AIR
ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN STUDIO
Mark Andrew Casey-Losewitz | 389518 University of Melbourne | 2012
CONTENTS
PART 1 | EXPRESSION OF INTEREST 1.1 The Case For Architecture
1.1.A | Architecture as Discourse 1.1.B | Computing in Architecture 1.1.C | Parametric Modelling 1.2 Research Project 1.2.A | Discovering Panelisation 1.2.B | Recreating The Voissoir Cloud 1.2.C | Proof Of Concept 1.2.D | The Issues Of Fabrication 1.2.E | Expression Of Interest
PART 1
ARCHITECTURE AS DISCOURSE Losewitz, Mark, (2012) [photograph] Sagrada Familia, taken by myself on 14 June 2012
KEW BOATHOUSE
KEW, MELBOURNE | DESIGN STUDIO WATER
DISCOVERY CENTRE
HERRING ISLAND, TOORAK | DESIGN STUDIO EARTH
WHO?!
BRIEF | KEW BOAT HOUSE
NAME | MARK CASEY-LOSEWITZ 3RD YEAR | BEnvs
DISCOVERY CENTRE
A third year Bachelor of Environments student majoring in Architecture. I like to think I have a passion for the subject, I’ve always enjoyed a particular interest in studying and designing the built form. I’ve never undertaken any form of digital architecture that extends beyond Adobe Photoshop or Sketchup, and as a result my skills are particularly limited. I’m starting to become much more aware of digital architecture as a growing method within the field, with many current projects dominating the headlines employing the use of digital design. Some of my favorite buildings as well, such as the Metropol Parasol and Gaudi’s famous Sagrada Familia, have relied upon digital means to achieve their goals. I think as we progress into a new age of design it will become particularly poignant, and as a result I am very interested in furthering my knowledge.
We were required to channel the thought processes of famous Architect Alvaro Siza, and attempt to redesign the Kew Boathouse in a style that represented his previous work. My design centred around the representation of Siza’s rectangular form of which he often employs, the iconic white-wash walls, the use of axis within the design of the plan, and of course the use of natural light within the building.
BRIEF | DISCOVERY CENTRE
We were required to redevelop the Discover Centre on Herring Island in Toorak, including the centre itself and surrounding wall. My design was based around the idea of changing planes, where small increases in height of each level, accessed through stairs, allowed for an experiential experience of the space. The design materials centred around local native wood, in an attempt to fit the centre snuggly into its surroundings. Above is an example of my model superimposed onto the site, to give an idea of what it will actuallly look like.
EARLY DEVELOPMENT OF SURROUNDING WALL
METROPOL PARASOL
[2] Metropol Parasol | Jurgen Mayer Hermann | 2011
SEVILLE, SPAIN | J.H MAYER ARCHITECTS
[1] Metropol Parasol | Jurgen Mayer Hermann | 2011
DIGITAL ARCHITECTURE - MY FIRST IMPRESSIONS
The word discourse itself is fairly ambiguous and indefinite. Initially, despite many questions to tutors and lecturers, I just could not find a way to get my head around the meaning. From my understanding thus far, an architectural discourse is something like a ‘zeitgeist’ or ‘spirit of the times’, that represents the design trend which architecture as a whole is currently following. My initial understanding of digital architecture, from my basic studies up to this point, was that it was simply a tool, not a method of design in itself. Considering the expectations in design studio: earth and water, I always saw computer software such as rhino and autocad as above expectations, in the realms of those students
who were guaranteed a H1. Personally, I was always comfortable with hand drawing my final presentations, so understandably design studio: air and its central theme of digital architecture seem quite foreign and new to me. Obviously, considering my gross lack of knowledge, I have many questions in regards to its role within the architectural discourse. Is it simply a means to an end, created to speed up the process of designing? Or is it a starting point, to which we can build and extend our knowledge beyond the realms of our own creativity. And will my design be negatively influenced by the fact that I as yet know absolutely nothing about any
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programs, and will this continue to be the case until i am totally proficient in its use? All of these questions i hope will become clearer as the semester rolls on. My previous research on the subject of digital architecture is sparce. My prior knowledge revolves around the use of basic programs such as illustrator and sketchup, and my interest in a few buildings which i assumed to be designed by computer software. One of these such buildings is the Metropol Parasol in Seville, Spain. On a recent adventure through Europe I was lucky enough to visit this incredible structure, and instantly it has stuck to my subconscious, and become one of my favourite architectural pieces. I never knew
the particulars that I know now, such as that the design is parametric and most likely designed using rhino, at the time I was just overwhelmed by something that seemed so out of the box, something i could never think of myself. And this is the crux of my current perception of digital architecture. If it can help us look outside the box, help us come up with designs that exceed our creativity, as the Metropol Parasol did to me, then it can only be a good thing, a beneficial element of the architectural discourse. This semester should be an eye opening experience for me, I hope.
[7] Grande Stade De Casablanca | NBBJ | 2014
GRAND STADE DE CASABLANCA
CASABLANCA, MOROCCO | NBBJ / YASSIR KHALIL
[6] Grande Stade De Casablanca | NBBJ | 2014
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[10] Bird’s Nest | Herzog De Meuron | 2008
[11] Sochi Stadium | POPULOUS | 2014
WHY I LOVE IT? The city of Casablanca took my interest on a recent backpacking trip as a melting pot of culture, activity and liveliness. It was a distinct goal of the architects at NBBJ when designing the Grande Stade De Casablanca to ‘create a centre for sports and assembly events which is keenly in tune with the natural environment, geography, and history of the nation of Morocco’ and ‘signalled the unique character and vision of the city’. My experience of the country and the architects goals appeared to be homogenous, so the project instantly drew my interest. The stadiums plan is based around an 8-point star,
which is aimed ‘to emphasise the centrality of the master plan of the city’. The roof is composed of a lightweight membrane surface which is uniquely folded to emphasise symmetry and balance. The facade is made of aluminium which has been perforated in a variety of traditional Moroccan patterns, and at a variety of different sizes, in order to account for wind patterns and allow solar access to the specific areas. Aesthetically, the unique facade encapsulating the stadium, like a piece of paper folded many times, is engaging and captivating. Recent projects such as the Beijing Birdsnest and the proposed 2014 Winter Olympic Stadium in Russia have
set and continue a benchmark for new stadiums that exhibit innovative interesting designs that represent their country and culture. Both have also relied heavily on digital design in their development. Herzog and De Meuron’s iconic Beijing National Stadium, built for the 2008 Olympics, uses multiple intersecting lines lofted in a circular shape around the stadiums basic shape to create an incredibly fascinating facade. Populous’s proposal for the Winter Olympic Stadium in Sochi, Russia, follows on from the Birdsnest, using a lofted pattern of irregular pentagonal shapes to envelope the interior, almost like the magnification of the membrane of a leaf.
The Grade Stade De Casablanca maintains a more rigid exterior design, rather than the lofted curves of the other examples, although still relies on this idea of ‘attached facade’ to achieve visual attractiveness. It has also incorporated the perforations to this facade which directly relate to the initial design objectives. We should explore the ideas of a facade in our design, when combined with pattern and tesselation it can be very effective. The Grande Stade also reiterates the importance of convincingly embodying place through design, which is pertinent to Wyndham city and the proposal.
GLASGOW RIVERSIDE MUSEUM
GLASGOW, SCOTLAND | ZAHA HADID
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[12] Riverside Museum | Zaha Hadid | 2011
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WHY I LOVE IT? The most defining visual characteristic of The Glasgow Riverside Museum is the extraordinary jagged roof shape, which initially draws the attention of those that view it. Site placement and design is based on Glasgow’s rich shipping history, ‘situated where the city meets the river, ‘flowing’ between the two in a symbolic representation of their dynamic relationship, the museum places itself in the very roots of its origins’, hence it can be deduced that the skyward stretching roof design is intended to represent the masts of a ship. One particular criticism is that the design itself is in stark contrast to the surrounding conservative architecture of the waterfront area. As a result the building succeeds in standing out and belittling the nearby heritage buildings, something that the purpose of the structure itself is to celebrate. We are required to symbolise Wyndham in our design, and it will be important to do so in a positive manner. The museum is a prime example of the current trend of digital architecture, based on aesthetic pleasures and wildly unique forms. Digital Architecture also definitely have played a significant role in its design, where part of the roof has been extruded along the length of the irregular building form with a topological transformation.
[17 | 18 |19] Umicore Building | Conix | 2011
This has created the jagged roof, and is the basis of the aesthetics of the design. Rather than focusing on colour or pattern, this building finds visual stimulation through its shape. The recently built Umicore Office Building in Hoboken, Belgium, has a very similar design method to the Riverside Museum. Both buildings use irregularly shaped structural pieces, which support and create a boundary for large curtain walls. This ensures not only structural continuity but also creates an aesthetically appealing design. The Riverside Museum has taken this aesthetic idea a step further with its topologically extruded roof line, somehow succeeding in ensuring the structural stability of the curtain wall underneath it at the same time. It is this combination of aesthetic appeal and structural durability that we will need to focus on in the design of the road side construction design. It has to be something that attracts the attention of the driver, whether that be through form like the Riverside Museum or a different medium such as pattern or colour, and also be structurally sound, considering the lack of maintentance that the structure will ultimately receive. If we can apply these constraints on our design then we will have taken a step forward in fulfilling important requirements.
01.01.B |
COMPUTING IN ARCHITECTURE
GUGGENHEIM MUSEUM BILBAO
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BILBAO, SPAIN | FRANK GEHRY
[20] Guggenheim | Frank Gehry | 1997
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COMPUTATIONAL ARCHITECTURE AS A DISCOURSE Design Studio: Air is particularly focused on digital architecture and design as our main discourse this semester. It is an area of architecture that recently, has caused many disputes, as supporters and sceptics voice their opinions on the benefits of the discourse in the current climate of architecture. On one hand, prominent advocates such as Patrik Schumacher from Zaha Hadid Architects argues that digital media, in particular parametrics can open up new possibilities in terms of form and function. Although other more negative views suggest that digital architecture focuses
too much on aesthetic pleasure with results that seem eerily similar. The benefits of digital media, having done a minor amount of reading and research, appear to focus on the aesthetic elements of a building, offering new inventive forms to the facade of a design. Although is that all digital media can offer? Having a computer assist in design can mean heightened speed and ease, making it easier to fit time constraints. It also makes it relatively easy to go back and correct any mistakes detected throughout the design process, something that
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if manually designing, could be very time consuming going back redrawing plans. One has to ask themselves the question, do these benefits justify the hype that currently surrounds digital architecture? Frank Gehry’s Guggenheim Museum Bilbao was said to signal a turning point in the discourse, hailing the arrival of computers and computer programs in the design process of architecture. It is one of the most visually stimulating buildings of our time, although has the presence of digital media contributed to its social, or functional aspects at all? Architecture is as much a ‘philosophical, social and professional realm as a material one’. While the visual
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side of a design obviously plays a critical role in public perception, just as important are the experiential, social and structural factors. This is why I am still sceptical and reserve my support for digital architecture until I have further personal experience with the subject. Digital architecture is obviously still young, and our understanding of its potential is still only scratching the surface. As we continue to nut out its issues and advance its benefits, there is a distinct excitement brewing when you consider that the possibilities that digital architecture could present in the future, in regards to new forms and concepts.
PARK GUELL
CASA BATLLO
BARCELONA, SPAIN | ANTONIO GAUDI
BARCELONA, SPAIN | ANTONIO GAUDI
[27] Casa Batllo | Antonio Gaudi | 1877
[25] Park Guell | Antonio Gaudi | 1914
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NON-EUCLIDIAN ARCHITECTURE Non-Euclidian Architecture follows the fundamentals of non-euclidean geometry, whereby the design doesn’t conform to basic straight line Euclidian rules. Rather it encourages the use of curves to create a fluid, flowing design instead of the basic straight line geometrics. This concept allowed for innovative explorations such as the Torus, the Mobius Strip and the Klein Bottle, and has paved the way for styles such as Art Nouveau
AND THE LESSONS OF ANTONIO GAUDI throughout the late 19th century and more recently Modernism. Antonio Gaudi’s work throughout Barcelona employs this design technique, creating buildings that stand out due to their natural, organic appeal. Park Guell and Casa Battlo are two such examples throughout the city. Non-Euclidian Architecture is a specific discourse within computational architecture. The works of Antonio
Gaudi have provided a stepping stone for modern day designers, who implement the rules of NonEuclidianism into their own computer based designs. Due to the computers superior ability to create and represent complex curves, the fundamentals of NonEuclidian Architecture were always going to manifest in digital architecture, and such have become a critical component of the Computational discourse. So how can we channel our inner Antonio Gaudi and
use Non-Euclidian Geometry to great benefit in the Wyndham project? Gaudi took much of his inspiration from natural forms such as flowers and plants, and it was this inspiration that ensured an eye catching appeal to all of his designs. Considering the placement of the roadside installation amidst the relatively undeveloped area surrounding Wyndham City, the local natural form could be channeled in the design to great effect.
THE SWARM
01.01.C |
Magnus MĂśschel & Co.
PARAMETRIC MODELLING
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[31] The Swarm | Bavarian Chamber Of Architects | 2012
Parametric architecture presents numerous advantages to the design process, allowing users to create incredibly intricate designs through the use of graphic algorithms. It allows designers to take one step back and focus on the logic that binds the design together. Not only does it allow for alterations to be continually and easily made throughout the design process, it also makes the generation of complicated designs much quicker and easier. The computerised system is able to maintain consistency between the design and its relationships, thus increasing the designers ability to explore ideas by reducing the tedious effort of rework. Despite its obvious upsides, the parametric discourse has a few disadvantages that restrict both the development process and the overall result. It has been quoted that all designs moulded through computer software are ‘aesthetically egregious’. Many argue that the end result is often overly modern, with very little recognition of historical architectural lessons. pleasure, rather than structural security. The final products are also usually expensive to build,
and may focus too much on aesthetic pleasure, rather than structural security. Also, from my own personal experience, the design process is often impeded if one does not possess a very high knowledge of the computational system, and this takes time to obtain. Parametric design allows for a huge number of wild possibilities in its creations, and obviously this is going to result in a more mixed public critique of any final result. As designs are pushed to their creative extremes, people are often going to either love it or hate it. The use of parametrics on our Wyndham City project will ultimately benefit the design process and final product. Considering the placement of the proposal by the freeway, our design will need to be instantly eye catching to impress the council board. Parametric design allows for very visually appealing designs, and if we can utilise this advantage, our final will be successful.
INDIGO DELI
MUMBAI, INDIA | SAMEEP PADORA ARCHITECTS
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The Indigo Deli, a restoration of an interior food court in Mumbai, India is a great example of how parametric architecture can be used to create an incredibly striking and distinctive design. The basis of the design centres around a waffle grid that has been lofted using noneuclidean sloped geometry to create the roof structure. One of the particular benefits of this type of design is the ability to utilise and control the filtering of light into the public space. As can be seen in the images, the gaps and holes in the waffle grid capture and percolate light, not only acting to reduce the specific need for electronic illumination, but also make the roof structure itself stand out with a variety of different shades of colour. Initially, this curved grid design acting as a roof was pioneered by Shigeru Ban in his Japan Pavilion built in 2000 at the Hanover Expo. More recent projects such as Baker D Chirico, a restoration on Faraday Street in Carlton and Banq Restaurant by Nader Tehran, utilise a similar parametric design approach in a very similar culinary setting. Daniel Chirico’s recent Parkville project also used a basic lofted grid to create the an aesthetically exciting facade for the interior of his bakery, with each piece rippled for added visual effect.
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The Indigo Deli has taken these ideas a step further, rather than just rippling pieces of the grid, but actually rotating them at slightly altered vectors, creating open faces to the grid. They have pushed the idea of non-euclidean geometry to the extreme, rotating and extruding different sections of the grid, intertwining it as a whole into something that is so intricate and complex. In terms of the Wyndham city project, we can take many lessons from the construction and design of the Indigo Deli, and develop these
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out to me is the fact that the roof plane just ideas in our own design. One thing that stands abruptly finishes, and the roof is left to be structurally supported by large columns. Instead of this the waffle grid could continue to the ground, as act as a structural member. In our own design, it is critical that it be self supporting, and it would be good if we were able to combine our aesthetic features to act as structural features as well.
[33 | 34] Indigo Deli | Sameep Padora | 2012 [35] Japan Pavilion | Shigeru Ban | 2000 [36] BanQ Restaurant | Nader Tehrani | 2008 [37] Baker D Chirico | Daniel Chirico | 2012
PUPPET THEATRE INSTALLATION
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CARPENTER CENTRE | PIERRE HUYGHE
[39] Puppet Theatre | Pierre Huyghe | 2008
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The Puppet Theatre Installation is a temporary exhibition attached to the Carpenter Centre at Harvard University, focusing on the parametric design themes of panelisation, repetition and tesselation. The intricate pattern has been created using a series of white polycarbonate triangular panels interlocked together in at a variety of sizes. Every triangle is unique with it own shape. Random triangles on the roof have been extruded upwards indenting themselves against the roof line, breaking up the monotony of the relatively otherwise basic pattern and creating skylights. The glossy, lustrous polycarbonate material instantly catches the eye. When
entering the structure it is almost like you are entering into another world or a dream, as the mottled reflection of light hits the gleaming walls. In 2002, Toyo Ito designed the temporary Serpentine Gallery Pavilion using a pattern based around different sized triangles that intertwined together to create the walls. In more recent times, the British Museum’s Great Court roof renovation by Foster & Partners has taken a basic triangular pattern, and lofted it to span such an irregular gap between the central reading room drum and the surrounding courtyard facades.
The temporary Puppet Theatre installation has continued and advanced this area of the discourse in new and exciting ways. The connections between each triangular piece are structurally stable and the distribution of forces are evenly weighted allowing the design to be free standing, while also allowing easy construction and disassembly. In terms of the Wyndham City project, an easy construction process is vital, and will appeal to the selection panel and the council’s Art in Public Buildings and Places Advisory Group. The use of polycarbonate panels was an impressive choice of material. Not only do they significantly add to
the aesthetic component of the design, they are strong enough to distribute force and allow the structure to stand. My only negative observation in terms of the Wyndham City project is that the Puppet Theatre is an ultimately an interior design, not exposed to the elements of wind and rain. The proposal will need to account for such things, and a more hardy material should be chosen, one that is still visual and structural, yet also shields itself from natural weathering. [44] Serpentine Gallery | Toyo Ito | 2002 [45] British Museum Great Court | Foster & Partners | 2010
STALACTILE
WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY | MARCELO SPINA OF P-A-T-T-E-R-N-S + STUDENTS
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01.02.A |
PANELISATION [46] Stalactile | P-A-T-T-E-R-N-S | 2010
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My experience of parametric modelling so far has been mixed to say the least. Initially, I really had no knowledge of this area of architecture, some would say my pigheaded insistence and reliance on handdrawn designs had blinded me to a pertinent area of architecture. As we delve further into the fundamentals of computational architecture, it is without a doubt becoming more interesting to me. Initially I felt a little overwhelmed with all the new concepts and ideas, but as things become clearer I can see the obvious benefits to the endeavour. Digital architecture significantly reduces the time it takes to design, and in many cases allows for creations beyond ones own creative boundaries. In previous years, I had often fallen into the trap of
designing very rudimentary shapes, and it has only been in the past 5 weeks where I can see my design mentality begin to shift to more complex ideas, more flexible, unique ideas, a feature of parametric architecture. The idea of digital/parametric theory still seems quite foreign to me, probably because I still feel more comfortable with my own pen, but over time as my knowledge of rhino and grasshopper improve, I can see myself becoming an advocate of it, and that confession surprises even me. I have always been one for the pen and paper, but if digital media such as rhino and grasshopper continue to surprise me with the architecture they produce, and continue to stretch the boundaries of my own design limitations then it can only be a positive ingredient in the soup of my architectural mind.
DRAGON SKIN PAVILION
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KOWLOON PARK, HONG KONG | LEAD ARCHITECTS
[49] Dragon Skin Pavilion | LEAD | 2012 [50]
The city council is looking for a design that ‘inspires and enriches the municipality’, a design that is ‘exciting and eye catching’, a design that will adequately represent the booming outer western suburb of Wyndham City. The installation is to ‘enhance the physical environment’, ‘encourage ongoing interest in the Western Interchange’ and ultimately give drivers something to signify their entry into the growing city. These are the specifications, the constraints, and as a group we have decided that the digital technique of panelisation is the best method to successfully achieve these goals. The design characteristics of panelisation are difficult
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to describe in a single sentence. As a group we were able to identify a few key features. Often, the structure will be made up of smaller, relatively basic elements that intertwine in a certain way to create a greater, more intricate whole. The perfect example of this is the Dragon Scale Pavilion above, where very simple squares have been manipulated and twisted to interlock and create a very dynamic overall form. Considering that the intended market for the roadside installation will be car users flying past at high speed, who wont be able to get a long time to study the design in detail, it is critical that we focus on the designs ability to grab
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attention quickly. Panelisation creates eye catching, interesting designs, which focus on the aesthetic quality of the whole rather than the separate parts. This is perfect for an audience who only have a split second to view the installation, the focus will be on the combination of the panels, and how they work together as a whole, rather than the separate pieces. It is also an area of parametrics that suits people who are still learning digital architecture, beginning with a relatively simple idea, yet through simple manipulation can turn into something outstanding. It is strongly connected to the simple ideas of geometry and pattern,
and considering our groups relative lack of skill in computational design, we thought this is the perfect starting point for us to build upon. The structure can also be designed to be self standing using the individual components of the panels, rather than implementing specific structural members that take away from the aesthetics of the design. Through the distribution of force between the connections of the smaller panels, the structure can stand up itself. Again, the Dragon Skin Pavilion is a perfect example of this. If we can achieve this goal, it also means that the need for maintenance is reduced.
ZA11 PAVILLION
DIMITRIE STEFANESCU, PATRICK BEDARF, BOGDAN HAMBASAN
AGGREGATED POROSITY
BIAO HU & YU DU
[53] ZA11 Pavilion | 2011
[56] Aggregated Porosity | DAL WKSHP | 2011 [54]
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As a group we have defined these as our goals - we want our structure to be self standing, ultimately relying simply on the connections between panels to support itself. We also want it to be visually attractive, and we believe that through the use of interesting panels and patterns, we can achieve this. We want to push panelisation forward in these ways, and hopefully with the assistance of grasshopper we can not only achieve these aims, but build upon them to create something truly special. ZA11 Pavilion combines the ideas of panelisation with perception, where the users inside the structure are
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gifted with a ‘privileged point of view’. In other words, each panel has been extruded toward a central point within the design, so when you stand on this point, the face of each panel is open and you can see through them all. This opens up so many ideas with the design proposal, most obviously using this technique to reveal something to represent the city of Wyndham as the driver passes by. Whether it be a natural form behind the structure, a message, or an image, the idea that the driver will be gifted this view for only a second or two really interests me. I intend to push this idea further in the future.
The example of the Aggregated Porosity by Biao Hu and Yu Du is a great example of how each panel can not only interact, but combine together to create the perception of movement and fluidity when in fact the construct remains still. The connection of small differently sized diamond panels contribute to an overall design that appears almost in motion. Despite the intricacy of the design, the viewer is able to instantly identify this fluidity, this perceived movement. At first glance the viewer isn’t overwhelmed by the small details, but rather in awe of the overall design. This is what we want to achieve and build upon
Panelisation gives us scope to our design, allowing us to explore many different ideas and thought processes, to fully experience the possibilities of digital architecture, and hopefully achieve a great final result at the same time.
REFERENCES
IMAGES | WEEKS 1-4
1. Ten Selden, Ian (2012) [photograph] accessed from [http://www.iantenseldam.com/Artists/30382/Images/1952011231623634_Metropol%20Parasol-66%20web.jpg] on 09/08/12
32. Evolo, Parametric Designed Pavilion: The Swarm (11/03/12) [photograph] accessed from [http://www.evolo.us/architecture/parametric-designed-pavilion-the-swarm/] on 18/08/12
2. Ten Selden, Ian (2012) [photograph] accessed from [http://www.iantenseldam.com/artist.asp?ArtistID=30382&AKey=HK224MTA] on 09/08/12
33 | 34. Padora, Sameep, IndigoDeli_1_Sameep Padora& Associates (08/09/10) [photograph] accessed from [http://www.grasshopper3d.com/photo/indigodeli1sameeppadora-1] on 18/08/12
3. AWR, Metropol Parasol, (16/11/11) [photograph] accessed from [http://awrcompetitions.blogspot.com.au/2011/11/metropol-parasol-is-new-landmark-of.html] on 27/08/12 4 | 5. Europaconcorti, Progetti: Metropol Parasol, (16/05/11) [photograph] accessed from [http://awrcompetitions.blogspot.com.au/2011/11/metropol-parasol-is-new-landmarkof.html] on 27/08/12 6 | 7 | 8 | 9. Archdaily, Grande Stade De Casablanca / NBBJ & Yassir Khalil Studio, (27/10/11) [photograph], accessed from [http://www.archdaily.com/179243/grand-stade-decasablanca-nbbj-yassir-khalil-studio/] on 6/08/12 10. Mondo Arc, The Bird’s Nest Stadium, Beijing, China, Issue 44 (Aug/Sept 2008) [photograph] accessed from [http://www.mondoarc.com/projects/Architectural/209848/ the_birds_nest_stadium_beijing_china.html] on 27/08/12 11. The Russian Enigma, London 2012 > Sochi 2014 (15/07/10) [photograph] accessed from [http://therussianenigma.files.wordpress.com/2010/02/2014-winter-stadium-russiaby-populous-thumb-550x436-25006.jpg] on 27/08/12 12. Arch20, Riverside Museum | Zaha Hadid Architects (18/09/11) [photograph] accessed from [http://www.arch2o.com/riverside-museum-zaha-hadid-architects/] on 16/08/12 13. Bustler, Zaha Hadid’s Riverside Museum Wins European Museum Academy Micheletti Award 2012 (07/05/12) [photograph] accessed from [http://www.bustler.net/index. php/article/zaha_hadids_riverside_museum_wins_european_museum_academy_micheletti_award_/] on 16/08/12 14. Hadid, Zaha, Glasgow Riverside Museum of Transport [photograph] accessed from [http://www.zaha-hadid.com/architecture/glasgow-riverside-museum-of-transport/#] on 16/08/12 15. 48 Hour Adventure, 48 Hours in Glasgow (14/12/11) [photograph] accessed from [http://www.48houradventure.com/2011/12/14/48-hours-in-glasgow/] on 16/08/12 16. Paperdog, Glasgow Riverside Museum of Transport [photograph] accessed from [http://www.paperdog.co.uk/?p=760] on 16/08/12 17 | 18 | 19. Design Home Online, Breaking Industrial Neighbourhood Patterns: Umicore Office Buildings in Belgium (03/12/11) [photograph] accessed from [http://www. designhomeonline.net/12/2011/breaking-industrial-neighbourhood-patterns-umicore-office-building-in-belgium/] on 13/09/12 20. Archdaily, Vanity Fair’s World Architecture Survey (07/07/10) [photograph] accessed from [http://www.archdaily.com/67846/vanity-fair%E2%80%99s-world-architecturesurvey/] on 18/08/12 21. Wikimedia, Guggenheim Museum Bilbao (07/10) [photograph] accessed from [http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/1d/Guggenheim_Museum,_Bilbao,_ July_2010_%2806%29.JPG] on 18/08/12 22. La Vie Francais, Guggenheim, Bilbao, Spain (16/06/10) [photograph] accessed from [http://aporritt-laviefrancais.blogspot.com.au/2010/06/guggenheim-bilbao-spain.html] on 18/08/12 23. Wallpapers Wide, Guggenheim Museum Bilbao Wallpaper [photograph] accessed from [http://wallpaperswide.com/guggenheim_museum_bilbao-wallpapers.html] on 13/09/12 24. Wallpapers Wide, Guggenheim Museum Bilbao Wallpaper [photograph] accessed from [http://wallpaperswide.com/guggenheim_museum_bilbao_spain-wallpapers.html] on 13/09/12 25. Oswell, Paul, The One Minute Guide To… Park Guell, Barcelona [photograph] accessed from [http://www.dailymail.co.uk/travel/article-602472/The-One-Minute-Guide--brPark-G-ell-Barcelona.html] on 08/09/12 26. Losewitz, Mark, (2012) [photograph] Park Guell, taken by myself on 15 June 2012 27. Flickriver, Casa Batllo (11/04/07) [photograph] accessed from [http://www.flickriver.com/photos/bcnbits/460328518/] on 09/09/12 28. About.com, Barcelona - Casa Batllo Chandelier [photograph] accessed from [http://cruises.about.com/od/mediterraneancruises/ig/Barcelona---Casa-Batllo/Casa-BatlloChandelier.htm] on 09/09/12 29. Losewitz, Mark, (2012) [photograph] Casa Batllo, taken by myself on 15 June 2012 30. Wings of Wilderness, Hola, Esto es Espana (04/06/2012) [photograph] accessed from http://wingsofwilderness.blogspot.com.au/] on 09/09/12 31. Schmidt, Wieland, Swarm 3 on Grasshopper 3D (25/03/12) [photograph] accessed from [http://www.grasshopper3d.com/photo/swarm-3-2?xg_source=activity] on 22/08/12
35. JA65, Japan Pavilion Expo 2000 [photograph] accessed from [http://backnumber.japan-architect.co.jp/english/2maga/ja/ja0065/works/001.html] on 3/09/12 36. Wayfaring Travel Guide, Banq Restaurant [photograph] accessed from [http://www.wayfaring.info/2009/12/09/banq-restaurant/] on 03/09/12 37 | 38. Leeda Projects, Baker D Chirico, [photograph] accessed from [http://leeda.com.au/leeda/projects/109/baker-d-chirico] on 03/09/12 39 | 40 | 41. Architectural Scholar, Harvard’s Carpender Centre gets a Puppet Theatre (09/06/08) [photograph] accessed from [http://architecturalscholar.blogspot.com. au/2008/06/harvards-carpender-center-gets-puppet.html] on 18/08/12 42 | 43. Atelier 29, Puppet Theatre for Harvard’s Carpenter Centre (10/10/09) accessed from [http://atelier29.blogspot.com.au/2009/10/puppet-theatre-for-harvards-carpenter. html] on 18/08/12 44. TDAic, Toyo Ito: Generative Order (08/03/08) [photograph] accessed from [http://www.digiarts.org.tw/ShowNews.aspx?lang=en&CN_NO=434] on 03/09/12 45. Wikimedia, British Museum Great Court MG 4743.jpg [photograph] accessed from [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:British_Museum_Great_Court_MG_4743.jpg] on 03/09/12 46. No Coast Creative, Stalactile [photograph] accessed from [http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lbryt9aGyt1qexquuo1_r1_500.jpg] on 01/09/12 47 | 48. Archinect, Student Works:Stalactile, Tessellated Manifolds [photograph] accessed from [http://archinect.com/features/article/100296/student-works-stalactiletessellated-manifolds] on 01/09/12 49 | 50 | 51 | 53 | 54. Archdaily, Dragon Skin Pavilion / Emmi Keskisarja, Pekka Tynkkynen & LEAD (10/03/12) [photograph] accessed from [http://www.archdaily.com/215249/ dragon-skin-pavilion-emmi-keskisarja-pekka-tynkkynen-lead/] on 30/08/12 52. Modular, Dragon Skin Pavilion by LEAD [photograph] accessed from [http://l-e-a-d.pro/w/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/iws17-5-540x360.jpg] on 30/08/12 53. Design Playgrounds, CLJ02: Za11 Pavilion [photograph] accessed from [http://designplaygrounds.com/deviants/clj02-za11-pavilion/] on 13/09/12 54 | 55. Archdaily, ZA11 Pavilion / Dimitrie Stefanescu, Patrik Bedarf, Bogdan Hambasan (05/07/11) [photograph] accessed from [http://www.archdaily.com/147948/za11pavilion-dimitrie-stefanescu-patrick-bedarf-bogdan-hambasan/] on 13/09/12 56. Design Playgrounds, Aggregated Porosity DAL WKSHP [photograph] accessed from [http://designplaygrounds.com/blog/aggregated-porosity-dal-wkshp/] on 11/09/12 57. Evolo, Aggregated Porosity Workshop explores changing densities (29/08/11) [photograph] accessed from [http://www.evolo.us/architecture/aggregated-porosityworkshop-explores-dynamically-changing-densities/] on 11/09/12
01.02.B |
RECREATING THE VOUSSOIR CLOUD Arquigrafia, Voissoir Cloud - Iwamoto + Scott (03/07/11) [photograph] accessed from [http://arquigrafia.arquitecturacritica.com.ar/2011/07/voussoir-cloud-iwamoto-scott.html] on
VOUSSOIR CLOUD
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA | IWAMOTO SCOTT ARCHITECTS
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The Voussoir Cloud is a site specific installation built in 2008 by Iwamoto Scott Architects, intended to be appreciated from above and within. It ‘explores the structural paradigm of pure compression coupled with an ultra-light material system’. From observation, the cloud has been created using lofted catenary curves centred around and supported by five vaults. On this lofted surface a tessellated pattern of delaunay triangles has been placed and then the edges extruded at vector point determined by the direction of the face of the curve. Particular triangles have been left out, leaving gaps through which light is able to filter through. This not only illuminates the area
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underneath the cloud, it also significantly adds to the visual appeal of the pattern. Structurally, the vaults rely on themselves and the three surrounding walls to retain their pure compressive form, each small triangular piece emits force to those surrounding it, maintaining the shape of the structure avoiding it caving in on itself. The folded thin wood laminate material is lightweight and easily manipulated, allowing for relatively simple construction in a short amount of time. Being a temporary installation, the design intent of the project is difficult to discern. Being a public exhibition, it would have been the designers goal to publicize the
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design to as many people as possible, and considering that it is part of the Design Studio: Air course across the other side of the world, they have been successful. To be viewed from above and below means that the design must be experiential, you can walk within it, and the pattern must be visually on both sides. This has been achieved. On a strictly visual front, the name suggests that the design look like a cloud, which it does. Overall, the designers have succeeded in fulfilling all of the design intentions. One criticism I can find is that the structure itself is not self standing, and this relates directly to the Wyndham
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City proposal. This was one of the designers intentions, and while the panels themselves are under load and support themselves to an extent through the five vaults, the Cloud still relies on the surrounding walls to maintain stability. Our design must be a free standing structure near the freeway, exposed to elements such as rain and wind. This is something we must consider in the next step of our design progression, as we manipulate and develop the form of the Voussoir Cloud, and it is a distinct aim to make sure that the tessellated pattern is transferring the full load of the structure to the ground effectively.
ATTEMPT 1
ATTEMPT 2
FAILED
Our first attempt ended up being more exploratory than informed. Ultimately, our group had very little idea how to go about solving this design problem, the Voissoir Cloud was without a doubt a daunting task. We analyzed the form of the Cloud and decided that this was the best place to start. We began by creating basic circles, which we hoped would form the basis of the five vaults.
We divided each circle into five points around its axis, and using the ‘closest point’ function on grasshopper, we attempted to attach catenary curves from one circle to another. While we were able to connect a few curves, we immediately knew that the frequency of catenary curves was vastly lower than what we needed, we needed curves vaulting to a huge variety of different points to create such an undulating form. We were unable to increase the frequency of these around the base of the vaults, and unable to control where they curved to, closest point had them all going to the same place. Ultimately this was the downfall of attempt 1.
By lofting the catenary curves together we were able to create a form that had definite similarities to the Voissoir Cloud, although many alterations still needed to be made in order to continue in its recreation. It was a good starting point, but definitely not close enough to call it a success.
FAILED Attempt 1 failed not only because we didn’t have the number of curves necessary, but also because we didn’t have curves vaulting to the side wall, like the Voissoir Cloud. To counter this, we decided to create a rectangle raised on the z-axis above the base circles. From this we hoped to not only vault the curves from circle to circle, but also from circle to raised rectangle.
We divided the rectangle into evenly spaced points along its length, and vaulted curves from the base circle to the created point along this rectangle. Not only did this fail to recreate the general form of the Cloud, but we had curves vaulting between the furthest possible points, which totally baffled us.
We added curves between base circles, but didn’t even bother lofting it, it was obviously very wrong.
ATTEMPT 3
ATTEMPT 4
FAILED
We persisted with the idea. This time instead of vaulting curves to all the assigned points around the rectangle, we created a script in grasshopper that vaulted a curve from each point on the base circle to the closest point on the rectangle. This initially seemed to produce positive results, if not a bit too high.
We attempted to integrate the other circles into the equation, and that is where the issues began to arise. We began to lose the good distribution of vaults, rather we had three or four curves all going to the same point either on the rectangle or a nearby circle. And we also began to realise that if we continued to vault curves between circles, we would begin to have overlapping curves between them that would interupt and ruin the subsequent loft.
We began to realize that our idea was failing. We couldn’t seem to successfully recreate the form of the Voissoir Cloud through vaulting curves. We lofted anyway, to see what it would look like, and the result was as crude as we expected. Our group came to the conclusion that this failure was not the fault of the computer, rather it was our own. Grasshopper was doing as it was told, we had not accounted that the ‘closest point’ function would be in many cases come up with the same point. This was a learning experience.
FAILED This was our final attempt before we decided to seek assistance from Finn. After analyzing The Voissoir Cloud further, we realized that catenary curves were not lofted using closest point, so we decided to attach them manually. Rather than using circles as the base, we decided to change to a point, from which as many vaults as we like can arise. The curves came out perfectly, and we were really pleased with the form that seemed to be developing. It was very similar to the Cloud.
We lofted the central area between each base point, and then lofted the area surrounding this, hoping that both lofts would match up and create the iconic undulation that the Voissoir Cloud possesses. We were unsuccessful, as can be seen in the final vector drawing, where our result looks more like a vintage 80’s hat than an architectural structure. We were close, but the loft was closing in on itself underneath, the connection to the surrounding rectangle was incorrect, and lofts overlapped within the structure, restricting movement within it. We decided that we needed a totally different approach, deadlines were looming and we were falling very far behind our timeframe targets. We needed a better solution and fast, or we risked a total breakdown.
ATTEMPT 5
SUCCESS!!
Under the careful guidance of our tutors, we developed a new approach. We began with five basic octagonal shapes drawn on rhino, locked together at similar points where the edges of adjacent shapes meet. These meeting points highlighted above would create the vaults, once lofted.
We divided the octagons with a line between opposing edges, in order to successfully identify the mid point of the shape in order to create catenary curves from side to side.
In order to delete overlapping lofted area, ultimately opening up the interior area, allowing for movement within the space, we differenced the bRep from a newly created cutting box, in order to extract the planar curves. This gave us our completed overall shape.
We created the catenary curves, and lofted them to create working bRep’s.
We drew a relatively simple pattern on rhino, slightly dilated triangles similar to the plates of the Dragon Skin Pavilion, and then mapped this pattern directly onto the surface. The result was pleasing, and while obviously differences to the Voissoir Cloud were apparent, we were content to consider this our completed recreation.
RECREATED VOISSOIR CLOUD
The Voissoir Cloud proved very difficult to recreate in Grasshopper and Rhino, as can be seen from the multiple failed attempts and dead ends. Our final result, mirrors some of the defining characteristics of the Cloud, although the differences are also very apparent. In terms of shape we were able to relatively successfully recreate the flowing lofted catenary curves that act as the roof, although each loft stands alone with supports to the ground, creating five separate spaces within that are not accessible from the outside or each other, reducing the designs experiential qualities and completely revoking the ability to view the cloud from below. This was a result of mapping the pattern onto the
LOSEWITZ, AMBLER & VERDUYN
surface. This also results in the lofts not really flowing together as a roof, they remain five separate entities, and this is particularly evident when looking at the design. In terms of the tessellated pattern which has been placed on the loft, The Voissoir Cloud has used delauney triangles, while we were only able to produce relatively simple curved triangles. While ultimately a different shape, we were still able to alter the sizes of the triangles, getting smaller as you get closer to the top. Each piece in the recreation is hollow, rather than solid, which I believe significantly reduces the visual experience.
Structural stability is very important in the design of the Cloud, and our recreation makes an effort to mirror this. Each triangle is attached to three others surrounding it, with forces being transferred from the smaller pieces to the stronger larger pieces at the bottom. Obviously our design is relatively simple and gives us much scope to develop and improve on ideas. Our goal is to create a self standing structure, supported solely by the connections between panels, similar to the Dragon Skin Pavilion. In order to do this we will need to reconsider our connections, whether each one will overlap in some way or similar to the Voissoir Cloud,
have small bolts holding each one to its neighbours. The design also needs to be more eye catching. This can be achieved in a number of ways, employing the use of colour, solidify the panels, fabricating them in alternate sizes, altering the overall shape of the design or including a visual component in a similar manner to the ZA11 Pavilion. These are our goals for our design as we progress, and if we can incorporate them in alignment with client expectations and constraints of the site, we will hopefully produce a very effective design.
01.02.C |
PROOF OF CONCEPT
Shape of the recreation was the first aspect to alter. We experimented with a range of heights and lengths, all changeable through a number slider on grasshopper. Increasing the height makes it look out of proportion, and would be overbearing on the site. Increaing the length makes little difference, and could be used to adapt design to site requirements in the future.
Initially modifying the pattern, we experimented with rudimentary shapes such as stars and rocks, but the result was much too literal, something specifically told to avoid. The use of hexagons that interlock together is more effective. Its sharp edges make it eye catching. Could also be made structural. A good one to consider! In a similar method to the pathway above, we are able to change the scale of pattern through different mapping strategies. The smaller scale pattern makes it look like a honeycomb, it is visually stimulating and definately structural. A good development. The larger scale alterations are really interesting, but structurally they would be impossible to make stable. This very visually stimulating development arose from an interesting mapping method of circles within circles. Further progression reduced the length of each dome, resulting in the ‘sailboats’ design. Personally I love it. I think not only is it interesting, but with further development it could tie into the history of Wyndham and suit the site perfectly. It could also be made structural.
01.02.C | CASE STUDY 2.0 MATRIX
We experimented with the extrusion length and direction to give the design added visual qualities, in order to grab passers by. The example in blue is extruded at a central vector point within the design. This idea of a priveledge point of view could be expanded upon in the future, and could be very effective in revealing something about Wyndham to the driver, if only briefly...
Another interesting adaptation that arose totally by chance, as we attempted different mapping techniques. While just random forms, i have a distinct liking to them, there visual and really draw the eye, especially the second from the right. In terms of structure they would be nearly impossible to build.
This row of alterations builds on from the ‘sailboats’ idea earlier. Elements have been moved around and length of each has been altered. The second from the right grabs my attention. Its very basic, but something about it seems to suit the site, it looks like a road side intallation already. Could be an idea to work on..
I added these two relatively random developments in because of their visual aspects. Obviously it would be impossible to fabricate, but the overall visual themes of either one is really interesting. I love how the lines work together to create an overall form.
01.02.C | CASE STUDY 2.0 MATRIX
1
2
STRUCTURALLY STABLE SELF STANDING EXPERIENTIAL
EXTRUDED AT VECTOR POINT VISUAL ELEMENT ADDED
3 HEXAGONAL PATTERN AESTHETIC, SHARP EDGES STABILITY MAINTAINED
4
SCALE OF PATTERN REDUCED ‘HONEYCOMB’ LOOK
The Proof of Concept chosen represents structural continuity, has an basic aesthetic appeal and represents a small step towards our overall aims set out earlier in the semester. Although, due to constraints such as fabrication, our hand was ultimately forced when it came to deciding which development was best, and to be honest I feel like other options were more interesting and may present more options in the future. Our chosen Proof Of Concept displayed above is relatively unchanged from the initial recreation of the Voissoir Cloud. The shape is exactly the same, only really the visual pattern has been altered to a sharper, hexagonal design. No real effort has been made to significantly develop either the structural components or visual elements of
the chosen development. Our Matrix I believe is quite strong, and has a range of different interesting options, but almost all of them are impossible to fabricate, due usually to a ‘meshing’ of lines. In particular the ‘Sail Boat’ development is visually stimulating and with work could be made structurally sound, but upon inspection it was found to be impossible to fabricate, there were just too many lines to work with. This was a huge blow to our group. At this point in time I am worried about the response we will receive at the mid semester critique. But ultimately we have no other option but to present this Proof Of Concept, because it seems at this point that this is the only one that we can successfully make to satisfy the fabrication requirements.
01.02.D |
THE ISSUES OF FABRICATION
Fabrication turned out to be a disaster. Not only did we struggle with the tedious task of converting our design to flattened, printable rhino files, we underestimated the difficulty of putting it all together, and made it at a ridiculously small scale. This resulted in an underwhelming final model that personally I don’t believe fully represented the hard work we put in. In order to flatten our grasshopper script, we had to download the plug ins provided by on the ExLab site. This allowed us to flatten each panel of the design to a 2D printable shape, create a useful grid to which we could insert our flattened panels and then create individual tabs on each piece. It was then a simple procedure to bake the grasshopper files into the rhino file provided by the FabLab, and label each line as either a cut or a sear. One area we were unsuccessful with was labelling each piece with a number. We tried endlessly with the grasshopper script but could not insert cumulative
number sequence on each panel to help us know where each piece goes throughout fabrication. This significantly hindered our progress, particularly when constructing the upper section of the model where each piece is minuscule. When we fabricate our final at the end of semester, we will definitely add in a number sequence, we now see how critical this step is to the fabrication process. So what else did we learn from this exercise? The larger the scale, the better representation of the structural continuity of the design. At such a small scale it was difficult to tell if the structure was adequately supporting itself. We will also be aware of fabrication expectations through our design process, and as we continue to develop and critique or design, in the back of our mind we will be aware that we have to actually build it come final crit, and we want this process to be as easy and convenient as possible.
01.02.E |
EXPRESSION OF INTEREST ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN STUDIO MARK LOSEWITZ, MATT AMBLER, TANYA VERDUYN University of Melbourne | 2012
Throughout the semester thus far, our group has strived to realise two particular goals in our design, and our progression and development to this point has been sculpted around these.
DRAGON SKIN PAVILION
KOWLOON PARK, HONG KONG | LEAD ARCHITECTS
‘‘TO ENSURE STRUCTURAL STABILITY PURELY BASED AROUND THE CONNECTIONS AND DISTRIBUTION OF FORCE BETWEEN PANELS’’ and.. ‘‘TO INCORPORATE SOME FORM OF VISUAL STIMULANT, EITHER THROUGH PATTERN, FACADE OR PRIVELEDGE POINT’’
ZA11 PAVILLION
DIMITRIE STEFANESCU, PATRICK BEDARF, BOGDAN HAMBASAN
[53] ZA11 Pavilion | 2011
[49] Dragon Skin Pavilion | LEAD | 2012
‘‘WE BELIEVE THE COMPUTATIONAL AREA OF PANELISATION, WITH A MINOR FOCUS ON STRUCTURE, CAN ACHIEVE THE GOALS WE HAVE PROPOSED’’ The ZA11 Pavilion is a student designed and built construct that uses extrusion at a particular vector to allow for a priveledge point for those standing within the design. Our design experiments with extrusions, although not to the depth and success of the ZA11. In the future weeks we hope to come up with something of similar ilk, that captures the imagination of the viewer, is interesting and introduces a particular visual element that reinforces the designs intent.
PANELISATION + STRUCTURE PRECEDENTS
The Dragon Skin Pavilion, above, fulfills both of these goals. It is a self standing dwelling, experiential from both the inside and out, that relies on the connections between panels to stand alone. The overlap allows for adequate load distribution. The panels not only ensure structure, they are also incredibly aesthetic, working together to create an overall form that instantly catches the eye.
SHEER WALL
SO WHY DO WE DESERVE TO BE GIVEN THE DESIGN JOB??
JESSE PIETILA
[63] Sheer Wall | Jesse Piatila | 2010
To be honest, I dont think we deserve it at all. At this point our design is evidently still just a concept, it is far from a finished product to be presented to a crit and it requires a lot more refining before it is any semblance of a final. Only two weeks before the mid semester presentation we were still developing our idea, still coming up with our focus areas and interests. I understand that architecture is a profession that works to deadlines, but for this project at least I feel we need a little bit more time to nurture our ideas.
[58] Voissoir Cloud | Iwamoto Scott | 2011
‘‘IN TERMS OF THE DESIGN BRIEF, PANELISATION IS THE PERFECT METHOD TO NOT ONLY CREATE SOMETHING THAT IS VISUALLY ATTRACTIVE, BUT ALSO SOMETHING THAT CAN INTERACT WITH THE TARGET AUDIENCE DIRECTLY, THE DRIVERS’’ The Sheer Wall has used a very similar design technique to the one we used to create our Proof Of Concept. Its pattern is formed throughout joining hollow shapes, with each one extruded in a slightly different direction to give the impression of movement, or fluidity. It also restricts view in particular areas of the design, where the extrusions interupt the eyes line of sight.
PRECEDENTS
The Voissoir Cloud was our primary precedent. The basics of our design are mirrored straight from its successes, and we have aspired for many weeks now to recreate these successes in our own redeveloped way.
VOUSSOIR CLOUD
IWAMOTO SCOTT
Our concept has positives, to which we can develop further in the coming weeks. If we can achieve a self standing structure, that will significantly reduce the need for maintenance on site. Our matrix presented some very visual experiments aswell, and if we can combine these two features together we will have a design that will be very desirable. ‘Visual, Experiential and Structural’, those are our goals, and we believe that if achieved this will directly appeal to the council board.
PROOF OF CONCEPT
MODEL
PROOF OF CONCEPT
MODEL
PROOF OF CONCEPT
VECTOR LINEWORK
MID SEMESTER REVIEW THE WAKE UP CALL This week has provided time to step away from design studio: Air, to have a break and gather my thoughts. Time away is often a critical step when you hit a wall, when you cant seem to move forward a break can refresh you, resulting in a fresh mindset which paves the way for a new way forward. It can give new life to a project, instead of being obstinate about your concepts you can once again look on your own work with a critical eye inciting new and creative ideas. The response from the mid semester critique was underwhelming at best. Our design was criticized for lack of refinement; it apparently failed in the goals we had initially set out of structural stability and aesthetic appeal. The model was too small to adequately represent if the concept was structurally stable, was poorly made and didn’t exhibit a sound understanding of fabrication. Visually the pattern we had employed was too basic, and no real visual element was really introduced, such as a privilege point of view. The tutors were careful not to totally destroy our spirit, but were forceful enough in their words to suggest that our concept needed further refinement before our path forward was revealed. They said we were stuck in our approach, we had ideas and goals but had done little to develop it into a true concept, they seemed to realise we had really hit a wall. Initially, I was angry to hear this. We had put so much time into constructing it on the computer despite our lack of grasshopper skills, making it fabricateable, fighting through heartbreaking failures and unsuccessful attempts. I was also disappointed that our proposed concept wasn’t the culmination of our ideas. In the 50 developments we had many other concepts that we chose, attempted to develop, only to realise that it was either impossible to fabricate due to ‘meshing’, or in our minds, too much of a final product to develop further into a great final. We kept being pushed back and back, until the design we chose was only a few steps in front of our recreated Voissoir Cloud. It was difficult to stand up in front of the class and present a concept that you know doesn’t represent the work you put into it, isn’t to your full potential. So when the critics said the words i knew i was going to hear, it was finally realising my failures without any justifiable excuse. It took me a week away from the subject to mull what the tutors had said over, and to admit to myself that they were exactly correct. I had initially been blinded by deadlines, stress and failures into believing that our design deserved praise. With a new refreshed outlook, i can now tackle the subject with a more level headed rational approach. Our troubles began in Week 6, when we were unable to successfully develop our recreation into our own idea, we had confined ourself by the Voissoir Cloud, and were unable to move away from it into something
new. I feel as though the course is partly to blame for this, making us choose particular computational themes and recreate a piece that represents this theme, it became hard to consider anything outside this confined box of the Voissoir Cloud. We had tried so hard to recreate it; it seems stupid to stray away from its ideas. This reluctance to step away from the Cloud, combined with a distinct lack of time, only two weeks, our lack of grasshopper skills and the ambiguity of the course expectations resulting in a less than desirable final product in the mid semester presentation. But the beauty is we still have 4 weeks, we still have goals and ideas that are relevant to the topic, and we have time to right the ship and correct the issues we have brought upon ourselves. We have had our wake up call, and its time to move forward. From here we must develop our own concept, one that isn’t constrained by the Voissoir Cloud, one that both represents structural and aesthetic themes and satisfies the constraints of the brief and the site, something we will look at in the coming weeks. Also rather than identifying our themes as ‘structural’ and ‘visual’, as we did in the crit, we need to streamline this into an actual idea. We need to develop these further so that these words can be replaced with ‘overlapping plates that distribute load’ and ‘privileged point of view’. Once we have these we will rid the design from its current ambiguity and we will have opened a new door, giving ourselves a path toward our final product. This is what we should have done in Week 6, but better late than never, we will have to do it now. I’m glad we had the mid semester crit, it has opened my eyes to our issues and failures. We have our path now, only time will tell if we will be successful in the development of our final design.
REFERENCES
IMAGES | WEEKS 5-8
58 | 60 | 61 | 63 | 64 | 65. Triangulation, Voissoir Cloud (07/06/11) [photograph] accessed from [http://www.triangulationblog.com/2011/06/voussoir-cloud.html] on 30/08/12 59. Rotwang Haus, Voussoir Cloud (10/11/10) [photography] accessed from [http://rotwanghaus.blogspot.com.au/2010/11/voussoir-cloud.html] on 30/08/12 62. Archdaily, Voissoir Cloud / IwamotoScott (15/08/12) [photography] accessed from [http://www.archdaily.com.br/54024/voussoir-cloud-iwamotoscott-architecture-burohappold/] on 12/09/12 63. DMY International Design Festival Berlin, Jesse Pietila [photograph] accessed through [http://archive.dmy-berlin.com/en/festival/2011-2/zentrale-ausstellung/jesse-pietila/] on 18/09/12 ALL IMAGES TAKEN OF OUR MODEL WERE TAKEN BY MATT AMBLER (2012) ON THE 12/09/12