Architecture Design Studio A I R Weekly Design Journal
ABPL30048 Architecture Design Studio: Air Semester 1, 2014 The University of Melbourne Catherine Mei Min Woo 562729 Studio 12 Brad Elias and Phillip Belesky
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DEATH/DECAY
VIRTUAL ENVIRONMENTS ENVS10008 SEMESTER 02, 2012
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A01. Design Futuring 08 A02. Design Computation 15 A03. Composition/Generation 23 A04. Appendix - Algorithmic Sketches 24 Part B. Criteria Design
Table of Contents
Part A. Conceptualisation
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B01. Research Field ## B02. Case Study 1.0 ## B03. Case Study 2.0 ## B04. Technique: Development ## B05. Technique: Prototypes ## B06. Technique: Proposal ## B08. Appendix - Algorithmic Sketches ## Part C. Detailed Design ## C01. Design Concept ## C02. Tectonic Elements ## C03. Final Model ## C04. Additional LAGI Brief Requirements ## C05. Learning Objectives and Outcomes ## References ##
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DEATH/DECAY
VIRTUAL ENVIRONMENTS ENVS10008 SEMESTER 02, 2012
She is deeply fascinated by the processes of life, particularly the life cycle from growth to death. Each liv-
Name: Catherine Mei Min Woo Level: Undergraduate, Year 3 What is good architecture? Functional and accessible, not just design for the sake of aesthetics, or exclusively for people who can afford it. Born and raised in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, this 20 something wide eyed girl chose to put down her scalpels and lab-coats, only to pick up a pencil and scale rule, with the hopes of rekindling a long forgotten desire to create better futures through design and the built world. it is only through retrospect that the pursuit of architecture was really the only natural decision, and as life, the universe, and cosmic forces would have it, here she is, sometimes not recognizing herself in her reflections as she drags boxes and bags of modeling materials from the ground floor Eckersleys to her small room overlooking the city. The sleepless nights, she is told, are only the beginning to a tremulous -albeit masochistic- and unique relationship with the wonder that is architecture. A lover of art and science,
ing creature that graces the earth lives and dies in the most unique of ways, as contradicting as the order that humanity forces itself to abide by, and in turn by it’s own creations, built and otherwise. The built world, constructed around the whims and fancy of the riches, and needs and longings of the poor, has been alarmingly clear throughout history; A fascinating phenomena, as the only true constant for humanity, is it’s need to separate itself from itself time and time again. As do architects, in their own, somewhat less egotistical way, of expressing the unification of form and function in a building- let us say, a house. Ultimately, as humans inevitably die, as the function of a house is inevitably made to serve it’s humans for as long as they live. A fascinating, and very human conflict; Often extrapolated into architecture and always a pleasure for her to dissect at will.
(The Sims, an obvious favorite), the Bioshock series and Alice: Madness Returns, are old favorites when it comes to admiring the tremendous beauty and detail found in it’s design and architecture. Following the process She is new to this world, hence a tod- of video game design as they trandler knows what a toddler knows, scend from the mind, to paper, to She loves video games
She loves her dogs, and misses them
dearly. The comfort of thought, the wonder in learning; It is clear, that her passion, ultimately, is creating and fascilitating environments for it’s inhabitants to feel safe and comfortable, in sharing ideas and learning with likeminded people. An environment for everyone. She has limited experience with Rhino as of her first year in university, only using Rhino to model and fabricate the headpiece featured on the left of this page, with customized panels, using both lazer and handcut details to create the intricate paneling on the inside of the model to project the shadows onto the face of the wearer. The pattern being inspired by the decay of foliage, a tribute to her interest in the biological process of death.
introduction: Person and drives
computer, to player: is the most intricate and wondrous journey to embark on. Her words alone do no This is she. justice to the intricacies of creating an entire universe, from it’s lore to and she knows not a lot. What she the color and texture of the mossy columns on the far right of the does know is this: room. Go pick up a controller.
She hopes to be able to expand her grasp of computational techniques through this course, to further her skills in communicating and fabricating designs and mechanisms that pay tribute and evolutionize the understaning of nature through design. 5
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CUBES OF EIGHT
DESIGNING ENVIRONMENTS ENVS10004 SEMESTER 01, 2012
Part a conceptualisation
A01 DEsign Futuring
THE CANOPY
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ARTIST TEAM: ALEX BISHOP, STEPHEN MAKRINOS, DANIEL NICHOLS, SEAN BURKHOLDER ARTIST LOCATION: PITTSBURGH, USA
Image Courtesy of Land Art Generator Initiative
‘The Canopy’ is made from sheets of thin film photovoltaics attached to geometrically patterned electroactive polymers (EAPs). Thin film photovoltaics are lightweight and flexible, providing the opportunity to pair them with another material and benefit from the coupled performance. EAPs are used primarily in robotics as synthetic muscles, contracting and expanding when an electric current passes through them. Consequently, canopy coverage will fluctuate in response to light levels and the amount of energy captured. During the brightest times, the pattern will be essentially flat to maximize surface area; on cloudy days and at night the canopy will open up and become illuminated. The cells are oriented south-south-west in order to maximize solar exposure.1 This project made use of a fascinating mechanism that makes use of solar energy that influences its panels to move according to the intensity of light throughout
the day. This reaction and mechanism appears to be influenced by nature, whereby plants adapt throughout the day in response to the intensity of sunlight which is seen to be changing throughout the day and into the night. This phenomena is known as photoperiodism.2 The influence of nature in the design appears to be extremely deliberate and conscious decision throughout the design, almost a mimicry of the nature itself. This deliberate choice can be inferred as a homage to nature, as well as the evoluton of the perspectives towards architecture beyond the confines of form and function3, or that the function overrides the importance of recognising and considering the impact of architecture onto its environment and the future.4 This advancement creates more engaging and tangible environments that stimulate curiosity of ones environment while attempting to move towards the development and integration of sustainable means of energy generation.
Bishop, et.al. 2012. The Canopy. Land Art Generator Initiative Competition 2012. 2 Thomas & Vince-Prue. 1996. Photoperiodism in Plants. 2nd Edition. Academic Press. 3 Schumacher. 2011. The Autopoiesis of Architecture. A New Framework for Architecture. John Wiley. 4 Fry. 2009. Design Futuring: Sustainability, Ethics, and New Practice. Oxford: Berg Publishers. 1
precedent: Past Entry: The Canopy
Image Courtesy of Land Art Generator Initiative
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A01 DEsign Futuring
THE STRATUS PROJECT
University of Michigan Taubman College of Architecture and Urban Planning 2010 Research Through Making Grant, University of Michigan 10 Office of the Vice President for Research 2010 Small Projects Grant and a Social Science and Humanities Research Council of Canada 2011 Research Creation Grant Image Courtesy of The Stratus Project
the potential for kinetic, sensing and environment-responsive interior envelope systems. The research emerges from a consideration of our attunement to the soft systems of architecture – light, thermal gradients, air quality and noise – to develop and prototype envelopes that not only perform to affect these atmospheres, but also to promote continual information and material exchange, and eventually dialogue, between occupant and atmosphere. It deploys a distributed approach to structural, mechanical and communications systems design and delivery, where localized response to demand is prioritized. The project works to reclaim the environmentally performative elements of architecture – in this case, specifically, interior mechanical delivery and interface systems – to within the purview of the discipline, as territories of material, formal, technological and experiential innovation and exploration The potential of this project introduces a fascintaing myriad of possibilites and design opportunities towards designing an architectural structure that can not only sustain itself structurally, but also produce energy to sustain itself, and possibly its surroundings as well. The Stratus project is an example of an onging study of different types of energy and the potential of combining them with engineering and architectural structures to create adaptive facades that are not only functional, but also aesthetically pleasing.
generation. Conventional renewable energy sources such as solar, wind, and water all have the ability to generate kinetic energy with the use of machinery. I am interested in exploring the capability of integrating human psychology as a main driver for users of the site to interact with adaptive structures, and in turn generate kinetic energy through interracting with their environment.
Research: Energy Technology
The Stratus Project is an ongoing body of design research investigating
ANSYS fluid dynamic modelling software Fluent was used to test the effects of various configurations of Stratus on air velocity, thermal stratification, and energy draw.
Kinetic energy is a form of energy explored by The Stratus Project in the operation of adaptive facades, and I believe, can be taken another step further into generating more kinetic energy to firstly, recharge or replenish the energy taken to operate the mechanism, and secondly, to be able to become a supplier of stable energy. The advantage of kinetic energy is the flexibility of the means of its
11 Image source: RTVR. 2011. The Stratus Project. at http://rtvr.com/research.
A01 DEsign Futuring
Render of adaptive interior facade.
Stratus prototype responding to occupant presence.
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Sensors detect temperature rise from baseline settings, they then communicate with actuator motors to rotate breathing cells to open, the cooling fans are then deployed
Plan and axonometric drawings showing the layers and components The axonometric view of a 3-cell structure demonstrates reaction to temperature change; the plan view reveals the thick array of tensegrity structure, breathing cells, fabric membranes, sensors and actuators
The Stratus Project v1.0 prototype installed, lights responding to occupancy The first prototype mobilizes smart surfaces and responsive technologies in the development of a thick suspended ceiling that produces a light and air-based architectural environment using distributed technologies and systems to sense energy and movement flows, tempered by occupantresponsive feedback in producing envelopes of intimate and collective space.
13 Images source: RTVR. 2011. The Stratus Project. at http://rtvr.com/research.
A02 DEsign Computation
Son-O-House
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NOX: Lars Spuybroek with Chris, Seung-woo Yoo, Josef Glas, Ludovica Tramontin, Kris Mun, Geri Stavreva, & Nicola Lammers Public artwork for Industrieschap Ekkersrijt in collaboration with composer Edwin van der Heide Son en Breugel, The Netherlands
House is a public pavilion where visitors can sit around, eat their lunch and have meetings, surrounded by IT related companies. The structure is both an architectural and a sound installation that allows people to not just hear sound in a musical structure, but also to participate in the composition of the sound. It is an instrument, score and studio at the same time.A sound work, made by composer Edwin van der Heide, is continuously generating new sound patterns activated by sensors picking up actual movements of visitors. 6 This design is realized only through the integration of computer assisted modeling and generation, as the inspiration behind the complex geometry that makes up the structure can only be generated through the representation of sound waves geenrated by algorithms programed into the computer, producing a tangible shape or illustration that translates the idea of the physical embodiment of sound into a pavilion.7 However, the computational aspect is only limited to assisting in the synthesis and physical generation process, as this design not only involves architects, but also the help of musicians, sound engineers, and programers to realize the design. The design considers environmental factors and was experimented upon in terms of form, however, its layout and intention is very much similar to that of a house, consisting of spaces that are larger in walkways or rooms, and smaller for less dynamic spaces, such as utilitiy areas and services. This shows that the pragmatism and logic within the design process of architectural design is not lost when
considering or integrating the use of computational design tools, but instead, facilitates a framework or medium that further assists and provides alternatives to preconcieved notions of design based solutions that were not avaliable prior to the conception of programs or engines that process algorithms.8 Computation was a key factor in realizing and modifying the design and highly influenced the design outcome in terms of physical appearance and materiality. The structure was such that the requirement of flexbile and durable, when compred wiht the brief and options generated by the programs used. This reduced cost and time allocation for experimentation with materials and structure. The geometries in particualr benefited greatly from computer assisted design, as the programs allow for flexibility in shape and composition, which was integral in the design of this complex pavilion that not only required to fulfil the shape, but also it’s function as a pavilion that is not only a place of rest and leisure,
but a responsive and adaptive structure to human interaction, the music generated within the structure is influenced by the humans occupying the different spaces within the structure. As previously mentioned, the time and cost saved through the input of data and the availability of computer simulated experimentation not only reduces cost and saves time, but also evolutionizes evidence and performance based designing, that expands the potential of design independent of physical human capabilities.
Precedents: Son-o-House by nox
Son-O-House by NOX is located in a a large industrial park the Son-O-
This is extremely unique, as it is only recently that humans moved to valuing the aesthetics of architectural expression.9 To be able to communicate the imagination of the human mind through the assistance of mathematics and technology brings humanity closer to the truest expression of ideas through architecture.
15 Arcspace. 2002. Son-O-House by NOX. Pavilions in the Netherlands. 7 Kalay, Yehuda E. 2004. Architecture’s New Media: Principles, Theories, and Methods of Computer-Aided Design .Cambridge, MA: MIT Press. p. 5-25. 8 Kalay. p. 8. 9 Kolarevic, Brank., 2003. Architecture in the Digital Age: Design and Manufacturing. New York; London: Spon Press. p. 3-62 6
A02 DEsign Computation
Son-O-House Perspective of the completed structure.
Son-O-House Skeleton Fabrication Computer aided 2D layout of the skeletal frame, ready for print and cutting for assembly.
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Son-O-House Sound Outlets Location of sound outlets that project musical piecescompsed Edwin van der Heide, generating sounds based on the movemnet of it’s occupants. Images source: NOX Architects, 2000. NOXart. at http://www.nox-art-architecture.com/NOX/Book%20Excerpts/MA.pdf
Precedents: Son-o-house by nox
Son-O-House scaled model Scaled model based off the computer generated spines to create the structural frame of the pavilion.
Son-O-House design process Computer aided deisgn process and assembly.
Son-O-House Completed in 2004 Completed pavilion with mesh cladding.
Images source: NOX Architects, 2000. NOXart. at http://www.nox-art-architecture.com/NOX/Book%20Excerpts/MA.pdf
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A02 DEsign Computation 18
Research Pavilion 2010: Stuttgart University
Institute of Building Structures and Structural Design – Prof. Jan Knippers Institute for Computational Design – Prof. Achim Menges
stitute for Computational Design (ICD) and the Institute of Building Structures and Structural Design (ITKE) designed and constructed a temporary research pavilion. The innovative structure demonstrates the latest developments in material-oriented computational design, simulation, and production processes in architecture. The result is a bending-active structure made entirely of extremely thin, elastically-bent plywood strips. 10 This structure experimented with material specific, computational design, structural simulation, and production processes in architecture. The result is entirely made of extremely thin, elastically-bent plywood strips, creating a bending-active structure.
conventional of approaching
methods processes. Through the use of aldesign. gorithms, mathamatical parameters set for the computer to process in“The strips are robotically manufac- clude the physical properties and tured as planar elements, and sub- behavior of the material.14 sequently connected so that elastically bent and tensioned regions alternate along their length. “12, The conclusion of this reaearch evidence of futher integration of supports the integration of design computer aided design in the fabri- computation and materialization cation process. The fabrication and as a feasable invetment, a hypothdesign of 80 different strip patterns esis that can be extended towards constructed from more than 500 industrialized integration of such geometrically unique parts, with the technology in the future. entire structure, of a diameter of more than twelve meters, can onlu be constructed using 6.5 millimeter thin birch plywood sheets, very specfically further cites the significance of computation in the simulation stages via parametric modeling to reduce the waste of resources towards building the structure.
The material used was specifically chosen to allow for stress and rpessure testing, both internal and externally exerted pressures. The limitation is that computer aided design processes are usually unable to reflect these intricate relations, in contrast to the physical world, experimentation is often the conventional method of doing so. In computational design, form and force are viewed independently, as they are divided into processes of geometric form generation and subsequent simulations influenced by specific material properties, this is known as scripting culture.11 Brady theorizes about the significance of the role of computers in The computational generation of this the field of practical architecture, form is directly influenced and purely whereby the gravity of it’s signifisynthesized by physical properties cance is a fact that can be extrapoand material composition of the ply- lated from this case study, as the woodstrips, evidence of an experi- demonstration of the capabilities of mental approach to design with the computer simulation in the design, intention of studying material, versus simulation and fabrication
Archimmenges. 2010. ICD/ITKE Research Pavilion 2010. PProf. Achim Menges: ICD Universitat Stuttgart. [http://www.achimmenges.net/?p=4443] Definition of ‘Algorithm’ in Wilson, Robert A. and Frank C. Keil, eds.1999. The MIT Encyclopedia of the Cognitive Sciences. London: MIT Press. p. 11, 12 12 Archimmenges. 2010. 13 Peters, Brady. 2013. Computation Works: The Building of Algorithmic Thought, Architectural Design, 83, 2, pp. 08-15 14 Archimmenges. 2010. 10 11
Precedents: ICD/ITKE Research Pavilion 2010 Stuttgart University
Research Pavilion 2010 - Stuttgart UniversityIn 2010, the In-
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A02 DEsign Computation
Research Pavilion mapping Computer aided 3D layouts, graphs and mapping of primary bending joints of the structure throughout the curvature. Coupled with the statistics and results of the experimentation of the strength and flexibility of the timber used, as well as the structure and how individual components weave and fit into each other to create the curvature.
20 Images source: Institute for Computational Design. 2010. ICD/ITKE Research Pavilion 2010. at http://icd.uni-stuttgart.de/?p=4458
Close up of joints at the base of each end of the timber weaving within the structure.
Precedents: ICD/ITKE Research Pavilion 2010 Stuttgart University
Joint Detailing
Research Pavilion asembly Construction and completed structure. Details of the weaving materials are also called out. Images source: Institute for Computational Design. 2010. ICD/ITKE Research Pavilion 2010. at http://icd.uni-stuttgart.de/?p=4458
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A03 Composition Generation
Son-O-House
NOX: Lars Spuybroek with Chris, Seung-woo Yoo, Josef Glas, Ludovica Tramontin, Kris Mun, Geri Stavreva, & Nicola Lammers Public artwork for Industrieschap Ekkersrijt in collaboration with composer Edwin van der Heide Son en Breugel, The Netherlands
Images source: NOX Architects, 2000. NOXart. at http://www.nox-art-architecture.com/NOX/Book%20Excerpts/MA.pdf
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Research Pavilion 2010: Stuttgart University
Institute of Building Structures and Structural Design – Prof. Jan Knippers Institute for Computational Design – Prof. Achim Menges
Images source: Institute for Computational Design. 2010. ICD/ITKE Research Pavilion 2010. at http://icd.uni-stuttgart.de/?p=4458
designs towards realizing proposed designs. Both precedents have been completed and are tangible examples of successful structures that relied heavily on algorithmic thinking, parametric modelling and scripting culture to achieve the deign intent. These two projects consider two different ways of using computational design within the design process. In Son-O-House, computaiton desgin was crucial in achieving the form of the skeletal frame that holds up the mesh of the structure. In contrast, the Research Pavilion’s design was integral in the simulation of material resilience, which in turn allowedfor the emergence of the final design. This contrast is a fascinating parallel in regards to the use of computational designing. One of which uses it as a medium for composition, while the other for generation. Conceptually, the Son-O-House began with a more organic and fluid strcture, as seen in figure 1, however, it is not physically possible to achieve such curvature. The integration of computational design gave the designers a digitized version of the paper scale model in its smoothest form, and provided anchor points for each curvature, hence creating “interlacing vaults that sometimes lean on each other or cut into each other” in order to create the final design. 15 The advantage of this apporach was being able to manipulate the existing design to become more realistic in Arcspace. 2002. Archimmenges. 2010. 17 Archimmenges. 2010. 15 16
the parameters of computational design. This is evidenced through the Research Pavilion, whereby the form is generated based on the physical properties of its materiality, plywood.16 The function of the Research Pavilion as an experiment of materiality, allowed for the emergence of a complex, weaving design. This was only made possible through the use of computational design to extrapolate physical forms based on preFigure 1 Conceptual design model of the Son-O- exiting data and experimentation of House, pre-digitization. the material, as seen in Figure 2. it’s structure for fabrication, however, the disadvantage of doing so is evident through the loss of the desired organic forms seen in the conceptual design. This is due to the pre-existing limitations set by the programing of the computational design softwares, a necessary sacrifice in terms of programming Figure 2 to be able to create the software. Computer generated graphs that depict This limitation highlights the dispar- stress levels within the components in different forms. ity of the creativity of the human mind from the tools which are the These two parallels make use of computational design as a tool to computer programs. compose as well as generate deThis disparity, however, is chal- signs. Although this method has lenged by Oxman (2014), whom limitations, the parameters can also claims that such limitations enable be exploited to create different dearchitects and desingers to explore sign outcomes of a more tangible other possibilities of design within and realistic quality.
Precedents: Generative approaches
Son-O-House by NOX & Research Pavilion 2010 - Stuttgart University as precedents, both make use of computational aid to generate
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A04 Appendix and algorithmic sketches 24
The videos have helped tremendously in the understanding the basics and logic of Rhino. Here is a pictorial documentation of progress over the last 3 weeks based on the prescribed videos.
Archimmenges. 2010. ICD/ITKE Research Pavilion 2010. PProf. Achim Menges: ICD Universitat Stuttgart. [http://www.achimmenges.net/?p=4443] Arcspace. 2002. Son-O-House by NOX. Pavilions in the Netherlands. Bishop, et.al. 2012. The Canopy. Land Art Generator Initiative Competition 2012. Definition of ‘Algorithm’ in Wilson, Robert A. and Frank C. Keil, eds.1999. The MIT Encyclopedia of the Cognitive Sciences. London: MIT Press. p. 11, 12 Fry. 2009. Design Futuring: Sustainability, Ethics, and New Practice. Oxford: Berg Publishers. Institute for Computational Design. 2010. ICD/ITKE Research Pavilion 2010. at http://icd.uni-stuttgart.de/?p=4458 Kalay, Yehuda E. 2004. Architecture’s New Media: Principles, Theories, and Methods of Computer-Aided Design .Cambridge, MA: MIT Press. p. 5-25.
Appendix and Algorithmic Sketches
Appendix
Kolarevic, Brank., 2003. Architecture in the Digital Age: Design and Manufacturing. New York; London: Spon Press. p. 3-62 NOX Architects, 2000. NOXart. at http://www.nox-art-architecture.com/NOX/ Book%20Excerpts/MA.pdf Oxman, Rivka and Robert Oxman, eds (2014). Theories of the Digital in Architecture (London; New York: Routledge), pp. 1–10 Peters, Brady. 2013. Computation Works: The Building of Algorithmic Thought, Architectural Design, 83, 2, pp. 08-15 RTVR. 2011. The Stratus Project. at http://rtvr.com/research. Schumacher. 2011. The Autopoiesis of Architecture. A New Framework for Architecture. John Wiley. Thomas & Vince-Prue. 1996. Photoperiodism in Plants. 2nd Edition. Academic Press.
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