rocker-lange blog

Christian J. Lange will be teaching again a Summer workshop on Robotic Fabrication in Architecture at The University of Hong Kong. The program will take place from June 5th through June 16th 2017.

This year’s summer workshop “Ceramic Constellation” is sponsored by SINO GROUP and is based on the current research undertaken in the lab that focuses on ceramic fabrication through the aid of the robot. Ceramics have a long history in Architecture, especially in the context of China. However, in today’s standardized world, the richness of the material is nearly gone. With few exceptions in contemporary Chinese Architecture, it seems that the materials’ remaining territory in the building industry diminished to the use of dull homogeneous façade tiles. Therefore the intention of this workshop is to test the potential of the material in todays advanced technological world and to build a large-scale pavilion that will be installed on a site in the Olympian City shopping mall in Kowloon.

The workshop comprises of a series of exercises on tectonics, computational design and robotic fabrication techniques and will culminate in the construction of a 1:1 large-scale architectural intervention. The workshop will expand the student’s skillset and understanding through building an innovative structure in real scale, and aims to open up the student’s understanding of the emerging creative uses of Robotics in Architecture.

Program:
– Workshop on Robotics in Architecture.
– Computational workshop on component based assembly structures.
– Fabrication of components
– Construction and Installation of a 1:1 scale intervention.

Set Up:
Hardware: 1 x ABB 6700 1 x ABB IRB 1600
Software: Rhino, Grasshopper, HAL

Participants:
Up to 20 students of the Department of Architecture, HKU, led by
Christian J. Lange
Donn Holohan
Holger Kehne

Dates:
The program will take place from June 5th through June 16th 2017.

Information session:
To give students a better understanding of the workshop we will have a lunch-time information session on May 12th in room 419 1:00pm.

Registration:
The program is open to all fulltime students registered in the BAAS, March, MLA, MPhil and PHD programs in the Department of Architecture. Interested applicants should send a one page CV to the BAAS secretary Angela Ting by May 19th.

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Rocker-Lange Architects is happy to share the recent feature of their H-residence project on HGTV-Asia’s Small Spaces section. In this short film host James Koh is interviewing Christian J. Lange and his wife Alice to get some insides of the concepts behind this apartment renovation in Hong Kong. The video is now online on Youtube. Check it out.

At last, we can show some photos of the final outcomes of the latest studio taught by Christian J. Lange at The University of Hong Kong. The M.Arch I studio entitled “Elements: Robotic Interventions 0.2 – Towards new territories in Architecture” had two main objectives. On the one hand it was a hands-on investigation on how we as architects can generate new technologies, material systems and craftsmanship with the aid of the robot, and on the other hand, the studio looked in how we can apply those for the development of architectural elements such as the column the roof and the wall.

Students eventually built three medium scale prototypes that were based on three different traditional timber construction techniques. The first being the “Dou Gong” bracketing system, which usually is the structural network that joins columns to the frame of the roof in traditional Chinese architecture. The second being the reciprocal frame structures that can be found in the timber woven-arch bridges in the Fujian and Zhejiang provinces. And the third being the “Luban Lock” or the so-called “Chidori system” a design concept derived from old Japanese/ Chinese toys, and that elegantly produces a six-legged hidden joint.

credits:

supervisor:
Christian J. Lange

students:

Chau Chi Wang
Hu Zhihao
Hung Chi Lok Ernest
Lau Siu Yan
Ma Jun Yin
Ma Ki Ho
Ng Ka Chun
Ng Ka Lam
Ren Depei
Wong Siu Shan
Yan Ming
Zhou Zhengmian

For the past year Christian J. Lange has been working on the set up of the new robotics lab at the Faculty of Architecture at The University of Hong Kong. The lab was recently installed and consists of two ABB industrial robots, a rotational table and various end-effectors.

In an environment with rapidly growing cities, the robotic fabrication lab has its emphasis on the discovery of new methods, techniques and material assembly systems that have a meaningful and sustainable impact on the high-density build environment in the context of Hong Kong and Asia.

Currently Lange is teaching a March I studio focusing on the opportunities of robotic fabrication in traditional timber construction techniques that are specific to the Asian context. Below are some photos of the recent midterm presentation.

We are pleased to show some photos of the outcomes of the recent Robotic Fabrication Workshop. The workshop took place during late June 2016 at the University of Hong Kong and was led by Christian J. Lange and Donn Holohan. The project took on the typology of the tower as a point of departure to study the potential of low energy timber construction systems in conjunction with robotic fabrication.

credits:

supervisors:
Christian J. Lange
Donn Holohan

students:
Chan Yat Him Gabriel
Kong Ka Yu Christina
Tung Chiu On
Wong Yee Fung, Yves
Lu Chang
Laura Rulianto
Chan Hong Wan Aaron
He Qiye

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We are delighted to share the recent coverage of our H | Residence project in South China Morning Post’s Magazine. Journalist Adele Brunner writes “German who lectures at University of Hong Kong turned a flat in a walk-up building in Sai Ying Pun into a clutter-free retreat, with picture windows for a ‘glass house’ feel that lets in some of the bustle of the streets”.

For full text please visit: http://www.scmp.com/

The Cities of Repetition project, a collaboration between Christian J. Lange and Jason F. Carlow is on show in the exhibit Rural-Urban Re-Inventions: Bridging The Gap between China’s Cities and Countryside. The exhibition is curated by Cliff Pearson and Gary Paige and will take place at the Shenzhen Public Art Center, Block A, Shenzhen Sculpture Academy, No.8 Zhongkang Road. The opening of the show will be on July 29th 2016 @ 18:00.

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Christian J. Lange will participate and present recent work in the AA Visiting School symposium in Shanghai. Speakers include this year Stefan AL, Duangrit BUNNAG, Anthony BURKE, Eva CASTRO, Thomas DANIELL, Matias DEL CAMPO, Tarsha FINNEY, GAO Yan, Yosuke HAYANO, Sand HELSEL, Alvin HUANG, Garett HWANG, Hina JAMELLE, Holger KEHNE, Jerry KU, Christian J. LANGE, Neil LEACH , Anderson LEE, Sandra MANNINGER, Neville MARS, Yusuke, Satoshi OHASHI, Christopher PIERCE, Ali RAHIM, Francois ROCHE, Daan ROGGEVEEN, Patrik SCHUMACHER, Michael SORKIN, SU Yunsheng, Philip VERNON Richard Wei-Tse WANG & Stephen W. WANG The event will be moderated by Tom Verebes. The event will take place on July 19th & 20th at the Shanghai Study Centre.

Christian J. Lange will be teaching a Summer workshop on Robotic Fabrication in Architecture at The University of Hong Kong.The program will take place from June 20th through June 26th 2016

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Outline:

Robotics in Architecture is a relatively young subject within contemporary design practice. At the Faculty of Architecture we are currently building up a Research Lab that will be dedicated to this new research field. In an environment with rapidly growing cities, the lab will have its emphasis on the discovery of new methods, techniques and material assembly systems that have a meaningful and sustainable impact on Architecture and the context of Hong Kong and the PRD.

The summer workshop “Robotic Intervention” will focus on traditional techniques of timber construction and will be a first test for a novel production method with robotic aid. Participants are invited to investigate on the relationship between material, geometry, computation and robotic fabrication through the design and making of a prototypical structure.

The workshop comprises of a research component on traditional timber material systems, a series of exercises on computational design and robotic fabrication techniques and will culminate in the construction of a 1:1 scale architectural intervention. The workshop will not only increase the student’s architectural skillset to build a structure in real scale, it primarily aims to open up the student’s understanding of the emerging creative uses of Robotics in Architecture.

Program:
– Workshop on Robotics in Architecture.
– Research on traditional timber construction systems
– Computational workshop on component based assembly structures.
– Fabrication and installation of a 1:1 scale intervention at HKU.

Set Up:
Hardware: 1 x ABB IRB 1600
Software: Rhino, Grasshopper, HAL

Previous knowledge required:
Medium level experience on Rhino & Grasshopper

Participants:
12 students of the Faculty of Architecture, HKU, led by
Christian J. Lange, Senior Lecturer in Architecture, FoA
Donn Holohan, Assistant Lecturer – Fabrication Manager, FoA

Registration:
The program is open to all fulltime students registered in the BAAS, March, MLA, MPhil and PHD programs in the Department of Architecture. Interested applicants should send a one page CV to the BAAS secretary Angela Ting by June 11th.

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rocker-lange architects just finished their project “H | Residence – Living inside out | in the city” an apartment renovation on Hong Kong Island.

The H | Residence project is located in an up and coming neighborhood on Hong Kong Island.  Though very much shaped by high-rise buildings of the last three decades, the area has still a decent amount of old walk up buildings, revealing the richness of the city’s urban history. The neighborhoods texture consists of many layers of numerous patterns, colors and materials. The result is a vibrant and intense atmosphere, lively and contrasting, yet at times busy and overwhelming.

Giving this setting the project of the H | Residence has two main objectives. On one hand the 2-bedroom apartment is meant to provide a calm and neutral living space counter-balancing the cities rich textures. On the other hand the space is suppose to be highly linked to its urban environment blurring the boundaries between the inside and the outside and submerging the residence into the cityscape.

Located in an old walk up building, the apartment has aspects to all four building sides, linking its interior with its surroundings through black-framed windows looking out to a park, a buzzing street, a back alley and a backyard. To blur the interior with the exterior two large sliding windows replaced the multiple smaller windows in the main north facing outer wall. When opened up they transform the entire living and kitchen space into an urban balcony, giving access to an herb garden that provides the essentials for the owners cooking avocation.

The apartments interior is held in a minimal almost monochrome environment where only furniture pieces and a reflective brass wall set some color dots. The kitchen is made of white Corian resembling a monolithic block. Hanging cupboards are held in a stainless steel finish to enhance the spatial idea. Kitchen counter, vanity and study table all align in height with the adjacent windows, strengthening the relationship to the exterior.  In order to maximize the perception of space and allow for the best lid environment partitions are all made of glass, giving the apartment a loft space atmosphere. Privacy is only given through curtains to essential spaces. The floor finish is a light grey burnished concrete, which enhances the continuity of space. All storage is integrated either into walls or furniture to strengthen the minimal appearance of the apartment.

For more information and photos of the project please visit: http://www.rocker-lange.com/index.php?/workinterior/h–residence/