Joshua Chin

Parametric Pavilion

Spatial Interaction

Pencil and sketch paper with drawings of a pavilion structure

Our task was to design a parametric walkway pavilion in Holland Park, Surrey, BC. A key instruction was to consider the interaction of people in the space and how the pavilion redefines this space.

I collaborated with team members to sketch & model a pavilion design, conduct a case study, and capture a final animation.

Timeline

4 week academic project, Fall of 2021

Tools

Rhino3D, Figma, Adobe After Effects

Team

Joshua Chin, Jasper Gass, Jalene Pang

Short GIF of the camera circling our final pavilion modeled in Rino
A segment of our final fly-through animation

IDEATION

Sketches (+ Kitsch Design)

During initial sketching, we were encouraged to avoid Kitsch design, which meant our pavilion should not imitate objects, but rather just be reminscient of it. A kitsch example could be a donut shop with a literal oversized donut on top.

Reflecting upon the sketches below, we identified some that follow a more kitsch design, such as the wave inspired one. We wanted to build on this design, but focused on emphasizing more original shapes and features to avoid direct imitiation.

A collection of sketches for the pavilion project
A collection of sketches experimenting with different curves and inspirations

CASE STUDY

Analyzing a Real World Pavilion

To inform our own design decisions, we consulted another pavilion beyond the scope of our project concepts:

Case Study poster showing the pavilion experience/circulation
Our team observed circulation patterns that naturally followed the pavilions form. As well, we took notice to the creative way that pavilion structure textures the ground with shadows, which we included in our final pavilion to enhance its connection with the space.
Case Study poster showing the form of the pavilion
We noticed that this pavilion uses its shape to converge in the center and considered how our pavilion would draw its audience of curious tourists in to explore further, such as through a vortex or funnel shape.

FINAL DESIGN

First page of final presentation poster showing the pavilion context and formation
Second page of final presentation poster showing the spatial experience

IN RETROSPECT

It is often very difficult to work from a starting point void of inspiration. This project grew from the influence of external inspirations, such as the case study or the various initial sketches. I feel that the extensiveness of our exploration before moving forward with the final product allowed us to benefit from consulting best practices and assessing what users traditionally gravitate to. One of my favourite details deriving from this is the pavilions use of shadows on the ground.

Our project was successful in the end, with instructors noting it as one of the best of the term.

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