Back from Tehran and two week workshop, part of the Architectural Association’s Visiting Programme. Titled ‘Inconsistencies’, Unit agenda was set to investigate material transformations. In the week one, students were introduced to the consistency of rule based design techniques. Suggested working method was based on generally accessible materials and easy-to-do analog design techniques. Well known ‘rubber bands’, used for various practical reasons, became construction components for complex spatial structures. In the week two, students were lead to explore structural inconsistency of rubber based materials known for their ability to flex and change according to the specific external influence and then return to the pre-deformed condition. Behavior of the matter and form confined to the reversible deformation range was documented with the time lapse sequence of model photos. Elasticity of the material was used to generate structural motion in some experiments, or was essential to the design and construction process in other project s. Large scale prototypes are produced in the concluding stage of the workshop.
Many thanks to Maryam Pousti who has been running unit five with me, and warm regards all students and AA staff: Jorge Ayala , Valentin Bontjes van Beek, Kaspar Ax, Edouard Cabay, Rosa Ainley, Wolfgang Frese, Giles Bruce, Hossein Kachabi, Zubin Khabazi and course director Omid Kamvari. Special thanks to Hanif Kara for the keynote lecture and Yahya Islami, University of Tehran for hosting the workshop.
Work of all five teams working on the ‘Inconsistencies’ agenda is displayed bellow. (Sway project) Amir Reza Esfahbodi, Abolhassan Karimi, Imman Shameli and Mohammad Habibi Savadkuhi (Breathables project) Arefeh Fathi, Smaneh Ghasempour, Sepideh Monkhtari and Sajedeh Madani,(Volatiles project) Parisa Hassanzadegan and Shaghayegh Taheri (Carpet project) Ali Ghorbani, Ali Kashfi and Sepideh Ghaemmaghami, (Clusters project) Khashayar Shafagh, Oveis Shahnaee and Ali Reza Shojakhani.
