Revision as of 16:32, 8 January 2018

Abel Maciel

Vivian is highly skilled Part 1 Architect based in London with an outstanding portfolio illustrating innovative designs. She has a keen interest in learning new skills and the ability to paint. She also has gained experience working as an architectural assistant for a range of projects that differ in scale and stages with both big and small firms, from MAKE Architects to Absolute Project Management. Vivian currently a student at the Architectural Association studying 'Computational Ornamentation' with Soomeen Hahm in Inter 13.

Biography

Growing up, Vivian never had building blocks or Legos to stack up high and stare at it in awe instead; she had a subconscious curiosity of how spaces are inhabited. Subconscious because not until recently did she understand her urge to frequently change the layout of her bedroom to obtain maximum space for circulation and convenience. The way she recounts a memory is based on the space she inhabit and her experience through it, it’s like little snippets of different spaces that forms her recollection of memory. Consequently, it’s the little things that played on her subconscious that led her to architecture.

Vivian picked architecture based on her core interests - Maths, Art and Physics. Of particular interest to her in architecture, is the connection between spatial arrangements and urbanism, most specifically, the exploration of how to manipulate a given space to suit and make it fluid

I was born in London, England. My interest has been focused around art and design and maths. This has driven and sculpted my outlook on architecture. I am a conscientious and hardworking person who pays attention to detail. Besides architecture, I love travelling, playing basketball and helping people. I have participated in charity and sport events and love challenges that push me to develop my skills.

Research Focus

Using my ink experiments as a design tool to then digitally capture it and 3D print it and explore ways to using it architecturally

Fluid Simulation

Detailed Design Language

Propositions

Proposing an architectural program/technique that utilises this kind of detailed language to address [insert architectural issue]

Essays

Escaping from the Slums

After studying Rococo and how it has influenced many art and styles that followed, I based my dissertation on the point of why breaking from the modernist past could create a new identity for high rise social housing designs in London. Everyone agrees that there is a problem with many social high rise housing in London, but there is no agreement as to the cause because there is no factual evidence to differentiate true from false. It explores how the design of high rises housing for the slum clearance after World War II has had a huge impact on social behaviour which has led to the stereotypes we have today about social housing.

Mind, Mind Space and Outer Space within a Space - From colonial to Independent [UNAIDED]: The limitation of imaginary and its unexplored possibilities in Africa

Is the conservative imagination of the people linked to the under developed infrastructure within spaces in Africa and their disorganised city planning? This essay argues how the success of the colonial liberation movements in Africa brought out the lack of imagination of the people which led to the lack of political opportunities, incompetence of spaces in place and thus, the eventual failure of their infrastructure. The freedom movements were made possible through the actual experience of the people, due to the constant oppression and not necessarily from their imagination. We look for logical thinking where imagination is needed, and we only use our imagination during ‘special’ occasions, not knowing that their imagination can change perspectives of reality. Vivian established this argument by analysing Edward Festus Makuka Nkoloso’s Afrofuturist idea on ‘Afronaut’. She also examine Afrofuturism and Kwame Nkrumah’s industrial Utopia.