Foreground/Background

Desirability

Mr. David Schafer

Introduction

The project requirements were deceptively simple, mitigate an undesirable view but don’t block the light.

An architectural screen was proposed which would be placed in front of an expanse of windows and draw attention to itself (foreground) while minimizing the importance of the obstruction (background).

A modular system was developed which would allow for offsite fabrication and quick installation as well as accommodate fine tuning to actual site conditions. Teak wood was chosen for the main structure to bring both warmth and aesthetic softness as well as strength and durability.

Steel bracket were designed to eliminate glued or flush joints in the woodwork that could crack or misalign during the extreme heating and cooling cycles of high-rise spaces.

Within the teak matrix a series of feature elements were conceived in order to both obscure the view as well as selectively frame it. Aluminum was chosen as it was a material that could be “worked” in multiple ways and result in multiple forms and finishes, allowing for both a diversity as well as a commonality.

Aluminum was hand hammered from a sheet into a dome form, CNC punched to form a convergent moire pattern, and sand cast into a tapered oculus form.

Conclusion

As we aimed to push the boundaries by encouraging designers to integrate more colors, building new color pallettes, and finding the balance of colors in their works without any rules.

We also believe that everything starts with opportunities, which can lead to endless possibilities, in this case the color relationships.

The main abstruction graphics on the book, was intentionally create a neutral design concept to make this a piece of art.

Many expect the paper catalog to be as boring as it has always been, but we want to find balance between a commercial contexts and our interpretation contents to allow the audience to be able to interpret on their own understanding.

Hopefully, “Chance and Relationship” color paper book can inspire designers to see the freedom of choosing colors. Designers can break free from the same old mindset and start creating their own narratives by themselves.

Objectives Aims or Purposes

To mitigate an undesirable view.

Process or Methods

The screen was developed through both digital drawing and modeling methods as well as a through hands-on workshop based experimentation.

Techniques and materials

The screen was fabricated using solid teak with traditional woodworking methods of production scale routering, planning, 3drilling and sanding. The metal feature elements were made from aluminum using three different form/forming techniques; hand hammered dome surface.