DECONSTRUCTION TO RECONSTRUCTION

Design from Drawings

Harvard GSD Design Discovery
2019

Gravity is a possible but not necessary factor to consider at the starting point for the design of every structure and object we live or use. What if we put aside this assumption and start to shape a space that can walk from any angle? Escher’s lithograph print Relativity presents a space that the laws of gravity do not apply: people walk the stairways that are being angled to each other, walls are being orthogonal to each other.

By extracting the composition of orthographic drawings and reconstruct it with a system, this project study generates an architecture prototype that frees from gravitational constraints. People can circulate through the architecture from six directions, and each circulation forms space or ramp when being angled with another.

The project starts with three sets of orthographic drawings with different scale to document of three different size objects. They analyzed the form and geometry of the objects. In the representation of drawings, circles and lines are used to deconstruct the proportion and composition of each object.

With the thinking of constructing a composition, a combination drawing was created by overlapping and combining of the nine drawings. Then through tracing over the combination drawing with different line weights to create a figurative drawing, a drawing that appears like a section or plan of a building.

A grid system is employed to simplify the profile when translating the drawings to 3-dimensional models. When the gridded plane is cut-and-fold, the folded part creates a certain device, and the cut part becomes an opening.

The study results in an architecture prototype that free from gravitational constraints. People can circulate through the architecture from six directions, and each circulation forms space or ramp when being angled with another.

Through the two methods of folding and rolling, two horizontal and vertical channels are generated, and finally each channel is rotated and copied to all four sides. While forming eight-direction passages, the passage in one direction would become a wall in another orthogonal direction.