Intentional Assimilation:
Calderwood Design Competition 2009: A New House Typology
Natural elements seldom appear in a very regular forms; that is the natural phenomenon of the world.
The project experiments with the intention of assimilating an irregularly-shaped building to its surrounding natural element: the tree. This aims to integrate the new buildings into the natural environment.
The core idea of the project is the amalgamation of profiles in order to generate irregularity. By looking at the practice of topiary we can see that the tree can be shaped to what we what. Similarly by distorting the very typical shape of a dwelling, one can adjusts this typical shape to become something unusual. By combining various adjusted profiles one can accommodate functional spaces within this irregular building envelope.
Instead of placing unassuming box-like buildings in the landscape (with the aim of lowering the visual impact of the buildings to their environment) what is proposed here is an alternative, more provocative proposition in order for the new building to blend into the landscape. Instead of apologetically trying to hide, the building assimilates with, [emulates and, by a process of abstract imitation, flatters] its context.
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