ARCHDES 702 - Advanced Design II
This AD2 paper was a hell of an undertaking, also taking place during the 2020 COVID-19 lockdowns, the majority of the semester was spent at home. Despite this, while being supervised by Aaron Paterson and Michael McCabe, we were encouraged to stay true to the paper's rough-around-the-edges ideology of "shonky-ness".
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/f6e4dab6-f9e9-421e-94bd-c44fbc80995b/f56eac43-f088-4083-8d65-b43f37b8126d_rw_1920.png?h=2f69d2af1981fa926f14decae82c2821)
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/f6e4dab6-f9e9-421e-94bd-c44fbc80995b/bb50cbf7-ad91-4875-9542-ff9d80d5ec99_rw_1920.png?h=7a752b78c58ef3351aac36289726a79a)
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/f6e4dab6-f9e9-421e-94bd-c44fbc80995b/364dccac-50a3-4969-af10-fb3b5a1a8322_rw_1920.png?h=1b39ff57147add93f26307bc9d1df47c)
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/f6e4dab6-f9e9-421e-94bd-c44fbc80995b/0a524f07-993d-4ca9-a3bc-d79786216c00_rw_1920.png?h=23e5702ad45b70b2dd2ae790ddd4ff6e)
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/f6e4dab6-f9e9-421e-94bd-c44fbc80995b/38630abc-37a7-4b1a-ab55-bf613fe76c19_rw_1920.png?h=158ccf04ed18f5c57581d187195b905d)
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/f6e4dab6-f9e9-421e-94bd-c44fbc80995b/8ed9f6f5-e792-436c-ab2e-4a5d5aad3a15_rw_1920.png?h=7f47ebdd31da88dd8345af23bcb9e9aa)
We began the semester in studio - after experimenting with projection mapping on small scale models - we were provided a list of films of which to study. I selected Yann Gonzalez's 2018 'Un Couteau dan La Cœur', a gorgeous French film which follows a brief moment in a gay pornography director's life, it's almost surreal at points, though it's completely and unabashedly queer.
I enjoyed one particular textural moment within the film, here we watch the scene [above] through the lens of the director's camera. We pass through large draped translucent set pieces and - as a voyeur - are intertwined with naked bodies that marvel at their own sexuality.
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/f6e4dab6-f9e9-421e-94bd-c44fbc80995b/28099951-c289-40f4-8771-398b17b19968_rw_1200.png?h=36995c9d78d5d4e8789fee4cc44bd445)
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/f6e4dab6-f9e9-421e-94bd-c44fbc80995b/a4c45d32-7a33-4188-b5c9-d0af74dd32d9_rw_1200.png?h=f16114b741293e78117e3de714d3e1fa)
The idea of the veil as an architectural elements generates a curiosity, as it acts as a method of concealment, drawing upon the desirable, the erotic, and even the menacing.
Soon after this initial study we were back into our homes. I took this opportunity to experiment with 1:1 modelling, exploring a scale in which my body could wholly interact with. I created 3 short films that study the veil through light, shadow, and sound.
(Headphones recommended)
The overarching brief here required us to design a film + production studio space on the site of the old Mid-City cinema (now home to CityFitness among other things, in case you’re unfamiliar). I opted to completely replace this existing structure with a monolith to queer culture, exploiting the veil across multiple levels while incorporate a cruising zone and nightclub space below the aforementioned programs outline the brief.
As we popped out of isolation a good few weeks before the deadline, I took the opportunity to create a set of models at 1:100 and 1:50 of how I imagined these spaces would manifest.
Very basic plans / sections were also made for submission, though we were encouraged to not stress too much about them being perfect, as they were solely the rough basis for our models.
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/f6e4dab6-f9e9-421e-94bd-c44fbc80995b/6fc00e0a-12e9-42e8-a8bf-4d970c60ce15_rw_1920.png?h=86ab42d8ed44abef8513ec36c637f617)
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/f6e4dab6-f9e9-421e-94bd-c44fbc80995b/7fcf2ee2-e612-4a48-8d3a-bce23e0aedde_rw_1920.png?h=a2052e4f9339804de04fabe80206e6f8)
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/f6e4dab6-f9e9-421e-94bd-c44fbc80995b/7f6eefb1-da54-414c-b437-639109740f27_rw_1920.png?h=0c40420638cff7cff9b410d120b4fc11)
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/f6e4dab6-f9e9-421e-94bd-c44fbc80995b/6567d57c-9137-4f69-ad1f-74f5e7e5516c_rw_1920.png?h=51d3feafec45af1d6798af8ebf28f42b)
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/f6e4dab6-f9e9-421e-94bd-c44fbc80995b/a1c3b6df-bcd5-45b7-a21f-b0e65da14c8e_rw_1920.png?h=2e0443b4f01717e95b7ebab8c44b019e)
The final output of this project was interesting though - with a final set of films building upon the themes of our initial 3. These incorporated more site specific imagery, my approaching being by way of the scaled nightclub and 1:1 veil models. These took the place of detailed technical drawings.
(Headphones recommended)