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L E E F O O K H O N G T I M O T H Y

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D Y N A M I C B L O B

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FIRST TRANSFORMATION

DIAGRAMS OF THE ORIGINAL PAVILLION

REFERENCES TO ORIGINAL PAVILLION6

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SECOND TRANSFORMATION24

THIRD TRANSFORMATION30

RENDERED IMAGES40

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CONCEPT EXPLANATION

My concept of design is trying to change the form of Farnsworth House which the interaction between people and the corresponding environ-ment could be further elaborated and evolved. Farnsworth House belongs to additive forms which assembled from individual pieces. It has a rectangular geometric shape. And rectangular shapes usually give people the impression of directional. And the longer the rectangle room is, the more it encourages visual and physical movement parallel to its axis. In my perspective, rectangle stands for a static composition, in certain aspect, this shape is quite dull. Therefore, I was hoping to transform a dynamic shape which encourages the eye to explore and the dynamic shape should be asymmetrical and blob shape can be suit-able to suggest people a sense of movement, flow and excitement. At first, I have the idea of transform the rectangular interior area of Farnsworth House into a blob shape. I am trying to take the 4 glass panels, roof and floor in order to form a box. This box originally has a static rectangular shape; however under transformation, that box will transform into a dynamic abstract form. Hence, this is my first transformation, and named as “BOX TO BLOB”.In my second transformation, initially I adopted the concept of using the box, but I further elaborated my design transformation. In model 1, the box is being transformed as in a body three dimensionally. However, a cubic volume consist of 6 facades and I split the box into 6 separate planes, and each plane is transformed on each facades is being transformed irrationally. Then, the transformed planes will gather to form back an irrational blob shape. And this is my second transformation; its name is “PLANES TO BLOB”.Unfortunately, in model 2, there are still sharp edges exist in blob shape structure, since in my concept I am trying to transform all the sharps edges into smooth round ends. Sharp edges are being too distinctive but rounded edges have moderate changes with the environment. Accordingly, I came up with an idea of using a singular plane in one side of the box which is able to enclose all the facades by making irrational shapes which encloses the frame. The plane is able to transform irrationally and enclose the frame without any sharp ends. At last, this is my final transformation and it is called “PLANE TO BLOB”.The creation of a blob form enables people to have different spatial ex-perience no matter they are inside the house or outside since the shape is irrational and it is no longer just a flat surface. People are encouraged to walk close to see the shape no matter from inside or outside of the house. Therefore, the interaction between people and the surrounding environment can be increased through the form of the building itself.

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Farnsworth House is an icon of modern architecture which is situated in a natural setting near the river, separated from such by a forest on one side and a meadow on the other. The house’s structure consists of pre-cast concrete floor and roof slabs supported by a carefully crafted steel skeleton frame of beams, girders and columns. The facade is made of single panes of glass spanning from floor to ceiling, fastened to the structural system by steel mullions. The building is heated by radiant coils set in the concrete floor; natural cross ventilation and the shade of nearby trees provide minimal cooling. Though it proved difficult to live in, the Farnsworth House’s elegant simplicity is still regarded as an important accomplishment of the international style.

REFERENCES TO ORIGINAL PAVILLION

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PLAN

SECTION A

ELEVATION

SECTION B

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DIAGRAMS OF THE ORIGINAL PAVILLION

INDIVIDUAL PIECES ASSEMBLED TO AN ADDICTIVE FORMILLUSTRATION OF THE USE OF PLANE AND COLUMNS

LOCATION DIAGRAM

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THE USE OF PROPORTION IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE FLOOR PLAN

CIRCULATION DIAGRAM

PLAN IN PROPORTION

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DIAGRAMS OF THE ORIGINAL PAVILLION

ILLUSTRATED FUNCTIONAL AREA

AXONOMETRIC DIAGRAM OF STRUCTURE

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AREA ZONE

AREA CHANGES DUE TO THE STRUCTURE.

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M O D E L 1 F I R S T T R A N S F O R M A T I O N - B O X T O B L O B

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CONCEPT DIAGRAMS OF THE MODEL 1

DIAGRAM - Illustrating the gradual change of a rectangular volume (SIMPLIFIED FORM OF FARNSWORTH HOUSE) into a freeform blob shape.

DIAGRAM - The changing of external shape of Farnsworth House. (HAVING AN IDEA OF TRYING TO ROUND ALL THE CORNERS)

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DIAGRAM - The change of form created modification of human movement and allowing people to have more interaction on nature throught the building itself.

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CONCEPT DIAGRAMS OF THE MODEL 1

DIAGRAM -Rectangular shape cannot pro-vide any semi-enclosed area which makes the journey inside the building is straight forward and the form hardly create a strong interaction with the surrounding. (ACT AS ALONE)

DIAGRAM - The changing of external shape of Farnsworth House. (HAVING AN IDEA OF TRYING TO ROUND ALL THE CORNERS)

DIAGRAM - The blob created several semmi-enclosed area which encourages people to explore and interact with the nature through the building.

DIAGRAM - The reason for using iron mesh in the model is utilise the irrational shape of the wall through numerous holes on the wall, sunglight are able to enter.

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THE CREATION OF THE BLOB SHAPE BY IRON MESH .

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MODIFYING THE INTERIOR PART OF FARNSWORTH HOUSE INTO BLOB SHAPE AND NO SHARP

CORNER EXISTS .

AERIAL VIEW OF THE MODEL.

THE IRON MESH CURVES INWARD SYMBOLISES THE CURVING OF OF BOX.

PHOTOS OF THE MODEL 1

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PHOTOS OF THE MODEL 1

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ADDITION OF ACETATE ABOVE THE IRON MESH TO FURTHER ACHEIVE A BLON SHAPE 3 DIMENSIONALLY.

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02 AXONOMETRIC VIEW OF THE MODEL - THE SIMILAR OUTLINE OF FARNSWORTH HOUSE WITH THE ELMINATION OF SHARP EDGES,

THE FORM IS MORE DYNAMIC AND MODERN.

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CLOSER VIEW OF THE MODEL - A FREEFORM BLOB SHAPE EXISTED.

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02 THE INTERACTION BETWEEN THE IRON MESH AND THE ACETATE. (HAVING

SKYLIGHTS IN REALITY).

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The concept is trying to transform a box to a blob shape by tranforming the interior part of the farnsworth house (rectangu-lar shape) to blob shape, which emphasize on human movement inside the house and the angle of observation.

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TRANSFORMING THE BOX SHAPE INTO A BLOB SHAPE WHICH CREATES A MORE ORGANIC FORM.

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DIAGRAM - The gradual change in the vertical planecould also be transformed into a blob shape wall structure which is similar to the iron mesh structure in model 1 by implying the concept on plane to blob.

FURTHER ELBORATION OF CONCEPT DIAGRAMS BASED ON THE MODEL 1

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M O D E L 2 T H I R D T R A N S F O R M A T I O N - P L A N E S T O B L O B

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CONCEPT DIAGRAMS OF THE MODEL 2

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DIAGRAM - The box is a simplified form of Farnsworth House, and by cutting each facades plane of the box out and transforming the plane surface into a freeform curvy shape of the surface. Then after transform, each of the planes are attached back to the wood frame, through the combination of each curvy surface, a irrational blob shape is created.

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PHOTOS OF THE MODEL 2

ANOTHER PLANE OF THE WOOD BOX STARTS TO HAVE TRANSFORMATION.

START TRANSFORMING ONE SIDE OF THE WOOD FRAME.

CREATION OF THE WOOD FRAME (SIMPLIFIING THE ADDITIVE ELEMENTS OF

FARNSWORTH HOUSE.)

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TRANSFORMATION OF THE ROOF PART.

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THE TRANSFORMATION COMPLETED OF ALL THE SIX FACADES OF THE BOX.

THE REFLECTION OF LIGHT THROUGH CURVED SHAPED ACETATE.

THE REFLECTION OF LIGHT THROUGH CURVED SHAPED ACETATE.

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FURTHER ELBORATION OF CONCEPT DIAGRAMS BASED ON THE MODEL 1 and 2

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Through this diagram, I am trying to explore another way to imply the idea of box to blob. At first, the box is stacked by serveral identical planes joining together. By the introduce of the idea of stacking planes up, the way of transformation changes to 2 dimensional.

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Rendered Image of the Rhino model.

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FORM IS BEING TRANSFORMED FROM A STATIC PLANE VOLUME INTO A FREE DYNAMIC SHAPE

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M O D E L 3 S E C O N D T R A N S F O R M A T I O N - P L A N E T O B L O B

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CONCEPT DIAGRAMS OF THE MODEL 3

DIAGRAM - Illustrating the gradual change in a rectangular plane (ONE SIDE OF THE GLASS OF FARNSWORTH HOUSE) into a freeform shape.

DIAGRAM - The combination of freeform blob and the rectangular framework ( SIMPLIFIED STRUCTURE OF FARNSWORTH HOUSE) into to develop a more dynamic form.

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A BLOB SHAPE IS ACHEIVED BY BURNING THE ACETATE.

A RECTANGULAR FRAMWORK INSPIRED BY FARNSWORTH HOUSE.

COMBINATION OF THE BLOB SURFACE AND THE FRAMEWORK.

DIFFERENT VIEW ANGLE.

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PHOTOS OF THE MODEL 3

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The concept is trying to transform a plane to a blob shape. A cubic volume consist of 6 facades and each facade is enclosed by a place surface. Therefore the introduction of a concept of

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A SINGLE PLANE WHICH ABLE TO ENCLOSE ALL THE FACADES AND HAVING IRRATIONAL SHAPES WHICH ENCLOSED THE FRAME.

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RENDERED IMAGE OF THE FINAL MODEL

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Faculty of Architecture, Design and PlanningUniversity of Sydney

BDES2012 Architectural Communications 2Semester 01.2011

Unit Coordinator: Dr Dagmar ReinhardtStudio Tutors: Dagmar Reinhardt, Eduardo Barata, Carolina Torres, Melissa Pearson, Timmy Lum.Lab Tutors: Steven Janssen, Jonathon Donnelly, Jonathan Newton, Dinah Zhang.

Pavilion: A Project and Methodology

Throughout history, architecture has been developed by progressive concepts – at times pursued as concepts of architecture leading to unique private residences, at times as abstract ideas displayed to a public realm through the Pavilion, in the context both gallery venues and world exhibition settings. The Pavilion traditionally refers to freestanding structures built as objects of pleasure, small (garden) outbuildings, particularly popular in the 18th century. These light temporary or semi permanent structure often resembled small classical temples and follies. Sometimes specifically erected for special occasions such as fetes, garden banquets, and balls, these structures show unique appearances. The architectural form of the pavilion is itself dynamic, and characterized by speculation, fantasy and mobility. The Pavilion is regarded as a public building type in which relationships between art and architec-ture, perception and exposition, critique and spectacle, concept and e xperiment can be deployed.

BDES2012 Architectural Communications 2 reviews the pavilion both as subject and as communication of architecture, BDES2012 Architectural Communications 2 uses the Pavilion as an opportunity for the open expression of architecture at a scale that is at once playful and provocative, speculative and rhetorical. It pursued a path of conceptual development and process through the analysis, documentation and continued transformation of selected architectural pavilions and iconic houses in relation to the courses design and media technique curriculum. We will analyse a series of pavilions and re-interpret these through the techniques and media you are being taught in, ranging from a variety of analogue techniques towards digital design.

BDES2012 Architectural Communications 2 investigated different explorations of pavilions and experimental houses and derived a series of transformations by subjecting these original pavilions to abstract core themes of architectural concern, such as desire, phe-nomenal experience (tactility, hapticity, acoustics), memory, porosity, transparency, flux, contamination, /decompositions, nodes, bifurcations, striation, box.to.blob, lofting, modules, counterparts/balance, swarm systems, hybrids, network organizations, and narrative lines. These concepts have been adapted by you to produce an architectural experiment of your own, both in an analogue and in a digital realm.

The exhibition launched on May 24th, and continued until May 31st 2011, opens passages of the project to the public: speculations, fantasies and modifications communicated and presented in the public realm of the Hearth, Ground Level Wilkinson Building, Faculty of Architecture, University of Sydney.

Copyright with project author and Faculty of ArchitectureProduced March-May 2011, Sydney, Australia