DPM II PRAXIS: FROM DRAWING TO MODEL Brief for 28 October, 4 November, 11 November, and 18 November
Image by Cristina Asenjo and Masaki Echizenya.
“The analogous drawing embodies a changed condition of representation; it exists as the record of its own history. … It has an authenticity, a reality which is, precisely, that of illusion. This reality may then, in turn, be represented in actual buildings. “ Peter Eisenman in “The Houses of Memory, The Texts of Analogy”
INTRODUCTION This brief will cover four DPM II sessions – Technical Illustration and presentation (28 October), Praxis I (4 November), Praxis II (11 November), and Digital Fabrication (18 November). The work produced during this period shall be directly related to your work in Studio (you are asked to use the techniques discussed in the DPM sessions to represent your design project in Cardiff). The overall objectives of these sessions are:
Praxis: Use architectural standards and conventions for accurate and disciplined technical drawing.
Technical illustration and representation: Use narrative, hierarchy, order and layout to convey a specific concept.
Use 3D digital modelling and fabrication tools to investigate the real-world construction of digital models.
COMPARATIVE BOARD By the end of the 3rd session you are asked to prepare a Comparative Board (a board of rationales) that conveys the main concepts of your design proposal in Studio. This board is an opportunity to reflect on and construct – with diagrams, drawings, 3d modelling and 2d collage techniques – a narrative that can explain the key concepts in your design. You are asked to begin with the line drawings produced during the DPM Formfinding sessions and demonstrate how those concepts have been developed into an architectural design for the site you have chosen. In this way, the board should include at the same time diagrammatic and detailed representations of your project, and a comparative overview of the development process. In summary, to complete the Comparative Board you should:
Reflect on and compile the key moments in your design process (Formfinding experiments, site analysis, study of precedents and typological studies, massing, and design process). Establish a narrative by which those key moments of your design process can be communicated graphically in an A1 board. The submission will be both as a hardcopy (plotted, etc) and as a PDF file. Use CAD line drawings to represent the main ideas/stages of your design. Complement the use of CAD with collage, image processing, editing, layering, etc, to produce a complete a conceptual board.
TECTONIC BOARD & LASER CUT MODEL By the end of the 4th session you are asked to prepare a Tectonic Board that conveys the rationalisation of an aspect of your design proposal in Studio. This board is an opportunity to reflect on and construct – with 3D modelling and fabrication techniques – the tectonics of your proposal. How is it to be constructed and detailed? The board should include drawings of the rationalisation process culminating in a set of profiles to be digitally fabricated on the laser cutter. Expand on the development process by selecting a detail, a façade or an overall massing of your project to prepare for a physical model. The physical laser cut model should be exploratory rather than just representational. While the presentation boards and model are the result of individual work, you are asked to collaborate with your team members to agree and purchase a set of laser cutter material and create a single set of laser cutter profiles for the whole group. Each of the original groups will submit one file to be laser cut on behalf of its members.
TIMETABLE / OUTCOMES 28 October – Technical illustration and presentation This session will demonstrate advanced uses of editing, layering and presentation of architectural drawings using Adobe Illustrator. 4 November – Praxis I: This session will be an introduction to Autocad 2D drafting and how to prepare your 3D Model to be cut on the laser cutter. 11 November – Praxis II This session will demonstrate advanced use of Autocad for technical drafting and 3D digital fabrication. Upload to the Tumblr site by this session a technical drawing representing your project. This could be one of the following: Ground Floor (including surroundings), Sections (that is in plural!), Elevations (also plural!), axonometric drawing. Prepare your drawing knowing that it will make part of your comparative board. Upload to the Tumblr site by this session a finalised drawing representing your project (the final version of what you started for the previous session). Monday 14 November – Submission of Comparative Board By this date you should complete your Comparative Board. Include the drawing prepared over the previous two sessions along with all references, diagrams and images to complete your comparative board. The Comparative Board should be printed in A1 size and uploaded to the Tumblr site. Printed versions of the boards should be handed over in Reception by midday on 14 November. 18 November – 23 November Digital Fabrication
These days will be reserved to laser cut your models. A detailed sign up sheet and schedule will be posted closer to the date. Bring to these sessions ready laser cutter profiles and materials.
Thursday 24 November – Submission of Tectonic Board By this date you should complete your Tectonic Boards. Include the drawing prepared over the previous sessions along with all references, diagrams and images to complete your tectonic board and profiles for your laser cut model. The Tectonic Board and photos of the laser cut model should be printed in A1 size and uploaded to the Tumblr site. Printed versions of the boards should be handed over in Reception by midday on 24 November. Friday 25 November – Bring Laser Cut Model to the morning lecture to briefly celebrate and present the work.
TO LOOK AT
Aranda, B., Lasch, C. (2006). Tooling. Pamphlet Architecture 27. Eisenman, Peter. Ten Canonical Buildings. Rizzoli Publishers, New York, 2008. Kolarevic, B. (ed) (2005). Architecture in the Digital Age: Design and Manufacturing. Taylor and Francis. Leach, N., D. Turnbull and C. Williams (eds) (2004). Digital Tectonics. Wiley. Mills, C. B. (2005). Designing with Models: A Studio Guide to Making and Using Architectural Design Models. Wiley. Rahim, A. (ed) (2000). Contemporary Processes in Architecture. Architectural Design. Wiley. Rahim, A. (ed) (2002). Contemporary Techniques in Architecture. Architectural Design. Wiley.
Image by Gayathri Kesavan / Trinadh Pydipally