1) Tell us a little bit about yourself and what you do.
My story is simple, I discovered my passion for architecture inside a LEGO box at a young age. I was fascinated by the possibility of not only creating form but also a space or domain that could potentially be built on a larger scale. Since then, I have aspired to be a curator of spaces that perhaps will stimulate a younger generation of designers to follow.
SCI-Arc, my most recent alma mater, pushed my limits, understanding of geometry and digital arts to the level of unleashing my dormant mad scientist personality. I take each new project as an opportunity to grow and further my skills, whether it be in the technical domain of architecture or the discipline of digital representation.
I consider myself to be someone who is constantly growing and takes the time to continue learning. I find that many times, my professional sprouting is based on my personal growth and mental evolution, both directly and indirectly related to work.
2) Your 3d renderings are quite impressive; is there an ideal path or training that led you to become so skilled? ( feel free to share some of your favorite Architecture Visualizations)
Mentorship is a fundamental path to a refined design style. I had the opportunity to work under Nasir Kassamali at Luminare, in Miami. The experience challenged me to develop a design approach that incorporates functional spaces with current and timeless design techniques, impeccably executed and sources of limitless inspiration. My intention is to capture emotions with the least amount of brushstrokes while invoking a visceral response.
Also, I’ve found that staying current with the most recent CG advances has been extremely beneficial to me.
3) What is a recent project you have worked on? ( It would be great to get 2-3 paragraphs describing it with some photos or video. Feel free to talk about more than one project if you want to.)
During my time at SCIArc, while on the Peter Testa Studio working on the evolution of 3D print technology. We had the opportunity to attach an extruder head to a Staubli TX40 robot to explore the possibilities of manipulating, translating, and transcoding image-based pixels into representations of different resolutions as generators of information and image in the definition of form – an ‘ontology of the image’ freed from geometrization.
This project is mainly based on the concept of image driven information that can be converted into a tool path and how that information can generate a workflow that leads to the development of a new form of fabrication.
An innovative premise of this research is to generate an extrusion that is self-structured, through the choreography of robotized tool paths. Such techniques makes the manufacturing process feasible for the mandrel, building structure, as well as its surface and all its variations with empirical results and ambiguous geometries. This technique makes the process attractive for technical uses as they take three-dimensional forms easily, thus distributing loads or stresses efficiently throughout the built structure. This research project aims to develop a hybrid expression of different techniques often used in architecture which redefines the definition of what we know as 3d printing, evolving it into a six axis extruding method.
4) What kind of advancements in Digital Technology excites you the most?
Today, technological innovations pave the way to a new generation of interactive architecture, creating spaces that will touch us where it matters the most -- deep within our minds. I find interactive technology extremely enticing, as it allows us to project design spaces that have yet come to fruition. I foresee a future where technology works as an extension of our bodies, where the architecture that surrounds us, adapts to our habits and desires, where we use technology to improve our quality of life while being an integral part of the process of shaping our experiences.
5) What are some of your favorite software tools? (We love technical details)
I enjoy Unreal Engine very much. It allows me to create virtual reality tours of my projects; the coded features behave like Grasshopper scripts that are easily plugged in or out to achieve the desired result. I also think that Revit or ArchiCAD, depending on the desired operating system, are fundamental to the development of any buildable project.
For now, I think that the interior light features of Keyshot 6, are the most exciting developments in the rendering engine platforms.
6) What kind of change do you hope to see in Architecture in the next 20-30 years?
I recently designed a series of renderings that attempted to display living spaces in conspicuous geographic locations. Technology allows us to build fantastic structures in half the time. Today, we can radically change the skyline of a city in a few years as it is the case of Miami and we might run the risk of urban sprawl as it is the case in Los Angeles but we can always engineer better faster ways of building.
As technology increasingly becomes the fundamental driver of urban change, I can see technology as an enabler for environmental awareness and a device that provides immediate feedback for human needs. Perhaps technology may help define new cultural relationships and the idea of the architect as the shaper of buildings as singular objects in space, will be preceded by more interesting and functional forms even imitating natural habitats and systems.
7) Where do you see yourself in 20-30 years?
I am confident that I will be part of an architectural practice that will incorporate not only technology and design but also a social enterprise division that focuses on the current issues of urbanisation while maintaining a healthy standard of living for the next century. I have always seen myself as someone who supports research and experimentation. I expect myself and anyone I collaborate with now and in the future to hold the same values in a professional practice as I do.
8) What definition describes you best: Architect, Designer, Artist, Innovator....... all the above?
I consider myself more of an Architectural technologist, a specialist in the technology of building design and an innovator in the construction processes. It is our responsibility as designers and architects to look into technology not only as a tool that we can deploy but to look at all the systems that it sets in motion, the cultures that are embedded within it and the conditions that rise because of it.