# Wild child exhibition in NYC

The wild child exhibition at the Bridge Gallery in New York features a selection of young architects and designers from both LA and NY. The exhibition is curated by Peter Macapia (Teacher at Pratt and Sci-Arc).Those architects have really cutting edge practices and they have, even if there young, an already deep influence on architecture forms of today. Most of them are really accurate in the use of digital technologies like Kokkugia or FADarch, and most of them are teaching in architecture schools accross US and Europe. For example we can see works sample of Biothing in the current exhibition of the Centre Georges Pompidou in Paris.You will see the work of those offices :

LA : Atelier Manferdini, Emergent, FPmod, Murmur, Noah Olmsted, p-a-t-t-e-r-n-s, Testa & WeisnerNY : Aranda/Lasch, Biothing, FADarch, Kokkugia, Kol/Mac, SOFTlab, Supermanoeuvre, THEVERYMANY

For the lucky ones that will be around NYC the oppening takes place at the Bridge gallery ,

Thursday, July 9th from from 6:00 to 8:30pm.

# Red Swing Project

Red Swing Project was initiated by three students from the school of architecture of the University of Texas (Austin) and is now spreading all over the world (US, France, India, Brazil, Thailand...). Principle is very simple: leave a red swing in an urban zone as a gift to the people as a first appropriation of the public space.I really like this project because by using a very apolitical device it express the wish literally and symbolically of a more democratic common territory.You can see the thirty two first swings here and go on the website which gives some explanation about how to release your own swing.

# Rapid prototyping PHD by Norbert Palz

Norbert Palz is currently working on his PHD in CITA (see former post) about Rapid prototyping and manufacturing technologies for digital material specifications.Most people in design are using CNC just like they're using digital tools, as an alternative of representation regular (former) tools like the pen or the cutter. Some others like Norbert are directly considering the specificity of those tools to invent something which was not possible before they got created. This research is thus very important for the architecture world as long as very few people already worked on it because of the novelty of those tools...Contemporary techniques of layered fabrication can alter the abilities of designers to engage with the material properties and performance. Increased geometric control, digital production methods and a stronger implementation of material science offer the potential to constitute a new material behaviors of future building components. These processes can be used to address local changes in the building component´s definition that alter material organization, structural behavior and performance over time. The material consequences have the potential to change the way we will construct and design buildings. Rapid Prototyping technology evolved in less than 30 years from a proof of concept state towards an elaborated manufacturing technology. Recent Innovations allow the simultaneous print from two source model materials and can create a total of 21 interpolated types of digital materials that contain specifically addressable physical properties as e.g. tensile and flexural strength or modulus of elasticity. The technology operates with a steering technology that allows the synchronisation of eight print heads (6 for material and 2 for the support structure) heads with 96 individual nozzles. The implementation of physical properties shifts the role of the model further away from mere representation towards a manufacturing process. This investigation of a future implementation of RP technology for 1:1 applications seems therefore justified. These innovations can be synchronized with present-day 3D CAD modeling tools that allow the successful implementation of performance data derived from Finite Element Analysis (FEA) or energetic simulation. The research is centered on how these recent developments in the field of Rapid Prototyping Technology can be employed for a study on performance based material composition with different structural systems. The research has accomplished the first phase that was centered on gaining parametric control over a series of material compositions (including weaving; knitting etc.). The next step will assign the performance based digital materials to probes that are tested by Institute of Plastics Processing at RWTH Aachen University and the Bundesanstalt für Materialforschung in Berlin

The research develops a parametrically driven foam structure that has auxetic properties. Auxetic material expands under pulling forces contrary to common materials. The research parametrically drives a spacefilling component derived from metallic foams ( see also: Negative Poisson's Ratio Polymeric and Metallic Foams adapted from Friis, E. A., Lakes, R. S., and Park, J. B., "Negative Poisson's ratio polymeric and metallic materials", Journal of Materials Science, 23, 4406-4414 (1988).)

RP Prototyping of Auxtetic foam structureRP Prototyping of Auxtetic foam structure

Multi material printing allows for an implementation of internal geometries that control movement constraints without additional building components as hinges etc. The material itself contains structural qualities that block or allow certain dynamic properties.

Modells generously sponsored by Objet Geometries

Internal Pneumatic system (with Bernhard Sommer, Energy Design, Die Angewandte Wien) To combine inflatable structures with the RP technology introduces dynamic qualities to highly customized building parts. The quality of the structural performance, the appearance, the transparency and the permeability of such parts can be changed continuously. These changes reveal and exploit the digital structure in a unique way. Rapid Prototyping thus is used not anymore as “proto” typing, but becomes a production method in its own, which leads to complete new applications in building construction. Looking at the development of Rapid Prototyping technology from its earliest phase in the late 1970ies to its first commercial application in the late 1980ies and to the diversity in print materials we encounter today, we can expect to leave behind the usual scope of a model´s scale. The impact of this material integration will leave its traces in the applications, concepts and processes of design creation.

Study on material organization that is derived from particle animation.

# Eduardo McIntosh's Autonomous living units

Eduardo McInstosh sent me another very interesting work he did, questionning the contemporary human as an individual and providing him the ideal tool for this purpose:Autonomous Living Units is a somewhat satirical project that stands at the intersection of the current housing crisis, the tendency of people in developed countries to live on their own and the trend of turning architecture into a consumer product. The project poses a scenario in which living units ( homes) have evolved into the most minimal yet visually alluring objects that can still provide for the basic needs of the 21st century human being. Because of the morphing of architecture into furniture, the Living Units could be inserted in derelict areas and ruined housing projects.

This project was exhibited among others at the d3 Gallery in New York for the "Future Cities: Past, Present" exhibition in April 2009

# Imagining Recovery by Eduardo McIntosh

Eduardo McInstosh (whose former work has been already published here and here on boiteaoutils) kindly sent me his last work which was his entry to the Imagining Recovery Competition. This time architecture is used as self-metaphor of an existing Plato's cave system and a fictional one both assumed as keeping their statute of "prisons". Nevertheless one imply a difficult active involvement of its actors who are invited to participate to act in the field of possible just like Borges describes it in the Babel Library.As I told him, I just have a little discrepancy of opinion as far as the "Beaubourg effect" is concerned. As a former post was showing, thirty years after its construction Pompidou Centre is still hated by a lot of people in France and its presence within Paris' core is a continual question about architecture, art, public space and urbanity.However I really egg you on reading the whole text, because it tackles some issues which may be less politically correct in a era which is trying to impose ecology and mediatization as architectural dogmas...

# Zoarchitect / Lasercut archeology

Peter Jellitsch aka Zoarchitect sent me some pictures of his last Angewandte work called Laser Engraving, hl series. He uses old wooden surfaces (old doors, used tabletops etc.) to engrave his bichrome project's representation in it just like we used to do in school with a pen or a knife. Results are some kind of fossils belonging to an unknown past.

# House of Laminar Torrents by Jintana Tantinirundr & Belle Tang

Here is a project I wanted to publish for a long time, House of Laminar Torrents is a project designed by Jintana Tantinirundr and Belle Tang for Richard Sarrac's Pratt Institute studio which was tryingto investigate how to optimize the introduction of natural light by the mean of standard manufactured VELUX products.Here is Jintana and Belle's presentation text:A dialogue between a system of shifting angles to generate a filtration surface that begins to suggest the collection of water. The gradual shifting of the skylights starts to propose an outline of continuous flow through the surface and allows for an intake of different intensities of sunlight and ventilation.There are several different types of flow; turbulent, vortex, laminar and viscous, that are illustrated within the subway map. Text boxes shown at selected subway stations explain the specific concept and feature of the architecture at the site. For an example, in the 40 Bond St building, one of its main features is the structural elements wrapped in cast glass, allowing light to illuminate and vary constantly depending on the time of day. In light of this perception, we decided to use wall panels that peel away, forming pocket spaces within the panels which allows light to be filter into the spaces. As it peels away, it begins form a curve that directs circulation into those spaces. The curves are done intentionally as a way of directing circulation into the program. The spaces are connected to allow for a smooth transition of flow and, more important, education.

# Aristide Antonas' Crane Rooms

Lovely project by Aristide Antonas who proposed some kind of ivory towers where you can probably turn hermit at least for one night.You can read a more developed article on archdaily

# Pimp my house

This video is Jonathan Odom's undergraduate thesis presentation video, SCI_ARC, 2009It's a very interesting look at life conditions and social habits of the louisiana/US population.The project that come out make the difference in this ironic situation.
AFTERMARKET IDENTITY: mobile housing beyond relief from jonathan odom on Vimeo.

# Design Act’s Finalist Proposal for Singapore World Expo Pavilion on Bustler

Here is an article in Bustler about Shanghai 2010 Singapore's pavilion's competition which has seen as a finalist this surprising voxel project by Design Act.

# Trabeculae/Protosynthesis by Supermanoeuvre

Trabeculae is a project imagined by Supermanoeuvre, a young "practice" created by Dave Pigram (New York) and Iain Maxwell (London). What they define as projects, research and teaching (AA, Pratt and Michigan mostly) are more or less intermingling for a global creative attitude trying to generate architectures related to variable "social, cultural and ecological" parametrics.In fact, Trabeculae is a project for last Beijing's Biennal extending a previous research called Protosynthesis which was first released for Marc Fornes' Philadelphia exhibition: Scriptedbypurpose.Trabeculae is the result of reimagining the central atrium office tower. Replacing the traditionnal operation of repetitive extrusion, a heliotropic branching system actively seeks out those areas within the zoning envelope with greatest access to daylight. Forking and swelling in response to varing light conditions, the atrium is thus conceived as a site-specific network that traverses intellintelligently and freely from one facade to another. The atrium becomes the defining element of differentiation within otherwise normative floorplates while maintaining efficient floorscape ratios.Within the atrium, a second order proliferation of the same system at a finer scale develops a structural meshwork - the trabeculae. The swellings and coagulationsof this topologically free structural network-within-a-network accomodate meeting & function rommes, bridges, and communication strairs as welll as supportng the attriums glazing.An instantiation of the proto-synthesis algorithm this project embraces the specific heterogeneity of a given scenario and points towards the possibility of architecture speciation.Project team: Dave Pigra, Iain Maxwell, Brad Rothenberg, Ezio Blasetti

# Woven Source by Peter Vikar (Angewandte)

Woven Source is Peter Vikar's 2008 diploma project for Greg Lynn Angewandte's studio in Vienna. He introduces his project this way:This project explores a thick structural facade system for a contemporary library in downtown of Budapest. From one side, it reinvents the operation and relation to physical content and at the same time, it shifts the usage of the library towars a more city and event oriented direction.

The facade system combines the potential of structure, circulation, visual effect, enveloppe, and also creates smaller interior and exterior divisions. The majors components of this thick skin are the two interweaving layers constructed out of bent contourlines and straight stiffering members. Structurally, it works as a constant transition between a classical diagrid and a space turss condition. Due to the sophisticated control system, the skins gradiently changes the porosity of the facade and controls the amount of light for the interior spaces.

# Taipei Performing Arts Centre by NL Architects

You may already have seen the winner OMA project of this Performing Arts Centre in Taipei, but this was NL Architects' entry. It looks retro-future and seems to inspire itself from Paul Andreu's Roissy 1 and Rogers and Piano's Pompidou Centre.found on Archdaily