Groundswell

Groundswell inscribes an intimate enclosure to the Design Miami/ plaza. The twisting of the ground plane envelops guests in an environment that is as unexpected as it is familiar. Inspired by the fluidity of wave forms, this proposal choreographs a series of spatial functions through a language of formal continuity.

The pipeline is constructed descriptively through the calibration of geodesic curves on developable surfaces (in this case, cylinders and cones). When multiple geodesic lines are drawn parallel to one another, the surface can be subdivided into geodesic “planks”. Through this linear logic of construction from the unrolled state to its three-dimensional form, we are able to produce this provocative curvilinear shape through simple means of construction using conventional stock material (i.e. PVC siding, dimensional lumber, sheet material etc.).

Through the controlled manipulation of these material constraints, the system is able to produce modulation at different scales—in this case, a large central enclosure that inscribes a primary axis of circulation across the site for guests approaching from both the Convention Center parking lot and the drop-off, long benches for seating, and a vertically creeping exhibition wall against the larger tent.

2014

In collaboration with Benzi Rodman