Studio Air Journal Part A

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AIR

Journal

James Robert Gledhill 836594

Studio 13 Tutor: David Wegman

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CONTENTS A Conceptualisation A.1 Design Futuring...8 A.2 Design Computation...14 A.3 Composition/Generation...20 A.4 Conclusion...26 A.5 Learning Outcomes...26 A.6 Appendix...28

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INTRODUCTION Hello, my name is James. I am 20 years old and am currently in the second semester of my second year at The University of Melbourne and I am undertaking the Bachelor of Environments, majoring in Architecture. I was born in Melbourne but spent 16 years in living in Singapore where I completed my High School education. My interests include reading and writing, photography, watching sport, attempting to play sport, drinking coffee, watching movies and spending time with friends and family. To me, architecture is a way of channelling my design capabilities into a medium that is complex and multidimensional. It is about creating form and through form creating experience. Over the last two years I have began to learn about some of the many elements that make up the world of architecture. I have been given the opportunity to collaborate with students in other disciplines and begin to explore how architecture sits within the scope of other fields. Coming into Studio Air my knowledge of both digital design theory and practice was very limited. I have used Rhino before to produce models of my work but only ever as a way of presenting my final design and not generating designs with it. Through the semester I aim to begin to grasp the Grasshopper software but more importantly i wish to be well versed in the theory behind it.

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Grafting

Point/Line/Plane Shown here are three examples of some of the work I have done in previous semesters. To this point the majority of my work has been rectalinear so I am interested in exploring more diverse form through this studio.

Studio Earth

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A

CONCEPTUALISATION

A.1 Design Futuring A.2 Design Computation A.3 Composition/Generation A.4 Conclusion A.5 Learning Outcomes A.6 Appendix

A1 / DESIGN FUTURING The world and humanity as we know it are at a crossroads. For the first time in human history we have no security that en masse the world and humanity has a future. Tony Fry suggests that ‘design futuring’ is the way forward, that we must use design to combat defuturing and reach a sustainable habitation of the earth1. Design is both our downfall and our saviour. It has led us down this path through advancements in technology leading to mass production and unsustainable consumption. Yet advancements in digital design may be the tool that sets us back on track. Through this semester, digital design and the ways it can aid design futuring will be explored with the goal of beginning to shift attitudes about design and its potential for our future.

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

“We in the West have come to be highly disciplined, organized, and rational. On the other hand, having allowed our unconscious personality to be suppressed, we are excluded from understanding primitive man’s civilization... The more successful we become in science and technology, the more diabolical are the uses to which we put our inventions and discoveries.� -C.G Jung

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Precedent One

Knowledge Centre, Masdar Institute Foster+Partners / Abu Dhabi /2010

The Knowledge Centre of the Masdar Institute of Technology, Abu Dhabi, is a great example of how digital design can influence and enhance fabrication. The project has demonstrated the importance of the control of geometry that is enabled through digital design. The project is part of a larger complex and it complements this larger site with its use of geometric forms that can be seen throughout the rest of the structures. This continued theme is a result of programmatic design and helps to hint at its potential. The project seeks to create the world’s first carbon neutral desert community2. The design is progressive and innovative as it uses geometry over the double curved to both shade the interior as well as house a series of photovoltaic cells. The roof is made up of a series of identical curves which means all the components could be manufactured with the same form-work3. This kind of modelling and fabrication would have not been feasible without the aid of digital design. This project was built however the significance of this precedent lies in the capability of being able to produce such form and demonstrate how the tools can be used to create a form

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that is both complex and sits inside the requirements of the brief. The fact that this project was successfully built reinforces what the tools and technology are able to produce. If the design can operate throughout its usable life cycle at carbon neutral then it will continually be drawn upon as a step forward in digital design. The future of sustainable design will have been changed, perhaps just a little, but enough to suggest this project will carry weight when discussing carbonneutral communities. Future designs will now have a context to refer to when considering how geometric forms can be used and fabricated in a way that is straight forward whilst achieving benefits for the building. The contribution the design has made to its site extends beyond its carbon neutral nature. It is a progressive design that creates interesting spaces for the inhabitants. Overall, this precedent supports the notion of Design Futuring in that it shows how design can be used positively to create an outcome that is not detrimental to its surroundings yet still be evocative and engaging as a space.

2. Marco Rinaldi and Marco Rinaldi, “MASDAR INSTITUTE BY FOSTER + PARTNERS”, A As Architecture, 2017 <http://aasarchitecture.com/2013/04/masdar-institute-by-foster-partners.html> [accessed 11 August 2017]. 3. ”Masdar Institute | Foster + Partners”, Fosterandpartners.Com, 2017 <http://www. fosterandpartners.com/projects/masdar-institute/> [accessed 11 August 2017].

“Masdar Institute | Foster + Partners�, Fosterandpartners.Com, 2017 <http://www. fosterandpartners.com/projects/masdarinstitute/> [accessed 11 August 2017].

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“Perforated Deep Surface Prototype | Achimmenges.Net�, Achimmenges. Net, 2017 <http://www.achimmenges. net/?p=5193> [accessed 11 August 2017].

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PrecedentTwo

Deep Surface Sean Ahlquist and Achim Menges / Stuttgart /2012

The Deep Surface exploratory work from Sean Ahlquist and Achim Menges opens up a world of possibilities surrounding forcedriven material systems. Their research explores how material systems that have previously been difficult to employ can be developed into a framework that allows the systems to be utilised and experimented with by the larger design community. The research offers a whole new take on from and form’s relationship as a system. This progressive way of interacting with form opens up possibilities as from moves from something that is constrictive to something that can be played with in ways never done so before4.

ideas and concepts to be used by the wider community and the positives of force-driven material systems can be taken advantage of. The research will continue to be relevant as it lays the groundwork for far more experimentation. Ahlquist and Menges have merely provided the framework for others to utilise so this is just the beginning of what can be achieved. Coming back to Design Futuring, technology that enables such forms to be created begins to give design the opportunity to return to the right path and help shift the perception of what design can do.

The forms that are now able to be produced challenge the traditional notions of architecture and open up a far wider potential for architects to create structures that require control throughout the entire system. This is exciting for the progression of architecture as it is becoming possible for extremely complex designs to become feasible projects. Whilst this project was purely one of research and does not offer a final completed piece of architecture, the results are no less significant. There is now the possibility for these

4. Sean Ahlquist and Achim Menges, “Physical Drivers: Synthesis Of Evolutionary Developments And ForceDriven Design�, Architectural Design, 82.2 (2012), 60-67 <https://doi.org/10.1002/ad.1380>.

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A2 / DESIGN COMPUTATION For digital design to truly be harnessed we must understand the relationship between designers and computers. The relationship is fast moving from computerisation, where we use digital means to represent or construct representations of our designs, to computation whereby computers are used as a tool in the design process5. Design computation is becoming increasingly powerful as we begin to understand how to harness its potential and see it as a tool through the entirety of the design process.

5. Kalay, Yehuda E. (2004). Architecture’s New Media: Principles, Theories, and Methods of Computer-Aided Design (Cambridge, MA: MIT Press), pp. 5-25

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“Computers, by their nature, are superb analytical engines. If correctly programmed, they can follow a line of reasoning to its logical conclusion. They will never tire, never make silly arithmetical mistakes, and will gladly search through and correlate facts buried in the endless heaps of information they can store.� -Yehuda E. Kalay

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Precedent Three

Spanish Pavilion EMBT/ Shanghai /2010 Through computation, a whole new world of form is beginning to take shape. EMBT’s Pavilion for Expo 2010 in Shanghai is a prime example of how computation can be used to enhance design and push the boundaries of workable form. The Pavilion is an example of process design whereby the weaving is interpreted and algorithmically used to formulate new geometry. This means the design can be complex and unusual yet fully controlled by the designer6. This shows how ultimately digital design is a tool at the designers disposal not the designer itself as the individual designing the Pavilion had full control over the inputs and therefore the outputs. Computation is an enabling tool that allows designers to meet complex problems with complex solutions and fully engage with possibilities that would have previously been impossible to conceptualise. The Spanish Pavilion is both pushing perceptions of architecture as well as challenging traditional engineering. These two key components; the design and the fabrication would be incredibly far apart if not for the capabilities of digital design to realise a practical and workable form. Overall, computation is a way for architecture to truly progress and meet the needs of a complex world.

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6. Julio Martínez Calzón and Carlos Castañón Jiménez, “Weaving Architecture: Structuring The Spanish Pavilion, Expo 2010, Shanghai”, Architectural Design, 80.4 (2010), 52-59 <https://doi.org/10.1002/ad.1106>. Aided Design (Cambridge, MA: MIT Press), pp. 5-25

Julio Martínez Calzón and Carlos Castañón Jiménez, “Weaving Architecture: Structuring The Spanish Pavilion, Expo 2010, Shanghai”, Architectural Design, 80.4 (2010), 52-59 <https://doi.org/10.1002/ad.1106>.

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Precedent Four

Sudpark Herzog & De Meuron / Basel / 2012 Computational design can be used in many different ways to solve may different problems. For the Sudpark project computation was not used to create some ridiculously complex form but rather to plot windows on a planar facade. Herzog has said “We see a huge potential for the computer in the very hybrid and eclectic design processes we have developed over the last 20 years.� and this shows that computation can be used along side other tools as an aid to

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design. It does not have to generate the whole form but rather create components that can then be pieced together in a more traditional context7. The scope for design computation is huge as just about any process can be digitally abstracted to create a usable outcome. Whilst computation can quickly generate many designs the firm insists that each

http://s3.cf.events.ch/renderings/ venue/100926/39933/smartcrop/989,500jpg

building is its own and that there is no overriding style. Herzog & De Meuron have thus used computation in a playful way where the logic behind each tool is challenged and the outcome scrutinised to ensure each design is unique and, more importantly, each design makes sense.

7. Brady Peters, “Realising The Architectural Idea: Computational Design At Herzog & De Meuron�, Architectural Design, 83.2 (2013), 5661 <https://doi.org/10.1002/ad.1554>.

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A3 / COMPOSITION/GENERATION The architectural paradigm is shifting. There is a shift from compositional design to generation design and this shift is the basis of design futuring8.

The shift from composition to generation is the next step in architectural evolution as generation becomes more exciting and yields far higher rates of productivity.

Compositional design is design whereby each element is thought up by the architect and added to the design to create a whole. The architect is the composer and the design is his score. This method may be considered traditional and is still the dominant method utilised today. Generation design is where a designer takes advantage of computation and simply sets parameters and inputs and an outcome is generated.

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

“A virtual machine exists at some level higher than the machine on which the algorithm is implemented.� -Eric Dietrich

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Precedent Five

Museo Soumaya Fernando Romero/ Mexico City / 2011

The Museo Soumaya is a prime example of how computation can generate form that would be too complex to arrive at through composition design9. The curves being formed into a workable surface with consistent geometry is far more complex than it appears. The question this raises is, so what? Why is it necessary for us to produce such complex forms when equally aesthetic buildings can be imagined in a rectilinear form. The answer is complex and has many facets but the key is that generation design allows complex designs to be produced quickly and for building to be sculpted precisely into advantageous forms so as to introduce elements that may increase its sustainability or even the flow through the building’s spaces. The use of generation design is allowing architecture to progress at a far quicker rate and as we hurtle towards defuturing the quicker new technologies can be achieved the better the design futuring.

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9. Fernando Romero and Armando Ramos, “Bridging A Culture: The Design Of Museo Soumaya”, Architectural Design, 83.2 (2013), 66-69 <https://doi.org/10.1002/ad.1556>.

“VIDEO: Time-Lapse Through FREE’s Museo Soumaya”, Archdaily, 2017 <http://www.archdaily.com/548366/ video-time-lapse-through-fr-ee-s-museosoumaya> [accessed 11 August 2017].

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Precedent Six

Glasgow Museum of Transport Zaha Hadid Architects with Buro Happold / Glasgow /2011

Generation design has many benefits but may also have shortcomings as a process. In the case of the Glasgow Museum of Transport, the end result achieved through generation design is undeniably unique and quite visually stunning. The positives of generation design is such forms can be achieved and replicated relatively easily. There is an overall flow

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through the entire structure as it is all algorithmically linked10. The cohesiveness of the design is incredible given there are so many different elements vying for attention. Where generation design may cause problems is the lack of control a designer may have in deciding what elements should go where and the kinds of spaces the algorithm generates. Obviously parameters are set to

gain control but the reality is that the design follows a process so to really change the parameters the process must be changed.

10. Wolf Mangelsdorf, “Structuring Strategies For Complex Geometries”, Architectural Design, 80.4 (2010), 40-45 <https://doi.org/10.1002/ad.1104>.

Ultimately, the positives of generation design outweigh the negative elements but when designing, the limitations should always be considered.

“Glasgow Riverside Museum Of Transport - Architecture - Zaha Hadid Architects”, Zaha-Hadid.Com, 2017 <http://www.zaha-hadid.com/ architecture/glasgow-riverside-museum-

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A4 / CONCLUSION Part A, the conceptualisation stage, has brought together many different architectural theories, all with the focus on moving forward with design. The design futuring element introduced the school of thought and the computation stage introduced the tools to achieve it. The next stage of the process will be creating a process by which I can generate design outcomes. Taking what I have learnt through this stage I will look to use effectively use computation at all stages of design to create an outcome that is both controlled and complex. It is important to learn to design this way as the tools behind it are powerful and allow for outcomes that can not be composed be the human mind in a traditional sense.

A5 / LEARNING OUTCOMES In the first three weeks alone my perceptions of architecture and what architecture can be have already dramatically shifted. I am now excited for the future of architecture where before I was unsure of its place and how it would evolve. Looking back over previous projects, I can not help but think how much easier it would have been to have a grasp of grasshopper to produce forms quickly that are engaging and complex. To be able to constantly change a design’s inputs and see that immediately affect the design is immense and will be a tool I’ll no doubt take forward with me.

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A6 / APPENDIX

Re-imagining the vase

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Modelling Fear

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