Ornamental Art & Design

Update 20. 10. 2018.

Before 2017 my main research topic was the historical development of geometrical patterns in architecture, and how to use this traditional methods to design new patterns. Since 2017 I am expanding my research by looking into other sciences like mathematics, and crystallography. I got fascinated by the world of polyhedrons, space-filling structures and methodologies how to transform them to create new 3D tessellations, connecting points in space, using principles from 2D tessellations and testing them out in 3D space.

-This Winter Semester I am doing research at the Technical University Vienna, together with 600 students of architecture. The exercise is called “zelluläre Raumfolgen”.

For more details please click here.

-This years theme was inspired by last years results, where I proposed the theme “parquet deformations in 2d and 3D.”

For more details please click here.

-I am appointed univ. lect. in descriptive geometry at the Academy of Fine Arts Vienna at the Institute for Art and Architecture. This seminar runs every two years for 1,5 hours a week.  Apart from teaching the students methods to capture and communicate space in hand drawings we will look at geometry and descriptive geometry from an artistic point of view, starting with the development of geometrical patterns from its origins in the stone age, how these basic forms are connected and contributed to the development of historical architecture (Otto Antonia Graf).  In the 20th. Century new methods were created by mathematicians to develop geometrical patterns and tessellations. We will study Heinrich Heesch’ 28 methods to create patterns without gaps and overlaps and design parquet deformations in the transforming sense of William S. Huff, creating tessellations that constantly change their forms. This background is necessary to come to the focal point of this years seminar, where we will work polyhedrons with the 3D-software Rhino using transforming methodologies developed in Robert Williams “The geometrical foundation of natural structure, a source book of design” (Dover Publications 1979). Here is the published short text for this years research:

“Space Connections”.

Descriptive geometry may seem antiquated due to computers’ ability to capture spatial forms in perfectly photorealistic simulations. Unsurprisingly, an architect’s ability to communicate space by means of artistic, sensitive, freehand perspective drawings that open up the observer’s imagination has become a rare and sought-after skill. Architectural education in fundamental geometrical principles – whether hand-drawn or mouse-clicked – will always be crucial for any formal expression. Geometry is not only the abstract constructive framework of both microcosm and macrocosm, but provides also the underlying structure of humankind’s endeavour to express its fascination with spatial connections in buildings and ornamental art. Geometry again gives us essential combinatorial spatial possibilities culminating in the fascinating world of polyhedrons. The Platonic, Archimedean, Catalan and Johnson solids, their intrinsic relationships and transformational, combinatorial potential as described in Robert Williams’ The geometrical foundation of natural structure, a source book of design”, offer an interesting area of study, providing reference points for understanding and studying space. Seizing and transforming the reference points of these highly symmetric solids in accurate drawings and 3D models enables us to probe unexplored spaces, connecting what was previously geometrically unconnected.

Here is a link to my Research Gate profile.