This experimental project employs aesthetic and material innovation to elevate the perception of artificial materials to a level that is actually above that of authentic materials. Here, the norm of using rare materials to increase the exclusivity, status, and value of luxury vehicles is reversed in order to protect and more responsibly manage the usage of such precious materials. To achieve this, samples of precious wood and stone are examined and reverse-engineered to first capture the inherent qualities of their material essences (their ‘materiality’). They are then re-imagined by artificial means to expand upon those qualities in new provocative yet sophisticated ways.
In the Research + Concept phase students adopt a cyclical pattern of formulating questions and simultaneously attempting to answer them through investigation, experimentation and insight formation. As this pattern is continually repeated and refined, conceptual opportunities are identified and defined into formal concept statements and actionable design criteria.
In the Development phase students explore, experiment, ideate, iterate, test and evaluate a variety of thematic innovations and executions (both functional and aesthetic) in a variety of processes including 2D, 3D, and 4D sketching, sketch-modeling, sketch-rendering, and animated prototyping. This process, often non-linear and again cyclical, is used to determine viable design directions which most appropriately address the conceptual intent.
In the Finalization & Presentation phase students are tasked to continually narrow and hone their development process of a single design direction towards final design refinement. Here all aspects of the design (conceptual, functional, aesthetic) are resolved and refined in detail to the highest degree of sophistication and craft. Final design solutions are then optimally showcased in the creation of highly detailed 3D models, rendered images/posters, and video animations – all of which highlights final design execution and storytelling of conceptual intent.
