athenaeum
An exploration of generative design through the iterative operations of copy, paste, and rotate to shape architectural form and space.
Overview
The Athenaeum explores architecture as a space for the acquisition and expression of knowledge through a generative design process based on the operations of copy, paste, and rotate. These simple transformations became the project's primary design methodology, informing the building's organization, form, and architectural language.
Design
The design originated from a two-dimensional collage created by repeatedly copying, rotating, and layering floor plans from a previous studio project. This composition was translated into a programmatic massing model by extruding individual forms according to their function and spatial requirements, establishing the building's overall organization.Two architectural precedents—aperture and extrusion—were then introduced to further develop the design. Openings documented throughout Cincinnati, including windows, doors, and other distinctive apertures, were abstracted and applied to the building envelope. These elements were copied, rotated, and extruded to create a dynamic façade that modulates light, frames views, and reinforces the project's generative process.
The copy, paste, and rotate methodology continued into the roof and circulation systems. A triangular roof form, inspired by the surrounding residential context, was repeated and rotated to generate both the roofscape and the elevator enclosure. To reduce the visual mass of the building, each floor was expressed as an individual volume with its own roof, creating the appearance of stacked architectural forms rather than a single monolithic structure.
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