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 Lara Shaheen Fall 2020
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: Lara Shaheen Student ID: 900170439
Š The American University in Cairo (AUC), Fall 2020
Lara Shaheen Architecture Student
All we have learnt will definitely be of great help in the future in terms of creatively thinking of a concept and creating a form out of it.
Architecture is a field that I was really interested in and I still am really interested in learning a lot more through the courses we’re taking and much more. I originally wanted to study Graphic Design, but as I read more about architecture, and how it can impact people positively and generate life, I got a lot more interested. I also loved the details architects think of like how they think of the spaces, what people need, the concepts they think of and their inspirations all really interest me. This course is very interesting as we got to study how to fabricate models, 3D Printing, the concept of creating a form to suit people’s needs in a creative way and other plugins like Grasshopper in Rhino. I really found the course enjoyable and how much we’re learning in it is very good.
Table of Contents
01 - ‘Shell’ter for the Homeless The Snail & Concept Takeaway & Inspiration Form Generation 3D Model Architectural Drawings Fabrication
02 - The Blank Canvasv Fabric Forming & Equip Trial 1 & 2 Trial 3 Trial 4 Reflection 03 - The Parametric Facelift Research Trial 1 Trial 2 Trial 3 Final
1 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24 26 28 32 40 44 54
Map of El Suez, with the snail inspiration on top of it.
01 ‘Shell’ter For the Homeless, Suez
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The SNAIL Snails are a type of shelled gastropods that have a very interesting life, form and many advantageous properties. Their shell has very important properties such as, environmental properties and self protection (or camouflage). Snails also have very interesting textures, differing from their skin and the shell. The shell is more of a hard structure and the skin itself is more moist to be able to move around better and to prevent getting injured.
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“Shell�ter for the Homeless
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Concept Extracted - The SNAIL LIFECYCLE The EGG: 80 eggs are laid and sheltered under stones or soil. Eggs contain a lot of calcium. Before the baby snail is hatched, the protoconch is developed, which is the initial stage of the shell. The HATCHLING: breaks out of shell after 2-4 weeks in the egg. (Healthy eating is a priority!) The baby snails/ hatchlings start to eat their own eggs or others as they are rich in calcium to grow their shells. Protoconch starts to grow as layers of calcium carbonate & protein are layered on the mouth, making it grow and becoming an apex. The ADOLESCENT: aestivation period - snail rests above ground climbing fences, roads and vegetation to decrease loss of water. GROWN shell with apex and layers underneath: PERIOSTRACUM which is made with organic material LAYER UNDERNEATH with a hard calcium material (mother of pearl) on a blanket of nacre. The ADULT: starts mating and shell grows with the snail - no additional layers inside.
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Take Away from the Lifecycle I took away from the cycle the growth aspect of the cycle, and I tried to abstract certain elements from the lifecycle to create the same experience inside the building, and to fulfil the functions in an interesting manner. I thought of origami while doing this process of “modelling”, as there are many interesting forms, like birds, that are made into origami.
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“Shell”ter for the Homeless
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Origami Architecture Inspiration The folding patterns created by origami really interested me to create the form, making it an abstracted snail.
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Form Generation - Sketches For the first week, I wasnt sure if I should do curvilinear structures, until I studied the origami architecture and I found it much more interesting and complex to make. So, I continued on to do triangular shapes and folds to make the snail look like it is an origami snail. I wanted to show the snail’s growth by doing a smaller structure by the front (the entrance) and as we grow, the structure starts to grow (to the residential area).
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“Shell�ter for the Homeless
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Experimentation 2
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Rebuild & pipe tools
Boolean difference & pipe tools
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Planar surfaces & pipe
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Planar surfaces with heightened edges & the use of panelling tools In conclusion, the planar surfaces with heightened edges and panelling tools for the shed were really effective for my project and were very convenient, therefore, option 4 was used later on. ARCH 473/3522 - Fall 2020
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3D MODEL
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“Shell”ter for the Homeless
9 1) The Adult: biggest part of the model, making it the RESIDENTIAL AREA 2) The Adolescent: needs to grow more and is the most active stage = SPORTS AREA with football & a track, and a space for group activities 3) The Hatchling: needs to eat more to grow, it is the RESTAURANTS AREA 4) The Eggs: smallest area in the building, making it the ENTRANCE/LOBBY AREA
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PLAN
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“Shell”ter for the Homeless
SECTIONS
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Section A-A
Section B-B
Section C-C
Section D-D
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Fabrication - 3D Printing
Trial #1
At first I did each element (the shed and the building itself ) as two separate elements, so I did different 3D printing simulations for both of them. Then as I was designing, I thought of creating more intersections between the shed and the building, so I did the 3d printing on both the shed and building together, which ended up finishing after 3 hours & 22 minutes.
Trial #2
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“Shell�ter for the Homeless
Reflection
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Overall, this phase has been very insightful as we learnt many ways to think and create. We learnt how to think of creating complex structures from simple elements of nature, such as the snail. I really enjoyed creating the form with different tools, such as the panelling tools, creating triangles from planes and also creating the pipes for the shed, which were very new to me. I also enjoyed the fabrication process, although it was a bit difficult at the beginning to think of what type I would use (laser cutting or 3D printing), but I used 3D printing, which was efficient and convenient to use. All in all, phase 1 was an insightful phase where we learnt a lot of new interesting knowledge.
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The final model created by me, showing folds, protrusions and creases by the material.
02 The Blank Facade Canvas
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Fabric Forming The building technology that involves the use of structural membranes as the main facing material for concrete moulds. Materials: -Textiles -Apparel -Screening -Geotextile -Interwoven geocomposite material Method: 1) Robotic tech creates scultpures 2) Fabric forms created by casting concrete in a synthetic fiber called lycra. 3) Sleeves are stretched by robotic arms to create a desired form. 4) Fabric is stripped away after the concrete dries 5) used to reduce time, labour and material costs.
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The Blank Facade Canvas
Equipment
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WATERPROOF PAPER (GREEN)-GYPSUM-GLUE-WOODEN STICKS
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Trial 1 I tried to test fabric forming by using a kitchen towel at first with a pattern to create an interesting facade
RESULT The form cracked due to the lack of gypsum (it was only a thin layer or gypsum). However, the patterns came out interesting when I saw from the cracked parts.
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The Blank Facade Canvas
Trial 2
19 Another trial using a different material such as this water proof material that could be creased like paper, which creates very interesing textures and folds. RESULT: The gypsum was also too little so the form broke, however it created interesing folds that could developed further.
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Trial 3 Setup The set up is more organised now by planning it instead of creating something that isn’t of a setup much. It included wooden sticks to create voids and I made the creases of the paper more dramatic. I made the set up take a vertical direction as well, using more wooden sticks and stabilised it, which made it string enough to stand up.
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The Blank Facade Canvas
Process
21 I applied a thick layer of gypsum on the form and in between the sticks so that there could be some kind of voids.
Results
Due to adding a sufficient amount of gypsum and water, the structure didn’t break as much as before, and it created very interesting folds and textures on the face of the gypsum, but I had to change the sticks to create more appropriate voids ARCH 473/3522 - Fall 2020
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Trial 4
Setup For the final trial, I used a different method of creating voids: cutting triangles from a foam board, and stuck them on to the waterproof paper. I used the waterproof paper for the interesting textures it creates by the folds and the creases.
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The Blank Facade Canvas
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Variables/Relationships/Constraints x=thickness of triangle 1) Gypsum is 2x the thickness of the triangles so that the gypsum doesn’t break when it dries. -> gypsum=2x 2) more triangles were created to fit the whole paper and to balance out the design of the facade and weight distributed on the paper. 3)folds are created by smaller less dramatic ways due to it having a higher chance of cracking/breaking, so i used bottles of glue and sprays with a radius of 1.5cm & 2cm respectively. There is also an element of verticality by addig a 3rd bottle of glue as it is stronger than using wooden sticks to support the model.
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Results
As a result of all the variables that have been studied throughout the trials, the final trial did not break and it created an interesting form with vertical & horizontal elements, and voids, with interesting crease textures and some textures from the glue by the triangles
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The Blank Facade Canvas
Reflection
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Overall, this phase was really insightful as we learnt how to create forms using material we never used for modelling before, which was really interesting to test out. We also learnt how to identify different variables and rules to create the model, which shows that it isn’t just a trial and error type of exercise, but we also think scientifically and technically so that we can proceed to doing them in a more advanced manner on grasshopper. In the final as we gather all our knowledge into one, it came out successfuly, but it could’ve been improved by its neatness at the edges and the triangles thenselves, and also by trying to show the creases more.
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Al Bahar Towers, showing the responsive shading devices they created, Abu Dhabi.
03 The Parametric Facelift
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Blom Bank, New Cairo Site Analysis
The environmental analysis shows that the temperature range average in Cairo is usually over the comfort zone, which means that it is above 25 degrees almost everyday, which needs a solution in the building’s facade due to its glass only facade. The Sky coverage is usually low, especially during the summer, which means that direct sunlight will always be hitting the building. Humidity levels are always above average, and a way to decrease that could be through adding trees.
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The Parametric Facelift
Interior Spacial Configuration
In the above roof plan, it shows that I would like to add a roof garden, in addition to a skylight. The roof garden could be beneficial so people who want to stay in the sun more can sit upstairs. The skylight is used to provide sunlight inside the building to desks/offices further away from the glass facade, to increase productivity and stimulate motivation.
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The reason why I want sunlight to reach all of the offices is because it is psychologically/mentally uplifting and the activity people can do to relax in a fast paced environment is to look at nature in the atrium (beneath the skylight) and to have a chance to walk and ensure less stress. Sunlight won’t be too direct due to the double facade and the skylight’s shading device.
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Responsive Facades Responsive shading devices could be computer controlled to respond to optimal solar and light conditions like Al Bahar Tower and CJ R & D Centre Kinetic Tower. Prece-
Al Bahar Tower CJ R & D Centre Section
CJ R & D Centre The shading devices on the facade are using actuators to move the devices according to the sun path and it is controlled electrically through a computer. However, there is another method that could be used for responsice facades.
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Thermo-hydraulic Controlling System The Thermo-hydraulic controlling system of shading devices is a non-electrical method to stimulate the movement of the shading devices. In the section on the left, it shows that the louver has 2 diber reinforced polymer absorbers on top and on the bottom of the louver. The tubes with hydraulic fluids are directed towards the sky, and as the sun moves near it, the fluid expands, therefore moving the device/rotates the louver into an optimal shafing position. There are also robots that could be used to encourage environmental control. They detect the building facades, regulate energy usage and indoor conditions to close windows, check thermostats and adjust blinds.
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Concept & Approach The precedent I thought of doing in the shading device is the pine cone, as the logo of the bank looks like a pine tree, so I wanted to contribute the shading device’s design to it so it does not feel out of concept. The Pine cone has several interesting elements. Firstly, the shape of each element in the pine cone is like a flattened diamond, which could be the general abstracted shape of the actual facade. Another thing that interested me was the gaps between each element on the pine cone, which could be included in the design of the facade as well.
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Section
Elevation
Sketches
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In Part 1, I did many folding techniques in the model, and voids that were in the model. I created a sketch that shows diamond shaped shading devices that can fold and expand according to the sun, and there are gaps and different sizes to represent the pine cone abstractly.
For the section, here I’m trying to show the movement of the shading devices as it contracts and expands, and also the differences in length from the facade (1.5m max). In addition to showing how I will place the hydraulic tubes (as I will try to implement them in the design) to push the flaps in 4 different directions.
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Sketches - 2nd Iteration
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Interior Configuration
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Grasshopper Trial 1
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The creation of the atrium near the facade itself will ensure that light comes in to deeper places inside to prevent anyone from feeling demotivated and to increase productivity and activity everywhere. ARCH 473/3522 - Fall 2020
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Grasshopper Trial 1 - Script
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REFLECTION. The conclusion of this submission, and according to the feedback, the facades panels were too random, which diverts from the pine cone concept, and does not fit the function of the facade with shading, therefore, the randomness should decrease a bit more.
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Second Iteration
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The Parametric Facelift
41 In this iteration, I tried to make the facade look more organised, but with a sense of randomness to it; different shapes/panels placed on different sides of the facade (S, SW and W). The reason why the middle of the facade (SW) is more open is due to the atrium placed near it, so that indirect lighting can come inside the building but can reach all sides of the building.
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Sketches of the Section
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Panels Movement According to the Sun Path
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Script
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Third Iteration 3D Shots
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The third iteration is the most iteration that became more organised, with a few more developments from previous feedback. Firstly, the gaps between the panels vary according to the location (South, South West, West) and due to the atrium near the facade, the gaps between the panels in the middle are more separate but not too separate to that only indirect/ diffused lighting enters.
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Roof top with a seating area
Interior shot, relationship of atrium with facade. ARCH 473/3522 - Fall 2020
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The Gaps between Each Panel Group
DENSE ---------------- LESS DENSE ----------------- DENSE
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Panels Movement According to the Sun Path
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SECTION For the interior, I wanted to include maximum lighting so that it increases productivity and motivation of the people working there; so I decided instead of creating the floors as all equally open for the atrium (like a shaft), I decreases the sizes of the bottom floors, so that move lighting can come in from the above skylight and the facade, and towards the top, the slab is more full than the rest of the floors, creating an outdoor area for people to sit on the roof.
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The Parametric Facelift
PLANS
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ROOF PLAN
3rd FLOOR PLAN
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GRASSHOPPER SCRIPT
REFLECTION: The panels got better, but the analysis should be enhanced more by doing blowups of the panels on the facade. In addition, to enhance the pine cone concept, I should create a more dynamic/breathing facade, rather than the panels being stuck on the facade.
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FINAL ITERATION - 3D SHOTS
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In the final iteration, I tried to show the concept of the pine cone much more by making the facade look like its “breathing�. Firstly, bye the changes of the gaps between each panel and the other, and the newest edition is by the movement of the facade itself, curving it outwards in the middle to emphasise the gaps more, and making the 2 sides (South East and West) more clustered by using the control points on rhino and moving them closer to each other.
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DETAILS
The panels here are closert to each other, making this area look more clustered.
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The panels are made to twist and open and close accorfing to the sun path, which helps the building reach the optimum daylight it needs throughout the day, without any direct sunlight.
The middle part is the most where the panels has spaces between them to let light in
The panels here are closert to each other, making this area look more clustered, but more spaced as a gradual change happens between all three clusters.
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SECTIONS & PLAN
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The plan shows how the facade goes out (1.5m) to allow more spaces to open up by the panels to let light in the atrium, and allow more lighting to the other floors that don’t have much lighting.
In the three sections, it is shown that the panel moves outwards and goes in to show the variability that is found in the pine cone, which in return, helps in creating a facade that lets lighting in where the atrium is more, and in other spaces less direct lighting comes in.
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INTERIOR CONFIGURATION
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The interior spacial configuration was based on the atrium I put in the middle, right at the facade of the building, as the main goal is to let as much light in as possible to increase productivity and motivation. What I did to enhance that is that instead of the atrium is like a shaft, I played with the floors and made some smaller and larger, so that more light can come in floors that lighting isnt reachable in, and created a double height floor so that the bottom common area is more lit from the top and the facade.
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GRASSHOPPER SCRIPT
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REFLECTION All in all, this course really enlightened me by thinking of so many things at once, to reach just one goal. Grasshopper was difficult at first, but it requires a lot of thinking and all the things we want could be done amazingly.
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Bibliography
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https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/67e8/851587095de6647df021235bd4a8bacf1bc1.pdf https://block.arch.ethz.ch/brg/files/suco_201100014.pdf
ŠAll rights reserved, American University in Cairo (AUC) Fall 2020