by Sam
Record and output from engagement sessions held with Hull Libraries service Librarians and staff in April and May 2012. The film takes the output of workshop discussions and brings them into an emergent briefing focus for future library interventions. Completed with Surface Architects.
Categories: Architecture • Tags: animation, coding, libraries
by Sam
A series of digitally coded collages produced for Surface Architects for exhibition in Hull, North East England. Each image explores different memories and vectoral layerings of the city by layering specific letters and fonts in an additive boolean process. The ‘designer’ acts as editor, selecting or rejecting different combinative forms in a dialogue with the running coding algorithm to produce a collaborative outcome.
Series of mappings of key sites, contextual influences and opportunities within the ancient port-city of Valletta, Malta.
Categories: Architecture • Tags: drawings, mapping, valletta
by Sam
Film and animation of Surface Architects‘ design process for the complex geometric ‘residue’ of the Birkbeck Centre for Film and Visual Media, London. (See here for images and explanation of the completed project)
Categories: Architecture • Tags: process
by Sam
Pastel, pen and pencil sketches from a trip to Rome, March 2001 [by Sam]
Categories: Doodles & Scribbles • Tags: drawings, rome
Full scale ‘loom’ installation of drawn, written and modelled proposals for a lace making facility in the city of Valletta, Malta.
Categories: Architecture • Tags: installations, temporary, valletta
Sectional and material proposals for a new lace weaving facility within the ancient city fortifications of Valletta, Malta.
Categories: Architecture • Tags: drawings, valletta
by Sam
Latest test outputs from an ongoing piece of research. The spectral chart produced shows the accumulative isovist mapping of autonomous spatial agents progressing in real-time through the archaeological plan of the ancient Cretan palace of Malia. Other record formats are also demonstrated. Each agents is capable of recognising the characteristics of its neighbours (displayed as modulated colours of isovist) and reacting to them. Social behaviours of seeking, following and fleeing contact are apparent as the agents collectively explore the palace [...]
Categories: Research • Tags: agents, archaeology, coding, drawings, isovists, labyrinths, mapping, mazes
by Sam
A large installation constructed in a warehouse near Euston, London, in 2009, ‘The Switching Labyrinth’ provided a framework for two weeks of real-time interactive experimentation and observation. 250 metres of black curtains constructed a wrapping of pathways around a central ‘room’, where sliding curtain ‘doors’ periodically shifted, ‘switching’ openings to offer alternative entrance and exits. As an occupant navigated and learnt about the installation, it too observed them, learing about how it was explored and unilaterally modulating its entangling paths [...]
Categories: Architecture • Tags: installations, labyrinths, temporary
by Sam
Drawings which iteratively explore common simple labyrinth forms; overlaying each to illustrate how one type might be switched or folded into another. This process subjects the delicate ‘coherence’ of the recognisable labyrinth symbols to fragmentation, generating potentially ‘switching’ or momentarily incoherent maze conditions.
Categories: Research • Tags: drawings, labyrinths
by Sam
[click & drag to pan] Discovered in Broadstairs, Kent, in January 2012
Categories: Research • Tags: food, photosynths, walking
by Sam
If a labyrinth is a continual spatial line, tightly wound onto, but never intersecting itself, what does it become if it is lifted into a different geometry and dimension? What novel things might this tell us about the spaces we construct and how we gain delight through their occupation? This experimental prototyping explores hyperbolic geometry; where instead of being limited to one degree of parallel line, infinite variation can be achieved. This project is ongoing.
Categories: Research • Tags: hyperbolics, work in progress
by Sam
Prototype testing of the responsiveness of high resolution, autonomously visual spatial agents within an active digital environment. This approach uses a geometric basis for the resolution and intersectional calculations of each agent’s ‘isovist’ or visual field, leading to successful pathseeking behaviours.
by Sam
Completed with Surface Architects, who were appointed to work with LOCOG and ISG in the design and delivery of a family of high profile Wayfinding structures for the 2012 Olympic Park. The proposals combine historic vectors and iconic influences into a highly distinctive design that fits LOCOG’s original ‘look and feel’ brief. Each form incorporates LED backlighting, creating a field of glowing beacons across the Stratford Park. Six 7m high zone beacons, five 15m high major beacons and two 12m [...]
Categories: Architecture • Tags: completed, london 2012, temporary
by Sam
Mapping of strategic opportunities on the tideways and basins of the East Thames, London. This work lead to identification of potential forms and typologies of housing to be floated on the river as a response to limited supply of key worker and family home supply in the surrounding areas.
Categories: Architecture • Tags: drawings, mapping
by Sam
A matrix of black and white chevrons which displays an inherent ability to iteratively resolve itself into a state of lower entropy. This process continues until a condition of equilibrium is established across the grid; from this point pattern iterations of the solution develop in perpetuity.
by Sam
The Epigenetic Object was a mobile that performed and whistled noisily to attract attention, inflating in gratification when petted. Coded behaviours combined with the latent epigenetic qualities of the mobile’s body to produce a continually novel and playful sequence of form and dialogue with the observer. The ambiguities of this encounter were deliberately emphasised with the use of an androgynous yet strangely appealing doll’s head at the centre of the piece.
Categories: Architecture • Tags: installations, interaction
by Sam
Second implementation and testing of a species of autonomously visual spatial agents within an active digital environment. This demonstrates ability to deal with a high degree of complexity and activity within the context whilst achieving successful pathseeking behaviours based upon long-distance vision. This approach uses a raytrace mechanic basis for the generation and resolution of the isovist.
by Sam
Study of an autonomous spatial agent progressing through a real-time reconfiguring maze-matrix. Agent behaviours changed in response to modulation of individual spatial ‘desires’ and the ‘discovered’ or observed changing environment. Dependent on variation and combination of desire sets, different movement typologies can be categorised; these have a direct relation back to ancient labyrinth form elements. An emergent, emotive root for the occupation and understanding of spatialities is implied.
Categories: Research • Tags: agents, coding, drawings, labyrinths
Private residential project near Oxford. Brief required the sensitive extension of a Grade 2 listed cottage to provide a new loft room space, access stair and addition of two new dormer windows.
Categories: Architecture • Tags: on site, private residential, work in progress
by Sam
Concept design for a ‘pop-up’ local library box to be installed in disused retail units. Rather than simply focussing on the materiel of books, the solution targets programmatic affordance, with projective and interactive surfaces, acoustic treatments that double as re-configurable seating seating and high density book storage and ‘vending’.
Categories: Architecture • Tags: drawings, installations, libraries, pop-up, temporary
by Sam
Wistman’s Wood is a scrap of surviving ancient woodland that you can find near Two Bridges, Dartmoor. It is hidden 30 minutes walk up a steep sided valley. The trees are oaks, twisted and miniaturised by the rocky clitter upon which they have slowly grown. The tallest is seven metres high. [click & drag to pan] Similar woodland used to cover most of the moor and the UK, but beginning in the Neolithic Period, man’s activities have cleared the entire [...]
Categories: Research • Tags: photosynths, walking
by Sam
Animation of design proposals for a finish arch for UK Triathlon’s elite series hosting in Hyde Park, London. A series of folded steel barriers form the transition zones where athletes switch from swim to bike to running; before rising up to a triumphal finish and timing archway. Notions of the body as a wrapped form informed the folding geometries of the steel plates, which were provided to reflect Corus’ sponsorship of the event. Completed with Surface Architects.
Categories: Architecture • Tags: temporary, triathlon
by Sam
Micro-Installation produced for Bompass and Parr in 2010 as part of their exhibition and venue ‘The Complete History of Food’. A ‘bioresponsive jelly’ was made to pulse in time with the observer’s heat-beat, providing an instant and amusing interaction as they ate it. It is suprising what people will willingly push their fingers into.
Categories: Architecture • Tags: food, installations, interaction, temporary
by Sam
[click & drag to pan] Recorded in Central London, in January 2012
Categories: Research • Tags: food, photosynths, walking
by Sam
The Centre for Film and Visual Media at Birkbeck, University of London, was completed by Surface Architects in 2007. It includes a state of the art auditorium, seating eighty, academic offices and a highly visual ‘breakout’ area for meetings and events. Built using a cross laminated structural timber solution, the complex geometries of the scheme were modelled, controlled and checked ‘in silico’ to maintain a set of rigourous output requirements. The demanding parameters resulted in a high impact scheme that [...]
Categories: Architecture • Tags: completed
by Sam
Hypothetical design for an apple tree nursery and cider mill in Bloomsbury, London. Completed in collaboration with Tetsuro Nagata
Categories: Architecture • Tags: cider, drawings
by Sam
RIBA Stage E design completed with Surface Architects as part of the Hull BSF Programme. Includes provision for a shared local library and full scale performance spaces.
Categories: Architecture • Tags: bsf, education, libraries
by Sam
Private residential conversion of a first floor flat in a listed Georgian terrace in Notting Hill, West London to provide a high specification ‘bachelorette’ flat. The bathroom was housed in a highly decorated central box, freeing up the flat layout. Strategically placed full height mirrors and hidden lighting were used to enhance a pervasive sense of lightness and increased area, whilst bespoke sliding bookcases rationalised and optimised storage. Completed with Hogarth Architects.
Categories: Architecture • Tags: completed, private residential
Iterative ‘loom’ models proposing points and forms of intervention within the Valletta context. Based on an in-depth examination of the locally contextual and historically significant practice and processes of silk lace weaving, these models proposed a series of interventions within the ancient city fortifications.
Categories: Architecture • Tags: models, valletta
by Sam
Pen and pencil sketches from a trip to Rome, March 2001 [by Sam]
Categories: Doodles & Scribbles • Tags: drawings, rome
Deployable ‘installation in a box’ with reconfiguring chain of oak-wood elements and unfurling fabric pieces.
Categories: Architecture • Tags: installations, models
by Sam
Unit design workshop held at the start of the academic year 2011-12 at UCA examining potential modes of ‘self-making’ of low-tech inflatable structures.
Categories: Research • Tags: inflatables, uca
by Sam
Hypothetical design for an apple tree nursery and cider mill in Bloomsbury, London. Completed in collaboration with Tetsuro Nagata
Categories: Architecture • Tags: cider, drawings
by Sam
Pen and pencil sketches from a trip to Rome, March 2001 [by Sam]
Categories: Doodles & Scribbles • Tags: drawings, rome
by Sam
Much of the work for an installation focusses on how to construct it; metaphorically but also literally. This habitually hidden process deserves documentation as much as anything else; Architecture is, after all, often about delivery. This gallery shows some of the design drawings, prototyping and mass construction processes of the framework and intelligent acutation mechanisms for ‘The Switching Labyrinth’ installation. (See here for the completed project)
Categories: Architecture • Tags: labyrinths, work in progress
by Sam
Design drawings and renders of proposed Beacon and Gantry structures produced in April and May 2012, during the London 2012 Wayfinding project. (See here for completed structures and project explanation). Completed with Surface Architects.
Categories: Architecture • Tags: drawings, london 2012
Lizzie’s assorted travel sketches
Categories: Doodles & Scribbles • Tags: travel
by Sam
Study of multiple generations of autonomous spatial agents progressing through a real-time reconfiguring maze-matrix. ‘Doors’ in this opened or closed depending on maze-inherent desires over occupation levels. Those that tended towards closure are illustrated as ‘walls’. Dependent on the desire sets exhibited by the maze, different ‘wall’ structures were observed. These can be related back to archetypal plan forms, suggesting an emergent occupational basis for common architectural devices.
Categories: Research • Tags: agents, coding, drawings, labyrinths
