THE BUTTERFLY GARDEN LI VERN LIM (309175615) TZE HUI GOH (309175607)
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THE DEVICE
MIMOSA PUDICA THE ZOO BUTTERFLY WINGS DIGITAL EXPERIMENTATION SUSPENSION THE BUTTERFLY GARDEN METAMORPHOSIS SITE
STRUCTURE
GRASSHOPPER
SUPPORT SYSTEMS
JOURNEY & EXPERIENCE
THE NEXT STEP
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MIMOSA PUDICA The initial device was inspired by the Mimosa Pudica, a plant that reacts to touch and vibrations. Its movements are a unique self-defence mechanism; the way the leaves sequentially fold inwards after just one touch is quite extraordinary in plants, and very beautiful. The leaves of the Mimosa plant fold inwards due to a transfer of Potassium ions from one side of the leaf to the other when triggered by a touch. This results in a change of pressure and causes the leaf to fold inwards, which subsequently causes the next leaf the fold, and the next, and the next. Simply put, the Mimosa plant experiences a chain reaction from WITHIN the plant itself which translates into kinetic movement.
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THE DEVICE MIMOSA PUDICA SWITCH The idea of cause and effect, as well as small kinetic input and large kinetic output was the brief in which we designed the device.
THE MIMOSA SWITCH how it works
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Pulling out the nail releases the nut Nut falls into box and pulls down on string Stopper is released and marble rolls down the rail setting off the system Stopper is lifted by the weight of the marble and releases marbles to roll downward Marble rolls down rail and pushes over balancing stick, tipping over the nut
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The device is basically a collection of connected devices, each triggering the next. We experimented with different sorts of kinetic movements -contrasting fast and slow movements, highly controlled and freer movements, as well as gravitational and antigravitational movements. We also played around with conversion of kinetic to sound energy through vibrations -creating different sorts of sounds with the device.
From the device, we moved on with the idea of sequence, rhythm and disjunction.
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THE ZOO We were interested in aviaries as an immersive environment that provided the viewer with a naturalistic experience of birds in their habitat. The removal of separation between human and the animal was exciting to us. Studying all the different aviaries in the zoo, we later discovered that there was an abandoned aviary right in the centre of the zoo (Moore Park Aviary), and we decided that this would be our site for the project.
LOCATION PLAN 1:1500 8
THE SITE The site is an interesting one; triangular in shape, tightly bound by Taronga Bolevarde 4 metres high, and 2 sets of stairs, making it sectionally interesting. The site is also tiny, with a total area of 26 m2. Rather than making a new aviary on the site however, we decided to create a space for display of butterflies. The reason for that is the saying that the touch of a butterflies wing is the lightest possible touch, and this is related to where the device came from.
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SITE PLAN 1:200 10
SECTION 1:1000
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THE STRUCTURE BUTTERFLY WINGS
We started looking microscopically at the butterfly wing, and saw that it was basically made up of various voronoi space frames. Emulating the butterfly wing became the starting point of our structural explorations. A series of plaster models were made by subtraction of compressed circular forms (water balloons) to emulate the butterfly wing structure.
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Having survived a weight more than 100 times its own during the structural test, we concluded that this arrangement creates an incredibly strong, selfsupporting yet light and compact structure; a structurally efficient form which works well with the triangular site as a constraining geometry.
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Experimenting with the square as a constraining geometry.
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DIGITAL EXPERIMENTATION GRASSHOPPER Taking the site, and what we understood about the molecular structure of the butterfly wing we conducted several explorations of structure within Grasshopper. We wrote a script with parameters that allowed us to change the density and size of the cells, size of openings, as well as the overall shape of the structure, and played around with that, testing different possibilities.
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Reduce
Increase
Reduce hole
Reduce
Change
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Variation of
Increase
reduce
reduce
Skewed top
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GENERAL FORM 21
POPULATED FORM
CULLED VOR
RONOI CELLS
GRASSHOPPER STEP-BY-STEP
SUBTRACT HOLES
VARYING HOLE SIZES 22
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From our models, we saw that the structure is quite thin but very strong and rigid due to its cellular form and the packing of this cells, much like our plaster models with the packing of balloons.
Creation of spaces by deleting cells 24
SUSPENSION SUPPORT SYSTEMS Welded structural steel sheets were adopted as the main structural system, with a series of support systems to suspend the circulation, exhibits and plant life.
STRUCTURAL SKIN 25
CIRCULATION
SUSPENSION
N: CIRCULATION
SUSPENSION: EXHIBITS
SUSPENSION: GREENERY 26
THE BUTTERFLY GARDEN The journey through the structure is a celebration of circulation inspired by the Mimosa Switch. It is a series of separate parts stitched together to provide a sequential experience seamlessly relating to the life cycle of the butterfly (from egg to caterpillar and then from chrysalis to butterfly). It is a habitat for butterflies, a breeding ground that doesn’t confine but attracts by providing the best possible environment for butterflies. It is an immersive naturalistic environment; a hub for exploration, learning and conservation of the habitat of butterfly.
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1 Museum 2 Mini Amphitheatre 3 Caterpillar Farms 4 Hatchey 5 Butterfly Garden 6 Viewing Platform
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BUTTERFLY GARDEN A large space with 3 towers within it and gardens of nectar plants that cover the walls. Upon following the last flight of the stairs, visitors are led to one of the towers with a viewing deck which looks back into all previous spaces and provides a spectacular view of the Sydney Harbour.
HATCHERY Where butterfly life begins. This room will provide the optimum environment for metapmorphosis. Visitors will find rows of chrysalises on display and might be lucky enough to spot a butterfly emerge from its chrysalis. When they are born they then fly up to the butterfly garden.
CATERPILLAR FARMS An ideal environment for caterpillar growth; full of suspended host plants which will attract butterflies to lay eggs and provide abudant food for the growth of caterpillar.
MINI AMPHITHEATRE An area with wide seating steps for people to sit down and enjoy the surroundings. It is also where people gather for the daily zookeeper talks or other butterfly related events.
MUSEUM An educational space for people to learn more about the magnificent creatures. The space is flexible and can exhibit anything from butterfly specimens to photography to sculptures and artwork.
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Approach: from Tarongga Boulevard
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Facade
Aerial perspective
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Approach: from Taronga Boulevard
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Lower Entrance
Mini Amphitheatre into Caterpillar Farms
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STORYBOARD
SPATIAL AND SEQUENTIAL EXPERIENCE
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Exhibition Area on the ground level
Stairs leading up to the Mini Amphitheatre
Mini Amphitheatre looking into the Caterpil
View of the Pupa Room from the Caterpillar Farms
From the Pupa Room, looking into the Butterfly Garden
The Butterfly Garden: looking down into the
llar Farms
The Caterpillar Farms (Room 1)
The Caterpillar Farms (Room 2)
e Pupa Room
The Butterfly Garden, heading up to the viewing platform
Viewing Platform
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MUSEUM An educational space for people to learn more about the magnificent creatures. The space is flexible and can exhibit anything from butterfly specimens to photography to sculptures and artwork.
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MINI AMPHITHEATRE An area with wide seating steps for people to sit down and enjoy the surroundings. It is also where people gather for the daily zookeeper talks or other butterfly related events.
CATERPILLAR FARMS An ideal environment for caterpillar growth; full of suspended host plants which will attract butterflies to lay eggs and provide abudant food for the growth of caterpillar.
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HATCHERY Where butterfly life begins. This room will provide the optimum environment for metapmorphosis. Visitors will find rows of chrysalises on display and might be lucky enough to spot a butterfly emerge from its chrysalis. When they are born they then fly up to the butterfly garden.
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BUTTERFLY GARDEN A large space with 3 towers within it and gardens of nectar plants that cover the walls. Upon following the last flight of the stairs, visitors are led to one of the towers with a viewing deck which looks back into all previous spaces and provides a spectacular view of the Sydney Harbour.
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View of the Sydney Harbour from the Viewing Platform.
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Action & Reaction: Escape of the Butterflies from the top of the structure. 46
VERTICAL GARDEN SECTION 1:50
SUSPENDED FLOOR PLATE DETAIL 1:5
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SECTION 1:200
THE NEXT STEP METAMORPHOSIS
There is a certain beauty in the idea of “becoming a butterfly�. The metamorphosis of a butterfly starts with something quite awkward and clumsy (the caterpillar), but then it eventually turns into a beautiful and elegant butterfly. The next step was to embed this idea of metamosphosis into the structural aspect of the building.
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We played around with the idea of “metamorphosing� the materiality across the building. We decided on this particular arrangement, which is closest to the metamorphosis of the butterfly. It starts out with heavy (clumsy) concrete at the bottom, but then becomes a more refined steel sheet structure, and finally turns into an elegant steel frame structure (clad with fabric) that has a sense of translucency. Light can filter into the space although it is more enclosed, and the colours from the butterfly wings are reflected off the fabric, creating a colourful and beautiful interior at the top. This arrangement also makes the building more structurally logical; with the thicker and stronger concrete at the bottom, and lighter steel sheets and frames at the top. 50
Other experiments regarding the possible material properties of the structure and the effect it produces.
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