(un)Natural Ecologies by Kasturi Wagh
Š June 2020 Kasturi Wagh
A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science, Architecture School of Architecture Pratt Institute June 2020
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Program Introduction
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Ariane Lourie Harrison Art /Sculpture/Architecture
01 - 06
Ambiguous Objects
07 - 22
Between Nature and Architecture
23 - 28
Synthetic Nature
29 - 36
Vertical Circulation
37 - 44
Re-working WeWork
45 - 62
Scalar Relationships
63 - 70
Re-Coring
71 - 96
Bibliography
97 - 98
List of Figures
99 -101
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C H A P T E R
O N E
Art/Sculpture/Architecture
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"Architecture is a visual art and the buildings speak for themselves” ¹
In the past, architects were always seen as artists, visualizing imaginary buildings and places deep within the recesses of their imagination and then teasing them out with paint or pencil. Art and architecture have long been partners in creating a sense of balance in design. But, it’s not just those aspects that form a relationship; it’s also the design that can help marry the two together. Art may be labeled as anything and everything that is creative, innovative and aesthetic. One can say that art and architecture are connected in a sense that art is an ocean and architecture, a tributary that flows from it. For example, a sculpture is a piece of art and the interiority of the sculpture could be designed as architectural spaces. Both architecture and sculpture, both exist in the three-dimensional realm. Architecture often attempts to play with several spatial and formal concepts but the extent of this experimentation is often limited by budgetary and engineering constraints. Sculpture is a medium with which formal and spatial tests can be performed to an aesthetic extent without architectural limitation. There are several modern sculptors whose works can be categorized under architecture. Large-scale installations of contorted steel plates at Día: Beacon by famous artist Richard Serra called Torqued Ellipses tests gravity and the human nerve. He has successfully designed these sculptures to activate the mind and the body as one walks through the compression and expansion of spaces. Shifting in unexpected ways as viewers walk in and around them, these sculptures create surprising experiences of space and balance, and provoke a dizzying sensation of steel and space in motion. Within each structure there is a sense of a loss of place and time which gives each viewer a sense of intimacy and wonder at the space they have just entered. Figure 1 (Left) : Torqued Ellipses by Richard Serra at Dia:Beacon ¹ Stravinsky, Igor, and Robert Craft. Themes and Episodes. A. A. Knopf, 1967.
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Architecture is not sculpture; it should be more than a visual form. However, contemporary buildings and ultra-modern architectural designs might be blurring the limits between these two art forms. In recent years, the connection between art, architecture, and sculpture have, in many cases, become inextricably bound to each other in a kind of symbiotic relationship. For some, architecture seems relevant to the 21st century only when it looks abstract and strange. It can be safe to say that numerous architects, specifically the “deconstructivists” such as Frank Gehry, Daniel Libeskind and Zaha Hadid, pay a higher regard to formal and material experimentations and have a more sculptural aspect to them. Gehry sees architecture as art. He manipulates the constraints of the project, then expresses his creation. For Gehry, expression is vital in architecture; buildings cannot be faceless. Thus, he approaches each building as a sculptural object, each piece of architecture as a painting².His inspirations come from art and his role models are artists. He believe, architecture can be a form of art, especially in a time when all art forms are transitional and definitions are blurry. Art is a form of self-expression which doesn’t necessarily need to respond to culture or history. Whereas, Architecture can be a fragment of art, but must have cultural or historical reference. The Asakusa Culture Tourist Information Centre by architect Kengo Kuma is the perfect example of architecture responding to its context, culture and history. Within the eight-storey building, one can make out, in elevation, silhouetted permutations of Japan’s vernacular dwellings: the machiya (townhouse), the Ageya (house of entertainment) and the row-house called Nagaya, to name a few. ²“Frank Gehry: Design Philosophy & Process.” Study.com, 6 October 2017, study.com/academy/ lesson/frank-gehry-design-philosophy-process.html
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Figure 2 : Asakusa Culture Tourist Information Centre blending perfectly in its surrounding context
Architecture that is merely designed to stand out and aims to be abstract and distant from its context and the surrounding may as well be called as “objects�. This unmistakable object-hood in contrast to their surroundings bring us back to the question - After all, what is left of architecture without context? Is it just then a piece or art or sculpture? This concept of blurring the boundaries and fabricating a sense of ambiguity; may it be with respect to object-context or between architecture -nature establishes the foundation of the one year M.S. in Architecture program. Designing objects, understanding and re-interpretating the meaning of context, designing through materiality via various artistic methods like hydro-dipping as well as casting and designing structures with sculptural qualities formulates all three semesters at Pratt Institute.
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C H A P T E R
T W O
Ambiguous Objects
Figure 2 &3 (Left) : Original Piranesi Plate & Piranesi plate with higlighted elements respectively
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“Architecture, as an object, can exist independently from its situational context and can be formally independent of it”.³
Objects don’t need to resonate to any particular surroundings or context but, an object itself can evolve and create it’s own context or ground. The aim of this project is to develop design techniques and discursive terms for contemporary and near-future approaches to new architectural mediums. The basis is explored through two design experimentsdesigning an object and designing a context for the same, that generally emphasize digital visualization and fabrication.
Designing an object Piranesi is an Italian architect famous for his etchings of Rome and of fictitious and atmospheric “prisons”. His unparalleled accuracy of depiction, his personal expression of the structures’ dramatic and romantic grandeur, and his technical mastery made these prints some of the most original and impressive representations of architecture to be found in Western art. All his drawings depict clear perspective and intricate detailing. To design and develop an object, a Piranesi print is studied and certain components from the said plate are chosen and highlighted. These highlighted components are then traced out and kit-bashed or organized to form compelling 2D drawings. These drawing are then used not as plans but as basis for designing a 3D model or object which resonates to the initial Piranesi drawing which was studied. This can be done in the form of design development or even through various materials and textures. Studio Critic- Erich Schoenenberger- Pratt Institute ( Summer 2019) ³ Suh, Jung Jae, et al. “Study: Strange Objects in UNStudio Architecture.” UNStudio, www. unstudio.com/en/page/7672/study-strange-objects-in-unstudio-architecture.
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Figure 4 & 5 : Kitbash/Organizations of highlighted parts from Piranesi print
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Figure 6 & 7 : Kitbash/Organizations of highlighted parts from Piranesi print
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Figure 8 & 9: Hydro dipped Object
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Figure 10 & 11: 3D printed objects
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Object-Context Relationship The object - context relationship is one that is very unique and can be explored using various design technique. The idea used here is one in which the object collides with a simple shape in this case- a cuboid. This in turn affects both the object as well as the cuboid where the object carves out a home or a context for itself. This collision between the object and the context affects the object in such a way that the object undergoes formal changes where it starts mimicking the characteristics of the cuboid while retaining some of it’s original characteristics- in this case, it is a sharp wing-like shape with striations. Also, the object, after colliding with the cuboid which is now it’s context, is more block like in nature. The object used top have a circular hollow in the centre which after the collision now is home to a sphere which fits itself perfectly. Whereas, the context now has punctures and crevices on its surface where the object fits in perfectly. The object and context now fit together like a glove giving rise to this ambiguity between the object and the context. In a way this collision has led to the formation of a brand new object in itself and now, it is difficult to differentiate between the two, not knowing which one is context and which one qualifies as an object. Materiality and texture plays a crucial role in this design. The texture helps differentiate between the context and the object. Whereas, the texture further intensifies this notion of ambiguity where the color black jumps and merges from the object into the context and vice versa.
Figure 12 (left) : 3D model depicting Object-Context Relationship via materiality
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Figure 13 : Exploded view depicting evolved Object and its relationship to its Context
Figure 14 : Contrast colors differentiating Object and its Context
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Figure 15 : Rendered View showing scale of the Object and its Context
Figure 16 : 3D Printed Model depicting ambiguity between Object and Context
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Object- Ground Relationship Object -Ground relationship is quite similar to the object-context relationship. In this case, the object retains most of its original formal qualities as opposed to the object-context relationship. Here, there is a definitive “ground� in a way. In this case, the ground is not an alien entity, the ground and the object share similar qualities, but the ground has an emergent quality. It is as though the object is being pulled up from the ground and the ground is trying to hold back the object by seeping through some parts of the object and merging and disguising itself as the object. Ina way here again, the object and the ground tend to become one giving rise to ambiguity and confusion as one cannot easily make out where the ground begins and the object stops. In a way, the ground and object become one to create a new object in itself. The spherical hollow / void can be read as an absent object, given that the initial object is camouflaged, cavity is part of object, cavity as new object in itself. Materiality comes into play to further intensify the ambiguity where the material of the ground (concrete)is found seeping through the object. Some parts of the object now mimic the material qualities of the ground blurring the boundaries between ground and object. This newly formed object is further studied as one with respect to different scales ranging from the object being as big as a structure to as small as a piece of art on a console. Figure 17 (Left) :Section showing relationship and the ambiguity between object-ground
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Figure 18 : Horizontal cut through the Object and its Ground/Context
Figure 19 : Contrast colors differentiating the Object and its Ground
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Figure 20 : Rendered View showing scale of the Object and its Ground
Figure 21 : Physical model depicting different materiality between Object-Ground
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C H A P T E R
T H R E E
Between Nature and Architecture
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“Architecture is essentially an extension of nature into the man made realm, providing the ground for perception and the horizon of experiencing and understanding the world.�4
The relationship between nature and architecture has put forth many questions, criticisms, and solutions. Historically, nature has always been a crucial part of the architectural discourse : because of the oppositional Relationship between nature-culture or that between nature-architecture or nature-city. Nature has always been one of the most conspicuous force in architecture. Before organic patterns were morphed and refined into structural and organizational trajectory informing architectural design, they were the subject of intense scrutiny by ornamentalists in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries with their nature-inspired decorated columns or facades. Another discourse in architecture that follows nature is Biomimetic architecture, it is a contemporary philosophy of architecture that seeks solutions for sustainability in nature, not by replicating natural forms, but by understanding the principles governing those forms. It is a multi-disciplinary approach to sustainable design that follows a set of principles rather than only mimicking nature. Sustainable architecture uses a conscious approach to energy and ecological conservation in the design of the built environment. Examples showcasing the relationship between nature and architecture are quite prevalent all over the world, and over the centuries, from the historic times to the present day. Figure 22 (left) : The ceiling of Sagrada Familia by Antonio Gaudi depecting trees ina forestnthrough architecture Pallasmaa, Juhani. The Eyes of the Skin: Architecture and the Senses. Academy, 1996.
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Figure 23 & 24 : Paintings by artist Suzanne Moxhay showing nature taking over a house
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The images on the left by an artist called Suzanne Moxhay. What is interesting about it is that the pictures don't portray a house in complete ruins, but one that is in this process of change. At first, the pictures seem to portray harmony and serenity of nature extending into the architecture but on a closer look, the trees seem to be breaking through the floorboard of the house and is in the process of overtaking the structure whereas the structure is trying to hold its ground. There is this subtle tension between the trees and the house - between nature and the man made - a kind of ‘tug of war’ between the two. Time and again architecture and nature seems to have had a definite boundary between the two but more recently nature itself has lost it’s pristine status blurring the boundary between nature and man-made raising fierce polemic against the nature of nature in to days day and age.
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C H A P T E R
F O U R
Synthetic Nature
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The current geological age is viewed as the period during which human activity has been the dominant influence on climate and the environment. The Anthropocene marks the numerous ways in which humans have altered the planet. The geological strata we are now creating record industrial emissions, industrial-scale crop pollens, and the disappearance of species driven to extinction. This has, in turn, affected all ecological, biological and geological systems, stripping nature of the pristine status it used to enjoy before. In to days day and age the line between nature and humanity is constantly blurring- evolving in a way. Hence, the world we will eventually inhabit is the one we made. But what is nature today? Traditionally nature includes flora and fauna, but since the age of industrialization, synthetic materials like plastic, biohazards waste, etc. have infiltrated and fused with nature so much so that, it was recently found that there are certain rocks which, although created by the same geological processes as always, have plastic- a synthetic material embedded in them. What does this say? Are rocks no more a part of the natural realm? Has nature transformed itself after all these years? Each year, 270 million tons of plastic are produced worldwide. This amount is roughly equivalent to the total weight of the earth’s human population. In other words, for every person on earth, a corresponding mass of plastic is added to the environment year after year after year......so is it any wonder that entire islands of trash have formed in our oceans?5 Plastiglomerate, popularly known as the first material of the Anthropocene, is a geological formation formed when plastic trash melts and fuses with natural materials such as stone fragments, sand, wood, coral etc resulting in a plastic-rock hybrid. 5 Zettler, et al."Life in the Plastisphere: Microbial Communities on Plastic Marine Debris, environmental Science and Technology", 2013. Figure25 : Image showing plastic waste in ocean
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Fig 5- Examples of plastiglomerate found on the shore Figure 26 : Samples of Plastiglomerate found on sea the Hawaii
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Figure 27 : Casting Experimentations with household/ plastic trash
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The new era does not mourn this loss of nature due to the dominance of man and industrialization but takes a stand so as to encourage the man-made technologies to stand not apart from nature but alongside it to build novel and advanced environments that intend to heighten our environmental and ecological conscience. Wrangling with the issues of pollution and industrial waste, the idea is to draw inspiration from the postindustrial landscape and to use these discarded materials, like plastic, along with concrete to create a new type of alternative building material. It also seeks to use this novel building material to spread awareness and respond to the large scale environmental issues. It is interesting how the plastiglomerate acts as a scientific and cultural evidence of how humans have been altering nature over the couple of years redefining the meaning of nature. Fascinated by plastiglomerate, experiments involving casting along with plastic waste were conducted to see the material effects.
Constructed Nature 'Constructed Nature' resonates with the age of anthropocene. It is a movement which is born due to the ambiguity between natural and man-made. It can be defined as a movement wherein, man-made technologies stand not apart from nature but alongside it as we build novel and advanced environments that intend to heighten environmental and ecological conscience. It is a formal discourse that engages geometric figuration with forms, evoking natural materialities to create new synthetic conditions.
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Figure 28 : Vertical Farming, Japan, GE & Shigeharu Shimamura
As a precedent for constructed nature, we can look at the vertical farm in Japan developed by GE lighting with plant physiologist Shigeharu Mirai. A project where adaptive reuse of a semiconductor factory employs special LED fixtures that facilitate plant growth with lesser energy consumption compared to outdoor fields. The special LED fixtures were developed by GE Lighting and emit light at wavelengths optimal for plant growth. The lights provide the ability to control temperature, humidity and irrigation, allowing it to cut its water usage to 1 percent of that needed by outdoor fields, while also growing lettuces two-and-a-half times faster.6 A perfect example where man-made technology accelerates aiding the growth and evolution of nature. 6 Mitchell, Beverley. “The World's Largest Indoor Farm Produces 10,000 Heads of Lettuce a Day in Japan.� Inhabitat Green Design Innovation Architecture Green Building, 2014, inhabitat.com/ the-worlds-largest-indoor-farm-produces-10000-heads-of-lettuce-a-day-in-japan/.
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F I V E
Vertical Circulation
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The Laurentian Library- Michelangelo di Lodovico Buonarroti Simoni The Laurentian Library in Florence designed by Michelangelo is a revolutionary masterpiece. It was the first free-standing staircase in European architecture, redefining the role of staircases from merely utilitarian to a symbolic one. It was built between 1524 and 1559 in the cloister of the church of San Lorenzo for the Medici Pope, Clement VII. It was constructed on the top level of the existing convent, and comprised two connected parts: a two-story vestibule with a monumental staircase and, on the upper story, a long reading room housing the books for quiet study. One enters the library by ascending the freestanding triple staircase which seems too large for the vestibule. This vestibule or “ricetto� is clear Mannerist in style decorated with double columns, corbels and gabled niches, all perfectly harmonious as a whole. The staircase appears to pour down from the reading room door and consists of three flights of steps: the outer two are quadrangular shaped, the central one is convex with the bottom three steps completely elliptical making the staircase an explosion of originality that fits perfectly with the fanciful character of the Mannerist style of architecture. Inference Michelangelo designed the staircase in a way that, one is likely to experience a sense of tension and compression while walking through the vestibule, and of openness and release while crossing into the reading room. This spatial experience of the user can be taken as an inspiration for the design of the vertical circulation for We Work. In nature, landscapes are not perfect or smooth in their shapes and sizes but have a variety of compressive and expansive spaces . Thus, the proposed vertical circulation tries to recreate these spatial qualities of compression and exansion. Figure 29 : Plan and Sectional Elevation of the Laurentian Library
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The MoMA Staircase- Yoshio Taniguchi The MoMA boasts a number of beautifully designed staircases by famous Architects. One of them is a magnificent cantilevered metal and wood staircase between the fourth and fifth floors and is a tribute to the renowned architect Mies van der Rohe. Standing in the Grand Atrium filled with people admiring art, on looking up one sees a narrow rectangular opening lit up with a warm yellow light that looks striking against the museum’s serene white walls. Inside this rectangular opening one can see a sliver of a very modernist staircase. It feels as though the staircase is floating inside a box with constant movement of people ascending and descending the stairs. It can be said that the staircase, framed by the opening looks like an art piece hanging on the museum wall itself. Only the side elevation of the stairs being revealed, one feels curious and wants to go and experience the entire staircase but, to do so they first need to find their way through the museum to the floating staircase which makes it quite interesting experience. Inference The idea of peeling apart a wall to showcase something hidden behind it is quite exciting. This concept of revealing a part of staircase as done by Yoshio Taniguchi in the MoMA is explored by us in the proposed vertical circulation in WeWork. The idea is to tactfully create niches and gaps in the panels to tease the users by allowing them just a peek to the other side. Varying intensities of light projecting from these gaps heightens the curiosity factor within the user. Figure 30 : Elevation showing the Yoshio Taniguchi staircase at MoMA, New York
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Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum- Frank Llyod Wright Guggenheim Museum, in the year 1959 was designed by renowned architect Frank Lloyd Wright to house a unique collection of art in an innovative environment. Wright designed the gallery as a continuous ramp in order to break away from the traditional museum layout. The museum breaks the monotonous square grid of the apartment buildings around it. From street level it looks like a white ribbon rolled up to form a cylindrical shape. As one enters the Guggenheim, the low-ceiling entrance suddenly opens up to a massive atrium with a gorgeous central skylight and a fluid spiral ramp that flows through the entire structure. The artworks mostly remain hidden and one has to experience the building itself to get to it. The ramp is usually swamped with people marvelling not only the artwork but the structure itself posing a question-whether the Guggenheim is a piece of art in itself? Inference Apart from the ramp serving as a pathway to admire art, it also activates the building with the spectacle of constant motion and energy transforming the building into a moving art piece. The openness and vastness of the atrium helps maintain visual connections between people and their destinations and provides clear guideways to other ancillary spaces. The sculptural and monumental aspects of the Guggenheim helps us set a precedent for our design proposal.
Figure 31 : Image showing the dramatic ramp of the Guggenheim Museum, New York, Image credits: Kelly Chan
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C H A P T E R
S I X
Re-Working WeWork
Figure 32 & 33 :Setenil de las Bodegas, a town in Spain depecting the contrast between manmade architecture and nature.
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The aim of the project is to re-design the vertical circulation at We Work, NY. The initial design concept is to introduce vertical circulation, stairs can be designed to be more than just a means of going from one point to the other. The vertical circulation is designed as a tool for communication that can change the entire identity of the building itself. The circulation becomes a social space where people can meet, a place that connects people to one another. The stair becomes a vertical public space, to which many additional programs are interconnected. If we look at the town of 'Setenil de las Bodegas' in the south of Spain, it looks like nothing less than a set of a culturally adventurous fantasy film. Looking at it as a precedent, in one single frame we see how the natural and synthetic materials co-exist. It is quite spectacular how the rectilinear lines of the man-made structure meet the organic structure of the natural rock, forming interesting spaces and seams. The contrast between the coarse texture of the natural rock against the smooth cement of the manmade structures really intensifies the effect the structure has on someone. The proposed design for staircase at WeWork is an alien-like structure which pierces through the entire building, creating unique vertical circulation and spaces. The form of this structure is derived by mimicking nature- more specifically the unique coarse texture of the rocks. The idea is to create interesting spaces inside the framework of the WeWork building where the modern and quirky architecture of the building contrasts with the rocky natural element of the structure that is being inserted in the building. Thus, when a person walks from the office space into this rocky structure, what one experiences is an entirely novel environment which has totally different experiential qualities in terms of space, size and textures as opposed to the existing We work building. Studio Critics- Ariane Lourie Harrison, Brian Ringley and jeffery Anderson-Pratt Institute (Fall 2019)
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49 Figure 34 : Schematic section with intersection within the WeWork building
50 Figure 35 : Detail Section of the intervention
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The main idea is to design something that resonates with the age we are currently living in - the age of Anthropocene. Reading and experimenting with 'Plastiglomerate', as well as terms such as Constructed Nature, Post Digital influences the project heavily. An office space like WeWork itself produces a substantial amount of plastic waste per month. The idea is to use this waste plastic materials discharged by the office and use them along with concrete to form a novel material which would be environmentally cautious but also would show off the plastic waste, creating an awareness and a discourse about the horrors of the age of Anthropocene. Using keywords like Constructed Nature, Post Digital, Anthropocene, Plastiglomerate, and geological formations as a precedent, the research statement is a two part question; 1) What constitutes nature today with respect to the anthropocene? 2) How can one utilise the spatial, textural and formal qualities of a natural geological entity (rocks, boulders, etc) within a man made realm (WeWork office building)? The vertical circulation is designed in order to evoke feeling of compression as one moves through the structure except for some relief spaces or galleries which overlook the wework spaces. In some spaces within the vertical circulation. The design of the stairs is unique on each floor ranging from stairs carved out from the a rock-like structure to stairs that are formed as the striation texture of the material as wall panels flows down to form steps. These textures visible in the physical models are achieved by and using repeated cycles of physical casting processes and digital techniques like photogrammetry, 3D modelling and 3D printing. Figure 36 (left) : 3D printed physical model of the insertion showing vertical circulation
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54 Figure 37(left) & 38 (above) : Material Experimentation using concrete and resin and plastic
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56 Figure 39 :View of the vertical circulation within WeWork building
Figure 40 : Speculative plan view of the vertical circulation within WeWork building
Figure 41 :View of the vertical circulation within WeWork building
Figure 42 :View of the vertical circulation within WeWork building
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C H A P T E R
S E V E N
Scalar Relationships
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Architecture resonates at many scales — the human scale, the building scale, the urban scale, the global scale and the cultural scale. Each building creates a ripple effect beginning with one occupant to ultimately reach its even wider audience which experiences it. Using the same model and materials at different scales produces different qualities in terms of human activity. It radically changes the perspective of the user towards the space. Change in scale alone can make a huge tower which can be inhabited by people transform into a miniature artifact sitting on a table. As Jesse Reiser writes, “Using the same diagram at different scales can produce drastically different effects. Diagrams considered conventional at the large end of the spectrum- a scale of the city or the neighborhood- or at the small endthe scale of clothing- are regarded as radical as the middle scales of architecture”. 7 The staircase intervention for WeWork is a good example for testing how scale can change the whole perspective of a design. The intervention itself can be scaled up or down to so as to see how it affects the WeWork building. Change in scale radically changes the scale of the material and texture as well altering it’s effects on the building as well as its users. The following diagrams depict how the insertion, by changing it’s scale affects the building and user interactions within itself. The insertion when blown up, acts as a core which houses the vertical circulation that connects the floors of WeWork. Whereas, when it’s reduced in scale, access to humans become limited. Further diminishing the scale of the insertion transforms it to a scale fit for sculptures and furniture. Figure 43 : Schematic section of the intervention Reiser, Jesse, and Nanako Umemoto. Atlas of Novel techtonics. Princeton Architectural Press, 2005.
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Figure 44-47 :Schematic sections showing scalar experimentations
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Figure 48 : Scale of the model is magnified in order for people to inhabit it where the surface of the model is as big as a wall panel
Figure 49 : Model is scaled down to furniture level
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Figure 50 : Model is scaled down to furniture level
Figure 51 :Scale of the model is magnified in order for people to inhabit it where the surface of the model is as big as a wall panel
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C H A P T E R
E I G H T
Re-Coring
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Governor’s Island presents a provocative site that speaks to the studio’s interests in constructed nature and adaptive reuse. It served as a defense base for the U.S. Army and then the Coast Guard until 2003. Today, it stands transformed into 43 acres of new park space, while advanced development strategies are making way to create a futuristic, educational, non-profit and environment-friendly community. A key component of the development master plans are the hills on governors island that rise up to 70 feet above sea level and are artificially created primarily from construction debris. Development strategies for the island, provide opportunity to reuse the historic houses in the north-east part of the island that were constructed in the late 19th century but have been largely unused over the past few decades. For the past couple of summers these houses are being used by artists for art fairs, installation art and interactive experiences. The focus of the studio is the architectural reconfiguration of house no 14. through the insertion of a circulation element which introduces new material and spatial organizations. The studio explores innovative environmental and architectural systems using contemporary design technologies and contemporary design thinking. The aim is to have both a strong external aesthetic and tectonic identity in its interiority. The research contexts that framed our studio were -post-natural: acknowledging the Anthropocene as our current environment and in that sense working with what is now “nature”. The post digital which is moving past the digital age and re engaging analog methods in blurring that differential. And the Post human that extends the scope of designing to non human species. Studio Critic- Nathan Hume, Brian Ringley and Jeffery Anderson- Pratt Institute (Spring 2020) Figure 52 (left) : Photo of House number 14 on Governors Island
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Figure 53 : Plan of Governors Island
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Figure 54 : Cut plan of House number 14 before insertion
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Research Statement The project stems from the idea that Architecture is essentially an extension of nature into the man made. Incubation and re-generation of ‘nature’ controlled by ‘man-made’ conditions and microclimates is the crux of the project while also setting up a stage to exhibit the conflict between the two. This project strives to exaggerate and showcase this tension and ambiguity between the ‘natural’ and ‘man-made’. Performative systems come into play to exaggerate and build further on this concept while also generating a living green system in otherwise vapid conditions. The project questions what constitutes nature today with respect to the Anthropocene.
Figure 55 (left) : Collage showing selective revealing of the insertion with respect to different exhibition areas
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The images by Susanne Moxhay play a big role in developing the concept behind the re-designing of the core for House no. 14 on Governor’s Island. What is interesting in the photos is the subtle tension between the green and the house - between nature and the man made structure - a kind of ‘tug of war’ between the two. Governor’s Island itself is a landmass that has undergone successive transformations over the years and is an interesting example of the ‘natural’ and ‘man-made’ working together and against each other. One cannot easily point out what is natural and what is synthetic. Apart from Antrhopocene, Constructed Nature is another a term which encapsulated the project. According to me, Constructed nature stands for when man-made technologies and nature come together and not stand apart, to create better environments and ecologies. It is a formal discourse that engages geometric figuration with forms, evoking natural materialities to create new synthetic conditions. Materials of the Anthropocene which stems from the fall research perfectly falls within the narrative of ambiguity between the man made and natural. An example of this is plastiglomerate where plastic melts and fuses with natural materials such as stone fragments, sand, etc resulting in a plastic-rock hybrid. The new formed material is part natural and part synthetic but one cant tell apart which is which. Large quantities of the old granite sea wall lie on Governor’s Island. Using this, along with plastic trash, as a building material can allow us with an opportunity to help reignite the growth of organic matter(lichens) that once inhabited it. In essence, we take raw materials from the island, process it and use it as a building material for the design.
Figure 56 (left) : Cut Plan of the insertion
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The current function of the house (exhibition gallery) takes the spotlight with the insertion acting as a backdrop, selectively revealing itself as one moves through the space. We see the insertion as a prototype that acts as a circulation and services core for the house while also creating new spaces. The casette like insertion is planned in a way so as to have minimum impact on the existing layout of the house. The current function of the house being an exhibition gallery takes the spotlight with the insertion acting as a backdrop, selectively revealing itself as one moves through the house. There is a constant feeling of tension between the house and the insertion, a kind of tension where the house is trying to keep the casette insertion inside, and the insertion is trying to jump out. The users play an active role in the design as they experience unique material and formal qualities on every turn as they explore the house. There are Certain instances where the insertion grows on the house, while other times where the house wins against the it. The circulation is intentionally hidden between double walls, and new viewing gallery spaces have been designed between existing floors providing the user different vantage points to view the exhibition. The insertion pierces through the entire existing house, connecting the old spaces which are now used as exhibition galleries to the new viewing galleries jutting out of the insertion. Tension between the existing house and the insertion comes through via the user experiencing compressive and expansive spaces as he/she moves through the house.
Figure 57 (left) : Section drawing showing tension between insertion and existing house
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84 Figure 58 : Axonometric view showing connection between the insertion and the house
Figure 59 : View showing Exhibition Gallery with insertion in the background
Figure 60 : View of insertion on the basement level
Figure 61 : View seen as one enters the house
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92 Figure 62 : View of the insertion from within
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Performative Systems leads towards an approach in design that is centred around the construction of systems which act as mediator and enabler for creating architectural forms and spaces. Instead of acting directly on a given design, one builds, changes and tweaks the underlying systems that not only delivers an architectural product but along with it aims to augment these systems to generate new outcomes, climates and environments. Performative systems come into play in the design for re-coring House No.14, to further exaggerate the tension and ambiguity between the natural and man made. A mix of grey water recycling systems and radiant heating/cooling systems aid in the generation of microclimates that further help in the rejuvenation of organic matter, lichens in this case, on the surfaces of the insertion. Grey water from washrooms and sinks are circulated in pipes within the walls of the insertion creating different temperature zones. This allows the user to ‘feel’ the space change, rather than the usual visual and tactile connection. A drip & spray system keeps parts of the walls moist providing dampness for the growth of lichens. Excess water is stored in water catchment pouches on the wall surface and enhances the tactility of the otherwise geological texture. The lichens, being a natural element grow on the walls of the insertion, only because it is in an enclosed and a controlled environment. Moreover, the changing colors phenomena of the lichens, which is a natural process, is accelerated by technology thus blurring the lines between natural and man made. The growth of lichens and water catchment pouches help further dramatise and bring to the forefront the concept of a living wall. These not only act as ways to improve the performance of the house but also engage the user in a dialogue about what constitutes nature today. Figure 63 (left) : Growing lichen on the walls of the insertion
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Recycling grey water
Radiant Heating and cooling
Thriving Lichens
Figure 64 (left) :Detail showing performative systems within the insertion 96
Bibliography Bois, Yve-Alain, and Rosalind E. Krauss. Formless: a Users Guide: Zone Books, 1997. Chalcraft, Emilie. “Researchers Develop ‘Biological Concrete’ for Moss-Covered Walls.” Dezeen, 3 Jan. 2013, www.dezeen.com/2013/01/03/spanish-researchers-develop-biological-concrete-for-moss-covered-walls/. Daily, AEC. “Why Incorporate Moss Walls into Architecture.” ArchDaily, ArchDaily, 19 Oct. 2019, www.archdaily.com/926367/why-incorporate-moss-walls-into-architecture.
Frank Gehry: Design Philosophy & Process.” Study.com, 6 October 2017, study.com/academy/ lesson/frank-gehry-design-philosophy-process.html
Foundation, Dia Art. “Richard Serra Torqued Ellipse.” Art, www.diaart.org/collection/collection/ serra-richard-torqued-ellipse-i-1996-1997-001.
Gissen, David. “Nature's Historical Crises.” Journal of Architectural Education, vol. 69, no. 1, 2015, pp. 5–7., doi:10.1080/10464883.2015.987066.
Governors Island, govisland.com/. Koolhaas, Rem, et al. Elements. Marsilio, 2014.
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Marani, Matthew. “T+E+A+M Simulates Natural Processes to Make Spectacularly Synthetic Materials.” Architect's Newspaper, 5 Mar. 2019, www.archpaper.com/2018/05/team-simulates-natural-processes-to-make-spectacularly-synthetic-materials/.
Mitchell, Beverley. “The World's Largest Indoor Farm Produces 10,000 Heads of Lettuce a Day in Japan.” Inhabitat Green Design Innovation Architecture Green Building, 2014, inhabitat.com/ the-worlds-largest-indoor-farm-produces-10000-heads-of-lettuce-a-day-in-japan/. Morton, Timothy. Hyperobjects: Philosophy and Ecology after the End of the World. University of Minnesota Press, 2014. Newsom, Hannibal. Tarp Architecture Manual. Pratt Institute, School of Architecture, 2012.
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Pallasmaa, Juhani. The Eyes of the Skin: Architecture and the Senses. Academy, 1996.
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Stravinsky, Igor, and Robert Craft. Themes and Episodes. A. A. Knopf, 1967. Suh, Jung Jae, et al. “Study: Strange Objects in UNStudio Architecture.” UNStudio, www. unstudio.com/en/page/7672/study-strange-objects-in-unstudio-architecture.
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List of Figures Contents cover page : 3d printed + Hydro-dipped model Art/ Sculpture/ Architecture : Physical Model partially 3D printed and casted Figure 1 : Torqued Ellipses by Richard Serra at Dia:Beacon | Photo credits : Vineet Hingorani Figure 2 : Asakusa Culture Tourist Information Centre blending perfectly in its sourrounding context Photo credits : Takeshi Yamagishi | https://www.archdaily.com/251370/asakusaculture-and-tourism-center-kengo-kuma-associates Ambiguous Objects : Bicycle parts kit bashed on Rhino and rendered using Keyshot Figure 2 : Original Piranesi Plate | https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/ Figure 3 : Piranesi plate with highlighted elements Figure 4 - 7 : Kit bash/Organizations of highlighted parts from Piranesi print Figure 8 & 9 : Hydro dipped Object Figure 10 & 11: 3D printed objects Figure 12 : 3D model depicting Object-Context Relationship via materiality Figure 13 : Exploded view depicting evolved Object and its relationship to its Context Figure 14 : Contrast colors differentiating Object and its Context Figure 15 : Rendered View showing scale of the Object and its Context Figure 16 : 3D Printed Model depicting ambiguity between Object and Context Figure 17 :Section showing relationship and the ambiguity between object-ground Figure 18 : Horizontal cut through the Object and its Ground/Context Figure 19 : Contrast colors differentiating the Object and its Ground Figure 20 : Rendered View showing scale of the Object and its Ground Figure 21 : Physical model depicting different materiality between Object-Ground Between Nature and Architecture: Depicts Nature taking over a man-made structure Figure 22 : The ceiling of Sagrada Familia by Antonio Gaudi depecting trees ina forestnthrough architecture | Photo credit : John Kennan| https://www.archdaily.com/438992/ad-classics-lasagrada-familia-antoni-gaudi Figure 23 & 24 : Paintings by artist Suzanne Moxhay showing nature taking over a house Figure 25 : Image showing plastic waste in ocean P Photo credit : Rich Carey | https://www. nrdc.org/stories/10-ways-reduce-plastic-pollution
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Synthetic Nature : Physical model casted with household plastic waste Figure 26 : Samples of Plastiglomerate found on the Hawaii | Photo credit : Kelly Jazvac | http://www.kellyjazvac.com/Stones/Stones.html Figure 27 : Casting Experimentations with household/ plastic trash Figure 28 : Vertical Farming, Japan, GE & Shigeharu Shimamura | Photo credits : Inhabitat | https://inhabitat.com/the-worlds-largest-indoor-farm-produces-10000-heads-of-lettuce-a-dayVertical Circulation : Staircase by Diller Scofidio + Renfro at New York's Museum of Modern Art Figure 29 : Plan and Sectional Elevation of the Laurentian Library Figure 30 : Elevation showing the Yoshio Taniguchi staircase at MoMA, New York Figure 31 : Image showing the dramatic ramp of the Guggenheim Museum, New York | Photo credits : Kelly Chan | https://www.metropolismag.com/architecture/cultural-architecture/franklloyd-wright-guggenheim-book/ Re-Working Wework : 3D Printed model of the insertion Figure 32 & 33 :Setenil de las Bodegas, a town in Spain depicting the contrast between man-made architecture and nature. | Photo credits : Manuelfloresv and Jose Luis Sanchez Mesa respectively | https://www.archdaily.com/600098/living-under-a-rock-setenil-de-lasbodegas?ad_medium=gallery Figure 34 : Schematic section with intersection within the WeWork building Figure 35 : Detail Section of the intervention Figure 36 : 3D printed physical model of the insertion showing vertical circulation Figure 37 & 38 : Material Experimentation using concrete and resin and plastic waste Figure 39 :View of the vertical circulation within WeWork building Figure 40 : Speculative plan view of the vertical circulation within WeWork building Figure 41 :View of the vertical circulation within WeWork building Figure 42 :View of the vertical circulation within WeWork building Scalar Relationships : Collage showing model scaled up to a size that one contour is equal to one riser Figure 43 : Schematic section of the intervention Figure 44-47 :Schematic sections showing scalar experimentations Figure 48 : Scale of the model is magnified in order for people to inhabit it where the surface of the model is as big as a wall panel
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Figure 49 : Model is scaled down to furniture level Figure 50 : Model is scaled down to furniture level Figure 51 :Scale of the model is magnified in order for people to inhabit it where the surface of the model is as big as a wall panel Re-Coring : Abstract photo of the physical model showing interiors of the insertion Figure 52 : Photo of House number 14 on Governors Island Figure 53 : Plan of Governors Island | Photo credit : Governors Island Trust | https://govisland. com/about/public-presentations Figure 54 : Cut plan of House number 14 before insertion Figure 55 : Collage showing selective revealing of the insertion with respect to different exhibition areas Figure 56 : Cut Plan of the insertion Figure 57 : Section drawing showing tension between insertion and existing house Figure 58 : Axonometric view showing connection between the insertion and the house Figure 59 : View showing Exhibition Gallery with insertion in the background Figure 60 : View of insertion on the basement level Figure 61 : View seen as one enters the house Figure 62 : View of the insertion from within Figure 63 : Growing lichen on the walls of the insertion Figure 64 : Detail showing performative systems within the insertion
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