Archinect - Columbia GSAPP (Mark)

Garden Installation available for donation

2009-06-09T16:42:19-04:00

We are looking for a permanent home for our Amphorae concrete installation and we are hoping that you can help us find a spot! We have found a home for one of our projects which will permanently be on display at the AIA Center for Architecture in New York and we are hoping that other local institutions would be interested in our other work.

The project has been presented throughout North America and now we do not have space to store our vertical wall system. We have decided to donate it to any institution that would display it publicly and we can also help with planting the wall fro the summer season.

We currently have 32 bricks available and we can deliver them anywhere within close proximity to New York City. The blocks are reconfigurable and can fill a variety of spaces depending on the layout.

You can find more information about the project here: http://amphorae.wordpress.com/

E-mail me directly at Mark5136@gmail.com if you have any questions.

Thanks,
Mark

Parametric Realizations - Week 1 - XS - Vases - Have been posted

2008-10-29T19:16:30-04:00

My class has finished the first week in their five week cycle of XS, S, M, L, XL and they have posted their vase scripts on our class blog. You can find our site here. Each of the vases were designed to fit in a standard 3D printer. Each of the students have also posted their code, so you can feel free to examine them more closely.

This week we are working on the S scale. We will be preparing a distance based lighting project that will be prepared on the laser cutter.

All of these exercises are building up to the students final installations which will be presented on Friday, December 12th.

Parametric Realizations - Week 1 - XS - Parametric Vases

2008-10-23T15:33:09-04:00

Hello Everyone,
Tonight will be the first night of my class Parametric Realizations that I will be teaching at Columbia. Here is some information on the class.

Overview
Parametric modelers are commonly used in the development of digital architectural models, but they are rarely taken to the point of
becoming physical realities. This course will look at the process of
generating parametric algorithms then turning those models into
physical realities. Students will work in groups to design an
installation that will be the physical realization of their scripted
protocol.

Project
Students will work in groups to design an installation that will be
the physical realization of their scripted protocol. Groups will
develop mathematical algorithms using parametric modelers such as Rhino.script, Grasshopper and Generative Components. Concurrently students will be testing modeling techniques in order to create a prototype for their final physical system. Students will then take th...

Alumni Keynote: ECOGRAM: The Sustainability Question - Live Update

2008-10-22T14:35:47-04:00

Alumni Keynote: ECOGRAM: The Sustainability Question
Wednesday, October 22, 2008, 6:30 pm -8:30 pm

Wood Auditorium, Avery Hall

Daniel Wood (M.Arch 1992) and Amale Andraos
WORK Architecture Company, New York
Organized in collaboration with the Office of Development and Alumni in conjuction with the 2008 Alumni conference ECOGRAM: The Sustainability Question

--

ECOGRAM: The Sustainability Question
Organized in collaboration with the Office of Development and Alumni

Conference Chairs: Ioanna Theocharopoulou Ph.D. (MsAAD 1996; Ph.D. 2007) & Mitchell Joachim Ph.D. (M.Arch 1997)

7:44 - Work A C is going into depth to discuss their groundbreaking PF1 in Queens.

7:46 - They are stressing the importance of collaboration.

7:47 - Daniel is discussing the difficulty in creating a structural cardboard system.

7:48 - To solve the structural problems Work A C used gaya soil to reduce weight as well as test the new material. Daniel also states how the project is solar powered and ...

Debate: Eco-Craft: Design + Context + Innovation Updates (Live Blog)

2008-10-20T19:09:50-04:00

As the world of architecture slowly becomes engaged in the discussion of Ecology. Columbia University has devoted the entire week to look at the problems that have led us to the situation that we are currently experiencing.

6:35 - There is a very large and diverse turnout in Wood Auditorium.

6:45 - I am currently sitting in the first event of the week long Ecogram Conference at Columbia GSAPP.

6:55 - After an introduction the first speaker to speak is Michelle D. Addington, Yale School of Architecture.

7:08 - She has focused on the amount of heat that is constantly being generated by the electrical equipment that is being used by buildings.

7:10 - Michelle displays a chart to explain the efficiency of our resources. For example coal wastes 90% of it's material to generate electricity.

7:12 - Michelle emphasizes the importance of heat transfer through another beautiful chart/image.

7:14 - Dickson D. Despommier, Public Health and Microbiology, Columbia University starts his p...

Ecogram/Amphorae Wave Update

2008-10-15T19:08:10-04:00

Hello Everyone,
The Ecogram conference starts next week on Monday at 6:30 at Columbia University. Here is some information on Monday evening:

MONDAY, OCTOBER 20

PANEL: ECO-CRAFT: Design, Context + Innovation
Wood Auditorium, Avery Hall
6:30 PM

Michelle Addington >> - Professor, Yale School of Architecture
Dickson D. Despommier >> - Professor of Public Health and Microbiology, Columbia University
Cameron Sinclair >> - Architecture for Humanity
Matthias Schuler >> - Founder and Director of Transsolar

Moderators: Mitchell Joachim, Ph.D. >> - Terreform 1; Adjunct Professor of Architecture, GSAPP &
Ioanna Theocharopoulou, Ph.D. >> - Adjunct Professor of Architecture, GSAPP

Exhibition at the Ross Gallery:
Ecology Design Synergy, Behnisch Architekten + Transsolar Climate Engineering

Some of our latest Amphorae elements, pieces that we call the Wave, will be on display. The Wave block represents both structure and storage. The system is a reconfigurable block/cistern that wi...

Torso Wall Installation Update

2008-10-04T16:04:58-04:00

Hello Everyone,

Here is our first wall installation for the Solid States Concrete Conference. Special thanks to LaFarge and Columbia University for all of your help! To see more of our work please visit: http://amphorae.wordpress.com/

The wall was 6' tall and 12' wide.

Each unit is 1" thick.

The reconfigurable bricks stack in 6 different configurations.

Special thanks to Mark Collins for the photographs.

Amphorae Project update - Finished Pieces!!!!

2008-09-24T14:59:36-04:00

Hello Everyone,
We have been hard at work casting concrete and we have two types in finished production mode. We have finished models of the Tabletop Planter and the Torso Block. We are also putting the finishing touches on the mold for a block that we call The Wave. We will post pictures as soon as it is ready. You can also follow our progress here

Amphorae Project update

2008-08-26T12:47:56-04:00

We have been working hard on our current casting project. You can chart our progress on our blog here:
http://amphorae.wordpress.com/

With the engineer Peter Calcetas arriving in a week we have set up a series of smaller quick molds that we can use to test Ductal. This unit will be used as a tabletop planter containing one cistern and one planter. It is slightly over two feet long and 7″ wide. The thickness of the unit is approximately 3/4″ and will have three pour holes on the bottom.

Hello Strangers pt 2

2008-08-12T13:07:44-04:00

For my final semester I placed music videos on hold and devoted my time to physically testing digital models. Dora Kelle, Adam Mercier and I worked together to develop the Brise Block. Our Rhino model was deliberately kept simple so that we could focus on the fabrication process of the block. Of the fifteen weeks that we spent working on the project, only three or four days went into the design process. We spent the next two months testing concrete and making adjustments based on our failures. In the end we were able to complete 14 blocks and make a mock up for the end of the year show at Columbia. We also entered the 2007-08 ACSA/PCA CONCRETE THINKING FOR A SUSTAINABLE WORLD, International Student Design Competition – Building Element - Category II as representatives of Columbia and received third place! This has led to our next project which I mentioned in my previous post, called Amphorae. You can follow our progress on our blog here: http://amphorae.wordpress.com/

We will be wo...

Hello Strangers pt 1.

2008-07-20T16:54:31-04:00

I apologize for my lack of updates over the last semester. To catch you up to speed on things I finished my studio with nArchitects and I really appreciated the devotion that Eric, Mimi and Billy brought to the studio. Our trip to Brazil was amazing and the discussions helped all of us mold our final projects. I will post the final slide show soon.

Sadly I think my music video days might be over. Over last semester I had little interest to continue playing around with music; even though I enjoyed the process of mapping out a movie, I felt like I could express the architecture in better ways.

Without gearing my projects toward a movie I started focusing on creating physical objects.The nArchitects studio was model heavy and each of us had varying degrees of success when it came to making physical versions of our digital models.

I realized there is a tremendous leap to go from digital to physical, and that the final projects aren't really comparable. I have to go, but I will a...

Radiohead Video Contest

2008-04-04T18:02:59-04:00

Watch more cool animation and creative cartoons at aniBoom

Hello Everyone,
I have entered my Francois Roche Robotic Tower animation in the Radiohead music video competition, here is the brief:

The band is now asking fans to create their first music video for the album in a contest utilizing online YouTube of animation, Aniboom.

Here is the link to the video:
here

Please vote for my video and give it high score!!!

Thanks,
Mark

nArchitects week 5 - Pin-Up

2008-03-03T20:14:51-05:00

This presentation represents my attempt to rationalize the mesh by allowing it to grow based on specific programmatic and aesthetic inputs. The review took place on February 25th and it was then determined that I should leave the mesh behind and find a stronger way of rationalizing the program by the midterm which will take place on March 5th.

I agree that in the case of this project the mesh has been allowed to grow too liberally, but it has also raised quite a few questions in my mind.

Specifically, can the mesh ever truly become program?

Second, if the mesh becomes completely rationalized is it still a mesh?

Finally, is the mesh a valid pursuit in terms of generating "traditional" architecture?

Here are some slides from the presentation:

eVolo Competition Entry

2008-03-03T19:31:28-05:00

http://www.evolo-arch.com

The following is my entry for the eVolo Skyscraper Competition:

robotic tower

the tower is a commentary on man’s self destructive ways. rather than let humans design architecture, protocol will be used to design the ideal space for each inhabitant. the protocol will be a set of 180 trajectories that build in a partially prescribed, partially random manner constantly adjusting variables to avoid intersection. the protocol is capable of generating an infinite variety of towers, with the ability to learn from its mistakes and reject poor iterations. the physical manifestation of the script will be the robotic automaton. the automaton leaves a trail of woven polycarbonate fiber that becomes the structure for the building. once the structure has been created, the automaton uses the structure to build vertically. the completed building will encourage interaction amongst residents by clustering them into neighborhoods, or pods. these clusters of people will cre...

China Lab Charette

2008-03-03T19:09:34-05:00

china-lab.org

The following is our submittal for the China Lab Charette that took place a few weeks ago.

MEGA-BLOCK = HYPER-MESH
Mark Bearak - MArch
Dora Kelle - March
Seth Ruggiero - Urban Planning
Dana Fantauzzo - Real Estate

To reinvent the mega-block we proposed raising the residential and community spaces, thus creating the opportunity to bring the public into the base of the site.

On the ground floor an open park space will be created between the lattice systems that serve as the retail and free community spaces, this will also serve as the core to the residential spaces as well as.

Below grade ample parking is created for the residents and the public. There will also be a second level of major infrastructure such as subway connections and mechanical requirements that will all be located below the berms on the site.

Above the ground, residential space, roof terraces, and sky gardens will attach to adjacent mega-blocks. These connections will increase the access of p...

Declaration to make Brazil (eco)nomical

2008-02-19T14:14:18-05:00

Adam and my final proposal was to marry the concept that smart economic growth strategies and eco-friendly trade practices. This would be expressed both philosophically and quite literally. The annexes would be redesigned to mix public/private work/leisure indoor/outdoor and the lost continues... The idea would not be to further accentuate the differences between these entities, but rather start to blend them into one seamless space. Taking into account ecological factors such as ecologically sensitive building materials, natural ventilation and a layout that would optimize materials; a new building would be a template for not just a greener annex, but a greener Brazil as a whole.

We also revised our Declaration to make Brazil (eco)nomical:

TO EDUCATE AND ENCOURAGE ACCOUNTABILITY AMONGST OUR RESIDENTS -Annex scale

TO UNITE DISPARATE GOVERNMENT AGENCIES -Esplanade scale

TO CREATE A SYSTEM THAT WILL GENERATE POSITIVE GROWTH IN THE FUTURE -Brasilia scale

TO CREATE POSITIVE RELATI...

nArchitects week 2

2008-02-11T19:12:51-05:00

Week 2/3 - Brazilian Ministry Annex study

Our next assignment was a two week project (we will have final presentations on Friday) For this we chose a compare and contrast of two ministries, my partner and I chose to look at the Ministry of Foreign Commerce and the Ministry of Environment. From this our proposal as been to start cutting into the existing annexes and re-imagining the program (ie, cut away a portion of the building and make a classroom)

In order to guide our thoughts we have made a DECLARATION FOR AN ecoBRAZIL

1. TO PROTECT OUR NATURAL RESOURCES

2. TO EDUCATE AND ENCOURAGE ACCOUNTABILITY
AMONGST OUR RESIDENTS

3. TO CREATE AWARENESS OF THE DETRIMENTS AND
BENIFITS OF INDUSTRIALIZATION

4. TO UNITE DISPARATE GOVERNMENT AGENCIES

5. TO BREAK DOWN THE BOUNDARIES BETWEEN
PUBLIC AND PRIVATE

6. TO CREATE POSITIVE RELATIONSHIPS WITH
FOREIGN ECONOMIES

7. TO CREATE A SYSTEM THAT WILL GENERATE
POSITIVE GROWTH IN THE FUTURE

8. TO REPRESENT THE FUTU...

nArchitects week 1

2008-02-11T19:04:50-05:00

Hello Everyone,
Amazingly, speedily, inconceivably two weeks have already gone by. Mimi, Eric and Billy are a total powerhouse. All three of them, three days a week, and we've already wrapped up two pin-ups.

Week 1 - Building structure analysis

Our first assignment was to pull references from existing Brazilian buildings. I chose the concept of discrete structural systems, (ie. the exoskeleton) My mid week project was overly focused on the concept of the column. Over the course of the week it evolved into a program based integrated structural system (pictured above)

Back into the swing of things....

2008-01-24T19:35:53-05:00

... for the very last time

I woke up yesterday and realized that it would be my final studio lottery at Columbia and I was bowled over with sadness. I can't believe that three years have gone by so quickly. The many highs (Roche, Andrasek, Keller) and the many lows (effect to affect, Building Systems, Frampton) I'd have to say it was worth every cent and I'll be reminded of that for the next 30 years....

Here is the list of professors available for 3rd yr MArch/AAD
(in alphabetical order)

Michael Bell
Karl Chu
Katherine Dean
Leslie Gill
Jane Harrison
Laurie Hawkinson
Juan Hereros
Steven Holl
Jeffery Inaba
Jeffery Johnson
Ed Keller
Fred LeVrat
Lot-Ek
Reinhold Martin
N Architects
Galia Solomonoff
Urban Thinktank
Enrique Walker

We had 18 choices for studio and I was pleased with the selections. I would have been happy with any of my top ten, and happily I got my first choice of nArchitects (with Billy Feuerman)!!! To top that off we will be going to Brazil!!!! We ...

My final video

2007-12-09T14:13:09-05:00

I received a lot of interesting comments during my pin-up last Friday. The main source of discussion was about how the agents work in terms of free will or prescribed trajectories. The second major issue was the floor plates; the comments were that they were too generic and didn't really add to my scenario of changing the way we live.

In my mind the issue came down to resolution. In other words, how far I took my project over the last three months vs. how far it could or should not have gone. It is an important factor, especially in terms of what the jury would discuss and I will be more conscious of it in the future.

Francois Roche Studio Final Pin-up in 12 hours!

2007-12-07T00:34:43-05:00

Video courtesy of John Cerone

The Francois Roche Studio Final Pin-Up starts at 1:00 in room 114 on Friday, December 7th. Be there or be square.

Here is the jury list:
Alissa Andrasek (Biothing)
Ammar Eloueini (AEDS)
Benoit Durandin
Hernan Diaz Alonzo (Xefirotarch)
Neri Oxman (materialecology)
Michael Meredith (MOS)
Marco Vanucci (AKT)
Mariana Ibanez (Harward)
Simon Kim (MIT)
Vito Acconci (Acconci studio)
Winka Dubbeldam (Archi-Tectonics)

+ Francois Roche (R&Sie) & Marc Fornes (theverymany)

Taking your advice

2007-12-05T23:18:11-05:00

For those of you who saw my previous animation (I was too embarrased to leave it posted) I took your advice seriously and I generated a new robot. In this scenario there are 180 robotic agents working together to generate the tower.

I appreciate your input and it has definitely helped to improve my project.

BTW, here is the previous version:

Tower Generation Script

2007-11-19T12:33:27-05:00

http://ncertainties.wordpress.com/explicit-protocols/071119_mbearak_cohesive-pods-and-structure/

Robot Cognition Weaving

2007-11-02T00:18:43-04:00

Sure it weaves, but is it sexy?

Is this Architecture?

2007-10-23T15:54:10-04:00

Here is my final project from Hernan Diaz Alonso's studio from Spring 2007.

The assignment was to prepare a stadium based on the anatomy of a bug. I focused on bugs behavior and I presented the project without a narrative.

The idea was to present a cinematic experience, the first video was my midterm; the interlude was a stop frame animation that I prepared with Dora Kelle; the second video was the final project which was meant to be darker, and the final video was meant to answer some lingering questions from the first two videos.

Looking back at this project I have to ask myself, "Is this Architecture?"

*Disclaimer: This project does not reflect the work of Hernan Diaz Alonso

Mesh Generation Update

2007-10-18T02:16:12-04:00

Music: Minus the Bear - Knights

Over the week-end I spent time rethinking the motion of a mesh, specifically woven fibers. From there I focused on the relationship between a woven system and the robot that would create it. My aspirations are to generate a building that has a legible embedded logic of the generation system.

6 weeks to go, baby steps...

Francois Roche Mid-Term (A look back)

2007-10-15T22:08:40-04:00

Hello Everyone,
Here is a video from my midterm:

Here are some images from my midterm:

I would post my jurors feedback, but I wouldn't want it to sway your opinions

Roche Studio Mid-Term 10/12 2-6 Ware Lounge

2007-10-11T12:21:58-04:00

Roche Studio Mid-Term Review
Time : 2pm
Location : The Ware Lounge (6th floor Avery building)
Jury: Alissa Andrasek (Biothing),
Peter Macapia (DORA),
Roland Snooks (Kokkugia),
Kyle Steinfeld,
Ken Tracy (Associated Fabrication),
Simon Kim (MIT),
and too many Robots to count...

Engineered Transparency Is Happenin'

2007-09-26T20:00:34-04:00

Hello Everyone,
Today is the first day of the Engineering Transparency conference at the GSAPP. It is a 3 day festival with hundreds of speakers and guests. Definitely sneak into as many lectures as possible if you get a chance to stop by.

Here is the brief:

After the last century’s call to a radical new architecture and urban life, glass architecture is more ubiquitous today than ever. A deeply engineered product, glass has re-emerged in a new light as a seemingly more culturally accepted material in design and construction. Its new appearance, however, reveals a virtually new product replacing the glass used even twenty years ago. The innovations are observable and have direct use.

Offering new modes of visual pleasure and spatial experience to occupants—glass has also been the beneficiary of major advances in engineering that are decidedly less visible—structural innovations, new control and design engineering at the level of optics, thermal properties, and fabrication limi...

(n)certainties studio blog now live

2007-09-25T14:59:55-04:00

The (n)certainties studio AKA Francois Roche + Marc Fornes + Columbia University now has a blog that you can find here.

Image by Kirk Tracy