Studio Air by Jack Fellows

STUDIO AIR 2018, SEMESTER 2, T: JACK MANSFIELD-HUNG JACK FELLOWS

CONCEPTUALISATION

PART A

CONCEPTUALISATION

Table of Contents PART A 4

INTRODUCTION

A.1 DESIGN FUTURING

A.2 DESIGN COMPUTERISATION

A.3 COMPOSITION/GENERATION

A.4 CONCLUSION

A.5 LEARNING OUTCOMES

A.6 APPENDIX

INTRODUCTION

JACK FELLOWS Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m Jack, a third year Architecture major student at the University of Melbourne. I originally wanted explore careers in the field of science and genetics, but was captivated by an architecture subject during my first semester. Now, the more I complete of my degree, the more my passion for architecture and design grows. I love traveling and recently came back from studying abroad in Stuttgart, Germany. It was an amazing experience. The architecture varied vastly from the architecture here in Australia. My appreciation of modernist architecture grew while I lived in Stuttgart. I was immersed in a city where the Bauhaus had such a great impact. While I really admire 20th Century architecture, I am also excited for the future of architecture and design. The future of algorithmic and computational design, humans and our natural world all working together to create a better constructed environment excites me. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m looking forward to future technological advancements that will enhance our built and natural environments.

CONCEPTUALISATION

A.1

DESIGN FUTURING

FIGURE 2: RELATIONSHIPS FACILITATED BY THE LIVING MUSHTARI. IMAGE UNDERLAY COURTESY OF MEDIATED MATTER.

FIGURE 3: ENERGY TRANSFORMATIONS FACILITATED BY THE LIVING MUSHTARI. IMAGE UNDERLAY COURTESY OF MEDIATED MATTER.

LIVING MUSHTARI BY MEDIATED MATTER Living Mushtari is a wearable piece of architecture that aims to distort our current relationship with microbes. It questions how our relationship with micro-organisms can develop outside of our body – can we have a symbiotic relationship with microbes outside of our body? Can we use this relationship to produce desired commodities? The piece consists of a long tube snaking around itself and the wearer at differing diameters. This is a space for microbes to live. The desired commodity such as scent, food, medicine or colour pigment is manufactured through a series of energy transformations. Sunlight is consumed by photosynthetic microbes that produce sucrose (table sugar) as a waste material. This sucrose waste is consumed by a different type of microbe that then produces the desired commodity1. The commodity

can be extracted from the wearable piece to be consumed by the human wearer. The human and microbes establish a symbiotic relationship that’s facilitated by the wearable architecture. The human (enabled by the architecture) provides a living environment for the micro-organisms, that in turn, provide substances for the human. A relationship is also formed inside the wearable. The photosynthetic microbes produce waste in the form of sucrose, that the other microbes clear away by consuming it. Relationships like these occur inside our bodies, some even occur on the exterior of our skin but we have no conscious control. The Living Mushtari allows us to think of how we can change our relationship with micro-organisms into the future to use them to produce personally tailored and desired substances.

MEDIATED MATTER, LIVING MUSHTARI (CAMBRIDGE: MASSACHUSETTS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY) < HTTPS://WWW.MEDIA.MIT.EDU/PROJECTS/ LIVING-MUSHTARI/OVERVIEW/> [ACCESSED AUGUST 2018]. 1

CONCEPTUALISATION

FIGURE 4: THRESHOLDS ON THE DOLPHIN EMBASSY. IMAGE UNDERLAY COURTESY OF ANT FARM.

FIGURE 5: SHARED PROGRAMS ON THE DOLPHIN EMBASSY. IMAGE UNDERLAY COURTESY OF ANT FARM.

DOLPHIN EMBASSY BY ANT FARM Ant Farm exposed the idea of a future where humans and wild animals interact and form interpersonal relationships2. They used their unbuilt project, Dolphin Embassy, to express this future to the mainstream public. Detailed, published architectural drawings describe the architectural form that facilitates this relationship. The thresholds between the natural environment (the ocean) and the manmade are blurred. Around the whole perimeter of the boat is a lowered deck allowing access to the water. At the rear the deck becomes wider and eats into the Embassy’s upper platform. This water level, open space allows for interaction between humans and dolphins to take place, either on the physical deck or at the water’s edge. The blurred threshold between the human and dolphin environments allows for a new type

of program, one that enables the interaction between humans and dolphins. Streams of water and water level platforms integrated into the architecture, inside and out, carry this new program throughout the Embassy. Rooms and spaces are not separated into human districts and dolphin districts. They are mixed and nestled within each other. The whole structure is an unheard-of piece of architecture that’s shared by humans and dolphins. Future interpersonal relationships between humans and dolphins and architecture that facilitates this design futuring idea was perhaps a shocking idea, hence the wide spread media attention on the project in the 1970s.

HIDDEN ARCHITECTURE, DOLPHIN EMBASSY (HIDDEN ARCHITECTURE, 2016) <WWW. HIDDENARCHITECTURE.NET/2016/02/DOLPHIN-EMBASSY.HTML > [ACCESSED AUGUST 2018]. 2

CONCEPTUALISATION

A.2

DESIGN COMPUTATION The shift from computerisation to computation is as prominent as ever. As humans, we are recognising our limitations and using computation processes to push our boundaries. The high speed and calculation capabilities of computers can be used to our advantage. We are moving from traditional design processes to more of a generative design approach. We can design to replicate nature’s highly evolved processes, where organisms evolve from a bottom up approach. Designing with a bottom up approach results in a more complex, organically developed design. It regularly results in enhanced integration with surroundings and is suited to individuals in a collective, rather than the ‘average human’. Zaha Hadid Architects’ Kartal Pendik Masterplan nestles within the urban fabric of Istanbul, replacing an old industrial precinct. It is a reputable example of using computation and a generative design approach to generate a masterplan designed with more of a bottom up approach.

FIGURE 6: THE MAJOR URBAN CONNECTIONS AROUND THE SITE THAT LATER INFORMED THE WARPED GRID OF THE MASTERPLAN. IMAGE UNDERLAY COURTESY OF ZAHA HADID ARCHITECTS.

CONCEPTUALISATION

A common urban grid is overlaid over the site, but is warped using an ‘adaptable urban script’3 to connect to existing infrastructures neighbouring the site. This makes the new urban development permeable to travel through, far more so than if the grid was square. It allows road and rail transport to flow through, connecting the development to the local port and ocean, greater Europe and Asia and to the existing metropolitan area of Istanbul. Hadid Architects also used this script to develop mixed use buildings for the site. The demands of each smaller district within the site are used as inputs for the script. This results in generative designs that create permeable and interconnected spaces throughout the development that connect to the existing urban environment4. The computational systems that create this complex response to the site go beyond the human brain’s unaided capabilities.

FIGURE 7: KARTAL PENDIK MASTERPLAN SHOWING THE MAIN TRANSPORT CORRIDORS CONNECTING WITH THE EXISTING SURROUNDING INFRASTRUCTURES. IMAGE UNDERLAY COURTESY OF ZAHA HADID ARCHITECTS.

“Nature inspired design to design inspired nature” The Silk Pavilion, by Neri Oxman and her students, takes the idea of design inspired nature and manifests it at an architectural scale. Silk worms produce intricate and highly complex cocoons as part of their lifecycle. They are so complex that even modern computational technologies don’t have the capacity to replicate them5. Investigations exposed to Oxman’s team that when creating their cocoons, silk worms highly respond to their small scale and detailed environment. They respond through the shape of the cocoon and the mixture of proteins secreted that produce the silk. The team took this complexity, that goes far beyond our capabilities and applied it at an architectural scale. Using computational design methods, they produced a silk thread and temporary metal frame that responded to the suns path at the site6. A large group of silk worms were placed on the structure to produce

their cocoons before the metal framing was removed. The resulting pavilion was an amalgamation of nature and design, one where nature (the natural silk and cocoons) was influenced by design (the temporary scaffolding and base mesh of silk thread). Computation was used to shape and influence the form, however the silk worms defined the finished form. The Silk Pavilion presents exciting, new ideas in architectural design. It exhibits the merging of nature and computational design into a structure. A merger that can produce a pavilion or another structure with one material, just treated differently at different points. It’s a completely new and forward thinking idea, creating structures out of a single, sustainable material. By using computational design processes, we can fabricate complex natural structures shaped by our designs. An innovative and sustainable response to our ever-changing environment.

FIGURE 8: THE SILK PAVILION, BY NERI OXMAN AND HER STUDENTS. IMAGE COURTESY OF MEDIATED MATTER. 3

ZAHA HADID ARCHITECTS, KARTAL MASTERPLAN (ZAHA HADID ARCHITECTS, 2006) <WWW. ZAHA-HADID.COM/MASTERPLANS/KARTAL-PENDIK-MASTERPLAN/ > [ACCESSED AUGUST 2018]. 4

ZAHA HADID ARCHITECTS, KARTAL MASTERPLAN (ZAHA HADID ARCHITECTS, 2006) <WWW. ZAHA-HADID.COM/MASTERPLANS/KARTAL-PENDIK-MASTERPLAN/ > [ACCESSED AUGUST 2018].

TED CONFERENCES, DESIGN AT THE INTERSECTION OF TECHNOLOGY AND BIOLOGY (TED CONFERENCES, 2015) <WWW.TED. COM/TALKS/NERI_OXMAN_DESIGN_AT_THE_INTERSECTION_OF_ TECHNOLOGY_AND_BIOLOGY> [ACCESSED AUGUST 2018]. 5

MEDIATED MATTER, SILK PAVILLION (CAMBRIDGE: MASSACHUSETTS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY) <MATTER.MEDIA.MIT.EDU/ENVIRONMENTS/ DETAILS/SILK-PAVILLION > [ACCESSED AUGUST 2018].

FIGURE 9: PLACING SILK WORMS ON THE COMPUTATIONALLY DESIGNED SCAFFOLDING. IMAGE COURTESY OF MEDIATED MATTER.

FIGURE 10: A SILK WORM WEAVING SILK BETWEEN THE FABRICATED SILK THREADS. IMAGE COURTESY OF MEDIATED MATTER. CONCEPTUALISATION

A.3

COMPOSITION/GENERATION The BLOOM game (by Alisa Andrasek and Jose Sanchez) pieces have three notches that allow them to be interchangeably connected. When used in conjunction with a set of user defined rules, a form slowly and unexpectedly emerges. A user can compose pre-imagined shapes and forms, however to create complex, patterned forms, the user can use a rule or a set of rules. When using BLOOM in this manner, the relationship between form composition and generation is quite weak as a user would find it very difficult to predict the exact resulting form. If a complex rule is employed it can be impossible for a human to visualise the composition. A user who employs a set of rules to produce a form is generating the form through the rules, rather than composing the structure. Architectural design is moving away from consciously composed structures to more of a form generation design process. Designing through generational processes allows for unique possibilities to design from a bottom up perspective. Doing this allows for better tailored systems and structures for a diverse range of users, rather than just ‘ideal’ or ‘average’ users. Historically, it’s a very foreign

idea, but it allows for humans to create more complex and personalised solutions, pushing past the physiological capabilities of the human brain. For this reason, generated forms should be embraced. There are potential negatives to the generative design processes though. Architects need to be wary of generating forms from unsuitable or non-optimised rules and parameters. A rule like this could produce a form that the architect may then force programs and spaces into. This could be detrimental to a person’s experience of the building, which is like stepping backward behind traditional compositional design. Generational design is changing the built environment and it should be embraced, but architects need to be mindful that the function and experience of a space is not compromised because of it.

FIGURE 11: EXPLODED DETAIL OF ONE SEGMENT TAKEN FROM THE GENERATED MODEL IN FIGURE 12.

FIGURE 12: THE GENERATED FORM FROM A SIMPLE USER DEFINED RULE - JOINT C TO JOINT A, THEN JOINT C TO JOINT B, THEN JOINT A TO B, WHERE POSSIBLE.

FIGURE 13: EXPLODED DETAIL OF ONE SEGMENT TAKEN FROM THE GENERATED MODEL IN FIGURE 14.

FIGURE 14: THE GENERATED FORM FROM A SIMPLE USER DEFINED RULE - JOINT B TO JOINT A, THEN JOINT C TO C ON ONE SIDE.

CONCEPTUALISATION

Neri Oxman and Mediated Matter regularly use generational design processes to realise their projects. They created an interesting relationship between compositional design, generational design and natural processes to fabricate the Silk Pavilion. They composed a half spherical shape as the foremost form of the Pavilion. They then used local sun path mapping to inform the diameter and position of apertures in response to the silk worms needs7. The apertures were generated from parameters, rather than physically detailed and composed by the team. Algorithmic design allowed the pavilion to meet the specific needs of the silk worm. To determine the aperture location and diameter without utilising digital parametric design would have been near impossible or would have taken far longer to achieve the same level of precision. The spherical form was divided into planar elements and spun silk thread was woven using a robotic arm over the top of temporary metal form holders. The path of the vectors (that informed the placement of the spun silk over the metal frames) was digitally generated to provide a suitable medium or the silk worms to build their cocoons. If the thread was too far apart, large gaps would not accommodate the silk worms. If it were too close, the team would be consuming unnecessary material. This demonstrates the advantage of using generational design techniques. Interestingly, the generated form of the pre-silk worm pavilion allowed for a symbiotic relationship between human and silk worm. Neri and her team fabricated an environment for the silk worms to temporarily live, and the silk worms reinforced and produced a skin around the pavilion. Parametric and generative design can be positively used to facilitate artificially induced symbiotic relationships. However, this also poses a question; by creating artificial symbiotic relationships are we exploiting animals to perform tasks for us? Perhaps this needs to be considered moving forward into the new world of generative design.

FIGURE 15: THE SILK PAVILIONâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S ALGORITHMICALLY COMPUTED SUN APERTURES. IMAGE UNDERLAY COURTESY OF MEDIATED MATTER.

MEDIATED MATTER, SILK PAVILLION (CAMBRIDGE: MASSACHUSETTS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY) <MATTER.MEDIA.MIT.EDU/ENVIRONMENTS/ DETAILS/SILK-PAVILLION > [ACCESSED AUGUST 2018]. CONCEPTUALISATION

A.4

A.5

The future for design is an exciting one. Relatively new computational design processes have already lead to innovative new designs and ideas, such as Mediated Matterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Living Mushtari. Relationships with other organisms is more possible than ever. Computational design can facilitate artificial symbiotic relationships.

My past knowledge of architectural computing was limited, only being informed by guest lecture series at the University of Melbourne. I was exposed to real projects that incorporated computational design processes, which was inspiring. However, I only realised the potential of computational design when researching precedents for this journal. The possibilities for relationships between humans and organisms are so great. Computational architecture and design has a strong future of facilitating artificial symbiotic relationships between humans and our natural world. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s something I look forward to.

CONCLUSION

Design computation can lead to these relationships being established and strengthened. Computation pushes past the physiological capabilities of our brains, executing calculations and processes that exceed our limitations. It opens a design world that embraces iterations and optimisations, producing tailored architecture where the user has a higher quality experience. Computational design moves away from traditional compositional processes. It uses specific, chosen inputs to generate forms that are more optimised for the client and their brief. While this is something to embrace and look forward to, designers must be wary of the parametric design rules they produce in order to produce better, high quality designs.

CONCEPTUALISATION

LEARNING OUTCOMES

CONCEPTUALISATION

A.6

APPENDIX ALGORITHMIC SKETCHES

Geometric Protocol 1. Start with a point 10mm from the bottom on the left. 2. Copy the point at 20mm intervals up the left side. 3. Place points 10mm from the top and from the bottom on the right side. 4. Draw a line from the bottom right pt. to each pt. on the left. 5. Repeat from the top right pt.

Recursive Protocol 1. Draw a 200mm line 5 degrees from the bottom left corner. 2. Copy and rotate the line 90 degrees from the top pt. and scale by .8 3. Repeat 16 times.

Conditional Protocol 1. Draw a 300mm line up from the bottom left corner. 2. Copy and rotate the line -30 degrees from the top third pt. 3. Scale the line by 0.8 4. Repeat 5. If the line intersects the boundary, copy and rotate by -50 degrees and scale by 0.5. 6. If more than a third of a line is outside the boundary, stop.

Branch Protocol 1. Line A = rotation -45 deg 80mm long 2. Line B = rotation +30 deg 100mm long 3. From the bottom left third division point, draw line A 4. If the previous line is line A, draw line B 5. If the previous line is line B, draw both line A and line B 6. Repeat steps 4 and 5 7. If the line hits the edge of the page, STOP 8. If the line hits itself, STOP

CONCEPTUALISATION

by .8

Recursive Protocol 1. Draw a 300mm line from the bottom left corner. 2. Copy and rotate the line -80 degrees from the top third point and scale by .8 3. Repeat 18 times.

Branch Protocol 1. Line A = rotation -80 deg 60mm long 2. Line B = rotation +35 deg 80mm long 3. From (0,0) draw line A 4. If the previous line is line A, draw line A and B. 5. If the previous line is line B, draw line A. 6. Repeat steps 4 and 5. 7. If the line hits the edge of the page, stop. 8. If the line hits itself, stop.

CONCEPTUALISATION

Geometric Protocol 1. Start with a point 10mm from the bottom on the left. 2. Copy the point at 20mm intervals up the left side. 3. Draw a point 10mm from the side on the bottom left. 4. Copy the point at 20mm intervals along the bottom edge. 5. Draw a line from the bottom left point to the top left point. 6. Draw a point from the next bottom point to the point second from the top. 7. Repeat. 8. Mirror all lines with the top left corner to the bottom right corner as the mirror plane. 9. Move all lines up to touch the top edge.

Conditional Protocol 1. Draw a 20mm line up from the center point. 2. Copy and rotate the line 90 degrees from the top third pt. 3. Scale the line by 2. 4. Repeat 5. If the line intersects a line, copy and rotate by -50 degrees and scale by 0.5. Continue repeating 2 and 3. 6. If line touches the edge, scale by 0.5. 7. If over a third of a line is out side the boundary, stop. 18

CONCEPTUALISATION

BLOOM - JOINT B TO JOINT A, THEN JOINT C TO C ON ONE SIDE. CONCEPTUALISATION

BLOOM - JOINT B TO JOINT A, THEN JOINT C TO C ON ONE SIDE. 20

CONCEPTUALISATION

BLOOM - JOINT C TO JOINT A, THEN JOINT C TO JOINT B, THEN JOINT A TO B, WHERE POSSIBLE. CONCEPTUALISATION

CONCEPTUALISATION

BLOOM - JOINT C TO JOINT A, THEN JOINT B TO JOINT B, THEN JOINT A TO JOINT C. CONCEPTUALISATION

CRITERIA DESIGN

PART B

CRITERIA DESIGN

Table of Contents PART B 6

B.1 RESEARCH FIELD

B.2 CASE STUDY 1

B.3 CASE STUDY 2

B.4 TECHNIQUE: DEVELOPMENT

B.5 TECHNIQUE: PROTOTYPES

B.6 TECHNIQUE: PROPOSAL

B.7 LEARNING OBJECTIVES AND OUTCOMES

APPENDIX

CRITERIA DESIGN

B.1

RESEARCH FIELD

BIOMIMICRY AND COMPUTATIONAL DESIGN Biomimicry is not simply the replication of natural forms, but the study and application of the governing rules and concepts that are underpin organisms. Biomimicry based computational designs will regularly, but not exclusively, result in similar arrangements and systems as one would observe in a natural environment. This is due to the similar rules the computational model employs from natural sources. Computational biomimicry design has been enabled by the development of computational design tools and software where a generative process is employed based off a set of rules and parameters. Engaging a biomimicry based design process has the potential to result in a deeply complex outcome that is derived from intricate and profoundly evolved natural specimens. This contrasts to what many mistakenly consider true biomimicry to be; simply imitating physical characteristics of natural organisms. This approach was previously used, and to some extent still is, commonly for cosmetic and ornamentation purposes. While this can still be seen in the design world today, is not a reflection of biomimicry within computational design. Biomimicry pushes further past pure cosmetic style and more towards the foundational design system and approach of the project. Foster and Partners’ celebrated Swiss Re or informally, the Gherkin Tower, employed biomimicry for the structural tectonic of the tower during the design process. The Venus Flower Basket Sponge had desirable structural qualities that the Swiss Re tower required, so it was studied further1. The team extracted it’s optimised and evolved structural system. The Sponge’s lattice like tubular form allows it experience high water current stresses from any direction, while still being lightweight with minimal volumes of material2. The studies resulted in a structural system that accommodates the tubular form and the associated vertical and horizontal loads while using minimal materials. It did not directly replicate the form of the Venus Flower Basket Sponge, but rather employed the basic structural tectonic of the Sponge to translate into the structural frame of the Tower.

Foxlin Architects, ‘Lord Foster’s Natural Inspiration: The Gherkin Tower,’ Foxlin Architects (San Clemente: Foxlin Architects, 2010) <https://foxlin.com/ lord-fosters-natural-inspiration-the-gherkin-tower/> [September 2018] 1

Foxlin Architects.

CRITERIA DESIGN

FIGURE 1: THE VENUS FLOWER BASKET SPONGE. IMAGE COURTESY OF THEODORE GRAY.

FIGURE 2: NOR SWISS RE BUI

IMAGE COURT

RMAL AND PARTNERS’ LDING.

FIGURE 3: DETAIL OF THE VENUS FLOWER BASKET SPONGE. IMAGE COURTESY OF THEODORE GRAY.

TESY OF ARCHDAILY.

FIGURE 4: DETAIL OF THE SWISS RE BUILDING’S STRUCTURAL SYSTEM. IMAGE COURTESY OF ARCHDAILY. CRITERIA DESIGN

B.2

CASE STUDY 1.1

SPANISH PAVILION, FOREIGN OFFICE ARCHITECTS I struggled to create a lot of variation between ‘species’ with below Spanish Pavilion grasshopper algorithm. Some of the iterations, such as the chosen four below, have some potential to be employed to design a bee embassy. However, the proximity

of the cells is not desirable as blue banned bees don’t prefer to live in extremely close proximity. This precedent and algorithm is not a very suitable option, so will not be used further in the design of a bee embassy.

A3 MOVED CONTROL POINTS MAX. BUT WITHOUT OVERLAPPING.

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CRITERIA DESIGN

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B.2

CASE STUDY 1.2

VOLTADOM, SKYLAR TIBBITS A1

The Spanish Pavilion algorithm wasn’t very successful in finding variations between the species. The cells didn’t vary in size enough for it to be considered a suitable base for the design of a bee embassy.

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A10

I decided to choose another case study to try and improve on the Spanish Pavilion. Once again, it was difficult to create a lot of variation between the species, but I consider it more successful than the previous study. There were more variations in cell sizes among the iterations and culling allowed there to be less circles, making it more suitable for a bee embassy for the solitary blue banded bees. The four selected iterations were selected based on the proximity of the cells (not too clustered) and the potential space for brooding cells within the cells. While simplistic, these forms could be elaborated on to create a basis for an embassy. The four iterations could be used as a starting point for experimenting with moulds and CNC milling to create a physical bee embassy.

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CRITERIA DESIGN

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B.3

CASE STUDY 2.1

MAPLE LEAF SQUARE CANOPY, UNITED VISUAL ARTISTS The United Visual Artists transported part of the experience of walking through a natural, tree dense forest with this project. The project captures the light filtering through the leaves of the trees and falling onto the ground; the dappled light. During the day, natural light falls through randomised clear panes, then at night, the canopy lights up with cool and warm lighting. Individual lights fade in and out, creating the appearance of dappled light as one moves around beneath a canopy of trees. The light creeps along the canopy in streams, directly referencing the natural filtered light on a forest floor. The project transports part of nature into an urban setting.

FIGURE 8: PROCESS TO REVERSE-ENGINEER THE MAPLE LEAF SQUARE CANOPY. FELLOW

FIGURE 6: MAPLE LEAF SQUARE CANOPY DETAIL. IMAGE COURTESY OF JAMES MEDCRAFT, 2010.

FIGURE 7: MAPLE LEAF SQUARE CANOPY AT DUSK. IMAGE COURTESY OF JAMES MEDCRAFT, 2010.

CRITERIA DESIGN

FIGURE 9: AN UNSUCCESSFUL ATTEMPT AT REVERSEENGINEERING THE MAPLE LEAF SQUARE CANOPY.

FIGURE 10: ANOTHER UNSUCCE REVERSE-ENGINEERING THE M

WS, 2018.

ESSFUL ATTEMPT AT MAPLE LEAF SQUARE CANOPY.

After searching online for help to reverse engineer the United Artists Groupâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Canopy, I found a few threads on the Grasshopper website regarding the surface pattern; the Cairo pattern. A few posts and ideas resulted in figure 9 and 10. The grasshopper definition should have created the Cairo pattern similar to the Canopy, however it drew lines from a central point, creating a pattern unlike the Canopyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s. After getting stuck, I searched further for a solution. I came across a definition from a post on the Grasshopper website. It replicated the patterning of the Canopy successfully while being very similar to the definition used for the unsuccessful attempts. Perhaps some of the components were incorrect or I missed some connections between components that were critical to the output pattern.

FIGURE 11: A SUCCESSFUL ATTEMPT AT REVERSEENGINEERING THE MAPLE LEAF SQUARE CANOPY.

After unsuccessfully being able to totally reverse engineer the Canopy and analysing the pattern and its potential, I decided to not continue with this case study any further. The pattern is a collection of lines that create closely packed cells, which would not be suitable for a bee embassy for the blue banded bee.

CRITERIA DESIGN

B.3

CASE STUDY 2.2

CIRCLE PACKING WITH IMAGE SAMPLING After the unsuccessful attempts with the previous study, I searched online for other patterning techniques that could be defined in Grasshopper. I found some interesting images, videos and posts about circle packing. Circle packing is where a predetermined number of circles change their diameter in response to an input. They then shuffle around to cover the most area with the least amount of overlapping lines. After finding components online and building on these components with my own definitions, I had reversed engineered a circle packing definition. Using image sampling to determine the radius of each circle, I found a lot of potential that could be applied to a bee embassy. The definition could create varied cell sizes at varying proximities and could cull smaller cells that cluttered the form. This is a good basis to start from for designing a bee embassy for the blue banded bee.

FIGURE 12: PROCESS TO REVERSE-ENGINEER AN IMAGE SAMPLE BASED CIRCLE PACKING DEFINIT

CRITERIA DESIGN

TION. FELLOWS, 2018.

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False, true

B.4

EMBASSY DESIGN EVOLUTION

TECHNIQUE: DEVELOPMENT

True

CASE STUDY 2.2 DEVELOPMENT Larger than 7

CIRCLE PACKING WITH IMAGE SAMPLING Larger than 7 True, false

Nest 1 - unedited

False, true

Nest 1 - unedited

Nest 1 - unedited Nest 1 - unedited

True, false True, false True, false

Nest 1 - unedited Nest 1 - unedited

Larger than 7

True

True, false Larger than 6

False, true

Larger than 7

True

True Larger than 6

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Nest 1 - unedited False, true False, true False, true

Nest 1 - unedited

Nest 1 - unedited Larger than 6

Nest 1 - unedited Nest 1 - unedited Nest 1 - unedited Nest 1 - unedited Nest 1 - unedited True, false Nest 1 - unedited

False, true

Nest 1 - unedited

Larger than 5

Larger than 7 True, false

Larger than 6

True

True, false

True

Larger than 5 Larger than 7 Larger than 7 Larger than 7

True

True Larger than 5

Nest image 2 - painted

False, true

Nest 1 - unedited

Larger than 7 Larger than 5

True, false False, true

False, true

True, false

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True, false

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True, false

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True, false

Larger than 6 Larger than 6

True

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True, false

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False, true

False, true Larger than 6 Larger than 7

False, true True

Larger than 7

True True, false

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False, true

Larger than 5 Larger than 5 Larger than 5

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Nest image 2 - painted

CRITERIA DESIGN

Larger than 6

False, true

Nest 1 - unedited

Nest 4 - edit

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Nest 4 Nest 4 - edit

Nest image 4 - painted Nest image 4 - painted

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Nest 4 - edit Nest 4 - edit Nest 4 - edit Nest image 4 - painted Nest image 4 - painted Nest image 4 - painted

Nes

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1 - unedited

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Nest 4 - edit

Nest 1 - unedited

True

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Nest 1 - edited Larger than 7

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Nest 1 - unedited

Nest 1 - unedited True

Nest 1 - unedited

Nest 1 - edited

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True

True, false

An image of a wild aggregation of blue banded bees was used as an initial input. The goal was to capture the unique spacial relationships between the burrows. Just using an unedited image created a lot of uniform circles. To create more variation, photos of nesting sites were digitally painted over to highlight the burrows. The white and black points were also altered to remove noise. Both of these techniques succeeded in creating more variation in the diameters of the circles. The three highlighted iterations show a large range in circle diameters and are not clustered too closely. They will be used to inform the design of a bee embassy.

Nest 1 - edited

CRITERIA DESIGN

B.5

TECHNIQUE: PROTOTYPES

PROTOTYPING

PROTOTYPE TWO

The desired materials for a blue banded bee burrowing site would be constructed mainly of soil based products, as this is what the bees naturally burrow in. It is in abundance and is low cost material. For the structure of a bee house, a soil type such as sand would have to be mixed with a binding agent to give it structural strength. The bee would then burrow in another, softer soil mixture, similar to what it does in the wild. The material should only last around a year, just enough time for a female blue banded to lay her eggs and for the offspring to develop and leave the nest. Blue banded bees don’t use the same nest more than once as the female dies after laying her eggs. Once the offspring leave the burrow, it becomes abandoned, making it an easy habit for pests that cause damage to the blue banded bees. By dissolving or deteriorating after roughly a year, the cycle of pests inhabiting abandoned nests is broken as the nest no longer exists. The binding material would leave behind harmless soil that would erode into the landscape over time.

BINDING AGENT: PVA GLUE BASE MATERIAL: WASHED SAND RECIPE: 1 PART PVA GLUE, 3 PARTS SAND.

PROTOTYPE ONE BINDING AGENT: PLAIN FLOUR BASE MATERIAL: WASHED SAND RECIPE: 1 PART FLOUR, 3 PARTS SAND, WATER TO CREATE DOUGH. COMMENTS: After just over two days being outside, the flour and sand mixture still had not dried except for a thin crust where exposed to air. The mould prevented water from escaping and so the mixture never set. The mixture could possibly be baked, however my mould (PVC piping) can only withstand around 80 degrees Celsius before deforming, so this was not possible. Baking with a suitable mould could be tested in the future. In this instance though, the mould couldn’t be taken away from the mixture with out it deforming into a ball of dough.

CRITERIA DESIGN

COMMENTS: This mixture type created an unusual material. The glue is slightly gummy, so gives the moulded form a soft spongy feel. It was difficult to remove from the mould and so it not a consistent cylinder as it was moulded. It isn’t a suitable material as it can’t perform as a structural material. The binding glue also poses questions of suitability and toxicity to the bees. The effects on the immediate environment it would dissolve in also need to be taken into consideration. I don’t think it is a suitable material.

PROTOTYPE THREE

PROTOTYPE FOUR

BINDING AGENT: PLASTER OF PARIS BASE MATERIAL: WASHED SAND RECIPE: 1 PART PLASTER, 1 PART SAND, WATER TO CREATE PASTE.

BINDING AGENT: PLASTER OF PARIS BASE MATERIAL: WASHED SAND RECIPE: 1 PART PLASTER, 3 PARTS SAND, WATER TO CREATE PASTE.

COMMENTS: This prototype worked really well. It is structurally sound, took the shape of the mould and separated from the mould easily. It would be a suitable structural material for a bee nesting site. The high ratio of plaster may make it too durable and may last for more than a year. Although not toxic to humans, the plaster may be toxic to the blue banned bee, even though the plaster is derived from elements in the ground.

COMMENTS: This prototype also worked well. At the surface it was more crumbly; you could rub off sharp edges and smooth the surface with your hand. This is desirable for post mould forming, however it could have an effect on the durability and strength. Water submerging tests resulted in no weakness or immediate dissolving, the same as the other plaster based prototype.

A SAMPLE, STILL STABLE, AFTER BEING SUBMERGED IN WATER FOR APPROX. 5 HOURS.

CRITERIA DESIGN

AXONOMETRIC DRAWINGS

B.6

TECHNIQUE: PROPOSAL

CONTINUING DEVELOPMENT A dissolving (after roughly a year) blue banded bee nesting site could be applied to many locations and is not necessary site specific. However, one good location would be to attach the nest to power poles running along suburb streets. The bees would have access to a range of flowers and would be high enough to not be disturbed by humans or other organisms. The site below a power pole, usually a nature strip, is a suitable place for soils from the nest to fall as it dissolves and deteriorates. Previously, the design would simply be milled using a CNC router. The product would have to be cleaned yearly and one can assume this wouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t happen in all cases. By creating a structure that deteriorates over time, this cleaning process is not required and insures that abandoned burrows canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be inhabited by pests. The design is simple and needs to be made more complex. Filling it with different soil mixtures depending on hardness and working in more of a three dimension (rather than just extrusions) could do this.

DESIGN C

SECTIONAL DIAGRAMS

DESIGN C

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DESIGN A

DESIGN B

DESIGN A

DESIGN B

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B.7

LEARNING OBJECTIVES AND OUTCOMES

I understand that I am learning and starting to receive the objectives of this studio subject. It has been a struggle at first, however I am starting to understand the requirements of the subject more. The overall feeling is as if all the previous information and tasks are starting to come together where I can see the subject as a whole. The computational design aspect of the subject is becoming more of a familiar topic and I can now think in more of an algorithmic way that I could not do previously. Researching precedents has opened a new and exciting world of architecture and design. This research has allowed me to be able to design in a computational major using Grasshopper. This is something I could never do in the past, so the computational design world seemed so foreign. However, now it feels like an area I can further explore through my studies at university and through my future practise as an Architect.

CRITERIA DESIGN

PART B REFERENCES Foxlin Architects, ‘Lord Foster’s Natural Inspiration: The Gherkin Tower,’ Foxlin Architects (San Clemente: Foxlin Architects, 2010) <https://foxlin.com/ lord-fosters-natural-inspiration-the-gherkin-tower/> [September 2018]

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B.8

APPENDIX - ALGORITHMIC SKETCHES

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DETAILED DESIGN

PART C

DETAILED DESIGN

Table of Contents PART C 6

C.1 DESIGN CONCEPT

C.2 TECTONIC ELEMENTS AND PROTOTYPES

C.3 FINAL DETAIL MODEL

C.4 LEARNING OBJECTIVES AND OUTCOMES

DETAILED DESIGN

C.1

DESIGN CONCEPT

BEE EMBASSY The feedback from the preliminary presentation was critical and advantageous in creating a more refined and complex project. It can be easy to overlook components of a project when working alone. From the feedback I realised my work was too close to that of a regular bee hotel and I needed to be critical to steer away from this. It was suggested that I move towards a system that can be applied at a building scale to provide habitat for blue banded bees. My proposal changed to creating a facade system that can be applied to medium density housing. My concept remained; creating habitat for blue banded bees in the expanding and densifying urban environment.

A facade system for medium density housing would provide habitat for blue banded bees in our growing cities. Increasing density and population in our urban areas is creating less suitable places for blue banded bees to inhabit and breed. Blue banded bees will struggle to survive in cities around Australia. Reduced or a lack of blue banded bees in our cities will detrimentally affect the local flora and fauna and will reduce biodiversity which is imperative for thriving natural systems. A habitable facade screening system could be retrofitted to existing buildings and integrated into future structures. It would provide habitat for blue banded bees to successfully breed and live to help urban biodiversity remain stable. The facade screen would not be restricted to just one site, but could be used as a system that can be fitted to existing and future proposed buildings. Medium density housing would be suitable to receive the system as they are becoming increasingly popular around Australian cities, especially in the suburbs surrounding the central business districts. At a large scale site, being the suburb, a habitable facade would provide corridors for the blue banded bees to live, breed and forage along. At the scale of the apartment block, the facade would provide with shading for the building while creating awareness of the blue banded bee.

DETAILED DESIGN

The definition below describes the circle packing process using the image sampler as an input. The second process, culling, removes smaller or larger circles that are too extreme in size. To create a three dimensional form, three ranges in diameter of circles where moved in the z axis at three differing depths. The culling definition below was used to select the appropriate range of circles for moving in the z direction. The largest circles were moved in the z axis the most to create holes. The smallest circles were moved in the z axis the least, creating smaller indents. In Rhino, the drape command was used to create a surface from the three dimensional array of circles.

DETAILED DESIGN

C.1

DESIGN CONCEPT

PROPOSED CONSTRUCTION TECHNIQUE

DETAILED DESIGN

C.2

TECTONIC ELEMENTS & PROTOTYPES

MATERIALITY In addition to tests done in part B, further material tests were needed to determine a suitable mixture of sand and plaster. The mixtures were set and tested for durability against water erosion by running them under water for an extended period of time. Scores and channels were used to see where of if erosion was occurring. A plant-based water surfactant was added in an attempt to aerate the plaster mix and trap air inside. This could have made it lighter and easier for the blue banded bee to burrow in.

2.5 PARTS PLASTER, 7 PARTS SAND, 0.5 PART PLANT-BASED SURFACTANT.

Mixture did not cure properly and so was very weak. It was very prone to water erosion and turned to a constancy of plain wet sand.

MIXTURE WHIPPED PUTTING IN MOULD.

DETAILED DESIGN

BEFORE

Mixture did not cure properly and so was very weak too. Deteriorated under the water and lost all structure.

1 PART PLASTER, 9 PARTS SAND.

5 PARTS PLASTER, 5 PARTS SAND.

2.5 PARTS SAND.

Mixture cured well and was crumbly to touch. There was erosion under the water stream. The water weakened the mixture to the point where it cracked when gently moved.

The mixture cured fully and with stood the running water. It did not crack, but did erode somewhat. This was the most successful mixture that remained soft enough for a bee to burrow in.

Mixture c once mo stream. O this mixtu to the 5 p mixture u tension an suitable as

S PLASTER, 7.5 PARTS

PLASTER, SAND AND PLANTBASED SURFACTANT

LESS THAN 1 PART PLASTER WITH SAND

cured well, but cracked oved from the water Once fully dried though, ure performed similarly part plaster 5 part sand under compression and nd so would be more s it requires less plaster.

Mixture did not cure and did not remove from the mould without cracking. The surfactant was successful in creating a whipped and aerated mixture, but it prevented the plaster from curing.

Mixture cured, but was very weak and broke on removal from the mould or scoring to test erosion durability.

DETAILED DESIGN

C.2

TECTONIC ELEMENTS & PROTOTYPES

PROTOTYPING PROCESS The process below was used to produce prototypes at one third of the scale of the proposed individual facade element. The process remained the same, however the mixtures were altered to produce more successful iterations.

Create a CNC routed form from extruded polystyrene, or a similar material.

DETAILED DESIGN

Coat the mould in a layer of thin silicone to act as a release agent.

Wait for the silicone to cure.

Create the reinforcement fo plaster and sand mixture from and mesh.

or the m wire

Weld wire reinforcement to metal plates. These are to be embed into the sand and plaster mixture. The plates act as a connection system similar to cast-in plates on pre-cast concrete panels.

Create the mixture of sand and plaster and pour into the mould. Vibrate to remove any trapped air. Embed the metal plates into the surface of the mixture. Leave to cure and dry.

DETAILED DESIGN

C.2

TECTONIC ELEMENTS & PROTOTYPES

PROTOTYPES PROTOTYPE ONE

The first prototype was made of 2.5 parts plaster to 7.5 parts sand. It set well, however crumbled while removing it from the mould. The plaster seemed too weak and the reinforcement was no sufficient. The reinforcement was too fine; it just cut through the plaster. The mixture was a good consistency for bees to burrow in though. The mould created a good replica of the mould. It could be smoothed to remove the stepping lines left from the router. PROTOTYPE TWO

With the next prototype, thicker and stiffer reinforcement was used. More plaster was used, increasing to 1 part plaster to 1 part sand. Once cured, the mixture was turned out of the mould, however it cracked and crumbled. The reinforcement was an improvement, but the middle, unreinforced areas could not support themselves. The mixture was still a suitable consistency for the blue banded bee to burrow in.

DETAILED DESIGN

C.2

TECTONIC ELEMENTS & PROTOTYPES

PROTOTYPES PROTOTYPE THREE

The third prototype was more successful than the previous two. The mixture was 1 part plaster to 1 part sand. Reinforcement was improved around the perim long thick wires held apart by wire mesh. Wire was used to reinforce the centre of the mould. The mixture cured properly and turned out of the mould with only m could not support its own weight through, cracking at the corners and flexing considerably in the centre while being lifted. After adding extra reinforcement and plaster content, it was realised that plaster canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be strong enough to support its own weight and be soft enough for a blue banded bee to be able to burrow in. PROTOTYPE FOUR

For the fourth prototype a two layer system was devised. Only half of a mould was used as the full moulds were using excessive materials and would become very heavy with the addition of cement. Plaster and sand was used as the main element, however cement was used as a structural backing. The result was crude and unrefined, however it showed potential. The cement worked well as a structural element, holding the plaster together. Combined, the mixtures could support their weight while providing a habitable layer for the blue banded bee to burrow in.

DETAILED DESIGN

meter, with two minor cracks. It increasing the

DETAILED DESIGN

C.2

TECTONIC ELEMENTS & PROTOTYPES

PROTOTYPES PROTOTYPE FIVE

This prototype was another experiment using concrete as a structural element, while the plaster and sand provided habitable areas for the bees. Clumps of broken plaster and sand mix were placed in one half of the mould (with prototype four in the other half) and then covered in cement. The sand and plaster could act as habitable pockets inside the cement structure. Once cured, the mixture broke up from removing it from the mould. The sand and plaster pieces did not stick to the cement and so caused the structure to collapse into a pile. Some of the mould elements were visible, but overall, the prototype was not successful.

DETAILED DESIGN

C.3

FINAL DETAIL MODEL

FINAL DETAIL CONSTRUCTION

One of the moulds was cut in half to create a detail of a full mould. This would allow the Reinforcement was test laid to ensure a suitable fit. It was then re model to be taken in to university to be assessed. It would be logistically very difficult to embedded later. take a heavy, full moulded model in as it would weigh approximately 30-40 kilograms. The mould was cleaned and silicone was reapplied in preparation for the mixtures to be poured.

The plaster and sand were poured, ensuring all surfaces were covered. The mould was then vibrated to remove trapped air.

DETAILED DESIGN

The reinforcement was laid making sure to leave some exposed so the cement and plaster mix would both touch the reinforcement.

15 kilograms of high strength, fast setting The cement was vibrate cement and aggregate mix was combined trapped air and levelled. with 1.5 litres of water and mixed. It was then poured into the mould, over the plaster mix.

emoved to be 2 kilograms of plaster was added to 2 kilograms of sand.

The sand and plaster was mixed. Water was then added and mixed to a creamy consistency.

ed to release After curing, the mixture was taken out of Stepped lines from the CNC router were The cured mixture was wet sanded to the mould. visible from the mould. remove the lines left by the CNC router in the mould and smooth any rough areas.

DETAILED DESIGN

C.3

FINAL DETAIL MODEL

FINAL DESIGN

PANEL ONE

PANEL TWO

This panel shades the most and should be used where the most sun impacts on a buildings facade.

This panel sits in between the two panels and shades where the two extremes are not suitable.

Th su

CONNECTIONS Each individual panel will have cast in plates, similar to the plates found on pre-cast concrete panels. Cast in plates are a versatile connection; they can be welded directly or joining accessories can be welded to the plate. This is in line with existing connection techniques in the construction industry and so would be suitable for a system that would be used by a variety of contractors on a variety of facades. A possible connection system to the facade would consist of a metal frame held off the facade. The individual panels would be pin joint connected to the metal frame.

DETAILED DESIGN

ANEL THREE

PANELS IN AN ARRAY

his panel shades the least, letting through the most amount of unlight.

This is an example of a mounted array of panels that is proposed to be a north facing screening facade on a medium density building. Where the sun radiation is the highest, the shading is increased. Where the radiation is least, more light can pass through.

DETAILED DESIGN

C.3

FINAL DETAIL MODEL

FINAL MODEL

DETAILED DESIGN

C.4

LEARNING OBJECTIVES AND OUTCOMES

I understand that I have learnt the objectives of this studio subject. At first I struggled with the technology side of the subject and with trying to understand the requirements of the subject. It is a very different studio subject compared to the studios I have done at the University in the past. Now finishing the subject, all the previous information and tasks have somewhat come together. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s easier to see the subject as a whole. The computational design aspect of the subject has become more familiar and I can now think in more of an algorithmic way that I could not do previously. I have a solid understanding of the basics of Grasshopper that I can take with me as I continue to study and start my career in architecture. Designing using computational methods and then transforming that design into reality has been an exciting experience. The challenges with producing a completed form from a digital three dimensional file have been stimulating and somewhat stressful. The process has given an insight into the future of architecture where more complex computational generated forms move into our reality. Designing using computational techniques was something I could never do in the past. This subject has introduced me to a new digital design method and given me a solid understanding of the basics so I can further develop my knowledge and ability in the future. It is definitely an area I will further explore while at university and into my future career as an Architect and designer.

DETAILED DESIGN

JACK FELLOWS OCTOBER 2018

DETAILED DESIGN

ARCHITECTURE STUDIO: AIR THE UNIVERSITY OF MELBOURNE

DETAILED DESIGN