Cambridge Participates in Fabric Architecture Senior Studio at Miami University

Sept. 22, 2010 - PRLog -- CAMBRIDGE, MD…Cambridge Architectural is lending its material and engineering expertise to a one-semester course focusing on the use of stainless steel mesh in contemporary architecture, from August 23 to December 10 at Miami University in Oxford, OH.

The course, called FABRIC.A.TION Studio, explores the conceptual link between tensile fabric, the craft of manufacturing and the direct logistics of the craft as applied to architectural design.  Architect Raffi Tomassian, a designer with DNK Architects in Cincinnati and a visiting professor at Miami University, is the studio instructor.  It was his vision and collaboration with the college’s Department of Architecture and Interior Design that brought the unique student opportunity to life.

“Architectural education and practice have drifted apart during the last half century or so,” says Tomassian.  “New technologies, especially digital fabrication, are becoming a vehicle for pulling them closer again, combining the methodologies of practice and academia in a reinvented notion of craft.”

FABRIC.A.TION Studio will familiarize students with the history of fabric materials and systems, with a particular emphasis on the evolution of building materials and methods of construction.  At the heart of the studio project is the use of architectural mesh, a versatile material with properties that lends itself to great expressive potential.  Students will be challenged to design using mesh at different scales and capacities.

“Contributing to this studio is one of the most important things we’ve ever done,” says Heather Collins, Director of Marketing for Cambridge Architectural.  “We know that our material is modern and unique, but actually allowing future architects and designers to experiment with mesh further validates its relevance in the future of the industry.”

The students’ real-world task will be to design a new amphitheater at Pyramid Hill park, a 250-acre sculptural park in Hamilton, OH.  Full-scale modeling will be used for parts and assemblies of the final project.  Stainless steel mesh will be used to define space, screen, animate the façade, become hyper-scale signage, and shade the sun all at the same time.  The studio format will combine several aspects of the academic and professional practice methodologies, including research, digital and physical modeling, multi-disciplinary collaboration, material investigation, economic pragmatism and code awareness.  The main focus will be on producing tangible results.  

Students will post their process results on personal blogs that allow them to connect with a wide audience and a pool of online reviewers, including engineers from Cambridge, who will be able to comment on their progress, make suggestions and correct mistakes.  

The last third of the studio project timeline will be spent creating conceptual detailing for the mesh components of the design with engineering assistance from Cambridge and fabrication assistance from ProCLAD Inc., a specialty contractor based in Indianapolis, IN, that focuses on the building’s exterior envelope.  After the last refinement of the overall design, Cambridge personnel will participate in final reviews.

“Historically, educational programs have focused on brick and mortar design,” says Brad Hitzfield, President/CEO of ProCLAD, Inc.  “But today, materials such as metal fabrics are extremely popular, and are being utilized to create inviting building envelopes that make structures more aesthetically pleasing for their surrounding communities.  Contemporary designers support the use of metal exteriors because they deliver high aesthetic appeal, contribute to LEED(R) accreditation and can be utilized in a wide range of applications. This studio will help future architects understand how metal functions, and how to integrate it into their design.”

Ultimately, the FABRIC.A.TION Studio will provide students with an uncommon ability to experiment with real-world construction, modeling and traditional and digital fabrication techniques.  The culmination of the course will be an intense study of metal mesh and an actual physical result of the work done.

“We are challenging the students to investigate architectural mesh in the broader context of tensile structures, down little-explored trajectories of research, looking for uncommon analogies, pursuing singular, unique solutions,” says Tomassian.  “Assisted by the engineering competence of Cambridge and the fabrication muscle of ProCLAD, we will be building full-scale prototypes of the design results.”

For more information on Miami University’s FABRIC.A.TION Studio, please visit http://fabricationstudioblog.wordpress.com/.

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Cambridge Architectural is the world’s most experienced – and only – full-service provider of sustainable architectural mesh systems for both interior and exterior building applications. Cambridge offers full system design, engineering and collaboration from concept through installation – including highly challenging building projects, environments and budgets. Cambridge metal fabric systems are categorized by the primary application the system serves. These include: Parkade(TM), Solucent(TM), LandscapeInteriors(TM), MeshFX(TM), MeshDefense(TM) and Meshellaneous(TM). For more information about Cambridge Architectural call 1-866-806-2385 or visit www.CambridgeArchitectural.com.