Ailie miller - 538625
Ailie Miller My mother always thought it was strange how much time I’d spend reading the real-estate section of the newspaper as a teenager. She also thought my obsession with The Sims when I was ten was a bit extreme. But then, the realization struck that perhaps I wanted to be an architect. Since that moment in year 6 nothing else really sparked my interest, and the further into this course that I get, my decision only ever seems to be reaffirmed, and I know that I’ve made the right choice. Born in England to a family of Scots and spending a brief three year stint in Singapore, it was in 2000 that we moved to Australia, and Melbourne has remained as my home since, just don’t tell anyone that I prefer Sydney.
Besides my love for a city with hills, harbors, and cobbled stones, there are a few things that are currently driving me nuts:
Though my first pet hate is definitely one of individual preference, the construction of buildings that seem to want to scream at you that, ‘I’m something new and different’ really do irritate me. I simply do not understand why anyone would design a building that only addresses the ‘style of now’. In how many years is it going to become an eyesore? I do believe modern buildings can be beautiful, tasteful, stand the test of time, and become something iconic. But to me, to be able to achieve this, simplicity and traditional elements is the only way. By being respectful to the buildings environment, neighbors, and not resembling a snorkel mask, I think modern buildings can be brilliant, and they have some of the most functional and impressive interior spaces around. Currently, I’m sitting facing an orange house, with a green gate. Which I feel only proves my point on the over use of colour. If this house were white, black, or something neutral, it would probably be really quite beautiful, and yes boring. I feel that by reducing the emphasis on colour, texture and materiality becomes more important. Which are more refined details that I quite like to discover in buildings. I also feel it creates a more homogenous environment, if all the buildings weren’t in clashing colour tones vying for attention. I also really appreciate garden space, and find it deeply upsetting at the decision to maximize internal space at the cost of the external. Sadly I feel that in a lot of buildings, the outdoor retreat is overlooked and underappreciated. So these are probably the three main things that get me frustrated about the architecture world. Though usually I find that I’m pretty much in awe by the brilliance of peoples minds and designs.
Studio Air - ABPL30048 - Semester 1, 2013 - Group 3 - Daniel & Kirilly
Almost next to nothing. My struggle with rhino in virtual environments essentially scared me away from ever trying to work with it again. My Bodyspace project was an abstracted representation of the degenerative affects of Alzheimer’s on the brain, where this degeneration was expressed with mold. This form was then modeled in clay, cut up to create curves, lofted in rhino, and then using my own octagon surface panel pattern, the design was then unraveled into 32 strips, printed and laser cut at the FabLab, and manually put together. Though I found the whole experience to be a bit of a nightmare, it was a valuable subject, and I was very proud of what I’d been able to achieve in my first 12 weeks of becoming an architecture student.
Ailie miller - 538625
Discourse
of
Architecture:
Architecture is a functional form of art. It’s intended to provide a function, but to be something more than just a practical object it has to evoke some kind of idea or emotion. Being able to encourage thinking, analysis, observations and interpretations of what is physically in front of you, is to me, what art is all about. The ability to provoke thought. This ability to encourage thinking and reflection is intricately tied with the idea of architecture as a social representative medium. By encouraging social engagement, architecture can be used to promote positive social behavior. It is able to do this simply by existing, almost as a ‘backdrop’ to people’s lives. I see it something like a giant version of an Ikea store, and each different building is just a giant interpretation of one of the little made-up Ikea rooms. Each providing and presenting something different, designed for different stages in life and encouraging a different styles of living. Looking at architecture as a ‘backdrop’ enables the architect to control how people live and behave, thus enabling the encouragement of positive social behavior and norms. In reference to my two chosen precedents, floating solar sphere for Stockholm, both designs show architecture as an art form critiquing society.
The Sky Mirror in New York commons.wikimedia.org
The Sky Mirror in London alisonlucy.worldpress.com
Anish Kapoor’s Sky Mirror, was a £900,000 art installation of 200. I was fortunate enough to have seen in Sydney and was blown away by its simplicity and beauty. When a work of art is as large as this, it is 10m in diameter, and is featured in such prominent social settings, Sydney Harbor, New York 5th Avenue, and London, having been some of its temporary exhibition sites, it is possible to start categorizing it under the title of architecture. This giant concaved reflective stainless steel mirror, encourages the discussion of, society and art.
This monumental piece of work, is able to be so thought provoking in its simplicity, and for this it’s a truly great piece of work.
Studio Air - ABPL30048 - Semester 1, 2013 - Group 3 - Daniel & Kirilly
Plans for Stockholmsporten, by BIG architects
http://www.designboom.com/architecture/big-architects-stockholmsporten-master-plan-winning-design/
Winston Churchill
Bjark Ingles Group, BIG, had the winning proposal for a new junction of two of Europe’s major Highways, and entrance to Stockholmsporten. Its most defining feature is a giant hovering reflective sphere over the junction, which also provides solar energy for the surrounding town area. This sphere shares a physical similarity to Kapoors Sky Mirror, but it also reflects some of the same social critique ideas, nature as art, architecture as art, society and the environment, and social interactions. The design is more than just a giant floating reflective ball, it creates 580sqm that is divided into pie slices of natural vegetation, wetlands and forests. These are connected via bike paths, which join onto public whilst also providing enough energy to support itself and for the 235 residents. These two works of art/architecture, are both encouraging an individual interpretation, and emphasize the importance of social space. However it is the reception and response of these works, which will dictate how successful they are in achieving their goals.
Ailie miller - 538625
Ailie miller - 538625
COMPUTATIONAL ARCHITECTURE Computing and its affects on the design process, have lead to a new ‘speed’ of design, a theoretical decrease in human errors, but also a removal of humans from the design process. The ability to use computer generated design software, allows for the architect to make important decisions regarding, cost, construction, and design latter on into the project. A benefit, as the architect will have a deeper understanding of what the consequences of these decisions will be. Unlike using traditional methods, where the architects ability to change the design with ‘ease’ decreases the further into the design process, using computing methods, the architect is able to lengthen this process, and continue to make important decisions towards the cutoff date. Computers respond to facts, controlled messages, and respond accurately. They do exactly what they are told to do and as a result, their results are accurate, thus reducing the impact of human error in the design process. However by removing the ‘human’ from the equation, the benefits of humans are also lost. Computers are only able to understand what we tell them, but they lack the innate knowledge that people have. A computer will do what its told to do, where as a human will do what its told to do, but will understand why its doing it, and will implement boundaries without having to be told. For example, if you instruct a computer to ‘draw a line’, it will draw one that goes on for infinity, however a human would draw one that has a start and an end. Communicating to a computer is different to that of communicating to people, and accurate language is required, in order for it to understand EXACTLY what it is you require it to do. “ Yehuda E. Kalay, Architecture’s New Media : Principles, Theories, and Methods of Computer-Aided Design
Introducing computing in to the design process has increased the architects importance in the construction of the design. In what is almost a return to the ‘master builder’ phase, architects are now being more involved in the construction of the build. As new styles of architecture emerge, so too must new ways of construction. As a result, architects are no longer able to leave the project once the plans of the building are finalized, instead they are involved in new and innovative ways of fabricating the design. These new innovative ways of fabrication are a result of having to respond to new and more complex geometries. With computa-
This prototype inflatable tent, has been designed using the Rhino plugin Kangaroo, enabling the designer to understand what the affect of the pressurized air will have when it inflates the tent. This allows for the final form to be visualized and constructed to work with the air force.
Studio Air - ABPL30048 - Semester 1, 2013 - Group 3 - Daniel & Kirilly
Ailie miller - 538625
COMPUTATIONAL ARCHITECTURE tion, there’s an ability to create using non regular geometries, Euclidean geometries, using control points and NURBS. The ability to ‘blobify’ designs has led to an increase in curves in design. The introduction to curves and blobs has lagged in architecture, having been seen first, in airplanes, boats, cars and other household objects. These forms respond to rules, functional influences, and reject historic style, urban and structural norms. Computation, allows for new forms to be generated, based on rules and requirements, away from traditional geometry. To be able to create these shapes, cutting, subtractive, additive, and formative fabrication have to be used. However, though fabrication processes have been advanced, not all forms are able to be constructed fully, and adaptations or compromises may be needed to allow for the design to be realized. Computation allows for performance-orientated designing. These buildings are constructed with limitations and criteria that must be met, thus limiting and specifying their shape and properties to meet the demanded requirements. “in parametric design, it is the parameters of a particular design that are declared, not its shape” (Kolarevic, Branko, 2003). Computers are able to analytically find which forms are most practical and respond to the desired needs, based on a set of rules that has been given. By narrowing the infinitive possibilities, to those that meet the criteria, designers are able to ‘select’ the superior computer generated design through a process of elimination. These performance criteria are not an ‘after thought’ that is included into the design, but rather shape and build the design through their specifications and limitations from the outset. Computation offers unique opportunities and innovations. Geometries are able to ‘breed’ creating hybrid forms, an almost ‘evolutionary’ design process. “the designer essentially becomes the editor of the morphogenetic potentiality of the design system” (Kolarevic, Branko, 2003). Designers are being brought back into the construction and fabrication of their creations, and a new time frame and designing process has been implemented. The importance of drawings and traditional methods of representation is declining, and the importance of digital modeling will become more useful to the construction and visualization of the form. New forms and shapes can now be conceptualized and represented, leading to a new possibility of ‘blobifying’ architecture. Computation has many advantages, however the computer is only able to do what you tell it to do. As a result, it is dependent on the skill and knowledge of the designer to use the computer effectively. Unlike a pen and paper, a pre understanding of how to use it is required. With the rapidly changing technologies, and constant new opportunities, the design world and its ability to create will be forever evolving, and new styles will be emerging, and designers will always be learning.
Entry to the san Gennaro Festival. A site specific installation constructed using the Rhino plug-in Kangaroo, enabling the designers to understand how the final piece would work in the site, and under the pressure of gravity. The entire structure is in tension, with each individual, 4224 laser cut panels working together to keep the structure stable. Its final form is only possible when installed on site.
Studio Air - ABPL30048 - Semester 1, 2013 - Group 3 - Daniel & Kirilly
Kolarevic, Branko, Architecture in the Digital Age: Design and Manufacturing
The two previous precedents I selected, are dramatically different to the following two. Their shape and function have a strong simplicity, where as these following precedents are based on functionality and site specifics. The differences in these precedents, is not what their finished appearance looks like, but what they are (in my opinion) are trying to represent. The two mirrored works, are an attempt on the reflection of society, and thus it seems right that constructed from ‘human’ forms, basic circular curves. Whereas these following works, are an attempt to show the complexities of our futuristic lives, and in doing so, the use of computation enhances this essence of modernity. Computation holds a specific dominion on architecture, but so does more traditional design methods.
Ailie miller - 538625
Ailie miller - 538625
PARAMETRIC MODELLING Parametric modeling it seems has not just one definition, but many. Its been used to describe a style and computer generated designs. But from my limited understanding, it comes down to designing based on a set of parameters, rules, or equations that must be met by the design. In this sense, its useful for performance based architecture. A specific demand must be met, and incorporated into the designs functioning/ programing/design from the get-go. Because of this, parametric modeling is not explicitly computational, as demonstrated by Luigi Moretti, who’s designs of the 1960s are parametric, without the use of a computer. Parametric modeling has also come to represent a specific ‘style’, one that Patrik Schumacher in his article has suggested is the way forward. A move towards curves and a universal style. Zaha Hadids work, he
http://theverymany.com/constructs/11-art-basel-miami/
Studio Air - ABPL30048 - Semester 1, 2013 - Group 3 - Daniel & Kirilly
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Ailie miller - 538625
PARAMETRIC MODELLING
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Studio Air - ABPL30048 - Semester 1, 2013 - Group 3 - Daniel & Kirilly
suggests are perfect examples of this new era, a new world of design that has been created, delivering ‘all the components for a high performance contemporary life process, ordered texture.’ Parametric modeling in the architectural design process is another tool to be used. Those who master it will be able to create buildings of unimaginable brilliance, and the others will be left struggling to grasp the maths involved. Some of the difficulties with parametric design, relate to the fact that remembering what was created or presented even just moments ago, isn’t easily recalled. As such, monitoring the differences in the design development are difficult to retrieve, limiting the design development enhancement. They also become very difficult to change, though they allow for many more instantaneous changes and experiments than working pen to paper. As they become more complex, often the work involved to change these algorithms may be to difficult and time consuming to do, and the best design option may be allowed to slide by due to other restrains. These model codes are also very complex, difficult to share, and difficult to understand from an outsider. Making them very individual, and specific. However, the digital era that has accompanied the spread of parametricism, has also allowed for the sharing of peoples definitions, allowing for ‘copy cat’ designers, to use these algorithms and create their own interpretations. Both a positive and a negative, by allowing second-rate designers to enhance their work, but also reducing parametricism to the same repetitive style as more and more people borrow one another’s work. It is in this sense that parametricism has not yet, I believe, reached its full potential. If parametricism is recognizable by its façade, then the complexity that should be achievable has been lost, with the acceptance of a seemingly complex skin. However, as more and more people explore and voyage into the unknown world of parametric design, new possibilities will emerge, which will hopefully address more social, and environmental needs than just an aesthetic skin, and it will be here that the parametricsim will truly shine as the way forward for modern day architecture.
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Ailie miller - 538625
PARAMETRIC MODELLING MARC FORNES - THEVERYMANY Labrys Frisae & CITA Slow Furl The two chosen precedents that ive selected, both represent the possibilities of parametric modeling. Slow Furl by CITA, is a slow moving skin wall, somewhere between a cloud and a sheet of ice. It moves on its rhythm and patterns, making its behavior unpredictable but more importantly self driven and independent. The uniqueness of its movement, is enhanced by its ability to respond to touch. The surface is covered in areas of sensory alertness, which cause the surface to react to those who wish to interact with it. This architectural engineering, has created a ‘living wall’, it has no specific purpose in life other than to move and react, and for now is just a taster of what will eventually be possible, with further initiative and creativity. This is an example of a performance based design, with an ingrained sole objective of seemingly being ‘alive’ and can only bring great enthusiasm for what potential possibilities lie ahead. This is compared to Marc Fornes and Theverymany’s pavilion installation the Labrys Frisae, a static representation of computational ingenuity. This structural sculpture, of some 10,322 parts and 202,290 cut out holes, has been designed to respond to the “evolution of society as it becomes more complex and faster and faster. A simple box cannot respond anymore to the need of people” (Marc Fornes on Labrys Frisae during Miami Art Week). Though it may resemble coral, and other natural elements, this design was not based on any biomorphic principles. Instead Fornes explains that what the scientist discovers about nature, the computer scientist develops into a program, and the designer uses this for efficiency in their work. As such this stepping stone of innovative research, results in efficient buildings resembling nature, even though their was no intention to do so. Its efficiency in design, is showcased by the utilization of cheap flimsy material, that when placed in specific
Studio Air - ABPL30048 - Semester 1, 2013 - Group 3 - Daniel & Kirilly
geometries becomes rigid. The created pavilion, though delicate, and lightweight in appearance, holds the strength to support a human being. The cut out stars featured on the design, also responds to its fabrication process. The holes are used to allow for someone to put their fingers through and apply pressure to the connecting parts. This is an efficient, computer generated design, that intends to respond to a complex environment, with one that is both simple and complex in appearance at the same time. Similar to that of CITA’s Slow furl. These two ingenious designs, showcase the possibilities of parametric modeling. These apparent simplicity and complexity of these designs provide something new to our human life experience, and represent a possible future architectural landscape for our way of life.
Ailie miller - 538625
CONCLUSION Parametric modeling is the tool of the future. It is a way of meeting specific criteria, whilst utilizing the accuracy and capabilities of the computer. Both complexity and simplicity are achievable, and the range of possibilities endless. As such, individuality is a key feature of parametric modeling, and site specifics further help to create this uniqueness. The design approach for the following section should be explorative, investigating the possibilities that parametric modeling offers, and in utilizing these new capabilities, almost impossible to achieve with traditional methods, an innovative, smart design will be delivered. It will be innovative in the sense that no two designs should nor can ever be identical, where each has individual parameters set. This move to design with parameters in place, is a move in creating functional, and performative designs. Parametric modeling, allows designers to create buildings and structures that can provide something much more than just a pleasing aesthetic façade, they enable us to let it perform, and function in a way that was once very difficult to achieve. My first four weeks of Studio Air, has as always (as studios are) been rather intense. But there is no doubt, that what I have learned, I didn’t think possible. I have a greater appreciation for mathematics, and engineers who create such intricate software to allow for the likes of myself, to explore such complex programs and designs, with the click of a button. After finally understanding what ‘parametric design’ is, having originally only understood it as computational architecture, I believe that though it may not be to everyone’s capabilities, it is in the interest of the whole community, for the possibilities it holds to be explored, learned, and taught to those who might one day be able utilize these new found skills, and create something that is beyond the ‘façade of complexity’ and is something quite simple and delivers more than is currently thought possible. I believe that by using parameters in design, one day someone somewhere, will be able to solve so many problems, and the answer will be so simple and transcendent that everyone everywhere will look like fools for not have being able to answer it. But the computer will. It is for this reason that, in a somewhat scary image, that computers will be the only design tool needed. An efficient move, that now I think may be a step to far for our current mankind, but with our advances in understanding these tools that we’ve created, will indeed lead to a new world of possibilities, a new lifestyle for man.
Studio Air - ABPL30048 - Semester 1, 2013 - Group 3 - Daniel & Kirilly
Ailie miller - 538625