A3_Studio Air

A.3 COMPUTATION/GENERATION Impact of Computation There is a difference in “computation” and “computerisation”. The human imagination and creativity, although powerful, is still limited to a certain extent.

Human ideas are als often subconsciously influenced by cultures, previous experiences, education, emotions which sometimes limit what could have been explored and experimented with. Humans often work subjectively, affected by many variety of external environment, factors that we do not even realise sometimes. Michael Hansmeyer in his TED talk, explained that if we could remove all these bias in us, what could we have possibly designed? In his projects, he attempts to explore this using the mathematical logic of algorithm. Perhaps it is because computers are the machines that helps remove the subconscious bias of humans. It works on fixed and finite set of information which we consciously set and ensure that it is not affected by personal factors. When impersonal, these computers could generate a great amount of unimaginable forms not possible by humans.

It allows for so much more explorations of form which we would have otherwise limit ourselves to. Essentially, we are not designing the form, but the process. In the design of columns by Hansmeyer, he did not imagine the end result of the forms of the columns, and this is a form of computational design. The complexity of the folds is too detailed for the human imagination that we could not have possibly imagined every detail (or we might have to take a long time to do so).

As mentioned in the previous week, computational design impacts greatly on the design process. It shift from being more traditional to integrated. This also impacts on the structure of some contemporary architectural firm. Technical skills of computational programs has become one of the most important skills in designing. However, not all designers are skilled in technical aspects and vice versa. This is a challenging problem as technical skills are extremely important in. This is similar to the traditional approach to architecture where skills of hand drawing is essential.

Can architects still design if they do not have the sufficient skills?

We have moved on so much from hand drawing to computeraided design (CAD). In the context of Studio Air, our chosen method of representation is through logic of algorithm.

As not everyone is skilled at both designing and technical skills, architectural firms have restructured to allow both aspects to overlap. As explained by Peters, there are 4 types of structure: 1) Specialist group - an internal specialist group where designers will also be integrated in design process (to certain degree depending on each project)

2) External specialist consultancy - independent practices where architectural firms will hire them without having an If that is the case, who are the designers? Humans or the internal specialist group. computers?

3) Computationally aware & integrated practice - where both Since we do not actually design the forms, are we designing and computational techniques are integrated designers of the objects? If computers are doing the together. work, wouldn’t designing be passed to the computers?

Computers work on finite and unambiguous set of rules. 4) Lone software developer/designer - hybrid designer/ For example, 1+1=2. The inputs are definite and exact engineer where they create their own software which produces the specific output, hence computers will have to follow the rules of the input and have only The ideal situation would be where designing and certain output. We, humans, on the other hand, are the computatational techniques becomes a natural combination. ones making a decision on tweaking and changing For example, the traditional hand drawing was thought to be the input which then produces a different output. For the default skills needed for designing.It is hoped that one day, example, changing it to 1.1+1= 2.1. Therefore, although computational design would be as important as hand drawing we do not explicitly design a form, the power of making was in the past and only then, “we no longer need to discuss a decision still lies in us and hence, it is us that controls digital design as something different” and “computation the machines. Therefore, computational programs are becomes a true method of design for architecture”. We are still essentially just a tool that helps make our job easier and not at that stage yet as computer design is adopted mostly faster. However, the choice of tools that we are using, by younger contemporary architects. The older generation makes an impact on our design. Understanding how of architects might still not be familiar However, we are the inputs affect the outputs is known as algorithmic developing and perhaps in the future, computer design will be the “true method”. thinking.

The Seed Cathedral by Thomas Heatherwick is 20 meters in height and contains 60 000 slender transparent rods.

In order to install these rods, the supporting structure is drilled also with 60 000 holes with incredible accuracy, which is only achieved by using 3D computer modelling data and then fed through the milling machine. This is one of the many projects that are heavily depended on computer program which encourages the collaboration of engineering and architecture. Many contemporary firms now have great emphasis engineering and technological research with the designing aspects of architecture such as Foster + Partners and Herzog & de Meuron. This shows the shift in architecture field where architects are not having the autonomy of decisions anymore as in the past.

Because of the complexity of these designs, there are more emphasis on the interdisciplinary collaboration between everyone. http://www.treehugger.com/sustainable-product-design/ awe-inspiring-seed-cathedral-wows-at-shanghai-worldexpo-2010-photos.html

Generation Through algorithmic thinking, a wide variety of forms could be generated in a short time. An essential aspect of algorithm is that it consists of simple logic and when combined, able to generate complex forms and geometries.

Because of this, complex and larger scale projects could be built in a significantly short time. Through generation of many forms, we could explore them and also test their performance ability such as building system, structural strength and so on. All we need is simple inputs and parameters into the computational programs and they will generate form for us.

The Cathedral of Artemis uses parametric tools to generate forms that are similar to caves or ruins, which are aggregates of natural components. It is a bottom-up process that creates iterative design. Simple inputs are used to generate a more complex form.

Therefore, while we are not explicitly designing the form and shape, we still need to know what we are the problems we are trying to solve. In the Cathedral of Artemis, goals are known and it is only then, computers are used to generate specific forms based on the parameters.

In the Cathedral of Artemis, there are 3 goals:

Three points on the site are labelled where the cathedral would respond to and the spaces are defined by parameters. Spaces are created by the systems that have been implemented. With the convenience of iteration, it gives the designer to test, explore and learn all the possible solutions. Computational programs, through parameters, would generate range of solutions that satisfy the set of rules. After that, human judgments are used to decide on the best design. When deciding, we would also have to keep in mind the initial concepts that we are achieving.

Hence, computation could help us greatly in designing process but essentially, decisions are still made from human judgments. It is the method of using computation to solve problems that impacts greatly on the quality of designing.

1) Create a parasitic aggregation 2) Create an object to object relationship and constant feed between the site and the building 3) Implement the idea of controlled organics: randomization of growth with a special output.

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Bottom-up process is a process where its final output is not known. However, despite that, general concepts are still established before that. Although we depend on computer programs to generate forms, we are still depending on human judgment as a guide for general ideas. http://www.suckerpunchdaily.com/2014/06/05/cathedralof-artemis/

As computer programs allow more for more complex designs, it is also used in bigger scale projects such as master planning and urban design, which impacts more greatly on a community. Urban Reef is a master thesis project developed

by Shampoo. This is a project that brings computer designs one step further in its application.

The Urban Reef is a housing proposal in New York that attempts to solve the problem of local discontinuity and physical isolation within a larger urban area by proposing a highly connected master plan with housing, commercial and recreational areas. It needs to have 3000 housing units and is done by having a series of mid-high buildings to ensure structural continuity that are interconnected with each other.

This will maximise the space usage and essentially, encourage social integration.

This project works by logic of imposing some rules that are required . A plan of infrastructural nodes are developed with pedestrian counts at each junction. After that, each note are assigned a value in relation to the pedestrian count.

With the rule of inputs, the logic of Maya hair dynamics establishes an output where there is optimisation of a path network of connections between the notes . This will then generate a series of ground apertures that defines the position and height of the buildings. From the generation of multiple scenarios, the one with the continuous housing is chosen. This is an example of algorithm logic with fixed unambiguous rules which would produce multiple iterations based on modification of the inputs.

The relationship of these parameters are crucial. A change in the ground network set out will cause a change of output, hence changing the entire urban form as a whole. Because of the large scale, a minor tweak in the parameters might cause change as a whole. These inputs have relationship of dependency with each other and when one change, the rest of them change too.

This would be very inconvenient when working with a large scale project as designers might want to have more autonomy in each input without affecting its whole. With the Urban Reef project, it is done in a way that is more flexible, hence solving this problem. Different parts of the system can be cut off from the system to achieve more autonomy Nature has always been a great source of inspiration, and working in reverse order. now almost a fact that is widely known. In this project, coral growth principle is used as a reference to inform the position and distribution of housing units. Fusion principle is used to investigate differentiation of housing typology according to parameters such as height, orientation and position.

Computer programs have made projects such as the Urban Reef more convenient. With multiple site constraints that can make designing challenging and time consuming, these programs can solve these problems by converting them to mathematical values that is quantitative. However, the problem with larger scale projects is that there are so much for factors that mere mathematical expression might not be able to solve. In the building scale, very often, building system and construction performance are quantitative, hence they are easily solved. However, with larger urban projects, perhaps factors such as cultures, public acceptance, aesthetic impacts on landscapes are not easily computated using programs and would require human judgments. Therefore, while computer programs can be easily adopted in building scale projects, it might not be suitable in urban scale projects where there it involves more stakeholders.

ALGORITHM SKETCHBOOK Different forms of panels can be created by using the list item. This enables us to control the position of surfaces that we would like to have on the panels, by manipulating the i component of the list items. After that, we could further modify it by having other commands such as the solid difference, solid union and others. Surface divide can achieve a more orderly arrangement of uv points while population geometry could produce a more random effect.