SELECTED WORKS // 2014-2018 | ALBUQUERQUE | ANN ARBOR | CHICAGO
JAIMERIVERA.US
jaimerivera.us
JAIME RIVERA Jaime Rivera is an architectural designer born in Ciudad Juarez, MX. His work speculates on fictional narratives of architecture where architectural tropes are reimagined in alternate realities. Abnormal forms, graphic design sensibilities, and digital interchange are key elements within the work that challenge the aesthetic of contemporary culture and engage disciplinary issues. Jaime received his Masters of Architecture from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor and holds a Bachelors of Arts in Architecture from the University of New Mexico, Albuquerque. His work has been exhibited at the 45th Annual Conference of Environmental Design Research Association in New Orleans for EDRA45NewOrleans and has been featured in multiple online platforms, including suckerPUNCH daily, SUPERARCHITECTS, arch out loud, CLOUDZ WATCHING, and others.
CONTENTs FLAT.OBJ SYNTHETIC MACHINES BIO-CYBERNETICS BILATERAL PHENOTYPE DISASTER AS ARCHITECTURE CENTRAL FIELDS CTRL ALT HOUSE
BUILDING
WHITE UNDER BLASE POST PAINTERLY AMBIGUOUS PERCEPTIONS
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ELASTIC MORPHOLOGIES CUDDLE BODIES TENSILE MUSCLE FABRIC PARASITIC DISTORTION RUINED CREATURES
.obj
VOLUMEONE DESIGN STUDIO - COMPETITION SIFT STUDIO - EXHIBIT
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jaimerivera.us@gmail.com
FLAT.OBJ Thesis Advisor: Adam Fure Jury: Jason Payne, Kristy Balliet, Gabriel Esquivel, Erik Herrmann, Ellie Abrons Multiple Perceptions of the Graphic Flat.obj investigates the relationship between color and form through the reconfiguration of voids and the shifting of volumes, where the misregistration of one creates an alternate reading of the other. Overlaps and non-geometric alignments of color establish perceptual miscues where identifiable forms (cubes, spheres, and lines) take a turn toward the graphic, identified here as a set of material conditions that stem from logics of paper space and software. These fluctuating relationships between formal operations (shift, slice, taper) and the application of color open possibilities for a perceptual space between the 3-dimensional space of geometry and the 2-dimensional space of the graphic, one perceived and the other imagined. Separate investigations into elevation, section, plan and perspective cultivate discrete forms of attention to the object, as color and form change within each representational convention. For example, perspective showcases the interplay between 2D and 3D that arises when the application of color, which is determined in the abstract world of software, confronts the depth of the physical object’s shadow. This results in a changing set of aesthetic effects that change with the perceiver’s viewpoint. In ‘Art as Technique,’ Viktor Shklovsky describes the perception of everyday life as automatic. According to him, the role of art is “to develop a variety of techniques to impede perception, or at least, to call attention to themselves.” The automated and automatic is the condition this thesis responds to, deploying the graphic to call attention to the perceptual and representational extents of form. Flat.obj identifies the graphic as a formal register that exists between the digital and the physical, and between architecture and graphic design, combining concepts and techniques from both into a hybrid medium. Feature: suckerPUNCH Daily, CLOUDZWATCHING
CIRCULATION CLUSTER
01 | grid post 02 | negative boolean 03 | staircase 04 | graphic imposition
Software For these sets of studies, color application was limited to two distinct yet similar methods of animated mapping. One working on the rules of straight projection of 2D colored circles; appropriated through the view gate authored by the user. The other working in similar ways as before, however now the added registry of light changes the mapping of a surface; this removing the projection of circles. Both work in their own way but also begin to offer similar misalignments that focus on the alternate readings of objects. The digital amplifies the whole through a unified condition, establishing a relationship that was not there. A condition working through post-digital aesthetics, where the hybrid exists in the now.
SLAB
01 | automotive vinyl 02 | metal stud 03 | concrete floor slab 04 | sheet metal 05 | s shape (american standard)
FENESTRATION
01 | structural mullions 02 | curved glass 03 | private aperture 04 | body-tinted glass
BASE CLUSTER LAYOUT
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MID LEVEL LAYOUT
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A SECTION THROUGH CIRCULATION
B SECTION THROUGH GALLERY
SYNTHETIC MACHINES Studio Advisor: Kathy Velikov Jury: Jim Bassett, Robert Adams, Maria Arquero, Mitch McEwen This novel infrastructure acts as a catalyst for reinvigorating a network of obsolete mines. Open pit mines, among other typological models of this class, formerly generated economic stability for workers and the cities which operated around them. The Synthetic Machines project is situated in Michigan at the Empire Mine, but it is the testing ground for new design possibilities at a global scale. Once a mine has been exhausted by the human it follows in the traditional model of a wasteland or unoccupiable land mass. As the Empire Mine closes its iron ore chapter, Synthetic Machines intercepts the mine in its entropic state to germinate it with new organisms. The environment of the mine is a harsh one, leaving humans to do what is usually done with things seen to no longer be of use, and discard them. This limited view provided the lens by which this project found an adaptive response, a microscopic lens, where careful investigation found the kinds of organisms which thrive in such ruination. Currently, climatic changes in our environment have cultivated micro-organisms that have found ways of surviving in non-traditional ecosystems. These organisms, ‘extremophiles’, have adapted to their extreme environments and give us a glimpse of future modes of living. The Synthetic Machines construct utilizes biomining processes and reimagines current biomining technology into innovative machines of cultivation. The project is specked with synthetic machines, each containing organisms thriving in rich iron content. The machines are speculative designs of hyperobjects, as they relate to micro-architectural embodiments of the biomining process. These test subjects allow us to expand on constructed landscapes of experience, process and interplanetary thought. Feature: suckerPUNCH Daily, SUPERARCHITECTS, arch out loud
SITE NETWORK EMPIRE MINE AGENT NETWORK
MACHINE DISRUPTIONS // IRON ORE
MACHINE AGENTS
LAB REUSE
MINE LOWER LEVEL
BIOMINING Biomining is a general term used to describe the commercial application of microorganisms for the extraction of metals from iron or sulfidic mineral ores. It includes both bioleaching and bio-oxidation processes. In bioleaching, microorganisms convert metals present in solid residue into their water soluble form, and while in bio-oxidation microbial oxidation of mineral intakes place with the metal values remaining in the solid residues. Metal solubilization using microbes involves both chemical and biological process. This process is taken from a hyperobject mentality and it is transferred to the design qualities of each of the agents within the new empire mine network.
ELEMENTS
shell
mineral suspension
fluid intake
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MACHINE DISRUPTIONS // TAILINGS
LAB INSTANCE 002
LAB INSTANCE 001
LAB REUSE // MACHINE DEVELOPMENT
// PIN-UP //
BIOCYBERNETICS Evolo 2016 | Competition Entry Bio-Cybernetics situates itself deep within the digital revolution and the expanding role of design and technology within the contextual framework of the imminent renaissance occurring in the city of Detroit. Through a post-human approach [a vertical community designed around machine as opposed to man] Bio-Cybernetics becomes a catalyst for digital information that is fed back to city inhabitants through a large-scale use of telecommunications technologies (fiber-optics, etc) and cybernetics. This avenue of cybernetics, indicating a closed-signal feedback loop, allows the regulatory system of the architectural response to become a radical stimulus in the reactivation of the urban fabric of the city across mechanical, physical, biological, cognitive, and social natures. The architectural deployment of Bio-Cybernetics, augmented and complimented by the systematic integration of drones, seeks to focus on and address the socio-economic decline seen throughout the city over recent years; specifically through the mass collection and disbursement of critical information on these issues. As the drones circulate throughout the city and fulfill their roles as curators of crucial information, they are then able to return this information back into the feedback loop created by the presence of the BioCybernetics’ Center. By enhancing the infrastructure of communicative technology in Detroit, the revitalization of the city is able to occur in a much more imperishable and supportable manner, overseen through the accessibility of intelligible systems made possible by BioCybernetics. The proposal in its very essence remains capable of intelligent growth through the self-regulation of its own cybernetic systems. This exploration of new territories in architecture interrogates the delicate yet dynamic equilibrium between man and nature; or in this instance, man and machine. Contributor: Andrew Bradford
TOWER 1-2 DRONE CENTER FOR CYBERNETICS
SITE PLAN TOWER LAYOUT
SKIN AGGREGATION
CHUNK
SYMMETRY OVERLAP
INTERNAL SYSTEMS
GEOMETRY Bio-Cybernetics utilizes a simple geometrical system for the foundation in which the tower bundles are nested. By starting with a fundamentally primitive building block, or cell, the aggregations of geometry produce the integrated ground plane condition both intertwines and disburses the towers themselves. The outer skin works with overlays where repetitive operations act as primary functions of aesthetic serialness. The modes through which these geometries are produced and explored result in aggregations that exhibit form of an innately gothic nature (grotesque, redundant, vegetal, etc). Working with aesthetics found within the network of Downtown Detroit typology, the result familiar yet distinct.
DETROIT, MI NETWORK
DRONE CENTER // VIEW LOOKING SOUTH
DRONE SITUATION | AERIAL
DRONE SITUATION | AERIAL
DRONE SITUATION | GROUND
BILATERAL PHENOTYPE Studio Advisor: Matias del Campo Jury: Hina Jamelle, Glenn Wilcox, Kathy Velikov, Wes McGee, Michael Kennedy, Craig Borum, Sean Ahlquist Bilateral Phenotype investigates new forms of living through geometric operations that are not common in current practice. The odd relationships in form and context is what guides the project to an assembly of nested objects. Exploring natural examples of bilaterality, the design is interested not in the genetic, or genotypical reason for symmetry, but instead the physical manifestation, or the phenotype. For instance, insects are genetically almost perfectly bilaterally symmetrical. However, their actual appearance may not be so depending on the role of phenotype in their growth. Located in Stephansplatz in the center of Vienna with a direct view to the famous cathedral, the design stemmed from the mirroring of the same tetrahedron unit; the pieces nested together to fit compactly inside a containing “skin”. Symmetry and geometry are applied to the building through a contemporary method while still reflecting the Gothic values of the cathedral. A baroque inverted arch pattern is projected onto the exterior, creating aperture and opportunity for activated poché. These odd relational pairings can be seen in architectural works such as the ‘Entrance to the Grotto of the Hortus Palatinus’ establishing autonomous relationships to historical precedent. Contributors: Veronika Bakalova & Olivia Kempf
ENLARGED PLANS // PLAN 00 - 03 //
PLAN 03
PLAN 00
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PLAN SEQUENCE // PLAN -01 - 08 //
PLAN 02
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PATTERN
// PROJECTION STUDIES //
FORM
// MIRROR OPERATION STUDIES //
NESTING The initial geometry derives from a multi form unit that allows itself to aggregate in nested compositions. For the development of the tower, the units started to nest up leaving void spaces within the site’s volumetric parameters. Thus, asking for filler geometry originating from the initial form. The genealogy studies of the form allowed for those fillers to be consistent. Looking at odd compositions in historical precedent, like the ‘Entrance to the Grotto of the Horus Palatinus’, it drove the project to embrace the strange through the arrangement of volumes in nonspecific locations.
LOW POLYGON | HIGH POLYGON MAYA OPERATIONS, LUMPS AT DIFFERENT SCALES AND ORIENTATIONS
ENTRANCE TO THE GROTTO OF THE HORUS PALATINUS, HEIDELBERG, SALOMON DE CAUS, 1614
TRANSVERSE SECTION
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LONGITUDINAL SECTION
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PROJECTION The outer skin of the building is comprised of striped ornamentation that derives from the geometry of related patterns to the historic context around. Processes of scale in various directions with a fixed projection location, provided outputs engaging different elements of the building. Being that the building lot is located at the corner, the approach to narrowing the selected pattern came down to the way the stripes engaged the corner entry. Having an ornamental skin that felt open, gave the outer boundary moments of pause; these complying with the inner program of the building. From the top view the pattern becomes denser towards the center and opens at the edges of the site. The stripes begin to have a unique character that fluctuate the boundary that is not visible, providing an ephemeral enclosure.
DISASTER AS ARCHITECTURE Studio Advisors: Karen King & Alex Webb Disaster as Architecture examines computational design as a way to explore critical solutions in areas highly affected by climate change. When looking at coastal conditions, 39% of the US population lives along shorelines; making it a focal point where designers can input innovative designs that can start to shape the future urban fabric. For this project, climate related disaster was addressed as being something that is inevitable and the best course of action is to make people aware of their environment. The system introduced here goes beyond the building and explores the possibilities that the urban landscape has to offer. A major contributor for future infrastructure is the research of nanotechnology as it facilitates a post technologically driven architecture, embracing the miniaturization of future automation. Currently many of these micro technologies are being looked at for medical purposes but have the potential to be deployed in various ways. The architectural scale offers possibilities of space that becomes responsive to people and nature. Feature: EDRA45NewOrleans
THE WALL
// APERTURE MOISTURE POLYMER //
// SYSTEMATIC AWARENESS //
SITE // GALVESTON, TX //
// SURFACE UNDULATION //
MATERIAL The system uses a polymer skin that takes into account moisture and temperature in the atmosphere to influence when the apertures of the wall open and close; expanding when moisture is absorbed. A hexagonal shape is used for the surface population, as a way to differentiate it and create interest in the object. An additional component that was looked at for the surface was wind factors and how they could be used to further the system. Structure becoming a responsive piece to varying wind conditions furthered the idea of elasticity as structure. Developing ideas on space frame structures through internal flexible membranes; allowing the surface to move while still being structurally sound.
WALL ELEMENTS // MODULAR FRAGMENTS //
SHELTER ELEVATION // LOOKING AT LAND //
WALL // DURING STORM //
SYSTEM // FRAME VS SURFACE //
PAVILION ENCLOSURE
ALGORITHM A shifting system that allows form to change between mass and void. The structure goes from a pure frame, fading into mass, and at points turning into a covering. By allowing the system to have varied transitions, it allows for an adapting fabric of the strip along the coast. This delineation between frame and mass makes it easy for areas with commercial and/or residential to affect how the structure is deployed. The coded result ends up establishing a relationship where the increase in curvature dictates the compression of the space frame and the scale of the hexagonal panels.
CENTRAL FIELDS Studio Advisor: Jorge Colon Central Fields is a network project working with an existing infrastructure and proposing a new light rail system serving the east and west sides of Albuquerque, NM. Currently the Downtown cityscape is flooded with asphalt parking lots that cover most of the pedestrian views. The project aims to create a blurred boundary that breaks up the regular and stagnant by manipulating the flat surface. This proposal takes the automobile and the flat parking lot typology, reworking the typical application within Albuquerque and proposing a hybrid. The site is comprised of a narrow rectilinear lot next to the university and reimagines it as the hub for new infrastructure. Serving to create faster commute for students and introducing a landscape for residents nearby to inhabit with pop-up spaces. The intent is to reprogram the lot with new spaces that are managed by the inhabitants and the city; art galleries, coffee shops, alternate performance spaces, etc. Angled landforms throughout the site break the parking lot and introduce landscape elements that guide the pedestrians through the building.
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PLAN // FIELD CIRCULATION DIAGRAM //
SECTIONS // BUILDING VS LANDSCAPE //
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SITE // FIELD ICON //
HYBRIDS Operations between mass and void were studied to capture spaces that could cultivate a modular program. Folding techniques and deliberate angles work to mask the ‘icon’ that becomes the building. Section became the driver in formulating the overall form. Through these studies, landscape and architectural planes combined to a realized version of the two. The field presented an open condition that was broken with camouflage applications of relief in the architectural scope. These hidden components of transportation work throughout and engage the pedestrians in their commute along the Central Avenue corridor.
+ CTRL + ALT HOUSE arch out loud 2017 | Competition Entry CTRL + ALT HOUSE is a dwelling located in Los Angeles situated close to the Hollywood sign. The project works as a response to the highly digitized imagery surrounding the everyday. Through the use of clustered forms, the spaces created overlap the typical and blur the distinctions between public and private. Similarly mimicking the censored ideals of media enriched life, the house program asserts fake use within the architecture. Fakeness becomes the tool in which the house works around and investigates its realities beyond the digital.
EXTERIOR VOLUME CLOSE UPS
INTERIOR | FLAT MAPS
GROUND FLOOR
EXTERIOR VIEW
I M A G E CULTURE The Hollywood sign is a strong image driven object where the reproduction of it in various media forms breaks the boundaries of its reach. The image as it relates to discourse is broken down to the way it is experienced, by purely looking at it through the lens of the digital. By working with real materials, that being marble, steel, gold, etc., and then confusing the observer with graphic/toon materials, spaces begin to warp into a state of virtual reality. Digital operations of materials at different scales constantly operate in a state of familiar where the filters of current media culture are transferred to architectural techniques resulting in a highly saturated representation of media culture today.
INTERIOR ROOM
MASS ISOMETRIC | SOUTH WEST
MASS ISOMETRIC | NORTH EAST
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.JPG WHITE UNDER BLASE RHINO, MAYA, PHOTOSHOP, KEYSHOT
POST PAINTERLY ZBRUSH, MAYA, PHOTOSHOP
AMBIGUOUS PERCEPTIONS MAYA, RHINO, VRAY
WHITE UNDER BLASE Reality Cues | Competition Entry White Under BlasĂŠ critiques border politics through the arrangement of architectural tropes associated with authority, the introduction of altered primitives as opposing figures, people in isolation, and dividing walls. Each element drawing from colors/materials of an alternate blasĂŠ world where mediated censorship disturbs reality and asserts false agendas.
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POST PAINTERLY Post Painterly was a culmination of digital modeling where the end result focused on two flat canvases. The interest went from working with digital sculpting tools and exploring their capabilities as they relate to painterly techniques. Strictly looking at the image from one point of view, not engaging the plane from any other direction. This gave me the opportunity to leave areas in uncertain states where other elements in the canvas helped to finish the overall. While working with the canvas, areas were bulged to give the overall depth and increase texture through stamped brushes. These processes of manipulation created a field condition where increase in detail gave alternating presence between the foreground and background; playing with the way each is typically read. In the end the obsession turned into highly digitized surfaces that were transformed into dirty visualizations of the initial start of the sculpt. Further exploring the way aesthetics can work within the digital outside of an architectural construct.
CANVAS 01
BROKEN MESH PATTERN
EXCESS MESH PATTERN
CANVAS 02
BROKEN AESTHETICS
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Similarly to other elements in my work aesthetics plays a big role towards how that can push every project. Here the aesthetic again works with high resolution and low resolution imagery, however the interest for this study became to explore it in a higher intensity as before. By removing this exercise from the building, it gave cues to alternate readings but still spoke to architectural elements that could be transcribed from the image. When I refer to broken, I do not engage it in a negative manner instead this idea of broken aesthetics obsesses over the low resolution areas of the canvas. These moments are in existence with high resolution, clean if you will, counterparts tricking the observer into making connections between the two; at times the broken outshining the clean. Broken becomes a prominent quality of the painting
BASICS
AMBIGUOUS PERCEPTIONS Thesis Prep Advisor: Adam Fure Form and function are elements within the discipline of architecture that have at times worked in opposition and/or as an integrated whole. The discourse for this thesis investigates ‘pattern + color’ as an ambiguous technique that goes beyond the systematic and the autonomous. Disrupting familiarity of form that may have been culturally cultivated. The recognition of form as ‘symbolic’ by the individual will begin to be misread, introducing a psychotropic curiosity. Thus, allowing the limited legibility to break down the form at certain moments, establishing a multilayered architecture that works at different scales of perception. The interest lies in the misreading of objects and the contexts that they are inhabiting. Today, the culture of consumption moves at a very fast pace and doesn’t allow individuals to engage in the anomalies that are created through their engagement in the world; whether that be in virtual or physical space.
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textureS Forms were investigated in their geometric qualities and arrangements. The first study involved taking soft geometries at different complexities introducing various patterns. These were then mapped with the intent to manipulate the way the object was observed. Some techniques brought forth the reading of the true object and other offered false readings. The second study introduced a background to the object, further exploreing the relationship of situated objects in a field.
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.OBJ ELASTIC MORPHOLOGIES THERMOPLASTIC, SILICONE, ABS 3D PRINTING, KUKA ROBOTS
CUDDLE BODIES ZCORP 3D PRINTING
TENSILE MUSCLE FABRIC CNC KNITTING, NITINOL, LASER CUTTING , ARDUINO
PARASITIC DISRUPTION METAL, GLASS, PLASTIC, CONCRETE, WELDING, LASER CUTTING
RUINED CREATURES HIGH DENSITY FOAM, PHOTOGRAMMETRY, LASER CUTTING, CASTING, CNC
ELASTIC MORPHOLOGIES Seminar Advisor: Matias del Campo Elastic Morphologies implements techniques that allow the process to be the sole guide of design. For this particular process we were interested in the elastic properties that are existing in silicone; in particular how this could translate to ornamentation. Our efforts were to design a tool for the robot that would disperse the silicone on a ‘cylinder’ for the initial prototypes. In combination with thermal plastic we were able to create structural agents that would help silicone rise in height. The output gave us a textured pattern of the plastics that created varied light distribution. Contributor: Veronika Bakalova
RESULT // TEXTURED ENVELOPE //
CLOSE UP | 001
CLOSE UP | 002
KUKA STATION
CONTROLLED GENERIC
TOOL
THERMO PLASTIC
materialS
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These studies use analog models to explore the relationship between silicone and thermal plastic. The composites were restricted to volumetric parameters and were introduced to high pressure elements of heat. The flexible state of the silicone ensured that the thermal plastic would be embedded in the output. The analysis of the composites lead to investigations of flexible yet structural material elements that could be used in architectural constructs.
PATHS
CUDDLE BODIES Cuddle-Bodies examines textured geometries in bodies as a way to produce an overtly suggestive composition. The interest is in a textured center node, populated at different densities that explore the nature of soft vs rough. Part of the study, analyses the 2D representation of these compositions as a way to compare the object in the ‘real’ and the ‘imaginary’; where the object plays a dual relationship with itself and the observer.
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SINGULAR BODY // TEXTURED NODE //
MULTIPLES // NUZZLED CONNECTIONS //
The base geometry derived from a single node, from where I began to explore the features needed for the object to be able to commingle with itself. This in turn allowed the node to grow three limbs, which facilitated the aggregation of itself with multiples of its kind. The texture came after the initial massing and investigations into its readings with different densities gave the object character that was not there before.
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SCULPTING
TENSILE MUSCLE FABRIC Seminar Advisor: Sean Ahlquist Tensile Muscle Fabric is an investigation into responsive and dynamic knit fabric that stimulates a visual and haptic response from touch interaction. Flexinol actuator wires, that contract when heat or electric current is applied, are integrated into knit structures to create three‐dimensional deflections in the fabric. The system uses custom designed microprocessor circuits that create a range of deflections on the textile, such as creating depth, texture and visual stimulation, that are triggered by targeted touch input sensors integrated into the knit fabric. The overall kinetic movement is based off an antagonistic relationship between the contraction of the Flexinol actuators and the ‘spring back’ from the elastic yarn used in the fabric. Contributors: Chris Locke, Julian Cheng, & Tracey Weisman
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PROTOTYPE // MECHANICS //
FABRIC IN TENSION | 001
FABRIC IN TENSION | 002
FABRIC IN TENSION | 003
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Compared to other mechanical actuators, Flexinol provides a smooth and natural deflection that mimics organic muscular contractions. This organic movement combined with an intelligent knit structure that deforms and reveals, provides a visceral experience that goes beyond visual delight. Overall, the user experiences a closed loop of interactions between the human touch (input) and the response of actuators that deforms the fabric accordingly that engages and excites.
ARDUINO MECHANICS
PARASITIC DISTORTION Studio Advisor: Kathy Velikov This instrument is a hybrid between a microscope and an overhead projector. The object is composed of several pieces establishing a ‘part to whole’ relationship. The goal was to design an analytical object that would present new findings of fungi; that would otherwise be missed by the naked eye. Speculating on alternate elements that offer insight to constructed operations. Contributor: Dean Feldhausen
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INSTRUMENT // CLOSE UP DETAILS //
ACRYLIC HANDLE
TOP VIEW // MAGNIFIERS
MIRRORS
MICRO CAPSULES // FUNGI GROWTH //
IMAGE OF CLOSE UP FUNGI
MECHANICS
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By using steel and plastic components for the instrument it allows the hybrid to have a rustic, yet futuristic aesthetic. These further explore the graphic colors from the acrylic rings and the ecology of the fungi. Relationships between light, micro-lenses, and fungi come together to form a varied projection of distorted imagery. The distorted representation allows the user to experience strange casual loops within the autonomous instrument. The ‘hyperobject’ becomes realized in a visual manifestation of micro-organisms.
INSTRUMENT LAYOUT
Seminar Advisor: Adam Fure For this project our interest was to analyze ruined compositions within a post human world, where we would engage in the study of objects related to the domestic gestures realized in soft body forms and infrastructural qualities of coastal homes. The research explores hard/soft typologies within the frame of marine structural systems and wet/dry adaptations of marine ecology. The result is a collection of visualizations and coastal pile artifacts that pose questions about temporal environments today and post-coastal speculations. Contributor: Ramon Hernandez
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RUINED CREATURES
OBJECT REDUX // SECTION //
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SHIP WRECK 01
SHIP WRECK 02
SHIP WRECK 03
OBJECT 01
OBJECT 02
OBJECT 03
CLOSE UP
CLOSE UP
TEXTURE
By working through speculations of future environmental factors, these artifacts work with dirty textures and piled aggregations. Our attempt was to look at the way these elements came together and what binding agents would secure their final composition. Spaces created become hosts to alternate organisms in a world dealing with past ruins.
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post human
PROFESSIONAL WORK VOLUMEONE DESIGN STUDIO DESIGNER, RHINO MODELING, ILLUSTRATOR, FACADE SCRIPTING
SIFT STUDIO ASSISTANT, PHOTOGRAMMETRY, RENDERER
CHAOHU URBAN DEVELOPMENT In the summer of 2015 I worked at Volume One Design Studio in Detroit, where I was part of the design team for a masterplan proposal for the economic zone of Chaohu, China. My duties included initial massing of the site; labs, hotels, housing, educational, etc. Later on my main tasks shifted to the development of a Music Venue and a Visitor Center, which would become the feature architecture for the project. For these floor plan design, elevation, and program requirements guided the overall design development. Parametric tools aided in the production of variable faรงade designs. Project Leads: Lars Grabner & Christina Hansen Project Team: Shaoxuan Dong, Jaime Rivera, Matthew Biglin, Xiaomeng Li Project Type: Urban Design, Music Hall, Visitor Center Client: City Government of Chaohu Site Area: 36.5 ha/ 90.2 acres Competition: August 2015
// IMAGES PROVIDED BY V1-STUDIO //
MUSIC VENUE // FACADE SCALES //
FACADE // BRONZE METAL PANELS //
SITE AERIAL // PROGRAM CLUSTERS //
VISITOR CENTER // PEELED SKIN //
PROCESS // MASSING //
3D MODEL MASSING
linear clusters ENTRANCE
01 THEATER
FLY TOWER
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The varied heights of the site offered qualities that we wanted to engage in and introduce architecture that would enhace them. Our starting point was circulation arrangements, which then were followed by linear volumes that strechted across the site. These helping to create a fabric of clusters that unified the varied topography. In turn the housing, commercial, and educational volumes provided a layered relief in the background; asserting value to the visitor center and music venue.
LOBBY
03 THEATER
THEATER ONE_1200 SEATING
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ADMINISTRATION
OFFICES
THEATER TWO_850 SEATING
BOH
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THEATERS
FLOORS
CIRCULATION
TAP | RTM 2016 Assisted in the 3D photogrammetry of ceramic objects for the project as trackable digital media. The scans were then used to generate 2D graphic renders that served as a counter to the analog artifacts of the exhibition. As a graduate research assistant I also assisted in the exhibition set-up. During the summer of 2016 I was involved in the final resubmittal of the project’s printed article for “ACADIA 2016 | Post Human Frontiers: Data, Designers, and Cognitive Machines,” where I produced more graphic content. Project Leads: Adam Fure and Matt Kenyon Project Team: Michael Turvin, Ramon Hernandez, Olivia Kempf, Jaime Rivera, Shane Darwent Project Type: Exhibit Grant: Research Through Making | University of Michigan Location: Ann Arbor Michigan
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ARTIFACT // COLORATION //
STAND-ALONE THERMOCHROMIC OBJECT & HEAT GUN
CLOSE UP 01
CLOSE UP 02
+ RENDER
COMPOSITES Various objects were used to build the final artifacts, these ranging from bits of foam, old architectual models, rocks, fake fruit, bowls, a piggy bank, and various fragments of ceramics. The arrangement was composed by Fure and we assisted in the unifying layer of rockite and primer needed for the application of the lueco dye. Which uses thermochromatic properties where substances change color due to changes in temperature. The pigments applied were enclosed in micocapsules to protect their color qualities when heat is applied.
ANALOG MODEL
ARTIFACT COLORATION
2014 // 2018