:: Exuberant | Synergies ::  

Fashion and Textiles Institute : R&D CAMPUS

珂陋섟렬廉欺牘：셕뵨桔씩叫蹈

Exuberant | Adjective : Filled with or characterised by a lively energy and excitement.

Synergy | noun: The interaction or cooperation of two or more organization or substances, or other agents to produce a combined effect greater than the sum of their separate effects.

 

00_Background Information

China’s status as the world’s largest manufacturing country has given its fashion designers a low profile internationally, however this is now expected to change as Chinese creativity moves centre stage. China’s imminent transformation from an export-oriented manufacturing country to a nation which prioritises national talent to meet domestic demand is on the horizon, the less than desirable image of “Made In China” is set to be replaced by a much more covetable “Created in China”¹ as Chinese-based designers go to the top of the must-have scale in the fashion industry.

The fashion industry is cherished for its positive impacts on creativity and culture, however, there is a darker side of the industry from textile waste, water pollution and excessive carbon and energy use, it depicts a critical situation. Environment, ecology and its inhabitants are victims of this industry’s aftermath. The fashion and textile industry is one of the largest polluters in China, much of this caused by excessive toxic waste through ‘wet dyeing’ production processes, this is not solely related to the manufacture of textiles to meet national demand, but carries the burden of being the “Apparel workshop of the world”. Astonishingly a total of 29.9% of China’s total exports originate from the Guandong region leading to many reaches of the Pearl river, the region’s main water resource, considered unfit as sources of drinking water due to pollution².    Water scarcity further increases pressure on clean water resources, with studies revealing that – as a result of water pollution and its inefficient use  – Guangdong’s provinces overall water supply will have a shortfall of 3.1 billion cubic metres (50% of its demand ) by 2020³ if no measures are taken to meet the problem.

01_Hypothesis 

The scheme is primarily aimed to provide a fashion and textiles institute devoted to research and development of eliminating toxic chemicals from the entire production cycles. It is an academic facility exposing emergent processes in the production of dyeing fabrics (this has always been delineated as having negative effects for ecology) and prioritises in the education and talent of Chinese-based designers positing an opportunity for the city of Guangzhou to gain a new image as a creative city cluster. The ambition is to become factory of knowledge and creativity that advocates the redesigning of manufacturing processes to eliminate toxic chemicals from the production cycles emphasising on the prevention of water pollution. This gives premise for the fashion industry to adapt a new identity based on been ecologically aware aiming to end its obscured pollutant related iconograpgy.

02_Methodology

Exuberance signifies energy, excitement and encouragement bonded as a single synergy, the programme therefore focuses on questioning the nature of the ornament as becoming peformative. This is based on a synergy of ornamental aesthetics coupled with a specific building requirement  been either, spatial, structural or cooling mechanism to provide a range of atmospheric effects. 

Spatially a single component based designed is deployed through the scheme to adapt to various programmatic conditions, this in turn will affect its scale and morphology. The strategic placement of the ornament defines key aspects to create a continuous loop that aids in the creation of continuous movement guiding the building user through a matrix of sequential spaces. This in turn gives the ornament the premise to act as a spatial mediator guiding the user through multi sensorial experiences. As a system the ornament responds to the need to create a cooling strategy, thus the use of hollow water channels used to circulate water throughout the building is integrated to aid in the building’s strategy to implement evaporative cooling. In addition to aid cooling strategy water pockets have been arranged both internally and externally to provide a natural evaporative cooling effect.     

The ultimate value of the ornament is to provide a high intricate and ornamental spatial condition used to control experiential effect and sensation.

03_Assessment Criteria

Investigations of the current phenomenon of economic shift in China from “production to content” introduces an opportunity to redefine an architectural and urban development in Guangzhou to have a wider effect in Social, cultural, economical and environmental restructuring. The proposed Brand questions the specific stages within the manufacturing production of silk fabrics; create, produce, consume. These are translated into a creative process and reinterpreted as, 

1. Create: Atmospheric effect to inspire and to be identified with interior conditions.

2. Produce: Atmospheric effect to aid research and identified with programmatic aspects of the building proposal.

3. Consume: Atmospheric effects created by manipulating ground datum and roof building interface to transmit light and water caustic effects to the public realm.  

These criteria determine the deployment of a peformative ornament to create atmospheric effects, the assessment thus involves how the peformative ornament is manifested throughout the design to aid into transmitting effects and act as a spatial threshold between the identified processes. For interior creative conditions the ornament adapts to provide a spatial language of continuity and fluidity providing a sensuous spatial interior.  For ‘produce’ the ornament identifies itself as  structural integrity, noted in the library area as ducts migrating to the exterior becoming super columns expressed as tectonic elements. Consume adapts the exhibition and ground datum to become a perforated surface and form a continuous loop  flow path. Continuity is central to the scheme and manifested through the ornament’s adaptation to form a continuous trajectory loop to guide staff and students throughout the scheme, thus acting as spatial mediator guiding the user through multi-sensorial experiences.      

04_Expected outcome

The most important aspect of the design is to provide the building users a multi-sensorial experience based on the use of form and aesthetics (ornament) to transmit atmospheric effects. This is achieved though the manipulation of scale and form of the investigated ornament component to   transmit water and light effects. Both elements also influence the amount of thermal capacity in the building thus their use is also aimed to aid the cooling strategy of the building. 

It is hoped that this design is treated as an immediate extension of the existing GAFA university campus and provides scope for growth by redeveloping the surrounding site as a larger urban campus quarter devoted to the education and talent of Chinese based designers. 

This would establish a creative industry cluster based on the fashion and textiles industry elevating the city’s stance as creative city cluster.  

 

 

 

Appendix

Julia set Fractal ::Silk + Morphological Elegance::