Student Portfolio
ARCH 473/3522 - DIGITAL DESIGN STUDIO AND WORKSHOP Aya ElShantoury Spring 2019
The American University in Cairo (AUC) School of Sciences and Engineering - Department of Architecture ARCH 473/3522 - Digital Design Studio and Workshop (Spring 2019) Student portfolio documenting samples of work submitted along the course, including research, experimentation, 3D modeling, digital fabrication, parametric design and modeling, physical model realisation and analysis. Student name: Aya ElShantoury Student ID: 900151235
Š The American University in Cairo (AUC), May 2019
Aya ElShantoury Architecture Student
Being half way through the program always gave me goosebumps and mixed feelings. It was like an inner conflict of being actually half way through to graduation and being just halfway through where half the way is still ahead.I was always the type of people that questioned about the upcoming courses, what will i learn, what are the experiences i’ll go through, will it be as beneficial, will it be as competitve, and most importantly, will i grow through it. Year III was actually a breaking point in the program, it was such an exposure to different design approaches and methodologies of testing a design. It opened me up to new sutructure systems, construction materials and real world application of the field. After passing through design studio I where all the
focus was given to social aspects and humanities and how the design is formed inside out, how one person only can manage to be a turning point in the concept, how functions have power over form and how grids intersect to form a more complex set of grids, design studio II came with an extremely different mindset and challenges ahead. Form was the dominant factor and how the function of a building is highly represented in its form and people’s legibility and how they perceive a space. Alongwith form, came a much harder challenge..sound. Designing for sound, as if it was a human, had senses, methods of communication, needs and reflexes to each action. Studying properties of sound, how to contain it and how to unleash it was the challenge, and shaping thatinto a form that respects its function was the design problem of the semester. Alongwith that, came in parallel the real world application. Structural design and analysis in combination withconstruction materials and construction methods where the turning point in my perspective, where it took me by surprise to just drift from the unlimited imaginary world of design and playing with forms, to what actually materials are able to do and build, and how a design can actually be implemented in real life, how it is supported and how structure can be part of the delivered experience to the user other than just an enemy to the aesthetics of the design.
Sailing Stones is a phenomenon that happens in a single place in the world in death valley. The project will focus on the submergence and uplift
01 Phenomenon Experimentation
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Phenomenon Experimentation
3 Scientific Basis Composed of dolomite & syenite, the same materials up the surrounding mountains They crumble down due to the forces of erosion Movement is the result of a balance between: ice, water & wind. Rocks leave trails behind
Appearance of the Phenomenon 1. Rain water forms a pond which freezes overnight 2. Creation of a vast sheet of ice under the rocks 3. The ice is reduced by midday to only a few millimeters thick 4. Driven by the wind the ice sheet breaks up pushing the stone forward
A balance of very specific conditions is thought to be needed for stones to move A flooded surface A thin layer of clay Wind Ice flows Warming temperatures causing ice breakup Up to 250 can be covered by sailing rocks with a speed of 2-5m/min.
Fig(1) - Showing the movement of the stones at different time spans
ARCH 473/3522 - Spring 2019
Aya ElShantoury
4 Numerical Parameters 1. Soil Saturation Overnight Fully saturated soil Inducing layer of ice ( between rock and surface) Parameters Submergence of rock should not be more than (0.7 - 1.2 cm) Range would vary according to rock shape 2. Temperature Effect through the day External environment temperature acting as a catalyst to the formation of the slimy frictionless layer between rock and acting surface Parameters Between 5-12C in order to avoid snow formation or over flooding of water 3. Wind Wind causes motion and shape and wind direction affect directionality A minimum of 2 m/sec and a maximum of 6 m/sec to avoid unrhythmic motion Can reach 15 m/sec 4. The smaller the rock the longer the trail Large rocks with low wind speed lead to minimal movement, short trails The wind direction determines the trail direction changes Rock mass ranges between 6 to 17 kg
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7 Setting a number of parameters and testing them to study the produced motion
Experimenting with the Phenomon The rocks show a harmonious motion due to the emergence of excess ground water which form a thin layer of ice within which the rocks are submerged and slide by. The balance between the uplifting water forces and the submerging forces that occur due to mass is essential to produce the motion upon which a trail is formed. Moreover, the shape of the stone and it’s center of mass affects the motion where the wind and directionality affect the direction of the stones. Rigidity and smootheness also affect how the stone adheres to the ice layer and the porosity affects the amount of water stones absorb to get well saturated. The main focus of my experiment is studying the balance between the submerging and uplifting forces and going in depth into the motion of water in soil.
Experiment Results Experiment was on a sloped tiles floor, smoother than the sand surface. Stone 1: Rotation of almost 30°, movement of 3 cm Stone 2: No Movement Stone 3: Movement of 7 cm
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Interpolating panels that represent opposing Forces
02 Form Generation
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Form Generation
11 A further analysis and study was made to analyze the motion of water and how a representation of two opposing forces would look like. As an interpretation of form, a mix of both would do with forces interpreted to be light and user capacity. Those forces are the attractions upon which the forces interplay on the skin.
Submergence VS Uplift Interpretation of “Submergence” as the openings where water was not able to conquer the mass imposed upon it Interpreatation of “Uplift” as the motion of water in the capillarities emerging from soil where the building starts to emerge
Surface Properties Chosen External Structure: Concrete Shell structure Porous concrete shell design with a huge mass that is formed and emerging due to capillarity Skin:Shape Memory Polymer Elastic - Retains shape being either pre programmed or through light Transparent
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Form Generation
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The courtyard chosen shows paradox of form and materiality where the building will act as a mediator between both
03 Site Selection
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Site Selection
17 Site Information The court is a bit enclosed with one main entrance which makes accessibility a little bit under control more than the other sites. Due to the 3-storey height, the court is low on natural sunlight where sun only accesses it in the early morning. The court is adjacent to the design studios which allows for direct entrances for architecture students and professors in the upper floors
Light Analysis Light entry is very critical in this court due to its small surface area with respect to surrounding building heights which leaves it in shade most of the day. The most recommended time for light entry was found to be between 9:00 to 11:00 am
Deductions Dynamism of solid and void One point entry Two Forces Competing
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Modules of water submergence emerging from the capillarity of the soil
04 Form Progression
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Form Progression
23 Surface modelling with t-splines combined using a number of curves that guide accessibility and axis
The aim was to create w surface whose curvature is an interpretation to the two forces with openings on top for the shape memory polymers to create the shape shift. At the first attempt, the openings were not interpolated on the surface so it didnot give the feeling of belonging In the second attempt, i used interpolated curves to enhance the quality and rhythm of the pattern. However the feedback was that it was still not following a certain grid or logic. Therefore I used a different technology. I used t-splines to pipe the curves joining the surface i created based upon the axis of light and circulation i laid down on my plan. The results were amazing. A series of trials followed concerning the thickness, openings, and others
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Form Progression
25 Surface modelling with t-splines combined using a number of curves that guide accessibility and axis
Using t-splines and playing with the surface to produce a representation of the forces. Interplay between solid and void, concave and convex and heights to create an inside visuality over the different activities in the building. Building’s footprint is 250 sqm.
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Detailed Design of Buildings’ Skin according to certain attractors
05 Shape Shifting Logic and Design
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Uplift Forces
Main Entrance Point
Secondary Entrance Point
Figure(1) Showing how the language of “Building as a Mediator� can be created through harmonification of flow of forces represented in intensity of people
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Shape Shifting and Design
31 Surface modelling with t-splines combined using a number of curves that guide accessibility and axis
Attractors Positioning and Logic Two attractors have been set for the building based upon the entry points that lead to a dynamic pattern of flow of people. The aim of the attractors is to mediate and control the intensity of people within a certain space to create harmony and balance within the whole buolt environment Design Logic Each two/three opposite panels are connected together whereas they open and close relative to one another. Their motion signify the presence of people and the intensity of their activity, not only within the panel’s space, but also the other two/ or three. Since you can basically predict the behaviour of the oppsite space from the degree of exposure/enclosure of the current space’s panels
Submergences Forces Figure(2) A diagramatic representation of intensity and flow of people within the space, alongwith the contradicting forces exerted upon the building
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Thermo Bimetals Thermo Bimetals is a new technology in materials sciences in which metal skins bend due to certain stimuli such as heat or being programmed. The motion reveals a series of patterns that control enclosure and exposure of the inside out experience dramatically Precedents The figures illustrate the idea of a thermo bimetals skin and how the motion alters the feel of the building for the users and for people witnissing the building experience externally However, the project’s skin won’t have the same pattern. The chosen pattern would be a set of triangles siumlating the alternating forces that ground te=he building and make it act as the site’s mediator
Figure(1) Thermo Bimetals skin example
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Series of Juxtaposed Layers of Design Shape Shifting Thermo Bi-Metals
Secondary Structure Fixing the Panels
Concrete Shell External Skin
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37 Panel Analysis Each module on the building’s surface is composed of and external shell structure that holds the building itself, a secondary structre of a triangulated grid that is a base for the thermo bimetals modules that bend up and down through the set attractors
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Section A-A Showing Building Activities
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Ground Floor Plan The plan demonstrates the main entry points along with the core of vertical circulation with the division of areas from interaction zones to collaborative working spaces
Main Entrance
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Biblography
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Burtin, A., et al. “Seismic Monitoring of Geomorphic Processes.” Earth Surface Dynamics Discussions, vol. 2, no. 2, 2014, pp. 1217–1267., doi:10.5194/esurfd-2-1217-2014. Lallanilla, Marc. “Mystery of Death Valley’s ‘Sailing Stones’ Solved.” LiveScience, Purch, 17 June 2013, www.livescience.com/37492-sailing-stones-death-valley-moving-rocks.html. Norris, Richard D., et al. “Sliding Rocks on Racetrack Playa, Death Valley National Park: First Observation of Rocks in Motion.” Plos One, vol. 9, no. 8, ser. e105948, Aug. 2018. e105948. Seiler, Roger. “The Sailing Stones of Death Valley.” National Park Foundation, 9 Feb. 2016, www. nationalparks.org/connect/blog/sailing-stones-death-valley.
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ŠAll rights reserved, American University in Cairo (AUC) May 2019
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