Malleablearchtest

Philadelphia University Architecture Thesis Fall 2010

Malleable ArchitectureExploring a user adaptable architecture

Mark Anthony “Tony” Gushanas Jr.

Malleable ArchitectureExploring a user adaptable architecture

-Mark A. “Tony” Gushanas Jr.

Architectural thesis presented to theFaculty of the Department of Architecture

at Philadelphia University

In partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree ofBachelor of Architecture

Thesis Research FacultyThesis Studio Instructor

Susan I. Frostén

Academic AdvisorArmando Plata

Professional Advisor

Philadelphia UniversityMay 2011

Architecture has always been dependant on its evolutionary changes to

stay relevant in a world that is forever changing. As the world speeds

up and moves closer toward instant user-centered communication

and transportation we would expect the built world to follow. However,

according to the U.S. Census Bureau every year the time it takes to

erect buildings increases and noticeably user-centered building design

remains a luxury. Slow architecture risks irrelevance and in a world where

architects only design ten percent of buildings, there is no room for less

work. This thesis document explores the current state of architecture

and examines how to create an attainable architecture that does more. It

focuses on reviving informal user innovation and adaptation of the build

environment which has become lost within the formal framework of our

western values. It also sets the foundation research on how and why to

use manufacturing methods to create simple, redundant, attainable, and

flexible building components that enable users to intuitively understand

and adapt them to their needs and preferences.

- Topic Paper

- Investigative Methods

- Site and Context Study

- Program Study

- Objectives

- Appendix

- Bibliography

table of contents

6 Malleable Architecture: Exploring a user adaptable architecture

-

Architecture has always been

dependant on its evolutionary changes

to stay relevant in a world that is forever

changing. As the world speeds up and

moves closer toward instant user-centered

communication and transportation we would

expect the built world to follow. However,

according to the U.S. Census Bureau every

year the time it takes to erect buildings

increases and noticeably user-centered

building design remains a luxury. Slow

architecture risks irrelevance and in a world

where architects only design ten percent of

buildings, there is no room for less work. This

thesis document explores the current state

of architecture and examines how to create

an attainable architecture that does more. It

focuses on reviving informal user innovation

and adaptation of the build environment

which has become lost within the formal

framework of our western values. It also sets

the foundation research on how and why to

use manufacturing methods to create simple,

redundant, attainable, and flexible building

components that enable users to intuitively

understand and adapt them to their needs

and preferences.

What a malleable architecture provides

By creating a malleable architecture

that the user can transform into several

different objects or positions architecture

begins to tell a story about the people who

use it. If the architecture can be made into

x, y, and z forms and the user keeps the x

shape during the week, the y shape during the

weekend, and the z shape for holidays, the

architecture grows from a spatial experience

to an object that can now also speak of time

(fig. 1.1).

Malleable architecture allows for a real-time

vernacular language to occur that has the

figure 1.1

7


ability to chart the behaviors, preferences,

and needs of a user solely from exterior form.

Although this is a contrast to the current state

of “vernacular” in the United States (which is

dictated rather than informed) it is something

that users, builders, realtors, and the general

public could all benefit from. While there is

nothing inherently wrong repeating something

over and over, throughout the architecture

community “cookie cutter” homes have been

scrutinized for their lack of relation to the

environment and poor construction methods.

Realtors and builders, who are looking to get

the most of their money, are clearly selling

a product. If the product they sell is poor

but there is still a market to buy it, is the

responsibility for the products negligence on

the shoulders of the builder and realtor or the

owner? The answer to this question is similar

to the answer of which came first the chicken

or the egg and is frankly irrelevant. What is

important, however, is that by creating an

architecture of pieces, the realtor and builder

make the most of their investment by being

able to utilize the manufacturing processes of

a limited number of components that are easy

to assemble, and the user is able to form their

home to suit their conditions. By introducing a

user-adaptable building system, architecture

has the ability to react to its site and culture

through the lens of its occupants who are

most aware of its current conditions.

As previously stated, architecture is

a traditionally slow art. It takes privately-

owned residential buildings on average

nine months to be constructed from start

to finish1. If nature has figured out how to

create something as complex as human

life in the same amount of time, then there

are definitely efficiency improvements to be

made. That is not to say that the methods in

which we construct need to be completely

rethought. There is an evolutionary process

the construction method needs to go through

and even still, evolution is not necessarily

the only solution. After all, Apple did not get

1 U.S. Census Bureau. “Average Length of Time from Start

to Completion of New Privately Owned Residential Buildings” http://

www.census.gov/const/avg_starttocomp.pdf


to the iphone right from Morse Code and it

should not be expected of the entire field of

architecture to make such unprecedented

leaps either. There is also both historic

and nostalgic value in creating architecture

using traditional methods that should not

be dismissed. However, it is not realistic to

expect every building to exist with the same

timelessness as the Parthenon or Pantheon.

Yet, a more efficient building practice that

allows better quality faster is (and has always

been) in demand.

The primary way in which malleable

architect seeks to promote a new efficient

building practice is through user-design-

designer collaboration. Howard Rheingold’s

2005 TED talk speaks specifically of the

collaborative environments that capitalistic

economies nourish. He gives a collection

of examples from companies like Amazon,

Toyota, and Sony to create collaborative

environments that transcend the players out

of the prisoner’s dilemma2. From a collection

2 TED. “Howard Rheingold on collaboration” http://www.ted.

com/talks/howard_rheingold_on_collaboration.html

thirty-two ultimatum game studies from

around the world, members of capitalistic

societies are beginning to have more equal

distributions of wealth3 in a game where it

would seem advantageous for the player

accepting the deal to accept anything over

nothing4. The value placed on collaborative

efforts has allowed websites like Google,

Youtube, Facebook, and Wikipedia to emerge

as major economic and/or social influences

in a relatively short time. Architecture

has yet to make such huge strides toward

collaboration as have been achieved by

the aforementioned companies partially

because architecture is a service. That is,

architects traditionally design and manage

the execution of a building. The profession

has moved away from its vernacular (user as

architect)5 and renaissance (master builder)6

roots. Along with that it has started to lose its

3 Hessel Oosterbeek, Randolph Sloof, Gijs van de Kuilen.

“Cultural differences in ultimatum game experiments: Evidence from a

meta-analysis” p.21

4 Game Theory 101: The Ultimatum Game. http://www.

youtube.com/watch?v=xpkxLKV_3d0

5 “Architecture Without Architects”

6 “Refabricating Architecture”

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attainability and has become something of a

luxury. The profession has started to attempt

collaborations through charettes, design-

build, and Building Information Management

(BIM) but charettes still create separation

between building partners, design-build still

creates a separation with user, and BIM allows

merely allows us to make more changes later

without severe consequences. For the most

part, architecture has become too complex of

a creature for any one expert to execute. This

complexity can be trimmed down to create

a new way of constructing that is simple but

yet dynamic that facilitates real interaction

between user, builder, and architect through

the physical design.

“Most of the fundamental ideas of sci-

ence are essentially simple, and may, as a

rule, be expressed in a language comprehen-

sible to everyone.” –Albert Einstein

A simple modular system that allows

for change to occur in a rudimentary way, the

user has the ability to understand the place in

which they live again. If we understand how

two Lego pieces fit together, we understand

how all of them fit together. This not only

allows the user to maintain their architecture

in an effective way but it also empowers them

to innovate. In the same way with Lego’s,

when you buy a box of Lego’s it comes with

a few axonometric drawings directing how

to make whatever is on the box. You can

make the prescribed object, make your

own design, or both. The simple modular

system allows for more unintended things to

happen than it was designed for. Malleable

architecture works in the same way. The

designer sets up constraints to allow for a

set of variables to occur, but because the

user has a fundamental understanding of the

capabilities of the system more can happen

now as well. This system of architecture treats

the user as an intellectual and recognizes that

there is creative potential in everyone that

simply needs to be tapped into. Through the

user making design decisions they become


more aware of the benefits that transcend

aesthetics in well designed objects. From this

new awareness, design becomes something

that is perceived less as a luxury and more as

a necessity.

Manufacturing methods have a

negative connotation associated with them

from the horror stories that flood the industrial

revolution sections of history books, but as

William McDonough points out in Cradle to

Cradle, when the product being manufactured

is carefully considered in its how it is initially

designed and how it will be used after its initial

use has expired, it can actually be beneficial.

The cradle to cradle idea can be more than

about creating objects that can be melted

down, reformed, and used again. If an object

is designed with more than one use in mind

for a single life, it can skip energy taxing

methods needed for recycling. Additionally,

manufactured products can be designed to

make hyper-efficient use materials they come

from. Construction and demolition account

for 135.5 million tons of waste every year

in the United States, more than any other

source7. This staggering number is being

addressed on site through the conscious

efforts of builders and architects but also

through manufacturing methods. Structural

Insulated Panels (SIPs), which are custom

manufactured, are becoming more frequent

in wall, floor, and roof construction8. This is

because manufacturing processes make the

most of materials because familiarity and the

economic payoff for being efficient. Simply

put, buying precut sheets of wood or gypsum

board that then needs to be further cut on site

to custom shapes is bound to create waste.

With a rapidly increasing human population

projected to be at 8.9 billion people in 2050,

landfills are underutilized spaces9.

It’s no secret that humans were once

transient hunter-gatherers that over time

7 Linda Monroe. “Diverting Construction Waste” http://www.

buildings.com/ArticleDetails/tabid/3321/ArticleID/5758/Default.aspx

8 Amity Hook-Sopko. “Structural Insulated Panels Leading

the Way in Green Building Products” http://www.improveyourhomean-

dgarden.com/structural-insulated-panels-sip-lead-the-way-in-green-

building-products

9 United Nations. “World Population to 2300” http://www.

un.org/esa/population/publications/longrange2/WorldPop2300final.

pdf

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settled and adapted to the climates in which

they resided. Adaptation is a part of all

life and ingrained in everything. Malleable

architecture recognizes that change is

inevitable and embraces it through a system

that not only allows for it to happen but

encourages and depends on it. Where

evolution and adaptation stop, extinction

starts.

Exploring the avenues

One way to address the inefficiency in

the way we build is to use the same methods

nature uses. After all, the place from which

all things have origin are bound to have a

few answers. An embryo is cared for and

nourished by the mother and it changes and

grows over time because of that nourishment.

It is not purely an additive or subtractive

method to creation, it is adaptive. The way

we typically design buildings are either by

additive or subtractive means. We add

solid walls, we subtract holes for windows

and doors, and then we insert predesigned

windows and doors into the punch outs. Why

not cut right to the chase and design the wall

to become a window or door?(fig. 1.2)

According to Lynn Margulis in her

book Symbiotic Planet, “The tendency of

‘independent’ life is to bind together and

reemerge in a new wholeness at a higher

larger level of organization.”10 While Margulis

is referring to life on a microscopic level there

is no reason to conclude that the life we are all

made of functions terribly different at a larger

scale. If at a microscopic scale life is inclined

to adapt (either forcefully or by choice) we

too, at some level should be inclined towards

collaborative adaptive efforts. The trends

10 Lynn Margulis. “Symbiotic Planet”

figure 1.2


that guide nature’s adaptation at a micro level

should inform the trends at the macro scale.

Intuitive understanding of how the

design facilitates collaboration between

user and designer is determined by the

interface of the selected medium. The

type of material and the form it takes create

a general psychological effect that can

only be determined through testing. The

psychological effect of material and form can

either encourage or discourage interaction

and thus is an important part of the design

process. Additionally, the size and weight of

a material determine how manageable it is

for a single user to adapt. Not to mention the

value of effectiveness for the joint or material

to allow movement.

The reality of responsive design

Possibly one of the simplest and

prevalent ideas of an adaptable object in

21st century technology is that of the pixel. It

is easy to take the pixel for granted but it is

not long ago that monitors were composed

of only two colors where each pixel was

clearly visible. As time marched on, pixels

gained the ability to take on different colors

and the resolution of monitors got bigger

(and the pixels smaller). On a contemporary

computer it is pretty hard to distinguish where

the individual pixels are, but they are there.

Figure 1.3 shows how the Mona Lisa looks

with different pixel and color counts. The

first figure, where Mona Lisa is in black and

white and barely recognizable, is akin to

SHoP’s Dunescape pavilion for the 2000 P.S.1

competition. The individual parts are static

and inform a larger picture but each part is

clearly visible. While Dunescape is a beautiful

display of the possibilities of a malleable

architecture, it is only a start. Adding

movement to equation creates an additional

layer of complexity that lacks precedents at

~6,000 pixels in black and white ~6,000 pixels in 4 colors ~6,000 pixels in 50 colors ~6,000 pixels in unlimited color ~12,000 pixels in unlimited color

figure 1.3

13


a human scale. The final result of this thesis

project is projected to allow movement and

exist in the same visual realm as Mona Lisa

~6,000 pixels in fifty colors.

As a way to explore adaptability and

sustainability through extrusion methods

common in manufacturing processes, a set of

chairs were constructed (fig. 1.4). Each of the

chairs were evaluated on their adaptability,

buildability, number of cuts for the laser cutter,

quality of design, amount of joints, amount of

parts, and percentage of waste. Although the

specific designs fall significantly short of user

malleable design, the criteria used to evaluate

them is helpful in determining its success.

The combination of the pixel and chair

studies led to three conclusions about the

relationships between part diversity, user

intuition, and part quantity. As diversity

increases, intuition decreases, and possibility

increased. As quantity increases, intuition

is unaffected, and possibility increases (fig.

1.5). Balancing between these conclusions

is an important part in creating successful

malleable design.

While this thesis aims toward creating

an attainable architecture that can be adapted

by the user, the research toward malleable

objects that function on their own is a reality.

Shape-memory polymers that change their

form to temperature or electric charge, known

as programming, are in development, and

have applications in virtually every field11. In

architecture, the projected applications range

from piping to sun shades. Perhaps less

11 http://biomed.tamu.edu/biomaterials/bmen482/1_Shape_

Memory_Polymers.pdf

figure 1.4

figure 1.5


near in the future is programmable matter.

Programmable matter is the creation of a

digital material that can receive information

and transform based on that information.

Programmable matter would have many

exciting applications, like paintable displays,

shape-changing robots and tools, rapid

prototyping, and sculpture-based interfaces,

and most notably adaptable architecture12.

Yet even though the applications for shape-

memory polymers and programmable matter

are seemingly limitless, they are still in the

research phases or expensive. There are

much simpler and cost effective ways to

create a more efficient model of architecture.

Conclusion

The goal of this thesis is not to create a

new way of constructing that aims to replace

current practices but instead promotes a new

way that acknowledges the inclination of life

to change. This new system of building is

12 http://www.mit.edu/people/ara/thesis08.pdf

meant to facilitate a dialog between designer

and user by using the design as a medium for

communication. Furthermore, by including the

user as an active participant in the design pro-

cess, their perception of design has the ability

to grow from something of luxury to something

of necessity. By targeting the middle and

lower classes as a user group malleable archi-

tecture has the capacity to elevate the general

quality of design.

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figure 1.1

figure 1.2

figure 1.5

other figures are used later in this document

investigative methods

17


Survey

As a way to measure the general public’s willingness and desire to adapt their physical space a survey was conducted. The thirty-five persons who were polled were from a variety of professional backgrounds, at ages ranging from teens to elderly. From the data collected, three questions were selected that unveil some general perceptions of the public.

What five things do you value most when choosing a home? The key term here is value. This question was designed to mea-sure what kind of criteria a buyer uses when searching for a home. The most popular answers were for cost, quality, safety, and proximity to work. A successful architectural product must be inexpensive, of a high qual-ity, safe, and close to a variety of employ-ment.

Have you ever had issues in assembling home furniture? This question is meant to measure who effective visual that use limited or no written word are. 68% of the partici-pants said they had never had a problem constructing the furniture. Out of the 20% who claimed that there was an issue, three commented that parts were missing.

Are there things in your current residence that you wish you could change but don’t have the time/money/expertise for? Over-whelmingly 71.4% of participants said that yes, there are things they would like to change but simply cannot. This percentage is the jumping off point of malleable architec-ture. Users have problems and know how


Survey

they want them to be fixed but do not understand how to fix them. This is where a malleable sys-tem has the ability to come into play by providing simplicity and understanding.

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figure 1.4

site and context

21


Logan Cricle

fig. 2.4 shows the paths that

are projected from the divisions

in the circle

fig. 2.3 shows the hexagonal

shape that is created by

connecting the end points of

the pin wheel design

fig. 2.3 shows six rings that

radiate in and about the site

Logan’s Circle offers a unique design opportunity to design in a place that is central to the city of Philadelphia and thus has frequent visitors. Because of the variety in the surround context: the Free Public Library, Saint Peter and Paul’s, The Academy of Natural Sciences, The Franklin Institute, and Moore College of Art and Design, there is a wide variety of users for the square. This wide variety, serves as a suitable testing ground for the success of this thesis’ design.

Additionally, the square has a significant historic background

from originally being was known as Northwest Square. It was

one of the original five squares on William Penn’s 1682 plan for

Philadelphia. It was used both as a burial ground and for public

executions. The last person was hung here in 1823.


fig. 2.5 shows photoshoped commentary on Logan circle’s

initial use as an execution and burial grounds

fig. 2.6 shows photoshoped commentary on Swann fountain’s use as a pool, and the cities attempts to

prohibit it

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Project H.O.M.E.

Project HOME is a Philadelphia based organization that strives to get individuals off the streets and into homes one at a time. The efforts of this organization and malleable architecture were at the same level for a brief moment. The initial idea was to work directly with a person experiencing homelessness who might be reluctant to get off the streets. The goal was to educate them on ways to stay healthy, clean, and sheltered, but also to learn from them. While this idea is a realistic view of things, using Project H.O.M.E. as a partner in this endeavor was stopped short. Proj-ect H.O.M.E. had no intentions of enabling anyone to live on the streets regardless of the condition. Additionally, the realization that this thesis would turn into a debate about homelessness rather than a debate about the system was a deterrent.


Yugoslavia, Afghanistan, Haiti

The number of internally displaced people from war and environ-mental disasters in the former lands of Yugoslavia, Afghanistan, and Haiti is staggering. These three regions have money pouring in from all over in order to house IDPs and help them get back to their normal lives. Yet, when considering any of these areas as a site for adaptable architecture, it became clear that an intense un-derstanding of site and culture was important and was not some-thing that could be learned simply through videos, photographs, and readings. While the need for instant architecture is pressing in these locations, it was deemed best to study the designed sys-tem in a local context where it could be tried and tested.

program studies


DunescapeShop Architects

Type. PavllionLocation. Long Island City, NYPhase. Completed June 2000Client. The Museum of Modern Art, P.S.1 Contemporary Art CenterArea. 12,000 sf

Dunescape was SHoP architects’ winning design entry for the 2000

P.S.1 design competition conducted by the MoMA in New York.

The entry transforms five objects commonly found in a beach set-

ting, umbrellas, cabanas, beach chairs, boogie boards, and the

surf to inspire their urban dunescape.1 It offers ways to cool off,

relax, and take a break from the hot summer sun by providing op-

portunities for visitors to lounge, socialize, sunbathe, wade in pools,

or walk through a spraying mist of water.2 The cedar structure is

comprised of over 6,000 2” x 2” strips that bend and fold along their

own individual planes to provide a variety of spatial configurations.

The project implements the firm’s conceptual approach of version-

ing which is the topic in Versioning: Evolutionary Techniques in

Architecture:

“Versioning no longer relies on the necessity of the archetype to

be manipulated and changed over time with the end goal of being

configured to address particular design criteria. The primary source

is constructed from a set of detail types compromising a menu, and

organizes around a collection of specific detailed actions capable of

evolving parametrically to produce specific effects or behaviors.”3

The (gourmet) detail menu allows for an articulate and

diverse set of spatial configurations that shift themselves

to create the desired form of the architect. SHoP suggests

that this system has the capability of changing to accom-

modate various archetypes and can be set to create fixed

solutions to current needs. In essence the system allows for

the pavilion to be constructed as a series of 2” sections that

when put together inform the overall work.

1 “SHoP TALK” http://www.metropolismag.com/html/content_0501/shp/index.html

2 "SHoP Architects: Dunescape at P.S.1 MoMA” http://shoparc.com

3 Sharples Holden Pasquarelli. “Versioning: Evolutionary Techniques in Architec-

ture” p.8

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fig. 3.2 shows the spatial and structural capabilities of the

repetitious cedar strips.

fig. 3.3 shows simple sectional studies that detail how the

form might become literal or abstract represenations of

umbrellas, cabanas, beach chairs, boogie boards, and the

surf,


MinecraftMarkus Persson

Type. Video GamePhase. Underdevelopment since May, 2009

The videogame leaves the player stranded on a deserted island

to fend for themselves. During the day players are free to ex-

plore, and gather and create materials (fig 3.4). At night the play-

ful and happy atmosphere of (literally) cubist world turns sour as

the player must defend against the onslaught of nocturnal zom-

bies, skeletons, and ghouls. Admittedly, the zombies, skeletons,

and ghouls do little towards advancing the field of architecture

but they do give the player incentive to create a safe haven at

night. The first night this shelter might only be a small cave with

torches adorning the wall. As the player progresses through the

game, collecting blocks ranging from dirt to diamond, this safe

haven undoubtedly becomes more and more elaborate. Though

being trapped on a desert island is only fun for so long as one

might imagine

The game also has an online component where you can

work with other players throughout the world to defend against

the nightly mobs. The incentive for the player to create elaborate

shelter evolves from a personal satisfaction and need to a desire

to impress others. Entire town and cities spring up as a result of

collective collaborative efforts (fig 3.5). Minecraft allows for excit-

ing user-designed objects to spring up from simple arrangements

of cubes (fig 3.6).

Sole designer and developer of the game, Markus Pers-

son, designed it to be simple but yet dynamic and the population

are taking to that1. The game has sold over $6,000,000 USD and

it has not even been released yet. Simple and dynamic seems to

be the way of the future.

1 “Minecraft” www.minecraft.net

29


fig. 3.4 shows the simple process of growth and user adaptation that the individual and collective user has to manipulate

their environment

user finds a cube they

would like to use

user places cube into

their inventory

user harvests more cubes

user places cube in

inventory into environment

in different location

user creates an object

with the cubes they’ve

collected

other users view and

interact with the object

other users have the

ability to manipulate

theoriginal design


fig. 3.5 shows the city-like development and density on one online minecraft server.

fig. 3.6 shows the variety and complexity of objects that users have created from simple blocks

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~6,000 pixels in black and white ~6,000 pixels in 4 colors ~6,000 pixels in 50 colors ~6,000 pixels in unlimited color ~12,000 pixels in unlimited color

Pixel Theory

figure 1.3


LegoOle Kirk Kristiansen

fig. 3.7 shows the lego patent of stud and tube bricks

fig. 3.7 shows one of Nathan Sawaya’s lego brick sulptures

http://www.brickartist.com/

The Lego, invented in 1932 by Danish carpenter Ole Kirk Kristian-sen was originally a wooden toy. The company was the first to buy a plastic injection-molding machine for making toys. In 1958 the contemporary Lego which is composed of a stud-and-tube coupling system was invented and patented (fig. 3.7). The stud-and-tube coupling system allowed for a large range of items to be build that Lego guided its users to by using simple visual direc-tions (fig. 3.7). For those a little more adventurous, the blocks can be formed to the creative limits of only the mind. Figure 3.7 shows Legos being used by Nathan Sawaya in a sculptural man-ner. The toy was sold in the United States as a teaching method for kids to learn quickly about science and mathematics when the arms race for space exploration between the US and Soviet Union was at its peak. Lego promised its blocks would, “develop the child's critical judgment, manual dexterity, and ability to think for himself."

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fig. 3.7 shows simple visual instructions for assembling a part of a castle


Hoberman SphereChuck Hoberman

fig. 3.8 shows the ability the Hoberman

Sphere has to expand and contract

The Hoberman sphere was developed by Chuck Hoberman as a study in engineering. The sphere when contracted is a small 9” diameter. When expanded, the sphere reaches a whopping 30”, 333% the size of the original. Since his success with the toy, Hoberman has begun to apply his method in architecture as stage sets, installations, and most recently, deployable shelter.

Chuck Hoberan’s design of the polyhedron uses a scissor-like system that allows each member to collapse on another. The operation of each joint is linked to the others. Hoberman holds several patents for folding techniques, of which many have been described as Fuller-esque.

35


Bucky BallsZoomdoggle

The Buckyball set comes with 216 spherical magnets each about 1/16” in diameter that can be snapped together or pulled apart to create virtually anything. They are currently being marketed to men as desktop toys, but the applications for them go much further than just a toy. Because the magnets allow for virtually any shape, anything that has a relationship to form can be made, ranging from a paperclip to a pencil holder. At a larger scale, they magnets might have applications in the realm of architecture.


What it Does

Since transformation is an integral part of malleable architecture, defining the variety of objects it can be-

come is essential for the designer while designing. These six verbs sum up the basic capabilities that the adapt-

able system strives towards: demarkating, seating, sheltering, storing, working, and playing. A single object that

can do these six things is appliciable in almost any situation on any site.

37


How it does it

+

By choosing to work with an object that has the same surface dimensions of a phonebooth, it allows for explora-

tion at full scale. What becomes incredibly important about this project is how and if the user interacts with the

object. A major challenge through this project will be to promote the idea that it is okay to change or alter your

physical space and that everyone has at least a bit of designer in them.

Consequentially, since the system of parts is universal, the object can be duplicated and joined with others.

objectives

39


The goal of this project is to create a system of building that allows for communica-tion between designer, user, site, and culture by using the physical design as a medium. This thesis will intensely explore the effects of using a wide range of materials in order to select the correct material to build with. At the same time, ways of which materials can be connected and disconnected will be explored. The goal of this exercise is to look closely at detail and marry that detail with site and context study to inform the architectural object. The ultimate goal of the joint is to facilitate limitless movement about a three-dimensional sphere and the goal of site is to encourage interaction and use of the object.

appendix

41


// Artwork of Aurora Robson who recycles plastic bottles, paints and decorates them to

create stunning sculptures.

http://www.aurorarobson.com/sculptures_installation.html

// Alejandro Aravena’s work with ELEMENTAL, a for profit architecture company with

social interest.

http://www.alejandroaravena.com/obras/vivienda-housing/elemental/

// Brute Labs a group focuses on socially responsible design through art, architecture,

and information. They hold a strong belief in rapid prototyping –getting ideas out to be

tested and then reworked.

http://www.brutelabs.org/projectopen.html

// Philadelphia based International Design Clinic (IDC) and their use of construction fenc-

ing to create pockets to hold solid which would be cleaned by plants and bring new life

to city streets.

http://www.internationaldesignclinic.org/make/sp08us/

// IDC reusing pallets to make a playhouse for kids

http://www.internationaldesignclinic.org/make/sp06la/

// IDC reusing bottles to make an urchin-like shelter for the homeless

http://www.internationaldesignclinic.org/make/sp07us/

// Archigram’s plug-in city

http://archigram.westminster.ac.uk/project.php?id=56

// New York Times article on the public shift from McMansions to more humble homes

due to hard economic times.

http://www.nytimes.com/roomfordebate/2010/09/07/redefining-home-in-a-depressed-

market?scp=1&sq=redefining%20what%20home%20means&st=cse


// Using bottles similarly to bricks in construction.

http://abetterplace.blogs.ie/2010/01/22/inspiring-construction-with-plastic-bottles/

// Ernesto Oroza’s commentary on Cuban inclination to adapt

http://ernestooroza.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=104&Itemid=73

// Bottle structure

http://weburbanist.com/2008/11/16/adaptive-reuse-recycled-architecture-2/19-recycled-plastic-bottle-igloo-struc-

ture1/

// Using Sandbags as infill in walls

http://weburbanist.com/2008/11/16/adaptive-reuse-recycled-architecture-2/20-structural-sand-bag-walled-house1/

// Programming a liquid blob to react on command

http://www.i-programmer.info/news/91-hardware/1459-program-the-blob.html

// On the reality of shape shifting technology

http://bigthink.com/ideas/24429

// Video showing a shape memory alloy spring transforming and some of its applications

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VU-dChOfkAg –smart material

// 10 unique ways to reuse plastic soda bottles

http://www.greenstudentu.com/eco_lifestyle/10_ways_to_reuse_plastic_soda_bottles.aspx

// Shigeru Ban’s paper structures

http://www.shigerubanarchitects.com/SBA_WORKS/SBA_PAPER/SBA_Paper_index.htm

// Cold weather survival shelters

http://www.the-ultralight-site.com/cold-survival.html

// Tibbits & Merrill’s adaptable chair which flattens down to be carried.

http://tibbitsmerrill.com/Flatboy03.htm

43


// IS Architects prefabricated house for 100k.

http://www.is-architects.com/main/index.php?/selected-work/100k-house/

// Free computer software that allows the user to draw a few lines to create a 3-dimensional chair

and its pieces to be laser cut.

http://www.gregsaul.co.uk/SketchChair/

bibliography

45


Architecture for Humanity (Organization). 2006. Design like you give a damn: architectural respons-

es to humanitarian crises. New York, NY: Metropolis Books.

Bergdoll, Barry, Peter Christensen, and Ron Broadhurst. 2008. Home delivery: fabricating the mod-

ern dwelling. New York: Museum of Modern Art.

Bevier, Isabel. 1907. The house; its plan, decoration and care, by Isabel Bevier. Chicago: Ameri-

can School of Home Economics.

"Dunescape." SHoP Architects. http://www.shoparc.com/#/projects/all/dunescape (accessed Octo-

ber 28, 2010).

"Hoberman Associates." Transformable Design. http://www.hoberman.com/home.html (accessed

October 13, 2010)

Kieran, Stephen, and James Timberlake. 2004.Refabricating architecture: how manufacturing

methodologies are poised to transform building construction. New York: McGraw-Hill.

Mau, Bruce, and Jennifer Leonard. 2004. Massive change. London: Phaidon.

Margulis, Lynn. 1998. Symbiotic planet: a new look at evolution. New York: Basic Books.

McDonough, William, and Michael Braungart. 2002. Cradle to cradle: remaking the way we make

things. New York: North Point Press.


"Radial expansion/retraction truss." Google Patent. http://www.google.com/patents?id=eyEgAAAAEBAJ&zoom=4

&pg=PA10#v=onepage&q&f=false (accessed December 1, 2010).

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