CONTENT INTRODUCTION About
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CONCEPTUALISATION Design Futuring
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Design Computing
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Composition/Generation ...... 14 Conclusion
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Learning Outcome Appendix
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ABOUT
JOY GONG SHANGHAI / MELBOURNE
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ello, my name is Joy, a secondyear undergraduate at the University of Melbourne, major in architecture. I was born in Shanghai, China, and moved to Melbourne since I was 15. My passion for drawing and designing was triggered by Japanese comics and animations, while my interest in architecture was nurtured by my engineer parents. For me, architecture is a way to lead to a better space and a better life quality. I believe that architecture was never a pure piece of art, but instead it serves to human beings. through the art of planning.
My proficiency in ditigal design tools is somehow limited, as I was not exposed to many modeling softwares before commencing the bachelor degree except AutoCAD. Entering to studio Air excites me a lot as it introduces a new algorithmic tool Grasshopper to assist ditigal modeling. I was amazed by its efficiency and accuracy, which I think are crucial to testing our models at different stages. I am looking forward to acquire a new skill and hope to gain more confidence.
PART.A CONCEPTUALISATION
A.1. DESIGN FUTURING
AERIAL ROBOTIC BRIDGE CONSTRUCTION.
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n Tony Fry’s book - Design Futuring1, he calls attention on the pressing need to change the way we live, act and engage the world since we have reached a critical moment, when our world is under terrible conditions. He argues that ‘sustainability’ can be achieved by design.
CASE1. THE BRIDGE Relating to Design futuring, the project of the Aerial Robotic Bridge Construction, will be the first case study I'd like to explore, as it contributes to the idea of “a future secured by design” from its technology breakthrough. This AA.DRL project uses drones to automatically arrange threads into a suspended geometric cocoon shape. The marriage of drone technology and 3D printing result in unlimited possibilities
on structures for designers to envision beyond the traditional construction method.
SUSTAINABILITY This way of conctruction cuts a large proportion of cost on labors, which brings significant economic and social benefit, espically in a ageing society where labors are valuable resources. Besides, as the construction phase generates almost no waste or CO2 emission, it helps to ease the terrible condition of global warming. In addition, the real-time feedback function further improves the efficiency and accuracy during the construction process.
THE THREAD
FUTURE The bridge appears as a pathway between two natural cliffs, where is extremely risky and almost impossible to build a bridge if it was in a traditional way. However, the new technology enables it to become possible, to create a common spcae for people and the deep mountain, and it allows more possibilities in future to explore the opportunities to connect human beings and the nature. I believe a harmony in the relationship between people and the nature is the key to the balance of ecological system. The aerial robotic bridge project succeed to act as a beacon to the possibility to create a more intimate relationship between mankinds and the nature.
INSPIRATION Even though it is a not ‘built’ project but only a prototype, its inspiration on future architecture is much more meaningful than the building itself. It is not a show off on the new technology, but instead, it changes the way people think how architecture is done, from traditional planning and drawing, to programming. For me, the bridge is revolutionary as it suggests that the role of architects might be shifting from master builders, to expert coders.
1. Fry, Tony (2008). Design Futuring: Sustainability, Ethics and New Practice (Oxford: Berg), pp. 1–16
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CASE2. THE CRYSTAL
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he second case study related to design futuring I will look at is The Crystal in London, designed by Wilinson Eyre. The Crystal is a global exhibition building for the future of cities. It sets the benchmark for sustainable building design, as it runs entirely on electricity, which the majority is generated by photovoltaic solar panels. Besides, the building’s roof collects rainwater, while sewage is treated, recycled and re-used onsite.
SUSTAINABILITY When people talk about sustainability on architecture, I think the focus should not only be given to the construction stage, but considering the whole life cycle, also the maintaining stage. In other words, a sustainable building should be a ‘long-life’one.
The reason I chose the Crystal as the second case is that I would consider it as a ‘breathing’ building, having a whole energy recycling system running through itself, just like human body metabolism. And, the building puts itself into a larger natural ecological system, where it merges into the water cycle, instead of only taking resources from the nature selfishly.
FUTURE The concept of energy-saving building system engaged in the Crystal will be surely appreciate and widely used in future architecture projects. Tony has pointed out in his book, ‘the relation between creation and destruction is not a problem when a resource is renewable’. I think the Crystal has been a role-model in utilizing renewable recourses such as solar energy, and it expands more possibilities on incorporating
THE CRYSTAL, LONDON recycling system and architecture. There are some existing designs on wind turbines and rainwater collecting building, and I believe it’s a certain trend in future architecture buildings.
INSPIRATION The Crystal is quite important as a built project, because it allows examinations on
how efficient the energy system works. However, at the designing stage when the building was not yet built, the planning of details and calculations are also important. The Crystal inspired me on designing something functional to people, and meanwhile ecological friendly to the natural system.
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A.2. DESIGN COMPUTATION I
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n the last few decades, design processes evolved from craftsmanship through hand drawing, to computer-based drafting, and these days, computing was borrowed to assist in the design process. As Dr. Stainslav Roudavski has addressed in his lecture, computation in design does not merely refer to computerization, which is limited to supporting humans emulating drawings from paper-based work, but rather, it shifts a view to a concept-forming process in computer. More importantly, computation in design enabled a rational problem solving process. The “intelligent” design system is able to propose design solutions for further development. In application of computation, the richness and complexity has widened future possibilities in architectural design.
BENEFITS Engaging with contemporary computational design techniques, there is a large effect on the design process. At the phase of problem analysis, computers assist in organizing collected data in a manner that will be useful for subsequent steps2. In solution synthesis, computation breaks the traditional wall of subjective design, but through calculations, it provides solutions with extremely impressive efficiency and accuracy. Inspirations on architecture forms can be conceived through attempts on functional planning. When it comes to the evaluation phase in design, software or plug-ins such as Kangaroo Physics would allow it easily to run performance simulations as many times as wish. Further more, trying different parameters would result in better performances, which avoids modifying complicated design details. A collaborative design between the architect and the engineer can be achieved3. This application saves huge amount of time and labors in designing performance-oriented architecture, especially sustainable buildings which needs precise calculations and accurate prediction on running energy-saving systems.
2. Kalay, Yehuda E. (2004). Architecture’s New Media: Principles, Theories, and Methods of Computer-Aided Design (Cambridge, MA: MIT Press), pp. 5-25 3. Oxman, Rivka and Robert Oxman, eds (2014). Theories of the Digital in Architecture (London; New York: Routledge), pp. 1–10
GEOMETRY Computation design software allows exploration on self-organizing patterns of geometries in a certain space and iterative logic relationship. There is more flexibility to optimize conceivable and achievable geometries, avoiding rigid geometries or simply replication. With the aid from parametric design software, design elements can be linked organically by parameters to form a smoother coordination. This process is similar to the self-reproduction of cells, that they differentiate with each other, but meanwhile they are similar and interrelated, to present various forms. This might expand future opportunities on urban planning, which requires differentiation and consistency in various function areas at the same time, to create a dynamic social space.
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KARTAL-PENDIK MASTERPLAN
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CASE1.. KARTAL-PENDIK MASTERPLAN
he Kartal masterplan reflects the implementation of parametricism in urbanism. It is a proposal for a new civic, residential, commercial and transport hub designed by Zaha Hadid Architects. The project is to constitute a sub-centre on Istanbul’s Asian side to release the pressure on the historic centre. The site is being reclaimed from industrial estates and is flanked with the small grain fabric of sub-urban towns.
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The integration of these lateral connections with the main longitudinal axis creates a soft grid that forms the underlying framework for the project. This fabric allows the existence of different typologies of buildings that respond to the various demands of each area. Through subtle transformations and gradations, the fabric creates a smooth transition from the surrounding context to a higher density development. By composing the rhythm of the city skyline, parametric designers planned the widening and narrowing space of urban fabric. Through a logical rulebased calculations, they brought out the elegance and clarity of the urban landscape. KARTAL-PENDIK MASTERPLAN
CASE2. THE BIRD NEST.
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eijing National Stadium in China, also knowm as 'The Bird Nest', is a marvelous piece of architecture using parametric design in its structure. With the aid from parametric software, numerous complicated structural calculations were solved. It played a significant role in ensuring that the web of twisting steel sections fitted correctly, in order to reach an accurate angle and degree to follow the curved surface. Meanwhile, it assures a wide span over cross the concourse, to create a spacious area more multi-functions such as refreshment and merchandising stalls. Focus was also given to designing a stadium which is able to withstand earthquakes without much damage, to give itself as much flexibility as possible for future use.
BEIJING NATIONAL STADIUM
Computational fluid dynamics (CDF) simulation based on the Games-time situation has been used to calculate the temperature and airflow speed at each angle of the structure and optimise all ventilation facilities accordingly. It is intelligent design systems that provides the Bird Nest with a great environmental building system through performance simulations. Computation 1. is crucial in designing such performance13 oriented buildings as the most important thing for operators is to make sure everything runs correctly and every factor needs to be in control, and computation contributes with reliable and sophisticated algorithm designs.
A.3. COMPOSITION/GENERATION
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ith the application of computation in architectural world, the design process has shift from traditional composition to intelligent generation in computers. Brady argues that ‘computation is redefining the practice of architecture4’, as it can be fully integrated into the practice and the actual design process, through an understood model which can be expressed as an algorithm. To define ‘algorithm’, Wilson addresses the concept that algorithm is “made up of a finite set of rules or operations that are unambiguous and simple to follow”. In a design process, the initial state is the input, and the final state is the output. The operations correspond to state transitions, where the states are the configuration of the tokens, which changes as operations are applied to them5. In this way, there is no clear separation between design intent and computational technique, as each steps to be done are rational.
THE SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION, WASHINTON DC One of the advantages that the use of generation in architecture has is the capability to obtain performance feedback at various stages. According to Peters, using these tools, structural, material or environmental performance can become a fundamental parameter in the creation of architectural form4. It brings us new design opportunities on more functional and developed projects. Even it comes to the stage when people occupy the building, the feedback between users and the building can still be updated instantly, to reflect changes and needs for modification. Yet, there are some inevitable challenges for generating parametric architecture. The complexity of parametric packages might be a serious issue for most users at first glance. To solve a design problem, sometimes excess information might be unnecessary and only make the design process more complicated.
4. Peters, Brady. (2013) ‘Computation Works: The Building of Algorithmic Thought’, Architectural Design, 83, 2, pp. 08-15 5. Definition of ‘Algorithm’ in Wilson, Robert A. and Frank C. Keil, eds (1999). The MIT Encyclopedia of the Cognitive Sciences (London: MIT Press), pp. 11, 12
According to Aish and Woodbury, parametric modelling 'decisions and increases the number of items to which attention must be paid in task may require additional effort, may increase complexity of local design completion6'. When parametric design enables us to develop an algorithm relation within the design process, designers are facing another challenge that they must be careful and patient, since a simple mistake in change of one parameter could result in a ripple effect on the design. Thus, applying parametric methods requires an excellent managerial insight from architects.
CASE1. THE SMITHSONIAN INSTITUE The enclosure of the Smithsonian Institution’s central courtyard was prompted by a desire to transform the public's experience of the Smithsonian's galleries and create one of the largest event spaces in Washington. The roof is composed of three interconnected vaults that flow into one another through softly curved valleys. The geometry of the roof is generated by a single computer program, written by Brady Peters, an architect on the design team and a member of Foster + Partners’ Specialist Modelling Group. The computer code was used to explore design options and was constantly modified throughout the design process. It was also used to generate the final geometry and additional information needed to analyse structural and acoustic performance. The generation of the roof further visualizes the space, articulating new and old through raising the roof above the walls of existing building. And more, it creates fabrication data for physical models. 6. Robert Aish and Robert Woodbury, 'Multi-Level Interaction in Parametric Design', in Andreas Butz et al. (eds.), Smart Graphics (Lecture Notes in Computer Science, 3638: Springer Berlin / Heidelberg, 2005), p. 151.
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CASE2. AAMI PARK
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AMI Park Stadium in Melbourne has a very unique appearance like a few soccer balls been connected together. Designed by the application of shell theory and 3D modelling tools, the roof is made up of 20 interdependent shells and a single layer of structure that shares the load through a combination of arching, cantilever and shell action. The use of 3D modelling and computer technology significantly streamlined the design process. Generative Component software was used to prepare parametric models to define the roof structure, allow for testing of alternative geometric configurations, creating wireframe models, and presenting the final geometry for fabrication and construction. The structural design team also used inhouse optimization software to study the structural efficiency of the roof. By optimizing the member sizes, the most efficient structure was determined, resulting in considerable savings in the amount of steel required for construction. The shell and other concrete works were fully realised in 3D from concept to construction. Advanced pedestrian modelling ensured optimal external circulation for patrons, improving safety and avoiding bottlenecks around the concourse and in surrounding streets.
THE AAMI PARK .MELBOURNE
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A.4 CONCLUSION I
n conclusion of the previous three chapters, sustainable architecture is a preferred design today since more and more people concern about our living environment on the earth. Addressing to current environmental issues, computing shows its capability in helping to solve them in a much more efficient and accurate way through algorithm in parametric design.
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Inspired by some precedents of parametric architectures, my intended design might also start from addressing some ecological issues such as water pollution or unprotected animal habitats. I believe algorithmic computing software such as Grasshopper can help build a highly functional space with a controlled environment in terms of temperature, lightness, and humidity, which are very important to create a harmonized environment for both human and the nature. Meanwhile I hope to obtain an organic architecture form from parametric design, in order to integrate with the local landscape without performing interruption.
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earning the theory of computing from readings helps me establish a fundamental understanding on architectural computing, which involves rigorous algorithmic relations between each input and output. But the most useful tool for me is through watching tutorial videos and practice that allows me to explore each button in Grasshopper and how a single parameter can affect my model to a large extent. From the beginning with zero experience in computing architecture, my knowledge has been broaden very much. If I could have used my new knowledge to improve a past design, I would try more curved surfaces because they bring vitality to the buildings, and perhaps to use more repetitive but differentiated geometries to form the faรงade.
A.5 LEARNING OUTCOMES
A.6 APPENDIX
-ALGORITHMIC SKETCHES SPHERE
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hrough the exercise of creating a sphere, I practised some definitions in Grasshopper such as Loft, Explode Tree, and Random etc. I chose the following example from my works because I appreatiate the randomness that an algorithmic software brought to us. It breaks our tradition of rules and easily creates unregular patterns without a sense of messy. With this randomness I believe more natural patterns can be produced in my future designs because they avoid being deliberate but instead, an order in disorder.
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GRIDSHELL Gridshell is a tool I think I can apply to cable beam structures because it allows curves to intersect and simulate tension force. It can also be used for roofs and stadiums.
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PLANARY Contour and planary tools help me to transform a simple geometry into panels. These two definitions might be applied to panel facades of building which can function as shading device to a building system, so that to achieve a sustainble building environment.
SMOOTH MESH Smooth mesh eliminates rigid edges and corners of a geometry, to create a more smooth and dynamic form of a building. It helps a building to intergrate with the surrounding landscape more smoothly.