Peer Review 2

On Tuesday 7^th of August we were to review group 46 which consisted of Erinna Wong, Electra Sinclair and Heather Kim. Their overall presentation was very informative and comprehensive in which they all took part equally. We were pleased to see that they all knew what they were talking about and were very clear on what their main ideas were when it came to their Hotels.  They suggested that utopia and dystopia is in the state of mind and depends on one’s perception. You cannot say for sure if a city or building is related to utopia or dystopia as it would depend solely on your perception of utopia and dystopia and what experience you are hoping to achieve in that city or building. They also mentioned that rather than thinking about utopia and dystopia on their own they would like to address the hotels as though they had two specific needs.  They also thought it would be interesting to see what architectural experience will be created if the mood was contrasted with space, that is to contrast the theme of the building with the site.

In their workshop they explained that they had to make a vehicle that was to fly from point A to point B over a stretch of water. However they were to use certain materials for their vehicle like rice paper, dry seaweed and foam which were really hard to work with. They made a number of vehicles that would move a certain distance on a suspension cord.  We were particularly pleased with how many trials they did and how many vehicles they made. Their steam powered vehicle was especially neat but it was unfortunate that it didn’t function properly, but they did explain that it was simply because one candle wasn’t enough to heat the water in the tube but rather three candles. They also explained that they were very interested in considering the experience felt in the vehicle. Even though their steam powered vehicle didn’t work they still managed to get steam out the hole at the back which did contribute to the experience. We were also very pleased to see that they took their images and videoed their trials in a site specific area. They went to a beach and conducted their trial in an area where there was a stretch of water visible.

Their images and videos regarding their vehicles were very comprehensive and well conducted but we felt that the three drawings that they did weren’t as successful. Some of them seemed a little rushed and their content weren’t as in depth relative to the rest of their work. Presentation wise the drawings didn’t really capture their ideas very well. However they did explain that during the making of the vehicles they were far too concerned with the functionality of the vehicle rather than its aesthetic appeal which they regretted, but other than that their efforts were not in vain and their hard work was explicit in their trial and error process.

Review on us

DES (team 33) Peer Review

DES’s first task was to experiment with weaving cord and using the digital programs rhinoceros and grasshopper.  Their weaving display was quite intricate and detailed, which showed ability with the understanding and creation of parametric structures. Much experimentation was done in this area, since many patterns were produced with this material. They then applied this knowledge and understanding of the material to the digital word, using Rhinoceros and Grasshopper. Many experimental models were shown to us, and they proved to be very persistent and meticulous in their work. With the use of grasshopper, they were able to mesh and create wondrous parametric structures. However, the main task of this team was to create two hotels (one for utopia and one for dystopia) in the virtual word Second Life. Grasshopper and Rhinoceros were used to create surface structures for their hotel, which they would later import to Second Life.

DES tried to import their exciting grasshopper creations to Second Life, but found that the task had some obstacles. The creations made by Rhinoceros and Grasshopper were not importing well the their virtual reality, due to their complexity and intricacy. The tried and failed many times to find structures that would import properly, but never gave up and the failures gave ways to new and better ideas. Ultimately, they finally set up a wonderful structure in the Second  Life world. The team chose to make one hotel, which represented both utopia and dystopia simultaneously. DES believes that dystopia or utopia is in the eye of the beholder, and that it can change unexpectedly within individuals and groups. This is the reason they decided to make one hotel, which switched from utopia to dystopia by means of complicated scripts.

The hotel sits on the tip of a mountain, and when in “utopia” looks like a rather fascinating and complex white shell. It is formed from rhomboid shaped panels, which wrap around the mountain. However, this hotel has another side, a completely different side, which allows the viewer to fully experience dystopia. The shell’s panels open, twirl and explode by typing a command which allows the visitor to feel this drastic change of utopia to dystopia. The complexity of this structure makes it one of the most fascinating of the Land of the Long White cloud, since it’s interaction with the viewer is ultimate.  It is the absolute spatial experience and interaction with the visitor, who can manipulate what feeling this hotel will give them. The team created a video of their work, accompanied by dramatic music, which made the video itself an intense and compelling experience. The scripting, modelling and design of this structure were admirable and this team proved to be talented and hard working.

Drawings for their building were also appropriate and detailed, they showed the change and chaos that their building created in the viewer, with the use of superimposed images and dramatic lighting.  This project was quite compelling to hear about and caught NeoStudio’s attention, due to their elegance, detail and creativity.