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Clay Odom, NCIDQ

Clay Odom, NCIDQ

Associate Professor

The University of Texas at Austin School of Architecture

Clay Odom is an Associate Professor in the Interior Design Program at The University of Texas School of Architecture, a graduate of Texas Tech University College of Architecture and the Columbia University Graduate School of Architecture Planning and Preservation, and a licensed Interior Designer. During his career, he has completed art, building and interiors projects around the world. He previously worked for internationally recognized firms such as SHoP Architects, Studio Sofield and fashion brand, LUCA LUCA. He is co-founder of research-oriented design practice, Plume Design Lab based in Austin, Texas. This active design practice in combination with his current teaching and research position at The UTSoA are the platforms for design-based scholarship which leverages advanced tools and methods to explore spatial, atmospheric and material effects generation in relation to spatial design, interior environments and fabrication. Engaging both analog and digital computation and more recently incorporating AI, Odom’s research and teaching pedagogy leverages complex systems as conceptual and methodological frameworks for interrogating and designing interiors as fundmental and generative components of the built environment. This work is fundamentally driven by questions of relation as they play out in within increasingly complex urban and natural environmental interfaces and ecologies. He has completed projects and exhibited work in France, Holland, Hong Kong, Australia, Estonia, and The United States.

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  • Digital Patterning: Design, Computation, and Fabrication
    Contains 1 Component(s), Includes Credits

    In this presentation, Kory Bieg and Clay Odom, founding partners of Plume Design Lab and faculty members at The University of Texas at Austin School of Architecture, will explore the design and fabrication of product systems that can adapt to a variety of spaces. The discussion will cover the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools in the early stages of design generation, and the translation of AI-generated images into fully parametric and functional 3D models. We will cover the potential challenges that designers may face when developing product systems tailored to uniquely irregular spaces, particularly considering the fabrication constraints associated with wood and metal materials. The presentation will include a comprehensive walkthrough of the process from start-to-finish, elucidating how digital objects are transformed into fabrication-ready parts. We will show how the incorporation of notation and code on the parts themselves can significantly diminish assembly time and the reliance on traditional drawings in the field. Beyond the technical aspects, the presentation will delve into our design ethos and our distinctive approach to product design. From showcasing initial design images to evaluating and selecting AI-generated outputs, we will offer a comprehensive examination of the entire design process-from the inception of a design sketch to the intricacies of fabrication and assembly. Attendees will not need to possess prior expertise in AI image generation, parametric modeling, or CNC fabrication tools, as we will walk through each step, providing high-level information about the entire process. The presentation not only promises a deep dive into cutting-edge design methodologies but will also provide valuable insights into the file-to-fabrication production process.