A recent presentation on the value that I believe intuition holds as a design tool in contemporary processes, which have become increasingly more tech-driven. This discussion was given to a small group of designers and architects of varying ages and demographics.

This is in no way a presentation seeking nostalgia, but more identifying where the human variable exists in the design world we are operating in today.

Presentation Link

MS

This project via Archinect this morning by Yaohua Wang for best thesis 2010 at Sci Arc. Occassionally one comes across imagery that represents a project unlike something seen before (personally) – this is one of those times.

These are compact, and efficient images that seem to convey the object as a physical model rather than a a moody experience. Well crafted and nuanced.

Neil Denari is smiling somewhere.

MS

The question of representation for me has always been one of great interest in its relevance to architecture. This topic has been exhausted in most instances with methods and techniques of representation ranging from technical drawing, digital rendering, watercolor, photography, or all of the above. We can, however, draw a line in the sand between those works which use a representational technique simply as illustrative of an idea, and a means to communicate the dimension and material of the architecture, versus those works who employ representation as implicit in part or whole of the concept. In the former, the art form and craft of the representational technique is distinct from the idea conveyed in the architecture, whereas in the latter the two are synthetic.

Historically, projects and architects who engage in this discussion are too numerous name – some recent / not-so-recent standouts for me are representations of projects from Morphosis and Wes Jones, to Ali Rahim and Hernan Diaz Alonso. All have a common thread, and are able to create compelling and communicative representation while still maintaining the semblance of a larger message and atmosphere.

Most recently, as architecture always seems to be the slowest to adopt lessons from other media, there has been a surge in what could be called amplified representation. This technique, rather than use reality as an unattainable benchmark, uses reality as a backdrop to amplify the subject (or visa versa), and a way to ground the absurd in something familiar. In effect, this tends to heighten the affect of both – as one registers each one against the other.

Three examples that come to mind may be familiar. The Amazing World of Gumball on the Cartoon Network has to be one of the most visually compelling pieces of TV I have seen in a while – not because of the content (although cute), but because of the visuals, which for me, steal the show. Here, cartoon characters are not just overlaid onto real backdrops, they are embedded in them. Materials reflect and characters cast shadows. The visual mood of the scene is translated to the characters through light and camera effects, all of which creates a surreal and incredibly compelling environment. Even the characters themselves begin to take on a vintage visual undertone which I never tire of.

While I don’t fancy myself an expert on comic art (read: nerds don’t kill me), I have always had an incredible appreciation for the methods and conventions of the craft. What comics lack is motion, and as such, they rely on the distortion and amplification of the subjects through representation to convey movement, action and atmosphere. Again, artists use familiarity to underscore the exaggerated, super-human characteristics of the subjects.

For instance, we know what our own legs look like, and we also know that they don’t ever appear backlit, menacingly bent, with a superfluous amount of muscles. Put together these are illustrative the subject, but are also synthetic to the very core idea of the comic – making still pictures move.

300, a movie out for long while now, also employs a different technique to achieve a similar end. Having begun as a comic, the director made painstaking steps to recreate scenes in the comic. However, as the comic was rooted in reality, but did not adhere to it’s rules, we find that making that leap required significant shaping of atmosphere, mood, physique, and physical environment by Zack Snyder.

Here, color is altered, contrast is elevated, action is subject to time changes – all in service of elevating or amplifying the subject to convey the aggression and moodiness of the story. Interestingly enough, the movie actually tried to slow the action in scenes to capture the still imagery conveyed by the comic.

While just a few examples it will be interesting moving forward to see how this type of technique will continue to trickle into architecture more convincingly than a SketchUp model Photoshopped into a street photo, as a way to underscore an larger concept.

MS

While not groundbreaking in terms of computation, they were purposeful in finding a sound technique in developing a practical façade solution in a very short amount of time. The overall result was also somewhat unexpected – a happy accident.

Dynamic Skin: Type A from Michael Suriano on Vimeo.

Dynamic Skin: Type B from Michael Suriano on Vimeo.

MS

Posted to Voxl.

From the proposal:

The Pushkinsky Cinema proposal is rooted firmly in the desire to maintain the integrity of the urban plaza facing Tverskaya and extend its popularity as an icon in Moscow City. While the venue is currently successful as an urban destination and social junction, it lacks the architectural gravity that its cinematic heritage suggests. This proposal aims to ensure its stature in the years to come at the forefront of international film sites.

The intent through the design is to set the plaza façade as a foil to the east / west faces to create interest, difference, and contrast. The longer side facades are subdued, linear, quiet, and punctuated with integrated signage. The plaza however, is in stark contrast to ambitions of the sides, seeing that austerity fall away, revealing nuance, color and material difference.

From a site standpoint, the necessity of elevating patrons over the road, and up to the entry is focal. This proposal maintains the intent of the original cinema, but uses the civic scale circulation to house moments of repose to serve a dual purpose. The first is to allow opportunity for congregation and interaction on a day-today basis, and secondly, to allow for spaces outbound of the primary circulation when the cinema’s primary event is elevated to a national or international level. These spaces will allow one to see, and be seen on the red carpet.

The front façade employs the use of two DuPont products as double skin of sorts. The outer is Corian exterior cladding, panelized as a frame, and systematically inflected inward to the entry. As this façade can be seen not only in elevation, but obliquely as well, the frame’s faces are coded differently according to RGB (red, green and blue) values – a hint to the primary light colors needed to create white light, and subsequently the projected motion picture. These produce an array of affect as one moves around and through the façade. The Corian system is backed up by a Sentry glass curtain wall, which provides the thermal enclosure for the space.

This proposal reflects a civic presence akin to the Russian persona – one that is at once quiet and stoic, and at others full of life and color.

MS

I was prompted on what my view of design was today, and I realized that in the day-to-day, we hardly ever take the time to articulate what “design” is or how we approach it. It is something we are asked to have conviction about, struggle with, hypothesize on, and even build a practice around. While this might be too broad and not personal enough for some, I thought it helpful nonetheless in defining these things for me. Obviously it has an architectural bent, so take that with a grain of salt. It’s a list of 5 with two  sub-points.

An Architectural Disposition

1)      Simplexity is my lens and filter to view design.

2)      Design is organized problem solving. It is identifying unique constraints of problems which beget unique solutions via form and function.

3)      Form (Geometry + Material) is the primary medium which we address the physics of space making and the seed for the engagement of the 5 senses. These, in turn, produce “experience” at urban, building, and human scales.

1. Architecture is the only medium that addresses making the object, while simultaneously making the volume of the object. BOTH hold value.

4)      Function is the sum of Aesthetics, Logistics and Situations that make a cohesive building ecology.

1. Functional Ecologies cannot and should not be individually optimized. Nature operates through the optimization of the whole as opposed to the part.

5)      Form and Function should support the betterment of the human condition.

As always, thoughts are welcome

MS

The first place was awarded to Atelier CMJN (Julien Combes, Gaël Brulé) from France for their ‘LO2P Recycling Skyscraper’ in New Delhi, India. The project is designed as a large-scale wind turbine that filters polluted air with a series of particle collector membranes, elevated greenhouses, and mineralization baths.

The second place was awarded to Yoann Mescam, Paul-Eric Schirr-Bonnans, and Xavier Schirr-Bonnans from France for a dome-like horizontal skyscraper that harvests solar energy, collects rainwater, and preserves the existing urban fabric at ground level thanks to its large skylights and small footprint.

The recipient of the third place is Yheu-Shen Chua from the United Kingdom for a project that re-imagines the Hoover Dam in the U.S. as an inhabitable skyscraper that unifies the power plant with a gallery, aquarium, and viewing platform that engages the falling water directly.

To explore the winners and 32 honorable mentions go to http://www.evolo.us/category/2011/

MS

It is with great pleasure that I announce the (pseudo) launch of my new website, Voxl which will focus on documenting personal and professional works and investigations.

Voxl is a creative outlet whose purpose is both to propose and test design ideas, as well as document and assess past and current design work. It will stay rooted in an architectural bias, but will also occasionally permeate into graphic design, and other visual arts.

It has been a long time in the making, and an even longer time on the GTD list. Although the project list is short at the moment, it will get longer in the coming weeks as I kick the tires, synthesize and format on-going pursuits. I hope you enjoy it, and welcome any comments you have!

Æsthe/tech:Tonik will continue to be a mainstay in its attempt to provide contemporary editorials on things that are purty. Thanks to those readers who agree.

http://www.voxl.us

mvsuriano [at] voxl [dot] us

All the best this 2011

MS

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MS