Innovations in Brick Pattern-Making
Architect Milad Mehdizadeh recently led a transformative workshop in Addis Ababa, exploring the potential of brick as a medium. The week-long seminar, titled “Innate Transformation: Brick-based Material,” took place at Zigzag Space from November 14th to 18th, showcasing the fusion of biology and architecture.
In collaboration with facilitator Alebel Desta and curator Tinsae Tsegahun, the workshop commenced with an exploration of Bio-Simulation Innovations in Brick Pattern-Making. Mehdizadeh guided participants through the intricate structure of bricks, emphasizing their organic potential. Attendees delved into creating 1:5 scale models that fused biology and architecture, simulating natural movements through rotational points.
The research focus shifted to the interrelationships between bricks, utilizing computational methods to analyze changes in parameters at the initial moment. The workshop aimed to unravel the complexities of collective behavior within a system, prompting participants to create conceptual models based on assumptions emerging from their discussions.
On the second day, participants formed six groups tasked with translating the movements of living creatures into brick wall designs. Each of the six groups drew inspiration from varied sources, showcasing a remarkable blend of biology and architecture. The Hamer-inspired group replicated dance rhythms through a 10° brick rotation, while the bird wing group emphasized V-formation layouts for aerodynamic elegance. The seagull-inspired design featured 24° rotations, mirroring flight patterns. The calla lily group translated growth into cascading brick patterns, and the eagle-inspired design incorporated a 3cm width for wing motion emulation.
The dolphin group strategically used angles to capture fluid curves. These diverse representations exemplified the seamless fusion of biology and architecture, providing a distinctive exploration of natural movements in brick design.
The third day emphasized precision and anticipation as groups calculated brick placements to achieve their desired wall formations. Each group’s unique inspiration guided the brick layouts, showcasing the subtle connections between nature and design.
Outdoor experiments on the fourth and fifth days demonstrated the teams’ dedication to creating sustainable models. Innovative methods were devised to maintain experiment integrity, resulting in tangible, real-world structures that reflected the seamless translation of conceptual designs into reality. All six groups successfully brought their visions to life using local, affordable bricks forming a wall with a base length of 1.5 meters.
As the fifth day concluded, all six groups presented their findings in a compelling manner, showcasing intricate details from their 1:5 scale experiments and unveiling impressive results from their 1:1 experiments.
The subsequent public exhibition, which opened on November 27th, marked the intersection of creativity, technology, and expertise in shaping the future of architecture. Attended by an eager audience, the showcase featured 1:5 scale models, and individual panels providing insights into the creative process, leading up to the unveiling of impressive 1:1 outdoor experiment results. The audience, exceeding a hundred guests, was captivated by the creativity and innovation displayed by each group, fostering an atmosphere of engagement and appreciation.
In recognition of their dedication, each participant received a certificate of participation. The event’s success was made possible through the generous support of various partners, including the Anchor Foundation Specialists, Alpha Post Tension, Sets General Trading, Jaquar Group Addis Ababa, SOS Children’s Village Ethiopia, and Ejig Design.
As the exhibition moves to other architecture schools to foster educational initiatives, the organizers extend a warm invitation to interested parties to join future celebrations and contribute to the continued advancement of the field.
