Students receive recognition in the Architizer 2023 Vision Awards
October 6, 2023
Two student researchers at the Azrieli School of Architecture & Urbanism have earned a Special Mention in an international competition, the Architizer 2023 Vision Awards, in the Photorealistic Visualization category.
Adonis Lau and Meaghan Dickson submitted a render of a 3D-printed ceramic wall project they designed and built as part of a team in 2022-2023 at the Carleton Sensory Architecture and Liminal Technologies Laboratory (CSALT).
“I’m very proud of their entry representing their own direction coming from work at CSALT and excited to see Carleton recognized in this international competition,” says Associate Professor Sheryl Boyle, director of CSALT.
“Their careful attention to detail and light, as well as materiality and composition, truly gives the rendering a life beyond the original work and creates space for the imagination to engage,” says Dr. Boyle. “The final image appears as a kind of tower, with a softness like forest light on winding tree branches — an image of future architectures.”
Lau and Dickson created the render after the project was completed and installed in an exhibition at the Canadian Clay and Glass Gallery, Robotic Clay: New Methods in Architectural Ceramics, displayed from June 1 to September 10, 2023.
“As we progressed through the fast-paced design and fabrication process of the wall, we didn’t have much time to stop and fully take in the project we were producing,” they recalled.
“However, through the creation of the photorealistic render, which shows the details of the project down to the mortar joints and print layers, we were given the opportunity to reflect on all the aspects and intricacies of the project and appreciate what we have designed and built.”
Dickson and Lau were fourth-year undergraduate students when they led the project with fellow students Catalin Bacalu and Ju Huang. The project also received support from students Shela Lamug, George Gialouris-Tsivikas, Slade Solomon, and Stephanie Murray.
Lau is now in the master’s program at the Azrieli School of Architecture & Urbanism. He works at CSALT as a research assistant and head of Digital Software Exploration and Digital Fabrication. Dickson is a junior designer at Luce et Studio in San Diego, CA.
Both graduated with High Distinction from the Bachelor of Architectural Studies program (Design) in 2023.
Image Description
Text by Adonis Lau and Meaghan Dickson
This unique point of view illustrates a dynamic tension between two structural systems: old and new. A traditional double wythe brick wall uses two layers of brick separated by a space to create a structural wall.
This visualization depicts brick veils encapsulating an organic structure that was computationally generated to support various loads within the wall. The resulting structurally optimized form places structure only where needed, leaving the brick outer walls to be a playful cast of hollow brick ghosts.
Intended to be manufactured through 3D printing, our printing strategy further demonstrates our concept of two opposed structural systems by creating a visual difference in the 3D printing lines, with the components of each structural system being printed in perpendicular orientations to each other.
About the Architizer Vision Awards
The Architizer Vision Awards are dedicated to the talented studios and individuals that enable the world to envision amazing architecture through photography, drawings, renderings, videos, physical models, and more.
The Vision Awards also seeks to honor theoretical works that, while they might never result in a built project, deserve recognition for the inspiration they spark. From fantastical renderings to intricate drawings, conceptual works tell powerful stories about architecture and form a creative catalyst for the profession.