Clara Kraft, Satoshi Isono
Unit trip and project site: Madrid, Spain.
The unit centers on the making of building prototypes explored through digital fabrication and casting. Our material focus this year is concrete. We begin by researching exemplary precedents using innovative concrete construction techniques such as; The Centre for Hydrographic Studies by Miguel Fisac, The Chapel Lomas de Cuernavaca, by Felix Candela, The Palace of Labour by Piere Luigi Nervi, and Erwin Hauer’s concrete wall designs. Investigations into the practices of these architects, engineers and artists initiate the design of alternative construction elements or casting methods. We test our ideas through hands on model making and prototypes developed in a series of fabrication workshops using Rhino and CNC milling technology at Grymsdyke Farm.
Our site is based in Madrid where we travel to experience first-hand Miguel Fisac’s extraordinary concrete masterpieces and become inspired by Alejandro de la Sota’s, Colegio Maravillas. Our client in Spain is the Centro Cultural Conde Duque, a former royal army barracks converted into a cultural centre and city archive. Working closely with the client we identify bold architectural interventions that could invigorate the restrictive military enclosure and create a thriving space for urban integration and activity in the heart of Madrid. Our concrete prototypes become a catalyst through which ideas are tested and proposed.
