each hub would be ideally placed along the trails to exploit local ecosystems potentials for harvesting of food and appropriate network spacing of approximately 160km (a day’s travel).

credit lateral office: indigenous people in arctic, % food insecure and food basket cost

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ARCTIC FOOD NETWORK: DESIGN GRAPHICS

credit lateral office: modes of arctic mobility

credit lateral office: food distribution in 1960 (left) and proposed from 2014 onward (right)

credit lateral office: ice fishing (left), contemporary arctic transportation (right)

credit lateral office: proposed arctic food network using existing winter trails on Baffin Island showing 3 hub types

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credit lateral office: architectural types based on function

credit lateral office: seasonality and location of traditional food

credit lateral office: section through theoretical hub showing relative architectural types for hub location

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credit lateral office: transportation and assembly of generic architectural type

credit lateral office: two examples of possible hub programs and organization

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ARCTIC FOOD NETWORK: DECONSTRUCTING THE PROJECT

Social Issues (Alcohol, Drugs, Suicide) Economic Issues (High Cost of Imports)

Loss of Culture

Food Security Education

PROJECTIVE ARCHITECTURAL APPROACH This project begins with an interest in the challenges currently faced by the Inuit of northern Canada, and in particular those in Nunavut. This interest in the north combined with a wealth of both qualitative and quantitative research is used to find a lens through which architectural projects can be conceived. For this particular project the lens of food supply and networks was chosen.

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INUIT

TENS

T R A N S P O RTAT I O N

HOUSING

Political Issues

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I CT

OOD CF

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Cultural Issues

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Environ.

Issues

OR K

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CANADA Political Issues (Relationship)

Economic Issues (Subsidy & Health) Drain on Resources

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Economic Issues

ED U CAT I O N

Social Issues

credit author: projective architectural approach

credit author: challenges and tensions in northern Canada

TENSIONS

The invention of an architectural project focused on creating an Arctic Food Network is both a result of and direct response to the contemporary issues in the north and the current tensions between Canada and the Inuit.

FOOD

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DATASCAPES AS RESEARCH The project relied on a huge amount of qualitative and quantitative data to both guide the project to the idea of an Arctic Food Network, and to develop the finer grained details of the project. In order to make the large quantities of quantitative date useful, it was converted from binary data into informative spatial and temporal visuals.

S TRENGTHENING CULTURE Tra dit io Tec nal F hni ood que s & s

(S PAT I AL A ND T E MP ORA L)

al nt i ote n d P t io se rac re a n t e I n c fo r I

B I N A RY DATA

FOOD

R Su ele rv van iva t l & to L C u i fe l tu , re I n c re a s e d Ac c ess Quality Knowle to d ge

RELEVANT QUALITY EDUCATION

se & S d Inte upp rac ort t ion

The intension of the Arctic Food Network is that a direct focus on two important aspects of the north, food and networks, will have positive downstream affects on many different issues currently faced in the north. The graphic to the right shows some of the possible outcomes of the Arctic Food Network.

Food Su N e tw p p ly o rk

LOCAL ECONOMY

re a

INTENDED RESULTS

Reduction of Dependency

credit lateral office: available food resources

N E T WO R K

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VI S UA LS

Mea Com ns to mun i c at e

& ed ed ced Ne our ys S wa lly Al oca L

LOCAL POLITICAL RELEVANCY

(S PAT I AL A ND T E MP ORA L)

ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT

Kn o In wle cr d e a ge se

Lo to cal Go Iss ve u e s rn

Footp rin Reduc t t ion

POSITIVE SOCIAL INTERACTION credit author: intended results of Arctic Food Network

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OPERATING SYS TEM AS DESIGN The Arctic Food Network is intentionally presented in 3 different ways, each focusing on a different aspect of the project. By splitting the project up into network position, unit function and construction technology, each aspect can be isolated from other specific details so that it can be explored in detail.

B . KITCHEN

C. G REENHO USE/MA RKET

A . O UTP O S T

In presenting the project in this manner, a level of detail is achieved to give the project credibility, but a final design on a specific site is never presented.

What is created instead is an operating system that combined with the intention to build and the input of local knowledge has the capability to produce projects rooted in a particular sites.

D. O FF-SHO RE MA RIN E

E . IC E F ISH IN G H U T

4. INPUT LO CA L FOOD KNOWL E D G E

5. CHO O S E A RCHIT E CT U RA L TYPES (F U N CT IO N A L ) J . C O MMU N ICAT IO N

F. CO O L S TO RAG E

1 . I N T EN T I O N TO BU I L D

H. AQ UA CULTURE

G . CO LD S TO RAG E I. LIG HTING

I . COM M U NI TY

2. I N P UT LO CAL L AN D K N OWL EDGE

town

6 . INPU T LOCA L CONS TRU CTION KNOWLED GE

I I I . BETWEEN

3. CHOOS E HU B TY P E (P OS I TI ON A L) I I . ADJACENT

7 . A DA PT C O N S T RU CT I O N T E C HN I QU E S (T E C HN OLOG I CA L )

8. SPECIFIC DESIGN O UTPUT

60km town

credit author: operating system for producing architecture within Arctic Food Network

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8 . SPECI F I C D E S I G N O U T PUT

credit lateral office: one result of using operating system for producing architecture within Arctic Food Network

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LATERAL OFFICE: FROM PLACE TO PLANT Name: Designer: Year: Location: Project Scale: Program/Use: Users: Constructed:

From Place to Plant Lateral Office 2011 Chicago, IL, USA Building Urban Logistics & Programmed Park Public Works/Public No

OVERVIEW In 2011 the Chicago Architecture Club (CAC) requested submissions for a competition with the aim of reconsidering the future of the iconic structure at McCormick Place on Chicago’s waterfront. Capitalizing on its central location, its potential for stacked large open and flexible spaces, and the climate and public works of Chicago, Lateral Office’s proposal “celebrates Chicago’s impressive urban logistics while extending the city’s project of open space”.

From Place to Plant proposes the creation of a public urban park on the roof of the complex.

The long span interior of the complex would be completely gutted for conversion into a plant that manages urban materials used in maintenance of the city’s public open spaces. As quantities of materials, such as soil, trees, salt, sand, and snow, change with the seasons, the long span interior and landscaped roof provide flexible spaces to store and manage these materials.

By marrying together a park and urban plant, From Place to Plant continues the city’s mandate to increase public open space while at the same time connecting the public to the mass urban logistics that are involved in providing these spaces.

In addition, time From Place to Plant retains McCormick Place as a valuable part of the city’s built heritage.

credit lateral office: roof manipulation to create public space and park

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FROM PLACE TO PLANT: DESIGN GRAPHICS

credit lateral office: urban material links between Chicago and McCormick Place

credit lateral office: urban material building inputs and outputs

credit lateral office: (left) existing aerial and (right) perspective photographs of McCormick Place

credit lateral office: roof manipulation to create connection to plant below and to create park topography

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credit lateral office: seasonal operations from december to june

credit lateral office: seasonal operations from july to november

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credit lateral office: operational section showing dynamic relationships between public roofscape and municipal interior

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FROM PLACE TO PLANT: DECONSTRUCTING THE PROJECT

McCORMICK PLACE

ANALYSIS OF PROJECTIVE ARCHITECTURAL APPROACH This project begins with a particular site, and a building, in a prime location on the waterfront in Chicago. It is the result of an interest in what important new role the site can play within the city. Through research into the existing conditions and issues of the city, Lateral Office chose to focus on the potential role of this project to increase the public open space and improve the logistics of urban material management.

C I T I Z EN K N OW L E D G E

The re-invention of McCormick Place into the architectural proposal From Place to Plant is a direct response to contemporary issues in Chicago and an under utilized building and site.

U R BA N M AT E R I A L S O P EN S PAC E M A N DAT E

Political Issues

Environ.

Issues O

PEN

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Cultural Issues

LO CA L ISSUES

D I S P L AY A N D EX P R ESSI O N O F C U LT U R E

H EA LT H

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BA N LO

GISTI C S LE N

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Economic Issues

Social Issues

credit author: projective architectural approach

CHICAGO credit author: Chicago issues

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DATASCAPES IN DESIGN

SOCIAL

(S PAT I AL A ND T E MP ORA L)

B I N A RY DATA

Under

Increa se st a n d i d ng of C i ty

Co Ach llectiv i eve e men t Stage for Culture & Historic Artifact

CULTURAL

The outcome relied on a huge amount of quantitative data to guide the project to the idea of an From Place to Plant, and to develop an understanding of the flows of materials through the proposed building. The data is used to get a rough idea of quantities in order to space plan the materials plant while staying generic enough to be easily legible in a graphic.

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U R BA N LO G I S T I C S

th al He ing d se Be ea ll cr We

Cen of P tralizat i ubli c W on o rk s

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ECONOMIC

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ans Ne to Su w P pp a rk o r t s

& u e go l Va ca d Chi e as r re fo c In raw D

VI S UA LS

credit lateral office: seasonal urban material management

POLITICAL INTENDED RESULTS The intension of From Place to Plant is to direct the project’s focus on two important issues within the city, urban material logistics and increasing open space. In doing so, the hope is that it will have downstream affects on many different issues currently being faced in Chicago. The graphic to the right shows some of the possible outcomes of From Place to Plant.

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age & ge i c I m n ow l e d l b u P en K Cit iz n a b r

O P EN S PAC E

se nU aso ials -Se ter Off f Ma o

(S PAT I AL A ND T E MP ORA L)

He a Im t Isla pro nd ve Re d A du ir Q ct io ua n & l i ty ENVIRONMENTAL

credit author: intended results of From Place to Plant

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credit lateral office: proposed interior of plant

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WORKS CITED All graphics and information used within this case study of Lateral Office’s work was either accessed online at their website (http://lateraloffice.com) or was created by the author.