STUDIO AIR JOURNAL PART A by Jonathan Leong

AIR STUDIO

AIR

JOURNAL PART A JONATHAN LEONG 674599

CONTENTS Introduction.......................................................... 5 PART A: CONCEPTUALISATION....................... 7 A.1. Design Futuring............................................ 9 A.2. Design Computation.................................... 17 A.3. Composition/Generation.............................. 23 A.4. Conclusion................................................... 28 A.5. Learning Outcomes...................................... 29 A.6. Appendix...................................................... 30 Bibliography......................................................... 31

INTRODUCTION

My name is Jonathan Leong. I am currently undertaking a Bachelor of Environments, majoring in architecture in the University of Melbourne. Architecture has always been a passion of mine ever since I first heard of it. My fascination in both creative and critical thinking led me to architecture as I believe architects are whole-rounded people, considering both the arts and sciences as they carry out design thinking. Throughout my course in architecture, I generally find myself having a fusion between traditional drawing and digital works in my presentations. My greatest level of exposure to digital architecture was in a subject I took in my second year, Digital Design and Fabrication. It was a subject that was focused on designing in the virtual environment of Rhino3D software. During that time, I was also introduced to the Grasshopper plug-in and how it could simplify my designing process through its automated calculations. However, I would say that I have barely used it. Now, I really look forward to this subject as it once again provides me with the opportunity to learn more about digital designing with more focus on the Grasshopper plug-in instead.

PART A: CONCEPTUALISATION

A.1. DESIGN FUTURING

DISCOURSE

In the past, architectural concepts have developed as a natural response to the requirements of society to own a dignified, civic and public space. However, the modern market today seems to have thwarted this traditional ideology. Designers today feel a great pressure to design something that is simply extravagant and spectacular with less and less concern for the real needs of the society and even nature . There seems to be a lot of attention, effort and resources put into use without a serious consideration into the future. With climate change occurring rapidly, sustainable architecture has become a point of concern. Architectural design should be considered as a “redirective practice” as Fry has defined, a tool capable of steering us from the untimely extinction of our race due to unsustainability . Designers should take on the ability to “speculate everything” as mentioned by Dunne & Raby . This form of design thrives on imagination and aims to open up new perspectives through the probable, plausible, possible and preferable. It requires architects to critically understand the present and then discuss the future people want . Considering the market demands and climatic influences that are changing, architectural discourse is always necessary as it helps designers to better understand the real intentions behind their designs and critically think about its impact both now and into the future. The following precedents aim to showcase how architecture is an influential design practice that contributes to our both our culture and environment.

MONTREAL BIOSPHERE BY RICHARD BUCKMINSTER FULLER

Richard Buckminster Fuller is an avant-garde 20th century experimental engineer. He pioneered the geodesic structures which are employed to create self-supporting domes. The Biosphere is a museum in Montreal dedicated to the environment. It is located at Parc Jean-Drapeau, on Saint Helen's Island in the former pavilion of the United States for the 1967 World Fair, Expo 67 .

“Don’t fight forces, use them.” - Richard Buckminster Fuller

REVOLUTIONARY AND RADICAL With a diameter of 76m, the expansive sphere reaches an astounding 62m into the sky . Geometrically, the dome is an icosahedron, a 20-sided shape formed by the interspersion of pentagons into a hexagonal grid, subdivided into equilateral triangles . This was a radical feat as architects during his time were not designing structural shell domes as such. Buckminster was able to design a beautiful structural shell façade through the modular repetition of simple, rigid equilateral triangles. This changed the way of architectural thinking as it opened up a realm of possibilities in the exploration of structural integrity and beauty in architectural design. CONTRIBUTION TO THE FIELD OF IDEAS As a contribution to the field of ideas, the Biosphere epitomizes Fuller's idealization of the promise of technology. Through systemization and mass-production, architects could wield and deploy the instruments of innovation to create new species of hyper-efficient machines for the good of mankind and nature. Fuller believed that his shell structures would “redirect us towards far more sustainable modes of planetary habitation” due to its efficiency in material use and construction. CONTINUOUS APPRECIATION There is obviously a continuous appreciation of the modular repetition of geometric shapes that can be widely seen in architecture all around the world today. From pavilions to facades, many architects have developed new beautiful structural patterns inspired from the repetitive elements of basic geometric shapes that Fuller did.

COUNCIL HOUSE 2 (CH2) BY MICK PEARCE

Council House 2 (also known as CH2), is an office building located at 240 Little Collins Street in the CBD of Melbourne, Australia. It is currently occupied by the City of Melbourne council and was designed through the collaborative work between the City of Melbourne council, Mick Pearce, and DesignInc. REVOLUTIONARY AND RADICAL The City of Melbourne aims to achieve zero emissions for the municipality by 2020. A major contribution to this strategy is the reduction in energy consumption of commercial buildings by 50%. Council House 2 (CH2) was piloted in an effort to provide a working example for the local development market . It changed the way how buildings in Melbourne should be designed by emphasizing sustainability as the end goal of designing instead of monetary profit. In April 2005, CH2 became the first purpose-built office building in Australia to achieve a maximum 6 Green Star rating, certified by the Green Building Council of Australia. When compared to a 5 Green Star rating, CH2’s emissions will be 64% lower . The building was designed with solar panels, a gas-fired cogeneration plant and energy efficient appliances that reduce the overall wastage of energy usage. CONTRIBUTION TO THE FIELD OF IDEAS Biomimicry was a large component in designing this building. The building was considered to be a “whole ecosystem” in itself, self-sustaining and efficient while bearing in mind the overall employee wellbeing. For example, heating, ventilation and cooling systems in the building were designed based on strategies from a termite mound. Meanwhile, different design responses to the North, South, East, and West façades of the building enabled the building to maximise the use of energy and lighting from the Sun. CONTINUOUS APPRECIATION The CH2 building remains a strong showcase of environmental sustainability through its outstanding exterior façade design, making a statement, educating the public that sustainability should be at the forefront of design. The design principle of the building and its occupants as one “living ecosystem” has created an awareness on how buildings can be designed to meet both the needs of man and nature for the future.

COUNCIL HOUSE 2 (CH2) BY MICK PEARCE

A.2. DESIGN COMPUTATION

CAPACITY

As discussed in the previous segment, humans have the capacity to design for the future. Architectural design plays a huge part in considering the many small factors within societal and environmental needs, demanding a high amount of creative thinking and ability in problem-solving . Sometimes, these standards require such high precision and accuracy that computers become the substitute for what the brain cannot withstand. Unlike the human brain, a computer has the ability to accurately process huge amounts of data in a short period of time and represent the data in a way that is simple and suitable for human comprehension . With a computer at hand, we easily become problem-solvers. However, a computer can only help us when we first help it, by giving it a set of instructions to follow. It does not have the capacity to think creatively like we do. This is the mutualistic relationship between human and computers in which both parties complement each otherâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s weaknesses. With the many developments of computer-aided design software over the years, architectural design evolves in its designing process. Design computing has given birth to processes such as parametric modelling, material tectonics, digital fabrication and performance simulation. This has shifted traditional designing to a point where â&#x20AC;&#x153;formation precedes formâ&#x20AC;?, the idea that design becomes the thinking of architectural generation through the logic of the algorithm. Overall, design computation has broken down the limitations of architectural design that exists in the past and provided us with many new opportunities, pushing beyond our capabilities as humans. The following precedents will showcase some examples where engaging with computational design techniques have produced beautiful and meaningful architectural works.

CENTRE POMPIDOU-METZ BY SHIGERU BAN

â&#x20AC;&#x153;I'm not inventing anything new, I'm just using existing ma - Shigeru Ban

The Centre Pompidou-Metz is a museum of modern and contemporary arts located in Metz, capital of Lorraine, France. The building is remarkable for its roof structure, one of the largest and most complex built to date through the aid of computation. COMPUTATION With a surface area of 8,000 square metres, the roof structure is composed of sixteen kilometres of glued laminated timber, that intersect to form hexagonal wooden units resembling the cane-work pattern of a Chinese hat. The roof’s geometry is irregular, featuring curves and counter-curves over the entire building. Through design computation, digital models of it were created and tested for its structural integrity across the design. The computer’s ability to consider material qualities and performance simulation has quickened the design process. Computation has helped to redefine the traditional practice of treating timber as a rigid material in construction. It provided a range of conceivable and achievable geometries through bending and weaving timber while automatically considering its natural properties. At each intersection, 6 layers of timber elements converge, producing extremely complex joints that were easily fitted together and managed through computation. Computation has enabled the quick resolving of problems and produced a smooth, undulating roof surface which would have taken ages to accomplish if designed manually by humans. OPPORTUNITY AND INNOVATION Another benefit of engaging with computational design technique in this project was that rapidly created an architectural work that managed to maintain a humanistic, traditional expression even though it was a computer-aided design. This is a quality I believe architects should strive for, a “natural form” generated at ease through the aid of computation rather than a purely mechanical design.

aterial differently.”

AL BAHR TOWERS BY AEDES ARCHITECTS

Situated in Abu Dhabi, The Al Bahr Towers are a benchmark for a highly considered approach in the built environment. The towers proudly stand with the world’s largest computerized dynamic façade. Their design concept was based upon a fusion between biomimicry, regional architecture and performance-based technology which has become a unique display of the historical, cultural and environmental nature of the region. COMPUTATION The façade shape takes on the idea of adaptive flowers and the traditional “mashrabiya” – a wooden lattice shading screen. The folding concept for the dynamic mashrabiya unit was tested through digital performance simulation, producing many outcomes that were then tested for suitablility. The final geometry that fold and unfolds in response to the sun movement, reduced solar gain up to 50% whilst simultaneously improving natural daylighting within the building. In fact, Aedes architects design ideas were so forward-thinking that they had to develop a modified application using Javascript and advanced parametric technologies to simulate the movement of the façade in response to the sun’s path. It is essential to realise that the team of designers have adopted a “class of highly parallel evolutionary, adaptive search procedures” to achieve their ultimate design goal, as stated by the architect John Frazer . OPPORTUNITY AND INNOVATION Overall, this project shows that moving forward with ‘modern’ methods of designing does not necessarily mean that all traces of tradition will be lost. I believe that the Al Bahr Towers is the perfect example of how computational design can be developed to create innovative projects that still retain history and culture.

A.3. COMPOSITION/GENERATION

PARAMETRIC

Based on the studies in A.2 Design Computation, the man-computer symbiosis in the architectural design process is definitely significant now and surely for the coming future. The architectural practice has seen many new approaches in design processes due to the use of computation and its capabilities. We have now shifted into a “generative” digital design approach in contrast to the traditional “compositional” approaches. In the past, architecture was centred on the arrangement of forms and spaces through traditional sketching and physical models. Now, architects write programs to customise their design environments, producing works that are barely achievable by sheer human intellect. This gives rise to many new unique architectural forms. When generating a design through computation, algorithms are inputted into the computer. Algorithms are simply defined as a recipe, method, or technique for doing something. Various scripting softwares such as Grasshopper use algorithms to define the design form. This led to the birth of algorithmic thinking, the interpretive state of mind in which the designer tries to understand the results of the algorithm. Rules or parameters, were also introduced into the virtual modelling environments to assist in simulations and form generating. This is known as parametric modelling, a model generated through the strict accordance to the rules inputted in the software. While the application of algorithmic thinking and scripting culture is an exciting approach in design, it is important to consider the impacts it may bring about. The following precedents will discuss the advantages and the disadvantages of this approach in design.

WATERCUBE BY PTW ARCHITECTS

Officially known as the Beijing National Aquatics Center, the Watercube was built alongside the Beijing National Stadium (Birdâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Nest Stadium) for the 2008 Summer Olympics in China. Its design was chosen from 10 proposals in an international architectural competition for the aquatic center project. REACTION TOWARDS GENERATION In terms of geometry, the team explored different types of modular structural typologies that could repeatedly fill a 3-dimensional cube space. These repetitive modular forms were created through the aid of parametric modelling until they found the Weaire-Phelan structure, an idealised foam of equal-sized bubbles. Hence, the Watercube has the largest ethylene tetrafluoro-ethylene (EFTE) clad structure in the world with over 100,000 square metres of ETFE pillows that are only 0.2mm in total thickness. This was all supported by a complex structural steel frame. With such complexity, it was impossible to manually select the precise size of each structural element to obtain structural integrity. As such, they developed a new software to automatically select the sizes through an iterative optimization process. In the end, the production process become so automated that it only took less than a week to produce a whole new set of construction documents after a major change to building form.. Meanwhile, Watercube was also the first major public building in China designed using a performance-based approach. Since ETFE is a flammable material, a computer model called the Fire Dynamic Simulator (FDS) was used to analyse how fire would spread throughout the building, how to stop it and keep people safe. ADVANTAGE One of the main advantages of parametric modelling is its efficiency in producing many different iterations until a suitable outcome is found. The outcomes are calculated so quickly that production time is shortened significantly. Besides that, parametric modelling in this case has also beautifully mimicked a natural pattern which can be well appreciated by most people.

DONGDAEMUN DESIGN PLAZA BY ZAHA HADID ARCHITECTS

A prominent landmark in Seoul, South Korea, the Dongdaemun Design Plaza accommodates media centres, seminar rooms, multipurpose convention and exhibition halls. It was also the first public project in Korea to utilize the parametric Building Information Modelling (BIM) and other digital tools in construction. REACTION TOWARDS GENERATION According to Zaha, the building was designed based on parameters that were obtained from the site environment such as the local culture, the city and landscape to produce a refreshing form and spatial experience. Its distinctly neofuturistic design characterised by powerful, curving forms of elongated structure show the ability of algorithms to generate flamboyant forms through a thoughtful combination of inputs. Parametric modelling is also utilized to simulate the performance of materials, tectonics and production parameters. The structural integrity of the building was cleverly concealed by a smooth reflective cladding with in-built lights that animate at night. Meanwhile, although such a curvy form is expected to have complicated loads and support structures, the use of parametric software has enabled quick, accurate calculations and eased the engineering process of the building. DISADVANTAGE The intense exploitation of generative designing by Zaha has resulted in forms that receive much criticism from the public. Like many of her other buildings, the eccentric unnatural yet organic forms of her buildings seem to be somewhat “inappropriate” to its site as if it was misplaced. As such, the extreme use of parametric designing without thoughtful consideration could result in designs that fail to respond respectfully to the site and culture. However, some still appreciate Zaha’s parametric style as it said to symbolise a higher status and elitism in its rare, unconventional monumental form.

A.4. CONCLUSION Architecture is so much more than a shelter for mankind or an art that is pleasing to the eyes. It is a medium of influence that leaves a strong impression throughout time, be it the past, now, or the future. A medium that should contribute to the richness of our culture and more importantly the sustainability of our planet. It should be designed with critical thinking to convey the right message to the society now and in the future.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Architecture is an expression of valuesâ&#x20AC;? - Norman Foster

With the availability of design computation, our ability to solve problems has become so efficient and quick that the traditional designing process has evolved to a new style. From hand drawings to parametric modelling and performance simulation, the field of explorations and developments in digital designing has expanded so wide and can only keep expanding as long as we remain creative. We should always remember that creativity is a characteristic that we will always have with us no matter where we go. In computation, generative designing has become a powerful catalyst to many great architectural projects. The application of algorithmic thinking and scripting culture creates innovative concepts and discoveries that have gone beyond the boundaries of human limitations. Nevertheless, computation has also driven designers to produce similar, repeated works and lose their own originality. It is vital to remember that computers should never take the lead in designing, but instead architects should be using computers as a tool, assisting them in achieving designs that are sensitive to both culture and environment. Conceptualization is necessary. It sets a direction to move forward in the design process and a clearer vision of the message to be conveyed. Through my analysis in Part A, the concept that I would like to focus on would be sustainability through biomimicry. Just like how the Council House 2 was designed sustainably as a whole ecosystem, I hope to be able to create a design that is environmentally-friendly, to be able to reduce wastage and increase efficiency. I aim to try to rehabilitate the waterway at Merri Creek so that the future generations can continue to appreciate its beauty. My design should also appear to fit into the context like that of the Watercube and not be too provocative in its presence like Zahaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Design Plaza. As an addition, I hope that my design would be able to convey the message that the waterway requires attention, educating the public on sustainability. Drawing upon the Al Bahr Towers, I am considering the possibility of a responsive design that may respond to people or to the environment such that it shows its presence within the environment.

A.5. LEARNING OUTCOMES Over the first 3 weeks of this subject, my theoretical knowledge on architectural computing has definitely broadened. Design futuring and the ability to speculate everything as an architect has forced me to think more critically about how architects have designed their buildings. Knowing the evolution of design processes has also made me realise how fortunate I am to be around in this time where computers solve so many problems for us. I now have a greater respect for architects of the past who had to traditionally resolve problems without computer aided design. Meanwhile, as I learned about parametric modelling through Grasshopper, I find myself developing my skills in algorithmic thinking, a style of thinking that I am typically not used to. Parametric modelling has also enabled me to easily change the outcomes of my design and provided me with the opportunity to explore the possibilities of generative design. Journaling digitally week by week is also an approach that is rather new for me as I would traditionally write and sketch my ideas out onto paper. Rest assured, these skills are surely beneficial in this modern times.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Architecture should speak of its time and place, but yearn for timelessness.â&#x20AC;? - Frank Gehry

Through my analysis of precedents, I have also come to a better understanding on how powerful architecture can be as an influence over time as seen through the Montreal Biosphere. It was also interesting to note how ideas such as sustainability and safety can be easily tested through performative analysis. Another very inspiring aspect was the idea of material tectonics and how digital computation is able to create new material systems and change the ways we traditionally use materials as applied by Shigeru Ban in his Centre Pompidou-Metz.

A.6. APPENDIX

Inspired very much by the beauty found in geodesic structures, I think the manipulation of gridshell patterns was one of the most interesting structures I explored around with in my sketchbook. The gridshells that can be generated so quickly through parametric modelling enabled me to see many different outcomes through the process of trial and error. These iterations highlight the potential products of algorithms and offer an insight to what the generative design could be.

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