Western Gateway Design Project -EOI Progress Journal ji-keat ler
Contents Part I. Expression of Interest I.1. Case for Innovation I.1.1. Architecture as a Discourse I.1.2. Computing in Architecture I.1.3. Parametric Modelling I.1.4. Case for Innovation Conclusion: I.2. Research Project I.2.1. Scope of Possibilities I.2.1.1. Input/Association/Output Matrix I.2.1.2. Reverse-Engineered Case-Study I.2.1.3. Material Effects I.2.1.4. Assembly Methods I.2.2. Research Project Conclusion I.3. Expression of Interest Conclusion: Competitive Advantage I.4. Learning Objectives and Outcomes: Interim
Part II. Project Proposal II.1. Project Interpretation II.2. Project Delivery II.3. Project Presentation II.4. Project Proposal Conclusion
Part III. Learning Objectives and Outcomes: Final III.1. Personal Background and Learning Objectives III.2. Learning Progress III.3. Learning Outcomes III.4. Future Work
We want to create a new, exciting and welcoming representation of the City of Wyndham and Melbourne through unorthodox use of orthodox elements. We believe this design concept is relevant in providing identification to the City of Wyndham as being something more than just another suburb filled with houses.
We explored the idea of representation through a digital parametric design tool called Grasshopper. Grasshopper enables us to generate many different forms and patterns that are unorthodox and exciting using certain design drivers.
Week 1 – EOI: Case for Innovation: Architecture as a Discourse
Every Beating Second
Designer: Janet Echelman Year: 2011 Location: Terminal 2, San Francisco International Airport
The unorthodox use of an orthodox material. The use of nets to create installations that inspire. CONTRIBUTION TO ARCHITECTURAL DISCOURSE innovation in materiality (engineering) use of coloured fiber to create interesting form (highly engineered and contextualised) virtual form finding using computer with gravity and wind simulations CONNECTION WITH GATEWAY PROJECT inspiring, enriching form at a welcome point (airport gateway) exciting, eye catching multivalent in meaning, entry statement and arrival experience e.g. evoke cloud, silhoutte of the Bay Area, Golden Gate Bridge reflect the local culture, backwards and forwards “drawing its color from the heyday of psychedelic music, the Summer of Love, and San Francisco’s prominence in the beat poetry movement”; “the contemporary Bay Area as a hub of innovation and interconnectivity for the world of technology.” compare static past of Wyndham and wanting to move forward municipality celebrate multiculturalism although not viewed from motorway (fast), but has idea of dynamism: wind choreography “Computer-programmed mechanized air-flow animates the fluidly-moving sculpture at different intervals throughout the day, as if the wind could magically flow through solid walls.” the idea of floating, airiness, wind movement >> studio theme IMPORTANCE OF CONTRIBUTING TO A DISCOURSE from Schumacher reading p.4 completed works have a double communicative role: they speak to communications outside architecture and continue circulate within architecture. Important because the gateway would generate new discussion about Wyndham and Melbourne, the power of public art in representing the context. meanwhile continue to advance architecture discourse in innovative methods because innovation is key in the design (say maybe use of digital computation and new materials)
Week 2 – EOI: Case for Innovation: Computation in Architecture
AEGIS HYPOSURFACE
Location: Birmingham, UK Year: 1999-2001 Designer: dECOi Architects
The unorthodox use of an orthodox architectural element. The idea of a wall that moves according to stimuli. UNIQUE INNOVATION “autoplastic (determinate) to alloplastic (interactive, indeterminate) space, a new species of reciprocal architecture” - able to transfer virtual architecture such as animation into a temporal physical form CRITICAL ANALYSIS: useful because an able to recognise and respond much faster than conventional static architecture, furthering the discourse of architecture needing to respond to the environment well. CONTEMPORARY DIGITAL DESIGN TECHNIQUE “experimental speculation, embracing curiosity rather than determinate ideas, working ‘blindly’ with the computer, allowing its algorithmic, animating dynamic to create unpredictable sequences and material excesses.” (Milbourne 2002) use of trauma instead of shock, trauma disorientating by having excessive information (eye can’t capture so many movements of the pistons CRITICAL ANALYSIS: while the use of computers can help generate complex patterns, i believe it need not disorientate and just being experimental. it should move on to generate dynamic and pleasing complex forms. excessive information can be more unified to reduce disorientation. RELATION TO GATEWAY PROJECT: this satisfies by creating a new and BRAVE idea. SIMILAR INNOVATIVE APPROACH TO THE GATEWAY PROJECT BRIEF By using a responsive mechanism and innovative material systems, a subtle (not traumatising, don’t want to cause accidents) response generated from the gateway can create curiosity. maybe something like how the sun always seem to be following the car window.
Week 3 – EOI: Case for Innovation: Parametric Design
MCCORMICK TRIBUNE CAMPUS CENTER Location: Chicago, US Designer: OMA Architects
Year: 2003
The unorthodox use of an orthodox signage. The generation of an image using smaller images. CONTEMPORARY SCRIPTING CULTURE Burry: p.25 scripting experimentation to search for an “answer’ designer wanted to cover the glass with a pattern. script experiments with various patterns, but obviously with an answer wanted to be found, e.g. how to represent a face image using patterns. scripting for productivity, lower cost DESIGN PHILOSOPHY use of patterns as ornamentation citation? CRITICAL STATEMENT OF THE DESIGN PHILOSOPHY patterns are interesting, but possibly not too literal? like a human face straight on? more abstract patterns? WHY TO BE CHOSEN FOR GATEWAY PROJECT from case 1: innovative materials and techniques can very well generate a new discourse about Wyndham and Melbourne and architecture. from case 2: innovative digital computation techniques can achieve new interesting outcomes from case 3: parametric design can help generate more complex patterns which are more easily manipulable. parametric design allows greater exploration than conventional plan and paper.
Case Study
MCCORMICK TRIBUNE CAMPUS CENTER The Reverse Engineer Step by step process
In this mini task, I’ve gained the knowledge to reproduce an image where the defining resolution is determined through orientating different types of shapes/forms in association with an image sampler. In short, 3 different types of smiley emoticons were used to generate the pattern on the surface.
OMA_01.ghx
In the next phase, I added an “Image Sampler” component into the canvas - in which I used Le Corbusier’s potrait as the image - to map the image on the base plane and reparameterized the Surface component in order to fit the size of the surface to 0 by 1. I then multiplied the mathematical functions by adding a “multiplication” component.
An “integer component” was added to determine the list of data structures. The output of the integer component is connected to a “Create Set” component which creates a valid set from a list of items.
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In the following step, I created 3 different sets of emoticons in illustrator and imported them into rhino. I then referenced the emoticons into grasshopper using three different “Curve” components and grouped the sets of objects accordingly. In order to display the emoticons in proportion with the surface, I shifted their coordinates in rhino where the X and Y values equals 0. To extract the data paths of the group objects, a “List Item” component was used. The Data Component displays the list of generic data of output by a number of sources, in this case three sources. The output of the data is then connected into the Base List of the “List Item” component.
The “Orient” component was added to orientate the list of emoticons created onto the surface plane. The final plane would be the rows and columns that were created on the surface which is the “Surface Frames” component and the “List item” is connected into the base geometry input. Right clicking the Orient component and selecting preview would then display the resulting image of the pattern. I experimented with the sliders to achieve varying outputs. I then proceeded to bake the geometry into rhino when a satisfied outcome was achieved.
Matrix Design idea: Common Element - Sticks can represent blades of grass or tall buildings Innovative Use - Changing patterns responding to stimulus Horizontal Pattern - pattern from the sky, not directly visible, but embedded chosen outcome wyndham logo Vertical Pattern - pattern viewed by freeway users chosen outcome the cityscape
Overall look from top
it can look like grass, while looking also like buildings Why transparent material? transparency as a new way of looking at Detail look the intensive relationship between natural environments and human settlement
The Skyline Idea
Time Lapse Photography showing motion of the sticks
Reflection we had an interesting argument which is unorthodox use of orthodox elements . the outcome were however disconnected from the argument . using the honking frequency to generate the pattern inorder to interact with the drivers is however not significant enough and also due to some restriction . the design was caried in 3 parts where each of the group member were assigned to focus on each which we felt stong at. This however also contributed to the reason why the connection between out outcome and argument was disconnected. Our group therefore have to come up with a better outcome that could relate better with our argument. despite the error we made , i do however think each of our members had contributed and came out with a good argument , matrix and an model with unexpected outcome. we did had difficulties dealing with the model during the process and struggled with the material that could produce the result we wanted , also arranging the perspex slides in accordance was an big issue . this was hoever overcome . the next issue thats going to arise was that we are going to have problem producing a smaller scale model and work on the detail is going to be crucial .