Building Re-Presentation, Kengo Kuma's "Nest We Grow"
An analysis of Kengo Kuma's "Nest We Grow", re-presented through a series of new drawings that hold accurate depiction and expressive interpretation in the same frame.
- Year
- Spring 2020
- Category
- Architecture + Planning
- Type
- Graduate Representation Intensive II · Graduate Studio ARCH 5012
- Location
- Hokkaido, Japan (case study)
Context
The drawings "sought to find a balance between 'accurate' representations that precisely illustrate the building with 'expressive' representations that convey subjective feelings and construct meaning, giving new life to the understanding of the case study." A representation intensive rather than a design brief. The subject is how a building is drawn, not what is built.
My Role
- Analysed the case study building and its timber structural logic
- Produced the exploded isometric of the assembly
- Developed the composite drawing holding accurate and expressive registers together
- Rendered the final drawing set
Process
Case Study Analysis
Read the building's structure, assembly and spatial sequence as the basis for re-presentation.
Accurate Register
Drew the measured, precise depiction: the exploded isometric of the timber frame.
Expressive Register
Drew the subjective reading: atmosphere and meaning rather than dimension.
Composite
Combined both registers into a single drawing that carries the argument.
Outcome + Impact
A drawing set that treats representation itself as the design problem. It is the discipline behind the annotated, exploded drawing language used across CA Studio since.