Recent pages from sketchbook

I realized I'd fallen behind documenting some of the sketch investigation, so posted are various pages from recent activity. Sketch at upper right relates to the post below.

To early for images

I am often telling my students that the difference (at least one of them) between researching on the web and researching in the library is the ability to look at the book next to the one you thought you wanted, the ability to revel in the happy accident. While the equivalent of typing in the wrong address may arguably allow the same happenstance, and perhaps the presence of links even outweighs this... ok, I digress.

I was looking for technical references today and a book of Andy Goldsworthy's work caught the corner of my eye that I as not familiar with. It is called Enclosure (Putnam). I was unfamiliar with this particular body of work, and it was refreshing to view the clear photographs, but more importantly to read his words (diary like entries - similar to this blog). In a section, he speaks of "working quickly/directly and letting the work complete itself"(paraphrase). I have been struggling for many years to balance the intuitive desire to allow the material qualities to influence the eventual form directly and the "designer's" need to force the material to succumb to formal requirements. 

I think I'm thinking about this (@ 3:00 in the morning) because of the most recent "sample" I'm working on. It utilizes metal mesh (similar to the piece produced for the IIT exhibition). I've been enjoying working with the qualities of the mesh and allowing the exact form grow while keeping the general shape in mind from sketches developed. At this point, I have been thinking about using OSB as the "backer" and having the mesh (various densities) form a "layer" on top that the storage would then pierce. 

Scan of styrene scale model. In all of these, I am working directly, attempting to let the material itself dictate some of the final details like joining, deflection, etc. In this way I also hope to let intuition and haptic responses dictate a bit of the final form.

Model investigation from 8.5 x 11 paper. I'm trying not to add any paper but cut from one sheet. 

No photos yet, but yesterday I worked with 1/4" gypsum board as the "material". I hope to assemble, mud and sand, and then seal. This would further the blurring of architecture/furniture. By architecture (note small "a"), I mean the built environment.

Inspiration credit

I would be remiss if I failed to acknowledge the influence of  Kruek+Sexton's Spertus Museum located on Michigan Avenue. Since it is directly behind the building which houses my office at school, the proximity alone warrants credit. (All photos credit: www.ksarch.com ). I walked by the building this evening for the first time in many months and was hit by the significance.

It's a bit difficult to view in the photo on the left, but the interior wall (the "back" of the theatre) is most significant. Even though it is, in my opinion, terribly over-scaled for the space.

Animation

Preliminary "fly-by".