Is architecture a social technology?
Weaving a Home (2013 – ongoing)
An ongoing development of performative structural fabric systems, exploring the social implications of creating homes for displaced communities
Displacement has become the reality of over 65 million people worldwide, with 34,000 people being uprooted every day due to political conflict, climate change or to the increasing scarcity of natural resources. Formal displacement camps, often uninviting environments which do very little to foster social interaction, are made up of temporary structures which follow uninspired systems of construction- too rigid to accommodate different scales of function. In my exploration of how architecture can act as an instrument for immediate social effect, evolved a series of prototypes which address how technology is influencing the way we build, dwell and interact in the 21st century.
Can the function of form transcend its physical boundaries? How can it impact social change and development in response to contemporary needs?
Nature, tradition and technology are elements I find perpetually linked in a flux of interaction. Woven within the process which crafted this performative self-structuring dome is an exploration of this ever-evolving triadic relationship. The geometry of the present configuration capitalizes on the performative capacity of pre-stressed radial frames linked together to form a stable and durable double membrane enclosure. The resulting lightweight structure, able to withstand varying climatic conditions, integrates water collection, harnesses renewable energy and allows for controlled ventilation; providing many of the comforts of a dignified contemporary life.
The ongoing project seeks to provide an open platform of collaboration, to continue prototype development and to build awareness of how shelter is a social and cultural process that continues to evolve with our collective values.