NICOLAS PISCA

PROJECT


Undersexualized Recursion

Undersexualized Recursion (G0001) is a continuation of a series of computationally-designed spaces and networks. It explores how architectures can emergently hold spaces by communicating with parts of itself, experiment with solutions, and breed possible organisms. Much of the design of this organism uses code-authored-code, which self-edits its programming. This work does not fetishize the object; in fact it does everything it can to obscure, limit, and confuse the viewer. To map the space, the viewer must invest time and effort to decipher the geography of the space and the evolution of the organism. This is an ongoing project, with continuing efforts to prolifically explore the formal-, computational-, architectural-, and spatial-search spaces.

With enabled self-evolving geometry exploration, this architectural organism is capable of testing and breeding more formal options. Cusps, blebs, sweeps, recursive reduction, and other gestures are created automatically by the code. Custom “ripple surfacing allowed for new ways to texture poly-surfaces. Also, this programs implements the emergent connectivity of the previous iterations of the “Undersexualized series.

The E0002 Series has profound enhancements to the architectural organism, namely allowing the system to play with and evolve different surface conditions.  These conditions texturize the surface and space at different fractal scales and each generation passes down its traits to future designs.

The F-Series explored how thicknesses of networks can have cusp and variable ratios. It tried to resolve horizontality and platform configurations while communicating with branches and levels that are either above and below the point of nodal growth.  Without straining the malleability of the geometry, it tried to reconnect to adjacent branches in a way that would promote linear and platform occupancy.

– Nicholas Pisca

BIOGRAPHY


Nicholas Pisca is a computational architect and designer working in Los Angeles. He founded the design/research firm 0001D LLC to investigate and innovate algorithmic, parametric, BIM, 4D, CNC, and biological technologies for the AEC, graphic design, web, and visual effects industries. For ten years, Pisca pioneered the design, development, and implementation of architectural and construction automation as the Technical Manager at Gehry Technologies, with notable contributions to projects like the One Spruce Street Facade rationalization, Lou Ruvo Brain Institute skin optimization, and Dr Chau Chuk Wing Building technical management. Pisca has taught seminars and studios on computation design at the USC School of Architecture, UC Santa Barbara Media Arts and Technology Department, and SCI-Arc, and he has conducted workshops on algorithmic and parametric design at various universities and offices across the United States. Pisca’s work (both on his own or in collaboration with others) has been exhibited and/or published in Rouse D, Evolo, the Main Event 7, A+D, SICA Gallery, ScriptedByPurpose and various other outlets. He published a book on Maya MEL scripting titled “YSYT” in 2009. He runs the digital technology blog “0001D Sherpa” and the meta scripting wiki “0001D Blast,” sharing all of his open source programming.