Brittni Kotfila

choreographing interiors Interior Design

Brittni Kotfila

“When I look back on my childhood, my youth, my period as a student and my time as a dancer and choreographer – then I see pictures. They are full of sounds, full of aroma. And of course full of people who have been and are part of my life. These picture memories from the past keep coming back and searching for a place.” Pina Bausch

As designers, we have the ability to push and pull people through space; to circulate them in specific means, to alter their concordance in space; to choose which relations they have with others. Understanding movements, and how spaces are experienced differently through freedom of motion or limitation of movement, gives depth into how we’re affecting the users in our designed spaces, along with the ricocheted effect of human relation. This results in a cause and effect, in concordance to our actions or movements. Movement creates an immersive experience. It forces and drives user involvement in space. It forces users to interact in specific ways, or so freely how they chose to explore and discover the space. Form and shape define our body’s personal bubbles in space. The way in which we arrange the structure of our body, shifts the form and shape of our bubbles. As we arrange the placement of ourselves in respect to others, our bubble begin to collide with those in close proximity. Sharing a bubble becomes shared space, and the individual action and motions are restricted by the limited space between bodies, or enhances spatial qualities to form as one body. Our experiences being to drastically change when our bubbles unite to form one.

Line and extension elaborate the length of movement. When bodies become limitless in space, motions become extended versions of our structural being. When contained, our extended motions come in direct contact with surrounding surfaces or other bodies, reflecting and intersecting. To move without intersecting with others, require critical maneuvering through space, with conscious movement. Intersecting with others allows for connection and unity to form as one body. Without being conscious of one’s movements and their effects, can also cause disturbance in relation between the users of the space. As bodies move through space, the container of the space defines the bodies movement. Spaces push and pull people or objects. As the space of the interior alters, the body is forced to move in a specific direction or filter through a confined space. These may be used in transition from space to space, or as the entire container. Each method creates a different feeling of a space and creates a sensory experience through action. In both balanced means of control, the body controls space through its range or restriction of motion, and the structure of the space controls the bodies.

the puppeteer

puppet

(n) : a movable model of a person that is typically moved either by strings controlled from above or by a hand inside of it : a person, group, or country under the control of another

contemporary

(adj) : living or occurring at the same time : belonging to or occurring in the present syn: modern, present-day, present, current, immediate (n) : a person or thing living or existing at the same time as another syn: peer, fellow, compeer, coeval

personal bubbles

for m l i n e

puppets

in the metro

Moncloa Metro Station

Madrid, Spain : city center : borders large park (Casa de Campo) : connection to bus transit : two metro lines

: shared and opposing train platforms

concept

Connecting society in a site of disconnection, metro riders engage in their travel story; enhancing innate interactions with performances that interact with others. Turning heads from phone screens, each insertion moment performs to excite the mondane work commute, afternoon errand, and dark grit and grime of the underground. As riders are puppeteered through the existing conditions of the metro, the rider’s control in the space begin to flip, as insertion moments become an extension of the body, becoming a control of the space. There is power in numbers as the riders unite in their experiential journey, creating space and pushing boundaries. Designing to the innate behaviors of the space, materiality drives exploration, lighting dances with the rider, and control is relinquished. Creating consiousness of our surroundings and the effect of our actions, the concept goes beyond “adding fun”. Effects ripple outward from the point of contact, on the surface, to connect with riders around them. Each moment plays differently with control of time.

Click here to watch the concept film.

how do bodies create space?

impressions are elongated in time

bodies extend in space

surfaces twist and expand

motions ripple outward

PRODUCED BY AN AUTODESK STUDENT VERSION

filter

pinch DN

PRODUCED BY AN AUTODESK STUDENT VERSION

PRODUCED BY AN AUTODESK STUDENT VERSION DN

expand

PRODUCED BY AN AUTODESK STUDENT VERSION UP

PRODUCED BY AN AUTODESK STUDENT VERSION

street entry filter

turnstiles pinch

platforms expand

insertion

The fluidity of the metro rider’s experience pulls them off the street, transforming their perception and awareness of their individual placement in space. The rider’s interaction with surface remains the same, as their passings creates space overhead. This first insertion moment introduces the changes to come. The turnstiles become the turn of the control. The rider would typically tap in and give their control away to the metro. In this case, the rider is tapping into an opportunity to transform; to transform the awareness of their body’s relation in space, as well as the opportunity to create space with their body. The platforms allot the most time for stillness; the waiting process. This time allows for the users to interact more intimately with their environment. The platforms no longer become transitional, but rather a destination; the riders have relinquished the control. The experience overlays as an insertion to the existing. The entirety of the underground is not transformed, in means to contrast the existing, and to allow the rider to explore beyond the norm.

existing

insertion

street entry

wall_ceiling

A swift pass underground As a puppet dances across the stage, the puppeteer’s control extends beyond the strings, manipulating each gesture. A choreographer designs line, extension, and form amongst its performers. A designer pushes and pulls people through space. Each of these controls contain a puppet, and a puppeteer. In the metropolitan setting, space becomes of greater value. The opportunity for control amongst a large body of beings seems unthinkable. The friend whos always running late, the daily commuter, mom on mission, student in their studious pursuit to class, family outing, and wandering tourist become performers in an underground experience. Pulling away from the existing and pulling away from the controls of the site, the strings stretch from the entry wall and solidify to the textile. The textile begins the wrap the rider, stretching to the ceiling above, as the rider progresses into the space. The rider creates their own space as the textile above rises to open to the rider. The light, airy wave of the textile extends outwards to the areas that have yet to dance, allowing the riders motions to extended upon the ceiling plane. As others join the journey, the ceiling begins to perform with each who passes.

The street entry is a gradual moment of reflection. Without disrupting the circulation of the space or timeliness of how one uses the metro, the ceiling plane create awareness of the individual in the space and their relation to others. The material peels from the wall, turning to the ceiling plane, to demonstrate this new perspective of flipping the controls. The materiality of the ceiling allows for each lift to ripple outward, elongating the performance even when a single rider passes through. Although the pace of circulation remains fast, whether it be rush hour or the single rider, the metro rider becomes aware of the changes to come, as the ceiling dances with the body.

turnstiles

wall

A momentary tap elongates The noticeable wall draws the rider in, as they tap into their travel experience. The once existing open site lines are closed by panels, waiting to be revealed with each ripple in passing. The swift pass through the turnstile ripples outward. As a single drop of water unites into a body of water, the interaction ripples outward, extending its movements across the surface. The turnstiles become the moment the rider is aware something has changed. They’re no longer being puppetted by the metro at this moment, but the control has been relinquished. The moment becomes elongated rather than a quick tap, so that the rider doesn’t miss this moment in the rush of their routine. The tap itself is the first moment the rider begins to control the space.

These turnstile elevation views diagram the outward ripple effect with elongates each pass. The turnstile is composed of panels with keep the turning motion of a turnstile, that as the lower doors open, the adjacent panel begin to open and turn, creating space to pass. If a single rider passes through, the ripple extends across the surface until it comes in contact with the existing site. If another rider passes in the same moment, each will ripple outwards along the surface until each body extension meets. The more who pass adjacently, the greater the visual reveal is to the opposing side. Whether you’re passing during rush hour, or you’re the only one early for the train, each approach will reveal and perform differently than the last, telling a unique story for each experience.

power in numbers

open

closed

platforms

Seats press up walls; walls stretch to adjacent neighbors.

seat_wall

At the platform, the rider presses themselves into the space. Seating leaves an impression for the next to come, while the walls stretch for the metro rider to press into. The space creates reliance on the rider. The space can not perform without the rider’s interaction. When the user interacts with the surface of the leaning wall, this isn’t disturbing or interrupting how they lean against the wall, but rather enhances their performance; that the rider may be aware of the control they have and awareness of the effect of their actions. This gives insight and new perspective to the rider in terms of their role in society; that even in such a routine and mundane site or activity, they are affecting the people around them whether they chose to be aware of it or not.

sit seat sat

Favoring the rider’s control with comfort, the cold, metal benches are replaced with seating that forms to the body rather than bodies forming to the seat. The seat holds the impressions of the body, which ripple air pockets outward. The foam core holds the body’s impression moments after departing. The shift in air pockets allows for a new form at each approach of use.

group 1

group 2 : textile : air pockets : memory foam

seat wall

the ripple As the metro rider sits, the seat expands upon contact. Air pockets ripple the outer thin textile outwards, pressing air pockets up the wall for back support. The soft, airy textile allows for the ripple effect to dance across the surface. The elongated length of the bench allows for the ripple to continue until reaching the closest metro rider. Impressions in the memory foam allow the metro riders to leave their mark, elongating the time of their impact.

lean walls

inter

action

Catching the metro rider in their action, the wall performs upon the innate behavior to lean while waiting at the platforms. In areas where the walls extend to a double height space, the lean impacts a ripple which extends upward, allowing metro riders on the level above to see the performance. Each wall stretches, allowing the metro rider to press into the walls. Walls with an opposing side display the impression of the lean to the reverse side. Rider’s are encouraged to interact with the walls, using a variety of stretchy materials to explore with. Some walls stretch to leave a direct body impression, while others stretch and press through in larger protrusions.

materiality

The free standing exploration walls consist of four different materials. Each stretches, feels, and reacts differently to the lean. Using silicone leather, neoprene, memory foam, and latex mattress, the walls stretch, wrap, and fold to dance with the rider.

thank you!