Andrew MacKinnon Digital Design Portfolio

Digital Design - Portfolio Andrew MacKinnon 836149

Semester 1, 2018 Chelle Yang + Studio 2

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Andrew MacKinnon mackinnona@student.unimelb.edu.au andrew22mac.wixsite.com/amackinnon linkedin.com/in/andrew-n-mackinnon

Content

Education

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Diagramming Design Precedent Study: Radix

2017 - current 2009-2015

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Generating Design Through Digital Processes

Reflection Bachelor of Design, University of Melbourne HSC, Bellingen High School

Employment

16

Queen Victoria Garden Pavilion: Shellular Pod

2016-current

Supervisor, The Journal Cafe

2016

Marketing, Zenith Direct

2016

Factory Hand, Planet Lighting Pty.

2015-2016

Waiter & Chef, Little Red Kitchen

2012-2015

Barber Assistant, Turnstyles Barber

Awards / Exhibition 2017 + 2018

MSDx Exhibition

2017

FOD:R Exhibition, AFLK Gallery

2017

Dean’s Honours Award

2014

Kelvin Le Broque Memorial Scholarship

Skills Rhino 5 Grasshopper Unreal Engine Photoshop Illustrator InDesign

The search for practical and beautiful forms that are simple yet well considered is the driving motivation for my work. A constant huger for more information and a yearning to make a socio-cultural, political & environmental change in the world inspires the designs I create.

Digital Design has taught me the basics of Grasshopper and Unreal Engine. Plug-ins such as Panelling tools, Weaverbird, Lunchbox, Kangaroo 2 and Diva have allowed me to explore more complex design iterations than in Rhino alone. The use of real time rendering allowed me to visualise my design during the iterative designing process and helped create a more balanced and holistic pavilion.

I aspire to become an architect who creates spaces that bring people together, stimulate discussion, and have simple yet powerful ideas and aesthetics. The incorporation of the landscape and nature into the built form is important in my vision and a minimal environmental footprint is desired. I wish to make spaces that respect the Aboriginal Australian culture of the land on which we live and celebrates the sixty thousand years of Australian history. My pavilion for Module 3 exemplifies many of my goals. A design that has strongly grounded ideas of circulation, threshold, prospect, and approach. A form that references Gunjah shelters, shells and Eucalypt pods, and although elevated for aesthetic reasons, is still embedded into the natural context.

My designs can be improved by further exploration into Grasshopper, as well as a physical model that is more exemplar of my model making skills.

Fabrication Italian

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Diagramming Design Precedent

ENTRANCE

Radix by Aires Mateus AN TR

EN

EN WA TR TE AN R CE

CE

Radix, a steel Venice Biennial Pavilion, by Aires Mateus, is built on the docks of the old Venice Arsenal. It pays homage to the past by using maritime materials and curved surfaces, that can be seen to reference boat hulls or the arches of the Arsenal galleries. The form is created by intersecting 3 ellipsoids, with a cube, and Boolean differencing them out. This method plays on the concept of solid and void. By studying the circulation through Radix, and the thresholds created by the solids, an understanding of how roof height, space size, and orientation to the landscape, can affect the use of a space.

Image: Nico Saieh, Venice Biennale 2012: Radix/ Aires Mateus, 2012, photograph, https://www.archdaily. com/267567/venice-biennale-2012-radix-aires-mateus

Isometric 1:100 0

2000

6000mm

Isometric Drawing of Radix.

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Circulation & Threshold

Wormeye View

Envelope

Structure

Defining Interior Threshold

Primary Circulation Space

Voids

Circulation Paths

Forms

Circulation Diagram Exploring how the voids effects the circulation through the pavilion. Paths are determined by easy routes and impeded by lower ceiling heights.

Threshold Diagram Each void created by the original shapes leaves a space that has its own identity. A threshold between each space and the exterior is created.

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Generating Ideas Through Process 5

M1 Task 1 Surface & Waffle The model is defined by two surfaces mimicking each other in a magnetic repulsion and attraction.

Many folds in the panelling create lots of shadows and help to enclose the interior of the waffle space.

This creates a volume between the surfaces that starts constricted and expands into a more opened area. Two unique thresholds are created that direct the circulation through the space.

The panelled exterior to the space is designed to show a coherent evolution from each panel to the next. It starts as a lotus on one side that closes to a pyramid, and on the other side it finishes with a pyramid being deconstructed into open 2D forms. This dynamic and flowing exterior also allows shadows to be set on the exterior and for light to enter the volume in a playful manner.

Perforated panels allow light into the interior space and the remaining panel creates thin elegant shadows.

This side’s panels move from a 2D/3D mixture, through to a full 3D form that then links the design to the other side of the waffle structure.

Interior volume of waffle increase as you progress through the waffle structure, starting from the paralled entrance to the open end.

Three panel types on this side are arranged by distance from an attractor point. They move from a heavy 3D volume to a light 3D volume to a mixture of 2D and 3D.

Exploded Isonometric 1:2 0

6

40

120mm

Design Matrix Lofts

1.1

1.2

1.3

1.4 {30,150,150}

{0,150,150}

{0,150,150} {0,90,150}

{0,150,120}

{150,30,150} {150,0,150}

{0,0,60}

{0,90,0} {150,150,0} {150,120,0}

{0,0,0}

{120,0,150}

{0,150,0} {150,0,150} {150,0,120}

{150,150,150}

{0,0,150}

{0,150,0} {150,0,150}

{150,150,60} {150,150,0}

{0,0,0} {150,150,0}

{0,0,0}

{30,150,150}

{0,0,0} {30,0,0}

{150,90,0}

{150,150,0} {150,0,0}

Paneling Grid & Attractor Point/ Curve

{Index Selection}

{Index Selection}

{Index Selection}

{Index Selection}

2.1

2.2

2.3

2.4

{28,150,166}

{0,31,150}

{155,84,150}

{-10,150,37}

{36,259,-9}

{175,112,-12}

{167,0,110}

{150,61,0}

{36,-24,-9}

{175,112,-12}

{148,-1,16}

Paneling

{Attractor Point Location}

{Attractor Point Location}

{Attractor Point Location}

{Index Selection}

3.1

3.2

3.3

3.4

Key

{0,0,0}

Attractor / Control Points (X,Y,Z) Attractor / Control Curves Grid Points Offset Grid Points

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Computation Workflow Grasshopper Script for Task 1 Input - Associate - Output

Points can be moved along an edge of the bounding box to create the verticies of two lofted surfaces that will become the basic form for the waffle structure.

Using the panel width, a series of contours can be set up that are then notched and turned into the pieces for a waffle structure.

Panelling tools map a grid on the surfaces for the panels to follow.

An offset grid is made to adjust 3D height and curve and point attractors determine angle and panel type.

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The waffle structure needs to be laid out flat and labelled for laser cutting and identification. The panels also must be unrolled, tabbed and nested for laser cutting.

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Laser Cutting

8 K

F

5 9

4

3 I

3

G

2 C

1

E

5

0

A

2

1

D

0 3 2

B

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H

11 10 9

7

8 6

7

J

6 5 4

1

4

A close image of the inside of the waffle structure to demonstrate the dynamic space, lighting and good craftmanship.

The panels are unrolled in the largest group possible and tabs are applied for assembly. Nesting the waffle and panelling onto one sheet helped keep printing time and cost down. Etch and cut layers are assigned for laser cut.

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11

M1 Task 1 Solid & Void A cube was broken into 27 cells that housed a center point that could be manipulated by point and curve attractors. The center point became the centroid to a variety of shape iterations that were then Boolean differenced out of the cube to leave a structure of voids and solids. This structure was further divided to leave the most interesting eighth. Icosahedrons were used in the final iteration, creating long vertical and horizontal features that were interrupted by large voids. This space could be interpreted as an interactive pavilion, or a megastructure for a city scape.

The cube acts as the outer boundary of the booleaned volume and can be visulised as the exterior wall to the space created.

The cantilevering structures help to define the interior space below.

The left over solids form a series of parallel lines in the vertical, horizontal and diagonal directions which create a space with a hypostyle hall like atmosphere. These structures could be walkways and structural columns or even glass corridors suspended in the volume.

The orientation of the mass means that it has a very grounded feeling, as if it rises from the ground like a crystalline structure.

The intersecting Platonic icosahedrons create small openings where light can enter the volume. The small nature of these openings helps define the boundary of this space and emphasises that the circulation thresholds are on the more open side.

Exploded Isonometric 1:2 0

12

40

120mm

Design Matrix Grid Manipulation

1.1

1.2

1.3

1.4

{178,-51,222}

{167,-22,70}

{Random Attraction}

{Attractor Point Location}

{Attractor point Location}

Centroid Distribution

2.1

2.2

2.3

2.4

Shape Transformation

3.1

3.2

3.3

3.4

{-103,200,83}

{165,74,68} {167,-22,70}

{Attractor Point Location}

{Random Scale}

{Attractor Point Location}

{Attractor Point Location}

Key

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{0,0,0}

Attractor / Control Points (X,Y,Z) Chosen Grid’s Boundary Centroids

Computational Process Grasshopper Script for Task 2 Input - Associate - Output

A 150 x 150 square was made that was then turned into a box. The box was deconstructed to extract a face in order to use ptSrfDomNum to add 4 x 4 points per face.

The shape chosen was an icosahedron, made with 3D supershape. The shapes centroid position and the radius can be manipulated.

The points made in the last step can be manipulated using point and curve attractors. Once in place, cells are made to house the points where the 3D shapes will be made.

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The final step involved Boolean differencing the shapes from the cube and then dividing the result into an eight to achieve and interesting 9hr 3D print. Showcasing solid and voild.

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3D Printing

Shadows from model.

Backface perforations like windows.

Section of Rhino model is made into a mesh, saved as an STL and put into MakerBot Print to make an appropriate file for submission to the Next lab.

Made sure model was under 9hrs and had no delicate pieces less than 1mm.

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Shellular Pod

The Shellular Pod pavilion is a meeting place for relaxing, imagining and learning. Based off the Aboriginal Australian Gunjah and inspired by the form of shells and Eucalypt pods, this pavilion is a welcoming, light, sculptural piece that contrasts well against the dark hunkered ground conditions. The pavilions main purpose is to host a lunch seminar for 15 people and an evening quartet for an audience of 30. The timber clad seating carves the Melbourne blue stone tile ground plane into clear circulation paths that snake through the space, causing exploration throughout the pavilion. The dark ground helps to elevate and lighten the off-white glass fibre reinforced polyester pavilion. Triangular perforations allow light to enter the stage and the panelling forms an interesting texture, creates moving shadows and helps the pavilions 17 acoustics.

Isometric The structure was formed using an irregular hexagon that was set as the base for a dome created in Kangaroo 2 and Weaverbird.

Holes created with Boolean Difference are filled with glass to create little windows where northern light can enter the stage and project a pattern into the pavilion.

They also allow people to peek into the pavilion.

At night, light from within the pavilion can shine back out into the night.

Key Circulation Paths Primary Circulation

Triangular panels are larger on outside to create a heaviness and groundedness to pavilion.

The thresholds in the pavilion allow maximum light and generate a flow through the space that encourages exploration and curiosity.

The multiple paths of circulation trigger curiosity and cause cicumambulation and exploration.

Raised podium lifts pavilion into sight for pedestrians nearby and also creates an outer layer of seating for people wanting to rest and look back to the park.

Ramps mark a threshold from park to design intervention. They allow disability access and create a feeling of ascension to the space that juxtaposes the sunken nature of the pavilion.

Steps down create the seating for the audiences view the quartet and speakers.

The seating is made from bluestone tiles and is clad in timber for comfort and warmth. The varying heights cater for varying people and also double as an interactive sculpture for children.

Exploded Isonometric 1:75 0

150

450mm

18

Mesh Sphere and Split

Design Iterations

Pictureframe

Stellate

Sierpinski Carpet

Pictureframe

Stellate

Boolean Differenced

Catmull-ClarkSubdivision

Sierpinski Carpet

Square

Catmull-ClarkSubdivision

Octogon

Decagon

Kangaroo 2

Kangaroo 2 Iterations

Kangaroo 2 bouncy solver and Weaverbird were used to create a shell like structure that follows the base of an octagon. Rejected because of impractical entrance heights and a low ceiling.

A hexagon created more space between verticies so a larger space for the arch ways to span. However, while the heights of the entrances and ceiling were addressed, the symmetry did not allow for an interesting circulation space.

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An irregular base shape allowed for iterations of the pavilion and the ground plane to occur congruently. Could design the seating, stage and pathways, while placing walls and openings. Shape had to be tweaked for panelling to be perfect.

Design Process Weaverbird Panelling

Stellate

Pictureframe

Sierpinski Carpet

Boolean Union

Catmull-Clark Subdivision

Symmetry vs Asymmetry

Final Pavilion built from 3 layers. A core, a 3D outer pan el and a subtle 3D interior for texture and acoustics.

Symmetry

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Asymmetry

21

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Computational Process Grasshopper Script for M3 Input - Associate - Output

A closed curve for the base is tiled using weaverbird. This tiling is refined.

The edges and the points of the tiled shape are extracted.

The dispatched points are put into the anchor goals. The edges are put into the length goal. The points are all put into the load goal. These are all merged and input into the solver.

Curves are drawn around points that are to be anchored to the ground.

Points in curves is used to collect these points and they are dispatched to be used in the Kangaroo 2 bouncy solver.

23

Once the pavilion shape was made, it was combined into a single mesh that could be thickened for a core, and panelled for an interior and exterior texture, and Boolean unioned.

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Fabrication Process

The laser cut was originally going to be a pancake model, however a last minute change to a box model was chosen for time and economical constraints.

The Pavilion was going to take 26hrs to print, so it was sectioned into three smaller strips in order to make the print time under 9hrs.

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360 Image Output

Digital Design Semester 1, 2018 26