Computation and Familiarity

Edward Park

Three different computational techniques led to the development of three methodologies surrounding the words indifference, estrangement and ambivalence.

Indifference through the use of physics simulations to randomly position non-descript objects around a space, this idea of messy ‘piles’ begins to create an attitude of indifference towards the architecture that contains it. The success of the operation is achieved through the removal of expression and individuality of each object, of aspects such as the material, colour, or programmatic use. Disregarding the individual parts in order to create the whole composition allows for a fuzziness between aesthetics and use. Estrangement The removal of the familiar that creates a strangeness by appending objects until the use or aesthetic of the original is ambiguous or could be mistaken for something else. A new set of readings departs from the original object resulting in a fuzziness that is both replusive yet attractive.

Ambivalence An architectural ambivalence is achieved in the situation where one design driver acts as the familiar, and another driver acts as the contestant to create opposition within a compositional whole. The base architecture is confronted with the carving objects to create the interface between drivers.

Diagram of computational exploration

Indifference Estrangement Ambivalence