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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INTRODUCTION
It has always been my favourite thing to do to create.
Humble, understated and classic. It also informs my design ethos.
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.
My knowledge of digital design theory and practise is woefully limited. Having never completed virtual environments, my skills are all self-taught. Previous 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.
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 breath-taking 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.
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
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
1: 2013: Anna bartlett, Studio: Earth. The University of Melbourne
triangles create and I am looking forward to pushing these relationships with the grasshopper plugin. 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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2,3: 2014: Anna Bartlett, Studio: Water. The University of Melbourne. 4: 2014: Anna Bartlett, Construction Design. The University of Melbourne
PART A.1
A CASE FOR INNOVATION
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A.1 ARCHITECTURE AS DISCOURSE
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?
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.
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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. Shumacher persists, calling architects and architecture a ‘sub-system 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
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
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
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A.1 PRECEDENTS OF INNOVATION
ALVAR AALTO: PAIMIO SANATORIUM, PAIMIO, FINLaND, 1932 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 vernacular, Functionalism and Scandinavian political life 1. 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 doors everywhere and sun decks to wheel the patients up to4.
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. 12
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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 wings guiding the function of each part of the hospital5. 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.
5 http://www.alvaraalto.fi/net/paimio/paimio.html IMAGES: http://www.archiprix.org/2015/index.php?project=2544 CONCEPTUALISATION 13
A.1 PRECEDENTS OF INNOVATION
LE CORBUSIER: NOTRE DAME DU HAUT. RONCHAMP, FRANCE 1954 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. 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. The roof is enormous. Its heavy
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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mass is counteracted by the light touch at which it is handled. there is a gap between the roof and the walls allowing light to filter through 2 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
immense difference between the past and present. 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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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
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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
3 http://www.nytimes.com/1989/03/29/arts/pei-pyramid-and-newlouvre-open-today.html
NOTES: 1 http://www.nytimes.com/1989/03/29/arts/pei-pyramid-and-newlouvre-open-today.html 2 http://www.louvre.fr/en/history-louvre 16
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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 CONCEPTUALISATION 17
PART A.2 COMPUTATIONAL ARCHITECTURE
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A.2 COMPUTERISATION VS. COMPUTATION
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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.
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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. It is also often stated that computation is about emulating or extending the human intellect 3.
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. 3 Terzidis, kostas. Algorithmic architecture. Routledge, 2006.
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 4 Terzidis, kostas. Algorithmic architecture. Routledge, 2006.
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A.2.1 COMPUTATIONAL ARCHITECTURE: PRECEDENT PROJECTS NOX ARCHITECTS: SON-O-HOUSE, Son en Breugel, The Netherlands, 2002
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In 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. the sounds are captured by 23
NOTES: 1http://www.evdh.net/sonohouse/
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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
2http://www.evdh.net/sonohouse/
sound fields overlap, 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.
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 analogcomputing 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 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
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-ohouse/
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 1
Reiser + Umemoto: Kaohsiung Port Terminal, TAIWAN (SCHEDULED FOR 2014)
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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
NOTES: 1 http://www.arup.com/Projects/Kaohsiung_ Port_Terminal/Details.aspx
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and domestic tourism2”
a system of ‘nested, long-span shells’. These shells feature a steel pipe space frame which is sandwiched by cladding panels.
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.
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
The building is a playful, undulating mass, beautifully balanced and proportioned. The building skin is where the CAD comes in. It is
There are many passive design features, such as natural ventilation strategies, solar heat gain avoidance, PV cells for lighting and a cooling
2http://www.arup.com/Projects/Kaohsiung_ Port_Terminal/Details.aspx 3http://www.dezeen.com/2010/12/17/kaohsi-
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4 http://www.arup.com/Projects/Kaohsiung_ Port_Terminal/Details.aspx 5
http://www.reiser-umemoto.com/
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.
6 http://www.arup.com/Projects/Kaohsiung_ Port_Terminal/Details.aspx IMAGES: 1: http://www.reiser-umemoto.com/ 2: http://www.reiser-umemoto.com/
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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.
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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:
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A.3
COMPOSITION VS. GENERATION
PARAMETRIC MODELLING PART A.3
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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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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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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
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 2
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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.
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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. “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 There are over 4000 bubbles with nodes intersecting between each. This was very important in China, where Beijing in particular experiences
PTW ARCHITECTS: THE WATER CUBE. BEIJING. CHINA, 2008
NOTES: 1 http://dynamic.architecture.com.au/awards_search?option=showaward&entryno=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/ 32
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earthquakes. The nodes absorb the energy of an earthquake extremely well7. The design uses water as an inspiration, along with a square. Both these themes are important in Chinese Mythology and Culture8. ‘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’. 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 (ethylene-tetrafluoroethylene). 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’ This project is is a fanstastic example of how parametric design can help push boundaries previously thought unpushable.
7 http://architectureau.com/articles/practice-23/ 8 http://dynamic.architecture.com.au/awards_search?option=showaward&entryno=2008196910 9 http://dynamic.architecture.com.au/awards_search?option=showaward&entryno=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&entryno=2008196910 IMAGES: 1 http://trendcrib.tumblr.com/post/8035993018/cube-architecture 2,3,4,5 http://architectureau.com/articles/practice-23/ CONCEPTUALISATION 33
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
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such as Zaha Hadid that we see how these developments can change 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.
A.5 LEARNING OUTCOMES
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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A.5 ALGORITHMIC SKETCHBOOK
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A.5 ALGORITHMIC SKETCHBOOK
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PART B.
CRITERIA DESIGN
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PART B.1 TECHNIQUE: SECTIONING
By using edge profiles to describe surface through implied visual continuities, architects have taken advantage of sectioning-both to merge and to perceptually elevate the relationship of form with material tectonic1. As digital design and fabrication has developed and become popular in the architectural world- so have certain techniques. One of these popular techniques is sectioning. For thousands of years, finding and defining the section of buildings or objects has been imeasurably important - allowing an understanding that elevations or perspectives alone cannot communicate. These days, this process of cutting through an object on paper is hardly seen. Now, designers can cut wherever they like on three dimenisonal objects Sectioning has been used for a long time in the airplane and ship building fields as both objects are first defined by their structural ribs and then clad by a material2. Le Corbusier’s Chapel at Ronchamp is said to be an ealry example of sectioning - it’s roof mimics an airplanes body with it’s 1http://atc.berkeley.edu/201/readings/Iwamoto_Digital_Fabrications.pdf 2 http://atc.berkeley.edu/201/readings/Iwamoto_Digital_Fabrications.pdf
structural ribs3. Greg Lynn’s book Animate Form (1999) is probably the first book that discusses the new design consequences of digital design. One of these consequences is the move from projects defined on the cartesian coordinates to projects defined on the U and V vector coordinates.
Rather than construct the surface itself, sectioning uses a series of profiles, the edges of which follow lines of surface geometry. The modeling software’s sectioning or contouring commands can almost instantaneously cut parallel sections through objects at designated intervals. This effectively streamlines the process of making serialized, parallel sections.4 This is the technique I have chosen to explore on grasshoppper. I have chosen to design a night market for my Lagi competition entry. I believe that this technique will achieve the feeling I want of dynamic and free flowing spaces at my market. Sectioning allows for highly sinuous 3 http://atc.berkeley.edu/201/readings/Iwamoto_Digital_Fabrications.pdf 4 http://atc.berkeley.edu/201/readings/Iwamoto_Digital_Fabrications.pdf
and flowing forms to be broken up into parts that allow for ease of fabrication and construction. From researching presendents, I have found this approach not only highly practical but also extremley beautiful. I have found two main sectioning possibilities that I will explore: one-way sectioning and two-way orthogonal sectioning - such as waffle designs. This waffle design often results fom the cross sectioning of a form in two dimensions. This is useful for the real life construction of a design as the two planes create a solid structure that one dimensional sectioning does not. It is obvious that almost anything can be constructed digitally. But especially with sectioning, I must consider the reality of the structure. i cannot design whatver grasshopper allows and expect it to stand up in real life. Therefore the thickness and weight of my designs will be a major driver of form and function. One extremely important precedent that has inspired me is the OneMain Street project by Decoi Architects in Boston Massachusetts built in 2009. The colours,
one main street / decoi architects / boston / 2009
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PART B.1
The colours, textures, sinuous forms and volume all work in harmony to create a dynamic environment that is extremely welcoming and beautiful. The sectioning seen in this design is a major inspiration for the landscaping in my Lagi competition entry. This one way sectioning manages to be both delicate and monumental at the same time an effect I hope to replicate. Another precedent that uses oneway sectioning is Banq restaurant, also in Boston. There is more of an emphasis on the profiles of the sections in this project as opposed to the surface that can be created as is seen in the OneMain Street project. This project was also very influential to me when i was considering my own design.
is very appealing for me in the way it creates a solid structure that is still extremely sculptural and creative. For context, I have decided to create Night market for my LAGI competition entray. There will be a ‘highway network’ on my site which represents the bike highway system seen in Copenhagen. I will design different modules that will be the market stalls. the modules will be where I focus my sectioning techniques on. I will incorpororate solar panels on the exterior of these modules
A further precedent is Metropol Parasol in Seville, Spain (2011 Jürgen Mayer). This project shows the waffle style that can come from two way sectioning. This two way sectioning
bANQ rESTAURANT / OFFICE Da / 2006
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PART B.1 PRECEDENTS
Metropol parasol / seville, spain / 2011 /jurgen mayer
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PART B.2 CASE STUDY 1.0
When I chose sectioning as a technique, this was the main project that drew my attention. It is very interesting how such sinuous curves can be created from disparate elements.
intersected and cut (iterations 7-12). This result also looked appealing and allowed me to consider the potential for intersecting these two sections (twoway sectioning will be explored later in the journal).
this case study was extremely helpful to me in furthering my sectioning skills. For me replicating the result was quite an arduous process as I continued to get the programming wrong. Eventually, I achieved sections in my design (iterations 1-6 on the following page). This looked excellent with dynamic and fluid lines - exactly what I was thinking for my own design. I then changed the way the 3d object was
I will explore this idea of a similar object cut in two different ways in my final ‘modules’ for my night market. It was interesting to me how I was creating topographical features on a 3d object. This made me consider if I could mimic the designs I made on the object onto the landscape surrounding my modules.
Metropol parasol / seville, spain / 2011 /jurgen mayer
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PART B.2 ITERATIONS
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PART B.3 CASE STUDY 2.0
bANQ rESTAURANT / OFFICE Da / 2006 this project was built in 2006. The inspiration benhind the sinuos forms of the interior is quite simple - it is hiding the tangle of ductwork behind it. But it also is reflecting the chaotic nature of what is hidden. This kind of tecnhique where ribs are employed is commnonly seen in industrial style buildings1. if you look upward you can see all the mechanics but in persepctive you only see the sinuous curves, while light filters through. Each baltic birch wood curve is specifically designed to cover something behind it. So
while from afar it appears to be one unit, if you sit underneath you can see what it is covering. This free flowing feeling is what I would like my food stalls to posess and I think this kind of aesthetic approach would be suitable at supporting my concept Creating iterations with this really helped me explore what I could achieve with my own design. I explored increasing or decreasing the panels included, the heights of these panels and the spacings between. The most successful iterations were the ones that looked the smoothest (high quantity of panels) but not necessarily the flattest.
1 http://www.australiandesignreview. com/interiors/661-banq
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PART B.3 ITERATIONS
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PART B.3 ITERATIONS
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In these further iterations, I manipulated the direction the extrusions went and the number of the U and V values. It is interesting to see how different an object can appear as soon as its is broken up into its constituent parts. An interesting exploration will be exploring how elements of my design progress from 3d objects to planes and then to lines as contours.
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PART B.4 TECHNIQUE DEVELOPMENT
In this section I begin to push the sectioning technique further. On the right shows my initial explorations for my ‘module’. I liked the overall shape and feel but as a result of the feedback from my interim presentation, I have changed to include more grasshoppper techniques. Th images on this page are my initial explorations of what my modules could look like. Afte feedback from the interim presentation, I have decided to change these. The iterations I created were a result of manipulating the X, Y and Z vector levels of the inputs. I also varied the spacing between and number of the panels. The curve that the sections were modelled off was also varied to change to direction of the sectioning. I feel the most successful iterations are 5, 6, 12 and 14 (iterations are on next page). These will be the points from
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which I continue my design process. Numbers 1-19 were my iterations with my first base layer. Numbers 20-44 were the iterations of a different starting layer. I also began to utilise the two way waffle sectioning that I had wanted to try. I really like the outcomes I achieved here especially numbers 27, 34, 37 and 43. This iteration process led me to consider the relationship between a plane and a solid. When I deleted layers of sections from my baked models, the apparent form of the object changed completely. I will further this direction as I would like to explore and integrate the relationship of my ‘modules’ with my landscape. I am unsure if I should further the two way waffle design as part of the exterior of the food stalls. While it is effective aesthetically and structurally, It deviates from my initial concept of bike ‘highways’.
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PART B.4 ITERATIONS 4
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PART B.4 ITERATIONS
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PART B.4 ITERATIONS
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PART B.5 TECHNIQUE: PROTOTYPES
This is a basic view at how my objects could be structured and held together
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PART B.6 TECHNIQUE: PROPOSAL
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2
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I began to design my modules further in this section. I used mostly two way sectioning as it is the most aesthetically striking and would be the most practical construction method in reality. I began with a basic cave like structure and sectioned the outside in two directions (1-3). This structure was too boring and did not represent my concpet well. I therefore changed the base geometry to be a more dynamic and flowing space (4-7). This worked a lot better and appeared to be a real shape that could be constructed. I think the most sucessful iterations were 6 and 7 as they appear the smoothest and most sinuous
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PART B.6 ITERATIONS
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PART B.7
LEARNING OBJECTIVES AND OUTCOMES
The submission of Part B and the feedback from the interim presentation have given me many useful guides as to how I should proceed from here. The main point from my presentation was that I need to focus more on the digital generation side of things and that I needed to develop my Grasshopper skills further. To be honest, I am still extremely unsure and overwhlemed by Grasshopper. What I have created may not look groundbreaking to anyone well versed in computational design history and precedents, but to me, it is a massive leap. And even though the results so far are not highly complex, I am proud of my progress. However, saying this, I did realise that Grasshopper was there not only for the design aspect but also in digitally representing the structure. At the moment, the
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integration of my solar panels seems rather fanciful. Hopefully I can accurately portray a real life system of solar panels in the future using Grasshopper. I will continue my exploration of sectioning in my LAGI competition entry - especially in my modules and how they can work aesthetically and functionally. I will also focus on improving the pragmatics of my design - I especially must fully resolve the connections
affects the approach - something I had not considered before. Overall part B has really helped further my knowledge of parametric design. The reverse engineering helped me to explore sectioning possibilities and appearances. I am now a lot more confident in moving forward with my newly aquired parametric design skills. I have a clear vision for what I wish my project to be and cant wait to start stringing together all the ideas I have in my head.
After reviewing the faults and learning from the prototyping phase, I know that a lot must be done to make my design both functional and aesthetically pleasing. Case studies 1 and 2 were extremely helpful in understanding how sectioning as a technique exists. It also made me consider how light
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PART B.8 APPENDIX-ALGORITHMIC SKETCHES Working on ideas of sectioning with the driftwood precedent
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PART B.8 APPENDIX-ALGORITHMIC SKETCHES This is my initial work on my night market modules. I unfolded a rectangular prism and created curved lines on the surface. I then divided the curves and lofted between them. Quite basic and simple looking, I will develop the idea but not these particular designs
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PART B.8 APPENDIX-ALGORITHMIC SKETCHES I worked with arcs on two curves. I manipulated the divisions on each curve to very easily gain these interesting shapes
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PART B.8 APPENDIX-ALGORITHMIC SKETCHES
This is very early work on my modules for the night market
Learning how to contour and project this on to a curve plane to create interesting shapes
Creating a sphere with lofted radius’ inside
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