During the first two weeks of studio, we were asked to develop a module or one aspect of our building based on the natural element we’ve chosen to mimic. I naturally chose the column as my module and attempted to mimic the process of resource flow through the roots and branches of the banyan tree.
We were then asked to think about how this module ties into a larger system. This first pin-up board shows diagrams of how resources might flow through my building and to those surrounding. The idea is that some of the columns are tubular steel, which can transport rainwater from the roof and heated water from the sewer system below. Potentially this system has the ability to heat and cool this building as well as those around it. You can also see my sketches of the banyan tree from which I took inspiration.
This second pin-up board shows the model I created through lazer cutting chip board and gluing them together in an arced formation. Taking from the many ribs of gothic cathedrals, see sketches above, I went to design the column formation and began with a triangular layout. As the ribs developed I realized that I had created an extraction of the sacred geometry of Metatron’s Cube (which you can see etched into the base of the model).
This module is effective not only for the formal imitation of the banyan tree, but also becasue it mimics the conceptual process of moving resources throughout an entity. It has the ability to create the column structure throughout my building, but most importantly, I image it being the structure for the practice space program element. The space is meant to be a place of individual exploration and the centrifugal aspect of the base of the column could lend itself to individual seating for such exploration.