Pup Architects was interviewed by KooZA/rch on methods of representation.
Who influences you graphically?
We call on a wide and fairly eclectic pool of influences that we pick and choose from depending on the project or what we are trying to communicate. We try to be very clear about how we use different types of drawings and images to represent our ideas. We have never consciously tried to copy a particular graphic style but there are a few stand out references that we keep returning to.
We have always liked drawings that explain how things work. For example the flattened perspective drawings and illustrations of the 16th c. military engineer Agostino Ramelli. We love how sometimes a combination of drawings, details and explanation are combined into a single page. The 19th century architectural historian August Choisy produced a series of studies of masonry structural arches from below showing the construction and space in one view. The structure and geometry informs a particular way of representation that is carried through the series. In the same way the exploded and cut-away illustrations from Haynes manuals can be beautiful for their extreme practicality.
We also just enjoy making images of our ideas and we definitely get carried away sometimes in the details or experimenting with how to show things. Egyptian architect Hassan Fathy made plan/elevation drawings with a charm that elevates them far beyond just architectural representations. Likewise Aldo Rossi’s plans for the San Cataldo Cemetery seem to be communicating something much more than just a technical representation of space. We love them for their boldness, playfulness and strict composition. The etchings of Alexander Brodsky and Ilya Utkin are also favourites. Completed throughout the 80’s they capture an almost fairy tale whimsicality but are beautifully detailed.
How instrumental was the small Carousel for the development of the final product?
We made a series of physical models whilst developing the Streetscape Carousels and they were instrumental not just to present the idea to the client but to test and refine the concept. When we first had the idea we cut a long collaged streetscape from paper by hand and used an Iphone torch to test the shadows, the distortion and spread. We made a few more versions, each time more precise and complex until we reached the final design. The final model that was exhibited in City Hall as part of the competition for us captured the toy-like intrigue and playfulness that was central to the concept but also would have been difficult to communicate in any other way.
What role did the model of HVAC play in representing the speculation? To what extent might a more realistic collage have helped in making the speculation stronger?
The original image was made with a model built for a single photo. It is actually just half a model and we only built what was to be seen in the photo. We like the impact a physical model can have over a collaged or photoshopped image. We never intended to make an image that was photorealistic as this was not necessary for what we were trying to communicate. It was important that the image had other qualities, an atmosphere and a quality of light, of materials and an idea of how the project could be used. We made the image when the weather outside was just turning and coming out of winter. We were enjoying the bursts of sunshine that came between showers and wanted the image to have this intense sunlight.
How does your method of representation reflect how you operate as an architecture office?
We are in the business of making things physical and building structures. We generally try to get as close as possible to this in our representation. A physical model, or a half-model such as with H-VAC, is the next best thing. However, a lot of our drawings and images need to do more than just represent our proposals. We often want drawings to illustrate how a space is used, have a sense of atmosphere or contain some kind of optimism about the project its self. These are things our drawings need to communicate alongside information about a dimension or detail of a construction. We often have limited time to spend on representing a project, we therefore try to use our time working in a way that we enjoy and if we invest a lot of time we try to make sure there is an outcome that is valuable to us as a practice beyond the particular presentation or deadline that it was produced for.