STEAMPUNK DESIGN WORKSHOP

Description

Brief:
We are entering the age of augmentation. Mixed-reality environments allow us to rethink the way we design, communicate and produce architectural models, allowing us to challenge the construction industry’s reliance on drawings, which has resulted in well known inefficiencies, redundancies and the complete impracticality of novel architectural exploration. Building within mixed reality environments eliminates these redundancies by displaying design models at scale and making them ready to hand in the context of a given fabrication environment.

Such approach is exemplified in the project Steampunk, a winning proposal for this year’s Tallinn Architecture Biennale pavilion, set to open in September. Designed by Soomeen Hahm, Igor Pantic and Gwyllim Jahn & Cameron Newnham (Fologram), the structure will be made of steam-bent timber elements, using analogue tools augmented with the precision of mixed reality environments. It explores an adaptive design and fabrication system that is resilient to wide tolerances in material behaviour and fabrication accuracy, occupying a fuzzy in-between that is neither purely ad-hoc nor purely automated. Steampunk explores a path to rethink applications and traditions of craft in pursuit of their evolution.

In this 3-day workshop, part of the Steampunk design team will introduce design methods and workflows required for development of such project, starting with design exercises in Autodesk Maya and Rhino/Grasshopper and translation of these models into holographic projections and guides with Microsoft Hololens and Fologram – a Mixed Reality plug-in for Grasshopper. The course will include tutorials for the listed software. By the end of the workshop the participants will produce unique individual design proposals, and learn how to communicate with them through Mixed/Augmented reality tools.

Tutors:

Igor Pantic (Bartlett)

Igor Pantic is an architect and computational designer based in London, where he leads his design/research practice. In addition to this, he is a Teaching Fellow at The Bartlett School of Architecture UCL in London, where he teaches Research Cluster 1 at B-Pro Architectural Design programme. Previously he co-directed the AA Visiting School in Vienna. He has lectured and taught computational design workshops and seminars internationally, and his work on computational design has been published in conferences including ACADIA, CAADRIA and TxA. In his work, Igor explores the ways in which technology influences how we design, make and perceive our environment. His current interests are focused on generative design methodologies and research into material systems informed by algorithmic logic, exploring the connection between the advanced digital tools and both low-cost and robotic fabrication techniques. His previous work experience includes period of 7 years spent at Zaha Hadid Architects, during which he worked on a large number of high-profile projects. Igor holds a Master degree from the Architectural Association in London (AADRL), and the Faculty of Architecture, University of Belgrade, Serbia.

Soomeen Hahm (SoomeenHahm Design Ltd., Bartlett)

Soomeen Hahm, – founder of the SoomeenHahm Design Ltd, is an architectural designer and educator based in London. Her practice focuses on design through research within the computational paradigm in architecture across multiple scales and perspectives. The research looks at the ecology of computational power, technology and human intuition and the ways they overlap and impacts the design industry and physical environment. Current interest focuses on the use of AR/VRaugmented and virtual reality assisted fabrication for executing complex digitally generated forms, wearable machines and human-computer interaction. Soomeen has taught and lectured at numerous institutions in UK and internationally, teaching design studios, workshops and courses focusing on computational design. In addition to this, she is contributing to various online educational platforms and digital toolset libraries. Currently, she is a teaching fellow at UCL Bartlett School of Architecture in London, where she is directing Research Cluster 9 of Bartlett’s B-Pro AD Master program. Prior to establishing her practice, Soomeen spent number of years working for Zaha Hadid Architects in London. She gained her Bachelor of Architecture degree at the Beijing Tsinghua University and her Master of Architecture degree at the Architectural Association Design Research Lab (DRL).

Hanjun Kim (SoomeenHahm Design Ltd.)

Hanjun Kim is currently the associate of the Soomeenhahm Design Ltd, and an architectural designer and researcher based in London. He completed his Bachelor’s degree at Hongik University in Seoul, Korea and his Masters of Architecture degree at AA School of Architecture where he studied in the Design Research Lab (DRL). He is specialized in computer coding and scripting, digital and physical modelling, and editing videos and images. His research focuses on behavioural complexity including autonomous, self-awareness and assembly systems which is related to human-machine interaction. He also has interests in coding to explore computational space, material prototyping to analyse methodology of form finding, neighbour interactive system of cellular automata, multi agent system of swarm behaviour, as well as actor network system between human, machine, and environment. He has previously worked for seven years in L’EAU Design in Seoul, where he led the design team. His experience in the company is spread over various aspects in architecture such as furniture, interior, architecture and urban design with numerous built projects.

Acknowledgement:

SteamPunk project is designed by Gwyllim Jahn and Cameron Newnham from Fologram, Igor Pantic & SoomeenHahm Design Ltd.