Studio leaders: Darcy Zelenko & Danny Ngo
Architecture is both slow and beautifully ‘dumb’. This ‘slowness’ prohibits its ability to adopt new processes generated by a growing digital-physical environment. This is exacerbated by design communication and representations used in contemporary architecture. New technologies look to reframe these architectural mindsets and suggest alternative perspectives to ‘static’ buildings. The construction industry has been one of the ‘slowest’ industries to adopt the digital epoch. Inversely, the architectural discipline has exponentially up-skilled its pursuit of innovation to seek better solutions in design. This discontinuity within the building environment and its lack of affiliation with the digital paradigm has led us to compute more while constructing less. As complexity grows, the more diluted and specialized the architectural profession becomes, further detaching us from the ‘Master Builder’. Computational design and automation offer ways to achieve democratic workflows despite physical limitations. How can architects find ‘faster’ and ‘smarter’ ways of building and living?
Like-Humans seeks to develop novel ways in which buildings can be designed and augmented to accept transplanted ‘parts’ much like human-prosthesis. This principle can be applied to buildings to re-use finite resources that would usually go to waste. From computation to digital fabrication to 3D scanning, current technological advances will be utilised and combined to facilitate this goal. Students of Like Hu-mans will formulate a position in regards to the studio thesis and use it to drive the design of a digital material which can be transplanted amongst buildings. A design methodology comprising of research and prototyping will be used to drive and refine designs ahead of testing. A series of architectural design briefs will be assigned to students in order to test the reconfigurability of their digital materials.