Sketching Some Ideas

Basically, this image shows that I would like to continue with my narrative for the second assignment, but expand on it. I would like to show scale, as in showing the box when it is young, and to growing up to be something. It might find everyday objects to try and mimic theme (like the coat hanger), and the ruler is a good idea to show how big it starts off to be. It could have a look in the mirror at itself- maybe it is self-conscious about its looks? might hold its tummy in when looking in the mirror. Architecture has feelings. It might come out of a brick wall to start with, being an "architectural element" that has a journey. Then it might find actual architecture to mimic and enjoy creating in itself. I like the idea of maybe the element looking back on these things as distant memories, to show time has passed. So I am thinking of setting it in a plain, shiny grey space with high contrast lighting and shadows... where the element is forced to design itself- like we are as students (forced to come up with designs under pressure). So it will look back on experiences it has, while it struggles to find its "true form". It will look at figure as well as materiality of objects and structures it has seen in the past.

Brainstorming Ideas for Final Animation

Animating Materials Test

Article Synopsis

CITATION:

Students Consider Architecture's Materiality

Kelly Carlson-Reddig

Journal of Architectural Education (1984-)
Vol. 51, No. 2 (Nov., 1997), pp. 96-104

Published by: Blackwell Publishing on behalf of the Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture, Inc.

Article Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/1425449

This article dealt with the architecture students struggle to develop critical thinking regarding architecture's materiality. The seminar was called "Intention and Materiality", which looked at issues relating to intended relationships, purpose, site, climate, typology, culture, society and other issues that affects decision-making about material choices.

The article outlined the structure of the seminar, and then discussed students' concerns and ideas regarding the role of materials in architectural design. Eugene-Emmanuel Viollet-le-Duc described the essential principles as "the nature of materials" and the students suggest that this "nature" hints at the appropriate uses or forms for the material. Today, most students of materiality embrace the "early modernist notion that architectural forms should arise from and be expressive of materials", and it is seen as important (or even positive) to understand the limits of using particular materials in architecture, even when considering their seemingly "unlimited availability".

Students however, in projects are using substitutions for the "real thing" which questions the idea of imitation of materials and when it is appropriate.

"Realness" and "honesty" of materials is always a concern for both architects and students alike, and imitation materials are perceived as being less real, even though they are in themselves in fact, quite real.

Theme or Visual Direction of Final Assignment

I would like my final assignment to follow in a similar direction as the second one. I think my narrative was strong in that video, but there was not much room for showing off modelling abilities and materiality was limited for the box that I was animating. So in the next video I would like to combine a similar narrative but perhaps with a more interesting protagonist....

I am really interested in finding ways of making the combination of visualisation animation and real footage seamless, and therefore I need to use/create believable and appropriate materials for this. For this video I would like to add another aspect to the narrative, which I am still thinking about. However, I think it would be interesting to change the scenery to something everyday and small scale- like someone's room, and make everything in the room look large. I am not sure how far I can go with this, but it might be fun to first make it seem like the protagonist is building-size and then show it as something actually really small.

Real Footage to Use for Test Video

Sub City New York from Redglass Pictures on Vimeo.

Assignment 2 Final Video Upload

This is my video upload for BENV2402 Time Based Visualisation, 2011, Assignment 2. It is about a young box who wants to grow up to be architecture and is very excited about it! He tries all sorts of different ways to become architecture, and in the end settles down and is happy.