Deep Surface Morphologies
Negotiating form, performance, and context in form-active material systems
This seminar, taking place in the first half of the semester, focuses on the computational design of a temporary membrane structure to be constructed in Monthoiron France, at the site of a 15th Century stone tower designed by Leonardo da Vinci. The pavilion shall be constructed in the 2nd half of the semester as a part of the seminar „Deep Surface Building Project“. To enable the design work, you will learn critical concepts for the planning and detailing of membrane structures.
The material-system and design strategies will be based upon previously developed research into complex hybrid membrane and bending-active structures. The primary effort of the seminar shall be to adapt these strategies to the design of a temporary entryway and exhibition structure, of approx. 150sqm in size, adjacent to the stone tower. The materials will include architectural PVC membranes (newly developed for increased thermal, acoustic and illumination parameters), elastic Polyamid textiles, and high-strength GFRP bending rods. The design shall serve as a support structure for the stone tower as well as provide certain acoustic and thermal qualities. The development of the design will take place through the making of physical models and the use of a computational modelling environment in Processing that has been tailored to the form-finding of such material-based structures.
The seminar will include a field trip to Monthoiron at the beginning of the semester to closely document the site conditions for where the structure will be built. The seminar will be taught in both English and German. Experience in scripting is not required. It is encouraged that the seminar be taken in conjunction with the „Deep Surface Building Project“ seminar. Both seminars are offered by the ICD and ITKE.
The seminar has received financial support from the DVA Stiftung über den Frankreich-Schwerpunkt - Internationales Zentrum für Kultur- und Technikforschung (IZKT) for excursion expenses, and support for materials by Mehler Texnologies.