STUDIO AIR 2014, SEMESTER 2, TUTORS STUDENT NAME
ARCHITECTURE DESIGN STUDIO
AIR
S E M E S T E R 2 2 014 T U T O R : BR A D L E Y A N N A BA R T L E T T 5 39 0 8 6
CONTENTS INTRODUCTION 03 PART A. CASE FOR INNOVATION 05 PART B. DESIGN APPROACH PART C. PROJECT PROPOSAL
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PRECEDENTS
INTRODUCTION It has always been my favourite thing to do to create. As a five year old I would find anything in our house - cereal boxes, pot plants and on one occasion my father's only, and extremely valuable, bow tie - and make it my own. I would spend hours in these worlds I would create. This is still how I view design - as an escape. I am now in my third year of my bachelor of environments degree at the University of Melbourne. Whilst I have always loved design, architecture has not come intuitively to me. It has taken three years to feel at least a small amount of confidence in my designing abilities. I am also now able to understand exactly where I can improve and what are my strengths and weaknesses. Architecture is a way to positively shape people’s lives. I have stood in breathtaking buildings in Italy and Spain, incapable of being able to describe my feelings. However, I also see that this overwhelming architecture is not what all good architecture is. Great architecture can be felt walking in to a friend’s farmhouse, or seeing a tiny but beautifully executed house extension in Melbourne. And this is the kind of architecture that I adore. Humble, understated and classic. It also informs my design ethos. My knowledge of digital design theory and practise is woefully limited. Having never completed virtual environments, my skills are all self-taught. Previous
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studio work I have done on AutoCAD, Revit, Photoshop and rhino barely prepared me for the grasshopper plugin, which was a completely new concept for me. Parametric design has been an amazing jump however, allowing me to dream up shapes and geometries previously unattainable. In this studio I hope to truly master grasshopper and explore all it has to offer to develop my skills and prepare me for the workforce.
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MY inspiration: 1: Therme Vals, Switzerland, Peter Zumthor, 1996 2: Anna Bartlett at Alhambra, Granada, Spain 2014. 3: Church, Germany, Schneider and Schumacher, 2014. 4 : Museum of architecture, Japan, Toyo Ito 2011. 5: House in Switzerland, Source unknown. 6: Maison Louis Carre, France, Alvar Aalto, 1956 7: Parametric design example, source: pinterest. 8: ‘The Scandinavian House’, Grand Designs, Falmouth , England, Kathryn Tyler, 2010. 9: Villa Rotonda, Vicenza, Italy, Andrea Palladio, 1570.
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PREVIOUS WORK
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As stated before, my digital experience is very limited. My first taste was in Studio: Water in 2013. The design I produced was a direct inspiration from Alvar Aalto’s work. It introduced me to Revit and Photoshop. I look back and hate my end results, not because of the design, but because of my rendering skills. As hard as it was to self-learn Revit and Photoshop, the lessons I learnt were invaluable. My second computer aided design exposure was semester one 2014 where I undertook another studio (water). The studio was by far my favourite subject as I felt really pleased with my final result. I really enjoyed using rhino and as frustrating as it was to self-teach, I am very glad I now
grasp a little more than the basics of the program. This work also shows my obsession with triangles come to light. I love the dynamic relationships triangles create and I am looking forward to pushing these relationships with the grasshopper plugin.
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Thirdly, my construction subject in semester one 2014. This is when we had to construct a 3 metre squared axonometric drawing of a given building. As downright horrible this task was, it strengthened my AutoCAD skills and solidified my confidence in the program. I am looking forward to being able to further my design confidence with new shapes, spaces and relationships that I can create through grasshopper.
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1: 2013: Anna bartlett, Studio: Earth. The University of Melbourne
2,3: 2014: Anna Bartlett, Studio: Water. The University of Melbourne. 4: 2014: Anna Bartlett, Construction Design. The University of Melbourne
A.1
ARCHITECTURE AS DISCOURSE
PART A.1
A CASE FOR INNOVATION
The history of the discourse on architecture is almost as complex as the field itself. It is said to have begun with Vitruvius’ treatise on architecture ‘De Architectura’ (c. 15BC). This book has design rules that outlined everything from town planning to the orders of architecture to aqueducts1. There are countless works that have followed Vitruvius. Andrea Palladio’s ‘I Quattro libri dell’architectura’ (1570), celebrated purity and simplicity in architecture 2 and inspired a whole movement. Marc-Antoine Laugier’s book ‘Essai sur l’architecture’ (1753) outlined the very origins of architecture with his ‘primitive hut’. Eugene Violet Le Duc’s book Entrentiens sur l’architecture (1863) took this a step further, radically opposing the beaux-arts style that was popular at the time 3. Robert Venturi’s book ‘Complexity and Contradiction’ (1966) is yet further addition to the ongoing discussion how we define architecture. There is no doubting the enormous change in architecture over the years – just as society has changed radically with it. The question is, what is Architecture in 2014? It was Patrick Schumacher who said that Architecture is an autonomous network (autpoietic system) of communications4. Schumacher says that this system of communications is ‘neither a mere collection of artefact, nor a mere form of knowledge, nor merely a professional practice. Rather it encompasses all three categories: artefacts, knowledge and practices – all understood as communications that connect to each other in an ongoing recursive network’5.
NOTES: 1Vitruvius, Pollio, Valentinus Rose, and Hermann Müller-Strübing. De architectura libri decem. Teubneri, 1867. 2Palladio, Andrea. “1570. I quattro libri dell’architettura.” Venice. Facsimile edition, Ulrico Hoepli Editore Libraio, Milan (1990). 3Viollet-le-Duc, Eugène-Emmanuel. Entretiens sur l’architecture. Vol. 1. [Bruxelles, Galerie des Princes, 2-4]: P. Mardaga, 1863. 4 Schumacher, Patrik (2011). The Autopoiesis of Architecture: A new framework for architecture (Chichester: Wiley 5Schumacher, Patrik (2011). The Autopoiesis of Architecture: A new framework for architecture (Chichester: Wiley 8
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Schumacher persists, calling architects and architecture a ‘subsystem of society’. I think it is quite dangerous to fall into the trap of believing that architects are separate from society, or better. There is no doubting an architect’s significance in planning, designing and shaping a city, but I believe this runs in parallel with many other factors such as current politics, the environment, economics etc. Which gives equal worth to all citizens in shaping our society Architecture and politics have been long entwined. In Nazi Germany it was Albert Speer who realized then strengthened Hitler’s ideologies through his buildings such as Zeppelin tribune and Zepplinfeld. These were designed to look overwhelming and imposing even if they were bombed6. This stretches further back to Ancient Mesopotamia where Ziggurats at the center of each city state wielded power over the citizens by being linked to the gods7. Architecture today is, as it ever was, a constantly changing beast. Attempts to define it seem to be a grand simplification of the reality. For example, Australian Architect Sean Godsell uses the definition ‘arkhitekton’, which is an ancient Greek word for master builder8. While this certainly would have been the literal truth pre-renaissance, where the concept of architecture as we know it was not yet invented, it is a limiting term that does not do justice to the evolving complexity of the field. To me, architecture is almost indescribable. Certainly there is the design aspect, but I weigh the feeling that an architect can create just as high as the aesthetics created.
6 Speer, Albert. Inside the third Reich. Simon and Schuster, 1970. 7 http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/zigg/hd_zigg.htm 8Godsell, Sean. Digital Sound Recording. University of Melbourne, Parkville. April 2nd 2012 IMAGES: 1 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eug%C3%A8ne_Viollet-le-Duc 2: http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NW_DYtaVezQ/UqBOcSNvdWI/AAAAAAAAJ1Y/OYZ1IkjxTMY/s640/Hitler-Zeppelin.jpg 3: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Primitive_hut CONCEPTUALISATION 9
A.1 PRECEDENTS OF INNOVATION
ALVAR AALTO: PAIMIO SANATORIUM, PAIMIO, FINALND, 1932
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Le Corbusier was known worldwide for his innovative style and use of materials. In vers une Architecture (1923), he outlines his five points on architecture, a kit of parts of sorts for what he believed was perfect architecture. The culmination of this style was Villa Savoye.
Alvar Aalto was an architectural pioneer not only in his native Finland, but all over the world. He is also a personal favourite of mine. His work blended ideas of arts and crafts, the Finnish 1 vernacular, Functionalism and Scandinavian political life . The Paimio Sanatorium was built for tuberculosis sufferers in the early 1930’s near Paimio, Finland (ahighly forested area). Many innovative ideas were explored by Aalto here. The focus from the beginning was to create a building with the specific wants and needs of his patients in mind2. This included Ideas of fresh air and sunlight as the best cure for tuberculosis3. And Aalto allowed this to influence basically the entire build. Fresh air and breeze can be felt in evey single ward with cross ventilation throughout, open windows and 4 doors everywhere and sun decks to wheel the patients up to .
This work of Aalto’s was widely celebrated when it was built and I still believe there is much to gain from this style of approach to design. Aalto created things that were beautiful and practical. Everything from the doorknobs to the external massing had a design intent. It is this and more which show Aaltos innovative spirit. One that I can’t help but fall in love with.
But it this this building in Ronchamp that has affected me so much. The innovations seen here - one of le Corbusier’s most famous - are endless. He has said to have been comissioned for this because of the contemplative qualities in his work1 and that is one of the most striking features I see here. Le Corbusier experimented with ideas of form, space, light and regional identity. The heavy and imposing mass is left purposely rough.
NOTES: 1 Quantrill, Malcolm. Alvar Aalto: A critical study. New Amsterdam Books, 1990. 2 Anderson, Diana. “Humanizing the hospital: Design lessons from a Finnish sanatorium.” Canadian Medical Association Journal 182.11 (2010): E535-E537. 3http://www.alvaraalto.fi/net/paimio/paimio.html 4 Anderson, Diana. “Humanizing the hospital: Design lessons from a Finnish sanatorium.” Canadian Medical Association Journal 182.11 (2010): E535-E537.
5 http://www.alvaraalto.fi/net/paimio/paimio.html IMAGES: http://www.archiprix.org/2015/index.php?project=2544
NOTES: 1Ching, Francis DK, Mark M. Jarzombek, and Vikramaditya Prakash. A global history of architecture. John Wiley & Sons, 2010. pg 721
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This idea of ‘total work of art’ or gesumptkunstwerk was revolutionary. This was when the entire building was tailored exactly to his clients need. Absolutely everything was designed with the patients needs in mind. There were specially designed sinks that reduced splash back, chairs that helped his patients breathe and coloured 5 wings guiding the function of each part of the hospital .
LE CORBUSIER: NOTRE DAME DU HAUT. RONCHAMP, FRANCE 1954 The roof is enormous. Its heavy mass is counteracted by the light touch at which it is handled. there is a gap between2 the roof and the walls allowing light to filter through The three enormous continous walls slope and curve around the exterior.Their sinous character is balanced by the heavy form seen in the rough wall. This building was extremely innovative at the time as the form of a church was still traditional. Le Corbusier was important not only for his buildings but his theories. His style shifted dramtaically throughout his career, from stark white walls at villa Savoy to experimentation here at Ronchamp, to his later monumental work at Chandigarh, India. Le Corbusier is valued for his pioneering style and architectural values still today
2 Ching, Francis DK, Mark M. Jarzombek, and Vikramaditya Prakash. A global history of architecture. John Wiley & Sons, 2010. IMAGES: 1 http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Datei:Notre_Dame_du_Haut%28ws%29.jpg
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A.1 PRECEDENTS OF INNOVATION
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This groundbreaking addition to the Louvre museum was built in 1989 in France’s capital. Designed by I. m. Pei., It rises from the centre of the napoleon court1. It is an entrance and a main focal point. The construction of the pyramid helped ease congestion at the main entrance. Pei also designed a new underground system of galleries, storage, and preservation laboratories, as well as a connection between the wings of the museum1. The structure is enormous and constructed of glass and steel. The main pyramid is surrounded by three smaller ones 2. The building was at first ridiculed as being too modern and not paying enough respect to the history of the building. Now many people view the building as an intrinsic part of Paris. I view the contrast between the two as amazingly bold. I think it only serves to heighten the history of the Louvre as it shows the immense difference between the past and present. 1
The design is not the only innovation here, so is the actual structure and detailing. The glass is unusually clear offering a feeling of strength and fragility all at once 3.
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From the New York Times: “There is another link between the pyramid and the Eiffel tower, too. Like the engineer Eiffel, Mr. Pei has played on the French love of both technology and monumentality, and he has created a structure that neatly marries the two. The pyramid is, first and foremost, an exquisite object, less a real building than an elegant abstraction, floating in the Louvre courtyard amid a set of new reflecting pools and fountains. By day it is crisp; at night it emits a soft glow. not for Mr. Pei the heavy, rough feeling of most contemporary industrial architecture; this tensile structure, made possible by advanced technology taken in part from the cabling systems of America’s cup yachts, has a delicacy that makes it feel more like some kind of magical machine” 4 I see this an innovation because of the boldness of the design. It feels both traditional and modern. To achieve this, it seems obvious to use a historic symbol like the pyramid and juxtapose it with modern glass and steel. But for me, it isn’t overtly trying to achieve this. Instead, I see elegance, confidence and above all, innovation
I. M. PEI: PYRAMID, THE LOUVRE, PARIS, FRANCE, 1989
NOTES: 1 http://www.nytimes.com/1989/03/29/arts/pei-pyramid-and-new-louvre-opentoday.html 2 http://www.louvre.fr/en/history-louvre 3 http://www.nytimes.com/1989/03/29/arts/pei-pyramid-and-new-louvre-opentoday.html
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4 http://www.louvre.fr/en/history-louvre Images: 1: http://travelingwithsweeney.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/the-louvre.jpg 2: http://www.parisselectbook.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/Louvre_Pyramide.jpg
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A.2
COMPUTERISATION VS. COMPUTATION
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PART A.2 COMPUTATIONAL ARCHITECTURE
What is Computation and what is Computerisation? Is there a difference? Since the advent of computers and now computer aided design, there has been a creation of whole new realms within the architecture world. Not since the industrial revolution at the turn of the 19th century or the modern movement at the start of the 20th century has the architectural world been so thoroughly shook by new technologies, materials and design possibilities. The vast majority of architecture we see these days has been computerised. Or is it computated? My understanding between the two is that when a design is already conceptualised and then entered into a computer, this is computerisation. Conversely, when a designer sits down and designs straight onto a computer aided design program such as rhino, AutoCAD or grasshopper, they are conducting a process of computation. Kostas Terzidis defined computation as ‘the procedure of calculating, i.e. determining something by mathematical or logical means,’ while ‘computerisation is the act of entering, processing or storing information in a computer. Computerisation is about automation, mechanisation, digitation and conversion … it involves the digitisation of entities or processes that are preconceived. In contrast, computation is about the exploration of the indeterminate, vague unclear and ill-defined’ 1. Ahlquist and Menges described this distinction being ‘one deduces results from values or sets of values while the other simply compiles or associates given sets of values. One increases the amount and specificity of information, while the other only contains as much information as is initially supplied’ 2 The difference between the two is small but important. Acknowledging the difference is also very important in understanding what computation can actually do for architecture.
NOTES: 1 Terzidis, kostas. Algorithmic architecture. Routledge, 2006. 2 Menges, Achim, and Sean Ahlquist, eds. Computational Design Thinking: Computation Design Thinking. John Wiley & Sons, 2011.
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It is also often stated that computation is about emulating or extending the human intellect 3. This is what really struck me. That computation is used as a tool to do what we cannot. It conceives what our brains cannot and pushes our creativity beyond any previous barrier Computational architecture allows very complex designs to be visualised and recorded from the very beginning of the design process. There is an extreme thoroughness in this style of design. it means that from the outset designers, fabricators, builders and engineers can understand what needs to be achieved and exactly how this will be done. This complexity in the design process has led to enormous innovations as very high amounts of data can be stored and analysed4. The outcome is highly technical designs and drawings that can be intricately manufactured leading projects that push all previous limitations to architectural design Obviously this process of allowing the computer to do all the hard work raises some issues. Some say that we have lost our ‘master builder’ talents of the past as we allow our computer to do everything for us, even down to the connections of various parts. However there are others that say this is simply how the new master builder works - he or she can envisage, develop and build the whole project him or herself. Understanding both computerisation and computation is crucial in unlocking skills that the modern architect can not live without. Reading Kostas Terzidis’ book, Algorithmic Architecture, I saw something that really struck me in it’s truth and relevance; that understanding computational complexity enables designers to shift from ‘architecture programming’ to ‘programming architecture’5.
3 Terzidis, kostas. Algorithmic architecture. Routledge, 2006. 4 Terzidis, kostas. Algorithmic architecture. Routledge, 2006. 5Terzidis, kostas. Algorithmic architecture. Routledge, 2006. IMAGES: 1 Anna bartlett 2014
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A.2.1 COMPUTATIONAL ARCHITECTURE: PRECEDENT PROJECTS
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son en Breughel, Netherlands , Nox Architects constructed this digitally designed public pavilion where visitors are encouraged to relax, meet, eat their lunch and otherwise enjoy the space. This pavilion is not only the physical structure but is also an interactive sound installation. Edwin van der hide, a composer, generated a program that constantly plays new sounds of the public that have been captured as they enter the structure, involving them in the structure on another dimension1.
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NOX ARCHITECTS: SON-O-HOUSE, Son en Breugel, The Netherlands, 2002
the sounds are captured by 23 sensors, strategically placed. However the designers are keen to point out that the visitors don’t actually influence the sound directly 'which is so often the case with interactive art. One influences the real-time composition itself that generates the sounds. The score is an evolutionary memoryscape that develops with the traced behavior of the actual bodies in the space.2' There are 20 different speakers that are all used differently - individually emitting sounds or as a part of five ‘sound fields’. These sound fields overlap,
NOTES: 1http://www.evdh.net/sonohouse/ 2http://www.evdh.net/sonohouse/
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and interfere creating an atmosphere of sounds. The inspiration for the design came from common shapes created by movements seen in a house. These may include large body movements in a room or small movements around a sink or drawer3. 'This carefully choreographed set of movements of bodies, limbs and hands are inscribed on paper bands as cuts (an uncut area corresponds with the bodily movement, a first cut through the middle corresponds with limbs, and finer cuts correspond with movements of the hands and feet)4.' The 3d object is therefore porous and seems very similar to the curling of hair. 'We digitize this paper analog-computing model and remodel it into the final structure of interlacing vaults which sometimes lean on each other or sometimes cut into each other.5' This kind of innovative design could never have reached such a complex or intricate level were it not for the computerisation and computational design.
3 http://www.arcspace.com/features/nox/son-o-house/ 4 http://www.evdh.net/sonohouse/ 5 http://www.evdh.net/sonohouse/ Images: 1: http://www.nox-art-architecture.com/ 2: http://www.nox-art-architecture.com/
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A.2.1 COMPUTATIONAL ARCHITECTURE: PRECEDENT PROJECTS
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This project by architects Reiser and Umemoto is scheduled for completion in 2014 0 in Kaohsiung, Taiwan. This large experimental design is on the port terminal. It was developed to create a non- linear and exciting new icon of the city 1. In the company’s own words “under this plan, cruise and passenger ferry service facilities and the surrounding environment will be improved; visitors will be provided with more convenient and comfortable facilities; and the offices of various port administrative agencies will be integrated into one area to enhance service quality. The plan will also help promote international exchange and boost both international and domestic tourism2” 1
Reiser + Umemoto: Kaohsiung Port Terminal, TAIWAN (SCHEDULED FOR 2014)
The building itself links different precincts and is home to commercial businesses. It is also an important part of the port in its three dimensional urbanism layers which help the flow of pedestrians through elevated boardwalks. It separates the different activities and safely allows passengers to board or depart the cruises3. It links many spaces that were previously completely unlinked and makes a spectacle of the ferry and cruise element.
steel pipe space frame which is sandwiched by cladding panels. It was chosen out of six designs. The jurists chose the design for its “well designed open and secured spaces, good circulation strategy, impressive visual appearance from the ocean and sophisticated interaction between the local culture and site characteristics.4” It will revitalize the area with constant activities attracting international and domestic tourists5 There are many passive design features, such as natural ventilation strategies, solar heat gain avoidance, PV cells for lighting and a cooling system from the seawater6 Computing has afftected this design process enormously. There is no doubt that the design would not be the same if it were not for CAD processes. The benefits of engaging with computational design in this particular instance are for the society of Kaohshiung that will gain a remarkable urban landscape taht will postiviely shape many of their days and lives.
The building is a playful, undulating mass, beautifully balanced and proportioned. The building skin is where the CAD comes in. It is a system of ‘nested, long-span shells’. These shells feature a
NOTES: 1 http://www.arup.com/Projects/Kaohsiung_Port_Terminal/Details. aspx 2http://www.arup.com/Projects/Kaohsiung_Port_Terminal/Details. aspx 3http://www.dezeen.com/2010/12/17/kaohsiung-port-terminal-by-
reiser-umemoto/
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4 http://www.arup.com/Projects/Kaohsiung_Port_Terminal/Details. aspx 5
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6 http://www.arup.com/Projects/Kaohsiung_Port_Terminal/Details.aspx
IMAGES: 1: http://www.reiser-umemoto.com/ 2: http://www.reiser-umemoto.com/
CONCEPTUALISATION 19
A.2.1
PRECEDENT PROJECTS
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"THE IDEA OF FORM EMERGING IS A THING THAT REALLY FASCINATES ME: FROM A RANDOM START, HOW DOES IT HAPPEN? IT HAPPENS THROUGH CONTROL AND CONTINUAL FEEDBACK." -Felix Candela
Toyo Ito's pavilion was the winning entry for the Serpentine Gallery project in Kensington gardens, London in 2002. Each year a major architectural firm or architect is invited to enter their design. The winning design for this project was based on the idea of a rotating cube articulated onto the skin of a 3D cube1. Structural engineer Felix candela worked with Ito on the project. Candela’s fascination with order created from randomness led to the development of the design with Ito. 1
TOYO ITO: SERPETNINE PAVILLION, KENSIGTON GARDENS, LONDON, UK, 2002
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'I also plotted the pattern three quarters of a mile in each direction... if you zoomed in, you could get an impression of a kind of interconnected world. It would have been unthinkable to make this ten years ago but with computer fabrication we went straight from design to xsteel - special project software that cuts the steel - and straight from the computer modeller to the factory and out... everything was a one-off... you could not second guess (the geometry). It was a kind of meditation on geometry itself3.
'Ito and I decided to check board the pattern. We put aluminum panels in, painted them white; alternating aluminum with glass... if you followed the algorithm strictly, as the line comes down it can avoid having a corner touch the ground2'
This kind of computer aided design is allowing architects to design in non-linear ways. this design, based on the algorithm of a cube as it rotated and expanded is just one instance of computer aided design allowing architects to not only build what they never could but also to dream and design what they nexver could.
NOTES: 1Candela, Félix. Seven structural engineers: the Felix Candela lectures. Ed. Guy Nordenson. The Museum of Modern Art, 2008. 2Candela, Félix. Seven structural engineers: the Felix Candela lectures. Ed. Guy Nordenson. The Museum of Modern Art, 2008.
3Candela, Félix. Seven structural engineers: the Felix Candela lectures. Ed. Guy Nordenson. The Museum of Modern Art, 2008. IMAGES: 1: http://www.archdaily.com/344319/serpentine-gallery-pavilion-2002-toyoito-cecil-balmond-arup/ 2:
CONCEPTUALISATION 21
A.3
COMPOSITION VS. GENERATION
PARAMETRIC MODELLING PART A.3
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CONCEPTUALISATION 23
A.3.1
PARAMETRIC DESIGN: PRECEDENT PROJECTS
This interactive installation was created by Zaha Hadid architects along with Kollision, Cavi and Wahlberg. It was created for the exhibition ‘Zaha Hadid – World Architecture’ at the Danish architecture Centre in 2013. This exhibition is said to show the evolution of Hadid’s architectural language. There were four separate environments created1 The space is completely parametric. It responds and reacts to visitors movements by changing its shape and colour2 The space occurs to be only a dark rectangular room at first glance. However there are many thousands of light particles that react to the visitor3.
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When the visitor arrives, the ceiling is revealed to be a flexible skin with the light particles glowing and the skin moving as the visitor approaches4. As the visitor gets closer, the ceiling extends downward. As the visitor walks back, the membrane recedes back upward. There are two laser scanners that constantly scanning the room, recording where visitors are in the space. These recordings inform the heights of the four cylindrical volumes5. Hadid’s website states that this installation is ‘a playful take on the office’s ongoing shell research.’ Of which they are known. I find this a very interesting parametric design as it seems to me that architecture has finally crossed the threshold into fully interacting with its visitor. Even though this is quite an abstract piece of work, it is now possible to see how this kind of design can become part of our everyday lives.
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Zaha Hadid Architects, Kollision, CAVI, Wahlberg : Danish Architecture Centre, 2013
NOTES: 1http://www.zaha-hadid.com/design/world-architecture-series/ 2http://thecreatorsproject.vice.com/blog/zaha-hadid-architects-create-a-living-ceiling-that-reacts-to-visitors-movements 3 http://www.archdaily.com/396923/parametric-space-zaha-hadid-architects-kollision-cavi-wahlberg/
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4 http://www.archdaily.com/396923/parametric-space-zaha-hadid-architects-kollision-cavi-wahlberg/ 5http://www.archdaily.com/396923/parametric-space-zaha-hadid-architects-kollision-cavi-wahlberg/ IMAGES: 1: http://www.zaha-hadid.com/design/world-architecture-series/ 2: http://www.zaha-hadid.com/design/world-architecture-series/
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A.3.1
PARAMETRIC DESIGN: PRECEDENT PROJECTS
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The design uses water as an inspiration, along with a square. Both these themes are important in Chinese Mythology and Culture8.
The engineers who were attached to the project started the project by explaining what they wanted to achieve in regards to basic principles2. They began to develop a ‘greenhouse’ model with fully insulated outer that allowed natural light to diffuse through to the interior 3. The form of the build was always going to be a continuous outer layer but the team wanted to avoid the somewhat cliché triangulated form 4. They began to look at the form of soap bubbles and how they connected, especially in the work of Dr. Phelan from Trinity College, Dublin5. The interesting thing that was found was the structure was a highly resolved and regular form but appeared to be almost completely irregular. The team constructed a huge working model with over 22000 parts designed with CAD modelling. The team needed to create software to analyze the design. Soon enough, the entire build was on computer.
There is a large amount of technology employed to interact with the public and become as environmentally friendly as possible. The water molecule like structures that encase the build are not purely for aesthetics and symbolism, they actually serve as a thermal blanket around the build9. PTW with ARUP created the lightweight outer. It was based on geometry seen in crystals and cells and was translated to a rationalized architectural design. The materials used are very important in the overall design. The bubbles are made of EFTE (ethylenetetrafluoroethylene). The outer skin protects the inner environment, achieving a high level of efficiency. EFTE is a similar material to Teflon10. It is an efficient material to construct – it uses minimal materials while providing better insulation than single glazing. There is a maximization of natural light (it transmits more UV light that glass11) and a capture system of solar energy to heat the interior. The passive heating of the interior reduces the energy consumption by 30%. Other passive principles involve thermal massing from the water and materials around the pool to minimize overall heat loss. The building is also efficiently shaded by varying translucent skin elements with painted areas12. The rain water is harvested , recycled and efficiently filtered 13. It is also interesting to me to note that the team was aware of the Herzog and de Meuron ‘birds nest’ that was located next to their site. This only strengthened their resolve in finding a form that contrasted strongly with the ‘birds nest’
There are over 4000 bubbles with nodes intersecting between each. This was very important in China, where Beijing in particular experiences earthquakes. The nodes absorb the energy of an earthquake extremely well7. NOTES: 1 http://dynamic.architecture.com.au/awards_search?option=showaward&entry no=2008196910 2 http://architectureau.com/articles/practice-23/ 3 http://architectureau.com/articles/practice-23/ 4 http://architectureau.com/articles/practice-23/ 5 http://architectureau.com/articles/practice-23/ 6 http://architectureau.com/articles/practice-23/ 7 http://architectureau.com/articles/practice-23/
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The Water Cube is a project showcasing parametric design by Australian architecture company PTW architects. In 2003 the Beijing government announced a competition and this project was the winning entry for the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games Aquatic center 1. The project is applauded for meeting the strict international standards for a swimming competition and also for the groundbreaking design.
“One program generated the entire geometry from scratch, based on Weaire Phelan foam and the size and shape of the building; the structural optimization process sized all the steelwork members and their connections; a purpose-written script converted the structural analysis wire frame model into an accurate three-dimensional solid CAD model; and construction drawings and schedules were automatically produced from the three-dimensional model. By the end of the design phase, it took less than a week to generate a whole new set of construction documents after a major change to the building size or shape.”6
PTW ARCHITECTS: THE WATER CUBE. BEIJING. CHINA, 2008
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‘Conceptually the square box and the interior spaces are carved out of an undefined cluster of foam bubbles, symbolizing a condition of nature that is transformed into a condition of culture’.
This project is is a fanstastic example of how parametric design can help push boundaries previously thought unpushable.
8 http://dynamic.architecture.com.au/awards_search?option=showaward&entry no=2008196910 9 http://dynamic.architecture.com.au/awards_search?option=showaward&entry no=2008196910 10 http://architectureau.com/articles/practice-23/ 11 http://architectureau.com/articles/practice-23/ 12 http://architectureau.com/articles/practice-23/ 13 http://dynamic.architecture.com.au/awards_search?option=showaward&entry no=2008196910 IMAGES: 1 http://trendcrib.tumblr.com/post/8035993018/cube-architecture 2,3,4,5 http://architectureau.com/articles/practice-23/ CONCEPTUALISATION 27
A.4 CONCLUSION
Architecture is all around us. It permates our entire lives. The recent shift from analog design to digital design has been one of those changes that will be marked in the future as groundbreaking. Along with the industrial revoultion, the renaissance and the invention of reinforced steel, this era will be one that alters our architectural path enormously. The changes that computerisation and computation have given to design to endless. These changes include greater control over the fabrication process to more advanced abilities to analyse work. Surely the biggest change has to be in the boundaries that used to exist around architectural design. These have been cast away alarmingly fast by simple CAD software. It is through architects such as Zaha Hadid that we see how these developments can change
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CONCEPTUALISATION
A.5 LEARNING OUTCOMES
what we define as archiecture and our image of it. This shift has emboldened us. Architects no longer see the same impossibilites in design. Just as the invention of the steel framing system allowed architects to build to heights never seen before, digital design is allowing buildings, installations and projects to reach new heights. When examining the precedents, it is possible to see their design reasons/rationalisations that led to the final design. It is also possible to see that regardless of the ‘master builder’ question, our approach must be interdisciplinary to achieve a computational result that is acceptable.
This research part of my journal, A case for innovation, has given me a new understanding of the theory of Architecture. Thus far in my Architectural education, I have learnt enormous amounts about the history of practise and theory of architecture. I have never stopped to consider the current state of architecture. It is extremely interesting to examine architecture at this point as I believe we are truly on the cusp of something entirely new and unprecedented. My understanding of computerisation vs. computation, while not exhaustive, has grown considerably. As has my knowledge of parametric design based projects. I think it is important for Architects to confine themselves to one style - that of which parametric design is rapidly defining.
the most important element that I believe an architect must consider is what I see in Alvar Aalto’s work, constant consideration of the user’s needs. As much as I believe in beuaty for the sake of it, I am a firm believer in things having a purpose and a beauty - the two are not mutually exclusive. To be honest, I am not entirely sold on some versions of parametric design as they seem, even though they are relatively new forms, quite cliche and cookie cutter. I also have seen many designs that appear too messy and arbitrary (recalling postmodernist works, which I detest). However, through designs such as Zaha Hadid’s Guangzhou Opera house, Frank Gehry’s Walt Disney Concert Hall and Daniel Liebskind’s serpentine Gallery, I can see a true beauty and elegance. It is these two factors that I search for constantly. I hope that I can carry on these into my own parametric design.
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