Studio Air, SEM 1 2018 ALYSE KNAPE // 759021 DAVID WEGMAN / T8
JOURNAL C
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CONTENTS
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DETAILED DESIGN
In this section you will find; PAGE NO
DETAILED DESIGN ‘Organisms create what they need. There is a notion of sufficiency. Nature optimises, rather than maximises’. 1 - Janine Benyus
Self Reflection
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Finalising the Concept Design Concept Evolution Mid-Sem Prototype Outcomes Mid-Sem Definition Pushing the Definition Final Definitions Final Forms
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Final Proposal Materialisation & 3D Printing
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Final Model
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Learning Objectives & Outcomes
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1. (Ternaux, Gomez and Pygott, 2012) 2
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The main function of the Solar-Plexus chakra is to
provide actual momentum to move forward and realise your personal desires and intentions in the world. personal power and direction in life.
It relates to
Our common restriction is lack of direction resulting from putting others first.
Our common strength is a
strong intuition.
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FINALISING THE CONCEPT
Solar-Plexus Chakra
Common limitations & strengths // What experience did we want our architecture to create? How could we design a space which provided direction in life?
Mid-Sem Form
Bee Data
Natural System // Honey Bees // What could we learn from the social hierarchy and communication techniques of Honey Bees?
Translating our data into a definition // Using the foraging patterns of bees and the angle of the sun to address our common restriction; lack of direction.
DESI G N C O N C E PT EVO LUT IO N
Final Form
Pushing our definition to its limits // Producing iterations and refining in terms of our selection criteria. Building trust provided a creative workflow which presented us with the concept of ‘Crisis Evokes Serenity’, alongside better control of Mesh Inflation.
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Our final design concept // Our connection with the outcomes of this project increased expotentially when we found a function which pushed past ‘calm’ or ‘serene’ experiences and into an experience based on evoking a crisis. Our investment into our new ‘living’ form allowed us to push the boundaries of the grasshopper definition.
The final proposal // The high-quality outcome of this Studio would not have come about without also pushing our personal, emotional boundaries. This connection with the themes of this studio significantly bettered the design outcomes we produced.
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Prorotyping throughout the semester presented us with tangible iterations which we used to improve our design intentions and outcomes. Engaging with 3D printing was an interesting process whereby we were often required to modify our designs in order to make them ‘printable’. Crucially, our mid-semester prototyping exercise presented us with issues and opportunities to address for the final proposal. These centred around minimising material waste, controlling perforation sizing and choosing a better quality printing material for the final model. Further from this, the ability to hold our design in our hands and gain a sense of the experience we were creating solidified our motivations to make our design serve a more purposeful function, rather than the simple pavilion form we had produced at this stage.
MI D- SE M P R O TO T Y PE OUT CO MES 8
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LINE INPUT C# SCRIPT
PIPE LINE
COMBINE & CLEAN MESH REMOVE DUPLICATE LINES
PRESSURE INPUT
SPRINGS FROM LINE UNARY FORCE
KANGAROO PHYSICS
1. DERIVING DATA
2. INFLATION
3. RELAXATION
4. PERFORATION
Points and lines are derived from the bees foraging patterns.
From the accumulation of nectar, the bees double in size
After the bees return to the hive, they unload and store the nectar
Perforation is added to create ornamentation to the structure
The bees also attain knowledge about the nectar source, thus inflation physically symbolises the accumulation of knowledge and direction.
At this stage, the bees perform the Wiggle Waggle dance, the relaxation of the mesh symbolises the sharing of information and giving direction.
MI D- SE M DE FI N I T ION
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It also allows the penetration of sunlight, a crucial component in the Wiggle Waggle dance as the bees dance according to the angle of the sun.
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Pushing array tool to its limits. Our aim was to change the form to create a more distinct internal space - something immersive.
Pushing wall thickness and perforations to breaking point. Our aim was to explore how far we could push the cell wall thickness before the structure became incompatible with use.
Controlling mesh relaxation with temperature; our motivation here was to explore the Sun Angle Component to see how we could better harness the energy of the Sun.
P USH I N G TH E D E F IN IT ION
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Gaining control of Kangaroo components created a functional form which provides space for individuals to self-reflect. Needed to gain control of internal walls further to this.
Control of Perforations // Application of the Sun-Angle Component to control perforation size and shape.
Mid-sem feedback called for us to push our design to serve a more distinct and unique FUNCTION. How could we push our generative design process to create an activity or experience which would serve to shut out the influence of others and provide the user with direction in life? We flipped our form to create more distinct individual spaces internal to our design and gained control of the perforations in relation to the angle of the Sun - the power and force of the Solar-Plexus Chakra. We shaped our form as per our intentions, alongside the capabilities of Grasshopper shaping where we could push our definition, and where we had to find compromises.
P USH I N G TH E D E F IN IT ION 14
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DEFINITIONS;
Air Pressure; -2.9 Gravity (Units); 230 Height; 4m @ highest point
Air Pressure; -2 Gravity (Units); 175 Height; 2.6m @ highest point
Air Pressure; -1.9 Gravity (Units); 120 Height; 2.16m @ highest point.
FINAL DEFINITION/S // FINAL FORM
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POINT
SCALE MOVE
LINE VECTOR 2 PTS
SUN VECTOR
ANGLE
MESH
DEGREES
REMAP
BOUNDS
FACE NORMALS
DOMAIN
WB MESH THICKEN
WB LOOP DIVISION
WB PICTURE FRAME
Perforations change in shape and size according to the angle of the sun // the heat applied.
FINAL DEFINITION/S // PERFORATION CONTROL
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Most Deflated Form Medium Inflation Most Inflated Form
Cluttered and inaccesiible internal spaces were mitigated by trimming internal walls in Rhino in order to provide individual spaces for self-reflection interior to the form. This is where our design really came together to provide our desired function. We combined this defintion with our refined mesh-inflation technique in order to control the form in relation to external temperatures. Our form was now a living-organism which responded to the most significant force of energy - the Sun. This is where our experience could be defined as one where a crisis could occur in order to evoke a serene sense of knowing ones own priorities. Our function became one which we ourselves wanted to experience and this is where we hit the point of fully understanding the brief and our capability to exceed its expectations.
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CRISIS EVOKES SERENITY // A SPACE TO SELF-REFLECT // HARNESS YOUR INTUTION // FIND DIRECTION
A space for ‘contemplation’; We are defining contemplation as; ‘A personal space to self-reflect’. We are aiming to design a space which allows the user to block out demands and expectations from others and take the time to be self-reflective. This space will provide an experience of crisis in order to evoke a moment of serene clarity.
T HE P R O P O S A L
Ultimately, harnessing this strength will provide the visitor with the power to move forward in life, in the direction which is right for them.
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SITE PLAN
PLAN
Cell wall thickness and perforation sizes change as a result of added heat from the sun. This provides visitors with a unique experience centred around the concept of ‘Crisis Evokes Serenity’. As the structure inflates and entrances close up, the visitor is faced with a ‘crisis’ situation whereby they are forced to harness their intuition to survive. This crisis situation is aimed at providing the user with a moment of complete serenity, where aspects of their life are put into perspective, allowing them to find their direction in life upon exit of the experience.
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T HE P R O P O S A L
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T HE P R O P O S A L
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T HE PR OPOSAL T HE P R O P O S A L
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T HE P R O P O S A L
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TECTONIC ELEMENTS & PROTOTYPES TEMPORARY SHAPE
DEFORMATION COOLING HEATING
PERMANENT SHAPE
PERMANENT SHAPE
MEMORY FOAM POLYMER Was our changing // living form possible to fabricate? A ‘living’ from calls for a complex material schedule and production process. In order to produce our proposal, material properties required analysing.
CELL STRUCTURE
Our living form will change shape, form and size with the application of heat from the sun, as well as body heat.
Using a Shape Memory Polymer to produce this structure allows us to create a form which reacts to the energy from the sun.
Further to this, the perforation size on the surface of the form will also change according to the angle of the sun.
The cell structure of this material resembles that of the Honey-Bee’s honeycomb stucture. As heat is applied, the walls of this structure expand / inflate to trap users inside, evoking a state of crisis. As heat is removed, the structure deflates and walls become thinner. This provides space to escape.
This functionality allows us to harness the power of the sun - the element of the Solar-Plexus Chakra, in order to provide our function of harnessing intuition.
3D printing allows us to utilise heat extrusion to create a complex geometry. This enables us to create a ‘living organism’ structure. This generative design process mimics nature to create a structurally-optimised complex geometry which reacts to the energy from the sun. This method of fabrication and construction saves material waste, cost and time spent to construct.
MA T ER I A L I S A TI O N // 3 D P R I N TI N G R A TIO N A LISA T ION 38
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C3 FINAL DETAIL MODEL
F I NAL M O DE L O U T CO MES
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Engaging with 3D Printing was a foreign process for myself and my group members. Throughout the semester, 3D printing was both a help and a hindrance (at times) to our design work. 3D printing allowed us to create a complex geometrical form considering tectonics in terms of minimal surface areas, supporting structures (minimising these), perforation sizes (and those which would not print well), aesthetic and tactile outcomes, and final form materiality. While 3D printing created the ability to print these complex geometrical forms with controlled perforations, it also often provided us with constraints in relation to material thickness and perforation size which informed our final design to some extent. It was interesting to be faced with these challenges as they resulted in slight shifts and changes to our final form, which were mostly surprisingly pleasing. Another foreign challenge resulting from the 3D printing process was material wastage from supporting material. While we tried to minimise this, some supporting material was unavoidable due to the current technology. This was a small hurdle which was difficult to navigate, especially considering our motivations to provide minimal material wastage.
Having a 3D printed form of such high quality also allowed us to visualise what our created spaces would be like, through the utilisation of photography. The series of photographs, particularly the internal-view photographs give a sense of the spatial and internal qualities of our architectural design. This photography process proved to be extremely valuable as it allowed for the tactile exploration of our forms through a zoomed lens - perhaps giving us the best sense of our design in real-life scale.
LE A RN I N G O U TC OMES - 3D PRIN T IN G & P H O TO G R A P H Y 42
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C4 LEARNING OBJECTIVES & OUTCOMES
Before Studio Air, I had had zero experience with parametric design tools including Grasshopper and Rhino as a tool for my own design work. In the past, I had approached my design work by developing multiple analog iterations based on aesthetic preferences and/or strict design briefs.
Reflecting on my first experience with Rhino and Grasshopper in the lead up to this semester, I recall feeling completely out of my depth and daunted by an entire subject revolving around this crazy, complicated and often frustrating tool. Chipping away at video tutorials, exploring the software and working with others, I can (almost) look back and laugh at my 13-week-younger self for her fears. I am, by no means, an expert in the world of parametric design, and have merely scratched the surface, however my abilities, and perhaps more importantly, my confidence have increased expotentially.
My experiences with parametric design were limited to viewing peers’ work, which was often an experience which came hand in hand with the thought; ‘I could never produce anything like that’. I had not previously considered using parametric design simply because I was under the impression that I was unable to understand this world. This semester has fundamentally changed not only my skillset in design, and how I approach design tasks, but also my self-confidence in my ability to produce interesting, parametrically designed, work which I am proud to show others.
Alongside this, my skills in other programs such as Illustrator, Indesign, Photoshop, Lumion, Photography and 3D printing have also strengthened as I worked to translate my explorations of Grasshopper and Rhino into a presentable format.
The brief provided by the Digital Alchemy studio allowed me to push even further to understand the significance of natural systems and the information and insight these systems can provide in creating new structures. Using raw data from a field of interest made my connection with the final outcomes of the parametric design process much stronger and ultimately this allowed me to connect with this studio in a way that I did not expect at the beginning of the semester.
Our most valuable asset this semester was spending time together in order to understand our chakra restrictions and strengths in more depth. Through this building of trust and understanding, we were able to push our proposal from its infantile stages at midsemester, to a proposal we truly believed in and were passionate in pursuing. Ultimately, my learning outcomes and deepened understanding of parametric design tools, and of the brief, can be displayed through the exploration of my Journals from A to C. Siginifcantly, my deepened connection with the brief and the Chakra system is evident in the final presentation, and in our final proposal, where we produced a proposal that we are proud to showcase.
The process of groupwork in this studio has allowed me to gain valuable perspectives from my group members in relation to the strengths and weaknesses of our design work and mid-semester proposal. We were very clear about our shortcomings for our mid semester crit and were able to identify where wanted to push the project in the coming weeks. As a group, we identified our own indivdual strengths and weaknesses and addressed these through technical help sessions and time spent learning more about Grasshopper and the opportunities and constraints it could provide.
My ability to develop and generate a variety of design possibilities for the brief given has increased ten-fold this semester as a result of my deepened understanding of this utilisation of natural systems, alongside the development of skills in Grasshopper and Rhino.
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Biomimicry is a movement; a solution-seeking methodology, a philiosophy and an approach to design. (It) is very practical; it is the process of learning from and then emulating nature’s designs and strategies, in order to create designs that are life-enhancing. Biomimicry makes emulation a conscious act.’1 - Janine Benyus
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