smArchitecture

Tokyo Mist...

2012-02-02T15:49:00.003+03:00

We're currently enjoying somewhat of a - if not a sandstorm - at least a 'sand-mist' here in Doha... In its honor a few photos of a misty few days in Tokyo, taken last May...

Stackable Bowl&Tray Interrupted...

2012-01-26T13:02:00.000+03:00

An additional design submission from the Interrupted Design series, where the FDM fabrication process is intentionally interrupted mid-build to reveal the inner support structures, a feature that consequently becomes a key characteristic of the final design... The stackable bowls and trays have all their particular, often quite subtle, variations in function, use and execution, a list of which is included below... The connection point of the bowls and trays are uniform, and can be stacked in any sequence desired...

Shallow Bowl - with a removable partition

Thin Tray/ Lid - with a large perforated top (good for draining or cooling food on top)

Deep Bowl - same digital model as the bowl above, only here the fabrication process was allowed to proceed further

Thick Lid/ Tray - same as the lid above, only here with a thicker, more insulated, base

Sushi Plate - with concavities for soya sauce, wasabi and pickled ginger (along with an area for sushi or sashimi pieces)

Tray/ Cover for the Sushi Plate - with its own central pedestal for any more celebratory pieces

Spout Bowl - a bowl with a small spout

Ring Tray/ Cover/ Plate - with a wide perforated ring, allowing both the display of fine food on top of the surface as well as within it

Grind Bowl - here the bowl build was 'completed' but, in post-production, selectively ground-down to (re)reveal the inner grid

Plan view of the Grind Bowl

The Sushi Plate and Tray/ Cover

Laser-Cut Toast - Number One on Ponoko..!

2012-01-24T10:39:00.002+03:00

Our Laser-Cut Toast design/ concept just got First place on the Ponoko blog in the 'Ten Coolest Laser Cutting Stories' Category...

YipeeeeEEeee..!

Abandoned Garage, Kuwait...

2012-01-22T22:23:00.000+03:00

A few photos from an abandoned garage in Kuwait, located on a site next to the, now demolished, Al Salam building, a stone-throw away from SAM Street...

The 3 - 3D - 3 Plan at the F for Faculty Exhibition at VCUQ, Qatar...

2012-01-10T11:30:00.001+03:00

A few images from my contribution to the F for Faculty exhibition at VCUQ...

The exhibit presents a set of three projects, realized using of FDM (Fused Deposition Modeling) - a 3D printing technology, in three different scales... All designs take advantage and explore the technology's inherent, both conceptual (CAD based) and physical (material/ fabrication based) attributes and peculiarities...

All displayed designs were fabricated at the VCUQ FabLab...

For more examples exhibited at the gallery please click here...

The F for Faculty exhibition concludes on January 21...

The 1:50, 1:10 and 1:1 display pedestals

Tom at 1:1, 1:10 and 1:50 (Photo by Ben Jurgensen)

Close up of Tom at 1:10

Close up of Tom at 1:50

The Castle Vase from the Meat & Bone series

The Interrupted Vase and Pitcher

A 1:1 tray (to be featured in more detail in a future submission) using both the Meat & Bone and Design Interrupted techniques

The 1:10 model of the Book-Corner-Seat

A 1:10 model of the Grid Shelving/ Seat/ Partition unit (currently unbuilt)

Above and Below: A 1:50 model for a pavilion design for the La Fontaine Art Center in Manama. The roof grid accommodates a set of wooden profiles that can be adjusted according to season/ pavilion function/ whim... More of the design in a future blog submission...

F - For Faculty Exhibition at VCUQ, Qatar...

2012-01-08T16:17:00.000+03:00

Benjamin Jurgensen's Walking Scan, 2011 (MDF, linen, acrylic, ABS, printed vinyl)

A few images, shown in no particular order, from the, still ongoing, F for Faculty exhibition here at VCUQ...

I'm also showing some work in the exhibition, but which I'll talk/ show more about in a future blog submission...

The exhibition ends on January 21, 2012...

Jordan Gushwa's Untitled, 2011 (Photography, large scale inkjet print)

Jesse Paine's Ismil Azzam, 2011 (Graphite & varnish on paper, mounted on panel)

Donald Early's Ask, 2010 (Oil on canvas)

Don Crow's Chair Six/ Chair Seven, 2011 (Laser engraved acrylic on board)

Ruth Bolduan's Lanscape with Red Bush, 2009/ Sealine, 2011/ Abandoned Village, 2011/ Monterey Bay, 2011 (Oil on canvas)

Roman Turczyn's Ochre Wall, Blue Door, 2011 (Watercolor)

Leland Hill's Six and Six, 2011 (Gouache and stencil on canvas)

Michael Hersrud's Space Ship: Earth One, 2011 (Digital print and giclee paint)

Simone Muscolino's Moving Postcards 2004-2011 (Multimedia). Here one has to insert one of the cardboard postcard into the slot in the pedestal to initiate a short film about the images featured on the cards...

Sarah Lauck's Untitled, 2011 (Video). See it by clicking here...

Muneera Umedaly-Spence's Small Simple Drawings, 2010-2011 (Graphite and permanent marker on wood)

River Montijo's Genetic Enhancement No. 1 Monkey Hatrack, 2011 (Papier mache)

Rhys Himsworth's Avatar 2, 2001 (Duotoned lithograph)

Della Reams' (Arabic monograph by Maryam Althani, table by Johan Granberg), Maryam Dress, 2011 (Digital surface design machine knitted and sewn)

Peter Martin's Inquire of Me, 2011 (Lego bricks)

Maja Kinnemark's Hi, I'm UFO. would you like to take me home? Work in progress (MDF, fabric, upholstery)

The outside view of the gallery

Old Abandoned Villa by Bagdad Street, Kuwait...

2012-01-05T01:45:00.004+03:00

Above and Below: The residence has become almost camouflaged by the, somewhat overpowering, surrounding towers...

Above and Below: Two of the inner courtyards...

A (formerly) pink room...

Double-decker room...

A burnt out interior...

Above and Below: The original ceiling and wallpaper revealing themselves...

Above and the five pictures below: Magazine cuttings glued to the walls...

Cut out patterns...

Above and Below: Broken mirrors...

Vase/ Pitcher Interrupted...

2011-12-29T02:24:00.001+03:00

An additional set of designs that, in a similar manner to the Meat&Bone designs but through a different set of means, use some of the idiosyncrasies of the FDM process as a feature in the final design...

In this instance the 'Sparse' setting of the fabrication process - which allows one to save material in thicker bulk/ wall builds by creating a (usually hidden) grid/ lattice within the mass - is here allowed to become 'exposed' in all its perpendicular glory by both, A) manually interrupting the fabrication process mid build to reveal the inner grid and, even before commencing such a build, B) designing the digital file with enough 'residual' volume to allow for such interruptions without the final design appearing 'stumped'...

More examples of 1:1 FDM design using both the 'Interrupted' and the 'Meat&Bone' technique in future submissions...

Seasons Greetings & Happy Holidays...

2011-12-21T12:45:00.002+03:00

Campground at the Inland Sea in Qatar...

Seasons Greetings and Happy Holidays from us all...

Shared Glass Exhibition at Katara Cultural Village, Doha...

2011-12-13T11:28:00.003+03:00

'Ressurected' by Amin Matni (Image sourced from designboom)

Last week we had an opening at the Katara Cultural Village here in Doha titled 'Shared Glass', displaying the work of both our Graduate Students here at VCUQ, as well as the designers working at Fabrica, based in Treviso, Italy, where also all the pieces were designed and fabricated during the latter half of a ten day workshop this summer...

I think the work is absolutely brilliant, and provides an appropriate summary of the talents and skills of our students...

The exhibit takes place in Building 5 at the Katara Cultural Village, and ends on January 7, 2012.

For additional commentaries and coverage of the event on other web-sites click here and here (which is in Italian)...

Segregated Greenery, Doha...

2011-11-28T13:52:00.001+03:00

There's not much grass, nor that many trees, here in Doha. Education City, the locale shared by a number of international academic institutions (all functioning under the umbrella of the Qatar Foundation) has about an even distribution of 'real' and artificial greenery. Aspire Park, located behind two shopping malls, also has a fair share trees and grass, but beyond that, within the more residential, business or commercial areas of the city, it's difficult to think of any, particularly public, communal areas that are green. That is, until I drove by on this orbital slip-road at the outskirts of Doha, which, within its somewhat hermetic confines, retained a quite an alluring bit of flora & fauna as well as paved pedestrian paths. It even had a tunnel connecting this little park to the one on the other side of the adjacent highway - quite blissful...

The trouble is that there is actually no way of accessing these parks. No slip or access roads, no parking, no pedestrian underpasses (from the next door residential areas)... These pedestrian paths weren't made for walking, its soft grass isn't for sitting on, the flowerbeds' fragrances can't be appreciated, the shade of the trees cannot be enjoyed... The parks have been placed here as pure eye-candy - to be seen (through a windscreen whilst whizzing by) but not to be perceived on a more comprehensive and multi-sensory level...

Which is a true shame, as this scale of urban interventions is exactly what the city of Doha is in need of - but not here in the middle of triple-lane highways and slip-roads - but in more (by foot) easy to reach, densely packed and populated urban neighborhoods. The city is in dire need of these, both literal and ethereal, breathing spaces and rest-stops.

Perhaps it's time to begin questioning the prevailing, mostly macro scale - sweepingly pervasive - templates currently used in the creation of urban settings and neighborhoods and begin constructing them from the bottom up - one sidewalk curb, bespoke concrete floor tile, street light, public seating, shop front, parking spot, shaded walkway, grass, bush and tree - at a time... Intervene, even drastically, where it's needed - leave be a neighborhood spot, where doing nothing is better... But such mediations need to be conceived and implemented starting from recognizing and analyzing each neighborhood's, block's, street's, sidewalk's, and curb's idiosyncrasies, and then gradually build a bigger, better understood and customized, more comprehensive and reflective plan...

Doha as a city has so much potential. Let's begin doing it justice and make its meso/ medium scaled spaces what they want and need to be. Placing parks like these into more accessible, both residential and commercial, environs would be a good start...

Laser-Toast - Probably the Best CAD-CAM'ed PBJ Sandwich Ever...

2011-11-21T12:31:00.001+03:00

Close-up of the top laser-toasted bread slice...

A fandango food folly, of sorts... Here a laser-cutter was used to cut/ etch - toast - some slices of bread for a Peanut-Butter & Jelly Sandwich... Each of the sandwiches slices is divided into twelve, numbered and matched, 'bites'. Each bite includes corresponding, same size, cavities into that secure that equal quantities of both peanut-butter and jelly are distributed into each of the numbered bites. The cavities of the middle slices are misaligned in comparison to each other to make sure the won't mix and become too gooey before the mastication phase... A number of different cutting settings were used to create a variety of bespoke cuts across the toast planes. The 'toasting' patterned (wave-like) cuts are dense and shallow; the 'bite' cuts are a bit deeper to allow for each of the twelve bite segments to break off; and the cavities for the peanut-butter and jelly have been cut all the way through...

The laser-cut Peanut-Butter & Jelly sandwich was the best ever Buildware (CAD-CAM) made sandwich I've ever had..!

Top, left to right: Top Slice, Top-Middle-Slice, Bottom-Middle-Slice, Bottom Slice...

Exploded view of the PBJ Sandwiches layers...

Top and bottom sides of the assembled PBJ Sandwich...

The cavities of the middle-slices are misaligned in comparison to each other, thus assuring an equal quantity of both peanut-butter and jelly in each bite...

A number of different settings were used to allocate different types and depths of cuts across the toast planes...

Each numbered 'bite' breaks off easily from the PBJ Sandwiches main body...

A sequential breakdown of the CAD-CAM PBJ Sandwiches 'bites'...

The assembled CAD-CAM PBJ sandwich...

Close-up of the Bottom Slice...

A short movie showing the making of the CAD-CAM PBJ Sandwiches Top Slice...

Hotel Room Views...

2011-11-17T11:06:00.001+03:00

Barcelona, Spain

Helsinki, Finland

Celebration, Florida

Luxembourg, Luxembourg

Amsterdam, Holland

Seoul, Korea

The Testudo Dining Set/ Space...

2011-11-01T10:33:00.000+03:00

The set's Left chair...

Initially designed almost two decades ago during my Senior year at Parsons, the Testudo Dining set/ Space (AKA the Turtle Dining Set) has finally been realized. The design, which in this rendition consists of eight high-backed chairs around a table, was perhaps partly inspired and named after the Roman battle formation Testudo (Turtle in Latin) where individual units (in this case chairs) are positioned in a 'wrapping' formation around a core (a table), thus defining a space. The dining set is intended for large open interiors, where it can provide its own kind of intimacy/ framed space by its set-up alone...

Four different chair types - each repeated twice - are needed to complete the design. These are the Left & Right Chairs, the Middle Chair and the End Chair, which are placed around the rectangular table. All the pieces were made of solid beech (bok in Swedish, pyökki in Finnish). The completed design has a wax finish...

The design has gone through a number of iterations since its conception, involving a major overhaul during our time in London as Small Architecture (nowadays Independent Architects) when its current frame based formation was developed (it used to be much more solid before). This, in turn, needed to be further tweaked (mainly it proportions and dimensions) to enable it to be fabricated locally...

The fabrications required its fair share of supervision, toing & froing with the carpenters regarding the details, and we (well, Maysaa) did the final (Finland sourced) waxing of the set, but we're very happy with the end result...

The Turtle Dining Set & Space...

The End Chair...

The Right Chair...

The Middle Chair...

The, roughly 100 kilogram, solid beech table...

Above & below - close-ups of some of the details...

The beech table and seat planes...

Following up and inspecting a prototype at the factory...

Junior furniture tester determining the seat's comfort coefficient...

A bamboo pulp bowl and set of plates from Holland, an Iittala glass dispenser, and a kuksa, are framed by the Testudo chairs...

A short, still a bit raw, animation made during the development of the design...

Meat & Bone Vases and Bowls...

2011-10-25T16:02:00.000+03:00

A few additional examples from the Meat & Bone series - where the usually discarded/ removed, but in its own right quite strong (if brittle) and beautiful, FDM support material is allowed to perform the role of a protagonist in the final design. Also, as in the previous submissions, here the different software based settings for distributing the supports are used as design components, i.e. the 'white bits' (made of ABS plastic) are distributed and the supports are allowed to 'grow' up to brace them - consequently the somewhat funky shapes of the brown bits...

An additional engaging quality about these designs is that, in a way, they openly acknowledge, even celebrate a bit, the slight degrees of unpredictability and randomness, even 'imperfections' (in a wab-sabi sort of way) of the digital fabrication processes, which still all too often are considered as almost faultless - 'we can make almost anything' - kinds of machines/ fabricators... These designs aim not to do that, but instead take a step back, and try to recognize the true material, sensory (textural, aural, olfactory, proprioceptive, etc.) digital & virtual, thrills and seductive qualities affiliated with making things through the various Buildware/ CAD-CAM processes...

More related submissions to come in the future...

The Meat & Bone (M&B/ MaB) Castle Vase...

The CAD (Catalyst Ex 4.2) version of the Castle Vase...

The MaB Wing-Commander Vase/ Bowl...

The MaB Ring Bowl...

Book-Corner-Seat...

2011-10-16T12:48:00.000+03:00

A while back we moved to a new, slightly bigger, residence here in Qatar. We decided to rent it unfurnished as, quite frankly, the furniture the landlord was proposing to give us looked like something from Liberace's SM chamber... Consequently we decided to (along with buying some of the more necessary pieces such as mattresses, living room sofas, etc. immediately) design a number of bespoke pieces ourselves... After extensive searching for a decent carpentry shop, we finally found one in the old industrial area which seemed to be both willing and able to produce something from the materials we defined, and according to the standards and level of detail we expected... After a number of false starts and prototypes we finally received our first set of furniture a short while back... We're very happy with the results...

This initial piece featured is the Book-Corner-Seat, which was designed for the landing on our top floor. It, as its name suggest, sits in the corner of the landing which is flanked by entrances to our bedrooms, and provides a focal point, as well as a casual, bit more private, 'hang-out' place where to read, chat or daydream... We're in the process of getting a thin cushion made for the square seating area...

Included below are some additional images of the design, as well as its buildware prototype, in action...

More related furniture submissions to come in the future...

Design Details No. 03 - Lego Building Instructions...

2011-10-09T12:12:00.000+03:00

During a recent trip to Copenhagen I bought a Lego rendition of the Farnsworth House - something I suspect I did probably more for myself than my children... What was interesting, however, was that the completed build, which was finely assembled by my architect wife and youngest daughter, was perhaps less engaging than the instructions outlining the assembly process of the Lego house. Having spent countless hours over traditional paper-based construction drawing (plans, elevations, sections), these Lego building construction instructions, with their narrative format and axonometric views providing a sequential step-by-step breakdown and timeline of the builds various stages, were a very suggestive revelation for how a different set of, even more complex and multifarious designs, could potentially be dealt with and explained...

How could these kinds of inforgraphics-esque sequences of instructions be applied in the clarification of various script based design conceptions (Grasshopper, GC)? How could they be used, through an ipad or its like, as a means for conveying dynamic construction drawings on site? Could these kinds of, much clearer and intuitively understood, illustrations be used to describe both the more technical (structural, mechanical, electrical, services, etc.) components as well as the more pictorial and conceptually explanatory (shown to clients & colleagues) types of 'drawings' (& animations) be used to turn today's construction-drawings into a more accurate and more easily implementable format reflective of the more recent developments used to conceive pieces of architecture..?

There's much to muse about...

Stages 10 (above, above) and 27 (above) of the assembly process...

The Completed Lego build of the Farnsworth House...

All drawn illustrations sourced from the instruction booklet accompanying the Lego building...

Buildware Morandi...

2011-10-03T10:28:00.001+03:00

An initial design related submission from the 'Meat & Bone' series of buildware fabricated artifacts. All of these designs have been made through the FDM (Fused Deposition Modeling) process, in which the usually discarded (or diluted away) support material (the dark brown sections of the designs) is included as an inherent component in the completed design. In this instance the various software based settings for how such supports are distributed (with names such as, 'basic', 'smart', or 'sparse') are also played with, resulting in a variety of different shapes and applications of such supports (i.e. the brown bits were't directly modeled, but the Rhino made main shapes - fabricated of ivory white ABS plastic - were positioned within the model and build-frame so as to 'allow' the support material algorithms to 'fill' the gap according to the aforementioned settings)...

This initial set was, in a roundabout way, inspired by Giorgio Morandi's paintings...

More 'Meat & Bone' designs in future blog-submissions...

Hair-Brush-Fruit-Bowl...

2011-09-25T17:15:00.000+03:00

A few images of a small FDM made folly, the Hair-Brush Fruit-Bowl. Which, as the name might suggest, can be used both as a fruit-bowl or a hair-brush, whichever takes one's fancy... After extensive field-tests, documentation of which can be observed below, the intended functions of the artifact have been proven to be adaptable to almost all generally available fruits, vegetables and hair-types (watermelons, large pumpkins & durians, and dread-locks excluded)...

Design Details No. 3 - Slightly Surreal Shop Names, Korea...

2011-09-21T08:44:00.001+03:00

Maysaa Paintings - Shoes...

2011-09-16T15:17:00.000+03:00

A few images of paintings done my my wife Maysaa Al-Mumin during the past year or so... I have no idea if Maysaa would approve (I'm showing these behind her back?!) nor if the paintings shown are actually completed. But I like them... This initial set was painted with (assumedly) oil-paints on thin sheets of plywood... This set of paintings were mainly done at VCUQ...

Design Details No. 2 - Amsterdam Brickworks...

2011-09-08T15:50:00.004+03:00

Cigar Soiree Invites...

2011-09-04T13:47:00.003+03:00

As an occasional cigar smoker, I've arranged a number of Cigar Soirees of which the included illustrations provide a few examples of the bespoke invites prepared for some of these occasions...

Most of these soirees took place whilst we were living in London, so perhaps the, somewhat macabre, graphics are reflective of such metropolitan-gothic peculiarities... Go figure..?!

Elementtitalo, Arabianranta, Finland...

2011-08-30T21:35:00.003+03:00

A few photos of an 'Elementtitalo', or 'element building/ house' going up in Arabianranta (Arabian-beach translated from Finnish), a new residential area in the outskirts of Helsinki. This form of building, which involves a set of factory made, semi-bespoke, building elements that are manufactured elsewhere, and transported to site where they are assembled, almost like a 3D puzzle, into the completed building...

These building systems are quite common in Scandinavia, but, as of yet, I haven't seen any implemented in the same fashion here in the Middle-East...

Might be a worthwhile effort to find out how well these are/ could be synchronized with various BIM systems..?!

Design Details No. 1 - Hajenius Cigars' Tip, Amsterdam...

2011-08-12T23:44:00.000+03:00

As an occasional, but long-term regular, cigar smoker I've recently had a chance to enjoy a few Dutch Hajenius cigars whilst visiting Amsterdam. Usually when lighting a cigar it's quite difficult to light them evenly as the area one needs to light with a match, (butane) lighter, or even a sliver of wood, is quite large and, particularly today when most public places don't allow one to smoke inside, one often has to also deal with wind and/ or rain. In these cigars the solution is quite ingenious. Here the cigar's tip has been pinched or slimmed down into a smaller, and thus much easier to light, tip which eventually after a few drags expands into its full size...

Brilliant..!

Shubbak Exhibition at the RIBA...

2011-08-07T21:09:00.007+03:00

A few images of the laser-cut mashrabiya screens we did for the still ongoing Shubbak exhibition taking place at the RIBA in London.

A big thank you to Melissa Woolford and Heather Picov from the nous Gallery who organized the event, Paul Brady from Independent Architects who helped with the logistics and took the above photos, and, of course, Miguel Fonseca who detail designed, managed and supervised the fabrication of the mashrabiyas...

The exhibition concludes on September 24, 2011...

Click here for an earlier submission regarding the mashrabiya designs...

All photos by Paul Brady and Independent Architects (with whom we have an affiliation with)...

Above & Below - Some early sketches (non realized) for the connection/ housing points of the mashrabiyas...

Miguel Fonseca by the 'Cylinder Flap' Mashrabiya...

Aerial Views of Landscapes Between Malaga and Barcelona...

2011-07-30T22:27:00.008+03:00

Some photos, here shown in sequence, of a trip up the Spanish coast from Malaga to Barcelona. The roughly an hour long flight included a remarkable variety of different, both urban and less-urban (I'm cautious of calling them 'wild' along such densely inhabited landscapes) terrains and topographies... In an age when air travel has become pervasive, and in a time when much of our attention is preoccupied with watching a small screen - be this on a smart-phone, Nintendo DS, or the small TV screen in the seat in front of us - it's nice sometimes to have the chance to immerse oneself in quite stunningly salient scenery revealing itself from views a few thousand meters above the ground plane...

Porta Nigra, Trier...

2011-07-12T11:21:00.005+03:00

A few, somewhat Piranesiesque, photos of the Porta Nigra in Trier, Germany...

Public Fountain/ Sculpture Outside the RFH on the South Bank, London...

2011-07-03T01:59:00.007+03:00

It was lovely to come across this example of benign, catalytic, interactive, spontaneous and joyous (middle-of-the-town) public intervention outside the Royal Festival Hall on London's South Bank, an area that has been revitalized since its renovation a few years back... As can be observed in the video below, a truly mixed bunch of individuals of all ages were enjoying and making the most the fountain. These kinds of places/ quasi-planned (non-commercial) occasions are vital to a city's or neighborhood's well-being and need to be included into any shared and more public urban interventions...

Below the fountain adjacent to the main walkway a temporary beach was set up,which also was very much enjoyed by the city's inhabitants and visitors...

Acknowledging the importance of comparative urban and public acts, and formulating their own takes of what such acts might entail within the urban context of the various center's of the GCC nations, is crucial if they ever wish to gain a more prominent position on the various Livability Indexes and covet to hobnob with the top metropolitan cities of the world...

The beach adjacent to the walkway...

RIBA Mashrabiyas...

2011-06-22T11:01:00.003+03:00

Examples of some laser-cut mashrabiya prototypes prepared for an upcoming event titled: Shubbak: A Window of Contemporary Arab Culture, taking place at RIBA this July... The event is organized by the London based nous Gallery, and will be realized in collaboration with Independent Architects.

The included mashrabiya prototype modules are titled 'Flap-Cylinder' (above and below) which consists of a number of variously shaped flaps that can be folded/ bent by its user as they see fit. The short video (bottom) shows a module of the 'Dip' masharbiya, where the design's various layers are allowed to fade in and out of visibility...

All the prototypes were designed and made in Qatar at the DFL (Digital Fabrication Lab) at VCUQ...

For samples of earlier related work please click here and here...

Made/ Designed in Qatar...

2011-06-09T17:27:00.006+03:00

I've added 2 new categories to the 'Labels' section below - 'Made in Qatar' and 'Designed in Qatar'... The sentiment here is somewhat aligned with maxims 7 and 8 of the Kuwait School Manifesto (which henceforth should perhaps be referred to as the 'Qatar School Manifesto') which outlines a stand in which locally conceived and produced designs, be these actual physical artifacts or more conceptual in nature, should/ can be formulated in a manner which is simultaneously unique and reflective of the local culture and vernacular, whilst being of a calibre, interest and nous relevant to a more international audience... Why shouldn't the label, 'Made in Qatar' evoke the same type of inherent value (desire) as something informing us it's been fabricated or manufactured in Italy or France..? Henceforth all of our designs made here will acknowledge their origins...

Concrete in Copenhagen...

2011-06-05T10:36:00.004+03:00

Some photos of experimental concrete projects done by students at the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts in Copenhagen...

Above & Below - Concrete bench and detail...

The tongue...

Favorite Buildings - Copenhagen Harbor Bath...

2011-05-29T11:05:00.004+03:00

A few photos of the Copenhagen Harbor Bath by BIG, visited this chilly April (thus there are no people enjoying the pool as of yet)...

Hotel Room Views Nos. 1-5 (+3)...

2011-05-19T13:26:00.005+03:00

Outside view of the ski-slope at Emirates Mall in Dubai...

This is the first submission of a future series showing various hotel room views, taken during some of my recent trips... Often quite bland, other times memorably exciting, the view from one's hotel window is often an important, but somewhat underestimated, element in hotel (room) design. It's usually the second thing I check out after first gaining an initial overall impression of a room... Granted there's often not much a designer can do to improve the view itself, however, how it is framed, directed (angled), shaped, tinted, shaded, etc. does allow one to manipulate and direct the gaze, the quantity and quality of the light that enters, and which features of the view the room's user should be intuitively drawn to...

For earlier impressions taken from hotel rooms click here for Turkey, here for Australia, and here for a different view of Dubai...

Night view over Tokyo's Shinjuku district...

A Copenhagen view, with the Finnish Embassy opposite...

A view across the Salmiya shoreline in Kuwait...

Above and below: My view in Venice, with the Grand Canal to the right, and one of the city's multitude of smaller canals to the left. The hotel was located opposite a school...

Industrial Crane & Truss Structure, Copenhagen...

2011-05-17T12:32:00.003+03:00

Exquisite Corpse Laser-Cut Totem Workshop...

2011-05-03T08:42:00.006+03:00

A somewhat delayed submission about my workshop held at the last Tasmeem Conference this March. A summarized brief for the workshop is included below:

The workshop performs as an updated adaptation of the Surrealist game, ‘Exquisite Corpse’ - where a set of participants each contribute a segment in a consecutive sequence of either words or images into an collated assemblage. In this instance the string of images or words are replaced by a set of laser-cut cardboard profiles, each about half a meter tall and roughly 70 cm wide, which, when stacked, in unison would result in an over 3 meter tall, totem-pole…

The workshop will involve maximum 15 participants divided into groups of two (and one individual or a group of three). Each of these small groups (pairs) will fabricate an stretch of a totem. The design of each segment of the totem is up to the group, the only constraints are determined by the basic structural concerns and the need for a uniform ‘link’ (connection point) between the totem’s segments. The actual sequence for where each groups segment is positioned along the stretch of a totem will only be decided during the concluding assembly stage, thus the form, function or look of each section of the totem is up to its designer and each totem will be a reflection of all the groups, all the workshop participants’, collective efforts...

Examples of the process and end result can be viewed below. The final piece is currently standing in the hallway outside the ground floor workshops at VCUQ...

The initial conceptual phase...

Assembly of the individual laser-cut units...

A few examples of some of the individual units...

The Totem assembly process (click on the image to see its larger version)...

The completed Exquisite Corpse Laser-Cut Totem...

Some details of the assembled totem...

A big thank you also has to go to Ben Jurgensen without whom's invaluable help the workshop would not have run as smoothly as it did...

First Year at VCUQ Concluded...

2011-05-01T11:02:00.002+03:00

Cover of the MFA.DESIGN. brochure showing the current MFA Faculty. From left to right (with names and fields of know-how): Diane Derr (Time Based Media), Saied Farisi (Graphic Design/ Typography), Constantin Boym (Department Head; Product/ Furniture/ Concept Design), Richard Lombard (Materials Library Curator), myself. Mike Wirtz (MFA Research Librarian) is missing from this photo...

Photo by Markus Elblaus.

The Spring Term, and my first academic year at VCUQ, has now concluded. Well, more or less, as I've still going to be teaching during the upcoming Summer Term from mid-May until the end of June... All together it's been a very interesting period, and I'm truly excited about both ongoing and upcoming research and other design projects, the preparation of new courses, preparation of updated renditions for existing courses, and numerous other events... We're also expecting a new faculty member, as well as a fresh batch of six new graduate students to join us this coming Fall...

Fun, fun fun, below a dusty sun, sun, sun...

Questioning the Gated Compound - Looking for Urban Conviviality in the GCC...

2011-04-20T09:27:00.006+03:00

Examples of gated compounds in Doha (images sourced from Google Maps)...

We are not running out of land. We are running out of urban spaces.

Andres Duany

For the exception of some areas in Manama, I haven't come across many mixed neighborhoods within the GCC countries. Usually, particularly in the more recent developments, residential areas are usually fiercely separate (occasionally even by walls) from retail areas, commercial offices demarcated from green areas, etc. Neither is there much evidence of small, shared neighborhood parks or even playgrounds. One could argue this is partly due to cultural norms, where traditionally each residential unit's (freej's) privacy is partitioned from the adjacent buildings and areas, however, looking at even a half century old maps and photos from various regional cities, it becomes clear that this hasn't always been the case and this more stringent, hermetically sealed, demarcation between plots is a more recent development. The historical neighborhood template, which even though partitioned, nevertheless, with their narrow and shaded pedestrian paths (sikkat), allowed for a much more organic and less segregated neighborhood-scape to those evident today. There are an abundance of suggestive precedents, from places such as Southern Europe, Asia, Africa, along with the Middle-East (for images of an Omani example click here), for how such issues could be tackled without compromising either some of the levels of comfort we'd become accustomed today, whilst still allowing an evolution, of sorts, develop regarding what a city in this region (GCC, MENA) could/ should be. Moderation, or 'evolution instead of revolution' as Bjarke Ingels of BIG puts it, is still the key in implementing such, potentially even drastic, changes... But considering the changes this region has already been experiencing for a number of decades, such a additional diversion, which inevitably would be realized at relatively generous timeframes, shouldn't be an issue. However, the focus here shouldn't necessarily be on the notion of change, but the intention of providing urban options, something which are still somewhat limited in this region...

What this might entail will hopefully be something explored further through a number of proposed research projects as well as through this blog - so watch this space...

Men do not love Rome because she is beautiful; Rome is beautiful because men have loved her.

Leopold Kohr

A photo showing the 'freej' and 'sikkats' of a traditional urban neighborhood (image sourced from rudi.net)...

Responsive Acoustic Surfacing Cluster - Smart Geometry 2011, Copenhagen...

2011-04-13T08:58:00.006+03:00

A (probably) final submission about a cluster from the latest Smart Geometry event, this time from a very interesting cluster titled Responsive Acoustic Surfacing, championed by Mark Burry, Jane Burry, Alexander Pena de Leon and Daniel Davis from SIAL at RMIT... Its introductory outline is included below:

This cluster aims to develop and evaluate a new generation of parametric tools that embed emergent behavior within parametric models. Swarming, Flocking, Cellular Automata, Genetic Algorithms and Dynamic Relaxation are examples of emergent tools that synthesise data-sets into solutions. In this cluster we will explore sound datascapes in order to investigate how surfaces with variable resonators can be used to reduce particular frequencies of sound in response to shifts within a particular soundscape.

After qualitatively and quantitatively measuring the sound and environmental conditions of selected situations, participants of this cluster will use emergent-parametric tools to search for doubly ruled surfaced forms that accentuate certain frequencies of sound and muffle others. The variable tunable Helmholz resonator is one example of how this can be achieved in association with the design of the surfaces. The emergent nature of our parametric tools allows them to synthesise acoustical analysis by setting up a real-time feedback loop between the data from the parametric model, and the analysis provided by acoustical analysis software: ODEON. The resulting designs will be prototyped at 1:5 using the hot-wire cutter, constraining the geometry to doubly ruled surfaces (the same vocabulary Gaudí used in his later years) and allows for the analysis of the parametric models’ accuracy. The resulting data including acoustic properties, aesthetics, material and manufacturing constraints, is then fed back into the parametric model to improve the next generation of prototypes.

The back of the 1:1 wall...

Agent Construction Cluster - Smart Geometry 2011, Copenhagen...

2011-04-10T12:27:00.006+03:00

An additional submission of a workshop cluster from the recently concluded Smart Geometry event(s) in Copenhagen, this time of the Agent Construction cluster, run by Petra Jenning, David Andreen and Rupert Soar (my PhD advisor)... Brilliant stuff, that kept one one ones toes as the 'bottom-up', quasi-random, construction evolved and advanced...

An outline of the cluster brief is included below:

The cluster will be exploring a thoroughly bottom-up approach to construction, by placing ourselves as agents in an emergent system. The goal of the cluster is to demonstrate how ‘invisible’ processes (in this case air and energy flows) generated by the emerging structure can be visualised during the construction process and used to direct the ongoing fabrication process in real time.

Rather than pre-designing a blueprint, the cluster members will be agreeing on rules which will guide the assembly of a physical structure which will mimic some physical and formal characteristics of termite mounds. The role of the computer will be to analyse the emerging structure and simulate alternative rules which can then be applied to the ongoing construction process in order to effect - evolve - the outcome. During development extensive documentation of the rules which guided the construction, how these evolved based on performance feedback and simulations, and the corresponding physical emergence of the structure over time will be recorded and fed back.

Freeform Construction is a multi-disciplinary organisation exploring rapid manufacturing on an architectural scale and its implications for the industry. With an interest in adaptive structures and process integration and with extensive knowledge and expertise of rapid manufacturing, biological processes and innovative construction, they have attracted international media coverage and are collaborating with leading architects. Rupert, Petra and David are among the co-founders of Freeform Construction and together they teach in a diploma studio in architecture at Greenwich University in London which explores digital manufacturing and collaborative workflows.

Above & below: Close-ups of the cardboard 'crystals' as they are gradually assembled, initially from bottom-up, but also at later stages (literally) from top-down...

Occasionally the crystals entwined with various artifacts found it the collectives vicinity...

The Leica device used in the placement of the crystals...

Above & below: A few images from the process of assembly...

Performative Skins Cluster - Smart Geometry 2011, Copenhagen...

2011-04-05T14:04:00.008+03:00

Last week I took part in the Smart Geometry 2011 event in Copenhagen, during which I participated in a workshop cluster titled Performing Skins, championed by Mette Ramsgard-Thomsen and Ayelet Karmon. The outline for the cluster, sourced from the SG web-page, is included below...

This cluster will investigate the fabrication of three-dimensional knitted surfaces that provide an intelligent skin, are performative structurally, and are behaviourally responsive. 3D complex design strategies will be developed that allow for the creation of responsive fabric skin constructions. By combining advances in intelligent textiles with parametric modelling we will devise bespoke interfaces that link between standard architectural design software environments, CNC knitting machine (Stoll) and simple computational steering (Arduino).

The cluster uses parametric design tools to generate material fabrication code directly from digital design models, built in response to input data. Introducing conductive fibers and simple actuation, the produced materials will ask participants to model textile surfaces physically and computationally at a level that takes into account both the performance of the surface as a whole through its pattern, texture, materiality, flexibility, breathability, warmth and electronic interface. The cluster works as the interstices of architecture, fabric technology, passive and active responsive systems.

In the development of our designs, which involved (at least for me) a quite steep learning curve, we ended up using a variety of more recent plug-ins for Rhino, such as Grasshopper, Arduino and even Firefly along with VB Code and Excel... Along with mastering the softwares, we also needed to get to grips with the Stoll knitting machine (shown in action in one of the videos below)... In the eventual outcomes the cluster produced a number of textiles which, along with a number of additional thread types, also included a conductive thread that could be connected to the Arduino platform and used to 'sense' the presence of a/ any conductive body (see the video at the bottom of the page). In this instance, due to time constraints, we didn't use any physical actuators... Examples of the resulting textiles and display stands can be viewed below...

Overall the event was a very rewarding (though quite exhausting) experience and I'm already looking forward to next year's workshops and conference scheduled to take place in Troy, New York...

The Arduino microcontroller

Screenshot of Grasshopper

Above & below: Examples of the knitted textiles produced

Above & below: Examples of some of the display stands on/ around/ across which the textiles were displayed

Video of the Stoll knitting machine

Video of our textile in action (sensing a presence)...

1:1 - Research by Design Exhibition at the KARCH, Copenhagen...

2011-04-04T11:14:00.007+03:00

I'll soon be posting more from the last weekend concluded Smart Geometry event in Copenhagen but, until then, here are a few images from a parallel exhibition titled 1:1 - Research by Design taking place (until April 10, 2011) at the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts - School of Architecture...

Printing Concrete...

2011-03-24T15:09:00.002+03:00

A short (promotional) snippet from one of my alma matres, Loughborough University's Additive Manufacturing Research Group (AMRG) showing a large scale volumetric printing technology that provides a parallel and comparable 'slur-based' printing method to that developed by D-Shape's Enrico Dini...

Very cool and exciting indeed..!

Tasmeem - Synapse-Designer as Link - Conference & Workshop...

2011-03-15T14:39:00.003+03:00

iphone image of the poster in front of VCUQ promoting the event...

Next week the Tasmeem - Synapse-Designer as Link Conference takes place... During the event I'll be conducting a (already sold-out?!) workshop titled, 'Exquisite Corpse Laser Cut Totem' during which we'll be conceiving just that, a quasi-randomly assembled and constructed laser-cut, layered cardboard, roughly five meter tall, totem...

Laser-Cut & Slumped Acrylic Bowl Prototype...

2011-03-08T08:37:00.003+03:00

A few quick images of an initial prototype of a laser-cut and slumped acrylic bowl, roughly 45 by 55 by 15 centimeters in size...

More to come later...

Fire Fighting Features at the Traffic Gallery, Dubai...

2011-03-07T08:41:00.004+03:00

A few images of the, in my mind quite ascetic and visually pleasing, fire-prevention equipment/ paraphernalia at the Traffic Gallery in Dubai...

Thank you Rami & Sharifa for your hospitality and great coffee...

Favorite Buildings - Burj Khalifa, Dubai

2011-03-02T17:06:00.004+03:00

Wether one derides or admires the Burj Khalifa in Dubai, its audacity/ elegance (cheek/ boldness, superciliousness/ gravity...) is undeniable. Its delicately staccating and streamlined outline remains a sight to see and its presence and defining prominence in the city's skyline allows it to be used as an orientational tool from almost anywhere in Dubai...

Above and below are some images both of and from the burj.

A detail from the tower's lobby...

Above and below - images taken from the building's 124th floor...

The roof of the Mall of the Emirates...

New Student Center at Education City, Doha...

2011-02-21T08:25:00.007+03:00

The new Student Center was opened recently here in Education City. The (just about completed) center will be serving the whole academic community here at EC. The other day I had a chance to visit it for the first time, and was somewhat taken aback by the sheer scale and grandiosity of the endeavor - this must be the most elaborate and striking student centers I've come across anywhere - high spec'ed detailing and materials at every turn, and facilities ranging from galleries to movie theaters, grand games rooms to bowling allies and basketball courts entwined into a matrix of architectural follies... The interiors read more like a gigantic First-Class airport lounge than a student center... Let's just hope that even us faculty will be allowed to enjoy its variety of amenities...

The Student Center was designed by Legorreta & Legorreta...

A central courtyard...

The gallery...

The games room...

The courts...

The walk to the main entrance...

Inverted Dunes - Exhibited at the Sultan Gallery's 50/20 Exhibition, Kuwait...

2011-02-14T08:20:00.005+03:00

Tomorrow the second half of the 50/20 Exhibition at Kuwait's Sultan Gallery opens. The exhibition celebrates the fiftieth anniversary of Kuwait's independence. Our contribution for the exhibit is titled 'Inverted Dunes' which, as the title might suggest, consists of a set of laser-cut reliefs of imaginary concave dunes 'viewed' from a macro, meso and micro scale.

During the last few weeks we've been working a lot with molds with my students, which as tacit artifacts are (instead of being mere secondary form givers to the protagonist object) very engaging in their own right. These molds, and the processes involved in making them, have probably been an influence on these works...

The works are all 18 x 24 cm, and are made in limited editions of 10...

The opening takes place from 7-9 PM...

All the pieces were made at the Digital Fabrication Lab at VCUQ...

Presenting at the Pecha Kucha Night in Doha...

2011-02-10T09:25:00.005+03:00

I'll be presenting at the next Pecha Kucha Night here in Doha, taking place next Sunday, February 13, here at VCUQ's Atrium, starting at 6.20 PM...

My presentation is titled:

From Hardware and Software to Buildware - Celebrating the Wonderful World of Digital Fabrication in the Context of Design...

Should be a fun night..!

Detail of a PaperCut ('weaved' laser-cut paper)

MFA.DESIGN Open Day at VCUQ...

2011-02-10T09:22:00.001+03:00

We're having an Open Day here at VCUQ next Wednesday, February 16, starting at 6 PM...

Click above or here for further info...

Celebrating Idiosyncrasies - The Kuksa...

2011-02-08T11:57:00.006+03:00

On a recent visit to Finland I received this 'Kuksa', a wooden cup carved out of a single piece of knotted wood, from my parents as a gift. Apparently it was hand-made by Anders Eklund and was purchased at the Christmas Market that took place at the Esplanade in central Helsinki.

I've been using it as my work-coffee-cup here at VCUQ, and it has received its fair share of admiring looks... In a world which some claim, due to the facilitated access to both wares and information, is becoming an 'ubiquitous porridge', where national and cultural idiosyncrasies have been diluted out (something I'd like to strongly dispute), it's nice to come across something, in this instance an artifact, that proves them wrong...

ps. The 'stick' attached to the cup's handle by a leather string is a short section of reindeer-horn that can be used for stirring...

A Short Poem About the Ideal Digital Fabrication Lab...

2011-02-01T12:06:00.003+03:00

What would the optimal Digital Fabrication Lab be made of..?

Perhaps of Lasers that splice, or 3D Printers real nice..?

Maybe it should be an assembly of Machines that Sinter, Glue, and cure - to make objects Very precise and pure…

Perchance it should use bits that are small, to build things most tall..?

Or be conceivably conceived by a designer, to make a wedding-ring, or even a diner..?

Could it use Software & Hardware with Buildware in a most excellent way, to make a Thing that Saves the Day..?

What would the ideal DF Lab be made of..?

Examples of Additive Buildware Processes...

2011-01-30T16:04:00.002+03:00

A Stratasys 3D Printer at the AA Digital Fabrication Lab in London...

A few further video examples of, this time, additive Buildware processes...

A small scale, more 'domestic', additive printer at the AMRG at Loughborough University in the UK...

Further Examples of Subtractive Buildware Processes...

2011-01-30T15:43:00.002+03:00

3-Axis milling machine at the AA Digital Fabrication Lab at the Architectural Association School of Architecture in London...

Following the previous blog entry, some further examples of subtractive Buildware (CAD/CAM) processes...

A short video taken at the Metropolitan Works digital Fabrication Centre, London, of their large scale 5-axis CNC Milling machine...

Laser etching a pattern onto glass at the AA Digital Fabrication Lab in London...

Laser-Cutting & Etching at VCUQ...

2011-01-30T15:24:00.004+03:00

Laser-cutting paper at the VCUQ Digital Fabrication Lab...

The Following videos (and blog submissions) are actually for a report on Digital Fabrication I'm in the process of preparing (I'll just add hyperlinks to this blog entry in the PDF formatted report), but, who knows, there might be others that might find these of interest as examples of available digital fabrication techniques...

Laser-etching on glass at the VCUQ Digital Fabrication Lab...

Turkish Airlines Sick-bag...

2011-01-23T10:32:00.002+03:00

A short while back I had the opportunity to fly on a Turkish Airlines flight. Whilst somewhat underwhelmed by the flight itself (cramped seats, weathered interiors, short-staffed and somewhat chaotic service), the food was decent and I really liked the look of their sick-bags, with their egg-shell color tone which is subtly highlighted by the white sealing-wires attached at the top. The black serif font also adds a nice 'softness' to the composition. On future flights if I had a choice regarding what kind of bag I'd like to get sick in, this one would be at the top of my list...

Driving on Wintry Roads = Better Driving Sense..?!

2011-01-18T11:29:00.008+03:00

A residential road in Grankulla, a town near Helsinki...

Today and yesterday evening we've had a bit of rain, well, some drizzle, here in Doha. It's been interesting driving to and fro work and seeing how the local drivers are either taking full advantage of the slightly less crowded roads by speeding and veering in and out between cars and lanes, or, conversely, driving excessively slow, usually in the middle-lane.

The driving conditions here in the Gulf are almost exclusively hot and dry, but there is some inherent value in driving in conditions that diverge from ones norm. Too often we become buffered, in our hermetically sealed car-cockpits, from both the speed and conditions in which we drive. Difficult driving conditions can awaken our awareness and sense of how fragile, exposed and indubitably impotent we are whilst in a moving car. Driving in challenging conditions, be these rain, snow, ice (black ice), sand or mist, provides us with an opportunity to become more aware of our own, and our vehicles, vulnerabilities, as ignoring them will very likely have dire consequences. It also forces one to drive beyond the usual spatiotemporal paradigm of driving usually practiced here in the Gulf, where ones attention span only reaches perhaps twenty meters and maximum two seconds into the future. Driving in snow, fog or a sand storm forces one to not only to be aware of the immediately adjacent lane and cars, but also to keep an eye out for what is happening further down the road and its vicinity, as well as, based on past experiences, plan ahead ones route, and consequently adjust ones choices and actions accordingly. Driving in demanding circumstances inevitably forces one to apply a form of oscillating range of considerations that provide a more well rounded and comprehensive perspective regarding driving that probably benefit ones more general driving habits.

Driving well at speeds, entails more such aforementioned (empirical) sensitivities than just having a heavy foot. So one can speculate that it's at least partly the Nordic driving conditions that have contributed to the vast number of world champion drivers (both Formula 1 as well as rally) that have originated from this northern tip of Europe.

The approach to a wintry intersection...

A residential street...

Länsiväyla - one of the main motorways connecting Helsinki to the suburbs...

A slip-road between motorways...

Pohjois Esplanaadi - a central (mainly pedestrian) shopping artery in Helsinki...

Gilded Building at the Cultural Village in Doha...

2011-01-11T09:05:00.003+03:00

A few details from a building at the Cultural Village in Doha covered with gilded ceramic tiles...

Road Printing...

2011-01-04T16:18:00.002+03:00

An interesting project from the Dutch company Tiger-Stone, which allows one to 'print' a brick (or other stone or concrete block) paving surface onto a sidewalk or street...

It certainly introduces a new take on Additive Fabrication (how could this be adapted into the Z-axis with added mortar?!)...

Original piece found at this Gizmag link. Image above and video below from the same source...

Seasons Greetings...

2010-12-30T18:53:00.001+03:00

Seasons Greetings from us all, currently enjoying a chilly white December here in Finland...

The ginger-bread-coupe (with a heart) above was made by one of my daughters...

Belgian Pavilion at the Venice Biennale, Italy...

2010-12-27T17:02:00.005+03:00

A few images from this year's Venice Biennale's Belgian Pavilion, which was amongst my favorites. The whole exhibit consisted of various worn and weathered everyday artifacts (table-tops, carpets, floor-tiles, railings, etc.) from various public, or publicly accessible, spaces, which had selectively been cut-up and were displayed in the pavilion's gallery-esque setting.

The exhibit was put together by Rotor...

Canadian Pavilion at Venice Biennale, Italy...

2010-12-16T16:33:00.004+03:00

This is the first submission of photos from some of the pavilions at the recently concluded Venice Architectural Biennale.

The images for this blog-entry are from the Canadian Pavilion, which this year featured an installation by architect Philip Beesley.

Kaleidoscope (VCUQ Faculty) Exhibition...

2010-12-12T13:05:00.006+03:00

Some images from the Kaleidoscope exhibition taking place at the VCUQ gallery at the moment, displaying work by members of the university's various departments...

The exhibition closes on Wednesday, December 15, 2010...

Jesse Payne's self portrait...

Maja Kinnemark's ((participatory) performance based installation...

Della Ream's knitted geometrical patterns...

Brett Kearney's oil painting...

Muneera Umedaly Spence's graphical work...

Detail of Ben Jurgensen's ascetic, and slightly surreal, installation...

Roman Turczyn's watercolors of local doorways...

Constantin Boym's illustration of figurines depicting regional characters...

Diane Derr's video performance/ installation...

Saied Farisi's hand painted pattern...

Johan Granberg's customized (bento-box-like) service trays...

Samples of Michael Hersrud's graphical work...

My 'Finger Run' Panels (for a more in-depth outline please click here and here)...

The opening evening...

Seoul Building in Korea...

2010-12-08T15:06:00.006+03:00

A set of quasi-random photos of Seoul architecture taken during a recent flaneuring jaunt to Korea...

Ai Wei Wei at the Tate, London...

2010-12-05T09:19:00.004+03:00

A few images from the, I believe still ongoing, 'Sunflower Seed' exhibition by the Chinese Artist Ai Wei Wei at the Tate Modern in London. The wastly scaled artwork, which consists of about (give or take a few) 100 million hand-painted ceramic sunflower seeds, occupies a large portion of the museum's ground floor Turbine Hall. The initial intention was to allow people to walk across this field of pseudo-seeds, however, due to the dust this act apparently brought about during its initial opening days, and the health & safety issues that this, in turn, raised with the museum authorities, it was quickly put to a stop. Which is a true shame, as, due to the inherent pixellated quality of the artwork, it becomes very difficult to fully engage with its scale, as it can now only be walked around rather than across... The seeds themselves, which again can only be looked at (as any attempt to actually pick up a few immediately receives a visual and vocal 'slap across ones fingers') still remain quite tactile and subtly seductive in their own right...

The included images have all gone a bit 'Seurat' on me, as it was already dark when I visited the exhibit and my camera's 'low light' settings have a somewhat surreal quality about them. But I actually don't mind the resulting textures, which have a painterly quality and which, as long as they're not too closely connected to any of the textural calamities that result from the use of various Photoshop filters, are actually quite pleasant and have an appropriate grade of coarseness that in character and grain are in line with the artwork and the space its displayed in...

BendDesk - Multi-touch Curved Display...

2010-11-30T09:03:00.003+03:00

Continuing on from the last post, the short video above provides an interesting parallel alternative to the 'Beautiful Modeler' version of a haptic (G)UI. Here the 'arm fatigue' (as mentioned by Steven Jobs a while back) of using a haptic interface on a vertical screen is avoided by smoothly unifying it with the horizontal plane.

If it only now can be made to fit a laptop and we're on to something (potentially) truly worthwhile and interesting...

Beautiful Modeler - Multi-Touch Controller...

2010-11-19T00:34:00.004+03:00

In some previous blog-entries I've discussed the various options and opportunities provided by the various interfaces, augmented or otherwise, popping up on a regular basis in the technosphere... The above video introduces a new, quite interesting, update on how a GUI, here with a quasi-tactile interface, can introduce and provide yet additional opportunities for how a 3D avatar can be manipulated... This example is still somewhat ad-hoc, as the results of the video's artifact seem somewhat random to say the least, but the potential is there, and with a bit more tweaking and focused effort it will hopefully amount to something usable in the not too distant future...