Damien cresp 586664 Studio Air Final Journal by Damien Cresp

DESIGN STUDIO J O U R N A L D A M I E N

AIR

C R E S P

5 8 6 6 6 4

. INTRODUCING MYSELF

. A.1: DESIGN FUTURING

. A.2: DESIGN COMPUTATION

. A.3: COMPOSITION/GENERATION

. A.4: CONCLUSION

. A.5: LEARNING OUTCOMES

. B.1: RESEARCH FIELD

. B.2: CASE STUDY 1.0

. B.3: CASE STUDY 2.0

. B.4: TECHNIQUE DEVELOPMENT

. B.5+6: PROTOTYPES

. B.7: LEARNING OUTCOMES

. C.1+2: DESIGN PROGRESSION

. C.3: FINAL DESIGN

104

. C.4: LEARNING OUTCOMES

134

. : REFERENCE LISTS

136

Hi, Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m Damien When I was a boy, I dug webs of tunnels in the sands at the Torquay beach. These mine shafts interlaced and writhed around one another, sometimes opening up to momentous chasms within which nestled great lakes. The tide would come in, and amid a chorus of shouts filled with both sadness and joy, the sides of the vaults would come crashing down like samsonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s columns; a cataclysmic end to a tiny universe. When I was a teenager, I crafted online digital stages and battlegrounds, monumental arenas designed to challenge and confront. These colossal playgrounds were filled with bunkers, open spaces, long sight lines, and close corners. I would spend these halcyon days over-crafting them, finally unveiling them to friends to watch their gleeful deathmatch. Now I am a student of Architecture. I still design for the experience of a moment and I like to think I always design for oneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s element of challenge and curiosity. I believe that new architecture should be inspired by not only our descendents but for a bigger picture, whether that means structures should be permanent or fleetingly temporary is dependent on context, though I think it would probably be the latter. Throughout this subject I hope to gain an insight into allowing computer generation algorithms to forge my ideas into installations, and alongside this I hope to acquire a firm grasp on the philosophical nuances of what it means to shape and change the environment around us.

. A.1: DESIGN FUTURING

Dunne & Raby: Designs for an Overpopulated Planet In “Designs for an Overpopulated Planet” Dunne and Raby have created a prediction of how the masses would ‘eat’ when there are too many humans on Earth for the crop fields to yield enough food for everybody. Their futuristic, dystopian ideas look at an immense change to the culinary, going so far as to change the human digestive system in order to harvest nutrition from plants in the same way that some insects and fauna do.

The exhibitional piece pushes its audience to face the rapid decline of resources that society is expected to encounter in the ever-enclosing future. It proposes new ways of eating, such as harvesting the nutrients out of algae using a flotation device, or sucking the nutrients from grass by wearing the device in example 2. Through this work they have contributed an alternative and unattractive reality to consider. Whilst the work is posed as a solution, it is intended as deterrent to continuing current practices that would cause this future.

Fig. 1: a future citizen harvests algae from the water’s edge

9 Fig 2: a future citizen harvests nutrients from a tree

Dunne and Raby’s thoughts are original and unique in the sense that they imagine a world that’s problems are solved from a bottom-up approach. This world, created as a direct response to the growing problems of overpopulation and human over-consumption, shows a societal switch from relying on the governing body which would accommodate for all, to a model where individuals would take the acquisition of their food into (literally) their own hands. According to Fry, the design of this exhibition would be considered intelligent, as it aims to provoke others into thinking about designing to increase the time we have as a species to survive on this planet.

in “Designs for an Overpopulated Planet” may give impetus to new scientific pursuits based on the hypothesis presented within it.

Dunne and Raby explore the potential for an entirely new, yet melancholy facet of human survivability. Their work might eventually be interpreted realisti cally in the sense that humans may actually resort to harvesting small molecules of nutrients to survive. Just like many fictions before them, the artistic ideas

This project continues Dunne and Raby’s principles dictated in their work titled, “Speculative Everything” inwhich they talk about design as a way of shocking an audience into a state of psuedo-reality where the work is considered real and is therefore taken seriously.

The idea of turning all forms of plant life into grazing fields raises some questions about nature of the community undertaking this task. How long does it take for someone to ingest enough nutrients before they become full? How long does it take a tree to re-grow these farmable nutrients before another person can harvest the same leaves? Does everyone share public flora or is plantlife to be divided by private and public access?

Kenzo Tange: Tokyo Bay Project 1961 Helping to herald the Metabolist era into existence, Kenzo Tange’s works inspired an alternative way to think about the urban metropolis and how it should grow. Tange’s Tokyo Bay Project conceived in 1960 was a response to Tokyo’s booming population at the same time. Rather than continuing to grow radially and sprawl, Tange proposes that the urban can grow axially off a spine that spans over Tokyo’s bay, similar to how leaves would grow off a branch. With raised platforms to be individually utilised for vehicle traffic, pedestrian traffic, and utilities, the idea was that every location would have equal

access to the central spine. Buildings (designed, you might notice, as a homage to the Japanese traditional vernacular) would float above the water, whilst the highways would be built on stilts. Tange’s megastructure proposed the idea that the city would adapt around this permanent megastructure (the axial highway) whilst having everchanging peripherals (the houses attached). His model suggests that transit to anywhere in the city should not be convoluted and confusing, but rather, linear.

The idea that a city should be built upon super structures was radical in the 60s, and the theory behind his work in that megastructure should copy ideas found in nature was at the begginning of the era where biomimicry became fashionable. In a sense Tange’s work sought to halt the sprawl over the land surrounding Tokyo but it’s unlikely he was doing this primarily to save the resources for agricultural or conservational use. Alternatively, the project allowed viewers to seriously consider a new side of tokyo that would change their ideas of how urbanism would work, much in the same way that Dunne and Ruby’s work aspires to create psuedo realities in the minds of their audience. Incorporating the idea that some elements would be permanent whilst others temporary was also another facet of this design, and one that would be repeated in future works, such as the Nakagin Capsule Tower by Kuro Kurokawa (1972), also in Tokyo. Tange’s work and the Metabolist movement inspired ‘Habitat’ by Moshe Safdie, a housing complex in Montreal. The Housing complex takes the ‘megastructure’ aspect in its inner structure and its organic additives as the small rooms branching outward to form a mound-like built form.

Fig. 4: Houses on the water resemble the Japanese Vernacular

Tange’s work was a part of a movement that introduced the idea of massive structures which would serve many people, as opposed to privately owned blocks of buildings in the city. The works in this era would inspire a naive idea of human connectedness through sharing massive geomorphic compounds, the size of which have not been realised of yet.

Tange’s futuristic design, whilst it incorporates many ideals of axial highways and segmented areas for separate purposes, but it is not without a few significant flaws. Of course the cost of every aspect of the project is inflated considering that the entire city would be built on bridges above the water. Any post-completion additions or renovations would again be made unnecessarily difficult by choosing to situate the city above the water. After these technicalities though, it is still another whole city designed by one architect. This attaches a negative stigma brought about by other architect’s dream cities not withstanding the test of time, such as Frank Lloyd Wright’s cities to be car centric (and LA’s current vehicular demise), and of course Corbusier’s high rise apartment scheme (and PruittIgoe’s demolition in 1968).

. A . 2 : D E S I G N C O M P U TAT I O N

JĂźrgen Mayer Metropol Parasol Computational design in Mayerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Metropol Parasol was used to determine the globular shapes that stand tall over the Plaza de la Encarnacion. It allowed the team working on it to identify the forms that could be achieved in the specifically engineered wooden curves, and to utilise those to achieve their design goals.

The design process of this unique structure took a direction away from traditional practice in the conception of this form, setting a precedence for future architects to follow. In that sense it can be said that if

Fig. 5: The Metropol Parasol in Seville, Spain.

inspiration can be taken from this form, then future architects would follow the same design process and that in itself will mean that this design has the capacity to change how designers pursue architecture. Metropol parasol was designed to achieve an overarching structure that would cast an interesting shadow and define the space underneath it, similar to Lissitzkyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Cloud Iron (Teyssot & Jacques 2010). Rhinoceros was used to define the latticed curves of this structure that would create those shadows, and it can be assumed the desired shadows would have been selected as the

best from a batch of quickly generated renders, similar to the process that Kalay talks about (Kalay 2004). In this instance computation provided the ability to engineer the wood in such a manner that it was able to be built strong enough to support a structure this size - hence why it is currently the largest wooden structure in the world. The architect analysed the amount of strength each wooden element contained and then using computers was able to determine the curves possible that are seen in the building, as well as where to situate the walkways, lifts, cafes et cetera.

Fig. 6: A render of the structure in Rhinoceros

Fig. 7: An artist’s rendition of the completed Sagrada Familia in Barcelona, Spain

14 Antoni Gaudi Sagrada Família

Gaudi’s famous Sagrada Familia is in its final stages of production and its completion is being lead by New Zealand Architect Mark Burry who is utilising parametric design to finish the job. As Burry explained in his lecture at the University of Melbourne on the 9th of June, 2016, Gaudi’s unique forms were achieved in the early 20th century by identifying the the most direct curvilinear arcs tensioned between several different points. The resulting smooth surfaces appear all over the building, but in particular in the interior framing of the stained glass windows.

Each surface is defined by a parameter; the planes next to the glass were defined identifying the tension between four vertices. Gaudi achieved these with string and plaster, but these same facades are now easily achieved using digital modelling programs such as Rhinoceros 5 (Burry & Burry 2006).

Fig. 8: Above, Gaudi’s original gypsum plaster casts and Below, the same casts digitally rendered

Fig. 9: Recreations of Gaudi’s original casts on display in the vaults below the Sagrada Familia

For Burry, the help of using computer aided design converted months of work into weeks, and with the mathematical accuracy that Gaudi’s initial, albeit relatively primitive, calculation methods had intended. Gaudi’s methods were unique and are still on show today in the museum situated in the vault below the sagrada familia. Currently however, Rhinoceros is being used to redefine the way in which the whole team collaborates to decide how the building will be completed.

Parametric modelling in this case is not one of discovering new forms through algorithmic sketching, but rather to aid the discovery of Gaudi’s magnum opus.

. A . 3 : C O M P U TAT I O N / G E N E R AT I O N

Beijing National Stadium Herzog & de Mueron Thrusting computational design unto a stage for the whole world to see, Herzog and de Mueronâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Beijing National Stadium built for the 2008 Olympics utilized a computer generated steel facade to achieve its design intent of the appearance of a birdâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s nest. Although appearing tangled and messy, the facade of this stadium hides its ingenuity. The mangled curves had an intrinsic hierarchy, whereas the first to be added to the design were those that attached directly to the truss holding up the retractable roof, then diagonal curves which hid the staircases to the enclosed seats within, and the remainder were added to achieve visual continuity (Rogers, Yoon & Malek 2008, Lam & Lam 2010). Considering these constraints, the generation of the form became relatively simplistic for a computer based design program (one which was developed by the Arup Group specifically for this construction).

Herzog and de Mueron utilised parametric modelling effectively to achieve their design intent for the stadium, though of course this was backed by the budget of a global superpower with an intent to impress. An obvious advantage of the computational design in this project was its ability to create a pseudo-random latticework of steel whilst being able to maintain its structural purpose. A potential counter to this argument is that the design was taken away from human integrity, but of course in the drafting of the process any element that was deemed inappropriate or unattractive would have been removed. On top of all this, techniques utilised in the construction of this stadium do appear that they could be amalgamated into structures of any size, and hence the Beijing National Stadium is a positive advocate for contemporary parametric design.

Fig. 10: Conceptual sketches outlining the parametres of the steel framework

Fig. 11: The Beijing Nation Stadium, in Beijing, China

Fig. 12

ICD/ITKE RESEARCH PAVILLON 2014-15 Achim Menges The bulbous project lead by Achim Menges at Stuttgart University showcases the current leading edge of parametric rhetoric. The team focussed on emulating the air-sac woven by a water spider to survive underwater. Creating a theme of biomimicry fused with generative programming to articulate form is a very popular avenue amongst architects using this tool. The method used in creating this form was exceptional. Essentially, a robotic arm would press carbon fibres soaked in resin the inside of an inflated bulbous shape. The robotic arm had sensors indicating when its spool was to cross over another thread, which created a feedback loop, allowing the program controlling robotic arm to generate code in real-time during construction that would impact on the final construction. For simple projects such as a pavilion this method of not knowing the exact

ABOVE, Fig. 13: The Research Pavilion in Stuttgart

RIGHT, Fig. 14: The robotic arm laying the carbon fibre

final result of an installation until it is actually being installed may be acceptable, but there does remain some question for other uses which are not so experimental. Though despite this concern, the method does have validity in being at the forefront of real-time responsive programmatic construction, and the imagined result of having robots that could travel to a site and then build a homogenous structure around themselves before leaving is an interesting replacement of a contract worker. Considering the nature of the materials that this method would work with, it may be considered that a pseudo-random aesthetic may become generic and boring, and become the staple of this era in architectural discourse, much in the same way the stark white walls and machinic edges hark back to Corbusierâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s modernism. It may be critiqued that it does seem that most of these new-age parametric constructions are predominantly pavilions, this would be in the same way that Bruno Tautâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Glashaus was an experimental product of glass and steel before the use of these materials in structure was commonplace.

Experimental pavilions such as these therefore exist as taste-testers of the future of computer generative design, a foreground which can be utilised to practice theoretical concepts as they exist in the imagination, ultimately benefitting the foundation of not only technologically augmented architecture, but the faculty of architecture as a whole.

Fig. 15: Pavilion interior

Fig. 16: Development images showing the progression of the fibres being applied

. CONCLUSION When you want to draw a perfect circle, rather than tediously and precisely hand drawing the shape, you use a compass to quickly and accurately draw a circle. Similarly, albeit in a much more complex manner, when designing parametrically you imagine a shape or form that can exist within a certain set of rules, but rather than exploring this tediously by precisely mapping the mathematics of each structural element, you use a computer program to apply parametres and generate designs that are constrained within your algorithm. Being on the cusp of an era where computational design is peaking is exciting in much the same way that being on the cusp of the compass would have been exciting, all new types of circular drawings are emerging and it is exciting to witness the abilities of these new technologies, yet it is still a tool that is to fuel the ambitions and imaginations of our own creations.

Whilst I understand that computational design is the way of the future, just like nobody will go back to drawing circles without a compass after its invention, design still lies inherently in the decisions of the designer. It might alter the way we create geometry, for the better or the worse is dependent on your opinion, parading it as the be-all and end-all for originality is ill-conceived. Design is all about context. Good design fits into its context in the same way that good computation design will have good parameters. As humans decide what is good design, all design will still remain exposed to human excellence and flaws.

The argument for the dehumanisation of design through programs such as Rhinoceros and Grasshopper lies at a fallacy until it is also the computers that input the constraints of a problem, decide on the final form of the spaces we live in, and are ultimately responsible for implementing design solutions into the real world. Until a time comes such as that, and it may come sooner rather than later, design will still be inherently a human task.

. LEARNING OUTCOMES Admittedly, I had very little experience with computational software in the practice of architecture, so what Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve learned over the past three weeks has been very new to me. So far Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve been impressed with how relatively simple it is to generate aesthetic form, and I actually get excited at the prospect of learning how to use Rhino well. Rather than that shallow appreciation, I find the concept of computational generation exciting, especially when fused with bio-mimicry. Like Gaudi, and probably too many others before me, I find learning from the artefacts which have been honed through literally millions of years of darwinism incredibly appealing, and to be able to recreate some of the principles found throughout nature in my work this semester is a goal of mine. Previous works of mine could have been made intrinsically more complex and perhaps more evocative had I been exposed to the techniques of parametric design earlier. In saying that, however, you have to learn to walk before you can determine the difference between flattening and grafting in the Rhinoceros 5 extension Grasshopper.

. B.1: RESEARCH FIELD Looking at precedents, designing a tessellated surface poses some constraints on the potential outcomes of your work. Whilst some have very practical uses and play interesting roles such as I.M.A.D.E’s dynamic Transformer sunshade petals, it seems that tessellated surfaces in current practice are predominantly used only for facades, and in the examples of the Iwamoto’s Voussoir Cloud and Skylar Tibbits Voltadom, for pavilion-like artistic installations. This is not to say that further exploration shouldn’t be done into the potential aspects for tessellation to be used as a form finding method for structure, but the resulting undulating surfaces would be expensive to install services into, for example if these types of parametric structures were used for residential construction. However, as this is purely theoretical exercise, I will try not to let the dismal prospects of my precedents daunt me. Exploring conceptually, tessellation poses an interesting facet to design. Intrinsically, tessellation

Fig. 17-19: Voussoir Cloud by IWAMOTOSCOTT

is the result of combining a number of individual components to create a whole. This allows for a varying amount of freedom. For example in the Voussoir Cloud each individual component was crafted differently in context, and some were simply omitted from the structure altogether. Comparing this example to Decoi’s HypoSurface where each individual component of the tessellation was identical shows that there is a spectrum of individuality that can be played with within the design.

In fabricating a tessellated surface, we are essentially creating a multitude of connected smaller parts. Dependent on the desired effect, the material(s) of each component should be aesthetically pleasing and mass-producible. Materials should be strong enough to support its own tensile or compressive strength and must be able to withstand stress-connections at points of joinery.

Fig. 20-21: HYPOSURFACE by Decoi

Fig. 22-23: Transformer by I.M.A.D.E

Fig. 24-25: Voltadom by Skylar Tibbits

. B.2: CASE STUDY 1.0

- TRIANGULATED MESH FACE BOUNDARIES

- RAN KANGAROO

- MADE AREA AT BASE OF COLUMNS SMALL - MADE RESTING LENGTH OF SPRINGS SMALLER, THEREFORE TIGHTER

- MADE AREA AT BASE OF COLUMNS LARGER

- OFFSET MESH BOUNDARIES - MESHED OFFSETS

- RAN KANGAROO

- MADE AREA AT BASE OF COLUMNS SMALL - MADE RESTING LENGTH OF SPRINGS SMALLER, THEREFORE TIGHTER

- MADE AREA AT BASE OF COLUMNS LARGER

- CREATED HORIZONTAL CON- RAN KANGAROO TOURS THROUGH GEOMETRY -OFFSET CONTOURS AND LOFTED

- MADE AREA AT BASE OF COLUMNS SMALL - MADE RESTING LENGTH OF SPRINGS SMALLER, THEREFORE TIGHTER

- MADE AREA AT BASE OF COLUMNS LARGER

- CREATED POLYGONAL FACES FOR MESH - RAN CULL PATTERN THAT ONLY KEPT EVERY FOURTH FACE

- OFFSET FACE BOUNDARY - PROJECTED BOUNDARIES ONTO XY PLANE - LOFTED BETWEEN OFFSET AND PROJECTION

SPECIES I

CONTROL

voussoir cloud iterations

MISC SPECIES

- CREATED SPHERES AT EACH VERTEX - CREATED CIRCLES ALONG EACH FACE BOUNDARY - LOFTED BETWEEN CIRCLES

SPECIES III

- DIVIDED MESH BOUNDARY CURVES INTO POINTS -RAN OCTREE COMPONENT

- RAN KANGAROO COMPONENT - BAKED RESULTING OCTREE SHAPES

- CHANGED 3 VAULT BOTTOMS TO ONE - MOVED POINT TO BE ABOVE GEOMETRY

- DIVIDED APEX INTO THREE ACUTE POINTS - MESHED FACES

- DIVIDED APEX INTO 3 OBTUSE POINTS -MESHED FACES

- SET LOW RESTING POINT ON SINGLE APEX SHAPE

- MADE RESTING LENGTH ABOVE - CREATED MORE MESHES ONE - ANCHORED ONLY A FEW POINTS - APPLIED FORCE ON THE Y AXIS AT BASE CIRCLE

SPECIES IV

- RE-SHAPED DEFINITION

SPECIES V

- SET RESTING POINT AS LARGER - MADE CIRCLE AT APEX MUCH THAN 1 LARGER THAN CIRCLE AT BASE - CIRCLE AT TOP HAS TINY RADIUS - APPLIED NEGATIVE FORCE ON Z AXIS

- APPLIED FORCE FROM THE Y AXIS

- CHANGED APEX TO CIRCULAR SHAPE WITH SMALL RADIUS

- EXPERMENTED WITH RELEASING SPECIFIC ANCHOR POINTS

. B.2: CASE STUDY 1.0 renders

. B.3: CASE STUDY 2.0 Achim Mengesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; 2010 Research Pavilion with the Institute of Computational Design (ICD) and Institute of Building Structures and Structural Design (ITKE) was a project which set out to test the potential of a material that is generally not used for structure. The Pavilion is comprised of 6.5mm strips of timber. Each strip is bent into an arch, and then bent furthermore in three different places, with notches cut into the strip so that it each strip can slot into the next strip until a full circular structure is obtained. The idea being that these bends, whilst

structurally weak on their own, undertake a strong composition once interlocked with its neighbours. The structure shows success like a lot of the Achim Menges and a lot of the Serpentine pavilions show success; they are excellent examples of experimenting with pavilion architecture, and only pavilion architecture. Projects like this are exciting and excellent, but so far parametricism falls short of being installed into mainstream architecture at a level greater than facades, shad-

ing screens or temporary installations. Perhaps I’m too cynical in the same way, and I use this, example again, that his contemporaries may have critiqued Bruno Taut’s Glass Pavilion (1914) saying that it was just experimental garbage without having the bravery to take his ideas and see where they could excel, such as in high-rise buildings. Perhaps the potential strength of this sort of parametric design lies in megastructures, or maybe shelters for societies who, unlike ours, don’t have to have their houses coated in

Damp-Proof Membrane or have the inside of their double glazed windows coated in Low-E.

Despite my cynicism, I think it’s exciting being able to witness these explorative forms of spatial design, and I think that the pavilion of 2010 generates some very interesting formal concepts in that regard.

Fig. 26: 2010 ICD/ITKE Research Pavilion by Achim Menges

. B.3: CASE STUDY 2.0 stages

i BEGIN WITH A CIRCLE - ON THE XY PLANE, CENTERED AT 0,0

ii OFFSET TWO CIRCLES - ELIMINATE EVERY SECOND SEG MENT OF THE ARC - CREATE A NEW ARC WHERE THE SEGMENT WAS, THAT BEGINS AT THE PREVIOUS SEGMENT AND ENDS AT THE NEXT SEGMENT - THE ARC’S CURVE IS DICTATED BY THE VECTOR OF THE PRECEDING SEGMENT -JOIN THE SEGMENTS BACK TOGETHER SO THEY FORM ONE ARC AGAIN

v FRACTURE ARCS - BREAK ARCS INTO 6 STRAIGHT SEGMENTS

vi CREATE BENDS - ELIMINATE EVERY SECOND SEG MENT OF THE ARC - CREATE A NEW ARC WHERE THE SEGMENT WAS, THAT BEGINS AT THE PREVIOUS SEGMENT AND ENDS AT THE NEXT SEGMENT - THE ARC’S CURVE IS DICTATED BY THE VECTOR OF THE PRECEDING SEGMENT -JOIN THE SEGMENTS BACK TOGETHER SO THEY FORM ONE ARC AGAIN

iii CREATE ARCS - CREATE AN EVEN AMOUNT OF POINTS ON ALL THREE CIRCLES - GENERATE ARCS THROUGH A POINT IN EACH CIRCLE

iv SEPARATE ARCS - TAKE EVERY SECOND ONE TO WORK ON - LEAVE THE REST FOR LATER

vii ARRAY AND LOFT - RADIALLY ARRAY YOUR SEGMENTS AROUND THE CENTER, THE ANGLE OF YOUR ARRAY WILL DETERMINE HOW THICK YOUR “STRIPS” ARE - CREATE A SURFACE BETWEEN THE ARRAYED CURVE AND THE ORIGINAL ARCS

viii REPEAT AND INVERT - APPLY THE SAME PROCESS TO THE ARCS WE PUT AWAY BEFORE, EXCEPT INVERT THE BENDS SO THAT WHERE ORIGINALLY WE MADE THE FIRST SEGMENT OF THE ARC CURVED, INSTEAD THE SECOND SEGMENTS WILL BE CURVED

. B.3: CASE STUDY 2.0 renders My reconstruction of Achim Menges was relatively successful in that appears aesthetically similar to the pavilion.

The similarities include: • the circular form • the interlocking strips • the bends in those strips • the opening on one side

The crucial differences are: • the algorithmic lack of physically testable bending • the wavering points of interlocking (these were utilised in the original design to provide lateral strength) • the differences in height as a result of this • the inset of the stem so that it is lower than the height of the outer perimetre

Overall, considering the difficulty of reverse engineering the project I think my definition was relatively successful, even though there left much to be desired at the prospect of applying physics to the model. If I were to take my algorithm further I would potentially incorporate physical simulations, or maybe look out how I could utilise these strips into creating different form.

SPECIES I

. B.4: TECHNIQUE: DEVELOPMENT

- DIVIDE MESH SURFACE INTO MANY POINTS - PROPEL LINE OUT OF POINTS

- DELAUNEY MESH - PIPE THE RESULTING CURVES

- LUNCHBOX - CHANGE GEOMETRY

- LUNCHBOX - INCREASE THICKNESS OF MESH

- LUNCHBOX SMOOTH OVER MESH

SPECIES II

- FLATTEN GEOMETRY

- EXTEND LENGTH OF GEOMETRY’S ORIGINAL STRIPS - SELECT ONLY 4

- CULL PATTERN CURVES - EVERY FIRST CURVE ANGLES DOWNWARD - EVERY SECOND CURVE ANGLES UPWARD

- EXTRUDE GEOMETRY’S ORIGINAL STRIPS - SELECT ONLY 4

- FLATTEN GEOMETRY - CURVES CLOSER TO POINT ARE LONGER

- EXTRUDE GEOMETRY’S ORIGINAL STRIPS BY HUGE AMOUNT

- FLATTEN GEOMETRY - CURVES CLOSER TO POINT ARE LONGER

- SHIFT ARCS ACROSS GEOMETRY - POLAR ARRAY ARCS SO EACH HAS A ‘BUDDY’ - LOFT BETWEEN

SPECIES III SPECIES IV

- USE STRIPS IN 3D POINT CHARGE FIELD

- USE STRIPS IN 3D POINT CHARGE FIELD x2

- USE STRIPS IN 2D POINT CHARGE FIELD - RAISE POINTS - APPLY SPIN FORCE AROUND POINTS

- APPLY SPIN FORCE AROUND POINTS - APPLY SPIN FORCE AROUND POINTS IN OPPOSITE DIRECTION

- MAKE ORIGINAL ARC GEOMETRY INTO FRACTAL PATTERN

- SCALE UP BY 1000

- INCREASE WIDTH OF STRIP GEOMETRY

- MAKE POINT CHARGE FIELD 2D - APPLY GEOMETRY TO POINTS

- MAKE SPUN STRIPS VERY WIDE - TRIM THEM UPON REACHING XY PLANE

- NEW GEOMETRY IN FRACTAL PATTERN

- MAKE POINT CHARGE FIELD 2D - APPLY STRIPS TO LINEWORK

- MAKE SPUN STRIPS VERY WIDE - TRIM THEM UPON REACHING 3D REGION

- APPLY STRIP OFFSET

SPECIES VII SPECIES V 40

- GRADIENT DESCENT ON ORIGINAL GEOMETRY SURFACE

-CONVERT FRAGMENTS OF ORIGINAL ARC INTO LARGE PIPE -DIVIDE END OF PIPE INTO POINTS - DRAW LINES BETWEEN DIVIDED POINTS

- CHANGE GEOMETRY TO ACHIEVE DIFFERENT LENGTHS OF DESCENT

- USING FEWER SEGMENTS - REDUCE PIPE WIDTH

- CHANGE GEOMETRY TO ACHIEVE DIFFERENT LENGTHS OF DESCENT

- USING FEWER SEGMENTS - INCREASE PIPE WIDTH

SPECIES VII

- LOFT BETWEEN DRAWN LINES

- SHIFT ORIGINAL STRIPS - MAKE THINNER - SHIFT ORIGINAL GEOMETRY

- SHIFT ORIGINAL STRIPS - MAKE THINNER - SHIFT ORIGINAL GEOMETRY - MIRROR

- SHIFT ORIGINAL STRIPS - MAKE THINNER - SHIFT ORIGINAL GEOMETRY - FORGET TO FLATTEN DATUM

- CREATE PENTAGONAL POINTS AROUND GEOMETRY - DRAW LINES FROM POINTS TO DIVIDED LINES

SPECIES VI - DIVIDE ORIGINAL ARCS INTO POINTS - DRAW LINE FROM POINT PERPENDICULAR TO ARC - INCREASE LENGTH OF LINE FURTHER IT IS FROM CENTER

- LENGTH OF LINE AT 1 - MOVE LINE ON Z AXIS - LOFT BETWEEN TWO LINES

- POPULATE ORIGINAL CIRCLE GEOMETRY WITH RANDOM POINTS - DISTANCE TO CLOSEST POINT DICTATES HEIGHT OF LOFT

- ROTATE LOFTS - DISTANCE TO CLOSEST POINT DICTATES ROTATION ANGLE

- MAKE CENTERPOINT OF THE TOP OF EACH LOFT SPHERE - DISTANCE TO CENTER OF CIRCLE DICTATES SIZE OF SPHERE

. B . 4 : I T E R AT I O N R E N D E R S

This iteration intrigued me because of the form that it took. It seemed very solid - like Frank Lloyd Wright’s ‘mushroom columns’ in the Johnson and Son Administration Building (1939). It looks like you could take this form, create a cast for it and set it with concrete to instantly create a shelter, shade, support for a larger structure. Fabricating this object however, would therefore require formworking or 3D printing - both of these methods not practical at the scale which it would require.

This iteration reminded my of Herzog de Meuron’s Beijing National Stadium a little bit, but I chose it because of its seeming ability to be made out of strips of wood. After conceiving of the idea for my Prototype 2 I wanted to manufacture an iteration whose fabrication would parallel the connection joints used there.

This render shows long, wide strips that create a seemingly rigid yet wavy form. I liked to think that fabricating this you would use hard felt pinned down, or another sturdy-yet-malleable material.

In a similar vein to the selection of the iteration opposite the page, I chose this because it seemed like you would be able to find a material that would be able to be woven into forms that resembled these. I also like the idea of creating these â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;hivesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; to define little segments in a space.

. B.5+B.6: PROTOTYPES

M AT E R I A L T E S T I N G

1mm steel rod

3mm plywood

3mm mdf

results Overall, steel rods were lightweight, easily malleable, and very strong. The properties of this material meant that it was able to be put under surprisingly high amounts of pressure and still function as intended. It would bounce back from being curved without holding on to much of a residual arc, and therefore was a very versatile material in that regard. The 3mm plywood sheets disappointingly under-performed. They bent nicely but were not strong enough to hold their shape for very long, and broke easily as the sheets were quite brittle. In the end they could reach the same level of curvature as the MDF, but could not sustain that curve for longer than few seconds without shattering. The fallibility of this material may have been due to the low quality of the ply, as a higher quality ply should theoretically out-perform the fibreboard. Therefore, the 3mm MDF was chosen for the task of making the wooden strips. It had a better strength ratio that the plywood, and whilst it still snapped at around the same curvature as the ply, its strength up until that point was satisfactory for my purpose. MDF held a small residual curve post-bending, and would be subsequently weaker if bent in the other direction.

PROTOTYPE 1.0 BUILDING THE PROTOTYPE Prototype 1 was my first look at creating a single unit and seeing how it performed when acted on by several forces from many different angles. The idea was conceived when I tried to imagine a joining element/connecter that could house the most units. The shape that I came up with was chosen as it was more elaborate than just a sphere, yet still simplistic. The steel rods were used as they were sturdy enough to apply strength against one another without breaking, and malleable enough to achieve curvature between the unit and the base.

The structure was easy to assemble with simplistic connection joints, and after testing was found to be surprisingly strong considering the small scale at which it was built. This prototype only had one connecting unit, but the design that could be built around this idea would have may, many more, arranged in such a way that their forces would interact upon each other, creating unique curvature as the steel rods bent under the forces created by their locations.

C O N C E P T As a potential generative impetus for this work, I wanted to utilise the spatial coordinates of stars in dictating where the joining components in this structure would be positioned. To determine this, I chose a constellation in the centre of Melbourneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s night sky at around 9pm and recorded the brightness of each star. I then used this brightness to determine the proximity of that star to earth, and therefore could map a three-dimensional reference of where these stars were located. I would then import these points into an algorithm and use that as the basis for where the joining components would sit. Constructing these joining elements out of a glowing or somehow luminous material would be critical to this concept. The ultimate goal of this prototype would be to give users the feeling that they were standing amongst the stars at night.

Although whilst this is a neat-o reference to astronomy, I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t think this astral connection holds much depth or meaning beyond that.

S I T E In thinking about how this prototype could be applied to the site, I imagined that it could be utilised to create form that, at various scales, could be used both as shelter, benches, bike racks, or as an alternative to a light post. I envisioned that the units would be fabricated out of a translucent material, which would then house lighting which would attract users at night. If I chose my clients to be possums, then this structure would be easily able to interact with them as they could climb up and into the thicket of intertwining rods.

PROTOTYPE 2.0

BUILDING THE POTOTYPE Similar to the 2010 Achim Menges Pavilion, Prototype 2 was designed to create form by bending multiple strips of wood, and experimenting with the structural capabilities of these forms. The strips are standardised lengths of wood and the connectors are laser cut pieces of mdf. After testing the applied bending strengths of two materials, MDF and plywood, I found that MDF provided the strength that through bending would allow the material to find its curve at which it was strongest. I feel this prototype was the least experimental or exciting, as the generated form is pretty easy to estimate based on the nature of the material. I do however, think that the concept of bending strips of wood in this manner could be expanded on exponentially to create some actually exciting forms, be it a type of tunnel, archway, or a 2010 ICD/ITKE Achim Menges Research Pavilion.

S I T E In applying this to the site, it is hard to imagine that this prototype wouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be utilised to span over some walkway or seating area. Trying to break from this mould could be interesting, however. You could identify this span to be able to span the river, allowing possums (yet again as the potential client) another opportunity to cross without fear of being hit by traffic. You could invert the structure to form some hanging grid which might act as a bridge. You could change the straight frame in which the strips are housed to any shape to change the overall geometry of the structure. Because this prototype is so basic it lends itself to being able to manipulated easily, a strength which I think would necessarily be employed if I was to take it further.

PROTOTYPE 3.0 BUILDING THE PROTOTYPE After the relatively simple joinery used in Prototype 2, I wanted to create a joining component that was slightly more complex to achieve a form that was slightly more complex. For Prototype 3 I changed the joining component to slits in a hexagonal shape, which allowed me to change the direction of the strips and subsequently the location of their receiving connectors. The resulting four sided polyhedron, self-contained in tension, would be able to act as a single unit in a theoretical infinite structure. The connections make extrapolation easy, and one can easily foresee a structure or serpentine-like pavilion being able to be built out of thousands of these units. The strength of each unit is determined by the relationship between the length and width of the strips you use, as they are forced to brace against each other. Wider-than-longer strips would be more rigid and hold more tension when bent, whereas Longer-than-wider strips will bend easily and not hold much tensile strength. I determined the length and width of the strips in this prototype was intuitively somewhere in the middle.

S I T E Applying this prototype to Merri Creek is again, something that can be expected as a default. You can easily imagine large “clunky” structures formed out of these single units creating light shelters or benches (though to take any force from above, the unit would have to be made out of a stronger material). Compared to the other prototypes, the potential for its exploration seems hindered in its potential to create unexpected form. I feel as though the possum, as our client, would not be too dissatisfied with the form. Structures built out of these units would be climbable and traversable, and such you could again imagine a bridge or a hanging “cloud” of this unit repeated amongst the treetops.

PROTOTYPE CONCLUSIONS Of the three prototypes all of them, though at varying degrees, could be expanded on and explored further.

Prototype 1 has its appeal in being able to create exciting and dramatic lines to dictate space, whilst also being the strongest prototype of the three. It is also the only prototype which I have conceived of a potential conceptual idea for. Its drawbacks though, are that it may be overly-simplistic in its joinery. Apart from 3D printing the connecting unit, you couldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t really digitally fabricate any other part of the structure, as it is essentially just steel rods cut to different shapes and jammed into holes. Prototype 2 has the most potential for exploration, in my opinion. As you can manipulate the housing of the strips very easily, you could theoretically build any curvature that you would like from it, and then just secure it all with the small joining components. The joining component could

even be manipulated so that you had to twist the strips to create even more complex shapes. Prototype 3 has the best base geometry, and is the most complex out of the three. It was the most exciting form to create because of this, and further exploration of this prototype would be to see how many other forms you could make out of the joining component and strips, or even create more complex joining components and see which forms they could create. For the project as a whole, however, it does seem the most dead-end-ish in that any structure made out of this theory would just be a chunky 8-bit installation with this unit as the pixel. I would write about which prototype was the most successful and which I would be determined to pursue further, but Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m not wholly convinced on one. All have their merits and drawbacks, and the potential for exploration on each part to become a more intricate, successful design, which makes choosing just one difficult.

. LEARNING OUTCOMES In Part B I have gained a fundamental understand ing of how algorithmic processes are used to achieve and discover aesthetic goals and design solutions. Using Grasshopper has allowed me to discover techniques of form finding that I could not have previously conceived, and allowed me to watch as a design can evolve from start to finish. By witnessing and deconstructing each stage in an algorithm I believe that you can formally explore new and exciting shapes, and learning that being able to so easily capture each iteration of the design process as a tool that also influences future designs, rather than a mere recording of progress.

Despite my algorithmic exercises and prototypes still being detached, in that I have not been able to accurately design an algorithm which behaved exactly the same as my physical prototype, the process of prototyping and creating real, physical models was immensely rewarding for my learning. I was continuously pleasantly surprised by the behaviours of my finished prototypes, and I believe this helped me to be optimistic about the ease and feasibility of practical designs. The next stage of this course will be learning how to take outside, real world parametres and learning how to integrate those within an algorithm to achieve real-world results. I am excited to work with my team to be able to discover algorithmic solutions to our conceptual problems, to create physical prototypes based on these algorithmic discoveries, and to conceive, realistically, of actual solutions to our design intent.

. PART C :

PROGRESSION During the early phases of designing with my group in Part C, I have come to achieve a level of hindsight for my Part B work. I have discovered that whilst my prototypes were the strongest part of my work, my concepts were weak and boring. The feedback I got from my Interim presentation alluded to these points, as because I had no purpose to back up my work the prototypes were shallow and empty. For my own future progression I need stronger impetus behind my form, else it is meaningless.

This hindsight has allowed me to be ultra-critical of the strengths and weaknesses of my own work, and has pushed me further to take inspiration from the strengths of my teammates and tutors.

THE TEAM LOUISE LEUNG • Render Development • Site analysis • Conceptual Development • Prototype Construction

In her Part B Louise showed a strong aptitude for rendering and thinking practically about how the clients in her site would influence her work. In our group she was given the task of producing the main ‘hero’ renders to display our concept through our form.

ADAM FAN • Conceptual Development • Collage Artist • Photographer • Prototype Construction

Adam has the ability to approach any topic from a very poetic perspective. His work prior to joining the group reflected this. As a result, Adam’s main task was concept development. He was the driving force behind our main idea that all the other work would follow.

62 AIDEN CUI* • Computational Development • Prototype Construction

In his previous work, Aiden displayed an excellent understanding of intricate computational algorithms, and was given the task of using this ability in the group work. However, Aiden was eventually unnable to collaborate with the team, and decided to pursue his own ideas four days before the final class presentation.

MYSELF • Fabrication • Computational Development • Conceptual Development • Prototype Conception

As my prototypes were the strongest part of my Part B submission, my task on the team was to prototype and digitally fabricate the concepts that were delivered. As Aiden left the team early, however, I also took up the role of computational design and writing the algorithm for our final form.

A sample of Louise Leung’s work from her Part B

A sample of Adam Fan’s work from his Part B63

A sample of Aiden Cui’s computational work

A sample of my own work from Part B

. C . 1 + C . 2 : E X P LO RAT I O N B

Our concept began as a commentary on humanityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s filthy and perverted relationship with nature. As a team we viewed Merri Creek as a sad condition, a dominated piece of pseudo-nature that was continuously being choked and bound by the urban environment that was continually evolving as a toxic scourge around it. As a group we explored this idea through a dark analogy of sexual bondage in a master dominating slave relationship, where mankind derived pleasure in taking advantage of the nature around Merri Creek, and pleasure from itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s pain as it is suffocated. Our image and tectonic was therefore to be dark, sadistic, and malicious. Our commentary on this

relationship was to achieve a sense of that gripping fear of being bound, but utmostly there always had to be a certain evil manifestation of delight that accompanied these ideas. We explored several extensions of this concept through thoughtmapping and through experimenting physically with materials in an attempt to achieve a form which truly captured both anger and pleasure.

This section will show these explorations, both conceptually and materialistically, and the next section will show the development of the concept we finally arrived at.

RIGHT: Our initial concept poster. Curated by Adam Fan with writing from myself BELOW: defining the urban aesthetic. Render by Louise Leung

MANIPULATING SOLIDS

CONCEPTUAL PROGRESSION

HEX MES

MESH/ MEMBRANE

BALLOON + MESH

BONDAGE RIGID FRAMES + STRING

INTERROGATING MATERIAL PERFORMANCE

INTERROGATING FORM

XAGONAL SH

SWARM BEHAVIOUR CLAW FORM

L-SYSTEM

INTERROGATING COMPUTATION

FINAL PRODUCT

BALLOONS + MESH

The concept of bondage primarily lead us to look into physically bounding bodies, putting them under stress by imposing intricate contortions to resolve complex geometry. This process was in an attempt to recreate the phenomena of the change of opacity in a membrane as it is expanded and contracted, just as human skin does when similar forces are applied to it.

68 Initial results from this prototype showed that we could manipulate both stocking material and balloons to give us our desired change in opacity. Balloons were particularly interesting as the material always wants to return to its initial state, which is a very poetic sort of relationship with this techtonic that really coincided with our narrative. The mesh also achieved this difference in shade, though not as well. Working with the stocking mesh was interesting because you could be so rough, and really destroy it. Whereas with the balloon you could bend it into any shape and afterwards it would return to its normal form, unscathed, the stockings

were the total opposite. Anything ruinous that happens to a stocking is immediately noticeable, as I’m sure anyone who’s worn them would know. The stocking had this cool effect once it was torn that looked very grunge and punk, so that was exciting. Constantly on our minds throughout this process however, was that if we chose to go ahead with these materials, how would we apply it at a scale of 1:1? Mesh didn’t seem too far-fetched, as you could feasibly manufacture a thicker, woven, stocking-like material. The appeal of forms that we created with the mesh didn’t overpower the feasibility of acquiring this material however, so we decided not to pursue using this any further. Balloons proved to be more difficult. We were unable to source anything online that was big enough to justify it as usable in our site. So, whilst we really liked the brutal ways in which you could contort this inflation, we were conscious that we had to be at least semi-reasonable with our budget allowance, and so we shied away from using balloons to achieve bondage at this point.

RIGHT: Group prototypes exploring materiality. Constructed by the whole group; photography by Adam Fan

FRAME PROTOTYPE The initial conception of this idea was to hang many strings or a mesh underneath the bridge, and then have these rigid frames to constrain and contort the form of the strings, as a relationship between the soft and the stiff. As a head-nod toward the site, I had the idea of making the angle of these frames directly the from the angle of cyclists, as at the time they were our main client. Our idea was that we would create a space where cyclists would, at speed, experience the space very quickly. By changing the heights of the cables connecting the frames, we would make large spaces that would converge into smaller spaces, which would make cyclists either instinctively duck, or try to veer cautiously through these choke points. We liked the metaphoric reversal here, where it was now the humans who

Frame prototype; Constructed by the whole group and photographed by Adam Fan

were being imposed upon by their surroundings. It was very interesting creating a linear space with all of these frames, and the dynamic spaces you could create with the frames flowed in an undulating way - this experience was exaggerated the faster you â&#x20AC;&#x153;passedâ&#x20AC;? through the site. The product was also a lot stronger than I had anticipated, which was again a satisfying surprise. Destroying the frame yielded some particularly interesting aesthetics and added some potential for more narrative; such as the further destruction of human creation, or a replication of the scene from Jurassic Park where the T-Rex escapes its cage. You can choose which.

This prototype was a very interesting experiment for me personally, and helped me understand the complexities of creating spatially linear narratives. Aesthetically the structure looked okay, but I couldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t help but feel (and this came out from the feedback as well) that we had simply just built an over-engineered fence. The project was labelled as â&#x20AC;&#x153;civicâ&#x20AC;? and so we ditched it almost immediately. The idea of having frames in our future projects

became very unattractive as, even though it was their purpose, we ended up not liking the tectonic of rigid forms constricting string in this way.

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: diagram with data derived from Cyclists; Photographs from Adam Fan; Render from Louise Leung

STRUNG BRIDGE Moving on from rigid frames, we attempted to create a form where the string itself was the entire system of contortion. Our objective here was to explore the various forms we could achieve with just the one material strung from different anchor points. Overall the structure we prototyped was boring. It created a semi-interesting ribcage-like structure, but overall the resolution of this type of structure seemed to lend itself to our frame prototype. The most interesting thing we did

was this process was destroying the structure. Using two hands to take forceful control of the lines and put stresses onto them, but again, it wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t really provocative enough to continue. This prototyped helped us to refine what thought really provoked the emotional and nasty side of bondage which we had hoped for. Moving on we sought forms that we thought had potential to be more exciting, or to really impose on an individual, be it literally or emotionally.

SOIL MESH

This prototype was our attempt at literally taking a body and blatantly tying it up. We used soil inside the mesh because we wanted the message that this was a filthy, grungy process to come across. We hung the body from several anchor points, contorted them into various shapes and then lacerated the mesh constraining them. The process was brutal and pretty evocative in itself.

The interesting factors of this prototype were that, similar to the phenomena where humans try to see faces in things, or deduce objects from the shapes

of clouds, we found ourselves attributing objects to the ambiguous, contorted shapes that resulted from each binding. The shapes became sausages, fingers, shit, and at one point, a human in a body bag. I am glad we did this prototype, as it was one of the ones that came closest to the brutality that we wanted to achieve from the concept. Though we liked this idea, this prototyped seem to promise that it would become more of an artistic installation rather than a space that you could get in and around, which we found unattractive.

HEXAGONAL MESH The idea for this prototype derived directly from the phenomena of skin changing opacity when pressed. We wanted to achieve a similar event when the hexagons overlapped and intertwined with each other, hence the reason behind using polypropylene as itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a translucent material. The small prototype we constructed was structurally sound when it held, which, due to the nature

of the material, was not very often. We would need considerably more thought to be able to create a proper shell-like structure as shown in the sketch, and even with that, we felt that the desired result wouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t transmit our concept boldly enough.

LEFT: Sketches of first conception of prototypes RIGHT: Built prototypes. Constructed by group; Photographs by Adam Fan and Aiden Cui

Fig. 27: Starling murmuration patterns over the praries

SWARM Swarms are traditionally a place of panic. Associated with bees, biblical plagues, and chaos, when youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re inside a swarm you are disoriented and buffeted. Though you may be in large space, a swarm invades any metaphorical sense of a personal bubble that you have. It seems to permeate through you and begins to suffocate you.

We chose to progress towards this idea of a swarm because being immersed in one allows you to access these feelings of constraint and unknowing chaos. Our objective was to create a tectonic which could be experienced first hand, which would include you, force itself upon you, and totally encompass you and overwhelm you.

USING GRASSHOPPER TO ACH (AN OBJECT THAT ACTS LIKE WOULD MOVE ABOUT IN RELAT OR GUIDELINES WE GAVE IT. W ED A POINT CLOUD FROM IT. T FOUR FOLLOWING PROTOTYP PORTION OF WHAT COULD BE

HIEVE A SWARM FORM, WE LOOKED AT USING A BOID E A BIRD) ALGORITHM. THIS GAVE US POINTS THAT TION TO EACH OTHER, OBEYING THE CERTAIN RULES WE TOOK A FROZEN IMAGE OF THIS FORM, AND CREATTHIS POINT CLOUD WAS THEN USED TO INFORM THE PES, WHICH ARE INTENDED TO REPRESENT A SMALL E MADE INTO A MUCH LARGER, ENCOMPASSING FORM

Data Showing computational Swarm behaviour; All Swarm algorithmic computation by Aiden Cui

GRID CLOUD A swarm is about experience many individual elements, seemingly suspended en masse all around you. Louise had the idea of creating a small, dark connecting component and joining it together with a transparent “invisible” material to achieve this idea. The idea of this prototype was to create a structure that would eventually resemble the point cloud that had been derived from Aiden’s algorithm. The density of the cloud would be determined by where the points were thickest, and they would slowly thin out as the “swarm” effect lessened.

Going into this exercise we already knew the sort of result that we would achieve, as Fujimoto had already worked with this sort of tectonic in his Serpentine Pavilion in 2013. Nevertheless we were still eager to see how we alone could achieve this theme of density and clouded chaos with this form.

The results from this prototype were unsurprising but still interesting. It became apparent that this tectonic didn’t really withhold a sense of brutality that would coincide with our very brutal concept, and so we didn’t have the urge to pursue this grid tectonic too much further.

Prototype constructed by group, photography by group; Diagrams drawn by myself.

WAFFLE FORM To create globulus, structural form, I initially thought back to when I visited the Metropol Parasol (featured on page 12) in Seville, Spain. They were able to achieve such organic shape easily by utilising a simple waffle-plating tectonic. I knew it would be strong enough to be suspended, and that it would also allow us to achieve a sense of density. We chose to use transparent perspex to get this clouded effect, which we further etched into the surface a pattern to refract light in an interesting manner. The product was an understandably rigid structure that had the organic curves that we wanted, and would be able to be feasibly constructed

at a larger scale to span above a space. The light play that could be obtained from shining a torch through the object was particularly interesting, and easily the strongest point of the prototype.

Despite these aspects, there was definitely a limit as to how far you could push a structure like this. It did achieve the criteria, but the tectonic wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t really able to be explored further, and therefore it just remained an entirely unoriginal and unstimulating piece of work. The novelty wore off fairly quickly, so to speak.

ABOVE: Prototype constructed by myself; Photography by Louise Leung and Adam Fan; BELOW: Lasercuting file compiled by myself

CABLE TIE FORM Interpreting the swarm form as a large, bulbous cloud, we set out to find ways of achieving this form through different media. We had seen pictures of an entire pavilion built out of cable ties come out of Bristol in the UK, and were keen to see how we could take this simple mechanic and utilise it to suit our own criteria. Adam put together this prototype with the intent that it would be a relatively uniform cylindrical shape made from ties, which he would then use more ties to contort and shape it to make a representation of what the cloud could look like.

The prototypes most compelling feature was the sort of unnatural, strangely portioned limbs that could be produced. Similar to the solids we had worked with before, the cable ties assumed forms that seemed pseudo organic and kind of alien. The structure was semi-rigid, and incredibly offensive to touch, as the plastic was very sharp after being cut.

The limits to this prototype were that its complexity could be almost entirely manifest in such a small trial run. We bought more cable ties but realised that they werenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t necessary, as any extension of this form would just be it recreating the same effect over and over. As a group we liked the limb-like structures that could be produced, but decided against pursuing this any further as it was tedious and overly simplistic.

Cable Tie prototype constructed by Adam Fan; Photography by Adam Fan

MERGING THE ORGANIC WITH THE ARTIFICAL When working on projects I find that it is often good to step back with some of your products and play with them. We began to merge some of our ideas together to see if we could create anything interesting. Merging, here, what we would define as an organic shape clashing and disrupting the rigid form of the grid. The exercise was compelling and the imagery that resulted from it is quite compelling, as you have this quite evident chaotic relationship between the two mediums. Though this process was useful to an extent, comparing these products back to the

brief became a nightmare. These prototypes were too complicated and became clunky and inelegant. At this point in the project we decided that our prototypes for the idea of a swarm cloud had not met our requirement of a form that really constricted the perceiverâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ego when experiencing the site. The tectonics, as interesting as they were, were not as brutal or imposing as we had hoped, and therefore all aspects of these trials seemed somewhat lacking, and hence, we needed to pursue a different strategy.

ON LEFT: Prototype constructed by group; Photography by Louise Leung and Adam Fan; ABOVE: Prototype construction and Photography by Aiden Cui

GRIP The intensity of gripping something tightly, squeezing, contorting. The panic of being caught in an unyielding grasp, the fear of losing control.

These were the ideas that we were after, and throughout all of our exploration we felt we still hadnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t satisfied that sense of brutality, of perversion and invasion. As a group we decided to computationally create a form that gripped and entangled itself around a body. We would then apply this to the cycling track under the bridge to create a very atmospheric experience, where one would feel they were being encroached upon, and bound to the site. The intention of progressing onto this idea of a clutching site was to create a chaotic form with a simple, elegant tectonic. The materials we would use to build this structure would be innocent in themselves, and the grunge and perversion of our theme would come through purely from the form itself. Photography

Adam

Fan

and

myself

L- S Y S T E M The formal idea of an L-System algorithm is to mimic moments of data recursion, and is therefore often analogous to a tree, or a branching system. As a group we were drawn to this idea because, like vines tightening around a boulder, we wanted to achieve an entanglement. Algorithmically I came up with a form that would achieve this, and controlled it using various mechanical rules. This technique was able to deliver us a computer-generated principal form which we could manipulate until it was at a stage where we could realistically construct it in the real world.

The form that we generated looked intimidating, and chaotic, it snaked around the pathway and formed a grip that can be felt; particularly as youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re within it, demonstrated by the atmospheric renders produced by my colleagues. This form satisfied our own requirements for a contorting, twisting, binding feel, and so we chose this to be our final concept and form.

Render by Adam Fan

THE ALGORITHM Begin by creating a solitary curve

THIS PROCESS TO RECUR

Remove all invalid data points and duplicate data from previous recursion

Create the boundary shape that will contain the form

Find start points of curve, and check if they are inside of boundary. IF it DOES then let it branch. IF it DOES NOT then do not let it branch.

Create points of food that will influence branching

When branch goes hungry: Using each remaining individual curve, check to see if food is nearby. When branch is fed:

Diagram and renders illustrated by myself

The Boundary Mechanic

The Food Mechanic

No branches will spawn outside of the designated boundary area

If a branch is within a certain radius of food it will sprout two branches, if not, it will only sprout one

Produce a single vector that protrudes out of the end of the preceding curve at an angle of 30Â°

Create a curve along this vector. The length of the curve to match the preceding curve

Combine all new curves together

Produce two vectors that protrude out of the end of the preceding curve opposite each other, at an angle of 30Â°

Create a curve along these vectors. The length of the curves to match the preceding curve

Combine all new and old curves together

Achieve Final Form

SPECIES II

SPECIES I

L- S Y S T E M D E V E L O P M E N T

SPECIES IV

SPECIES II

BEGINING WITH BASIC, SEVERAL CURVED-GEOMETRY

GEOMETRY BRANCHING OUT OF THE ENDS OF ITSELF

EXTENDED AND SCALED DOWN WITH EACH RECURRING BRANCH

BEGINING WITH BASIC, SEVERAL CURVED-GEOMETRY

GEOMETRY BRANCHING OUT OF THE ENDS OF ITSELF

APPLIED FORCE TO Z-AXIS, FORCING BRANCH TO FAN IN ONE SPECIFIC DIRECTION

BEGINING WITH BASIC, SEVERAL CURVED-GEOMETRY

GEOMETRY BRANCHING OUT OF THE ENDS OF ITSELF VARIED ANGLE

BEGINING WITH BASIC, SEVERAL CURVED ARC GEOMETRY

GEOMETRY BRANCHING OUT OF THE ENDS OF ITSELF

Wireframe renders illustrated by myself

SCALED UP, EXPLORING HOW THIS CURVED GEOMETRY HAS THE CAPACITY TO SPAN OVER A PATH

SPECIES V

SINGLE CURVE GROWTH, NOW INFLUENCED BY BOUNDARY AND FOOD MECHANICS

RANDOM FOOD GENERATOR GIVEN DIFFERENT SEED TO SPUR GROWTH

95 1.5 RADIUES PIPES OVERLAYED ONTO BRANCHES

TRIANGULAR COMPONENTS OVERLAYED ONTO INTERSECTIONS TO SIMULATE THE FORM BEING CONSTRUCTED FROM A SOLE UNIFORM COMPONENT

SPECIES VI

1.0 RADIUES PIPES OVERLAYED ONTO BRANCHES

THE ALGORITHM WITHOUT ANY BOUNDARY GEOMETRY

CHANGING THE BOUNDARY GEOMETRY TO A CONE

ADJUSTED TO CATER TO WHOLE FORM

SPECIES VII SPECIES VIII

UTILISING GUIDE CURVE ALGORITHMIC MECHANIC FOLLOWING ARC GEOMETRY

EXTENDED

FOLLOWING SPIRAL GEOMETRY

BRANCHES DO NOT EXTEND TOO FAR FROM GUIDE CURVE

SPECIES IX

GUIDE CURVE REMINISCENT OF ORIGINAL FINAL FORM

Wireframe renders illustrated by myself

UNCONTROLLED BRANCHING

EXTENDED

EXTENDED HALF WAY

EXTENDED, CONTAINED WITHIN BOX

EXTENDED FULL LENGTH

The iterations on this page display the results of manipulating the final algorithm. In this algorithm, I implemented a guide curve mechanic. This mechanic worked by assigning a curve to be followed, and then the branches would specifically branch in the direction of that curve, therefore following it wherever.

I also created a mechanic where a branch would not regenerate if it was too far away from the trunk, and I also placed food along the trunk as a means of stopping excessive growth (as can be seen in iteration 3 of Species VII. This was a very valuable exercise as I was able to fully control the algorithm and directions of the branching. But I chose not to continue with this path as the final form looked incredibly similar to what we already had, and the algorithm wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t finding the form, it was just copying a form that was already present.

Render illustrated by Louise Leung

100

Render illustrated by Louise Leung

101

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CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: Construction; Intricate patterns when shining light through the prototype; An “eye-level” view through the form; Linework displaying the joining component and straws; Construction Photography by Adam Fan, Diagram illustrated by myself

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. C . 3 : F I N A L105

Beyond the prototyping stage, our theme of bondage evolved progressively as we thought about and discussed the ideas behind the theme more in depth with each other.

To us, bondage is about a master and slave relationship, a theme that is analogous to the relationship between humanity and nature. In this perverse topic of sexuality, the master dominates the slave in a very consensual fashion. The slave is in a state of pseudo-suppression, where they enjoy playing the role of the slave and being dominated.

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The reality of the situation, however, is that this relationship is a fantasy, and it is false.

The slave is always in control, and will never be killed or harmed passed a point of consent. In a way, through the use of “safewords” and the like, it is the slave who controls the “master”. Therein lies the true nature of humanity’s relationship with the natural environment: a state of pseudo-control over the elements around us. We may perceive that we are destroying nature, encroaching on it and overwhelming it, but nature is simply a narrative of the survival of the fittest. Therefore, the “natural” world, will always prevail; when humans have gone extinct; life will still prevail without us. It is the arrogance of man to believe that he is really in control when he is just being humoured by a far greater entity.

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Fig. 28: Nobuyoshi Arakiâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s provocative imagery defining bondage

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These collages, all composed by Adam Fan, each depict a seperate stage in our conceptual process. TOP: This first image represents nature as the dominant force over humanity, whilst humanityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s curiosity begins to permeate the fabric of its borders. This collage represents exploration. BOTTOM: This collage depicts a more organise, cohesive venture into the mystery, the pleasure derived from being at one with the natural environment. Here, Humanity and nature are at a balance with one-another.

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TOP: Human destruction. This piece depicts the calamity that coincides with human â&#x20AC;&#x153;progressâ&#x20AC;?, as depicted by the ruins of the industrial revolution in the back ground. These ruins are more subtle, as the focus of the space are the humans, and the green grass. BOTTOM: Provocative, this image is the final destination. Nature as the green and man as the bondage, the collage speaks of indulgence derived from constriction and domination; the pleasure derived from pain.

SPECIES II

SPECIES I

3D PRINTING CONCEPT MODEL

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TESSELATING SURFACE OF GENERAL FORM WITH HEXAGONS

PROBLEMS AT END OF LINES FIXED

MADE RUGGED, LESS TESSELATIONS

SMOOTHED OVER, MORE TESSELATIONS

DECIDING WHICH FUIDE CURVE BEST FIT OUR CONCEPT

STUNTED

STUNTED WITH EXTEND ENDS

STUNTED WITH FURTHER EXTENDED ENDS

PIPED AND TESSELATED

THIS WAS THE FINAL FORM WE DECIDED TO GET 3D PRINTED

Displaying our final form at a smaller scale proved to be difficult, as building it by hand was slow and inaccurate, and the form is too fragile to 3D print cleanly. As a result we moved to make a conceptual model, which showed the general form of the “gripping” motion. We progressed through several ways of tesselating the surface of this form, and arrived at a triangulated mesh covering which allowed us to create a nice texture upon the surface.

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We got the model printed with the ZCorp 3D printer as it was this type of printing that didn’t require any supports for the structure and therefore didn’t need to be cleaned up or polished after fabrication. This meant that the process was optimised and could be executed feasibly and easily. Photographs taken by myself; Prototypes constructed by Adam Fan and myself; Wireframe diagrams illustrated by myself

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Photographs taken by myself

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CONNECTORS The initial prototype connector attaching together the tubes that comprise the structure was very simplistic. It simply had to hold its rods at an angle of 30Â°, and bear the weight of the tubes themselves as they hung from it. This form followed function, and thus it was a very inelegant connector that was merely glued together, rather than having an intriguing tectonic. As a result of this, we set out to explore different ways that we could enrich this very important and potentially dramatic point of the structure.

114 Having visited Japan and witnessing first hand the craftsmanship that goes into the wooden joinery of some of the temples there, we considered utilising a simple but elegant tectonic of cutting slots and inserting tabs to hold the connector together. Laser cutting these shapes made fabrication incredibly quick and accurate. The result was a surprisingly strong shape that snapped together to hold its form. This joint also had the benefit of being able to be attached to the structure after all of the wiring had been done, which was incredibly helpful in the construction process.

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Photographs by Adam Fan and myself; Prototypes constructed by Adam Fan and myself; Diagrams illustrated by myself

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In pursuit of adding a deeper level of complexity to our connector through digital fabrication, we looked toward 3D printing a shape which would house the three protruding lights sturdily. The three arcs of this component allow this simple structure an immense amount of lateral strength. Their form was conceived by following the input direction from each fluorescent tube and merging it with its neighbour, thereby unifying the forces as they pushed together. The 3D print offers an interesting level of potential further development in this area. Future iterations of a 3D printed form should cover the central intersection as to not â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;weepâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; out any light, and should attempt to deal with the stress of the joint in a different, elegant way.

Photographs by Adam Fan; Prototypes constructed by Adam Fan and myself; Diagrams illustrated by myself

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Render illustrated by Adam Fan

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acrylic

Using fluorescent lights as the branches in our structure added an immense amount of atmosphere. As they grow older fluorescent lights visibly age, as judged by the amount of dust they hold on to. This notion of grit and filth seemed at a parallel with our concept, so we pushed to experiment different visual effects that we could use to alter the light in an immensely noticeable light, as the blemishes of this form take over from the pristine.

Artificial and reminiscent of an oil spill, our first texture test was with black acrylic paint. Splattering the paint on to the tube we found that this visual effect was very strong. Conceptually however, this technique did nothing to show actual age of the structure, as the paint would be applied when the installation is new. Despite this though, there is a very strong atmospheric vibe that resounds off of the image as a result of this effect.

earth

vine

Mud is a timeless archetype of filth, so naturally it was tested as a visual stimulus. The result was not the most catastrophically interesting, perhaps because of the consistency of the particular soil we used, but perhaps because it seemed to add the same visual effect as the acrylic but just with slightly less drama. We decided not to go ahead with this medium primarily because of this reason, but also because it lacked a solid basis in the realistic installation as well.

It was a sort of ironic choice for us to impose a plant that would writhe around a structure which was already writhing around the cycling path. The aesthetic of the vines wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t as good as the paint nor the earth, but the narrative was far stronger than either of its peers. A vine growing in and around the branches would be a very clear indicator of age, and would create an even more interesting conceptual relationship between the natural and the manmade. We decided not to go with this because of its limitations at the scale that we were working at, but I feel as though this would be a very viable choice for the structure at its intended real-world scale.

Prototypes created by Adam Fan and myself; Photographs by Adam Fan

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Render illustrated by Louise Leung

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Render illustrated by Adam Fan and myself

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Prototype constructed by group; Photography by Adam Fan

. LEARNING OUTCOMES Throughout this journey I have come to understand a great deal about computational design, the relationships between people who work together, how to properly utilise materials in construction and the design process itself. Following are my final thoughts, given in hindsight, on the production of mine and my groups work throughout this studio.

Before taking this class, the process of designing computer generated geometry always seemed somewhat out of reach to me. I knew it was a thing I would end up doing, but I never realised how. Throughout the design process of our project I have come to be very familiar with defining geometry with the use of an algorithm, and I now use these skills outside of the course to inform and generate my other work. I have come to have an appreciation of the process as a tool, just like the old pencil and compass, that I can utilise to help me achieve geometry that beforehand I was only able to imagine.

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Pragmatically, Part C has, more than any other group project, shown me the pleasure, the sense of camaraderie, and at times the struggles of working within a group. During our process, we (most of us) learnt to disown our egos for the sake of creating together, and I feel as though that was a pivotal turning point in the mentality that it takes to be a good designer. As a group we excelled through conceptual progression, bouncing ideas off one another to achieve concepts that none of us could have achieved in solitary. Ideological clashes were brought to the fore and discussed, and I feel like as a result of this everybody in our team grew as an individual throughout this process.

Material cohesion with design is another facet of this class which I had not worked with at the same realistic practicality that we were forced to in Studio Air. Obviously, when making design prototypes, materiality was immensely important. The concept of testing materials through breaking them and seeing how they acted under certain stresses became imperative to having a successful design. From understand how a 3D printing machine worked to optimise the efficiency of a print, to understanding how brittle a material such as perspex can be, to simple things like checking the

material thickness of a laser cut so that tabs would slide seamlessly into their slots. This studio, in my opinion, has brought my understanding of digitally working with materiality to a real-world, pragmatic standard, and helped move my prototypes from cut-offs in dadâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s shed to calculated tangible objects.

For any creator I feel the design process is something that you never really stop cultivating, as there are always new obstacles to tackle or a different client that has varying requirements. To me this studio taught me a lot about working in groups, but at this early stage in my design career, it also taught me the valuable lesson to stick with and idea, even if it doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t seem the best at the time of its conception. Throughout our project, we changed tact like wildfire. It always had the underlying tone of bondage, but the material idea changed immensely as the course progressed, which is seen in how varying our prototypes are. As a result of this, our final formal tectonic was perhaps more simple than I would have wanted and the connector joints and lighting effects not expanded upon enough. I feel as though the process should be regarded in the same way that my passion for design and architecture grew; that is you should take a small inkling toward a subject that you like, and work hard at it and evolve it into a subject that you love. I feel as though I eventually achieved this passion for our final form, but considering we only came up with the formal composition 5 days before the final presentation, to me, this begs for longevity of tectonic in future projects.

135 And that is all. I would like to thank the course creators of Studio Air; Brad for being a tutor who was inconceivably helpful in guiding our design choices and for bringing us back down to reality when our concept strayed too far into the stars; my group mates, Louise Leung and Adam Fan for their great work; my family for being understanding of the countless late nights and missed dinners; and my friends who are jets that inspired me to keep trying harder. And of course, to you, the reader, for following along with me on this project.

. : reference list Rogers, A, Yoon, B, & Malek, C 2008, ‘Beijing Olympic Stadium 2008 as Biomimicry of a Bird’s Nest’ Available at http://www.cinearc.com. Kalay, Yehuda E 2004, ‘Architecture’s New Media: Principles, Theories, and Methods of ComputerAided Design’ MA: MIT Press, Cambridge, pp. 5-25 Lam, K & Lam, T 2010, ‘The Beijing National Stadium - Analysis and prototype testing’, Journal Of The Korean Association For Spatial Structures, 1, p. 27, KoreaScience, EBSCOhost, viewed 13 August 2016. Teyssot, G, & Jacques, O 2010. ‘Inhabiting a Spline: The Making of Metropol Parasol.’ Log, no. 19: 12736. http://www.jstor.org.ezp.lib.unimelb.edu.au/stable/41765355. Burry, J, & Burry M 2006, ‘Gaudí and CAD’ ITcon Vol. 11, Special Issue The Effects of CAD on Building Form and Design Quality, pg. 437-446, http://www.itcon.org/2006/32

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http://www.dunneandraby.co.uk/img/projects/large/pond2.jpg http://www.dunneandraby.co.uk/img/projects/large/treecutter.jpg http://classconnection.s3.amazonaws.com/856/flashcards/749856/ png/tokyo_bay_plan1322588087010.png http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-umkG2VnJW2g/To8CKTKMFKI/AAAAAAAAN SA/CRaMPiBdRx4/s1600/tange%2Btokyo%2B4.jpg https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/69/Espa cio_Parasol_Sevilla.jpg/2560px-Espacio_Parasol_Sevilla.jpg Teyssot, G, and Jacques, O 2010. ‘Inhabiting a Spline: The Making of Metropol Parasol.’ Log, no. 19: 127-36. http://www.jstor.org.ezp.lib.unimelb. edu.au/stable/41765355. http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2013/10/01/article-2440014-186BB23C00000578629_964x541.jpg Burry, J, and Burry M 2006, ‘Gaudí and CAD’ ITcon Vol. 11, Special Issue The Ef fects of CAD on Building Form and Design Quality, pg. 437-446, http://www. itcon.org/2006/32 http://www.boomer-livingplus.com/assets/Plaster_models_of_Sagrada_Fa milia.jpg Lam, K & Lam, T 2010, ‘The Beijing National Stadium - Analysis and prototype testing’, Journal Of The Korean Association For Spatial Structures, 1, p. 27, KoreaScience, EBSCOhost, viewed 13 August 2016. http://gallardoarchitects.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/lubetkin_hdm_bei jing_stadium_02x.jpg https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2009/07/national-stadium-in-beijing-winsriba-lubetkin-prize-05.jpg http://www.achimmenges.net/?p=5814 http://www.iwamotoscott.com/VOUSSOIR-CLOUD https://www.upf.edu/pdi/dcom/xavierberenguer/recursos/ima_dig/_2_/ig/hy posurface.jpg http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_aFx-PowwU7E/RyBkKOj3fGI/AAAAAAAAADg/GPFDX Hgh8vo/s320/assembly%2Baxon.jpg http://designplaygrounds.com/deviants/transformers-by-i-m-a-d-e/ http://designplaygrounds.com/deviants/voltadom-by-skylar-tibbits/ http://i.vimeocdn.com/video/406233481_1280x720.jpg http://blogs.ft.com/photo-diary/files/2013/11/Starlings1.jpg http://c300221.r21.cf1.rackcdn.com/nobuyoshi-araki-tokyocube-6-1338833333_org.jpg

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