In the latest issue of Edno magazine you can find an interview with Morphocode and learn more about us and our work. Here are some of the questions that Adriana Andreeva asked us:

A: What does Morphocode mean – where does it come from?
G/K: It reflects our efforts to manage and control the flows of data which are an inevitable part of any architectural program.
Architecture is a lot more than static spatial composition – it regulates a multitude of overlapping processes and fields of influence which operate behind the form. Which is why we usually work with organizational, not compositional models.

A: What does “advanced computational and parametric design” mean?
G/K: For us, it means using a number of digital tools and techniques that allow us to work faster and be more productive during the conceptual phase of our projects. More specifically, it helps us test a lot more ideas at the conceptual stage than we are able to with conventional methods. It is a very flexible method which at the same time guarantees a systematic approach. As Corbusier said: “There is no work of art without a system”.
How beneficial such tools can be is a controversial issue, but we believe that good design depends on the objectivity of the decisions made, irrespective of the instruments used.
At Morphocode, we try to make the most of contemporary technology, while remaining loyal to a relatively sparse formal language.

[...]

A: What are your dreams for the near future?
G/K: Our main priority at the moment is completing our Zima series. We are also about to release a new version of RABBIT. We’ve been working on it for a long time now. The launch will be accompanied by a series of webinars and also possibly live workshops to demonstrate its full capabilities.
At the beginning of next year, we’ve been invited to give a lecture and lead a workshop for students in the master’s program for digital technologies at IUAV – the architectural school in Venice. We are also working on a few entries for architectural competitions and an installation.

[...]

The full interview can be found in the latest issue of Edno magazine.

More news coming soon.

“By bringing form, structure and  materials together in a new manner, I try to suggest and realize optimal tension and movement.”

For the “Escapism Couture” collection, where most of the models are 3d prints, she collaborated with

Daniel Widrig.

More about Iris Van Herpen you can learn from the video:

Feedscape is a solo-exhibition by the young bulgarian architect Anton Savov that took place in platform SARAI, Frankfurt am Main from 2 July till 10 August 2010. The project’s name is derived from the words feed/encourage growth of, supply with material, cause to move gradually/ and scape/a scene, something to look at, an archaic word for escape/.

“When augmented with the ability to feed, the architectural surface becomes a Feedscape. It interconnects the different layers of our spatial experience in a loop where the output of one process becomes the input to another.

All real or virtual surfaces in our world hold the potential to form feedscapes. The ecology of feedscapes facilitates awareness and fosters a new understanding of hierarchy allowing for personal solutions and experiences to be shared, modified and reused.”

The Exhibition

The spatial installation is composed of “four and a half” autonomous elements that represent the nodes of an artificial eco-system. Feedscape suggests that “architecture is a space full of potential, saturated with the power to see transformations take place between material and immaterial, between solidified and fluid, between space itself and the forms that define it”.

In addition to the four material elements, there is a virtual ‘half’ element. An information feed is constructed by a google/twitter script and its results are projected in the gallery space. Feedscape is part of a network….of many networks. Linked to the space’s intensive qualities(temperature, humidity, light), responding to the visitors, reading web data, publishing on the internet.

Everything is registered in its layer of life and is fed to another layer. The water registers your charge, the plants register your mood, the online engine registers your thoughts, the other visitors register your smell & sound. Everything affects everything.

The Book

An exhibition catalogue is published on the occasion of the exhibition Feedscape:

About the Author

Anton Savov is an architect currently living in Frankfurt am Main. He teaches in the Post-Graduate Masters programme at the Staedelschule Architecture Class, Frankfurt. In parallel Anton Savov is working at Bollinger+Grohmann Ingenieure as an architect on the treshold of architecture and engineering design.

His main interest lies in the exploration of architectural space through research in ecological and environmental systems as well as the impact of social networks on the content of architectural programme. He is currently working on his doctoral thesis on computational strategies for architectural design. Recently he collaborated on the project “Keep Something For a Rainy Day” with artist Att Poomtangon at the Venice Art Biennale 2009.

Credits

Photos courtesy of Vladimir Alexeev, Dimitar Kokalanov, Anatoli Skatchkov, Anton Savov, morphocode.

All quotes from: Feedscape Exhibition Catalogue

As you already know, a few days ago we came back from Frankfurt where we held a three-day design workshop at The Städelschule Architectural class directed by Ben van Berkel and Johan Bettum.

We presented our work to the post-graduate students enrolled in first and second year of studies. We started with an introduction to the concepts of Cellular Automata and L-systems and their applications in generative design. Topics such as biomimetics, self-organization, complexity and pattern formation were also discussed during the workshop series. A special edition of our plug-in Rabbit was presented to the students of SAC.

Liebieghouse: this is where we held the L-Systems workshop

Overview of the room

What is the Städelschule?

The Städelschule is a contemporary fine arts academy, that was established in 1817 thanks to the merchant Johann Friedrich Städel. He left his fortune to the citizens of Frankfurt, allowing the founding of a school for talented young students as well as public access to his collection of art. Over the years two different institutions developed: the Städelmuseum and the Städelschule.

In 1987, the contemporary exhibition space Portikus was established, as part of the Städelschule and also gave a significant contribution to the school’s international reputation.
Currently the whole Staedel site is being renovated as part of Das Neue Staedel project:

Das Neue Staedel

The Städel Museum is being extended in order to assure additional exhibition space for its ever growing collection:

The Architecture Class of the Städelschule

Situated in an early 20th-century town house next to the main building of the Städelschule, SAC provides a near domestic setting for the social and academic life of its members. Thе two-year, post-graduate Master of Arts program in Advanced Architectural Design is led by its dean, Ben van Berkel, and Johan Bettum – professor of architecture and program director of the Städelschule Architecture Class. SAC provides an intense research setting for the creative exploration of current architectural issues.

Left: SAC; Bottom Right: The main entrance; Top Right: The fluffy toy lying in the bushes next to the entrance

Our Workshop

The first-day workshop dedicated to Cellular Automata was held at The Städelschule Aula.

As the extension of The Städel Museum is currently taking place all around we had to move two blocks away for the second part of our workshop, dedicated to L-Systems. It took place into a beautiful hall inside the The Liebieghaus sculpture museum.

The Liebieghaus presently accommodates a sculpture collection of the highest quality and offers an overview of five thousand years of sculpture from Ancient Egypt to Neoclassicism.

Working with the Students

SAC’s First Year Group students are beginning the year with an intense series of tutorials on digital modeling. Earlier this year, the students had their Rhinoscript workshop led by arch+lab. The group is composed of about 20 people from 16 nations.
We introduced them to the concept of L-Systems, showing what Rabbit can do. They did a nice job, producing great results.

SAC's First Year Group exploring Rabbit

Thanks to

We would like to thank Dimiter Kokalanov for his help in taking the photos and for the nice time we spent together.

Last but not least, we would like to mention Anton Savov who is pretty much responsible for us holding a workshop at SAC.
Anton is a great person and a talented young architect with an impressive portfolio, including participation at the Biennale in Venezia and solo exhibitions. We are sure that you’ll hear his name more often in the future.