ACSA Faculty Design Award -2014 Honorable Mention: Submission Materials Chelsea Workspace ALVIN HUANG University of Southern California
DA13-003 ACSA FACULTY DESIGN AWARD CHELSEA WORKSPACE interior Fit-out for private home-office in chelsea, london, uk
CHELSEA WORKSPACE London, England Location: London, England Program: Interior fit-out for a home office Client: Private Status: Completed January 2012 Program Area: 7 sqm Photography: Peter Guenzel Fabrication: Cutting Edge UK This bespoke interior installation responds to the client s brief of a discrete yet sculptural design solution for a home office by conceptually draping a dynamic surface over an arrangement of the required home office elements including a work desk, storage units, printer, paper shredder etc. Set within a tiny 7sqm room in the client s flat, the design intent was to minimize the imposing presence of the boxy storage requirements by disguising them within a sinuous form that emerges from the walls of the room. As the owner desperately wanted to reduce the visual clutter of stuff within his work space, storage for books, filing cabinets, printer, shredder, electrical cabling, phone, internet, and lighting controls are all concealed within the volume. The space is organized around the lone window in the room, in order to provide the client with a pleasant view and ample natural daylighting. The glow of natural light from the window further serves to articulate the geometry of the installation through the play of light and shadow. The fluid geometric form is articulated as a series of alternating CNC milled birch plywood ribs which are pre-fabricated into modular units and spray finished with a clear lacquer. These units are hung on a series of z-clips bolted to the interior wall, and held in place by self-weight. Horizontal spacers, which stabilize the open ends of the plywood ribs, are arranged in a pixelized graphic pattern representing a world map, where the owner (a seasoned world traveller) can map out his travels. The project is the result of an intense collaboration between designer and fabricator. This dialogue was made possible through the exchange of 3D files not only as design deliverables, but as production and fabrication documents. The result merges the digital with the handcrafted to produce a stunning result. Design Objectives: Maximize space by minimizing visual clutter. Blur the boundary between furnishings and architecture. Conceal all storage and technical requirements. Capitalize on natural daylighting. Fabrication Objectives: Increase material efficiency by using 2D cuts to generate 3D form to avoid the added expense and waste of 3D formwork. Reduce wastage and material cost by nesting all profiles (75% material efficiency achieved). Decrease fabrication and assembly time by coordinating through source 3D Cad file to convey all detailing and complexity. Using 3d cad file to generate 2d Cad file of parts prior to CNC machining. Pre-fabricating modules to reduce on-site assembly time. Coding part identification into fabrication to optimize on-site assembly. Integrating rotating joints and hanging profiles to reduce hardware costs.
View from room entrance.
View facing desk.
Close-up of storage areas and spacer pattern.
View of the wall-mounted console.
EXISTING PARTITION WALL INNER VERTICAL SPACERS HORIZONTAL Z CHANNELS CNC MILLED BIRCH PLYWOOD PROFILES SWING DOOR STORAGE DRAWERS OUTER HORIZONTAL SPACER W/ GRAPHIC PATTERN
HORIZONTAL Z CHANNELS (ANCHOR TO STRUCTURE AS REQ D) EXISTING PARTITION WALL SWING PIVOT HINGE DETAIL PRE-FABRICATED LAMINATED STORAGE CABINET DOOR PLYWOOD STORAGE SHELF (FIX AS REQ D) NOTCHED CUTOUTS FOR HORIZONTAL SPACER W/ GRAPHIC PATTERN (INSERT SPACERS AND GLUE AS REQ D) CNC MILLED BIRCH PLYWOOD PROFILES
2500mm 2500mm 2200mm 2200mm 1850mm 1850mm 1500mm 1370mm 1500mm 1370mm 1200mm 1200mm 1000mm 800mm 800mm 173mm 173mm 0 350mm 640mm 0 50mm 140mm 800mm 0.1 INTERIOR ELEVATION NORTH (MAIN DESK) 0.2 INTERIOR ELEVATION EAST (WORK DESK) 800mm 173mm 740mm 1700mm 0.3 INTERIOR ELEVATION SOUTH (CONSOLE)
basic program arrangement program elements blended to one another and the existing wall blended curves are lofted to create seamless surface surface is sectioned to create 3d form from 2d profiles 0.1 FORMAL EVOLUTION DIAGRAM world map graphic point sampling of map points converted to spacer spacers projected to geometry 0.2 GRAPHIC MAPPING DIAGRAM
297 296 295 294 293 301 303 302 304 306 305 307 300 299 298 90 89 88 87 86 286 285 284 288 287 291 292 289 290 283 280 279 281 282 6 5 8 7 9 11 10 12 4 3 2 1 0 95 94 93 92 91 Materials: Finish: Fabrication: 32 sheets of 2400mm x 1220mm x13mm birch plywood Clear lacquer (spray finish) Computer numeric controlled milling of 308 unique profiles 278 275 262 272 258 259 261 251 260 253 252 273 270 265 263 268 266 274271 276 264 277 269 267 257 254 255 256 19 20 18 21 22 23 17 16 15 14 13 100 99 98 97 96 Software: Rhino3D (modelling), Grasshopper (parametric modelling), RhinoNest (nesting) 242 241 238 239 240 250 246 249 245 247 248 244 243 237 235 236 234 32 31 33 35 29 30 34 36 28 27 26 25 24 105 104 103 102 101 227 226 225 224 223 229 230 221 222 219 220 218 233 231 232 217 216 213 214 215 228 212 44 43 46 45 47 49 48 50 41 42 40 39 38 37 110 109 108 107 106 211 206 205 204 208 207 201 210 203 209 202 194 195 198197 199 196 200 192 193 191 58 57 59 60 61 62 56 55 54 53 52 51 115 114 113 112 111 190 180 184 183 188 182 181 189 68 185 187 186 177 178 179 174 175 176 69 70 71 72 73 74 67 66 65 64 63 120 119 118 117 116 172 170 173 171 169 168167 159 163 152 166164 158 155 161 156 160 165162 157 148 129 143 144 126 127 147 131 145 128 153 146 130 154 151 150149 142139 80 81 82 83 84 85 79 78 77 76 75 125 124 123 122 121 0.1 MILLING PROFILES