lightweight reconstruction
┌─────┬─────┬─────┐
│ H×M │  M  │ M×E │
├─────┼─────┼─────┤
│  H  │ H×E │  E  │
├─────┼─────┼─────┤
│ H×R │  R  │ R×E │
└─────┴─────┴─────┘
fig. 1. combinatorial matrix

This project is part of an ongoing experiment in contextualizing and representing digital tectonics (simulated particles, 3D meshes, physics engines, etc) called Lightweight Construction. This generative iteration of the project follows Gottfried Semper’s speculations on the core elements of architecture laid out in the seminal 1851 essay The Four Elements of Architecture: hearth (H), mound (M), enclosure (E), and roof (R). Using Semper as a starting point, we developed a combinatorial matrix that suggests various types of ways the four elements can be assembled in pairs. The generative ruleset creates a limited set of assemblies that are expressed as blended mathematical primitives. Roofs are expressed as geometric extrusions, Mounds as tiled platforms, Hearths as smooth volumes, and Enclosures as rectilinear frames. Representing these as functions allows them to morph smoothly into each other in virtual space; something almost impossible to do in physical space.

hearth    -->   []
mound     -->  _/\_
roof      -->  >|(<
enclosure -->  |==|

In lightweight reconstruction, Semper’s speculative history of architecture’s fundamental elements provides a model for interpreting digital materials, contemporary visual effects, and mathematical representations of the physical world. Each iteration of the algorithm generates assemblies of parts and objects that are somewhat familiar yet impossible to construct in the physical world. They are produced through mathematical approximations of surfaces and volumes rendered using a custom made path-tracing engine (a common technique for visualizing unbuilt architectures). The generated assemblies can be read as Semper’s Four Elements, but they can also exist as hybrids and hint at new categories. These impossible, strangely familiar details from another world ask us to reflect on how the instruments we use affect our imagination.

Double click/tap to pause the rendering. Press 's' to save a still image.

-office ca, 2024