Master’s in Interior Design | Faculty of Design | CEPT University
ID 4015
The Big Rethink:
Interior Materiality Unit Tutors: Prof. Kireet Patel, Rishav Jain & Aparajita Basu Unit Assistants: Chandni Chhabra, Teja Payapalle
Shivika Kakar | PID21332
ID 4015
The Big Rethink:
Interior Materiality
Shivika Kakar | PID21332
The Big Rethink is a series of postgraduate interior design studios focussing on developing a multitude of notions, approaches, positions and arguments with reference to interior design practices.
Master’s in Interior Design | Faculty of Design | CEPT University
ID 4015
The Big Rethink:
Interior Materiality Unit Tutors: Prof. Kireet Patel, Rishav Jain & Aparajita Basu Unit Assistants: Chandni Chhabra, Teja Payapalle
Shivika Kakar | PID21332
Contents 0. About Studio A. Interior Materiality B. Studio Outline C. Structure of the Studio 1. Foundation Program A. Objectory B. Factory 3. Generating and Developing the Argument 4. Role 01 I Representing an ‘Era’ 5. Role 02 I Representing ‘Standardization’ 6. Role 03 I Representing a ‘Collaborative Identity’
‘’If you think of Brick, you say to Brick, ‘What do you want, Brick?’ And Brick says to you, ‘I like an Arch.’ And if you say to Brick, ‘Look, arches are expensive, and I can use a concrete lintel over you. What do you think of that, Brick?’ Brick says, ‘I like an Arch.’ And it’s important, you see, that you honor the material that you use. You can only do it if you honor the brick and glorify the brick instead of shortchanging it.’’ -Louis Kahn
‘Interior Materiality’ A concept that concerns the critical aspects responding to the governance and engagement of a spatial system - Loschke, Sandra Karina. “Materiality and Architecture.”
Why Interior Materiality? We design spaces and spatial experiences through orthographic drawing that only provides information about the form, and relegates ‘material’ to the empty spaces between the lines. The process of identifying and detailing form is embedded in our practices, and we fail to examine material beyond its aesthetic or technological capacities and leave it to adapt to the form. - Material Matters: Architecture and Material Practice
Studio Concern The current interior design field/practice has systematically emerged from its allied and specialized disciplines. This poses a challenge for its design professionals to be equally emerged or developed or qualified in order to develop a specific design approach/language/identity. It is important for the professional to possess the ability to develop a position that is professionally recognizable.
Learning Outcomes After completing the Studio,the student will be able to : - Ability to develop a systematic argument/position/approach on the interdependence between materiality and practice - Ability to translate/represent the design argument/position/ approach through 3-Dimensional and material based outcomes - Ability to develop a design position for varied complexity of interior projects - Ability to organise and evaluate the programmatic and pragmatic potential of derived design position. - Ability to build a design vocabulary and test it through the selected context (site/program)
Studio Outline The Big Rethink is a series of postgraduate interior design studios focused on developing a multitude of notions, approaches, positions and arguments within the interior design field. This semester, the third one in the series, the studio challenges the concept of Interior Materiality in interior design. It offers an opportunity to develop a design position in different contexts by questioning preconceived notions of interior design. It emphasizes the relationship between Interior materiality and its expression, identity and design outcomes. The first four weeks are a part of the common FD PG Foundation, where students from all streams work together to develop skills and abilities in drawing and making. The latter part of the studio is divided into two modules: the first builds an argument on interior materiality and the second module explores three key roles of an interior designer with each student working on three smaller projects. Role one focuses on practices that work within the context of an ‘era’, role two focuses on practices that are sited within the ‘standardisation’ of the typical floor plan and role three challenges the boundaries between interior design and architecture. The studio focuses on representing experiential and ephemeral qualities, planning and organising strategies, detailing and construction techniques, through the lens of interior materiality.
“A concept or the applied use of various materials or substances in the form of space making, actualized through the body and senses interacting with the physical environment. A language to articulate vision or make ideas tangible.”
interior materiality
what is the role of an interior designer ?
interior materiality
focus
1 3 ‘era’ ‘standardisation’ ‘collaborative’
roles
Leonardo Da Vinci
premise
1 3 experiential and ephemeral qualities planning and organising strategies detailing and construction techniques
projects
Structure of the Studio
Objectory and Factory
Generating an Argument
Foundation Program, 4 weeks
Module 1, 1 Week
Week 01-04
Week 05
Role 01
Week 06-07 Project Type: Adaptive reuse of an existing historical site Understanding Formal qualities Output type: Photomontage and drawings Focus on experiential and ephemeral qualities
Role 02
Role 03
Module 2, 10 Weeks
Week 08-12
Week 13-15
Project Type: Standardized typical office floor plan
Project Type: Independent design project with no predetermined site context
Output type: Plans, sections, Isometric Drawings
Output type: Experiential views showing construction techniques.
Focus on organizing and planning
Focus on constructing an experience, making and detailing.
Week 01 - 04
Common foundation weeks SObjectory: Demonstrate precision by way of observing and representing. The study of tolerance is by way of identifying the materials and assembly of parts, and accuracy by way of exploded axonometric/isometric drawings. Factory: Explore the ideas of the frame, detail, assembly, tectonics, material as a central core of making. Process and transform materials with precision, accuracy and tolerance for assembly.
EX
01
Objectory Multi Refill Pen
Exercise Brief & Intent: A Multi Refill Pen is studied by the order of its assembly and disassembly. It is designed for the convenience of the user while writing to avoid use of multiple pens. Nowadays it is manufactured in more than 4 refills also.
Learning Outcomes: 1. Orthographic drawings were a medium to understand the scales and proportions of different sized components in an object. 2. Researching on material and manufacturing processes have helped to understand how different materials interact with each other. 3. This exercise has helped me to analyze objects better and more keenly. It taught me to undertand the working principle of an object in order to know it better.
EX
02
Factory Incomplete Cuboid
Exercise Brief & Intent: An abstract object is made using the given set of materials. The aim was to understand different joineries and tools. The object was designed on the concept of breaking the alignment of former layer by addition of new members in the discontinuity of former plane. By doing so, different joineries were explored.
Learning Outcomes: 1. Different joineries of wood to wood, wood to metal and metal to metal were explored. 2. Various machines and tools were used in the manufacturing process of the object.
Week 05 - 06
Module 01:
Generating an Argument Stage 01: Developing an argument A. Select relevant examples from recent practices of Interior Design B. List down design decisions and analyse the relationship between interior materiality and practice. Stage 02: Stating an argument Develop an argument in reference to the interrelationship of interior materiality and practice based on the list of design decisions and the selected examples.
EX
03
Material to Materiality
Exercise Brief & Intent: Various interior design projects representing Era, Standardization and collective study (4 each) were analyzed on certain aspects. This analysis was formulated in matrices format which was thereafter used to deduce arguments and a ‘Master Argument’. This argument was top be used as a major design concept for Role 01 and Role 02.
Learning Outcomes: This exercise helped understand the term ‘materiality’ in a broader context. It also helped in formulation of the argument and expressing the same through various mediums. v
MASTER ARGUMENT:
The sequence of probable design decisions to achieve role, function and the presence of stated argument in design:
Specifier:
Expressing the argument:
Expressing the argument through physical model:
Week 06 - 07
Module 02: Role 01 Experiencing Materiality The Experience of space is understood through the elements, compositions and moments one may encounter in the space.This is seen through a visual study of how light, texture, color, material and finishes play out in space. Historical practices through a project representing an ‘Era’ Output: Photomontage / Collage
EX
04
Adaptive Reuse Geometrical Paradox
Exercise Brief & Intent: The chosen site is an old dilapidated Textile Mills in Mumbai. The aim was to design an exhibition space without intervening with the elements of the existing site using a single material. Fabric was chosen as the hero material to eleminate the hardness of the site. The concept was to design a space with exciting elements that breaks the monotony in the use of material. Material is used as a means of way finding, exploration and play of light and shadow through hanging elements, isolations pods and
Learning Outcomes: Geometrical hardness of the architecture can be broken down by softer interior materials.v
ARGUMENT:
EXPRESSION THROUGH ASPECTS: EXPERIENCE
ORGANIZATION
ARGUMENT AND DESIGN ITERATIONS
ARGUMENT AND DESIGN ITERATIONS
Week 08 - 12 Week 08 - 12 Module 02: Role 02 Module 02: Spatialising Role 02
Materiality
Spatialising Materiality
Organization and space planning involve the systematic laying out of space-making elements. Organization space planningand involve the Considering thatand some arguments design systematic laying out of elements, space-making intents involve an array whileelements. the Considering that some arguments-and rest require volumetric explorations this design visual intents involve antoarray elements, the composition leads moreofclarity in thewhile design. rest require volumetric explorations - this visual composition leads to more clarity in the design. Current modern practices through a project representing a Current modern practices ‘Standardisation’ through a project representing a ‘Standardisation’ Output:
Plan, Section, Isometric Drawings Output: Plan, Section, Isometric Drawings
EX
05
Standardization Geometrical Paradox
Exercise Brief & Intent: Expression of argument through space planning for an exhibition of Da Vinci’s dream machines in a standardized building. The chosen site is an office building in Noida, U.P. Additional program for stress busting activities are proposed after doing User Analysis. The main idea for the exhibition is to provide an experiential journey to the visitors through translation of a metaphor i.e. site as a ‘Forest’. Inspired from the metaphor, wood is chosen as the main material for expressing the argument. Wood is explored using techniques like, bending, interlocking, kerf cutting, wood joineries, etc. To break the monotony of using a singular material in the entire site, each display unit for the machines is designed distinctively. Metaphor is translated onto the site by creation of dense and open spaces in pockets, providing opportunity of exploring the machines and by making sub spaces via floor modulation. Thus, design intervention explores the contribution of the material in form and function of the space.
Learning Outcomes: Introduction of different geometrical elements made from a singular material breaks the monotony of the space.
CREATING DENSE INTERIORS
OPPORTUNITY OF EXPLORATION
FLOOR MODULATION
Week 13 - 15
Module 02: Role 03
Constructing Materiality Details of elements, junctions and construction assemblies all inform the production of spatial experience as well as organization. Hence,it is necessary that a language of detailing be designed and worked on. Collaborative practices through a project representing an ‘Identity’ Output: Experiential Views, Material specification and construction Details
EX
06
Collaborative GGeometrical Paradox
Exercise Brief & Intent: Taking advantage of designing siteless interiors, an enclosed as well as expansive experience was created. The idea of the design of the shell was derived from the elements proposed in role 2. The shell is designed in a way that provides voids at intervals that creates visual connectivity to the entire site and play of light and shadow in day time that creates an inside-outside relationship. Materials like wood and metal are used and despite their opaque nature, visual connectivity is achieved. This shell within the space segregates the area of exhibition and additional program but through the nature of transparency in it, a sense of inclusion is created in the site as a whole. The journey is a constant contradiction of transparent to opaque, light to dark and high to low.
Learning Outcomes: Geometrical exploration through repetition of elements creates dense volumetric spaces.
