STUDIO AIR 2017, SEMESTER 1, TUTOR FINNIAN WARNOCK KWAN CHIN CHING
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A.2 DESIGN COMPUTATION CONCEPTUALISATION 17
SERPENTINE GALLERY PAVILION The importance of computing keeps increasing in architectural design process nowadays. Apart from being useful tool for plans and sections, computing now also involves in the formation of designs, changing the use of computer from computation to computerization. Computing creates a uniform language that helps designers to express and communicate their ideas numerically and graphically to other participants like engineers and clients. By imputing rules and numbers, it can present a system or design accurately with shorter use of time (Kalay, 2004). Especially when handling complex problem, computer can minimize the errors in a large extent hence facilitate the design process. In advance of technology, computation expands the possibilities of designing, enlarge and support the range of conceivable and achievable geometries. For example, the Serpentine Gallery pavilion by Toyo Ito used computation to set the geometry of the form of the cubic box (“Serpentine Gallery pavilion,” 2013). By applying algorithm as constrain, a desired ‘random’ geometric form is created. These geometric pieces are then treated as structural element or eliminated as openings. Apart from providing aesthetic to the pavilion, the incorporation of algorithm also minimized possible mistakes and uncertainties in the design process.
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Fig 7. Serpentine Gallery Pavilion (Temporaray Pavilion in London, 2013 )
Fig 8. Interior (Temporaray Pavilion in London, 2013 )
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ONTARIO’S CELEBRATION ZONE PAVILION Computation also re-define the way of design thinking (Rivka & Robert, 2014). It can act more than a tool to represent ideas and participate in the creation of the design process. The Ontario’s Celebration Zone Pavilion by Hariri Pontarini Architects successfully demonstrate the use of digital design in form finding and structural analysis in response to environmental context. It is a temporary pavilion for an open exhibition area. In the design process, Non-Uniform Rational B-Splines and integrated parametric modeller (Rajaa, 2010) are used to calculate and create a form that satisfy aesthetic, demands of code and the wind loading of such large-scale structure (“IFAI,” 2016). Inflation pressure and compression load are the main concern of this inflatable structure, an accurate model is created to predict the deflection of structure when subjected to different possible conditions (“Ontario’s Celebration Zone Pavilion,” 2015). With the use of computation, the design of the structures can be optimized quickly, improve the aesthetic quality while maintaining confidence in their structural performance. Since the from of design also invloves engineering calculation, this strengthen the collabration between arhcitects and engineers. To conclude, computation not only improve the quality of work and help communicating ideas, it also evolves as a medium that supports a continuous logic of design thinking and making, providing another effective method to reach a desired solution and allow archietcts engage more in the construction process apart from designing.
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Fig 9. Ontario’s Celebration Zone Pavilion (“Ontario’s Celebration Zone Pavilion”, 2013 )
Fig 9. Pavilion Interior (“Ontario’s Celebration Zone Pavilion”, 2013 )
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