Design Research Unit – Field effects / shaping fields
The design research unit was used to explore the ‘field’ as a compositional element.
Looking for a way of developing edgeless objects (in order to further a drive towards an edgeless architecture) the notion of field was explored through both reflective writing and experimental play.
The investigation was based around two objectives first the exploration of different field effects and the second the identification of ways in which fields are created and could be designed.
Field effects examined included: uncertainty, flux, ambiguity, potentiality, subjectivity, extensibility, interconnectivity …
Methods of working identified included: group identity, coordinates and nonstandard geometry, emergence and evolution …
A ‘thinking machine’ was developed to explore these ideas. Glass bottles were used as place holders to create varying fields. Different systems of rules and affordances where performed creating different fields. This play activity, involving many participants, was a step towards working with fields compositionally during design.
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