Generative Workflow
I read Operative Design: A Catalogue of Spatial Verbs by Anthony Di Mari and Nora Yoo and now see it as a valuable generative tool. Inspired by the book’s logic, I developed a series of spatial transformations using SketchUp, translating abstract verbs into tangible architectural expressions.
Spatial Verbs in Practice
Each panel began with a base structure, then evolved through a sequence of operations, verbs like inflate, notch, fracture, and twist to explore how form responds to context, intention, and material logic. Once I arrived at a form I would take that form and create an aggregate, putting the unit together making a larger form from the individual units.
These digital studies were then brought into physical form: two were 3D printed, and one was modeled by folding museum board. Each was rendered into a landscape that echoed its architectural character, beachside, cliffside, and mountainous terrain, reinforcing the dialogue between form and site.
This workflow helped me reflect on how spatial verbs as design prompts could offer a language for transformation, a framework for iteration, and a bridge between digital and physical making.
