Week 1 Researching Frank Gehry- Deconstrustivist Architecture

Deconstructivist Architecture

Frank Gehry

As part of my research to generate ideas for my final major project I found it crucial to research architects and artists who will inspire me to create distinct designs with the help of their style and influence. One of these special architects I've decided to use is Frank Gehry because of his famous deconstructivist style that he incorporates into his unique designs like the ones below. 

This is the Lou Ruvo Brain Health Center in Las Vegas designed by Frank Gehry. It is a research centre for degenerative brain diseases which is also divided into two separate buildings connected by a courtyard.  

This unique home ‘ Gehry Residence’ is Frank Gehry’s own house which was built and designed by himself, it was also originally an extension built around an existing Dutch Colonial style house where he decided to wrap the outside of the house with a rare but extremely captivating exterior.  It makes use of unconventional materials, such as chain-link fences and corrugated steel. It is sometimes considered one of the earliest deconstructivist buildings, although Gehry denies this. What really inspired me from this house is how he wedged in tilted glass cubes on the sides of the house, this is an aspect of his work that I really thought I could use to make my idea abstract like, as a normal shape can be altered to look unusual but unique.

The Gehry Residence is located in Santa Monica, California. In 1977, Frank and Berta Gehry bought a pink bungalow that was originally built in 1920. Gehry wanted to explore with the materials he was already using — metal, plywood, chain link fencing, and wood framing. He hardly touched the rear and south facades and to the other sides of the house he wedged in tilted glass cubes. Then in 1991, he chose to remodel due to the needs of a growing family. Many of Gehry's neighbors were not happy at the unusual building being built in their neighborhood

"Frank Gehry's own house in Los Angeles is rather a collision of parts, built to stay but with a deliberately unfinished, ordinary builderlike sensibility of parts."

"With the original house almost intact form wise, Gehry, in effect, lifted back the skin to reveal the building as layers, with new forms breaking out and tilting away from the original, to create a forerunner of the Deconstructionist spirit of the eighties.

Final major project- project proposal

Final Major Project Proposal

Deconstructivist Architecture

Review of progress and achievement throughout Rotation and Pathway

All along the exploratory stage I was able to gain a variety of transferable skills which helped the understanding of different forms of art and design approaches which ranged from random simple starting points to form ideas to intense techniques and processes. This all allowed me to come up with unique and imaginative ideas instead of repetitive and boring outcomes. The exploratory stage of this course has really opened my mind to new ways of working such as starting with a scribble or a simple word which would then lead onto generating more complex and conceptual ideas whilst making things. This was continuously backed up with research, development, trial and error and experimentation of materials such as paper models to reinforce my ideas and form final outcomes in a simultaneous way which I carried on using in the 3DD pathway. This process of working is something I find vital for my final major project which I must also continue to do. The 3DD pathway has helped me understand that there are many changes that occur throughout the design process and making of models which has also helped me find better ways of solving problems which is why I find this pathway so intriguing leading me into wanting to study Architecture at degree level.

Concept of this project

The connection between deconstructivist architecture and reconstruction are the themes and aspects which I wish to study and explore for my final major project. I would like the idea of deconstructivism to be reflected upon my project realisation showing unpredictability and controlled chaos provoking some type of emotion and reaction. My intention is to create a structure which may have characteristics of fragmentation, this connects to the theory of deconstruction where I can be playful and manipulative with the surface, skin and shape of an 'old' structure/s I choose to reconstruct. This then moderately connects both themes together which should allow me to have interesting results and show Postmodern architecture.

For this project I should be able to revisit methods of working from my previous projects such as using a ready made starting point/ recognisable reference for small experimentations of playfulness and distorted forms.e.g. buying a random pound product and then look at ways to distort the original structure and play with the reconstruction of it to generate ideas, this is a technique I would like to explore again as I feel it could be a good possible starting point.

The main area I will be researching is the Deconstructivism movement and architects that follow it such Zaha Hadid and Frank Gehry. I will also be looking into some abstract architecture to search for similar links and the connection between deconstruction and reconstruction.

To start off and experimenting I'd like to use paper modelling and structures to look at form like I did for some of my previous projects as a quick and easy way to experiment with if needed but for further prototyping and final outcome making I'd like to use more of the laser cutter and 3D printer to speed up processes. I'll be aware of any changes that can occur in the process of experimenting with materials and the making of my final outcome by recording everything in this blog and my sketchbook.