A new year has begun, and along with it a new architectural studio. To begin the semester's theme of overconstruction, and how it relates to infrastructure, we started with a group project. Divided up into equal volumes for each member of the studio, we were given a volume of space within a larger box to develop a module for holding marbles. 8 to be exact. The original objective of the project was to hold the marbles in an "innovative way". This prompt developed into many schemes for the containment of marbles, some working between neighbors, others were individual.

For my first interation of my studioblock volume, I was interested in using the marbles as a ball bearing. The marbles are on a track surrounding a box, and use the pressure provided by the space between the track and box to hold the box in place. With this setup, in theory, the box is able to move freely within the confines dictated by the track, while the marbles can roll around the box along the track. Unfortunately, at the corners of the track, the marbles have a bit more space to move around in, and thus are able to exit the track, and cause the box to fall out.

After our first review, I struggled with the fact that my volume had no

relation to its original form or its neighbors. This concern led me to

develop the idea for my next iteration. I decided to flip the

original partee diagram of my studioblock, and instead have my

original volume (though slightly smaller) rest within the studioblock

collective with the pressure of the my neighbors against embedded marbles in the outside of the form, hold me in. These marbles

would be able to move around slightly in their formed retainers, which would allow my form to

roll across the neighboring studioblocks. Unfortunately, once again my precision limited the

effectiveness of my strategy, when the holes for the marbles were slightly too small for the

marbles to have a free movement within them. This was caused by the staggered layering of

chipboard. I had thought that I had left enough tolerance for this layering, however I

misjudged what was needed.

During this iteration, one of my neighbors informed me that he would like to transfer

marbles. Since I had no other purpose at the time for the inside of my volume, I obliged,

leading me to consider what would happen on the inside of the form.

For the last iteration, my neighbor and I realized that we had a very similar method of construction, and decided to have my form complete his form. The ended up being a very strong joint, and still allowed Dexter's studioblock to transfer marbles the way he had originally intended. Unfortunately, in my last iteration, I overcompensated for the tolerance for the marble retainers, and created very loose fits between the sockets and marbles. Some of the marbles fell out in the final review. In some respects my second iteration was more successful than the third.