Flow and Hydrodynamics Research and Model Making
WAVE TANK EXPERIMENTS
Wave tank experiments I concluded that my interest was in the ability of the flow/current to influence the shape of an object (the beach) by influencing the position of lots of smaller objects over time, creating the overall effect of the beach movement.
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“walls that move to the touch–relevant to the function of support or moving back in retreat–that change color and form: streamlining themselves to the wind or shrinking down when unoccupied, are all possible” (Negroponte 1975) from “The Three Little Pigs Revisited”, Avery Johnson, 1971
RESPONSIVE ARCHITECTURE
Essential characteristics of structural systems for responsive envelopes: 1. controllable rigidity 2. lightweight 3. capable of undergoing asymmetrical deformations Ideal responsive architecture can: -provide shelter -calculate changes -calculate how dynamic structural loads are distributed through structure successfully
Precedents of Responsive Architecture dECOI : Aegis Hyposurface Doesn’t address the technical needs of real world conditions on a building envelope Diller & Scofidio : Blur building no functional envelope NOX : Freshwater Pavilion lacks physical responsiveness favoring virtual responses Buckminster Fuller: Tensegrity
Wind shaped pavilion The wind shaped pavilion is a design proposal for a large fabric structure that can be used as a public or private pavillion. As a lightweight fabric structure, the wind slowly and randomly rotates each of the six segments around a central open support frame. This continually alters the shape of the pavillion, while at the same time generating electrical power for its nighttime illumination.
Ned Kahn: Wind Veil Facade In 2002, Ned Kahn worked with the staff of Technorama, the major science center in Switzerland, and their architects, Durig and Rami, to create a facade for the building which is composed of thousands of aluminum panels that move in the air currents and reveal the complex patterns of turbulence in the wind.
Tower of the Winds Designer: Toyo Ito Uses a hypersurfacesystem to react to input from the environment. Expressing invisible environmental elements(wind,light, traffic noise) through media. At night, neon rings light up to approximately mark the hour, and light changes intensity and luminosity in response to wind direction and speed.
NOX : Freshwater Pavilion The Freshwater Pavilion has a responsive interior. It connects a virtual representation of the world to the physical world. The actuating systems (blob trackers and light sensors) drive: projected animations lighting system audio system The sensors track movement of the visitors. Suggests the possibility of producing completely responsive spaces.
dECOI : Aegis Hyposurface Built on a framework of pneumatic pistons, springs, and metal plates used to deform a faรงade-like surface, made of metal plates. A computer is programmed to fire each piston sequentially to produce patterns that respond to environmental stimuli. Questions yet to be addressed by it: - functional architectural solutions. How architectural facades or weather-resistant envelopes work - connection between dynamic facades and support structures
TENSEGRITY SYSTEMS
Buckminster Fuller: Tensegrity Patented in 1962 by Buckminster Fuller and Snelson. A key feature of actuated tensegrity structures is: ability to alter stiffness rather than strength, so the structure can stiffen or soften.Controlling stiffening and softening of different parts creates different shapes. It creates an elegant dialog between: shape, load transmission and rigidity. Practical uses: shrinking to reduce surface area and heated volume in winter covering themselves in summer altering aerodynamic profile to reduce wind loads
Class 1, 2 and 3 tensegrity structures
Diller & Scofidio : Blur building Built using a static tensegrity system to support an open deck. A network of computer controlled nozzles create a mist shroud that creates a building envelope with the ability to respond to environmental conditions, and computer sensors ensure that the mist doesn’t drift away too far from the building.
Hyperbody Research Group, TU Delft: Muscle Tower I & II Muscle Tower I & II reacts to its environment and determines the space around itself. It consists aluminium staves, connected flexibly to each other and the FESTO Muscles by iron hollow spheres. The FESTO Muscles are controlled by a running program in VirTools, which is aware of its environment through movement sensors.
Muscle Tower I & II Design Development
THE OFFICE FOR ROBOTIC ARCHITECTURAL MEDIA & BUREAU FOR RESPONSIVE ARCHITECTURE (ORAMBRA) Tristan d’Estree Sterk The Office For Robotic Architectural Media & The Bureau For Responsive Architecture is a small design / technology office that designs buildings, spaces and systems, implementing responsive technologies to produce high-tech building systems that aim to reduce the impact of buildings upon the natural environment. Tristan has written a number of articles on the values of actuated tensegrity systems for structural control and the future of architecture.
ORAMBRA : Filamentosa An Ultra-lightweight Skyscraper for Chicago: Filamentosa (Chicago Illinois) is a new type of ultra-lightweight skyscraper that integrates responsive technologies into its structural frame and living skins to reduce the amount of material and energy required to live within, construct and maintain large scale structures. It results from a similar exploration of contemporary building technology. It is hoped that these explorations will lead to more sustainable building practices and the development of new urban forms that use less mass to greater effect.
ORAMBRA: Divertimento A pavilion designed to change the shape of its skin like the billow and flow of a parachute blowing in the wind. It works by modifying Buckminster Fuller’s tensegrity theory to produce actuated (dynamic) tensegrity structures that have a controllable rigidity. The prototype structure changes shape in a controlled way by filling pneumatic muscles with air that then pull opposing structural elements together, causing the skin to become rigid and change shape. By controlling the activity of each actuator different regions of the structure can be shaped in response to local stimuli or as a pre-programmed activity.
MODEL MAKING MODEL 1 The model is made of paddle-pop sticks joined by a grid of fishing tackle. The shape is regulatd by tensioning or loosening the fishing tackle. When all the lines are tensed, it forms a perfect grid, but loosening different points creates varied overall shapes. Gravitational as well as applied forces act on the model to create the varied forms.