ACTIVITIES

The Fractals Workshop is a generative design and form finding workshop series that combines logic, geometry, natural system and Structure. This workshop is an adaptation of the teaching methods practiced at the Design Research Lab at the AA School of Architecture in London.

Fractals is a hands-on workshop, building upon the design research carried out in previous iterations.

Participants work in teams to design and aggregate discrete 3D units based on self-designed and developed analog algorithms. The focus is on connections and rules of growth at the single-unit level to result in a prototypical system or aggregation that is resultant of applying the rules. Participants understand the concept of evolution in that one small change or rule at the unitary level impacts the holistic system:  bottom-up approach to the design process versus the standard top-down approach. The rules become a manual to be followed to create larger aggregations, and can be used in the future to replicate the system again, or to create an evolving catalog of parametric system by tweaking the rules. Rather than a single solution to a singular problem or for a specific context, the workshop focuses on the design of prototypical, adaptive, aggregation system’s, arrived at through the use of analog and digital tools and techniques.

The method is derived from the organic growth of natural systems, Structural systems, mathematics and geometry, and computation, and their application in parametric design and architecture.

The Fractals Workshop encourages teamwork, computational thinking, 3D thinking and logic. The design research will culminate in a public exhibition of the work, as well as a series of large-scale installations designed and fabricated by the participant teams.

Design Aware was born of a desire to create awareness through liveable, wearable, usable, accessible and responsible design. Situated in Hyderabad and Dubai, the Studio practices process-oriented design, and their portfolio cuts across scale, method, location and typology, with a special focus on socially-relevant projects, such as a school for Students of disadvantaged backgrounds in the heritage zone of the Golconda Fort in Hyderabad.

The Dyeing and Printing workshop was a skill enhancement Training program for women, which was conducted from 18-3-2021 to 29-03-2021 at KSID Campus. The workshop was taken by Sri. K. DAKSHINAMURTHY, resident in Chennai who specialized in Natural Dyes and Block Printing and Dyeing on Textiles. He has a very good experience in all these for past 40 years. He is also a National award winner for his traditional Block printing with Natural Dyes in the year 2009-10.

The Purpose of conducting this workshop was to enhance and empower women skills and also make them aware about the importance of such traditional crafts. The workshop included both natural and chemical techniques of Dyeing and Block Printing. It was held for two batches and the first one was for Dyeing and the other one for block printing. Ten women participated for each batch. Women from different backgrounds had gathered together for this workshop, few of them had completed Fashion Designing course in ITI, Tailors, and Entrepreneurs.

Very interesting techniques of Dyeing were taught by Sri. K. DAKSHINAMURTHY which included Tie and Dye technique, Vat Dye and Naphthol dye processes and natural dyeing with natural sources around. The Entire process was very simple to understand and easy to do especially preparation of fabric for Dyeing, washing and drying of the fabric after Dye bath.

Natural dyes were given very importance to this workshop. The reason is even though many natural dyeing raw materials are available around, people don’t know how to use it in an effective way, but through his guidance natural dyeing process became very easier and interesting. Also it was understood that these natural dyed fabrics have many benefits because it contains medicinal elements and good for skin.

Block printing is the process of printing patterns by means of engraved wooden blocks. Many blocks were introduced to the workshop which were carved by traditional craftsmen in Andhra Pradesh. Many varieties of traditional and contemporary designs were carved on the wooden blocks. Its designs varied from single colour to four colours in butta boarder and all- over. Block print can be printed both in natural and chemical methods, in natural block print black paste, Alum paste and chocolate paste which is a mixture of alum and black paste is used, while in chemical block printing pigment dyes are used.

As this technique are not much familiar to people around Kerala, it was a great opportunity for them to understand and experience the essence of dyeing and block printing through this workshop.