Faraday_001 from Andrew Stiff on Vimeo.
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Can the systematic use of Architectural methodologies of representation [plan, section elevation and Axonometric] be used to develop a structure that can be employed by moving image / motion graphic processes that will explore the relationship between the architectural object, urban space and the inhabitant.
FADE Grant Initiative
My application for the FADE grant initiative was for replacement teaching hours that would allow me to film on location. The project is to record the secret, hidden building, whose existence is only acknowledged within the architectural plan. Originally this was going to be a process of recording the infrastructures that get hidden once the building is complete. However the severe economic downturn has put all of the potential sites that I was going to engage with, on hold for the foreseeable future. Health and safety concerns would not allow me access to these unsupervised sites.
This turn of events has led me to develop another avenue for the project, and one that ties in with my wider research aims.
The Grid
The grid is an architectural tool, employed between all the participants in the process of construction. It has many purposes, such as locating specific places within the structure, as well as being subdivided up to organise the modular infrastructure such as ceiling tiles, walls and windows. In contemporary architecture the grid is displayed by the layout of the elevations of the building. The grid materialises on the surface of the elevation – where the building meets the street. Like the crystalline surface of ice hiding the fluidity of the water underneath.
This surface manifestation is the focus of the project. I am in the process of developing a set of methods that will allow me to explore how the architectural grid sits within its context, how its context is influenced by the grid, and how, by manipulating the order of the spaces generated by the grid we can transform the visual relationship between structure and context.
Outcomes
There are three key outcomes of this funded project. The first is the production of a short moving image work that will help define a set of video capturing and editorial principles that will go into developing a methodology for recording the interrelation between the architectural object and its context.
Secondly this will inform an application for funding from the AHRC. The application will be a joint application, possibly exploring the social implications of the architectural grid on its urban context. How does the grid affect social behaviour.
Thirdly the work will inform the contents of a paper to be submitted to conference and / or journal.
Timescale
This project will start in February. I will film one day per week for 5 weeks. Dependant upon the quality of the material, the duration of filming may be limited, allowing me to start the postproduction phase within the five week period.
Project Location
I have decided to locate this project at Elephant and Castle, in particular the roundabout that contains the Faraday Memorial sculpture. This structure is very formal, it sits square to what remains of the public space, and it is a very visibly ‘grided’ structure. The regeneration of Elephant and Castle will see this structure being moved to a new location, and the whole area being reorganised to make it more pedestrian friendly. Also LCC is engaged in a number of projects recording the transformation of the space and so would be in the position to advise on the procedures or permission, etc.