Week 1: Subject Initiation

With some set-up in place, lets look into the initially proposed research targets:
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Fabricating computational geometries:
The analogue-digital hybrids
Case study: Shikahogh Rural Development
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The Analogue-digital hybrids conception is something I have been pursuing during my MA, where I only scratched the surface of the following areas 

• Multidimensional spatial representations

• Implications of contemporary Science (the String  and M Theories) on architectural fabric

• Sound-scapes of a 3D space

• Haptic modeling

• Digital Sculpting

• Non Newtonian fluids

• 3, 3+2 and 5 axis CNC milling

• Robotic arm applications

The analogue-digital hybrid structure by L. Mnatsakanyan

The tests have been performed within the realm of the Bartlett workshop on a small scale experimental pieces and studies of analogue materials. 

Therefore, for my PhD, I proposed an exciting location for implementation of these on-going "computation and fabrication" dialogues. I then suggested that the outcome/s (the assumption being some kind of an architectural assemblage/s) will be tested on a grand scale in Shikahogh village, which will also address the actual needs of the local population.
Surrounded by breathtakingly beautiful series of Mountains and lakes, Shikahogh (Armenian translation “heated soil”) is a rural self-contained village in the outskirts of Kapan (sometimes referred to as Ghapan) municipally in Armenia.

Since the most under-researched counterpart of my proposal at the moment is the wonderful village Shikahogh, it is thus important to draw timelines and dive into establishing some basics. 

Armenia, or rather the Republic of Armenia, is a landlocked country, bordering Turkey (West), Iran (South), Azerbaijan and Nagorno-Karabakh Republic (East) and Georgia (West).

Current map of Armenia and bordering countries

In the above image, I have emphasized the notion of the "current" map, as the actual borders have been altered significantly and consistently throughout the history; something that I will be feeding in systematically, as the exploration of the project matures. At this point I will be assuming that these ongoing territorial disputes have had significant influence on the architectural, stylistic, musical, literary and other cultural cross developments of all the countries in the perimeter. This will be discussed in a greater detail in upcoming articles.

In my proposal, I highlighted the recent completion of the strategic road, connecting Armenia with Iran, which was favourably passing by Shikahogh and various surrounding villages. Shikahogh, with estimated population of 250-300, relies heavily on its crops and agriculture, as well as  the sales of local fruits, vegetables, craft works etc.

New road connecting Armenia and Iran

 This road, could and must be treated as a profound opportunity for villagers to take advantage of, perhaps by expanding the capacities of agricultural and farming micro structures and re-inventing the vibrant heritage of the local community.
To quote from my proposal ", I aspire to design, develop and implement architectural framework that will represent a symbiosis of traditional craftsmanship and technological advances, by creating smart and sophisticated agricultural solutions for the rural village of Shikahogh".

In search for this traditional craftsmanship techniques, I started my journey, penetrating deep layers of history, which in case of Armenia goes back to 4000 BC and beyond.

Armenia: Landscape and Architecture by G. and G. Karoly 

Armenians refer to their country as an "open air museum" (quote G. and G. Karoly, Armenia: Landscape and Architecture), due to the large number of churches, castles, temples and other similar buildings with religious and patriotic notions, dating back to thousands of years. On the picture above (on the right) is the Geghard monastery, founded in the 4th century by Gregory the Illuminator.  The story of Geghard is absolutely fascinating in its richness and historic significance, thus I will have to dedicate a whole new article for it in the future. Meanwhile, this monastery is a great representation of the "inside out" rock cutting technique of later era (4-12 century). There is yet much to be exposed about this technique and its origins, but for now, we will look at one significant element of the interior of this monastery.

The roof detail of the monastery

The geometric structure of this detail of the roof, located within the 4 columns of the Altar, seems to depict some kind of a "stone algorithm", which the Armenian stone masons have skilfully unveiled. This systematic, fractal repetition of a form has interesting resemblance to the surfaces created by modern 3, 3+2 and 5 axis milling techniques.

3 axis milling surfaces

In the future chapters, I will focus on this particular pattern and explore it in the context of digital computation.