Her initial computational design work for Foster + Partners saw her involved with major international projects, including the New International Airport of Mexico City, a role she says allowed her to ‘experiment with the algorithmic approach to architecture, focusing on complex geometries for large scale projects,’ and which, ‘involved automation of design processes through the whole project lifespan from concept to detailing.’.
Circumstances like the pandemic raise the question: how do we deal with this type of complexity?The answer is, we use Modern Methods of Construction and we start to model it.
We link in with the people who understand the development processes, and look at the physicality of the supply chains.We look at what is likely to happen, the capacity different countries have to make different vaccines, and how such factors would affect the global supply.Understanding the picture in this way allows us to make decisions at an early stage about what we might do, should certain circumstances arise.
In this instance, we could decide in advance how we might react to a vaccine becoming available, and get it out to people quickly.. As the Factory in a Box project demonstrated, there are elements which are standardised across projects.For example, they all need hygienic spaces, so we can make sure the hygienic components will be available regardless of the situation with projects.
Components could be ready to deliver very quickly.
As soon as you start to model and gain understanding, opportunities and outcomes become apparent, even in times of great uncertainty.The Chip as future enabler.
We are often asked what ‘Chip’ stands for.It doesn't stand for anything.
It's based on the idea of a microchip within a computer.The microchip is the bit that does the hard work.