Architecture Foundations 1

ABSTRACTION AND MATERIALS SAMUEL ZIMMERMAN

ARCH-108

FALL 2017

CONTOUR: OBJECT For our very first project in our studio, we investigated the line and the power it has to help architects create form and depth to map out what we see. The line is an abstraction that serves many purposes in the world of architecture and our first exercise was to learn how to represent what we see with lines. I practiced drawing this utility knife many times with charcoal.

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As we continued investigating the power of the line the challenge was upgraded as we were charged with drawing buildings. I practiced my observation and drawings skills in the creation of this representation of Marvin Hall.

CONTOUR: BUILDING 3

PERSPECTIVE DRAWING As we continued with our exploration of architectural drawing we moved on to the perspective drawing where I learned how to more accurately represent the things I saw using perspective. Charcoal is a powerful tool able to illustrate depth, tone, and surface.

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ONE - POINT PERSPECTIVE Our professor challenged us to create a drawing of an architectural space using onepoint perspective. The challenge here was getting in the center of your drawing and accurately representing the space. One-point perspective is a powerful tool to illustrate a space; this was a fun project that I enjoyed immensely.

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LINE AND PLANE: SLICE Next, we explored extrusions and modeling. We took a photo of a building and created a grayscale map of the picture. Then we used this tone map to extrude the picture and create a model out of Bristol. This project opened my eyes to the incredible power of manipulating line and plans to create a three-dimensional object. It is amazing what one can create by changing elevation based on a set of rules. Creating this model was a lot of fun because I was able to see the tone map that I created come to life as a wonderful little model.

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LINE AND PLANE: PARALINE Once we had created our models we then practiced drafting and representing our model with a precise drawing. Measured drawings give one a great level of precision and therefore a stronger interdependence between drawings. I drew an orthographic drawing of my model followed by an axonometric drawing to explain the evolution of my model.

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OBJECT: TRANSFORMATION In my previous project, I assumed that an architectural plan could be generated from an extruded form, coming out vertically from an image. In this project, I tested object making with a different method. The line no longer represents shifting, but action also. I took the same slice and extended the lines to the edges of a 11x17 page. Then I cut and folded on the lines to create an architectural space that could stand freely.

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OBJECT: DRAFT Once I had created my Bristol model I was then tasked with creating a drawing that could illustrate how to create it from a single piece of paper. I chose to show the two sides of my model and show elevation with a heat map. I also chose to label each fold and corner to show how they should align.

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OBJECT: WALL SYSTEM Previously we were tasked with making a purposeful form out of a seemingly random set of lines, now we are creating order out of the chaos of the earlier folded form. I took a section of the previous model and created a surface. Next, I repeated this system over and over again to create a wall to filter light. The individual parts of this system are simple but the wall is complex and intricate.

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SPACE: LIGHTBOX For our final project, we created a space that one could imagine oneself inside. As we explored space, change, and light, my partner Isaac Tayler and I explored different shapes and transformations that modulated light. Isaac and I took our shape from the Saint-Piere church, designed by Le Corbusier and transferred it into CAD where we transformed it and then sent it to a laser cutter. We laser cut ten slices and then assembled our model in such a way so as not to obstruct the transformation as one looks through the model. We chose to do something unique with our model when we created a very thin bottom layer that plays with transparency and opens up the transformation to the viewer in a way that one would not expect.

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SPACE: DRAFT Next, we drafted our Lightbox by creating an axonometric drawing of it to show how the various pieces went together along with a diagram showing assembly instructions.

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