Pogotopy
Christopher Dorr
Prototypes with Aggregate Industries, Chelmsford Massachusetts
2008
Asphalt Option Studio | Paula Meijerink | Harvard Graduate School of Design
Photos by Christopher Dorr

Apparent smoothness tends to mask the topographic aberrations which characterize an asphalt crust. As a means of subverting this perceptual tendency and metaphorically amplifying these ‘imperfections’ (which are often themselves the result of the construction process), a pogostick is used to dynamically engage the malleable asphalt skin prior to crust formation. Variable factors, e.g., mix temperature, aggregate size, performance strategy, skill level of participant, stick characteristics, etc., can be manipulated to achieve a range of results.