Portfolio
Reflection
Looking back at the semester, the three modules we were assigned has given me more experience and a better understanding of digital design. I have developed several digital design techniques and been introduced to exciting new software.
For module 1, ‘Diagramming Design Precedents’, I was given the Libeskind Serpentine Pavilion by Daniel Libeskind in London to study. Its intricate shape and construction made it a challenge to create in Rhinoceros, but after examining it as a string of paper which wraps around itself to create a serpentine, I got a whole new understanding of how it was created. The module taught me new techniques with modelling, and also with diagramming threshold and circulation as part of the key concept.
Module 2, ‘Generating Design Through Digital Processes’, gave us the option to create a more individualised design and also gain experience with the software Grasshopper. Creating the panels and waffle structure proved quite challenging, as Grasshopper was a brand new concept for me and it took a while to get the hang of it. It turns out, once you understand it, it opens a wide range of new possibilities within programming and fabrication.
For the final module, ‘Queen Victoria Garden Pavilion’, we were given an actual site for which we were to produce a pavilion. The only restrictions were that the pavilion was to be within the boundaries of 5x5x5 meters, meaning we had much freedom in regards to what we wanted to create. This module helped me combine all the techniques and software I had been using in earlier modules, to create a finalized product. Furthermore, I got the great possibility of using Unreal Engine, which creates beautiful rendered vignettes to further communicate the final product. Also, the fact that we used both VR and 3D printing for communicating our projects, are important skills I look forward to developing and bring with me in future endeavours.
All in all, the subject has proved to be very challenging and time demanding, but also very educative and fascinating. The possibilities within digital design and fabrication are endless, and for future projects I need to put this into practice and start stepping out of my comfort zone and safe boundaries to develop as an architect.