Architecture Design
Studio Air Lam Gee Wai
ARCHITECTURE STUDIO - AIR LAM GEE WAI 372547
372547
CONTENT
Architectural discourse
Architectural discourse CHURCH OF LIGHT, OSAKA
Architect: Tadao Ando Completed: 1989
Tadao Ando often uses Zen philosophies when conceptualizing his structures. One theme he expresses in this work is the dual nature of existence as a discourse. The space of the chapel is defined by light, the strong contrast between light and solid. In the chapel light enters from behind the altar from a cross cut in the concrete wall that extends vertically from floor to ceiling and horizontally from wall to wall, aligning perfectly with the joints in the concrete. At this intersection of light and solid the occupant is meant to become aware of the deep division between the spiritual and the secular within himself or herself. One feature of the interior is its discourse of profound emptiness. Many who enter the church say they find it disturbing. The distinct void space and absolute quiet amounts to a sense of serenity. For Ando the idea of ‘emptiness’ means something different. It is meant to transfer someone into the realm of the spiritual. The emptiness is meant to invade the occupant so there is room for the ‘spiritual’ to fill them. Besides the interior, the architecture itself forms a huge contrast with its surrounding neighbourhood: a whole block of concrete conpared to the colourful adjacent residential dwellings. The Church of Light breaks the cultural norms that church has to be classic and grand. Instead, it shows that with raw finishing and simple boxy layout, the church can still brings out a sacred feeling as a discourse to people.
“In all my works, light is an important controlling factor” - Tadao Ando
The Church of Light gives an insight to me on the gateway project that the message conveyed by the architecture is more important than the details revealed by the structure. Also, the use of light in this church brings a dramatic effect to the whole building. I shall further investigate on lighting effect afterwards.
Architectural discourse Kartal-Pendik Masterplan, Istanbul
Architect: Zaha Hadid
Though parametricism has its roots in the digital animation techniques of the mid-1990s, it has only fully emerged in recent years with the development of advanced parametric design systems. Parametricism has become the dominant, single style for avant-garde practice today. It is particularly suited to large-scale urbanism as exemplified by a series of competition-winning masterplans by Zaha Hadid Architects, especially this Kartal-Pendik Masterplan in Istanbul. The Kartal-Pendik Masterplan in Istanbul shows a discourse of inter-connectedness among all elements in the area. The result is an elegant, coherently differentiated city-scape that facilitates navigation through its lawful constitution and through the architectural accentuation of both global and local field properties. This project inspires me to a great extent that it shows the importance of the relationship between the building and its surroundings. Connections with the surroundings must be carefully considered to enhance the overall built environment.
“Parametricism is the great new style after modernism. The new style claims relevance on all scales from architecture and interior design to large scale urban design.� - Zaha Hadid
“The glazed canopy that makes all this possible is a fusion of state-of-the-art engineering and economy of form.� - Norman Foster
INNOVATION OF COMPUTATION bRITISH MUSEUM GREAT COURT
Architect: Norman Foster Complited: 2000
The court has a tessellated glass roof designed by Norman Foster, covering the entire court and surrounds the original circular British Museum Reading Room in the centre, now a museum. It is the largest covered square in Europe. The glass and steel roof is made up of 4,878 unique steel members connected at 1,566 unique nodes and 1,656 pairs of glass windowpanes making up 6,100m2 of glazing. However, each shape of the glass is unique because of the undulating nature of the roof. As a result, it is nearly impossible to design the glass roof by ordinary method. Instead, the roof is designed with the help of computation. The roof geometry is actually a series of maths functions and with the aid of computer programs, it can be resolved quickly as you will only have to input the data while the computer will do the math. Computation is particularly useful in making geometries in architecture, especially in large scale construction, like the Great Court. With computation, construction and design process becomes more time efficient. Also, there would be less mistakes in construction and thus more material and labour efficient. Inspired by the power of computation, I shall try to produce some unique geometry by computer programs on my gateway project. Also, this Great Court project shows how digital design can be materialized into a real structure and this provides an insight to my fabrification of model afterwards.
INNOVATION OF COMPUTATION The NonLin/Lin Pavilion
Architect: Marc Fornes Complited: 2011
French architect Marc Fornes of THEVERYMANY has completed a perforated aluminium pavilion that resembles a giant piece of coral. The NonLin/Lin Pavilion has a computergenerated form composed of tubes and donut shapes. Assembled from 27 components, the four metre-high structure can be taken apart and reassembled in different locations. Over 155,000 asterisk-shaped perforations of different sizes create a pattern on the surface of the pavilion. This pavilion is a prototype which engages in a series of architectural experiments referred to as text based morphologies. Beyond its visual perception of sculptural and formal qualities, the prototypes are built forms developed through custom computational protocols. The parameters of these protocols are based on form finding (surface relaxation), form description (composition of developable linear elements), information modeling (re-assembly data), generational hierarchy (distributed networks), and digital fabrication (logistic of production). This is a good example showing how computation can help to create difficult forms and patterns, especially the 155,000 asterisk-shaped perforations of different sizes create a pattern on the surface of the pavilion in this case, which hand craft of this is very time consuming and not as precise as the one did by computatuion. This inspires me in the gateway project that I can create some difficult curvy forms and irrugular patterns with the help of computation.
“This kind of prototype deviates from a strategy of singular protocols or codes. The emphasis is now focused on multiple ontologisms, which form a sum of many different steps, procedures, and codes, where each component focuses on its own specific fitness.� - Marc Fornes
Matrix of Combinations Arbitrary Points Arbitrary points uses points and surface and the points on the surface will respond and create certain outcomes. As an input, it can produce different effects by using combinations of different associations and output.
Boolean Patterning Boolean pattering demonstrate how patterns can emerge out of the selection of points. It selects points based on the boolean patterning to create a diagonal gap throughout the pattern.
Curve Intersections Curve intersection extracts the existing information for points. From these points, they can by controled to interect together and create interesting geometries.
Surface Grids Surface grids simply divide a surface into grids of points. After divided into grids, different association and output can be connected to create different desirable outcomes.
Explict Grids: Square and Hexagonal Works similar to a surface divide, but square grids make more equal in both directions and the arrangements are in the x and y directions. However, hexagonal grids provide diagonal arrangements.
Overlapping Patterns Overlapping patterns create offsets to the orginal surface and produce a layer on top or above. Overlapping patterns can be used to connect with other associations and outputs to create a dynamic form of patterns.
Surface Normals Surface normals are surfaces that are free formed instead of flat. It is similar to a flat surface that different associations and output can be connected to produce different outcome. Instead, the outcome on a surface normal is more dynamic and interesting.
Dior Giza is designed by Kumiko Inui who draw inspiration from the cannage pattern of the signature Lady Dior handbag. The facade was developed as a double-layed skin comprised of two independent surface: an outer perforated layer seperated from an inner, printed layer which is fibre-optically illuminated. In the inner layer, the cannage pattern is scaled down 30%, which combined with the offset between the two layers to produce a hazy, moire effect.
The facade of this building is a good example showing the power of parametric design in creating virtual images by overlaying several screens at a certain distance in between them. In this reversed engerneered case study, we are trying the reproduce the same effect by using grasshopper. Process one: In the first step, we first create a surface and we use surface divide to make a grid of circle dots. Then we use an image of the dior cannage pattern in the image sampler to arrange the size of the dots according to the cannage pattern. This basically makes the outer layer, which resembles the outer facade of the Dior Ginza. Process two: After we create the outer layer, we move on to the inner layer. As mentioned, the inner layer consist of dots that are 30% smaller and are 34cm apart from the outer layer. We do this by overlap pattern in grasshopper. We make an offset of 34cm and reduce the radius of the dots by 30% and we successfully create the inner layer. The Dior Ginza facade, which uses overlapping pattern to create virtual images deeply inspires us and we have further developed this idea into our design.
‘The Dior facade presents itself like an architectureal apparition; a ghost like volume articulated solely through the luminous effects of its carefully edited surface’ Kumiko Inui
DIOR GINZA Reversed Engineered Case Study
Concept We have the concept of fluid motion in the design to indicate the importance of the adjacent wetland. We first draw the shape of a water droplet and try to produce a long and narrow design which flows dynamically beside the road.
Control Points Curve Makeing 2D shape
Option 1: Image Sampler Surface frame is used to divided the surface to produce grids of dots. The dots are arranged in different size by the image in the image sampler to produce a unique pattern. The outcome is satisfactory as the pattern is easily seen.
Control Points Curve Preparing to loft
Lofting Making 3D surface
Option 2: Pattern Overlay Inspired by the Dior Ginza facade, we found the overlaying pattern very interesting. We tried the pattern overlay with the association of image sampler and wish to produce virtual images. The result is satisfactory and we look forward to it.
Rebuild surface Modifying the surface Option 3: Data Driven Extrusion Extrusion is made on the dots on the grid. The extrusion follows the association of the image in the image sampler to produce a dynamic wave form.
Option 4: Data Driven Rotation The dots in the grid begins to rotate away from its original position following the association of the image in the image sampler. Some dots were rotated out of the surfac.
Refining Design After expermenting with different association and output, we have decided to adopt the overlaying pattern associated with image sampler. However, we want to refine the design by playing with the lighting of the installation.
First Installation in site B After we have decided on the use of overlapping pattern and image sampler as association, we refine our design by exploring the lighting effect in the stallation. We use Data Driven Shading to produce two contrasting colour on the inner layer according to the pattern of the image in the image sampler. This contrast in colour produce a colour gradient to the installation and produce an more interesting virtual image through the overlapping pattern.
Second Installation in site A After we have decided on the use of overlapping pattern and image sampler as association, we developed our second installation to respond to our first installation. This second installation uses fluid motion as the core idea as well. To fit into the landscape of site A, it is longer in length and follows the shape of the site boundary to produce a landscaped installation. The second installation is located opposite to the first installation, responding to each other to enrich the streetscape.
Fabricating Design After making design decision, we have to materialize the design to further explore the possibility of the design. We fabricate two sheets of polypropene sheet with grids of dots associated with image sampler, with the dots in the inner sheet 30% smaller than the other sheet. We successfully produce virtual images. With the use of different light colour, the colour gradient is clearly seen.