Assignment 3: Reflection

Assignment 3: Reflection

Throughout this semester i have really enjoyed this course, learning how to shape metal and the processes that went along with it. While the course was very different to what i expected, i learnt a lot of interesting knowledge and  skills. Probably my favorite aspect of the course is having  a tangible finished project at the end, especially after assignment one. Studying Landscape Architecture is enjoyable, however design assignments are never more than conceptual, and will never be actually implemented. Thus holding a finished project is a very satisfying feeling.

Finished Bowl

In assignment two, we had to really consider how to get the desired form, which was challenging as in my  studios i am designing a finished landscape, and usually don't put much thought into how it will be built. This challenge  really altered my design process, and i think in the future i will be much more aware of how something i design will be made, and whether it is a viable design. 

The technology i found out about in this course could also be translated to Landscape Architecture. Firstly, i found using photogrammetry to be a really interesting program that could have amazing applications in the profession. Fore example, when used on a site visit, the program could be used to quickly model the existing conditions, meaning that instead of looking back through hundreds of photographs and sketches, a model of the site could be viewed to quickly reacquaint someone with the site during the design process. 

I also enjoyed learning about the digital fabrication during the course, especially the laser cutting. While i have some basic previous knowledge  of this process, id never used slicer before, or taken a 3d digital model into a 3d physical model. This process has given me plenty of ideas for model making in the future. Topographic models for example, could be created from digitally modelled topography, where slicer cuts it into the different layers to be cut and then glued together.

The Metalworking itself could also be applied into landscape design, especially after understanding how the different forms are crafted. There is a lot of potential sculptural as well as practical applications of metal in the landscape, which after doing this course, i would love to explore. From simple things such as garden edging or park benches, to large scale sculptural forms such as the cloud gate sculpture.

Cloud Gate

Bench - Kingston Foreshore Canberra

 Overall this course has challenged me to reinvent my design process to better understand how a design will be created, and to use technology to better enhance this process. It has also given me a plethora of ideas, on how to make models and also how to integrate metal into my designs ina realistic, but impressive way.