We see dense urban space as an opportunity for design. Urban sports, such as skate boarding, parkour and jogging, are becoming more and more popular around the world and yet the spaces for these ctivities remain limited. Following the lead of countries such as Japan we see an opportunity to use the density of the city as a place to act by identifying underused spaces, such as the rooftops of buildings to house these growing sports.
This programme requires an easy to build system, consisting of lightweight materials with the aim to provide the reconfigurability needed for the variety of urban sports that our design can provide for. Through the testing of light sheet materials our research led to a patterning system that could soften the material allowing for bending and reconfiguration. Through pattern-tailoring and right angle connections, we are able to increase the strength of the material and, as a result, the complexity of spatial configurations for urban sports. The system will be deployed in the city centre, with an on-site construction process, infilling space between or over buildings. The project is an architectural approach to an urban scenario for multiple sites within the city, and is designed to house multiple programmes such as exhibitions and commercial shows alongside urban sports.

Project Name:
Porous Medium

Studio:
Shajay Bhooshan

Team Name:
Membrain

Team members:
Yang Chu (China), Yang Du (China), Yue Wang (China), Jie Xu (China)