Invisibility in Architecture

Invisibility in Architecture - Cho Chung Man

Invisibility in ArchitectureA Personal Manifesto

Chapter 1- On the Topic of Creation Chapter 2- Gravity as Invisibility Chapter 3- Data-scape Chapter 4- Retooling in digital tool Chapter 5- Parametric as invisible method Chapter 6- Example: West Kowloon Terminus Chapter 7- Academic Teaching Chapter 8- Five pillars of Invisibility in Architecture Chapter 9- Conclusion

“What is invisible? Basically everything except matter and things.�

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Invisibility in Architecture - Cho Chung Man

On the topic of Creation On the topic of creation, I would like to think that architects or designers in general are creators of form and idea, and if this is true, the idea of creation should be an important concept and idea for the architecture community. As I look for answers on the topic of creation, both religion and science provides me with very similar answer in different ways - that is the act of creation is making something out of nothing. For instance in the Christian bible under the chapter genesis (creation), the bible explained that the universe was at first “formless and full of darkness” and “then there is the word…”, while in the field of physic, the big bang theory told us that the universe begins from a “infinite point” which is nothingness. To me it is a crucial belief for a creator and designer to understand this idea that creation starts from nothingness. And as I observe and investigate this idea of creation with the reality, I realize that this invisibility still tend to exist in our everyday objects- from the organization of swarm behavior in bird, to the formation of rock crystal, from the discover of fractal geometry to the discovery of DNA, from the natural formation of funicular form to the shaping of aircraft. Invisibility is all around us, in face invisibility is omnipresence and it is shaping, molding, evolving and interacting with matters around us. I begin to wander if this invisibility is the bases for all creation and still the driving force behind objects and things created; shouldn’t we as designer get our hand dirty and very close to understand what this invisibility is?

Invisible and visible The idea of invisible refers to things that cannot be seen but exists. Look around and observe carefully, the force of gravity is acting on the ball on the fall; electronic forces have cause the magnetic material to attract each other; tension with the wire is holding up the bird resting on it; light is absorbed and heat up the interior space of the building. Each of this observation has an invisible subject and visible object interacting with each other. The interaction between the invisible and visible is a definable relationship between the object and the invisible force acting on the object.

In other field of study like physic, chemistry, civil engineering these relationships between invisible and visible are very clearly defined, understood and make use. In fact, in most of these invisibilities are given names to distinguish between these invisibilities. (ex. gravity, fractal geometry, electricity, DNA, chemistry bonding and tensions, compression, etc.) Through researches and experiments, theories and equations are created to represent these relationships between the invisible with the 2

Invisibility in Architecture - Cho Chung Man

visible. To a designer, the understanding of this relationship between the invisible and visible is extremely important as it frees himself/herself from merely design from a visual perspective but also make reasonable considerations on logics and reasons behind the object.

Gravity as invisibility Understanding the relationship between the invisible and visible is an initial step into the basis of invisibility in architecture. However the method of designing based on relationship is not a new idea even in architecture- the buddle diagram has been used by every architect sometime in their career as a tool to explain the interaction and zoning relationship between different function and connection requirements. On a more experimental level, Antoni Gaudi hanging structure experiment is which is hanging of a network of strings from the ceiling, the invisibility forces of gravity and tension of the string results in the funicular form of the visible string. Gaudi’s experience is particularly famous for its innovation in methodology to find a funicular form which is the most effective structure arch, fully utilize the material compression and tension. This is an example of dealing with invisibility (in this case gravity and tension) in architecture. More recently, this expression of gravity is further investigated in digital media by Benjamin Dillenburger’s digital catenary, a computation dome generated using shape grammars in processing, creating a crystalline wire-frames that are both architectural and biomorphic. Both Gaudi and Oli use different tools available to them at their time (physical object for Gaudi and digital media for Oli), they have very similar exploration and ideology in the investigation in invisibility and are great example of invisibility in architecture.

Data-scape Party deal to invisibility in data, I got interested in data visualization as data by itself is invisible, it is in fact representation of something else. Data has the potential to translate reality into numbers and parameters, as a result influence model and affect architect’s design. In short, Data is a way of breaking and interpreting invisibility on the visible.

Sustainability design is one such example of data modeling. In a huge aspect, sustainable is related to the gathering of weather and climate data, hypothesis of using these data into the design stage to maximize human comfort with less energy and the using data to analyze and visualize the effectiveness of the design to the 3

Invisibility in Architecture - Cho Chung Man

clients. In the recent smart geometry conference in Copenhagen, data is used as the theme for the workshop. The workshop highlighting the importance of user data, energy calculations, embedded sensing, material and structural simulation, human behavior and perception, particle flows and force fields that allows design to be situated and responsive.

Artist like Hyungsub Shin also explored on the idea of data visualization. In his work, works on paper, Shin use data of social interaction as inspiration to generate a neuronal network of the biological system. His exploration with data results in a fractal configuration of daily communication captured on paper craft. Another example is Invisible commitment by Oli Laurelle, a visualization artist. Through using of version control system which allws developers to maintain current and historical versions of files, Oli used link printing to create a tree like branching planting through data development source code.

Retooling in digital tools We lives in a digital era, today designers are presented with a range of tools unimagined by previous generation. Today digital tools allow us to think in terms of relationship and Visual programming is one of such way that allows users to use a mind map layout to build relationship between the visible and invisible. To me this approach is very close to the idea of creation process in invisibility and the mind map is a Intuitive process that allows the designer to understand the relationships.

There is a recent outbreak of visual programming in all aspect of design and creation.

For architecture field, grasshopper in Rhino have done a phenomenon impact on the architecture academic, I would like to highlight some similar approaches in other field of design.

1. In graphical design there is vvvv, 2. In sound design there is Pure Data 3. In architecture there is grasshopper 4. In animation there is Houdini 5. In website there is yahoo pipes 6. In Fractal there is xFrog This availability of tools and retooling process will revolutionize the way designer design. According to invisibility in architecture, the project is no longer a form driven 4

Invisibility in Architecture - Cho Chung Man

but relationship, logic, reason driven. In short, creation (including form) follows relationship.

Parametric as invisibility method In Patrick Schumacher, parametricism as style- parametricist Manifesto, Patrick explains that the parametric approach is “all the way, penetrating into all corners of the discipline.� Patrick’s points of view suggest the omnipresence of parametric in architecture. I would argue that parametric is the method of applying invisibility in architecture.

Personal experience I worked extensively in projects involving complex geometry, projects that could not be described through typical plan, section or elevation. The true information of the project exists only in the 3-D model and a setting out manual. For example, with some knowledge of geometry through mathematic, a designer can describe an double curved architecture surface precisely with a certain Gaussian curvature, hence how much warping is expected in its panel and hence if a change of panelization logic is recommended to keep the project within budget. As changes do happen regularly during discussion, designing based on this relationship would allow an immediate feedback and increase flexibility to change and update the model. The complexity and accuracy of the model requires parametric way of thinking and modeling as traditional method of digital crafting simply would cause too much time and potential human errors. I would need to reinterpret the design into a set of logic and relationship and set out the building in 3D space.

Setting out in architecture Setting out documents is a documentation of a set of diagrams and descriptions which list out the critical dimension and relationship between architectural, structural, M&E and other elements. The diagram is based on an agreed rules agreed between the consultants and these relationship is then script and generated in 3-D space within the computer program. Setting out rules of relationships is the invisibility in architecture project. Some of the projects I managed and the setting out are critical especially for complex geometry. This setting out logic may be taken to the construction stage for the contractor as it give directions and indications of the setting out on site and geometrically defined step by step explanation is used to 5

Invisibility in Architecture - Cho Chung Man

descript the construction of geometry in 3D space.

Example: West Kowloon Terminus In the west Kowloon terminus, the entire design is based on 4 splines and secondaries planes. Splines are set out as arc on plan and the z axis is scripted to be within statutory requirements of stairs and ramps. Secondary planes are set out according to fencing out logic on plan and elevation, and as structural members follows the fencing out logic, the invisible setting out plane provide the dynamic movement of the building. Along the secondary planes, cladding relationships and panel sizes are optimized based on the largest turning radius to ensure panel size within the economics of production. The structural zone, sub-framing zone and architectural cladding are scripted into the parametric model, while structure elements and architectural panels are further scripted within the zone permitted.

The fins and glazing is also kept by defining a 14 degree angle relationship as is a statutory requirement for single glazed windows. In short the form is break down into steps and geometry, and geometry into architecture panels which are generated into data and panels are grouped and optimized in a be-spoke external program.

In retrospective, West Kowloon Terminus is a post design rationalized form, with its aesthetic explained with setting out within a parametric model. In doing complex geometry setting out, we should try to get as much constraints and parameters to consider before starting. As a result, in most complex projects in real practice, an aura of invisibility in architecture is inevitable.

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Invisibility in Architecture - Cho Chung Man

Academic teaching In practice, most of the time, we are given a fix problem with precise criteria and definition of fitness in the outcome. In academic, I am presented with very different opportunities. In the very least, we use parametric to design instead of only resolving design. I take teaching as opportunities to test out ideas and methodology. In the pass years, I was involved in numberless academic exposure, in workshops, conferences, lectures and modules in universities and this experience are invaluable for my exploration in architecture journey.

In the Digital materiality workshop in Guangzhou, we explored the invisibility of the materiality of paper. Through digital and physical means, similar to Gaudi and Oli approaches on gravity, we explored and test physical models and digital limitations concurrently. Through the power of open source software, we discovered a software call “free origami� which allows import of 2D digital Cad drawings and using a mouse to fold digital origami in the computer. We further use Kangaroo, a free plug-in within grasshopper to simulate the forces on the paper component hence to predict the physical interaction in digital space. To me this approach of design through physical and digital manipulation of the invisibility pushes one to understand the invisibility of forces hence influences the design.

The employment of parametric tool in the design stage pushed bandwidth of the invisibility of a project earlier. As a result the designer passes some of the responsibility of designing to the computer. For example instead of designing a geometry by the designer, the parametric designer write down some basic rules and criteria and allow the computer to generate options based on the prescribed rules.

Furthermore between the options generated from the computer, it is possible to lay down an evolutionary approach of which the computer chooses the best of fit (best option) before jumping into the next generation of modified gene (more options within the best option). To me, this evolution approach takes time as raw design material and strip away from the responsibility of judgment from the designer.

Five pillars of Invisibility in Architecture In this paper, I offered a personal view on the subject of dealing with invisibility in architecture. In conclusion, I would also like to attempt to propose some of the criteria and steps for invisibility in architecture.

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Invisibility in Architecture - Cho Chung Man

1. First there is no form!

2. There is a reason/ Logic before the form- the why before what 3. Reconstruction of Reality 4. Abstraction of problems into diagrams 5. Solution space/ Time The first rules of invisibility in architecture is that there is no form in the first place, as a philosophy, the creation of object must starts from the invisibility and a investigation. Secondly, the reason and logic should comes before the form, for example in the case of the designing of a measuring cylinder, the function aspect of that measuring cylinder must be before the form of the cylinder. Thirdly, similar to laboratory experiments, a reconstruction of the reality through physical and digital means based on the relationship between visible and invisible elements. Forth is to abstract and problem framing of the related invisibility into diagrams to set up rules and parameters possible in the design. And last create a solution in time and space, considering using time and space as raw material to create the object based on invisibility.

In conclusion Invisibility in architecture is a discovery through a personal journey, a philosophy developed from my short experience in architecture which I believe would influence the way architect thinks and design. I believe the architecture field has a lot of technical knowhow to catch up with other field and we are in the beginning of a revolutionary journey to discover architecture once again.

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