Digital Design - Module 01 Semester 1, 2019 Lucas Becerra
(910143) Junhan Foong + Studio 07
Week One
Reading: Zeara Polo, A. 2010. Between Ideas and Matters.
According to Zeara-Polo, the diagram does not play a representational role in the design process but provides an organisational and can have a performative quality depending on how it is deployed. Explain how Diagram is different from Signs and Symbols? (100 words Maximum)
Zeara-Polo initially describes how signs and symbols are ultimately limited by their reliance on certain “cultural conventions”. While to an extent this is acceptable in everyday life, Zeara-Polo emphasises the importance of diagrams as a means to explore the rational and material relationships between contents and forms. Zeara-Polo contends that diagrams are able to aid in the conceptualisation of our reality. Whether through creating “new sensations [or] moods”, or having a preformative quality, diagrams are able to provide similar organisational qualties to that of signs and symbols but creates new ways of understanding or reading information through computer generated linkages that could not have been previously concieved. Overall, while sign and symbols serve a similar purpose to that of the diagram, the diagrams complexity allows for greater and new understanding.
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Week One
Precedent Analysis
Birdseye Plan: provides an overhead shot of the site. Elevation: Shows the complex roofline and the spacing between each pole. Perspective: The unique feeling of being in a rainforest is mimicked.
Perhaps the most complex part of modelling the precedent was the canopy itself. There was no real clear way with the information provided to create an exact replica of the roof, as such it was largely guessing and attempting to create a visually similar aesthetic. the confusion was also multiplied by the line work and creating the patterning of the transparent roof. However the flooring and polls were quite easy to organise. Image: Betts John. M Pavilion, AL_A, 2015, photography. Melbourne. Accessed March 17, 2019. https://www.ala.uk.com/projects/mpavilion/
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Week Two
Reading: Hertzberger H. 2005. The in-between and The Habitable Space Between Things, from Lessons for Students in Architecture. Herzberger discusses how design should not be extreme in its functionality. Use your precedent study to explain how the pavilion allows for an appropriation of use. (100 words Maximum)
Herzberger’s discouse of functionality applies heavily to AL_A’s M pavilion as the lack of explicit indicators of use allows for freedom of fuction. The pavilion could be considered just a simple covered space, and for many it could be used in such a way, being a simple covered seating place. However, while this is an appropirate use of the space the lack of an extreme function also allows it to be utilized to become a meeting place, a private venue, and a playground for children. This is because the pavilion takes this concept and adds playfullness through its canopy and poll structure, both creating a open covered space and a complex visual piece.
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Week Two
Isometric
AL_A - M Pavilion 2015 This M Pavilion by AL_A explores the organic form through geometric structures. The canopy and pole were designed to provide a rainforest aesthetic as it covers the wooden floor creating a unique threshold and circulation. Initially by mathmatically breaking down the compexities of the geometry it became very simple to formulate a way to model this pavilion. First i decided to measure the design in rhino by scalling up and decided to round numbers up to what i believe the architects would’ve intende , thus ensuring any distortion from pixle blur was no longer a factor. I decided to keep the interior canopy translucent to allow greater understanding of the interior and the circulation through the design. I decided to focus on the modelling of the canopy, as achieving a sense of transparency within the canopy was difficult with limited knowledge of Rhino. There is a clear threshold created within the design, which is highlighted by my decision to keep the inner canopy translucent and the exterior opaque. There is clearly a main space, which I believe to be the wooden flooring area, this is enforced by the use of planters to create clear pathways and circulation intentions throughout the design. The secondary threshold is shown around the opaque canopy which are not connected to the central design. The poles and entry ways dictate the circulation of the design creating a dynamic flow. The space is largely a standing area, but would be appropirate to sit in.
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Week Two Diagrams
Circulation diagram
Threshold diagram
Insert a brief description of your diagram here.
Insert a brief description of your diagram here.
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Appendix
Process
Floor creation To create the floor I went a bit overboard to create extra detail. once figuring out that the triangles were all isosceles, I decided to add thickness to the wood and leave a 5mm gap between each board to create greater detail in the design. However this was largely unnecessary it is still satisfying when zoomed in and looking at the fine detail. As once I created one triangle all I needed to do was copy paste and rotate each triagnle over the inserted plan and I had a somewhat exact replica of the floor .
Support creation Perhaps the most complex part of creating the design was the creation of the structs which held the canopy in place. I ensured that both the floor, polls and canopy would all fit together by again using math to check that all had similar geometry and measurements. The exterior and interior of the struts were completed using a similar technique. Basically by creating 3 circles and connecting their exteriors with straight lines then triming those lines, joining them together and lastly filleting the harsh edges I was able to create a curved form that was uniform with the ground.
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Appendix Process
Canopy creation The challenges of modelling the canopy and acheiving a sense of transparency where perhaps the most difficult parts of the design. Again because of the geometry of the design it was not as difficult as it seemed to create the multi-armed supports which made up the interior canopy. I just rotated each by 60 or 120 degrees and interconnected them around a central point and trimed the excess. I then extruded the curve and then planarsrf the weird curve as capping wouldnt work and managed to get a decent looking support. I had to guess a little bit of the jutting supports from the main structure seen in picture 3 but they were all in all alright. to create the patterning of the canopy I decided to array polylines at different lengths rotate by 60 degrees around a point, I then placed them over my canopy designs intersected and trimmed. This resulted in a strong resembalance to the pattern as it was geometrically similar. I then added a smaller internal circle to the internal struts as these would later become the poles, I measured the poles from the plan and guess their dimensions. Through connecting the poles to the canopy themselves I would’nt have to stress about connecting them at a later date as all i needed to do now was to scale 1d on the poles to adjust for the differentiation in heights of the canopy.
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Appendix
Process
Final Notes and putting it together Basically once I had all these things completed all I needed to do was put it all together, the hardest part of this was creating a canopy which resembled the original design. In an attempt to make it easier for myself I decided to create a diagram which allowed my to plot each level of the main canopy design. I used a color coding system to denote which level every canopy should be at roughly. Once doing so I discovered that there was a clear pattern wherein the main canopy sloped down from the bottom left corner to the top right corner. With the visual guide I was able to easily link up each level of the design with minimal confusion. In order to make my design easy to work with I designated layers to the poles, canopy and flooring system which allowed me to explode the design easier and faster than otherwise. Furthmore I utilised the make 2d function of rhino to allow me to alter the line weights of every section. In addition to create a flow diagram throughout the design I utilised the polyline through point function as well as the array command to create lines which best estimate the human movement throughout the design.
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