STUDIO AIR 2015 SEMESTER 1, TUTOR SONYA YUXIANG ZHOU
Contents INTRODUCTION
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PAST WORK
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PART A CONCEPTUALISATION A.1. DESIGN FUTURING
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INTRODUCTION
ABOUT ME My name is Yuxiang Zhou and I was born in China. After graduated from high school, I got a chance to come to Melbourne for international education. Choosing Architecture is purely because of my interests of designing and building. The concepts and knowledge have given me wonderful but challenging experience since I stepped into the area of architectural design as a totally fresh man. For two years, I have studied architecture and environments undergraduate subjects in University of Melbourne. During this time I have gained some knowledge about digital design by Rhino from the subject ‘Virtual Environments’. The experience in that subject makes me aware the convenience of form design using software and the importance of the balance between idea digitization and own idea control.
Studio Air is an ideal chance for me to approach parametric design and gain the skills of visual communication. I hope the study of digital architectural design could contribute a lot to my future design and career.
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INTRODUCTION
FIG.1: DIGITAL MODEL OF THE LANTERN
FIG.2: PHYSICAL MODEL OF THE LANTERN
PAST WORK The task of subject ‘Virtual Environments’ is aim to digitalize design our concept of natural element into an actual form of paper lantern. The process of the transferring the ideas into the forms on Rhinoceros is the most memorable time in my study. Both the 3D modelling software learning and the technique of fabrication by laser cutter are fresh tools in my designing study. The final form of my lantern is not the same as my initial design. Because the original structure of my model failed to keep stable
and too complicated to stick up. During the process, I changed the structure of the model several times on Rhinoceros and even further modified my ideas to adjust the new models. The experience reminds me of the importance that the design should be efficient in real life or fitting into the physical environments. That also makes me realize using software and modern printing methods have the potential force to change the outcome of designers.
PAST WORK
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PART A : CONCEPTUALISATION
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CONCEPTUALISATION
A.1. DESIGN FUTURING “Answering the ‘design futuring’ question actually requires having a clear sense of what design needs to be mobilized for or against. Even more significantly, it means changing our thinking, then how and what we design...Whenever we bring something into being we also destroy something - the omelette at the cost of the egg, the table at the cost of the tree, through to fossil fuel generated energy at the cost of the planet’s atmosphere.”1
As Fry pointed out, the development of technology in late years has driven the modern design into a defuturing condition of unsusitainability. The modern designing tools such as the rapid prototyping in industrial design; rendering programs in architecture; photographic retouching programs in graphic design and fashion to the full-blown design “democratic” software have been abusing on an unhealthy level. In order to work against the backdrop of increasing instability of environments condition, we need to put the environmental impact on the top awareness of design consideration and try to minimize it as possible as we can. That is, the designers should keep a balance between what we create and what we break on the targeting site. Furthermore, it is important to understand then achieve the true value of the computational approach to the futuring design challenge we facing today. Generally knowing what materials we will use and what energy we will consume for our design is a straight way to a sustainable design. By using parametric design we architects can deal with the precise calculation and complicated modelling related to our sustainable design more visually and simply . It is time to apply a more green and constructive design on future architectural projects rather than a “fast food” artefact under industrial design.
1. Fry Tony, Ethics and New Practice (Oxford Berg), retrieved from LMS, 6 Mar 2015 CONCEPTUALISATION 7
PRECEDENT STUDY: SWAYWAY DESIGNER: LISE MANSFELDT FAURBJERG, STINE REDDER PEDERSEN, CHRISTIAN NYGAARD SØRENSEN LOCATION: NEW YORK
FIG.3
“SWAYWAY is the vision of addressing energy literacy in a phenomenological way: By embracing both the energy potential, the structural challenges and the local habitat of Freshkills Park SWAYWAY conveys a spontaneous understanding of renewable energy production. “
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CONCEPTUALISATION
This project locates at the Freshkills Park on the Staten Island in New York. Staten Island is the junction of several of the migration routes of the Atlantic flyways: The vast habitat of this park offers the perfect place for the birds resting, breeding and finding food. Most idea of this project is inspired from this flyway.
The giant feather element is the key element of the design, the aesthetics and properties of the feather define the structural narrative. Its wireframe structure is inspired by the anatomy of the feather with shaft, barbs and barbules. This design fit into the topography properly that the lightweight foundations suitably land “feathery” on the landfill cap.
The force of the wind is absorbed in the lightweight structure, where the piezoelectric components convert it to electricity. As the installation is aeroelastic it sways in the wind, thus constituting a controlled structural vibration that utilizes the natural frequency of the installation to convert wind power to electricity.
FIG.4
Another method to produce energy is converting the controlled structural vibrations into electricity through piezoelectric components. The “vane” of the feather consists of organic photovoltaics (OPVs) that convert solar power into electricity.1 The AC from the wind power and solar power is converted into DC by the inverter. The renewable energy has been converted to electricity by lighting the installation, serving the grid and later storage.
As stated above, although the materials use and functions of SWAYWAY are not revolutionary on the current level of techonology, its reasonable and logical design carefully composed with regards to weight, aesthetics and life cycle. The renewable wind and solar energy it produced alternately are very efficient on this flat windy area and these clean power sources really contribute a lot to to the birds and vegetations.
1. SWAYWAY, http://landartgenerator.org/LAGI-2012/aN5513ae/#, retrieved from LMS, 8 Mar 2015 CONCEPTUALISATION 9
PRECEDENT STUDY: CALORIE PARK DESIGNER: MORTEZA KARIMI LOCATION: COLUMBUS, USA
FIG.5
Compared to SWAYWAY, the project is more focused on the interaction between the design and users. Calorie Park aim to not only collect the solar energy, also mechanical energy by people. The scheme is consisted of clusters of interconnected pods that house different fitness equipment. Built-in equipment collect the mechanical energy produced by users and converts it to electricity which later will be connected to city’s infrastructure.1
1.Calorie Park, http://landartgenerator.org/LAGI-2012/6713KE13/#, retrieved from LMS, 9 Mar 2015
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CONCEPTUALISATION
The most inspirable element of this design is the combination of each pod. Pods are approximately 15 feet in diameter and are juxtaposed in a three dimensional manner. Series of these pods will create a habitrail-like maze of which the activities inside will be visible from the outside and the clusters themselves are large enough to be seen from surrounding highways.
FIG.6
The openings of the pods play several functions we can observe: the visual connection, the natural lighting and the shades inside. The maze made of the pods provides great experience of the users and allow the form continue being appreciated. Also the methods of collecting energy is suggesting that not the solar power, wind power or hydroenergy can stand for the most clean energy buildings can produced. Man power can be one of leading sustainable energy that can be considered.
As Fry stated, 1the political, social and economic changes, also the technologies, ones design should be sustained to fit the humans and environments need in a longerterm perspective. The design of Calorie Park reminds us to think more about the relationship between the users and architectural design in order to keep the balance over aesthetics and pragmatism.
1. Fry Tony, Ethics and New Practice (Oxford Berg), retrieved from LMS, 9 Mar
2015
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