Traditionally, conditioning exposes our detachment from the built environment. Highly-conditioned occupants are characterized by having a predictable or consistent pattern of behavior as a result of having been subjected to certain circumstances over time, which in turn prevents the user from experiencing architecture in a visually and a physically stimulating manner; autopilot engages. Users robotically pass through architecture, as if it is simply a way to get from point A to point B, forgetting that the majority of one’s life is spent confined within these conditioned walls.

Architecture needs to become more than just a static structure linking two points. It needs to become an unpredictable, ever-distorting, transforming, interactive, stimulating environment which allows the user to become consciously aware of oneself again. Once acknowledging the unlimited possibilities of spatial experience with indefinite distortion, architecture may paradoxically re-condition the occupant to become hyper-conditioned, overly stimulated in a semi-predictable manner. This hyper-conditioning will re-invigorate the physical and visual relationship between the user and the architecture. By linking these elements (the user and the continually distorting space) the occupant assumes perpetual dexterity within a conjunctive spatial system, thus cultivating an actively (mentally and physically) aware occupant. In order to rethink the future of architecture we must allow architecture to change continually, literally.

The President of the United States is the symbolic figurehead of an entire nation. The building in which he/she lives should be as inclusive as the principles on which this country was founded. Just as a sponge absorbs its environs and filters ineffectual material, the new White House should engage and apply the organizational patterns and logic of the immediate context. As a national symbol, the White House should be an identifiable place, realized through a unique formal expression.

This project proposes that the new White House go beyond iconographic simplicity. The White House should operate symbolically through process; starting with the generation of the design, the organization of the program and the performative capabilities of the building envelope.

The building is split into a house and a multi-floor office tower, connected by a bridge that crosses the implied intersection of the axial corridors established by L’Enfant. This proposal was generated through a series of contextual mappings of park, building and circulation along these axial corridors; which are coded and re-appropriated as surface pattern and formal deformation.
The surface of the building is composed of similar, yet individually unique pre-fabricated modules that opportunistically adjust parameters, such as depth and aperture, according to internal and external conditions. Each module acts as a sponge, absorbing and storing collected rain water. Tunnels originate at some modules, cutting through the building, providing light and transposing the traditional relationship of interior and exterior.

Albuquerque, NM : 2012

Design by OTA+ (Kory Bieg and Alexa Getting)

For our Off/Grid House project in New Mexico, our office worked cooperatively to produce an extensive catalog of formal versions; each offering different spatial opportunities. Like the Surrealist game, everyone in the office took turns building and/or modifying a digital model. Every move and its formal consequence was documented and represented in its totality, which allowed us to evaluate and compare the differences between each form at any stage of development. The process continued until we reached a critical threshold, past which the form lost all spatial potential. Additionally, if the tools we used began to hinder rather than promote versioning, we reverted back to a point in the process that was still formally productive.

By extracting the sequence of parameters that produced a form, or even a specific part of a form, we could recreate particular moments that were selected for the house. Variation of the parameters within the limits defined by the selected version allowed us to fine-tune the form and accommodate the functional requirements of the house. The specificity of each selected part afforded by versioning allowed us to solve issues unique to a particular condition of the project. In the event that a part was formally incompatible with its neighbor, we varied the appropriate parameters to alleviate geometric conflicts. Variation can facilitate transposition, but only after versioning has produced a set of differentiated forms.

The seams not only provided dimensional tolerance between adjacent parts, but they also became opportunities in and of themselves.  Seams were activated as either enclosed space to be shared by adjacent programs and foster new associations of use, or left as branching voids to help circulate light and air. Though unexpected, the result was one of greater programmatic coordination and connection to the site and natural resources, a necessity when building an off-grid house. Had we not approached the project through versioning (going beyond the limits) and only through variation (staying within the limits), this would not have emerged from the process. Walter Murch makes a similar observation about the advantages of this approach for editing a film: “discontinuity allows us to choose the best camera angle for each emotion and story point, which we can edit together for a cumulatively greater impact. If we were limited to a continuous stream of images, this would be difficult.”

Though the process was non-linear and the cataloguing of form was restarted when necessary, we reached a point, a function of time and project scale, at which we began to evaluate the formal versions according to their potential for architecture. Of course, the basis for evaluation and selection of versions requires considerable attention. When designing an off-grid house, as our project required, the programmatic and spatial requirements have an additional layer of complexity. To graphically represent these requirements, we developed a program index: a diagrammatic description of information that predicates the organization of the program and its relationship to the context, including views, circulation, use, adjacency and the application of environmental control systems. This information was embedded through a set of illustrated codes. By changing the shape, scale, color, line type and line weight of each code, we could identify the type and amount of impact it had on a particular space. Ultimately, the program index became a map for how we began to evaluate and test the extensive catalog of forms that we produced at the start of the process. The forms that were both spatially provocative and best matched the needs identified in the codified index were actuated in the final house design. Requirements that were seemingly incompatible were matched with equally complex models, capable of handling multiple needs simultaneously. What started as a willful exploration of formal and spatial models subsisting in a state of limbo, became a realized set of integrated units indispensable to the project.

San Francisco, CCA Nave: 2009

Design: Kory Bieg, Andre Caradec, Andrew Kudless

Fabrication: Kory Bieg, Andre Caradec, CCA Flux Studio

Exhibition Curation: Andrew Kudless, Marc Fornes, Ila Berman

The Flux Installation explores the possibilities of parametric modeling and digital fabrication at California College of the Arts (CCA). Produced using CCA’s CNC router and advanced parametric modeling techniques, the structure undulates in plan and section producing a sense of expansion and contraction in the long nave space at CCA’s San Francisco campus. Through the use of parametric modeling and a series of custom designed scripts, the installation design can be quickly updated to address new design criteria. From the thickness of the ribs to the overall twisting form and perforated skins, the geometry is controlled through a complex set of relationships between its formal, performative, and fabrication constraints. Each component of the final design was rebuilt in grasshopper as a parametric model. This method allowed us to make real time adjustments to the form that would be automatically updated and ready for fabrication. We were constantly making changes to the design as the content of the show was finalized, sometimes only a few hours before the file was sent to the CNC mill.

The exhibition was divided into 8 categories and included work from over 30 offices. Each category contained four to eight projects that represent a particular design approach. The surface of the installation adjacent to each category of work is perforated using a technique related to one of the projects from that category.

The installation, which is over 100 feet long, was built in 2 weeks. Every section of the installation is unique and numbered in sequence, allowing the installation to be easily assembled and disassembled in less than 3 hours.

Installation : 2010

Design by OTA+ (Kory Bieg and Alexa Getting)

The Platelet Partition is one permutation of a multi-layered organizational system that uses material difference and scalar variability to create asymmetrical carapaces. Each carapace is supported by a small group of branching vertical tubes which are suspended between clusters of horizontal bridges. The rigid backbone ties into the flexible carapace to form an integrated and structurally sound partition that seamlessly tiles and can be parametrically reconfigured according to size, program and/or use.

The form of the Platelet Partition is based on a grid and diagonal pattern (initial metric drawing) developed within the  2’ x 8’ x 8’ size limit. Though it began with a symmetrical pattern, asymmetrical regions were activated as the carapace outlines to allow for seamless tiling in the event the partition is repeated to form a larger surface. The pattern continues to guide the formation of each component of the partition assembly, including the vertical and horizontal structural system and the surface perforation on both the vertical structure and the carapaces.

Each region selected from the initial metric drawing varies in scale per component to further blur the edge of a tiled partition unit, but also to limit the appearance of smooth gradients; a condition typical of many parametrically design wall systems. The multi-layered Platelet Partition benefits from the advantages intrinsic to parametrically designed wall systems, including varied programmatic opportunities and adaptability, while avoiding the limitations imposed by a single component system.

Adjunct Professor Kory Bieg

Client: Albert and Stephanie Chen

Potrero Hill,  San Francisco, CA : 2007

Design by OTA+

The project is a renovation to an existing loft in potrero hill. The client asked K Bieg Design to divide the lower level of their loft into a master bedroom and office. Dividing the room in two would block all natural light to the new office, so we designed a scheme that would provide privacy and separation between the two programs, while maintaining passage of natural light to the office.

We used computer software to accurately test the bouncing of light through the space and reduced the solidity of the internal cabinet to increase the overall illumination. The final design has no opaque vertical surfaces parallel to the existing window.

Yerevan, Armenia : 2010

Design by OTA+

The building design takes cues from the storied history of Armenia, the diverse and unique cultural heritage of the Armenian people, the dominant presence of the site, the multiplicity of program needs and opportunities, and the beauty of the surrounding and distant landscape. The vertical mass of the building is located at the southern end of the site, making it the dominant focal point when traveling toward the site on Teryan Street. This location maximizes the views from the hotel suites, serviced apartments and the residential living spaces toward the city center and Mount Ararat in the distance. The horizontal mass of the building is spread across the site, promoting the overlap of interior and exterior spaces and the mixture of public and private programs. The larger form of the building is the product of delaminated volumes that peel open in response to programmatic adjacencies, the circulation of people through the building, and to capture views framed through perforations in the building envelope. Prominent views from the building are highlighted to heighten the occupant’s awareness of what lies beyond their immediate space. By opening voids through the project in both plan and section, the building acts as a filter, allowing light to penetrate deep into the center of the building. Visual access between the programs sponsors the active and passive participation of the occupants and promotes a sense of community.

Given the prominent location of the project, the program must address an additional layer of issues and support the opportunities that come with them. For this reason, the building accommodates more programs than typically required for a hotel. In addition to the residential tower, hotel and guest services, serviced apartments, the business center and a gym for health and fitness, our project includes a large conference and exhibition wing, dining, high-end shopping and multiple public and semi-private terraces, including areas from which to view the city and surrounding landscape. The building addresses the functional needs of the hotel, but also acts as an attraction for international tourists, thus promoting positive growth and progress for the region. The building provides a range of experience, from monumental ballrooms and exhibition halls to small areas that can be enjoyed by individuals or groups. By splitting the mass into multiple bands, we expose a number of these spaces throughout the building; on the interior, as well as the exterior. The design takes advantage of these openings by mixing the circulation of people with the activities in which they participate.

The surface of the building repeats vernacular motifs common to the region. The exterior envelope includes an assemblage of steel frames with transparent and fritted glass. The frames are sized to increase visibility from the interior while also providing shade on the southern facade during the summer. In addition, the modulated depth of each surface component can be tuned to filter sunlight into the rooms during the cold winter months.  This pattern is manifest in the traditional coursing of large stone panels that clad a monolithic reinforced concrete core to which the floor slabs attach. The surface motif is repeated in a steel and glass band between each floor level. The mesh is perforated where large expanses of windows are required for views, light and access. The frequency of the perforation is determined by the amount of direct and indirect light that best suits the program behind the surface. Additionally, the component size can vary to produce a denser surface that mimics the monolithic coursing of the stone work. This use of surface pattern reinforces our intent to dissolve boundaries; between multiple programs, and the interior and exterior. From certain views, the proposed building appears to be massive, while from other vantage points, it dissolves and the inner life pours out.

This building will be a great resource for the city and people of Yerevan. It combines multiple programs that will service both occupants and visitors. The program, site and form will draw people to the building and provide a new attraction for local constituents. As a dominant form, the building will play a role in the future development of the city. At the same time, the location of the site and orientation of the building will continue to attract attention from both local and international travelers.

The Omphalos Pavilion proposes to capitalize on the already successful flow, circulation, and social interaction within Trafalgar Square and utilizes this example to enhance and inform the programmatic and formal function of the proposed pavilion.  Formally, the pavilion is one continuous surface that has been folded, twisted, and skewed, allowing visitors to flow seamlessly through the square, into the pavilion, and out again with minimal interruption.  The geometry frames and maximizes desired external views while maintaining a compact programmatic footprint.  The square, a center for site seeing and socializing, is hyper-activated by the pavilions design and the new amenities offered to the public.

Advanced real-time technology is used to connect the pavilion to the larger city and special events taking place during the 2012 Olympic Games.  Sixty percent of the vertical walls within the pavilion project live digital feed of Olympic events, trials, results, and news, allowing Omphalos Pavilion – meaning ‘center point’ – to connect people at one place to numerous locations  around the city.

The Pavilion is designed to be temporary and easily removed.  It is made of light-weight, recyclable materials that pack flat and can be delivered via truck.  The roof has a slot which uses gravitational force to collect gray water into a bladder located below the souvenir shop, which can be stored and used on site.

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