Sonic Responsive Design Session
01
Studio
||
Fall
2013
College of Architecture + Planning || University of Utah
Merate
Barakat || August
26 - October 11 Contents Narrative: Paradigm: Modus Operandi: Design Agenda: Theory Lectures: Processing Tutorials: Grasshopper 3D Tutorials: Arduino Tutorials: Work Progress: Pin Up Sessions: Final Jury: Grading and Evaluation: Work Progress & Attendance :: Documentation :: Interim Presentation :: Final Presentation :: Intervention Design :: Schedule: References and Links: Theory: Programming: Contacts & Info:
Sonic
Responsive
Design
Session 01 Studio || Fall 2013
College of Architecture + Planning || University of Utah || Merate Barakat
Narrative: “Nobody only sees” Sound is temporal and ephemeral. The human visual sense evolved with the auditory sense; but unlike ears, eyes have lids. Some may argue that even in vacuum, one cannot seize to, at least, hear one’s own heartbeat, and even the unborn have an awareness of their surroundings through sound perception1 . Despite the omnipresence of sound, there have been rare attempts in architectural design based on acoustics as a primary sense. This aligns with Davis’ opinion “Perception is never un-mediated”2 and emphasizes that the physical environment cannot only be visually perceived, or only through any one sense for that matter, but collectively. Dancing Paint - High Speed Water Photography
Aural design is one of the unexplored, and virtually neglected, tracks in architectural design. Except for acoustic performance space design, the research of manipulating the aural sense in design needs further investigation. An architectural design is found to be successful when it manipulates one or more perception in order to convey a certain aesthetic significance. The Sonic Responsive Session Studio is motivated by an acoustic design challenge using open source digital tools, aiming to produce a personal scale aural arena. This studio aims to design a sonic and dynamic object. The design continuously synchronizes the physical space morphology and the acoustics of the space as a dialogue between space and sound creating; a sculptural “choreography”.
John Hayes: Avant Garde: Frozen Sound Art
2 || Sonic Responsive Studio || Fall 2013
1 Gaunderlach, J. (2007). Sound: Exploring a Character - Defining Feature of Historic Places. APT Bulletin, Vol. 38, No.4, pp. 13-20. 2 Davis, W. A. (1978). The act of interpretation: A critique of literary reason.
Paradigm: This studio is a research studio that integrates digital aural composition with physical space design. The objective of the studio is to produce a sonic design; whether it be musical, soundscape, or tapping in to the sound energy generated by a space. In essence, the archetype will integrate space design as a musical instrument, and the space’s ‘musical’ composition, as one intertwined paradigm. The work progress adopts a transversal approach and, uses the conceptual and technological bridges that have been therefore naturally created between science, visual arts, mathematics, and music. Therein, creating a visual and aural synthetic experiment, in which the perception of sound will be closely related to the various forms that a surface. There is a series of challenges to be tackled. The obvious one is the nature of sound and to grasp the dynamic characteristics of a visually indiscernible design tool. Another issue that needs to be tackled is employing digital tools and physical kinetics implementation. Students will be introduced to electric engineering basics, such as motor fittings and audio transducers, which is vital to transform a surface into a dynamic sonic space.
Modus Operandi: The studio will adopt a unique overall theme, namely sound in architectural design. Students will be asked to choose any type of surface (floor, wall, or ceiling) to design and articulate its topography to create a sonic dynamic responsive system. Students will be divided into teams of two. Design will progress in parallel with tutorials and lectures. This is to keep the creativity processes from stagnating. Students are free to follow any of the following three design approaches:
Pinaree Sanpitak : Anything Can Break
_Introduce _ a foreign sound(s) into the space. _Amplify, _ attenuate, or dampen existing sounds found in the immediate environment. _Harness _ the sound energy Computational tools tutorials will be taught during the first 4 week of studio (See Schedule), One of the first computational classes is directed towards geometrical design. Students in this session will be taught: _Grasshopper _ (in Rhino). _Processing _ (Libraries: Toxiclibs || Minim) _Arduino _ (Firefly for Grasshopper & Processing Library) Ronald Van Der Meijs: Sound Architecture IV
Merate Barakat || 3
Design Agenda:
Theory Lectures: Week 01 || Aug 26: Sonic Responsive System Design
A brief of ‘Aural Design’ theoretical background and responsive systems in nature. Week 03 || Sept 09: Emergence and Evolutionary Design
Introduction to Emergence in Architecture and algorithmic design. Week 04 || Sept 16: Biomimicry, Fabrication, and Materials
What is Biomimicry and how architecture and design can learn from natural examples. Processing Tutorials: Week 01 || Aug 28 - Aug 30: Basics
_Introduction _ to coding and Processing. _What _ are Variables, and how to create and use functions. _What _ is recursive design, loops, and conditional functions. _Introduction _ to Object Oriented design _Installing _ and using libraries to Processing _3D _ environment, Vectors, and GUI (PeasyCam / Toxiclibs / ControlP5)
Week 02 || Sept 04 - Sept 06: Sound
David Letellier + Lab(au) : TESSEL
_Agent _ behavior _Minim _ Library _Sound _ Visualization _Sound _ Analysis _Synthesizing _ sound
Grasshopper 3D Tutorials: Week 03 || Sept 09 - Sept 11: Basics
_Grasshopper _ 3D interface _Data _ Manipulation , lists and trees _Attractors _ and recursion _Parametric _ Design _Fabrication _ functions _Laser _ cutter file nesting _Algorithmic _ design and optimization _Galapagos _ Plug-in _Fitness _ Function
Zimoun :Sound Sculpture : 2000 cardboard elements
4 || Sonic Responsive Studio || Fall 2013
Week 04 || Sept 13 - Sept 16: Functions
_Fractals _ and Voronoi _Color _ Gradient and Visualization _Kangaroo _ Plug-in
Arduino Tutorials: Week 04 || Sept 18 - Sept 20: Basics & Sensors
_Introduction _ to Arduino _Electric _ Engineering Basics _Inputs _ and outputs _Functions _ _Motors _ _Sensors _ _Light _ and Sound
Week 05 || Sept 23: Linking with Processing and Grasshopper3D
_Arduino _ Library for Processing _FireFly _ Plug-in for Grasshopper
Work Progress: Week 01 || Brain Storming and Project initialization
Students will divide themselves in groups of two, and initiate the early design process. The work process should start by researching precedents and ‘Aural Design‘ concept that will be the basis of the work for the rest of the session. Week 02 || Component Design
AA Alexandria VS : Sandoqu ElMusiqa
It is crucial to design digital and analogous in tandem, therefor the students will test the system’s component design at different scales. Students’ coding should start reflecting the analogous experimentation. Week 03 || Joint Design
Components interact differently at different scales. Students should test how the system’s components will connect and move at a 1:1 testing model. Different materials are to be tested (bending / tension / compression). Week 04 || Kinetic Design
Kinetics require mechanism design, such as gears and pistons. By the end of this week the students should have a good idea what the system fabrication process will require (material, machine time, fabrication time). Daniel Franke Cedric Kiefer : unnamed soundsculpture
Merate Barakat || 5
Week 05 || Assembly Design
This week should be the end on the experimentation of the components, joints, and the kinetic system. Design presentation, design progress, and system testing should be finalized by the end of the week. Week 06 || Production Phase on-going
After the tutorials end, starting this week studio will be dedicated for students to produce the final projects. The compilation of the collected design process documentation during the session should begin in tandem of the final production phase. Week 07 || Document Assembly and Final Presentation
Final production of documentation, models, boards, and presentation (videos & code). This final week of the session will end with a jury; students will present their design process, as well as, the final project. Pin Up Sessions: Week 02 || Sept 04
Students will explain the basic concept of the system and explain what they aim to achieve. Each team should show the initial experimentation through drawings (hand sketches & generated models) and sketch models. Week 03 || Sept 13 Helioscope : Evan Douglis
Each team will explain the work progress by presenting the component system and connecting joints. Herein, the students will use any means to show what the system is meant to perform through code, digital models, and physical models (at different scales). Week 05 || Sept 27: Interim Session*
This is a test run for the final jury. Each team will show a complete project and they are required to present a mock-up of all the outcome requirements documentation, boards, and models (See the ‘Grading and Evaluation’ section of this document). Final Jury: Week 07 || Oct 11:
Good Luck!
Art and Flywork, Light sound, Rotterdam
6 || Sonic Responsive Studio || Fall 2013
Grading and Evaluation:
Work Progress & Attendance :: 10% of grade
Each team is required to produce for ever work session: _150 _ word paragraph _3 _ images (sketches, models, and/or diagram) _Code _ and/or pseudo-code (When applicable) _30 _ second video clip (When applicable)
Documentation :: 20% of grade :: Due Oct 11, 2013
The accumulation of text and documentation material will allow the students to compile a full document to be submitted at the final jury. The students are free to choose the format that best suits their design. _PDF _ document - To Be uploaded on cloud _One _ printed and bound - copy _Code _ files - To Be uploaded on cloud
Interim Presentation :: 10% of grade :: Due Sept 27, 2013
Same requirements of the Final Presentation, and Model Mock up Final Presentation :: 20% of grade :: Due Oct 11, 2013
deCOi : Aegis Hyposurface
_4 _ Boards, Size D (22x34 inches) _20 _ minute presentation of design progress and working code (PPT or any other suitable file format)
Intervention Design :: 40% of grade :: Due Oct 11, 2013
_Full _ Scale model of the design/ installation
Liminal : Organ of Corti: St Paul’s Cathedral
Merate Barakat || 7
Schedule:
STU DIO
FALL
WEEK 01 || AUG 26-30
WEEK 02 || SEPT 02-06
WEEK 03 || SEPT 09-13
03 || FRIDAY
02 || WEDNESDAY
01 || MONDAY
2013 Lecture:: Sonic system design.
Responsive
Working Session:: Separate in teams of 2 and start a brain storming session.
Lecture::Emergence &Evolutionary Design.
LABOR DAY
Grasshopper Tutorial:: _Basics _Data Manipulations _Functions && Transformation
Processing Tutorial:: _Introduction _Variables && Functions _Loops && Conditional
Lecture:: Agent Based Systems and Fractals. Processing Tutorial:: _Agent Behaviour
Grasshopper Tutorial:: _Parametric Space _Fabrication _Nesting
Working Session::
Pin-Up Session::
Working Session:
Processing Tutorial:: _Objects && Classes _Libraries && Toxiclibs _Mathematics && Vectors
Processing Tutorial:: _Intro Minim Library _Visulaization _Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) _Synthesizing Sound
Grasshopper Tutorial:: _Optimization _Galapagos _Fitness Function
Working Session ::
Working Session ::
Pin-Up Session:
8 || Sonic Responsive Studio || Fall 2013
WEEK 04 || SEPT 16-20
WEEK 05 || SEPT 23-27
L e c t u r e : : B i o m i m i c r y, Fabrication & Materials.
ArduinoTutorial:: _w/ Processing _Firefly (w/ Grasshopper)
Grasshopper Tutorial:: _Voronoi _Color Gradient _Kangaroo Plugin
Arduino Tutorial:: _Intro _EE Basics _Functions && Inputs
WEEK 06 || SEPT 30-OCT 4
WEEK 07 || OCT 07-11
Working Session::
Working Session::
Working Session::
Working Session:
Working Session::
Pin-Up Session::
Working Session::
Working Session::
Working Session:
Arduino Tutorial:: _Motors && Transistors _Sensors _Light && Sound
FINAL JURY
Working Session:
Merate Barakat || 9
References and Links:
Theory: Sonic Responsive System Design
Blesser, B., & Salter, L.-r. (2006). Spaces speak, are you listening? Corbin, A. (1998). Village Bells: Sound and Meaning in the 19th-century French Countryside. Columbia University Press. LaBelle, B. (2010). Acoustic Territories: Sound Culture and Everyday Life. Continuum. Matossian, N. (2005). Xenakis. Schafer, R. M. (1993). The Soundscape: Our environment and the tuning of the world. Destiny Books. Turner, J., & Pretlove, A. (1991). Acoustics for Engineers. Palgrave Macmillan. Xenakis, I. (1997). Music and architecture. http://www.everydaylistening.com/
Emergence and Evolutionary Design Carroll, Sean B.(2005). Endless Forms Most Beautiful: The New Science of Evo Devo and the Making of the Animal Kingdom. WW Norton & Company. Johnson, Steven.(2001) Emergence: The Connected Lives of Ants, Brains, Cities and Software. Simon & Schuster. Zimoun :Sound Sculpture : Filler Wire 1.0 mm
Thompson, D’Arcy Wentworth.(1992). On Growth and Form: The Complete Revised Edition. Dover. Weinstock, M. (2010). The Architecture of Emergence: The Evolution of form in nature and civilization.
Biomimicry, Fabrication, and Materials Benyus, J. () Biomimicry: Innovation Inspired by Nature Balmond C. & Smith J. (2002). Informal: The informal in architecture and engineering, Prestel (Munich) Gruber, Petra. (2010). Biomimetics in Architecture: Architecture of Life and Buildings. Springer. Architectural Design (July/August 2008) Special Issue: Protoarchitecture: Analogue and Digital Hybrids Architectural Design (July/August 2007) Special Issue: 4dsocial: Interactive Design Environments
Programming: Processing Reas, C., & Fry, B. (2007). Processing: A programming handbook for visual designers and artists. MIT Press. Bricks and Bones : Soma Meets Sonic
10 || Sonic Responsive Studio || Fall 2013
http://processing.org/ http://openprocessing.org/
Grasshopper3D http://www.grasshopper3d.com/ http://fireflyexperiments.com/ http://www.food4rhino.com/ http://code.algorithmicdesign.net/
Arduino Adams, J., & Molle, H. (2011). Arduino Robotics by John-David Warren. http://www.arduino.cc/
Contacts & Info: Merate Barakat:
A licensed architect (North America & Middle East) with international experience, media designer, and academic researcher. She has worked for PMA (Prescott Muir Architects), based in Salt Lake City, Utah, where she worked on numerous projects that have received design awards by the AIA (American Institute of Architects). She has attained an MArch from the University of Utah, an MSc in Computer Science from the University of Nottinghamshire, and BSc for the Arab Academy of Science in technology, AlexandriaEgypt Campus. Currently, she is exploring her main research interest, urban acoustics, as a PhD candidate at the Architectural Association School of Architecture.
Vok Dams : Soundmachines
merate.barakat@aaschool.as.uk merate.barakat@gmail.com www.meratebarakat.com
Fall Library Sessions
Luke Leither Art and Architecture Librarian luke.leither@utah.edu 801/587.8452
Anna Liu, Mike Tonkin : Singing Ringing Tree
Merate Barakat || 11