MA2 – hOUSE oF pLANTS

is a hybrid structure that combines the natural with the artificial and the biological with the structural.

Gottfried Semper (1803-1879), an architect and art theorist, defined tectonics as “the art of assembling rigid, rod-shaped parts into a system that is immovable in and of itself.” If the tectonic is the essence of architecture, then we comprehend buildings as compositions, arrangements, assemblages, and as heterogeneous structures composed of various parts.

Along tectonic principles such as proportion, scale, repetition, rhythm, contrast, texture, color, position, form, alignment, balance, symmetry and asymmetry, reduction, distribution, accentuation, dynamics, statics, perspective, this deliberate joining negotiates the parts with the whole until articulated sentences reveal a composition or an architectural narrative.
Through this precise articulation, tectonic compositions become vivid and understandable, not only for project beneficiaries and users, but also for artificial intelligence, which becomes an active collaborator in the ongoing design process. It does not pose essential questions or make crucial decisions, but it helps us sort through and expand our ideas mid-journey.

If we imagine that planning is derived from plants, we can create architectural compositions that have a unique relationship with nature, similar to ikebana, the Japanese art of flower arrangement. Initially, the relationship with nature, the comprehension of a cosmic order, and ultimately the designer’s personal emotions appear antithetical to architectural endeavors. By investigating the tectonic along materials and geometries between nature and artificiality, sometimes physically and sometimes digitally, the meditative and precise design method of ikebana brings us closer to architecture than many space programs.

Using nature, tectonics, and artificial intelligence as guiding principles, the design process entailed a “deep dive” into the digital and physical worlds.

Student credits: Comploi Simon, Dilitz Fabian, Krabacher Aline, Raschle Monika, Schwalm Christina Maria, Senoner Sophia, Takim Zeynep, Takova Gergana, Waldbauer Alexander