Qatar Project

Creative Director and Co-Principal Investigator
Alberta College of Art and Design, Canada, 2012
Funded by the School of Visual Arts (SOVA) at Virginia Tech and Alberta College of Art and Design
~Awarded tenure in spring, 2016

In collaboration with Ron Hawker from Alberta College of Art and Design, I conducted computer-based analyses of the performance and spatial organization of historic towns in Qatar. Our investigation into Jumayl began when Ron Hawker was invited by Barker-Langham, a cultural consultancy based in London, to review parts of the National Museum of Qatar’s collection. Michael Whiteley started the process by extruding the 2D data into a 3D model. Using Integrated Environmental Solutions (IES)’s Virtual Environment, he ran a number of simulations to measure the functional climactic performance of both the settlement as a whole and a single house structure. The simulations included wind simulation, thermal radiation, and dynamic shadow casting. I then exported Whiteley’s model in AutoDesk Maya. Using the terrain data downloaded from NASA and Google Earth, I created both the surrounding terrestrial and maritime environments for Jumayl in a higher resolution model, adding a series of stone fishing traps located in the shallow adjacent waters. After researching tide charts and natural history texts to identify common fish for this part of the Gulf, I utilized the particle system simulation function in Maya to recreate tidal action. I then overlaid 2D representations of four common types of fish using their silhouettes: mojarras/silver buddies, flathead mullets, rabbit fish, and small needlefish. With these layers, I was able to simulate the function of the traps, demonstrating how the fish were entrapped as the tides retreated.

Collaborators: Dr. Ronald Hawker (School of Critical and Creative Studies, Alberta College of Art and Design, Associate Chair), and Mr. Michael Whiteley (Alberta College of Art and Design, Student at Alberta College of Art and Design).