SUBTERRANEAN MSARCH 2018-2019 Siramon Suvichanvorasin
SUBTERRANEAN Siramon Suvichanvorasin
PRATT INSTITUTE, SCHOOL OF ARCHITECTURE Graduate Architecture & Urban Design (GAUD) David Erdman, Chairperson GRADUATE ARCHITECTURE (MS.ARCH) Ariane Lourie Harrison, Coordinator
2018-2019
Contents Introduction
01 - 02
Chapter 01 Exploring Context
03 - 14
Chapter 02 Exquisite Architectural Bodies
15 - 34
Chapter 03 Parasite Inside
35 - 48
Chapter 04 Urban Geode
49 - 64
Cumulation
65 - 66
Bibliography
67 - 67
References and image citations
68 - 68
SUBTERRANEAN
Introduction Context is the most important thing to architectural design. Without context the design is nothing but meaningless object. Since architecture is more than geometry design, there are functions, users, spaces and technology aspects within the design. It is not always that the architectural design has to be the same as the context, sometimes it can break the context, but context and architecture remain dependent on each other. In this book, I had experienced several ways to approach contexts in term of design cognitive, figure-ground, positive-negative,
and
harmony-
contrast. Integrating digital media and also handcraft to explore the affects.
1
Introduction
2
SUBTERRANEAN
EXPLORING CONTEXT We live in the world that is comprised of so many different things, creatures, environments, and societies. Recently, there is a new interest in describing how these objects co-exist and inflect each other : theories such as OOO (Object Oriented Ontology) in Graham Harman’s work suggest that they affect each other aesthetically They are all have their own identity and selfexpression. Whatever happens in the same context, it creates a relationship between itself and context in clearly way or just hidden expression. It is
inevitable
that
the
relationship
between them s an evolving dynamic.
3
Chapter 01 : Exploring Context
4
SUBTERRANEAN
EXPLORING CONTEXT Harmony within Diversity According to the importance of context, the idea of this project is to make a relationship between all elements which they are all different from each other by using some elements to tie them together. The first project is Embed Object and Context I. The objects developed from combining small objects together. The subtracted parts will show first and then eventually reveal the outer outline. The following project was developed from paired-objects which have the same shape. They left their orientated footprints in different sizes on a context. For the context, it showed the identity and break the objects’ traces by grid line, while the color of the grid lines is almost similar to the object. Although they have different shapes which are common grid line and alien shapes, they can go along together by the same color. Then, to develop them into 3 dimension in Embed Object and Context III, the objects
Figure 1-1: Embed Object and Context II
5
Chapter 01 : Exploring Context
were generated into different forms which are sphere, a common geometry form and alien sharp form. The space between them connects these two together. The context connected the objects by color and lines. In Embed Object and Context IV, there are groups of different objects which share the same space. Two different materials on addition and subtraction forms are connected by the material’s pattern which are lines and then continue to the drawing. Color saturation also helps the connection and blend everything together. There are many ways to define an object to understand its properties. According to “Third Table”, Graham Harman explains that the first is table of everyday life which explain its appearance or use. The second as a collection of atoms, breaking down the table to its molecular level. These two interact with human. The third is the idea of real a table. He points that “Objects are deeper than their appearance to the human mind but also deeper than their relations to one another”1. 1 Graham Harman, “The Third Table” In Katrin Sauerländer (ed.), Documenta: 100 Notes-100 Thoughts. Documenta (2012). 4
Figure 1-2: Embed Object and Context II
6
SUBTERRANEAN
Figure 1-3: Embed Object and Context I
7
Chapter 01 : Exploring Context
Figure 1-4: Embed Object and Context I
8
SUBTERRANEAN
Figure 1-5: Embed Object and Context II
9
Chapter 01 : Exploring Context
Figure 1-6: Embed Object and Context II
10
SUBTERRANEAN
Figure 1-7: Embed Object and Context III
11
Chapter 01 : Exploring Context
Figure 1-8: Embed Object and Context III Figure 1-9: Embed Object and Context IV (P.13-14)
12
Subterranean
13
Exploring Context
14
SUBTERRANEAN
Exquisite Architectural Bodies The project takes a material approach to the post-digital project in current architectural discourse. It encourages deep material explorations in search of
organizational
principles.
Using
and full
aesthetic
participation
of machine in the design process. Robots here are not reduced to only manufacturing laborers, but they, along with their evolving drivers and routines, are invited to enter into ‘creative’ dialogue with the human and material.
15
Chapter 02 : Exquisite Architectural Bodies
16
SUBTERRANEAN
Uncanny Object “The uncanny arose from the transformation of something that once seemed homely into something decidedly not so, from heimlich to unheimlich.”2 - Anthony Vidler There are several ways to approach a context in architectural design, Anthony Vidler’s “Architectural Uncanny” describes an unsettling relationship between context and object yet one charged with a strong identity. According to the reading, “Architectural Uncanny” by Anthony Vidler, I think the reason why he defines uncanny as “unhomely” because the architecture which we already saw or expected that it would be like this was possessed by alien feature. This is make it is not look like things we can see in normal life and make us feel anxious. The feature distorted several aspects which involve the architecture such as history, society and politic. Most of them look surreal and transcendence especially avant-garde style. 2 Anthony Vidler. “The Architectural Uncanny: Essays in the Modern Unhomely”. Cambridge, Mass: MIT Press, (1992). 3-14
Figure 2-1: Casting Model + 3D Print Model
17
Chapter 02 : Exquisite Architectural Bodies
The Estranged Object “It can also produce an allure, a strangeness that draws one in, rather than alienates.”3 - Michael Young & Kutan Ayata As well as “The Estranged Object” by Micheal Young and Kutan Ayata, they gave an example of photographers which work by using real image then distort it with abstract feature. We expect photograph should represent real thing which shot by camera but for these photographers, they montage the photo, situated abstract into reality. In my opinion, uncanny or estranged design pursues people to question about inside and function in term of architectural design, they looks interesting yet mysterious because people hardly know its interiority if look only from outside.
3 Kutan Ayata, Micheal Young. “The Estranged Obect”. Graham Foundation, (2015). 29-31
Figure 2-2: Collage image
18
SUBTERRANEAN
Figure 2-3: Texture Map information
19
Chapter 02 : Exquisite Architectural Bodies
Capturing the Object How to make design become more reasonable? A design cannot come from nothing, there are always reasons to support the design or information to process it; however, when designers get resources to design, it sometimes mislead or distort the resources themselves. According to “Common Errors to Avoid” in “Atlas of Novel Tectonics”, Jesse Reiser and Nanako Umemoto, the authors point some regular misunderstanding to use the resources which are linking between data and graphic, map/territory confusion, historic and political used, diagram representation, and using different time and effect in one information4. For my project, I studied artifacts from fabrication design which are materials study, casting, robotic milling and texture mapping that provide architectural design qualities. The resources and information that can be used must show the best alignment of each product in order to integrate these to the design, started by 3D modeling, physical model making, graphic presentation, and intervention onto site, as heterarchy process. Nevertheless, sometimes this difficult to decide which information is better if never started using the information in the process and see how it is going. So, before knowing the most appropriate information to use with my design, there were many artifact studies to be done.
4 Jesse Reiser, Nanako Umemoto. “Common Errors to Avoid” In Atlas of Novel Tectonics. Princeton Architectural Press (2006). 216-227
20
SUBTERRANEAN
EXQUISITE ARCHITECTURAL BODIES Geometries and Tool paths To explore a geometry, first is to find profiles inside the object in order to create a relationship between positive and negative parts of the object. The profiles are used to expose conceptual of the interiority on the negative part. The positive part creates profiles from the part that positive and negative part touch. The geometry that is created by a machine (robotic fabrication) has fabrication artifact. The line patterns shape the geometry form are created by milling path of the machine. Different direction of the lines separate positive and negative parts of the geometry and exaggerate the profiles between them.
Figure 2-4: Modeling Diagram
21
Chapter 02 : Exquisite Architectural Bodies
Materials For the material artifacts, I chose to develop cast objects in resin, rockite, and liquid plastic with blue dyed color. An affect from liquid plastic with dyed color makes the material heat up and bubbled, then it tried to float inside resin and rockite to interrupt sharp layers between them. Blue color with wave line creates an affect of movement between materials. They show quality of cavity by both color and bubbles inside liquid plastic with dyed color material. I exaggerated the quality by digital methods that are collage and photogrammetry base on my casting models.
Figure 2-5: Modeling Diagram
22
SUBTERRANEAN
Figure 2-6: Rough Toolpaths
Figure 2-7: Finishing Toolpaths
23
Chapter 02 : Exquisite Architectural Bodies
Figure 2-8: All Toolpaths
24
SUBTERRANEAN
Figure 2-9: Physical Model from Robotic Milling
Figure 2-10: Physical Model from Robotic Milling
25
Chapter 02 : Exquisite Architectural Bodies
Figure 2-11: Physical Model from Robotic Milling
26
SUBTERRANEAN
Figure 2-12: Collage image from Photogrammetry
27
Chapter 02 : Exquisite Architectural Bodies
Materials and Inscribed Geometries The geometry and material affects reveal qualities of the cavity as articulations of exterior, interior, positive, and negative spaces. The cavity blurs a boundary of what is inside and outside and make them continuously connect an as architectural affect which could look through inside-out and outside-in. Apart from the relationship between geometry itself, a context can become a host for parasite object that is embedded rather than just placed.
Figure 2-13: Image show Casting’s ingredients on Model
28
SUBTERRANEAN
Figure 2-14: Texture map from casting resin, rockite, liquid plastic and dyed color
29
Chapter 02 : Exquisite Architectural Bodies
Figure 2-15: Texture map from casting resin, rockite, liquid plastic and dyed color
30
SUBTERRANEAN
Figure 2-16: Texture map from casting resin, rockite, liquid plastic and dyed color
31
Chapter 02 : Exquisite Architectural Bodies
Figure 2-17: Texture map from casting resin, rockite, liquid plastic and dyed color
32
SUBTERRANEAN
Figure 2-18: Collage image
33
Chapter 02 : Exquisite Architectural Bodies
Figure 2-19: Rendering image
34
SUBTERRANEAN
Parasite Inside To integrate the artifact studies into the context(existing building : 154 West 14th Street, Manhattan), interiority study of the object created is needed in order to decide which affects could emphasize for the invention. The interiority study is only of the object but also the existing building to not damage crucial part of the context; for example, historical facade, main circulation and structure. As well as when the object itself approach by parasite into the existing building, it should not less express itself and blend too much. They are both unique, yet support each other.
35
Chapter 03 : Parasite Inside
36
SUBTERRANEAN
Figure 3-1: Collage image from Photogrammetry and Texture map
37
Chapter 03 : Parasite Inside
PARASITE INSIDE Materials Cavity The first interiority affect was the casting from materials study that show quality of cavity and interiority created by heat chemical between liquid plastic and dyed color which produce bubbles inside during it becomes solid. It shows how the spaces flow naturally as organic forms. After that, texture mapping study by using photogrammetry software make an artifact from the casting and geometry to introduce architectural affect. Mixing between organic affect as a structure and geometry artifact as surfaces, yet represent conceptual context from casting and texture mapping artifact.
Figure 3-2: Materials test from casting resin, liquid plastic and dyed color
38
SUBTERRANEAN
Figure 3-3: Collage image
39
Chapter 03 : Parasite Inside
Figure 3-4: Collage image
40
SUBTERRANEAN
Figure 3-5: Intervention Object Section
41
Chapter 03 : Parasite Inside
The Parasite and the Building Envelope How the facade represents architecture? The facade is one of significant elements that represents architecture’s appearance and it could straighten or distort the effect of the main structure. According to Alejandro ZaeraPolo and Jeffrey S. Anderson, authors of The Ecologies of The Building Envelope : A Material History and Theory of Architectural Surface explain that what make facades evolves over time are technology, environment, economy and world revolution which all involve with materials aspects. Each material has its own properties and the way their represent itself is unique when it covers the architectural structure. It is like wearing a fashion costume that always changed depends on the currents of its period and sometimes it is not follow the body structure inside because of contexts. For example, the appearance of brick masonry construction in Mario Botta’s 1985 San Francisco MOMA is actually a thin veneer of brick embedded in precast concrete panels hung from a steel structure since the architecture has to follow local seismic regulations.5 This shows that the material could expose in many ways, depends on the way to design to compose on/into the other elements/materials that affect its act and behavior. It seems that what the first impression and perception from architecture is the facade which is the most outstanding elements, it might different or follow the structure. However, the reason why the facade is needed may because of contexts.
5 Alejandro Zaera-Polo, Jeffrey Anderson. “The Ecologies of the Building Envelope : A Material history and Theory of Architectural surfaces”. 11-21
42
SUBTERRANEAN
Figure 3-6: Intervention Object Section
43
Chapter 03 : Parasite Inside
Underground Stacks “We are inside the stack and it is inside of us.”6 - Benjamin H. Bratton
Layers show how complicate of an information, it is overlayed by multiple
source then represent into one. According to The Stack by Benjamin Bratton, he suggests six subjects - earth, cloud, city, address, interface, and user - related to each other in conceptual stack organizes a megastructure by technologies for both human and nonhuman.
According to my project, focusing on underground layer, it represents
relationships between below and above ground levels by stacking floors and structure and connecting to the infrastructure - subway station. Human scale also shows how the sculpture intervention relate to people and environment through the section. In my opinion, compare to the qualities of architectural design representing in section, it seems that The Stack’s organization is a conceptual vertical section of a mega-structure showing what people normally cannot perceive directly. According to “Manual of Section” by Paul Lewis, Marc Tsurumaki and David J. Lewis, the authors represent five different types of section - extrusion, stack, shape, shear, hole, incline, and nest - affecting relationship between exterior, interior, context, and materialism through a building’s mass and space which people cannot perceive directly7. As well as, The Stack introduces a conceptual section representing relationship between the six subjects in vertical direction that explains how they are organized.
Moreover, I think the qualities of stacking in term of architectural design is to
increase gross area in a limited area by stacking floors. Perhaps, it is the same idea as The Stack by Bratton that want to exploit the area where human live - the earth, by stack of human and non-human that does not only limit on ground but also underground. The underground stacks represent shaped section and quality of cavity providing spaces, covered by all solid wall which can perceive only in section drawing that the environment was built for people. 6 Benjamin Bratton. “The Stack : On Software and Sovereignty” (2016). 1 7 David J. Lewis, Marc Tsurumaki, Paul Lewis. “Manual of Section” (2016). 6-10
44
SUBTERRANEAN
The Intervention Inside two existing contexts - the building, and subway station - are connected by the parasite object, that smoothly invades from the pit and continue grows to the top of the building. The connection creates new program and approach to both contexts, while remains most of the existing environment. Continuing to underground, the object reveals some part of it above the ground to build an interest and spatial relationship to what happens underground.
Figure 3-7: Section
45
Chapter 03 : Parasite Inside
Figure 3-8: Intervention Plan
46
SUBTERRANEAN
Subterranean Sculpture Human have driven the world and also influenced environment by their intelligence in order to remain their existences even in posthuman era. According to “Architectural Theories of The Environment : Posthuman Territory”,edited by Ariane Lourie Harrison, states that the Anthropocene represents environment affected by human and technology. She added that “the posthuman challenges the long-standing conception of the building as an object autonomous from its environment and governed by disciplinary interiority”.8
8 Ariane L. Harrison. “Architectural Theories of the Environment : Posthuman Territory” New York Routledge, (2012). 5
Figure 3-9: Perspective Section
47
Chapter 03 : Parasite Inside
In my opinion, humans play an important role in changing the world environment ; today’s Anthropocene period indicates that the environment is shaped by and dependent on human activities. Humans build their own environment which is architecture and develop it to meet their needs which it has never been fulfilled. It seems that architecture is part of human because it always represents an existence of human living there. Thus, this design project I represent “environment within environment�, by remaining the existing building and parasite the object inside. These two environments connect by interiority that show relationship between the intervention and human existence inside, represented through functional program, and human scale.
Figure 3-10: Rendering image
48
SUBTERRANEAN
Urban Geode The project is an urban geode: a vertical element that pulls the dark bedrock of Gotham up into the bright offices and pulls people down into one of the most communal urban networks which is the subway. The darkness is intentional into the idea that something as ancient as bedrock could link the contemporary office space to the urban community. The cast concrete outer shell retains the mood and darkness of these urban moments, and the geode brings the darkness into the space.
49
Chapter 04 : Urban Geode
50
SUBTERRANEAN
Cast the Darkness The typically office spaces is bright, well lit and features the open plan of building that allows people to see everything in one stance. However, what if this is not the ideal situation for WeWork, an entity that has an ambition of being a city within the building. For WeWork, the company that claim themselves with we live, we grow, the we company conceives itself a city within the city.
Figure 4-1: Layout
51
Chapter 04 : Urban Geode
Figure 4-2: Section
52
SUBTERRANEAN
Artificial Rock and Digital Ghost The Geode inhabits the current spaces of the city with a performative skin that capacities as a responsive, unique interface. Rocky outer shell yet beautiful mineral inside give two qualities of materiality which are concrete as an artificial bedrock, and digital screen as a glowing mineral. The casting concrete shows interiority and concavity qualities. The concave gives darkness and mysterious feeling which represent by shadow that casts spaces.
Figure 4-3: Collage image shows materiality-Bedrock
53
Chapter 04 : Urban Geode
Inside the rocky dark shell has digital screens in order to provide brightness as well as a quality in geode. The screens does not only give the light but also an interactive digital technology to collect data of people’s movement then represents the movement as a delay of dot matrix data and registers people’s bodies as point clouds.These two information that show on the screen provide a sense of community, the digital ghost community.
Figure 4-4: Collage image shows materiality-Digital Ghost
54
SUBTERRANEAN
Brightness and Darkness WeWork’s office space is full of brightness from natural and artificial light as well as other traditional office area in order to make people awake and work. However, New York city is not only above ground level but also underground where the subway is. This urban network is subterranean which represents darkness from underground, without artificial light it would be a mysterious place full of darkness. Therefore, to bring the mysterious darkness into WeWork is to exaggerate this subterranean that it exists to connect all communities in the city.
Figure 4-5: Physical Model
55
Chapter 04 : Urban Geode
Figure 4-6: Physical Model
Figure 4-7: Physical Model
56
SUBTERRANEAN
A Connection Community The project performs a connection between upperground - underground, brightness - darkness, and public(subway) area - private(office) area. The space creates a new community in semi-public area where people can experience from two different sets of data which show on the screens. To producing a kind of transience of perception, this doubled digital screen offers way-finding (sensors glow in outer walls along ramp, the controllers in a trench around the inner screen create a glowing boundary. The different sets of data can be experience through spaces – the dot matrix can be experienced while using the ramp and the point cloud projections can be perceived through the floor above. For the outer shell which represent a heavy rocky dark space construct by the reinforced cast concrete walls. The walls supports the cantilever ramp which are further supported through metal beams. The screen has its own metal frame structure and is supported through a cantilever beam. The growing trench on the rocky wall gives the sense of direction for people and it is where the movement sensors are placed. The set of data are then after transmitted to the controllers which are hidden in the ramp. The controller’s glows and helps to find the way in darkness. From all the materials and design, the project comments on the naturalization of the workplace, and suggests that the wilderness within the office is constructed from a mix of materialities- concrete and digital.
57
Chapter 04 : Urban Geode
Figure 4-8: Detail Section
58
SUBTERRANEAN
Figure 4-9: X-Box Digital Screen-Sequences of Delay Movement
59
Chapter 04 : Urban Geode
Figure 4-10: X-Box Digital Screen-Sequences of Delay Movement Figure 4-11: Physical Model (P. 61-62) Figure 4-12: Physical Model (P. 63-64) 60
SUBTERRANEAN
61
Chapter 04 : Urban Geode
62
SUBTERRANEAN
63
Chapter 04 : Urban Geode
64
SUBTERRANEAN
Cumulation Humans play a significant role to develop environment in order to satisfy themselves by using political, economy, and humanity aspect, representing by architecture since it footprints of human existences.
The
intervention
shows
how environment is generated within environment, but in term of both things are non-natural. Because people already intervened most of the natural environment by building their own environment, called
architecture,
the
resources
have reduced. So this introduces the way to create new environment to develop existing environment by parasite approaching and the new environment creates a new community.
65
Cumulation
66
Bibliography
Anderson, Jeffrey. Zaera-Polo, Alejandro. “The Ecologies of The Building Envelope : A
Material History and Theory of Architectural Surfaces”.
Ayata, Kutan. Young, Micheal. “The Estranged Object”. Graham Foundation (2015). Betsky, Aaron. “The Triple O Play”. www.architectmagazine.com. Accessed
September 26, 2018.
Bratton, Benjamin. “The Stack”. Cambridge. Mass: MIT Press (2016). Harman, Graham. “The Third Table”. In Katrin Sauerländer (ed.), Documenta: 100
Notes-100 Thoughts. Documenta (2012).
Harrison, Ariane. “Architectural Theories of the Environment : Posthuman Territory”.
New York Routledge (2012), pp.
Lavin, Sylvia. “Kissing Architecture”. Princeton and Oxford: Princeton University Press (2011). Lewis, David. Lewis, Paul. Tsurumaki, Marc. “Manual of Section”. Princeton
Architectural Press.
Perez, Adelyn. “Simmons Hall at MIT/Steven Holl”. In Archdaily (2010). Accessed S
eptember 26, 2018. www.archdaily.com.
Reiser, Jesse. Umemoto, Nanako. “Common Errors to Avoid”. In Atlas of Novel
Tectonics. Princeton Architectural Press (2006).
Vidler, Anthony. “The Architectural Uncanny”. Cambridge. Mass: MIT Press (1992).
67
References and Image Citations
Figure 1-1 to 1-9, Summer Studio, Pratt GAUD, taught by Jason Vineri-Bean. Figure 2-1 to 3-10, Fall Studio, Pratt GAUD, taught by Jonas Coersmeier with
Brian Ringley.
Figure 4-1 to 4-12, Spring Studio, Pratt GAUD, taught by Ariane Lourie Harrison with
Brian Ringley and Jeffrey Anderson.
68