University of Calgary PRISM: University of Calgary's Digital Repository Graduate Studies The Vault: Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2019-05-06 Interface/Ornament: Enabling Engagement Through Digital Design and Fabrication Gardner, Guy Gardner, G. (2019). Interface/Ornament: Enabling Engagement Through Digital Design and Fabrication (Unpublished master's thesis). University of Calgary, Calgary, AB. http://hdl.handle.net/1880/110333 master thesis University of Calgary graduate students retain copyright ownership and moral rights for their thesis. You may use this material in any way that is permitted by the Copyright Act or through licensing that has been assigned to the document. For uses that are not allowable under copyright legislation or licensing, you are required to seek permission. Downloaded from PRISM: https://prism.ucalgary.ca UNIVERSITY OF CALGARY Interface/Ornament: Enabling Engagement Through Digital Design and Fabrication by Guy Gardner A THESIS SUBMITTED TO THE FACULTY OF GRADUATE STUDIES IN PARTIAL FULFILMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF MASTER OF ENVIRONMENTAL DESIGN GRADUATE PROGRAM IN ENVIRONMENTAL DESIGN CALGARY, ALBERTA MAY, 2019 © Guy Gardner 2019 Abstract Along with a renewed interest in the use of pattern and ornament in architecture, there is a growing body of research into how cognitive processes shape the experience of the built environment and an increasing awareness that embodied experiences of making can deepen the level of critical engagement with concepts related to technology and society. The intersection between the fields of design and production of architectural ornament and the study of the perception and experience of the built environment provides a rich territory for design research and innovation. Digital tools and processes such as robotic fabrication have added a range of new possibilities in terms of precision, dexterity and human/machine collaboration in bringing digital design into physical space. These tools and processes offer the potential to democratize the design and production of the built environment. ii Preface The impetus for this thesis stems from the intersection of my interest in public sculpture, architectural ornament and digital design and fabrication. I first became interested in these subjects while studying sculpture and the history of craft in my undergraduate degree. It was fascinating to learn that the field of ornament has been a source of creative exploration and critical discourse on the intersections between structure, geometry, aesthetics, perception and psychology of space and form. I was particularly drawn to conversations around concepts of mechanical production of art and craft. My curiosity was sparked by what seemed like a very different perspective than the one provided by the traditional art historical canon. Pursuing a degree in architecture reinforced the potency of these ideas and their continued relevance in the digital age. An interest in technique and craft in relation to architecture led me to deepen my knowledge of digital craft and its applications in physical material processes. The convergence of the digital and material enabled by digital design and fabrication offers a path for designers to participate in the process of making and building. Exploring the evolution of architectural ornament has led me to realize that the built environment communicates in an unwritten language that speaks directly to our senses on multiple perceptual levels. This research represents some of what I have learned from engaging in this conversation. iii Acknowledgements I wish to express my sincere gratitude and appreciation to the many people who have played a role in helping me complete this project. Particularly I want to thank my parents, who have made everything possible for me. I also want to thank my closest friends, Adam, Devan, Sol, Khalid, Neal, my coach, Anderson and my jiu-jitsu family, and the students and instructors in the Faculty of Environmental Design. I would like to thank Del Geist, Patricia Leighton and Taewook Cha for their guidance and mentorship. Lastly I would particularly like to thank the research assistants in the Laboratory for Integrative Design, who have taught me so much, as well as Josh Taron, and Jason Johnson, my supervisor. iv Dedication To my parents. Thanks for always encouraging me to follow my dreams. v Table of Contents Abstract ............................................................................................................................... ii Preface ................................................................................................................................ iii Acknowledgements ............................................................................................................ iv Dedication ............................................................................................................................v Table of Contents ............................................................................................................... vi List of Figures and Illustrations ......................................................................................... ix Epigraph ............................................................................................................................. xi CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION ................................................................................12 1.1 Ornament as an Interface with Buildings and Cities ...............................................12 1.2 Digital Design and Fabrication of Architectural Ornament .....................................15 1.3 Engagement .............................................................................................................17 1.4 Research Statement ..................................................................................................18 1.5 Research Objectives .................................................................................................19 1.6 Contributions ...........................................................................................................19 1.7 Methodology ............................................................................................................20 1.8 Logic of Inquiry .......................................................................................................20 CHAPTER TWO: MACHINIC ORNAMENT: A BRIEF HISTORY..............................22 2.1 Introduction ..............................................................................................................22 2.2 Ornament and Authenticity ......................................................................................23 2.3 Machine Aesthetics ..................................................................................................31 2.4 Complexity, Ambiguity and Patterns .......................................................................37 2.5 Fractals and Pareidolia .............................................................................................40 2.6 Perception and Embodiment ....................................................................................46 2.7 Affect .......................................................................................................................48 2.8 Digital Design of Ornamental Patterns ....................................................................51 2.9 Conclusion ...............................................................................................................55 CHAPTER THREE: ENGAGING WITH ORNAMENT THROUGH DIGITAL CRAFT AND CRITICAL MAKING .....................................................................................58 3.1 Introduction ..............................................................................................................58 3.2 Machinic Interfaces and Digital Craft .....................................................................58 3.3 Critical Making ........................................................................................................62 3.4 Merging Roles ..........................................................................................................64 3.5 Conclusion ...............................................................................................................67 CHAPTER FOUR: ALTERNATIVE FORMS OF PRACTICE .......................................69 4.1 Introduction ..............................................................................................................69 4.2 CASE STUDY 1: GEIST/LEIGHTON/CHA ..........................................................71 OVERVIEW .............................................................................................................71 ORIGIN ....................................................................................................................71 SPECIALIZATIONS ...............................................................................................71 DESIGN AND BUSINESS EVOLUTION ..............................................................74 CRAFT AND THE DESIGN PROCESS .................................................................77 vi COLLABORATION ................................................................................................79 ENGAGEMENT ......................................................................................................81 4.3 CASE STUDY 2: PROJECTONE STUDIO ...........................................................83