Archinect - Roma Tre (Sanna)

Densicittà. The model as a working tool

2009-11-01T15:48:58-05:00

Here is another example on my work with exploring the model as a design tool in the course "Alla Scoperta della manualità." This time the assignment was to work on an urban level, creating a model 50x50 cm representing a city and/or a landscape based on certain rules we set up by ourselves. As in the work with the etruscan tombs the goal was to explore the aspects of the physical model as a design tool. I chose to work with density, setting up a grid with different shades of black symbolizing different amount of tissue in each square. Then I thought of a river (blue in the image above) which would attract tissue, and a motor way (red) which would repell it. I quickly made a first verison of my "city", called "densicittà" without thinking too much. When studying the result questions started to arise. How were the borders between the squares to be dealt with? Should I also work with height or just on how much the tissue covered the surface? Thinking about these things, I modified my...

Hardcore drawing

2009-10-24T20:08:11-04:00

The strict but wonderful Professoressa Cianci wanted us to draw everything we saw, more or less. In the end of the course "Disegno e Rilievo" the students were asked to hand in 100 drawings size A4 or A5 +make 3 posters in A1 on the themes ancient, modern and contemporary architecture in Rome. Prof. Cianci pushed me to work hard and to try techniques I had never used before. See the blog of Ciancis courses here: http://disegnoerilievo.blogspot.com/

After having posted the drawings above, I got an interesting comment on whether "analyzing" drawing was allowed in the course. The prof. focused both on having us think about the materials we used when we drew, (talking about the quality of the paper, which pens to use etc.) composition and how we worked with lines and surfaces and then, at last, she encouraged us to just draw draw draw - and write - about everything that interested us. She pointed out that doing "good drawings" was not (always) the goal. She surely wanted us to draw in...

snapshot #2: Alla scoperta della manualità

2009-10-09T18:40:58-04:00

The most inspiring course during my year at Roma Tre was called "Alla scoperta della manualità" , where we learned about how to use physical models in the design process. These pictures give you an insigt in one of the projects, led by Bruna Cohan, a very skillful teacher. The theme I explored was "dug-out architecture", using Etruscan tombs in Cervetervi, north of Rome as a starting point for a 12x12x12m underground building. The whole project was drawn and sculpted, no computers used... Read more about the Etruscan culture here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Etrusco Photo from the tomb area

snapshot #1: Triangoli

2009-10-09T17:22:04-04:00

Light, efficient structures with the splendid prof. Rossi. Learning to think about shape and structure as something developing, evolving from simple rules. Talking about geometry, studying shapes of nature. Meditative work. Cardboard, sewing the pieces together. Light light light. shade shade shade