As asked for this studio our project focused on two natural processes – the lithification rock formation and growth patterns of the Banksia flower.
During the development of the project, we got involved in the idea of merging both processes. The idea of one natural element replacing the other and creating a new symbiotic relationship. This idea will later inform how we combine these two processes together and how one informs the other.
Lithification is the process in which sediments compact under pressure are converted into coherent solid rock, as by compaction or cementation. For the Banksia flower, we were looking at the floral arrangement within the flower. As you can see in the image and diagram here that it has a radial pattern in two directions.
Our first step was to understand how these two patterns could be translated to create a system or logic. For the lithification, we have started to work with grid spreading and for the banksia, with the radial grid.
The next step was to see how these lines could be translated into a 3-dimensional form and how they could start interacting with each other. The grid spreading lines uses a graph mapper to lift the lines in the z-axis, whereas for the banksia the radial lines are projected up forming a diagonal grid structure.
We also started to think about the material we wanted to use and choose bamboo for their bending and tensile capabilities as well as being a sustainable material with little embodied energy.
As a form to merge both methods, we insert the diagrid as the main structure as they were structurally more stable and rigid.
With the main idea being developed, we introduced a site to start informing some of the decisions we made in relation to the from. The site is located in Bali, Indonesia.
This form was further shaped using the same repellent result of the different site constraints, resulting in the final form on which we could attach the banksia structures.
Two of the banksia structures move down to the ground to form supports to the roof and one upward. The lines on the ground start to inform the landscape pattern as well as the different sitting areas.
Merging nature: lithification and banksia is a project of IaaC, Institute for Advanced Architecture of Catalonia at MaCad – Master in Advanced computation for Architecture and design in 2020/21 by:
Students: Amar Gurung, Marissa Ridzuan and Pedro Ribeiro
Faculty: Arthur Mamou-mani and Krishna Bhat (Assistant)