Shangyi Kevin Yu 324229 ADS3: air
Journal
Part I. Expression of Interest I. 1. Case for Innovation I. 1. 1. Architecture as a Discourse “Architecture needs to be thought of less as a set of special material products and rather more as range of social and professional practices that sometimes, but by no means always, lead to build-
Precedent 1: Docks de Paris, Paris, France Architect: Jakob + Macfar-
“In terms of conjuring a sense of social dynamism, the remodeling aims to draw people in and channel them around the new spaces, so that the building becomes active in the life of the wider urban realm. Originally a monolithic barrier blocking the river, the building is now a permeable, welcoming “The original structure was based on a rhythm of four 7.5m-wide bays followed by a larger 10m-wide fifth bay, and the new implant riffs on this regular beat, simultaneously subverting and enriching the original geometry through the process of digital distortion. The complex tubular steel was fabricated by descendents of Gustaf Eiffel, who are still in the business of making challenging structural concepts a built reality, and each of the 644 double-glazed panels is unique.” - Architectural Review 2009 FEBRUARY: IN THE OPEN AIR
At first glance, this building is like a giant green worm crawling on a base structure. But architects are calling this design a ‘plug-over’ as the new structure is a new external skin that enveloped the existing site on the sides and on top. The river facing façade features a glass covered steel tube structure that is inspired by the flow of the river and its pedestrian promenades. A clear frame of multiple symbolic references has appeared. As a member of general public, I’m seeing the completely different meaning from the architects. It is just like what Richard Williams wrote in the reading, “one for interpretation by ‘high’ architects, the other by the general public.” Indeed, the meaning or expression of the architecture can be interpreted differently by different ‘consumers’. This led us to think about whom are the potential consumers for the Wyndham Gateway project and to make our design contribute to the architectural discourse and to be refer as the sign for Wyndham.
Precedent 2: Beijing National Aquatics Center, Beijing, China Architect: PTW architects, Arup international engineering group, CSCEC (China State Construction Engineering Corporation) and CCDI (China Construction Design International) of Shanghai.
“The special award for the most accomplished work in the section Atmosphere is awarded to the Australian architecture firm PTW Architects, CSCEC + Design and Arup for the project National Swimming Centre, Beijing Olympic Green, China. The project demonstrates in a stunning way, how the deliberate morphing of molecular science, architecture and phenomenology can create an airy and misty atmosphere for a personal experience of water leisure.”- Quote from the Jury report of the Official Awards 9th International Architecture Exhibition – METAMORPH, Venice Biennale
Water cube Comprising a steel space frame, it is the largest ETFE clad structure in the world with over 100,000 m² of ETFE pillows that are only 0.2 mm (1/125 of an inch) in total thickness. The ETFE cladding allows more light and heat penetration than traditional glass, resulting in a 30% decrease in energy costs. The outer wall is based on the Weaire–Phelan structure, a structure devised from the natural formation of bubbles in soap lather. The complex Weaire–Phelan pattern was developed by slicing through bubbles in soap foam, resulting in more irregular, organic patterns than foam bubble structures proposed earlier by the scientist Kelvin. Using the Weaire–Phelan geometry, the Water Cube's exterior cladding is made of 4,000 ETFE bubbles, some as large as 9.14 metres across, with 7 different sizes for the roof and 15 for the walls. Refer to Architecture and Visual Culture by Richard William, “architecture can scarcely exist without patronage. And it is generally the client who determines the function of a project, its specification, its location and above all, its cost; the architect works within these parameters.” Parametric design helps us to work through our way with these parameters and find an ideal solution for our design. For instance, design of Water Cube wants to have these bubbles looking environmental friendly and energy saving material to warp the whole building, Parametric design is needed to achieve such goal, the uneven bubble shaped structure are generated from computer to support the skin material. Alternatively, make the structure possible to build in the reality.
Precedent 3 Personal work
This project is my second year work. The project is aim to design a sculptors’ hearth at Birrarung Marr park next to Yarra River. The idea is create a pedestrian bridge that connect the hill to the riverfront and act a dock at the river side. The sculptors’ studios are situated underneath the bridge with a ramp to connect, because the bridge itself also acts as a narrow display area for their small-medium sized work. Façades are consisted of two layers, first is colored glass which visitor can see a blur image of how sculptors work and can be attracted to explore further into the studio. The outer layers are wooden columns which are also the main support for the whole building. I believe this project can be advancing the architectural discourse, if I had apply parametric methods to design the different height with all wooden columns and the different color on the glass façade. Because all the columns on the poster are randomly extruded without any meaning or any sense of order, I can probably apply some thought of aboriginal music rhythm to make the change of column heights in a sense of order with parametric design. With parametric design, I can also easily design the color distribution on the glass such as it gets dark with the semi-private studio space but gets lighter towards the indoor exhibition space, however the whole glass façade will be viewing as a whole with smooth color change. Most but not least, parametric design will make these ideas to be accurately fabricated and built.
These three precedents are able to advancing Architectural Discourse which leading us how to fulfill a particular and important goal from the Gateway Project brief that is “The western Gateway should propose new, inspiring and brave ideas, to generate a new discourse.� The computational based parametric design is the way to achieve this certain goal. What this design method can do is innovative and still under exploring, so it is going to generate the discourse and draw the attention for Wyndham.
I. 1. 2. Computation in Architecture “The introduction of parametric modeling and scripting – comparable to discovery of perspective in the Renaissance.” Precedent 4 Guggenheim Museum, Bilbao, Spain Architect: Frank Gehry
“Frank Gehry’s Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao is probably the best known example that captures the zeitgeist of the digital information revolution, whose consequences for the building industry are likely to be on a scale similar to those of the industrial revolution: the Information Age, just like the Industrial Age before, is challenging not only how we design buildings, but also, manufacture and construct them.” - Kolarevic, Architecture in the Digital Age
What is the most important piece of architecture built since 1980? Vanity Fair’s survey of 52 experts, including 11 Pritzker Prize winners, has provided a clear answer: Frank Gehry’s Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao. “The building blazed new trails and became an extraordinary phenomenon. It was one of those rare moments when critics, academics, and the general public were all completely united about something.” Says Paul Goldberger
What makes Gehry’s Guggenheim Museum such a success is the adoption of computational design in this masterpiece. In other words, Guggenheim Museum won’t stand there without the computation innovation in architectural design, not to mention generating a new era for Architecture. Just like Kolarevic suggested in the reading “Digital technologies are changing architectural practices in ways that few able to anticipate just a decade ago. In the conceptual realm, computational, digital architectures of topological, non-Euclidean geometric space, kinetic and dynamic systems, and genetic algorithms, are supplanting technological architectures.” To link this idea back to the Gateway Project brief, architecture is going to be totally different to the past. We are able to create something that different, exciting and eye-catching with the innovative computational based design method, which is going to generating discourse and inspires and enriches Wyndham in this Digital Age of Architecture.
Digital Morphogenesis Generative design method is the one of unique innovation of Computational based design method. Kolarevic gave a definition of this method “In a radical departure from centuriesold traditions and norms of architectural design, digitally-generated forms are not designed or drawn as the conventional understanding of these terms would have it, but they are calculated by the chosen generative computational method. Instead of modeling an external form, designer articulate an internal generative logic, which then produces, in an automatic fashion, a range of possibilities from which the designer could choose an appropriate formal proposition for further development.” Therefore, instead of using EUCLIDEAN GEOMETRIES, we can treat them with generative logic on computer such as stretching or twisting to develop more interesting forms and spaces. NURBS In the computational based generative design method, there is “a departure from the Euclidean geometry of discrete volumes represented in Cartesian space and made possible the present use of “topological,” “rubber-sheet” geometry of continuous curves and surfaces” has been introduced and “feature prominently in contemporary architecture.” NURBS is an acronym that stands for Non-Uniform Rational B-Splines, the main reason for NURBS stands out in the Digital Age for design and widely spread is “the ability of NURBS to construct a broad range of geometric forms, from straight lines and Platonic solids to highly complex, sculpted surface.”
Parametrics A particular important property of NURBS objects is that “they are defined within a ‘local’ parametric space, situated in the three-dimensional Cartesian geometric space within which the objects are represented.” In parametric design, it is the parameters of a particular design that are declared, not its shape. By assigning different values to the parameters, different objects or configurations can be created. Parameters are the direction and constraints that we set to create the geometries suit to our need and design concept.
Precedent 5 International terminal of Waterloo Station, London, UK Architect: Nicholas Grimshaw and Partners
The roof structure consists of a series of 36 dimensionally different but identically configured three-pin bowstring arches, because of the asymmetrical geometry of the platforms. Instead of modeling each arch separately, a generic parametric model was created based on the size of the span and curvatures of individual arches were related. This is an innovative improvement for design. Parametric design highly upgraded the digital modeling speed for complex NON-EUCLIDEAN geometry. It also transformed role of Architects in the design processes of buildings. “For the first time, Architects are designing not the specific shape but a set of principles encoded as a sequence of Parametric equations by which specific instances of the design can be generated and varied in time as needed.” wrote Kolarevic in the reading. Architects are exploring the infinitely variable potentials rather than a fixed solution. To link back to the Gateway project brief, we can apply all the key considerations such as scale, setbacks and use them as parameters in our parametric modeling to make our solutions 100% relevant to Wyndham’s requirements. Most important is that parametric is best suitable to generate the form that can represent our design concept ‘growth’. The dynamic movement in the structure will be the best way to emphasis the design concept and makes this installation a landmark for Wyndham
I. 1. 3. Parametric Modeling Advantages of Scripting It affords “a significantly deeper engagement between the computer and user by automating routine aspects and repetitive activities, thus facilitating a far greater range of potential outcomes for the same investment in time.” – Burry, Scripting cultures Along with extending design experimentation, scripting can also be “ the antidote to standardization forced by an ambition to lower production costs, rather than any more sophisticated motivation: the previously elusive opportunities for multiple versioning and bespoke production can now be considered more seriously through the use of scripting.” – Burry, Scripting cultures It “affords the designer opportunities to escape the strictures inherent in any software” – Burry, Scripting cultures
Precedent 6 ICD, ITKE research pavilion, Stuttgart, Germany Architects: ICD, ITKE University of Stuttgart
The Institute for Computational Design (ICD) and the Institute of Building Structures and Structural Design (ITKE), together with students at the University of Stuttgart have made this temporary pavilion. The project aims at integrating the performative capacity of biological structures into architectural design and at testing the resulting spatial and structural material-systems in full scale. The focus was set on the development of a modular system which allows a high degree of adaptability and performance due to the geometric differentiation of its plate components and robotically fabricated finger joints. Computer based parametric design is a design agent that used by architects (New Software engineer) to script all possible potentials and choose the most relevant one to develop further. To link this back to the Project brief, we will be more efficient on exploring numerous possible outcomes by using parametric design than using other design methods. We will have more freedom on design to exploring different forms, spaces, patterns, layouts and etc. Just like the precedent, we can explore our ‘growth’ structure with materials and joints and discover the most money, material efficiency solution for the Gateway.
I. 2. Research Project I. 2. 1. Input/ Association/ Output Matrix
EXPLICIT GRIDS Explicit Grid with different association plus extrusion as output can easily generate very interesting landscape like shape. The kind geomorphology change is under part of natural theme.
To apply a circle shape curve attractor, we can get the result of circular topograhy change
To apply with point attractor we can get the result of point centerd movement
With the association of using sets enables different changing rate on the extrusion which increases the complexcity
Stream Text works in way very similar to the math function, however geometry result is the repersentation of your numbers text. A repetition of a set of numbers will resulting a more promising outcome
I found these mathfunction driven extrusion outcomes are very interesting. They huge contrast on the size of the circles and extrutions. However it provide a sense of changing in rational and sense of combine to ‘growth’. It is like the small cylinders are all running to the center and stack together to growing big
EXPLICIT GRIDS
CURVE INTERSECTION
It is spinning/growing direction. Instead of growing on the size of the circles, this definition is showing a growing on the space among these circles.
We also found a lot interesting definition outcomes, they are all have a strong sense of dynamic movement, however most of the outcomes are lack of the feeling of growth. Therefore they are not matching with our design critiria for Wyndham. Based on Kalay’s reading, Architecture’s New Media. When we select suitable candidates from our matrix of definition outcomes for further development, our method is a trial-and-error type reaserch. We follow the combination of breadth first and best first selection, so we can have a relative broad view of as many outcomes and then we choose the candidates according to our design brief - ‘growth’ for the next round selection until we found the satisfying solution.
I. 2. 2. Reverse-Engineered Case-Study BanQ resturant by Office DA We chose BANQ resturant as our Reverse-Engineered Case-Study because its idea of ceiling grow downwards and covered the structural elements like walls and columns is relevent to our design critiria for Wyndham. Also the dynamic movement and continuity in the structure is what we would like to investigate for our Gateway design. Furthermore, to work out the BANQlike grasshopper definition will benifit us on later model fabacation and assembling.
First Model
Our first model is mainly focus on the contour-like shape of the BANQ and test on the fabacation and assemblying techniques. From the first model we realised that Scale is very important to achieve the similar effect that BANQ has. Becasue of the incorrect scale, the first model is more like a contour with way too small spacing between each panel. Also, there are not much movement going on for the first model. The structure is quite plain rather than ‘lively growing and moving.’
Second Model (digital)
Grasshopper definition for Second Model
I. 2. 1. 3 Material Effects
Second Model consist of two parts, first is the contour-like ceiling panels, second part is the structures that hold the ceilings. Not like the first one,this model is well scaled and had all key features of the BANQ such as complex movement on the contour-ceiling. Over hanging on the load bearing structure. We also explored on the effect of changing spacing between the ceiling panels, which add more movement on the structure. As this is a reverse-engineered case study, we choose ply wood as the material to be as close as we can to the BANQ. We also tested on shadows of the model with different lighting conditions. As one of the key consideration in the brief is Day/night views.
I. 2. 1. 4 Assembly Methods
Assembly methods is simply interlocking the ceiling panels with the structure pieces and glue them together at the interlocking spots then the model is good to go. We do had situation during assembling. The pre-designed beams are not strong enough to hold the ceiling panels. This should be specified by engineer in the real case.
Expression of interest conclusion: competitive advantage We are aiming to develop our design for the Gateway project follow the theme ‘growth’. This theme is perfectly suitable for Wyndham as it is a rapidly growing municipality. On the other hand, Wyndham needs to be known and acknowledged to be put on the map of Melbourne. Our project can represent Wyndham in a way that what Wyndham really is and has. To achieve our design concept, we used parametric design method for this project. Firstly, as an innovative computer design method in the digital age of Architecture, parametric design is still under exploring. We can create something that truly innovative structurally and bring a brand new sense of aesthetic and artistic for Wyndham. Therefore it will provide our main potential ‘consumers’ of the Gateway project –drivers in the car a great visual experience to make this installation a landmark for Wyndham. These are also how our design going to generate discourses in both Architecture world and general public. Another important feature of parametric design is that it will make our complex generative structure to be able to fabricate and construct. Secondly, we are focusing on the scale, materiality and effect under environmental impact. Consider the divers are driving on a high speed, we will explore deeper in the scale effecting visualization to choose a proper scale for the project. Another key consideration is according to material effects. Lastly we will test the design under the lighting, wind, fog etc these environmental influence to find out results such as shadow effects, night visual experience. Our design will fulfill all the Wyndham council requirements and enrich the culture of Wyndham to bring it on the map.
Part II. Final Design Development II. 1. Emergence II. 1. 1. Redevelopment of Design Criteria The Emergence According to the Gateway Design Brief, the ultimate goal of this project is to bring Wyndham on the Melbourne Map. Our installation needs to bring awareness to the area and represent Wyndham as its icon. Therefore we developed our core design concept Emergence, it contains the idea of standing out from the surrounding and rapid growth is also implied in the concept as the driving force to make Wyndham stands out. The design criteria To fulfill the requirements of the Gateway brief and design the most suitable installation for the given site and general audience of the project we developed the following design criteria to help us achieve the most suitable installation for this Gateway project. Scale: Scale is one of the core considerations for any design project. It is specifically important for this gateway project. Firstly, this installation is designed to be a landmark, an icon that draws awareness for Wyndham. An appropriate scale should be relatively big to create the significant impression and achieve the eye-catching size. On the other hand, our audience/users for this installation are mainly drivers and passengers travel in the high speed vehicles on the freeway. Therefore the size of the installation needs to be big enough for people under 100km/h to view. False scale won’t be visible for our audience. Also the installation shouldn’t be too big, people’s vision in a vehicle is limited so they wouldn’t be able to see as bored as broad. It is difficult for them to see a large image of the installation when they are approaching to it, if the scale is too big. Transformation: This design criterion is the core for us to develop the form of our installation. Our installation should be dynamic in both structure and form. Our design concept emergence is developed from this transformation idea. It starts with growth because Wyndham is the fastest growing municipality in Melbourne. Growth is a most distinguishing character of Wyndham. It is a potential, a force of life and hope for the future. The parametric method we are applying for this design can be a very good tool to generate and rationalize the dynamic form and structure we want for the Gateway project. This is how we started with our vortex form at the beginning of the design. Lighting: lighting is important to enable the performance of the installation at night. The installation should be visible in both daytime and night. And artificial lighting will provide more interesting effect of the design.
Materiality: our research of materials is a very important step in our design process. Study material is to ensure the basic structure stability and possibility of fabrication and joints, also the effect that material can bring for the project. AIR: As the theme of this studio, the weather element air should be considered in our design. Our group inspired by the seeds cathedral by Heatherwick studio. We wanted our installation to be able to move in the wind to achieve the true dynamic movement of structure that manipulate by the wind.
II. 1. 2. The vortex form
This vortex form is our first design development which is based on our previous research and study of successful precedents and our design criteria. The vortex form is formed by a part of contour lines on the site that has the most significant typography growth. We manipulate these contour lines we have chosen with point attractors, we selected points on the alone the both highway sides. If the site is the stage of our installation, the highways on both sides of the site are the audience’s sits. Therefore we select the point attractors alone the highways to manipulate the curve matrix to form the vortex form. At this point, we haven’t really figured out the structures and joints. We just had a idea that we are interested in a form light floating form that has a very close relationship with the site, also it should be delicate and dynamic to contrast with the surrounding environment. Our installation should has the ability to turn this dull highway intersection into a place of interesting to fulfill the ‘place-making’ goal.
Site C
II. 1. 3. Site Model At this stage, we have the site model ready. We planned to make two models. One is 1:50 which will show the details, material texture and structure joints of our design. The other one is 1:250, it will show the overall picture of our installation. The site contour lines are imported from the CAD file that provided on the LMS, its accuracy should be guaranteed.
Significant typography growth on the site
Site B
Site A
II. 2. Needles and Threads We have discussed our design concept and vortex form with our tutors Gwyll and Andy, they suggested us how to achieve our design which by use very thin delicate needle-like poles to support our floating forms. The poles need to be very thin and delicate to be invisible and the threads on top should generate a surface or a form that like a floating cloud in the air. This can achieve our design ideas on the aspects of dynamic movement, kinetic structure and structure joints which mean it is able to be built in the real life. At this point, our design direction has been shifted from the threads to the needles. Our focus was on how to create an extraordinary form by parametric design. After the discussion with our tutors, we changed our design direction. Instead of design the floating form we want, we decide to design the needles that support our threads. So our needles’ positions, spacing between each needles and the change of height of the needles are parametrically driven by our grasshopper definition. They are the three factors that decide the form that our threads will eventually become.
II. 2. 1. Curves that to lay the needles
After we decided to design the needles that manipulate our threads, we had these curves that transformed from the contour lines driven by the highway line. They are the position where we going to lay our needles on.
Princess Freeway
Princess HIghway
Significant typography change on the site
II. 2. 2. Ball-Nogues Studio We also had look at the examples that Ball-Nogues Studio did for their installations. We learned about some facts about our needle and threads experiment. All of their threads installations are indoor, this might be because of the actual threads are too delicate for outdoor environment such as strong winds and expose under the sun. Also the actual threads can only achieve the curve shape by hanging down. In another words, it is gravity driven the shape. But our design require the threads to achieve the curve horizontally which means we need to find a replacement for the actual threads.
They also use other materials such as plastic and metals to achieve their design intent. The joints they designed for these non-threads installations are what we might looking for in the farther design. they provided us some successful result of structure joints that we might be able to use in our design later.
II. 2. 3. Needles Design Process
This is the first experiment model we had done. We select clear plastic for the needles and metal wires for the threads. However they both failed. Clear plastic does provided the kind invisible effect that we want for the needles but we failed to find a real life material that has the same effect and also can be erected as a 12 meters high structure poles so this transparent poles can’t be made in reality. Metal wires are not good either. they failed to achieved the smooth curves that we wanted for the threads on top.
This is the second experiment model we have done. This model is focused on the panels with notches. These notches design are parametrically driven. They have different numbers and arrangment of notches on different panels. So we were hopping it can create some interesting complicate threads effect, however they are not very sucessful to achieve the clear movement of threads that we want. When multiple threads emerged into one notch, they are all entangled and it also failed to achieve smooth horizontal curves.
Leaning needles The first leaning needle design. They are all have the same length and leaning in different angles that driven by math function.
The second leaning needle design. Their lengths have been redesigned and create more dynamic movement on the structure.
This last leaning needle design had slight change on heights based on the second one. Considered about the scale of the installation. The second needles design reached maximum height of 30 meters in real life which is way too tall. Therefore, we reduced the maximum hights to 12 meters in the final one to be scale appopriate for the design. However a problem occured at this point, some of the short needles are almost at 0 height which will impact on the installation of structure joints and threads running.
II. 2. 4. Strips Design
Because of the fail on the threads. we decided to design strips for our installation. these are the patterns we designed for the stripes.
However the paper strips with patterns are not good either to achieve our design intents. Maybe plastic strips will have a better result, but at this point we are running out of time to experiment further. After we had final discussion with our tutors, we decided to go back to the original idea. Straight poles with different hights and plastic uniformed rectangular stripes. Thats is how our final model and design went.
II. 3. 1. Final Design
NORTH ELEVATION
EAST ELEVATION
SOUTH ELEVATION
WEST ELEVATION
Installation from road.
Strip tectonic.
Projected light in darkness.
II. 3. 2. Further development of the stripes Change the shape of the stripes
Grasshopper definition for change the shapes of stripes. This definition is only for manipulate the shapes of stripes.
Part III. Learning Objectives and Outcomes Parametric This studio is the most exciting and challenge studio I have had so far. Before this studio I have never heard of Parametric design. Now I have never thought about computer based design methods can be so related with Architecture design. With parametric design, we can achieve something that we can never achieve before. It felt amazing that when you can actually take control and manipulate the change of your design by change the driven factors. It rationalized the complicated form into the software formula that you are able to fabricate in parts and assembling them. Through this semester, I strongly felt that there is so much I can develop in the parametric design. The possibility of the outcomes is infinity, what I should do is to find out the best suitable outcome for my design. Even though I can create something that I want by the definitions. I always know that I didn’t really select all the useful driven factors. My definition is simply there to create the form that in my mind. They are not driven by the existing factors such as weather, typography, lighting, change of colours etc. I create this form for the sake of create this form. It is not I set all the criteria and then the definitions provide me the most suitable form following those criteria. That’s why our final model is seemed a bit meaningless. Just like what Stanislav questioned on our final presentation, the positions of our needles need to have more meanings rather than only follow the contour lines of the site. Even it does provide some thought of relationship with the site, it is just not enough, and we can have more driven factors that make our design more meaningful and useful. Also because of the time situation, we can only do this much. I believe in the future, I will try to develop deeper in the design to achieve the true parametric design rather than the superficial complicated forms. Fabrication Fabrication is always come along side with parametric design. It is quite impossible to make parametrically designed model by hand. Only computer based cutter machines can achieve its accuracy. In the fabrication process, I learnt that NEVER CUT YOUR MODEL OUTSIDE UNI FABLAB. They charge way too much and didn’t really do a good job. On the exploration of material, I have learnt that sometimes different materials have different limits on bending, stability, strength, tension and so on. They might be able to build your model, but might not be able to build in real life. I think physical model should be a representation of the actual building as close as possible, on the material selection should base on the real thing you are designing for. Physical model is a tool, not what you trying to build. What you trying to build is the actual design in the real life.
Learn from the precedents Learn from the precedents is not a new thing, everyone knows it. In this studio, I truly adopted these methods in my design process for the first time, which is very helpful. Such as in the final design, we looked at the installations that Ball-nogues studio did. We realized that it is going to be very difficult for us to achieve the result with threads in our situation. So we changed threads to stripes, saved a lot of time on developing threads. Group work I learnt a lot from my mates Matt and Jo. I think we all had a good time work together. We worked effectively to support our design running by each other’s strong skills. We can always make agreement with different opinions. And help each other to figure out the difficult parts in the course. I think we all enjoyed this studio and learnt a lot
Studio Air 2012