STU DI O AI R 2017, SEMESTER 1, DAN SCHULZ ARWA EDRIS
CONTENTS A CONCEPTUALISATION A.1 Design Futuring 1.1 Royal Botanical Gardens tree study 1.2 Precedent 2 1.3 Design Task 1 A.2 Design Computation 2.1 NGV Neri Oxman 2.2 Precedent 2 2.3 Design Task 2 A.3 Composition/ Generation 3.1 Precedent 1 3.2 Precedent 2 3.3 Design Task 3
HI,
I’m Arwa Edris, a third year architecture major in the Bachelor of Environments at the University of Melbourne. Throughout my early childhood and up through my early teenage years, I’ve always been interested in visual arts and being able to express myself through different mediums. However, art for me was simply not enough. My high school educational focus in science and maths has emphasised my interests in problem solving and rational response. Architecture is a happy medium which allows me to utilise both tools at once. I’m incredible intrigued by the influence the built environment has on all aspects of our lives and the ways in which we can use design to improve the quality of life for all people. In Studio Air, I look forward to using Grasshopper to generate many complex forms in response to our design brief.
A C O N C E P T U A L I S A T I O N
A.1 DESIGN FUTURING ‘Nature alone cannot sustain us…’1 The biggest conversation to date about the future of our planet and its survival is undoubtedly on sustainability. The topic of sustainability has influenced the way we evaluate past buildings and the ways in which we build for the future. It places an ethical responsibility on members of all professions within the built environment to recognise the ecological damage we have made and to look to solutions to reduce our global ecological footprint. Sustainability should not be taken as a trend. There is nothing trendy about adjusting our thinking towards sustainable modes of habitation. Therefore, “green” systems in architecture and urban design should not be used for their aesthetics or to meet building regulations. Rather, it should only be used because the individual or design practice recognises the influence design has in changing our current built environment towards a sustainable future.
1 Fry, T. (2008). Sustainabilty, ethics and new practice. Oxford: Berg Publishers Ltd, pp.1-16.
1.1 PRECEDENT STUDY 1 SKETCH OF HABITABLE TREES AT THE ROYAL BOTANICAL GARDENS
1.2 PRECEDENT STUDY 2 THE MALAYSIAN PAVILION, EXPO 2015, MILAN ITALY
Malaysia’s participation in the 2015 Exposition in Milan, illustrates an innovative example towards the theory of design futuring. The 2,047 square-meter pavilion was built in line with the year’s theme of sustainability which addresses the ecological issues related to food production1. It suggests a solution to poverty through high-value sustainable agriculture. The pavilion is designed in the form of four seeds which symbolises growth and the beginning of a journey. It’s external weaving patterns of the structure was constructed using a local sustainable material called “Glulam” which is a type of glued laminated timber. Through this exhibition, Malaysia has demonstrated its ability to identify ecological problems which cause threat to our future while suggesting a solution. For this reason, it is successful. The pavilion’s design is not revolutionary in the discussion of sustainability and design futuring, however it contributes to a conscious global effort in the effects and responsibilities within design and architecture.
1
S.p.A., E. (2015). Malaysia | Expo Milano 2015. [online] EXPO. Available at: http://www.expo2015.org/archive/en/
participants/countries/malaysia.html [Accessed 16 Mar. 2018].
1.3 DESIGN TASK 1 LOFTING SURFACES
A.2 DESIGN COMPUTATION ‘…computers are totally incapable of making up new instructions: they lack any creative abilities or intuition’1 Over the past decades, despite computers having any creative abilities, computation has completely changed our design processes and thinking. Digital technologies accelerate our design processes producing designs which are influenced by the logic of algorithms rather than relying on intuition and experience to form a design response. This shift has changed our understanding of the design world from ‘nature inspired design to design inspired nature’2. Before major technological advances, design was often shaped through our surrounding environment. This is evident through the history of gothic architecture. In addition, architects of the Renaissance planned details to buildings in advance where craftsmanship produced incredible results through a slow process with little control of the whole building project3. Adapting new technologies meant that our processes have reversed from looking to nature then creating designs inspired by them, to starting to create nature through design which we see Neri Oxman do quite well. The picturesque Vs the parametric. The atmosphere of the National Gallery of Victoria is vastly different to that of the Royal Botanical Gardens. One is constricted and one is free. One is pressed and one is calming. The way we feel in those spaces are a reflection of their design. The Botanical Gardens was planned in the mode of the Picturesque. It was designed to seem endless with undulating paths that lead the way often hoping that you will get lost in the garden. It is freeing. In contrast, the gallery was designed through algorithmic thinking. It has a strong will and purpose. Despite both atmospheres being conditioned by visual learning, the gallery achieves this in a strict manner expressed in an enclosed building space. Thus having a different effect on visitors.
1 Kalay, Y. (2004). Architecture’s new media. Cambridge Mass: The MIT Press, pp.5-25. 2 Design at the Intersection of Technology and Biology Ted Talks. (2015). [image] Available at: https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=CVa_IZVzUoc [Accessed 16 Mar. 2018]. 3 Kalay, Y. (2004). Architecture’s new media. Cambridge Mass: The MIT Press, pp.5-25.
2.1 NATIONAL GALLERY OF VICTORIA - NERI OXMAN Through computing, Neri Oxman’s work has re-defined architectural practice as we might now know it. It has changed our perception of design and nature by moving away from assembly and instead towards growth. Today our world of design is created from parts through manufacturing and mass production1. Oxman observes that this is not the case in nature and uses technologies that include computational design, additive manufacturing, material engineering and synthetic biology in her design process to create a world of ‘material biology’2. The idea that we can control evolution through design and create architecture from a single material by manipulating its varied properties is astonishing. Computing has opened up new opportunities for a designer to think outside our very human box and achieve concepts and compositions that would otherwise be impossible.
1 Design at the Intersection of Technology and Biology Ted Talks. (2015). [image] Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CVa_IZVzUoc [Accessed 16 Mar. 2018]. 2 Design at the Intersection of Technology and Biology Ted Talks. (2015). [image] Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CVa_IZVzUoc [Accessed 16 Mar. 2018].
2.2 ARCHITECTURAL PRECEDENT Architectural Association Summer DLAB Program, 2016 In 2016, the Architectural Association Summer DLAB program utilised computational design to construct a three-dimensionally interwoven concrete structure. Grasshopper was used to create a network of branches which are self-supporting through reinforced steel bars that were bent into shape1. It was constructed using CNC-milled triangulated mesh from Polypropylene sheets which were then folded into a rebar skeleton. A concrete and fiberglass mix is then poured into the steel and Polypropylene formwork and allowed to cure. The formwork is then removed to reveal a concrete structure with a reflective surface. In this precedent, computing is used to create new and complex geometries that have been mathematically engineered as possible and structurally rational. Thus, the design process has been enhanced in its complexity within a short time frame. 1 ArchDaily. (2016). AA Summer DLAB Program Applies Computational Design to Concrete. Available at: https://www.archdaily.com/797768/aa-summer-dlab-program-applies-computational-design-to-concrete
2.3 DESIGN TASK 2
A.3 COMPOSITION/ GENERATION Much like the practical shift from computerisation, where professionals in the built environment would use computers to express and digitalise already conceived concepts and forms for a specific design response, there has also been a shift from composition to generation. In the past, in response to a specific brief, architects would use their intuition and experience to provide a solution through various forms and composition. Therefore, composition was limited to the creative ability and mind of the designer. Often, designers will conclude with one form which responds to the design problem within the specific site which is then constructed. Today, computer aided design has the ability to generate an endless amount of different and complex orders, forms and structures1. Computation increases the capacity of designers to create and explore new ideas allowing them to deduce these possibilities to one which best fits the site and context. However, although computation is embraced in most architectural practices it is not fully integrated as part of the practice and design process in most firms2. In order to integrate computation as a true method of design in architecture, there needs to be an adequate amount of understanding of the generation of algorithmic concepts through computers . Algorithms are defined by Eric Dietrich as ‘an unambiguous, precise, list of simple operations applied mechanically and systematically to a set of tokens or objects’ 3. These algorithms are mathematically used within computer softwares to generate varied possibilities of a composition.
1 2 3
Peters, B. and De Kestelier, X. (2013). Computation works. pp.8-15. Peters, B. and De Kestelier, X. (2013). Computation works. pp.8-15. Wilson, R. and Keil, F. (1999). The MIT Encyclopedia of the Cognitive Sciences. pp.11-12.
3.1 PRECEDENT STUDY 1 MATERIAL EXPIREMENTATION WORKSHOP- ESTUDIO ARZUBIALDE The construction of buildings from masonry units has been around for centuries. From the technology of stereotomy (dry construction) by ancient civilisations such as masonry domes, vaults and the pyramids in Egypt to the typical brick and mortar construction used in residential architecture today. The composition of masonry units is usually defined by its rationality. It is often stacked upwards to withhold the structural loads of the building with little ornamentation and artistic expression. However, through computation we can now generate multiple forms of masonry construction with varied compositions. An Argentinian firm Estudio Arzubiadle and Chilean architect Veronica Arcos explore this idea through a Material Experimentation Workshop in 2016. They used three days to create physical and digital models using computation. They then used the next six days to construct their designs at a public square in Roldan, Santa Fe1. The design method used runs parallel with the law of John Conway in his Game of Life. He said “if you have simple rules, complexity will develop� 2. The brick laying techniques used in each project began using same patterns and resulted with an increased geometric complexity. Computation allowed the generation of diverse composition which were still structurally possible and rational.
1 ArchDaily. (2016). From Digital to Built: Six Experimentations With Brick. [online] Available at: https://www. archdaily.com/780132/from-digital-to-built-six-experimentations-with-brick [Accessed 16 Mar. 2018]. 2 John Conway Talks About the Game of Life Part 1. (2007). [image] Available at: https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=FdMzngWchDk [Accessed 16 Mar. 2018].
3.2 PRECEDENT STUDY 2 ARCHITECTURAL ASSOCIATION SUMMER DLAB PROGRAM, 2014 Another precedent by the Architectural Association DLAB program in 2014 showcases the design of a pavilion using computation to create a natural effect. The AA DLAB program each year aims to emphasise on the changing relationship of computational software to create enhanced architectural design1. The “CALLIPOD” pavilion blends into its natural surroundings appearing like the roots of a tree. In contrast, the 4.4-metre-wide pavilion was actually constructed using detailed algorithmic exploration of form and structure through a computer. Its form was digitally generated various times then tested for their structural efficiency using FEA (finite element analysis), Rhino and Grasshopper . The optimal form was then selected and used to construct with natural formwork allowing it to wholly blend in with the natural environment. Although the precedent, deliberately replicates the form and aesthetics of a tree, I believe it still assists in answering the brief of this studio. In replicating the visual properties of a tree, it allows an understanding of the size and shape in which habitat animals look for in habitats. A similar technique in generating different forms that have the properties of a tree forms part of my design response. A habitat animal who has adapted to living in trees is more likely to also habitat a similar design with the same form rather than a design which is rigid and geometrical like a cube or a prism.
1 ArchDaily. (2014). AA DLAB 2014: The Natural and Digital Worlds Combine With Root-Like “CALLIPOD” Pavilion. [online] Available at: https://www.archdaily.com/582672/aa-dlab-2014-the-natural-and-digital-worlds-combinewith-root-like-callipod-pavilion [Accessed 16 Mar. 2018].
3.3 DESIGN TASK 3
Voronoi surface
Gridshell attempt
A.4 CONCLUSION ARCHITECTURAL ASSOCIATION SUMMER DLAB PROGRAM, 2014 In conclusion, Part A has analysed the purpose of a concept and the different ways in which we can develop them. It asked the question ‘what is it that we are building?’ Then ‘how can we build it?’. The ‘how’ was explored through computation and the reasons why it can be a good design approach. The theory of design futuring was also examined. It is a very relevant topic which should surface in the process of all design responses. As designers we have a lot of responsibilities in shaping the future and improving the quality of life for all people. Design is an act which should take into account the ethical, social and political influence it has on our environment. In relation to the brief, it would be illogical to ignore the needs and wants of the specific animal in which we are designing a habitat for. It is an obligation that the design is able to sustain the animal, its offspring’s and its future generations. Its specific environmental conditions that it has adapted to should be studied, emulated then designed and constructed. The optimisation of this process can be achieved through computational design. It can produce a complex design while sustaining and proving a habitat for an animal at the same time.
A.5 LEARNING OUTCOMES
ARCHITECTURAL ASSOCIATION SUMMER DLAB PROGRAM, 2014 Learning about the theory and practice of architectural computing has exposed me to a multitude of possibilities within design. Surprisingly, my interests in the theories in architectural design have expanded since my first exposure at the beginning of the semester. I’m particularly interested in design futuring which is significantly relevant to the design brief for this semester. On the other hand, through my experience, learning Grasshopper proved to be difficult. I’m still working my way through understanding the commands and being able to instruct and manipulate the designs produced in Grasshopper. The theory and first hand digital practice of computerisation has simplified a lot of the questions I’ve previously had about complex forms in architectural precedents and the ways in which they were designed and constructed. I look forward to producing a design with a similar impression as the weeks come.
A.6 ALGORITHMIC SKETCHES APPENDIX
I selected these two sketches because of how amazed I was at creating visually complex geometries in a very short amount of time. These two sketches put into perspective how powerful and effective Grasshopper is for design. The voronoi 3d geometry in particular allowed me to understand just how simple and easy the form of some architectural precedents like Federation Square in Melbourne were generated.