Dark to Light >> Ignorance to Knowledge >> Searching within the Shadow

This texture is inspired by Charles Darwin's work. It is intended to be symbolic of a series of organisms within a petri dish.

This texture is very geometrical. It materialised very naturally from the simple crosses too dark blocked in sections of the 6 by 6 square.

I developed this third texture based on a "relaxing" texture that I drew for experiment one. I really like the animation of the branches moving back within the frame. The fourth texture is meant to loosely symbolise the development of a solar cell. With each little part becoming slowly apparent within the light to dark progression.

The fifth texture was my first experiment with grading from light to dark the hatching techniques that I have used in sketches previously. The sixth is a more aesthetically pleasing development of that.

Inspiration

In developing the design for my science centre, that will be the home for Charler Darwin and Nicole Kuepper I took inspiration form the following images and buildings.

I love the stacked sophisticated jenga look of the Zaha Hadid building. It is amazing how it is enhanced by the horizontal lines of the materials.

Vila de Conde Hospital Pediatirc Wing, Portugal, 100 Planos Architectura, 2008

Source: www.archdaily.com

I love the lighting of this structure. Hopefully, I will be able to utilise the tools within Crisis to create a similar impact.

I love how this structure interacts with the environment around it, from colour to lowering walls and large windows.

Early Lab Development

After drawing my axonometrics I developed this basic form for my first lab idea within Sketchup. From my sketches I knew that I wanted the structure to have multiple levels, but overall seem flat. I wanted this flat design so that is could span form the land to the water, which would be another differentiating factor for the two scientists.

I developed the original shape to be appropriate room proportions and height for the function and inhabitants. Once, it was the right size, the proportions did look quite right, so I needed to adapt the shape and measurements.

Kuepper Side - Top Lab

I developed these two sketches over a print out of my sketchup model, which provided options for two different designs. I wanted to make the central meeting place more interesting and I wanted to intercept the labs with the meeting place to create more harmony in the structure.

I really liked the idea of having an open middle meeting point. Both scientists interact with the environment in different ways and by having an open meeting area they are exposed to the elements that inspire their search for knowledge.

Aerial view from Darwin Side.

Immersing the client within their "cave"

I really appreciated the way that Kate interpreted Plato's theory of the shadow in her major work "The Back Box". Plato theorised that we are living within the cave where everything is a shadow of reality and that we should strive to escape. Kate focused on the idea that everything we love is in the world we know and thus we should try to explore deeper within the cave/shadow. This is consistent with Darwin and Kupper's quotes on striving for knowledge.

In my design I am trying to create a space that will encourage their exploration within their fields by surrounding them with their relevant subject matter. Darwin is immersed in the environment, and his work areas are purposefully on different levels to provide him two two different perspectives. For Kuepper, I have maximised the ceiling space of her lab, to provide her with a large amount of space to experiment with. Furthermore, by being over the ocean she is surrounded by the reflection of the sun which is central to her work.

Axoooo... what?

Preliminary Axos

Comprising of 5 rectangular elements

In the first two I have no clue. But in the bottom two, I start to actually understand what an axo is. In the left axos I like the C shapes and the dominating central structure.

These two depict me trying to get a bit of comfort with the angles of an axo in a very simple configuration.

I love the feel of this one, below, how it is almost wrapping around itself. It feels like two elements intensely combined bust still incredibly distinct.

I really appreciate the shape of the left axo. I like how the rectangles going out either end have carved out a negative space as they were pushed through.

I like the multiple levels and layers of the right axo. I also, really like the texture in the bottom left and top right. I think they give them a real character.

Combination Axos

Comprising of 9 rectangular elements

Client Quotes to start Experiment Two

Steven Hawkings

U.S. President Barack Obama talks with Stephen Hawking in the White House before a ceremony presenting him and 15 others the Presidential Medal of Freedom on Aug. 12, 2009. The Medal of Freedom is the nation's highest civilian honour.

Field: Theoretical Physics

Claim to Fame: Hawking Radiation, which is the theoretical prediction that black holes should emit radiation

Quote: "Most sets of values would give rise to universes that, although they might be very beautiful, would contain no one able to wonder at that beauty."

Image Source: Stephen Hawkings, wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stephen_Hawking (accessed 21st April 2010)

Quote Source: Nazih Ghanim Elhayek, Citizens of Planet Earth, Tafford Publishing 2006 pg.18

Charles Darwin

An 1871 caricature following the publication of The Descent of Man

was typical of many showing Darwin with an ape body, identifying

him in popular culture as the leading author of evolutionary theory

Field: Biologist

Claim to Fame: Theory of Evolution

Quote: "Ignorance more frequently begets confidence than does knowledge: it is those who know little, and not those who know much, who so positively assert that this or that problem will never be solved by science."

Image Source: Charles Darwin, wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Darwin (accessed 21st April 2010)

Quote Source: Charles Darwin Quotes, physics org, http://www.physorg.com/news8383.html (accessed 20th April 2010)

Nicole Kuepper

Nicole Kuepper in the labs at UNSW

Field: Photovoltaic and Renewable Energy Engineering

Claim to Fame: iJET cell concepts, which is solar cells made out of affordable components.

Quote: "I love working with passionate people who want to help address climate change and poverty by thinking and experimenting outside the square,"

Quote and Image Source: Deborah Smith, 'Thinking Outside the Square Finds Light in the Over', SMH, August 20, 2008

Animation 3

Focus on the two studios.

Animation 2

The gallery space.

Animation 1 of Final Model

The overall of my final model.

when life gives you lemons, grab some tequila and salt.... my new model!!!

I decided to keep the aesthetic of the structure consistent throughout the three elements of the gallery. I used colour, fittings and texture to create the individual aesthetics and feelings.

The gallery is purposefully plain so to emphasise the art. The room is very bright and open. There are two showcase areas for each artist.

Above is the frustrating area. When entering the space the staircase, as previously discussed is difficult to ascend. There is also another staircase mounted on the roof going no where. The hallway directly after is obstructed by poles. There is then a maze to the left and a store room up the spiral staircase. The floor in the store room is purposefully uneven. The patron must also go through a zig zag of purposefully placed walls to access the large studio. Furthermore, the textures on the wall and the bright colours are chosen to overwhelm and emphasise the frustrating feeling the space creates.

This image captures a section through the two studios and storage spaces. The colour plate chose for the dynamic studio is purposefully neutral to focus attention on the creative process.

The above picture captures a communal meeting area for the two artists, off the entrance to the dynamic studio. This space includes a sitting area and meeting room on the lower level.

I am glad that I decided to abandon my second model and embark on a third as I believe that I have developed the concept a lot further in this model and created a space that is both functional and expressive.

The new stair....

I developed the below stairs, for my new model.

The first represents frustrating. Each stair is triangular and therefore difficult to step up.

This stair case is down to the dynamic studio. It is very linear and comprises of strong angles.

i stretched well beyond me sketchup ability and came up with...the lemon model

I developed my second model based on my section drawing of childhood and dynamic (see previous post). However, I found that I wasn't in love with it. My first problem was that it was too literal. Identifying one problem opened the flood gate. Some other problems that I identified were:

• I was unable to transpose the idea that I captured in my section of the floating tree into my sketchup model.
• I found the gallery space below the ground to feel restrictive and too linear.
• The flow between the three spaces that was conveyed in my section drawing did not work in the 3D model.

Ultimately, I decided that I could not develop this model any further and that I would look at redeveloping my first model, frustrating and dynamic.

Below is a series of images, demonstrating the development process for model 2.

This is an image on the dynamic staircase, which is probably the most successful element of the design.

This image details that process I went though in determining which textures I would apply to the floundering model.

This is the ultra-mod glass tree house, which was a little to literal for my taste.

This image encapsulates how cramped the rather large gallery space felt.

This is the incredibly not functional studio space for unlucky Richard Goodwin.

texture... TeXtUrE... TEXTURE!!

Above, is the list of 36 textures that my group and I developed.

Of these six textures, my favourite is the initial portrayal of recycled. I was trying to express the re-use of rubbish, such as recycled cans to create a material by setting it within a liquid plastic. Also, note the key on the left page used throughout to identify whether a texture is meant for above ground, below ground or in between.

Of these nine, I really like wavey and cellular. The wavey texture is inspired by the Sydney Opera House and I think I could put it to use in my tree house as an abstract texture for the foliage. I also appreciate the strength of the cellular texture which I think could make a very interesting feature within a design.

Of these ten, I love the geometric and relaxing textures. I can imagine the geometric texture as a three dimensional wall covering, which again would create a great feature in a modern design. I like the relaxing texture for it's intricacy and delicacy despite the structure of the lines.

Of these eleven, may favourite is the feathery texture. Inspired by cartoon owl feathers, it is really cute and whimsical.

the next step....

The first section is a representation of stair case designed by Le Corbusier (see original image below). I like the contradiction in the way that the design enables a very heavy material to float. I also like the visual of restricting the railing to only one side allowing the shape of the stair to be exposed.

The Millowners Association Building,

Ahmedabad, India, Le Corbusier

(Source: www.superstock.com)

For my first design, the frustrating and dynamic gallery (model seen below, in previous post) I developed the following stairs.

The frustrating stair case has been designed to be difficult to climb. The visual of platforms that change in depth and the idea of needing to step from side to side for each stair is intended to create a mental barrier for the person climbing them.

Secondly, the dynamic staircase was conceived to follow on the bubbly, dynamic, cellular aesthetic of the underground studio space. I anticipate that they would be made out of a metallic material and not solid, more of a casing for each stair.

For my second design, the childhood and dynamic gallery (see section drawing below) I developed the following stairs.

The childhood staircase is intended to be very simple, so not to draw attention from the key element of the studio's design, the oversized glass tree house. The stairs themselves are also intended to be glass and should appear to be floating up the trunk.

The dynamic staircase is dual purpose and has four parts. First, the simple traditional staircase down the middle to transport the gallery patron to the viewing space. Second, the larger steps on the right intended as seating for viewing the art works which are located opposite the stairs on ledges. Third, the abstract stairs on the right. Fourth, the door way into the second artists studio situated below the stairs.