Imaginary Spaces

June 2019

Carleton University Studio First

Instructor: Mustafa Faruki

This project explores architecture as a tool for storytelling. It explores how spaces are defined by the history and experiences of the people who inhabit them. Using disassembled piano pieces as a starting point in our design thinking, we were challenged to abstract its geometry, functional logic, and even texture to imagine a new spatial narrative for the artifact. I began this process by isolating the mallet head for exploration, manipulating the shape further and imagining it in different repeating and alternating patterns. This led to the development of two unique structures. Overlaying different context over these structures using trace paper became an exercise in imagining the different worlds this architecture could populate and the many stories they can tell.

Interpretations of the structure at different scales and the context they existed within varied widely amongst friends, reinforcing that architecture is personal and molded by memories and personal experiences. Some imagined a skytrain from one of the structures and others saw a remote research facility. The narratives and context layered overtop the two imagined structures helped inform the design process and the architectural exploration in bringing these imaginary spaces to reality. Repeating the process of reconfiguration and re-imagination with the proposed spaces, the drawings were collaged through repetition and alignments. The result was another abstraction of the original piano piece open to interpretation.

Transmission of airborne disease is a concern in many indoor spaces. Studying the role building design and ventilation play in both the spread and mitigation of aibrone viruses was the primary goal of this research project. Using Computational Fluid Dynamic (CFD) software, I construct fluid simulations that map airflow and aerosol spread within a multi-bed hospital room. Interpreting this data to develop recommendations for building retrofits and COVID-19 intervention planning is especially meaningful as it highlights the impact that the built environment has on health and the responsibility to design safe spaces.