details
- studio
- 'i am root'
- by
- Michelle Howard, Jurgis Gecys
- platform
- cmt platform
- year
- 2024
- semester
- bachelor_03
- institution
- academy of fine arts vienna
- location
- schönbrunnerstraße 77, vienna
- coordinates
- 48.19028° N, 16.35409° E
- with
- Erik Kräutner, Mariia Nargan, Carlie Adams, Felizitas Khuen-Belasi
- model
- mycelium, wood
overview
Komorebi (木漏れ日) describes the beauty of rays of light dappling through leaves, casting dancing shadows on the forest floor. The project transforms a historic ironmonger workshop at Schönbrunnerstraße 77 in Vienna’s 5th district into a dynamic laboratory where overlooked technologies and natural wisdom converge, reviving marginalized construction methods and craft knowledge, particularly those developed by women and underrepresented groups.
The studio began with the analysis of a single tree in Vienna’s Botanical Garden, in my case Pinus sylvestris. These insights informed the renovation of the abandoned shop and the design of an exhibit pavilion producible within the laboratory: a proposal centered on the hygroscopic properties of wood, inspired by pinecones, and the structural potential of mycelium, drawing from fungal growth patterns.
Like roots, ignored technologies lie hidden yet essential, quietly supporting growth and stability. The project uncovers and nurtures these foundational elements, encouraging exploration, learning and creative expression.