Abwab: Between Nesting and Network
Share
Even after the Corona Virus pandemic, public space for city-dwellers in the UAE was a patchwork of consumer zones, marginal outdoor spaces and homes of friends and family. At the height of the lockdown and even in its aftermath, much of the work has realized that even the few shreds of public space spared from privatization have now been tainted… and so we will all become involuntary “nesters”; redefining our social domain through four walls, a window and a screen. But with the reopening of society has come a reticence to return to our old ways too quickly… which has found many living a hybrid life between nesting at home and sporadically re-engaging with the outside. “Between Nesting and Network” highlights this duality of urban life that has been brought to the for recently. The installation is comprised of a network of 2 types of modules; module A for privacy and respite or exhibitions. Featuring an oculus, module B for gathering and connection, with built in seating. The two link together based on a 12 -sided tessellation grid to create a variety of dynamic spaces within one network, or a series of separate installations. The construction method is based on the latticing of bent-lamination wood arc members. A single curvature mold is able to produce all the units needed with the difference in modules being based on how the members are oriented. Paneling of the subsequent lattice structure is done by tensile elements made from recycled ad vanner canvas. Overall, the design gives the whole project: an intricate play of shadows during the day, a glowing cluster of lanterns at night, a crucial permeability for wind so as to avoid accumulation of aerosol mist, and a dynamic form of containment that allows for gathering yet avoids closed spaces.
