Material Experimentation

In the Workshop

Playing with Hard Materials

Workshop Task

Designing and constructing a grid (size and dimensions of each constituent cell will be informed by site research). This grid will consist of a series of surface impressions and/or perforations of a solid material of fixed dimension (pre-cut 150x165mm).

Aims of workshop exercise

• To gain a preliminary understanding of how a material performs: its fitness for purpose, it physical properties (e.g. woodgrain, gauge of material, behavior of a material when placed under pressure).
• To understand how the selection and manipulation of physical materials can enhance the conceptual, formal and technical underpinnings of a design project.
• To enter into a conversation/dialogue with materials to get to know them better: to understand what they are good at and good for and how they can be
manipulated to generate evocative spatial experiences.
• To understand and document how light passes through solid, translucent and transparent materials to affect interior spaces.
• To gain an appreciation of the time required to create thoughtfully crafted spatial artefacts.

First Pattern: I was inspired by the architecture style of the Wintergardens and I wanted to mimicking a Victorian style pattern which may fit in my potential proposal of an English style tea room. This design however may be too intricate to work with in the workshop.
Pattern 2: This pattern mimics the organic linear arrangement present on one of the plants o saw in the tropical glasshouse. This is an interesting pattern I can play a lot with in the workshop to carve and even potentially drill holes which represent water droplets which west on most plants I saw here.

Laser cut version of my grid during my workshop slot. I created the grid on Illustrator but when it was converted into rhino to laser cut, the lines all intersected each other therefore at the end the machine was going to cut all the lines off each other. This is something to consider next time I’m laser cutting and the format of my lines etc. I like the fragility of the line weight, furthermore the variation of line thickness in this grid. I cut through the wood to mimic the intention of the window: to be transparent and hold a sense of clarity.

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