Studio 17

Artefactanima

Mel Iraheta

This studio is available to students enrolled in ABPL90143 Studio D, and ABPL90115 Studio E.

Studio Description

ARTEFACTANIMA is an experimental studio, fueled by explorations in novel computational crafting techniques and scenographic strategies.

As a case study, the studio is interested in the genealogy of the theatre as an architectural and urban typology and lens through which to understand the evolution of society. We will be using the theatre as a testing ground to reflect on its contemporary condition and to propose a theatrette that challenges current modes of perception, relations between ‘site’ and ‘sight’ and form.

As a process, the studio will explore how high resolution 3D digital scanning can provide access to formal complexities, texture and materiality as a kind of ‘substance’, for the reconstruction of theatrical spatial conditions. As ARTEFACTANIMISTS, we are interested in attaining agency over the ‘scraped’ scanned data and exploring digital sculpting methods to move between the digital, physical and animate. This studio will speculate on temporal spheres of architecture, exploring new ways of ‘seeing’ these affectual spaces.

Studio Outcome

The ‘scraping’ process will involve collating a mega repository of traditional and nonnormative theatrical spaces and structures within Melbourne, with the ambition to reverse engineer these structures, spaces and qualities.

The first class of each week will be constituted by design crits and the second class will be in the format of computational skill workshops focusing on; photogrammetry, digital sculpting techniques in Zbrush of 3D scanned meshes and animation skills. The studio will conduct a site visit and tour of the theatre site.

As a final set of deliverables, students will be tasked with delivering the design for a reconstructed theatrical piece of architecture that responds to site through a short film and a catalogue of digital and printed artefacts.

Studio Leader

Mel Iraheta is a designer and educator with a plethora of knowledge in the area of digital technologies, stemming from academia and experience within emergent and experimental architectural practices. Mel holds a Master of Architecture from RMIT University where she has been teaching design studios and communication within the Digital Technologies stream since 2016. Mel has a keen interest in sculptural computational crafting techniques and alignments between cinematic and architectural precedents. Mel works at the intersection of architecture and film and investigates its shared experiential ground.

Readings & References

• Atlas of Emotion: Journeys in Art, Architecture, and Film - Giuliana Bruno
• Tectonic Acts of Desire & Doubt - Mark Rakatansky
• The Architecture of Image - Juhani Pallasmaa
• Ways of Seeing - John Berger

Schedule Tuesdays 15:15-18:15 and Fridays 15:15-18:15 in MSD Room 140

Travel Her Majesty Theatre, Melbourne | Week 2 | $20

Contact Handbook Key Dates