Domestic Hats

source: cargocollective

Domestic Hats is an installation that explores ordinary roof typologies and rethinks the role of the massing model in architectural representation.

A quick drive around neighborhoods such as Peachtree Hills, Cabbagetown, and Midtown demonstrate stylistic differences in the domestic architecture of Atlanta. Arguably the single most common element of these houses is the roof. Whether located in English Avenue, Old Fourth Ward, or Ansley Park, shared rooflines crisscross neighborhood boundaries. Ordinary and simplistic, yet highly repetitive, gable and hip roofs dominate the scene while butterfly and mansard roofs represent a rarer species. Dormers, A-frame, and shed roofs are combined to make a complex system of functional rooftops with countless variations. These copy-paste forms not only populate the housing stock, but represent house figures and house shapes widely accepted by the public.

But what happens if the conventions of roof typologies become distorted? What if the overly complex roofs seen in Buckhead are celebrated and further exaggerated? By focusing on the intersection of non-similar roofs—rooflines that just don’t belong—foreign types are discovered by deploying a series of Boolean operations. Originals are copied and hybrid forms are manipulated to create sixteen unique massing models. Domestic Hats calls for architects to consider misbehavior in the architecture, particularly at the roofline.
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source: bloglovin

a drive through neighborhoods across america demonstrates stylistic differences in the domestic architecture, but arguably the single most common element of the single family home is the roof. whether located in ann arbor, albuquerque, or atlanta, shared structures crisscross national geographies and neighborhood boundaries. ordinary and simplistic, yet highly repetitive, gable and hip roofs dominate the scene while butterfly and mansard roofs represent a rarer species. dormers, A-frame, and shed roofs are combined to make a complex system of functional envelopes with countless variations. it is upon these observations that jennifer bonner has developed an exhibition called ‘domestic hats’.

by focusing on the intersection of non-similar shapes — folded geometries that just don’t belong—foreign types are discovered within the context. originals are copied and hybrid forms are manipulated to create sixteen unique massing models with rigid terrains that capture light and shadow. the display calls for designers to consider misbehavior in the architecture, particularly at the roofline.
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source: coagatechedu

Jennifer Bonner is the director of Studio Bonner with offices in Atlanta and Miami. Appointed as the TVSDesign Distinguished Studio Critic 2012-2013 at Georgia Tech, her design and research interests include contested landscapes, material investigations, and typological complexities.

Bonner received a Bachelor of Architecture from Auburn University and a Master of Architecture from Harvard University Graduate School of Design, where she was awarded the James Templeton Kelley Prize for the top graduating project. Her undergraduate thesis project, the Cedar Pavilion, was designed and constructed at the Rural Studio in Perry County, Alabama. She has received numerous awards including an AR Award for Emerging Architecture in 2005 and has exhibited at institutions in London, Washington DC, Austria, Barcelona, and Cincinnati.

Previously, Bonner has taught design studios and seminars at Woodbury University, Auburn University, the Architectural Association, and Lund University. Her research and work has been published in journals including Architectural Review, Architectural Record, Wallpaper, a+t, DAMn, Art Papers, and GSD Platform. Her professional experience includes work in the offices of Foster + Partners and David Chipperfield Architects in London. She is also a LEED accredited professional.