B.1. - DESIGN FOCUS
part B APPRAOCH DESIGN 38
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PART B. EOI I: DESIGN APPROACH
b.1.1. what is tesselation? In architecture, tessellation is a structural skin that forms the facade of the building. It is a modular frame system composes with repeating element of similar polygon shapes connecting togetherand covers the entire surface. 1 Since the structural skin is breaking up into smaller elements, as long as they are connecting closely together, it can create dynamic architecture by rotating the elements to different angles to form an irregular surface frame. In this way, architect will be able to play more with the form, light and airflow, and explore more possibility.
b.1.2. Wyndham City Western Gateway Project
Academic Building 80,RMIT University, Swanston Street, Melbourne Today, tessellation has gradually become a popular theme on lots of architecture design, such as the Academic Building 80 of RMIT on Swanston Street and Articulated Cloud by Ned Kahn. For this Gateway Project, we chose tessellation as the design theme not only because the repeating element in tessellation that forms the structural frame can brings flexibility to the form to correspond with the site, but can also catch people’s eye in the first place by the repeating transitional geometric pattern shown on the facade. During the design, we have to consider the tessellated element as a volume but not merely a surface, so it is more challenging when it goes to the aspect of installation method. From the previous part, our group has formed three discourse topics, which are form-driven space, nature as source, and space and experience. In order to involve all these three topics in our design, we have built our core consideration for the Gateway Project, which are structural skin, organic form, effect and performance, and these three considerations will always keep in our mind during the process of design exploration and development.
Wyndham City is seeking responses from design professionals for the design and documentation of an exciting, eye catching installation atWyndham’s Western Gateway. ...and encourage and challenge you to develop a proposal that inspires and enriches the municipality. - Western Gateway Design Project Brief 2011 The Western Gateway design project in Wyndham City has the core requirements of creating an exciting, eye catching installation that inspires and express specific value related to the city, for the purpose of welcome the residents and encourage more motorist to come and explore the city. By using the design theme of tessellation, the repeating element on the structure will definitely be the first thing to catch people’s eyes, and the density of the element will also create a strong contrast with the straight freeway and plain vegetation around the site. However, this is just a starting point of the design; in order to meet all the requirements provided in the design brief, projects’ location, form, orientation and other details should all be carefully considered.
1 http://www.azahner.com/tessellate.cfm image: http://www.azahner.com/tessellate.cfm
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PART B. EOI I: DESIGN APPROACH
B.2. - CASE STUDY 1.0
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PART B. EOI I: DESIGN APPROACH
b.2.1. case study 1.0-Voussoir Cloud One of the famous example of tessellationa architecture is Voussoir Cloud by IwamotoScott. It is a site specific installation project created in 2008 by IwamotoScott Architecture and Buro Happold for the Southern California Institute of Architecture gallery, Los Angeles.2 It is composed with fourteen segments pieces with the tessellated triangular shape petal connecting together to form the vaults that rely on each other and the three walls to retain their pure compressive form. The vaults also extended to the ground and form a series of five columns that support the interior and back edge.3 Tessellation on the Voussoir Cloud is the three dimensional petals which are formed by folding thin wood laminate along curve seams. The curve produces an infected and dished form that relies on the internal surface tension of the wood and folded geometry of the
flanges to hold its shape. Overall, Voussoir Cloud has use the thin material to contrast with the mass structure, and the gap between each form is creating the unexpected lighting effect. In fact, we are quite ingnspired by this project. The vaults structure has stimulate the idea of creating a arch structure running across the freeway, and also reminded us to consider about the lighting effect of our project.
“In the end, “Voussoir Cloud” attempts to defamiliarize both structure and material to create conflict readings of normative architectural typologies. It is a light, porous surface made of compressive elements that created atmosphere with these luminous wood pieces, and uses this to gain sensorial effects,” – ARCHIVENUE 2009
b.2.2. matrix exploration To recreate the project of Voussoir Cloud,we use the Grasshopper definition provided on LMS as a basis to further explore it. This stage is where we started to understand how build works can be created using Grasshopper and how to extend existing definition into new work. Moreover, we also tried to figure out whether there is any definition that we can use or futher explore as an inspiration for our Gateway Project.
During the process of extending the definition provided for making Voussoir Cloud, we found out a very useful plug-in in Grasshopper Kangaroo. Kangaroo is a Live Physical engine for interactive simulation, optimization and form-finding directly within Grasshopper. Through adjusting the velocity of the engine, we can achieve the optimal outcome to mimic the form of Voussoir Cloud by simply switch on the toggle connected to Kangaroo. Pictures on the left are showing different outcomes during the manipulation of parameter value. We found out that the higher the parameter value set for the shape of the model, the more active motion will get in Kangaroo. And the bottom one at the right side has added a triangulate definition to create triangular mesh, which is quite like the Voussior Cloud one.
2. http://www.triangulationblog.com/2011/06/voussoir-cloud.html 3. http://www.dezeen.com/2008/08/08/voussoir-cloud-by-iwamotoscott/ image: http://www.dezeen.com/2008/08/08/voussoir-cloud-by-iwamotoscott/
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PART B. EOI I: DESIGN APPROACH This group of species here has emphasis how the form will change by manipulating the parameter value in the definition “Vector XYZ” that connected to “Kangaroo” through “UnaryForce”. In our view, the manipulation of parameter values in this definition can be used as a simulation of pressure that applies on the object. For example, the first one on the left is achieved by adjusting the parameter value on the X component, represents intensity of the force on X axis hence mimic the wind pressure in real life. The bottom one on the right is achieved by the same way but on Z component so the force is going downward; hence mimic the gravity pressure in real life.
Since tessellation is more focusing on the structural skin, therefore we wanted to extend the definition in the aspect of achieving different geometric skin performance. In order to do this, we firstly added “Divide Curve” to “Mesh Edges” to divide the curve into equal length segments, and then connect “Plane” to it to create a plane and “Polygon” to create different types of polygons. During the exploration, the hexagon has stand out because we think the shape will have more possibility for transformation than triangle and rectangle, plus it is not too complicated to play with. However, at this stage, the hexagons we created on the surface are only a plane, and are not really forming the structure of the model.
STUDY 1.0 CASE
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The matrixes here are showing some other random exploration with the definition.Some of it are achieved by simply repleacing the original points and curve to another one to create a entirely different form. This is shown above in colume 1 and 2.
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PART B. EOI I: DESIGN APPROACH Our own definition and exploration
VoltaDom – Matrix Exploration
STUDY1.0
CASE
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PART B. EOI I: DESIGN APPROACH
B.3. - CASE STUDY 2.0
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PART B. EOI I: DESIGN APPROACH
b.3.1. case study 2.0-FabPod (RMIT Design Hub Project)
For case study 2.0, we have chose FabPod in RMIT Design Hub (building 100) on Swanston Street to do the exploration, because it is relatively familiar to us and also easy to visit. FabPod is a meeting room enclosure that providing acoustic privacy for meetings and focused work. It is a workshop for designers to engage and learn new tools and techniques around parametric design, acoustic simulation and digital fabrication. FabPod combines research into the sound diffusing properties of hyperbolic surfaces, with the problem of small semienclosed meeting areas in open plan settings, utilising a combination of digital modelling and mass customised CNC prototyping and architectural traditions of craft production and material effects.4 The project brought together researchers across fields of architectural design, acoustic design, computer aided design
and digital fabrication.5 To some extent, this design is an outcome of research into the relationship of architectural geometry and acoustics. While techniques for evaluating reverberation and absorption of sound are well developed, the diffusion of sound is a more emergent area of research.6 The project is composed with 180 hexagon component with different shapes and sizes. The hyperbolic geometry of these components can diffuse the sound only within the meeting room area hence enhance acoustic privacy in this room. The hexagons are installed one by one and match perfectly with each other so there is no gap between them. Holes has been cut out on each of the hexagon, some of it are installed with light equipment for the interior, some of it are just let it hollow to allow light emit from the inside to the outside.
STUDY2.0
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4. http://mcburry.net/fabpod/ 5. http://mcburry.net/fabpod/ 6. http://www.independentsgroup.net/rmit-fab-pod
Image: http://www.independentsgroup.netrmit-fab-pod http://vicawards.architecture.com.au2013-field-of-entrants
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PART B. EOI I: DESIGN APPROACH
b.3.2. Recreation of FabPod
STUDY2.0
CASE
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B.4. - Technique: Development
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PART B. EOI I: DESIGN APPROACH
Since Wyndham City has recently put a lot of effort on upgrading the condition and aesthetics of its streetscape, open spaces and parks, our project have to set to enhances the appearance of the Western Interchange Gateway and welcome the local residents, but more importantly, encourages more motorists to come and explore Wyndham. We have set the topic as ‘Contrast’, because we want to highlight that Wyndham city is a special city and also in most cases, when a visitor enter an unfamiliar city, the first thing they should feel is contrast, and it is an experience that can impress people in a short period of time in a large flat and smooth landscape. We especially use the visible contrast to reflect natural and industrial which is related to Wyndham city and Melbourne city. For the design project location, we have place the design inside the yellow circled area to engage people as much as possible. As shown in the site picture, the design will cover the road from both direction, which then lead us to come with the idea of create a double arch that has two supporting resting on the lawn area near the road. Since the contrast is about natural and industrial, we decided to design an organic form with smooth surface, not only because it can make people associate Wyndham as a naturally aesthetic city, but can also present the characteristic of tessellation in a better way, and the irregular streamline shape stretched across the princess highway will adds a strong visual effect to the plain ordinary site.
DEVELOPMENT
b.4.1. DESIGN INTENT
TECHNIQUE: 58
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PART B. EOI I: DESIGN APPROACH
b.4.2. DEVELOPING PROCESS Geometric Exploration, The pattern of hexagon has been chosen at this point.
Structure exploration, hexagon has been chosen
Hexagon structure exploration
As mentioned in Case study 1.0 before, when we create the matrix for Voussoir Cloud, the pattern of hexagon really stands out because the shape is simple and has a lot of possibility for transformation, so we have chose this pattern as the base for tessellation, and create three form with different style of tessellated hexagon. However, the desired geometric structure we are looking for should related to the topic “contrast”, therefore we thought about creating geometric contrast by transform the hexagon into different shapes.
To achieve the form of ‘floating paper’ in Rhino, we just simply created some curve to outline the shape and built a surface on it, then we apply the different types of polygon such as triangle, rectangle, hexagon and circle on it.
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PART B. EOI I: DESIGN APPROACH
B.5. - Technique: prototypes
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PART B. EOI I: DESIGN APPROACH
b.5.1. FINAL OUTCOME
b.5.2. MATERIALISATION PLAN VIEW
MATERIAL RENDER
The contrast that is using in our design is form and material.
In order to creating contrast between natural and industrial, we decided to use hexagon with sharp shape to related to industrial city, and transform it to the middle with more soft shape to related to natural city. At the two supporting part of the structure, the distorted hexagon shape will transform to the dense small regular hexagon and work as a support to touch the ground. A row of striped shape hexagon will be laying on the peak point of the “page�, in the direction leading towards Wyndham, this area will be hollowed out, therefore when the lights get through this area, it will create a sense that guides (welcome, bright up the way) people to the Wyndham City.
PERSPECTIVE VIEW
FRONTVIEW
To contrast the material, we are considering using plywood timber for the most of hexagon frame to correspond with the organic form but using galvanized steel particularly at the supporting part of the frame which is shown in the render picture above. The material of galvanized steel is representing the industrial city as it is an industrial production, and
timber can represent natural city as it is natural material. Moreover, the heavy looking steel against the light-weight timber has built another unexpected visual contrast. In the other hand, because the supporting material at this area have to be strong and durable, galvanize steel is a good choice as it has high strength, high durability and low cost.
BENEFITS OF GALVANIZED STEEL:7 - Lowest first cost - Less maintenance/Lowest long term cost - Long life - Reliability - Toughest coating - Automatic protection for damage area - Complete protection - Ease of inspection -Faster erection time - A full protective coating can be applied in miniutes
BENEFITS OF PLYWOOD:8 - Increased stability - High impact resistance - Surface dimensional stability - High strength to weight ratio - Panel shear - Chemical resistance
prototypes TECHNIQUE:
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7. http://www.gaa.com.au/index.php?page=10-benefits-of-galvanizing 8. http://www.woodsolutions.com.au/Wood-Product-Categories/Plywood
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PART B. EOI I: DESIGN APPROACH DAYTIME SHADOW UNDER NATURAL SUNLIGHT - 1
b.5.2. LIGHT AND SHADOW WITH1:100 PHYSICAL MODEL
The effect for the design is light and shadow
DAYTIME SHADOW UNDER NATURAL SUNLIGHT - 3 MODEL MAKING PROCESS: To make the 1:100 physical model, we firstly unroll each of the hexagon component one by one into strips, and then send it to the FabLab and used cut cutter to print it. It took us a lot of time to fold over 400 strips into hexagon shape and putting them together in order, however, the outcome of the model is quite good, especially when it comes to the lighting effect testing.
DAYTIME SHADOW UNDER NATURAL SUNLIGHT - 2
NIGHTTIME LIGHTING EFFECT
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LED light will be installed at the ground inside of the “page”, so when it’s at night, the light will spread out through its geometric structural skin and create dramatic lighting effect.
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B.6. - Technique: Proposal
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b.6.1. Technique Proposal
The below pictures showing how the structure fits to the landscape
DETAIL DRAWING Most of the three-dimensional hexagon element is made with plywood which can correspond with the organic form also related to nature. For the installation detail, each of the individual hexagon elements has been put together using bolt and metal cleat shown in the detail drawing.
SUPPORTING
There is no additional installation of supporting structure of the design, the “paper� is supporting by the part of its structure which is the two lowest point of the arch. Overall, the structure is self-supporting.
proposal
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PART B. EOI I: DESIGN APPROACH
The biggest issue we are having now is we didn't build convincing design intent that can related to the Wyndham City, our argument has become weak when it comes to meet with the requirement of express specific value related to Wyndham City. Also, the contrasts is not strong enough that people can really feel or notice it when they quickly pass through the freeway. In turns of the digital model, it is a pity that we didn’t produce the model using the Kangaroo plug in as it is related to one of our case study – Voussoir Cloud, so we will maybe try to do so in the following weeks by using Kangaroo to produce the arch shape of our design. What we planning to achieve for the following weeks is to provide thickness to the tessellated hexagon components to all direction. In this way, the hexagon can turn to a real structural element, and it will be easier for us to think more about the installation method for it.
B.7. - LEARNING OBJECTIVES AND OUTCOMES
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
&OUTCOMES
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