CITAstudio / Autumn 2018 Textile.light.architecture
soft spaces
The Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts School of Architecture, Design and Conservation Institute of Architecture and Technology Master Program CITAstudio: Computation in Architecture
The Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts School of Architecture, Design and Conservation Institute of Architecture and Technology Master Program CITAstudio: Computation in Architecture
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Introduction page 5 Environmental Context page 8 Inhabitable Membranes page 22 Kinetic Membranes page 36
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01 Introduction
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With the outlook on architecture which becomes increasingly linked to fabrication for bespoke and mass customized materials, the students from CITAstudio explored the structural, spatial and kinetic potentials of textile spaces through digitalmaterial workflows, informed by intuitive and craft-based hand-on design thinking. This exhibition provides an overview of prototypes which range from full scale installations showcasing textile spaces for inhabitation, micro scale material designs exploring the potentials of CNCknitting techniques and pattern-making, and shape changing kinetic structures prototyped at various-scales. In a series of workshops taking place over the past weeks, the focus revolved around the design performance parameter light, with a special emphasis on the filtration, the emittance and the guidance of light through layering, reinforcement and perforation of textiles.
CITAstudio: Computation in Architecture CITA is an innovative research environment exploring the intersections between architecture and digital technologies. Identifying core research questions into how space and technology can be probed, CITA investigates how the current forming of a digital culture impacts on architectural thinking and practice. 5
CITA examines how architecture is influenced by new digital design and production tools as well as the digital practices that are informing our societies culturally, socially and technologically. Using design and practice based research methods, CITA works through the conceptualisation, design and realisation of working prototypes. The Architecture Master Program CITAstudio is directly linked to the CITA research Centre. This allows teaching to be directly informed by cutting-edge research, provides students access to mature industry networks beyond academia and establishes a relevant context of deep critical thinking and experimentation that bridges academic and scientific domains.
Structure and Content of the Course
The CITAstudio masters programme is organised across 2 years, and is based around project-based experimentation and inquiry in order to stimulate and sharpen creative and critical abilities. Year 1 and 2 run in parallel to encourage mutual exchange and peer support through the experiences, knowledge and skills developed by each student. The 2018-19 Autumn semester thematic is Inhabitable Membranes. During the first two months of the Autumn semester students learn in group workshops the basics of textil behaviour, properties and simulations.
Timeline workshop 1: Inhabitable Membranes
workshop 2: Material Design
workshop 3: Kinetic Membranes
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Further Development of Prototypes
Acknowledgements
Student Teaching team
Hannah Arkell, Phil Ayres, Emil Ballegaard, William Briscoe, Ruxandra Chiujdea, Claudia Colmo, Carolin Feldmann, Victor Gardyan, Sebastian Gatz, Malte Harrig, Agnes Hekla, Jens Jørgensen, Lynn Hyun Kieffer,David Kloeg, Karl Emil Koch, Joanna Maria Lesna, Chao-Yuan Liang, Link Lin, Jaume Mercader, Viktoria Millentrup, Paul Nicholas, Daniel Nolkrantz, Martin Petrov, Marina Resch, Christian Samsøe, Martynas Šeškas, Yuliya Šinke, Johanne Marie Skalle, Sofia Stylianou, Alma Svendsen, Ao Tan, Martin Tamke, Mette Ramsgaard Thomsen, Guro Tyse 7
02 Filtration How does it feel to live in soft spaces?
How can materials exhibit lighting performances either through filtering or the embedding of light emitting materials such as fibre optics, LEDs or electroluminescence?
How can we work with light as a temporal and spatial event to transform the static into the performing? 8
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FILTRATION
As architectural design becomes increasingly linked to fabrication through new digital-material interfaces, new practices emerge: including mass customisation of components, or creation of materials that are graded specifically in response to site performances. By asking ourselves how the production of architecture changes when architects become the makers of materials at micro scale as well as artefact, we explore material thinking through the practice of knit. Knit is interesting because it allows us to combine and compose materials with varying properties into complex structures thereby designing bespoke performances. We examine the spatial quality and structural performance by exploring how perforations, reinforcements and layering can shape materials. 10
With the help of CNC knit and computational tools, we designed, generated and materialised our own performative materials. The design workflow was circular and structured around three phases. The first explored knitting as a practice of material making and examined how combining fibres with different properties could allow for complex assemblies. The second phase explored how these textiles could embed, distribute or filter light. Using a robotic artificial sun, we made sensor readings that then informed new iterations of knitted materials. The third phase looked at how these sensor readings could directly inform pattern making for digitized knitting machines. By informing a set of generative patterns with the sensor data we were able to permutate and change the patterns accordingly. The knitting machines are interfaced with a CNC controller - or in other cases through laser cut punch cards - making it possible to knit from computer generated files.
Stretch material Throughout these works, the material used is characterized by high elasticity, resistance to breakage, as well as a remarkable smoothness.
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Global horizontal illuminance (lux) - hourly
robot
Indoor light environment Radiation (kWh/m2)
Environmental simulations
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Environmentally generated patterns
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Products generated from patterns
The design workflow, circular and hold three phases: -Generative design strategies for creating digital knitting patterns -Material making using controlled knitting machines -Sensing and analysis of sense data to ingorm new iteration of generative design
3 layers of lace
Morning shadow
Evening shadow
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Other direction
Upside down
Standard orientation
Flat bumps
Max bumps, random direction
Max bumps, west direction
Pixel tracking the change of shadow when layering lace samples Max bumps, downward
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Light analysis
3 layers of lace Lux readings
Product generated from layer overlay
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Study through shadows and textures
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Use of light in night periods
Active piece
Dynamic piece
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Resting piece
03 Softness How does it feel to live in soft space? How does soft space give the possibility to inhabit multiple spaces at the same time? How can a textile system exist at the scale of the body and the interior? 22
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SOFTNESS
We asked ourselves how we would want to inhabit dynamic soft spaces. If we traditionally understand architecture through the static and rigid, we wanted to ask what would happen if we rethought the performances and materials of architecture through a textile logic. Textiles are soft, pliable and adaptable. They allow us to think of an architecture that is fitted to the body, that is flexible and changing and invites us to touch. Textiles here act as both a model and material for architecture. By exploring practices such as knitting, pattern cutting and sewing we are rethinking what architecture can be. In our thinking of a membrane architecture, tension and friction become central structural performance. “...instead 24
of fixed, rigid connections based on compression, textile structures use tension. The binding of one fibre to the next is achieved through the tension exerted by the immediately adjacent fibres. Rather than relying on support from the previous, stronger member, the system is circular, holding itself in exquisite balance” (Beesley and Hanna 2005). Stasis and hierarchy are replaced by dynamic concepts of circularity and interdependency. The first workshop, ‘Inhabited Membranes’ introduced the minimal membrane. We designed our own textile systems moving from design to fabrication. By combining intuitive and craft-based hands-on design thinking with digital form finding and dynamic relaxation techniques, we aimed to understand the relations between 3-dimensional form and 2-dimensional cutting patterns, and to propose, create and experience spatial qualities.
Relaxed and stretched textile in micro
Exquisite Corps
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Simulation (Group A)
Physical model(Group A)
Process(Group B)
Unrolled sur face(Group A)
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Physical model(Group B)
Simulation(Group B)
Simulation(Group C)
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Simulation(Group D)
Physical model(Group D)
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Unrolled sur face(Group D)
Simulation(Group D)
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Group A
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Group B
Group C
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Group D
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Details(Group D)
Final presentation
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04 Simulation How can we inform a moving architcture? How can kinetics be choreographed through light and shadow to create different atmospheres? How can membranes be activated to shape light ? 38
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SIMULATION Textiles are inherently malleable: Soft and adapting, they change upon influence. We ask how simulation can be used to understand kinetic structures changing over time. The architectural tradition of kinetic structures largely relies on mechanical actuation. With new simulation tools, new opportunities arise to work with calibrated relations between geometry, loading and actuation. Here, simulation is used as a design driver for flexible tension structures that are actuated through different dynamic loads. 40
We examined how new tools for isogeometric analysis allow us to simulate material performance directly in the digital design process. Simulations allow us to predict behaviour of the structure which were then further tested in full scale prototypes. We explored kinematic analysis as a way of understanding adaptable structures. This was supported by and compared to photography of animated kinetic prototypes. By articulating the specific design actions that enhance performance we communicate the functionality of the textiles in a beautiful way.
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1000.00
1000.00
TOP VIEW
TOP VIEW
TOP VIEW
ELEVATION
ELEVATION
ELEVATION
120.00
283.00
180.00 ELEVATION
970.00
ELEVATION
190.00
950.00
ELEVATION
1000.00
1000.00
TOP VIEW
ELEVATION
ELEVATION
950.00
180.00 ELEVATION
120.00
283.00
300.00
950.00
ELEVATION
By var ying the length of the spring, the 1000.00 deformation of the maple strips var y TOP VIEW
ELEVATION
WOOD STRIPS (FRAME) WOOD STRIP (SPRING) STRING (ACTUATOR)
950.00
375.00
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Bending actives, maple strips
TOP VIEW
180.00 ELEVATION
The force needed to actuate the structure increases as the length of the spring decreases WOOD STRIPS (FRAME)
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WOOD STRIP (SPRING) STRING (ACTUATOR)
Bicycle brakes activators
mechanical detail
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use of light
Resting mechanism
mechanism in movement
Active mechanism
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Mechanism used to generate the triple helix movement (flying lamp)
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Resting triple helix
Active triple helix
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propor tions of the model (a thousand butter flies)
membranes integration in the veering structure
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ver tical agrupation
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active prototype (moorish flower)
prototype in movement
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resting prototype
mechanism without membrane
detail of joins
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contraction movement and joining details of the prototype (bowing leaf )
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breathing cur tain
flying lamp
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a thousand flowers
moorish flower
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bowing leaf
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Credits
The Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts, Schools of Architecture, Design and Conservation CITAstudio 2018/19 Institute of Architecture and Technology IBT Philip de Langes AllĂŠ 10 DK-1435 Copenhagen K Denmark 2018 65
CITA studio: Computation in Architecture is a two year International Master’s Programme at The Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arst, School of Architecture. WIth a focus on digital design and material fabrication the programme questions how computation is changing our spatial, representational and material cultures. Through hands-on experimentation and production the programme emphasises learning-through-doing as a principle methos for exploring computation as a mean to pursue speculative design, experimental fabrication, material actuation and complex modelling.
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