Urban Mining: Drawing from the depot

Reuse of old material is increasingly important to design, but difficult to represent in digital mediums. Digital models can describe new materials very precisely, but not old materials very accurately. For example, conventional programs such as Revit or Rhino can consistently replicate precise geometries. Yet it is difficult to make accurate representations of the qualities in found materials. The true qualities of these materials are idiosyncratic in their surface texture, shape, size, and character. (Helmenstine, 2020)Since design mediums deeply inform design outputs, how might analogue drawing enable a creative design process that accurately represents the idiosyncratic qualities inherent in these old materials?

This design-led thesis documents design experiments, identifying the strengths and weaknesses of each, and reflects on design outputs and processes with peers and supervisors. I have used the operative research technique of pencil and charcoal drawing to articulate the idiosyncrasies and simulate the experiential qualities of salvaged material. Rhino digital modelling in employed as an aid in the background.

The resulting process demonstrates the capacity for analogue drawings and models to, less precisely, but more accurately, capture the qualities of reused materials. This iterative process illuminated qualities that extend beyond the weathered surfaces. These findings also encapsulate the architectural and experiential qualities of salvaged materials.