Snoodles

Description

Speculative Commercial from bent PVC pipes

Location

Alice Springs

Year

2025

This project focuses on developing a construction and design
system using bent PVC pipes as a structural and aesthetic framework.

The process involves filling the pipes with heated sand to soften the PVC and prevent collapse, then bending
them into precise curves that can be joined to form larger surfaces. Once assembled, the pipe framework is coated with sand shotcrete to fill gaps, increase rigidity, and create a unified finish.

This combination of PVC and concrete produces a composite
system that is lightweight, adaptable, and capable of generating complex geometries with minimal formwork. The technique allows for efficient fabrication and on-site assembly, using readily available materials and simple tools. The bent pipes define both the structural logic and visual character of the building, providing a system that can be repeated, adjusted, and scaled.

This studio explores the evolving relationship between human labour, digital design, and the role of emerging technologies in shaping architectural production. As automation and augmentation increasingly reconfigure the construction landscape, new hybrid forms of making are emerging – ones that do not fully replace human effort but instead restructure it in profound ways. Through the integration of Mixed Reality (MR) platforms with speculative thinking on automation, the studio asks: What does it mean to design for augmented construction?

The studio investigate new material workflows that merge analogue making with holographic guidance and computational processes, developing architectural proposals that integrate Mixed Reality (MR) and automation into both the fabrication process and post-construction lifecycle. Project includes a design proposal and a 1:1 prototype fragment, constructed using MR-assisted techniques and material testing.

LOCATION:

Lot 9164 Ross Highway, Ross, NT 0873

LOCATION & ACCESSIBILITY:
The site is positioned along Ross Highway,
approximately 15 minutes’ drive southeast of Alice
Springs CBD. This ensures strong connectivity for
visitors, while maintaining a sense of separation from
urban light and noise.

The surrounding land is largely rural and open,
contributing to low levels of ambient light pollution.
The location’s distance from the CBD enhances
suitability for astronomy-based tourism.

TOPOGRAPHY & VIEWS:
Elevated areas of the site provide extensive range
views and unobstructed horizons, which are
advantageous for stargazing activities. Westerly
orientation also affords natural sunset vistas,
offering additional tourism value prior to night-time
programming.

PROGRAM:
This project proposes a stargazing centre located
in the Australian desert. The facility combines
outdoor observation areas with an internal gallery
showcasing constellations, astronomy, and cultural
sky knowledge.

Dry sand is first heated until it reaches a high temperature. The ends of the PVC pipe are sealed and the hot sand is carefully poured inside, filling the hollow section completely. As the sand transfers its heat evenly to the inner surface of the pipe, the PVC softens gradually. Because the pipe is filled, the sand also prevents the walls from collapsing or kinking during bending. Once the pipe becomes pliable, it can be gently bent to the desired radius. After cooling and hardening in shape, the sand is emptied out.