Project Title: Sited: Digital Strategies
Built, Unbuilt or Under Construction: Unbuilt
Project Year: 2011
Student Name: Aidan Acker
University: Harvard University Graduate School of Design
Faculty Advisor: Andrea Hansen
Website: http://vimeo.com/20229828

Digital Terrain from Aidan Acker on Vimeo.

Project Description: Digital workflow has become an essential component of my design process. A drawing can now quickly become an entire world. Modeling software not only allows the creation of terrain and architectural form, but also the inclusion of natural elements, envisioned in detail. The ability to realistically and accurately render atmosphere, daylight, grass, stones, and individual plant species facilitates true visualization of a concept or design. It also allows both the creator and the viewer to dream, visualizing a landscape that feels real.

This work explores the intersection of the natural and man-made world, and tells a story where a simple built form is discovered embedded in the landscape. The moment of intersection between the two, when rigid structure meets the malleable edge of the natural world, fascinates me. Tension, reciprocation, and interplay occur at the point where vegetation and terrain join a symmetrical form. For me, this juncture is magical.