CHOREOGRAPHING ARCHITECTURE:
Developing a Generative Movement Language for Embodied Design


Sara D’Amato, M.ARCH
Directed-Student Research
(2019-2020)
School of Architecture
McGill University
Supervisor: Dr. Theodora Vardouli

Awarded the 2020-2021 Ping Kwan Lau Prize in Architecture



FINAL PRESENTATION 



FALL 2020: ARCHIVE




CHOREOGRAPHING ARCHITECTURE


DISTORTIONS:

TRANSLATING BETWEEN MOVEMENT SCRIPT AND FORM


I dance the geometry of an empty square room, based on improvisational rules defined by my body’s responses to different elements within the room — walls, ceilings, floors, and apertures. I then record this dance as a script using the EWMN notation. Based on that, I define two grammars: a movement grammar that consists of room elements and their movement responses, and a translation grammar that interprets the movement responses to geometric planes. If the movement grammar allows me to record the dance in the room, the translation grammar offers the opportunity for that dance to distort, to remap the room into another geometric construct. I apply the movement grammar and translation grammar recursively to create nested dances, recordings, and re-mappings of these geometric constructs until the room is completely filled.  
MOVEMENT VOCABULARY: TRANSLATION FROM SCRIPT TO PLANAR GEOMETRY




RECURSION: IMPROVISATIONAL PERFORMANCE IN PHYSICAL ROOM



LIMITATIONS OF PHYSICAL ROOM: MOVEMENT SCRIPT



RECURSION: PLAN & SECTION