Restricting Optimization through Guerrilla Architecture

RESTRICTING OPTIMIZATION THROUGH GUERRILLA ARCHITECTURE

RESTRICTING OPTIMIZATION THROUGH GUERRILLA ARCHITECTURE RYAN CRANEY

RYAN CRANEY

RESTRICTING OPTIMIZATION THROUGH GUERRILLA ARCHITECTURE RYAN CRANEY

Ryan Craney Bachelor of Architecture Design Thesis 2014-2015 Thesis Advisor: Doug Jackson College of Architecture and Environmental Design California Polytechnic State University San Luis Obispo, California All rights reserved.

All images and content created by the author is believed to be either in the public domain or used appropriately according to the standards of “fair use� and attribution. Inaccuracies may be directed to the attention of the author and will be corrected in subsequent editions.

Contact at Rcraney92@gmail.com.

Published by Blurb Press.

HOW DOES THE ARCHITECT SURVIVE IN A FUTURE VOID OF ARCHITECTURAL RESPONSES TO CULTURAL AND SOCIAL CONDITIONS?

TABLE OF CONTENTS 07 THE FUTURE

ABSTRACT GOING VIRAL ULTERIOR MOTIVE WAR AND ARCHITECTURE INSTANT CITY

40 ENTRY

SITE 584 TRANSPORTED

58 EGRESS

SITE 103A THE SECRET GARDEN

72 TENANT

SITE 043 SHARED INTERESTS

90 ADDITIONAL CONTENT STRIPTEASE APPENDIX

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Restricting Optimization Through Guerrilla Architecture

ABSTRACT

THE FUTURE

This thesis explores the current trend of

the architectural profession. Some of these

efficiency-centric urban construction and its

skills—for example, tenant improvement

potential to result in hyper-optimized cities

and infill designs—already exist, but are not

where architecture loses its responsiveness

being utilized to their full capacity. Meanwhile,

to cultural and social conditions. In order

advances in technology will bring about

to explore the possibility of architecture

new design strategies to the architectural

to recover from such a situation, this

discipline, including augmented realities and

project exists in a fictionalized future city

robotic construction. Through innovative

which has evolved into a hyper-optimized

and original use of these design strategies,

urban condition, lacking even public

the guerrilla architects will be responsible

spaces and cultural hubs. The purpose of

for reinserting public spaces into the main

exploring architecture in these extreme

components of the optimized tower (the

urban metropolises is to bring attention to

entry, the circulation core, and the tenant

the current direction of architecture and

spaces). Through this guerrilla architecture,

allow architects to respond to this trend

the architects have the opportunity to

preemptively through their current work.

reintroduce responsiveness into design

The primary enablers of the future city are the evolutionary modelers—programs

and bring awareness to the monotonous conditions of the future cities.

which utilize the iterative design process and input parameters to develop a complete architectural design—and they will provide the opportunity for the developer and client to bypass the architect completely. This will have a significant impact on the architectural discipline, as many developers will no longer see the value behind hiring an architect for their designs. As the architecture discipline declines, the few remaining architects will survive through adopting new skills into

7

The Future

Striving for efficiency is not a new

logic.2 Similar to how a designer works, the

phenomenon to the world of architecture,

program will produce a model based on a

rather it’s become a recurring catalyst for

set of input parameters (set by the client or

change and advancement of our discipline.

designer), evaluate how well the resulting

For instance, the introduction of computer-

form achieves these parameters, and repeat

aided drafting (CAD) into the design process.

the process with adjusted settings. The

This new form of representation allowed for

result is an efficient design that best matches

more accuracy and speed when producing

the input parameters.3 The advantage to

drawing sets, even opening up possibilities for

using an evolutionary algorithm over the

new, complex forms, not previously capable

human thought process is the computer’s

with 2D drawings.1 The transition to digital

innate ability to calculate complex problems

representation had a snowball effect on the

tirelessly. Although architects are notorious

role of the computer in the architectural

for working long hours and extended days,

discipline, leading to a plethora of new design

they still have basic needs to function

programs with countless capabilities and

(sleep, food, socialization, etc.), whereas

applications in the design process. Among

the computer is not hindered by these

this field of design programs there has been a

characteristics. The evolutionary solver still

recent emergence of programs like Revit and

remains in the early stages of development,

Grasshopper, which utilize parametric design

so we haven’t yet seen the full potential

processes. While parametric digital modeling

of such a tool, however, it will remain a

is still considered cutting-edge, we are already

looming threat to the traditional process of

seeing it’s progression towards another

design. The fear in evolutionary computing

form of modeling, known as evolutionary

derives from an approaching reality where a

computing. This new software could very

computer can be programmed to complete

well initiate a paradigm shift in the disciple of

all the process necessary to design a building,

architectural design and devalue the role of

thus eliminating the value of the architect.

the architect.

Evolutionary computing, in its most basic form, is a program that can solve problems through iterative process and evolutionary

Carpo, Mario. The Alphabet and the Algorithm.

Rutten, David. Evolutionary Principles Applied to Problem Solving.

3 Holland, Nate. Galapagos Project Teaser.

1 2

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restricting Optimization Through Guerrilla Architecture

FUTURE CITY DESIGN WITH EVOLUTIONARY MODELERS PROGRAMMATIC ATTRIBUTES HOUSING MAXIMIZE VIEWS LARGE WINDOW AREA SMALL FOOTPRINT

OFFICE LARGE FLOOR AREA MAXIMIZE DAYLIGHTING NARROW PROFILE

RETAIL GROUND LEVEL MINIMIZE WINDOW AREA LARGE FLOOR AREA

SERVICE UNDERGROUND/CORE MINIMIZE WINDOWS MAXIMIZE VENTILATION

FUTURE CITY DESIGN WITH EVOLUTIONARY MODELERS PROGRAMMATIC ATTRIBUTES HOUSING MAXIMIZE VIEWS LARGE WINDOW AREA SMALL FOOTPRINT

OFFICE LARGE FLOOR AREA MAXIMIZE DAYLIGHTING NARROW PROFILE

RETAIL GROUND LEVEL MINIMIZE WINDOW AREA LARGE FLOOR AREA

SERVICE UNDERGROUND/CORE MINIMIZE WINDOWS MAXIMIZE VENTILATION

9

The Future

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Restricting Optimization Through Guerrilla Architecture

11

The Future

The New Functionalism Era A client’s dream, yet an architect’s

profession is heading, critical architecture

nightmare… having a computer that can

will be overcome by its practical counterpart

design an entire building—based on the

and society will be left with a highly-polarized

input of basic parameters—that is both cost

organization of spaces.

effective and efficient. Yet this unease is not restricted to the discipline of architecture, it is a concern for our society as a whole. If we follow this path, our built environments will be reduced to cities full of pragmatic, life-less structures, produced by teams of developers and planners. Architects will be left to designing only the occasional cultural spaces (museums, culture centers, churches, etc.), leaving the profession as a whole greatly diminished. This polarization could even lead to an objectification of culture, in which we would use augmented realities to digitally project and overlay our cultural experiences in the public realm. While this still remains in the architectural realm— thus it would be designed by architects—it removes the architect’s ability to design an experience with unplanned and spontaneous spaces. Architectural movements will then be determined and limited solely by the individual inhabiting the space and their own personal projections/perceptions, which further reduces the necessity of the architect.

With the direction that the architectural

This goal of pure efficiency of the built space is highly reminiscent of the functionalist movement of the mid-nineteenth century.

Le Corbusier’s famous quote, “a house is a machine for living in,”4 is almost a spot on interpretation of what evolutionary algorithms aim to design. Purely functional space would closely resemble that of a machine, the space would be void of emotions and opinions. We see this idea in more detail in Le Corbusier’s Ville Contemporaine. The contemporary city was never realized, however its ideas were quite reflective of the functionalist movement of the time. Every part of the city had a function and each function had its own place. Even the aesthetics of the city feel unnatural in form, as the plan consists of a matrix of 60-story buildings sliced by high-speed freeways used to whisk the inhabitants between functions. 5 This utopian idea of a city was provocative in theory, yet it produced a rather homogenous society that took the life out of the city and in turn transformed the residents into parts of a

4 Corbusier, Le, and Frederick Etchells. Towards a New Architecture.

5 Corbusier, Le. The City of To-morrow and Its Planning. New York: Dover, 1987.

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Restricting Optimization Through Guerrilla Architecture

machine. (St. Louis Precedent) A similar study of this can be seen outside of architecture, conducted by a mechanical engineer named Frederick Taylor who

a craft-based art rather than a technical expertise because achieving full optimization removes all pleasure and interest from the discipline.7

was interested in the idea of scientific

Author Hilde Heynen further explores the

management. He firmly believed in output

impact that the functionalist movement had

and efficiency being the two most important

on the discipline of architecture in her book:

aspects of success and happiness, as

Architecture and Modernity: A Critique . In

described in this quote from his book, The

this text, she writes about the inability of pure

Principles of Scientific Management”:

functionalism to be critical:

“The principal object of management should

“If architectural functionalism is understood

be to secure the maximum prosperity for

as adherence to the purely practical,

the employer, coupled with the maximum

instrumental demands of assemblage

prosperity for each employé… No one can

efficiency and economy, then the aesthetic

be found who will deny that in the case of any

moment of architecture is abandoned, and

single individual the greatest prosperity can

precisely this reduction, Adorno claims,

exist only when that individual has reached his

is responsible for the monotony and the

highest state of efficiency.”6

paltriness of architectural manifestations in

This obsessive level of attention to efficiency

the 1960s.”8

is exactly what the architectural profession

If architecture loses its ability to be engaged

does not need. One can already see the

through mimesis, “then functionalist

impacts of this optimization with the

architecture loses its critical distance and

introduction of the “kitchen triangle.” It may

can play only a confirmatory role.”9 This

be a small design rule-of-thumb, however it is

would mark a huge shift in the architectural

indicative of the potential of architecture to

disciple. A loss of criticality would render

be over optimized. As Daniel Willis describes

the profession irrelevant at a cultural level,

in The Emerald City, architecture must remain

while objectifying design to pure function.

Taylor, Frederick Winslow. The Principles of Scientific Management. 9-12.

Willis, Daniel. “The Impact of the Computer on Architectural Practice.” The Emerald City and Other Essays on the Architectural Imagination. 270-74.

8 Heynen, Hilde. Architecture and Modernity: A Critique. 84.

9 Heynen, Hilde. Architecture and Modernity: A Critique. 84.

6 7

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The FuTure

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restricting Optimization Through Guerrilla Architecture

15

The FuTure

Shouldn’t the developer appreciate good design?

That was our ďŹ rst mistake... all they Will work for want is money. anything...

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Why Mies!?

Restricting Optimization Through Guerrilla Architecture

Rather than providing insight and meaning,

of developers is not a realistic solution, as

the architect’s purpose will solely consist

such a solution would require a radical change

of providing a service to the client. This

in the way that our society, our government

moment, a loss of autonomy in the discipline

and our economy functions. Instead, the

of architecture, has once again surfaced as a

change needs to stem from the architectural

major issue for the architects of today.

discipline and architects need to adapt new

Fortunately, the original functionalist movement never reached this polarized state, as interests shifted towards a more aesthetic interpretation of functionalism.

The inability to reach a perfect functionalism can be attributed to the architect’s cultural engagement. Designers could never achieve a perfectly functional design because they naturally projected their own beliefs into their work. In other words, it would be impossible to separate a designer from the cultural state in which they inhabit. However, it is unlikely that a second functionalist movement will take this same course. Given that architectural designs will now be achievable by computers, rather than architects, developers and clients will have total power in deciding the ultimate fate of architecture.

Furthermore, the capitalistic society that we have in the US will continue to encourage the developers to invest in the cost-effective and efficient solutions, rather than the socially beneficial ones. By the time that autonomous evolutionary design becomes possible, it will be too late for us to change and the architectural discipline will undergo a dramatic paradigm shift. Approaching this dreary future with hopes to change the capitalist mindset

ideas and technology in a way that combats a hyper-optimized urban state.

Guerrilla Tactics One of the toughest challenges architects will face in the future will be rebuilding the value of architecture after it has evolved to a hyper-optimized state. The daunting task will require a full-fledged rebellion against the developers and planners that are instigating an architecture without criticality or meaning.

This group of rebellious designers—referred to as guerilla architects—must use their formal knowledge and technical skills to design new, influential spaces that will have a lasting impact on the people who use them.

The architecture built against the trending urban cityscape will become a form of spacial propaganda in the centuries to come.

Given the efficient nature of the city and the skyscraper, inserting new and extraneous architectural installations will be a challenging task to behold. Therefore, the guerrilla architects must approach the issue with an organized strategy that challenges the existing architecture on multiple fronts. This strategic attack can be broken down into three different typologies: tenant improvements,

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The Future

infill structures, and manipulated realities.

require collaboration with other groups to

Each of these three architectural strategies

succeed. This second tactic, manipulation

targets a different aspect of the hyper-

of the building’s own structure, requires the

optimized urban cityscape and together they

architect to collaborate with the client in an

provide a platform from which architects will

unconventional relationship. Working with

be able to implement responsive projects

a building’s tenants, the guerrilla architects

back into the architectural paradigm.

will orchestrate a dramatic restructuring of

Infill structures may be the most simple and familiar technique of the three approaches.

These structures would take over the gaps tucked in between the towers and tenant spaces, physically bridging different spaces and creating spontaneous moments that would otherwise be absent due to the planned spatial organization. Their programmatic purpose is dependent on the context of their hosts, but through these parasitic connections to the existing framework there is an opportunity to challenge the notion of efficiency as the perfect solution for all architectural space.

Inherently, these parasitic spaces will become

space that benefits both the tenants and those in proximity to the new spaces. This reprogramming of the existing space is known as tenant improvement. Although this idea is not new to the construction industry— as it is often used in commercial leases to change a space to fit the client’s needs— its application in this scenario will have a profound impact on the architecture of the city. These improvements will become violent manifestations of a shift in the architectural paradigm towards a construction industry that values the architect, equal to or more than the optimization of the architecture.

inefficient and excessive. In this excess,

Lastly, guerilla architects need to affect spaces

however, will arise a new idea of architectural

in the realm of virtual reality. At this point

meaning (or rather the rebirth of an old

in the future, augmented realities will simply

idea), thus kick-starting the spatial revolution

be layers of information overlaid onto the

that the guerrilla architects are fighting to

cityscape from one’s current perspective.

implement. These infill structures will not

Rather than continue this trend, architects

conform to their hyper-optimized context,

have an opportunity to change one’s

but starkly contrast them in an effort to

perception of space through manipulations of

recover the lost idea of responsive architect.

this augmented reality rather than displaying

The idea of the architects successfully fending off the hyper-optimization trend on their own is delusional and a revolution will

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the existing function-based design into a new

the information pragmatically. For instance, two distant spaces may be connected through augmented reality in such a way that was not possible before, initiating new interactions

restricting Optimization Through Guerrilla Architecture

and blurring the line between ones place

dimension in which guerilla architects can

in the physical reality and the virtual reality.

begin to explore.

While innovative and exciting, this approach will necessitate a change in the existing role of the architect. In order to manipulate digital realities, architects must adapt to a new environment. The profession has begun this adaptation already through digital modeling and representation, however learning to code and script computer programs will become a required part of the architect’s toolkit. This change is necessary to keep the profession relevant, as well as opening up a new spacial

These three different approaches vary greatly from each other, but when used collectively they provide a viable weapon for guerilla architects to use in the campaign against hyper-optimization. Together they convey the simple message that a responsive architectural environment is an important aspect of our cultural progress and a complete loss of this architectural responsiveness will result in the stagnation of our urban environments.

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The Future

Planning for the Future

This paradigm shift comes as a result of the

The urban fabric of the city is a constantly

relationship between the developer and the

changing, responsive structure that adapts

architect; whereas the architect is responsible

and accommodates to the technological

for designing responsive spacial conditions

and cultural values of our societies. This

and producing a set of drawings to have it

constant adaptation will reform skylines

produces, the developer is more concerned

drastically over the next two centuries, as a

with constructing a building that maximizes

connection between the building developers

profits. Given that the developer typically

and evolutionary modelers eliminates the

owns the property that is being built upon,

need for the architect to design a project.

they have the ultimate control when it comes

As a result, these new cities will take on an

to end result of a building and when faced

entirely different aesthetic determined by

with two design options—the architect or

the optimization of a place rather than its

the evolutionary algorithm—chances are

responsiveness. Even in our current state,

they will go with the cheaper, more efficient

the cities are exhibiting this shift towards

of the two: the evolutionary algorithm. This

functionality in new developments and, in

efficiency and optimization will also become

turn, cause a loss of public space throughout

the same characteristics that make the city

the city grid. With a disappearance of

sterile and stagnant in appearance, with a loss

critical architecture and open public spaces,

of spontaneity.

the functions of these conditions are being transferred into a new layer of information being projected onto our cities via augmented reality. In just the span of 200 years, the cities we inhabit today will be drastically transformed into stagnant architectural metropolises disguised by a virtual layering of digital information.

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With developers and planners taking full control of the design process, the projects in the city will be defined by only the limits of code and planning regulations and architectures responsibility to respond to a greater purpose will become neglected.

This type of pragmatic design has already become apparent in the new construction

The city of the future will largely formed

of skyscrapers today. The 432 Park Avenue

under the control of the developer rather

project, for example, is the tallest residential

than the designer. Formal moves and

skyscraper in the western hemisphere and

responsive designs will slowly disappear

it easily towers above the rest of midtown

with the introduction of evolutionary

Manhattan. Past projects like the Lever

algorithms into the architectural industry, as

House do not take full advantage of the

the architect must succumb to the cheap and

buildable square footage and instead focus

optimal design produced by the computer.

on responding to the need for a social change

Restricting Optimization Through Guerrilla Architecture

(in the case of the Lever House, injecting

remain as a superficial overlay over physical

more public space into Manhattan), whereas

reality, distracting the users instead of

432 Park Avenue is only defined by its local

influence them.

zoning code and required setbacks. This maximization of rentable space is perfect for the developer’s needs, but it doesn’t result in exciting, thought-provoking architecture.

Already, the 432 Park Avenue sticks out like a giant Lego brick on the skyline and more of these mundane towers are already going up. Within the next 200 years this type of building will be common, overtaking the current skyline with a new one that requires augmented reality to instill interest back into the city.

This dangerous concoction of hyperoptimization and augmented reality will inevitably lead to a disappearance of public space. With social media becoming ever more prevalent in today’s society, the public parks are becoming obsolete as places of social interaction. Users prefer the convenience and simplicity of social networking site like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, rather than enjoying the spontaneous occurrence that take place in public squares and parks. Soon, social networking will

While augmented reality has been a topic

become even more tempting as it transitions

of interest in the technological world for

into the world of augmented reality, and will

many years, it has yet to find a place in our

become a permanent source of interaction

daily lives. This can attributed to a lack of

projected onto the physical city scape. As

need; our current reality is engaging enough

social networks gain users, the developers

to warrant the need for augmented realities

will have an opportunity to build over once-

unnecessary, however the future does not

valuable park spaces and squares. These

look so promising. Augmented realities will

public spaces will be quickly constructed into

take the place of our spacial experience

large towers, leading to a depletion of urban

through layers of data, advertisements, and

public spaces, as well as the spontaneous

social features. This new users interface will

events and cultural significance associated

become dominant in such a way that the

with them.

physical realm of stagnating architecture goes unnoticed, further perpetuating the construction of more hyper-optimized skyscrapers. While the augmentations may be replacing the responsiveness of architecture, this does not imply that retain the same level of responsiveness as the previous architecture did. The augmented reality will

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ENTRY

The FuTure

BUILDING ENTRY

22

CIRCULA

TENANT

CORE

ATION CORE

HYPER-OPTIMIZED MIXED USE TOWER restricting Optimization Through Guerrilla Architecture

CORPORATE OFFICES

COMMON HOUSING INTERESTS SHARED BETWEEN TENANTS

CORPORATE OFFICES HOUSING

TENANT SPACE

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GOING VIRAL ABSTRACT MODEL CARVED WOOD BLOCK

GOING VIRAL

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Restricting Optimization Through Guerrilla Architecture

As an early stage of my design development,

languages that offer the user an entirely new

this abstract model explores the idea of the

experience. A large goal of offering this new

virus in an architectural form. The virus, in

experience is to allow the user to interact

this case, is a new type of space previously

and communicate with each other in new

removed by the introduction of computer-

an exciting ways through physical means of

based designs into our cities. This space may

interaction, as well newer digital means like

appear chaotic and dangerous, however it

augmented reality and live streaming,

has its own set of common rules and design

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GOING VIRAL

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Restricting Optimization Through Guerrilla Architecture

ULTERIOR MOTIVE VELLUM FURNITURE COMPETITION TABLE / BENCH / SHELF

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ULTERIOR MOTIVE

At a glance, this furniture piece might appear

The flexibility of this furniture piece highlights

as any typical, mundane table; however

the ulterior motive of its design. The piece

further exploration reveals an entirely new

is physically mutated by the growth of these

typology embedded within the table itself. The

new appendages and a softening of some of

furniture has transformed with the growth

the table’s edges. From this simple mutation

of legs and shelves across all of its faces and

arises a conflict between the mundane, stated

it takes on an ambiguous and adventurous

message (the furniture piece as a table) and

new personality. This personality engages the

an alternative message (the furniture piece

user through interaction with these adjustable

with no defined purpose). This conflict is

appendages that are undefined in purpose and

not resolved, but rather accentuated in the

provide ample opportunity for exploration

“Ulterior Motive.�

and play.

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ULTERIOR MOTIVE

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WAR AND ARCHITECTURE PRECEDENT STUDY LEBBEUS WOODS

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WAR AND ARCHITECTURE

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Restricting Optimization Through Guerrilla Architecture

A recurring term in Lebbeus Woods’

in context to the surround structure,

description of his work in Berlin is the

the freespace itself seems closed off

freespace. The freespace begins as a series

and inaccessible. In the context of a viral

of useless, meaningless spaces that scab

contamination of a city, the distinction

over the scarred architecture. A freespace

between mutated space and efficient space

does, however, hold “a set of potentials

must have an increase in permeability. A

for occupation arising from material

closed system would not be practical or

conditions.” The freespace is then a space

sustainable for a viral mutation, as the

of pure ambiguity and it can only defined by

virus needs a way to grow and expand its

the people that inhabit the space. Resolving

network to other users.

1

the issues created by a city designed by evolutionary algorithms will require a similar ambiguity of space and program. The solution must require the user to reinvent their use of the space entirely and it should establish a heterarchy of sorts. Otherwise, if there was a programmatically-prescribed function to the space or the space falls into a previously known building typology, it runs the risk of falling back into the same efficiency-based system as before.

Therefore the freespace is a successful exploration of what a viral mutation could programmatically resemble within its space.

Lebbeus Woods introduces this concept of the freespace with hopes that it will prevent society from fully collapsing into conformity and predictability through the use of continual spontaneity and play. These freespaces could be a vital part of the response to an evolutionaryalgorithm designed world. In order for it to be successful technique, the spaces must be redesigned to be more sociable and permeable in their relationships with the hyper-functional spaces that they are trying to repair. In order to explore possible solutions to this problem, there must first

Woods’ representation of freespace

be a site and programmatic typology in

in the Berlin Free-Zone project gives a

which to experiment.

physical form to the ideas presented in the previous paragraph. While these images are successful in creating a new typology

1

Woods, Lebbeus. Radical Reconstruction.

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WAR AND ARCHITECTURE

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Restricting Optimization Through Guerrilla Architecture

INSTANT CITY PRECEDENT STUDY ARCHIGRAM

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INSTANT CITY

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Restricting Optimization Through Guerrilla Architecture

Even though Archigram peaked almost fifty

This system has obvious correlations with

years ago, it still remains a relevant critique

the guerilla architecture described earlier,

of our modern society, and their work

however this solution would not be viable

addresses much of the same contemporary

in today’s culture. One of the largest flaws

issues that viral architecture will also

in the design of the Instant City is its scale.

have to challenge. By the time Archigram

We now live in a world where technology

began, Britain was emerging from this

is constantly reducing in size, and such a

depression into an economy of excess and

massive blimp would not only be impractical

consumerism. Archigram responded to the

and slow but possibly even disinteresting.

blatant flaws of the Brutalist style with a

A virus would have to take a subtle form

radically different take on architecture and it

that fits well into the digitized world of

use focused on the consumer and pleasure.

our phones, cars, and offices. Rather than

1

This new approach – as seen the Instant

applying a brute force invasion of the Instant

City – is essential to rescuing architecture

City, a modern architectural virus would

from a stagnant, algorithmic future.

need to use ingenuity and trickery to distract

The Instant City addresses the issue of undernourished, slow-moving cultures much like what can be expected given a world design by an algorithm-based system.

The largest part of the project takes the form of a slow-moving floating structure, however, its ultimate purpose is to set up an instantaneous network between small cities across Great Britain.2 This network then becomes an incubator of cultural exchange and social experimentation, much like we see on Facebook and the internet today.

the users and interrupt their daily routines with a mutation. To reference another Archigram project, Living City Exhibition seems to be a much more appropriate scale for implementing change rather than the massiveness of the Instant City.3 That being said, the virus must expand its self through replication, so even a project that began as the Living City Exhibition could quickly reach the scale of the Instant City invasion.

In order to support this massive growth, the architectural site needs to be an incubator for the growth of technology and networks.

Sadler, Simon. “Unfinished Business: Pop.” Archigram: Architecture Without Architecture.

Cook, Peter. Archigram. 86-99.

3 Cook, Peter. Archigram. 18-23.

1 2

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INSTANT CITY

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ENTRY

PULLING USERS OUT OF THEIR VIRTUAL REALITY COCOONS The typical entry to an optimized tower is an inhospitable space, obscured by a dense forest of retail storefronts and circulation cores.

While these mall-like spaces often give off the appearance of a welcoming entrance, this superficial façade quickly gives way to a cold, machine-like sequence for entering the building.

This plaza insertion utilizes the excessive ceiling height of retail stores to introduce a public space for tenants and passersby to enjoy. The plaza exhibits a variety of augmented realities— as well as a lack of AR—as a design strategy in order to bring attention artificial nature of virtual overlays and the role architecture could play in conjunction with these projections.

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Entry

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eNTrY

Ooh, maybe we should check out that public plaza… I haven’t seen one of those in forever!

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restricting Optimization Through Guerrilla Architecture

I was wrapped up in my own little virtual cocoon before coming here. I wonder how much different this world is without my personal info overlay.

Ok glass, take a picture.

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eNTrY

Plan 1/32” = 1’ 0”

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eNTrY

Section 1/16” = 1’ 0”

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restricting Optimization Through Guerrilla Architecture

Section through a Retail Space This implementation of guerrilla architecture relies on the typical characteristics of a retail space: high ceilings, long spans, and open spaces. It uses these characteristics to insert itself above the occupiable retail space, yet below the ceiling plane. In this between space, the form meanders organically throughout the different retail stores, touching down occasionally with large staircases design to pull unsuspecting bypassers into the heterotopic collection of public plazas, museums, libraries, and other public spaces above.

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eNTrY

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restricting Optimization Through Guerrilla Architecture

The Ascent Giving a quick glance into the exciting spaces above, these grand staircases hint at the social function of this new space, while adding a sense of mystery and excitement to what lays ahead.

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eNTrY

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restricting Optimization Through Guerrilla Architecture

Mixed Realities This new public space employs a blend of both physical compenents (ie tables, bookshelfs, etc.) and virtual overlays, like the park setting seen in the background.

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Entry

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restricting Optimization Through Guerrilla Architecture

37.2350° N, 115.8111° W SKYCAM

10’ CEILING SHIFT RUSH HOUR

MIST TRAIL

YOSEMITE NP

SPACE IN USE 10PX GAUSSIAN

YOGA IN THE PARK CENTRAL PARK

PRIVATE EVENT 10PX GAUSSIAN

MÖRZELSPITZE

DORNBIRN, AUSTRIA

AFTERGLOW JAMES TURRELL

The Tailored Experience Augmented reality’s role in architectural space has not yet been developed past the point of basic informational overlays in someone’s line of vision. Rather than rely on the superficial solution, physical compenents can indicate and reflect different spacial qualities based on the current conditions (time of day, individual using the space, etc.). This allows a more custom experience for each user and it changes their spacial perception through manipulating architectural forms, rather than relying on Facebook pop-ups and unwanted advertisements.

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Entry

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Unlimited Expansion The overhead space of retail store is only obstructed by the occasional HVAC ducting or temporary partition, making it possible for this system to expand indefinitely over time.

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Entry

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EGRESS

ESCAPE FROM THE MONOTONY OF THE URBAN CITYSCAPE The future city, while extremely efficient, comes in the form of a monotonous grid of glass and steel skyscrapers, broken only by the occasional train track or construction site. Reflective of this efficiency-centric architecture, the lifestyle of the city residents has become bogged down by the need for optimization in every aspect of one’s daily routine. However, the lucky few who stumble upon this insertion hidden within the egress core of the tower are offered a temporary refuge from the world outside. The secure nature of an building core provides a buffer from real life, in which organic and natural forms can flourish.

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Egress

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Egress

The Escape When one enters an egress core, they are leaving the outside world for a safe and sheltered space, disconnected from all of the concerns of reality. That makes the egress stair a perfect place for the secret garden to exist, waiting to be found by an unexpecting wanderer.

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SeCTION 1/4” = 1’ 0”

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eGreSS

Plaza Plan 3/32” = 1’ 0”

Balcony Plan 3/32” = 1’ 0”

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Existing Concrete Core Various Small Plants

Irrigation Pipe System 1/2” Threaded Steel Rod 1/4” Neophrene Pad 6” Steel U-Channel w/ Metal Stiffeners 2’ O.C. 1/4” Steel Mount Arm Custom Steel Bracket Clip-on Composite Panel Typ. Plastic Planter Box

Planter Detail 1” = 1’ 0”

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eGreSS

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A Place to Relax Shrouded in green vines and flowers, the terrace walls of the secret garden provide a visual relief and distraction for anyone that happens to stumble upon it.

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Egress

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Nestled in the Staircore While the staircore might not be the most logical place for a garden environment, it provides a much needed buffer from the gloomy conditions in the rest of the tower.

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Egress

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TENANT

COORDINATING TENANTS TO CREATE NEW PUBLIC SPACES The guerrilla architects succeed through broadening their skill-set, which includes employing new real estate techniques to collaborate with new clients. By orchestrating new relationships between neighboring clients and creating a shared public space, in which both clients could benefit, the architect can begin to construct new type of architectural insertions in the existing optimized towers. This Venn diagram approach has the potential to reintroduce public space into the city through a new client/architect relationship.

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Tenant

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Programmatic Similarities TeNANT Coporate Headquarters

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residential Shared Program Diagram Typically, neighboring tenants hardly interact with each other outside of the awkward elevator journey or quick passing in the hallway. This diagram explores the potential for tenants to create a more beneficial relationship, in which they share many of their spaces to benefit all users of the space.

Apartment Housing

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Atrium Section 1/16” = 1’ 0” 77

TeNANT

Atrium Section 1/16” = 1’ 0” 78

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Existing Steel Structure Fireproofed Typ. Glass Curtain Wall Facade System

Light Gauge Steel Framing

Suspended Perforated Metal Panels

GFRC Floor Panels Steel Beam Insertion

Wall Section 1/8” = 1’ 0” 79

TeNANT

Level 74 Plan 1/32” = 1’ 0”

Level 75 Plan

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Level 76 Plan

The Landscape The structure of a tower is typically very rigid in form and the orthogonal grid provides an efficient and simple space for people to occupy. This type of structural organization will thrive in the buildings of the hyper-otpimized future. While efficient in nature, this form does not accommodate the organic form that we find in nature. This insertion attempts to reintroduce the natural landscape back into these towers through the use of tenant improvement and the need for public space in an otherwise barren environment.

This new shared space fights the mundane structure of the grid through juxtaposing a more organic and sloping surface for people to inhabit. While it provides the users a release from the orderly structure of daily life, the space also encourages interaction in new and atypical ways.

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TeNANT

Level 77 Plan 1/32” = 1’ 0”

Level 78 Plan

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Level 79 Plan

The Atrium Penetrating through the corporate offices above, this atrium space provides the workers a brief glimpse into the public space. The atrium screen, transclucent in material, also provides a surface for which augmented realities can be projected onto, changing the nature of the public space below.

The atrium space also provides a sense of openness and adds a grandeur to the public space below, which was lost with the claustraphobic construction of skyscrapers that are solely intending to make money at the highest profit margin possible. In order to bring further attention to this suppressive condition, the original steel structure pierces through the atrium and floor spaces as a reminder that the efficiencycentric thought still remains dominant in the hyper-optimized cities of the future.

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TeNANT

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Exterior Facade at Night Surrounded by the hyper-otpimized, this space stands out as a tear in the normal skyline. Behind this tear, a radical new space is born and inhabited by the buildings residents and workers.

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TeNANT

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Obscured by Augmented Reality This new public space maybe be small, however it utilizes augmented reality technologies in new, architectural ways to taylor an individual experience for each user in the space.

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Tenant

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Sharing the Space By utilizing tenant improvement, this space becomes a shared public space by both residents and employees. This blend of users allows for new interactions between both groups.

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Tenant

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STRIPTEASE JACKSON STUDIO THESIS EXHIBITION BERG GALLERY

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striptease

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“Striptease” was the final exhibition of 5th

meaningfully intervene within the world, and

year undergraduate architectural thesis

to create powerful new experiences.

projects produced by the 2014-2015 Jackson Studio, and featured 18 projects that were each a unique critical inquiry into new possibilities for architecture. These thesis projects were the result of a year of intensive research and design work, and represented a wide range of ambitious proposals that demonstrate the potential for architecture to

The “Striptease” installation was designed to present the wealth of this research and design content in manner that rewarded protracted and in-depth engagement— through techniques that offered playful and interactive forms of exploration.

Designed and constructed by the students in the studio, this installation featured two

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striptease

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forty-foot long by five-foot high suspended

a mouse, but without actual contact. The

rear projection screens that defined a

interactivity of the Leap Motion interface

meandering perimeter to the gallery space,

enabled visitors to select and manipulate

and which displayed a continuous image

content from the constantly moving image

crawl of each of the students’ thesis projects.

crawl, and to customize their own viewing

Advanced visualization software donated

experience of the work. This interactive

by ImmersaView allowed for geometric

interface, which was entirely designed and

correction of the projected images on the

programmed by the students in the studio,

curved surfaces of the projection screens.

allowed visitors to manipulate content with

Visitors were able to interact with these strips of moving images projected on these screens through the use of Leap Motion 3D controllers, which employ hand- and finger-

three basic gestures: pushing forward to select content, pinching to grab and move content, and pinching and moving both hands together or apart in order to resize content.

sensing technology in order to allow users to control content on a screen similar to using

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WORKS CITED Carpo, Mario. The Alphabet and the Algorithm. Cambridge, MA: MIT, 2011. Print.

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Taylor, Frederick Winslow. The Principles of Scientific Management. New York: Harper, 1913. 9-12. Print.

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IMAGES CITED Pages 32-34 Woods, Lebbeus. War and Architecture. New York, NY: Princeton Architectural, 1993. Print.

Pages 36-37 Cook, Peter. Archigram. New York: Princeton Architectural, 1999. Print.

Pages 92-94 Diagrams by Ben Pennell.

Images by Doug Jackson and Kylin Vail.

All remaining images were produced

by Ryan Craney.

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