AIR
Yr. 2013
ARCHITECTURE DESIGN STUDIO
STUDENT:CHLOE ZHU TUTOR:GWYLL ANGELA
ARCHITECTURE DESIGN STUDIO:
AIR
STUDENT: CHLOE ZHU TUTORS: GWYLL ANGELA YEAR: 2013
C O N T E N T S
“A great architect is not made by way of a brain nearly so much as he is made by way of a cultivated, enriched heart.” ----Frank Lloyd Wright
ME Dear everyone, I am Chloe from the 3rd year Architecture faculty. I came to Melbourne when I was in high school, and now I have fallen in love with this city completely. I started to probe the Architecture world when I was in year 11, and then I was just drunk inside this amazing world and never come out. I used to know barely anything of digital design. However since my comprehension of Design and my knowledge of Architecture are getting more, I started to be a friend to those digital little things. I am now very interested in all sorts of digital software as they truly make my life much easier than the time without them. I’ve tried Rhino, Sketch up, Illustrator, Photoshop, Auto CAD and In Design in my past years, but I am more familiar with Sketch up, Photoshop, Auto CAD and In Design rather than the rest. Now I am working as an assistant for my friendwho is an architect in Melbourne. I went to sites to get measurements and I did 2D drawings for him by using Auto CAD.
PART A. CASE OF INNOVATION
A.1. ARCHITECTURE AS A DISCOURSE Architecture, as an art which is given by lots of people as different definition, is a dominant part of various idea of its content. Then there comes the Architecture discourse. “Architecture, then, as discourse, discipline, and form, operates at the intersection of power, relations of production, culture, and representation and is instrumental to the construction of our identities and our differences, to shaping how we know the world.�----Dutton, Thomas A. and Lian Hurst Mann, eds (1996) For me, Architecture is not only a three dimensional building that is eye pleasing or as a shelter to human beings, but also about combining the sundry of disciplines and aspects like aesthetic, psychology, political science, humanities, and now parametric modeling and algorithmic technology. It is alive.
NATIONAL BANK OF KUWAIT H EADQUARTERS ARCHITECT: FOSTER +PARTNERS LOCATION: KUWAIT
NATIONAL BANK OF KUWAIT HEADQUARTERS The national bank of Kuwait headquarters is known as the iconic skyline in Kuwait. The design of this complex geometrical art is driven by a response to the local climate. It is shown that design must be influenced by solar, wind and planarity analysis. It is all about developing ideas by combining analysis of different nature and artificial elements, while parametric technique involved. As a convincing example of integration of parametric modeling and algorithmic
technology, the national bank of Kuwait headquarters has done a series of contribution. The Foster+Partners’ Specialist Modeling Group (SMG) was in charge of this attractive but yet challenging project. They firstly quickly produce various options of parametric models so that the models could be further developed by the design team. Then it was followed by evolving initial design into a fully rational shape that embedded serious consideration of the
various performance parameters, integrating the architectural aspirations, structural, environmental, functional and operational requirements. During the process, various algorithmic designing programs were used to produce this project, such as Bentley Systems’ GenerativeComponents™ (GC) and so on. This is what presages the unprecedented prosperity of a whole new digital era.
NATIONAL BANK OF KUWAIT HEADQUARTERS Four perspective views R e f e r e n c e : h t t p : / / w w w. s k y s c r a p e r c i t y. c o m / s h o w t h r e a d .
A.2. COMPUTATIONAL ARCHITECTURE
Automatic Architecture Reference: http://www.architectmagazine.com/design/automatic-architecture_2.aspx
As time goes by, the nowadays computer technology is not only transferring all hand drafts into a neat and comprehensive digital format, they are obliged to satisfy the rapidly growing demands from human beings. As we mentioned in the previous section, contemporary computer technology is not only enable architects to realize projects featuring complex or geometries, but also let architects be able to get out of the existing building components. Commands such as tessellating, sectioning, folding, contouring, and forming make those impossible to totally possible.
“FILE TO FACTORY” “Architecture continually informs and is informed by its modes of representation and construction, perhaps never more so than now, when digital media and emerging technologies are rapidly expanding what we conceive to be formally, spatially, and materially possible” - Lisa Iwamoto
This project explores Voussoir Cloud compression structural paradigm mixed with computer based digital systems. Structurally, the vaults accurately depend on each other and the walls to hold its shape compression. The fourteen segmented pieces also generate a series of five columns which hold the inner edge of the frame and back. Rhino was used as initial modeling software to hang chains to refine and adjust lines profiles. The convenience and ability of contemporary computer technology is well verified by this project. All those irritating calculations and assemblies are now able to be solved within minutes. Ones it’s done, the only thing left is sending files to a factory.
VOUSSOIR CLOUD Architect: Architecture IwamotoScott Lisa Iwamoto, Craig Scott Location: Los Angeles, California, USA Project Year: 2008
Reference: http://www.architectmagazine.com/design/automatic-architecture_2.
Squid-like Canopy Proposal, Catwalk Design Architect: Ayarchitecture Location: Paris, France Project Year: 2012
COMPLEXITY Regardless of their complexity, the tasks and decisions involved can be formalized as an algorithm. As such, algorithms provide a framework for articulating and defining both input data and procedures. This formalization can promote structure and coherency, while systemically maintaining full traceability of all input. – Michael Hansmeyer
Computer technology enables projects of previously unimaginable complexity. Computer is now able to support designers in geometrical entities that were used to be no meaning to the computer. Along the way, each type of system has found its niche and provides useful service to its users. As the Squid-like Canopy Proposal--Catwalk Design shown, it is an extremely complex outcome, which traditional computer technology would never be able to produce. However, according to the procedure screenshot shown below, it was not a long journey if parametric modeling and algorithm design technology are involved.
Reference: http://www.ayarchitecture.com/architeuthisaspx
A.3. PARAMETRIC MODELLING Post modernism and deconstructivism were mere transitional episodes and parametricism will be the great new style after modernism. ---- Schumacher 2010
Scripting and computer programming have now become integral to the digital design process, because it provides unique for innovation, enabling designers to customize the software around their own predilections and modes of working. In which, the most famous technology is parametric modeling. The definition of parametric is still an open question now: whether it is design, change, parametricism or mathematics. As we discussed in the last part, computer science is no doubt a must-have technology tantamount to a sine qua non in nowadays architecture world. However, parametric modeling as the most popular technology in the 21st century, is a discourse as it brings out advantages as well as the shortcomings.
Kartal Pendik Masterplan
Reference: http://www.archello.com/en/project/kartal-pendik-masterplan/ image-15
BETON HALA WATERFRONT CENTER Architect: Sou Fujimoto Architects Location: Belgrade, Serbia Client: Beton Hala Waterfront Centre Project Year: Unbuilt Reference: http://www.archdaily.com/286381/beton-hala-waterfront-center-sou-fujimoto-architects/
EFFICIENCY Parametric modeling helps to enhance the efficiency of design process. It is able to provide malleability and variety of forms, namely, it increases feasibility of those abstract ideas and inspiration. In nowadays, the traditional rigid formula is not apropriate for the 21st century any more. Fujimoto’s Waterfront Centre proposal is a beyond comparable precedent at this stage. This amazing architecture was based on the concept “floating cloud”. It is formed by a series of flowing soft lines instead of traditional rigid boxes. The outcome is very complex visionally, yet eye-pleasing at the same time. As we can tell, parametric modelling was one of the elements that hasrendered outstanding service, it creats the fascination of this distinguished architecture.
Reference: http://www.archdaily.com/286381/beton-hala-waterfront-center-sou-fujimoto-architects/
Nevertheless, parametric modeling not only brought benefits to designers, but also inconveniences. It forces designers to plan the design carefully, defining ahead of time which major elements would be dependent upon other elements. It also constraints designers to think at the early stage of a project, which may not let them to have a conceptual idea.
Reference: http://www.archdaily.com/286381/ beton-hala-waterfront-center-sou-fujimoto-ar-
CHANEL MOBILE ART PAVILION(worldwide) Architect: Zaha Hadid with Patrik Schumacher Location: Tokyo, Hong Kong, New York, London, Moscow, Paris Client: Chanel; Chanel Mobile Art Project Year: 2008-2010
Reference: http://www.archdaily.com/286381/ beton-hala-waterfront-center-sou-fujimotoarchitects/
CONTROL Another benefit that parametric modeling has brought to designers is that the ability for designers to control time and fine details. Differ from the traditional design process, parametric modeling is able to distinctively minimize the designing time. The travelling Chanel Mobile Art Pavilion is one of the icons during 20082010. It is a new-concept ephemeral typology, which required very limit of time (as short as two weeks) to design and built. Parametric modeling also allows designers to have exact precise control of projects. It substantially increases the accuracy of designing and making models as it is a mathematical formula.
Reference: http://www.archdaily. com/144378/chanel-mobile-art-pavilionzaha-hadid-architects/
Reference: http://www.archdaily. com/144378/chanel-mobile-art-pavilionzaha-hadid-architects/
However, it does cause pay. Due to the high logic that parametric modelling produce, it is very hard (or almost impossible) to make any change at the late stage of design process as all the parameters are connected, and there are usually a huge amount of notes to form a model. It is also very difficult for designers to identify the changes in a parametric model, which may cause inconvenience for designers. Another downside of parametric modeling is that it is hard for other designers to modify the designs as they don’t have the knowledge about how the original design was created, which cut the ways of reusing and sharing in design world.