space, and then some

KAYLA G • AUT • BDES - SPATIAL DESIGN

[kayla-by-design]

sem 2. week 12. finish line.

at the end of my final project in my final semester of my final year in my time in the spatial design degree, i have seen a lot of growth within myself and my designs. i find this particularly stronger with the theory behind my designs. over the past projects, my designs - although simple in nature - centred around the relationship between light and dark/shadows and how they affect or relate to humans culture. i explain this better in my project exegesis following this project (click here to read). but i had fun. create new atmospheres. mix them together. stay gold.

[kayla-by-design]

sem 2. week 12. final design.

some renders from the finished design and the transformed space.

[kayla-by-design]

sem 2. week 12. structural details.

with finalising my design, i had to figure out how the extension would have structural integrity suspended over the lane. with the help of fellow designer Toan Pham, we were able to figure out that evenly arranging stainless steel beams lengthways across the ceilingwowould sufficiently hold the extension securely. the rib-like, aluminium exoskeleton would have a cavity between itself and the transluscent walls, wherein the fluorescent LEDs can nestle into. the translucent material that make up the walls and floors are sandblasted glass.

[kayla-by-design]

sem 2. week 10. art inspo.

solidifying my design idea as an extension, i looked into existing spaces that were similar. an initial suggestion was neri & hu's suzhou chapel, which incorporated a translucent material on the entire facade of the building. following reasearch into the exsiting light art in Fort Lane, i found the artist behind the red neon light that followed the lane, david svensson. david svensson's light box was also a similar idea to my own, although connecting two spaces and using the translucent shades only at night.

[kayla-by-design]

sem 2. week 10. co-design.

after receiving feedback during the co-design workshop, i decided to scrap the idea of parametric furniture and leave the space up to the interpretation of the owners. my design project became more theoretical, focusing more so on why i wanted to play with the relationships between private and public through light and shadow.

[kayla-by-design]

sem 2. week 9. 3D modelling.

experimenting with parametric furniture for the interior.

[kayla-by-design]

sem 2. week 9. 3D modelling.

storyboard renders of the extended space.

model in photos: Israa Barghash

[kayla-by-design]

sem 2. week 8-9. 3D modelling.

after discussing my idea with my supervisors, the idea to extend the seating area of the Roxy nightclub came into fruition. i began with experimenting putting the original seating plan into the new, extended space. i still need to experiment more with the design of the bracing.

[kayla-by-design]

sem 2. week 6-8. storyboard + 3D modelling.

working from my secional model, i created a 3D version in rhino 6 (rendered in blender). visiting my chosen site (top floor of roxy nightclub) in person gave me better insight as to how the existing spatial experience stood at that moment. applying my modelled intervention onto the site showed little effect to the space, so it pushed me to explore further.

model in photos: Israa Barghash

[kayla-by-design]

sem 2. week 5. film study.

in my continued visual study, I looked at episode 5: the breaking ground of season 1 of The New Legends of Monkey (2018-present). the specific scene I looked at was when the three of the main characters are captured and forced to translate the ancient God language. these scenes are almost exclusively monochromatic. they utilise the translucent screen as a way to separate the kidnapped and the kidnappers, showing that those closer with clear cut silhouettes are more susceptible to manipulation by their captors.

[kayla-by-design]

sem 2. week 5. concept map + film study.

when developing a concept, I tend to map out and jot down ideas with keywords and photos. from these, I went looking for films or part of that used similar or close ideas when lighting a scene. although The Greatest Showman (2017) isn't necessarily a film renowned for its lighting techniques, the first 15 minutes of the film was mostly focused on the use of light - many in establishing shots, but also as a way to create shadows.

[kayla-by-design]

sem 2. week 4. surface.

following my sectional model of my microsite, I decided to continue with using tracing paper as the main material in making a surface. the translucency can create silhouettes when lit from behind, whilst brightening dark backgrounds when light from the front.

[kayla-by-design]

sem 2. week 3. cut - sectional model.

my chosen site was the roxy/cassia building, specifically the rooftop. i created a cut at the façade of the edifice, manipulating wire and tracing paper into an exoskeleton that obscured the face. for this particular recording, i used light to activate the space, along with anything that would obstruct it, creating shadows and shapes onto the tracing paper. from this exploration, i began conceptualising the site as a space predominantly activated at night - such as a pub, or a nightclub.

[kayla-by-design]

activating the space with dynamic lights.

[kayla-by-design]

sem 2. week 3. cut - model making cont.

an exploration into the interaction between a shadow caster and a translucent medium where i pondered how the structure could disturb or support the idea.

[kayla-by-design]

experimentation with conceptual model.

[kayla-by-design]

sem 2. week 3. cut - model making.

the exploration of light, translucency, and privacy continued into my conceptual model making. i wanted to look at how the structural edifice could support or display a screen, and how light would would interact with such a body.