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Collages of architectural skins, fashions, backdrops blurred.

(work in progress)

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[teaching]

The “Green Casbah” is intended as a culminatation of the principles of a dense, organic urban settlement, sustainable building practices and the integration of the principles of Human Unity on which the Universal Township of Auroville was founded.

DESIGN ELEMENTS AND INSPIRATION:
Attention should be given to the concept of the Casbah, Roger Anger’s Galaxy Plan for residences, and especially to the needs and desires of the current population of Auroville. The unique climate and site conditions should be considered as well. May through August is extremely hot and humid with sporadic intense rainfall. September through February houses a cooler retreiving monsoon, with increasing temperatures on both ends. Sustainable building techniques should be considered: earth construction, green roofs, rainwater collection and wastewater treatment, passive cooling (jali), attention to site conditions, and natural lighting. In addition, this project should attempt a very dense urban fabric while giving special note to lighting, views, circulation, and noise pollution.

GENERAL PROGRAM:
70 units total [15 double rooms, 25 single rooms, 30 studios (25, 2-room studios + 5 single-room studios)
5 Guest Houses in a variety of sizes
Common areas for laundry, activities, kitchen
Galleries, courtyards and terraces
Not more than three levels high

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A photograph is divided into a grid and transferred to four canvases eight times the original size.

(work in progress)

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Exploiting the definitions of pattern using methods and concepts in garment and building construction, the goal of this project is to produce a new type of surface that exists somewhere between the rigid modular assembly of the wall and the body-specific garment. A broader definition of architecture is examined, which implies a variety of interactions with our built environment and the ability to challenge our own bodies, as well as how we relate to each other. This is not an attempt to make a surface that can literally be applied to both body and space, but to make a new type of skin that challenges interaction with the surroundings.

Methods in patterning are explored based on two definitions: pattern as a model for reproduction; and two- and three-dimensional patterns as a visual recognition and/or a systematic arrangement through material properties and connections. Pattern-making as a model for reproduction inherently implies a prefabricated and standardized system, within which the ideal of production efficiency can be paired with customization. Systematic arrangement and visual recognition are inherent in typical construction methods because of the repetitive assembly of standardized parts.

Beginning with the cube as both a basic building block and an elemental architectural volume, it is deconstructed; its surface is unfolded and manipulated, creating new patterns for building components. Initially, the patterns are developed in heavy paper and three new modules are formed and assembled in aggregations - both as homogeneous arrays and as complex, heterogeneous fabrics. Based on the material properties and behaviors in paper, the patterns are tested for layout efficiencies, feasibility for production in a variety of materials, connective ability and overall visual impression. Ultimately, these pattern developments result in the fabrication of a self-structured surface from light-gauge aluminum with a variety of speculative applications.

Master's Thesis

[selected photos: Albert Chao]