Student Portfolio
ARCH 473/3522 - DIGITAL DESIGN STUDIO AND WORKSHOP Menna Balboul Fall 2018
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: Menna Balboul Student ID: 900150359
Š The American University in Cairo (AUC), December 2018
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Introduction
2 ARCH 473/3522 Digital Studio and workshop focuses on the in-depth investigation on the capabilities of computation in architetural design. This indepth investigation was done by learning different modeling techniques through the lab and lecture sessions. Our lab session was divided equally between the rhino and grasshopper modelling. In each session we get introducted to different modelling techniques where we work on them in the lab session and have assignments on every new technique we took. This was done in parallel with our course project that addresss architecture and mobility. In this project we went through three different stages where our model got developed in every singl stage. The first stage was about learning from materiality in this stage we worked as group and we started to experiment with different materials and how natural or chmeical stimulus affected the physical properties of the materials. The second stage was about capturing mobility where we were asked to create functional installation such as a pavilion or seating area. The model that we will develop must be inspired from one certain material we choose from the first stage materiality experiments. In this stage we used rhino modelling to develop our model and then we fabricated our rhino models using the help of fusion 360 and slicer . The third stage was about developing our rhino model to be parametric using grasshopper. This portofolio will take you with me on every single stage showing a detailed analysis and refletion
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ARCH 473/3522 - Fall 2018
Menna Balboul
Arylic sheet shaped after being heated in the oven
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Stage I : Learning From Materiality
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7 Acrylic formed after being heated
In This stage we were asked to work as a group on physically experimenting with different materials and seeing material behavior under different stimulus. The first thing that we did as a group was reserching different materials and the different natural and chemical stimulus that change their physcial shape and properties. This is when we faced our first challenge as all the materials that we searched were quite complex. Thus, we decided to think of simple materials that could be found easily around us. The list of materials that we thought of were Arcylic, copper, Nylon, sponge, foam board, and plastic. Several experiments were done on those materials where some showed some changes such acrylic, nylon, and foam board and other show no changes in their physical properties such as copper. The material that I choose as an inspiration for my design was the acrylic as it had not only one physical change but several
ARCH 473/3522 - Fall 2018
Menna Balboul
8 The experiment that was done on the acrylic was placing it in the oven to see what physical change wil occur. In the first experiment we got a sample of acrylic which was 13 x 6 cm and placed it in the oven at a tempreture of 250 C for 2 min. When it got out of the oven it was melted to an extent that it started to curve up. However, it’s texture and color stayed the same. The second experiment was done on the same acrylic that was used in experiment one. However, this time it was left fom 3 min at tempreture of 250 C. In this experiment we placed the sample back to the oven and we waited to see what will happen. The curved acrylic started immediately to go back to it’s orginal shape and got straight. After 2 min the arcylic surface got boiled and changed texture. Thus, it was concluded that acrylic is easily defromed at tempreture 250 C and that it turned from smooth solid surface into curved rough surface with bubblles. Materiality Lesson from this stage: 1- High mobility and elasticity: When the acrylic got in contact with high heat it became elastic forming curves. Conceptual Inspiration: The curved elastic form inspired my project profile 2- Texture change: The bubbles that was fomred due to the heating inspired my project openings
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Waterfall area at AUC gardens
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Pavilion Site and Concept
12 Site Gardens are known as a place for relaxtion and where most of people gather and chill. In AUC we have a huge part of our university dedicated for the garden area. Our AUC garden is known for its large areas of greenery, palm trees, and fountains. Students usually prefer to stay there in their gap time. When people walk in the garden they feel refreshed but they don’t focus on every aspect in the gardens. Thus, I chose the waterfall location because it has a higher level than the rest of the garden area and overlooks the whole garden. In additio, it has a unquie feature which is the waterfall
Concept The created pavilion is supposed to divide students experience into parts to enjoy the different aspects of the garden. In other words, The created pavilion will direct the students focus on each aspect separetly making it more experiential.
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Pavilion developed on rhino
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Stage II : Capturing Mobility
16 Stage two is where we started moving from conceptual thinking into modelling. In this phase we used rhino to develop our models. Inspired from the materiality phase I started to think of organic forms that are curved and will serve my concept.Thus, I started drawing cross-sections and loafted them. This is when I faced the first challenge as it was hard to create a coherent profile using lofting only. Thus, after I loafted the cross-sections I started to re-build the surafe and moved certain points to develop a coherent profile. Then at certain areas where I want to direct people’s vision I started to move the surface upwards so that I make people look to a certain view. In other words, It is as if my pavilion is moving upwards and telling people to look at certain view such as greenery or the waterfall. After finalizing the surface I started to think of the materiality stage and the change in texture that occured in th acrylic after being heated. This lead me to start to think of a grid form= that will make my pavilion kind of open to the outside and at the same time start to play with light and shadow. This was done bas extracting the wirefram of this surface andd then using pipe to make the grid form. The Advantage of using rhino in modelling is that it has easy commands to use. While its disadnatages does not see the model as a whole thing. Also, due to drawing the curves and then loafting them I had non uniform cross-section. In addition, the grid spacing were not editable
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Physical model fabricted
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Model Fabrication
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21 stage II Physical model fabricated
After finishing stage II we were asked to fabricate our rhino model. This was done with the help of fusion 360 and slicer. Where we first place our model in fusion 360 and open a plugin called slicer where it slice our model with whatever technique we want then creates an autocad file that is laser cutted. This stage was challenging to me because my model had a grid form which could not enter slicer so at first I deceided to 3D print my model. Then I found out that it was complex because of the curves and movement it had. Therefore I had to go back to slicer. This is when I removed the grid form that I had created and entered my model as a surface only without patterns. Then I created te grid form on slicer where I sliced mt design vertically and horizontally. The second challenge was the lasercuttng as I had to lser cut my model more than three times because each time I would have a problem. Those problems were mainly because I had a very small thickness to my rhino model. Thus every time I laser cut it the notches turns to be rectangular rather than square shape and the curves break down.
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Menna Balboul
Physical model fabricted
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Stage III : Pattern of Mobility
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25 problem analysis of the rhino model
Before startg to design on grasshopper. I did some analysis on my previous rhino design to see the weak points that should be addressed while converting this design into parametric design Weak points were - Equally spaced grid that needs more iteration -Create a coherent cross-section that starts and end with the same cross-section -Create an interesting path for users rather than the uniform path Objective of this parametric Modelling - Guiding circulation and directionality that will be affected by the view points -Maximizing and minimizing solar exposure will be affected by the sun path - Profile density will be affected by the circulation of the users inside the pavilion
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Menna Balboul
26 First Trail - In the first trial I drew two straight lines which represents the boundaries of my pavilion. - Then those lines were divided into small points. Those smaller pointed were then moved using the sine graph. - Then I used loft to connect those lines together and make a surface. - The disadvantage of trial was that I felt that it is not giving me the flexibilty that I want wanted. I wanted to create something more like a one coherent surface Second Trail - In the Second trial I created a surface on rhino then I divided this surface into points - Those point were then scattered based on the drawn curve ( attraction point) - Then I created a surface from the scattered points - The created surface was then divided onto horizontal and vertica grid
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28 When I first started designing I started to think how to create the outer surface of the pavilion. This is when I used rhino where - I drew the one cross-section of my pavilion and the curved path on the ground. Then I used sweep to create the surface - The cross-section was inspired from my previous materiality test. - The two curves created on the ground are the path that people would walk through. The curved path had a logic where the curve expand in places where people are supposed to go and look to a certain view while the other side of the curve would shrink as if it is pushing the users to the other side. - The two main places where the curve expand is beside the waterfall and the greenery - By using sweep I created a coherent surface that has the same cross-section at the begining and the ending
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31 Grasshopper Modelling steps
After I created the surface I started to think of different iteration to the surface - Firstly, I divided the surface into points - Secondly, I interpolated those curves horizontally - Thirdly, I took the average of the curves which is the most near thing to their center point and I used merge to divide the drawn curve rather than just being smooth - Fourthly, From the center point I made the curves rotate and scale using graph mapper - Finally, I used loaft to create the surface
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33 Final Parametric Model
This is the final grasshopper parametric design. As you can see how the openings changes its size based on the user circulation. When the users are too close to the surafe the opening starts to expand so the users can see the outside and when users are away it closes. In other words, The surface open in areas where I want to attract the users vision and the other part closes as if the pavilion is telling people to look the other side The closing opening reduces the sun rays coming from the south one on side and on the other side the expanded opening opens to increase the wind intake coming from the North
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41 Different Grasshopper Iteration
The advantage of the grasshopper is that the whole design could change its apperance by just changing one or two varibales - The first fariable that I changed was the merge. Instead of having a smooth cross-section I turned it into broken cross-section - Then I changed the rotaion I made he model rotate from the from part more. Then I scaled the model to have a large scale at the begining and at the end it gets smaller - The Final iteration was mixing the two iteraions above which gave me this final model
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ŠAll rights reserved, American University in Cairo (AUC) December 2018
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