Design Portfolio 2024 by Amirhosein Gholibeigi

BUILDING, AS A CITY

Thesis subject: “Residential tower design based on the social, cultural, and economic status of inhabitants; with an algorithmic design approach”

MS Thesis at Pars University of Architecture and Art Supervisors: Dr. A. Andaji Date: 2021-2022

In the past, housing was more than just a physical structure; it reflected the social, cultural, and economic conditions of its occupants. Today, however, many residential developments prioritize standardization and repetitiveness, often overlooking the diverse needs and preferences of residents. This project aimed to address this issue by creating an extensive residential complex that could cater to the specific requirements of its inhabitants while also blending harmoniously with the cultural and social fabric of the city and neighborhood. Tehran, with its rich demographic and urban data, served as a suitable case study for implementing this algorithmic approach. The city’s economic, social, and cultural housing conditions were carefully analyzed, and the data was organized into distinct categories. This information was then converted into digital codes capable of simulating user commands. The outcome of this process was a set of detailed plans and designs that responded to the diverse needs of residents while minimizing construction costs and considering cultural, economic, and environmental factors. This approach not only enhanced efficiency and design but also opened up new possibilities for creating novel patterns for digital life forms in multiple dimensions. By utilizing big data and algorithmic optimization, it became possible to design residential complexes that were not only functional and cost-effective but also culturally sensitive and responsive to the needs of individual residents.

Data analysis and conversion to digital design codes

The process begins with gathering urban data, encompassing information on residents’ living conditions. Specifically, we focus on aspects such as the type and size of housing, population density, and green space per capita. In this project, we used current data from Tehran.

The collected data is then imported into the Grasshopper plugin, where it undergoes conversion into generative design and optimization codes. These codes are categorized into various groups, and the following conceptual diagrams depict some of the hierarchical data structures involved.

Urban data of housing conditions

The data in conceptual figures of building forms

Algorithmic Design process

The units of the residential tower come into three separate categories according to data analysis and initial ideas:

1. A group of distinctive apartments with a variety of features, such as location, size, lighting, view, etc.

2. A group of typical apartment units

3. A group of apartment-style individual courtyard houses

According to the study, in order to improve the quality of living conditions inside the tower, shared green spaces are positioned close to the residential units.

The two following criteria have been optimized in the Wallace plugin to obtain the ideal placement and size of the suggested spaces.

1. The privacy of each green space so that each spot has its own independent purpose

2. The shortest distance possible between apartments and green spaces to ensure that all levels have almost equal access to these areas.

The distribution of green spaces in the building

Optimization with Wallace plugin

How to place green spaces in relation to the floors Green spaces

Generating units boundry type 1

Following the positioning of the common spaces, the units on each level are distributed in accordance with the density of the initially selected floors. First, the floors are divided into square modules. A pixel is at first considered as the beginning of generating the first unit. This pixel is one of the closest to the building’s main circulation and is considered as the building’s entrance.

Following the selection of the starting point for the desired area, pixels are extended around that point and adjacent units are algorithmically placed together. Finally, a collection of units with various sizes and forms is created.

The placement of the units is optimized with Wallace plugin by the two factors of the maximum unit area and the ideal location for lighting. The Isovist algorithm is used to acquire a wide viewing radius in order to determine the ideal location for lighting. The beginning point and the amount of pixels are two variables in this optimization.

Placing the floors of each unit

The process of optimization of each floor individually

The process of placing units in one floor

Generating the walls and facades in units

Generating units boundry type 2

In order to form typical units, after placing the green spaces, due to the existence of a specific boundry, the floors are divided equally to creat units with accordance to each floor’s desired density. These apartments are placed back to provide private terraces, which function as an insulation for annoying direct light.

Generating units boundry type 3

The resulting volume is then divided into square boxes to create the courtyard units, which are considered to be duplexes. In order to achieve 60% mass and 40% open space, mass boxes have been removed and courtyards have been added in their place. Every unit in this method is created in harmony with the lighting and scenery, just the way irregular units are. Since the courtyards are scattered around the building, each unit’s private area is taken into account.

Coding is used to add the building’s features, such as the openings and window divisions, in the final step.

Generating layout plan

First, various communication diagrams that are suitable for different sizes of the units are determined including the area of each room. These communication patterns can be adjusted according to the needs and wishes of the residents.

The next step is to locate the spaces using the plugin Magnitizer. This plugin’s fixed inputs consist of each unit’s boundary and entrance, which were specified during the formation of the units.

This algorithm generates a wide range of layouts, which could be optimized for lighting, access, and other factors.

On the front, a number of diagrams and plug-in output are displayed.

close-up view of the corridors

Two samples of generating the layout plans

Tehran Inside-Out [2]: SAVING THE ISLAND

Iaac global summer school, Tehran, 2018

Tuter: Zubin Khabazi, Mehran Davari

Role: Co-designer of the game instructor, Collaborating in fabrication

Urban environments and architectural spaces are getting “smarter” as they are collecting and then responding to the data which comes out of the life and acts of citizens. In fact, this connected network of people and information, supported by data clouds and further on data mining, provides infrastructure to prepare better services and make our cities better places. We started to investigate this phenomenon, but through an approach, influenced by the Disney-Pixar animation movie, Inside-Out, with focus on people’s feelings. Our idea was to detect human feelings, say happiness, to measure it in a numeric way, for further analysis and applications.We are eager to collect and analyse data regarding people’s health as well as happiness. To ‘digitize’ health related factors, using different types of sensors and instruments which could be embedded into IoT devices. There are various ways that one could collect data in this field, our idea is through ‘games’. We aim to design a complicated process of playing, interacting, discovering, hiding, acting and reacting, in order to engage people in activities for further observations. Through designing games embedded in architectural and urban spaces, we want to increase the engagement of people in data-collecting processes that eventually will provide analysed data for their own good.

Buzz game

To get information about people’s health care, we needed a platform that could encourage the audience to use it interactively. Through the combination of Buzz.wire sae and maze, two paths were designed so that two people could play simultaneously through two controllers. During the game, through the sensors installed on the game controllers, information related to users’ health care can be recorded.

Game Instruction

1. Push the button on the stand.

2. Choose one of the controllers. *please place your hand on the exact spots around the controller.

3. Choose one of the ways that is shown by a glowing lamp.

4. Try to find the correct path without any clashes between your controller and the buzz structure.

*If any of the players make mistake, the other’s path will be changed and he/she must follow the new path. *Check out the camera to have an image of yourself while making mistakes. Cameras which placed in the room can record videos of audiences and will capture a picture from participants in the game if they made a mistake. In the following video sequences can be extracted and the pictures that collected and saved on a HDD can be useful and lead us to make image analysis of the peoples’ emotions.

Game strategy

General Health/Data Collecting

People’s general health can be measured by 3 factors.Humidity, temprature and heart beat.

For us, the results of this gamified examination will be collected as a data which can be analyzed for further information.

People will Participate in This game by holding a Controller which the sensors for collecting the data are attached to it. During the game,each player must follow the path that is shown by a specific glowing lamp. The Controller and the Buzz Structure must not have a clash.

The controllers

Technical Design

The boards that are used in the controllers are Arduino Uno. Te sensors for measuring heart beat,humidity and the temprature are all connected to the arduino board.

Data Storage/Blynk application

The wifi board is attached to the both controllers in order to send all the data to Blynk application, The Blynk application is used as a Data storage and it also can be used to visualize the collected data.

The idea

ERAM COMPLEX COMPETITION

Concept Company Project Supervisor: Miss S.nayebabbas

The first place winner in a private competition between the top ten companies in Tehran.

Role: A designing team member at Concept company (Responsible for designing, developing, and optimizing facade systems for construction, with a focus on cost reduction and light control for office occupants).

Date: 2022

This building is located in Karaj City’s Mehrshahr district. This part of the city is a low-density summertime region. Regardless of the surroundings, the location of a huge, dense, relatively high-rise building with the typical layout of a multi-functional commercial-office project has an unavoidable conflict with Mehrshahr’s peaceful and summertime lifestyle. Approaches to reduce this kind of tension between the project and its surroundings include the fluidity of the form, transparency of the facade, avoidance of a solid and heavy presence, and the creation of terraces that bring greenery to the body of the building and deal with the main urban passage.

Animated illustrations: https://drive.google.com/file/eram

Functional analysis

The building’s construction has a variety of purposes, and in accordance with their respective functional requirements, the amount of light they require has been examined. These functions are explained in the following order.

The ground, first and second floors have commercial purposes and do not need direct light.

The third floor is the food court of the complex and needs the most veiws. The fourth floor is the cinema and theater, which is prevented from lighting due to its interior design.

Fifth floors and upwards are used as offices and require proper lighting.

The facade is then separated into five exterior skins, each reaching around 12 meters in height, in accordance with its functions.

Direct light analysis

Considering the sun’s movement during the daylight, the building’s lighting and the need for light in each floor, a pattern was designed defining the percentage of facade transparency and the amount of lighting in various floors of the building.

Outer skin devision

Exploded veiw of functional uses

Sun study

Pattern of ratio between transprancy and solid

Design process

Different divisions were tested in order to choose the facade skins, and the 2-meter rectangular panels were ultimately decided to be the ideal choice in terms of lighting, cost and most importantly,, keep the facade’s flow and curve. The panels were extended from 2 meters to 3 meters in certain parts that needed more view from the outside.

The facade’s amount of transparency and solidity is determined, and then applied to the facade in its two-dimensional form. For each 2-meter panel, a separate minimum and maximum transparency to solidity ratio was chosen, and the solid part of the design has developed a louvre in it.

The orientation of the louvres varies depending on the position of the sun on the facade in the office spaces, preventing annoying light.

Devision of transprancy and solid Element

Convert 2m panel into 3m panel

Rectangular division of facade

Designing details

The huge size of the facade and the numerous louvres, each of which had a different dimension, made it difficult to implement and raised the installation’s cost. To solve this issue, we split the facade’s panels by a distance of 5 cm and attempted to break them up into lower pieces, equal-sized, prefabricated pieces. Additionally, we attempted using spandrel glass and placing glass frames in the space between the floors. There are two alternatives for the material of the solid part: aluminum and cement board.

Solid and transparency dimensions in each space

Construction detail of internal and external of facade

Facade plan

STREET-LEVEL IMAGE AND VIDEO PROCESSING USED IN URBAN SKYLIGHT ANALYSIS

MA Course Project: Digital Architecture Studio III - Pars University Of Architecture And Art Instructor: Dr. Andaji Group members: Mohamad Kalhor, Ali Seilsipor

Date: 2019

Compared to more typical evaluations of urban spaces, which are usually investigated from top to bottom, this study has been conducted from bottom to top, focusing on the observer’s perspective from the city’s street level and the skylight to improve pedestrians’ visual comfort. The research’s history includes Carlo Ratti’s studies and papers, who used image processing to do urban study. In this study, we examined urban streets from a human perspective using video and image processing. Below is a study of 9 streets from various districts of Tehran. The initial phase involved filming every street. Next phase included using the after effects program. In this phase, we used image segmentation to divide each section of the video based on differences in color. Later, consecutive frames were extracted for the analysis and overlapped with low opacity to obtain final results. To identify the motion in photos and analyzing them, we applied the Firefly plugin in Grasshopper. Ultimately, it was concluded that it is possible to generate a map showing the level of urban visibility, vegetation, the condition of sidewalks, etc.

Analysis of different districts of Tehran

Image-based analysis:

Green view ( autumn / summer )

Sky line

Sky view

Color palette

Slope

Horizontal and vertical lineweight

Details density

Video-based analysis:

Sound pollution

vehicle movement

OUTCOME

Based on our image segmentation analysis, we have proposed a new solution to reduce disturbances in Tehran’s narrow alleyways and create a more peaceful neighborhood environment. By creating a balance between different spatial elements, including blurring the lines between indoor and outdoor spaces, the building should recede from the street, creating a more open and inviting facade.

Green view

Sky view

Image segmentation

Stipple analysis

Motion edge detector

Plan of proposed Allay

prespective of proposed Allay

Vertical edges

Motion detector & image segmentation

Horizontal edges

Pavement

CULTURAL AND ARTISTIC GARDEN AT TEHRAN EXPO

MA course project: Digital architecture studio I - Pars University Of Architecture And Art

Date: 2018

The complex of culture and art at the Tehran International Exhibition aimed to develop communicational environment between artworks and subjects of the expo. The division of areas and the complex’s spatial connectivity play an important role since this structure serves a public purpose.

In this project, the collective behavior of the complex visitors was analyzed to reach the final physical plan, then, the space syntax method was utilized to evaluate and achieve the best spatial performance and planning, adjusting the dimensions, height levels and connections of spaces to reach the best designed state.

The size of each region and the communication diagram are included in the input data of the analysis, and by adjusting each of them in the design phase, we see changes in the performance of the complex.

Design process

Following, we transform each space into a physical model using a Grasshopper plugin in accordance with the analysis of each space done with space syntax. Spaces are considered as negative spaces for the spatial division of functions, and the various uses of the building distributed throughout the complex by these spaces. All of these areas are connected to form the building’s main circulation according to the communication graph generated during the research.

A space framework formed around communication spaces has been used as a structure for the building.

Volumetric cut plan

DRUG ADDICTION REHABILITATION CENTER WITH A PSYCHOTHERAPEUTIC APPROACH

Bachelor’s Thesis at University of Bojnord

Date: 2017

This rehabilitation center, designed with insights from patient mental and behavioral patterns, breaks away from conventional, rigid healthcare layouts. It introduces a dynamic, transparent environment that fosters a positive patient experience and, consequently, improved health outcomes. The design aims to strike a balance between operational efficiency and well-being. It prioritizes an active, healthy indoor environment for both patients and staff, while preserving the aesthetic integrity of the facade design elements, screen patterns, and architectural details. By incorporating psychological factors such as abundant green spaces and curvaceous structures, the design aims to create a soothing and transparent atmosphere, positively impacting the patient’s overall experience and recovery journey.

Design process

The building is spatially divided into distinct zones, seamlessly linked by circulation paths that traverse green space, providing ample natural ventilation. By designing individualized spaces , we can foster a sense of belonging and comfort among patients. Unique spatial experiences can contribute to a more positive and welcoming healthcare atmosphere, accelerating the healing process. The facade incorporates horizontal louvres to mitigate solar gain and regulate daylight penetration.

HIGHRISE BUILDING WITH STRUCTURAL APPROACH

MA course project: Digital Architecture Studio II - Pars University Of Architecture And Art

Instructor: Dr. Matin Alaghemandan Group Member: Sina Shahhoseini

Role: Team working on designing tower,optimization and analyzing data

Date: 2019

Structural issues have always been the main challenges the designer faces in designing high-rise buildings. In order for the structural components to have as much pure behavior as possible in load bearing and transmission, in this design, concepts and the characteristics of tensile structures are integrated. Therefore, this research was conducted with the idea of considering the compression elements inside the structure and the tension elements as the exterior components of the whole structural system. The cable network weaves across the exterior structure, while the concrete core is located within. Outrigger and floor slabs serve as the interface between these two systems, which operate as one unit.

Investigating this project, structural variables and components have been modified to find the mode which could reduce the amount of deflection the most effectively.

Connection points and anchoring of cables to the ground

Floors under compression in Karamba plugin

Tensile structure

The best method to bear and transfer the load is applying tensile structures, which are used in this structure to bear lateral forces, displacement changes, stylization of the building, and also to keep floor capsules suspended. In contrast to the regular mode, the cables are weaved and stretched together to provide continuous and seamless operation. The thickness of the cables and the number of cables going through the floors of the buildings connected to the core by the outriggers have been optimized for the best mode of cables usage.

Compression structure

This system is made up of inside concrete core and floors. According to the height and the deflection reduction, the radius of the core and the number of floors in each console are determined. The coordination and simultaneous operation of structural parts are the most important elements that any structural system must have. An outrigger, also known as a transitional structure, is required in this section to link and integrate these parts. It is made up of a collection of two-dimensional trusses that are positioned between the inner and outer constructions.

Optimization process

The main difficulties in this study are reducing the building’s deflection in facing lateral forces and constraining the suspended capsules of the floors (we consider one capsule every seven floors of the building, with a semi-open space between each capsule for public use). Our solution to such issues is to use the Karamba plugin to analyze the structural system and then use the genetic algorithm and opasum to optimize it. The variables of this optimization are the floor dimensions, the weight of the structure compared with the floor area occupied, and the ratio of the number of cables connecting the floors to their diameter.

Different states of the form based on the amount of deflection

Optimization of floor radius

Under the flooring, 8 segment outriggers linked to the cables

The floors connected to cables

Central core and structural slabs

Floor divisions for passing cables

Weaving cables and connecting them

Tensile element

Compression element

Final form

STAINED GLASS DOMES

Charsik Art Group’s projects

Role: Designing the pattern of skylight domes and converting to executive 2d plans at Charsik Art Group

Date: 2023

A domed glass roof, functioning as a skylight, can bring natural light deep into the interior of a building, enhancing its visual appeal. In designing and implementing this glass dome, the architectural style of the building is carefully considered, determining the motifs and color combinations that complement the overall aesthetic. This glass dome is meticulously crafted using the stained glass technique, creating a mesmerizing blend of light and color.

Finishing of skylight glass dome in Baghdad

Finishing of skylight glass dome in Kashan

2d plan of skylight glass dome in Baghdad

2d plan of skylight glass dome in Kashan

Design process

Initially, a three-dimensional blueprint is crafted for the dome, taking into account the surrounding environment and the requirements of the users. This blueprint is then transformed into two-dimensional plans. To facilitate a more efficient and expedited construction process, the plans are divided into replicable sectors.

Subsequently, the individual pieces of glass are assigned specific codes based on their position and color. These pieces are later cut in accordance with their unique shapes.

The following phase entails joining together the smaller cut patterns using metals like tin and lead. This process ensures that the pieces are securely fastened.

Once each component is finished, they are transported to the construction site for installation. Finally, the outer layer of the dome is sealed using a transparent polycarbonate sheet, completing the project.