PortfolioJoshua James Duncan

UWABachelor of Design (architecture)

This project asked us to develop a metal based modular facade system for a new chil-dren’s hospital car park in Perth while also considering its potential as a flexible and ap-plicable design for other unrelated building projects. As this was a semester long group project, it also helped us develop organizational and work distribution skills required for a group project to run smoothly at length.

We arrived at the concept of pixelization through discussing the different commercial processes suitable for manufacturing a metal module for a large facade. We were drawn to the efficient nature of utilizing a uniform and easily manufactured square panel across the facade, comparing them to pixels making up a screen of which is the facade. Further development led us to voxelation, the 3D extrusion of pixels, from which we produced a series of form and shadow studies experimenting with the aesthetic potential of offsetting pixels.

When we looked to the surrounding Perth metropolitan area, we found inspiration in the random quality of the built environment at varied scales. We embraced the random yet still controlled aspects of the city and applied it to our concept of pixelization. Through developing a parametrically controlled system of random offsetting panels, we had derived a method of resembling the urban environment through voxelation. Maintaining parametric control over the variables affecting the panels allowed specific ventilation and natural lighting criteria on different areas of the facade to be achieved.

Modular Facade2nd Year

+ =

80°

0°

40°

20°

120°

400mm

Level 6 Ground Level

Section Elevation

The eccentric Japanese pop and fashion icon Kyary re-quired a place to sleep, dress, bathe, eat and escape the business that is her public life. The House in Aoyama provides a simplicity that contrasts Kyary’s vibrant public image, constructed with simple shapes fashioned with an understanding of light and materials to create a relaxing space. On a small site ( ~100 m2 ) placed on the corner of a block flush with a row of narrow houses, the simple concrete fa-cade and equally unadorned doorway stand out without breaking the rhythm of the street.Although this area of Aoyama is somewhat less chaotic in appearance than many other parts of a metropolis with a population density of 11,793 persons per square kilometer, there is a marked contrast between this concrete slab and its environment. Similarly, Kyary’s flamboyant attire is juxta-posed against the desaturated material palette. Stepping through the door, the visitor need no longer be conscious of the outside world. The narrow entrance corri-dor space is compressed as one proceeds, its ceiling subtly lowering as the visitor moves towards the living room. The tension climaxes before being dramatically released as the visitor steps down into the open living area and feels the space expand in every direction. In this moment the snip-pets of nature that were seen through the slit windows in the entrance corridor are finally realized, with uninterrupted views of a tree being revealed. Hard concrete walls seem soft to the touch. They exclude then enclose, admitting light, wind, and the passing visitor, who leaves behind the disorder of everyday existence to be sheltered in a realm of stillness. The emptiness is soothing. Within, only light, space and nature surround Kyary.

House in Aoyama2nd Year

5

6

8

7

1

24

3

1. entrance2. kitchen/Living3. rear courtyard4. main courtyard

5. bathroom6. bedroom7. void8. balcony

first floor plan

ground floor plan

Urban Furniture 3rd Year

This project was part of a group submission for a city square in Perth. I was in charge of developing a set of urban furniture ele-ments to be placed throughout the site. I decided to take a prag-matic approach to the design, focusing on simplicity of form and ease of construction over superficial and potentially costly aesthet-ic expression. A lot of effort was spent on a 1:5 model which was primarily about emphasizing the construction technique and raw materiality of the chairs.

The details of the connections and joinery are deliberately simple and efficient. The use of off-the shelf components al-lows for maximum economy and ease of assembly.

Threaded rod is cut to the desired length of the finished object and the frames are then slid on. The stainless steel tube spacers are added between each frame. Finally, a safe, rounded cap-nut then tightens the whole structure on either end, effectively pulling all components together. The finished structure becomes immediately rigid and structurally sound upon tightening.

85°

450mm

100°

897mm

900mm

448mm

85°95°

5° 5°

170°

90°

85°105°

80°

448mm

813mm

400mm

710mm

400mm

448mm

90°

85°105°

80°

90°

112°

17°

370mm

667mm

450mm 380mm

400mm 400mm

85°85° 95° 95°

Concrete, plywood, and steel are the only materials em-ployed across all the modular elements. The material pallet is primarily a result of the strict design rationality. The utiliza-tion of locally available and sensible materials gives the end product an industrial yet regionally grounded appearance.

Throughout the broader context of the Perth City link proj-ect, the urban furniture elements are easily recognizable as a coherent set, tying the different and sometimes segregated spaces of the vast project together with consistent visual el-ements. The concrete elements within each modular piece of furniture ensures that the industrial design elements are har-monious with the monolithic ‘carved out’ exposed concrete walls and voids that form the master-plan.

It is normal for people to be more comfortable taking a seat next to somebody already seated when there are arm rests or some kind of division between them. The concrete frames can be used to create distinct divisions along a seat to remove the degree of ambiguity associated with choosing a seat position. The demarcations along the seat thus guide social interaction without being a physical boundary.

Model ProcessThroughout the design development phase phys-ical models were used to test modularity, stabili-ty, form and other things not immediately obvious through orthographic projections and computer models. Laser cutting, 3D rapid prototyping and concrete casting were some of the model making processes undertaken throughout the semester.

The final models were constructed employing a very similar method to the real 1:1 construction procedure. Laser cutting was a substitute for the CNC machine, while actual M3 threaded rod and stainless steel nuts and cast concrete frames were used.

25mm 25mm60mm

M12 galvanized steel ‘allthread’ rod

25mm CNC-cut plywood module

60mm cast concrete module

316 stainless steel pipe spacer: ø18mm, 3mm thickness, 25mm length

M12 316 stainless steel nylock cap nut + washer.

typical detail

1.5mm chamfered edge

25mm 25mm60mm