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ARTICULATING FORCES

MATERIAL SYSTEM AND STRUCTURAL EXPRESSION
PRIMARY INSTRUCTOR: VICKY ACHNANI
SPRING 2025

ARTICULATING FORCES EXPLORES HOW MATERIAL BEHAVIOR AND STRUCTURAL FORCES GENERATE ARCHITECTURAL FORM. BEGINNING WITH PHYSI- CAL STUDIES OF A NATURAL SYSTEM, THE PROJECT DEVELOPS A MATERIAL UNIT THROUGH ITERATIVE MAKING AND DIGITAL MODELING, WITH EXTENSIVE USE OF GRASSHOPPER. THIS UNIT IS REFINED INTO A SCALABLE STRUCTURAL SYSTEM THAT INFORMS SPATIAL ORGANIZATION, ENVELOPE, AND ASSEMBLY. THE FINAL PROPOSAL PRESENTS AN INTEGRATED ARCHITECTURAL SYSTEM IN WHICH STRUCTURE, MATERIAL, AND SPACE ARE INSEPA- RABLE.

[A] PARAMETRIC BAMBOO SHELL STRUCTURE
[B] CLT BEAM-AND-PLATE STRUCTURAL SYSTEM
[C] REPURPOSED SHIPPING CONTAINER MODULES
[D] OVERSIZED BAMBOO PIVOT DOORS
[E] REPURPOSED SHIPPING CONTAINER PARTITION
[F] LARGE ARCHED GLAZED OPENINGS
[G] REINFORCED CONCRETE FOUNDATION

DESIGN DEVELOPMENT SEQUENCE

PRECEDENT ANALYSIS, PARAMETRIC MODELING, AND STRUCTURAL RESOLUTION

[A] PASSION FRUIT FLOWER
[B] VENEER ABSTRACTION SECTION CUT OF PASSION FRUIT FLOWER
[C] PARAMETRIC BAMBOO STRUCTURE
[D] PARAMETRIC BAMBOO GRASSHOPPER SCRIPT
[E] DIGITAL REPRESENTAION OF GRASSHOPPER SCRIPT
[F] PARAMETRIC BAMBOO GRASSHOPPER SHELL SCRIPT
[G] DIGITAL REPRESENTAION OF GRASSHOPPER SHELL SCRIPT
[H] FINAL ITERATION OF PARAMETRIC BAMABO SHELL STRUCTURE

SHORT SECTION

SECTIONAL ORGANIZATION AND SYSTEM PERFORMANCE

[A] BAMBOO STRUCTURAL SYSTEM
[B] REVOLVING DOOR - BAMBOO STRUCTURAL FRAME
[C] REINFORCED CONCRETE FOUNDATION WALL
[D] BALCONY
[E] EXHIBITION HALL
[F] LEARNING SPACES (SHIPPING CONTAINER)
[G] MATERIAL BANK (SHIPPING CONTAINER)
[H] ARCHED OPENING

LONG SECTION

MATERIAL AND PROGRAMMATIC ORGANIZATION

[A] ROUND-ARCHED WINDOWS
[B] MATERIAL BANK (SHIPPING CONTAINER)
[C] LEARNING SPACES (SHIPPING CONTAINER)
[D] FOOTERS
[E] HORIZONTAL CLT BEAMS
[F] REINFORCED CONCRETE FLOOR SLAB
[G] ARCHED OPENING
[H] POLYCARBONATE-GLAZED OPENINGS
[I] WOVEN BAMBOO PANELS
[J] VERTICAL CLT BEAMS
[K] STUDIO SPACES

ASSEMBLY SEQUENCE

PHYSICAL PROTOTYPING AND CONSTRUCTION LOGIC
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