Definition and representation of complex architectural shapes. Experiences in advanced courses at the Faculty of Architecture in Milano (original) (raw)
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Contemporary architecture deals so much with representation and fabrication of complexity, which is not always easy to cope with; there is a huge number of buildings, as attractive as obscure in construction techniques. The form that’s behind these buildings is worth of understanding, worth to be drawn, but how? The case study is a Master’s Degree Architecture course of Politecnico di Milano named Representation, where 12 students have the task to represent – imaging the fabrication method – a building of their choice, with a certain degree of surface complexity. The representation requires the comprehension of shape-generator elements. These can be recognised as geometrical forms, axes of symmetry, algorithmic patterns, etc. Aim of the students is finding and representing these important signs that mark architecture. It is evident that as complex the architecture is as more complex becomes retrieval. The path the students have to walk starts from real continuous architectural shape, passing through discrete elements, then returning to continuous architectonic ideas. Due to the limited students analysis ability, the building chosen must be provided with references which help in form finding. The students task is divided in two parts: 1) Recognition of shape-generator elements Starting from component relationship that lies beneath architecture, students must produce sketches of the chosen building, taking gradual knowledge of shape-generator elements supporting the architectural image. Geometrical bi-dimensional drawings are helpful to clarify the knowledge acquired, to be completed with more complex schemes. Identification of architectural segments - that rule structure - is made through analytic drawing, which is the redrawing of essential lines of building chosen. Once this analysis has been taken for the whole building, one single character is chosen and grown deeper. 2) Redrawing of elements After the knowledge of shape-generator elements has been accomplished, students are required to produce interpretation drawings in axonometry. This method of representation shows simultaneously (at least) one plan and one section, especially when drawn from below. Therefore students must have precise comprehension of how elements works together to complete this task. The results - at the end of this process - were deeply influenced by the shape-complexity of chosen building. Some of the students chose buildings with a high grade of surface complexity, so the final results were accurate in representation, poor as form analysis. This is due to a general lack in digital tool capability, generally suffered by most of Italian engineering/architecture students, which is reflected in a general failure to control shape in a skilful way. Most of the students, indeed, skilfully chose controllable buildings, so their analysis was rich in variety and details. The richness consists in a series of variations on the starting shape-generator elements. The detail component was the deepening of analysis which embraced the widest possible portion of the building. The teaching method applied for this course was based on getting deeper knowledge of built architecture, because it enhanced student in space analysis and design workout. Therefore all works gave a method useful to collect a personal interpretation of architectural masterpieces.
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