Portfolio 2023 by Mahsa Masalegoo

Portfolio Mahsa Sadat Masalegoo Spring 2023

Mahsa Sadat Masalegoo Architect Major: Master of Science in Design Minor: Robotics and Autonomous Systems [MSD-RAS] University of Pennsylvania

INDEX

Robotic Fabrication Robotic Fabrication & Automation

Siteless House

2023-2024

Generative Design & Robotic Fabrication

Vita Wall

May 2023

AI-based Design & Robotic Fabrication

GABO’en GAN

Oct 2022

Computational Design & Robotic Fabrication

GROTTO

Jan 2022

Computational Design & Computational Analysis

Multifunctional High-Rise

Sep 2018

Computational Form Making

Desert Bloom

Jan 2018

Digital Design & Digital Fabrication

Karaj Theatre Hall

Aug 2019

Computational Design & Digital Fabrication

Create]CON[

Jan 2019

Computational Design

Adaptive Gate

May 2017

Computational Design & Digital Fabrication

Siteless House: DFD PRECAST CONCRETE HOUSE RESEARCH • GROUP PROJECT • UPENN • Weitzman School of Design Instructor: Masoud Akbarzadeh, Robert Stuart-Smith Lab: Polyhedral Structures Laboratory (PSL) , Autonomous Manufacturing Lab (AML-PENN) Collaborating Partner: Cemex Global R&D Position: Researcher

The Siteless House project takes a groundbreaking approach to relocatable housing through the development of a lightweight precast concrete tectonic designed for disassembly (DFD). This tectonic functions as a structural building envelope, integrating floors and foundations. To achieve this, we’ve devised a design-computation and fabrication method involving robot hot-wire cutting of expanded polystyrene (EPS foam). This method allows for the engineering of high-strength, lightweight precast concrete components with variable geometrical forms, emphasizing material efficiency and exploring scale-free architectural design expressions. The house is specifically designed for disassembly and relocation, with a focus on principles that aim to reduce building costs and environmental impact. In my role within the project, I am focused on robot calibration (Robot Accuracy and repeatability test by Touch Point and Hot Wire cutter) to maximize accuracy in the fabrication process. During the last prototype, we encountered issues with leaking concrete during casting, affecting the accuracy of the panels’ edges. I have since redesigned the fabrication assembly process to be simpler and require fewer pieces, while striving to achieve maximum accuracy in robotic fabrication. Currently, we are in the midst of the first half-scale prototyping, which has proven successful. Simultaneously, I am working on automating the entire fabrication process using Grasshopper and Python to generate rapid codes for robotic fabrication more efficiently. The next step involves prototyping the most complex geometries and optimizing material usage, cost, and time for the project. Other step involves prototyping the floor and foundation, and we aim to build a one-to-one scale of the entire project.

SKILLS DEPLOYED Robot Calibration Fabrication and Assembly Design and Modeling Robotic Fabrication + Prototype Casting Automation of Fabrication Scripting Presentation + Video + Photography 4

VITA WALL ACADEMIC • GROUP PROJECT • UPENN • Weitzman School of Design Instructor: Robert Stuart-Smith Team: Cem Akgun, Aisha Alshehri ,Adhityan Anbumozhi

This project aims to enhance ceramic facades, promoting vegetation growth with improved porosity and adaptability to weather conditions. Utilizing Generative Design, we tailor the output to meet specific constraints, managing building height and spacing. Our approach involves crafting a mono-material facade using slip-cast geometries in robotically controlled clay additive manufacturing, blending ancient pottery techniques with modern robotic fabrication. The workflow includes embedding bone-dried slip-cast components into wet 3D-printed clay, enhancing nesting surface area. Two robots collaborate in this process: a 6-axis ABB IRB4600 industrial robot and an LDM WASP Extruder XL with interchangeable nozzles and a 5L Clay Tank for all clay extrusion operations. The second robot of the same model employs a gripper and camera scanner as an end-effector for picking and placing slipcast components. This method results in slip-cast components’ post-process rotatability, addressing ceramic-to-ceramic joint challenges. The uniqueness is showcased in a proof-of-concept architectural prototype with 12 half-scale pieces. Critical considerations include meticulously designing overprinted clay geometries, nozzle size, printing velocity, material deposition, clay supports, and ornamental effects. Each element plays a pivotal role in the project’s success. The final images depict the fabrication of one prototype piece, showcasing clay-printed internal supports, cylindrical slip-cast support, and sphere contours essential for embedding and rotation (a: mesh geometry, b: contour layers of geometry, c: actual clay printing before completion).

SKILLS DEPLOYED Idea and Development+Research Modeling+Scripting Diagram Development Presentation+Video+Photography Robotic Additive Manufacturing+Slip Casting 6

CLAY PRINTING ARM AND POSITIONING ARMS OPERATING TOGETHER

Mesh

Placing the slip-cast parts

Endeffector’s Path

Bone-dried Phase

Supports

Glazing Phase

GABO’en GAN ACADEMIC • GROUP PROJECT • UPENN • Weitzman School of Design Instructor: Andrew Saunders Team: Nicholas Houser, Jeffrey Liao ,Xinlin Lu, Tingwai Mo

This project delves into the innovative use of a hot wire cutter as the robot’s end-effector, employing a robotic fabrication technique. Drawing inspiration from the sculptural works of Naum Gabo and Antoine Pevsner, the design’s geometric foundation revolves around ruled surfaces, aligning seamlessly with the linear cutting approach of the wire. So we started to learn the ruled surface logic and its distinction from developable ones. Once we modeled one of Gabo’s and Pevsners’s sculptures, we started to design our own ruled surface form. the second process was using AI as a developing design process and adding a more autonomous approach to our design. we used the creative process with Graphic Neural Network (GAN). In this process, two chosen geometries were then fused with another image in Midjourney, the outcome serving as the blueprint for the ceiling plan. The transition to Rhino facilitated the conversion of the image into a tangible 3D representation, allowing for precise definition and shaping of the ceiling. In the prototype phase, a ceiling segment was chosen to robotically fabricate as a proof of concept. The hot wire cutter constraint (the size and linear logic) played a pivotal role in shaping the project’s overall logic showing the integrity of fabrication and design. As a testament to the concept’s viability, a prototype was meticulously fabricated by segmenting the ceiling into portions. Strategic placement of lighting between the articulations edges and subtle wobbly edges, effectively showcasing the fabrication accuracy and the unique attributes of ruled surfaces. To elevate the project’s interactivity, Arduino coding was employed to create a dynamic lighting design. The primary illumination in the central cylindrical section would blink or toggle based on proximity, adding an engaging dimension to the overall project experience.

SKILLS DEPLOYED Idea and Development Modeling+ Scripting Diagram Development Presentation + Video + Photography Robotic hot wire cutting fabrication 8

GROTTO ACADEMIC • GROUP PROJECT • UPENN • Weitzman School of Design Instructor: Ezio Blasetti Team: Nicholas Houser, Jeffrey Liao, Xinlin Lu, Tingwai Mo

The project was the design of a hybrid structure that supports an Autonomous Public Garden. The project will manifest as a lightweight endoskeleton providing envelope and support for the growth of an organic structural and ephemeral system. This semi-structural composite scaffold (Robotic 3D Weaving of Continuous Carbon Fiber + Composite Materials) will support the internal growth of the garden: synthetic environments of high definition. Over time the two systems organic and inorganic – will merge into a single ecology. We utilized Cellular Automata (Game of Life) spawn points that adapt to different site contexts. The Game of Life serves as a prime example of a cellular automaton, taking place on an infinite two-dimensional, orthogonal grid comprised of squares. Within this grid, each cell can exist in one of two states: alive or dead. The state of each cell undergoes changes during each turn or generation based on the conditions of its eight neighboring cells. This project draws inspiration from the Game of Life, utilizing it as an initial framework. However, in this exploration, the game is examined in a three-dimensional context, observed in stacked layers. The structural process begins on the bottom layer, with subsequent layers initiated and saved through each turn of the game, following the rules applied to the system. We then started into producing the Cellular Automata-based pieces by utilizing carbon fiber knitting and fabricate our prototype based on this technique. To accommodate the workable area limitations, these carbon fiber blocks can be manufactured using the same jig and process, yet still achieve customized modules. We examined Cellular Automata as a non-linear system in design and tried to come into reality.

SKILLS DEPLOYED Idea and Development Modeling+ Scripting Diagram Development Presentation + Video + Photography Robotic Carbon Fiber Knitting fabrication 10

Multifunctional High-Rise ACADEMIC • INDIVIDUAL PROJECT • UNIVERSITY OF TEHRAN Instructor: Dr. Saeed Haghir Final Master Thesis The site area for constructio

Turning houses' yards into the vertical forest Jan

This project aimed to develop a versatile high-rise structure in one of Tehran’s western neighborhoods, with a primary focus on computational analysis and the creation of a multi-sensory environment. The design and construction regulations for high-rise buildings were meticulously considered, taking into account the practical constraints faced by architects in real-world projects.

Finally the chosen structural system for these high-rise buildings is a truss-tube without interior columns, adept at resisting lateral loads from wind and seismic pressures prevalent in earthquake-prone Tehran. The building’s structure is hybrid, incorporating the tube as a core concept and complementing it with various structural supports. This approach ensures a balance of strength and stiffness, acknowledging that a singular system may not provide adequate structural integrity.

Apr

09:00

12:00

The key functions designated for this project encompass residential spaces, a cultural center comprising a library, gallery, and art classes, a commercial center, and elevated sky parks. The site, situated between two main streets, features towers in the northern and southern sections, each varying in height to optimize access to natural light. To determine the floor layout and numbering, a comprehensive analysis of natural light and building shadows was conducted using the Ladybug plugin in Grasshopper. Addressing wind loading and its implications was pivotal in shaping the building. The aerodynamic behavior of the high-rise was analyzed through wind tunnel testing in Flewdesign software. Modifications, such as separating and twisting elements, improved the flow pattern around the building compared to its initial design.

Green facade for breathing city

15:00

Natural-light Analysis

Aerodynamic Behaviour Analysis

1 Core Shear Wall 2 Slabs 3 Connecting between slabs

SKILLS DEPLOYED Initial Idea and Development Modeling + Scripting + Plan and Section Design Analysis : Flow Design + Ladybug Diagram Development + Presentation Physical Modeling + CNC 12

4 Exterior framed tube

5 core structure 6 Vertical Trusses 7 Belt Trusses 8 Double skin facade

July

Oct

Desert Bloom ACADEMIC • GROUP PROJECT • Evolo Skyscraper Competition Site: Kerman- Iran Team: E.Ghoflsaz, A.salmanzadeh, A.Motevaselian,

Iran is facing a looming national water crisis and pushing people into urban areas with more secure water access and infrastructure. Climate migration will increase the population density of many urban areas. Desert Bloom creates a habitable place for humans by producing water naturally in dry regions by absorbing water vapour in the atmosphere. By water producing, the project can stop desertification and supply food resources and renewable energy for human settlement. The skyscraper’s ingenious structure comprises two integral layers—a spiral structure guiding airflow within and coils carrying nitrogen on the interior facade of the spiral. Nitrogen flowing through the coils lowers their surface temperature, leading to moisture condensation upon contact with airflow. This innovative design allows the structure to harvest water from the upper layers of the atmosphere. Inside the skyscraper, diverse food production units operate on different levels: pisciculture on the middle level, hydroponic agriculture on the upper level, and grazing livestock on the lower level. This multi-functional space, also serving as public parks, benefits from an exterior crust casting extensive shadows on the ground. The energy tower in the core increase humidity, creating ideal conditions for cultivating fruit trees and expansive gardens. Urban sewage purification provides water, transforming these gardens into public spaces combating desertification and haze scattering. The skyscraper features a downdraft energy tower at its core, leveraging the principle of cool air descending and hot air rising. Mist sprayed at the tower’s top cools air, inducing a rapid downward flow that propels wind turbines at the base, generating power. This innovative energy production sustains the skyscraper and contributes to broader urban energy needs.

SKILLS DEPLOYED Idea and Development Modeling+ Scripting Diagram Development Presentation + Rendering + postproduction 14

Karaj Theatre Hall First Prize Winner • GROUP PROJECT • Professional Position in Computation phase: Designer & coordinator Position Under construction phase: Project Manager Team: S.haghir, h.Kamelnia and his group, L.Tashakori, A.Motevaselian, E.Ghoflsaz, A.salmanzadeh

In the heart of Karaj, nestled within the embrace of Alborz Province, Iran, lies a project site that beckons for more than just architectural prowess. Karaj, often overshadowed by its association with Tehran, lacks an independent identity, making the quest for a defining cultural building imperative. The fundamental query arises: How can a cultural edifice breathe life into a city yearning for distinction? Our approach transcends the conventional notion of a singular structure; it envisions the project not merely as a building but as a holistic urban endeavor. Karaj, once renowned for its fair weather and abundant gardens, lost its greenery to the relentless march of over-construction. The challenge, then, is to conceptualize a cultural sanctuary that not only revitalizes the city but harmonizes with its natural landscape. The project site, cradled by remnants of old gardens and a central public park, symbolizes an opportunity to restore balance. Our vision revolves around seamlessly extending the verdant tapestry of the surroundings into the very fabric of the project. Picture it as an organic extension, an entity that grows from its site, connecting with the land and revitalizing the lost charm of the city’s green spaces. As the city yearns for an identity, our project aims to be more than an architectural marvel; it aspires to be a vantage point, an elevated space where people can ascend and witness the rhythm of the city unfold. It becomes a living, breathing entity, an observation deck intertwined with the very essence of Karaj, embodying the spirit of cultural revitalization and urban connection.

SKILLS DEPLOYED Initial Idea Development Initial 3D Modeling + Scripting Design+Diagram Development Presentation + Rendering + postproduction Physical Modeling + CNC 16

INITIAL CONDITION

PEEL

TERRACE

CARVE

Exploded-view

Space for performing outdoor theatre, street music performance and open-air cinema

Beam Roofing Beam Ceiling Beam Ceiling Columns

Urban Plaza A recreational space for holding festivals

Shear Wall Foundation

Open amphitheatre

Create]CON[ Workshop • GROUP PROJECT • University Of Tehran Instructor: Arman KhalilBeigi, Esmaeil Mottaghi Built: Science and Technology Park of University of Tehran, Iran

One of the main objectives of this project was to create a monument to act as a social hub or attraction point to stimulate multi-disciplinary dialogues and encourage interaction among different teams in the technology park. By running a computer simulation, suitable locations were selected, and Base-Nodes for geometry was chosen based on this heatmap. An interconnecting network was established on this set of points, which was further adjusted in node-valance, connecting topology, and architectural necessities, and then a 3D network was then generated using an ‘Incremental loading’ procedure. This form-finding process ensures that the resulting form will undergo Compression forces only (in case of applying dead loads) and improve this process. A ‘Dynamic relaxation’ method was also combined with that, which firstly relaxes nodes and moderates the angels and secondly uses different masses for each node, enabling the control of the geometry intuitively to comply with architectural requirements. The primary issue in this project is to propose a method to fabricate elements numerically. Any proposal should have these properties: 1. Precision, to make sure minimum deviation occurs in concrete molding and assembly 2. Efficiency in minimizing material waste on molds, minimizing cost and time of 3D CNC machinery. Eventually, a hierarchical system of steel members developed inside each element and fulfilled our aim. These steel members: a) are designed to be fabricated using standard 2D laser cutting CNCs. b) perform as arming bars in ordinary concrete elements to bear tension forces and c) orientation of these members ensure that the outer shell is fabricated correctly, thus rectifying any inaccuracy of outer mesh

SKILLS DEPLOYED Participating in Digital Fabrication Process Photography

Form finding based on structural analyses Primary line network

Fattening base elements based on Subdividing the base form in Wricamaterial properties tion method

Adaptive Gate Closed Gate

Competition • GROUP PROJECT • University of Tehran Team: H.Khorasani, B.Arjomandi, M.Shohrati

By seamlessly integrating a range of multidisciplinary technologies into both the architectural design and fabrication processes, we’ve opened up new possibilities for structures to dynamically assess and adapt to their environmental conditions. This ambitious project is dedicated to conducting a responsive architectural experiment, employing innovative tools such as an Arduino kit, a sophisticated mechanical system, and custom programming.

Input

Process

Output

sensors

Grasshopper Firefly

Arduino Servomotor

The crux of our exploration lies in the dynamic interaction between architecture and its users. In this environment, we’ve created a unique and immersive high-tech experience, where visitors and a specially designed gate become integral components of an interactive dialogue. At the heart of this project is a gate featuring 150 rotatable profiles, each playing a crucial role in the interactive experience. When an individual or a vehicle approaches the gate, advanced sensors come into play, detecting the length of the object in proximity. This information is then categorized into three distinct groups: human, car, or truck. Based on this categorization, the gate responds dynamically, opening in a manner tailored to the specific nature of the approaching entity. This responsive mechanism not only showcases the technical prowess of the project but also adds an element of user-centric adaptability to the architectural environment, ushering in a new era of interactive and dynamic spatial experiences.

SKILLS DEPLOYED Initial Idea Development 3D Modeling+ Scripting Diagram Development Presentation + Rendering + postproduction 20

Heavy cars Gate

Detail Design

Open Entrance-Exit

Open Exit Gate

Open Entrance Gate