Final Review in Liberty Annex Research Gallery

Liberty Annex Research Gallery |
Final review is held in in Liberty Annex Research Gallery of UM (Liberty). We have 8 critics from alternative schools. Liberty is a renewed building which was a 3-story factory, we placed all our projects in a grid on the floor as the index of our summer term. Besides, each of us has a space to demonstrate other models and the molds. In the final presentation, each student has 15 mins to present the concept, process and reaction to the critics. The windows in Liberty is 3-story high, and when the sun shines on the plaster works, the shadow and the light effect is beautiful. Liberty is spacious, it is a perfect place for us to end up our summer.

Project Index, T.C. Kurt Hong, Summer 2015

Personal exhibition, T.C. Kurt Hong, Summer 2015

Preparation |
Before presentation, we had to clean the place and measure the dimensions of our grid and personal exhibition space. Besides, some of us painted the pedestals for our final review. Actually, the works are not exhibited only in the final review but also for three weeks to public.

Painting pedestals for final review

Dimensions of Grid

Final Review |
The x axis of the grid is the project, y axis is the person. It is the index of our projects and the critics can observe the relationship between different projects and the progress of each person.

Grid of Summer Term

Design Health group review

Digital Technology group review

Digital Technology group review

Material System group review

Response |
One of the critics, Sean Ahlquist, reminded me that digital fabrication might eliminate the nature of the material. Indeed, I spent a lot of time on refining the surface of the models and improving the molds to obtain sharp edges, however, it might be a blind spot of the design. Actually, this issue occur to me while I was polishing the models. The inside molds might be replaced with rough surfaced material to respond the material because the seam would be very dirty while I was gluing two pieces. Therefore, this may be a good opportunity to reflect the materiality of plaster. Moreover, I could save a lot of time of polishing the surface.

Ideal, Virtual and Physical

Project Description |

This project is the second part of project 5. What we did is to refine our works and get our "production systems" advanced. I adopted alternative materials and equipment to get smoother surface and sharper edges. Meanwhile, I tried to make the mold transparent, and hence I don't have to measure exact amount of plaster. The clear molds make it easier and precise to obtain the identical horizontal plane.

CurFSpace No.4, T.C. Kurt Hong, Summer 2015

Alternative Materials, equipment |
To acquire the transparent molds, I adopt clear plastics as the material for my mold. However, it is difficult to make 2D materials into double-curved surface with ZundCutter or laser cutter. Thus, I tried to use vacuum former to achieve this goal. In advance, I need a "pre-mold" for vacuum forming, the pre-molds should be heat-proof because the vacuum former is going to heat the plastic to make it soft and then cover on the pre-mold to obtain the form. Therefore, the pre-molds should be able to resist the heat, so the foam molds I made cannot be used in vacuum former. Hence, I milled MDF boards to make a new set of pre-molds.

The MDF Pre-molds for vacuum former, T.C. Kurt Hong, Summer 2015

Vacuum Forming Process, T.C. Kurt Hong, Summer 2015

Plastic molds, T.C. Kurt Hong, Summer 2015

Clear horizontal plane while casting, T.C. Kurt Hong, Summer 2015

Design |

In the previous tests, I keep geometry as the only one constant in the process, I changed the pouring angle, alternated the cutting plane and aggregating in different ways every time. Thus the effect of the tilting angles while pouring cannot be manifested. Therefore, I decreased the variations in process, and kept the tilting angle as the only one variable.

CurFSpace No.2, T.C. Kurt Hong, Summer 2015

CurFSpace No.2, T.C. Kurt Hong, Summer 2015 

CurFSpace No.2, T.C. Kurt Hong, Summer 2015

After I fixed all the variables except the pouring angle, the variation of the void spaces created became clear. Like the experiments we had before, too many variables make the results hard to analyze and also make us confused. Once we fixed all the other variables, we could control the result in the way we want.

Diagram of the fixed operation, T.C. Kurt Hong, Summer 2015

Test models of CurFSpace, T.C. Kurt Hong, Summer 2015

CurFSpace No.3, T.C. Kurt Hong, Summer 2015 

CurFSpace No.4, T.C. Kurt Hong, Summer 2015 

CurFSpace No.4, T.C. Kurt Hong, Summer 2015

Academic Trip

Henry Ford Museum |

The most impressive piece in Henry Ford Museum is Dymaxion house designed by Buckminster Fuller in 1945. After World War II, some airplane manufacturers are turned into housing industries because the housing problem was getting worse and worse. Some designers were working on industrialization of architecture, but most of them didn't succeed. However, Dymaxion House is still a model for the architects who are working on the same research. 

Dymaxion House, Buckminster Fuller, 1945

Dymaxion House, Buckminster Fuller, 1945

The museum has lots of cars, airplanes, furniture and machines which played very important roles in human history. Those machines still can operate with high reliability, one of the reason is that the design is relatively simple, thus the machines are barely out of order.

The details of the Dymaxion House, Buckminster Fuller, 1945

Model T of Ford, Henry Ford, 1908

Lotus Ford F1 racing car, Ford, 1965

Ford Assembly Line (F150) |
It is not allowed to take any pictures in the F150 assembly line. However, it is still very inspiring for MS student. In the first class of proseminar, we had some discussions about pre-fab house, and Ford F150 assembly line demonstrates the possibility about the house industrialization. Automobile is a very complex machine which has many systems inside, and so is a building. Comparing to automobile manufacturing, architecture industry seems to be stuck in a rudimentary stage. In 21 century, we still spend much time on constructing a house. The materials we use nowadays are similar to those used in 19 century. Although some design looks very "future", however the technologies used in architecture is still very primitive.

Curve, Surface and Space

Project Description |
Project 5 is the integration of project 1, 2, 3 and 4. In previous projects, we were using ZundCutter, WaterJet Cutter, CNC Router and Robot Arms to deal with fabrics, plastics, acrylics, foams, woods, metals and MDF boards. Through all the projects, we keep thinking void, solid and space within a spectrum of tools and materials. In the last project, I tried to keep some constant elements such as the basic geometry, the plaster and the scale of a block. However, some variables keep changing through those projects such as the machines we used, the material of frameworks and the strategies of design. Like an experiment, some factors changes and some keep constant and see what happen to the final result. Through different conditions, various void space can be created and the quality of each void space will be demonstrated. By this way, we may observe the power of equipment and material.

Test Model of CurFSpace, T.C. Kurt Hong, Summer 2015

Based on project 2 and project 3, I tried to extract the concept and repeat them in project 5. I keep cutting and aggregating (in project 2) in this project to obtain the unexpected void space and developing the relationship between any two units just like what I did in project 3. Also, I try to maintain the quality when all the lines joined together perfectly.

Previous projects, T.C. Kurt Hong, Summer 2015

Design |
The design is generated from a series operations, cutting, rotating and aggregating. While aggregating, all the lines should be connected well and the seams should be clean. Since cutting is an critical step in my design, so I want the cutting to be precise. Therefore I try to put the cutting into the manufacturing process rather than cutting by hands. Actually, from some perspective, development of digital fabrication is to turn human work into a step while manufacturing. Hence, I tilt the molds after I pour the plaster to create the horizon surface, just like the cutting. The amount of plaster needs to be controlled well and the angle has to be set up accurately while every pouring. After several trail and errors, the cutting is accomplished while pouring.

Tilting simulation, T.C. Kurt Hong, Summer 2015

The foam mold milled by CNC router, T.C. Kurt Hong, Summer 2015

Tilting the molds to obtain a cutting plane, T.C. Kurt Hong, Summer 2015

Test Models |
The test models are from foam frameworks which are milled on CNC router. Since the plaster will penetrate the foam and make de-molding so difficult, I place 4 layers of latex paint on the molds to keep plaster from into the foam. However, the surfaces of the models are still rough, hence I tried to improve the mold to get clean surfaces. In the discussion with classmates, I believe that the quality is from the maturity of fabrication.

Test model of CurFSpace, T.C. Kurt Hong, Summer 2015

CurFSpace No.1, T.C. Kurt Hong, Summer 2015

CurFSpace No.2, T.C. Kurt Hong, Summer 2015

Review |
Besides the improvement of the mold, the void space created is still confined in an object. The next step I imagine is to create more variations of void space.

Gene Hopkins, Jen Maigret and Maria Arquero

Gene Hopkins |

Gene Hopkins is an architect who is focusing on the conservation. He talked about the difficulties in conservation design. For instance, conservation architect has a totally different "site" from that the a general architects has. The site is a building which was designed by another architect, and now conservation architect has to "re-design" it rather than "restoring" it. On the other hand, the conservation architect has to dance with another architect. Furthermore, some materials can not be found now, so the conservation architect has to figure out which substitute should be used and how to add new space and programs in the old design. 

Gene was also the president of AIA (American Institute of Architects), and Gene mentioned that the AIA should be like a library for architects in US, even for architects in the whole world. Moreover, the AIA not only provides architects  the information but also the assists architects in running a firm. Not like the association in Taiwan, the relationship between AIA and architects is close and well-developed. The architects in Taiwan need a platform like AIA to share information and experience, and they can help each other to run the firm on the platform. For example, mega firms can release the small cases to young architects, and a small firm can co-op with other firms to complete a bigger project. In Taiwan, big firms take most projects because clients only know those famous architect firms. Therefore, young architects can only work on the interior design cases, or some spacial installation case. The architect association should be able to solve this problem, it should be responsible for educating clients and designate the small projects to young, small architecture firms. Young architecture firm does not have many resources and employees to take care of the business. So, I think it would be good if we have a architect association which can address this issue.

Jen Maigret & Maria Arquero (MAde Studio) | 

Jen & Maria's project is about lines which is a fundamental element in architecture. Jen showed us their project which used lines to define space and create endless opportunities. In the lecture, Jen quoted Isamu Noguchi's article to describe their concept of design. Interestingly, Isamu Noguchi mentioned that he walked through a bridge from home to school everyday when he was a kid, and the "line" (bridge) connecting two points, home and school, offered him a lot of chance to appreciate the scenes of his home town. Though it is a coincidence and the meaning of the line to Isamu Noguchi is not similar to that of Jen and Maria's, however, a simple line actually can create endless opportunities for people and define a space.  Kandinsky has a famous book: Point and Line to Plane, which describe the power of lines and how lines can define the space in a painting. Sometimes, simple geometry is more powerful than the complex form and pure geometry may offer more imagination space for viewers. 

Playful Horizon, MAde Studio, Photo Credit : Adam Smith | www.adamsmithstudio.com

Besides the design, Jen and Maria talked about the budget of their projects. Usually they only can get low budget projects, but in contrast, low budget projects offer designers to exhibit their ability of design including the ability of solving the budget problem. Moreover, low budget project can offer architect more constrains and sometimes it is easier for architects to design. So, I think it is good for young architects to get low budget projects and hence get more chance to demonstrate themselves.