ed/3d
models and environmental design
in environmental design we design environments. we make spaces that frame the experiences of daily life –
we start with concepts and move to diagrams, we develop these three dimensionally and then, gradually we develop the shape of space and
imagine its material aspects. every decision either layers the
central idea with complexity and harmony or incrementally diminishes the power and clarity of that idea. every decision carries with it the baggage of agenda – what are the political, ethical, social, ecological concerns we as designers bring with us and how are they challenged within the structure and perceived limitations of any program?
these models (from a variety of second and third year environmental design studios) represent only one aspect of the work within environmental design – that of three-dimensional model making. they are the tip of the iceberg. we are not seeing the research or the sketches, plans, sections, elevations and perspectives let alone the virtual computer modeling of the building.
the range, scale and complexity of our programs and our imagined worlds are vast but models give us something material and measurable.
they represent the physical manifestation of creative thought and creative process in the shaping of our built environments.
stuart m. reid curator
february 2008