Friday, June 13, 2008

Relationships

I have broken my project down into 5 categories of objects. Four of these categories pertain to the hierarchical nature of the host building, and then the fifth is the parasitic organism that will interact with the host (I do realize that simplifying the parasitic element to a single category is oversimplifying, but is necesary to begin thinking about the relationship to the building). The four categories, of objects which make up the host building, create a spectrum of how the parasites relate to the building, as well as creating a hierarchical system for how the building reacts. The four categories are:

1. THE COLUMNS
(Rigid Solid)
- the columns are the most rigid part of the system
- columns will remain resilient under parasite dynamic pressure
- columns are highest in hierarchy of the building
- parasites will be attracted to columns
- parasites want to grab hold of columns for support
- parasites may eat away at column

2. THE BEAMS
(Malleable Solid)
- beams can bow and bend under the pressures of the parasite dynamic
- beams act as a ribcage surrounding the growth of the parasite
- beams are second in the hierarchy of the building, which means that they will be connected to the structural rigidity of the columns at specific points
- parasites may grab hold of beams as well
- parasites effect the beam dynamic and vice versa, but the beams have more weight

3. THE SLABS
(Rigid Network)
- the slabs will be a network of objects that can be effected by the parasite dynamic
- each slab object will be more rigid than the beams, but as a network they will have less weight, their weight will be similar but slightly higher then that of the parasite
- the slab network will act much like a sidewalk built over the roots of a growing tree
- parasites may crack, bend, penetrate, crumple, and eat away at the slab network
- slabs are third in the hierarchy of the building, which means that they will be connected to the structure of the beams at specific points

4. THE FACADE
(Malleable Network)
- the facade will have the least weight of the categories of objects
- parasites effect the facade dynamic and vice versa, but the parasites have more weight
- the facade is the fourth in the hierarchy of the building, which means that they will be connected to the structure of the slabs at specific points
- parasites will definitely eat at the facade

The hierarchical nature of the building will be expressed much like a skeletal system.

This spectrum of relationships was created as a basis for delving into the technical scripting side of this project as it is important for me to be able to work out these simpler, more easily defined relationships first. While I am figuring out how to express this set of interactions, I am trying to think through the driving forces (whether they be social, political, economic, fanciful, or a combination of many forces) behind the parasitic narrative.