Ross Millaney

[Ross]

I'm signed up and ready to learn!

I really like the design element, good luck everyone.

[Ross]

Okay...

So my first response to the two key themes of hover and prefab was to second guess what the main material involved in the model kit would be.

I assumed modular (for Prefab) and therefore steel because of the structural aspect. I thought of the post war Case Study Houses (especially #22's famous cantilever over LA) but also leaned slightly towards Mies.

I thought about Mies and this led me to recall a house I had visited locally in Ireland. Its called the Goulding Summer House (by Scott Tallon Walker) and was heavily influenced/inspired by Mies and the International Style. Its cantilevered out over a river. The space underneath is fantastic and you certainly feel like you're hovering when you stand at the edge of one of the windows.

[Ross]

If you've ever seen the brilliance that is Ferris Bueler's Day Off you'll recognise that my referenced house is similar to Cameron's house in the movie (The Rose House - which incidently was up for sale recently!)

YouTube - "Ferris Bueller's Day Off" featured house threatened by demolition

Even though they are both very similar, I feel the Goulding House is visually and spatially more interesting. Why? Columns and Location. That cantilever trumps those corner columns and that river just adds so much drama.

So this is what I have recognised so far. I want to push that structure as far as possible whilst keeping it viable, and I really want to make sure that it hovers over something really special...my hunch is that this will involve water.

[Ross]

I've already thought about that water element a little bit. I've always lived near the sea and could never move away from it now. Life began there, there's something special about it. I can think of four scenarios : river, waterfall, lake and sea. Wouldn't it be nuts to be standing at the edge of a gigantic cantilever and these massive waves are breaking beneath and around your house?! I'd really like to explore this...

I was reminded of the scene in Gattaca when Vincent wakes up in Uma Therman's house with the waves breaking all around him due to the ftc glass and camera angle. But also of the use of Real Flow (which I have access to) in Avatar to create these beautiful waves breaking against the cliff.

YouTube - Gattaca 2

[Ross]

So tomorrow I start sketching.

In sum I'll be exploring how I can create a hover effect, along an edge condition, over water, using a cantilver.

[kodissimo]

It sound interesting. good luck Ross.
waiting for progress.

[isucur]

This definitely looks already promising study... Good luck!!

[Ross]

Small Update :

Started remodelling everything in Rhino from an imported .obj. I'm getting pretty familiar with each component and spotting future opportunities/challenges.

Also because I'm solid modelling everything I can bevel and fillet the crap out of it later.

Did some rough sketching and researched steel lattice structures for cantilevers.

(If I waffle in these wip's its because its for my own benefit too - I need to keep track of what I'm doing)

[Ross]

@kodissimo + isucur : Cheers guys - can't wait to see what you both come up with too!

[bakbek]

Hey Ross, any chance in seeing some Grasshopper magic in this one?

[Ross]

Hi Bakbek.

Probably not I'm afraid, I don't think my concept is going to drive things in a direction where I will need Grasshopper (which I'm no whizz kid at yet!).

Hoping to push real flow as far as possible though (but please don't hold out on me, I wouldn't regard myself as being as good as most of these guys, I'm just here to learn!)

[Ross]

Found myself a client : Similar to civilian batman, maybe he needs a more secure place than the average man - bachelor at the moment but house is easily expandable due to modular components.

And I imagine A night time approach to the house being backed by one of these tracks : Listen to six songs from Daft Punk’s Tron Legacy soundtrack | Nialler9 Music Blog (maybe the second one)

Sketches to follow later today. (probably on the back of a napkin!)