Digital Design - Portfolio Semester 1, 2018 Mannik Singh
877805 Xiaoran Huang + Studio 03
Education:
Reflection:
2017 - Present 2016
In his essay ‘In the Cause of Architecture”, Frank Lloyd Wright states that the sense to derive inspiration from nature is indispensable to an architect. According to Wright, ‘Organic Architecture’ is the one which involves a harmonious relationship with the ideas inspired by nature’s “wealth of suggestion” and humanity.
Bachelor of Design Yadavindra Public School, Mohali, India
Work Experience: Dec‘17 - Jan ‘18
Intern Architect, Satnam Namita & Associates Architects, Chandigarh, India
Awards / Exhibition: MANNIK SINGH mmannik@student.unimelb.edu.au https://mannik123singh.wixsite.com/manniksinghportfolio https://au.linkedin.com/in/mannik-singh-5790bb117
2017
FOD:R Exhibition, AFLK Gallery
2018
MSDX Exhibition
Skills: Rhino Grasshopper Unreal Photoshop Illustrator Indesign Fabrication Presentation
Taking on a similar approach, my design philosophy revolves around mimicing nature and its various manifestations. With its complex, yet sophisticated forms – nature is perfect. Therefore learning to imply these forms in the built world, will make the world a lot more efficient. However, nature with its intricate expressions is equally hard to imitate. Using parametric softwares brings one closer to echo these elaborate forms. Which is what I have learnt from this subject. The basics of grasshopper multiplied with plugins like Kangaroo, Weaverbird, Panelling tools and Lunchbox has helped me get one step closer to making the designs that I could only have envisaged turning into a reality. With being introduced to the world of Digital Fabrication technologies like 3D printing and Laser Cutting, making these forms an actuality, something which I demonstrated while working on the Naag Pavilion. The process of fabrication is linked to the digital definitions. The complex a form, more tedious would be the fabrication process. Something which I hadn’t realised before getting the indiviual components into my hands. Sticking to simple. yet efficient forms is something I should try working on.
CONTENTS 1. DIAGRAMMING DESIGN PRECEDENT
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2. GENETRATING DESIGN THROUGH DIGITAL PROCESSES i) SURFACE AND WAFFLE STRUCTURE ii) SOLID & VOID
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3. NAAG PAVILION 20
DIAGRAMMING DESIGN PRECEDENT SANAA SERPENTINE PAVILION
Having no walls to direct the flow of people, SANAA Serpentine Pavilion is approachable from any direction, however the concrete path towards the west forms a formal entry/exit way for people. Acrylic sheets is used as wind breaks at certain places. While it acts as a protection from the elements, it not only acts as a threshold that promotes visual continuity, it also affects the circulation patterns at certain places, which now can only be approached by taking a ‘Detour’.
The Pavilion has a simple construction. The aluminium roof spanning across the randomly arranged stainless steel columns acts as a monolithic slab. The columns are attached using bolts drilled into the Higly reflective aluminium sheeting which sandwiches stainless steel disks at the point of connections with the columns and the Birch Plywood. To further protect it from water, silicon caps are used to seal it out.
ISOMETRIC SANAA SERPENTINE PAVILION
PROCESS AND WORKFLOW
Circulation Diagram
Threshold DIagram (Permeability)
GENERATING IDEAS THROUGH DESIGN PROCESSES SURFACE AND WAFFLE STRUCTURE
Design Iterations
To make the basic form of the structure, the 150X150X150 bounding box is deconstructed. Resulting points can be moved and be created into a line which can be lofted to form 2 surfaces.
Using panelling tools a grid is mapped out on the surfaces. The resultant surfaces are then panelled using Weaverbird’s stellate meshed basic triangular pyramids and triangular cells.
A series of commands allow the waffling of the internal structure. The fins are notched into each other allowing the waffle structure to come together after the fabrication process.
Indiviulal components of the waffle structure are then layed out flat onto the rhino interface so as to ready them for the fabrication process. Labelled so as to identify them post production.
Physical model showing the waffle structure and the Panelling
Close up of the 3D Panelling
GENERATING IDEAS THROUGH DESIGN PROCESSES SOLID AND VOID
Design Iterations
A 150X150X150 Box was created which was further deconstructed to extract a face. The face further was mapped with 4X4 Grid. Which was further offsetted 3 times.
Using Curve attractors the points were manipulated to create an imbalanced composition for interesting further outcomes. The resulting points were then cellulated.
The centroids of the resultant cells were used as the centre points for the Icosahedrons which were stellated to form star-like forms to match the forms from Task 1.
The final stellated icosahedrons are booleaned from the 150X150X150 Cube and the resultant shape is thus obtained.
Physical Model (1:1 Possibilty)
Physical Model
NAAG PAVILIION SHAPE SHIFTER PAVILION
Naag is a creature from Hindu Mythology which can change shapes and forms at its will. As the sun transforms the interiors of the space interacting with the stained glass, with its ever changing form, the pavilion derives its name. Since Australia is a melting pot of cultures and having such a high number of South Asian/ south-east Asian population the native snake from the regions is secularised to appropriate the region. Besides reminding the immigrants from the above mentioned regions, it reminds the people of Australia about the rich cultural variation in this vast country. Furthermore, the snake head being sculptural, a work of art, in itself links itself to the nearby NGV where international artworks are displayed.
Shapes and forms.
1.1
Weaverbird Iterations
1.2
1.3
1.4
(1.1)
2.1
2.2
2.3
2.4
DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS (2.4)
VS
The waffling of the structure transforms the interiors of the space into something heavy, however the Waffle structure adds to the structural support. The openness of the structure adds to the overall light feel. The voids in the structure allow for the inseration of glass to make the structure impermeable. Structurally less stable, requires footings.
VS
The tail element of the pavilion with the scales add to the overall dynamic nature of the snake and makes look like a part of it, however, the scales look inconvinent and almost gimmicky thereby stealing the attention from the sculptural “snake� head. However, the blankness of the snake tail allow for the sculptural head to appear prominent while the undulation of the snake tail appears a lot more prominent sans scales.
The Bezier Curve Graph Mappers were used to plot points which were then turned into curves. The curves were then lofted in order to make the shape of the cobra. The centrality of the pavilion was determined by the focalisation of the bottom part.
Weaverbird’s Picture frame command was used to break the surface faces into little holes in order to create the intricate formation on top.
The resultant holes were then thickened into a mesh and Weaverbird’s Loop Subdivision command rounded the holes. The resultant mesh was then converted into NURBS and the original surface was subtracted from it to form the stained glass components using BREP|Brep Interesection command.
Final Sectional Model
Detailing on the snake head showing the transformation of the sizes of the holes.
Interation of the holes with the light. (Prototype)
Detailing on the underneath of the snake head.
Naag Pavilion
Naag Pavilion at Night
Naag Pavilion ceiling. Holes being filled with stained glass
Naag Pavilion at Day showing the engagement with the Sun and stained glass.
Digital Design - Portfolio Semester 1, 2018 Mannik Singh