ARC 6911 | MATERIAL EXPLORATIONS: Joints and Assemblies Instructor: Lisa Huang
Fall 2012
MATERIALS RESEARCH / IMPLEMENTATION Ali C. Atabey | Permeable Opacity
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Each material has an architectural property and a meaning associated with it. Such description is often not architectural, but it pertains to a quick memoire when explaining it to another person. “Turn right after the glass building!”, or “café is located next to that old brick building” and so forth. Memory of an architectural construct is remembered by its enclosure. It is not the only way, but certainly a popular way. Immediate perception of a material of a construct is its visual properties. We associate each material with an architectural property and meaning so that we can explain it to others, and explain it to ourselves. Perception of a material is mostly visual and then tactile. A fully glass building often pertains as a tectonic, permeable building whereas masonry or concrete buildings are monolithic and solid. As we become more expert in the techniques and properties of materials, we start contemplating on techniques to manipulate the perception of the material. For instance, in a well lit environment marble is solid and monolithic. However, with the proper thickness and the right kind of marble, one can make it a luminary at dark. Exploration of a familiar material happens through extracting dissociative identities of it examining its interaction with other materials. Such interaction can be a union or a contradiction and it is my intention, in this assembly, to extract one of it. Brick is a single unit of a ceramic material used in masonry construction that is stacked together, or laid as brickwork using different kinds of mortar to hold the bricks together in order to achieve a permanent structure. They have been regarded as one of the longest lasting and strongest building materials used throughout the history. Therefore, brick is a building material that represents enclosure, protection, and presence. It doesn’t need ratification from its context. It can be intimidating to human scale. Throughout the history, there has been many implication of how we deal with bricks. Masonry has always been a skill in constant development. We have
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generated different laying schemes in order to change the strength of it. Furthermore, we explored its appearance and texture of it by taking radical changes to how we deal with its modularity. We tried to depict it as organic or even permeable. In my assembly, I am exploring this contradiction in order to generate an installation that appears to keep its brick like properties while revealing a transparent sub-structure within itself that is revealed under certain conditions. It is not a new idea to lay bricks in a way that makes it porous. In fact, it has been done in a lot of instances. The concept that is deriving this assembly has a rather different approach: how one can make a brick wall luminous. The first option in order to achieve this would be to substitute a transparent material in place of some of the bricks or even break down the manufacturing process of the brick in order to make it translucent. However, both options defeat the purpose of a masonry construct. Therefore my approach was to divide the process of masonry rather than the manufacturing of its individual units. Modularity is the key component of such construction and it provides flexibility and ease during construction. Individual units can be transported and unloaded easily without a necessity of a crane or special equipment. When time is not an issue it can be unloaded by even one person. Then, mortar is prepared on site, for the amount needed. While trying to keep same construction process, my approach was to change we integrate mortar in masonry. My question was that why don’t we have transparent mortar? As a material that bounds each module together and enables the entire assembly into a solid, protecting construct, it has never been challenged in that way. We have quicker setting mortars, stronger mortars. It has always seen as the bounding material of masonry and always been ignored for its potential. We have a tremendous amount of different masonry units in different sizes, shapes, color, and material whereas
Eladio Dieste A Uruguayan architect and engineer who made his reputation by building a range of structures that redefine the way we use bricks. His work is exceptionally elegant. A particular innovation of his was the Gaussian vault, a thin shell structure for roofs in single thickness brick formed as a catenary arch. “There are deep moral/practical reasons for our search which give form to our work: with the form we create we can adjust to the laws of matter with all reverence, forming a dialogue with reality and its mysteries in essential communion... For architecture to be truly constructed, the materials must be used with profound respect for their essence and possibilities; only thus can ‘cosmic economy’ be achieved... in agreement with the profound order of the world; only then can have that authority that so astounds us in the great works of the past.” Tongjiang Brick School by Rufwork “Tongjiang Primary School is located in Jianxi Province, south-east China. The charity World Vision commissioned Joshua Bolchover and John Lin at The University of Hong Kong, Faculty of Architecture, to design a new school building at no additional cost to a typical school building found in China. These buildings are generic two story buildings with open balconies constructed from reinforced concrete and brick infill. Our aim was to work within these constraints to produce a building that responded to the site context and could create unique spatial experiences for learning and social interaction.”
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mortar is left generic. I get the impression that if we could hide the mortar, we would. On a parallel universe, brick installations using computer aided mechanisms have always interest me. Parametrically laid out bricks can be formed into different textures and dynamic surfaces that challenge the way we see a brick construction. However, seeing its implications it was always questionable how it would translate into a still men powered construction process. While watching a robotic arm carefully laying each brick into a specific coordinate with the accuracy of a millimeter, it seemed impossible without any guidance. It would be a type of guidance in the construction process that would tell the worker where each brick should be laid. So the entire scheme can be followed by the workers to make the overall assembly. It is not very different then the process in using a robotic arm, though. It is still needed to input each coordinate of the brick in order for the arm to work. Just because the language and its method are different, I believe, does not constitute a disability on our side. In order to tackle these different variables, I started off integrating Plexiglas into the masonry construction. Plexi is versatile and can be produced in large quantities while providing a transparent or translucent visual quality. Although it is manufactured as large units, it can be cut into smaller, modular units that can be easily transported and unloaded. Using plexyiglas as would not hinder the process and versatility of masonry. I have started using plexi as a means of replacing mortar. After several attempts, it failed miserably due to the fact that it lacks
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flexibility and bonding qualities of a mortar and becomes a bonding agent that is solemnly dependent on gravity. From there, the approach was more towards keeping the mortar as a bonding agent whereas integrating plexiglass at the same time in order to achieve translucent qualities within the construct. Such approach leads to testing different connection schemes to see the advantages and disadvantages of certain connections and shapes. First assembly was to see how much bonding area needed in order for mortar to safely secure each brick together with a plexiglass in between. Ranging from minimal to most, each connection provided adequate strength in order to keep the bricks together. Directly proportional, more surface area means more strength, but at the same time more area means less light extrusion through the assembly. After various tryouts, I tried to achieve a balance of both strength and translucency. One way to achieve such balance was through the perforation of the plexiglass in a horizontal manner which allows lesser exposure of mortar to the viewer at the same time providing necessary brick surface to mortar to bond. Although, I had many successful tryouts by replacing the mortar with an adhesive, the idea was scratched due to the fact that the assembly was no longer masonry. Plexiglass is a highly versatile, transparent thermoplastic. It can be easily cut using existing power tools. One of the disadvantages of using plexiglass instead of glass is its translucency – foggier then glass – and its lack of resistance to scratches. However, such
Brick-Weave House by Studio Gang “The “Brick-Weave” House sits on the footprint of a century-old stable in Chicago’s West Side. With a modest budget, the owners hoped to salvage the entire building until hidden fire damage was uncovered. Strategically cutting away damage and weaving in new construction allowed 30% of the original structure to be reused. Front walls and roof were removed, creating a garden surrounded by a porous “brick-weave” screen that demonstrates a sensibility in the use of traditional materials in new and surprising ways.” Silvan Oesterle at ETH Zurich “The curtain wall project questions the traditional rigidity and massive appearance of brick facades through the use of scripted design tools. The parametric rotation of bricks generates a visual deformation effect of the wall. The wall itself stays within the assembly logic of the brick material. The curtain wall project was part of a larger research course at ETH Zurich and served as the basis of the design for the much acclaimed “Gantenbein Winery”. It was fabricated with the ETH Zurich’s robotic fabrication facility at the Professorship for Architecture and Digital Fabrication, headed by Prof. Gramazio and Prof. Kohler.” Pope John Paul II Hall by Randic & Turato “The Church of Our Lady of Trsat is one of the most important pilgrimage sites in Croatia. According to the legend, angels transferred the Nazareth Tabernacle of the Holy Family to Trsat on 10 May 1291 where it remained until 1294 when angels transferred it to Loreto, Italy. The first church was built at the end of the 13th century, and in the 15th century a new church and the Franciscan monastery were constructed. It was enlarged and re-constructed several times since.”
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disadvantages are actually qualities that I need in this assembly. Plexiglass is frosted when cut and that provides a more evenly distributed light exposure through the entire surface, at the same time blurring what is behind it. This property allows me to hide the mortar behind Plexiglass revealing an interstitial material that makes brick look like it is floating. Secondly, controlled scratches on plexiglass can allow me to mark guiding lines on the plexiglass so that I can assemble meaningful construct through different juxtapositions of the brick itself. From there on, the purpose of the studies were to generate a construct that different brick layouts can be easily achieved with the guidance of plexiglass. Architect and engineer Eladio Diesta has designed notable pieces that push the limits of masonry and brick wall structures. In generating an assembly, his work was a great inspiration for me. Undulation in masonry is an achievement that is hard to come by. In the final product, my assembly was an undulating brick system with an independent plexiglass bonding. I have laser cut markings on the plexiglass in order to guide me where to put the next brick from ground up. Designing process of the markings and the wall assembly was completely computerized however
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same is not valid for its actual construction. Although there can be various applications of this assembly, my proposal consists of undulating wall structure that creates a pattern reaching differently to various light conditions. Independent plexiglass and brick pattern allows stratification and various shadow patterns where they conjoin. Varying undulation on both materials allow different light extrusion. I see my proposal as a catalyst in combining the use of these materials together to achieve varying design concepts. By only using five unique pieces of plexiglass, I was able to undulate the brick structure in both directions allowing me to achieve both pattering of the brick structure as well as achieving a level of translucency that blurred the purpose of the wall between tectonic and monolithic.
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Testing: Tested was a crucial part for the progress as understand how plexiglass and brick were to react. As a masonry unit, brick needed adequate amount of mortar in order to be structurally sound and coherent. However, by implementing a plexiglass in between where mortar was to settle, the construction of the assembly gets hindered. This relationship is particularly escalated since more plexiglass meant more light and less mortar and less plexiglass meant less light and more mortar. Therefore, I had set up five different mock-up in order to find out the best balance of mortar and light.
Joint 1. Minimal mortar area
Joint 2. Medium mortar area
Joint 1. Minimal mortar area
Joint 2. Medium mortar area
Light Exposure
90%
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Strength
10%
Light Exposure
75%
Strength
30%
Joint 3. Maximum mortar area
Joint 4. Grooved for adhesive
Joint 5. Extreme mortar area
Joint 3. Maximum mortar area
Joint 4. Grooved for adhesive
Joint 5. Extreme mortar area
Light Exposure
30%
Strength
75%
Light Exposure
90%
Strength
90%
Light Exposure
10%
Strength
90%
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Process 1: First initiative as to incorporating these two materials were to use them in a way were both of them aid from each other. In this example the idea was to generate way to increase the surface area of the brick so that is reflects more light through. The implementation of this led to juxtaposing bricks in different places - rather then on top of each other - and create a pattern when applied repeatedly.
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Process 2: On this ensemble the importance was to experiment different patterns with the brick and observe the outcome of it when combined with plexiglass. This scheme enabled undulation on the surface at the same time providing adequate plexiglass exposure. This design later on brought up the question of what can be achieved with a more independent plexiglass layout but at the same time aiding the brick in a way that such assembly would not be possible without it.
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Process 3: Given the opportunities from a more complex plexiglass integration, this schemes prevails extensive light intrusion by further separating the plexiglass system and the brick. With differences within the laying of the brick, more light can pass through the assembly. In this process model, plexiglass is an interstitial medium that revolves -folds and overlaps- over the brick. Moments were no brick is present, plexiglass fills in the as a translucent brick.
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Final Design: In this scheme, the plexiglass is acting as a guide for the brick allowing it to be laid as undulating patterns. It eases the process of assembling such construct and open to many derivation. With only using 4 unique pieces of plexiglass, manufacturing process is eased, while still maintaining proposed light exposure.
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Assembly: Each plexiglass is cut out from a same sized rectangular units. Lesser unique pieces allows easier production and construction phase. Dotted lines represent the guides that has to be scored on the plexiglass where masons can lay the bricks according to the guides.
Plexiglass Cutting and Scoring Pattern A
Plexiglass Cutting and Scoring Pattern B
Plexiglass Cutting and Scoring Pattern C
Plexiglass Cutting and Scoring Pattern D
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PLEXI PIECE B
PLEXI PIECE D
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Prototype: Gallery assembly of the prototype was to test out design concepts and to see if they were working as they were meant to be. For this scheme, to installation process went smooth and markings on the plexiglass have worked out. The entire assembly was done without the aid of any construction documents and it was self explanatory.
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