LOW RES

COURSE: Architectural Representation II

TERM: GSD Fall 2021

INSTRUCTOR: Iman S. Fayyad

Low Res is an exercise in developing new formal vocabularies through the relationship between surface curvature and the flat plane. The design is based on the panelization of a stereographic sphere geometry. Folded plate and truncated pyramid panels are deployed to provide both structural integrity and a distinct aperture strategy. The distribution of panel types is based on the Gaussian Curvature analysis of the sphere. As the most structural panelization technique, the folded plate strategy was useful in counteracting the weakness of the stereographic sphere at the bottom of its curve. The truncated pyramid panels, fundamentally non-structural, are strategically placed within regions of positive Gaussian Curvature in order to exploit the inherent strength of the geometry. Programmatically, the unique shell-like form serves as the central pavilion of a turtle sanctuary within a larger zoo park.