Emergent Exoskeleton — Fall Semester 2015/16

EMERGENT EXOSKELETON / Fall Semester 2015 — 2016

Design team: Jan Kováříček Martin Kotoul Ivan Olontsev

Supervisors: prof. ak. arch. Imrich Vaško MgA. Martin Gsandtner M. Sc. Shota Tsikolya

UMPRUM Studio AIII

Preface

The new understanding of the architecture as an open dynamic system follows the similar change of approach in other subjects, particularly natural sciences. Classical reductionist approach of the modern science has faced its limitations. The development in the fields of biology and studies of the living matter showed the necessity of the system thinking. Deductive methods and the attention to the isolated parts are not applicable nor to the biology neither to architecture, as no living matter can exist isolated of its environment. Architecture and biological organism can be described as a complex system of relations and interactions. The transition from reductionism to the system thinking is related to the term “emergency�. Emergency represents a spontaneous appearance of new macroscopic qualities and complex structures, which cannot be simply deduced out of the qualities of its inner microscopic parts.1 Emergent system is a system, which contains many simple parts, behaving according to a simple rules, but which in result create complex patterns, which are more than a sum of the inner parts. It is relatively simple to simulate an emergent system, yet very challenging to predict its development. A part of the emergent system is often a system of positive and negative feedbacks, which regulate its behavior.

An application of the emergent systems in architecture presents an ultimate change of paradigm. The design of the emergent architecture is a design of its inner processes, behaviors, feedback mechanisms, therefore it is complicated to predict the exact shape of the designed structure. Emergent architecture cannot be properly represented in a notational way, therefore it is not defined by an elevation, a plan or a cross-section, but by rules and behaviors. The applicable analogies include not a traditional architecture, but more often structure encountered in nature. Bird nests as well as nests of the social insects are based on the set of limited and simple behaviors, but can achieve high ranges of complexity.2 The resulting object is exceeding the sum of its inner components. Emergent architecture is unpredictable, yet variable, redundant yet adaptable, its advantages come out of its disadvantages.

Dynamic, alive, ever-changing, evolving, biological architecture can be traced to the utopian projects of sixties, the examples of those are Archigram, Superstudio or Cedric Price. It was developed even further in the projects of Japanese Metabolist architects. Over-populated cities, mountainous terrain and a radioactive wasteland were the testing ground for the experiments with this new dynamic architecture.3 Bio-inspired structures speculated about the new utopia on the ground of apocalypse. However the technical equipment of the time limited the use of biological inspiration to a level of metaphor.

New technologies, tools, fabrication methods, material studies and computational sources provide an opportunity to reinvent and redefine metabolism in the paradigm of the emergent architecture. The fourth industrial revolution means the transition from the automated robotics to the intelligent cyber-physical space.4 Metabolism 2.0 tests new utopia of self-regulation in the contemporary globalized apocalypse.

Shota Tsikolya 1 2 3 4

John H. Holland, Emergence: from Chaos to Order Scott Camazine, Self-organisation in biological systems Rem Koolhaas, Hans Ulrich Obrist, Project Japan Achim Menges, The New Cyber-Physical Making in Architecture

Emergent Architecture — Metabolism 2.0

Exoskeleton noun, Zoology

[ek-soh-skel-i-tn]

1 “a rigid external covering for the body in some invertebrate animals, especially arthropods, providing both support and protection.” 1 2 “an artificial external supporting structure” 2

google.com 2 merriam–webster.com 1

definition

module

Harum am atur aut mil im ipid modis iunte porum con culparis am fugit, sum harchicabor sinte latur aperiae cumquo es quis maximus, officabor ma dolut et id Harum am atur aut mil im ipid modis iunte porum con culparis am fugit, sum harchicabor sinte latur aperiae cumquo es quis maximus, officabor ma dolut et id Based on Harum amPlatonic atur autsolid mil im ipid modis Tetrahedron Truncated iunte porum con culparis am fugit, sum harchicabor sinte latur aperiae cumquo es quis maximus, officabor ma dolut et id

symmetrical in 1–axis, otherwise unique

module

UMPRUM Design concept Studio AIII

Create a dynamic component that can expand and contract, with such a topology that can be both continuous, unique and not repetitive.

fabrication

3D printing master model Creating 2 parts mold Plaster casting Postprocessing, surface finish

stacking logics

Cellular Automata

stacking logics

1 Go top

2 Find 1st branch A / add to random bottom B / go top

3 A / 1st branch go in opposite direction from last bottom B / 2 nd branch go top

4 A / 1st branch go top B / 2 nd branch:

B.A / go top

B.B / go to random bottom

Growth

1 Go up Do 2 branches A / top B / do random bottom branch (rotate / optional) 2 (IF top triangle do bottom hexagon ELSE top hexagon do bottom triangle)

3 top = stop up movement, do bottom branch opposite to the nearest neighbour

Rules

stacking logics

4

3

4

2

3

1

2

0

Diagrams — growth

4

Diagrams — rules

stacking logics

Generated model

Physical model part

EMERGENT EXOSKELETON

Application

Flexibly expandable shell structure with different intake of air flow and circulation

Body scale

Air flow simulation

Components create aerodynamic barrier against high air flow

Aerodynamic protection

Components create even air circulation resulting in increased cooling

Air flow simulation

Flow patterns observed: separation, reattachement, circulation

Air circulation

EMERGENT EXOSKELETON — Pavilion Pavilion designed by emergent properties of variously alterning the self state of the module (3 possible states of expansion) Different expansion changes the inherent properties. The most open state is the most porous and most flexible

The most closed state of the module is the most rigid and the least porous.

Application

3rd state is equilibirum set in between the other 2 maximums

Emergent feature of the pavilion is defined by the interactivity between components with different state of expansion / contraction

Human scale

dynamic component

Component with 3 possible states of expansion

maximum expansion maximum flexibility maximum porosity highest airflow permeability

Component scheme

Each state provides different properties translated into architectural function (building block, semi–permeable membrane, shading, ‌)

equilibrium state medium porosity medium airflow permeability

maximum contraction maximum rigidity minimal porosity lowest airflow permeability

pavilion

One component work differently according to the function needed in specific situation only by setting various state. Different states can react to each other

Side view

States of the component gradually changes from rigid to flexible

Detail

contacts

Jan Kováříček jankovaricek.com j.kovaricek@email.cz instagram.com/jankovaricek Martin Kotoul umprum.cz/web/cs/lide/ martin-kotoul-495 kotoulm@gmail.com Ivan Olontsev umprum.cz/web/cs/lide/ ivan-olontsev-695 oloni@email.cz instagram.com/iolontsev

UMPRUM Studio AIII