INTRODUCTION
PROJECT TITLE
WeaverWall
LOCATION
Tel Aviv University
YEAR
2014
PARTENERS
Nof Nathanson, Tom Porat
In the crowded alleys of Shanghai neighborhood Tilanqiao, it's hard to find a clear sidewalk. Due to the high density of the region that is suffering from poverty and neglect, residents take every piece of space they find: electricity poles are used for hanging laundry; Dining tables are blocking the narrow passages between the entrances of the buildings; The cooking is done mostly outdoors, open for all to see - and even the toilets are open to the bare sky.
DESIGN
For that situation the project "weaver wall" was created. The project tries to deal with one of the neighborhood's alleys most important questions: How can we enable semi - public functions, like cooking and eating, regulated and cozy places - without having to steal the public area from alley. The project seeks to blur the dichotomous separation that takes place today in the alley between the same functions by a wall that separates them, an outcome of the dense design. In the past, houses in the neighborhood were built as a British middle class housing, who served one family. Today, this space is shared by dozens of people who find creative solutions to overcome congestion.
TECHNIQUE
Weaver wall is a parametric design of a new kind of wall, inspired by traditional silk weaving in China. It's a wall that can change to a variety of weaving forms, to produce different states of openings and closings; It uses the techniques of dense and rigid fabric weaving, to create separation and produce more private places in the alley, like bedrooms. and uses a different weaving technique to set up more public spaces that serves large numbers of people - and allows the passing of air and light. the new wall created by a three-dimensional weaving technique, the was designed by a computer based parametric systems, that also allows storage solutions and ventilation. It is produced mainly by bamboo and wood materials, that available cheap in this regions of China.
