Autumn 2008Los Angeles, California US10 weeksSouthern California Institute of Architecture

Live Wire, an installation by Oyler Wu Collaborative, was set up as a design and fabrication workshop for the Southern California Institute of Architecture during the Autumn semester of 2008.  Each workshop culminates in an installation in the SCI-Arc gallery in Los Angeles.  Each installation is coupled with a workshop that is open to all students of the school, with installations occurring four times a year.  The workshop’s goal is for students to work closely with architects and designers during the fabrication process and to learn about the methods involved in realising experimental projects.Motivated by the desire to occupy the SCI-Arc gallery in a way that exploited the spatial potential of the existing venue, this Oyler Wu Collaborative installation argued for an expanded relationship between tectonic expression and functional performance.  

The installation proposed a vertical circulation system linking the floor level of the gallery to the catwalk above.  In conventional systems of vertical circulation, numerous components are assembled together, with each performing a specific function, e.g.,guardrail, handrail, tread and risers, and stringer.  This segregated tectonic formula leaves little room for consideration of the kind of fluid spatial and tectonic implications that might result from a more collective consideration of the parts.  Often relegated to pure functional use, the fundamental architectural element presented in this installation was a testing ground for weaving together a multitude of architectural ideas, ranging from the manipulation of light, geometry and structure to, of course, vertical circulation.  Conceived at first as a series of light modulators, each architectural element required a progressive manipulation in order to negotiate its required performance criteria.  The project was aimed at suggesting a more expanded definition of architectural elements in order to blur the boundaries between the simple functions they perform and the more intangible results that they evoke.

Materials and machines

The primary material was 1” aluminium tubing with aluminium perforated sheet as the infill material.  An elaborate jig was constructed with 2” x 4” wood studs to check the accuracy of the geometry of the aluminium tubing.  We customised a hydraulic bender with a new bed and a tighter die in order to achieve the radius that we needed.  We also used a custom fabricated metal brake, as well as more standard metal working tools such as angle grinders, a mig welder, and orbital sanders (for the finish).

Software

The structure was first designed in Rhinoceros and Maya as well as in physical models.  It was then transferred to CATIA to optimise the geometries as well as for better coordination with our engineer.

Participants

Tutors: Dwayne Oyler and Jenny Wu were the primary instructors and designers
Project Leaders: Ming Jian Huang and Matt Evans 
Student Participants: Adrian Ariosa, Austin Baker, Lucia Bartholomew, Alex Belson , Erik Blanchard, Julian Brummitt, Catherine Caldwell, Paul Cambon, Javier Cambron, Lilliana CastroMatthew Cavender, Jatasik Chaipatanavanith, Eric Cheng, Sung Chong, Derek Cruz, Jiwon Eom, Deborah Fuentes, Robbie Gilson, Adam Grove, Michael Harrison,Jake Henry, Matt Harmon, Francisco Hermo, Asal Heshmati, Peter Kaoud, Ryan Kehoe, Dohnbi Kim, Niko Kotsatos, Tony Lechuga, Julie Lee, Deborah Lehman, Jester Leigh, Mark Lyons, Erik Mathiesen, Daniela Morales, Manuel Morales, Mike Nesbit, Justin Oh, Brett Phillips, Mike Piscitello, Renee Perez, Rinaldo Perez, Carlos Rodriguez, Leandro Rolon, Janice Shin, Larry Smith, Travis Vliet, Tanja Werner, Jon Wimmel, Mike Wysochanski

Outcome

The outcome of the workshop was a full scale installation that was equally concerned with function, use and performance as it was its visual and experiential qualities, arguing for an expanded relationship between tectonic expression and functional performance.  Programmatically, the stair established a new form of movement through the space that challenged the closed nature of the gallery as a hermetic space for objects, effectively integrating it into the daily operations of the school.  Materially, constructed of approximately 2400 linear feet of aluminium tubing and rods, the stair employed a combination of complex loops that performed a variety of tasks as they merged together to form the necessary stair elements. Similarly, the stair incorporated faceted perforated aluminium panels of two different thicknesses to create a continuous, semi-transparent surface from stair tread to guardrail to canopy.  

Notes

Students gained a material expertise that allowed them to understand and work with the possibilities and limitations of a specific material, aluminium. They were able to see how one can push the structural limits of a light, thin material through layering and densification of the material. They also understood the process of fabricating and assembling a project with extremely complex geometry and connections.  In terms of the organisation of the workshop, it was important that the fabrication drawings were clear so that students who came in for four-hour shifts could quickly understand the task at hand and were able to contribute productively.  It was also important that the students took some ownership of the project and giving them tasks that built on the task before helped promote that ownership.

ThoughtsWorkshops such as this have a critical role in design education; they serve as a short but intense way for students to be exposed to a specific methodology or process.  They also allow students to work alongside design professionals in order to understand how one realises experimental projects.

Contact Oyler Wu Collaborative2450 Hyperion AveLos Angeles, CA 90027USA1.323.522.6168   This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it