DESIGN STUDIO AIR 2015 J
O
U
R
N
A
L
KE DING 621338
TABLE OF CONTENT
PART A CONCEPTUALISATION INTRODUCTION
A.0 DESIGN FUTURE
A.1 DESIGN COMPUTATION
A.2 COMPOSITION/GENERATION
A.3 CONCLUSION
A.4 LEARNING OUTCOME A.5 APPENDIX - ALGORITHMIC SKETCHES
1
PART A CONCEPTUALISATION
2
INTRODUCTION
My name is Ke Ding, I’m the third year student in the
One thing I am now very regret is that I didn’t
university of Melbourne and major in architecture.
learn about the visual environment on the first year of uni. Therefore, it is quite hard for me to use
I was looking forward to being a designer when I was young. No matter it is architectural designer or other designer. Every day when I walked on the street, I felt so strange that how could these buildings be all different from each other? My interesting of architecture was greatly influenced by the transformation from the classic architecture
the digital designing software. The most design software I used through the uni is the sketchup. Be different from the Rhino and Grasshopper, it is much easier to get the model for me. And I do have to put more effort on the new software such as the Rhino and Grasshopper or it should be the big challenge for me to complete the subject.
to the modernism. And I am really shocked by the different masters’ architectural work.
3
A.O DESIGN FUTURE BEIJING NATIONAL STADIUM ARCHITECT: HERZOG AND DE MEURON LOCATION: BEIJING, CHINA YEAR: 2003 The design of the stadium is based on the nests of birds, not only aesthetically but also at a structural level. The architects were thinking about the requirements which included the ability for post-olympics use, a retractable roof, and low maintenance costs for the designing1. The stadium has two independent structures which includes a red concrete seating bowl and the outer steel frame. The stadium is considered to be the world’s largest enclosed space and it is also the world’s largest steel structure with 26km of unwrapped steel used. The innovative structure was designed by herzog & de meuron architekten, arup sport and the china architecture design and research group2. The circular shape of the stadium represents heaven as the chinese believe that the heaven is round and the earth is square. It can be contrasted with the beijing national aquatics centre which is formed by the cube. The stadium has been described as a bird’s nest with its pattern inspired by chinese-style pottery. A series of cantilevered trusses has been designed to support the roof, shading the seats as the trusses are very stable to carry the load3.
4
As china is surrounded by some of the deadliest fault lines and beijing is located in one of the world’s most seismic zones, the stadium should be designed to avoid the earthquake with too much damage. It is quite useful to divide the concrete building structure of beijing stadium into 6 parts for safety. To be isolated, each part of the structure could move easily and independently in earthquake so that it could get the energy by its free movement, instead of being broken into pieces by this energy. Then it is able to be surrounded by metal bow. Therefore, if the concrete fails, the steel would not be affected and could support the structure frame4. Also, the interior of the stadium is covered by the special membrane called ETFE which stands for the ethylene tetrafluoroethylene. This kind of membrane is a fluorine based plastic, it could help the light get through the inside directly and it is designed to have high corrosion resistance and strength over a wide temperature range. The national stadium continues being appreciated as the culture related to the design and the stadium could be used not only for the sports, but also for the concerts. It is a quite functional architecture and not just limit on the tradition.
Fig 1 BEIJING NATIONAL STADIUM http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ Beijing_National_Stadium
Fig 2 BEIJING NATIONAL STADIUM http://stadiumdb.com/stadiums/ chn/beijing_national_stadium
Fig 3 BEIJING NATIONAL STADIUM http://www.worldstadiums. com/stadium_pictures/asia/ china/beijing_national.shtml
5
VILLA SAVOYE ARCHITECT: LE CORBUSIER LOCATION: FRANCE YEAR: 1931
Fig 4 VILLA SAVOYE http://en.wikipedia.org/ wiki/Villa_Savoye
Villa savoye was a kind of indicator of Le Corbusier’s “five points” of new architecture, the villa is representative of the bases of modern architecture, and ‘it is one of the most easily recognizable and renowned examples of the International style’5.And it had great influence on the international modernism.
The ribbon windows are required in the five points of architecture as the façade can be cut along its entire length to allow rooms to be lit equally. And finally the flat roof can be used for a domestic aim while providing the essential protection to the concrete roof. These are the theory of “Five Points of Architecture”.
Le Corbusier designed the villa savoye by demonstrating what he termed the “precision” of architecture, where each feature of the design needed to be justified in design and urban terms1. He did use his “Five Points of Architecture” for contributing to the new thinking of architecture.
Villa savoye was come out by the five points of architecture which was related to the natural environment. Roof garden is the great example that relate to the natural environment which are surrounded the building.
Using the grid of columns to replace the supporting walls for carrying the load of the structure is the basis of the new aesthesis. As the result of replaced walls, the house is under the free designing of the ground plan. The façade becomes free as the exterior of the building is separated from its structural function.
6
It is quite influential for the future architects to follow Le Corbusier’s Five Points of Architecture. As it was the new thinking of architecture and made the architecture much more related to the nature.
Fig 5 VILLA SAVOYE http://www.hotelswelove.com/villasavoy-le-corbusiers-weekender/
Fig 6 VILLA SAVOYE http://thepositive.com/sounds-andlights-animate-the-machine-for-living/
7
A.1 DESIGN COMPUTATION
Computational design makes the support for the designers to use the digital techniques on the architecture or the design process. These digital technologies are changing architectural practices in ways which could allow the designers to deal with the complex forms much easily. ‘The dominant mode of utilizing computers in architecture today is that of computerization; entities or processes that are already conceptualized in the designer’s mind are entered, manipulated, or stored on a computer system. In contrast, computation or computing, as a computer-based design tool, is generally limited5.’ Computing becomes more and more useful on the architectural process as the computers allow the architects and designers to use the computer as the basis to come up with the complex designs directly and quickly. The programs such as the Rhino and Grasshopper help the designers explore and create much more flexible and complex ways of the computational design through the architectural process.
8
The current transition from Computer Aided Design (CAD) to Computational Design in architecture represents a profound shift in design thinking and methods which have an impact on building design and construction process6. As the CAD was mostly used for speeding up the construction drawing and the computational design does focus on generating the design through the architectural design process. With the use of the digital technologies, the information of the design is one of the construction. An architect’s work includes the visually represented data mostly. Problems are often outlined and solved in a graphical way. Only within the computation, it serves as a basis for work and discussion. Therefore, the designer are able to have maximum visual control over the processes taking place within the design continuum7.
RIGHT - MOBIUS HOUSE ARCHITECT: UN STUDIO LOCATION: HET GOOI, NETHERLANDS YEAR: 1995
BOTTOM - MERCEDESBENZ MUSEUM ARCHITECT: UN STUDIO LOCATION: STUTTGART, GERMANY YEAR: 2006
Fig 7 MOBIUS HOUSE http://www. adgnews.com/ mobius-house/ gallery
One of the example of computational design is Mobius House by UN Studio (Ben Van Berkel and Caroline Bos) in 1995. It is directly named after its topological origins. It is a kind of smooth architecture which under the linear system and the illustration of how the architects’ thinking has specified its power through the technology8. The Mobius House was designed in the much more systematic way. “I discovered that the Möbius was typical of a new system where the organisation could turn itself back onto itself, and that the system would have no dead ends, like in a grid system,” van Berkel9 says. “It would create a new form of coherence beyond the collage.” As the architecture was named after its topological origins, the architects found that the Mobius strips and their 3D analogue, the single-surfaced Klein bottle are well-suited to the internal circulation10. The twisting forms of the Mobius House were created into a doublehelix system of pathways come through a trefoil design, a three-lobed approximation of a cloverleaf highway exchange11.
Mercedes-Benz Museum could be another example of the computational design by UN Studio. To be different from the Mobius House, Mercedes-Benz Museum is designed in a much more parametric system. The Museum is under the sort of complex geometry synthesizes structural and programmatic organizations leading to a new landmark building. The geometric model is designed in terms of the trefoil system. It is the really complex structure that you cannot see the trefoil from the museum12. The building’s program is designed over the surfaces which goes up incrementally from the ground level and revolves around a central atrium. The cloverleaf structure is mathematically formed by three overlapping circles and formed into a triangular atrium13.
Fig 8 MERCEDES BENZ MUSUEM http://www.benzblogger. com/2013/03/autoweekvisits-the-mercedesbenz-museum.html
9
A.2 COMPOSITON/GENERATION “Generative Design is a morphogenetic process using algorithms structured as not-linear systems for endless unique and un-repeatable results performed by an idea-code, as in Nature” Celestino Soddu, 1992
The architects always try to apply for the form or concept of rhythm, proportion and symmetry to create the balanced and interesting compositions for their design. And some other ordering principles in architectural composition are also related to symmetry, rhythm and proportion such as the repetition, transformation of shapes14. Generally speaking, composition in the architectural design is a kind of approach for architects to compose their design well.
Generative design is a sort of design approach which could be generated by a set of rules or an Algorithm formed by using the computer program15. Therefore, Generative design could also refers to the computational design in architecture. It is normally used as form-finding processes and for the simulation of real world. Be different from the architectural composition, Generative design focus more from the static models towards a computational logic. By then, the emphasis shifts from the ‘making of form’ to the ‘finding of form’16.
10
To be the very important digital design method, generative design does great related to the parametric modelling and scripting. As the scripting is a way for the designers to adapt or completely reconfigure the software on their own mind and favourites. The use of generation could make the architects or the designers fully generate or control their design process no matter how complex it is and deal with the complexities of design much over form with precision. Also, as the generative design is under the computational logic, it allows the architects to do their design very fast and much more efficient. However, as it is a kind of algorithm thinking process, once the part of the parameter is wrong, the constraints would slow down the design process and make the whole crap and it could not offer the unlimited flexibility through the architectural design process.
THE RE SWISS TOWER ARCHITECT: NORMAN FOSTER LOCATION: LONDON YEAR: 2003
The Re Swiss tower which designed by Norman Foster in London could be one of the example of the use of the generative approaches in the design process. The form of the tower is from the generation of the profile curve and uses the different circular arches to be connected with each other by a geometric relation among their centres. This is a kind of computational logic process as the architects use the profile curve to form the structure. The produced proďŹ le is revolved around the axis of the building in order to generate the draft surface17. The aerodynamic form of the tower allows the wind to flow smoothly and softly around this high-rise building18. It can also make a sort of efficient structure by reducing the wind loads on the structure and cladding. The spiralling form of the tower is used for generating the difference of pressure to avoid the natural flow of the air. In general, the Re Swiss tower is greatly supporting the use of the generative approach through the design process no matter from its computational logical form or the form of consideration of the wind.
Fig 9 SWISS RE TOWER http://spirals.homestead. com/Culture/Architecture/ Architecture.html
11
Fig 10 SWISS RE TOWER http://www.educationalresource.info/ london-england/48-swiss-re-tower.htm
Fig 11 SWISS RE TOWER http://www.academia.edu/8109045/ Morphogenesis_and_panelling_the_use_ of_generative_tools_beyond_academia._ Case_studies_and_limits_of_the_method
12
RESEARCH PAVILION 2013-14 ARCHITECT: ICD-ITKE LOCATION: STUTTGART, GERMANY YEAR: 2014
Fig 12 RESEARCH PAVILION http://aasarchitecture. com/2014/07/research-pavilion2013-14-icd-itke.html
Another example of the use of the generative approaches in the architectural design could be the Research Pavilion 2013-14 which designed by ICD-ITKE University of Stuttgart. This kind of design did show the simulation and fabrication processes in architecture. It is quite obvious to find that the design is paying attention to a parallel bottom-up design strategy for the natural fibre composite shells19. To form the natural lightweight structure, the designers did the biomimetic investigation.
In order to make the highly material efficient structure, the protective shell for beetles’ wings and abdomen was considered. The structure of the design is under the geometric morphology of the double layered system. With the development of the computational design and the generative approaches, the biomimetic principles and the robotic fabrication characteristics are combined in the design process simultaneously20. Building materials such as the glass and carbon fibre reinforced polymers were highly used due to their high performance qualities which could carry the high pressure of the structure. Fibre reinforced polymers could be easily employed to the complex geometries. The designers used the generative approaches to create the highly efficient structure to show the logical system of the architectural design process.
Fig 13 RESEARCH PAVILION http://www.archdaily.com/522408/icd-itkeresearch-pavilion-2015-icd-itke-university-of-st uttgart/53b2136dc07a80790f0001c9_icd-itkeresearch-pavilion-2015-icd-itke-university-ofstuttgart_icd-itke_rp13-14_image25-jpg/
13
Fig 14 RESEARCH PAVILION http://www.archdaily.com/522408/icd-itke-researchpavilion-2015-icd-itke-university-of-stuttgart/
Fig 15 RESEARCH PAVILION http://www.archdaily.com/522408/icd-itke-researchpavilion-2015-icd-itke-university-of-stuttgart/
14
A.3 CONCLUSION With the use of the computational design, architects and the designers have had the new technology or approach to deal with the designing and construction. It is not hard to find the relationships among the computational design, parametric design and even the generative design. These design approaches are innovative as they allow the architects and designers come up with the new form of the structure or system and technologies. My intended design approach is going to focus on the generative approach. It is innovative due to its computational logic. The structure could be formed or simulated from the real world or nature so that we can easily find out what our design could be in the future. The architects and the designers could be benefited by the generative approach because it is a good way for them to deal with the several complex designs quickly and efficiently. It is quite hard to say which approach is better as they actually related to each other and have their own benefits.
A.4 LEARNING OUTCOME I actually never consider that there are so many architectural designing approaches before this course. I am now really learning a lot from the theory and practice of the architectural computing. I understand that generative design could also refers to the computational design. But more computational logic are required in the generative design. And I realize that the computing is a really good technology for the architectural designing process as it could help the designers outline the new forms, geometry and so on through the designing. And sort of software could give the expression to these kinds of architectural designing approaches.
15
A.5 APPENDIX ALGORITHMIC SKETCHES OCTREE EXCERCISE
Lofting the curves to form a geometry.
16
Change the slide number to make the change of the points inside the grasshopper.
17
REFERENCE LIST 1. Designbuild-network, “Beijing National Stadium, ‘The Bird’s Nest’, China”<http://www. designbuild-network.com/projects/national_stadium/> [Accessed March 10th 2015] 2. Aboutcivil, “Beijing Bird’s Nest National Olympics Stadium” <http://www.aboutcivil.org/ beijing-birds-nest-national-olympics-stadium-construction.html> [Accessed March 10th 2015] 3.Aboutcivil (2014) ‘Beijing Bird’s Nest National Olympics Stadium’ <http://www.aboutcivil.org/ beijing-birds-nest-national-olympics-stadium-construction.html> [Accessed March 10th 2015] 4. Designbuild-network, ‘Beijing National Stadium, ‘The Bird’s Nest’, China’ <http://www. designbuild-network.com/projects/national_stadium/> [Accessed March 10th 2015] 5. Terzidis, Kostas. Algorithmic Architecture. (Boston, MA: Elsevier, 2009) 6. Menges, Achim, and Ahlquist Sean. “Computation Design Thinking.” WILEY (2011). 7. Kolarevic, Branko. Architecture in the Digital Age: Design and Manufacturing. (New York; London: Spon Press, 2003) 8. Kolarevic, Branko. Architecture in the Digital Age: Design and Manufacturing. (New York; London: Spon Press, 2003) 9. designbuild-network, “Interview: Ben van Berkel - Design by Numbers” < http://www. designbuild-network.com/features/feature1559/> [Accessed March 10th 2015] 10. designbuild-network, “Interview: Ben van Berkel - Design by Numbers” < http://www. designbuild-network.com/features/feature1559/> [Accessed March 10th 2015]
18
11. designbuild-network, “Interview: Ben van Berkel - Design by Numbers” < http://www. designbuild-network.com/features/feature1559/> [Accessed March 10th 2015] 12. arcspace, “Mercedes Benz Museum” < http://www.arcspace.com/features/ unstudio/mercedes-benz-museum/> [Accessed March 10th 2015] 13. arcspace, “Mercedes Benz Museum” < http://www.arcspace.com/features/ unstudio/mercedes-benz-museum/> [Accessed March 10th 2015] 14. “Refinement and Adaptation: Two Paradigms of Form Generation in CAAD,” Oxman, Rivka E. and Oxman, Robert M., Faculty of Architecture and Town Planning, http://cumincad.architexturez.net/system/files/pdf/e2d1.content.pdf 15. wikipedia, “Generative Design” < http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ Generative_Design> [Accessed March 10th 2015] 16. Kolarevic, Branko. Architecture in the Digital Age: Design and Manufacturing. (New York; London: Spon Press, 2003) 17. academia, “Morphogenesis and panelling, the use of generative tools beyond academia. Case studies and limits of the method” < http://www.academia.edu/8109045/Morphogenesis_and_panelling_the_use_of_ generative_tools_beyond_academia._Case_studies_and_limits_of_the_method> [Accessed March 10th 2015] 18. Kolarevic, Branko. Computing the Performative in Architecture. (University of Pennsylvania, USA, n.d.) 19. archdaily, “ICD-ITKE Research Pavilion 2013-14 / ICD-ITKE University of Stuttgart” < http://www.archdaily. com/522408/icd-itke-research-pavilion-2015-icd-itke-university-of-stuttgart/> [Accessed March 10th 2015] 20. archdaily, “ICD-ITKE Research Pavilion 2013-14 / ICD-ITKE University of Stuttgart” < http://www.archdaily. com/522408/icd-itke-research-pavilion-2015-icd-itke-university-of-stuttgart/> [Accessed March 10th 2015]
19
PART B CRITERIA DESIGN
20
B.1 RESEARCH FIELD -GEOMETRY LAVA GREEN VOID Green void is a kind of digital design with 20 meter-high installation and it is a much flexible and tensile geometry. And it is the design specifically for the Customs House central atrium which spans through all five levels21. The sculpture is entirely based on the minimal surface tension and expanding between the wall, ceiling and floor flexibly. And the consequence of the curves looking of the Green Void can be seen as the invisible bubbles that are translated into an organic 3-dimensional space22. The Green Void consists of the green lycra material which is a kind of lightweight and woven fabric, digitally patterned and customtailored for the space. This kind of material is quite useful to make the minimal surface and gives the opportunity for the designer to create more with less. And it is stretched over the aluminium profiles and suspended on 2mm stainless steel cables23.
21
SG2012 GRIDSHELL
Gridshell is a kind of parametric design and it is the lightweight structure created by SmartGeometry 2012. This project provided an excellent opportunity to consider the integration of generative and analytic digital tools with the material reality. The designer did come through the idea for using only the straight wood members bent along the geodesic lines on the relaxed surface24. The most mentionable theme or idea of the project making is the designers tried to minimize the material waste and do maximize the architectural presence in the space and also, they did integrate the materials and geometric parameters greatly by using the parametric tools such as the kangaroo, grasshopper and so on25. And the designers did really focus
24
CONCEPTUALISATION
on the material properties such as the wood grain orientation, the density and their relationship with bending stresses, member profiles and joinery techniques26. Consider to the gridshell project and the green void project, it is quite helpful and significant to think about the properties of the materials and how could the minimize the material waste and maximize the architectural presence.
TOYO ITO - TAICHUNG METROPOLITAN
The most valuable and interesting idea of the opera house is that the main structure of the project is formed of several curved walls which connected with the embedded floors and a core service wall27. And another mentionable part is what Ito called â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Sound Caveâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;, which refers to the both horizontal and vertical continuous surface network in the open structure. These kind of curved surfaces are made from the shotcrete which similar as the tunnel. And the surfaces are consisted of the reinforcement and the steel framing as well which could provide the tensile to the whole structure. The parametric design contributes the kind of flexible curved surface of the opera house and makes the benefit for tensile and compression of the surfaces28.
CONCEPTUALISATION 25
B.2 CASE STUDY 01 LAVA GREEN VOID
26
CONCEPTUALISATION
ITERATIONS EXPLORING
As the Green Void is a kind of lightweight and minimal surface stucture, the material which used on the project is the lightweight lycra which is quite useful and suitable for our own design brief: could be hang above the ground and fit 1 to 10 users. The initial exploring of the Green Void does include the kangaroo plug in which is a live physics enginee for interactive simulation, form-finding, optimization and constraint solving.
The first 4 model is come through the mesh relaxation technique by using the kangaroo plugin. Changing of the anchor points by using the decontrusted mesh and the naked vertices to let the mesh relax in different ways. And the various anchor points are greatly used for forming the new surface of the project and do change the initial curve to come out with differenet form. In addition, mesh relaxation is a good way to test the material use and could help my the future design.
The last 4 model is a small development of the previous 4. By chaning the type of mesh and goal length within the springs plugin to test how relaxed the mesh could be. With the combination of the anchor points change and the goal length, it is beneficial to get the well-balanced and quite successful geometry.
CONCEPTUALISATION 27
ITERATIONS EXPLORING
The use of the exoskeleton technique is a way to change the propertities such as the number of the sides for the tubes, radius of the tubes, bumpiness and so on for forming the new surface or looking of the project.
28
CONCEPTUALISATION
ITERATIONS EXPLORING
With the combination of the mesh relaxation and the exoskeleton technique, the project is formed in another way to show the differences from the initial definition. And it also make an opportunity for me to find out how the further design could be. The anchor points from the deconstructed mesh and the naked vertices could be changed randomly or at the edge to show the differences. Be aware of the mess, the anchor points could be chosen logically.
Duplication of the previous development could be another way to form the new geometry. And this kind of technique could help the canopy design become more creative.
CONCEPTUALISATION
29
SUCCESSFUL ITERATIONS
These are four most successful outcome through my creation. As the final design could not touch the ground and has to be used for 1 to 10 users. During the process of creating these geometry with the definition, I was trying to achieve something flexible and really easy to hang as a canopy. Mesh relaxation was a good way to show how mesh could be relaxed and it also a great start for me to thinking about the material use. Anchor points could be considered while chaning the definition, random or logical is quite important for me to consider on my future design as the site I have chosen is a quite â&#x20AC;&#x153;peacefulâ&#x20AC;? place without the high desity of the trees. The duplication of the project could also be achieved for creating the canopy as it is a quite creative and dynamic way to show the design.
30
CONCEPTUALISATION
CONCEPTUALISATION 31
B.3 CASE STUDY 02 SOFLAB- SAN GENNARO NORTHGATE
32
CONCEPTUALISATION
SOFLABSAN GENNARO NORTHGATE
Softlab did design the Xtra Moenia which is a site specific installation at san gennaro north gate. The project consists of two forms: one is pointing up and the other one is facing the ground. These two forms are created by using a minimal surface like the Green Void which combining with the two oculi together in a way that blurs the distinction between the two29. The project is made from Mylar panels and aluminum grommets and it is really light. The project is greatly designed in tension from cables which attached to the surrounding buildings. And the installation of the project is completely site specific as its true form can be only found through the right amount of tension from carefully measured tubes and cables attached to the surrounding buildings30. Each piece of the project does require the parametric tools such as the grasshopper to work out the fabrication of the installation.
CONCEPTUALISATION 33
1. By thinking about the form of the soflab’s project, it is easy to find that the form is created by two parts with two
directions. During the working process, forming the whole 3D model or structure directly in Rhino was much more convenient by using surface and solid, as well as the boolean tool whcih gives the basic knowlege for the following definition of the recreation of the project.
2. The project is quite similar as Green Void, and I did use the similar definition of the Green Void to deal with the
softlab’s project. AS the rough model was created in rhino directly, we don’t have to start with the curve or surface, I did start with brep after joining them together and form the mesh. Qiute useful to use the costum mesh settings to deal with the messy mesh by chaning the minimum number of quad face in the mesh. The higher the value is, the greater the number quads there are in the mesh. The following is the definition of the SAN GENNARO NORTHGATE’S recreation. It is very similar to the one for the Green Void but it’s a little bit simple.
34
CONCEPTUALISATION
B.4 TECHNIQUE DEVELOPMENT
The exploration of the mesh relaxation which trys to develop the surface of the project andCONCEPTUALISATION 35 to show the difference of the changed anchor points. Not all of them are quite successful but still could be the insipiration of my future canopy design such as the tension performance.
B.4 TECHNIQUE DEVELOPMENT
Second technique development I was trying to use the exoskeleton plugin to make the new surface of the project which includes the change of the number of sides, radius, bumpiness and so on. It is quite looking like 36 the Green Void andCONCEPTUALISATION this may not be used in my future design as they all look quite unsuccessful and it is really hard to tell any potential of these outcome.
B.4 TECHNIQUE DEVELOPMENT
For this step, I did change the initial surface and curve to for a new project. This could be the ideal thinking of my own project as the canopy I am going to design is a kind of flexible project and does great performance on tension. This development did combine the mash relaxation and the new form finding which benefitsCONCEPTUALISATION 37 me to consider the form and the material uses in the future design.
B.4 TECHNIQUE DEVELOPMENT
The most creative and interesting development was using the duplication to form the different logical or free surface. And really suitable for making the canopy by having the same form with each other and supporting with each other. Each of them could be placed randomly to form the workable project. This kind of technique also makes the combination with the mesh relaxation and other technique which are quite useful for dealing with the future design.
38
CONCEPTUALISATION
B.4 TECHNIQUE DEVELOPMENT
Here is the other technique used by Voronoi. Unfortunately, it was not that successful as I did not change a lot of its own definition, therefore it is quite what it should be look like. I was interested in learning this technique as it could perform very well in the tensile function and the relaxation of the surface which allows me to find out the other way to explore my future design.
CONCEPTUALISATION
39
SUCCESSFUL DEVELOPMENT
These four developments are the most successful project for me. As these projects do show the development from the initial San Gennaro Northgate which include the relaxation, duplication and form finding. As I mentioned before, I did choose the kind of “peaceful” site which does not have too many trees, my design should pay more attention to the choice of the anchor points. The flexible canopy should have the great relaxation of the surface to shettle above. Also, the site does include the children’s entertenments, therefore, the method of duplication may have a good opportunity to attract the visitors and be harmony with the surrounding environment. 40
CONCEPTUALISATION
B.5 PROTOTYPE Through the exploration of the previous study, the relaxed surface is an area which I am focusing a lot now. Be considering on the materialisation in relationship to the technique, I am trying to find out the kind of materialâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s propertities such as the lightness and flexibility, as well as the tensile performance. These kind of material could be found as the plastic bags, tissues, strings and so on. Use the strings to be combined with each other to form the relaxed surface, it is very light by itself. In addition, the string itself is quite flexible, it could be rolled and twisted freely and still could greatly support the structure. The joint among these stringsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; connection could be the steel cable which help the strings perform well in the tensile direction. After bending and stretching the small project, it still workds like initial. Another fabricating prototype could use the tissue paper covers the steel cable to form the relaxed surface. The tissue paper is also a kind of lightweight material but it is not flexible enough to support the structure stablely. The joint among them could be the cable itself. As I heve tested the tissue paper, it is much weak than what I thought, therefore, it cannot be the cover. To be honest, string is much more workable in the real life and it is a kind of efficient and economical material to be used.
CONCEPTUALISATION 41
B.6 PROPOSAL The project I am going to design is the canopy which located along the Merri Creek and near the energy park. As the brief mentioned that the project cannot be touched the ground and has to be used for 1 to 10 users. My design is to use the minimal surface of the area to create the relaxed canopy hanging on the trees to make the visitors feel relaxed and peaceful. The site I have chosen was a little bit different from others as I do not want my design is around a noisy or messy environment. It should be located in the relatively quiet area, the visitors could then find out the real relaxation through my design. Through the experience of the case study, I did really find that quite lot of techniques could be used for my design project. Be related to the site, relaxed surface is one of the most important aspects of my design. Mesh relaxation is a great technique to provide the different degree or extent could the mesh or the surface be relaxed. I did try several times to change the relaxation of the surface by changing the anchor points to see what I need in my site. And it is quite not enough to just change the anchor points for forming the new relaxed surface. It is quite useful and significant to use the grasshopper for refining the definition and change the initial forms. The surface of the canopy will be designed by the tessellation form and I am still working through the process of the tessellation form and the change of the surface pattern in grasshopper now. The canopy is not just the design project hanging on the tree, it has to be parametric thinking and come out with more ideal forms or outcomes. Try to use the combination of the different definitions.
42
CONCEPTUALISATION
B.7 LEARNING OBJECTIVES AND OUTCOME It gives me a really different experience after the mid-semester within this subject. As I have never learnt rhino and grasshopper before this subject, I am now starting getting through this software and this subject. After the interim presentation, I did realize that what I have to do and advance includes a lot. Before the presentation, I was just playing with all the definition and did not really understand why I should do this definition and what the benefit is it. But I am now still struggling with this unfamiliar software and learning more through the subject.
Learning Objectives Objective 2: developing “an ability to generate a variety of the design possibilities for a given situation” As I really don’t have any experience in this software before and I did struggle with this very often, I did try a lot of methods to deal with the case study and still got lots that I didn’t put them on the matrix. I was still a little bit confused about some of the new definition that may due to my few understanding of the grasshopper. Objectives 7: develop foundational understandings of computational geometry, data structures and types of programming It took me a very long time to work out the recreation of case study 2. I do know which definition should I use but not really understand why I should use the definition or this kind of technique. As the tutor said, we cannot only play with these technique, we have to understand why we need this technique and how it benefit the project. Objectives 8 begin developing a personalised repertoire of computational techniques It is not enough for me to play familiar with grasshopper, for further skills improved; I have to learn more not only from the relevant tutorial videos, but also the relevant resources provided online. This could help me get fast and much easily to work with the software.
CONCEPTUALISATION 43
B.8 APPENDIX ALGORITHMIC SKETCHES MESH RELAXATION & EXOSKELETON
44
CONCEPTUALISATION
REFERENCE LIST 21. archdaily, ‘Green Void / LAVA’ <http://www.archdaily. com/10233 green-void-lava/> [Accessed May 1st 2015] 22. archdaily, ‘Green Void / LAVA’ <http://www.archdaily. com/10233 green-void-lava/> [Accessed May 1st 2015] 23. l-a-v-a.net, ‘green-void’ <http://www.l-a-v-a.net/projects/green-void/> [Accessed May 1st 2015] 24. smartgeometry (2013), ‘gridshell’ < http://smartgeometry.org/index.php?option=com_content&v iew=article&id=134%3Agridshell-digital-tectonics&catid=44&Itemid=131> [Accessed May 1st 2015] 25. smartgeometry (2013), ‘gridshell’ < http://smartgeometry.org/index.php?option=com_content&v iew=article&id=134%3Agridshell-digital-tectonics&catid=44&Itemid=131> [Accessed May 1st 2015] 26. smartgeometry (2013), ‘gridshell’ < http://smartgeometry.org/index.php?option=com_content&v iew=article&id=134%3Agridshell-digital-tectonics&catid=44&Itemid=131> [Accessed May 1st 2015] 27. designboom, ‘taichung metropolitan opera house by toyo ito takes shape’ < http://www.designboom.com/architecture/toyo-ito-taichung-metropolitanopera-house-taiwan-21-08-2014/> [Accessed May 1st 2015] 28. aasarchitecture, ‘TAICHUNG METROPOLITAN OPERA HOUSE BY TOYO ITO’ < http://aasarchitecture. com/2014/08/taichung-metropolitan-opera-house-toyo-ito.html> [Accessed May 1st 2015] 29. designplaygrounds, ‘San Gennaro North Gate by SOFTlab’ < http://designplaygrounds. com/deviants/san-gennaro-north-gate-by-softlab/> [Accessed May 1st 2015] 30. inhabitat, ‘san-gennaro-north-gate-by-softlab’ < http://inhabitat.com/nyc/ softlabs-colorful-sculpture-brings-a-modern-twist-to-little-italys-san-gennarofestival/san-gennaro-north-gate-by-softlab-10/> [Accessed May 1st 2015]
CONCEPTUALISATION 45