Background image by Jung Joon Yun, AA DIP16

This lecture introduced notions of digital and physical prototyping as techniques and effects as an introduction to a five day workshop exploring parametric principles and Islamic patterns. Examples from contemporary built architecture suggested how this field is expanding into practice, and the experimental work of Krets as well as selected student projects from AA Dip16 provided in depth ideas of different approaches. As the curriculum at Virginia Commonwealth University in Doha covers interior design, fashion and graphic design, a particular focus was given on small scale and installation work.

Background image Claudia White, AA DIP16

I presented the work of AA DIP 16 at this event which gathered researchers, entrepreneurs, decision makers and architects for a focused discussion on Biomimetics and Biomimicry in a symposium at KTH Albanova, Stockholm. Additional speakers included Christopher Allen and Denise DeLuca from the Biomimicry Institute, Vincent Bulone and Lars Berglund representing Biomime at KTH, Richard Bonser from the University of Reading, Ulrika Karlsson of Servo and KTH, Antonia Ax:son Johnson as founder of Antonia Ax:son Johnson Foundation for Sustainable Development as well as a number of researchers and representatives from the city of Stockholm. My focus was partly on giving examples of  biomimetic references in the work of the students at AA DIP16, but also to introduce the student design project as a platform for collaboration and a testbed that could prove beneficial to interests outside eduction. My hope is that this event will lead to new collaboration in student work as well as in my own research.

www.bioinspiredforum.com

Images from my licentiate thesis

I presented my PhD thesis project at the KTH Department of Real Estate and Construction Management (which my department Project Communication is affiliated to), in the weekly series of lunch seminars. My focus was to give an overview of my field of research into architectural design processes and the different contexts that I relate to, including parametric techniques, fabrication and industrial processes. This was my first presentation in this context since I moved from Industrial Engineering and Management in April. I concluded with defining the current challenges of the project, including establishing more firm links between design driven techniques and design- and production processes in the building industry.

Background image New babylon by Constant Nieuwenhuys

This lecture introduces the notion of the Operative Representation to 1st year students, suggesting that a critical awareness of the mode of representaiton always has been crucial to the practice of architecture. Going briefly through the history of representation it investigates how the plan, the section, the perspective, the isometric drawing and the physical model reflects the intentions and the result of design. This is transfered into contemporary issues of parametric design principles, which potentially re-establishes a link to physical production that has been more distant since the introduction of representational techniques.

The lecture features historical and contemporary references as well as personal work and student work from DIP16 at the Architectural Association.

Background image by Jung Joon Yun, AA DIP16

I presented ideas on the theme Visualization: Parametrics as an opportunity within Architecture in this lecture for 4th year engineering students. Mixing contemprary references and alternate visions on the potential of new digital techniques for architectural production, the aim was here to introduce parametric design principles as a crucial factor in the architecture of tomorrow.

Background image by Haen Suk Yi, AA DIP16

I was invited b y Tim Anstey to lecture in the Architecture and Technology series for the 4th years, presenting ideas around technology as a driver for innovation. The lecture featured international references, work fromAA DIP16, as well as my own work.

presenting at Bioinspired Forum

Presenting at Bioinspired Forum

As part of the opening ceremony of the Bioinspired Forum exhibition I presented the work of AA DIP16 together with co-tutor Thomas Tong and students Kengo Skorrick and Claudia White. Additional speakers included Ulrika Karlsson (KTH Perfromative Design studio), Denise DeLuca (Biomimetic Forum) and representatives from Malmö Högskola/K3 and 1scale1 interaction designers.

While the presentation introduced the projects developed, the focus was on the specific approach and methodology of the unit, including prototyping, the use of biomimetic principles and the starting point in material systems.

Co-ordinated by Marie-Ange Brayer (FRAC Center Orleans) and Claudia Pasquero (AA INTER10/ecoLogicStudio), this symposium was inspired by the YOUNIVERSE exhibition curated by M-A Brayer in Seville for the BIACS3 and by research work done in the AA by various undergraduate units and postgraduate programs. I presented the work of Krets, in which I put focus to the fact that the concepts explored in the symposium are as valid during collaborative project development as in the final proposal.

The final panel was moderated by Brett Steele, director of AA.

“The relationship between architecture and science has been evolving throughout history mainly reflecting the ever-changing relationship between society and nature. The last century was shaken by a sudden jump in human’s understanding of his surrounding environment: from an intuitive/philosophical/mathematical understating of complexity and the turbulent dynamic of natural processes we moved into a measurable, material one; supported by our ever-increasing computational power we can now feel, measure, read and visualize complexity; this condition has allowed a direct material engagement with dynamic processes to escape the restricted field of science and permeate society at many levels. In architecture the effect is becoming evident and, most of all, nuanced: from purely metaphorical and figurative the new relationship between architecture and science is emerging as material and, ultimately, prototypical.

Moreover the ‘material’ of architecture has radically expanded its meaning, incorporating aspects that are virtual, potential, dynamic, and informational: we can now perhaps define this expansion as the most noticeable and important effect of computation in architecture and design. The symposium should present this emerging diverse palette of ‘material’ approaches indicating strands of research that are redefining both the relationship between science and architecture and between architecture and the architect itself.”

Excerpt from symposium brief

Background image PARCEL parametric variations

As part of the education for engineers focusing on component design,  I talked on the topic of Architecture and Technology at the University of Jönköping. The lecture was divided in two parts. In the firs half, I presented Swedish and international references of work in the field of parametric design as well as industrial production and Building Information Modeling. In the second half, I presented two Krets projects, and my own continued research based on these projects, as part of my licientiate thesis. Later the same day, I had another presentation for Design students from Jönköping and Växjö, at the office of Vandalorum in Värnamo.

Background image unfolded models from thesis

The workshop Artistic Research / Forschung durch Kunst und Design on October 17th-18th was part of the start up of a new art and design based PhD program at the Bauhaus Research School in Weimar. I was invited to present my licentiate thesis, as one of a number of speakers, including directors of similar research programs from schools like the Bartlett and Politecnico di Milano as well as researchers from these an other institutions.

Many of the presentations were interesting, in particular Jonathan Hill´s presentation of the importance of the drawing, and his own PhD by design as a starting point of the PhD program by design at the Bartlett School of Architecture (again reminding me of the importance of his Illegal Architect project and book to me, as a key reference in particular to my ideas on integration of discourse and project). Jonathan also made a distinction between drawing ideas and drawing appliances, to which I posed the question of drawing appliances that draws ideas. We never concluded that discussion, but to me it is interesting to see the his ideas around the importance of the conceptual architectural project, and I do not want to dispute, but rather continue into the practice based developments of projects that also make discourse, or perhaps ideas around 2nd order system development that is deployed to have a particular effect.