de-pending structures

Is there beauty in the tight fit? Where lies the detail? We will design and build structures at a 1:5 and 1:1 scale and test them on locations in and around our school – and the city at large. The construction will address sculptural, utilitarian, and structural qualities to challenge the permeability and (in)habitation of a space within a space. The de-pending structure will be of a parasitic nature, opportunistic but not hostile.

We will design in model and only use drawings to instruct forming and cutting devices (laser cutter, 3D printer, CNC milling etc.). The final structure should be considerably light and fabricated via digital fabrication. The de-pending Structure should be beautiful and consider issues of independence and integration into a space - a measured ratio of directionality and porosity.

This is not a software course but through learning by doing you will learn something about the translation from drawing to building. We will work in groups and each group is asked to think and operate independently. This course enables students to develop an understanding of fabrication by designing for an actual scale. Throughout the term, students will develop projects that address the design of installation pieces within, in order to examine the interplay of material, structures and physical resolutions.

First meeting and introduction: Wednesday, 27th march 2024, 2:00 pm, room 207