Process

Design Process Design process for City as Machine; a studio project for a Masters of Architecture program, at University of Houston, Fall 2015.

City as Machine is a project about an abandoned open pit mine that is filled with discarded mining equipment. Â Over the years a new city emerges from the machine parts. Â This book documents the design process and illustrates how the concept was influenced from precedents, some of which include: Walter Jonas's Intrapolis, Pieter Bruegel's Tower of Babel, Constant's New Babylon, and the Colosseum. Â

City as Machine

Process City as Machine by Rachel Theurer

City as Machine Design Process

City as Machine

Process City as Machine by Rachel Theurer

City as Machine Design Process

Process City as Machine focuses on an open pit mine; one of the largest excavated holes on earth. Abandoned long ago, the mine’s shell is now filled with discarded mining parts and machinery. City as Machine contemplates a metamorphosis whereby a thriving metropolis emerges from the industrial detritus left behind. This innovative cityscape harmesses the massive scale of the mine’s equipment to house its citizens, businesses, and appurtenant public gathering places. This book documents the evolution of the project and shows how the design process was influenced by precedents such as; Pieter Bruegel’s Tower of Babel, the Colosseum, Walter Jonas’s Intrapolis, a funnel shaped city, and Daniel Libeskind’s Micromegas.

Neuromancer In preparation for the project, William Gibson’s Neuromancer was read.

Future City The image to the right was taking a concept from the book and projecting that idea into a future city.

In the Beginning Left: Initial concepts of ants (left) and mobility.

Below: Precedents like the Tower of Babel, Colosseum, and the Bagger 288 Top right: abandoned diamond mine in Russia, which serves as inspiration, and the premise for the concept.

Influence from Constant’s, New Babylon, beginning to emerge at this point in the project.

Influence from Micromegas, and looking at machine parts.

Micromegas made with machine parts.