Studio Air ABPL 30048 ARCHITECTURE STUDIO AIR 2015, SEMESTER 2, STUDIO 6 SONYA CHIU YI CHANG ANDY
CONTENTS Introduction - About me - Past Experience
Part A: Conceptualisation - A.1 Design Futuring - A.2 Design Computation - A.3 Composition/Generation - A.4 Conclusion - A.5 Learning Outcome - A.6 Algorithmic Sketches - References
About Me
Past Experience
Hello, my name is Andy Chiu and I am a 3rd year student studying Bachelor of Environments majoring in Architecture at The University of Melbourne. My mother is probably my biggest influence when talking about the field of Architecture as it was always her dream to become an Architect, she never had the chance to really pursue her own career in Architecture. I liked designing but it was never my first choice as I’ve always considered myself more of a commerce-type person. But as I entered university and started to understand the world of Architecture, I became fascinated by it and chose to continue pursuing a degree in the field of Architecture. Up until now, I have been able to learn the basic of many design-relate programs like Photoshop, InDesign, CAD, Revit, Rhino and Google SketchUp. I hope to be able to learn and improve my programming repertoire by adding Grasshopper to my list, furthermore I hope to expand my knowledge about algorithmic designs.
I did not do Virtual Environments when I was in my first year in University. Therefore I was not exposed to much digital means of designing early on in university. It was until my second year when I was doing Studio Earth and water where I had to use designing platforms to really make it easier for me to present my work. Since my 2nd year I have continuously been learning more about CAD, Revit and Sketch-Up in order to help in presenting my work. Since then I’ve had some exposure to rhino and grasshopper and am eager to developer more of my skills in Studio Air. As I get better at utilizing these tools as a form of design I can expand my capabilities for designing even more. I believe Studio Air will also help me understand more environmentally friendlier design, with high efficiency and no wasted spaces.
A.1 - Design Futuring
CONCEPTUALIZATION PART A
The concept of architecture has been a response to the social desire and need to create gratified spaces for people since the ancient times. Architects are charged to create such spaces using certain methodologies. Traditionally architects approached a design by creating and imaging spaces on a 2-dimensional plane, but as time passes and technology advances, society has stacked on more pressure on architects to come up with designs which are extravagant and spectacular. In “Design Futuring”, Tony Fry (1) explained that the trends of the current design industry is heading towards a “de-futuring condition of sustainability.” In recent years architects have been in a tug-of-war with nature, desperately trying to find a balance where both the natural and artificial landscapes can coexist. Fry emphasized the lack of innovation in our current method of architecture and stressed the importance to find alternative methods to approach design processes. It seems as we moves towards the digital era, parametric modelling and other technological
tools can act as an incentive for more innovative and original responses to meet the ever present need for “sustainability”. Architects design objects that may extend pass their current generation, therefore the standard to which their designs to need to fulfill is not only to current standards but also to future standards as well. Hence it is crucial that designers explore, recreate and re-define their current projects in order to create a sustainable environment, where further inspiration can be drawn upon.
1 - Fry, Tony (2008). Design Futuring: Sustainability, Ethics and New Practice (Oxford: Berg), pp. 1–16
Yorkshire Diamond VARIOUS ARCHITECTS
Yorkshire Diamond designed by Various Architects is a very interesting collapsible, portable event space. It was originally created for a competition for a mobile performance space for Yorkshire Forward. The inflatable structure created is completely recyclable and generates all of its own energy. Solar panels on the roof would gather energy as the Pavilion is collapsed and being transferred. The diamond grid faรงade allows it to easily collapse into a very portable sheet and can then be easily reassembled by simply pumping the air tubes with air. The innovative sustainable feature that can generate energy during transport and while being assembled, together with the recyclable materials used for the building shows the strong dedication to the environment in the part of the Various Architects involved. The creativity and advance technology used to create this structure is truly what makes this building one of a kind. The versatility of the building is one of its key features (1). Various Architects designed a pavilion that can be taken apart and transported easily to another location to serve its multiple purposes. I do think the idea of a multi-purpose pavilion along with its portable qualities is very interesting. People in every era often emphasize on the importance of efficiency recently the importance of convenience and portability has been increasing, with a project like the Yorkshire diamond, other architects may further investigate into building that can potentially be portable and moved to wherever it is needed.
1 - http://inhabitat.com/yorkshire-renaissance-pavil- ion-by-various-architects/
Water Cube PTW ARCHITECTS
The Water Cube was built alongside with the Beijing National Stadium (Bird’s Nest) in 2008 for the Beijing Olympic Games. PTW architects combined their efforts with CSCEC, CCDI and ARUP to win the design competition to design the aquatic center for the 2008 Games, the result was the cuboid structure known now as the Water Cube. The main structure comprises of a steel frame holding more than 100,000 m2 of Ethylene Tetrafluoroethylene panels (1). These panels better known as ETFE panels are fluorine based plastic designed to have high structural strength alongside high corrosion resistance. This combination of qualities makes this material very good at allowing in natural light and heat to enter within the structure; this in turn made the stadium more efficient reducing the energy costs of the structure by almost 30%.
FIG.2
The ETFE façade maximized its natural heating and cooling potential along with its ability to capture solar energy eliminating the need of standard HVAC needs. Back in 2008 this was a state-of-the-art facility. It was a very efficient structure both in economic terms and sustainable terms, gaining maximum interior space with the minimum structure required. The clad of this building not only serves its aesthetic purposes but also explores further possibilities of energy saving methods, and this idea of efficiency is one that still considered very important in today’s society.
1 - http://inhabitat.com/ bejing-water-cube-reopens-as- happy-magic-water-park/
A.2 - Design Computation A.1 Design Computation
Architecture practices have gone through dramatic changes as we enter the digital era. Technology nowadays is almost a compulsory means to all practices of design including architecture. The challenge that persistently occurs is to find the balance of human and technological contributions. As we approach equilibrium of human thinking and technology designers will then be able to further advance the field of architecture. Architectural design stems from the constraints of human imagination but it also needs to deal with other constraints, such as site condition, climate, functionality etc. each design is a solution to its context and therefore are unique from all other. While technology provides us a way to accelerate the design process, it is still up to architects to control the final outcome. Some computer software have been refined to the stage where they are able to contribute towards the design process in a more creative rather than machine like manner. They are able to pick out good attributes and incorporate them by tying their features into new ideas, by
refining certain aspects in order to create further outcomes. I believe in the future computers with their superior rational and search abilities will be able to assist human in achieving their creative potentials, architects can be unchained by the limitations of a 2-Dimenstional plane and express their creativity to better convey their ideas in a sense so that non-architects can have a better understanding of the concept.
EMP Museum FRANK GEHRY
Frank Gehry is an architect known for his hands on approach; he does not utilize any technological help when visualizing his concepts for each project. When Gehry began designing the EMP, his aim was to create a structure that “evoked the rock ‘n’ roll experience (1) . With this in mind sketches were made where electric guitars are sliced up and pieced together to create the initial model design. Technology then stepped into the design process and took over, computerization techniques allows for the ability to mold 21 thousand individual pieces of stainless steel and painted aluminium together to create the unique shaped encasement. The need of computerzation tools in this design is evident throughout the project, without it the ability to find a form that perfectly balances strength and stablity using 21 thousand pieces would be an incredibly daunting task for any human without technological skills. It seems that despite famous architects such as Gehry having limited capabilities with technology, nowadays it is without a doubt that most architects need to be somewhat profficient at designing tools in order to explore and more efficiently create better outcomes for each project. As architects improve their proficiency of designing tools this also expands their designing range and creativity.
1 - http://www.empmuseum.org/about-emp/the-emp-building.aspx
OnGreening Pavilion RCD
RCD designed this pavilion that demonstrates many parametric qualities, this project is very similar to the Bird’s Nest Stadium in Beijing. It involves timber laths curving around itself creating its curved surface. Plywood are perfabricated to their curved forms and then assembled on site. People may also consider this building a Green Project because of the material and construction method it applied. Pre-fabricated plywood are bound together on sight with screws and bolts (1), meaning it can be easily disassembled and moved to different location. Each curve has to be precise in order to be joined to form the final pavilion. Such precision is only reached with technological help, without technological advances constructing such a pavilion would become incredibly tedious and inefficient.
1 - http://www.karamba3d.com/ongreening-pavilion/
A.3 - Composition/Generation
With the coming of the digital age, architects have been shown a wider range of design possibility than ever before. But just because of the advances of technology doesn’t’t mean new ideas will just appear out of thin air, architects still need to approach design processes rationally and understand fully the potential and limitations of computerization. Stephen Wolfram (1) is a British computer scientist that firmly believes in the ideals and potential of computation. He explains “It’s always seemed like a big mystery how nature seemingly so effortlessly manages to produce so much that seems to be so complex…it’s just sampling what’s out there in the computational universe.” He suggest computation as a tool we can use to sample such examples the universe/nature has provided us giving us better and efficient designs that may previously be deemed unfeasible or impossible. Computers also assist architects in other ways, one of which is the communication between designer and his clients. Computerization can be used to help the clients visualize in a simulated environment what the designer has
installed for their project, this helps people that may not be familiar with the field to have a better grasp of the creativity and meaning of each design. Rarely do designers set out knowing exactly what they have envisioned for a project, it is more often the case that through the design process the designer slowly develops an outcome that best suits the task at hand. Yes, it is true that technology has made everything seem easier, and the design processes are also simplified, but it is still up to the architect to control limitations, boundaries and rules in order to find the best suited outcome, some have argued that because of our over-reliance on technology the originality of pure creativity has been lost. “When we over-rely on technology to do our thinking for us, not only are our cognitive skills losing their edge, but our creativity can suffer as well…” having said all this there is no doubt that technology is now a big part of every field in society and it would be foolish that it hasn’t helped the designing industry as well. The key now is to find the balance between true inspiration of humans with the superior rational and problem solving skill s of the computers.
1 - Ted Talk, Stephen Wolfram, 2010, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=60P7717-XOQ
Southern Cross Station GRIMSHAW ARCHITECTS
Grimshaw was designated to work in collaboration with Jackson Architecture on the expansion of the Southern Cross Station. The main design focus of the whole project was the dune like roof that cover an area of a city block. A key factor of the design was practical and spatial performance(1), allowing for ease of access and ventilation. and they achieved this with the roof design that uses minmal material and provides wide opening that fulfils its needs of access and ventilation.
construction issues they would have faced when adjusting height and nodes of columns and roof elements to create a stable structure. algorithmic scripting in this case helped in altering the form of structure without destroing its structural integrity, With the help of computers, designers can quickly change parameters and in the same time learn the structural constraints of certain structures. This can work injunction with physical models to help in the design process.
This project is a clear example where parametric design tools are used within the industry. With the aid of doigital tools the architects were able to create such a geometrical complex roof whilst resolving the
1 - http://grimshaw-architects.com/project/southern-cross-station/
Bird’s Nest Stadium HERZOG & DE MEURON
Herzog & de Meuron was designated to design the main stadium for the 2008 beijing Olympics. The venue had to be inspired and promote the Chinese spirit and culture, and the resulting product is the Bird’s Nest Stadium. The roof spans a whopping 330m by 220 m (1)and is a series of arcs that warp into a shape of a Bird’s nest hence its name. This was not a project that could be possible without digital tools, as the structure stability and connection points can only be computed and calcuted using digital tools. The geometry itself is extremely complex, each member needs to be calculated exactly so its self supporting and stable. this is a great example of how with the help of parametic designing tools an abstract conceptual project can be made into reality.
1 - https://www.herzogdemeuron.com/index/projects/ complete-works/226-250/226-national-stadium.html
A.5 - Learning Outcome
A.4 - Conclusion
Architecture is actually a combination of multiple disciplinary, when designing a building, architects do not just consider only aesthetics and not the practicality of the structure and vice-versa. Also history, Culture, Materiality and Spatiality are also numerous other things an Architect will have to consider when designing a building. With the advancement in technology we have now found many new ways to design more complex and unique structures than those in the past. Computation and parametric designing tools have given us more freedom to explore further potential in the world of architecture. In a sense technology has acted as a bridge to connect us to a different area in the world of architecture, breaking the norm and defying conventions in architecture of the past. With the ability to incorporate computerization and computation into our design process I think this has expanded our potential of creativity and inspiration, this may allow us to even surpass the intellects of previous architects and grant us
unexpected results in the future. Along with the advancements of technologies the awareness of the environment has also increased, this means that many designs aimed to lower their environmental impacts as much as possible and incorporate innovative alternative energy sources to cut down on electricity usage. Moving forward our group aims to discover innovative energy generation methods that could be integrated within the aesthetic/ form design of our sculpture, we prefer not to design a structure where afterwards solar panels can be just added to the top to collect solar energy. We want our energy generation method to combine with our structures form and prevent people from feeling like it is just an extra accessory similar to the Yorkshire Pavilion. It is important to also note that as the awareness of people for a green sustainable future grows, so do our efforts towards creating more efficient and eco-friendly architecture.
Being introduced to the world of computerization/parametric designs has been very interesting and exciting so far. Previously I wouldn’t know what parametric designs are, back then I would probably just describe them as futuristic looking structures. Now with the understanding of parametric design and furthermore the definition of computerization and computation this has really expanded my knowledge in this area of architecture. Understanding the potential of what these design tools can provide us, how these tools have helped shaped many of the magnificent buildings we see today. My take away from all this is simply understanding how useful computerization, computation and parametric design is to the future. Parametric design is set to be a very integral part of architecture in the future and this seems undeniable as technology continues to improve so does the reliance on these technology and I
believe the design outcomes that can spring from technology may be limitless.
A.6 - Algorithmic Sketches
References 1, http://inhabitat.com/yorkshire-renaissance-pavil- ion-by-various-architects/ 2, http://inhabitat.com/ bejing-water-cube-reopens-as- happy-magic-waterpark/ 3, Kolarevic, Branko, Architecture in the Digital Age: Design and Manufacturing (New York; London: Spon Press, 2003) Suggested start with pp. 3-62 4, Ted Talk, Stephen Wolfram, 2010, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=60P7717XOQ 5, Kalay, Yehuda E., Architecture’s New Media: Principles, Theories, and Methods of Computer-Aided Design (Cambridge, MIT Press), 2004, p. 5-25 6, Fry, Tony (2008). Design Futuring: Sustainability, Ethics and New Practice (Oxford: Berg), pp. 1–16 7, Oxman, Rivka and Robert Oxman, eds (2014). Theories of the Digital in Architecture (London; New York: Routledge), pp. 1–10 8, http://www.empmuseum.org/about-emp/the-emp-building.aspx 9, http://www.karamba3d.com/ongreening-pavilion/ 10, http://grimshaw-architects.com/project/southern-cross-station/ 11 - https://www.herzogdemeuron.com/index/projects/complete-works/226-250/226national-stadium.html
CONTENTS Part B: Criteria design - B.1 Research Field - B.2 Case Study 1.0 - B.3 Case Study 2.0 - B.4 Technique Development -B4.2 Extra Reverse Engineering/ Developement - B.5 Prototype - B.6 Proposal - B.7 Learning Objectives and Outcome - B.8 Algorithmic Sketches - References
B.1 - Research Field
CRITERIA DESIGN PART B
Geometry is an ever present element in architecture throughout the years. Even with the advancements of the digital era and the changing perception of architectural forms, geometry remains a fundamental and crucial component of architectural layout and design. Study of geometry focuses mainly on how shapes interact with each other. While studying geomertric structures generated by parametric means, certain aspects become more important when considering about its constructabilty. One of these are materiality, materiality is a very essential aspect of structures that effects how people interact and experience the environment. Tension based structures and minimal surface structueres is a great field to research as this type of designs are often heavily reliant on its materiality when considering its constructability. The simplicity of such minimal designs is usually
what makes it interesing and attractive. This type of design focuses on utilizing the maximum sudface area with the least possible surface, and for me this is a very intriguing trait. I’ve decided to look more into the Green Void and how it’s spatial performance attracts people and it’s form is achieved.
B.2 - Case Study 1.0
The Green Void project is a lightweight 3D sculpture based purely on minimal surface tension. This sculpture developed by LAVA stretches from wall to ceiling covering the area of the atrium in the Customs house Sydney. By using numeric code fabrication technologies the project is optimized so that minimal surface is achieved and therefore reaching the optimal efficiency where the least amount of material is used to cover the most amount of space. The understanding of the material in this project is really crucial for its eventual fabrication. With tools such as Kangaroo and Grasshopper, simulation can be run to test the optimal weight to surface ratio in achieving the eventual shape of the design in the virtual world. With this knowledge the architects can then determine where certain bonds needs to be in order to create the final outcome, purely by the tension of the membrane.
B.2 - Case Study 1.0
Changing Node sizes and tude sizes
Increasing division points/Exoskeleton
This is the last printable page in your book and will print on the left side.
Failed iterations
B.2 - Case Study 1.0
Cones/directional changes
Tensile mesh created using kangaroo plug-in
exoskeleton mesh created using kangaroo plug-in
B.2 - Case Study 1.0
B.2 - Selected Outcomes SELECTION CRITERIA
CONSTRUCTABILITY
EFFICIENCY
CAN IT BE REALISED? IS IT MORE SUITED AS JUST A CONCEPTUAL DESIGN
DOES IT MAXIMISE ITS SAPATIAL PERFORMANCE WHILST USING MINIMAL MATERIAL AND SURFACE
AESTHETICS DOES IT LOOK APPEALING AND ATTRACTIVE
Mesh Based Iterations
B.3 - Case Study 2.0 SAN GENNARO NORTH GATE - SOFTLAB
B.3 - Case Study 2.0 SAN GENNARO NORTH GATE - SOFTLAB
1 - Build up brep in Rhino 2 - Convert brep to mesh and deconstruct 3 - Loft and connect mesh edges 4 - Select naked points as futuyre anchor The San Gennaro North Gate by SOFTlab is instalation as the north entrance of the San Gennaro festival. it consists of 2 distinct oculi (1)which are blended together reaching a minimal surface equilibrium. The piece is held in tension with cables connected to surrounding buildings. This means this installation is site specific and can only be displayed in its true form in this exact location with the correct connections. the body of the structure is made of 4224 laser cut panels each one is unique and are then held together using more than 6000 aluminium grommets.
points
Reverse engineering this project was a daunting task as I was completly unable to create the blending of the 2 oculi. therefore my creation can be considered a failure, But despite this I still found some interesting ways that I tried to expand on further on.
5 - Add force onto mesh with kangaroo for relaxation effects
I tried to understand and engineer the each unique pieces that form the net put this proved to be impossible. Again with this case study I tried learn about how to Tensile Structures can be formed and how they react to their environment.
1 - https://www.behance.net/gallery/2357886/San-Gennaro-North-Gate
B.4 - Technique Development SAN GENNARO NORTH GATE
B.4 - Technique Development
B.4.2 -ROSKILDE PLYWOOD DOME KRISTOFFER TEJLGAARD & BENNY JEPSEN 2011
1 - Create Sphere and split in half 2 - Project hexgonal grid on to Sphere and cretae boundary around sphere 3 - Offset Hexagonal Grid and obtain curve 4 - Extrude offset curve to obtain flaps 5 - Place Flaps on original sphere/dome 6 - Trim offset curve from sphere creating openings
Roskilde Plywood Dome by Kristoffer Tejgaard & Benny Jepsen is a very interesting project as it combines many research fields in its design. The design is based of nature as it imitates a family of carbon molecules known as “Buckyballs” whilst also being a geodesic dome (1), due to these qualities the dome has great strength and stability. Furthermore the dome uses minimal material whilst maximising spatial performance, these are traits of a minimal surface design. As we move towards the future we continue to struggle with the ever present problem of sustainability and this project responds to this issue by providing a structure built with efficient material usage. American architect Ricard Buckmister Fuller (2)
was one of the first people to introduce the geodesic dome. It was he that foresaw the problem of sustainability in today’s society back in the fifties and sixties. He spread his knowledge on resource efficiency and intelligent constructions and promoted the designs of geodesic domes, it was because of this the carbon molecules that happens to look like geodesic domes are now known as “Buckyballs” and are considered an icon of alternative architecture. Reverse engineering this project was fairly tricky and starting from scatch was incredibly hard, I chose this project becuase I was interested in it’s tessalting hexagon panels and how I can maybe utilize it on a curved/flexible surface.
1 - http://inhabitat.com/roskilde-plywood-dome-is-a-large-geodesic-structure-inspiredby-a-c240-molecule/plywood-dome-roskilde-festival-2012-2/?extend=1 2 - http://www.archdaily.com/355536/roskilde-dome-2012-kristoffer-tejlgaard/
B.3 - Water Cube PTW ARCHITECTS 2008
1 - Create rectangle 2 - Populate surface with 2d points (random) 3 - Project voronoi onto populated points 4 - Restrict boundary of voronoi to the rectangle
I really enjoyed the reverse engineer component as after learning new techniques on grasshopper you have a different understanding on how certain designs were acheived. It takes away the illusion of the complexity some structures originally had and makes it very clear how structures are created.
this this is the only case study that has tessallation patterns on a plain flat surface, applying such techniques (voronoi) onto a curved surface may cause issues.
The Water Cube was a previous precedent i looked at and I’ve always like it’s aesthetic appearence. I wanted to try reverse engineering this with the knoledge I have obtained and found this project is extremely simple in its design. The voronoi I used to engineer this project also provide me another method of tessallating patterns onto surface, despite
B.4.2 - Development ROSKILDE PLYWOOD DOME
B.4.2 - Development WATER CUBE
B.4 - Conclusion
Expanding on the reverse engineering gave many inspiration and design concepts.
something that I might need to focus more on as I move onwards with my design.
I really liked the forms I obtained from expanding on the North Gate project, the first row of iterations showed subtle changes to the orignal mesh I engineered but after that I changed the direction of the oculis and also change some anchor points to get the more interesting iterations.
I really enjoyed the reverse engineering excersises and did a few others of my own out of self interest, The 2 other precedent does not have a big connections to my final design, rather they are just structures that I like that I thought I could reconstruct.
With the forms I obtained from the north gate iteration. I expanded them further and thought about how such tensile structures can be erected on th eeastern higheway that can also act as a sound barrier. Materiality is a very important thing to consider and is
Althought the process maybe daunting and difficult at times I still thoroughly enjoyed the whole segment.
B.5 - Prototypes PROTOTYPE 1
PROTOTYPE 2
With this next prototype I was trying to test how tensile structure would perform in the real world and I was trying to create the same effects that of my iteration of the North gate.
With this prototype I was trying to simulate a exoskeleton of what a minimal surface would look like, I then tried to panel it with some sort of fabric and see if the resulting aesthetics would be pleasing and can then further decide on wheather an exoskeleton is the better option or just having the fabric support itself through tension.
This prototype showed me the importance of materiality for this kind of design as the materiality will heavily affect its performance. Also another factor to consider is how a tensile structure can be held over the highway intended for my noise barrier design.
The wireframe actually provides spaces for panels to be inserted in this can be a connection method that can be further developed as the fabrication process comes along.
B.6 - Proposal
Problem/Issue Noise pollution and dust pollution to the surrounding site by the highway is at a severe level. It is heavily undermining the potential of the surrounding parklands and affecting its wildlife along with the park’s users
Solution/Proposal Design a Sound barrier than can help medigate the noise pollution at an attempt to help improve the quality of the Parklands.W
Noise Level average on a Monday (dB) A B C
10:00 am 62 70 57
12:00 54 68 47
5:00 pm 80 86 76
B.6 - Proposal
With the Form I’m proposing it has all the traits to be a very useful noise barrier for the eastern highway. Inspired by the form of soundwaves, the height that of the sculpture drastically helps the noise cancelling affect adn witht the correct material the environment will be improved dramatically. Witht the 2 types of noise cancelling barriers I would lean more towards the absorpitive material barrier rather than the reflective as reflecting noise back towrds the highway itself seems counter productive as well.
FLAT REFLECTIVE SURFACE BARRIER
Therefore in my proposal I suggest using a porus foam material to cover the tensile structure as to further increase the ability to block of sound, with some research I found that any material will be able to block off sound and with just a 9 decibel change would make a huge difference for those that occupy this area often.
PORUS ABSORPTIVE SURFACE BARRIER
I also hope that with connections on ground level where pedestrians wal by this structure will also act as an educational sculpture for the occupants to learn about how sculpture/ architecture like these help in improving the quality of life of people and the environment,
B.7 - Learning Objective and Outcome
Looking back on the criteria design, I really enjoyed the entire segment. I enjoyed studying how different architects approach certain designs and learning how they use grasshopper to their advantage. Each and every case study listed in the LMS were all very interesting. In the end I settled with the field of geometry not because it was the most suitable research field for my design it was because I was most intrigued by it and wanted to somehow encorporate it into my design. The reverse engineering component was great, I enjoyed myself thouroughly through the process. It was very interesting when comparing my own approach compared to those of the actual architects, I tend to start the reverse engineering process without any research, I base my process on just a single picture of the project.
B.8 - Algorithmic Sketches
out of the box and design something more interesting and at a grander scale. the interim presentation was great and very helpful, I had great feedback from my classmates, Sonya and the guest crits. They widen my view on the possibility and limitations of my design. i can go bigger crazier with my design, and this way of thinking is encouraged. As I approach Part C I’ve planned to expand and explore more daring proposals, these may include reshaping the entire landscape, encorporating more parameters in my form finding with firefly and further my design to help the environemnt of the Eastern highway and Merri Creek.
Through this process I learnt that there are many ways to achieve the same product. I approached the brief wanting to step
References 1 - http://tollroadsnews.com/news/melbourne-oz-innovative-sound-tube 2 - http://services.land.vic.gov.au/maps/interactive.jsp 3 - Managing Road traffic noises - department of transport and main roads 4 - https://www.behance.net/gallery/2357886/San-Gennaro-North-Gate 5 - http://inhabitat.com/roskilde-plywood-dome-is-a-large-geodesic-structureinspiredby-a-c240-molecule/plywood-dome-roskilde-festival-2012-2/?extend=1 6 - http://www.archdaily.com/355536/roskilde-dome-2012-kristoffer-tejlgaard/ 7 - http://www.l-a-v-a.net/projects/green-void/
DETAILED DESIGN PART C
Site Pictures
C.1.1 - Feedback (Interim)
Feedback from the interim gave me more directions in how I should approach my design in Part C. One of the biggest things that was brought up during the crit was that I should disregard restraint and be more daring with my design, The net design I proposed wasn’t convincing enough in it’s soundproofing capabilities and suggestions were made that I should look even further into more aggressive design, maybe even consider landscape resculpturing in order to achieve the noise cancelling effect. Another thing to consider is how the net will be supoorted on site. This is quite a big issue and will be one of the focusing
points for my Part C development. Through the Interim I’ve decided to look into more bold design options that operate to “soley” reduce the noise pollution in the Merri Creek Eastern Freeway area. For now I’m going to develope a supporting structure for the net but will also be open to other possible ways to display my noise barrier in the site. Also There are comments that the form of the design should be more intergrated with the data collecting from the site. I will use diagrams to further explain the connection between the decibel readings form the site to the form of the net.
C.1.2 - Design Proposal (Pre-Final)
Initially as i was looking for new technology or ways that my net can be constructed I designed a supporting structure for the net. As from the picture above the net is supported by an over arching structure that is connected by steel wires to the net.
In the next sections I will show some major changes in the form design.
Here are some details of how the supporting structure will work. Detail connections i worked on prior to my tectonic and design change that came after the Interim.
These changes will take away the ugly supporting structure and fully display the aesthetics and potential of tensile forms.
This is a very stable supporting structure but did not really suit my selection criteria of being aesthetically pleasing. I was continuously looking for ways to help my design remove the need of this supporting structure and it was not until I found the precedent of the “Hybios� that I knew a self supporting tensile form structure can be achieved.
C.1.3 - HYBIOS The Hybios precedent marks a key turning point in my design. it was with this precedent that I realised creating a self supporting tensile form structure would be possible. Riyad Joucka, the lead designer of this project explained the idea of “spatial fluidity� achieved by this tensile form and how they were testing different ways of construction methods ie. shotcrete applied on steel mesh. This design although being theoretical, shows the possibility and capability of these kind of structures. By spraying concrete onto a steel mesh covered in cloth fibers the form gains its stability through the concrete mass. the Steel mesh that the concrete covers also helps in supporting the structure in the forces of tension.
C.1.4 - Soundwave Form In this section I took the decibel readings of morning traffic at 9 and applied it to the form of my noise barrier. In order to create more spatial performance for the noise barrier, parts of the sound wave is exaggerated to create a tunnel for vehicles to pass through it.
The form finding approach of my design is by encorporating soundwave data into the shape of the sound barrier.
This section shows reading form 6 pm traffic as you can see compared to that of the morning readings there is much more traffic and much more fluctualting with the sound waves during this time.
The soundwaves naturally has a tensile structure form and would tie into the research field of my part B iterations of tensile structures created using Kangaroo.
The section of the noise barrier also shows this form, risign to the peak of the structure this is where the tallest part of the structure stands.
Finally based on the “Hybios� precedent no supporting structure will be required for the barrier therefore it can be a self standing tunnel structure. This fills the aim i had after the interim crit where I developed a bolder design with the sole purpose of nulifying the sound that pollutes the are of Merri Creek near the Eastern Freeway.
C.1.7 - Grasshopper Technique Mark points as
Create mesh
anchor points
with populated
based on data
points
My grasshopper technique focuses on using the plugin Kangaroo which is a physics simulator that relaxes meshes creating tensile forms and structures.
Scatter random
Relax Mesh
Cut out
Remove tips of
points as
with Kangaroo
Entrances for
anchor point
highway exit
as light wells
further anchor
the barrier it can be incredibly dark within the barrier therefore these light wells are needed to brighten the spaces underneath the barrier.
I began with a mesh populated with points, anchor points are then marked to reflect the shape of the decibel readings I recorded at the Eastern Highway. Further anchor points are inserted to give a more interesting shape to the noise barrier then Kagaroo is used to relax the mesh and create the final tensile form. Initially the peaks were extremely high and eventually I decided to cut these tips off so the barrier won’t seem as overwhelmingly big in the context. Another benefit this provides is the light wells it produces, with the massive span of
C.2.1 - Construction Process
Three layers: Steel Mesh, Fabric, Shot-Crete (concrete spray)
The Construction Process of my design is very much based off the precedent of Hybios. It takes the idea of using concrete to create self supporting tensile form structures. There are 3 major elements to the core construction method to my noise barrier design. First an overall steel mesh created as the form needs to be erected at site. In our case cranes might be needed to hold the steel mesh in place at the Eastern Freeway. A layer of fabric is then layed upon the mesh, this fabric is used to help hold the shotcrete to the steel mesh and maintain the overall smooth form whilst also acting as an connection for the mesha dn the concrete.
last but not least we have the concrete, covered in tiny steel fibers, the concrete is finally sprayed upon the fabric wraped steel mesh to crete the smooth tensile form that becomes the noise barrier. In my case there is no small component to where my form is based on rather it is an overall construction technique that is used to create the form as a whole. On the right is a prototype showing how this type of building method can be used in a much smaller scale.
Here are some picture of the construction process prototype that I made.
with an idea of how the barrier can be constructed at a much larger scale.
I first molded the steel mesh into curvy form then wraped it in a fabric so it would hold its shape. I then layed plaster on top to give it more mass so it can self support its own weight and stand up right by itself.
Despite the performance of the prototype being fairly successful we need to keep in mind that issues may occur when enlarged to larger scales. Concrete at the base of the barrier will need to be thicker than those at the top to have enough compressive strength in the base to support the entire structure.
On the top right you can clearly see the steel mesh from underneath being covered in the layer of fabric and plaster. the fabric is not clearly shown as it is also white in color. Overall I believe the prototype was a success, although it was not an exact replica of the proposed form I had for the Freeway noise barrier, it provided me
C.2.2 - Prototype
C.3 - Final Model
C.4 - Learning Objective/Outcome
References
Based on the Subject handbook there are 8 objectives that I would like to address according to my experience with the course.
1 - http://hybios.blogspot.com.au/
Objective 1 Establishing a design to a brief previously can be time consuming and difficult. In the age of digital design things like site analysis and brief development is sped up with the help of computers. digital techniques can be tied to breifs to create designs that suits its context. Although not implying all iteration from digital softwares are suitable but it surely does make this process much easier than before. Objective 2 Parametric and iterative designs are great ways of generating many ideas rapidly to suit certain briefs, but unlike part B where iterative designs were generated just to see what may suit the brief in Part C further refined iterations are chosen from the group through more detailed site analysis and prototyping to further fit the site context Objective 3 Through many digital prototyping I came to learn the limitation of 3D designing tools. An example of this is my 3D print of my final model was a big failure as the machine was unable to create certain curves that my structure have. In order to combat this I had to resolve to hand making my final model. Despite this through this experience I learnt alot about the possibilities and limitation of digital fabrication tools and this can help me in the future when considering design that needs to be realized through digitally fabricated components.
was not until I saw the precedent of Hybios that I knew that such tensile/compressive structure were possible. previously I has to design a supporting structure for my design but through research, prototyping and careful iterations changes, I managed to find suitable, realisable iteration that can be transformed and maybe even built into the real world. Despite this One big issue I had with realisign the final result was scaling it to the real world. This was something that I had some issues with and may need to dedicate more time into in my future designs.
2 - http://www.evolo.us/architecture/hybios-hybrid-biostructures-re-exploring-concrete/
Objective 5&6 In regards of having a persuassive argument for the design is another issue brought up in the final crit where I have to address. I do not believe my chosen research field (geometry) was the most suitable for my design despite this I went with it due to my curiousity of such designs and I tried to encorporate this into my final outcome. Overall I was fairly happy with the concept I came up with in the end, utilizing sound data to inform my form finding and encorporating new construction process such as that displayed in “Hybios” to build my design. Objective 7&8 My programming and digital techniques have grown immensely with the inclusion of grasshopper. I thouroghly enjoyed using the program as a tool for architecture design process, and frankly speaking I can’t see a reason why I wouldn’t use such tools to help me in my future design studios. I explored with plugins such as Kangaroo and found it extremely interesting and enjoyable, I look foward to discover even more interesting digital tools in the future as more are being developed.
Objective 4 Realising the virtual design created in grasshopper was no easy task. For example it