Reem Usama - AUC - ARCH 473/3522

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A RCH 4 7 3/ 3 5 2 2 - D I G I TA L D E SI G N S T U D I O A N D WOR KSH OP

REEM USAMA 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: Reem Usama Student ID: 900162090

Š The American University in Cairo (AUC), October 2020

Reem Usama Architecture Student

I am Reem Usama a senior student in Architectural Engineering at the AUC. It was a very hard yet exciting journey for me to reach the 4th year, however I believe that it was worth every second. I am very excited to work on 473 and learn new techniques that will defenitly help me in the furure.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

01

Shelter for the Homeless

02

The Bank Facade Canvas

03

The Parametric Facelift

01

Shelter ffor the Homeless

“ Inspired from the Butterfly �

4Research

and Concept Statement

Location: Alexandria

WHY BUTTERFLIES? Various species for various user backgounds -Indicator of healthy environment -Essence of nature, freedom, beauty and peace.

- Their growth is a representation of the improvement of the user’s life.

CHARACTERISTICS OF BUTTERFLIES - Long thin proboscis - Delicate - Needs to be strong enough to exert froce to fly away - Flutters wings continously

Inspiration: Butterfly

MAIN BODY PARTS OF THE BUTTERFLY RELATED TO THE CONCEPT 1- Forewings: are the anterior wings which are attached to the the middle segement of the thorax. the wings of the butterfly make it fly and mobile.

2- Hindwings: the hindwings dont have a purpose but they make the wings look complete and beutiful.

3- Antennae: the antennaes make the butterfly detect everything around it and makes it adaptable to the environment.

CONCEPT “ BEAUTY, ADAPTABILITY AND ENCLOSURE TO THE HOMELESS “

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Architecture Manifestation

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- THE BUTTERFLY IS A BEAUTIFUL CREATURE, GOD CREATED ITS WINGS AND IT CONSISTS OF 2 PARTS, THE FOREWINGS ARE THE ONES RESPONSBLE FOR FLYING, AND THE HINDWINGS HAVE NO PURPOSE BUT JUST TO MAKE IT LOOK BEAUTIFUL AND IN SHAPE.

-HOMELESS POEPLE DESERVE TO LIVE IN A SHELTER WHERE THEY FEEL SAFE AND SECURE IN IT, IN ADDITION, THEY DESERVE TO LIVE IN A BEAUVTIFUL.

-HOMELESS CHILDREN ARE ALWAYS ADAPTABLE TO ANY PLACE THEY LIVE IN, THIS IS ONE OF THE MAIN APPROACHES IN THE DESIGN CONCEPT AS THE BUTTERFLY IS ALSO ADAPTABLE DUE TO THE EXISTANCE OF ITS ANTENNEAS THAT MAKES IT SENSE EVERYTHING AROUND IT.

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6Design

Process

Process 1

Process 2

I TRIED HERE TO ENCLOSE THE PRIVATE AREA, I ALSO TRIED TO THINK OF HOW WILL THE SPACE BE DIVIDED FROM THE INSIDE Architectural Engineering Department

Process 3

HERE IS A MORE ENHANCED WAY OF DEVELOPING A SPACE THAT CAN BE TRANSLATED INTO ARCHITECTURE

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Design Process

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Progress1

Progress 2

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Progress 3

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8Architectural

Analysis

Zoning

PUBLIC PRIVATE+COMMERTIAL SEMI-PRIVATE PUBLIC AREA SMALLER PATTERN ON THE PRIVATE ZONE AND GETS BIGGER AS IT GETS MORE PUBLIC

READING AREA ATRIUM HOUSING UNITS+TOILETS BOOTHS FOR COMMERTIAL AREA

KITCHEN AND DINING STORAGAE TOILETS ATRIUM LOBBY VERTICAL CIRCULATION

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Architectural Analysis

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Plans

Ground floor

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First Floor

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10 Architectural

Analysis

Sections

SEC A-A

SEC B-B

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3D Shots

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11

Reem Usama

12 Digital

Fabrication

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Digital Fabrication

I think the most suitable way to digitally fabricat this modl is by 3D printing as the building has a lot of curves and meshes and it would be hard to fabricate it by laser cutting.

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02

Part 1: The Bank Facade Canvas

“ Exploring withGypsum ”

Experiment #1 - Using Gypsum with Cement

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Step 1: I mixed the gypsum with water.

The ratio was 2:3 water to gypsym, the mix then hardened in no time, almost 5 minutes into mixing because the gypsum was mixed with cement.

Reflection: Make sure that the gypsum is not mixed with any other material, if it is mixed with cement, work with it quickly before it hardens.

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Experiment #2 - Using Newspaper

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Step 1: I started by creating the mold using balsa wood and crumbled newspaper. Then mixed the gypsum with water after creating the mold so that it doesnt dry up quickly.v ARCH 473/3522 - Fall 2020

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Experiment #1 - Using Newspaper

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Step 2: I added the mixture to the mold, left it to dry for 4 hours. The mixture started to get hotter and dry up until the outer part completely hardened.

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Experiment #2 - Using Newspaper

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Step 3: After I removed the mold, I found that the newspaper stuck to the gypsum due to the fact that the newspaper is a light type of paper. However, the wrinkles looked interesting.

Reflection: I had to work with a stiffer type of paper and cover it with plastic so that it doesnt stick, as the target was to experiment with the wrinkles created by the paper and the effect it gives.

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Experiment #3 - Using Plastic and Canson

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Step 1: I added the mixture to the mold, left it to dry for 4 hours. The mixture started to get hotter and dry up until the outer part completely hardened.

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Experiment #3 - Using Plastic and Canson

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Step 2: It took the mixture 4 hours to dry up, them I removed the mold.

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Experiment #3 - Using Plastic and Canson

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Step 3:

Bubbles caused due to shortage of gypsum.

Reftection: This experiment in my opinion was the most successful because the wrinkles were shown, and slightly controlled, however, I have to make sure that I have enough material to work with so that bubbles dont form.

Wrinkles caused by the plastic.

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Wrinkles caused by the canson.

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Experiment #4 - Controlling Wrinkles (Using Plastic & Canson)23 Step 1:

Cardboard covered with plastic to give a smooth texture.

Wrinkled canson paper.

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Cardboard for the sides of the mold.

Wrinkled plastic to cover the paper.

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Experiment #4 - Using Plastic and Canson

Step 2: I added the paper on the smooth base, and added on top of the paper the wrinkled plastic andjusting it exactly on the paper leaving no extra wrincled plastic on the sides.

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Experiment #4 - Controlling Wrinkles (Using Plastic & Canson)

BLOWUPS:

Showing the difference between the wrinkled areas and the smooth areas.

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Experiment #4 - Using Plastic and Canson

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Step 3: Final Mold

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Experiment #4 - Controlling Wrinkles (Using Plastic & Canson)27

Step 4: Started mixing the water with gypsum with the ratio 2:3 respectively.

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Experiment #4 - Using Plastic and Canson

Step 5: Added the mixture to the mold, left it to dry for 1 day because the gypsum quantity was large.

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Experiment #4 - Controlling Wrinkles (Using Plastic & Canson) FINAL PRODUCT

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Experiment #4 - Using Plastic and Canson Step 6:

Reflection: Few bubbles, as the gypsum was enough to fill the whole mold.

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Experiment #4 - Controlling Wrinkles (Using Plastic & Canson)

Reflection: Smooth edgesbecause the gypsum was in contact with the smooth part of the mold only, in compison with the wrinkeled part that was incontact with the paper and plastic.

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Experiment #5 - Experimenting with Voids

Step 1: Started by placing two peices of small crumbled papers inside a box.

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Experiment #5 - Experimenting with Voids

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Step 2: hen I covered the mold with plastic so that the gympsum doesnt stick to it, and placed a crumbled piece of paper at the bottom of the box.

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Experiment #5 - Experimenting with Voids

Step 3: Then i started added the water to the gypsum without a certain ratio until it reached a relatively thick consistancy.

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Experiment #5 - Experimenting with Voids

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Step 4: Then i poured the mixture into the mold without flling it till the end so that it forms a void.

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Experiment #5 - Experimenting with Voids

This is the final result after removing the mold.

It was left to dry for 4 hours.

The voids took the geometry of the crumbled paper, and the rest of the solid parts took the shape of the crimbled paper that was placed at the bottem of the mold.

Reflection: This experiment shows how that the gypsum is capable in adapting to the shape of the mold, the gypsum took the outer shape of the geometry of the crumbled paper.

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Parameters Controlling the Experiments

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Parameter #1: Purity of Gypsum - As shown in experiment #1, the gypsum was mixed cement and it hardened while mixung, hence, the purer the gypsum the easier to use it amd the longer it takes to harden.

Parameter #2: Consistency of Gypsum - The the higher the viscosity of the material, the more bubbles it creates after drying, however, the lower the viscosity, of the more flowy and thin the material is, the easier in gets bewteen the creases of the crumbled paper creating less bubbles and less brittle. The comparison is shown in experiment

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38 Parameters

Controlling the Experiments

Parameter #3: Compression in the Crumbled Paper - The rougher, more crinckled and the higher the compression in the paper, the higher the amount of wrinkles formed and the more vigirous and deep they are. As shown in experinemt #3.

Parameter #4: Tension in the plastic - The the higher the thension in plastic the smoother the outcome is and very few or almost no wtinkles are formed. The difference here is shown in experiment #3 and experiment #4.

Experiment #4 HIgher tension = soother outcome

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Experiment #3 Less tension = more wrinnkles Story Book

Parameters Controlling the Experiments and Final Reflection

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Parameter #5: Deapth of the Gypsum inside the mold - The more gypsum is poured inside the mold, the less the voids, and the less the amount of gypsum and the smaller the thicknessm the more and the bigge the voids are as shown in experiment #5

FINAL REFLECTION THESE 5 EXPERIMENTS SHOWED ME HOW GYPSUM IS A MATERIAL THAT CAN TAKE ANY SHAPE, THE TECHNIQUE OF CREATING THE MOLD CAN MAKE A HUGE DIFFERENCE IN THE FINAL OUTCOME AND THIS SHOWS HOW GYPSUM IS A MATERIAL THAT CAN ADAPT TO ANY SHAPE IN ADDITION THE CONSISTENCY OF THE MATERIAL MAKES A DIFFERENCE IN THE TIME OF DRYING, AND IT THE SMOOTHENES OF THE FINAL OUTCOME.

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03

Part 2: The Bank Facade Canvas

“ Bloom Bank Double Skin Facade ”

Bloom Bank Site Analysis

42

Location: Bloom Bank, South 90 Road, 5th Settelement

Wind Direction Sun Path Sound Pollution Wide streets, allowing more sun exposure Lack of greenery and trees creating Urban Heat Island

Building’s Main facade is oriented South, SouthWest hence making it exposed the highest sun exposure during the day.

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Bloom Bank Site Analysis

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Bloom Bank Solar Analysis

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Summer 9 A.M

12 P.M

Highest sun exposure is between 12 and 2 pm

Winter 9 A.M

12 P.M

Highest sun exposure during the day, hpwever, due to the low sun angle, its preferable to allow the sun in during winter.

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Bloom Bank Solar Analysis

2 P.M

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5 P.M

2 P.M

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Bloom Bank Wind Analysis

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High wind flow in the north west direction, since the main facade is in oriented south west, the double skin facade should be adaptable to a strategy that allows the wind inside the building through this facade. This would be done by creating a stack effect in the double skin facade system.

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Responsive Facade Design - Precedent Al Bahr Towers

Those that employ a shading screen (mashrabiya) as the exterior face coupled with a high performance curtain wall system as the interior layer of the faรงade, in which: 1- The layers tend to be separated by a wide air corridor to provide access for cleaning.

2- The exterior shading layer is either fixed or responsive.

3- The shading layer must be very durable to withstand exposure to the elements as well as cleaning.

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These solar screens respond dynamically and automatically to the angle of the sun, which increases the regulation of energy consumption, solar radiation and the ability to allow natural light to reach the building.

The shading screen is computer controlled to adapt to optimal solar and light conditions. The mashrabiya shading systems are grouped into sectors and controlled by sun tracking software, which controls the opening and closing sequence according to the angle of the sun.

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48 Responsive

Facade Design - Precedent

Eskenazi Hospital Parking As pedestrians and slow moving vehicles approach the building within close proximity to the hospital, they will experience a noticeable shift in color and transparency, while motorists driving along the street will experience a faster, gradient color change depending on their direction of travel.

The effect of a field of 7,000 angled metal panels in conjunction with an articulated east/west color strategy creates a dynamic faรงade system that offers observers a unique visual experience depending on their vantage point and the pace at which they are moving through the site. In this way, pedestrians and slow moving vehicles within close proximity to the Eskenazi hospital will experience a noticeable, dappled shift in color and transparency as they move across the hospital grounds, while motorists driving along W. Michigan Street will experience a faster, gradient color shift which changes depending on their direction of travel.

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Responsive Facade Design

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Existing Problems

1. ORIENTATION PROBLEM: HIGHLY EXPOSED TO THE SUN

2. NO SURROUNDINGS ON THE SOUTH AND WEST ORIENTATIONS, ALLOWING MORE AND DIRECT EXPOSURE TO THE SUN

3. LACK OF GREENERY CREATING DIRECT EXPOSURE TO THE SUN AND HIGH HEAT ABSORBTION

4. MINIMAL EXPOSURE TO THE PREVAILING WIND DIRECTION

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Responsive Facade Design

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Parameters Deduced: Parameter #1: Intensity of Compression in the Crumbled paper : - It was deduced that the higher the compression applied to the paper, the more vigorous the wrinkles are and more folds are formed.

CONCEPT: * This will be shown in the facade by creating vigirous wrinkles in the south orientation to provide more self shading, and will be divided into pannels to be responsive to the sun and block the sunrays*

Parameter #2: Tension in the plastic sheets : - It was deduced that the higher the tension applied to the plastic sheets the smoother the wrinkles become.

CONCEPT: * This will be shown in the facade by creating a smoother wrinkled effect as the facade’s orientation moves to the south-west orientation, creating less self-shading as the sunrays intensity becomes lower*

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Responsive Facade Design

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Parameter #3: Depth of the gypsum representing the size of the voids : - It was deduced that the lower the amount of gypsum, the bigger the voids created in the mold.

CONCEPT: * This will be shown in the facade by allowing the facade to be responsive to the movement of people inside the building and the sun direction, the higher the movement, the more penetration of sun inside the public area allowing the negative space between each panel bigger.*

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52 Facade

Concept

Facade design 1: RECALLING THE PARAMETERS: Parameter #1 & #2

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Slab Configeration and Zoning

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PUBLIC AREA FOR EMPLOYEES - This zone is responsive to the movement of people allowing sunligh in when people access this zone.

PRIVATE OFFICES - This zone is has vigirous wrinkles shading the private offices zones, in addition to a responsive facade to sun’s orientation.

CLIENT’S ZONE

PUBLIC BANK ZONE

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Grasshopper Application- Progress 1

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Grasshopper script 1: Sun as an attraction point

Creating the panels FIRST ATTEMT: Here in the first iteration, i tried to create a parallel facade to the facade of the building that has static wrinkles with different densities that self shade the main facade. The density of the wrinkles were heavier in the south orientation, the density of the wrinkles decrease as the sun orientation moves west.

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Grasshopper Application- Progress 1

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In the top view, I tilted the facade to create a wider opening in the North West (wind direction) and a narrower opening in the South. This will capture the wind and speed it up as it exits from the narrower side for natural ventilation inside the building.

WIND ENTERING FROM THE WIDE SIDE

WIND SPEADING UP VENTILATING THE BUILDING

WIND LEAVING FROM THE NARROWER SIDE

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56 Grasshopper

Application- Progress 1

Facade design - First attempt at creating the panels:

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Grasshopper Application- Progress 1

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PROBLEMS: The problem with this itteration was that the facade is not a straight facade. I struggled in dividing it into panels and grasshopper could not read the lines that divide the facade into panels as they were curves.

FEEDBACK AND REFLECTION: I had to find a way to devide my facade and make it responsive as this was not enough for my parameters. I did not was no change my concept as I had a vision to what the facade was going to look like after I divide it.

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Grasshopper Application- Progress 2

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Grasshopper script 2: Facade Division

Sun as an attraction point

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Grasshopper Application- Progress 2

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MAIN CONCEPT OF THE FACADE: The main attempt here is to create a responsive facade to both, the sun and the human interaction in the building. However, it was not logical to make the facade responsive to both at the same time.

Human Interaction

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Grasshopper Application- Progress 2

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SUN POSITION 1

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Here the sun direction is controlling the directions of the panels creating a VISUAL effect that the wrinckles are moving, however they are not, only the panels are moving.

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Grasshopper Application- Progress 2

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SUN POSITION 2

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62 Grasshopper

Application- Progress 2

SUN POSITION 3

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Grasshopper Application- Progress 2

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PROBLEMS: After I divided the facade into panels, I strugled in finding the suitable size for the pannel. The bigger the panels, the more overlap happens between them as you can see in figre (1), then i decided to decrese the size and the effect I needed was siccessful, however it was almost impossible to fix them on the screen structurally, see figure (2).

FIGURE (1) : 60X70 CM PANEL.

FEEDBACK AND REFLECTION:

FIGURE (2) : 10X10 CM PANEL.

I had to find a suitable size for the panels so that they dont overlap and are structurally functional.

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Grasshopper Application- Progress 3 Grasshopper script 1:

This script is designed to all

Sun as an attractor

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Grasshopper Application- Progress 3

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Panel Division

low the facade to be responsive to the sun at all times of the day.

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Grasshopper Application- Progress 3 Grasshopper script 2:

Sun as an attractor

Human interaction as an attractor Architectural Engineering Department

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Grasshopper Application- Progress 3

Panel Division

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MAIN CONCEPT OF THE FACADE:

The main attempt here is to create a responsive facade to both, the sun and the human interaction in the building.

The facade will be responsive to the sun between 8 am - 6 pm, in the break time for the workers, where they gather at the public area, the facade will be responsive to the human interaction/movement in the building.

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68 Grasshopper

Application- Progress 3

THE VOIDS:

SUN POSITION: WEST

SUN POSITION: EAST

RECALLING THE PARAMETERS: Parameter #3

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Grasshopper Application- Progress 3

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PANEL TYPES:

PANEL TYPE 1: This geometry of the panel that is present in the smoother side of the facade are straight and have very

PANEL TYPE 2: The geometry of the panel that is present in the more wrinkled part have more curves to be adjustable t othe original facade design that is full of dents and wrinkles.

few curves.

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Grasshopper Application- Progress 3 STRUCTURAL DETAILS:

The panel size is 40 x 40 cm, this is the most suitable size for manufacturing and for the main concept, if the panel increased in size, the panels will overlap due to the dents alrealy found in the facade.

There will be horizontal steel bars imbedded inside the slab (figure 1) welded to a long vertical steel bar that will have small structures as shown in (figure 2) that will have the small panels atached to it allowing them to rotate around its axis.

STEEL BARS

SLAB

Figure 1: Connection between the slab and the steel bars.

Figure 2: Connection between the Panels and the steel hydraulic bars.

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Grasshopper Application- Progress 3

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PLANS:

PRIVATE OFFICES ZONE

PUBLIC BANK ZONE

CLIENTS ZONE

PUBLIC ZONE FOR EMPLOYEES

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Grasshopper Application- Progress 3

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SECTION:

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Grasshopper Application- Progress 3

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ELEVATION:

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Grasshopper Application- Progress 3 3D SECTION:

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Grasshopper Application- Progress 3

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SHOT:

PUBLIC BANK AREA ARCH 473/3522 - Fall 2020

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Grasshopper Application- Progress 3

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SHOT:

PUBLIC AREA

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Grasshopper Application- Progress 3 SHOT:

PRIVATE OFFICES

Grasshopper Application- Progress 3 OUTDOOR SHOT:

Grasshopper Application- Progress 3

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