Anticipating Suspense

ANTICIPATING SUSPENSE

Visiting Workshop
SAN JOSE- COSTA RICA, (23 APRIL-11 MAY 2012)

Maria Araya                 Zaha Hadid Architects
Hooman Talebi             Zaha Hadid Architects
Farshad Mahdizadeh      IaaC

info@clefasanjose2012.com

As one of the most visited countries in Central America and as the country with the largest percentage of protect areas in the world, Costa Rica attracts over two million tourists per year with ecotourism embracing challenging topographies and leisure. Inspired by the lightness and artisanal construction of existing local canopies and their responsive behaviour resulting from the interaction between structure, user and environment, this three week workshop explores new alternatives for suspended and adaptable systems of primary connectivity and shelter.
During the first part of the workshop we will be studying material systems with the embedded intelligence to perform in suspension and respond to transformative external forces that will be used as parameters informing the design. The fragile equilibrium between exploitation and exploration of the rainforest as a self-organising (eco) system will be analysed. In the second part, we intend to build a working prototype making use of the latest fabrication technologies available. We will exercise computational methods of design and fabrication that can reinterpret local techniques and crafts.
Open to international participants, will benefit architecture/design students interested in continuing post graduate studies/research. Basic Rhino and Grasshopper is favourable.