Student Portfolio
A R C H 4 7 3 / 3 5 2 2 - D I G I TA L D E S I G N S T U D I O A N D W O R K S H O P Farah Abou Gamrah Fall 2018
Fall 2018
PORT FOLIO
Architectural Engineering By: Farah Abou Gamrah
A R C H 4 7 3 / 3 5 2 2 - D I G I TA L D E S I G N S T U D I O A N D W O R K S H O P Dr. Sherif Morad Dr. Passaint Massoud
The American University in Cairo (AUC) School of Sciences and Engineering - Department of Architecture ARCH 473/3522 - Digital Design Studio and Workshop (Fall 2018) 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: Farah Abou Gamrah Student ID: 900141592
Š The American University in Cairo (AUC), December 2018
Farah Abou Gamrah Architecture Student
technological and creative possibilities, I’ve a deeper look onto the surroundings and the environment. Archietcture enabled me to engage in both scientific and creative aspects, as well as its aesthetic and functional designs. I present for you this Architectural portfolio which is a brief storybook of digital designing and how it came about.
After finishing the french baccaleureate, I was accepted in Architectural Engineering in AUC, which I’m not sure if it was even my choice or it was by pure chance. But, here I am, finally in my senior year. My love for creative thinking, art and mathematics has pushed me unconsciously to become an architect, not only to design buildings, but to build people’s thoughts, ideas and beliefs through the physical environment. As a child, I spent time to draw, to some crafts, which gave me an early insight into the value of imagination and creativity. Even though I hate all those never-endings struggles in the design phase and all those sleepless night to push an idea to come to life, Architecture has been inspiring and changed my viewpoint to everything around me. IThrough exploration and travel, emphasizing the limitless
In fact, it took me a while to understand what this course is about, what were its objectives and what does parameteric even mean. But now, after going through all the project stages, and how it started as a conceptual idea till it evolved into a realized design project, I feel that I’ve aced the challenge.
Understand and capture the essence of materials in terms of their behavior specifically in relation to the dimension of mobility and transformation.
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Learning from Materiality
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Experimenting with Wax The first stage of this project was focusing on material exploration in an effort to understand material behavior upon applying different stimuli. The objective of this stage was to conduct experimental work on several materials with various iterations, trying to observe the respone of each material to the different stimuli applied. Hence, learning from these reactions is a driver to the design approach in the following stages. We’ve chosen to experiment with plastic where the stimulus chosen was Heat. Second, we’ve experimented with Fiberglass where the stimulus applied here were the manual stretching and immersing it into heated water. Candy was our third experiment that was initially created using a mix of lemon, sugar and water, and was left in room temperature and manual deformation was also applied. The last experiment which was of interest to me, was Wax experimentation.
ARCH 473/3522 - Fall 2018
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Learning from materiality Using a solid wax from a candle, we’ve place the wax into a heat bath of 100 degrees, poured it into different molds such as glass, small cups, even merged it with another material which was fiber glass and then followed by the addition of cold water.
Conclusion
Based on our observations , we recorded that the form generated was uncontrollable and easily affected by the molds used. Two dimensions of mobility were noticed which were the Flexibility and organic/spontenous design.
Analogy with Algae
Comparing the behavior of the wax to algae, they both have interconnected fibers and filaments that form this spontenous design and unpredictable shape.
Concept Proliferation
The concept generated from the study of the wax behavior in response to the applied stimuli, was proliferation. A question was then raised, how to manipulate the proliferation of the wax through its natural formation in order to have an enclosing spaces for users.
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Top View
Varying the openings size define the space
ARCH 473/3522 - Fall 2018
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Inspired by the behavior of the wax, my first design intent was using fabric as a formwork, or as a mold which would give the same flexible and organic output of the wax.
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Capturing Mobility
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Site Location In this phase, before the 3D-modeling process, I had to choose a function that I would want to add in the Architecture department or elsewhere on campus. So, I thought of a resting lounge/Pavilion where it would be a place that responds to the needs of the students, that is shaped by their changeable behavior.
Why this location? Corridor leading to the bridge Light Penetration
1. Dead area that is misused. 2.Low traffic. 3.Cozy 4.Potential of play of light 5.Low exposure compared to the rest of the department.
Reading Corner
Resting/Sleeping Area Gathering and social space Zoning Portfolio
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Top View
Varying the openings size define the space
ARCH 473/3522 - Fall 2018
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Front View
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Reading corner Portfolio
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Sleeping Area Chapter name
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The 3D modeling process was about capturing the essence of the material experimented in stage I and express the dimension of mobility in our design approach. Focusing on flexibility and organic outputs, and after clarifying the different qualities I want in each space, I started off by creating random triangulations resulting in a spontenous, organic form such as the wax, where more openings were provided in the reading and social space, while less exposure and more panels in the middle resting area. Moreover, the profile of the pavilion was formed based on where I wanted to create more enclosed spaces versus where I wanted to have it engaging with the users and the Public
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Social Space ARCH 473/3522 - Fall 2018
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Physical Model Fabrication using Slicer
The physical model was one of the hardest stages of this project, even though Slicer helped with the fabrication using folded panels technique, it was difficult to know exactly the inclination of each panel and the relationship between each panel.
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05 Alternative A
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15 A proposed design alternatives based on parametric logic which express a continous variation and indepth explorations of patterns of mobility.
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Patterns of Mobility ARCH 473/3522 - Fall 2018
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Alternative A
Delaunay Triangulation The Delaunay triangulation is a well-defined and documented concept in computational geometry that inspired the first design proposal. Alternative A was focusing on two main parameters, the profile and the height. I was more concerned about creating the overall form of triangulation and control only one parameter, which was the height, and then go further with the rest of the parameters.
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The first step in the parametric modeling process was the definition of a pathway through edges, followed by the definition of the height. Using the delaunay mesh, a random profile was created. The final step of this process was the definition of members that form the triangulation or paneling system.
Conclusion 03
An interesting form was generated using the delaunay mesh, a succesful paneling/folding system that matches the initial Rhino design proposal. Unfortunately, this alternative lacks functionality, as well as it didn’t satisfy all the parameters that were set beforehand.
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05 Alternative A
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This definition of grasshopper helped creating various and random iterations. By increasing the number slider, you get a more complex form with more triangulations.
Iteration 1 Portfolio
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Iteration II ARCH 473/3522 - Fall 2018
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Pathway
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ProďŹ le Height
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Parameteric Thinking
enetration
Size of openings 1
Since the beginning of the modeling process design, a parametric logic including relations and constraints defined the spaces within the pavilion and their qualities. In fact, the choice of the three different functions such as reading corner, sleeping or resting area and a gather or social space defined different quality of spaces that consequently created on its own some parameteres that controlled the proposed design. Between maximizing lighting in the reading corner and having less exposure in the sleeping area defined a parameter of Light penetration that is related to the size of openings. Furthermore, having a sleeping area and a gathering space forced a parameter such as the profile and height, where they distinguish between a space which needs to be more engaging and more open to the users versus a space when it needs to be more enclosed and private. Learning from the previous stages, the following alternatives were geared more towards applying this parameteric logic in the design proposed.
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Alternative B Pathway
ProďŹ le
Size of openings
Light Penetration
Height
Given those parameters that govern my model, I worked on enhancing and transforming the model into a parametric model that allows you to be in control of its variables. This alternative was focusing on the lacks of the first alternative which was mainly the functionality. Nevertheless, it focuses on generating one surface with an incorparated seating within it.
Reading Corner
Logic of grasshopper To begin with, I started with defining a cross section as an initial profile of how I envision the model. With the help of grasshopper, two graph mappers were used to change the height/profile of the model and its rotation . More importantly, the use of the attractor points allowed for a better control over the size of openings depending on the space and its function.
Conclusion
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Certainly, this alternative succeeded in terms of parametric logic design but one of the cons, is that this model is has a minimal thickness that would create a structural problem consequently.
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Top View
Varying the openings size define the space
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Cross-Section
Height/profile of the model
Rotation
Iteration 1 Portfolio
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Size of Openings Extrusion of members
Iteration 1I ARCH 473/3522 - Fall 2018
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Resting lounge at the Architecture department in AUC
ŠAll rights reserved, American University in Cairo (AUC) December 2018