AMELIA ROSE SMITH ARCHITECTURE PORTFOLIO 2015-2017
01/02
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_INTRODUCTION & CV
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p.6-7
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p.6-7
06
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07
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_SPACE BETWEEN
_DISTORTED REFLECTIONS
_GENERATING DECAY
_CONSTRUCTION DESIGN
_PERSONAL
2016
2017
2016
2017
2013-2017
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SKILLS
AMELIA ROSE SMITH
> CREATIVE > ANALYTICAL
PROFILE Passionate and innovative student looking for a full-time position prior to commencing the Masters of Architecture at the University of Melbourne. Offering a diverse skill set drawn from personal artistic pursuits, architecture specific studios, and a passion for team sports, I excel in collaborative team environments that encourage innovative approaches to complex issues and require creative as well as technical skills.
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> INNOVATIVE >
0410032171
ENGLISH PROFICIENCY
> RESPONSIBLE
smith.ameliarose@gmail.com
> COLLABORATIVE > ORGANIZED > EFFICIENT
Throughout my studies, I have been drawn to architecture that aspires to represent, influence and define our social realities. The architecture that transcends its status as a container of space, and that becomes an integral part of the city uniquely interests me for its ability to influence the everday lives of the people who interact with it.
I began my academic studies within the domain of fine arts and international law. While architecture has always been an interest, I had only a vague notion of the discipline as a result of a lack of exposure. After taking an architecture studio as one of my breadth subjects in my first year at Melbourne University I was immediately captured by architecture’s singular position as being a point of praxis between pragmatic function and intellectual abstraction. Beyond my interest in the subtleties of architecture created by the seemingly contradictory requirements of construction and abstraction, architecture seemed to me a field in which two passions of mine; visual art and social justice, could not only coexist but facilitate one another in the creation of meaningful spaces. The theme of social justice through sensorial creativity has been intrinsic aspect to many of my projects. For example, in Space Between (2016) I tried to create a civic building which through its architecture enabled the rehabilitation of its users. Likewise, throughout Generating Decay (2016) I focused on developing an interactive, sculptural piece that used elements of design such as; colour, form, order, and number, to help children generate an understanding of sustainability by allowing them to experience both growth and decay. For me sustainability is a part of the broader issue of social justice, and a necessary element of the architectural discussion.
“If there’s any power in design, that’s the power of synthesis. The more complex the problem, the more the need for simplicity.” Alejandro Aravena (2014)
EXPERIENCE
EDUCATION
ENGLISH TUTOR
BACHELOR OF ENVIRONMENTS (B-ENVS)
VCE English BriKing Tutoring, 2017-Current
Major in Architecture
Adobe Photoshop
BriKing Tutoring has given me the opportunity to share my knowledge and skills with VCE students at various levels, it is a position that I find incredibly rewarding because of the positive changes that one is able to share with students.
Completed in June 2017 from the Universtity of Melbourne.
Adobe Illustrator
VICTORIAN CERTIFICTICATE OF EDUCATION
Adobe Indesign
FITNESS SERVICES OFFICER Melbourne University Sport, 2016-2017 This was primarily a customer service position with attached administrative tasks involved. My favourite aspect of this position was developing rapport with our regular customers and the fitness community at Melbourne University.
LIFEGUARD
Completed in 2014, at Melbourne Girls’ College.
AWARDS and EXHIBITIONS MSDx Semester One, 2017 The Second Skin project that I completed for Digital Design and Fabrication was one of ten other student works selected into the exhibition, including a parade to mark the commencement of the exhibition. Tutor for this project was Siavash Malek, Subject CoOrdinator; Alison Fairely.
Awareness, responsibility and reliability are the three attributes that life-guarding exposed me to.
MELBOURNE UNIVERSITY FULL BLUES, 2015 & 2016
Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority, 2015 Working on processing VCE exams, this position required attention to detail, a high level of administrative tasks and integrity and honesty.
CAD PROFICIENCY 100
0
Rhinoserous 3D Rhinoscript
Melbourne University Sport, 2016-2017
SCRIPT PROCESSING
p. 4
> INDUSTRIOUS
Unit 5109/ 185 Weston Street, Brunswick East, 3057
Originating in the sporting traditions of Oxford and Cambridge the Melbourne University Blues is an award given to studentathletes in recognition of outstanding achievements in both academics and sports. I was awarded a full Blue in both 2015, and 2016 for my representation of the the University at AUGs and for my academic work in the B-ENVS.
Grasshopper Vray Revit AutoCAD Physical Modelmaking Sketch-Up
REFEREES Available upon request. p. 5
Form Finding from Site Analysis These diagrams explore the location of each Victorian Prison in relation to the site of West Melbourne by the extrusions and rotation of frames along the four directional axes. Initially the spatial relationships of these locations were explored physically through the use of highly malleable clay. Once a general understanding of the macro relationship between sites were understood, I generated a Rhino model to further explore the intricacies of the relationships between transition centers, prisons and the volume of Melbourne’s urban fabric.
03 SPACE, BETWEEN
From these explorations and analysis, the form of Space, Between was generated so that each panelised face of the facade linked the building to the wider issue of rehabilitation throughout Victoria.
ARCHITECTURE DESIGN STUDIO FIRE (2016) LOCATION: WEST MELBOURNE TUTOR: STEPHANIE LIDDICOAT
‘Space, Between’, explores the temporary processions between spaces, and how this transition can metaphorically act as the transition between states of being. It aims to celebrate the fringe condition of both society and West Melbourne, reconnecting people with their humanity and the city with its suburbs. The act of moving between states is articulated through visual, sensory and spatial patterns which not only demarcate the functional elements of the building but also encourage collaborative efforts, ultimately creating the space for isolated groups to reclaim their sense of agency. One of the most interesting and in my opinion vital elements of the site was the presence of two correctional facilities; in particular the Judy Lazurus Transition Centre. I wanted ‘Space Between’ to actively engage with the ‘fringe condition’ of the site by taking the notion of transition and threshold conditions and then extend the experience of the transitory throughout the building. The transient nature of the site expresses both socially and physically, the significance on the social fabric as well as the physical growth of this specific part of West Melbourne was absorbed into the building design by subverting binary oppositions such as; open v. closed, solid v. void and frame v. infill, and instead attempting to explode the moment between states, to capture and celebrate flux, uncertainty and change. The functional requirements of the brief were altered considerably to allow for the integration of all of the stakeholder groups, importantly I defined the Therapeutic Well Being Program as an articulated rehabilitation program called ‘Reclaim’ whose aim was the reintegration of ex-offenders back into society. p. 6
Exploding the Frame These diagrams explore the transition between two states; imprisonment vs. freedom. I have abstracted these states of being diagrammatically, through the metaphor of a barred window juxtaposed with an open one. By retaining straight linear elements of both the bars and the frame, an element of consistency and history is maintained and linked to the personal narratives of the building’s users. The diagrams document the key design elements of irregular, stretched ‘bars’ and offset, shifted ‘frames’. The development of my form and facade came from my explorations with physical models and sketches trying to articulate the essential architectural elements that express the different states of being between incarceration and everyday life.
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CONCEPT REPRESENTATION
Programs Function Dark grey Zinc cladding with recessed windows.
TWBP
Restaurant
NAVA
Bedroom Suites
MAA RESTAURANT
HOTEL
Pop-Up/Art Shop Seminar/Studio Workshop Atrium/Gallery
The Royal Ontario Museum by Libeskind uses a Diagrid that is mainly hidden except at certain points, like the windows. White plaster board provides the internal polish to the system.
Girder System, also provides good drainage.
Cladding frame, made out of steel or aluminum.
At the core of this design concept is the notion of transition, as it relates to both the physical movement between spaces but also the ontological movement between states of being. This project aims to create spaces through which physical movement reflects the personal journeys of the building’s users.
Insulation and/or fireproofing materials.
Programme Spaces
Fireproofing foam layer
Non-load bearing internal walls, the only load bearing walls are of the lift, as they form a care around which the atrium is supported.
Green Spaces Interior
Caretaker Residence MAA
Steel Member
Steel Diagrid members
Exterior
These images demonstrate how a clear morphology of exploded frame and the dynamic linear elements was present throughout the development of the building. The relationship between the architectural element of prison bars with framed space was the fundamental element to generating architectural outcomes.
Internal Void and Sculpture; connecting working, living and meditative spaces through material choice and symbolism.
Cladding Frame
White Plasterboard
Insulation Panels Window
Reclaim
Strip footing foundations and concrete columns.
NAVA
Girder System Fireproofing foam layer
Metal Cladding
Retail/Restaurant Services p. 8
Girder System, also visible is the insulation layer
Structural Detail; Section
Entrance Corridor; serves as a permeable barrier between outer and inner space.
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BATMAN STREET
Clothing Pop-Up Shop
ENTRANCE CORRIDOR
Indoor/outdoor cafe/lounge
SPENCER STREET
PERMANENT SCULPTURE
STAIRS AND MINGLE SPACE
GALLERY
UP
DN
DN
First Floor; RECLAIM_EAT
Second Floor; MAA
Third Floor; RECLAIM_TALK
Fourth Floor; REHOUSE_LIVE
Fifth Floor; REHOUSE_LIVE
Roof Garden; REBUILD_GROW
ART SHOP
Ground Floor; REACH OUT _SEE _SIT _SHOP
PLANS Supported by the diagrid structure, the irregular forms of the building can be seen in plan as not compromising the precious usable spaces within Space; Between. The importance of the sculptural element which runs through the center of the building plays a pivotal part in creating both visual and physical linkages between not only different levels but between the functions of the building all of which are at once unique and also connected through the role that they play in the Reach-Out rehabilitation program for ex-offenders. p. 10
REACH OUT Atrium; continues the discourse of transition with continuity, noticeable in the brutal yet evocative interior and the large sculptural piece which serves as both a metaphoric mission statement and a physical link between disparate building functions.
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04 DISTORTED REFLECTIONS DIGITAL DESIGN and FABRICATION (2017) TUTOR: SIAVASH MALEK
Unlike other studios, Digital Design and Fabrication focused on producing a refined, full-scale design which could be worn by the user. The emphasis on fabrication combined with a very narrow conceptual brief of a “second skin” meant that the thematic premise of the design was relatively limited, instead the main focus was on the use of digital tools to generate a highly experimental, and interesting design. The tight time-line and focus on digital techniques gave me the opportunity to experiment with various plug-ins for Rhino3D, namely Paneling tools and then Grasshopper. Ultimately the digital design centered around the idea of creating a blurring effect that would distort the viewer’s ability to ‘read’ the physical shape of the user, thus raising questions around the ambiguity of personal space and the extend to which identity exists in a physical sense. The form of the design itself was cellular in nature to allow for flat-pack fabrication techniques (such as laser cutting) as well as to enable a high level of control when manipulating individual cells in order to create variations in form. The variations in form were designed to create a shape with no identifiable border or edge, by adjusting the aperture width of each cell and each cell’s length according to the data generated by an image sampling component we were able to create a form that used the variations of colour in camouflage material to determine the variations in length and transparency of each cell. Thus, by manipulating the input parameters of the cellular forms we were able to achieve the distorted, blurring effect that was the most essential element of the design. p. 12
CONCEPT; ENGAGING WITH LIMINAL SPACE Contained within two perspectives there exist thresholds of personal space, which in essence is the interaction between the viewer and the viewed. I wanted to explore the zone of ambiguity or disorientation that occurs in the middle stage of understanding the boundaries of personal space. I used the concept of liminal space to interrogate the significance of the dichotomy between the user’s personal space and the viewer’s perception of this personal space. An analysis of liminal space in relation to a specific person was a necessary stage in developing the design as “an interaction with personal space” was the only conceptual parameter given by the brief. The second skin aimed at emphasising the undefinable nature of identity/ personal space by creating a form which distorted the ability of the viewer to both visually and physically understand the boundaries of the body. In order to apply this abstract concept to a workable design I developed a design criteria which comprised of five key aspects; distort form, blurr material effects, variety in cell forms and number.
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REFERENCE SURFACES
POPULATE GEOMETRY
PLANAR FACES
AREA
IMAGE SAMPLER to VECTOR
CAPPING
These surfaces are the reference surfaces taken from the liminal space exercise we did as a group.
I then found the area of these planar curves in order to create movement vectors.
The liminal surfaces are populated with geometry in order to find the closest planar curves.
I created a set of variable vectors using the “image sampler” component to map the variance in a camouflage pattern, thus creating a blurred effect with form rather than colour.
By running a “facet” component command I was able to generate planar curves which followed the overall shape of the input surfaces.
An extra layer of complexity came by the need to cap objects in order to place the LED lights.
LOST IN PARAMETER SPACE? One of the key issues that this studio explored was the idea of bridging the gap between designing in the virtual world and fabricating real life items. This, in conjunction with the 8 week “concept to finished product” time-frame, meant that a design process of extensive experimentation, prototyping and multiple fabrications was unrealistic. To combat this, my group spent the majority of our time moving between an ever-refined concept and the digitally designed model. The ability to streamline fabrication of parts by using machines such as CNC routers, 3d printing and laser cutting meant that prototypes of designed sections were able to be quickly checked as the design was refined.
DIGITAL DESIGN PROCESS I used both Rhino’s Paneling Tools and Grasshopper to develop the second skin. p. 14
VARIABLE SCALING of CURVES
Similar to the offset process, the variance in scaling was created with the “image sampler” component.
LOFT
The variable curves were then lofted to create multiple forms, aiming to avoid readable edges.
CAPPING
An extra layer of complexity came by the need to cap objects in order to place the LED lights.
Throughout the project, I noticed a disconnect between the promise of digital fabrication (precision, speed, non-labour intensive) and its actualisation. The process of digital fabrication generally generated a more efficient and accurate process and product, however the concept of a totally digital
fabrication system fell short of its promise as there was still an intensely laborious fabrication process required to bring the “second skin” to life. The notion of completion through a one step digital design process seemed to compound the already problematic use of manual labour to complete the second skin. I felt that by working in an almost wholly digital environment a sense of spatiality and experience were lost, and only recovered when I started manually making drawings and sketch models of the design.
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DIGITAL TECHNIQUE
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2. Generation 1
1. Axioms
4. Generation 3
3. Generation 2
The aim of this technique was to generate a grasshopper definition that could be a proof of concept for combining a critical design approach with a computational design approach, thus separating computational design from the notion of “computerization” (Kalay 2004). Computational design is redefining architectural practice by using parametric tools such as Grasshopper to generate design responses that respond to issues of societal significance. This technique was developed to demonstrate the way that generating a design through parametric techniques could strengthen our architectural installation by allowing for the visual exploration of a generative, organic system with the potential for failure.
5. Generation 4
GENERATING DECAY ARCHITECTURE DESIGN STUDIO AIR (2016) LOCATION: ABBOTSFORD CONVENT TUTOR: JULIAN RUTTEN 7. Option 2
6. Option 1
The focus of Studio; Air, for which this project was designed, was on teaching students the fundamental techniques, concepts and processes of parametric design. It presented parametric modelling via programs such as Rhino, Grasshopper, and Processing as having the ability in conjunction with digital fabrication techniques to significantly effect the way in which architects think, design and practice by reverting to an almost pre-Renaissance master-builder approach in which the designer is also the maker. The innovations and experimentation made possible by parametric modelling was discussed in the context of critical design which could address the issues of man-made climate change, unsustainable consumption and modern industrialisation. Generating Deacy was my attempt to explore these themes in a physical way with children, to expose them to the concept of sustainability by enabling them to understand that whilst systems grow they must ultimately fail, or decay, and that the idea of infinite growth which saturates our society is inevitably unsustainable.
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I was extremely interested in exploring biological examples of growth and decay, on our site there was a large oak tree that served as a kind of informal meeting place for friends and families. There is a type of mathematical pattern; an L-system, which mimics the growth pattern of a tree, I took the basic mathematical principles of this and adapted it in order to generate a system which would both grow exponentially and decay at varying points. Generating this enabled me to gain an extremely solid understanding of Grasshopper, in particular of the manipulation of data trees as a part of the definition which I wrote required a looped effect. It also exposed me to Rhinoscript and C# scripting languages, I am keen to explore these programs further as I feel that combined with strong concept and a creative approach they will be able to generate incredibly beautiful, adaptive forms.
10. Growth_Summer
Axiom Pseudo Code: Axiom_ ABB A_ A + 2*B B_ B + 2*C C_ + 2*D D_ D + 2*A Parameters: Length (l); A,B,C,D Angle (x); A,B,C,D Angle (y); A,B,C,D Angle (z); A,B,C,D
Generation 4
Generation 3 Entwine
Explode Move
End Points
Rotate 3D
2Pt Line
Explode
Length (l)
A Branches
Vector
B Branches
Multiply UnitVector (x)
Vector Product
Spring
C Branches D Branches
9. Option 4
The Grasshopper definition is a dynamic variant of a Fractal L-System and follows a “Pseudo Code”, a set of specific input rules that determine the generation of new branches (see the diagram illustrating the technique). The initial form is grown from Axiom branches, according to the adapted L-System definition, until the 4th generation. The installation is then interacted with across a period of four months (the span of a natural season) by the client, drones and environmental factors of the site. At the end of this four-month period the fleet of drones- stationed insitu- analyse the impacts that human, ecological and drone interactions have had on the structure of the form, specifically, the drones will analyse the amount of each type of branch left intact.
12. Growth_Autumn
11. Summer_Option 1
Generation 2
Generation 1
8. Option 3
Summer
Timer Interaction_Drone Interaction_Client Interaction_Site Panel: Cull Pattern True False False True
Option 1 Option 2 Option 3 Option 4
Winter
Timer
Interaction_Drone
Option 1
Interaction_Client
Option 2
Interaction_Site Panel: Cull True Pattern False False True
Option 3
The data collected will determine the form of the growth process, using a series of Timers and Cull Pattern components. For example Option One is that there are less than 1/2 of the original branches left intact, the growth from this option then set by the Autumn component that reads the number of branches left and their placements and generates season-appropriate growth- such as more growth to the North of Oak Tree X because of the decrease in insolation levels- the grown form is then interacted with over the course of the Autumn-Winter season.
Option 4
Autumn
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The diagram was drawn by taking the isolated section of the overall form from the Fabrication section of the journal and making it with the final prototype branch/ node elements.
Generation 1
The initial branch/node of the assembly diagram is an A to B node, exclusions were made purposefully to enhance the clarity of the diagram. The rules that define the growth of an A to B node is that A=A + 2*B, the A branches are the Orange hexagonal branches.
Generation 2
Following the L-System definition; from each B Branch there is a B to C node, which produces B+2*C, the B branches are differentiated by their shape; triangular, and their colour; red.
Generation 3
Continuing the growth of the definition, from each of the B to C nodes there should follow C to D nodes, however for the purpose of clarity not every A, B, C, or D branch connection has been included.
Generation 4
Generation 4 is left unfinished, the D to A nodes are not even attached to the form, this is to decrease confusion as to the end point of the diagram.
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ANNOTATED LEGEND 1. PARAPET 1
2. ROOFING
FFL 137.00
3. ROOF/ FIRST FLOOR SUSPENDED CEILING 4. SHADING SUPPORT STRUCTURE 5. EXTERNAL METAL CLADDING 6. WINDOWS; WG.17, WG.16, W1.11, W1.10
FFL 136.70 2
2
3
4
7. SCREEN/INTERNAL STAIR DETAIL
5 FFL 134.90
8.GROUND FLOOR CEILING 9. PRECAST STRUCTURAL ELEMENTS 10. FIRST FLOOR LINK SLAB
FFL 135.50
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6
11
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6
11. FIRST FLOOR HOLLOW CORE SLAB
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9
8
12. MASONRY ELEMENTS
FFL 131.50 3
13. SLAB ON GROUND
FFL 130.60
15. FOUNDATIONS
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FFL 128.65
AXONOMETRIC DRAWING at 1:20
CONSTRUCTION DESIGN CONSTRUCTION STUDIO/CORE (2017) TUTOR: BEN SHIELDS
The physical process of architecture from its design through each stage of its construction and delivery was considered in this subject. I enjoyed the forensic approach to understanding the minutia of constructed systems, Construction Design more than any other class made me consider the actual physicality of architecture and the way in which an understanding of construction can enhance architecture. p. 20
FFL 130.30
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14. FOOTINGS
06
FFL 131.90
KEY INITIATIVES OF WESTERN BACE Internal walls are generally non-loadbearing to enable reconfiguration in the future without expensive structural works. >High efficiency ventilation and air conditioning systems, increases ocupant satisfaction, as well as increasing buil.ding’s sustainability. Use of low internal emission materials, to meet Green Star Rating Criteria. Car park designed with low energy concrete paving, green areas and stormwater management to maximize environmental benefits. Use of recycled and reclaimed materials; for example RB2 is an exposed LVL Beam made with recycled timber. Best practice PVC or PVC free alternatives have been used for items such as flooring tiles, cabling, conduit and piping. A system of piped recycled water installed to be used for all toilet and landscaping uses. Roof drainage collected and retained in a 100,000 litre rainwater storage tank for landscape use. Significant re-vegetation and wetland construction to increase biodiversity and reduce stormwater discharge into street drainage system.
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FFL 127.90
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300mm Slab on Ground RL 127.730
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Depths of Weathered Basalt Rock at PF1 and SF1, changeable across the site. In Section N 0-600mm Silty Clay, 600-900mm Basalt typical.
Max.Depth of Weathered Basalt Rock
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07 PERSONAL PROJECTS ARTWORKS I have always been very drawn to visual art, both because of its strong link to philosophical and political discourse and because of its highly abstracted, emotional effect on the viewer. I have mainly explored painting, drawing and some work with clay, each medium presents its own design considerations, however the works that I ultimately felt the most finished were the oil and acrylic paintings.
WASTELAND, 2014 This was the final work in the “Conflict” triptych that I painted over the course of 2013/2014. I was interested in exploring the emotional aftermath of conflict, and the seemingly inevitable process of dehumanization that it causes. The title and elements throughout the work reference T.S.Eliot’s poem of the same name, in which the wasteland is the deadened state of modern man.
FIGHT I, 2014 The second piece in a triptych exploring conflict and its consequences, I took as inspiration the two fighting foreground figures in Bouguereau’s 1850 work; “Dante et Virgil”, which itself is based on Dante’s poem The Divine Comedy. I wanted to use these references to give the work a depth of meaning, in essence I wanted this painting to demonstrate the transformative power of violence. I deliberately elongated nails into talons, and over exaggerated the muscular physicality of the figures to point to the loss of humanity or regression towards savagery that conflict entails.
p. 22
TWIGGY, 2013 This work aimed at garnering a visceral reaction to the subject of the painting; Andrew ‘Twiggy’ Forest. The concept was born during the debate over the super-profits tax proposed on big mining company executives, and my anger over the reluctance of the powerful to address the urgent issue of sustainability as well as inter-generational issues such as exploitation and inequality.
p. 23
CARDS Since I was younger, I have always made cards for friends and family, often using magazines, interestingly textured papers and ink drawings to create cards that suited the tastes of the person I was giving them to. Recently I began exploring collages in Adobe photoshop, practising composing colour, line, form and visual texture.
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VASES The vases project which I worked on throughout summer of 2016/7 allowed me to explore in my own time the use of digital design and fabrication, in particular I wanted to further expand my knowledge of Grasshopper, a programme which my undergraduate Studio:Air had introduced me to. Generating Decay which was the project I completed as a part of the studio had exposed me to the use of scripts within grasshopper, and had required me to develop a good understanding of the manipulation of data trees, defining parametric inputs/outputs, and using those outputs to form a looping system. I wanted to explore the transformations that I could apply to stable data setsthrough the use of transformation functions. The purpose of these explorations, beyond experimentation, was to develop some homewares inspired by the unique forms of the Australian bush to give to my mum for my family’s new home-away from home in Gippsland. p. 26