Partially Similar

Computational Design / Apartment Housing

Woodbury University | Studio 2A | Instructor: Carmelia Chiang | Alameda & 4th Street, Los Angeles | Fall 2019

Partially Similar investigates symmetry in architecture through a study of the part to whole relationships present in centrally planned architecture. A centrally planned building is a round or polygonal figure whose parts have been organized by rotation about a common center. The studio began with the study of precedents to develop and expand our understanding of symmetry and polygonal geometry. While the precedent building remains a key figure throughout the semester, special attention will be paid to the part, as an attempt to situate contemporary discussions of computational variation within the historical context of the centrally planned building. The parameters of centrality and polygonal geometry will be used to structure rigorous formal experimentation. In response to the Woodbury University School of Architecture’s year of Housing, the use of partial similarity is used to interrogate the modern notion of the unit in housing.