Studio Air- Part A- 698736-Jessie Angus

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STUDIO AIR S M1 /1 6 JESSIE ANGUS 698736 SODERMALM / ISSUE ONE

STUDIO 15 ALEX HOLLAND

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CONTENTS

ABOUT ME

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PART A

7

A.1 INTRODUCTION

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A.1 PRECEDENTS

10-13

A.1 ALGORITHMIC EXPLORATION

14-17

A.2 INTRODUCTION

18

A.2 PRECEDENTS

20-22

A.2 ALGORITHMIC EXPLORATION

23-25

A.3 INTRODUCTION

26

A.3 PRECEDENTS

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A.4 CONCLUSION

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A.5 LEARNING OUTCOMES

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FIGURE 1. BLACK MAGIC

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WHO AM I...

I

would define myself as someone who seeks to make a difference; someone who is open to new ways of thinking, doing and creating; someone who isn’t afraid to test hard subject matters; someone who doesn’t place themself in a box or be defined by one; and someone who’s excited for the future. Some may define me as an ‘oh to hopeful’ University student who is yet to understand the restrictions of real life, I prefer to think of myself as someone who is motivated enough to change the real world and make them accept change. Don’t get me wrong, I understand reality isn’t a dance around a sunflower patch but more like a trek up Mount Everest. But hey, reaching that peak, achieving the impossible, proves anything can be done if your mind, passions and motivation are in the right place. That’s why I placed myself at the University of Melbourne studing the Bachelor of Environments, Majoring in Architecture, to give myself the best possible start to a hopefully long and fulfilling career. This semester I’m undergoing Studio Air which focuses on Algorithmic Design, using Rhino, grasshopper, Vray, Unity and the adobe suite. Prior to this subject, I had almost nil or no experience with this software. This starts me off with a great task at hand but also produces me with a whole new set of skills I have no doubt will be used in the future. My studio is focusing on gaming and using algorithmic design to create and interactive, virtual reality that morphs design, technology, human-nature interaction, geography, hand-heldsoftware, scale and fun. I’m excited to experience this learning journey that could potentially be the future of architectural experience.

J

essie Angus

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PART A. CONCEPTUALISATION

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A.1 DESIGN FUTURING.

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A.1 Introduction

This first section looks at design now, how it’s progressing and what it could l o o k like in t h e f uture . The f ir s t re a ding by To ny Fr y

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talks about how we

are designing and focusing on look and materialism rather than, using the creative industry to benefit the planat through sustainable solutions and design. In this section a green building using unique sustainable solutions will be discussed to see how using collaboration across disciplines can push sustainable innovation in architecture. All this progression isn’t without technology, thus, the section will also look at how technology and the progression of prefabrication has changed design in the architectural world.

1 Fry, Tony (2008). Design Futuring: Sustainability, Ethics and New Practice (Oxford: Berg), pp. 1–16

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THINK ALGAE. Algae-powered Building for the International Building Exhibition, Hamburg 2013 JOINT VENTURE BETWEEN S P L I T T E RW E R K A R C H I T E C T S , A R U P, CO LT I NTER N ATI O N A L A N D S TR ATEG I C S CI EN CE CO N S U LT

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FIGURE 2. ALGAE PANELS

hen you think about design in the future, I bet Algae powered buildings don’t come to mind, but when science, engineering and architecture come together , anything is possible. This weeks reading, Design Futuring: Sustainability, Ethics and New Practice By Tony Fry1 talked about the need to start communicating with other disciplines in order to start viewing architecture and design not only as beautiful buildings and structures but also as a way to improve the future by lessening the current ecological impact architecture has on the world today. That is exactly what happened to create this Algae-powered Building. Without the communication and collaboration across these disciplines this idea would have never come to life. This building opened the doors for science to emerge into architecture, closing the divion by demostrating how scientific study has a lot to contribute in the built environment. So how does Algae power a building? The green panels that form a second skin covering the south-east and south-west facades are hollow glass panels containing micro-algae farms that bask in the sun whilst being fed carbon dioxide and nutrients by a network of pipes2. As the Algae grows and photosynthesises the pulp can be harvested and fermented in an external biogas plant to generate energy3. In addition to the Algae panels providing power, they also neutralise interior thermal comfort, provide sound insulation and have the added system of storing excess sunlight to be used for space and water heating4. All of these traits contibute to making this an interesting and educational sustainable building. It has opended the world to the possibilties of sustainable design using science and energineering to form bio-architectural structures.

1 Fry, Tony (2008). Design Futuring: Sustainability, Ethics and New Practice (Oxford: Berg), pp. 1–16 2 Nicky Rackard. “World’s First Algae Bioreactor Facade Nears Completion” 04 Mar 2013. ArchDaily. <http://www. archdaily.com/339451/worlds-first-algae-bioreactor-facade-nears-completion/> 3 Ibid 4 Ibid Figure 2 Kos Wulff Immobilien. <https://www.good.is/articles/this-zero-energy-building-uses-algae-for-power-andshade>

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FIGURE 3. FACADE SHOWING ALGAE PANEL SECOND SKIN

FIGURE 4. SOUTH-WEST AND SOUTH EAST FACADES

FIGURE 5. OPPOSITE FACADES WITHOUT PANELLING

Figure 3 <http://www.prefabbricatisulweb.it/guida/amburgo-la-biq-house-un-edificio-protetto-e-alimentato-dallealghe.html> Figure 4 Ibid Figure 5 Kos Wulff Immobilien. <https://www.good.is/articles/this-zero-energy-building-uses-algae-for-power-andshade>

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FIGURE 6 (RIGHT) FRONT FACADE, F I G 7. E X T E R I O R B L I N D S TO P R OV I D E S H A D E , P R I VAC Y A N D P R OT E C T I O N FIG 8(LEFT) HIGHLIGHTING THE UNIQUE ORANGE GLOW FOOTBRIDGE,

LOBLOLLY HOUSE PROTOTYPE 2006 BY KIERAN TIMBERLAKE

This prototype is just one of many prefabricated builings constructed since prefabrication took its place amongst the architectural world. The technology has produced so many different, mostly un-realistic and un-livable structures on the journey to discovering its limitations and posibilties. This project sparked my interest as at first glance you wouldn’t believe it is a prefabricated home that was assembled in less than 6 weeks5. This technology of prefabrication is such a big prospect for architecture and construction as it reduces environmental impact, on site assembly time, and labour. During the time this building was being designed (2004) parametric modeling software was just making it debut, making it a lot harder to

EVOKING A SETTING SUN`

“ Specification was no longer structured around the 50 divisions of the Construction Specifications Institute traditionally used to organize the multitude of parts.

Instead, the conception and detailing were formed about four new elements of architecture: scaffold, cartridge, block, and equipment.7

“

design6. Though the software was new, it enabled and ensured the design to be able to fit together perfectly once assembly began. I chose to focus on this house over other prefabricated projects as I believe Timberlake was able to make a prefab and module home look appealing, homely and non-clinical. A big distractor for prefab homes is the clinical vibe you get from them; the sense your home will be like everyone elses with no personality. Though with this project, you’re not distracted by that at all and can image yourself living in this kind of home. Hopefully more prefab homes will be built to demostrate the versitility and indivualness that can be achieved to open the minds of the public into utilising this technology in the future.

With saying that, I believe it will be a hard road before prefabrication becomes the daily norm due to the current restrictions and cost, but with more demand these things could change.

5 Kieran Timberlake, Loblolly House. (2016) <http://kierantimberlake.com/pages/view/20/loblolly-house/parent:3

6 ibid 7 ibid Fig. 6 Halkin Photography. < http://kierantimberlake.com/pages/view/20/loblolly-house/parent:3> Fig. 7 ibid Fig. 8 ibid

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A.1 ALGORITHMIC EXPLORATION THINKING IN PROCESSES

This first task was to learn and explore grasshopper and rhino together to create algorithmic designs. Before this week I had very limited experience with rhino and grasshopper. This week helped to introduce the software and enabled me to learn the basics through online tutorials. The following pages contains design explorations created based on the tasks given (utilising the skills learnt through the online tutorials). This section will also explore some topics relating to how the computer generates designs, how we felt as a class in response to it and how it affected me using algorithmic design process in the future.

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<<< Sketch 1. Created using the oct-tree command. It enabled a three curve lofted geometry to become a set of cubic forms that could be adjusted numerically until a liked form was created. I adjusted the amount of cubes and size ratio until I got a form that resembled a previous project of mine where I explored man made cuts and extrusions into a hillside to form recreational areas. This process also add to the argument of who really deisgns? Even though I didn’t intend to create this form in the beginning I chose to create it in the end as I was inspired and used my knowledge to form something I wanted.

The task this week was to get us to think in a process, explore how we could transform one thing to the next; how to get to A to B. The online tutorials provided several examples on how to turn simple forms such as curves into something that resembles the above design (sketch 1), using commands that can generate opposite geometries potentially making something unbuildable to something that could be fabricated more easily.

It was incredible to see the capabilities of the program and really opened my eyes up to how a lot of buildings are designed these days. To be able to create a somewhat random form from a click of a button is quite extrordinary.

At the completion of creating a random form, you have to ask yourself whether you designed it, or did the software.

During the studio this week we has some great discussions surrounding this question, where we were asked whether we felt we had control of the design process.

Personally, in the beginning I felt that I was just following the given steps in order to achieve a similar form to what was

At the completion of creating a random form, you have to ask yourself whether you designed it, or did the software? shown.

Though once I started to explore the software more and get a better understanding of what it could do and what certain commands did what, I was able to use my knowledge to create forms more likened to what I wanted.

So to answer the question, I think it’s a highly debatable topic, but at this stage feel its dependant on the person controlling the software and how far they are willing to let the software do its own thing, or restrict it to what they want. Though in saying that, in terms of answering the question, who is the one designing? I still believe it’s the person, as, the person is the one making the decision s on whether or not to progress, stop, trim, multiply, scale etc, until a form satifies.

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>>>Sketch 2. This was created using Delaunay edge, Veronoi and the piping method. Once I created a form I chose to further edit the geometry by removing sections to create smaller and larger triangular shapes.

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I also think this is getting me to start thinking towards the B-Section where we start to explore generating and animating forms for a game.

>>>Sketch 4. Below.

I tried to do a simple montage of a design, inserting it into a real life scenario, to bring context and scale to a design. After doing this, I realised that I needed to render or photoshop the pavillion to look more realistic to make it seem as if it actually belonged in the space and people could view the potential f it. There is a lot more work to be done in terms of learning how to montage and render better.

^^^Sketch 3.

I tried to explore creating something that resembled movement whilst demonstrating the process of editing, removing and adding geometries to create something.

Although this exploration is more impractical then others and is much more sculptural, I enjoyed animating something that sits 2D.

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A.2 DESIGN COMPUTATION

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A.2 Introduction

This section will be looking at how computational design has changed and benefitted the architectural world. The Reading Theories of Digital in

A r c h i t e c t u r e b y O x m a n 1, d i s c u s s e s t h i s i d e a o f t h e d i g i t a l i n a r c h i t e c t u r e being a ‘ Vitruvian ef fec t ’. In understanding what is meant by this, you have to understand what/who Vitruvius is. Vitruvius is the roman author of De

a rchite c tur a ( Te n B o o k s of A rchite c ture) wh e re h e o ut l ays a h a n d b o o k fo r a r c h i t e c t u r e , b a s e d o n h i s o w n e x p e r i e n c e a n d t h e o r e c t i c a l w o r k s o f o t h e r s 2.

His purpose for these books was to preserve and maintain classic, traditional a r c h i t e c t u r e a n d i s s t i l l u s e d a n d s t u d i e d t o d a y 3. W i t h s a y i n g a l l o f t h i s , Oxman did not mean to say computational design is part of, or fits these guidlines but rather the opposite. Computational design has grown past these guidlines and has opened a world that almost needs its own adapted ‘Handbook ’. He confirms by saying, ‘...to accomodate these developments, a new and comphrehensive domain of architectural theories is beginning to emerge in the intersection between science, technology, design and and architectural culture’4 These developments have opened the doors to pre-fabrication, mass customisation, parametric design, media and technological design

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to name a

few. To se e h ow co nte m p o r ay co m p ut atio n a l d e sign h as p rogre sse d , we will look at two precedents exploring new technologies to enhance their deisgns and how its benefitted their projects.

1. Oxman, Rivka and Robert Oxman, eds (2014). Theories of the Digital in Architecture (London; New York: Routledge), pp. 1–10 pdf 2. The Editors of Encylopaedia Britannica, Vituvius: Roman Architect. (last updated 2016) < http://www.britannica.com/biography/Vitruvius> 3. ibid 4. Oxman, Rivka and Robert Oxman, eds (2014). Theories of the Digital in Architecture (London; New York: Routledge), pp. 1 5. ibid

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HEYDAR ALIYEV CENTER IN BAKU Zaha Hadid PHOTOGRAPHS BY HUFTON + CROW

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When thinking about design computation, you have to ask, what does it mean and how much of an impact does it have in the architecture realm? Design computation has directly changed and influenced the way architects design today.

It’s evident that architecture has become more than just designing a practical building.

It has become a tool to create live-in, habitable sculptures that demand to be noticed.

Design computation has allowed architects to create forms that could never be created before, due to the lack of resources and the complicated calculations and engineering that would need to be conducted to even consider something realistic.

“The capabilities and limitations of architects’ tools influence directly the spaces architects design.”8 Take Zaha Hadid and her team for example. Their designs are something never really built to extreme before. She brang this futuristic architecture to life and made the world take notice. Looking specifically at the new Heydar Aliyev Center in Baku, the extreme curves, drops, layering, organic shapes and extreme pinicals are a fine example of design computation at work.

These forms that make up the building have clearly been calculated carefully using digital software so that it could still stand after construction. The possibilities of a building like this in the past would have been almost non existant without the necessary software to run tests and explorations to make sure the building could be built. Design computation and technology enables architects to not be confined by what makes sense or what is known to work but rather, lets them explore the very edges of creativity exploring what architecure could become.

8 Yale School of Architecture, Design Computation (Yale, 2016) < http:// architecture.yale.edu/courses/design-computation> Photos. Hufton and Crow, Heydar Aliyev Center / Zaha Hadid Architects (2013) <http://www.archdaily.com/448774/heydar-aliyev-center-zaha-hadid-architects>

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POSSIBLE, PLAUSIBLE, POTENTIAL Created by Miguel Nobrega

I stumbled across this project and it really interested me as it explained and explored the phenoma of expressing non-realisable forms in an architectural sense. Although these drawings stayed in the expressive phase, it demostrates the potential of using codes within architecture and how it could solve commonly found problems within architecture projects.

This project also interested me as it explains how the outcome of the coding can never fully predict the outcome by just reading it1. Nobrega celebrates the randomness of the process and goes on to say,

“Randomness balances the authorship of the work between the artist and the code itself, or more specifically, the executable quality of code.” 9 This reminded me of parametric and algorithmic design and the question of who really is the one designing? The software/computer or the Designer? His word put this into perspective in terms of understanding how some unpredictability during deisgn experiements can be a good thing that creates and steady flow of ideas and creativity. Letting the computer perform tasks may not always be to the detriment of the Designers creative integrity.

9. Filip Visnjic, Possible, Plausible, Potential – Drawings of architecture generated by code (Creative Applications Network, 2015) < http://www.creativeapplications.net/processing/ possible-plausible-potential-drawings-of-architecture-generated-by-code/> All Figures. Miguel Nobrega, Possible, Plausible, Potential (2015) < http://www.creativeapplications.net/processing/possible-plausible-potential-drawings-of-architecture-generatedby-code/>

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A.2 ALGORITHMIC EXPLORATION

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SKETCHES AND EXPLORATION In exploring ways to be able to make unreasonable forms reasonable to build we explored different techniques this week that breaks down complex geometries to simpler forms that may be used to fabricate or construct a design.

On the left, 1st column, I explored ways in which I could transform a curved geometry into something that could be more easily constructed using more rectangular, smaller pieces. This enables the construction to run a lot smoother whilst still be able to retain the original form.

The Second column explores dividing up a geometry so that it could be potentially prefrabricated in smaller pieces and then assembled on site. The below sketch is a grid layout of all the pieces that would be necassary to construct the form. Being able to split up a form like this, makes it a lot easier to give to third parties to construct and understand.

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The third exploration I did, I tried to control what I was doing rather than plug random commands in and watch what happened. I wanted to create a pavilion that has curved pipe like shelters that you could walk through. The above diagram shows the progress of how I got to the end result. Going in with a plan takes a lot more time as you are continually trying to create what you imagine rather then letting the computer come up with something and liking it. In keeping with the task outlines I wanted to turn the shelters /shading forms to be constructed out of pipes

for easier construction and to feel it was a more realistic project. Breaking down abstract forms into smaller more practical shapes allow the design to be imagined by the everyday person and let them see how it could become reality.

The below sketches were created with trying to make the form seem more sculptural and art like to showcase its uniqueness.

Being able to demostrate/showcase both the sculptural side and the construction/ practical side allows people to understand how computation assists in architecture.

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A.3 COMPOSITION/ GENERATION

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A.3 Introduction

This section will be exploring how architecture has evolved from composition to generation and how the shift has effected architecture. As talked about in the lecture compositional architecture is very much all about and designed based on symmetry, organisation, line and patterns. In the past arhcitects a n d d e signe r s use d com mon oje c t s a n d the huma n bo d y (Le Cor b usie r-194 3) to base their designs on by analysing their symmetry, measurements and spacing.

Whereas, the move towards generation design shifted the way architects d e s i g n b y i n t r o d u c i n g t h e m t o c o m p u t a t i o n 10, t e a c h i n g t h e m t o b e g i n t o t h i n k algorithmicaly

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to create new interesting forms and compositions. This

section will explore the shift by looking at two precedents, one based on composition and the other generation, to get a better understanding of how the way we design has changed.

9. Filip Visnjic, Possible, Plausible, Potential â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Drawings of architecture generated by code (Creative Applications Network, 2015) < http://www.creativeapplications.net/processing/ possible-plausible-potential-drawings-of-architecture-generated-by-code/> All Figures. Miguel Nobrega, Possible, Plausible, Potential (2015) < http://www.creativeapplications.net/processing/possible-plausible-potential-drawings-of-architecture-generatedby-code/>

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Figure 1. Perspective view of Milan Cathedral. Notice the symmetry present all over the building and how traditional the style is. It is clear this building wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t

I chose this precent to look at this week as it is a good example of a symmetrical building; designed with both a symmetrical facade and floor plan (see images on the right). The Milan Cathedral was designed and built during the height of the gothic cathedral architecture phase in 13861. During this time, and even now, to some degree, cathedrals are the centre of the city, a place that signifys a great deal of importance and thus is designed with the utmost precision, skill and touch of grandeur. Cathedrals are also places of high respect, order and guidance.

Whether or not this has any connection to the way it is designed, could be argued, but it does add to the feel of the space. At this time, this was seen as the pinnacle of architecture, carefully calculated and designed buildings, full of logical connections, symmetry, thick supports and forms. The thought process gone into structures such as this was based on a lot of calculations and logical reasoning in terms of how far they can go with the resources they had that fitted within the style period.

Figures 2. Symmetrical analysis of the Facade of the Milan Cathedralhe

Figure 3. Symmetrical analysis of the ground floor

1. Veneranda Fabbrica del Duomo di Milano, Architecture (2016). < http://www.duomomilano.

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it/en/infopage/architecture/2eb94c44-1743-4485-a996-234a4461c87a/ > Figure 1, Wolfgang Simm, Duomo Cathedral. < http://www.spotahome.com/

blog/2015/07/02/visit-milan-on-a-budget.html>

Figures 2 and 3. <http://dcsymbols.com/dc_cathedral/cathedral2.htm>

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A

VORTEX 1024 ARCHITECTURE 2014

In contrast to the previous precent, this project does a 360. It uses algorithmic thinking to explores ways to answer a design brief and push its boundaries. It is not too say the previous style architecture or this type is any better or worse than the other, but rather to understand how different the two are from each other and how computation has changed the way we design. We are no longer designing with material or logic restrictions in mind but rather using compution to calculate ways we can make materials work for our designs and turn something that may not usually be possible reality. You can see how a form such as this one, enclosing a suspended walkway, has been designed on a computer (using computation) to break down the form into smaller pieces so that it could be fabricated and assembled practically. To compare with the cathedral again, the forms are completly different, one is full of tradition, symmetry and order . Whereas the other is free flowing, disjointed, organic and sculptural. The

outcomes of these designs are more or less on opposite ends of the spectrum.

As touched on in the lecture coding and computation has been (ironically) used to understand and recreate the natural world . It is clear that, that is what happened with this design as you can see the natural forms shine through. I find this project even more interesting as they have placed this organic form right between two very symmetrical and traditional buildings. The difference and contrast between the two is uncanny but really does work in connecting the two buildings which is exactly what a bridge should do.

This project reminded me of the previous weeks (A.2) algorithmis sketches and how the goal was to try and transform an extravagant form into smaller, more simple pieces that could be better understood for construction.

B

D Figure A and B shows the LED lights that were attached to the evelope to exaggerate the form and create a light show during the night.

Figure C shows the scaffolded syle bridge that the form envelopes and how intricate all he connections are.

Figure D caputures the whole form and the connection it makes to the traditional buildings either end of it. You can see how it has transformed the bridge between the two buildings and space below to become a place to enjoy.

C

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A.4 CONCLUSION Every year new technologies are being released to aid and make life easier and the architectural world isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t an exclusion from this. As designers, innovatives, artists and poets we are always looking for how to do something better, more creative and easier. This is where computation has come into play. It has allowed us to push what we can design and build; limitations are becoming less every other day as we try to create things that have never been done so before. We are now able to use these new tools to push what architecture means today; we are able to adapt to the fast paced society and demands of today. By exploring these new advances in Part A and how they have pushed design, we were able to see real life, useful applications of computation, generation and advanced technology in architecture.

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A.5 LEARNING OUTCOMES It has been really insightful to learn about all these advances and to better understand how projects have come to be. Before this semester I would look at many projects and just wonder how they were designed or even constructed being such complex geometries. This subject has brought light to the processes that go into designing/building complex parametric architecture. I now walk around noticing when a building has be created using algorithmic and computational design.

By exploring the programs that assist in creating these forms and looking at precedents I can see myself using them in the future to push my designs to the next level. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve always designed wacky, out of the box forms that I never knew how to translate into a buildable form or even to transfer a hand drawn sketch to a computer program for presentation.

Now I will be able to use these things to push my ideas that in the past have restricted me.

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