Esc - Studio Air

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Joanne Tong 813601 Studio Air Journal Julius Egan

contents

Introduction [A] // Conceptualization [A1] Design Futuring [A2] Design Computation [A3] Composition/Generation [A4] Conclusion [A5] Learning Outcome [A6] Algorithmic Sketchbook [B] // Criteria Design [B1] Research Fields Week 5 Task [B2] Case Study 1.0 Week 6 Task [B3] Case Study 2.0 [B4] Technique: Development Week 7 Task [B5] Technique: Prototypes Week 8 Task (Interim) [B6] Technique: Proposal [B7] Learning Objectives and Outcome

[C] // Detailed D [C1] Design Co Week 9 Task [C2] Tectonic El Week 10 Task [C3] Final Detai Week 11 Task Final Presentatio [C4] Learning O Bibliography

Deisgn oncept

lements and Prototypes

il Model

on Objectives and Outcome

HELLO!

I’m Joanne, a second year student in University of Melbourne majoring in Architecture and Urban Design and Planning. I hope to be able to reshape the environment in a positive manner through innovative and sustainable designs. Having little knowledge in computational and parametric design, I am excited to experience what these digital tools can do! I hope that through Studio Air, I will be able to use scripting to merge the built environment with nature. I cannot wait to experience for myself what these digital tools are capable of doing and how it will help me to develop my understanding of architecture as a student.

Figure 1: Urban Design Studies, City Square 3D model

Figure 2: Visualising Environments, Kerekere Coffee Shop

Figure

3:

Studio

Earth,

Secrets

Pavillion

A //

CONCEP

PTUALIZATION

[A1]

DESIGN FUTURING

In the age of modern society, it is of utmost importance that design be understood anthropologically. According to Fry, design has a continually growing importance as a decisive factor in our future having a future. The rise of technology and mankind’s greed in lifestyle has inherently led to a ‘defuturing condition of unsustainability’. As such, design futuring has to reduce the rate of defuturing and pivot mankind towards more sustainable modes of planetary habitation1. The current culture of design is leaning towards solving problems such as overpopulation, water shortages and climate change which are very complex in nature. Therefore, we have to counter these situations with critical designs and our imaginations which will result in many possibilities2.

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Fry, Tony (2008). Design Futuring: Sustainability, Ethics and New Practice (Oxford: Berg), pp. 1–16 Dunne, Anthony & Raby, Fiona (2013) Speculative Everything: Design Fiction, and Social Dreaming (MIT Press) pp. 1-9, 33-45

[CASE STUDY 01]

THE INTERLACE BY OMA

COMPLETED YEAR: 2013

Breaking away from the norm of high-rise housing in Singapore, the Interlace condominium’s design has enabled horizontal connectivity rather than reinstating the boring and isolated vertical assemblage of towers. Looking at its facade, many might think that the stacking of the 31 apartment blocks only serve a single function - to create interesting visuals. However, this arrangement does more than that by creating a more inclusive community life amongst residents through the provision multiple common outdoor spaces. The creativity of the layout of apartment blocks has allowed for rooftop gardens and landscaped terraces to be built on the additional horizontal surfaces, which resulted in providing a 112% of green area within the boundary1.

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In addition to its efforts of increasing green spaces, the Interlace has also incorporated sustainability features by thorough environmental analysis and integration of low-impact passive energy strategies. The approaches by the Interlace displays a new sense of creativity towards the contributions of the urban realm and social sustainability. The space and fluidity conveyed through the Interlace project is an eyeopener for many and the project serves as a creative precedent for future designs since it questions architectural thinking and challenges the norm. Looking at the Interlace, I feel that this is the direction we, as designers of the 21st Century to work towards. Designing for the future generation and ensuring sustainability should be a crucial component we should address.

Domus, ‘The Interlace’, 2014, < http://www.domusweb.it/en/architecture/2014/07/01/the_interlace.html>, accessed 30 July 2017 Figure 3: The Interlace Singapore. Retrieved from < http://www.domusweb.it/en/architecture/2014/07/01/the_interlace.html>.

Figure 3: The Interlace Singapore [2]

Figure 4: Artists’ Impression of Marina One [2]

[CASE STUDY 02]

MARINA ONE BY INGENHOVEN ARCHITECTS COMPLETED YEAR: 2017

Ingenhoven Architects from Germany once again secures its reputation in the area of sustainable buildings through Marina One, one of their most recently completed projects. Marina One is a high-rise, mixed-use building located in the heart of Singapore’s financial district, Marina Bay. Despite being surrounded by numerous skyscrapers, the project successfully integrates soft landscape into the fabric of the building1, setting itself apart from the other surrounding buildings. While the outer facade of Marina One appears to be a normal skyscraper, the inner space has been designed to house a bio-diversity garden which comprises of numerous gardens and even waterfalls. Besides providing benefitial green spaces within this project, Ingehoven Architects designed openings and structures to improve air flow within the building and to create a more comfortable internal climate in the humid Singapore. This project directs people to a more sustainable living and challenges how interior spaces can be redesigned to benefit the environment without having to jeopradise comfort. Personally, I am amazed by the merging of natural landscapes within built environments. Marina One has brought the idea to an entirely new level and has set a different benchmark for future designs in other places. I would not have imagined experiencing a rainforest environment within a building, much less situated in the crowded Central Business District of Singapore.

Egan, Colleen, ‘Singapore’s New High-Rise to Look Like a Lush Fantasy Garden in the Sky’, 2015, <http://www.architecturaldigest.com/gallery/singapore-marina-one-garden>, accessed 30 July 2017 2 Figure 4: Artists’ Impression of Marina One. Retrieved from < http://www.architecturaldigest.com/gallery/singapore-marina-one-garden>. 1

[A2]

DESIGN COMPUTATION

Design computation is mainly known as the process of applying computational strategies to design development and nowadays, it is redefining the architectural industry. Although design is often deemed to involve both rational and creative abilities, computers are required to aid us because our human memory is not capable of recalling all the information we need whenever we want1. As technology continues to progress and design computation is more common in the process of design, some disagrees on the over reliance of such programs as it might hinder one’s creativity when the design process is limited by what computers generate. In addition, while computation encourages the emergence of certain distinctive geometric preferences and aesthetic preferences, it cannot be said to be deterministic with respect to architectural form2. Nevertheless, design computation is a powerful tool which is able to offer multiple solutions to problems we may face in the design process and aids us, as designers in the way we come up with designs in today’s age.

Kalay, Yehuda E. (2004). Architecture’s New Media: Principles, Theories, and Methods of Computer-Aided Design (Cambridge, MA: MIT Press), pp. 5-25 2 Oxman, Rivka and Robert Oxman, eds (2014). Theories of the Digital in Architecture (London; New York: Routledge), pp. 1–10 1

[CASE STUDY 01]

HYBRID TOWER BY CITA

COMPLETED YEAR: 2016

Hybrid Tower was a project by CITA (Center for Information Technologies and Architecture) in response to the possibility of soft materials in the area of architecture. The Hybrid Tower was made from bent GFRP rods and a custom-made CNC knit. Despite being light, the tower was stiff and able to balance external forces such as strong wind. This projected used digital computation to design and specify the material systems during the process of research, which then helped to determine the global shape and discretization into patches, that can be produced on the knitting machine to the automated detailing and creation of the tower base1. When applying knitted fabric on an architectural scale, it is important to predict the overall structural performance in order to guarantee stability of the structure. The Hybrid Tower involved many in the process of computation and material interaction was closely examined to provide a direct control of the structure, material and shape during assembly2. CITA made use of computation technology to build the Hybrid Tower in a fast and accurate way while showcasing the possibility of building structures using soft materials. This shows people how powerful design computation is and how much it can do to aid designers.

Archdaily, “Hybrid Tower/CITA - The Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts”, 2017, < http://www.archdaily.com/805969/hybrid-tower-cita-the-royal-danish-academy-of-fine-arts >, accessed 4 August 2017 2 Sinke, Y, “CITA employs bespoke materials in ‘Hybrid Tower’ of textile architecture”, 2017, < https://www.designboom.com/technology/cita-hybrid-tower-guimaraes-portugal-02-14-2017/>, accessed 4 August 2017 3 Figure 5: Close up of interior of Hybrid Tower. Retrieved from < https://www.designboom.com/technology/cita-hybrid-tower-guimaraes-portugal-02-14-2017/>. 4 Figure 6: Hybrid Tower. Retrieved from < https://www.designboom.com/technology/cita-hybrid-tower-guimaraes-portugal-02-14-2017/> 1

Figure 5: Close up of interior of Hybrid Tower [3]

,

Figure 4: Artists’ Impression Figure 6:ofHybrid MarinaTower One [4] [2]

Figure 7: ICD-ITKE Research Pavilion 2013-14 [2]

[CASE STUDY 02]

ICD-ITKE RESEARCH PAVILION 2013-14 BY ICD-ITKE UNIVERSITY OF STUTTGART COMPLETED YEAR: 2014 Aimed to exhibit the potential of novel design, simulation and fabrication processes in architecture, the 201314 ICD-ITKE Research Pavilion is only one of the many successful pavilions. The 2013-14 pavilion was a robotically woven carbon-fibre pavilion based on lightweight shell encasing the wings and abdomen of beetle. Using digital analysis and computation, researchers of the project went through the process of looking into the genetics of beetle shells to be fabricated and used for the pavilion.

This project was a good display of fibre-composite structures in architecture and offered a unique expression to architectural design. Such an example clearly shows how computational designs are able to present an alternative approach to architecture in terms of materials and construction methods and taking our thought process to an entirely new level.

Through computational designs and the use of simulation tools, robotic fabrication characteristics and abstracted biomimetic principles of the beetle shells could be simultaneously integrated in the design process1. Archdaily, “ICD-ITKE Research Pavilion 2013-14/ICD-ITKE University of Stuttgart�, 2014, < http://www.archdaily.com/522408/icd-itke-research-pavilion-2015-icd-itke-university-of-stuttgart>, accessed 4 August 2017 2 Figure 7, ICD-ITKE Research Pavilion 2013-14. Retrieved from < http://www.archdaily.com/522408/icd-itke-research-pavilion-2015-icd-itke-university-of-stuttgart> 1

[A3]

COMPOSITION/GENERATION

Computational designers create digital tools which become integral for the purpose of design by composing and altering algorithms. Through this, they begin to generate and explore architectural spaces and concepts at the same time which further emphasizes on how important it is to be adaptable when working in the field of the design environment. In response to modern technological advancement, many architectural firms are modifying their structure in order to incorporate computational design expertise into their process of design1. Computation has allowed architects to look into more complex situations and develop designs further, creating endless possibilities within the area of design. Currently, although the generation of computation design is seen as highly beneficial and successful, if it is not properly used, it will result to become an isolated craft rather than being integrated into design.

1

Peters, Brady. (2013) ‘Computation Works: The Building of Algorithmic Thought’, Architectural Design, 83, 2, pp. 08-15

Figure 8: Elbphilharmonie Hamburg philharmonic hall [2]

[CASE STUDY 01]

ELBPHILHARMONIE HAMBURG BY HERZOG & DE MEURON COMPLETED YEAR: 2016 Built to accommodate a philharmonic hall, chamber music hall, restaurants, bars, panorama terrace, apartments, a hotel and parking facilities, the Elbphilharmonie is a good example of how algorithms and computation can work in architecture. Although the entire building exhibits elements of parametric design, such as the wave-like facade, the Escher-looking stairways, the philharmonic hall is the highlight of computational design. Using algorithms, Herzog & De Meuron managed to generate a unique shape for the 10,000 gypsum fiber acoustic panels individually. The cutting-edge approach and detail to the acoustic panels has resulted in creating a balanced reverberation across the philharmonic hall, making it a world-class performing arts venue1. According to Benjamin Koren, he developed an algorithm specially for the 10,000 panels. Throughout the process, Koren had control over the algorithm but once it was applied, the computer was the one in charge. This further highlights the nature of computational designs. The intricate and functional acoustic panels of the Elbphilharmonie is a small testament to what design computation can do.

Stinson, Elizabeth, ‘What happens when algorithms design a concert hall? The stunning Elbphilharmonie’, 2017, < https://www.wired.com/2017/01/happens-algorithms-design-concert-hall-stunning-elbphilharmonie/>, accessed 9 August 2017 2 Figure 8: Elbphilharmonie Hamburg philharmonic hall. Retrieved from < https://www.wired.com/2017/01/happens-algorithms-design-concert-hall-stunning-elbphilharmonie/> 1

Figure 9: Close up of Al Bahr Towers panels [2]

Figure 4: Artists’ Impression of Marina Figure 10: Al Bahr TowersOne [3] [2]

[CASE STUDY 02]

AL BAHAR TOWERS BY AEDAS ARCHITECTS UAE COMPLETED YEAR: 2012

Situated in Abu Dhabi, the Al Bahr Towers feature the world’s largest computerised dynamic facade. Based on the concept of adaptive flowers and the “mashrabiya” - a wooden lattice shading screen, the Al Bahr Towers facade acts as a shading screen and responds to the movement of the Sun. Advanced parametric technologies were utilized in the design process to stimulate the movement of facade in response to the sun’s path1. In this case, softwares were used to determine and predict how the designs of the building would react to natural conditions and what would happen. The use of such technology has allowed this particular project to be communicated effectively and efficiently. Through computational design, the Al Bahr Tower is a successful geometric composition that generates a highly efficient integrated system. Such an example displays how softwares and various forms of technologies are able to help create a more sustainable environment for us to live in, which is an important aspect in today’s society.

Al Bahr Global, ‘Al Bahr Towers’, 2012, < http://www.ahr-global.com/Al-Bahr-Towers>, accessed 9 August 2017 Figure 9: Close up of Al Bahr Towers panels [2]. Retrieved from < http://www.ahr-global.com/Al-Bahr-Towers> 3 Figure 10: Al Bahr Towers [3]. Retrieved from < http://www.ahr-global.com/Al-Bahr-Towers> 1 2

[A4]

CONCLUSION

As we live in a society of constant technological progress, many digital tools are being rapidly improved and developed on a daily basis. Through such tools, we are able to adopt new approaches to the architectural design process. Part A of the journal primarily focuses on the aspects of parametric design. It serves as an essential foundation to provide me with the knowledge of what computational and parametric designs are capable of doing. Through looking at precedents and case studies, much can be learnt. Through the generation of algorithmic and computational design, we are able to come up with more innovative designs and let the system take charge sometimes. However, it is important to continue developing such systems and to understand them properly in order to bring about maximum benefits to our society.

[A5]

LEARNING OUTCOMES

Over the time span of 3 weeks, I have learned to let the algorithmic and computational design softwares such as Grasshopper to take charge of my designs to a certain extent. One of the main charms of utilising algorithmic or parametric design into the design tasks is the uncertainty of what would be produced when we key in our inputs. Instead of always controlling the outcome of our designs, it is interesting to let computers do its work and then for me to relate it back to the task. The use of computational design has created designs I never knew were possible and it has brought new insights to my thought process of idea generation.

[A6]

algorithmic sketchbook The algorithmic sketchbook is a compilation of weekly tasks for my studio presentations. Each week draws inspiration from different medias such as music and artworks. It is produced using Grasshopper scripts I have learned in the tutorial videos provided as well as other sources available online.

Drawing inspiration from Beethoven’s Pastorale Symphony Movement 1, the music had a soothing quality to it and was repetitive with short motifs. When I was listening to it, I could not help but imagine myself in a natural environment such as a wide grassland or near the mountains

WEEK 2

Symphony

PERSPECTIVE

This was creating by plotting random points. The idea of random points was taken from the character of the piece of music, whereby I felt was very relaxed and had no restrictions to where I would like the points to be situated. I then used the Triangulation command and the outcome was something which resembled mountains, which draws me back to how I felt while listening to the music.

PLAN

It would be an interesting experience if users were able to climb onto the structure and if there were holes on the roof. This will create an entirely different experience for people within it since light and shadows will come into play.

ELEVATION

Tasked to listen to Beethoven’s Pastorale Symphony Movement 1 again, we were to design a different pavilion and represent it in the style of some reknowned architects. I decided to go with the presentation style of Arata Isozaki. This week’s pavilion created a space for users to experience the repetitive quality of the music. In addition, I worked on the feedback received previously with regards to the incorporation of light and shadow, therefore there are two main spaces created here which shows the contrast between light and darkness.

WEEK 3

Flow

PERSPECTIVE

People who visit this space will be able to enter the sheltered area as well as enjoy the semiopen space. The contrast in environment and varying surface textures aim to attract people to visit this space. This structure was achieved by lofting surfaces and repeating geometries using the new Grasshopper commands I have learned.

PLAN

ELEVATION

This week’s task was analysing Bill Henson’s works. We were allowed to choose from a few images. However, I could not decide which artwork to focus. It seemed to me that all the images had a common theme, which was the quality I drew my inspiration from

WEEK 4

Infinite

PERSPECTIVE

The common theme evident was that Bill Henson’s photos evokes emotions within me. The pictures reminded me of loneliness, self-reflection, guilt, sin and sorrow. Seeing the pictures again and again, it felt like I was in a cyclic, loop movement, therefore I began my design with a ring. Using Grasshopper commands, the outcome became a sweeping, organic structure with the rings making up the surface.

PLAN

This organic and flowy structure provides a safe environment for its users to let out their emotions.

ELEVATION

B //

Crite

eria design

[B1]

Research field

STRIPS/FOLDING For my research field, I have chosen to explore Strips and Folding. I am particularly interested in the plethora of possibilities achieved through the fluid and continuous characteristics of this field. Strips and Folding is a technique where numerous strips and single surfaces transform to create a volumetric space. Strips and Folding emphasises on the continuity of material within a structure and a simple fold can turn the simple, flat surface into a threedimensional object. Deleuze has discussed the importance of Folding in Baroque architecture and how this concept produces room for creative thinking for the production of subjectivity which leads to endless possibilities in form and structure1. Having looked at precedents, I realised that volumetric spaces can be changed internally and externally by simply changing the size and frequency of the strips and folds used in a design. By applying different application techniques to this method, it can produce very different visual results. Strips and Folding is often used to create facades for designs which also serves as the structure. This allows for less materials to be used during the process of fabrication and hence is relatively economical. From indoor structures such as the Loop 3 Project to outdoor pavilions such as the Archipelago Pavilion, the opportunities for Strips and Folding architecture is limitless.

Deleuze, G. 1933. Retrieved from ‘The Fold: LEobniz and The Baroque’. Figure 11: Strips and Folding Architecture. Retrieved from https://au.pinterest.com/pin/76913106111794566//

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Figure 11: Strips and Folding in Architecture [2]

ARCHIPELAGO PAVILION

BY CHALMERS UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY & ROHSSKA MUSEUM OF DESIGN Using Strips and Folding, the Archipelago Pavilion was created and it provided spaces for people to sit within as well as shaded spaces out in the open location. Exploring computer generated designs for architectural objects, the Archipelago Pavilion was parametrically designed in Grasshopper and Rhino1. Perforated steel sheets were joined together using bolts to create this structure. The pavilion is an example of how Strips and Folding reduces material since it is used to create the facade and does not require additional structures to support it.

In addition, it was assembled on site and all components were connected with bolts, emphaasising how versatile this method can be when the design process has been well thought out and done through computation. Looking at this case study, it has made me realise that parametric designs and computation allows materials such as steel to be turned into curved geometries easily during the fabrication stage. This makes it extremely easy to construct designs which have to be done within a short time span and everyone can benefit greatly from it.

Grozdanic, Lidija, ‘Archipelago Parametrically Designed Pavilion’, 2012, < http://www.evolo.us/architecture/archipelago-parametrically-designed-pavilion/>, accessed 9 September 2017 2 Figure 12: Archipelago Pavilion Retrieved from < http://www.evolo.us/architecture/archipelago-parametrically-designed-pavilion/>, accessed 9 September 2017 3 Figure 13 Joints of Archipelago Pavilion Retrieved from < http://www.evolo.us/architecture/archipelago-parametrically-designed-pavilion/>, accessed 9 September 2017 1

Figure 12: Archipelago Pavilion [1]

Figure 13: Joints of Archipelago Pavilion [2]

WEEK 5

Inspired by the opening scene from West Side Story, the script we used in Grasshopper resulted in a spiral pavilion which reminisces the graceful and synchronised movements of the dancers which gradually became more chaotic. The spiral outcome was mainly the result of the Golden Ratio command used in Grasshopper which was then further developed to attain the pavilion

WANDER ON

PERSPECTIVE

A quality we saw amongst the actors was confusion. Though they were well synchronised, it seemed that they were just following one another and did not have a clear idea why they were fighting. We created a pavilion for people to ‘wander on’ and to encourage them not to give up. In order to get to the middle, they will have to undergo a journey of spiral since it is not possible to cut directly to the middle. The middle of the structure, which is also where the bottom and top spiral meets serve as a neutral zone of the structure, similar to the school zone in West Side Story.

PLAN

Since the pavilion prompts self-reflection, we wanted to cater it to youth who often have doubts about who they are at their age. The journey of ‘wandering on’ aims to help them to find their inner peace and themselves by the time they reach the middle. Other proposed functions of this pavilion include an art gallery. Visitors are able to collect their thoughts with regards to the exhibited pieces during the journey of walking through it.

ELEVATION

Figure 15: Seroussi Pavilion Detail [2]

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[B2] Figure 14: Seroussi Pavilion Interior [1]

case study 1.o

SEROUSSI PAVILION

BY BIOTHING

The structure of the Seroussi Pavilion is described as being grown from self-modifying patterns of vectors based on Electromagnetic Fields where the initial computations were done in plan then lifted via microarching sections through frequencies of the sine function1. For this project, additional features had to be added in order to adapt to existing site conditions. It has an internal cocoon-like spatial fabric and this was created through the double-charged trajectories of the Electromagnetic fields. I chose this as my case study since it showcased the flexibility of Strips and Folding.

Figure 14: Seroussi Pavilion Interior. Retrieved from http://www.arch2o.com/seroussi-pavilion-biothing/>, accessed 9 September 2017 Figure 15: Seroussi Pavilion Detail. Retrieved from http://www.arch2o.com/seroussi-pavilion-biothing/>, accessed 9 September 2017

MATRIX OF ITERATIONS SPECIES 1 CURVE DIVIDE

CD = 1

CD = 3

SPECIES 2 CURVE RADIUS

CR = 0.01

CR = 0.05

CR = 2

SPECIES 3 FIELD LINE SIZES

FL = 10

FL = 50

FL = 100

CD = 5

2

FL = 300

CD = 10

CD = 20

CR = 5

CR = 10

FL = 600

SPECIES 4 CHANGING FIELDS

FORCE SPIN INSTEAD OF POINT CHARGE

FORCE SPIN AND POINT CHARGE

DEC FORCE

SPECIES 5 GRAPH MAPPER

SPECIES 6 SURFACES

EXTRUDED CURVES APPLIED

VORONOI APPLIED

SWEE

CAY OF +4 FOR SPIN AND POINT CHARGE

EP CURVES APPLIED

DECAY OF -4 FOR FORCE SPIN AND POINT CHARGE

WITH SPIN FIELD

OC TREE APPLIED

DECAY OF +4 AND -4 FOR FORCE SPIN AND POINT CHARGE RESPECTIVELY

WITH POINT CHARGE DECAY OF -4

PATCH APPLIED

ADAPTABILITY The ability of the design to adapt to the existing site conditions such as uneven slopes and the presence of water. This includes how flexible the design is to changes to be made as well.

AESTH

The design should be visu the attention of passer-bys explore the space.

SELECTION CRITERIA

The criteria below will be used to assess the variations of algorithmic definitions used in response to the design briefs. Through the matrix iterations, the most successful species can be picked out and further developed in the future.

HETICS

ually stimulating to capture so that they would want to

SITE INTERACTION The ability of the design to interact with site conditions and the potential to provide multiple functions for users.

SELECTED OUTCOME

SPECIES 2.5 ALTERING CIRCLE RADIUS

SPECIES 4.1 ALTERING SPIN FIELD

By altering the Circle Radius, the lines of each individual dome became more spread out and relaxed, which changed the nature of it from being tight to somewhat relaxed and seemingly random. This can be further developed to be a patterned, membrane pavilion on site, which will easily adapt to the site conditions and interactions. Visually, it is aesthetically pleasing and can interest people to visit it.

This iteration has allowed me to achieve something fluid and visually stimulating. The fluidity of this is a representation of the water body on the site and prompts people to think about interacting with the surrounding environment. It can act as a water filter system as well when thinking about further developments.

SPECIES 6.3 ALTERING SURFACES

SPECIES 4.5 ALTERING SPIN FIELD

By using sweep curves for this iteration, it has converted the original pavilion from an organic structure into something more structural. It would be interesting to further develop this since it looks visually complex.

Although the iteration used the same alterations as 4.1, it managed to yield very different results. The fluidity is in a much more circular direction. It can be easily adapted on site to serve as pathway circulation for users and to get them to interact with the existing natural environment. Aesthetically, it provides a pleasing structure.

WEEK 6

Bubbles

PERSPECTIVE

Michael Gromm’s artwork, titled Any Malls displays colourful and random characteristics which inspired us to create and name this structure as ‘Bubbles’

PLAN

The artwork reminded us of soap bubbles being created and popped. Through lofting surfaces in Grasshopper, the structure was produced. We then played around with the materiality of the pavilion. In my opinion, this week’s pavilion was enhanced by selecting a rather translucent material which allowed us to imitate a soap bubble. Situated across the water body, we wanted it to function as a water filter system.

SOAP BUBBLES THE PAVILION

[B3]

case study 2.o

DOUBLE AGENT WHITE BY MARC FORNES & THEVERYMANY

For my research field, I have chosen to explore Strips and Folding. I am particularly interested in the plethora of possibilities achieved through the fluid and continuous characteristics of this field.

Volumetric spaces can be changed internally and externally by simply changing the size and frequency of the strips and folds used in a design. By applying different application techniques to this method, it can produce very different visual Strips and Folding is a technique where results. numerous strips and single surfaces transform to create a volumetric space. Strips and Folding Strips and Folding is often used to create emphasises on the continuity of material within facades for designs which also serves as the a structure and a simple fold can turn the simple, structure. This allows for less materials to be used flat surface into a three-dimensional object. and hence is relatively economical. Deleuze has discussed the importance of Folding in Baroque architecture and how this concept produces room for creative thinking for the production of subjectivity which leads to endless possibilities in form and structure1.

Deleuze, G. 1933. Retrieved from ‘The Fold: LEobniz and The Baroque’. Figure 16: Double Agent White Pavilion. Retrieved from < http://www.evolo.us/architecture/double-agent-white-in-series-of-prototypical-architectures-theverymany/>, accessed 9 September 2017

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Figure 16: Double Agent White Pavilion [2]

REVERSE ENGINEERING THE

1. Analysising the Double Agent White Pavilion, it is made up of 9 intersecting spheres with a continuous surface therefore, the first step to reverse engineering this project was to create a sphere. Using the sphere component in Grasshopper, a single sphere was created with a slider attached to the radius input to allow for flexibility of the sphere size. A plane was added to allow for future movements and the smooth mesh component was added to create a smooth surface.

2. In order to create a shape Agent White Pavilion, sphe intersected at random points

I replicated step 1 for a tota like what they did during the

DESIGN

e like the Double eres had to be s.

al of 9 times, just e project.

3. Using the Solid Union Command, I managed to join all 9 spheres together, similar to the Double Agent White Pavilion.

4. Since the case study pavilion was placed on the ground, it had a flat base. To achieve this, I created the mesh structure into a brep and created a box which was then used to cut the extruding parts of the base by using the Solid Difference command.

5. Now that the basic shape of the original project has been recreated, I had to try to replicate the surface texture.

6. Recreating the surface texture was a challenge for me but I started off by using the Populate Geometry command, whereby points were generated for the Voronoi 3D command to be applied to the script. By using Weaverbird, I managed to achieve a result similar to the Double Agent White Pavilion.

GRASSHOPPER SCRIPT

SIMILARITIES TO ORIGINAL DESIGN Similar to the original project, it has 9 spheres intersecting one another at random points. The structure within is hollow as well. DIFFERENCES FROM ORIGINAL DESIGN In the re-egineered design, the surface pattern is slightly different from the original one. Since I used the Voronoi and Weaverbird commands, the surface patterns turned out to be more uniformed compared to the original pavilion. In addition, the voids were much bigger compared to the Double Agent White Pavilion CONCLUSION Through reverse engineering the Double Agent White Pavilion, I have realised how much can be done through Grasshopper and other plug ins such as Weaverbird and Kangaroo. However, there is much more to be explored since there is still room for improvement in what I have scripted. I believe the further technique developments and proposal will allow me to look into other parametric possibilities and push the boundaries of my design even further

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[B4]

technique development

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These 50 iterations were experimented without a definite species category, therefore they are merely numbered. By doing so, it allowed me to play around with the iterations at random to produce unexpected results.

45

50

SELECTED OUTCOME Outcomes were selected with the same criteria I had in mine previously

5

25

This iteration was chosen since it resulted in a very open structure. It made me think of how people would interact with it when it is seen as part of the environment. Instead of creating a secluded space, this iteration has the potential to become part of the space and provide functions such as solar energy with the use of solar tubes. The nature of this iteration makes it easily adaptable to its surroundings as well.

The result of this iteration was mainly done through the rail revolution of a voronoi surface. I chose this since it turned out very different from what I had expected. However, this would fit well on site and with its interesting layers, it would attract users to it. With regards to interacting with the site, I envision this iteration as being a water treatment plant or being connected to the water body on site.

29

32

This iteration seems to have intersecting spheres, made up of intersecting planes. I was intrigued by this iteration as it made me wonder if it is possible to create multiple small spaces within a structure, something like a maze. Perhaps each individual sphere can be moveable to encourage people to interact with it.

Seen as an explosive design with lines extruding from the ground level, this was created through creating convex hulls with what I had. This iteration was selected due to its flexibility. A possible development of this iteration would be to use a tensile membrane for the surface which allows for interaction with wind in the natural environment. I see this as an interesting development and would like to develop further in upcoming opportunities.

WEEK 7 PERSPECTIVE

An excerpt from ‘Invisible Cities’ was taken to serve as our driver for this week.

PLAN

‘Zora’s secret lies in the way your gaze run over patterns’ gave us the idea of utilizing patternisation in our design this week. We utilised the Spin Force command in Grasshopper to achieve this form and were pretty satisfied with how the outcome turned out to be. The passage described Zora in a form of journeying through it and we thought the spiral element of the building served to convey this message as well. Upon examining the outcome, we thought that this structure would be suitable to function as a library. There were no libraries situated around the area and placing it near the natural landscapes seem to be a great idea and during studio, we discussed how this might positively shape one’s experience within this space.

ELEVATION

We were tasked to draw a part of the VCCC building by McBride Charles Ryan. I decided to do a pen sketch and then fill in some colours with make up and nail polish.

[B5]

technique prototype

Through creating prototypes, I have learnt that it is a crucial step to understanding my design and what Grasshopper has created with the scripts I have used. Only through prototyping was I able to decide what material would fit the structure the best. It is also during this process where we become decision makers and problem solvers rather than simply allowing Grasshopper to take charge. This process required us to understand the potential problems which may occur through the fabrication process and to come up with possible solutions to prevent any future complications. I mainly focused on what material would be best suited to achieve my desired outcome and experiment how I might want to connect the different elements of my various prototypes together.

PROTOTYPE 1 Prototype 1 explores how planes can be used to create spheres. Through this process, I was able to witness how each individual sphere interacts with one another. Not all spheres are touching the ground, therefore it was an eye opening process to see how the spheres were able to support one another without additional structures. In addition, I was able to see how it would turn out if I were to choose to allow the structure to interact with the users whereby the users are able to freely move some of the spheres around by pushing them. Since the scale of it will be much larger than the prototype, it might not be as easy to move individual spheres around. Therefore, through the prototyping process, I have decided to make the planes of the spheres moveable as the interactive element instead. Each individual sphere was created by joining semi-circles together on the flat edge. This allows for movement of the planes.

PROTOTYPE 2 This prototype was created with the intent of having surfaces overlapping one another. I was intrigued by how the iteration turned out and the nature of its form is rather dynamic compared to the others. It allowed me to consider how the structure would be pieced together in site context and how the individual elements would interact with one another. To create this prototype, I firstly cut strips of paper into various length and width. These strips were then attached together by using a paper fastener at the same single point. This allowed each strip to begin from a same single point which then progressively branched to different end points. By using paper for this prototype, I was able to shape how high I would like each strip to be. However, seeing that this material was rather fragile, I would like it to be built of more durable and load resistant material on the actual site, such as concrete.

WEEK 8 // INTERIM This week, we were allocated the Lyrebird to draw inspiration from. Upon research, we found that a special characteristic of this bird is that it is capable of mimicking noises. Therefore, we decided to use this quality to drive our Grasshopper script

Using Graph Mapper, we managed to produce a building which is capable of adapting and mimicking the natural landscape contour of the site. Possible beginnings for this building would be a heat power plant. We thought it would be interesting to put this structure in excavated ground to make use of thermal properties.

We did not give a specific function to the underground level and thought it might be interesting if we incorporated underground living in the future.

Drawing of the interior doubleheight interiors of the NGV Australia in Federation Square. This was drawn in pen and colours were added through Photoshop.

[B6]

technique proposal

This proposal will be employing the computational methods I have learned over the weeks and put them in relevance to the chosen site. It is a combination of what I’ve done in the weekly tasks and my journal

1. Site Analysis The site is a piece of park in Clifton Hill, on either side of Merri Creek. It is situated between the South Morang and Hurstbridge train lines, the Queens Parade Bridge, and Creek Parade. Upon visiting the site, I have noticed that not many people were interested in spending much time near the water. In addition, the presence of a water body can encourage meaningful and interesting interactions. However, the water body seemed to be rather dirty and polluted, therefore my proposal will be in response to this trait of the site.

2. Integrating Weekly Tasks In this proposal, I will be introducing concepts and feedback taken from my weekly tasks across the semester and integrating it with designs which have emerged from my previous case studies and prototyping. From my weekly tasks, I have explored functions such as an art gallery, water treatment plant, library and heat/electricity generator.

3. Feedback from Interim Having presented for the Interim presentation in Week 8, I decided to incorporate some of the feedback into my prototype for the design brief. The design was mainly produced using the Graph Mapper command in Grasshopper which allowed for the structure to adapt to the existing site easily. Having intended to push the interim presentation to its boundaries, it was decided that the structure would serve as a heat power plant, to be situated below ground level. We were hoping that this would be the highlight of the design and allow us to explore more options for future improvements. Some of the feedback received includes: • What qualities of the bird (lyrebird) are you trying to mimic? • Produce a structure that is unexpected • Continue building on what the site provides and use it to benefit your design • Look at the definitions to further develop your design The session was very beneficial since we received feedback from a few critics and it provided a starting point to what I would do in my future developments.

PERSPECTIVE

4. Proposal The continuous ripple-like effect of the surface of the structure seemed like it was mimicking the moving ripples of the water body on the site. Due to the strong connection to the water system, the function of a water filter system, derived from one of the previous weekly tasks resonated deeply within me. I was very inclined to draw connections to the waters within this proposal. My proposal focuses on the unpredictability of algorithmic designs scripted through Grasshopper and then learning how to work with the unexpected outcomes through further interpretations. This allows for limitless possibilities of design potential and encourages creativity in the most unexpected areas. Possible Beginnings Situated across the water body, the structure would come in contact with the water in order to filter waste materials and other forms of pollution running through it. The beginning of this proposal will kick start an increased awareness of water pollution around the area and highlight the importance of keeping our natural environment clean.

Unfinished Ideas Internal spaces and the rooftop areas were left untouched as part of my ‘Unfinished Ideas’ component. Apart from its filtering purpose, this innovative design can double up as a location for recreational activities for families. Activities, performances and forms of the structure is very flexible but I would like to narrow it down to serving a function related to being a recreational and educational space. Therefore, the interior of the space can be used as an interactive educational facility to educate visitors on the importance of keeping water sources clean and the rooftop can incorporate a green open space for people to gather around.

ELEVATION

PLAN

Interesting Future An interesting future for this proposal would be to see how it can adapt to the changing conditions of the environment. Changing site conditions such as water levels and extreme climates can affect the way the structure performs. Under varying situations, this proposal has the potential to be pushed to even greater boundaries which will be interesting to witness. Perhaps the design can incorporate flood control and solar energy measures in response to future challenges

5. Materiality Having been tested as one of the prototypes earlier, it would be best to combine the types of materials to be used for this structure. The structural framing system material will be made out of concrete since it has to support a possible roof top garden. However, other materials such as glass or membrane can be used together as well. This will allow for interesting lighting and material contrasts.

6. Clients Main clients of this proposal would be families and perhaps even educational institutes since it allows learning opportunities to take place.

7. Prototype One of the main benefits of incorporating my chosen prototype into this proposal is that it has allowed me to interrogate and explore the effectiveness of materials in response to my design intentions as well as helping me to narrow down the conceptual possibilities.

[B7]

learning outcome

Through the process of Journal B, I have managed to parametric designs and production. Apart from this, to learn to address through further development of m Case Study and Reverse Engineering

By completing B2, B3 and B4, it has helped me to optimisations used in the case studies. Being new to G from Case Study 1 has allowed me to see the man component. For me, I found B3 a particularly import to exploring what can be done to understand my ch reverse engineering outcome was not identical, the Agent White Pavilion taught me how to modify and alterations to the script I used, I managed to produc Weekly Tasks, Prototyping and Proposal

Although I initially found it slightly challenging to i proposal for B6, I found the process and results ve presented over the weeks served respective functio environmental issues which I deem crucial in today’ results from computation techniques would end up technical and visual function of my design in the pro possible without computation techniques and the pr like that could be produced and be able to function these 3 components together but it was a rewardin connections with what I have done during studios w Grasshopper.

Overall, Part B has been an important stepping sto refining my design concept and I hope to be able developments within this subject.

o develop a greater understanding for the potentials of , I have also discovered some limitations which I have my approaches.

o learn more about the architectural applications and Grasshopper, the process of creating a set of iterations ny possibilities of results available by altering a single tant task which helped me to build a good foundation hosen research field (Strips and Folding). Although my e success and failure of trying to produce the Double d manipulate Grasshopper scripts. Through the many ce many unexpected and unique iterations for B4.

integrate what I’ve done in my weekly tasks into my ery beneficial to me. In the tasks, the various pavilions ons and some included addressing sustainability and ’s society. I was particularly amazed how unexpected p producing such a great impact in addressing the oposal. The complex geometries would not have been rototyping process was crucial to ensure that a design n as imagined. It was a challenging process integrating ng process overall and I was glad to be able to draw with what I have learned in lectures and exploration of

one in this subject. More time needs to be spent on e to continue improving my current outcomes in future

C //

DE

Etailed design

[C1]

DESIGN CONCEPT

After the interim presentation, we continued working with the Lyrebird and its special characteristic of mimicry. During the midsemester break, Melissa and I decided to explore the site further to help develop our design concept and to figure out exactly what it is we want our final design to mimic. Throughout the process, we considered the feedback from the interim presentation while pushing what we, as architecture students, wanted to see within the site. Before arriving to our final design, we explored many various iterations over the weeks following up to our final presentations. Focusing on the quality of mimicry allowed us to further develop what we already had. The river plays an important role within our site, therefore, its quality became the main feature we wanted to mimic in our design concept and proposal. Some of the things we considered was the main water body, the water ripples and the reflection of water. The irregularity of the water flow gave us an idea. What if irregularity was the concept to our design? What if our design was generated through unexpected and random points? As a result, our geometry began with random points being plotted.

Over the remaining weeks, we allowed programs to emerge through our designs and realisations which was what truly made the design process interesting. 1. A Place for Youth We embraced the vandalised scene of the site and envisioned to create a design which will embrace the concept of graffiti and vandalism. Rather than changing it, we wanted the design to become a place where youth can be comfortable with expressing themselves 2. A Landscape Feature We had great ideas from previous weekly tasks and when we incorporated these ideas into our final design, it became a landscape feature which interacts with the natural elements. This was in response to the water body we took inspiration from and would redirect the water flow while serving as a water filter.

3. A Bridge The idea of a bridge is an example of allowing the program to emerge from the design, and not forcing a function to it. It came so naturally and since our design creates a path for people around the site, it is somewhat a bridge. With its sinuous curves, it asks for the attention of A main concept we gathered was to embrace users and allows them to reflect in response to the site and ensuring that our design does not the natural environment. This concept helped us rob it of the existing charm. to truly understand how programs are able to emerge in such a way where we understand, explain and reveal it. We did not give much thought about the design’s actual materiality because we thought it might limit the possibilities of our ideas.

MIMICRY

ATELIER OLCHINSKY

WEEK 9 In order to help us with the concept generation, we came up with a moodboard to help us kickstart the exciting beginnings of our final design! As visual people, the moodboard helped us to focus on the journey of coming up with a concept and plan our future refinements and/or steps.

#HOLOGRAPHIC #REFLECTIVE #WATER

#GLITCH EFFECT

PERSPECTIVE Having attended Jack’s lecture on his final project, Melissa and I were inspired to be more creative and adventurous in our thought process. We were more focused on the moodboard rather than simply fulfilling the task sheet.

PLAN

Through our moodboard, we managed to convey our main idea of our structure to the class which resulted in many beneficial feedbacks. Classmates suggested ideas such as creating a bridge, jumping castle, water slide, water being incorporated within the wall and thinking about how lighting would affect it.

It was also during this week where Melissa and I thought about ideas for our final presentation - paint, design response to the site , colours, colours and more colours!

sEction

What is the site about? What are our findings of the site? The opportunity from visiting the site again helped us to figure out some of the questions we had in our minds after the interim feedbacks.

SITE ANALYSIS Looking at the current site condition, it was filled with graffiti and seemed to be a location which people enjoyed vandalising. Even the seemingly unreachable areas such as under side of the train tracks was covered with colourful graffiti! This quality of the site which we found interesting will become a major ephiphany of our design.

Venturing around the site, we came across a tranquil yet mysterious spot. With the water body running under a bridge, we were able to see the reflection of the water being casted on the underside of the bridge. This was something we thought was special about our site and we wanted to embrace it in our design, therefore we thought of placing our design around this area. In addition, the enclosed space created a slightly echoey environment which highlighted the sound of water flowing and birds chirping, bringing a relaxing quality to the spot.

The water ripples we saw was something I found fascinating and unqiue to the site.

[C2]

tectonic eleme

ents and prototypes

One of the core fragments of our design is the bending and folding of strips to create a smooth hemisphere shape. This idea was taken from our case study in Part B of the journal task, whereby both Melissa and I chose to explore Strips and Folding. Since our design aims to mimic the water ripples and reflection of the site, we hoped that the fluidity and continuous nature of Strips and Folding would be able to help us achieve the intended outcome. Through our prototype, we were able to put what we have learned in Part B into practice and see for ourselves if the method of Strips and Folding is as flexible and versatile as we perceive it to be through the previous research.

Another feature of our design is the voronoi patterns on the surface facade. In recreating the Double Agent White Pavilion in B3, voronoi patterns were introduced in our Grasshopper scripting. We thought that by incorporating the voronoi patterns into our final model, we would be able to create interesting results if we were to play with light and shadows. The prototyping process presented us the opportunity to test out what we had in mind.

Joints

Material

In the process of digital fabrication, we made sure to include circular cut outs at the ends of the strips to connect the joints. Using paper fasteners, we managed to fix the joints together and produce a somewhat hemispherical shape. We found that using these fasteners allowed the prototype to be securely fixed to provide sufficient support and structure.

Since the prototype was prod the FabLab, the cost of fabricat time of fabrication was fast. U material was flexible enough t hold its shape which was wha

duced through laser cutting in tion was rather affordable and Using white polypropylene, the to be bent, yet rigid enough to at we hoped to achieve.

Results After putting the prototype together, we began to test out the result of putting voronoi patterns on the surface. When light is being shined on the prototype, it managed to cast an interesting shadow, resulting in a pattern similar to the water reflection which was on the bridge of the site. This was a surprising result which we were glad to carry forward to our final model.

WEEK 10 Tasked to present our structure in linework and colour them in, Melissa and I came across a realisation during the process. It quickly became an ephiphany of our design and helped to drive the progress our ideas.

Due to the nature of the site location, our realisation was that it did not matter how we wanted our structure to look like, it would probably be vandalised in no time. This was when we thought about the concept of creating a place where youth can freely express themselves through graffiti. This week, the possible function of the design helped to guide our process.

ITERATIONS AND FIELD DIRECTIONS

Colouring in our design helped us to understand more about our design and generate concepts to it. In response to the mimicry of the water ripples and reflections, we discovered that the use of Spin Force in Grasshopper resulted in an outcome we both really like, a structure which appeared to be fluid, just like the qualities we wanted to mimic. The field directions diagram was something which caught our attention and might be able to help guide our design progression.

[C3]

final detail model

The final detail model is a combination of hemispherical shapes and strips being pieced together. It conveys the fluidity of the water ripples we wanted to mimic and when light is projected onto it, the model will cast shadows which resembles the water reflection due to the voronoi cut outs on the surface.

WEEK 11

By the end of our Week 11 pin up, Melissa and I had many ideas but hesitant about putting them into our design concept, however, we were told to have “more ideas, less refinements�. This was so encouraging and spurred us to push our boundaries for the project and bring more ideas together for our final design.

PLAN

The varying density in spaces generated within the design has created an opportunity for possible different uses.

SECTION

ITERATION A

ITERATION B

IMAGE SAMPLER During the design generation, we wanted to incorporate the reflection of water which was projected on the underside of the bridge into the structure therefore we made use of Image Sampler in Grasshopper. From the result, we decided to randmly plot points at areas which were denser. Since it was our last week of informal presentation, we also came up with iterations to give us more options when it came to the design of our structure.

Esc

Titled as “Esc” (the short form of escape), the design is intended to be a space for people, especially youth, to escape and not be afraid to express themselves through the form of graffiti. The design process of “Esc” has been guided by the Lyrebird’s quality of mimicry, to mimic the water body of the site. This is evident in the fluid and continuous behaviour of the structure. Over the course of 4 weeks, major developments have occurred. Design ephiphanies and programs have emerged from it, which includes being a safe sanctuary for youth, a landscape feature to redirect waterflow as well as filter the water and lastly, a bridge for users to connect them to nature and bring them around the site. This process of designing “Esc” has allowed us to let programs reveal themselves to us rather than forcing it upon the design. In our final week, we presented our design in the structure of a giant moodboard which showcased how our final design came about. The “mess” we have created was an explanation of our 3 main design concepts/epiphanies.

We intended to retain the site’s vandalised nature by encouraging users to add graffiti to our design. The fluidity of the water body we wanted to mimic is evident in the spherical and curved nature of the design.

A bridge without built structure to bring people from one place to another within the site also brings users closer to nature while allowing them to pause and ponder.

The plan focuses on how the landscape will look in response to our design. We focused on trying to convey how the water body would be redirected through painting in the different elements of the site. Alternatively, the varying density in spaces generated within the design has created an opportunity for possible different uses.

A lil sneak peek of what went on behind the scenes! Fun fact: The title “Esc� is also a reflection of our relationship with Grasshopper on Rhino, where the escape button was the button most oftenly used!

A giant moodboard - the way we like it!

TECHN 1. Incorporating reflections into our design Surface

Surface Divide

Rectangular surface created

U Count: 30 V Count: 20

Circle Circles for optimum visualisation

Image Sampler Referenced to image of water reflection

2. Design algorithm POINT

CIRCLE

DIVIDE

Plot random points based on Image Sampler results

Radius of 0.089

Divide curves into 28 segments

POINT CHARGE Charge: 3.0 Decay: 5.0 FORCE SPIN

POINT

Strength: 7.720 Radius: 8.0 Decay: 9.0

COUNT

MERGE FIELDS STEPS 612

DIVIDE Divide curve into 10 segments

FIELD LINE

28

Merge Point Charge and Force Spin fields into one

CURVE

Compute Merged Fields through Points (from divided curve)

RANGE STEPS 10

Range of 10 created for Graph Mapper

NIQUE AND CONSTRUCTION PROCESS

Graph Mapper Sinuous Curve

CROSS REFERENCE

Graph Mapper

Cross Reference data from both Graph Mapper

Sinuous Curve

MULTIPLY

UNIT Z

MOVE

INTERPOLATE

PARTITION

Create interpolated curves

Partition list of curves into sub-lists

[C4]

learning objectives and outcomes

Objective 1: “Interrogat[ing] a brief” by considering the process of brief formation in the age of optioneering enabled by digital technologies. With regards to the Studio Air briefs, especially in Part C, I realised that a design brief is flexible and in the real world, there is no one absolute brief we have to follow. In the age of optioneering, a brief serves as a guide for us to follow and we should not be blinded by it. As designers, we have to learn to question the situation we are put in and challenge the different types of situations we encounter. Only then will we be able to push our boundaries and bring designs to a whole new level. Objective 2: Developing “an ability to generate a variety of design possibilities for a given situation” by introducing visual programming, algorithmic design and parametric modelling with their intrinsic capacities for extensive design-space exploration. Over the course of semester, the weekly tasks have presented me a plethora of situations for me to kickstart my designs from which includes songs, musicals, artworks and lastly, bird species. The use of visual programming, algorithmic design and parametric modelling has enabled me to experiment with a variety of iterations on a weekly basis. This was especially true when working on B2 and B4, where we had to showcase a variety of iterations which originated from one single design. I was truly amazed by the seemingly infinite and extensive possibilities of designs to explore the many forms of the design-space. Carrying this through to the end of the semester, even in Week 11 and Week 12, we presented iterations during our presentations which prevented us from being limited by one certain idea. Instead, we were able to work without restrictions. Objective 3: Developing “skills in various three-dimensional media” and specifically in computational geometry, parametric modelling, analytic diagramming and digital fabrication. Since Part B, digital fabrication has played a major role in Studio Air, with the introduction of prototyping. However, I feel that in Part C, there was a lot more freedom in computational geometry and digital fabrication. This is because in Part B, we had to work with a specific technique - in my case, it was Strips and Folding, whereas in Part C, the entire process was up to us and we were the ones who decided what would work best for our design. Rather than having to decide and assess whether our prototypes conformed to the typical form of a certain technique, we had to critically think whether our prototype was able to showcase the best feature of our design. On this point, the discussions during our studio sessions were of great help because we gave each other suggestions on how to further develop our designs and how to push our designs onto the next level.

Objective 4: Developing “an understanding of relationships between architecture and air” through interrogation of design proposal as physical models in atmosphere. With the prototypes and final detail model in C2 and C3, I was able to draw connections between the design proposal and physical models. In my opinion, this learning objective was only truly explored in the later part of the semester but through this, I was able to understand better the relationship between the design and the site. I had to question myself what might happen to the site if the design was placed at different spots. The process of critical analysis gave me a better understanding of how parametric modelling is able to affect the site. I understood the importance of putting the design from somewhere within the site, rather than just dropping it anywhere after it has been done. Objective 5: Developing “the ability to make a case for proposals” by developing critical thinking and encouraging construction of rigorous and persuasive arguments informed by the contemporary architectural discourse. Initially, when Studio Air first commenced, one of my classmates mentioned that we would be able to get past weekly presentations as long as we knew how to talk our way through it. However, over the course of the semester, we were encouraged to not just come up with random, nonsensical ideas to justify our designs and why we did it, but to always look back to the starting point of our designs to generate an argument for it or for the program to emerge from within. From our Interim, we were advised to always look back at our design when we are stuck. Everyone in tutorial is encouraged to voice out their opinions and very often, the arguments which emerge has helped us to generate many amazing ideas in our designs. Objective 6: Develop capabilities for conceptual, technical and design analyses of contemporary architectural projects. The main analysis of contemporary architectural projects was done in Part B, whereby we had to look at case studies as well as re-engineer one of them. During tutorial, I was encouraged not to give up despite limited knowledge in parametric modelling tools. Instead, I was informed that sometimes, having too much knowledge of it might blind me from developing additional capabilities in this area. Having to analyse and provide feedback to classmates on a weekly basis, it has helped me to improve my analysing capabilities in the critical aspect.

Objective 7: Develop foundational understandings of computational geometry, data structures and types of programming. I was able to develop foundational understandings of computational geometry mainly through the online videos and the lecture quizzes. While the lectures did inform me on the uses and possibilities of them, what really helped me were the additional resources Studio Air has provided me with. Lecture quizzes often ensured that I watch the online videos and helped to test me whether I understood them or not. Additionally, the algorithmic tasks helped me by putting my understandings to practice. Objective 8: Begin developing a personalised repertoire of computational techniques substantiated by the understanding of their advantages, disadvantages and areas of application. I would say that my personalised repertoire of computational techniques only truly began to kickoff after the Interim presentation. Evident from my weekly algorithmic tasks, it can be seen that before the Interim, the designs generated were more experimental and adventurous but over the past month or so, I began to find a set of computational technique which was suitable for my design application and it truly showed why the design is different from any other. Before I began Studio Air, I was filled with doubt about this subject because of how much I did not know about parametric modelling but as the semester progressed, I began to revel in the fact that I do not have to have complete knowledge of what is going on to bring progress in this subject. This studio has been one of the most enjoyable subjects I have taken and I believe that the lessons learnt will always guide me in future designs. Not only have I learnt to use tools such as Grasshopper, I have learnt to think critically in the aspect of design. Learning from peers is a major focus of this subject and I have greatly benefited from it. If only we had more time, because I would love to see what some of my peers are capable of doing if we were able to develop ideas further.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Al Bahr Global, ‘Al Bahr Towers’, 2012, < http://www.ahr-global.com/Al-Bahr-Towers>, accessed 9 August 2017 Archdaily, “Hybrid Tower/CITA - The Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts”, 2017, < http://www.archdaily. com/805969/hybrid-tower-cita-the-royal-danish-academy-of-fine-arts >, accessed 4 August 2017 Archdaily, “ICD-ITKE Research Pavilion 2013-14/ICD-ITKE University of Stuttgart”, 2014, < http://www.archdaily. com/522408/icd-itke-research-pavilion-2015-icd-itke-university-of-stuttgart>, accessed 4 August 2017 Deleuze, G. 1933. Retrieved from ‘The Fold: LEobniz and The Baroque’. Domus, ‘The Interlace’, 2014, < http://www.domusweb.it/en/architecture/2014/07/01/the_interlace.html>, accessed 30 July 2017 Dunne, Anthony & Raby, Fiona (2013) Speculative Everything: Design Fiction, and Social Dreaming (MIT Press) pp. 1-9, 33-45 Egan, Colleen, ‘Singapore’s New High-Rise to Look Like a Lush Fantasy Garden in the Sky’, 2015, <http://www.architecturaldigest.com/gallery/singapore-marina-one-garden>, accessed 30 July 2017 Fry, Tony (2008). Design Futuring: Sustainability, Ethics and New Practice (Oxford: Berg), pp. 1–16 Grozdanic, Lidija, ‘Archipelago Parametrically Designed Pavilion’, 2012, < http://www.evolo.us/architecture/archipelago-parametrically-designed-pavilion/>, accessed 9 September 2017 Kalay, Yehuda E. (2004). Architecture’s New Media: Principles, Theories, and Methods of Computer-Aided Design (Cambridge, MA: MIT Press), pp. 5-25 Oxman, Rivka and Robert Oxman, eds (2014). Theories of the Digital in Architecture (London; New York: Routledge), pp. 1–10 Peters, Brady. (2013) ‘Computation Works: The Building of Algorithmic Thought’, Architectural Design, 83, 2, pp. 08-15 Sinke, Y, “CITA employs bespoke materials in ‘Hybrid Tower’ of textile architecture”, 2017, < https://www.designboom. com/technology/cita-hybrid-tower-guimaraes-portugal-02-14-2017/>, accessed 4 August 2017 Stinson, Elizabeth, ‘What happens when algorithms design a concert hall? The stunning Elbphilharmonie’, 2017, < https:// www.wired.com/2017/01/happens-algorithms-design-concert-hall-stunning-elbphilharmonie/>, accessed 9 August 2017

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