Emergent Urbanism: RESPONSIVE KINEMATICS

09/02/2011

RESPONSIVE KINEMATICS

RESPONSIVE KINEMATICS

This is an architectural design project that began through conversations with Ron Resch in December 2008 regarding kinetic and kinematic structural systems. The goal was to create a mutable structural surface out of rigid bodies that can be controlled to adapt to changing conditions and parameters. Unlike much parametric design that is pre-adapted to a given desire, this system offers the potential for continual adjustment. While much kinetic architecture relies on elastic membranes to provide for deformation between bodies, Responsive Kinematics can maintain a constant seal throughout its transformation due to its geometric integrity. For this reason it is an ideal modular system of form, order and control with many architectural and construction process capacities.

Creators: John Hobart Culleton and Anthony Diaz

Blog link: http://responsivekinematics.blogspot.com

Special thanks for help and guidance to:
Ron Resch - http://www.ronresch.com/
Jason Johnson - http://www.future-cities-lab.net/
Arduino - http://www.arduino.cc/
CCA - http://mlab.cca.edu/

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Agenda

The term ‘emergence’ has become ubiquitous within architectural and urban design due to the increasing integration of design and computation. We now understand urbanism as a complex system, existing in many composite parts which operate simultaneously to achieve ‘successful’ formal and behavioural interrelationships; subsequently we demand new methods for conceiving and controlling urban space.

We are concerned with brand-driven urban developments, privatised corporate initiatives, total surveillance technologies and viral ‘policy driven’ urban strategies that pose profound and disturbing trajectories for our contemporary urban environment. We seek ‘bottom-up’ design systems, performance-based spatial ecologies and ‘emergent’ urban morphologies as a means of re-generating failing urban environments.

We explore computational design methodologies including parametric modeling, generative design and interactive design systems through studio workshops, questioning how such technologies and novel methodologies can successfully impact the design and operation of urban systems - environmentally, economically and socially. We examine complex dynamic systems and latent networks that underpin urban structures; focusing on the spatial and performative implications of ‘encoded’ design systems and calling into question the use of collaborative, democratic and open source control as a means of shaping urban experience.

The design studio is an experimental research laboratory for the analysis, modelling and prototyping of emergent, performative structures.