This week we got the chance to be introduced to some tools in the workshop and the 3D lab (laser cutter). Whilst I’m used to working with the laser cutter I haven’t spent much time in the workshop so it was good to learn a few new tools in there to use for different projects. Personally I really like making things physically and not having doing everything in a digital format so having this available is a nice way to mix up the work I produce going forward.
We began by drawing a grid that was inspired by the Wintergardens that we could transfer onto a piece of ply using one or some of the techniques we were shown. I chose to use the hand drill to drill a series of holes at the points on my grid where lines intersected. I chose to use a hand drill as I didn’t want the final outcomes to be perfect. I was inspired by the Pergola (made of timber) which feels more natural and imperfect compared to the glass and steel fabrication of the Glasshouses and I wanted my grid to have a sense of irregularity and visible imperfections.
Having used the laser cutter a lot for my minor I was familiar with the adjustments I could make to gain different effects on this machine and material. I created my grid in Rhino, adjusting it slightly from the initial grid to play around with what final outcomes I could create. I used clear acrylic to engrave my design into with the engraving set to 2 different depths to give the illusion of depth between the overlaid grids. The acrylic still had its white protective film on and I decided to leave some pieces on the acrylic to create more visual interest in the final grid.
In-between our time in the workshops this week, we also began working on a mind map. Using some keywords we had derived from the site the idea of the kind map is to help us situate ourselves within the site, find what it is that interests us and think about how we could move forward with this in mind. Using this mind map we will later work towards a positioning statement.
Spatial Design 
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