STUDIO AIR 2015, SEMESTER 1, PHILIP BELESKY GLEN GEORGE, 638042
FIG.1: MELBOURNE CITY
SKETCHBOOK
Table of Contents Introduction PART A Week 1: Algorithmic sketch Week 2: Week 3:
INTRODUCTION
ABOUT ME: My name is Glen, I am currently 20 years old studying architecture, in my third year at the University of Melbourne. I was born in the Dandenong Rangers and have lived in Emerald my whole life, I love the natural setting and beautiful landscapes that surround my home. In turn I tend to find myself heavily influenced and inspired by the natural environment. I have a few hobbies and activities that I enjoy in my spare time. Sports play a huge part in my hobbies, they allow me to free my mind and express myself. Martial arts, outdoor activities such as running, walking, swimming and bike riding as well as gym are my favourite ways to exeresis. I also love music and play guitar, bass and a bit of singing in my spare time as well as for a little bit of extra work on the side. The last of my hobbies would be drawing, I find it therapeutic and relaxing to just sit and draw, often human figures, buildings or landscapes but I generally don’t restrict myself to a particular subject matter as I often like to change things up. My interest in architecture came quite early in high school when my parents took me to a few display homes for the sake of interest; there was nothing fancy or overly creative as the houses we very generic and stereotypical suburban, however I found myself emerged in the idea of altering and designing spaces for living. This was further intensified when I attempted my first architectural project in year 12 Visual communications and design and found it extremely enjoyable. I tend to find myself more drawn to residential buildings as well as buildings that have a unique form and relation to material or context; the idea or high rise and generic commercial projects don’t seem to relate to me as intensely as I like to react and respond to a brief or building in a manor that isn’t only aesthetically driven but also encouraged by the nostalgic, emotive and experiential qualities. I tend to struggle with computer design and conceptualizing ideas in such space; I feel this is due to my need to engage with a work through drawing and hand building, however I am not deterred by the concept and idea of computation as I find it fascinating and engaging in a different way. I hope that throughout the duration of the semester I can improve my computer designing skills and open up a new avenue for my designs; giving me new ways to explore and engage with the world of design.
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PART A
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ALGORITHMIC SKETCH
GRASSHOPPER & RHINO These algorithmic sketches were my first attempt at working within the grasshopper plug in through rhino. I was slightly familiar with the set up and working of rhino, however I was never overly good at working within it. Grasshopper in turn proved quite challenging but at the same time intriguing. Creating a form through commands and algorithmic process’ is quite surreal and tough to grasp as a concept; despite this the level of complexity and freedom that is achieved through designing this way is quite impressive. To the right of the page are my four first sketches using this method. The way you can alter and change dimensions and forms with such ease was simple and understandably useful. Although it was only the first task which required little base knowledge of the program to produce quite a basic shape, you can really begin to understand the benefits of design computation, especially when creating complex forms.
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Fig.6:
The first matrix looks into the manipulation of the sectioning technique, as discussed in the case studies above. Each concept was created through the alteration and manipulation of the single set of rules defined by the template of the ‘Banq Restaurant’ by Office dA. I took this template and altered the parameters of the curves, lofts, and surface points to create completely different design outcomes to the original, despite the close relation. Although not all of the concepts are design worthy, it was interesting to see how a single shape could be so heavily influenced and altered through small changes in the grasshopper definition. Utilising rhino to move the curves which defined the parameters of the loft also worked well in changing the outcome. The four selected concepts show a different technique of alteration to one another, each one has interesting qualities that define it and give it a point of interest when compared to other iterations of the same definition.
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B3: PRECEDENTS
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MATRIX OF ENGINEERED DEFINITIONS: The first few iterations of the initial concept can be seen bellow.
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MATRIX OF ENGINEERED DEFINITIONS: Here I have continued to alter and adjust the definition to a an unrecognizable point. Despite starting from the same definition I feel as though I have pushed the iterations so far that they no longer resemble the original concept. I’m quite happy with this difference as it has allowed my scope of the design to truly be pushed beyond simply mimicking the case study which is something I was quite worried I would end up doing due to the limitations of my computing abilities. Some iterations lack differential qualities as the adjustments made were quite minor, such as curve shape or number of elements, however it is through creating these that I allowed my mind to push itself beyond the obvious in order to create more interesting and altered definitions.
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REFERENCES 36
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-PROTOTYPES The members of the structure are quite simply random triangular members. Setting out how and where these meet in order to create a complete and unbroken surface will be quite challenging, however through the use of rhino and grasshopper the job becomes a lot more manageable and realistic to construct. The idea is to overlay this mesh render over a lofted surface in order to create an adaptable facade which can incorporate both solid and reflective surfaces. This will not only create a visual tension in the facade but will also allow the flow of natural light through selected areas of the building and particular times of day. It will also help to differentiate between the functional use at certain areas of the structure.
Each piece will be cut and then fixed to one another along the straight surfaces. This allows connections that can be bent and folded at varied angles in order to span across an uneven surface without leaving gaps and holes in the facade.
My initial prototype facade looked into the structural integrity of the of the fixings between the triangular elements. Although at first the connections aren’t very strong, once the glue has dried between the joints the structure became quite stable and supportive of its own weight.
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I found that the fixings could still flex and failed to support additional weight that I added to the facade. This would be prevented when the entre building is in tact further stabilising and supporting the facade wall.
Use of steel members between the triangles will act as a structural mesh to hold in the elements.
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-DESIGN PROPOSAL- Gym and Exercise space My concept is to design a gym space that would provide the facilities for locals and passes by to utilise in their fitness routines seeing as this seems to be the major use and function of the current space around the park. With many walking tracks and bike riders around, this space would attract more people to the park as well as encourage the fit and healthy lifestyle our society is slowing coming to adopt. The idea behind the design is to use the facade to encase the wasted space in the cliff break and build the structure within this area. I have currently only designed as far as the facade concept as the building itself would predominately be hidden and unseen due to its form following the parameters of the cliff wall. For this reason the facade will need to be striking yet inviting, without impacting too heavily upon the site.
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The facade adopts an irregular form which is randomly generated to conform to as well and contrast the shape of the creek it faces. The idea is to have the facade be a functional part of the building by utilising solid sections of it for activities such as outdoor rock climbing while glass areas will signify the tucked away entrance which sits within the large fold in the facade. The building itself will sit between this dominant facade and the cliff wall and use the spaces that are created through encasing this space. Due to the height there will be two levels to the structure as well as an entrance from either footpath regardless of the side of the river you are on.
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WO RK IN PR OG RE SS