STUDIO AIR MUHAMMAD FAIZ
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contents introduction 4 part a: conceptualisation a.1 design futuring a.2 design computation a.3 composition/generation a.4 conclusion a.5 learning outcomes a.6 appendix - algorithmic sketches
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part b: criteria design b.1 research field b.2 case study 1.0 b.3 case study 2.0
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INTRODUCTION
I am currently studying in my third year of a Bachelor of Environments degree, majoring in Architecture. My interest in designing and problem solving sparked back in Secondary School, where I took Design & Technology. This subject allowed us students to find a current issue around us and design a plausible object that would provide a solution to the mentioned problem. Following that, I realized that rather than doing math and science, I would rather dive into the actual world and start changing things as it is, providing an alternative or even a better solution for how things work around us.
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During my Diploma in Architecture programme in Singapore, I have learnt about the basics of architecture, focusing more about the technical detailing and touching on the history of the field. I believe that with Studio Air, I will be able to express myself a step further, removing the boundaries which defies what is a design and what is not. Grasshopper 3D allows us to computate a single line or curve into a series of unimaginable surfaces and I really think that would expand my horizons and or even the definition of design.
PART A: CONCEPTUALISATION 5
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A.1 DESIGN FUTURING 7
DESIGN FUTURING
http://images.adsttc.com/media/images/5549/8741/e58e/ce42/3b00/001a/large_jpg/PORTADA_The_Interlace_by_OMA_Ole_Scheeren_photo_--%C2%BC_Iwan_Baan_01.jpg?1430882109
The
Interlace, a residential project designed by Ole Scheeren, took a step away from the standard typology of the other residential projects in Singapore. While other blocks of flat are fashioned in a way to occupy as many residents within a small area due to the limited space of land available in the country, Scheeren purposefully took full advantage of the size of the site. While some might not fully support the idea of ‘wasting’ the land away, there are others who are astounded by Scheeren’s decision to adhere to his distinct idea. The name of the project itself fortifies the interrelation between the human community and the surrounding natural environment.
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Another revolutionary feature of the design is that it provides a range of views, wind and light angles, depending on which block the particular unit is located on. Unlike the other typical residential flats in Singapore, Scheeren managed to provide the occupants with a broad choice of atmosphere suited to their likings. The birth of this idea allowed others to reason out the stigma of residential buildings in Singapore having to be tall and dense, allowing better designs which would rather prevent Singapore from turning into a vertical concrete jungle.
http://images.oma.eu/20150804141654-1899-veep/1000.jpg
“I think you look for a power of impact. It’s something you know you’ll remember in two years’ time. It’s a game-changer. So much of architecture is predictable, particularly housing. Another block, another block, another block. But this isn’t ‘ho-hum here we go again’” -Ole Scheeren[1]
Top: Overview of the stacking of block on the site allocated, maximizing the size of the plot. Bottom: Maximizing the green area around the terraces
http://www.archdaily.com/627887/the-interlace-oma-2/554987cee58ece423b000023-the-interlace-oma-2-green-area-diagram
THE INTERLACE
OLE SCHREEN 9
DESIGN FUTURING
http://images.adsttc.com/media/images/552e/58c0/e58e/cebf/5400/02cb/large_jpg/3.TMRW.Snohetta.InstagramStair.jpg?1429100726
Design futuring is about creations and ideas to help with the future’s aims.
Museums todays are only utilized to showcase collections or exhibitions and for the audience to be impressed by the showcase. This affects how the public views a museum, and a proposal by Snohetta changes that. Their proposal was to ensure that the museum has a desired active role, communicating and interacting with the audience. This was based on the goal to connect two museums in one building, while having its own individual identity.[2] The singular roof is always accessible by public, which always becomes an inherent part of the City Park. It offers great view of the whole area within the building itself
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The environment can be used for both educational learning experiences and also for an expressive behaviour. In the centre of the building, Snohetta allows the learning and expression of art to be shown as the two museums meet. This idea shows the analysis of people’s thinking, behaviour and interpretation of things. They overcame the issues that came with designing a museum while understanding people’s needs. This idea will help to benefit the future.
http://aasarchitecture.com/wp-content/uploads/The-New-National-Gallery-and-Ludwig-Museum-Budapest-by-Snohetta-00.jpg
http://www.metalocus.es/sites/default/files/file-images/metalocus_snohetta_06_1180.png
http://www.metalocus.es/sites/default/files/file-images/metalocus_New-National-Gallery-Ludwig-Museum_06_1400.jpg
Top: Large roof doubles as a grand public terrace Bottom-left: Large open public space in the heart of the building. combining both forms of the two museums Bottom-right: New National Gallery and Ludwig Museum sits on the City Park in Budapest, Hungary Left page: Roof offer great views over the whole of Budapest
NEW NATIONAL GALLERY AND LUDWIG MUSEUM SNOHETTA
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http://www.pvcconstruct.org/upload/Matsys_-_Shellstar_Pavilion_-_Hong_Kong_-_Photo_Credit_Dennis_Lo_-_01.jpg
“Computers, by their nature, are superb analytical engines. If correctly programmed, they can follow a line of reasoning to its logical conclusion. They will never tire, never make silly arithmetical mistakes, and will gladly search through and correlate facts buried in the endless heaps of information they can store..... But while they can follow instructions precisely and faultlessly, computers are totally incapable of making up new instructions: they lack any creative abilities or intuition� -Yehuda E. Kalay [8] Thus, that is what designers are for. To create new ideas and thinking that computers cannot do. Their presence only aids the process analysis. These case studies shown represent the use of Design Computation and how it helps to enhance the structure and materials used to create a unique building/object on its own.
A.2 DESIGN COMPUTATION 13
DESIGN COMPUTATION
https://vanda-production-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/2016/04/19/16/20/07/e4caef98-c812-497b-b0dd-69b2b7c2768c/ElytraPavilionHero.jpg
Using
computerized systems and fabrication technologies available, new formations can be created in different and creative structures. The robotics fabrication technique helped to create 40 different hexagonal elements that are used in the Elytra Filament Pavilion. Digital design and the robotic contruction systems could also be used to aid the designers with the choice of materials. The materials explored in this research were the fibre-reinforced plastics and its fibrous composite natures that could easily be transformed into shapes. The computational system determines the pieces’s placements by the use of the data and research shown by the use of fibre optic sensors.
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Each segment’s size were not limited to the materials, but instead due to the proportions of the narrow V&A historic doors. Much larger segments could be possibly produced. Therefore, new and unique structures can be formed using the advancement of technology, for example, robotic fabrication which is the use of computerization. The horizons for architectural and engineering are expanded, with new exploration ideas.[3]
http://www.designboom.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/elytra-filament-pavilion-robotic-fabrication-victoria-and-albert-museum-london-designboom-01.jpg
http://images.adsttc.com/media/images/573f/88ae/e58e/cef4/4800/0074/slideshow/02_V_A_Elytra_Filament_Pavilion_6_(c)_NAARO.jpg?1463781545
https://vanda-production-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/2016/05/04/16/42/22/dfdf57e5-0d44-473a-9eea3820b02a075d/AboutPageHero.jpg
Top: The Elytra Filament Pavilion on display outside V&A Building in London Bottom-left: Design and fuctionality coming together as the Pavilion components are scaled according to the doors of the museum Bottom-right: Average size of a component, robotically-fabricated from glass fibre ad black carbon fibre Left page: Unique hexagonal components stacked horizontally
ELYTRA FILAMENT PAVILION
ACHIM MENGES 15
DESIGN COMPUTATION
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Design
computation allows us to come up with different types of formation and structures. Complicated and curvature forms are now possible and accurate with the help of these computers. The 2015-2016 Research Pavilion was constructed by robotic textile fabrication techniques for the segmented timber shells. The timber shells were then sewn by the fabrication technology to join them together. This process was tried for the first time, and it’s success was a remarkable expansion of the possibilities of computational design, simulation and the fabricated processing in the scale of architecture design.
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The plywoods used to form the timer shells were first tested to see how well the direction of bending the material can withstand and with the results, computation was then used to accurately calculate the geometric morphology of a double layered system and the differentiation within the material. Different grain directions and thickness will correspond to the different elasticity and bend that is required to curve or form the parts of the structure. There were 151 different geometrical elements that could be produced from the robotic fabrication sewing technology after testing and trying the different wood elements.[4] The overall design has used the help of computation and system to create such an elaborate form using timber shells and the result of it’s lack in flexibility. With design computational approach, the possibilities within the different materials and structures in architecture are explored
https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7261/26841818951_98a73693a5_b.jpg
http://images.adsttc.com/media/images/572b/5f5a/e58e/ce45/4400/0031/slideshow/ICD-ITKE_RP15-16_Image_004.jpg?1462460225
Top: Pavilion made out of timbre shells being sewn together, with it’s grain directions and thickness taken into consideration Bottom-left: Testing of the plywood’s elasticity before undergoing the sewing process Bottom-right: Robotic sewing Left page: The Research Pavilion displayed in Keplerstraße, Germany
2015-2016 RESEARCH PAVILION UNIVERSITY OF STUTTGART
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http://at-hk.s3.amazonaws.com/i/story-20121112092820-SenselessDrawingRobot.jpg
Senseless Drawing Robot - Kanno & Yamaguchi
“Computation is redefining the practice of architecture”
Generation is a form of abstract thinking and a
different style of producing an idea or work form. These techniques and ideas are not known across the whole world yet, and I think it is a waste. It is challenging and difficult to produce something with composition and generation but the level of satisfactory after producing one is amazing; but isn’t that all other designer’s and architect’s struggle? Composition and generation comes together or transitions into a geometric ‘coding’ or a sense of geometric style at the start. This uses the rhythms and different ‘rules’ to start something new, in terms of a new system, a new coding, a new way of translating an object.
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Thinking this way makes everything infinite; so many possibilities and so many new outcomes and solutions to thing. These thinking will help to translate in forming new geometric ideas like how a structure wants to be built or the way the structure or building moves. There are a lot of dynamism in this direction. Designers can transform a circle into many different shapes or positions. This helpts to test and develop new ideas in the way of trying to be more systematic yet more complex at the same time. These case studies will show the different areas of geometric styles that were being challenged and generated.
“computation augments the intellect of the designer and increases capability to solve complex problems” -Brady Peters [5]
A.3 COMPOSITION/GENERATION 19
COMPOSITION/GENERATION
http://www.e-architect.co.uk/images/jpgs/beijing/watercube_ptw051208_2.jpg
The
concept used for The Watercube was combining the symbolism of the square in Chinese culture and the natural structure of soap bubbles translated into architectural form. Lightweight construction was used for the structure which was progressed and analysed from the structure of soap or water bubbles in the state of foam. The facade has a structural geometry behind it, which are molecular structures or three-dimensional cell-like structures. This unique structure was derived upon computation in their calculation and how they analysed the formation of soap bubbles and ts characteristics. The parametric modelling of this structure was generated using Bentley’s software. They undergone structural analysis of the base geometry, and needed to test and alternate geometrical shapes and configurations to meet each other’s shell structure.
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The roof is from a steel framework using the technical software as well. This was used as the software allows to regenerate different geometric configurations, and export data to analyse, which helped in the optimisation of this building’s studies and research. This project has proven that architecture can use generative design to simulate its design. It is an opportunity to explore and refine certain skills and ideas for a design with new structures or current structures. Architects and engineers is benefited by this generative approach as they progress their works together. As seen from the watercube, it is the generation of design and environmental art that comes together. This is a new innovative design which allows for wilder imagination and creativity.
http://www.l-a-v-a.net/assets/Uploads/watercube7755.jpg
Top: Exterior view of the Watercube Bottom-right: Concept derived upon the natural structure of soap bubbles
“Realising a geometric solution for the stadium roof structure was a critical design element of the project. Generation components gave us the ability to create and rationalize the roof geometry to eliminate errors that occur when manual modeling methods are used”
Left page: Using Bentley’s generative component software for Structural Computation
-John Legge-Wilkinson, one of the software’s leader [6]
https://www.whitewaterwest.com/drive/uploads/2016/08/Happy-Magic-Water-Cube-Beijing-China-3.jpg
WATERCUBE
PTW STUDIO & ARUP
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COMPOSITION/GENERATION
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This
stadium was designed to provide a connectection between the streetscape and the stadium. It also provides connection with the action happening in the stadium. Their generative design comes with the Bioframe from the lightweight steel roof construction that was their key idea of a ‘seating bowl’. This generative approach can be seen from its optimisation from software. The generation process was used to produce arches and cantilevers at an accurate judgement and form for these elements with simulation. Using steel framework and bowl-like structures for construction allows the roof to be single later as the facade cladding is literally on top of the frame. It reduces the waste of material for or secondary framework. This can be done with the help of the parametric geometrical software and modelling tool. The cladding for the structure is a combination of aluminum, glass and louvres.
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Again, Bentley’s software was used to conceptualise the parametric model. The architects and designers said the advantages of parametric modelling was the speed at which revied geometry could be generated and impored into the structural analysis model, in order to study structural geometric efficiencies.[x] Optimisation software was used with Strand7 software to study the structural efficiency of the bowl-like geometry. 24 different models of variation of arches and heights was analysed by Cox Architects to determine the most efficient geometry of the roof. Softwares were also used to tackle the analysis of in-house buckling within the design structure. This analysis allows three-dimensional structures to be understood within the buckling behaviours which can be foreseen as an issue in the future.[7] This framework was generated from the parametric geometry (Bentley structural software)
http://www.about-australia.com/wp-content/uploads/attraction/aami-park-9418431.jpg
http://www.coxarchitecture.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/AAMI-Park-2_2.jpg
Top-most: Bird’s eye view of the stadium Top and right: Geometric Structure of steelwork roof Left page: The AAMI Park, located in Melbourne, Australia
This structure uses a lot of analysis from softwares as it is beneficial to obtain accurate information needed to achieve the client’s goal. Due to this, the architects are able to come up with a unique structure using generative ideas and forms, creating something so distinctive and aesthetically attractive to the one’s eyes.
http://steel.org.au/media/File/1_AAMI_Park_case_study.pdf
AAMI PARK
COX ARCHITECTS & ARUP 23
A.4 CONCLUSION 24
CONCLUSION
With all the case studies above, we start to see how some design lean towards digital architecture instead of the norm. It is about using softwares to explore the different possibilities of a design. Softwares lke Grasshopper and Bentley makes it possible to design a building with curved facade or even for its structural system. The advantage of using computation softwares is that you can easily change one single algorithm and get a totally different result without having to manually calculate the other factors. It is very interesting to learn and find out more about using software or these advanced technology to help improve and expand our knowledge of the once imitated idea to something even greater. Computation in today’s design world is innovative. Other than limitations, there won’t be any right or wrong answers. It can even help to speed up the process, improve the industry rate of work or even produce new materials that can benefit the world today. My design intent is to produce a design that is not limited to plain geometry or linear patterns. I believe that with the modern advancements in this field, it is much more possible to stand out from the usual idea of how a building or design is supposed to be like. I would also like to explore the possibilities of using other materials as part of my design, benefiting the users in whichever way that is needed, in terms of ventilation or even aesthetics wise.
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A.5 LEARNING OUTCOMES 26
LEARNING OUTCOMES
I have always thought that producing something that is not plain or
modular would be really tough in terms of designing, planning or fabricating but after being exposed to Grasshopper, I now begin to realise that such idea is much more possible in today’s world. With softwares like Grasshopper, designers would not need to manually change each and every component after realising that something does not tally in the earlier stage of the design. After being exposed to architectural computing, I realised that my past projects were all rather boring and predictable, having the fear to explore something different. Only now I start to notice how some buildings around me uses computation to produce such complicated elements or structures and how much easier it is now with the advancement in this field. Computation will widen the scope of design and allow more abstract thinking and learning.
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A.6 APPENDIX - ALGORITHMIC SKETCHES
ALGORITHMIC SKETCHES The vases were produced from the same few lofted curved, and are manipulated each time to produce a different abstract form. The opening represents the blooming of a flower, with its different stages shown on the different stages. The first two vases were from the earlier stages of my design, being small and stout. The curves were then stretched inwards and moved slightly higher to obtain a specific height. This process aids with the aesthetic growth of the vases. Next, I experimented with the rotation of the curves, as seen from the fourth vase. It gives the vase a rather curling effect, stretching out the loft and giving it a much-sophisticated form. Lastly, the topmost curve of the vase was scaled outwards, implementing the “blooming� opening.
WEEK 1
Creating vases using softing and manipulation of curves
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ALGORITHMIC SKETCHES
WEEK 2
Converting geometries into surfaces and back into points
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The task was to use the Cull component to create a shelving unit. As Voronoi is not allowed, I feel that the choice of patterning method is rather limited to my knowledge. I could only manage to produce an Arc with the points produced and Cull some of the control points, letting the Arc skip some of the control points produced earlier.
WEEK 3
Using Patterning Lists to craete a shelving unit with different variations
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BIBLIOGRAPHY
1. Craze, Kirsten. Singapore Residential Development Gets Top Architecture Gong. November 11, 2015. http://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/home/interiors/singapore-residential-development-gets-toparchitecture-gong/news-story/37a69f4380ffca898547a8fdcd21afa3 (accessed March 2, 2017). 2. Snohetta. The New National Gallery and Ludwig Museum Proposal. http://snohetta.com/projects/228the-new-national-gallery-and-ludwig-museum-proposal (accessed March 11, 2017). 3. Mairs, Jessica. Robotically fabricated carbon-fibre pavilion opens at the V&A. May 2016, 2016. https:// www.dezeen.com/2016/05/18/robotically-fabricated-carbon-fibre-pavilion-opens-va-museum-londonuniversity-of-stuttgart-achim-menges/ (accessed March 11, 2017). 4. ICD-ITKE University of Stuttgart. ICD-ITKE Research Pavilion 2015-16 / ICD-ITKE University of Stuttgart. May 5, 2016. http://www.archdaily.com/786874/icd-itke-research-pavilion-2015-16-icd-itkeuniversity-of-stuttgart (accessed March 12, 2017). 5. Brady, Peters. Computation Works: The Building of Algorithmic Thought. 2013. 6. Arcspace. Watercube. December 19, 2013. http://www.arcspace.com/features/ptw/watercube/ (accessed March 15, 2016). 7. Australian Steel Institution. 1_AAMI_Park_case_study. 2010. http://steel.org.au/media/File/1_ AAMI_Park_case_study.pdf (accessed March 16, 2017). 8. Kalay, Yehuda E. Architecture’s New Media: Principles, Theories, and Methods of Computer-Aided Design. 2004.
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