Course: minor House of the Future
“What if…?”, that was what this minor was about. To design a house of the future in student pairs. I followed the course with a friend of mine, Bendert van Dijk.
The scenario we came up with, is set in 2070: the development of parametric design, initiates the birth of a new architectural style, based on Jugendstil. The programmed way of designing allows for a style based on nature. It abandons the usage of straight corners, introduces of shapes out of nature and the most efficient building layout, based on how plants grow. All whilst being cheap and easy to assemble, due to the use of computer-aided design.
An important design aspect is the usage of Voronoi cells, which are visible in different parts of the building, most notably the façade and the floor plans. Each cell is a prefabricated element, which fits exactly in the floor plan. Several cells form a dwelling, which has quite the unusual shape because of it. The cell shapes are generated with Grasshopper, whilst the floor plans itself are fit in by direct human design.
In the project we focused on the usage of Rhino and Grasshopper, generating every form with it. This deepened our understanding of the process and program immensely. Bendert and I split the programming between the two of us, but always consulted each other in every choice we made. The renders were made using Adobe Dimension, where we chose for a model like style, creating a set of calmer renders, that reflect the building materials.
This minor was in the peak of the covid pandemic. Forcing us to work remotely most of the time. Of course, the choice for parametric design moved a fair bit of the process to the computer, making it easier to do remote. The model had to be made physically, with the limited recourses we had at home. However, the design dictated the usage of 3D printing and laser cutting, making the precision work quite doable at home.
Ancillary subjects
Poster design
Next to the main design assignment, there was architectural research of a building of choice. The analysis was combined with the design of a poster. We analysed the Al-Islah mosque in Singapore, going through the various aspects of the building and presenting them in a visual pleasing manner.
Chair
Another side assignment was a chair design. It could but did not have to reflect the main design of the building, though I chose to do. The chair is made of bended veneer wood, which is kept together using glue. On the most crucial structural points, aluminium holders are introduced, to keep the structure together mechanically.
Sadly, I could not make the chair in person, due to the covid restrictions in place. The renders are there to create an as realistic sense of the chair as possible.
