Located in Fort Greene this penthouse apartment was composed of two units combined together. The client's industrialized aesthetic and collection of furniture, fixtures & objects set the mood for the entire home. We redesigned the terraces as well as added an operable partition dividing the office and sleeping spaces. Scattered amongst the home are a series of custom made wood elements ranging from shelving, a daybed, & a set of window screens to provide privacy, all designed and built by Studio Purisic.

The psychiatry office in Flatiron underwent a thoughtful and intentional design process, one that sought to create a harmonious balance between functionality and aesthetic appeal. The existing space was carefuly subdivided, resulting in a communal area that fosters connection and collaboration, and four private offices, two large and two more intimate in scale. Each office was graced with ample natural light streaming through large windows, creating a warm and inviting ambiance. The communal area was designed with an organic aesthetic, featuring raw, unfinished plywood, neutral hues, and white cabinetry as a backdrop, imbuing the space with a sense of tranquility. In contrast, the interior of each private office was enveloped in a warm material palette consisting of rich cherry wood shelving, plush leather seating and warm lighting, creating a comforting environment for patients to explore their thoughts and emotions.

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The renovation of a former auto-body shop located in the heart of Williamsburg is an ambitious project that aims to transform the 10,000sf space into a dynamic and innovative hub for creative individuals to gather, collaborate, innovate, and create. The client, KidSuper Studios, a fashion brand turned creative studio, is looking to create a "factory" that will be a destination for artists, designers, and other creatives. The space will include an art gallery, event space, recording studios, retail space, photography studio, artist studio, lounge, office spaces, screen-printing studio, classrooms, and podcasting rooms. The design is executed in a series of phases with the ultimate goal to create a real-life Willy Wonka factory that re-ignites the creative energy of New York City.

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Located in the Landmark District of Jackson Heights, the 800sf co-op underwent a complete gut renovation. The formal living and dining room were converted into one large open space, with the kitchen being opened up to unify the space and act as a backdrop to the living area. The entry hallway was shortened to allow for more usable space, and the bedroom was expanded into the living room to provide space for a closet. The orientation of the bathroom was also changed. The design focus was on simplicity, expanding the space, providing more opportunity for natural light, and a simple and elegant material palette of limited materials. Oak flooring, mosaic tile, minimal shadow reveals, and wood elements were used throughout the renovation.

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Powder Coated Steel

Walnut Hardwood Dowels

Stainless Steel

Sandblasted aluminum

Glass

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Solid White Pine

Anodized aluminum

Glass

Liquid

Recycled Plastic

Glass

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Anodized aluminum

Rubber

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THIS IS LIKELY THE LONGEST CONTINUOUS DRONE FOOTAGE EVER RECORDED

There is no more powerful tool in storytelling than a memorable image. The documentation of a landscape could be executed in a multitude of different ways, however, few capture the attention and imagination of the viewer like aerial imagery. Aerial imagery provides us an opportunity to see our own world in impossible ways, it allows us to take flight and look down upon our landscapes, cities, and ultimately ourselves instilling within us a sense of humbleness and modesty towards the fragility of our planet.

The goal of this project is to document the current state of the landscape in the Great Plains region of the US. The method of the project is a continuous drone film, covering nearly 1000 miles.  Our aim is to document and expose the scale and traces of climate change induced droughts, methodologies being used to mitigate the increasing water shortage, and to predict the trans-formative future that is in store for the landscape. While we are not specifically calling for any conservation efforts with this project we wholeheartedly believe that there is a dire need for a fresh and new way to document and study the landscapes we are transforming.

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There is no more powerful tool in storytelling than a memorable image. The documentation of a landscape could be executed in a multitude of different ways, however, few capture the attention and imagination of the viewer like aerial imagery. Aerial imagery provides us an opportunity to see our own world in impossible ways, it allows us to take flight and look down upon our landscapes, cities, and ultimately ourselves instilling within us a sense of humbleness and modesty towards the fragility of our planet.

The goal of this project is to document the current state of the landscape in the Great Plains region of the US. The method of the project is a continuous drone film, covering nearly 1000 miles.  Our aim is to document and expose the scale and traces of climate change induced droughts, methodologies being used to mitigate the increasing water shortage, and to predict the trans-formative future that is in store for the landscape. While we are not specifically calling for any conservation efforts with this project we wholeheartedly believe that there is a dire need for a fresh and new way to document and study the landscapes we are transforming.

As an architect, I have been using the cutting-edge technology of Dall-E to explore new architectural ideas and push the boundaries of what is possible in my field. With Dall-E, I am able to generate high-quality images from text prompts, allowing me to quickly and easily experiment with different design concepts.

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One of the most exciting aspects of using Dall-E for me is the ability to quickly generate a wide range of visual options for a given project. This allows me to explore different possibilities and make informed decisions about the design direction I want to take. Additionally, Dall-E's ability to generate images from text prompts means that I can communicate my ideas and concepts to others in a clear and easy-to-understand way.

I have also been using Dall-E to generate realistic images of my designs, which can be used to present my ideas to clients or stakeholders. The ability to generate high-quality images in real-time can save time and increase efficiency in the design process.

Overall, my experimentation with Dall-E has opened up new possibilities in my work as an architect and has allowed me to explore architectural ideas in a more efficient and creative way. As technology continues to advance, I am excited to see what other possibilities will arise in the field of architecture.

In conclusion, as an architect I have found Dall-E to be a valuable tool in the exploration and development of architectural ideas. With its ability to generate high-quality images from text prompts, Dall-E allows for efficient experimentation and visualization of my designs. This technology has enabled me to push the boundaries of what is possible and make informed decisions about the direction of my projects. I am excited to see how Dall-E and other similar tools will shape the future of architecture as technology continues to advance.

As an architect, I have been using the cutting-edge technology of Dall-E to explore new architectural ideas and push the boundaries of what is possible in my field. With Dall-E, I am able to generate high-quality images from text prompts, allowing me to quickly and easily experiment with different design concepts.

One of the most exciting aspects of using Dall-E for me is the ability to quickly generate a wide range of visual options for a given project. This allows me to explore different possibilities and make informed decisions about the design direction I want to take. Additionally, Dall-E's ability to generate images from text prompts means that I can communicate my ideas and concepts to others in a clear and easy-to-understand way.

This HarvardxDesign conference is themed on Shift. From responding to natural shifts to manufacturing catalysts for change, we live in a constantly transitioning world. The conference provides a platform for meaningful discussion around the role of design in industries varying from sustainable fashion to smart cities to the future of learning. We are interested in how shifts in design innovation can lead to social, cultural, and technological progress. The conference engages the Harvard community with talks, case studies, panel discussions, and interactive design thinking sessions.

Sponsored by J.W. Kaempfer, Jr. (MBA ‘71), Knoll, and Continuum

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Speakers
KEYNOTE SPEAKER

John Maeda, Automattic, former KCPB

SPACES: HOW WE RELATE TO OUR BUILT ENVIRONMENT
Benjamin Pardo, Knoll
Eric Baczuk, Google Sidewalk Labs
Moderated by Silvia Benedito, Harvard GSD

PLATFORMS: HOW WE PARTICIPATE IN SOCIETY AND DESIGN
David Lee, Squarespace
Anthony Pannozzo, Frog
Moderated by Gordon Bloom

PRODUCTS: HOW WE INTERACT WITH THE OBJECTS AROUND US
Danny Stillion, IDEO
Pauline Brown, HBS and former LVMH
Christina Agapakis, Ginkgo Bioworks

SYSTEMS: HOW WE ADDRESS SYSTEM WIDE CHANGE
Lee Moreau, Continuum
Robin Heffernan, Circulation
Moderated by Pauline Brown

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CLOSING KEYNOTE
Paul Dillinger, Levi Strauss

HarvardxDesign is a collaborative student organization among groups at the Harvard Graduate School of Design, Harvard Business School, Harvard College, and other organizations from across the Boston community. Since 2012, xDesign's annual conference aims to bring together creative thinkers, design luminaries, professors, industry leaders, and students to engage, debate, and reinterpret the design process. By promoting a culture of collaboration, we strive to share experiences across disciplines, explore pressing global issues, and empower students to become change agents through design.

The fibrous tectonics studio investigates new methodologies, arrangements, and applications of composite-fiber materials, namely carbon and glass fibers which are saturated in epoxy resin. The aim of the investigation is to propose an innovative system of deploying these specific materials.

Our system combines the traditional textile technique of knitting with inflatable pneumatic membranes to create composite-fiber structures. We see these two techniques as inherently complementary. The pneumatic membrane can pretension the fibers of the knit surface and expand it into a spatial and form-active volume while knitting allows the fibrous surface to be behaviorally and topologically programmed, which, in turn, determines how the pneumatic membrane inflates. The resulting configuration of fibers is then saturated with resin and cured into a rigid structure.

This system addresses three major issues in the contemporary application of composite-fibers. First, composite-fibers today are most often applied as a homogenous, anisotropic surface. Fibers are woven into regular textiles or cut and sprayed in a random (approximately homogenous) configuration. This is a misuse of fibers which have definite isotopic properties and should be deployed efficiently (i. E. Not homogeneously, but where loads [or aesthetics] dictate). Second, conventional processes compromise the continuity (and furthermore the structural integrity) of fibers by cutting textiles into templates or use cut to length fibers in spray applications. The result of these processes are often components that are joined using alien hardware (nuts and bolts). Third, almost all fibers are deployed with the use of a mold or mandrel or scaffold. These aids to production require significant material investment often surpassing the cost of fibers and resin (unless production number per mold is high) and limit the complexity and variety of forms produced.

Although the exploration of fibrous-composites such as carbon-fiber and fiberglass is relatively new (1930s), the history of fibrous tectonics is ancient. The notion of making with a fibrous material is heavily rooted in textile traditions. Knitting takes advantage of the anisotropic (and otherwise specific) nature of fibers and is capable of deploying material in a highly programmed heterogeneous arrangement, allowing the designer to control both form and material behavior.

Knitting is an inherently programmable process. The algorithm which informs stitches may allow for a variety of patterns. Alternating the pattern, density, or tension of stitches results in a fabric surface with specific behavioral properties. Elasticity or rigidity, density or porosity can be programmed into the material via geometric arrangement. In this way a highly inelastic material (carbon-fiber) can be rearranged at a tectonic scale to mimic otherwise alien material properties (elasticity). This geometric elasticity can be witnessed in most loose knit clothing. For example, a scarf can have much more elastic than an individual length of yarn from which it is knit. Knitting as a fabrication process allows for material to be deployed in an extremely heterogeneous and specific arrangement, contrasting the homogenous and anisotropic application of conventional processes.

Unlike other textile techniques, knitting uses a single, continuous fiber. Composites function best when fibers are continuous. This configuration of continuous, interlocking loops has the added benefit of allowing the fiber to be easily recycled. Knitting also controls the profile of the resulting surface through the stitch pattern. This contrasts methods such as weaving, where looms are often set to produce rectangular lengths of fabric which are then cut into templates to be assembled, compromising the continuity and integrity of fibers at the edges. Knit surfaces may have complex profiles and topologies where fibers are always continuous at the edge.

Formal and structural investigations led to the modeling of complex forms and topologies. These would often be approximated by joining several knit-textile surfaces which were produced separately. An incredible benefit of the process is that separate knit surfaces may be continuous/seamless when joined. Stitches identical to those used in the production of the fabric surface may be used to close seams, ultimately creating a uniform condition. Locating seams appropriately allows for complex geometry to be unrolled into manufacturable templates with minimal distortion. Additional information such as stress mapping and load flows may be unrolled along with these surfaces, informing the template's knit algorithm in terms of density and pattern. Ultimately, complex configurations of fibers may be accomplished as tectonically continuous forms, improving upon processes that cut and compromise the integrity of fibers, and component-based systems that rely on alien hardware for aggregation or assembly.

Although knitting affords tremendous possibilities in the deployment of these materials, interacting fibers may only form a tensile surface, and therefore need a means of activation in order to be deployed as a tensioned volumetric form. Fibers can be formed and tensioned within a mold or by winding fibers across the surface of a mandrel or scaffold. Our system investigates tensioning fibers via pneumatic bladders which are inflated inside a (closed) knit surface. Pneumatics require the least material investment per volume of any activation (i. E. Forming and pre-tensioning) system and may be easily scaled.

The main reason for abandoning the use of scaffolds was the relatively large material investment and the consequential realization of scale limitations. Pneumatics on the other hand require the least material investment per volume of an 'activation' (i.e. forming and pretensioned) system and may be increased in size either by direct scaling (e.g. Anish Kapoor) or by number in a specifically arranged aggregation.

Since the pneumatic membranes are relatively flexible and malleable, a single type of membrane can be manipulated into a variety of forms by a programmed, enclosing tensile surface. Flexibility / formability (relationship of knit surface to pneumatics) formation/tension.

We began to look at using the knitting techniques we've developed as a means to create a predetermined form. By varying the knitting pattern and technique we are able to program different forms, apertures and openings with in the structure. By finding the code of each form we can begin to manipulate them and establish varying formal algorithms.

Regular standardized pneumatics can be arranged in a controlled way to achieve a variety of unique volumetric configurations. Complexity and uniqueness is a free consequence of the knitting algorithm. In other words, the pattern and topology with which a fibrous textile is knit will pre-determine the form, behavior, and configuration of the interacting pneumatics and fibers.

Using regular bladders, knit surfaces can produce a variety of forms and configurations of aggregations. The pneumatic membrane is able to pre-tension the fibers of the knit surface and expand it into a spatial and form-active volume while a knit surface may determine how the pneumatic membrane inflates and aggregates. Complexity and customization are therefore a free consequence of the algorithmic (and possibly automated) knitting process.

The techniques of knitting and pneumatic inflation are inherently complementary. The pneumatic membrane is able to pre-tension the fibers of the knit surface and expand it into a spatial and form-active volume while a knit surface may determine how the pneumatic membrane inflates and aggregates. Complexity and customization are therefore a free consequence of the algorithmic (and possibly automated) knitting process. This opens possibilities beyond the constraints of the traditional mold. We investigated how these processes allow for a continuous aggregation of fibers that do not rely on the traditional notion of joinery or hardware (which often produce structural weak points in composite structures). Lastly, all processes we have identified have counterparts at a much larger scale, and therefore invite the notion of a scalable system that can approach an architecture.

In conclusion, our system combines the traditional textile technique of knitting with inflatable pneumatic membranes to create composite-fiber structures.

“The best work of Achim Menges and colleagues, including that in Menges's design studios on fibrous tectonics at GSD, comprises the most advanced and groundbreaking efforts to break away from the historical tendency to see technological improvements change tools and methods but lead to "little more than transferring traditional [... ] procedures to the operation of machinery.” Specifically, when Purisic, Varholick, Gao, and Safaverdi in the 2015 GSD studio experiment with traditional knitting techniques in a dynamical relation with pneumatic membranes, they succeed in tapping into the power of textile mechanics and geometry to produce startlingly beautiful and fresh architectural effects.” – Johan Bettum

The fibrous tectonics studio investigates new methodologies, arrangements, and applications of composite-fiber materials, namely carbon and glass fibers which are saturated in epoxy resin. The aim of the investigation is to propose an innovative system of deploying these specific materials.

Our system combines the traditional textile technique of knitting with inflatable pneumatic membranes to create composite-fiber structures. We see these two techniques as inherently complementary. The pneumatic membrane is able to pretension the fibers of the knit surface and expand it into a spatial- and form-active volume while knitting allows the fibrous surface to be behaviorally and topologically programmed, which, in turn, determines how the pneumatic membrane inflates. The resulting configuration of fibers is then saturated with resin and cured into a rigid structure.

Demir Purisic, Joseph Varholick, Yuan Gao, Zahra Safaverdi

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THIS IS LIKELY THE LONGEST CONTINUOUS DRONE FOOTAGE EVER RECORDED

There is no more powerful tool in storytelling than a memorable image. The documentation of a landscape could be executed in a multitude of different ways, however, few capture the attention and imagination of the viewer like aerial imagery. Aerial imagery provides us an opportunity to see our own world in impossible ways, it allows us to take flight and look down upon our landscapes, cities, and ultimately ourselves instilling within us a sense of humbleness and modesty towards the fragility of our planet.

The goal of this project is to document the current state of the landscape in the Great Plains region of the US. The method of the project is a continuous drone film, covering nearly 1000 miles.  Our aim is to document and expose the scale and traces of climate change induced droughts, methodologies being used to mitigate the increasing water shortage, and to predict the trans-formative future that is in store for the landscape. While we are not specifically calling for any conservation efforts with this project we wholeheartedly believe that there is a dire need for a fresh and new way to document and study the landscapes we are transforming.

While we strive to capture the viewer’s imagination and instill a sense of awe and wonder in them this is simply a means to an end. Our ultimate aim is to increase the knowledge of the ecological state and highlight the current issues and future trends of the main global agricultural belts covering the Great Plains in the US and the Prairies of Canada such as the Saskatchewan Region. This is a region that is rarely visited, and it is precisely this lack of awareness that has led to its massive transformation going virtually unnoticed in the public eye and in the case of US this has resulted in a new environmental disaster in the making. Our focus will be to document the ever-increasing takeover of XL Agriculture, anticipated and recorded shifts due to climate change, and early steps being explored towards water security, and crop diversification occurring in the Canadian region. We aim that the film will serve as an effective documentation and exposure of the future challenges, serve as a catalyst to inform and spark debate, and inform future planning of XL agriculture. It is a question that already has some audience in Canada, but for now with relatively little visual record to substantially support scenario building and future planning, in finding a long-term sustainable methods of large food production.

The full extended film running 18 hours and 43 minutes will be on view at the Guggenheim Museum from February 20, 2020 to August 14,  2020 as part of the “Countryside, The Future” exhibition.

There is no more powerful tool in storytelling than a memorable image. The documentation of a landscape could be executed in a multitude of different ways, however, few capture the attention and imagination of the viewer like aerial imagery. Aerial imagery provides us an opportunity to see our own world in impossible ways, it allows us to take flight and look down upon our landscapes, cities, and ultimately ourselves instilling within us a sense of humbleness and modesty towards the fragility of our planet.

The goal of this project is to document the current state of the landscape in the Great Plains region of the US. The method of the project is a continuous drone film, covering nearly 1000 miles.  Our aim is to document and expose the scale and traces of climate change induced droughts, methodologies being used to mitigate the increasing water shortage, and to predict the trans-formative future that is in store for the landscape. While we are not specifically calling for any conservation efforts with this project we wholeheartedly believe that there is a dire need for a fresh and new way to document and study the landscapes we are transforming.