Architecture Degree or Physics Degree?
One of the challenges of our project is learning how to combine our usual design-oriented thinking with the rigorous process of scientific research. We have broken our project down into two parallel tracks: the testing track and the design track. Testing will allow us to undergo a replicable scientific process while we use the resultant data to make projections through design. This method will allow us to dive deeply into the research without sacrificing the design side of the project. We believe this is the best way to approach our charge of taking the theory of the Breathing Wall from a laboratory scale to a building scale.
To start this process, we first had to understand the math and logic behind the set of equations Salmaan Craig and his research partner, Jonathan Grinham, used to design the original Breathing Wall concept. Then we made sure we were able to work through each equation, designing our own pod schemes based on the output of data. This process has been aided by weekly meetings with Salmaan Craig, David Kennedy and Kiel Moe, who have been generously taking time out of their Thursday mornings to meet with us via Skype. These meetings are a time for us to update them on our progress, work through equations with Sal, and share ideas.
In our process of moving up from the laboratory to building scale, we have designed intermediate steps to further understand the Breathing Wall design. These steps, in the form of smaller scale experiments, will be undertaken this spring and will be the basis of our pod design. This is the basis for our “testing track” - we will work through equations to produce numbers that we will use to design our small scale experiments. The data we collect on the small scale experiments can corroborate the mathematical output we calculated previously. The balance between the physical, built elements and the mathematical codes and equations has proven to be a challenge - but a very advantageous one. The balance between the scientific rigor required to make this research useful for the future and the design-build nature of the Rural Studio has proven to be a useful tension that allows us to move back and forth between our two process tracks without losing sight of our scope of work.
Stay tuned for more wood squishing (no fingers were harmed in the making of these panels). (we hope)
Belimbed,
The Wood Squishers
Soundtrack: The Second Law | Muse
