Potential for Surprise

This article uses various meanings of the word “projection” to generate a series of interpretations of a particular architectural project (Figs. 01, 06). The project under discussion is a structure constructed of cable ties, hereafter CT_mesh. It was completed in 2011. The geometry of CT_ mesh has self-intersecting topology and its surface is made from a continually differentiated pattern (Fig. 02). By now, computational tools for defining such patterns are becoming common and their outcomes recognisable. Consequently, this paper does not attempt to argue that this structure is original as an object but instead discusses it as a material manifestation of some peculiar processes. One such process unfolds at the temporal scale of a design project; in this case, over several weeks. It is concerned with the management of control within what most people would recognise as designing. The very idea of such management is novel within the field of architecture and the paper describes its – also innovative – implementation as layering of heterogeneous constraints. This description positions designing not as a goal-directed demonstration of pre-accumulated expertise but as a deliberate balancing act between composition and improvisation. The other process occurs at a larger temporal scale that can span multiple projects and even encompass disciplinary paradigm shifts. To illustrate, the modest experiment with the layered control mentioned above is motivated by the long-term research into biologically-inspired structures, processes and systems that are characterised by multi-layer hierarchies capable of opportunistic and non-destructive local adjustments.