Elective Course HS2021 | Topology | Deep Poly

Elective Course HS2021 | Topology | Deep Poly
August 20, 2021 Dennis Häusler

The slopes in Zurich’s Hochschuhlquartier have for a long time been of importance to the city. Whether it has been for the construction of various defence walls or due to the spectacular view of the alps and the erection of cantonal and national institutions, these developments above ground left their traces on the underground. On the slope between the river Limmat and the Hochschuhlquartier, the built morphology has grown over centuries and is closely interwoven with the terrain. Buildings such as the ETH main building develop sections that follow the topography. In addition, infrastructures such as railway tunnels or parking facilities bore through the slopes connecting suburbs to Zurich’s centre.

TOOLS: Laserscanning / Sound recorders with various microphones

TEACHING TEAM: Prof. Christophe Girot, Fabian Gutscher, Dennis Häusler, Magda Kaufmann, Matthias Vollmer

CONTACT: Dennis Häusler

The goal of the course is to document and analyse the site to reveal its topological potentials. Using three-dimensional point cloud models, the students will comprehend this heterogeneous urban landscape. Selecting and portraying a specific spatial configuration on site will lead to the programming of an interactive application in the lab.

No prior knowledge is assumed. All software will be provided. We will be using a combination of Autodesk ReCap, CloudCompare and Unity.

A weekend workshop on-site, historic documents and lectures will support the students during the semester. The language of instruction is English; Assistance in English and German.

The topological approach of using point cloud modelling allows the students to reveal the seemingly invisible connections and work on sections through landscape and architecture within the city. Through laser scanning technology and sound recordings, on-site three-dimensional digital models are generated which allow for a precise analysis of the found spatial configurations. In the Lab these models will be manipulated and developed into standalone applications.

Still pictures of the students work:
The students developped an interactive stand-alone application. The following Images represent still pictures of these applications. 

Extract of the Application by Eschbach Damaris, Lercher Marin & Loretan Nathan
Find more 3D Models and Extracts here

Extract of the Application by Michael Ferris & Joseph Inglima
Find more 3D Models and Extracts here

Extract of the Application by Tom Bauer & Philipp Eitel
Find more 3D Models and Extracts here

Presentations of the Work: