Student Portfolio
ARCH 473/3522 - DIGITAL DESIGN STUDIO AND WORKSHOP Salma Almasry 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: Salma Almasry Student ID: 900161976
Š The American University in Cairo (AUC), May 2019
Salma Almasry Architecture Student
rameters should have a clear logic for the reason of its creation whether driven from Conceptual understanding or from experimentation. The idea of creating these parameters is what tied the course content to me and allowed me to understand how do we communicate with the tools.
Prior to this course, I have only used tools of fabrication and Tectonics to generate ideas that I already have; However, the idea of using these tools to generate ideas and add layers of complexity was new to me. Research turned out to be one of the basic foundations of the idea generation upon theses tool whether It is a conceptual research ( like project 1), technical research that involve previous techniques of form generation ( like project 2). The concept generation was something that I challenged with as it doesn’t only involve the research but also conducting parameters that create a language between you and the tools. I felt like the parameters are what makes the project successful or not. The challenging part that each pa-
Another aspect that I felt only comes after the I felt only comes after the conduction of the parameters is the logic creation. Breaking down the ideas into a set of form generation methods to meet with the concept was definitely tricky. However, In project 2 the whole the logic generation started to become more clear because of the exposure we had to grass hopper which ultimately allows you to understand how the tools think so the language becomes easier to understand. Revising the logic and understanding what can be modified is something that I also found essential as it helps add deepness to the project wither in an environmental way of functional way. Overall, I have realized that these modern tools are best used when they are humbled down to original ways of design generation like sketches, connection and zoning. The main difference for me was the addition form generation techniques through logic and parameters which always the exploration in architecture expand limitlessly.
Table of Content 1. Project 1: Mobile Shelter for the Homeless (Group + Individual) 2. Project 2: A.The Blank Facade Canvas (Individual) B. The Parametric Facelift (Individual)
Description
Perspective view of the final design showing the layers of the shelter
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Mobile Shelter For Homeless (Individual+Group)
Introduction and Site analysis
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The aim of the shelter for the homeless was to meet both aesthetic and functional aspect of a shelter that needs to be located in El-MInya. This shelter should have an inspiration and a research based concept that is based on the idea of growth and how any element grow. We as a group chose the lotus flower as it represent a lot of healing properties and experiential features that we needed in our designs. We also chose it because of its abundance in El-Minya Starting of the by the site, it was mainly chosen because of its location in response to the surrounding such as green areas and hospitals. Because we wanted to direct our project to cater elderly we found that it will be suitable for them as it include the idea of meditation and peace of mind; therefore, we located it next to the Nile for visual connection.
Shelter for the homeless
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The design process of the shelter started of by taking inspiration form the lotus flower and then trying to abstract its layers of growth into a shelter design. The process began by doing a research on both the site ( which is El-Minya) and the lotus flower. As for the lotus flower itself we studied its stages of growth and we understood that it starts of by the seeds that then form the roots of the flower. The flower then starts to flourish and have its different qualities and then it starts the production process in which it produce seeds and then dry out and die. The stage that I focused on in my design was the reproduction of the lotus flower and I will further discuss this in the following page. Sketches and photos showing the growth of the lotus flower
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Growth of the Lotus Flower
Reproduction of Lotus Flower Inspiration
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Shelter for the homeless
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Design Approach
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After analyzing the stages of the lotus flower reproduction, the next step was abstracting the stages into variables and parameters that I could use in my design ang help create the connection between the building and the inspiration. Form the stages I took three main variables which are the idea of passing on, gravity and shrinkage. The idea of passing on was driven from the fact that the lotus flower lose the seeds then dry out and die which correlate with the concept of designing for elderly.
As for gravity and shrinkage it was the fact that the flower keep shrinking and drying out through the process of reproduction. The abstraction of these ideas took place in terms of making the space more community based and included ideas of structure that it is inspired by the process of drying out and the galling of the seeds and also including the idea of solid and void and also helped me create keywords that formulate the essence of my design which are inclusiveness, belonging, transition and losing
Shelter for the homeless
7 Trails then starting taking place as I started to create forms: Concept trail A: Including the structure as a shelter with the creation of opening that will allow the idea of solid and void to merge in the form. Using the solid and voids based on function so when spaces needs more lights, voids increase. The creation of a dwelling curvilinear form with the supports. However, it lacks the idea of community and connectivity between the people.
Concept trial B: Better use of visual connectivity as the structure opens and close as a reflection on the idea of shrinking and the openings in the structure is used as a visual connection with the surroundings so the design is more community bas. Then also using two meshes to create the form. The idea of passing on between the spaces is missing in terms of making the spaces connect in a upbringing kind of way.
Concept trail C: Making the space more directed towards carved spaces that come from the same element and creating connection between the spaces. However, also the idea of passing on in the spaces is not reflected
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Main Conept
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After reflecting upon the trails I realized that I need to step back and this lead my to the final design concept Final Concept Going back to the idea of the lotus dying to pass on generation and connecting that with elderly. The spaces are created in a way in which the spin of a main space that contain the main activities. The spaces that come out of the main space are different and on different levels to reflect the idea of variety in the reproduction. The structure is then abstracted from the idea of gravity and shrinkage and it comes out to form a shell that reflect the solid and void ratio in the space and for it to act as a shelter .
Shelter for the homeless
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Shelter for the homeless
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The translation of the sketch into an actual shelter was challenging but a lot of the initial thoughts were translated in both the plan and the section
For the plan: The main area is the living area and the kitchenette and then it spreads out to the bedroom and the bathroom The plan configuration is also meant to represent the idea of interlocking when add to each other so that the community is more interlocking and engaging
As for the section The section shows the staging of the spaces on different level and how the structure of the slabs is connected with the structure of the shell
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Shelter for the homeless
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Perspective The material chosen were wood and steel as steel represent the transparency of the building and wood as a humble material that represent the experience The form itself can be clustered later on to create neighborhoods which will allow the idea of involvement between the homeless be more integrated in the design in terms of forming relationships
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Fabrication of the Model
The translation of the sketch into an actual shelter was challenging but a lot of the initial thoughts were translated in both the plan and the section
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For the plan: The main area is the living area and the kitchenette and then it spreads out to the bedroom and the bathroom The plan configuration is also meant to represent the idea of interlocking when add to each other so that the community is more interlocking and engaging
As for the section The section shows the staging of the spaces on different level and how the structure of the slabs is connected with the structure of the shell
Shelter for the homeless
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The fabrication of the model went relatively well there were no errors; however the program added support systems to the edges of the model to build upon it. As for the columns of the model, there details were removed because they were too fine and the connection between the column and the form members was converted to a more stable connection The duration of the model execution in the 3D printing process will take about 1 day and 11 hours which is relatively average considering the details in the shell
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Description Image of one of the trails done through the fabric formation exercise
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The Blank Facade Canvas (Individual)
History and Techniques
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I started off by looking into the history of fabric formation because it can bring out what were the needs for fabric formation back then and how can we develop it. The emergence of the fabric technology mainly started in 1849 as stated in the graph above and it kept on developing throughout time and with new technologies new ways is introduced to develop casting and fabric formation for example the hydraulic and geotechnical engineering was one of the first introduction to use of technology with the fabric formation and then it was followed by fabric as a formwork liner and then pneumatic formwork. Fabric formation is still developing to this day which gives the opportunity for imagination.
Material Exploration
There are lots of techniques that is used for fabric formation today which directed me towards concentrating on few techniques that can help me in the material exploration. From these techniques:
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1. Mixing between fabric and robotics (Stretching the fabric by using programmed robotics arms)
2. Filling stitching structure (Using tension cables and wood to stretch the structure and decrease the mass of the structure by using plates)
3. Stitching and hanging structure (Using the stiches to create fabric mold and then use gravity to create forms)
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Fabric (for formation)
Iron Mech for support Secondary Materials Supporting Materials
Concrete( for casting) Primary Materials
Materiality & Precedence
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wood for stretching of fabric
After narrowing down the techniques, I started to look for the materials that are often used when creating the fabric formation. I noticed that the materials can be categorized into main materials that form the element itself and then secondary materials that help support the structure and add an additional support to the fabric.
Material Exploration
21 I started looking into the past precedence that fall among the same line of the techniques that I searched for the first on was: FattyShell by Kyle Sturgeon, Chris Holzwart and Kelly Raczkowshi It attracted me mainly because The structure is created using stiches and rubber sheets and then pouring concrete in them. the rubber sheets were finished by robotic assistant and then they assembly of the sheets took place. This was followed by pouring concrete and then applying plates to decrease the mass of the concrete
KnitCandela, Zaha Hadid The use of lightweight knitted formwork to carry the concrete shell. The main thing I focused on in this design is how the knitted formwork is created as it was created as it was consisting of four strips. The fabric was then surrounded by wood and cables to support the formwork while carrying the concrete
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Pushing flexible boundaries through pressure
The initial concept was to explore with the idea of creating a structure that is flexible enough to create voids in it that can also showcase the flexibility of fabric forming on site construction.
Trails
The procedures were: Create pressure plates for void creation, then create a fabric bag to have a texture and the pour the gypsum paste in the fabric bag and finally apply the pressure bags and let it dry
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Material Exploration
First trail
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It was not really successful because Process execution was too slow in terms of putting pressure plate and placing the bag , the use of material of fabric did not allow much flexibility and the placed pressure plate was not carefully positioned which caused breaking
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Second trail
For the second trail I started to create a structure for the form to help in its geometric configuration and I learned a lot about the gypsum from the previous experiment so I was more familiar with it. I also decided to use plastic bags instead of the fabric material that I use because it does not behave well when it contact water or gypsum and I also decided to put the pressure plates first so that it helps fasten the process.
Portfolio
Material Exploration
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I tried the two times with different depth and configuration to see the difference
The The mass of the first one was a bit thick and this created more air bubbles and crakes in the model however, the opening were successful.
As for the second one, the mass is a bit thinner and the surface is smoother however some of the pressure plates were located in areas close to the edges which caused breakage at the connection between the edge and the opening.
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Third and Fourth trails I then tried to use different techniques with more complex structures to create a plan that is more curved to test out the limits of the void creation. I used wood and foil to create a structure for one and then I thought of creating a parabolic shape for the other one
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Material Exploration
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They both did not really give good results but the helped me understand more about the properties and structure as the results reflected that the geometry need to be more understood and gravity aspect need to be considered and the water to gypsum ratio was off as the drying process really did not reach its initial setting
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In-Depth Analysis of the Paramters
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1.The space between on void and the other: -Optimized distance should start from 3.5 m for best result -The distance should not be lower than 2 m because it cause breakage and damage to the curved part connecting between the two voids
Material Exploration
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2. The distance between the void and the edge - The distance should not be less than 0.5 m or it will cause breakage because the side is too thin
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In-Depth Analysis of the Paramters
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3. The relation between the depth of the form to the void -The form depth should not be bigger than 5m as it affect the permeability of the void -The form depth should not be less than 1 m as it may cause breakage to the form -The perfect depth should be between 2-4 m
Material Exploration
31 Conclusion
As a final conclusion these paramter will help in taking the form into the next step which is designing. It can help create different forms with variation with the failure of the system. For example; if we want to create different forms one with more voids and the other with less with realtion to their depth, we would take these paramters as a guide to help in reaching the design goal. From the other trails, I also learned that other things like the weight and structure should be always taken into consideration to avoid any failure.
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The experimentation helped me deduce such parameters that can be put together to create a logic for the form of the design. However, the challenging part was to translate the parameters of the experimentation into parameters of a faced which will be later discussed in part 2
Salma Almasry
Description
02-B
The Parametric FaceLift (Individual)
Climatic & Site Analysis
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The Parametric Facelift
35 General Climate Condition: Wind: Prevailing is coming from the Northwest direction and the secondary wind is coming from the North east direction. Temperature: the temperature is relatively very high and it typically ranges between 10 to 35 oC . Sun exposure: the sun exposure is very high especially in the summer making Humidity: considerable high humidity in both summer and winter
Design Parameters based on Climatic Analysis: - The location of the site is Blom Bank Egypt SAE is New Cairo where the spaces is considered a desert making the building subjected to hot climate, humid and dust - The main faรงade of the building is in a South/ Southwest orientation which make it highly subjected to perpendicular and direct sunlight starting from 12:00am till sunset. - Likely there is a void in the building beside the building which allow some of the wind coming from the north west direction to flow on the faรงade.
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Conceptual Idea Operational Mechanism 36
Portfolio The Parametric Facelift
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I was inspired by the reading on Performance based envelopes in the way of integration between function and usability of the faรงade. Using the faรงade as a space is rarely used in Egypt. They design approach intend to create one mechanism that serve both the function and usability of the space in the same time.
Grid generation Using the min and max distances and the amount of openings needed for the faรงade in terms of sunlight ( if there is a space with more direct sunlight, the openings will be less in number) Modules Generation Determine size of the opening based on the relation based on their number and their exposure to sunlight Mechanism displacement and fixation Protrusion of the opening will be based on the dimensions of the fixation element which can be determined using the wind and solar analysis
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Design Development
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The Parametric Facelift
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The development of the activities and functions where the main parameters that affected the configuration of the wall and slabs. As in areas where the activities occur more often the slabs create envelopes and the walls response to it by creating intrusion so that the users can have space like terraces and so on to enjoy. The diagrams shows different angles of the slabs and walls and how they create different spaces
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Original faรงade configuration
Logic of Design
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Faรงade Division one
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Faรงade form generation
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Faรงade Division two The Parametric Facelift
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Faรงade Division three
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Finalized mesh
The logic of faรงade generation is based on the idea of variation based on the activities, so after using attraction points to create the faรงade configuration, the division of the faรงade is then created into three main variation.
Each division has a main and sub-frame connected to it and each sub-frame has a specific maximum opening size which is inspired from the faรงade. This will be later on discussed in the section analysis 7
Structure Generation
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The logic in Grasshopper is divided into a set of groups and each group is responsible for a function: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.
Faรงade generated by attraction point Slab generated from the faรงade Dividing the faรงade based on function ( Variation of the sizes) Dispatching the surfaces into three main surfaces Finalizing the mesh Creating structure
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The Parametric Facelift
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The Parametric Facelift
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Perspective views
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Building in context were the faรงade shape complements the curvature of the street and also adds another dimensions by the protrusions and abstraction done by the attraction point
Building up close to show case the idea of modules with variation of sizes as Modules that capture for more private areas or areas that the users needs to be more focused in like offices. However, Modules that have larger opening and bigger in sizes for the pockets of socialization created in some floors The Parametric Facelift
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Building from different views showcasing openings and structural elements that support the fabric part and shape of openings that took a different direction than the experimentation part. As the experimentation part was dealing with more organic formed shapes but the design is more structured that then forms and organic opening. This is due to the inspiration that was taken from the modularity of molds that shape the openings in the experimentation as the more structured it is the more defined the opening.
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Elevations
West Elevation
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The Parametric Facelift
South Elevation
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Section
Section View
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The Parametric Facelift
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South Elevation So the structure logic is manly composed of a set of frames surrounding the divisions and each frame is connected to a flexible fabric stretch to allow opening and closing. Also each frame has its own maximum opening size to respect the activity of the space behind it. The connecting frames between the main mesh and the fabric stretch is the one that will be opening and closing by the use of sensors
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Section Detail
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Structure Detail Analysis of the behavior of different panels when directed to direct sunlight. As they close when the direct sunlight hits the sensor and open when there is no direct sunlight which allows people to use terraces
The Parametric Facelift
53 So the structure logic is manly com For fabric architecture in Egypt, it is not as common but it has been present simple appearance like shading system and some simple projects, But now projects started using PVC fabrics and HDPE (High Density Polyethylene) and for reinforced fabrics like PTFE or ETFE because of its advantages and new use in architecture. So I decided to use the PTFE as it immune to UV light and it is Highly flexible and its life span can go up to 25 years. And it needs permanent structure. Its used in other architecture projects in Egypt like mall of Arabia and Sharm el-Sheikh airport
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Bibliography https://jaes.journals.ekb.eg/article_19072_479d443d4e262c461b226b791c27538c.pdf https://www.dezeen.com/2018/11/02/zaha-hadid-architects-eth-zurich-3d-knitted-concrete-formwork-knitcrete-knitcandela/ http://www.flowersociety.org/lotus-plant-study.htm https://block.arch.ethz.ch/brg/files/suco_201100014.pdf https://www.researchgate.net/publication/282976400_Fabric_formed_concrete_structures_and_architectural_elements https://www.lafargeholcim-foundation.org/projects/material-reduction-efficient-fabric-formed-concrete-canada https://www.dezeen.com/2010/05/19/fattyshell-v-01-by-kyle-a-sturgeon-chris-holzwart-and-kelly-raczkowski/
© The American University in Cairo (AUC), May 2019