Temporal Topographies Design Journal

Temporal Topographies

Architectural Design Studio 3 (Socio-Economic Contexts) (Sem 2)

Temporal Topographies

Charlotte Mwaba

Temporal Topographies

1.0 Research and Ideation

1.0 Social Anthropology in Design

1.1 Locality Where: St kilda Beach Esplanade & Brighton Bathing Boxes When: 1pm - 4pm; 6pm -9pm Who: A lively cross section of people. Tourist, locals, families, couples, & pets, from a wide range of social status’ and cultures.

1.2 Research Criteria Research Focus: To observe and map the choices of where & how to sit, and any deviation from the physical/built elements already in place.

Criteria to consider: -Orientation towards views -Focal points -How people orient themselves when there’s no focal point/ view to look at -How people orient themselves when they’re by themselves -Surfaces To help inform: -Where people from all walks of life naturally gather -“Ocean view factor” can it bring people together Variables: Weather Natural light Access to food

1.3 Observations & Data Extraction Using a triangular prism shape to represent individuals and groups located around the beach and the space around them.

St Boardwalk

St Kilda Esplanade

The triangle vertex indicates the people’s orientation as observed; the way they have chosen sit. Research suggests your general field of vision is 25o to 30o left to right -this is represented by blue fanned lines.

SITTING ON SAND <--- approx. 20M --->

<--- approx 20M --->

<--- approx.20M --->

SITTING/LYING ON GRASS

STANDING ON SAND

<--- approx. 20M --->

ON CONSTRUCTED EDGES

LINE OF HARD EDGES

Legend

Data map

Views & Orientation map

1.4 Data Extraction & Analysis Outlining these sections or groups of people led to an emerging shape or form.

The shape changed again when the individual ‘fields’ are joined together.

Shapes of Envelope at Boardwalk edge

Summary of Findings: COMMON VIEWS/FOCAL POINT • Single person -orient towards a focal point • Pairs or groups (+3 people) – orient towards each other then towards view • No common view -orient towards each other or other people OPEN SPACE • Noticeable freedom by people use it - defined seating not used • Easily accommodates a variety of uses and users SURFACES • Surface texture influences/signals to the passer-by that they can stay and sit or even lay down.

• Materials can be functional (sitting/leaning against) and define a space for sitting SOCIAL INTERACTION • Open arrangement facilities gathering • Views draw people to location • Open areas allow many people to mix but not inclusively (unless in a group) • Fixed elements orient people to side by side rather than facing each other

Temporal Topographies

2.0 Precedent Studies

2.1 Precedent -1st ‘Waste Landscape’ Designers: Elise Morin and Clemence Eliard Exhibit: 2011, Halle d’Aubervilliers in Paris (mulptile exhibitions)

Intent: Reflect the piles of garbage at Landfill and the thousands of CD’s that end up there. Create an awareness around waste, recycling and consumption.

Material: Discs are not biodegradable and are toxic when incinerated. They can be ground down into polycarbonate to make new products.

Post-Installation: The designers planned to donate the recycled the CD’s to facilities that can recycle them into polycarbonate.

Effect: 600m2 area is visually engaging. Rolling metallic mounds with a reflective, eye-catching quality.

Encourages viewers to think about waste and recycling and what happens when products reach end-of-life and how they can be recycled.

2.2 Precedent -1st

Construction: The public donated 10,000 CD’s via a drop box at the centre two months prior to the exhibition.

Universal Music donated 55,000 unsold or damaged CD’s.

Volunteers hand sewed the CD’s together into sheets, using small predrilled holes and wire.

Inflatable domes, (which were kept inflated during the exhibition), were used to create the ‘dune’ effect The sewn sections of CD’s draped over them.

Installation: The installation was designed to be a kit that could be easily reproduced and re-exhibited, but also altered to create new landscapes.

For example, the inflatable domes could be re-sized or re-shaped, as well as the arrangement repositioned.

2.3 Precedent -2nd ‘The Shape of Space’ Artist: Alyson Shotz Exhibit: 2004, Rice University Art Gallery, USA (Multiple exhibitions)

Intent: The artist used lenses as a device to explore how we perceive the space around us - reflection vs. reality.

The idea that lenses add a dimension of space by distorting or changing the way you see something.

Effect: Create a curtain that captures, magnifies, reflects and distorts surrounds as the installation is viewed from different angles.

It also has a reflective/mirror quality that reflects the surrounds (including people viewing it) and changes with the light present.

Material: Sheets of lightweight, flexible Fresnel Lens plastic that is sold in wallet and page-size format and is used to magnify text. Fresnel Lens (magnifying glass) is flat on one side, ridged on the other.

Oval shapes were hand-cut from the sheets then stapled together , in varying density.

Construction: 12M long ‘wave’ wall of more than 18,000 ovals cut from Fresnel Lens magnifying plastic. Self -supporting form and suspended from above.

Temporal Topographies

3.0 Concept Presentation

3.1 Design Concept ‘Season of light’ Intention: Create an atmosphere and visual focal point.

In the context of the festival, a public space where people can gather together and watch/eat/touch/walk around/in/ through/observe as it changes over the day (light/wind etc).

Effect: Reflections always change, similar to the natural landscape of Christchurch that has changed from the earthquakes and by people (rebuild process).

Sketch Concept

Material: Use a reflective, mirror finish to create reflections that catch the eye. Also, to distort light and the constantly changing surrounding landscape.

Up cycle and re purpose old and disused CD’s.

3.2 Prototyping Initial testing of how to connect individual CD’s together. Using ribbon to ‘tie’ together from the centre. Concentrating on using the reflective side, focussing on the way CD’s catch and mirror natural light.

Connection testing -cable ties

Connection testing -wire

Experimenting with the different shapes that can be generated, based on connecting them from the centre with ties. Creating modules that can be connected together to form a larger panel.

3.3 Design Development Working off the initial concept of creating a banner style canopy, for people to sit under or walk through. Digital modelling to start defining the scale and amount of materials required to construct a canopy or banner from CD’s.

Simulating four panels, stretched to a vertex, in a 1m2 area, requires approx.

120 CD’s to achieve this. The number is indicative of scale only, as the model does not take into account any sagging or how closely the CD’s will align or be joined to each other.

Further considerations: -Framing/supporting system.

-Weight, each CD = 16g (how will this affect design?).

-Connection between CD’s -(chain links) between ‘modules’, connections to framing/support.

-Other circular materials that can locally sourced, as opposed to CD’s. Materials that may relate more closely to the design brief of food, sustainability and the local context.

Temporal Topographies

4.0 FEASTA Design Development

‘Feature’ Team Members: Amy Nuccio, Charlotte Mwaba, Jacinta Princi, Nathan Flynn, Ralph Santos & Shengye Yu

Selected Material: Coat Hangers

4.1 Initial design concept Stage one design brief: create a temporary urban picnic area during FESTA (Festival of Architecture, Design & Food; Christchurch, New Zealand).

Consisting of a ‘feature’ project that will enhance the area and be engaging to the public throughout the night.

PERSPECTIVE VIEW

AERIAL VIEW

A canopy formed with suspended ‘orbs’ and LED string lighting. Total of 450 coat hangers to construct 3 larger orbs and 9 medium orbs.

The ‘coat hangers’ to be fixed to tensioned wires, supported from 7 metal posts on concrete blocks.

Staggered layout to form an open canopy to walk under and through or to sit and eat under.

PROTOTYPE -ORB (weight up to 2kg).

Three coat hangers connected, firstly by long edges together using cable ties, then folded upwards into a pyramid and connected by the base of the hook. Connections using cable ties was successfully for joining metal and plastic coat hangers.

SITE PLAN

4.2 Design Development Stage two design brief: Use of the allocated area was defined as a ‘picnic area in the public feast zone.’ Considerations involved: spatial definitions and drawing attention to a multi-use stage and performance area. The design proposal continued to evolve with the brief.

PERSPECTIVE VIEW

The coat hanger modules from the orb design were ‘flattened into panels that will be suspended above (as a canopy) and also tensioned horizontally.

This was to reduce the potential weight and loading and also enhance & define the area around the stage.

PROTOTYPE OF PANEL

Utilising 5 available poles on concrete blocks, in an L-Shaped layout framing the Stage and forming a triangular canopy above.

The ‘coat hanger modules’ to be connected to each other on one plane and then to the tensioned wires.

AERIAL VIEW

4.3 Proposed design Stage three design brief: Location of the Swinburne picnic area (site) was allocated and confirmed, which resulted in further revisions to the proposal.

Using 4 posts in an L-Shaped layout framing the stage and forming a full span triangular canopy above.

The ‘coat hanger modules’ to be connected to each other to form pentagons, hexagons, pyramids and cubes. These form abstract panels.

Each concrete block also feature Swinburne posters, as a ‘do not climb’ signage requirement.

AERIAL VIEW

FRONT VIEW

4500mm 4000mm 2750mm 1500mm

1000mm Ground

EXAMPLE -Swinburne Hawthorn Library construction signage

SIDE 1 VIEW -with heights

SIDE 2 VIEW

4.4 Construction & Prototyping -Proposed Design Module Construction The ‘TRIANGLE’ pyramid shapes are joined to form other shapes. When connected these form the overall shape of the panel to be suspended.

PROTOTYPES TRIANGLE 136 individual pyramids required

CUBE 46 individual cubes required

HEXAGON 20 individual Hexagons required

PENTAGON 29 individual Pentagons required

4.5 Construction & Prototyping Lighting Options Multiple lighting options were prototyped to determine which would be the most effective, engaging and practical solution. a- Glow sticks: attached using cable ties, as a cost effective yet dynamic option. However, construction is very time-intensive and the â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;glowâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; effect would not last as needed.

b- LED lights: fairy lights attached using cable ties, created a mellow effect. Warm white colouring over multi-colour, was chosen in order to not detract from the overall form and geometry of the coat hangers.

Electric LED fairy lights will transition the design from day to evening and define the coat hanger geometries after dark. This was modelled with red dots representing the intended amount of lighting and location of it.

4.6 Construction & Prototyping L-Shaped layout of poles fixed to 1Mx1M concrete blocks.

Coat hanger modules to be connected to each other using cable ties to secure the hook area, edges and corners together. Wire grips to join wire rope to coat hangers.

Wire rope to be rigged on site using wire grips and/or zip clips to tension the wires.

Galvanised wire rope approved by engineering, is to also be used between panels that form the triangular canopy, when suspended.

Wire grips and cable ties used to secure coat hanger panels to the tensioned wires.

4.7 Final Build & Construction Construction process on site (Christchurch, NZ).

4.8 Final Production and Instal -FESTA Festival 2018

4.9 Critical Analysis There were elements of the design and construction process that were successful, some changed and some did not function as expected.

CONSTRUCTION: The metal coat hangers held there shape better than plastic coat hangers especially when suspended. This resulted in some warping of the modules as the plastic flexed. The connections and shapes were not as sturdy as intended, some cable ties and coat hangers broke under the weight and tension.

The modules were built on the ground but the majority of connections were done at height -which wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t anticipated. This led to connections intended to use wire grips, being substituted with cable ties as this was more practical to build and work with.

Overall the breakdown of modules and prisms were built easily and construction was completed to schedule.

LIGHTING: Although planned to be more saturated, the result was more sparse and at random. Largely due to the fact that the fairy lights had to be attached, at height, to the coat hangers and other constraints like the stage already built in place, limiting lift access.

However, after dark the lights flickered as programmed and were bright enough to illuminate the coat hangers geometry and provide background ambience for the stage area.

RENDER OF STAGE AREA

FINAL CONSTRUCTION RESULT

4.9 Critical Analysis -continued

DESIGN: The outcome was engaging during both day and night. The geometric and abstract forms were visually intriguing. The resulting canopy and ‘walls’ did not look to be coat hangers, and so this was a successful way to re purpose and transform such an ordinary material and object in an interesting way.

The ‘feature’ project successfully defined the area around the stage and enhanced the other sections of the picnic area -the pallet dining space and the fragrant boxes, were oriented toward the stage area.

However, more research into local material sourcing and recycling avenues would have more closely responded to the sustainability and economic aspects of the design brief. Also, stronger links to the local context of Christchurch and the festival’s theme of food, needed to be explored further and expressed more clearly.

The overall design also responded to research conducted earlier in this journal.

Observation of people in public spaces with a view/focal point suggested that an open style arrangement facilitates gathering and focal points or views draw people to a specific location.

In the context of the festival, the picnic area invited people to gather together and watch/eat/ touch/walk around/in/through/observe, as it changed over the duration.

The ‘feature’ design became a visual focal point, with the help of the stage, people orientated to face it. The lighting caught the eye as it flickered it hinted toward the constantly changing landscape that it was in.

In conclusion, the design provided an engaging alternative to the bleak existing site and added to the community enjoyment during the festival.

End.