Architecture Design Studio I Ross Piccinini
Narrative for Design Progression Section 1 Models 1-5 August 20 - September 10
! The most significant aspect of my design is the repeating circular format. The circles bend and move through the pieces like a natural flow that can be present with a stance and importance all its own. It is designed to slowly come out of nothing into a center point then fade back into nothingness. It should be as seamless to the eye as a Swiss Clock. My intent is to make this design analogous to the action of the sea ebbing and flowing back and forth against the shore, possessing a wave characteristic along with steadiness. ! I want others to see my design as being harmonic with themselves from a biological and natural point of view. The harmony of mind and body summed up into a design that emanates pleasure and reliability. A familiar way to achieve this would be adding a spine quality to my design which would be reminiscent of strength and balance. I have refined the design to be less symmetrical and more alive with motion so the viewer should see and feel these qualities. I lean for inspiration from the bone structure of humans and other animals along with curvaceous structures like the Sydney opera house. My success in integrating these qualities into the next iterations will depend on my willingness to let go of mental restrictions and lock step thinking. ! My design represents the body. The body I have in mind is any kind of animal with a bone structure. The design is more stout than elongated so if it were extrapolated literally from nature it would have more in common with a large mammal than a reptile. This mammalian stature is similar to our own but with more bulk to cary the weight. The design is also about coming and going in a fashion that does not leave the eyes sore or the mind blank but more of a content feeling. The gliding aspect should reflect balance.The three words I would use to describe my intent would be: flow, glide, and balance. Not balance in terms of strict adherence to a pattern but like the balance of the body as it leans to one side to pick up and object. ! The order in which the viewer will see my design will start with a rough triangle then more and more detail will be noticed. The viewers might start by thinking about a circle, then see the circle in concentric rings, that it moves from center to right like a bobbing shore maker. The viewer might feel a presence of being on the water because of the flow of the spine. Or maybe they might feel like they are looking at a ship or on a ship pulling out of port. ! The design provokes thought regarding order and balance. The circles bend and twist around a central line as thought might around a beautiful landscape. It can also be representative of looking at something from both sides and eventually seeing the same thing like a hidden mirror. So reflection can be a theme in the shape. I have described the design as having flow, glide, and balance which are qualities always welcome in design. Axis and repetition are present throughout models 1-5.
Architecture Design Studio I Ross Piccinini
! The organization of the design is simple and progressive. The model is sectional with circles that are 1/2 inch smaller than each other in circumference. The middle circle is 6 inches in circumference and the farther away from the center 1/2 inch of the circumference is removed until the end circle is equal to 3.5 inches in circumference. ! I envision the organization of the following iterations to be more like an open sheet. The circle will be opened up and allowed to ‘blow in the wind’. I want the ends of the open circle to glide effortlessly from one side to the other like a white sheet on a cloths line in the wind, rippling though itself with apparent beauty and easy strength. Emergent properties of wind can also be expressed.