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all 2009

Published byThe American Institute of Architects

F O R W A R D

ORNAMENT

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F O R W A R D

FORWARD DIRECTORChristina A. Noble, AIA, LEED AP

NATIONAL ASSOCIATES COMMITTEE MISSIONThe National Associates Committee is dedicated to representing andadvocating for Associates, both mainstream and alternative, in the national,regional, state, and local components of the AIA.

FORWARD MISSIONTo be the architectural journal of young, aspiring architects and designers ofthe built environment speci cally targeting design issues.

Fall 2009 - Ornament. Volume 2, 2009. Published biannually by the AIA.

THE AMERICAN INSTITUTE OF ARCHITECTS1735 New York Ave., NWWashington, DC 20006-5292

P: 800-AIA-3837 or 202-626-7300

F: 202-626-7547www.aia.org/nac

AIA STAFF Jaclyn S. Toole, Assoc. AIA, Director, Member CommunitiesZach Porter, Manager, Member Communities

NATIONAL ASSOCIATES COMMITTEE (NAC) OFFICERSMeggan Lux, AIA - Associate Director

Jonathan M. Taylor, AIA - ChairKatie Harms, AIA - Advocacy DirectorMark Schwamel, AIA - Community & Communications Director

Jack Baumann, AIA - Knowledge Director

NAC COMMUNICATIONS COMMITTEEChristina A. Noble, AIA, LEED AP -Forward DirectorChris Grossnicklaus, Assoc. AIA - AssociateNews Editor-in-Chief

Joanna Beres, Assoc. AIA - AssociateNews News Editor Jeanne S. Mam-Luft, Assoc. AIA - Past Forward Director (2008)

Copyright and Reprinting: (C) 2009 AIA. All Rights Reserved.

SUBMISSIONSForward welcomes the submission of essays, projects and responses to ar-ticles. Submitted materials are subject to editorial review. All Forward issuesare themed, so articles and projects are selected relative to the issues spe-ci c subject.

Please contact the Forward Director, Christina Noble, atChristina.Noble@gmail.com if you are interested in contributing.

SPRING FORWARD 110

Architecture & The Body

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F O R W A R D

ORNAMENT

ORNAMENT 3by Christina A. Noble

VEILING 5by Matthias Kohler

MOCKUPS 14by Nick Gelpi

OUT OF THE LAB AND INTO THE JUNGLE 21by Tom Wiscombe

THE SEMANTIC METAL SURFACE 29by L. William Zahner

INSIDE IRAN 37 photography by Mark Edward Harris

SULLIVANS BANKS 43by Stacey Zwettler Keller

REVOLUTIONS OF CHOICE 48by Frank Barkow

COMPUTATIONAL DETAIL 53by Stephen Lynch

EVERYDAY INSPIRATION 59by Eduardo Cadaval

DEEP SURFACE 63by Brock DeSmit and David Cheung

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TOPICS

by Christina A. NobleORNAMENT

Architects are increasingly faced with shrinking in uence, often onlydesigning the building skin or an individual tenant improvement, but notnecessarily both and not at the same time. As a result, modernist desiresfor a direct connection between interior space and the exterior envelopecan no longer be controlled by a single architect and the conceptof a uni ed architectural project no longer has primary relevance tocontemporary construction processes. This has led many architects tofocus on architecture as a manipulation of surfaces as a relevant meansfor design and construction today. What is interesting to me is how a reduction of scope studying a singlesurface has revealed new possibilities for design exploration. Theexterior building skin need no longer be limited to a line separatinginside from outside. Instead a surface can be analyzed as thickened,layered planes with depth and complexity that expands and contracts asnecessary to include one or multiple (and perhaps even contradictory)

systems. For example, Belzberg Architects Conga Room, as discussedin the article Deep Surface , could be perceived upon rst inspectionas simply a decorative element enlivening the dance oor. However,this dynamic shape encases complexity beneath its owered form itincorporates layers for lighting, re safety and acoustics. Each layerhas its speci c job to perform and is allowed to serve its functionindependently and to the best of its ability. Similarly, an exterior wallwill incorporate multiple systems to create an outward appearance asteel structure, waterproo ng membrane, and the exterior nish, amongother layers, combine to create a single wall construction. Only theoutermost layer is what most of us have the opportunity to directly seeand touch. This layer, in addition to enclosing the wall and serving asthe rst weatherproo ng barrier, is devoted to aesthetics.

How architects begin to wrestle with the appearance of this outermostlayer can become a compelling story of its own. On what basis do wedesign this layer? How can we rationalize the aesthetics for this last layerand ultimately, the building? What many of the architects in this issuereveal is that ornament need not be a dirty word. Ornament need not

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Christina A. Noble, AIA, LEED AP Forward Director

Ms. Noble has worked as an architectural professionalfor eight years. She has worked on numerous high

pro le and large-scale projects in her career, includingcollegiate, mixed-use, government and private develop-

ment high-rise buildings. Christina graduated from Rice University withher Bachelor of Architecture in 2002 and currently lives in Phoenix,

Arizona.

be considered super cial and super uous. Instead, this outermost layer,representing ornament in architecture, as Farshid Moussavi would saycan function. 1

Forward 209 reveals approaches by contemporary (and a few historic)architects as they grapple with the question of ornament. MatthiasKohler and Frank Barkow work through an iterative process of internallyde ned goals and assumptions that are programmed parametrically andanalyzed to produce speci c technical and visual affects. Like sketching,computers allow designers to visualize what is being created so that theycan adjust, modify or amplify their approach. Nick Gelpi stresses theimportance of physical modeling and a 1:1 mockup as part of the designprocess and material investigation. For Gelpi, mockups value comesfrom the tests capacity to produce new insight into the consequences ofwhats been speculated. Only by designing, building, and testing realobjects and materials can we gain insight into interesting and new waysto use them. Eduardo Cadaval and Clara Sola-Morales take a hands-onapproach as well. Their highlighted project, translucent, paper displaywalls for the Susana Solano art exhibit created from the interior structureof doors, reveals Cadaval and Sola-Moraless exploration of foundobjects surprising material properties. And, last but not least, Forward

209 also includes a historical perspective featuring an article about LouisSullivans banks as well as a photo essay illustrating the intricate detailingof Iranian architecture paired with images of Iranian life.

NOTES:1 Moussavi, Farshid and Michael Kubo, The Function of Ornament (Actar, 2006).

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by Matthias Kohler VEILING

Private photography by Walter

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Gantenbein Vinyard Facade photography by Ralph Feiner

Architectural facades assume life when theyare not just considered articulated surfaces,but when the material depth of the surfaceconstruction is activated. Regardless of thetools utilized, traditional or digital, we mustconsider how facades are made and ndelegant ways to build. Digital fabricationallows us to conceive and control intricateconstructions with a ne level of detail.Computer programming plays a special role,allowing us to enrich material constructionswith a digital logic. The culture of logic(whose tradition began long before theadvent of the computer) and the cultures ofconstruction and craft merge. A new orderof materiality, which we refer to as DigitalMateriality , evolves. Design data is directlywoven into material constructions: data

meets material, computer programmingmeets construction, and architectural designmeets craft in the conceptually most explicitway. At this level we are tuning inherentqualities of material processes to broadentheir aesthetic and functional vocabulary.We proactively seek to invent constructivedetails and appreciate fabrication methodsthat foster surprising, sensual and meaningfulexpressions.

Gantenbein Vineyard Facade

The Gantenbein Vineyard was already underconstruction when the project architects,Bearth & Deplazes, invited us to design thefaade for the new grape fermentation hall.The buildings concrete frame is conceived asa basket holding oversized grapes. To designthe faade, we parametrically programmedgrapes to fall into a virtual basket in digitally

simulated gravity until they were closelypacked. We transferred the four-sided spatialimage data and translated the physicalrotation to individual bricks. As a result,the walls sensual softness dissolves intothe materiality of the stonework. The faadeappears as a solidi ed dynamic form.Robotic production methods enabled us to

Gantenbein Vinyard Facade photography by Ralph Feiner

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Gantenbein Vinyard Robotic Construction photograpny by Gramazio & Kohler, ETH Zurich

Gantenbein Vinyard Facade photography by Ralph Feiner

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precisely lay and glue each of the 20,000bricks according to programmed parameters,at the desired angle and exact prescribedintervals. Depending on the angle on whichthey are set, the individual bricks each re ectlight differently and thus take on varyingdegrees of lightness. Similarly to pixels on acomputer screen, their macro-organizationcreates a distinctive image and communicatesthe identity of the vineyard. In contrast to atwo-dimensional screen, however, there is adramatic play between plasticity, depth andcolor, depending on position and the angle ofthe sun.

In addition to its visual intricacy, the masonryfunctions as temperature buffer and lters

sunlight for the processing of grapes behind.The bricks are offset so that moderateamounts of diffuse daylight enter the hallthrough the gaps between the bricks. Thepenetrating daylight creates a mild, yetluminous atmosphere. In order to make thepattern discernible from the interior, we laidthe bricks so that the gap at full de ectionwas nearly closed. This produced a maximumcontrast between the open and closed jointsand allowed the light to poetically model theinterior walls. Looking towards the light, thedesign becomes manifest in its modulationthrough the open gaps. It is superimposedon the image of the landscape that glimmersthrough at different levels of de nitionaccording to the perceived contrast.

Gantenbein Vinyard Facade photography by Ralph Feiner

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Gantenbein Vinyard photography by Ralph Feiner

Gantenbein Vinyard photography by Ralph Feiner

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angle, the slats perceptually collapse into acontinuous, vertically articulated, woodensurface. The effect shifts from subtle todramatic depending on the view towards thefaade. The thinning of the faade hints at theopen character of the spaces inside the housewithout telling the whole story. Experienced from the inside, the externalwood screen provides a sense of intimacythat contrasts with the loft-like spaces. Awarm light, ltered through the pine woodslats, illuminates the exposed concrete wallsand ceilings. Close up, paddle-shaped slatsin series create a visual impression of an

Private House, Riedikon, Switzerland

The design for the private house reinterpretsthe typology of nearby gable-roof barnsthrough its distinctive geometry, loft spacesand the materialization of its faade. Theprivate house maintains the gabled formof a traditional barn set within the Swisslandscape. However, from a distance, thebuilding does not reveal its open interiorcharacter at rst glance. The deep screenof vertical pine veils all sides and createsan introverted, almost abstract appearancethat blends into the surrounding context ofvernacular buildings. When seen from an

Private House photography by Walter Mair

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Private House photography by Walter Mair

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Private House photography by Walter Mair

Private House photography by Walter Mair

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elliptic lens that opens to focused viewsin the surrounding nature preserve - awindow within the window opens as onemoves through the spaces. Additionally,the cross section of the slats skews up toforty- ve degrees, a manipulation thatprovides asymmetrical views to the side ofeach window. The view to one side is open- the slats become ne strings towards thewindows center. The view to the other sideremains protected as it closes at a tight angle.This asymmetry allows optimally balancedviews, privacy and lighting on every sideof the house. The wood screen becomes apoetic instrument, shifting atmospheres withinthe spaces through an intricate play of lightand shadow during the day and night. As adelicate membrane between the inside and

outside, the faade encourages exploration ofthe phenomenological richness it creates.

Matthias Kohler is partner in the Zurich

architecture practice Gramazio& Kohler with Fabio Gramazio.Together with Gramazio,Kohler holds the Chair for

Architecture and Digital Fabrication at theSwiss Federal Institute of Technology. Theirresearch focuses on the exploration of highlyinformed architectural elements and processesand produces design strategies for full-scaleautomated fabrication in their roboticconstruction facility. Kohler is the co-editor ofthe book Digital Materiality in Architecture ,which outlines the theoretical context for thefull synthesis between data and material inarchitectural design and fabrication.

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by Nick Gelpi MOCKUPS

Studies revealed how densities of pattern produce different resolution of feathering drawings by Nick Gelpi

In 1960, while conducting a test for the United States Air Force, JoeKittinger did something which had never been done before; he pilot-ed a hot air balloon to a height of 102,800 feet above the earth, thenhe jumped. When he leaped out, to his surprise nothing happened,he found himself suspended in space.

Joe Kittinger was actually plummeting back to earth at more than 600miles per hour, he just didnt know it. This marks the highest jump inhistory. Because he was above 99% of the atmospheres mass, therewas no wind resistance to stabilize him. With no ripple of his spacesuit, this jumper believed he had gone too far, beyond the reach ofthe Earths gravitational pull. He was convinced he was suspendedin space unable to return to the ground. The reality of this situationwas beyond the capacity of the expected representational norms toevidence.

Although an accomplished air force pilot, Joe Kittinger was here, nomore than a testdummy. He was a 1:1 scale gure in a very largeplace, venturing into an unknown territory which lacked de nition.In architecture we often place a graphic scale gure into a drawing tolend reference and understanding to the scale of whats represented.

Joe Kittinger was a living 1:1 scale gure lending evidence to theconsequences of existing in the world at this scale.

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Figure 1 photography by Nick Gelpi

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Architecture, like space exploration, makespredictions and speculations. Sometimesthe reality of a scenario cannot adequatelybe documented or anticipated through solelyrepresentational means. There are the literalcontingencies of any project which often resistrepresentation. Why risk Joe Kittingers life?Because otherwise we might not know what

could occur. The treacheries of hi-altitudebailout were anticipated; however the onlymethod for determination was to send Joethere to precipitate the results, by enacting it.This is the territory of the real. Within archi-tecture, to engage the various categories of thereal at 1:1 scale requires a conventional testtermed a mockup. While the super cial-ity of an image seamlessly navigates betweenscales through abstraction and without conse-quence, a mockup only works, in its thicknessand depths, at the 1:1 scale.

Mockups occupy a vital territory which tiesrepresentational matter to the existing realityof the world. The value of any test lies not inits ability to be executed; value comes fromthe tests capacity to produce new insight into

the consequences of whats been speculated.Kittinger didnt know what would occur as aresult of testing something of this magnitude.This unpredictability is a function of scale.The United States Air Force took a predictablescenario, skydiving which normally occurs ata height of 10,000 feet, and scaled it up bya power of 10, from 10,000 feet to 100,000feet. This scale shift thrust the test, and thoseinvolved, into a new, destabilized, relationalterritory.

This is the territory of Charles and Ray Eames lm, Powers of Ten. The high-stakes of scaleshifting are anticipated in the subtitle, dealing with the relative size of things in theuniverse, and the effect of adding anotherzero. The Eames make convincing evidencethat this is a scale speci c world. The conse-quences of our interaction with the world are uid and become more poignant with shiftsin the scalar zoom. Joe Kittingers jump is amockup of the world at a new scale, demon-strating the turbulences of scaling the framethat brackets that jumper by 10.

From architecture history, there are two impor-tant examples of mockups that demonstratethe apparent categories for testing scales dis-criminating tendencies at the 1:1. Stating less

Figure 2: How to break whats built; How to build a break photography by Nick Gelpi

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about the world in general and more aboutthe relational categories for architectures ef- cacy, the histories of both projects requiredan execution of the designs at full scale forthe purpose of reaching conclusions about

the merits of each. One occurred in 1936,when Frank Lloyd Wright constructed a 1:1mockup of his unusually shaped dendriformcolumn for the S. C. Johnson Wax buildingto convince the public that, while what hehad drawn may have broken all the rules ofthe day, it was indeed possible. A structural-material hypothesis, the only method forconvincing was to put the design into motionin the material world. The other occurred in1912, when Mies van der Rohe constructeda 1:1 mockup of a house, the Kroller-MullerVilla Project, out of canvas, to convince theclient of a different type of validity, the qual-ity of its effects. A spatial-scalar test, its worthmentioning that only after a complete spatialmockup the client rejected the design, furtherevidencing the value of this test in its ability toproduce failure. While the nature of evidencesought in both is different, one structural,one cunning, the motivations for each are the

same. Like dress rehearsals in the tradition ofthe theater, they both seek to demonstrate thatthey work at a scale that isnt representational.

Mockups verify the vitality of an image. Tomock means to treat with contempt or ridi-cule, to defy or challenge. 1 What is unavoid-able in a mockup is responsiveness. Mockups

demonstrate the responsiveness in what theydo. They will either do what is predictableor do something unexpected, but unyieldingwithin this concept of doing is the in uenceof scale on the behavior of the response.

I recently completed a series of mockups asdesign studies that considered the signi canceof the various territories of scale occupiedby architectures typical constructions. Themockups in this series all behave at a particu-lar scale. More like earthquakes of variousmagnitudes, than an arbitrary progression ofsize, these projects make particular use of aconsistent material diagram, the ability forplywood of incremental thicknesses to feath-er. [Fig. 1] Not an image, rather a condi-tion, the interest was to coax out the projectspotential energies, that is, the ability for it tobehave in productive ways.

Scale of Matter

We began by treating a material like a speci-men, looking for what it would do, not what itlooked like. We were interested in the ma-

terials ability to behave in counter-intuitiveways, in this case draping as a typical cente-nary structure might work. The drape studies,while somewhat rote, demonstrate how theincremental diminishing of thickness (a num-ber) delineates a different con guration withinthe earths gravitational pull. Gravity is ow-ing through the material in a certain way that

Figure 3: As the plywood is bent around a radius which decreases, feathering increases allowing translucency, sight, light and color photographny by Nick Gelpi

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Figure 4: Densities of pattern produce different resolution of feathering drawings by Nick Telpi

Figure 5: Hovering mockup drawingsdrawings by Nick Telpi

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makes it take this position and subsequentlyproduce this appearance. These con gura-tions are earth speci c and would change ifsited on the moon where gravity is 1/6 th that ofthe earths.

The standard off the shelf plywood sheet is en-gineered to resist the entropic deformation ofgravity, but what if an entropic response couldbe used for something productive? Inscribedstrategic cuts respond to the bending radiusof the sheet as the tightened radius producesmore extreme feathering increasing with ittransparency and transmission of coloredlight. [Fig. 3]

Scales of Transparency

We connected resulting conditions of trans-parency, boundary, aperture, and color glowto the thickness of material and its ability tobend. As the feather wall tightens up to-wards its center and exceeds the maximumcurvature allowable, it begins to break andfall apart. The transparency emerges fromthe density of pattern in the surface and itstangential correspondence to the turbulenceof the wall. While typical wall constructionparts exist adjacently in addition to one anoth-er, think stud framing and cladding, with littledisruption to each other, the parts of this wallmix together and exhibit a nuanced, behav-ioral boundary, exhibiting color, translucencyand shape. [Fig. 4]

Scale of Structures

By migrating the feather condition from ascreen to that of motivated structural idea,what operated in its impartial de ections anddeformations as a light modulator became anidea about how supports could be cut out of asingle sheet and differentiated to emerge andplay the recognizable role of a structural sys-tem. The relationship between backup frame(structure) and skin con guration is invertedas the skin becomes the structure itself, ob-

scuring the structural role of the frame. Theframe now becomes an excessive dead-loadto be supported by the structural skin. Thestructure results from the assembled combina-tion of parts. The implementation of variousradii bends the skin and pattern tight enoughthat the resultant feathering lifts the entireobject off the ground. The entire assembly ispropped up, seemingly hovering above theground by the lift of the plywood feathers.The frame that ordinarily would do the liftingis now lifted producing a reversal of structuralroles. [Fig. 5]

Scales of Overlap

Engineering the support further we developeda leaning structure. In this structural mockup

a veri able composite structural con gurationoccurs. The structural frame leans over andrelies on its skin to prop itself up. Withoutthe skin it would fall over. Without the framethe skin wouldnt expand to con gure forstructural capacity. And, if this skin werentthis thickness of plywood, or rather if it werepaper, it wouldnt be strong enough to actas a support at the scale of this mockup. Adouble layer of skin triangulates at the pointwhere it meets the ground to form a structuraldepth like a monocoque system. The frameneeds the skin and the skin needs the frame tocon gure itself for stability.

Scale Finding

The largest of the mockups increases the scaleof materials to construction grade plywood,which determined the size of the whole as-sembly, a shift from a form nding exerciseto a type of scale nding procedure, whichrequires the capacity of the part to behave inalignment with the whole. [Fig. 6] To suggesta smaller scale version of this design requiresa revision of ingredients as they will onlywork together at this scale without failing atthe integrity of their material.

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Figure 6: Scale nding mockup, 1/8 inch birch plywood photography by Nick Gelpi

Between Scales

Architecture often looks to references from

outside the discipline to gain new rules anddirection for its production. This series ofmockups defers to cues from within the waythings already exist in the world. Utilizing auniversal diagram or condition, the variousobjects may all look similar, however they allspecify a response to a unique world. Theyare all different in their particular responses tothe categorical scales that architecture prof-fers. As evident in Joe Kittingers jump, thenature of the world changes in relation tothe scale gure, it behaves differently. Theuniversality of the pattern is delineated intocategories as particularities of these projectsdemonstrate the shifting scales between them.Scale doesnt look like anything, it is invisible,yet it permeates the arena for architecture.As the traditional categories of architecturescatalogue of scalar implementation, windows/ screens, structure/envelope, have becomeredundant, what increasingly looks the same,

requires an invisible ef

cacy in its ability todo work. Perhaps architectures focus forinnovation can nd new fodder adjacent topragmatic and formal ingenuity by discover-ing the in-between zones of scale, wherethe world behaves differently, and providesuntapped potential energies for architectureswandering future.

NOTES:1 mock. Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary. 2009.

Nick Gelpi is a visiting Lecturer at the

MIT School of Architecture +Planning, and principal in the

design of

ce PALEO. Prior toteaching at MIT, he was theHoward E. LeFevre Emerging PractitionerFellow at The Ohio State University, and has

previously taught design studios at ColumbiaUniversity. In 2007 he received ARCHITECTMagazines rst annual R&D award. Gelpiholds a professional degree in architecturefrom Tulane University. In 2003 he graduatedfrom Columbia University in New York witha Masters of Science in Advance Architecture

Design. He has worked in the New Yorkof ces of nArchitects, G-tects, and mostrecently Steven Holl Architects from 2004-2008.

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by Tom WiscombeOUT OF THE LAB AND INTO THE JUNGLE

Have you ever heard of the Bowerbird? This bird, known to animalcognition experts but not so much to architects, is intriguing becauseit appears to exist at the edge of consciousness, driven by bothbottom-up instinct as well as what appears to be taste . In order toattract female mates, male birds build an audacious mating-stage,characterized by ornate thatch-work, berry-juice paint, and colorful

collections of organic and synthetic objects. This is not a nest, but agirl-magnet, and while it is evidence of the males prowess and abilityto procure resources, its primary expression is of the males aestheticsensibility in construction. Females are highly discerning-- they lookfor formal coherency, color composition, and construction innovationin these stages. According to James and Carol Gould, authors of The

Animal Architect , the males constant fussing to try new variantsimplies an element of something like personal style, noting thatthe birds must receive some kind of pleasure from the sight of suchthings.1 What is so interesting about the Bowerbird is that they havesuch a highly-re ned sensibility for excess, something we usuallyonly attribute to the human animal. How we love to short-changenon-human animals! But then, there is the Bowerbird, seeminglyoperating based on motor programs, environmental cues, andnecessity, but also (gasp!) its appreciation for architectural affect!

Architecture has been obsessed with science for the past 20 years,in terms of the digital simulations and form nding, generativedesign, and seductive discoveries in the natural sciences relatingto complexity and systems theory. This obsession also re ects a

Taipei Performing Arts Center drawing by Emergent

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conscious effort of the neo avante-guarde tomove beyond the critical project of the 1970sand 80s towards a materialist paradigm.In 2009, it appears that many practitioners,especially in academia, have lost interestin, or sight of, disciplinary issues speci c toarchitecture. As Jeff Kipnis has said, in orderfor something to be a discipline, it must haveits own, independent form of knowledge,otherwise it ceases to be a discipline at all. 2 Architecture loves to borrow from otherdisciplines; it is a kind of tradition since theschizm of design and construction during theRennaisance. The danger is, when we beginto promote the wholesale transfer of scienti cknowledge and values into architecture, webegin to lose the richness and true complexityarchitecture can have. I am myself a science-

minded architect, and I am beginning to feeluneasy with what I can best describe as thetendency to promote process over effects, orin another way, thinking over feeling. The bestarchitecture is robust enough to operate inmultiple ontological realms. 3

The Problem with Swarm Architecture

Consider the explosion of new rationale fordesign all around us, including parametricdesign, swarm architecture, parametricurbanism, and so on, all of which appear tobe apologies or justi cations for design. Thefact that these are often used interchangeablyis telling, since we are in fact dealing withcontradictory terms. Parametric design, forinstance, is as top-down as puppetry, but itis often promoted as a bottom-up process.In parametrics, the outputs always resemblethe inputs, which is impossible in generative

systems. While parametric techniques areundoubtedly good for rationalizing geometryand maintaining associations betweencomponents, they always reaf rm zero-sumlogic rather than excess.

Swarm architecture is a contradiction initself, insofar as architecture in the world does

not arise spontaneously based on simple rules,but instead emerges as a complex political,economic, material, technological, andcultural activity. People have been workingfor nearly two decades on swarm logics asthey might pertain to architecture. They havesucceeded in producing the most beautifulparticle tracery and agent-based animations ala Craig Reynoldss ocking algorithms from1986, but these appear to exist somewherebetween pseudo-science and visual art, notarchitecture. A virtual agent is not the sameas a brick. And when you force the relation,you end up with something anemic and weak,without any of the traits of a complex adaptivesystem like, for instance, a swarm.

The problem is that scienti c rationale in

design-- related to process and thinking-- hasbegun to overpower the actual effects of thebuilt thing in the world, in particular its affectand contribution to culture. Processes haveoften become the end in themselves ratherthan a means to an end. And if the architect isnot interested in producing particular effectsthrough architecture then they are interlopers.

Into the Jungle

In our of ce we are bolting out of thelaboratory and into the jungle, JurrasicPark style. In the lab, we would have to bedoing research which of course becomesproblemmatic when you compare scienti cresearch with architectural research. Forresearch to be research, it requires two things,one, that it be reproduceable, and two, that itbe productive even in failure. 4 Architecturalresearch cannot hold up to that. Also, if we

were in the lab, we would be invested in aquest for absolute truth rather than resonance(relevance mixed with affect), whicharchitecture should probably not be doing. Inthe jungle, we can instead concentrate on theproduction of vivid features and behaviors,color gradients, variability, wild ornament,and atmospherics. When youre in the jungle,

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it is affect rst, process second. This is notto say that issues of utility or evolution canbe excised from the discussion, but that its

simply a relief to admit that architecture is nota science, and that architectural effects canbe created in myriad, messy ways rather thanaccording to scienti c method.

Our design process is messy. It leaves looseends. It allows for some things to be slightlyout of control (generative) and others tobe unapologetically authored. The use ofcomputation becomes sporadic and strategicrather than all-encompassing. Scripting turnsout to be very valuable for this kind of guerillaapproach. Although it is certainly a subset ofalgorithmic design, it does not have the sameimplications of having scienti c validity ormagical properties. Scripting assumes no scaleor end-use, nor does it confuse architecturewith natural phenomena. It is a tool in needof an author to direct its use. Scripting, asmy wise colleague Peter Testa likes to say,is like sketching. 5 But sketching with acomputational sensibility, and sketching inpopulations of versions, rather than laboringaway at a single expression. Scripting simplyautomates, iterates, and delivers sets ofgeometry which, depending on availablefeatures, can become structural patterns,metabolic networks, enclosure systems, orornament. Scripting does not imply value in

itself; it is a means to an end . A script cannever create real complexity on its own.

Our of ce has found scripting to be mostproductive when used in early project phasesin an abstract way, with no pre-determinationof scale or target applications, but framedwithin a known architectural territory such asstructure, mechanical systems, apertures, orsurface character. Iteratively, features begin toappear which appeal to either performative oraesthetic sensibilities, and eventually, both.These features never arise fully-formed, ratheronly by teasing them out, and by constantlyfeeding speci c principles and desires backinto the mix. Eventually, proto-architecturalspecies emerge. These species have begunto accumulate in our collection of geometry

we refer to as The Menagerie. Buildingsare designed either by using several speciesin various hierarchies or scales, or a singlespecies across its full behaviorial range.Nevertheless, features never appear all thetime, from massing, to organization, to detail.You would never nd that kind of relentlessconsistency in the jungle.

Working this way with scripting producesa multiplicity of found objects with open-ended potentials; nature, not coincidentally,always works from found objects as well.There is no such thing as a tabula rasa in thenatural world. There are no beginnings and noends, just sets of features and behaviors whichare incrementally evolved, sometimes in babysteps through optimization, and other times inmassive leaps through mutation. This processleaves a messy trail of excess, redundancy,obfuscated function, and non-optimal

features. In any case, the complexity anddistinctiveness of a species cannot be fullyunderstood only by examining its evolutionaryhistory, but rather by engaging it in its vitalstate, in all of its visual and behavioral beauty.What matters in buildings, in the same way, isnot the sum of their history of production, butrather the real-time effects they generate.

Dragon y Parametric Plandrawing by Emergent

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Dragon y

Dragon y, done in collaboration with BuroHappold Engineers, was an experimentin hybrid pattern-formation and structuralfeedback loops in a canopy structure. Thegame was set up in order to elicit a varietyof heterogeneous behaviors in response to

its asymmetrical shaping environment andextreme cantilever. The name Dragon y isnot a metaphor, but it does imply biomimicry.Borrowing from studies on dragon y wingmorphology, we were interested in how wingperformance was related to several discreetstructural features. The most prominent is thehybrid cellular pattern which shifts from linearchains of four-sided cells, which operate wellin bending, to honeycomb patterns whichare exible and operate as membranes. Theveins are deep and also pleated for additionalstiffness, while the membranes are thin andslightly curved. We call this a beam-brane.

The process of design was messy-- it involveda number of algorithms, population-engineering routines, and an overarchingdesign sensibility of achieving heterogeneous

patterning which could deal with extremeconditions without breaking its beam-branesyntax. Several boundary conditions were setup in ANSYS (a generative engineering tool)to be applied to the relatively uncharacterizedstarting condition of a Voronoi pattern(again, not a tabula rasa). Each boundary

condition-- from cell morphology and density,to member depth and width, to local shape--was used to generate populations of solutions.Rather than attempting to nd the best ofall possible structures, our team used thesestudies to generate simultaneously improvedperformance and aesthetic coherence andcomplexity.

There is a temptation to understand the storyof Dragon y as if engineering algorithmsgenerated the project, but the reality is thatthe process was driven as much by the desirefor particular architectural effects- coherency,smooth gradients, and radical shifts in depthand densities. Identifying moments in thestructure which were designed versus thosewhich appeared is an irrelevant distinction,as neither is more or less legitimate.

Dragon y photography by Emergent

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Dragon y engineering drawings by Emergent

Dragon y engineering drawings by Emergent

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Novosibirsk Pavilion

Gridshell structures, prevalent in the 1960s,are part of a lineage of experimentation intomaterial intelligence and analogue shape

computation leading all the way back to theGothic era. The character of these structuresis a function of their form-found curvature aswell as their patterned relief which reducesweight while increasing stiffness. Thesesolutions, while ef cient and elegant, wereoften limited by their inability to respond tolocal forces and multiple objectives.

Our contemporary re-examination of thegridshell accepts the material sensibility of thisearlier work while questioning its monotonouspattern geometry and tendency towarduniversal forms. This design is based on thesimultaneous response of pattern to surfacecurvature and structural force pathways,generating a highly varied and informed shell.Variability in pattern morphology, density,and depth allow for a localized structural

tuning which would be impossible withinvariant pattern logic. Ultimately, limitationsof traditional form- nding, where structurestend toward funicular forms, are lifted, andmore heterogeneous shell shapes begin to be

possible.The pattern logic of the stiffening veinswas critical for the spatial sensibility of thisproject and it was painstakingly developedas a hybrid of several shape grammars andcomputational techniques. A base subdivisionof the surfaces was achieved based oncurvature where pinched or twisted regionsof the surfaces were broken down intosmaller and smaller quadrilateral cells. Aroutine for transforming this subdivision intoa branching logic was developed in order togenerate a more complex and robust networkof structural pathways, one which couldbe easily re-adjusted based on engineeringinformation and an evolving sensibility for thewhole.

Novosibirsk Pavillion drawing by Emergent

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Flower Street Bioreactor

Our point of departure for this project wasto engage the nascent cultural paradigm shiftfrom thinking about energy as somethingwhich comes magically from distant sourcesto something which can be generatedlocally in a variety of ways. Our goal wasnot, however, to undertake an engineeringexperiment, or to simply express materialprocesses, although this is certainly one

dimension of the project. Our primarygoal was to create a sense of delight andexotic beauty around new technologies bydecontextualizing them and amplifying theirpotential atmospheric and ornamental effects.

The project is an aquarium-like bioreactorinserted into the facade of a building, whichcontains green algae colonies that produceoil through photosynthesis. The aquarium ismade of thick transparent acrylic, moldedto create the intricate relief on the front.This relief tracks along with and supports aninternal lighting armature which is based onthe Bio-feedback Algae Controller, inventedby OriginOil in Los Angeles. Tuned LED lightsthat vary in color and intensity support algaegrowth at different stages of development,

maximizing output. According to OriginOil,this is a true bio-feedback system the algaelets the LED controller know what it needsas it needs it, creating a self-adjusting growthsystem. At night, when this system intensi es,it generates a simultaneously urban and jungleaffects: glittery re ections on acrylic combinewith an eerie lan vital of glowing algae.

A solar array, used to collect energy during theday, winds up into the branches of an adjacenttree, jungle-style. This energy will be stored ina battery and used during the night to run thevarious systems.

Flower Street Bioreactor drawing by Emergent

Flower Street Bioreactor drawing by Emergent

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NOTES:1. Gould, James and Carol, Animal Architects , Basic Books, New York (2007)

p. 246

2. Kipnis, Jeff, AADRL Documents 2: A Design Research Compendium, Jeff

Kipnis in Conversation , Architectural Association Press, London (2009) P.

51-52

3. Kipnis, Jeff, *@#*!#!!, SCI-Arc Lecture, January, 2008.

4. Kipnis, Jeff, ibid.

5. Testa, Peter. From informal discussions in our SCI-Arc Digital Design Studio,

2006-9.

Taipei Performing Arts Center

The aim for this design for the TaipeiPerforming Arts Center is to create deep,varied, colorful Urban Cavities betweenand around the three given theater masses.

These Cavities allow the city to penetratethe exclusive territory of the performing artscenter type, creating a dynamic, 24-hourcommercial and cultural zone.

The morphology of the project is based onpatterns of armatures and pleats which forman intricate ornamental network. Armaturesare woven together to create circulation andstructure, allowing views from the plaza intothe building as well as from the building down

into the Plaza and out into the city. Micro-pleats track along the armatures but alsospread out along surfaces, spatially drawingvisitors inward. The sensations producedby this uid geometry are heightened by agradient of color which is most intense onthe interior but fades out to the exterior of thebuilding.

Tom Wiscombe founded Emergent, a platform

for researching contemporarymodels of biology, engineering,and computation to producean architecture characterized

by formal variability, high performance, andatmospherics. Emergent has developed aninternational pro le via an oeuvre of compe-tition entries and installations, including theMoMA/ P.S.1. The work of Emergent is part ofthe permanent collection of the Museum ofModern Art, New York.Wiscombe was ChiefDesigner at Coop Himmelb(l)au for over 10years and teaches at SCI_Arc.

Taipei Performing Arts Center drawing by Emergent

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by L. William Zahner THE SEMANTIC METAL SURFACE

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When de ning a logic to use a particularsurface material, various aesthetic qualitiessuch as color, texture, patterns and boundariesare often considered. In our pursuit to arriveat materials that perform over a lifetime anddo not possess hidden cost to our childrensfuture, considerations of manufacture andeventual recovery and recycling of thematerial must also play a part. Architecturalmetals achieve these design requirements.They are durable and lightweight. Theycan be formed, shaped, pierced, cut andmachined in ways only plastics can attempt tocopy.

Architectural metals are the family of materialsthat encompass aluminum alloys, copper andcopper alloys, brasses and bronzes, iron and

steel alloys including stainless steels, lead, tin,titanium, and zinc.

Each of these metals has a vast array of nishes and textures that add color andinterface with light like no other substanceson earth. Many of these metals can becoated with other metals to enhance theirperformance or aesthetic appeal. Forexample, zinc in the process of galvanizingprovides tremendous bene t via galvanicprotection to steel. Aluminum and steel areoften painted to provide a particular colorwhile adding a barrier to prevent the ambientconditions from affecting the base materialsperformance. In these cases, metals act simplyas an affordable ductile form.Stainless steel, titanium and to a lesser degreealuminum, are known for their unchangingsurface chemistry. They react with thesurrounding environment, for the most part,

at a very slow rate. Their oxides developrapidly and resist additional surface attack.Other metals, such as copper and copperalloys, zinc, and the weathering steel alloys,are left exposed to react with the surroundingenvironment. These metals combine withsubstances in the air and develop verytenacious surface oxides. These oxides

enhance the appearance of the metal andprovide extremely impervious barriers. Thebarriers are very close to inert mineral formsthat are found in nature.

These inorganic surface coatings, commonlyknown as patinas, develop as the metal isexposed to external pollutants such as carbondioxide, chlorine and sulfur. When you thinkabout it, a copper roof is removing carbondioxide and sulfur from the atmosphere andtrapping it in inert mineral compounds formedon the metal surface.

The metals used in architecture will not endup in some future waste heap 1 because ofthe inherent value they possess. The metalrecycling business worldwide is a robust

industry employing many thousands ofpeople. No other materials used in buildingconstruction are so thoroughly recapturedand recycled for use over and over again thanmetals. Environmental issues surroundingthe mining and concentration of metals arevalid but often are taken out of context.Efforts are being made within the industry toaddress long term affects of metal mining andprocessing. Recycling of metals reduces theneed for mining and reprocessing recycledmaterials uses signi cantly less energy. 2 Aluminum recycling, for example, hasbecome a substantial secondary business.Reducing the ravages on the environmentcaused by mining, recycling bypasses thelarge ore re ning costs. Aluminum re nementrequires tremendous amounts of electricity,some 20,000 kilowatt hours per ton ofaluminum re ned. Most small towns use lesselectricity per year than aluminum re nement

uses per day. The aluminum scrap recyclingindustry claims that recycled aluminum savesup to 80 million tons of greenhouse gasemissions per year.

The same can be said for other metals. Over80% of the copper used to create the beautifulfaade on the deYoung Museum of Art in San

Previous page: The de Young Museum by Herzog & de Meuron photography by A. Zahner Company

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The de Young Museum by Herzog & de Meuron photography by A. Zahner Company

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Francisco was derived from recycled scrapmetal that was recast and turned into sheetcopper. Every single perforation and shearededge left over from the process of creating theelaborate panels was collected and recycledat the fabrication facility.

Copper has an in nite recycled life. It canbe used over and over again. In the eventthe deYoung is ever dismantled, one can becertain the surface will be recycled and usedon the next great museum faade. Can yousay this of other building materials? 3 Thereare no signi cant recycling efforts underwayfor stone, concrete, glass, berglass or rubbermembranes. Wood and brick have levels ofsecondary recycling potential but not anythingremotely comparable to the in nite recyclingability of aluminum, copper, steel, titaniumand zinc.

Metals are available in many forms designed

to take advantage of the inherent characteronly metals possess. Metals can be rolledinto extremely thin sheets, even foils, whichhave directional attributes such as grain,tensile strength and ductility. Even in thesethin forms, corrosion resistance is notcompromised. When correctly assembled,thin skins of metal can distribute the stressesthat develop from changes in the ambientconditions without affecting long-termbehavior. Creating thin surfaces of metalallows for optimizing the material usagewhile achieving very exible, yet durable,lightweight enclosures. This attribute of metalis the reason why aircraft and automobiles areshrouded in metal skins.

For intricate building surfaces, metals offersimilar advantages over other materials. Metalroo ng has long been a lightweight surfacingmaterial that provides protection from theenvironment. At the same time, metal can be

Metal Common Alloys Used inArchitecture

Aluminum alloys A3003, A3004, A3105, A5005,A5052, A5086, A6061, A6063

Copper alloys C110 commercial pure copperVarious Brasses:C220, C230, C270, C280, C385

Iron Carbon SteelWeathering SteelStainless steel alloys 304, 316

Lead Commercial Pure (very limiteduse today)

Monel Alloy of Nickel and CopperTin Typically as a coating on

Copper or alloyed with Zinc andcoated on stainless

Titanium Commercial PurePhysical Vapor coating onStainless

Zinc Commercial PureHot dipped coating on steel(Galvanizing)

Architectural Metals

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Contemporary Jewish Museumby Studio Daniel Libeskind

photography by Studio Daniel Libeskind

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a signi cant design element used to de ne thebuilding geometry and establish the aestheticimage.

Technological advances in fabricationprocesses have taken thin exible sheets ofmetal and created stunningly intricate wallsurfaces for buildings. Perforating, pressingand forming of metal provides the designer a

visual and tactile interface to offer his clientand the public to experience. Incorporatingshape and texture is no longer a signi cantartistic premium.

Thin, inexpensive surfaces of metal canenclose a building geometry and offera lifetime of performance with little

maintenance. A common means of achievinga metal surface is to assemble smallerelements known by various terms as skins,cassettes, or shingles. These thin, exibleelements allow for intricate surfaces to beenclosed without compromising the long-term performance of the metal. Each shingle

Various Forms of Metal

Sheet, coil and plateCastingExtrusionWirePowderCoatings Physical Vapor ormolten coating

National Museum of the American Indianby Romona Sakiestewa

photography by A. Zahner Company

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acts like a scale on a sh, overlapping andengaging into the adjoining shingle. Stressesdo not pass over to the next panel but arereleased at each edge.

To make the thin surfaces work ef ciently,close attention to the edges are necessary.The edges are what the eye captures and mostinconsistencies will manifest themselves at theboundaries. They can destroy the appearance,allow moisture to enter behind the metalsurface, and add unnecessary clutter to theoverall appearance. When skillfully executed,the edges de ne the surface geometry andallow for the control and distribution ofstresses and moisture.

The tendency is to apply covers to overlap

the edges of large sealant joints. It is cheaper,quicker and for the most part, it will determoisture, but it will affect the aesthetic. It willrequire adjustment and reseal at some pointand often can be less affective in performingthe function of keeping air and water fromentering behind the wall surface. It can belike having patches on a ne suit. Onespends the money on the cloth but hires a lessskillful tailor to assemble the suit.

Metal in expert hands can deliver the artfullycrafted surface that will stand the test of timeand deliver unsurpassed performance. Metalsused today will be recycled tomorrow andused over and over again. Metals speak to alogic that has a long-term purpose both in thedesigns that can be achieved when correctlyexecuted and in the inherent nature of thematerial.

Top and Bottom this page:Taubman Museum of Art by Randall Stout Architects

photography by Timothy Dalton Photography

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NOTES:1 Composite materials that combine metal with plastic cores are not currentlyrecycled. Thus, when their useful life expires, they are sent to the land ll - a

true waste of metal.

2 Recycled aluminum uses less than 4% of the energy needed in the aluminum

rening process. It is predicted by the year 2020 over 30 million tons of alu-

minum will be from recycled scrap. This is equivelent to 18 years of primary

production. Source: Recycle Scrap Industry.

3 Excluding copper wire which often is created from re ned copper ore, over

75% of the copper used in castings, sheet material, brass and bronze work is

recycled copper. Source: Copper.org

L. William Zahner President and CEO of Zahner

Company and Zahner Architectural MetalConsultants, has worked withmany of the worlds leading

architects, including Frank Gehry, AntoinePredock, Herzog and de Meuron and Tadao

Ando. He has contributed to a number ofhigh pro le projects using metal as a majorbuilding material, including the Guggenheimmuseum in Bilbao, Spain, the Experience Mu-sic Project in Seattle and the de young Mu-seum in San Francisco.

Taubman Museum of Art by Randall Stout Architects

photography by Timothy Dalton Photography

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INSIDE IRAN

INSIDE IRANPhotography by Mark Edward Harris

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by Stacey Zwettler Keller SULLIVAN'S BANKS

It is the pervading law of all things organic and inorganic,Of all things physical and metaphysical,Of all things human and all things super-human,Of all true manifestations of the head,Of the heart, of the soul,That the life is recognizable in its expression,

That form ever follows function. This is the law. A Tall Of ce Building Artistically Considered by Louis Sullivan

Sullivan coined the phrase Form ever follows function, providinga model for a new typology, the tall of ce building. Althoughmodernists later used Sullivans statement to eliminate ornament anddecoration from architecture even to the extent that ornament wasa crime Sullivans buildings did not turn away from aesthetics orornamentation. While his buildings could have a simple massing,he also incorporated highly intricate designs to highlight andcomplement the building massing. Dominating Sullivans later workwere his banks. Those most notable are the National Farmers Bank,his rst, in Owatonna, Minnesota, the Merchants National Bank, inGrinnell, Iowa, and his last, the Farmers and Merchants Union Bankin Columbus, Wisconsin. These banks provided new challenges ofimage, massing, scale, and proportion. In these projects, Sullivanprovided a selection of materials and ornament, considering patterns,reliefs, and colors, tting to a new challenge, elevating the bankwithin the public conscious. With the charge of a new typology,Form follows function stands as the continuous thread through the

entirety of his work.

At the turn of the century, following the Panic of 1893, the bankingindustry had lost the publics con dence. There was a need toreevaluate the industry relative to an uprising atmosphere ofprogressivism. In this new era of social change, a new bank couldimprove the surrounding town, as it expressed economic vitality 1.Sullivan rst strove to eliminate the neoclassical temple form typically

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components. The overall composition atOwatonna expresses a single semi-circulararch inscribed in a square. Within the broadsemi-circles, he enframes the deep-set stainedglass windows. This same fundamentalmechanism can be seen in the preliminarysketches and shop drawings of the GrinnellBanks main elevation. The dominatingcircular window is enframed by rotatingdiamonds and squares to signify the mainentrance, within the dominating squarebrick faade. Also at the Columbus bank,Sullivan used arithmetic proportions andgeometric gures to resolve the asymmetryof the entrance to appear symmetrical. Theentry itself is recessed under the separatingterra cotta and marble plane, so the semi-circular arched window banded with layers

of brick and terra cotta can display its

his buildings, the upper parts were construedin ornament of a larger scale, higher in reliefand courser in detail than at the base. Healso varied ne to course detail depending onthe material; the ner in material, the ner thedetail, as in metal, and the greater breadthand depth as in terra cotta 7.

The banks simple extruded mass providedthe basis for design, with highlights of thesigni cant entrance, main banking room,and structure through ornament. These formsare initially created with simple arithmeticproportions to integrate visually the solidsand voids and the ornamental enframementsof the parts with the whole. 8 The recurrentforms of simple geometries of circles, half-circles, and rectangles within the elevations

express the architectural masses and structural

Grinnell Bank 4th Avenue Elevation by Louis Sullivanimage from The Bentley Historical Library - University of Michigan

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prominence. These primary forms, in turn,generate the intricate ornamental surfacepatterns of abstract and foliate motifs renderedin color arranged according to sequence,combination, and repetition. 9

Sullivan referenced many Gothic precedentsin the design of his buildings. With thatsaid, this was not a copying of styles andrecreating religious architecture, but insteadprovided a language to integrate nature withstructural clarity and movement. It was thisessence of Gothic, that Sullivan consideredan American architecture devoid of historicconnotations. He would compare his tall

buildings to the vegetal origins of the Gothiccathedrals as tree groves with vaults ofbranches interlacing high above ground. 10 Asthese Gothic references translate to the banks,we see the use of tracery as he enframes thestructure and windows. Medieval, batteredwall buttress are positioned on the sideexterior elevation of the Columbus bank.

They serve a modern re-use by supportingthe structural steel I-beams that span theceiling, and frame the recessed arcades ofstained glass windows (Weingarden, TheBanks). Another Gothic reference is the rosewindow at the Grinnell bank. It representsthe symbolic key to the banking industry,and is used as a recurrent dominant themethroughout the building. Also emulatingGothic statuary, Sullivan included grif ns onthe Grinnell bank, providing a progressivistsymbol, signifying the banks function ofguarding valuable possessions. 11

The integration of nature into Sullivansbanks can be seen in the many sculptural,polychromatic, foliate motifs. Sullivansvines, leaves, tendrils, and pods are obsessed

with the notion of growth and germination.However their forms are not an Art Nouveauvision of sensuous uninhibited nature. Theseforms are imprisoned in rigid geometricalspaces writhing under con nement. 12 Thepatterns follow the basic geometric massingsand enframements, or as rudimentarily setwithin the grid of the stained glass windows.Additionally, they all express notions ofdesigning with an axis, although not alwayslinear. Any line, straight or curved, may beconsidered an axis, and therefore a containerof energy and a directrix of power. 13 Hisrecurrent, axial Y-scheme, Seed pod isprovided once again at the Owatonna bankin the many stencils and great spans withinthe bank, starting at the next to lowest bandwith a roundish design, runs through curlingsymmetrical leaves, through large petals to a oriated form. 14

With Sullivans new challenge, the threadsof his training, theoretical revelations, andelements of initial buildings prevail in thedevelopment of his banks. He reestablishedthe role of the banking industry within thecommunity with a new image, typology, andiconography. His building compositionsprovided variations, utilizing his creative

Detail view of the Grinnell Bank by Louis Sullivan photography by Stacey Zwettler Keller

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process of spontaneity, intuition, and rationalsolutions to practical problems. As left withus from J.R. Wheeler, the president of theColumbus bank, You know, he never referredto this building as a bank. He always called ithis jewel box. 15

NOTES:1. de Wit, Wim, The Banks and the Image of Progressive Banking. Louis

Sullivan: The Function of Ornament , Chicago: Chicago Historical Society, 1986.

p. 159-197.

2. Rebori, A.N. An Architecture of Democracy. The Architectural Record ,

May 1916, p. 436-465.

3. Weingarden, Lauren S., Louis H. Sullivan: The Banks, Cambridge: The MIT

Press, 1987.

4. See note 3 above.

5. Twombley, Robert, Louis Sullivans First National Bank Building (1919-

1922), Manistique, Michigan. Journal of the Society of Architectural Historians ,

June 2001. p. 200-207.

6. Seen note 3 above.

7. Sprague, Paul, The Architectural Ornament of Louis Sullivan and His Chief

Draftsman, New Jersey: Princeton University, 1969

8. See note 3 above.

9. Weingarden, Lauren S., The Colors of Nature: Louis Sullivans Architecture

Polychromy and Nineteenth Century Color Theory. Winterthur Portfolio Winter

1985, pp. 243-260.

10. Menocal, Narcisco. Sullivans Banks: A Reappraisal. The Midwest in

American Architecture: Essays in Honor of Walter L. Creese , Chicago: University

of Illinois, 1991. p. 99-108.

11. See note 1 above.12. Westerbeck, Colin, Louis Sullivans Clay Gardens. Art Forum , 1987, p.

90-93.

13. Huxtable, Ada, L., Note, Together with Drawings for the Farmers and

Merchants Bank of Coulumbus, WI. A System of Architectural Ornament:

According with a Philosophy of Mans Powers by Louis H. Sullivan. New York:

The Eakins Press, 1967.

14. Turak, Theodore, French and English sources of Sullivans Ornament and

Doctrine. Prairie School Review Fourth Quarter 1974.

15. Szarkowski, John, The Idea of Louis Sullivan , Minneapolis: University of

Minnesota Press, 1956.

REFERENCES:1. Hope, Henry, Louis Sullivans Architectural Ornament. Magazine of Art ,

March 1947, p. 110-117.

2. Severns, Kenneth, Louis Sullivan Builds a Small-Town Bank. AIA Journal,

May 1976.

3. Van Zanten, David, Sullivans City: The Meaning of Ornament for Louis

Sullivan, New York: W.W. Norton & Co., 2000.

Stacey Zwettler Keller, Assoc.AIA

is a Preservation ArchitecturalIntern at Treanor Architects,P.A., in Topeka, KS, workingon the renovation and

restoration of the Kansas Capitol Building.She attained a Bachelor of Science in Architec-

tural Studies in 2000, and a Masters of Archi-tecture in 2006 from the University of Wiscon-sin Milwaukee. She was a major proponentof the AIA 150 Topeka Riverfront program,and is now serving as one of the AIA KansasEmerging Professionals Committee Chair andthe AIA Central States Regions Associate Di-rector.

Primary facade of the Otwanna Bank by Louis Sullivan photography by Stacey Zwettler Keller

Detail view of the Otwanna Bank by Louis Sullivan photography by Stacey Zwettler Keller

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by Frank Barkow REVOLUTIONS OF CHOICE

Formation (Re)Formation: A Nomadic Garden, 11th Architecture Exhibition Venice 2008

Architectural practice has transformed. As Architects are becomingresearch-based, our academic interests, practice, and internalresearch weave together to shape the identity of our work. It is arevolution of choice. In our of ce, rather than rely on the standardbuilding catalogue as a source for construction systems, we constructour own expertise in fabrication techniques and technologies that

support our building projects. The establishment of an atlas offabrication forms an archive led by student-interns who inventory,study, and learn the capabilities of emerging technologies the tools,machines, and techniques then apply them to materials in order toproduce architectural prototypes independent from speci c on-goingbuilding projects.

We discovered as a Berlin-based practice that the Europeancompetition system, while very rigorous and competent, is notalways the best site for experimentation. As a result, in recent yearswe established an area of work within the practice that supportsexperimental research as an autonomous but bene cial disciplinefor the practice. In addition, we are less hierarchical than 15 yearsago. It is now more likely that a student-intern will bring in newsoftware know-how as more experienced staff. We also nd ourselvesworking intensively with fabricators, or structural engineers, or energyengineers from the outset of a project.

The fabrication research evolves, grows, and is available to on-

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An Atlas of Fabrication, AA School of Architecture, London photography by Sue Barr

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Gatehouse, Ditzingen, Germany photography by David Franck

Gatehouse, Ditzingen, Germany photography by David Franck

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fabrication. Our materials research allows usto scale up or down, from a recent pavilionproject (in collaboration with Werner Sobek)for the German Architectural Museum toa customized a light structure for theHans Peter Jochum gallery in Berlin. Ourprojects utilize scripting software to resolvegeometrical problems and digital fabricationfor structural and cladding systems.

Trumph Gatehouse and Cantina

The two Stuttgart projects employ structuralroof patterns that appear ornamental.The cantilevering gatehouse roof consistsof triangulated webbing that changesgeometry and density in response to loadingrequirements. An organic logic is legible asa parametrically variable gradation from thecolumn points to the extent of the cantilever.A decorative in ll of gradated Plexiglas tubesforms a sunscreen within a 20cm doublefaade entirely constructed of glass. Thesteel and glu-lam timber roof of the cantinais organized as a honeycomb cell-structurewhose depth responds to structural loading.The individual cells are designated for

natural day lighting, arti cial lighting throughde ectors, or as acoustical panels combiningperformative characteristics with ornamentaleffect.

Trutec

The faceted, mirrored faade of the KoreanTrutec building acts as a liminal kaleidoscopemediating between the private of ce andshowroom spaces of the interior and thepublic exterior. Within the unpredictableemerging master plan of the Seouls DigitalMedia City the phenomenal effect of thefaade was a way for us to situate our buildingin a context that was unknowable in itsentirety from the onset of the design process.These surfaces are transformed by moving

pedestrians, cars, weather, and the adjacentLED advertising in the night sky. It re ects,refracts, and assimilates itself into an animatedurban context.

These techniques and capabilities are allmeans for us to expand our knowledge wherewe mediate imagination with the reality oftechnology as it becomes available to us. Wefeel this empowers us as architects wherewe situate ourselves precisely at the pointwhere we have the best chance to predictand control the buildings we make. It is anincredibly fascinating and challenging timeto be an architect where the trajectoriesof emerging technologies, materiality,stainability, and imagination intersect.

Frank Barkowstudied architecture atMontana State and Harvard.He has been visiting professor

at the Harvard GraduateSchool of Design and the Uni-

versity of Wisconsin, Milwauke. In 1993 FrankBarkow and Regine Leibinger founded theirof ce in Berlin. Their focus on industrial archi-tecture includes masterplanning and buildingrepresentational and functional buildings for

production, logistical and of ce spaces.

Trutec Building photography by Corinne Rose

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by Stephen Lynch and Jonathan Taylor COMPUTATIONAL DETAIL

As architects continue to experiment with computational designtools and simultaneously become more familiar with the technicallimitations of speci c fabrication methods, the pace of changes inthe eld is impressive. These new tools foster the ability to managegreater levels of complexity in form, pattern, and part making.In addition, designers can now better explore multiple options,evaluating aesthetic and performance based criteria earlier in thedesign process while signi cant layout decisions are still beingmade. On a detail level, new technology allows for a level of craftcharacterized by an intricacy in joinery and part articulation thatovercomes the limitations set by the high costs of skilled labor,resulting in new developments in the language of detail as ornament.

The following projects are each discrete components of largerbuildings: a faade, a wall sculpture, and a stair. Like many projectsby Caliper Studio, they illustrate an interest in exploring a set offabrication techniques for functional and expressive potential.

Re ective Tiled Sculpture photography by Caliper Studio

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With a controlled set of design criteria eachproject allowed for a rigorous focus on thedevelopment of an interconnected system ofparts that relate to each other and the wholethrough a strict set of rules. As a result ofthese relationships, a pliant overall geometry

was developed that dynamically responded tothe goals of the project.

Because we conceive of our projects as asystem of similar parts, we analyze bothmicro and macro scales at the same time.We balance the overall programmatic andaesthetic goals of the project simultaneouslywith the development of the componentsand joining methods. Each of these projectsutilized scripting tools for 3D modelingsoftware to establish parametric relationshipsand enable the ability to loop through andevaluate multiple solutions, con gurations,and patterns. In more complex applicationsthe use of search algorithms and performanceanalysis were employed to achieve evengreater control and precision in the designprocess.

Cassandra Cinema and Apartments

For the public face of a new independentcinema in Brooklyn we developed a customzinc panel and glass lens faade that wrapsthree new stories added to a former industrial

building. The faade design was driven bythe programmatic need to visually identifythe building as a cultural institution coupledwith the practical consideration that thebuilding also houses 9 residential apartments.Rather than adding a traditional marquee, thesolution was to develop a patterned featureon the faade itself using cast glass lenses andlow voltage LED lights. The rain screen panelsystem allowed the LED lights and wiring torun outside the membrane weather seal, yetbehind the metal skin ensuring that no lightfrom the faade was visible from inside theapartments.

The pattern of circular lenses on the faadehad its origin in the dot templates usedby Roy Lichtenstein (the clients had aclose relationship with the artist and were

Metropolitan Cinema and Apartments photography by Caliper Studio

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immediately attracted to the idea of usingdots as the organizational design element.)The objective of the design was to presentan irregular pattern with an underlyingvisual logic. This led to a process of workingwith an undulating surface, cutting contour

lines, projecting those lines to the faadesurface and laying out circles along the lines.Using Rhinoscript we designed a series ofautomated operations to help us loop throughmultiple alternatives, each one testing forcertain characteristics including: a greaterdensity over the theater entrance, a naturaltendency to ow around the windows,and a rationalization of the wire lengthsrequired for each panel. The panel layoutwas also designed using a custom script withparametric relationships that allowed us toproceed with fabrication drawing prior tohaving nal eld dimensions. Our of cegenerated detail drawings for each panel,which were laser cut and bent by an outsidevendor and sent back to our shop for nalassembly and installation.

Re ective Tiled sculpture

This project originated as a sculpturecommission for an unused brick niche in therear yard of a SoHo loft. The wall, a remnantfrom the buildings previous industrial use,was a suitable location for an outdoor

sculpture that satis

ed the clients desire fora distinctive art piece that incorporated waterand light.

The conceptual core of the project was tocapture the expressive power of watersrippling surface in folded metal. Usingthis as inspiration, we began to explore thedisturbances created by manipulating thecorner points of a standard panel grid in bothplan and section.

To de ne the system we developed a set ofrules based on fabrication constraints thatresulted in a limited number of irregular

Re ective Tiled Sculpture photography by Caliper Studio

Metropolitan Cinema and Apartments photography by Caliper Studio

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shaped brake-formed panels. We developed asearch algorithm that packs these panels intoa predetermined grid spacing 6 x 6 in thisinstance within the boundary of the nicheopening.

The subtle torque created by the varyingcorner heights presented a number ofchallenges both computationally andmaterially. Mockups were necessary toevaluate panel thickness and a CNC lasercut backer panel was designed to provideanchoring, hidden panel connections andresist the resultant spring of the torquedpanels. Mirrored stainless steel, chosen for itsnatural resistance to the elements, created astrong contrast to the weathered brick wall.

The rule based system led to unexpectedpatterns and symmetries which ampli ed thedynamic visual properties of the mirroredtorqued surface, creating an unmistakableallusion to water.

Genetic Stair

The Genetic Stair became the impetus fortesting the use of a genetic algorithm duringthe design phase to evaluate and improvethe structural performance of a Manhattanapartments feature stair. Conceived as afreestanding truss with four straight runs andthree landings, the stair winds 270 degreessupported only at its top and bottom. Thematerial palette includes a stainless steelframe with translucent Corian treads and aglass guardrail. The system of fabricationchosen for the project involved lasercutting holes in the tube truss chords and

plug welding the truss rods into the lasercut holes thus providing a perfectly clean joint. The precise hole layouts in the lasercut tube served as self jigging elements,enabling triangulated rods to line up with theappropriate holes only when the tubes werecorrectly positioned.

Re ective Tile Sculpture drawing by Nicholas Desbiens

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Genetic Stair drawing by Nicholas Desbiens

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While the structural performance of the stairwas a primary requirement, the placement ofthe rods within the supporting truss becamean opportunity to express more directly themultiple force directions passing through thestair. As a result, the rod layout became thefocus of the genetic algorithm. The GA set upa loop which generated rod con gurations,exported them to a nite element analysistool for frequency and de ection testing,compared the results to other con gurations,then combined better performers and addeda randomness factor before starting the loopagain. The result was a random appearingcon guration of rods which satis ed the

structural requirements of the design byselecting rod locations in direct correlationwith the force patterns. In practice, thelearning curve in establishing such a toolin-house was substantial but proved to beinvaluable in demonstrating the potential ofiterative performance based testing during thedesign process.

Genetic Stair photography by Ty Cole

Stephen Lynch, LEED AP and Jonathan Taylor founded the multi-disciplinary

design and fabrication businessCaliper Studio in 2003.Caliper Studio has grown to

include a 7,000sf shop with six full time em- ployees. Projects incorporate a diverse rangeof scope, scale and complexity including cus-tom rainscreen facades, panelized claddingcomponents, atria, stairs, sculpture and fur-niture. With a hands-on design sensibility, the rm has developed a particular expertise indetailing building components with the levelof sophistication increasing on each project.

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by Eduardo Cadaval EVERYDAY INSPIRATION

Susana Solano Exhibition photograph by Adri Goula

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Susana Solano Exhibition at the ICO Foundation, Madrid, Spain photograph by Adri Goula

Susana Solano Exhibition photograph by Adri Goula

delicate, translucent, white walls frame andhighlight the heavy, sturdy objects it holds- a fragile envelope acts as a sacramentalbody that receives and counterbalances

the sturdy display pieces. In addition to adialogue between the exhibit walls and thedisplay pieces, we desired a cross dialogwithin pieces. The viewer could understandthroughout the exhibit that each art pieceis the result of a long process that mayconclude in several creations and that someideas or forms are referenced throughout the

Ornament need not be limited to meredecoration. When taken to its full potential,ornament can abandon its embellishmentattributes, become architecture, and de ne

space. In the Susana Solano exhibit weanalyzed the ability of a material to changeviewers spatial experiences depending ontheir approach and interaction with a wall.

The Susana Solano exhibit aims to createintimate experiences within a larger, moreexpansive exhibition room. A system of

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Susana Solano Exhibition Construction Processdrawings and photographs by Cadaval & Sola-Morales

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Eduardo Cadaval, RA and Clara Sola-Morales, RA Eduardo holds a BA from the

National University of Mexicoand a Master of Architecture

in Urban Design from Harvard University.Currently he is an associate professor ofurbanism at Barcelonas School of Archi-tecture ETSAB, UPC. Clara has a degree in

Architecture from the Escola Tecnica SuperiordArquitectura de Barcelona, ETSAB, andholds a Master in Architecture from HarvardUniversity. She is currently an associate profes-sor of architecture at Tarragonas School of

Architecture ETSAT, UPC. Eduardo andClaras shared practice, Cadaval & Sola-Mo-rales, was founded in New York City in 2003and moved to Barcelona & Mexico City in2005. The studio operates like a laboratory inwhich research and development are impor-tant elements of the design process. The man-date of the rm is to create intelligent designsolutions at many different scales, from largescale projects to small buildings, from objectsto city fractions.

artists development. As a result, the wallsmateriality was crucial. It had to provide adouble reading: a powerful envelope that alsoprovides a subtle transparency and allowsmultiple readings of the exhibit.Intimacy and scale were important featuresfor the envelope construction. The delicatewalls are created from the layering of astandard prefab honeycomb paper used tostructure standard doors; all the layers areembedded within two of those same standarddoors (top and bottom). The doors behaveas the main structure one is attached to theceiling and the second rests on the oor. Thepapers ornamental nature was intrinsic toour material studies. We were interested in amaterial that allowed for a number of readingsbeyond a simple envelope. We created a

thick wall comprised of several layers ofrecycled standard honeycomb paper. Whenviewed perpendicular to the wall, the layerscreate a moir effect that offered transparencyto the spaces within. A more tangential viewwould reveal a solid texture that de ned thelimits of a constructed space and framed thesolid art pieces.

As with many of our projects, we appropriatedreferences from popular culture and everydayutensils rather than allude to extravagant,high-tech objects. In this instance the paperlamps from fairs and parades made of fragilehoneycomb paper inspired the design.Like the lamps, the exhibition walls have avolume built from air and inventiveness. Wesearched the paper industry for an existingmaterial that would not only meet ouraesthetic goals of mimicking the qualitiesexhibited by paper lanterns, but was also

ecologically friendly and economical. Wesearched for a determinate texture made fromexisting machinery that could be producedindustrially. Our research led to a materialitydiscussion involving those in the door andpaper industry, researching paper thickness,weight and transparency. We also consideredelements of ef ciency such as standard

dimensions, strength of the glue to hold thehoneycomb together, and the paper weightand strength necessary to create a sandwichpanel made of layered honeycomb paper.Initial tests were done with single layersof paper, to test its internal structural andmaterial qualities over time. Afterwards, full-scale sandwich panels were executed to studythe interaction between layers and to test howthis solution would facilitate and optimizeconstruction. Ultimately our research ledto the creation of an exhibit that considersornament beyond decoration through theconsideration of intimacy, scale, transparencyand materiality we derived a solution thatevolves industrially produced objects beyondef ciency and constructability into the poeticsof space.

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by Brock DeSmit and David Cheung DEEP SURFACE

photography by Bennie Chan

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Ahmanson Founders Room photography by Benny Chan

Although Belzberg Architects regularlyemploys software and similar modelingtechniques from project to project, it isdif cult to study each projects formaloutput in sequential order to uncover alogical evolution. The rm does not engagein a singular academic pursuit, we simplyunderstand space to be de ned by surfaceswhich posess the potential for signi cancebeyond spatial con nement and material

selection. F.O.A. conveys in Phylogenesisthat the character of a surfaces physicalconstruct can be expressed in a multitudeof ways.1 What Belzberg Architects oftenconfronts with built work is the relationshipbetween a surfaces intrinsic qualities anda host of extrinsic factors including theclients perception. While it is the rms

desire to innovate, communicating theaffective qualities of unfamiliar surfaceornamentation remains dif cult as clientsfrequently struggle to comprehend thepurpose of the unconventional visualspresented to them. In an effort to connectto the concepts, clients and occupants oftendelve into their own cultural backgrounds toextract symbolism or metaphor which mayalleviate their anxiety. Jeff Kipnis writes,

Social, cultural or intellectual ambitions, ifany, are the prerogative of the client. 2 For thethree projects described herein, there existsa meaningful, yet ambiguous, reciprocitybetween culture (of use, location andoccupants) and the artistic pursuit of surfaceornament.

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Drapes & WavesThe Ahmanson Founders Room is an exclusivelounge space for supporters of the MusicCenter in downtown Los Angeles. We desiredto instill a feeling of opulence through the

use of surface ornament and exploit therichness of material. Additionally, we hadto develop a strategy to design the boundingsurfaces without the bene t of natural light.This encouraged us to integrate a lightingstrategy within the 3-dimensional textures ofthe walls and ceiling. The wall panels wereperforated with holes of varying diametersand back-lit. This allowed the sinuous patternof the ceiling to be extended to the verticalwall surface. The back-lit panels also provideillumination of the ceiling panels and allowfor a variegated, visual experience as the lightand texture interplay; the surfaces portrayphysical and visual depth. Numerous meetings with the Foundersrevealed their trepidation to dive into a

contemporary design. To allay their fearswithout sacri cing the design concept, thepresentation of the computer-driven designfor the ceiling and walls focused on the

sensations and warmth of the space ratherthan the technical aspects of generating thedesign. While we envisioned the smoothundulations carved into the surfaces aspromotion of a unique brand to the space andhoped the Founders would connect with thedesign on that level, many relied on familiarmetaphors likening the textures to drapesand sound waves. It was at this moment,when our work masqueraded as a guralrepresentation, that we were confrontedwith the dif cult task of mediating our ownrigorous research with our clients desire torelate the design to a tangible reference.

Interestingly, four years earlier the samemetaphore arose. During our intial foray intosurface ornamentation at the Patina Restaurantat Walt Disney Concert Hall we presented

Ceiling rendering for the Ahmanson Founders Roomdrawing by Belzberg Architects

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Entrance lobby for The Laboratory of Art + Ideas (The Lab)

our design for CNC-routed wood panels ascurtains which were absent within theconcert halls unique theater-in-the-rounddesign. At that time, the rm was eager toemploy digital fabrication techniques and theuse of metaphor was envisioned as the sellingpoint to enable us to do so. Having had theopportunity to build several more challengingand unique surfaces since then, our sentimenttoward metaphor has changed substantially.The surface ornament at Patina Restaurant andthe Ahmanson Founders Room is powerfulnot because of the back story, but because itopens a new way of seeing and using materialto the occupants.

Theres something about the textureof elephant skin

The Laboratory of Art + Ideas at Belmar(The Lab) is an institution establishedwithin a development on the outskirts ofDenver, Color