Imagine a computer-based design tool inspired by the fluid yet complex inner workings of our environment.
The Membrane Lattice Construction System is Manuel Baez’s work in progress. Baez, an Associate Professor at Carleton University’s School of Architecture, received funding from the Foundry Program to develop the project.
During the early part of the twentieth century, a fundamental conceptual shift occurred in our comprehension of the physical world,” said Baez in his Foundry Program application. “The nature of matter, at its most fundamental level, was at the heart of this new conception and held far reaching implications beyond the field of science.”
Solid entities were found to be comprised of wave-like networks, he added. Modern computer visualization techniques have allowed the complex processes in matter to be analyzed in greater detail. These reciprocal relationships existing between matter, developmental processes, growth, structure and form have served as the project’s inspiration, said Baez.
The Membrane Lattice Construction System allows new digital and exploratory modeling. The system’s flexibility allows structures like kiosks and pavilions to be examined carefully and designed to fit site specifications. Users can also utilize the system to analyze a structure’s construction process by changing different properties.
The objective of the project will help demo digital and virtual images, still or moving, of specific transformable properties or site requirements. The system also provides three dimensional models of possible structures. The potential uses of the system are wide-ranging. Event organizers planning festivals, circuses, dance shows, concerts or other entertainment could use the system to develop and build custom structures to suit their needs. The unique pavilions or kiosks could provide an evocative experience to visitors while reflecting the event’s purpose or diversity.
