Total Fabrication
The Fall Junior Studio forefronts technology as the primary driver in the design process. In the studio, technology is understood to be the overlap of Geometry, Structure, and Materials. Each of which informs the others and all of which must be considered in the physical development of a project. With a rigorous grasp of geometry, an intuitive understanding of structure, and a careful consideration of material systems, technology can lead the conception and execution of architecture.
This approach to technology alone is not novel. The careful attention to geometry, structure, and materials has been fundamental in the development of the discipline predating digital tools and techniques. In the studio, we will discuss historical and traditional ways in which these aspects of technology have operated to gain a critical understanding of architectural fundamentals.
What makes a technological approach especially relevant today is the introduction of contemporary digital tools. Over the last decade, the role of digital modeling and digital manufacturing processes within architecture have advanced rapidly, enabling a much closer relationship between geometry, structure, and material. We can now 3D model a building component, analyze how it performs structurally, and manufacture it digitally, all as part of a seamless workflow. This process allows for a closer reciprocity between digital modeling, simulated performance, materials, and manufacturing.