A large model made by students when they were undertaking their Master of Architecture studies has gone on display in the Nucleus Building.

The work, entitled A Digital Landscape from Tiergarten, was created by Andong Guo, Bolun Hua and Shiyu Zhang as part of their endeavours in ESALA’s Berlin studio, where students from both years of the two-year MArch programme work together on architectural design projects. Andong and Bolun graduated earlier this year and Shuyu is currently completing her studies.

The model was spotted at the June Graduate Show by staff who work at Kings Buildings and a team was brought together to install it in a prominent position in the new teaching building.

The model is made from laser cut plywood, copper rods, card, 3D-printed PLA (polylactic acid, a material made from renewable, organic sources such as corn starch or sugar cane).

A device designed to collect and interpret data

The students’ research mapped the interplay and boundaries between Berlin’s natural and cultural landscape in Tiergarten Park, the city’s largest public park.

Their model is a physical outcome of their data collection and subsequent analysis using a “sentient device capable of collecting ground condition data, including colour and roughness, using colour and ultrasonic distance sensors.” 

Equipped with a GoPro camera, their device captured data along a specified path “offering insights into the hybrid network comprising human intention, sentient nonhuman devices, and the cultural and natural landscape of Tiergarten.” 

Through this interdisciplinary approach, the team aimed to advance their understanding of the dynamic relationship between technology, infrastructure, and urban ecology.

Extending the Graduate Show at a new location

Members of staff who work at Kings Buildings saw the model when it was on display during the Graduate Show and were intrigued by its fusion of art and science. 

Andong said: “During the ECA Graduate Show, the whole mock-up was installed on the wall, it drew attention from special visitors, Peter Reid (College Project Manager, College of Science and Engineering) and Julia Eighteen (Events Manager) from the Kings Buildings (KB) campus. They admired the model's impressive scale and noted its attributes in both science and art. This unexpected appreciation sparked a conversation between us and the KB team about the possibility of extending the exhibition by relocating the piece to the Nucleus Building at KB.

“This opportunity allowed the installation to continue its life beyond our final academic year and find a new home within the institution,” he continued. “With the help of Malcolm Cruickshank from the Maltings workshop at Minto House and Mark Reynolds, Technician/Photographer, College of Science & Engineering from James Clerk Maxwell Building at KB, we successfully reinstalled the model in a prominent location where it can be easily viewed upon entering the Nucleus Building.”

The model is on display until July 2025.