Bodyscapes

source: ourrisdedu

London-based architects Niccolo Casas of The Bartlett and Ludovico Lombardi of LDVC and Zaha-Hadid Architects taught the course, with help from Associate Professor Catherine Andreozzi, head of Apparel Design, and TA Maria Canada 13 AP, who introduced students to basic draping and patternmaking techniques as a means of better understanding the relationship of form to the human body.
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source: cargocollective

Focused on the new emerging discipline generated by the intersection of Design, Fashion Design and Architecture, the class brought together students from a myriad of design disciplines (Fashion, Architecture, Landscape Architecture and Textiles) with interests in exploring the body as a virtual landscape for generative design.
Architect Niccolo Casas of The Bartlett, London,and Architect Ludovico Lombardi of LDVC and Zaha-Hadid Architects, London, led the RISD/CE course.
With no previous knowledge of 3D modeling platforms, students were introduced to Maya, Autodesk’s award-winning 3D software, which for the purpose of this class, offered unmatched system speed and streamlined workflow for generative design using additive manufacturing (3D printing). Lombardi and Casas have been using Maya as a catalyst to explore computational design concepts for architecture, and most recently, the emerging intersection of design between architecture and fashion.
As a starting point to understanding the body before exploring the form in a virtual format, students learned basic draping and patternmaking techniques taught by RISD Apparel Design Department Chair, Catherine Andreozzi, and Maria Canada, teaching assistant. As students became more fluent in the use of Maya’s modeling tools, they began design research of complex morphologies and biomimicry to begin developing “fashion artifacts.”
RISD’s Nature Lab provided ample specimens that students observed under high-powered microscopes. From this inspirational fieldtrip, students investigated the juxtaposition of natural structural systems and patterns found on a macro level against the complex geometries they were creating in Maya. After refining their ideas, students test printed their designs in resin. Final student presentations included the demonstration of the concept, research, and design processes involved in creating their body-centric designs.