Brad visited UTSA on March 26th to give a lecture on the work being done at UTA. Brad spoke about the TEX-FAB effort and the success of the February workshops, the impact on the school and within the architectural community there. His lecture covered a broad range of topics nested within the discourse of digital design, its implementation and processes. Additionally Brad lead a day-long workshop that covered both 2D and 3D parametric techniques within Adobe, Rhino/ Paneling Tools which resulted in small laser cut prototypes and digital structures.

Performative Connections Studio – Embrace – visit YouTube to see the digital fabrication video, from finalized unit prototype to test laser cutting, the video documents the last 4 days of the Performative Connections Studio, co-taught by Armando Araiza and Kevin Patrick McClellan, at the UTSA COA. Embrace is a portion of an overall design solution for a theoretical redesign of the UTSA Downtown library, wherein the students developed several schemes to address issues of noise control, visual privacy and spatial delineation.

Students from UHCOA and UTA worked together as a Collaborative Studio this past Spring on a “nested” development project.  The UH students designed the Transit Hub and the UTA students worked on the mid-rise mixed use complex attached.  Sean Garrison and Evan Sheets worked on an impressive scheme that shared some parametric skin systems and formal organization.  Sean’s final review and model.

The TEX-FAB initiative is featured in the May/June issue of Texas Architect

The New Harmony Grotto (aka Cave of the New Being) has reached substantial completion and is installed next to the Architecture Building at UHCOA.

The students at University of Houston College of Architecture in the current DigiFAB seminar are developing an inflatable component wall system. Ant Farm has been the source of inspiration to the class brought on by the forthcoming world premier of the documentary What if, Why not? Underground Adventures with Ant Farm directed by Laura Harrison and Elizabeth Federici at the College.  Cinema Arts Society and Aurora Picture Show are curating the event.   Ant Farm member, Doug Michals was based on and off in Houston and infamously taught at UHCOA.  The structure is composed of hard and soft bodies that form an interdependent structure when inflated through the base plenum.  The deployable frame modules are hinged on the sides and unfold in unison as the internal inflatable is charged with air pressure.  The wall will be rear projection surface to screen videos during the after-party on the night of the opening (11/12/09).  The class aspires to channel the collaborative work ethic of Ant Farm and apply it to contemporary notions of mass customization and kit-of-parts assemblies.

Scheme 01

Scheme 02

Scheme 03

Scheme 04

Scheme 05