WAVING CITY

AIDA RAMIREZ . DANIELA PAEZ . ANA SOFIA LOZANO

WAVING CITY PARAMETRIC URBANISM

WAVING CITY

AIDA RAMIREZ • DANIELA PÁEZ • ANA SOFÍA LOZANO

TUTOR: M. ARCH. ALEX RDZ FALL 2011

INDEX

BACKGROUND RESEARCH MODEL FORMAL DESIGN PROGRAM CIRCULATIONS SUSTAINABILITY MASTER PLAN SKIN EXTERIOR AND INTERIOR

The ‘Waving City’ was designed as an alternative for the current urban development in the Valle Oriente zone. After analyzing this site, located in San Pedro Garza García, NL, Mexico, we immediately noticed a lack of pedestrian sidewalks, a priority given to vehicular traffic, and no real connection between the buildings and the context.

Therefore, through parametric urbanism, we seek to create a continous city capable of changing the way people relate and behave within the existing urban context.

BACKGROUND

SOUND WAVES Defined as a pattern of disturbance, we chose sound waves as the main concept of our research. The behaviour of this phenomenon became the fundamental tool to generate new spatial constraints.

SOUND is a sequence of pressure waves that propagates through a compressible media such as air.

A sound wave which is not impeded by another object spreads out of the source as a sphere.

For the development of our project, sound waves were simplified in terms of sinusoidal plane waves, affected in their propagation by environmental factors such as altitude, temperature and velocity.

CROSS-SECTION OF A SOUND WAVE EXPANDING OUTWARD FROM ITS SOURCE

The following diagrams explain three properties that define the form of a sound wave: FREQUENCY, WAVELENGHT and AMPLITUDE.

The reflection of sound waves follows the same law of reflection as light where the angle of incidence equals the angle of reflection.

RESEARCH .

MODEL

A model was made to experiment with heights, contours and the possible spatial qualities of our concept

In order to generate a diversified program we defined three types of waves to start with: Low Rise, Medium Rise and High Rise. Each wave is created by a unique sound source with a different SOUND INTENSITY. Sound intensity decreases as the wave travels away from the sound source, as a result this property defines how much each one lasts.

To define their frequency, wavelenght and amplitude external conditions were taken into consideration. As mentioned before, environmental factors affect the development of sound waves. Altitude affects the temperature of the environment which affects the velocity of sound waves. For the purposes of our project, we translated altitude into amplitude, which means that the taller the wave, the lower the velocity, therefore the smaller the frequency and the longer the waveleght.

FORMAL DESIGN

SOUND SOURCES

LOW RISE

Due to the site’s need of creating pedestrian spaces, we designed a sound source whose waves release crowded areas and promote a pedestrian friendly city with open green spaces.

MEDIUM RISE

This sound source was created in order to achieve a balance in our system.

It equilibrates the skyline and promotes continuity.

HIGH RISE

Defined to be the tallest, with a height of up to 200m, the waves of the high rise source have the furthest reach. They create bigger open public spaces and generate high density areas.

SOUND SOURCES

FORMAL DESIGN .

CONTEXT is of key importance for our design engine as the buildings define the direction of the multiple reflections of the sound waves. If one building is moved, or if the site changes, the resulting form will be completely different.

Not all of the buildings in Valle Oriente were chosen to react with the system. We chose the buildings according to their relevance in the site and the number of users they are expected to contain.

SOLID-VOID OF THE SITE

BUILDINGS CHOSEN TO AFFECT THE PROJECT

After the buildings were chosen, the law of reflection was applied on the site starting with a single sound source.

TOP VIEW

ISOMETRIC VIEW

FORMAL DESIGN

SPATIAL BOUNDARIES.

Spatial boundaries are then generated as the sound waves intersect.

FIRST ITERATIONS

SPATIAL BOUNDARIES

FORMAL DESIGN

After experimenting with the different types of waves, we decided to locate five different sound sources in strategic places around the site: • A Low Rise source located near the shopping mall of Plaza Fiesta and the hotels surrounding it, in order to pro1 5 mote a pedestrian friendly ac2 cess from popular commercial 3 4 areas. (1) • A second Low Rise source located over the existing park Rufino Tamayo, so it works as a detonator of more open green spaces. (4) • Two High Rise sources in the middle of the site, where currently no constructions are found, for them to expand freely and generate a high density area (2&3) • A Mid Rise source located on the edge, that helps the system to continue growing in order to take over the entire site (5) The following Grasshopper definition references the proposed sound sources and buildings chosen to cause an effect on our algorithmic design.

REFERENCES THE SOUND SOURCES AND THE BUILDINGS

FORMAL DESIGN

ALGORITHMIC DESIGN

The next step is for the waves to reflect according to the angle of incidence they have when reaching a building. Translated into Grasshopper, a 2D path is traced using the normal of the intersection point (line-building) to mirror the lines for them to continue reflecting until they reach their maximum distance defined according to their initial intensity.

CREATES THE 2D REFLECTION WAVES FOR EACH SOUND SOURCE

ALGORITHMIC DESIGN

FORMAL DESIGN

The different types of waves according to their source are then drawn over the 2D path, defining the skeleton of our project.

CREATES THE SOUND WAVES FOR EACH SOUND SOURCE

To create the surfaces and the structure of the new spatial boundary through scripting, a series of steps were followed:

1

2

3

4 FORMAL DESIGN

ALGORITHMIC DESIGN

1. The site is divided into polygons according to the intersections of the reflections of the waves in 2D.

2. The waves split on top of these intersections.

3.

Using the curves as edges, the sufaces are formed one by one until they complete a whole.

4. A structure is created based on the morphology of each surface. It consists of a grid of perpendicular beams and small cross-section beams in between.

ALGORITHMIC DESIGN

FORMAL DESIGN

LOW RISE

MEDIUM RISE

HIGH RISE

Each sound source has its own properties, and even though they follow the same principles of reflection, in order for the system to work properly they still need to start as an independent definition that will eventually merge into one.

MERGES THE CURVES

REFLECTION WAVES

ALGORITHMIC DESIGN

COMPLETE GRASSHOPPER DEFINITION

FORMAL DESIGN

In this definition the curves are grouped according to their intersections and then separated into groups so the surface can be created,

COMPLETE GRASSHOPPER DEFINITION

ALGORITHMIC DESIGN

FORMAL DESIGN

CONCEPTUAL TOP VIEW

VIEW FROM EGADE BUSINESS SCHOOL

FORMAL DESIGN

CONCEPTUAL VIEWS

VIEW FROM PLAZA FIESTA SAN AGUSTIN

PROPOSED BUSINESS CENTER

FORMAL DESIGN

SECTIONS

FORMAL DESIGN

CONCEPTUAL VIEWS

AERIAL VIEW

The context was also taken into consideration when assigning the program, which can be explained in two dimensions: outwards and upwards.

Outwards, the business center was defined due to the location of the high rise sources near the center of the site. Offices surround this area along with commercial areas. While, residential areas were defined near already existing housing zones and open green spaces. Finally, areas of culture and entertainment are proximate to them.

COMMERCIAL OFFICES RESIDENTIAL CULTURE AND ENTERTAINMENT BUSINESS CENTER

The Business Center was designed to fit mixed uses: a commercial and interactive bottom that shares an inner connection with the surrounding buildings, a space of transition holding offices in the middle, and a more private residential top section with the advantage of better views. All connected by an atrium in the center.

PROGRAM

COMMERCIAL TYPE PLAN

RESIDENTIAL TYPE PLAN (PENTHOUSE)

FLOOR PLANS

PROGRAM

MAIN VEHICULAR AVENUES THAT CROSS THE SITE

We consider these main avenues as mere transitional roads, therefore we propose to move them underground. Taking advantage of the resulting underground spaces, a series of rules were defined for some of them to become parking zones.

If one of these underground spaces is 20m or deeper it becomes a parking lot, and if it is 350m or closer to another parking lot, they become a parking zone. Six parking zones were then defined as shown on the following diagram:

CIRCULATIONS

UNDERGROUND

Vertical circulations were designed for this underground parking zones to promote the movement towards the main courtyards, and their morphology starts to show some sustainable qualities, such as ventilation and the possibility of a rainwater harvesting system.

DETAILED TOP VIEW OF THE EXIT

UNDERGROUND

CIRCULATIONS

A solar study was perfomed in order to help us determine the main pedestrian paths and promote the comfort of our users. Using the correct latitude and longitude of the sun in the site, the analysis consisted on tracing the shadows produced by the existing buildings and our spatial boundary every hour from 6am to 5pm. The darkest zones indicated the most wakable, but before proposing the final path we needed to check the slope and define bridges if needed.

CIRCULATIONS

PEDESTRIAN PATHS

PROPOSED PEDESTRIAN PATHS FOLLOWING THE SOLAR STUDY.

PEDESTRIAN PATHS

CIRCULATIONS

Similar to the vertical circulations of the underground parking lots, the buildings located over the ground level have an atrium. This atrium gives the building multiple benefits such as ventilation and an additional source of light for such a high density. The form of every atrium is twisted and tapered as it rises.

LOOKING UP TOWARDS THE ATRIUM

CIRCULATIONS

BUILDINGS

SUSTAINABLE QUALITIES OF OUR PROJECT

SUSTAINABILITY

MASTER PLAN

Our initial purpose for the skin was to create an additional system with a responsive behavior. We wanted a component that could react to environmental conditions such as sunlight, heat and ventilation to increase the user’s comfort inside the building.

For this, we began a research on CELLULAR AUTOMATON. A cellular automaton is defined as a collection of cells of specified shape that evolve through time according to a set of rules based on the states of neighboring cells.

The cells have two unique states: alive or dead. The time that a cell remains alive or dies depends on the previously established set of rules.

Circular Cellular Automaton In a cellular automaton grid, a living cell represents an occupied space, corresponding also to a solid and, a dead cell represents an empty space, also corresponding to a void.

CELLULAR AUTOMATON

SKIN

A cellular automaton can be developed in a 2D or 3D grid. Every pattern has its specific set of rules and behavior.

For our research we focused on a specific cellular automaton behavior called Flakes. First we developed this pattern in a two dimensional basis. The rules for this initial iteration were: 1. A dead cell becomes alive when it has 3 living neighbors.

2. A cell stays alive if it has from 0 to 8 neighbors.

After the rules are set, and the initial living cells are placed on the grid, the time starts to run and each second a new generation of cells is born, these new generations expand on the grid until there are no more possible patterns.

After a detailed study on the Cellular Automaton patterns, we identified the oportunity of taking advantage of the evolution of this pattern to create a porous surface that has the ability to change as needed according to the environmental conditions.

SKIN

CELLULAR AUTOMATON

We decided that the sun would give us the parameters to control the different components on our skin. Sun and its radiation can then be defined as the cause of the changes in the pattern.

We performed an Insolation Study of our spatial boundary by creating a link between Grasshopper and Ecotect using the Geco Plug-in. The purpose was to identify the accumulative values of insolation in our surface in order to define where it should be more or less permeable.

DEFINITION THAT PREPARES OUR SURFACES FOR THE ECOTECT ANALYSIS

GECO PLUG-IN DEFINITION THAT CREATES THE LINK BETWEEN GRASSHOPPER AND ECOTECT. DEFINITION BY URSULA FRICK AND THOMAS GRABNER

CELLULAR AUTOMATON

SKIN

ECOTECT INSOLATION ANALYSIS

Using the resulting values of the analysis we created 5 ranges of sun insolation and made a relation between the heat and the solid area (living cells) needed to protect the building, we will have 5 different components creating the skin.

We established a cellular grid of 15 by 15 that would serve as the media for the cellular automaton to expand. Each one of these cells measures 1 x 1 m and the final result is a 15 x 15 m pattern formed by panels that represent the living cells of the cellular automaton.

SOLID AREA

CELL NUMBERS

SOLAR INCIDENCE

OPENINGS

100 - 81 %

0 - 19 %

80 - 61 %

20 - 39 %

60 - 41 %

40 - 59 %

90 135 M2

90 - 135

40 - 21 %

60 - 79 %

45 - 90 M2

45 - 90

20 - 0 %

80 - 100 %

0 - 45 M2

180 225 M2 135 180 M2

180 - 225 135 - 180

0 - 45

This table shows the 5 ranges and the values of areas we defines for each 15 x 15 m patterns.

SKIN

CELLULAR AUTOMATON

CELLULAR AUTOMATO 2D AND 3D FLAKES DEFINITION MADE BY MORPHOCODE

In Grasshopper, using the Plug-in Rabbit, we used a definition that has the ability of creating 2D and 3D Cellular Automaton Flake patterns.

With the area values needed for each component already defined, we activated a timer that made the cellular pattern grow. When the cells in the pattern reached the required area for each range the time was stopped and the component was generated.

For the purposes of our project we decided to generate a 3D cellular automaton, this allowed us to fulfill the needed area for the solar protection on the surface and gave us a formal differentiation in the system.

3 SEC

5 SEC

8 SEC

13 SEC

32 SEC

TOP

FINAL CELLULAR AUTOMATON COMPONENTS CELLULAR AUTOMATON

PERSPECTIVE

SKIN

This definition takes the results of the Ecotect Analysis and translates them in order to apply a certain component that fullfils the needs of the specific environmental conditions.

SKIN

CELLULAR AUTOMATON

GREEN OPEN SPACES

EXTERIOR AND INTERIOR

INTERIOR VIEW

EXTERIOR AND INTERIOR

COURTYARD

EXTERIOR AND INTERIOR

ACCESS TO THE SITE

EXTERIOR AND INTERIOR