Papers by Pedram Ghelichi
arq: Architectural Research Quarterly , 2020
The early career of Sverre Fehn, the influential Norwegian architect, is marked by the designs of... more The early career of Sverre Fehn, the influential Norwegian architect, is marked by the designs of pavilions which were constructed shortly after each other for two major competitions: The Norwegian Pavilion for the World Exposition in Brussels (1956–1958) and The Nordic Pavilion at the Giardini site of the Venice Biennale (1958–1962). This paper studies the process which led from design to construction for both pavilions, identifies structural changes during that process, and investigates the causes and effects of such changes. A study of Fehn’s hand-drawn sketches and photos of models, made throughout the design and construction stages, reveals that despite functional and formal similarities the two pavilions’ development process and the changes which they underwent are noticeably different. The pursuit of ‘abstract space’ during the competition stage for the Brussels Pavilion was tested by considerations of construction only later on, creating a critical tension in the project. Not only did the organisation of structural components change significantly during the design process but the logic of construction underwent a complete transformation. Nevertheless, this transition between different iterations of the Brussels Pavilion suggested an alternative approach for the Venice Pavilion in which the initial thought of construction became a projection, rather than an abstract imitation of built reality. The spatial intention and construction-related considerations of the Venice Pavilion were addressed by a ‘synergetic’ structural principle, implicit in the competition scheme. This unprecedented feature significantly enlarged the ‘space of possibility’ of the roof structure, which provided for adaptation to indeterminacies without compromising the initial design intentions. Changes in the design of the Brussels and Venice Pavilions, therefore, differ in the ways in which they evolved from design to completion: sequential and abrupt, vs. gradual and continuous. This sheds light on a critical shift in the work of an influential architect and the way he approached design indeterminacies, rather than forcing them into submission.
Thesis Chapters by Pedram Ghelichi
iconografía: notas en los márgenes a documentos de Enric Miralles [Between geometry and iconograp... more iconografía: notas en los márgenes a documentos de Enric Miralles [Between geometry and iconography: notes in the margins of drawings by Enric Miralles]' (PhD Thesis,
Doctoral Dissertation, 2021
Exactitude is a state in which the three-dimensional geometrical representation of a building cor... more Exactitude is a state in which the three-dimensional geometrical representation of a building corresponds precisely to its a priori design. Today, due to the ever increasing use of computer-aided design and fabrication tools, the relentless desire for exactitude has become the architect’s default expectation. However, this idealised objective often faces difficulties. The main problem is that digitisation may satisfy the quest for exactitude in the scale of building parts, rather than in the actual building, which is exposed to construction indeterminacies, particularly during in-situ operations. Hereupon, this desire at the building scale incurs an inner tension: architects seek an ideal state of exactitude in design, but the result is an inexact copy during construction.
Instead of offering yet another authorial strategy for confronting indeterminacies, this study questions the very duality of exactitude and error: can the design to construction process go beyond the representation-realisation modality? Put simply, can a design be constructed differently than that shown on the blueprint without falling victim to error? By investigating a series of case studies, this study hypothesises that the key lies in viewing construction indeterminacies not as a problem to avoid, tolerate or confront, but as an active and productive agent to recognise and intervene. The thesis’s goals are to cast doubt on the routine, authorial and essentialist design to construction approach, and then, to shift the focus to a non-essentialist alternative, in which a design can be constructed in infinite different, yet similar, possibilities.
To explore, identify and exemplify this alternative approach, the thesis investigates the design to construction processes of several built works of Sverre Fehn, Enric Miralles and Unitinno Studio. Critically selected, the case studies are not intended to be ‘perfect’ selections in the form of a seamless whole; instead, they represent three continuous cycles in the form of an assemblage, exploring the same argument from different perspectives. Each cycle addresses different kinds of indeterminacies and different building processes. Also, each cycle describes a turning point in each architect’s approach, from the conventional practices of their early works to the alternative approach of their later projects. This juxtaposition not only clarifies each architect’s motivation in developing the alternative, it also explains the architect’s process of becoming.
The key commonality among the critical cases is the centrality of construction indeterminacies in the design process and how they reflect on the design configuration. In this regard, the alternative approach i) acknowledges indeterminacy inevitability, ii) critically recognises the potential in indeterminacies, and iii) foresees how indeterminacies may cause building parts to change during the construction process. Hereupon, building part design should enable re-configuration during the construction process, according to recognised indeterminacies. Thus, instead of designing a set of static and ideal design configurations to be exactly constructed, the alternative approach calls for designing a space of possibility that allows for infinite different, yet similar versions of the design. Among those, the builders choose the one that best suits local indeterminacies, and finalise the exact configuration of building parts on-site, during the very moment of becoming constructed.
This alternative approach initiates a critical shift from the routine: it diminishes the ever-growing extent of authorship architects often demand in pursuit of redundant exactitude; and instead, it highlights the design decision-making role of builders as catalysts. In doing so, seemingly unproductive contexts with excessive indeterminacies are embraced, and the construction process is liberated from unnecessary dependency on exactitude.
Conference Presentations by Pedram Ghelichi
ICSA2019 – 4th International Conference on Structures and Architecture, 2019
In conservative teaching environments, log construction is considered a bluntly method of buildin... more In conservative teaching environments, log construction is considered a bluntly method of building and thus, underestimated in the conventional curriculum of architecture. Such misunderstanding is caused by the apparently old-fashioned and simple form of the log system, which stands in strong contrast to contemporary construction and teaching methods. Opposed to such misconceptions, this research aims to 1) explore the log construction system as an effective teaching tool that associates hands-on construction with space and form. Further 2) to demonstrate the unrealized potential of log construction in teaching and finally, 3) to conclude this effort in construction-oriented design pedagogy. Over the course of this teaching experiment for Master and Bachelor students in The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK), various exercises have been designed accord¬ing to restrictions such as: time limitation, number of students and budget restrictions. The exercises started with explorations on the main principles of log construction system and were further followed by full-scale mock-ups and design studio. By doing so, students can identify wide issues relating to ‘construction system’ and its decisive role in other aspects of design such as material, structure, and program. Ultimately, this construction teaching method provides students with the courage to question the hidden potentials of seemingly old-fashioned and straightforward construction systems.
5th Annual International Conference on Architecture and Civil Engineering, 2017
This paper is to unveil undiscovered innovations related to the unprecedented structural arrangem... more This paper is to unveil undiscovered innovations related to the unprecedented structural arrangement and spatial experience in Studio Vacchini, designed in 1984 by Livio Vacchini. Using two different types of structural system, an exceptional tube structure standing on the top of a beam less column-slab structure, Vacchini demonstrated how load-bearing structural organization could simultaneously achieve multiple objectives: regulating light and motion, defining a function, and ultimately leading to the enriched user experience. Such delicate dependence of ‘structure,’ ‘program’ and ‘architectural space’ demonstrates conscious pursuit of leading architects in this century.
International Association for Shell and Spatial Structures, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2018
The subject of this study is the exceptional correlation of structure and space in the Nordic Pav... more The subject of this study is the exceptional correlation of structure and space in the Nordic Pavilion of Venice (1962). While claiming, “to construct a roof to protect the paintings and sculptures”, Pritzker Prize winning Nordic architect, Sverre Fehn, designed an unconventional roof that is composed of 102 concrete beams (each beam 6cm wide and 1m high) in two layers, perpendicularly stacked on each other. These components rest on a gigantic girder, resulting in combined 4 m deep sandwich of horizontal structural elements to cover a relatively small span of 16 meters. Such an unusual structural framing for a single-story pavilion, covering just 446 m 2 raises questions about the necessity of such a complex beam arrangement and the architect’s true intention. It is evident that structural efficiency is not the architect’s goal. Neither is the arrangement necessary for stability. In fact, analysis of the progression of the design, from the early drawings to the final construction phase, reveals that the configuration of the spanning structure enhances sophisticated user spatial experiences, modulates day lighting and responds to contextual features of the site. The result is that Fehn’s structural scheme not only creates a 16 m x 25 m column-free room, but also is able to evoke more sublime and less tangible qualities of Space through an unprecedented way of using structural components.
Books by Pedram Ghelichi
Sverre Fehn, Nordic Pavilion, Venice Voices from the Archives, 2020
A book chapter
in
Sverre Fehn, Nordic Pavilion, Venice
Voices from the Archives
by
Mari Lending,... more A book chapter
in
Sverre Fehn, Nordic Pavilion, Venice
Voices from the Archives
by
Mari Lending, Erik Langdalen
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Papers by Pedram Ghelichi
Thesis Chapters by Pedram Ghelichi
Instead of offering yet another authorial strategy for confronting indeterminacies, this study questions the very duality of exactitude and error: can the design to construction process go beyond the representation-realisation modality? Put simply, can a design be constructed differently than that shown on the blueprint without falling victim to error? By investigating a series of case studies, this study hypothesises that the key lies in viewing construction indeterminacies not as a problem to avoid, tolerate or confront, but as an active and productive agent to recognise and intervene. The thesis’s goals are to cast doubt on the routine, authorial and essentialist design to construction approach, and then, to shift the focus to a non-essentialist alternative, in which a design can be constructed in infinite different, yet similar, possibilities.
To explore, identify and exemplify this alternative approach, the thesis investigates the design to construction processes of several built works of Sverre Fehn, Enric Miralles and Unitinno Studio. Critically selected, the case studies are not intended to be ‘perfect’ selections in the form of a seamless whole; instead, they represent three continuous cycles in the form of an assemblage, exploring the same argument from different perspectives. Each cycle addresses different kinds of indeterminacies and different building processes. Also, each cycle describes a turning point in each architect’s approach, from the conventional practices of their early works to the alternative approach of their later projects. This juxtaposition not only clarifies each architect’s motivation in developing the alternative, it also explains the architect’s process of becoming.
The key commonality among the critical cases is the centrality of construction indeterminacies in the design process and how they reflect on the design configuration. In this regard, the alternative approach i) acknowledges indeterminacy inevitability, ii) critically recognises the potential in indeterminacies, and iii) foresees how indeterminacies may cause building parts to change during the construction process. Hereupon, building part design should enable re-configuration during the construction process, according to recognised indeterminacies. Thus, instead of designing a set of static and ideal design configurations to be exactly constructed, the alternative approach calls for designing a space of possibility that allows for infinite different, yet similar versions of the design. Among those, the builders choose the one that best suits local indeterminacies, and finalise the exact configuration of building parts on-site, during the very moment of becoming constructed.
This alternative approach initiates a critical shift from the routine: it diminishes the ever-growing extent of authorship architects often demand in pursuit of redundant exactitude; and instead, it highlights the design decision-making role of builders as catalysts. In doing so, seemingly unproductive contexts with excessive indeterminacies are embraced, and the construction process is liberated from unnecessary dependency on exactitude.
Conference Presentations by Pedram Ghelichi
Books by Pedram Ghelichi
in
Sverre Fehn, Nordic Pavilion, Venice
Voices from the Archives
by
Mari Lending, Erik Langdalen
Instead of offering yet another authorial strategy for confronting indeterminacies, this study questions the very duality of exactitude and error: can the design to construction process go beyond the representation-realisation modality? Put simply, can a design be constructed differently than that shown on the blueprint without falling victim to error? By investigating a series of case studies, this study hypothesises that the key lies in viewing construction indeterminacies not as a problem to avoid, tolerate or confront, but as an active and productive agent to recognise and intervene. The thesis’s goals are to cast doubt on the routine, authorial and essentialist design to construction approach, and then, to shift the focus to a non-essentialist alternative, in which a design can be constructed in infinite different, yet similar, possibilities.
To explore, identify and exemplify this alternative approach, the thesis investigates the design to construction processes of several built works of Sverre Fehn, Enric Miralles and Unitinno Studio. Critically selected, the case studies are not intended to be ‘perfect’ selections in the form of a seamless whole; instead, they represent three continuous cycles in the form of an assemblage, exploring the same argument from different perspectives. Each cycle addresses different kinds of indeterminacies and different building processes. Also, each cycle describes a turning point in each architect’s approach, from the conventional practices of their early works to the alternative approach of their later projects. This juxtaposition not only clarifies each architect’s motivation in developing the alternative, it also explains the architect’s process of becoming.
The key commonality among the critical cases is the centrality of construction indeterminacies in the design process and how they reflect on the design configuration. In this regard, the alternative approach i) acknowledges indeterminacy inevitability, ii) critically recognises the potential in indeterminacies, and iii) foresees how indeterminacies may cause building parts to change during the construction process. Hereupon, building part design should enable re-configuration during the construction process, according to recognised indeterminacies. Thus, instead of designing a set of static and ideal design configurations to be exactly constructed, the alternative approach calls for designing a space of possibility that allows for infinite different, yet similar versions of the design. Among those, the builders choose the one that best suits local indeterminacies, and finalise the exact configuration of building parts on-site, during the very moment of becoming constructed.
This alternative approach initiates a critical shift from the routine: it diminishes the ever-growing extent of authorship architects often demand in pursuit of redundant exactitude; and instead, it highlights the design decision-making role of builders as catalysts. In doing so, seemingly unproductive contexts with excessive indeterminacies are embraced, and the construction process is liberated from unnecessary dependency on exactitude.
in
Sverre Fehn, Nordic Pavilion, Venice
Voices from the Archives
by
Mari Lending, Erik Langdalen