Today I shuffled around getting various people (doctor, radiologist technician) to look at my multicolored ankle, and while shuffling down a hospital hallway I came across a signed print from 1968 (the Roman Numerals are bottom right): The artist is Tom Phillips, and I will need to do a little bit of research on him... Continue Reading →
Work samples serve as previews for the feature length portfolio, showing abbreviated looks at a few favorite projects. They are widely accepted and requested to be included in any submission of resume and cover letter. I made five, with three of them being selected to send to each firm to which I will be applying... Continue Reading →
I injured my ankle last week and have spent the interim sitting at desks with one leg propped up in a full recline, and it has made it difficult to get much work done. I probably can't blame procrastination on my posture, but I'd like to and will continue to do so for the near... Continue Reading →
In a city as old as Philadelphia there are various clues to be found which illustrate moments or aspects of the cities history. Mostly I notice the decorative metal sheets found near steps and entrances to houses which offer guests the chance to scrape the horseshit off of their boots before entering a home or... Continue Reading →
I have an ongoing interest in trying to "cast" the streets and alleyways of old cities, such as the Casbah of Algiers or the medinas of Ghardaia. Back in 1993 Rachel Whiteread cast the inside of a house in concrete, deconstructing the house around it and letting the concrete stand exposed. (The back story and... Continue Reading →
There is something beautiful and labyrinthine about medieval cities, be they Gothic and Christian or Muslim Medinas. These two examples should not be mistaken for one another, as they both represent unique ways in which culture and religion embed themselves into building patterns and neighborhood forms, I once compared the city of my father's childhood... Continue Reading →
For the final project of Deployable structures, Steve Kocher and I incorporated a revised adjustable strut into a square pyramid/tetrahedron space frame. There are two deployments. Starting off in its most upright and compact form, the lateral members unfold and the truss expands to its identifiable geometry. The second deployment has the diagonal... Continue Reading →
A brief recap. The past few posts have been a review of work completed as part of a class called Deployable Structures, taught at PennDesign by Mohamad Al Khayer. A few weeks were spent on folded paper modeling (origami, as seen on this pinterest page). Mohamad also review some of the ideas of D'Arcy Thompson's... Continue Reading →
Continuing on the topic of deployable structures, today I am focusing on 'space filling geometry' or 3D tessellations. This refers to any geometric arrangement which can be replicated to complete fill a volume. Cubes stacked on top of each other would qualify. A simple way of creating this type of geometry is to work out... Continue Reading →
Deployable structures refer to any type of structure that has at least two sizes and/or configurations. Any tent qualifies, as does an umbrella. These object transform radically from their stored state, as compact as can be to facilitate their transport, and full expanded to provide (in both of these cases) shelter from the elements. As... Continue Reading →
Adam Achrati 