LOOPED
A Study in Materiality
This project encompasses an exploration of aluminum sheet metal to discern its inherent material properties. Through experimentation of form, this material exhibits a capacity for flexibility and responds to gravitational and applied forces with great variation that is particularly dependent upon size and placement within the structure.
This model is comprised of approximately 400' of 12" wide aluminum sheet metal that is looped and riveted in an infinity-like pattern into individual modules; each connected by interlocking lengths of aluminum. The resulting 18' chain [bottom] is able to reconfigure, via rolling and stacking, into a multitude of forms [right]. As a unit, the various sizes of loops provide both flexibility and support. The larger loops submit easily to compressive forces, while the smaller loops display greater resistance to these forces and increase the overall structural stability.
Slow-motion capture of LOOPED Structure
Time-lapse video of me exhibiting the multiple ways in which the project can be reconfigured
Transition to a Large-Scale Public Space
This project takes LOOPED into a large-scale form for use as a pavilion at Storm King Sculpture Park. This large structure's rolled loops and draped chains create both open and enclosed spaces able to accommodate 80 to 100 people for outdoor events.
Situated between two heavy rigid metal sculptures, this design is intended to evoke a sense of playful whimsy as one walks between the massive undulating reflective surfaces. The placement of the individual structures allows its occupants to gaze through multiple sections at once, while listening to the varied sounds created by the wind passing through the loops.
The overarching canopy created by draped chains provides enclosure, while light penetrates its many openings and reflects back off of the polished concrete base to illuminate its inner enclaves.
LOOPED Pavilion at Twilight
Project Documentation
Photograph and drawing for this project are included below.
Un-looped Structure, 18 ft when extended.
Loops Transition into Multiple Configurations - Example 1
Loops Transition into Multiple Configurations - Example 2
Loops Transition into Multiple Configurations - Example 3
Compression Study - Single Looped Module
View through a portion of the loops from the inside facing out
Looped Structure Scaled into Habitable Pavilion - Axon, Sections, Detail
Rendering within the LOOPED Pavilion
Looped Pavilion Plan - Located in Storm King Sculpture Park
Looped Pavilion Site Plan - Located in Storm King Sculpture Park
Rendering - Within the Pavilion - At Night
Rendering Facing the LOOPED Pavilion within the Park
Depth in Two Dimensions
FLATLESS
Depth in 2D Imagery
This imagery project diverges from traditional modes of flat drawing for project representation. FLATLESS experiments with the relationship of tectonics, geometric relief, color, and the surface qualities of aluminum as discovered in LOOPED.
The resulting image [left] creates depth through layering looped geometry, movement, smooth curves, sharp edges, and plays with the metal's refractive nature.
FLATLESS APPLIED
The FLATLESS design is then applied to aluminum sheeting, taking the project full circle. The 2D imagery applied to this material allows the metal's reflective finish - a quality not achieved in the 2D image - to shine through, thereby enhancing texture and visual dimension.
