Performative Factory

Architecture Studio IV

Under Senior Instructor Julee Herdt

The Performative Factory is a manufacturing center and distribution hub for ‘BioSIP’ building construction panels. It serves as a state-of-the-art production facility and provides public gathering space for the surrounding community.

The Performative Factory’s architecture is based on movement: the movement of its users, the movement of its systems, and the movement of the goods that it produces. A dynamic architecture inspires.

Conceptual Sketch

Ink on Strathmore

Conceptual Model

Foam Board Insulation, Glycerine (Solid), Aluminum Mesh, Steel Pins

Set in one of the most pedestrian and bicycle-friendly cities in the United States, Boulder's extensive network of public bike paths is continued into the factory through a gradual velodrome. The velodrome is accessible by commuters, clients, and visitors alike. The factory's primary assembly and production line, where raw materials are processed per the current programme's requirements, is also integrated into the velodrome.

Site Analysis and Demographics Study

Autodesk AutoCAD, Adobe Illustrator

Movement through the velodrome will be constant and copious via pedestrian and mechanical dynamics. The energy given off from this perpetual movement will be captured by fixed wind turbines and strategically placed 'Pavegen' energy panels, turning continual kinetic energy into renewable electricity. The Performative Factory will ultimately be off-the-grid, powered mechanically by the very people who power the factory intellectually.