Air 1st by Anni Wei

STUDIO AIR Sem1, 2017, Lindy Hayter Anni Wei

Contents: 0.0 Introduction 0.1 About the journal 0.2 Biography

1.0 Part A: Conceptualisation A.1 Design Futuring

A.2 Design Computation

A.3 Composition/Generation

2.0 Part B: Criteria Design B.1 Research Field

B.2 Case Study 1.0 B.3 Case Study 2.0

B.4 Technique: Development B.5 Technique: Prototypes B.6 Technique: Proposal

3.0 Part C: Detailed Design C.1 Design Concept

C.2 Tectonic Elements & Prototypes C.3 Final Detail Model

4.0 Appendix

0.0 Introduction

0.1 About the journal The journal will demonstrate the learning progress, inspiration as well as exploration during the progressively understanding of digital design in architecture. In Studio air, the main focus of the digital tool would be Grassahopper, a plug-in in Rhinoceros. Moreover, the critical thinking of computation would be illustrated in the journal that the advantage of computation is apparently revealed that industry is calling for those designers with higher digital design skill, while the critical side of it still being questioned and would be explored through the course. My anticipation is that through studying studio air, not only my skill in digital design would be improved but also rethinking how we regard design critically , and which would hopefully affect my future career in a positive way.

0.2 Biography

Anni Wei , 21 August, 1995, a typical Leo Born in Guangzhou, China. A year-3 student pursuing my bachelor of environment, majoring in architecture. Have been experienced in using the software including Rhino, Autocad, Photoshop, indesign for 1 year. New to grasshopper and is really interested in how computing could change the way of thinking architecture.

Water studio work: Learning from Alvaro Siza

1.0 Part A: Conceptualisation

1.0 Part A: Conceptualisation A.1 Design Futuring Case study 1 Case study 2

A.2 Design Computation Case study 3 Case study 4

A.3 Composition/Generation Case study 5 Case study 6

A.4 Conclusion

A.5 Learning outcome

A.6 Appendix-Algorithimic Sketches

A.1 Design Futuring

Background

Over the past years, the idea of anthropocentric in design has led to a critical condition that we human being facing.[1] The defuturing condition of unsustainability, including overuse of the resource, extremely increasing population as well as pollution has took the future away from us and other species.

What is meant by design?

Design determines the material world we are in by shaping its from, operation, appearance and perception. However, the design nowadays is more of shallow indication of aesthetic, function, rather than maintain a fundamental quality of design, referring to the design which aims for a help achieving a sustainable future. This condition is profoundly influencing among the whole group of designers that they do not put the ethics in priority during the design process. [2]

Inspiring Studio air Therefore, in studio air, before we literally doing a project, we would have to rethink the idea of what a design is expected to be radically and how it will help secure the sustainable future, rather than simply develop a project merely according to the function or aesthetic perspectives. Secondly, the design itself might not be solving a problem thoroughly, but it could act as a speculation and inspiration for other to perform further actions to better the design and secure the sustainable future

How?

Referring back to the question’ how can a future actually be secured by design?’, as Fry mentioned, this is not a question with direct answer like what we can do immediately, but more importantly, we as designers should not only the conventional design process and backdrops, but also the ideology and the whole value, ethics.[3] Furthermore, as mentioned by Dunne, facing the unfixable condition, we ought to shift the idea from that design is merely about problem solving to that it includes a whole new mindsets.[4] And the trend of using speculation as a critique in design is also indicated in Dunne’s idea that designers are encouraged to dream the future not by predicting it, but using the ideas of it as a tool to better understand the present, which also could explore what people really need indeed.

[1] Fry, Tony (2008). Design Futuring: Sustainability, Ethics and New Practice (Oxford: Berg), pp. 1–16 pdf [2] Fry, Tony (2008). Design Futuring: Sustainability, Ethics and New Practice (Oxford: Berg), pp. 1–16 pdf [3] Fry, Tony (2008). Design Futuring: Sustainability, Ethics and New Practice (Oxford: Berg), pp. 1–16 pdf [4] Dunne, Anthony & Raby, Fiona (2013) Speculative Everything: Design Fiction, and Social Dreaming (MIT Press) pp. 1-9, 33-4

Case Study 1: Bat tower Project : Bat Tower Architect: Joyce Hwang Date: 2010 Location: Griffis Sculpture Park, East Otto, NY : Ashford Hollow Foundation

Bat tower, locating next to a pond in the the Griffis Sculpture Park south of Buffalo, is a vertical structure to act as a housing for the conservation of the highly threatened species due to a diseaseThis design is intended to increase public awareness of bats as a critical component of our ecosystem, as a first built prototypes in a series of bat habitation projects.[5] It is a revolutionary project at the time, as it is not merely an anthropocentric design anymore, while its focus is on animal, other species that share the resources on the Earth even the future with us human being. The reason why it is being appreciated until now is that it is not only serving as a bat tower which literally provides a functional housing to protect the bat, but it also has the speculation of how to protect animals and eventually illuminates others to rethink of the reality that we are not the only species that living on the earth and ultimately we need to achieve the sustain features with the presence of bio-diversity. Its design features reveal its functionality as well as its innovation to the public especially other designers. Firstly, it is designed to be an outstanding sculpture, instead of

fading into the context around to offer the visibility to bats to serve its function, which also brings visibility to people entering the park and could potentially trigger their thinking. Secondly, it is located just next to a pond with large of mosquitoes as well as other insect, for providing food for bats and also attracting them to live at this particular space. Thirdly, to render the space more liveable for bats, the pattern of grooves on the surface make it easier for bats to crawl and the exterior of the design is covered in black to absorb heat for bats living inside it.[6] These features are all reveal to a large extent the architect consider the preference and living habit of bats to ensure the bat tower could function as a workable structure, instead of a meaningless project, which cannot call for the public to notice. According to Dunne, design could help people participate more actively as citizen-consumer,[7] and in this case, its systematic consideration of how it should be built and its outstanding visible appearance could indeed instigate change in people’s mind, especially designers.

Figure 1 : Bat Tower In Griffis Sculpture Park To Raise Awareness For Bats”. Inhabitat.com. N.p., 2017. Web. 17 Mar. 2017. Figure 2 : Bat Tower In Griffis Sculpture Park To Raise Awareness For Bats”. Inhabitat.com. N.p., 2017. Web. 17 Mar. 2017.

[5] Bat Tower In Griffis Sculpture Park To Raise Awareness For Bats”. Inhabitat.com. N.p., 2017. Web. 17 Mar. 2017. [6] ”Ants Of The Prairie › 10. Bat Tower”. Antsoftheprairie.com. N.p., 2017. Web. 17 Mar. 2017. [7]:Dunne, pp. 1-9, 33-4

Case Study 2: Wood Innovation Design Centre Project : Wood Innovation Design Centre Architect: Michael Green Architecture Date: 2014 Location: British Columbia, Canada

The Wood Innovation Design Centre (WIDC), is a gathering place for those who intends to generate ideas for using wood in an innovative way. It was the tallest modern all-timber office building among the world at the time and it played the role as a benchmark for the time to showcase the potential of using timber to construct higher storey buildings.[8]

Figure 3 : ”Wood Innovation Design Centre / Michael Green Architecture”. ArchDaily. N.p., 2017. Web. 17 Mar. 2017. Figure 4 : ”Wood Innovation Design Centre / Michael Green Architecture”. ArchDaily. N.p., 2017. Web. 17 Mar. 2017.

[8]: ”Wood Innovation Design Centre / Michael Green Architecture”. ArchDaily. N.p., 2017. Web. 17 Mar. 2017. {9]: Wood Innovation Design Centre / Michael Green Architecture”. ArchDaily. N.p., 2017. Web. 17 Mar. 2017. [10]: Dunne, pp. 1-9, 33-4 [11]: Construction Underway On World’S Tallest Timber Tower. 1st ed. 2017. Print.

Regarding the usage of timber to construct high-rise buildings, it is considered as an innovative way to pursue a sustainable future. The reason why is that timber itself has the advantage: first, it is a renewable material; second, it needs less energy to be extracted for usage; third, it can be reused and recycled so that produces less waste; fourth, it can absorb carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, in comparison to other construction material, such as concrete and steel.[9] These advantage calls for a city with more wood-based designs including architecture undoubtedly. Therefore, this building is radical at the time as there is no concrete used above the ground floor slab, which the design itself set a milestone at the time that there was not many mid-and high-rise all- timber building at the time. And more significantly, the design itself has been served as wood innovation design center to collect the ideas of how to make the best use of wood. Its design is not only about using a material that would help with pursuing a sustainable future,

, but also functioned as a inspiration for people who intend to use wood as the construction material due to the fact that it is a successfully built architecture and it performs well to its own function. Also, the way using wood to act as the main construction material is conceived as critical, as its particular properties that it has a lower load bearing capacity and its poor durability due to moisture and fire. This indicated the idea presented by Dunne that design should be critical enough to questioned the limitation and drawback through the design product,[10] while in this case, more construction technique to improve the load bearing capacity and the durability of wood would be developed to achieve the ultimate goal of constructing a city with more timber buildings for a sustainable future. Actually, more projects have been trigger and developed due to the presence of this particular all-timber buildings, for example , the Brock Common Student Residence at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver will be completed in 2017 , as a world’s tallest timber tower. [11]This indicates the speculative projects, Wood Innovation Design Centre, has not merely a architecture that using sustainable material, but also take the advantage of speculation to dream of the impossibility and encourage other people to achieve a better future.

A.2 Design Computation

Computation design in design process

Undoubtedly, computation could access the data easily and explore multiple design options by using those rules under a computational framework in a short time, in comparison to the time human will cost by doing such thing. Also those task human would has the inclination to make mistake such as bored repetitive tawsk could be tackled by computation easily. And it also could act as a tool to test what the design will be presented. The past ten year has witness integration between architecture and computer, and this issue has render a set of complementary relations between developing technologies as well as the formulation of design process.[12] This is referring to the idea of computation, which aims to enhance the design process by ending design decision by using computer language.[13] Most importantly, the goal of using computer is not merely documenting the design, but rather the procedures to produce the result. This led to the difference between Computerization and computation. While Computerization is that ‘entities or processes that are already conceptualized in the designer’s mind are entered, manipulated, or stored on a computer system’, while computation is more of utilizing computer as a designed tool and use it to create design.[14]

“Computational thinking is the thought processes involved in formulating problems and their solutions so that the solutions are represented in a form that can be effectively carried out by an information-processing agent.” -Jan Cuny, Larry Snyder, and Jeannette M. Wing

[12]:Oxman, Rivka and Robert Oxman, eds (2014). Theories of the Digital in Architecture (London; New York: Routledge), pp. 1–10 [13]: Oxman, Rivka and Robert Oxman, eds (2014). pp.1-10 [14]: Terzidis, Kostas (2006). Algorithmic Architecture (Boston, MA: Elsevier), p. xi

Case Study 3: Chanel mobile air pavilion Project: Chanel mobile air pavilion Architect: Zaha Hadid Architects Date: __ Location: Arab World Institute, Université Pierre et Marie Curie, 1 Rue des Fossés Saint-Bernard, 75005 Paris, France

Chanel mobile air pavilion, is designed to be travel around the world including cities like Tokyo, Hong Kong, and it finally stops at at L’Institut du Monde Arab in Paris. It is designed to embrace the famous brand, Chanel, which could be indicated in its appearance that it is presented as an elegant, cohesive architecture that linked back to the brand image of Chanel.[15] The pavilion is a fluid architecture constructing with a series of continuous arch shaped element. And the specific material with a property of offering a large span, fibre re-enforced plastic, has enable it to maximise the potential to reuse and rethink space, which is achieved by that the exterior develops into a rich variety of interior spaces.[16] Also, this total fluidity of its curvilinear geometries is an obvious style of Zaha Hadid that distinguish her as a unique architects among architects around the world.

Its particular design is not something can be easily achieved without the help of computation, as it allows more form development, for a better smooth layer shape. Moreover, this specific structure of the Pavilion must have been tested for its versatility during different stage of the design process to predict the condition will meet and the solution to deal with it, which has accelerated the process of design and help ensure a reasonable quality of architecture due to the facilitate of computation.

Figure 5: ”Chanel Mobile Art Pavilion / Zaha Hadid Architects”. ArchDaily. N.p., 2017. Web. 17 Mar. 2017. Figure 6 “Chanel Mobile Art Pavilion / Zaha Hadid Architects”. ArchDaily. N.p., 2017. Web. 17 Mar. 2017. [15]: “Chanel Mobile Art Pavilion / Zaha Hadid Architects”. ArchDaily. N.p., 2017. Web. 17 Mar. 2017. [16]: “Chanel Mobile Art Pavilion / Zaha Hadid Architects”. ArchDaily. N.p., 2017. Web. 17 Mar. 2017.

Case Study 4: Bionic Research Pavilion

Project: Chanel mobile air pavilion Architect: Zaha Hadid Architects Date: __ Location: Arab World Institute, Université Pierre et Marie Curie, 1 Rue des Fossés Saint-Bernard, 75005 Paris, France

The Bionic research Pavilion, which is a collaboration between the Institute for Computational Design (ICD), the Institute of Building Structures and Structural Design (ITKE), and students from the University of Stuttgart, which plays the role as an exploration to computation design.[17] Due to the integration between architecture and digital, it has developed a new relationship that the digital information can be used in fabrication and accelerate the production of prototype. [18]It can be indicated in this case that thin sheets of plywood were laser cut and pieced together into the polygonal plywood structure.

Furthermore, the pavilion is inspired by the sand dollar‘s Skelton and it uses really light material like plywood and then used finger joint to be constructed together. This also lays the emphasis on how computation facilitates the design process. It essentially make it possible for people to fabricate the material easily, by using the language of computation so that design process and fabrication has been integrated to achieve a better quality of design at a faster speed. Also, the way how it could be joint should have been assess by computation that multiple design options should be occurred and the one showing now should be the optimised one. According to Kayla, the initial goal is not always the same as the ‘ satisfactory’ goal during the design process, while in this case computation help the designer to achieve the ‘ satisfactory’ goal during everything still remain unbuilt, to avoid a real failure occurred.

Figure 6: Meinhold, Bridgette and Bridgette Meinhold. “Amazing Bionic Research Pavilion Explores The Sand Dollar’s Skeleton Morphology”. Inhabitat.com. N.p., 2017. Web. 17 Mar. 2017. Figure 7: Meinhold, Bridgette and Bridgette Meinhold. “Amazing Bionic Research Pavilion Explores The Sand Dollar’s Skeleton Morphology”. Inhabitat.com. N.p., 2017. Web. 17 Mar. 2017. [17]: Meinhold, Bridgette and Bridgette Meinhold. “Amazing Bionic Research Pavilion Explores The Sand Dollar’s Skeleton Morphology”. Inhabitat.com. N.p., 2017. Web. 17 Mar. 2017. [18]: Oxman, Rivka and Robert Oxman, eds (2014).pp.1-10

A.3 Composition / Generation

‘When architects have a sufficient understanding of algorithmic concepts, when we no longer need to discuss the digital as something ,then computation can become a true method of design for architecture.’ Computation is influencing dramatically in the practice of architecture that a shift from composition to generation could be revealed in the design process. Significantly, it should be understood that digital is only act as a tool of form finding process, rather than a form making that the aim for generation is not to look for merely ‘cool’ and unusual shape, but still go through a process of rationalisation during the design process. Computation, now it is not simply to be used as documentation tool, but rather a design tool to extend designer’s capabilities to deal with complex situations, through an understood model which can be referring to algorithm.[18]

stage of the design process so that enable the architect to be capable of better their design. Limitation still present in the com putation usage nowadays, neither the perception of computation is always confused with the idea of Computerization nor the algorithm system still not performs at a perfect degree. Therefore, as Peter suggests, we are moving to an era that designers creating their own design software,[19] instead of using it unconsciously. Only in this way, computation could be functioned as a simulation as well as a creation tool at the same time.

This leads to the discussion about what is algorithm thinking and to what extent it would help with the design process. It means a ability of complete understanding of the results of generating codes, knowing how to modify the code to explore more options and lastly speculating on further design potential. This indicates that algorithm thinking is not a algorithm based on the designers mindset, but in a reverse way. By using computation, it can accelerate the process of design and improve the effectiveness, as it could predict the outcome of the design at different

[18]: Peters, Brady. (2013) ‘Computation Works: The Building of Algorithmic Thought’, Architectural Design, 83, 2, pp. 08-15 [19]: Peters, Brady. (2013), pp.08-15

Case Study 5: Vaulted Wiilow Project: Vaulted Wiilow Architect: MARC FORNES & THEVERYMANY Date: 2014 Location: Borden Park, Edmonton, Canada

Conventionally, design process starts from some basic sketches and small components, then gradually developed into a feasible structure by composition. However, in such way of design, design of more complexity could not be produced without an exact algorithm system. While on the other hand, computation makes it possible to extend designer’s ability to solve problems of higher complexity. [20]

Figure 9: https://theverymany.com/public-art/11-edmonton/

Figure 10 : https://theverymany.com/public-art/11-edmonton/

For example, the way they use computation to assess what kind of load the structure will face and bear to its specific context, and how they would form their shape to incorporate with that. Another example is that, by using computation in architecture, it triggers the innovative form-finding process in architecture, the generation. It allows architect to generate a more complicated geometric shape that is almost so-called ‘crazy’ ‘unusual’ forms , undercover by algorithm thinking, which could not be achieved easily if without the help of computation and innovative generation approach. Moreover, the computation protocols of morphology have been entirely custom developed without use of any existing plugins/component/or library. In no way this can been seen as a quality per se – other than a necessary step stone to identify failures or other inefficiencies to develop further and hopefully derivate other design.[21] [20]: Peters, Brady. (2013), pp.08-15 [21]: ”11 Edmonton”. MARC FORNES & THEVERYMANY™. N.p., 2017. Web. 17 Mar. 2017.

Figure 11: https://theverymany.com/public-art/11-edmonton/

Case Study 6: Poly thread Project: Poly thread Architect: Jenny Sabin Date: 2016 Location: moveable

Designed by Jenny Sabin, who is absolutely interested in how mathematic or algorithm thinking would affect architectural design, the poly thread is intended to showcase its usage of computation and the approach of generation. â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;In architectural practice, computation not only works, but has become necessary, to build the largest projects in the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;, as suggested by Peter, which revealed the idea that computation is not only influence how people design but also how they build. [22] In this certain example, it is aiming for engaging a new material practise and assess to what extent digital fabrication would help with architecture through the production of models and prototypes. From this perspective, generation indeed allows designers to use computation to produce more radical form that could never be produced by hand-drawing, indicated by the spectacular organic shape of this particular Poly thread. However, the limitation of this design process could not be neglected still, designers sometimes might get lost during the form-finding process and misunderstand that as a form-making process. These will literally limit the imagination of the designers to some extent, even like Jenny Sabin, her designs are potentially similar to each other to lose the unique feature of each design. Figure 12: http://www.jennysabin.com/new-page-1 [22}: Peters, Brady. (2013), pp.08-15

A.4 Conclusion

From the lectures, readings and exercise among these few weeks, it can be concluded that design should: 1. Secure the future We designer have to radically rethink of the frame of design, in our particular fields, architecture. It is not anthropocentric or nature-centre, but to a large extent to help secure the future by using a sustainable way to design, to rationalise in architecture, including consideration of other species or using renewable material for construction as mentioned in the previous discussion. 2. Utilise of computation The idea of computation has been introduced, which do profoundly apply into architecture design to augment architectâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s capability to solve more complex problem with multiple options. Therefore, in this certain studio, a reasonable Grasshopper skill is essential to pursue the goal of taking advantage of computation.

Architecture, nowadays, is not just about problem solving, in other way, functioned as a shelter or other aesthetic issues, but rather it should be innovative enough to aim for a sustainable future and inspirational enough to act as a speculation to illuminate the future or triggers others thinking. Therefore, it calls for the usage of computation, as it could help facilities the design by exploring multiple design options to create more possibility as well as doing repetitive tasks to accelerate and maintain the correctness during the design process. The idea of computation should be critically viewed so that the drawback could be avoided. Hence, my anticipation is that through Studio air, my grasshopper skill would develop to a good standard to be able to perform computation and apply it into my projects in my career.

3. Form generatively Rather than using composition in design practice, generation is more encouraged by the enhancement of digital use in architecture. The process of form finding could be achieved more effectively by this technique, but it should be distinguished with the process of form making.

A.5 Learning outcome

Through the theory and practise of architectural computing within the past three weeks, my knowledge of computation has been enriched largely and a new understanding of it has emerge. Firstly, using the computation tool including Rhinoceros and Grasshopper enable me to have the possibilities to create those design which I never expected if sticking with hand draw, and more importantly, the particular unusual form could even be modified by merely changing the parametric in a certain way. Secondly, unlike what I thought of computation at the beginning of the course, it is not something just help with your documentation or a drawing tool to produce what is already in you head but it indeed help during the process of design and is complementary with it to create more possibilities. However, my skill in using this software is still not well-developed and needs more practice, but I believe that through the process of the studio, progress would be seen and it will be absolutely revealed by my project in the future.

A.6 Appendix -Algorithm Sketches

Attracting points

Loft and curve

Grid shell

Reference list:

Dunne, Anthony & Raby, Fiona (2013) Speculative Everything: Design Fiction, and Social Dreaming (MIT Press) pp. 1-9, 33-4 Fry, Tony (2008). Design Futuring: Sustainability, Ethics and New Practice (Oxford: Berg), pp. 1–16 pdf Jan Cuny, Larry Snyder, and Jeannette M. Wing, “Demystifying Computational Thinking for Non-Computer Scientists,” work in progress, 2010 Kalay, Yehuda E. (2004). Architecture’s New Media: Principles, Theories, and Methods of Computer-Aided Design (Cambridge, MA: MIT Press), pp. 5-25 pdf Oxman, Rivka and Robert Oxman, eds (2014). Theories of the Digital in Architecture (London; New York: Routledge), pp. 1–10 pdf Peters, Brady. (2013) ‘Computation Works: The Building of Algorithmic Thought’, Architectural Design, 83, 2, pp. 08-15 Robert A. and Frank C. Keil, eds (1999). Definition of ‘Algorithm’ in Wilson, The MIT Encyclopedia of the Cognitive Sciences (London: MIT Press), pp. 11, 12 Terzidis, Kostas (2006). Algorithmic Architecture (Boston, MA: Elsevier), p. xi Bat Tower In Griffis Sculpture Park To Raise Awareness For Bats”. Inhabitat.com. N.p., 2017. Web. 17 Mar. 2017. ”Ants Of The Prairie › 10. Bat Tower”. Antsoftheprairie.com. N.p., 2017. Web. 17 Mar. 2017. ”Wood Innovation Design Centre / Michael Green Architecture”. ArchDaily. N.p., 2017. Web. 17 Mar. 2017. Construction Underway On World’S Tallest Timber Tower. 1st ed. 2017. Print. “Chanel Mobile Art Pavilion / Zaha Hadid Architects”. ArchDaily. N.p., 2017. Web. 17 Mar. 2017 Meinhold, Bridgette and Bridgette Meinhold. “Amazing Bionic Research Pavilion Explores The Sand Dollar’s Skeleton Morphology”. Inhabitat.com. N.p., 2017. Web. 17 Mar. 2017. ”11 Edmonton”. MARC FORNES & THEVERYMANY™. N.p., 2017. Web. 17 Mar. 2017. “Polythread”. Jenny Sabin. N.p., 2017. Web. 17 Mar. 2017.