Yasmina El Gezeiry - AUC - ARCH 473/3522

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 Yasmina Walid El Gezeiry 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: ThYasmina Walid El Gezeiry Student ID: 900150346

Š The American University in Cairo (AUC), May 2019

Yasmina El Gezeiry Architecture Student

This course has been truly challenging both conceptually and technically. However, it was not my first encounterwith such a process as I have previously experimented with biomimicry and faced the need for computation and parametricism.

Dealing with it for a semester has been eye-opening and enhanced my software and thinking skills on many levels.

01 Learning from Nature

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3 Group work Polar Stratospheric Clouds

First Phenomena: Polar Stratospheric clouds are clouds which are formed at a temperature of less than -85 degree celsius, with a altitude of 15-25 km high.

They are thick in density, and form during the polar winter in the lower stratosphere.They are formed by a cause of minimal sunlight and the isolation that occurs from Antarctic air mass [polar vortex] from the surrounding atmospheric circulation. Because the clouds usually form under the temperatures of -78C and lower, they are usually spotted in the Antarctic and the northern hemisphere where mountains can generate lee waves.

Sunlight Rays Undergo 2 processes to give the rainbow-like Appearance: 1. Light Dispersion 2. Light Diffraction-Wave interference

ARCH 473/3522 - Spring 2019

Yasmina El Gezeiry

4 Scientific Background: 01. Light Despersion: The dispersion of light is the phenomenon of splitting of a beam of white light into its seven constituent colours when passed through a transparent medium. white light consists of seven different colours, and each colour has a different angle of deviation, wavelength & speed Colors that have shorter wavelengths (Violet) will deviated more from their original path than the colors with longer wavelengths (Red) 02. Light Diffraction: Wave Inference ave Interference: interference is a phenomenon in which two waves superpose to form a resultant wave of greater, lower, or the same amplitude.

Crest And Crest - Addition | Crest and trough - Subtraction Optically thin Clouds + Light Wave Interference =White light Interference Fringe

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Reflection

After deciding on the topic of Polar Stratospheric clouds, partially understanding the scientific background behind it and experimenting with mirrors and soap. We realised that parameters involved in such a topic are very difficult for us to translate into tangible parameters that can be directly experimented with and therefore, due to the perceived difficulty we decided to change the topic in order to pick one that better accommodates and responds to different stage requirements.

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7 Option #2: Sand Dunes What are sand dunes?

A sand dune is any accumulation of sand grains shaped into a mound or ridge by the wind under the influence of gravity.

A typical sand dune is created by the transport of sediment (small loose rock particles) by the wind and involves the interaction of the wind and the ground surface.

What is sand?

Sand is defined as particles with a size between 2 mm to 0.0625 mm (2 mm equals 0.078 inches).

Where do they form?

Sand dunes can develop in any environment in which loose particles of sand are exposed to wind action and are free to migrate and accumulate.

1. Deserts 2. Coastal Environments Conditions for its existence: 1. Steady wind regime 2. A dry (less than 10 inches of rainfall annually) environment 3. A supply of loose surface material which is small enough to be transported by the wind.

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Yasmina El Gezeiry

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9 Concept: Collision for Stability When two barchan dunes collide, a transfer of mass occurs so that one dune appears to travel through the other unscathed, like a solitary wave.

Process: The upwind dune captures the sediment of the downwind dune and starves it of sand.

The upwind dune grows and slows down The downwind dune shrinks and speeds up again.

Seen from a distance, the small dune appears to traverse right through the large dune.

The Solitary Wave A wave of translation a quantum or quasiparticle propagated as a travelling non-dissipative wave that is neither preceded nor followed by another such disturbance.

Key Properties: 1. Waves are stable, and can travel over very large distances 2. Speed depends on the size of the wave, and its width on the depth of water.

3. They never merge— small wave is overtaken by a large one.

ARCH 473/3522 - Spring 2019

Yasmina El Gezeiry

10 Individual Dune Collision for Stability

Why do Solitary Waves happen?

The formation of a soliton involves a fine balance between: 1. Dispersion - self-broadening of the pulse 2. Nonlinearity - self-narrowing of the pulse Dispersion: Similar to light dispersion Non-linearity: Refractive index - Kulmer’s effect

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Reflection In order to reach the needed parameters, the process involved to many research and too much digging into scientific content.

However, when I finally reached to two different scientific parameters governing the migration of dunes as derived from a different natural phenomena, I felt proud and it clarified the image for me.

ARCH 473/3522 - Spring 2019

Yasmina El Gezeiry

Description of photo in a couple of lines, including explanation and/or references

03 Site Selection

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15 Site Analysis Site Analysis was performed in order to analyse circulation patterns and behaviour on site with respect to the 2 deduced parameters and therefore, apply what was deduced from dune migration to the migration of people in the chosen site.

As per the Behavioural Mapping diagram: It is shown that there are two main circulation spines that are mostly opted by users of the space.

As per the Environmental Analysis Diagram: it can be seen that the court is well ventilated. and self-shaded.

ARCH 473/3522 - Spring 2019

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04 Form Generation

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Step 01:

This step entailed utilising the derived parameters (Non-linearity and dispersion) as the evaluation tool of user circulation within the chosen court.

To generate a comparison between the migration of dunes and the migration of people based on constant evaluation criteria.

Conclusion reached: User circulation is both non-linear and dispersive.

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19 Trial #1

Creating a platform that transforms and adapts to user occupancy. This was a trial to create one surface that changes form in conformity to the circulation patterns and surrounding behavioural context.

According to the most frequent routes, points of intersections were regarded as nodes where the surface lowered to provide a circulation core to the top of the surface.

ARCH 473/3522 - Spring 2019

Yasmina El Gezeiry

20 Trial #2

For this form generation trial, the formal character of sand dunes was the main driver of the form and design.

Users were treated as if they were the wind affecting a mesh on the ground the same way wind does with sand.

The reason this attempt was disposed is its superficial intentions that focus mainly on the form.

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21 Trial #3

For this trial, In attempt to breakdown the process of dune migration, form was derived from the interlace between strips of concrete to emphasize the traversing effect which in truth is non-existent. The architectural corrollary to such an apporach is the generation of enclosed spaces, urban features and sheds.

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The final submission for this phase but not yet the final trial!

1. Positioning of main circulation gates 2. Behavioural and circulatory mapping of people 3. Tracking of most frequent routes 4. Generating circulation patterns with respect to the two parameters derived from sand dune migration Thus creating a form that caters for and accomodates all parameters in parallel.

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24 Trial #5

This trial was an attempt to tone down trial #4 and make it more centralized however what I didnt like about this trial was the fact that it looked like a stick-on to the building and not an integrated structure.

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Reflection This phase has been one of the most difficult for me in this course. All my iterations kept failing me as I always had certain expectations that I wasn’t software competent enough to achieve it.

My preferences kept changing, none of the forms clicked enough for me to proceed with. It was a very stressful phase for me, constantly starting out from step 0.

ARCH 473/3522 - Spring 2019

Yasmina El Gezeiry

26 The Final Trial.. Finally Final Model: Form Generation Step 01.

As per observation of the circulation patterns and behaviour in the chosen court and with respect to the given parameters: Court circulation is seen to be both dispersive and non-linear.

Why dispersive? due to the collision with an obstacle.

The derived circulation patterns and behaviour upon facing an obstacle (the central building) is highly analogous to that of sand dunes when facing a similar obstacle.

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27 Final Model: Form Generation Step 02.

Translating such behaviour into grasshopper: By using repulsion points (obstacle location) along an array of lines (parallel to main circulation flow) - grid spreading technique; We derive certain curves (top right figure) that govern the form generation of the envelope.

Structural characteristics: Structural dynamics of the envelope is entirely inspired by the involved transfer of mass as per dune migration process; dunes transferring their mass to surrounding dunes to survive.

Translation: Transfer of load, the envelope is structurally dependent on the surrounding context ( building, ground and bridge)

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Tracie Cheng Digital Art Delineation.

05 Shape-Shifting

32 Design Principles 1. Overall form inspired by the intricate interplay of variables involved to achieve dune migration. The apparent tranverse, interlock and overlap.

2. Asymmetrical form in conformity to the natural corollary of dune collision: asymmetric dune shape.

3. Interactive GFRP Louvers; shape and response inspired by the naturally occuring interplay between self-broadening and self-narrowing mechanisms in dune migration.

Strips at different heights can be acting in contradiction to each other when responding to the same movement to maintain balance in spatial qualities When facade responses on different strips are choreographed, they give a very fluid and dynamic simulation analogous to the process of dune migration. up-space.

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33 Objectives

01. Interactive envelope responding in a ripple-like manner to motion and mobility within the court 02. Control of visual permeability and light penetration of the glass box according to internal use and surrounding interactions.

Scenarios: In private/ need for focus uses: Treat human motion as a point that signals the need to close the louvers to preserve users’ privacy indoors.

In more public uses, human motion as a point that signals the need to open the louvers along the path to enhance visual permeability and connectivity between indoors and outdoors and to dematerialize the built

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Close-up Shape-Shifting Element Interactive GFRP Louvers The louvers are moved by actuators located on both the upper and lower edge, inducing compression forces to create the complex elastic deformation. They reduce the distance between the two bearings and in this way induce a bending which results in a side rotation of the louver - governed by sensors detecting human motion.

Slits Open

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35 Shape-Shifting Element Detail

Section - Largest Louver in closed state

Detail: Top Connection of louver to actuator ARCH 473/3522 - Spring 2019

Yasmina El Gezeiry

36Grasshopper Definition

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Project 3D-shot

05 Final Drawings

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Concept 1. Overall form inspired by the intricate interplay of variables involved to achieve dune migration.

The apparent tranverse, interlock and overlap.

2. Asymmetrical form in conformity to the natural corollary of dune collision: asymmetric dune shape.

3. Interactive GFRP Louvers; shape and response inspired by the naturally occuring interplay between self-broadening and self-narrowing mechanisms in dune migration.

Strips at different heights can be acting in contradiction to each other when responding to the same movement to maintain balance in spatial qualities.

When facade responses on different strips are choreographed, they give a very fluid and dynamic simulation analogous to the process of dune migration. up-space.

Objectives

01. Interactive envelope responding in a ripple-like manner to motion and mobility within the court 02. Control of visual permeability and light penetration of the glass box according to internal use and surrounding interactions.

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Ground Ground Floor Plan Floor Plan 1:200 1:200 Portfolio

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First Floor Plan 1:200 ARCH 473/3522 - Spring 2019

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Section 1:200

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Ground F __ 1:2

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Eastern Elevation 1:200

Floor Plan ARCH 473/3522 - Spring 2019 200

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Southern Elevation 1:200 Portfolio

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Biblography

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http://www.macs.hw.ac.uk/~chris/scott_russell.html https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/130519580.pdf

ŠAll rights reserved, American University in Cairo (AUC) May 2019