Li_Qiuliang_621722_FinalJournal by Qiuliang Li

S T U D I O A I R

J O U R N A L : 2 0 1 6 ,

T U T O R : C A I T L Y N

S P 1 A R R Y

S T U D E N T

N A M E :

I D :

Q I U L I A N G

6 2 1 7 2 2

L I

C O N T E N T S

I N T R O D U C T I O N

P A A A 1 2 R . . T D D A E E : S S I I C G G O N N N C F C E U O P T M T U P U R U A I T L N A I G T S I A O T N I O N L E

A A A A 3 4 5 6 . . . . C O M P O S I T I O N & G E N E R A T I O N

C O N C L U S I O N

L E A R N I N G O U T C O M E

A P P E N D I X

P B B A 2 3 R : : T C C B A A : S S E E C R S S I T T T U U E D D R Y Y I A 1 2 D E S I G N

B B B B B 4 5 6 7 8 : : : : : P R O T O T Y P I N D G E V E L O P M E N T T E C H N I Q U E

P R O P O S A L

L E A R N I N G O U T C O M E

A P P E N D I X

P C C A 1 2 R : : T D D C E E : S S I I D G G E N N T A C P I O R L N O E C C D E E P S D T S E S I G N

C C 3 4 : : L E A R N I M N O G D E O L U T C O M E F I N A L

I N T R O D U C T I O N

Hi, My name is Qiuliang Li. In my brief 21 years. I have studied in China, Botswana, New Zealand and Australia. Since I was a child, drawing had always been my main method of communication, second to speaking of course. Throughout the years, drawing had helped me in many ways to gain popularity and achievements among friends and school. It all started with a pen and my bedroom wall, from stick figures to the best graphic designer in the school, a homeless manâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s shack to New Zealand scholarship winning cliff house. All of these were the result of my sixth-sense in drawing

and of course, the hard work. Throughout my senior years in school, I have travelled to both developed and developing countries and was inspired by the close relationship between social, cultural and economical factors of a country to its architectural style. One major difference is the use of computation in constructing buildings. In developing countries, such as Botswana where I worked on site as a labourer, the interaction between all parties were direct and on paper. Whereas, everything was set out on BIM in New Zealand. Thus, I believe computation still has a long way to

fully aid the human society as a whole, first, we must make it available to everyone. However, with the rocketing prices on software, it is very hard. I have been using ArchiCAD since high school to produce designs, however, hand drawing has always been my strength as I think it is important to have the mind and the body to work as one. Until recent time, I have taken up interest in learning grasshopper, which is fascinating in terms of how simple algorithms can be transformed visually into designs. Computation is a booming skill to have and I will try my best to acquire it.

C O N C E P T U A L I S A T I O N

A 1 . D E S I G N F U T U R I N G

Design Intelligence (not to be confused with ‘intelligent design’).1 What is Design Futuring? What is sustainability? What is nature? What is a question that cannot be defined? Indefinable or incomprehensive? We, humans, live in a world we do not fully comprehend. The rocks are being melted into iron, the soil is drained for crops, the roots are made into furniture, yet, we keep pushing our overweighted bodies erratically onto the crumbling cliff to test if it would hold. It will…just kidding. Before one more person becomes the victim of climate change due to unsustainable development. We must wake up to the fact that the end is near! A spaceship needs to be designed and built in order to accommodate the elite and leave the everyday people in the apocalypse, which I believe is the case with architecture today. People with the appropriate financial and political means gain free access to the spaceships made from

steel and glass while the rest shelters in wood cabins burning coal to survive. Anyhow, the point is that architecture today has become a materialistic mean that focuses on the aesthetical appearance to a very narrow group of people. For example, mansions build for the rich in the desert in Las Vegas .2 How much is enough in order for us to realise that sea level is expected to rise 7 metres by the end of century with 500-750 million plus environmental refugees?3 Social and political aspects in society have set a general standard in promoting democratic designing, which allows a wider variety of design to be accomplished by a wider group of designers. This grants a more satisfied society, but also humans have become so proud and comfortable in their architectural developments that they are reluctant of creating the will and

means to mobilize appropriate technologies at the scale needed to make a real difference.4 Thus, design intelligence must intervene to create a sustainable future. Parametric design is the tip of the iceberg in design futuring as it is an effective method in finding the optimal structural strength and form from different materials to produce an advanced, durable and functional construction with minimum outputs. Therefore, in increasingly unsustainable worlds, design intelligence would deliver the means to make crucial judgements about actions that could increase or decrease futuring potential.5 Essentially, design intelligence has become design futring. It has to confront two tasks; slow the rate of defuturing and redirecting us towards far more sustainable modes of planetary habitation.6

1. Rivka Oxman, Robert Oxman, Theories of the Digital in Architecture (London; New York: Routledge, 2014), p. 1–10. 2. 'Design Futuring, dir. by University of Melbourne (University of Melbourne, 2015). 3. 4. 5. 6. Tony Fry, Design Futuring: Sustainability, Ethics and New Practice (Oxford: Berg, 2008), p. 1– 16.

A F R E E F O R M I N G F U T U R E

FIG. 1 THE SWISS RE, LONDON, 2003.

The Swiss Re, designed by Norman Foster and Arup group is a commercial skyscraper with 41 floors that was completed in construction in December, 2003. The building is an iconic symbol of London and one of the most widely recognised examples of contemporary architecture. It demonstrates the power of the linkage between parametric modellers and their scriptable mediated variability and performance simulation software.7 This is evident in the design of the building’s effective ventilation system ,

The six air shafts in the building act as natural ventilation systems as well as creating a double glazing effect, trapping air within to force warm air to escape upwards in summer, while using passive solar heating in winter. As a result, it only consumes half the power that a similar tower would typically use.8 The commitment to curvilinear design and the preference for non-orthogonal geometries, such as aerodynamically splitting wind paths rather than blocking them like typical orthogonal buildings have redirected the Swiss Re to the differentiating

potential of topological and parametric algorithmic thinking and the tectonic creativity innovation of digital materiality.9 In turn, it formalises the biomimetic principles of design as it combines the concept of morphogenesis with the tectonics of futuring materials, e.g. glass in conjunction with performative simulation, such as the natural ventilation to create naturally ecologic systems. Ultimately, the Swiss Re pushes architecture towards a sustainable design future.

7. Rivka Oxman, Robert Oxman, Theories of the Digital in Architecture (London; New York: Routledge, 2014), p. 1–10. 8. Martin Spring, 30 St Mary Axe: A gherkin to suit all tastes (2008) <Building.co.uk> [accessed 12 August 2015]. 9. Rivka Oxman, Robert Oxman, Theories of the Digital in Architecture (London; New York: Routledge, 2014), p. 1–10.

FIG. 2 QATAR NATIONAL CONVENTION CENTRE, 2011.

With 40,000 square metres of exhibition space, the Qatar National Convention Centre (QNCC) in Doha is the largest Congress centre in the Middle East. The building complex was designed by Arata Isozaki, and it impresses with construction shaped tree trunks and monumentally uprising branches that take on a vital supportive function.10 Through the use of advanced computing software, the structural form, e.g. the sharp connection from the trunk structure to the roof was able to be executed to an optimal connection in relation to the materials used. The exhibition not only exhibits what is inside but also its futuristic structural experimentations only made available by computation technologies. Made of steel, wood, marble and glass â&#x20AC;&#x201C; it demonstrates the powerful

potentials of materials in supporting the building with minimal quantities and extreme, non-orthogonal shapes. The building has already received the 'Leadership in Energy and Environment Design' (LEED) award by operating efficiently with innovations such as water conservation and energy-efficient fixtures. One of the features is the 3,500sq m of solar panels providing 12.5 percent of the Centre's energy needs.11 The exhibition centre is a vivid example of innovative integration between material fabrication, form generation and performative form finding. The end result is a democratic design free from restrictions, limits or unsustainability. This building has revolutionised architecture as multiple functions can be accomplished by a single

10. Arata Isozaki, 'Qatar National Convention Centre', Dezeen Magazine, 1.1, (2013), 1, in 1 <http://www.dezeen.com/2013/08/22/qatar-national-convention-centre-

by-arata-isozaki/> [accessed 12 August 2015].

11. Wikipedia, Qatar National Convention Centre (2015) <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Qatar_National_Convention_Centre> [accessed 13 August 2015].

building. For example, a power station could also perform as a recycling centre, or a commercial office with water catchments and farming facilities this concept was already visioned in Le Corbusierâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s roof gardens. However it lacked the appropriate technologies to materialise. Today, with design intelligence and performative parametric computing, we must take the next step and use this advantage to create complex systems that are effective in harmonising with nature and sustainability. As already evident in the exhibition centre, many other integrative design elements were included in the building to achieve the highest level of environmental and sustainable standards.

A 2 . D E S I G N C O M P U T A T I O N

Computing technology has become so effective in todayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s society, especially in designing that it has formed part of our daily practices and we are dependent on the efficiency it provides. In fact, we are so over reliant on it, without it, society would be paralysed. Thus, it leads to a common question to whether we must continue down this path or find other solutions. Lawson's theory on 'fakeâ&#x20AC;&#x2DC; creativity encouraged by CAD, that technology can replace design12 is a reasonable argument and that we are more dependent on machines rather than our imaginations and dreams. However, our imaginations are limited by what we

understand and the ability of our brains to process these information. Thus, a majority of designers use programs simply to computerize their ideas electronically onto CAD. Whereas, computation not only eliminates these limitations but also helps us to discover new comparable possibilities each with its own processes and data. Computer aided design (CAD) helps to formulate randomized concepts into informed designs through the processes of calculating structural performance, load distribution, optimal strength threshold of materials13 in merely minutes, granting major reductions in work loads, material quantities and time

spans. Furthermore, BIM (Building Information Modelling) as part of CAD has become an international communicating tool that brings designers from different ethnic, social and political backgrounds together to share and develop architecture as a global goal towards major developments, such as sustainability, Form generation and composition have never been made easier with the redirection of computation to a precise, puzzle making process, allowing architects to find, instead of making14 patterns inside and outside the puzzles.

12. Lawson. Bryan. (1999)."'Fake' and 'real' creativity using computer aided design: Some Lessons from herman hertzberger", in Proceedings of the 3rd Conference on Creativity & Cognition, ed. by ernest edmonds and Linda candy (new York: Acm press), pp. 174-179 13. Elias,B 2016, Lecture 02, Recording, University of Melbourne, Parkville. 14. Tony Fry, Design Futuring: Sustainability, Ethics and New Practice (Oxford: Berg, 2008), p. 1â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 16.

FIG. 4 OVERALL TOWER GEOMETRY.

T H E F U T U R E

FIG. 3 NATIONAL BANK OF KUWAIT HEADQUARTERS, KUWAIT, 2007.

Located in Kuwait City, the National Bank of Kuwait is a successful computing architecture. "The building is an environmentally responsive building and a complex geometry designed that was designed to integrating various performance parameters while continuing to investigate geometrical solutions".15 Generative Components™ (GC) was the primary parametric modelling software that quickly produced various options for the design considering a range of performance parameters including “aspirations, structural, environmental functional and operational requirements”. 16 The speedy analysis and generation of models enhance the tectonics of materialization and fabrication. The fins that create the shading system were studied for buildability through testing the level of curvature of the elements and through the derivation of elements with possible repetition, all while maintaining the shape. 16 Three sides except the South façade are covered by the intelligent shading system where fins are angle at such

15. Morphosis Architects, Emerson College Los Angeles / Morphosis Architects (2014) <http://www.archdaily.com/491193/emerson-college-los-angeles-morphosisarchitects/> [accessed 18 August 2015]. 16. Peters, B, Kestelier, X 2013, Computation Works: The Building of Algorithmic Thought, John Wiley & Sons ltd.

degrees to reduce sunlight penetration but at the same time, allowing views and the daylight to facilitate the interior spaces. The building responds well to local weather conditions. Parametric and performative design have been utilised with integrated simulation software for wind, sunlight, energy and structural calculations (shown in Fig. 4) in scripting the angle and shape of the saw-tooth form for optimal shading and energy efficiency. Furthermore, computation processes have turned the facades from singularities to multiple singularities, which consists of multiple performative layers that integrates with each other to create an optimal product that provides maximum efficiency and minimum environmental impacts. Required interdisciplinary skills and communication to accomplish these is much easier to be expressed and managed with computer generations. Time span of designing is shortened as multiple performative forms can be simultaneously calculated, evaluated and perfected.

FIG. 7 NATIONAL AQUATICS CENTRE, BEIJING, 2003

The national aquatics centre in Beijing, China, also known as the ‘water cube’ brings aspiration to computer generation technologies. 22000 structural elements and 4000 unique cladding panels were modelled and designed using CAD with rapid prototyping machinery.17 The exterior pattern was generated by randomized shapes formed by computation, it is similar to the result of Voronio in grasshopper 3D. The end result is an iconic futuristic building. Environmentally, the cube is an insulated greenhouse with diffuse natural light. Functionality wise, the main steel structure is housed in a cavity, isolated from both the outside and the corrosive pool atmosphere. ETFE, a fluorine based plastic cladding was used to be an efficient means of construction as it would use minimal material

and remove the need for a secondary structure, while providing better insulation than single glazing. These innovative and performative features are made possible solely by computation. Materials, costs and time are saved by the continuum of form generation and testing by CAD. With the exterior cladding generated with computation, this demonstrates another advantage of computation that it can be used to spark ideas and to continually generate forms in order to keep the design process circulating as sometimes, designers grow weary and run out of concepts. With the development of material fabrication, structural tectonics was simultaneously calculated by CAD to test and execute performative forms in hands with the morphological structure.

FIG. 8 PLATEAU’S SOUP BUBBLE GEOMETRY

FIG. 9 CAD STRUCTAL SYSTEM MODEL

FIG. 10 CONCEPT DESIGN USING WEAIREPHELAN FOAM

17. Tristram Carfrae, 'Engineering the water cube', ArchitectureAU, 1.1, (2006), 1, in 1

<http://architectureau.com/articles/practice-23/> [accessed 8 August 2015].

A 3 . C O M P O S I T I O N & G E N E R A T I O N

Parametric design has given us countless opportunities and ideas that we would never dream of without it. It has made unbuildable designs buildable. Unimaginable form generations generated. The trial and error age has passed and today, with powerful computers, knowledge is key to create imaginations. Knowledge in systems, modelling, sharing and reuse of computational tools. With more powerful computers come with much more sophisticated analytical algorithms and visualisation techniques that render the analytical data. Ultimately, design outcomes become more sophisticated in creating much more complex design briefs with the access to gain profound discoveries about abstract

concepts. It is fascinating to observe forms, patterns, structures generated with the aid of algorithmic thinking, such as the pattern of bird flocks through Boids by Craig Reynolds. 18 Multiple briefs can be fitted into one design with the help from form generation to composition of performative forms to form a complex brief that meets multiple functions. Sustainable fabricated materials are used to achieve a more environmental friendly design. Computer programs such as Grasshopper relies on visual connections in writing parametric script. Visually descriptive nodes are only shown in a visual form similar to the architecture field, which heavily relies on visual communications. This

18. Elias,B 2016, Lecture 03, Recording, University of Melbourne, Parkville. 19. Burry, M (2011) Scripting Cultures, West Sussex: John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

creates a barrier between developers and users as beginners in the field are constrained by their insufficient knowledge in computing. Thus, unable to fully express themselves through CAD programs. Ultimately, hand drawing is still a popular method in designing. However, educational videos on the internet have proved in encouraging more designers to use CAD, which increases the data base online for sharing and reuse throughout the world. Nevertheless, sharing have caused existing designs to be modified due to individualsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; vague believe in only form and structure, leading to the loss of connection to the brief. The individuals â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;simply being a designerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;.19

FIG. 12. ICT/ITKE RESEARCH PAVILLION, STUTTGART, 2011.

B E Y O N D C O M P R E H E N S I O N

FIG. 11 FORM GENERATION, 2011.

In this pavilion, the efficiency of computational generation is achieved through advanced simulation and robotic fabrication that expands the design space towards hitherto unsought architectural possibilities, 20 enabling material behaviour to unfold a complex performative structure from a surprisingly simple material system. Referring to the pavilion, the development of a generative computational process based on the morphological principles of the plate skeleton of echinoids enabled the design and robotic manufacturing of a modular system, which exploited the hygroscopic behaviour of wood in the development of no-tech responsive architecture. The pavilion only uses extremely thin (6.5mm) plywood sheets, 20 thus making it both economical to build and materially highly efficient. At the same time providing an enriched spatial extension of the public space. By utilising computer generation, the surface of the building was able to be created through form generation in cooperation with performative form finding. A series of computerised detailing , such as digital fabrication and compositing the surfaces greatly enhances the structures adaptability to the surrounding environment as well as simplifying the designing and construction

processes while maintaining its complexity. The surfaces were divided into singular panels which were digitally fabricated, then fitted on site efficiently with the aid of CAD. Similar in putting together a puzzle. The morphogenetic property of the pavilion form a relationship between its surrounding vegetation and the pavilionâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s interior. Elaborative formations such as undulations, bifurcations, folds, and inflections modify this pavilion surface into an architectural landscape that performs a multitude of functions: welcoming, embracing, and directing visitors through the interior spaces. With this gesture, the building blurs the conventional differentiation between architectural object and urban landscape, building envelope and urban pavilion, figure and ground, interior and exterior.21 Thus, form generating through algorithmic thinking allows the design to relate to its surroundings in harmony both aesthetically and environmentally. Advanced computing allowed for the continuous control and communication of these complexities between a wide variety of participants also reduced time span and allowed for the bottom-up system where more productive ideas and concepts were combined to perfect the pavilion as a whole..

20. Peters, B, Kestelier, X 2013, Computation Works: The Building of Algorithmic Thought, John Wiley & Sons ltd. 21. Zaha Hadid Architects, 'Heydar Aliyev Center / Zaha Hadid Architects', Archdaily, 1.1, (2013), 1, in 1 <http://www.archdaily.com/448774/heydar-aliyev-center-zaha-

hadid-architects> [accessed 9 August 2015].

FIG. 14 SERPENTINE PAVILION, LONDON, 2002.

With Toyo Itoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Serpentine Pavilion. The aesthetic and tectonic possibilities of the algorithmic was eloquently demonstrated.22 It was designed during the time when multidisciplinary research were developed to expert the ability to exploit computational geometry in the mediated generation and analysis of digital designs.23 The design can be related to the Delaunary and Offset commands in Grasshopper, which allows computation to tease out the patterns in which the building could utilise. Experimentations with the modelling of the tectonic potential of the square was carried out. A series of squares were drawn with the same

centre point, with the aid from form generation, patterns were formed during the process which composited together to form a computational design we see as the end product. Moreover, this pavilion portrays one of the symbolic properties of form generation, that, it creates randomised patterns and designs through controlled parametric algorithms. This is in the similar case with nature as it is the randomness of trees and mountain ranges formed by a broader pattern of genetics and plate tectonics that creates beautiful and natural sceneries. This cannot be achieved by hand as one will always be limited by his/her design patterns and way of thinking.

FIG. 15 COMPUTER EXPLODED DIAGRAM.

22. Rivka Oxman, Robert Oxman, Theories of the Digital in Architecture (London; New York: Routledge, 2014), p. 1â&#x20AC;&#x201C;10. 23. Oxman, Theories of the Digital in Architecture.

A 4 . C O N C L U S I O N

It is with urgency to inform the industry that architecture has come to a stall. In one hand, futuristic and fascinating buildings are being designed and constructed. However, on the other hand, they are still been built at a cost on environmental degradation no matter how energy efficient it is. ‘one must destroy something in order to create something new’, animals must be killed to make meat, trees must be chopped to turn into timber. Architecture is forever a create and destroy relationship. Natural resources are burnt in need for constructing skyscrapers or

providing energy for households. Thus, the most feasible option would be to slow down ‘defuturing’ and prolong our habitable environment, which can be accomplished by computation. Design intelligence/algorithmic thinking is able to aid us for optimal performative form finding, in relation to utilising resources and materials to generate precisely the minimal resources needed in generating the maximal efficiency in all areas of a design from energy consumption to material strength. With the constant development of programing, designers

will be able to use algorithmic formulas to calculate the unpredictable growth patterns of renewable resources such as trees or bird flocks by Craig Reynoids. This can be used directly as design elements. Leading to the creation of live architecture which cooperates with nature to build shelter. Therefore, there are endless possibilities with computation to turn undefinable designs on paper into an algorithmic system where designs come from generation and generation from intelligence.

A 5 . Through the process of comprehending computational theories and practices, I am able to understand the necessity of being able to grasp this important skill. Being a designer, it is not only about creating new styles or forms of architecture, but to experiment with

different genres of architecture in order to discover and find the optimum solution to a puzzle. Whether it is an environmental puzzle or a social puzzle, I am able to use computation to aid me in performative form finding and providing accurate calculations for

multiple goals. The precision of computational tools fascinate me the most as it is crucial in constructing major projects. I will utilise these tools to their full potential in order to find the puzzles that were considered to be impossible on paper.

L E A R N I N G O U T C O M E

A 6 . A P P E N D I X . A L G O R I T H M I C S K E T C H E S

This algorithmic stretch consists of many fundamental elements of computation. It represents parametric designâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ability to generate mesh , then dividing it precisely into producible components while adding appropriate thickness and details to the design. Following up to the mesh and geodesic components, I have added thickness as well as transformed

the rigid outcome into a more morphogenetic structure which relaxes its protruding characteristic and maintain its structural integrity at the same time. From this sketch, I have discovered that by using computation, structures can now be generated into interesting shapes that can be exposed purposefully to achieve both aesthetical and

structural success, such as bridges or skyscrapers. With the aid of computation, model making has become more efficient and time saving as parametric algorithms automatically calculate and generate the necessary elements into producing the model with an infinite number of modifications in perfecting the outcome.

The diversity of algorithm outcome in this parametric design interests me. By simply changing a few nodes, (Box Morph> Orient, Weaverbird) grasshopper was able to generate brand new faรงade patterns for the entire design in

mere seconds. This greatly reduces design time and more importantly, allow designers to explorer much more feasible possibilities that would never be achieved by hand. This once more emphasise on the efficiency of computation.

This parametric design displays the beauty of repetition through form generating. It demonstrates the limitless freedom of algorithmic thinking. The design can be infinitely expanded using Offset and the Number Slider in Grasshopper.

Arata Isozaki, 'Qatar National Convention Centre', Dezeen Magazine, 1.1, (2013), 1, in 1 <http://www.dezeen.com/2013/08/22/qatar-national-convention-centre-by-arata-isozaki/> [accessed 12 August 2015].Rivka Oxman, Robert 'Design Futuring, dir. by University of Melbourne (University of Melbourne, 2015). Elias,B 2016, Lecture 02, Recording, University of Melbourne, Parkville. Elias,B 2016, Lecture 03, Recording, University of Melbourne, Parkville. Martin Spring, 30 St Mary Axe: A gherkin to suit all tastes (2008) <Building.co.uk> [accessed 12 August 2015]. Morphosis Architects, Emerson College Los Angeles / Morphosis Architects (2014) <http://www.archdaily.com/491193/emerson-college-los-angeles-morphosis-architects/> [accessed 18 August 2015]. Oxman, Theories of the Digital in Architecture (London; New York: Routledge, 2014), p. 1â&#x20AC;&#x201C;10. Peters, B, Kestelier, X 2013, Computation Works: The Building of Algorithmic Thought, John Wiley & Sons ltd.

B I B L I O G R A P H Y

Tony Fry, Design Futuring: Sustainability, Ethics and New Practice (Oxford: Berg, 2008), p. 1â&#x20AC;&#x201C;16. Tristram Carfrae, 'Engineering the water cube', ArchitectureAU, 1.1, (2006), 1, in 1

<http://architectureau.com/articles/practice-23/> [accessed 8 August 2015].

Wikipedia, Qatar National Convention Centre (2015) <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Qatar_National_Convention_Centre> [accessed 13 August 2015]. Zaha Hadid Architects, 'Heydar Aliyev Center / Zaha Hadid Architects', Archdaily, 1.1, (2013), 1, in 1 <http://www.archdaily.com/448774/heydar-aliyev-center-zaha-hadid-architects> [accessed 9

August 2015].

C R I T E R I A D E S I G N

B 1 . FIG. 1. Prada Store Tokyo

to integrate distinctive elements together in harmony and express a suite of ideas as a unity to the audience.2 In more detail, patterning takes existing elements and transforms it in a gradual and predictive manor into an unique element with its own expressions and symbolising effects. It is evident in the Prada Store Tokyo by Herzog & De Meuron (2003), which used straight and rigid steel frame structure to generate the diamond grid pattern in order to express and symbolise the simple yet elegant, straightforward yet representative qualities of the building Patterning has the ability and the brand.

The art of patterning in architecture has been a technique used for symbolising and expressing ideas since recorded times. From the repetition of the Doric ornaments on Roman columns to the natural patterning of materials used in the Barcelona Pavilion, it focuses on the unpredictability of repetition as well as the movement and placement of nature, objects, shapes, etc.1 For example, the symbolising patterns of brick laying, that one brick will never produce the patterns that multiple bricks could.

Patterning can also be viewed as a reflection to culture.3 Such as the geometrical patterns and motifs on the mosaics of churches, creating spiritual and atmospheric effects for the space. In today’s design environment, patterning has become an inseparable design feature in relation to nature and materiality. It demonstrates a vast field of exploration and experimentation capabilities in the new era of architecture.

R E S E A R C H F I E L D : P A T T E R N I N G

FIG. 2. Barcalona Pavilion

1. Archdaily, “AD Classics : Barcelona Pavillion/ Mies van der Rohe”, 2011 http://www.archdaily.com/109135/ad-classicsBarcelona-pavilion-mies-van-der-rohe. 2. Menges, Archim (2012). “Material Computaion: Higher Integration in Morphophonemic Design”, Architecture Design, 82, 2, pp. 14-21, p. 20. 3. Moussavi, Farshid, and Daniel Lopez (2009). The Function of Form (Barcelona: Actar; New York), p. 8

B 2 . C A S E S T U D Y

FIG. 3. De Young Museum

De Young Museum (2005)

1 The design of this museum by Herzog and De Meuron took on the approach of integration of tradition and vernacular forms with modern innovations.3 The symbolic façade patterns were generated with computation through image sampling to allow the original pattern to be directly expressed on the façade. This, way, the pattern does not lose its characteristics compared to inaccurate interpretations caused by traditional ways of design.

The patterns on the façade have two sections, which are perforation and cone extrusions. The integration of the sections expresses a different kind of flexibility and unpredictability onto the building itself. The use of copper as a rare material used outdoors generates a spectacular mating atmosphere to the surrounding environment. The effect would amplified with the change in colour of copper through oxidation.4 Ultimately, the natural corrosion of

copper itself would remind us the existence of time as well as becoming part of the pattern influenced by the different sized openings and curvatures. In my iterations, will focus mainly on extrusion as the 3D effect it creates really attracts me, then briefly, I will look separately into perforation and to test how each of the two generate patterns differently, then combining the two to form a unity of patterns.

3. Archdaily, “Spotlight: Herzog & De Meuron”, 2014 <http://www.archdaily.com/370152/happy-birthday-pierre-demeuron>. 4. Archdaily, “M.H. de Young Museum/ Herzog& De Meuron”, 2010 <http://www.archdaily.com/66619/m-h-de-youngmuseum-Herzog-de-meuron>.

FIG. 4. De Young Museum Facade

B 2 . P E R F O R A T I O N S H A P E

Trimmed two breps.

Decreased UV points while increasing the Y variable for the circle expression.

Decreased UV points and used region intersection to boarder the lofted, relocated and rescaled circle.

Used “Spring” and “Unary” forces for “Kangaroo” with one bottom anchor point for each circle.

Changed circle to polygon. Added multiple bottom anchor points for “Kangaroo” and left the simulation on for a longer period (one minute).

Increased anchor points on the top surface.

Used “Mesh Surface” as multiple mesh inputs for “Kangaroo”.

Removed “Unary” force from “Kangaroo”.

Stretched the Z axis while added “Wind-mesh” force to “Kangaroo”.

(

1 ) 26

F A V O U R A B L E

environment and the submissive nature of materials to weather. This design illustrates the best among its specie on the 3D effect as well as the expression against natural forces. There are endless possibilities in expressing those themes from this design. For example,

generating similar shapes from actual wind, sound or water waves. Moreover, the existing design has the capability to create spatial and visual qualities for purposes of experimentation or simply appealing mysterious and interesting to its users.

(

The use of kangaroo to generate morphological shapes from the original pattern really transformed the pattern into a more gravitational and force driven design. This design shows an altered structure from wind force in kangaroo to create a sense of response to the

O U T C O M E 1 .

)

B 2 . E X T R U S I O N M O R P H I N G (

Removing the first image.

Used “Smaller Than” and erased all the larger circles.

Flattened the cones through expression.

Cull pattern horizontally.

Flip data matrix for vertical cull pattern.

Changed circle pattern to polygon then added Kangaroo by using “Spring” and “Planarize” forces.

Box morphed surface with mesh object and reduced pattern to one.

Decreased divide points and twisted surface box.

Converted mesh to poly-surfaces and extruded along curve.

)

F A V O U R A B L E O U T C O M E ( 2 .

)

9 Originally an extruded cone which had been spring and planarize forced, then applied box morph followed by an extrusion along a vertical curve to create something intertwining and vertical.

The outcome was very unpredictable which surprised me with this aesthetical design. The repeated form generated a design that is strong in light and shadow contrast as well as the wave like

pattern it displays as a whole. It would be rather simple to fabricate with repeated shapes cut out then drilling a hole in the middle of each part to join all together.

B 2 . E X T R U S I O N

Replaced patterning circles with rectangles.

Adjusted X and Y domains of the rectangles.

Extruded along a curve.

Mesh brep then welded and smoothed.

Added Weaver Bird framing and eliminated repeated shapes.

Changed and added 2 extrusion curves while Catmull-Clark subdivision was added.

Altered Weaver Bird into windows with offset split triangles subdivision. Removed one extrusion.

F O R M ( )

F A V O U R A B L E O U T C O M E ( 3 .

)

In this specie, I decided to really bring out the extrusion aspect to express form, stretching and structuring. The outcome was again unthought-of. With the use

of Split triangle subdivision in Weaverbird, I was able to create this dynamic, logical yet divided form that looks very different from anything else. Fabrication

would be quite easy too given the fact that all pieces are being processed flat by Weaverbird.

B 2 . E X T R U S I O N S T R U C T U R E

Adjusted various image controlling expressions.

Trim Solid between the two lofted cones.

Smoothed and thickened cones with Weaverbird.

Increased height and transformed into hexagonal cells using “Lunchbox”, then smoothened with “Catmull-Clark subdivision”.

Removed “Catmull-Clark subdivision”. Replaced with split triangles subdivision.

Transformed into “Delaunay edges”.

Transformed into “Voronio” then added “Panel frame” from “Lunchbox”.

Repetition of adding another layer of “Panel Frame”.

Generated a circular atmosphere with “Curve array”.

(

4 )

F A V O U R A B L E

This type of extrusion reminds me of the connecting buttons from Lego. It is organised, precise and identical. The pattern is easy to control with UVs and variables, making it flexible to adjust

in future developments. Aesthetically wise, this design is very subtle with only the smallest pattern changes caused by the image sample. It expresses a very controlled and accurate

transformation of cone size which furthermore emphasizes on the capability of digital design in the effectiveness of expressing a certain idea accurately.

O U T C O M E ( 4 . 3 ) 33

B 2 . E X T R U S I O N D I R E C T I O N

Added one field spin.

Shifted the centre of the spin force while increased amplitude.

Reduced points and added multiple field spins.

Added point charge and adjusted amplitudes.

Changed the expression for radius of the circles.

Extruded using the spin force vectors.

Furthermore altered the Z axis expression, tan(y)*(x-0.1) to tan(y)*(x+0.3).

De-brep, then created interpolate curves and lofted into fans.

(

5 ) 34

F A V O U R A B L E

The continuous extrusions both vertically and horizontally have added a new level of complexity and room for development onto the form of this design and it was still controllable with the UVs, variables and vectors. This iteration shows a

continuous spinning force from the centre and sprawling out to control these surrounding geometries. The effect of this iteration is very strong in expressing the idea of movement and fluidity. The overlapping and spiking effect of this

design is very different from any other iterations in the same specie. The image shows the spiking and sprawling effect of the design which had the potential to be further developed to bring out that visual and touch qualities.

O U T C O M E ( 5 . 6 ) 35

B 2 . C O M B I N E D E X T R U S I O N ( 6

Using the same image for both image sampling inputs.

Adjusting UV points for surface divide to show the detailed outlines of the image with the adjustment of the expression from x*y +0.02 to 0.01 to reduce the biggest circle radius allowed in order to fit more UVs.

Increasing the degree of radians to the planar surfaces, the height of the cones can be adjusted to create certain effects, such as diversifying and highlighting certain sections of the pattern.

Copying the Z vector expression to the first image.

Applying the coning script to the first image.

Increasing the radius restriction of the base circle as well as the radians of the planar surface.

Increasing the top circle that forms the planar surface.

Added another image pattern.

Rotating 2 images along the Y-axis.

)

F A V O U R A B L E

were indeed easy to control to fluctuate the effects mentioned above. The outcome was quite successful in accurately expressing itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s intentions. It could even be used as a diagram or digital model for scale up the city comparing to low level residential areas to make changes to the high contrasts.

6 . 3 )

have been greatly extruded to create 2 clusters of diverse and intriguing cones against the plain perforation covering the entire design. This was to create the effect of contrast and hierarchy in order to express the design's capability of control, counter-balancing and comparison. The use of UVs and the variables

(

This iteration is what I believe a combined result of perforation and extrusion. They do not have to be interlocked together or have a special relationship. In my interpretation, they can be complete distinctive elements that are united together to create an unique meaning and purpose. The iteration shows 2 sections that

O U T C O M E

B 3 . C A S E S T U D Y 2

Aqua Tower (2009) In conclusion to case study 1.0, I have developed an interest in generating an overall pattern which allows multiple systems and themes to be integrated into it. Thus, more precisely, it is how multiple systems will function with each other given an existing frame. I found that it tends to be bigger structures that focus on the overall form first then its systems compared to micro environments were atmosphere comes first. Aqua tower is the perfect case for me to explore what I want.

create the whole. The tower considers material construction, outdoor terraces, natural sunlight and ventilation, sculptural qualities, shading and sustainability systems. Most of these functions are achieved solely by the seemingly organic and free flowing design of the faรงade. It acts as an extension into the sky, providing balconies for people to enjoy the views as well as a space of interaction between neighbours which emphasise the modern development of urban living.

FIG. 5. Aqua Tower Facade

between structure and material. It is composed of irregular shaped concrete floor slabs which keep the faรงade in an undulating and sculptural fashion. Aqua tower used parametric designing to combine the terrace, contour, pool and columns together to form a whole. Although each part are distinctive from each other, when put together, it produced an outcome that is unpredictably unforgettable.

Not only the aesthetically pleasing faรงade attracted me when I first saw this tower, Within the wave patterned but also the possibilities of building lies many systems In addition, the tower also fabricating this design with that function together to reflect on the combination simple tools and materials.

R E V E R S E O V E R V I E W

Through reverse engineering the Aqua Tower, I have a grown interest in how the overall form was generated to serve all the purposes it carries. In the technique developing

stage, I will focus on generating different forms of patterns to create a unity of visual and functional models using various components from Grasshopper to extract the potentials

of form designing in relation to the function of the design. I will then explore the possibilities of functions and purposes created during the process of generating form.

B 4 . F O R M A L T E R N A T I O N

1. Used “colour brightness” to determine the lofted pattern.

2. Changed to “RGBA colours” to alter pattern.

3. Changed “Interpolate curve” to “Nurbs curve”.

( )

4. Changed “Nurbs curve” to “Kink curve”.

7. Added “Catenary” and connected curves.

5. Changed “Kink curve” to “Fit line” between the end points. Increased domain end from 0.000 to 0.200.

8. Found “Extreme” points then added and joined “Catenary” on top of existing “Catenary”. “Tweened” both curve patterns with image pattern then connected with “Nurbs curve” at 1 degree.

6. Connected “Nurbs curve” (favourite outcome) and extruding the “Boundary Surfaces” along X axis for thickness.

9. Extended and connected “Catenary” curves. Prepped and lofted frames for the curves. 42

F A V O U R A B L E spatial atmosphere enhanced by the lighting and shadowing between each layer. The design is already functional as a building complex with the body of the building as living space with balconies protruding into the hollow section as well as the outside. The hollow section would function as a recreational and community space of the residents. Thus, creates a micro-community which

can be developed into a self sustainable environment. That is, the residents can live their lives comfortability with residential, commercial and agricultural capabilities to self support all residents within the building complex. The idea of centralisation created with repeated catenary curve component furthermore emphasises on community living.

O U T C O M E (

By using a series of curve components, such as nurbs curve and catenary curves, the design outcome produced an unpredictable result with many pre-existing functions as well as developing potentials. The randomness yet controlled characteristic of patterning is well presented with the extruding and submerging layers of lofted surfaces. They create a layering

6 . 3 ) 43

B 4 . F O R M S T R U C T U R E

1. Used “Flip Matrix” to generate vertical pattern.

2. Mirrored and joined the pattern, then increased “Domain Start” and thickness.

3. Connected and bordered the “Nurbs curves”.

( )

4. Transformed façade pattern by using WB’s “Loop Subdivision” and “Stellate”.

7. Used WB’s thickened “Mesh Window” along with “Loop Subdivision”.

5. Extracted frame by WB’s thickened “Picture Frame” and straightened the frame using “Split Triangles Subdivision”.

8. Smoothed out the façade with WB’s “Catmull-Clark Subdivision” and “Laplacian Smoothing”.

6. Added WB’s “Catmull-Clark Subdivision” to the frame.

9. Repetitively used WB’s “Catmull-Clark Subdivision” and “Laplacian Smoothing” on the frame of the façade.

F A V O U R A B L E

brings something organic into a mechanical form that can be translated into building construction practice with ease. Thus, this iteration expresses the reversed logic of organic and unpredictable designing by adding human logic to it.

(

The use of split triangle subdivision in Weaverbird have really expressed the structural potentials of the iteration. It encourages itself to be fabricated and built with the rigid column and beam structure with cross members at curving surfaces. The structured iteration

O U T C O M E 6 . 3 ) 45

B 4 . F O R M P A T T E R N

1. Cropped image input for enlarged pattern.

2. Adjusted domain values to reverse form pattern.

8. Extruded along a curve.

3. Transformed into “Voronio” structure.

( 3 ) 4. Further transformation using “Panel frame” from “Lunchbox”.

5. “Metaball” subdivided frames into loops.

6. Divided “Metaball” curves and added “Octree”.

7. “Interpolate” “Octree” points.

This iteration has one of the best pattern compositions that expresses connectivity and individuality in a harmonic way. Voronio was used on the lofted surface to create a pattern of irregular shapes defining the organic and unpredictability

characterises of patterning. Panel frame from Lunchbox was then used on the Voronio cells to really create a clear boundary as well as a vivid connection between each cell as if they are been squeezed together to form this visually and spatially pattern. This iteration has

many potentials in experimenting on the materiality in relation to its form and pattern. Fabrication may be more difficult dual to the accuracy needed to construct the irregular shapes, however, it is offset by the flatness of each cell.

F A V O U R A B L E O U T C O M E ( 6 . 3 ) 47

B 4 . F O R M E X T R U S I O N

1. Moved remapped pattern points on the X axis.

2. Added circle expression to replace lines.

3. Added second circle to generate cones with reduced surface UV. Then smoothed the shapes using WB’s “Catmull-Clark Subdivision”.

( )

4. Replaced circle with rectangle to generate diversity.

5. Changed plane input to “Rectangle” then used LB’s “Staggered Quad Panels” in conjunction with “Mesh Smooth”.

6. Changed plane input to “Hex-Grid” then used “Merge” and “Scale” to offset pattern.

7. Thickened pattern with WB and used “Split Triangle Subdivision” to triangulate each protrusion.

8. Decreased grid UV and added Lunchbox’s “Panel Frame”. “Hexagon Cells” was then used to fill the pattern’s frames.

9. Combined Lunchbox and WB’s “Catmull-Clark Subdivision” for smooth patterning. 48

F A V O U R A B L E O U T C O M E ( 6 . 3 )

Simply one of the most successful outcomes. Not only it pushes my Grasshopper skills to the limit, but also the form itself is fascinating with a lot of detail and depth. This iteration was originally a plain polygon pattern with sizing differences caused by image sampling. The polygons were then divided into 3 sections which resembles the 3 dimensional view of a cube through a 2 dimensional shape. The iteration was then extruded and enlarged to just a few divided polygons. The polygons

were then applied with Lunchbox framing and Weaverbird thickening. The end product carried a lot of depth shown with the hollow gaps within each polygon and between each other. This expresses the visual, spatial and compositional atmospheres the design radiates. I would imagine the design being used as part of the faรงade for a building to create an unique experience of spatial qualities as well as a functional faรงade with windows

installed in each opening and ventilation through the grooves between the shapes as water will be blocked out by the protruding polygons. However, it would be very difficult to fabricate as the layers within the polygons need to be precisely cut in large quantities then somehow levelling them into the gaps. Thus, it is important in selecting the right material has is strong as has a reasonable tolerance in fitting and movement in order to make fabrication faster.

B 4 . D E F O R M I N G F O R M

2. “Mesh Smooth” with adjusted iterations.

3. Triangulated surface with “Split Triangles Subdivision”.

4. Added and combined with a “Square grid”.

5. Transformed into “Delaunay edge”.

6. “Fit circle” between triangles then added “Panel Frames” and “Weaverbird thicken”.

(

1. Added holes using “Trim Solid”.

)

B 4 . F O R M D I V I S I O N ( 6

2. Extruded scaled “Square Grid” guided by image pattern and thickened with WB.

3. Changed grid to rectangle and façade to polylines.

4. Increase “Domain End” for the image.

5. Added WB’s “Catmull-Clark Subdivision”. Adjusted domain values.

6. Increased subdivision level for WB’s “Catmull-Clark Subdivision” with decreased domain values.

)

1. Thickened layers and smoothed with WB’s “Laplacian Smoothing”

7. Used “Mesh Edges” and connected the lines to create 8. Used “Cull Faces” to generate pattern within pattern. a fence pattern.

9. Increased UV for “Surface Divide” and extracted looping layers. 52

F A V O U R A B L E O U T C O M E ( 6 . 3 )

This design is self evident in cooperating form with patterning using Catmull â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Clark Subdivision. Each oval shape is generated upon a rectangular grid, thus, although the shapes reflect the organic and

morphological aspects of patterning, the grid keeps the ovals in place to maintain a regulated and controlled pattern. This brings to the reason why this is a successful building. It sits in the

middle between a pure organic form and a perfect grid, which generates many distinctive contrasts that create a unity of spatial qualities.

B 5 . P R O T O T Y P I N G

‘An architectural intervention that will express, support, amplify or question continuous relationships between technical, cultural and natural systems’…

The ability to use a design to improve on the lives of people, animals and the general environment in moving towards a sustainable future.

It started with taking the easiest form â&#x20AC;&#x201C; rectangles and eliminating the row beams to provide simplicity for the extrusion. The extracted pattern thus displays a pattern from all directions. The panels were then shaped into irregular wave patterns using image sampling from grasshopper. At this stage, it starts to resemble elements of the Aqua tower faĂ§ade used as the ceiling pattern.

Extrusion continues as an experience to find the optimum height to generate an all-direction pattern. The ceiling was then charged to a point to create a perspective and dynamic effect, however, it proved to be unsuitable to the squarish site. However, the purpose to hide the underside of the bridge as well as to hinder pigeons from accessing the space has not been met as there are too few panels to cover up the view of the bridge nor to create obstructions for pigoens.

Through development, I have increased the density/reduced the spacing between each panels to generate the outline of the ceiling pattern. This creates a mysterious atmosphere to the site backed up by the experience of abstract, depth, vertical gravity and vivid contrasts. Contrasts between the concaving and extruding pattern, the depth of the dropping down panels vs. the spacing in between as well as the rigid structure of the bridge vs. the abstract design. This creates diversity, a point of interest to the site but not domination to the surrounding environment. Moreover, different images were used to generate different ceiling patterns to utilise computation in generating quick patterns to choose the best from.

C H O S E N T E C H N I Q U E

Lastly, to adapt the design to the underside of the bridge, I must consider the fact that there will be a lot of vibration, thus, using fixed joints to connect the panels to the bridge would mean constant vibration and tension at the joints as well as the whole design, which may lead to instability and reduced the life of the design. Thus, a solution is to divide the pattern into individual strips and connecting them individually to the bridge using 2 fixed joints connect by tension cables. This way, most of the vibration from the bridge can be dispersed by the movements of the cables. Moreover, this allows the panels to swing a bit amongst themselves which creates an unintentional experience of living architecture through movement as well as the experience of transformation in patterns through controlled movement.

S I T E

Merri Creek is one of the few natural reserves left in the metropolitan area of Melbourne. It provides a sanctuary for many wild lives as well as an escape from the populated city. It is a place of peace for adults and a learning environment for children. In my perspective, I will try to maintain its natural characteristics and only improve on areas that cause harm to the environment. From the visit to the Merri Creek reserve, I have observed a few things that needed to be changed or improved. Firstly, there was rubbish along the path and the creek, which is always harmful to the image of the reserve. Thus, a solution of designing rubbish bins could reduce pollution. However, this may attract animals to seek for food within the bins, potentially turning the bins into a death trap if animals fall in. Secondly, there were these tree protectors, I thought I might replace them with a more interesting design. However, seeing the quantity needed for the protectors, it will be an expensive project.

B R I D G E S

The most disturbing thing I experienced on site was the uncomforting feeling when walking under the bridges. Not only it is aesthetically unpleasing, it also posed a threat of pigeon bombs. The area was dirty and dangerous. It is a shame that a prime space like this is being left out when it has the ability to facilitate people and animals against the unpredictable weather of Melbourne. As well as a great resting space for joggers or a recreational space for people. To my experience, a space like this in China would be packed with people playing Chinese chess. Thus, it is to my consciousness to change the atmosphere and the environment of the space under the bridges and transform it from a space of brief passing into a place of interest that is able to facilitate its potentials. To achieve this, I believe, involves mainly covering up the underside of the bridge. The technique of patterning would be very effective in generating a horizontal plane, layer or canopy that connects to the underside of the bridge. Closely binding rectangular, triangular or random patterns would form an architectural decoration to the space. At the same time, hiding the hideous concrete bridge on top and hindering pigeons from nesting and dropping on the edges of the bridge columns.

B 6 . P R O P O S A L

For this project, I will design a façade geometry to provide a place for users to relax and enjoy nature. At the same time, the design will generate unique spatial qualities to enhance the users’ experiences. The design

will hide away the imperfections of human architecture under the bridge where raw concrete is exposed. It will be replaced with a dynamic design that will emphasise on the organic nature of the site as well as

providing functions for users. Without disturbing the users’ ways in using the site, design a structure to give users an unique experience on the site and hiding away the imperfections of human modifications to the site.

Without disturbing the users’ ways in using the site, design a structure to give users an unique experience on the site and hiding away the imperfections of human modifications to the site.

B R I E F

A G E N D A

D E S I G N

Technique thinking

B 6 . F U T U R E T H I N K I N G

The two cases of De Young Museum and Aqua Tower have taught me a lot on their technique applications. For De Young Museum, I adopted its perforation and coning techniques, which allowed me to use such technique at a greater scale to generate patterns relating to images or modified patterns to create unpredictable, but fruitful outcomes. This was achieved through setting an appropriate grid and choosing a representative image as the base for interpolating and lofting the points from the image together. Thus, my design follows similar steps as strips of lofted surfaces to create an overall wave under the bridge. Even though I did not adopt Weaverbird nor Lunchbox on my own design, each panel have already interacted with each other though controlled gaps between them as well as the gradual transformation of the wave pattern throughout the layers, that, one panelâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s form may affect another panelâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s form or section platform.

Fabrication and material thinking Prototyping has allowed me to try and explore the relations of panel layers and shapes, as well as supporter height and how these two elements affect the stability of my structure. Joinery structure will be applied in this structure to join components from panel to the underside of the bridge with fixed joints. However, since the structure is elevated and is only supported from one direction, special fixing methods have to be adopted to make sure it is stable. Since timber material is weak in the long term, I believe steel have to be adopted for panel supporters even though the surfaces of these metal resemble machine instead of nature, I can coat the metal into rusted copper similar to De Young Museum to bring out the organic exposure of metal to oxygen. Meanwhile, wood textured surface material can be adopted for the panels but they have to be lightweight to provide minimum stress for the structure.

Objective 1. Developing “the ability to make a case for proposals” There is a big difference between digital approach and practical approach. In digital approach, which adopts grasshopper, the shape can be stimulated by just piling. However, in practical modelling, I find that unintentional or wrong joints or gaps will cause the whole structure to seem incomplete or even collapse. Nevertheless, through practical model, I can make mistakes that digital model will identify and provide alternatives to perfect my proposal.

Objective 2. Begin developing a personalised repertoire of computational techniques. I am able to develop personalised repertoire from fundamental algorithm programming but have not fully mastered it, especially when I faced some simple algorithms that the shape itself can not be changed as much as I have hoped in B4. Additionally, components in grasshopper, such as Weaverbird and Kangaroo have their individual behaviours and processing methods, using them for larger models often directs me to a dead end as it is very hard to add any complex components on top of the already complicated design.

Objective 3. Developing “an ability to generate a variety of design possibilities for a given situation” Since the clients for my design proposal is complex and specific (people to small animals), there is a lot that I do not have confident knowledge in, such as pigeons which live under the bridges. What they eat? What kind of plants they are referred to be building their nests with? My proposed possibilities for my design is therefore limited or even biased towards people, which means only one to two purposes or functions can be put forward.

Objective 4. Developing “skills in various three-dimensional media” Learning from Grasshopper and Rhino, I am able to utilise different medias to show varied designs and design styles on technique development. Programmes such as Rhino, Indesign and Photoshop have been used to various 3D media that have successfully expressed many of my design points accurately. However, prototyping was my shortcoming since I made it quite simple with insufficient relation to the medias which I have learnt from the feedbacks to add in more depth and cooperate more elements of Grasshopper into the design and putting aside how the end product will look, but rather the parametric process of getting to a resolved solution.

Objective 5. Develop foundational understandings of computational geometry, data structures and types of programming. In my opinion, case study1.0 is a steeping stone which I was able to discover many parametric capabilities and learn to utilise Grasshopper, for example, when to add, subtract or multiply in the components used. I was able to show my understandings rather accurate according to parametric data shifting. In reverse engineering, it felt that I was working in a larger environment which allowed me to expand and apply fully the techniques I have learn during case study 1.0 for further development to find the suitable technique for me to carry on to my proposal.

B 7 . L E A R N I N G O B J E C T I V E S A N D O U T C O M E S

B 8 . A P P E N D I X . A L G O R I T H M I C S K E T C H E S 68

B I B L I O G R A P H Y

Tony Fry, Design Futuring: Sustainability, Ethics and New Practice (Oxford: Berg, 2008), p. 1â&#x20AC;&#x201C;16. Tristram Carfrae, 'Engineering the water cube', ArchitectureAU, 1.1, (2006), 1, in 1

<http://architectureau.com/articles/practice-23/> [accessed 8 August 2015].

August 2015].

D E T A I L E D D E S I G N

C 1 . D E S I G N

According to the feedback to my interim design, further technique based on patterning need to be utilized into the final design in order to promote the development of the design concept. I found that my interim deign concept is quite limited and lack the characteristics of parametric design. The panels fluctuate too much in its shape that it does not create the affect of gradual change of patterning. Therefore, I would like to utilise on the techniques of faĂ§ade patterning using weaver and similar complex geometry components which

can connect parametric design with change in shape, time and space. The functionalism of the design should be improved. In order to achieve this purpose, I need to explore more on peopleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s interactions with facades and decorated surfaces, how they would react to a plain wall against a dynamic and intriguing faĂ§ade. By using the parametric tool, I am able to understand the process of the design and how different variables would affect the final outcome and how they connect to the previous iterations.

C O N C E P T F E E D B A C K

C 1 . S I T E A N A L Y S I S

Ceres community environment park is a place of relaxation and Melbourne living in Brunswick East. It is situated on the banks of Merri Creek and has a environmental education centre. Ceres reflect on the movement towards sustainability through a diverse range of

expressions and activities. The site is surrounded by native vegetation, with an organic farm, permaculture garden and many trails. Merri Creek is an important role in bring the Ceres park alive as the creek contribute to relations between the environment, the heritage and recreational values along

the creek. Revegetation works and parkland development including path construction and park retrofit have created a trail park in its best natural form and landscape character. Thus, it plays an important role in the ecological and living systems within the Melbourne urban setting.

Sun light throughout the site is strong coming from all directions. The only shades are provided by the vegetation which are far from the trails and people have to walk onto the grass to excess them. Thus, it would be a great opportunity to provide a system that protects people of the weathers. On the right shows the accessibility to the site and the analysis of the concentration of people. It aims to find out a suitable location to consider the design in response to the movement of people.

C 1 . R E G I O N A N A L Y S I S The diagram shows the natural reserve around the site as well as Merri Creak. It is the only green patch within the metropolitan setting of NorthEast Melbourne. Thus, it is instinctive to encourage and enhance the natural environment. Whether to reflect on the fluidity of the creek or the patched pattern of the reserve.

C 1 . C H O S E N

Within our group of three, we have decided based on the natural aspect in relation to people that the sunlight and wind at the centre of the park is greater than other parts. Thus, we believe, it is a suitable location to create a place of

shadows. From the users perspective, what other functions can be supplied for them? An attraction? Place of relaxation? Meeting place? The area between the Chook group and the community gardens is rather a wasteful

ideology of the park consisting of only a trail. The sloping landscape may open new opportunities as it reflects on the flowing of the creek from the slop, adding fluidity to the model.

S I T E

C 1 . I S S U E S A N D O P P O R T U N I T I E S

From the site visit, we learnt that the site represents the movement of sustainability. However, some places does not show this, such as the entrance areas, where there are only asphalt carpark without any vegetation, thus placing our design there really do not show the encouragement of sustainability. Therefore, it is an opportunity to change this situation.

In addition, we found that the site is an opportunity to present in the design. It is located along the Merri Creek river which is an environmental heritage and a recreation corridor that draws its significance from its role as a continuous corridor against urban living. The bank of the Merri Creek is important in linking areas of natural environment to the urban setting. Therefore, we think it

is necessary to highlight this feature. This is to remind users the importance of the location, which is a place for relaxation and a getaway place from the city. However, on the site, there is lack of places such that can be used as a free space for users to interact and relax, and this is the opportunity for our design to solve and give functionalism to the site.

C 1 . D E S I G N T H I N K I N G

C 1 . F U N C T I O N A L W A L L

As we have discovered there is a lack of places which provide space for people to relax in the park. In my opinion, we must take advantage of the natural environment and design an structure that encourages people to interact with nature through observing, appreciating, touching, smelling etc. In order to enhance the sustainability factor in the site, we want to combine these elements together to remind users the importance of understanding natural environments and provide functions for people to use at the same time. The park rests along the Merri Creek, but seldom of users will recognize this situation. This is another

opportunity to include the be utilized to install seats fluidity and movement of for users. The second the creek into the design. design provide strong ideas on patterning To achieving this concept, shown on the surface of we chose three best the model. This design iterations from our group. shows an unique broken Each of them suppled pattern of parts that are inspiration from different in hollowed grids and aspects. The first design is some in solid. This a hanging structure which combination makes the uses a fixed joint to whole design contrasting connect onto the ceiling. between organic and The connection between rigidity. The third design each panels does not and the most difficult one exist, thus it solely relies for me to interpret could on the bolts that connects be one of the possibilities the panels to the ceiling. that can be used in It makes the whole design patterning. This idea was rather rigid. I would make inspired from the shape each panel free to move of bicycle wheels. It and transform the panels emphasises on the into the shape of water flexibility and rotation of waves, thus, the the whole design. Thus, interesting connections should allow creating the panels to maintain its movements that will flexibility. The gaps attract people to play between each panel can with it.

First Design

C 1 .

Third Design

D E V E L O P M E N T

Second Design

C 1 . G E N E R A T I N G F O R M S A N D

This is the initial concept we generated. It involves creating 2 panels of curved lines forming what originally a grid of hexagons which then was transformed into this irregular shaped pattern using forces from kangaroo. The two patterns were then lofted together to create this irregular wall faรงade resembling the organic aspect of

nature and the connection to people through its patterned spatial qualities. Moreover, It combines functional wall with the pavilion which encourages people to be physically involved and interactive. This idea integrated minimal surface and the concept of functional wall together. It is elegant and shoes the structure ability of steel or any

other material system. However, it cannot meet the requirements of providing a place for children to play with nor a clear design to suggest that it is a place for relaxation. Thus, the function of the design is too weak. The form of the wall is purely for visual experiences which has insufficient connections with the natural environment and sustainability.

S H A P E S

This ideas is completely different from the previous design. It is based on the idea of sculpture and the fluidity of water which also provide the function of sitting area. The concept was constructed through horizontal and vertical extrusions of patterned and divided

shapes. It involves setting a base shape then scaling up and down for varied sized panels, vertical panels adopted the use of offsetting to create the evenly spaced pattern. Overall, it displays the theme of layering and scaling which creates many spatial qualities. Furthermore, the sitting area is inspired

from the shape of the site. However, this sculpture give less parametric sense. It does not reflect the idea of using grasshopper. Rather than a representation of nature, it looks more like musical notes on the staff. It could be a design opportunity in future developments.

This concept takes on the form of Aqua Tower. This is to emphasise the significance of natural and organic patterns shown in the Merri creek. Thus, we used image sampling to transfer the wave pattern of water into a domain which then we extruded the points for each grid within the domain and connected with nurbs curve and finally lofted to generate that fluid pattern. We then took

the outline of the Merri creek path and referenced to the horizontal form of the faรงade to furthermore emphasize on the importance of the creek. At the same time, the altered form and pattern create very contrasting shadows and perspectives from every angle. This increases the spatial qualities of the design and attracts people to explore and interact with the pattern. The overall form of the wall

seems more flexible and relaxed in cooperation with the site. The whole design emphasizes the usage of geometry and technology to create strong impressions on the appearance and structure. It highlights the design purpose and the main concept of the design. Therefore, we have decided to use this to attempt for further development which we will then focus on the patterning.

C 1 . C O N N E C T F O R M W I T H C O N C E P T

This was the first experimentation we made on patterning surface using diagonize from Kangaroo and mesh windows from Weaverbird. The grids in the surface are almost identical. This has allowed us to come up with a new design approach of linking the rigid city grid of Melbourne to each pattern in reflection of the

relationship between the natural environment of Merri creek and the city. The grids should be in different sizes and the shapes should be irregularly sized. Therefore, it is important to have alternative pattern design outcomes to suit different situations. The diagram shows most of grids are

solid, only the gap between them is hollowed. Some of them were changed into strange forms and was arranged in clusters during digital processing. These grids will hinder lights from going through, which defeats the purpose of light and shadow, cussing the design to lose its attractiveness.

This was the developed patterning surface that we tried to figure out. We found that it will be more interesting to utilize the shadows. Therefore, the different types of grids will provide different patterns of shadows. During the site visit, there were lots of old bicycle wheels. We could use the shape of the wheels in the patterning of the surface. The wheels can be

regarded as human resources in the design. We carried over the diagonize component to connect and diagonalise the lines between the grids. However, the clusters persisted in this design. We have found out it is because of the reason that we constructed the surface using loft, thus, nurbs surfaces. The clustered grids are caused by the nurbs surface compressing

together at tighter parts of the panel, however, still maintain the same number of divided grids both vertically and horizontally. Therefore, causing them to be smaller. In order to fabricate, we had to deleted some smaller grids which were to small to be cut out by machine shown in the orange ovals.

C 2 . T E C T O N I C E L E M E N T S &

This is the first concept model we made due to the fact that it inspires us with its sculptural form along with the functionality it provides for seating. We chose the box board which is 3mm thick to construct a series of thin layered panels. It also aimed to experiment on the usage of the material whether the box board would express the layering effect as well as how suitable it is to our final

requirements. During the process, we found that the connections must be strengthened. Maybe using some dowels or bolts would solve the problem. However, the colour of the material is misleading in response to the sustainable approach of our design. Nevertheless, the horizontal structure was inspired by the landscape of the site. The shape of the panels are also designed from the organic compositions

of the site. Vertical columns serves as function to support the horizontal panels. The form of the vertical panels resemble organic shapes of trees and vines, creating an abstract design in reflection to nature. The concept of this prototype was trying to bring nature and human together to emphasize the significant relationships between them.

P R E T O T Y P E

This prototype expressed Ran Taoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s (group member) initial design from the iterations in part B. The material she used was plain drawing paper. It was much easier to cut and the natural colour make the model seem cleaner and more attractive. However, due to the thinness of the material, when she hollowed out the whole page, the material became too soft for installations. Even though the material is visually more elegant than other materials, it was fragile which cannot support the functions that the design was intended for.

C 2 . P R O T O T Y P E 2

This experiment for the vertical panels of our chosen design has shown some limitations. One being that the functionality of the laser cutter as some of the grids were too small to be cut. We tried to use grasshopper to delete them. Unfortunately, that would mean there will be large quantities of grids deleted, which would leave chunks of blank spaces on the panel, which drastically decreases the visual effect of the design as well as the functionality of attracting people. The surface can not match Ran Taoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s initial design. Therefore, we enlarge the size of each panel, however, this would mean the scale will be too big to construct. It will also be much harder to connect with other panels later. Not giving up on this design, we went back to the very beginning at creating the nurbs surfaces and we discovered that the clusters of small grids at narrower sections were caused by grasshopper thinking that the entire panel is of the same width, however, with parts compressed together. As a result, We created new rigid rectangle nurbs surfaces which we then used trimmed surface in GH to trim out design pattern, this way, GH will believe all surfaces have equal lengths, thus, will not cluster at narrower sections. The outcome again, was unpredictable and distinct from both our goal and the predecessor. The grid decided to become smaller as they reach to the edge of the panels. This creates a gradual change in pattern which is quite different from all our designs before. They create amazing shading and provide different views from different aspects. The hollowed part provide strong structural form for the whole design. In order to fabricate successfully, we deleted all the grids along the edge of each surface which shows good parametric utilization. 90

Wood as a residential and small scale building material are light weight , reasonable strength and cost effective. It is popular in making building frameworks and models. Structures that use treated wood is often green, ecological and environmental-friendly. This is the main reason that we use wood as our material for our wall. In this prototype. The join was used interlock with each other using a teeth like joining system free of exposed bolts or joints. Thus, it is much more suitable for a naked structure that is exposed at all directions and at all times. Therefore, by avoiding the use of metal joints or bolts, the design is invulnerable to corrosion. This prototype shows the joint of two pieces of wood must be seamless, in order to make the overall structure more stable and compressible.

This prototype experiments with the stabilization of these connectors. We found that if there is no bolt to be installed between these two panels, it will be easily altered or destroyed by weathering. Thus, it is a must that we will put bolts inside these panels which was shown form the sketch. We will try to conceal the dowels or bolts between the two panels, which requires the joints of each panel to be seamless, otherwise the overall structure would be affected. In this case, if the connections between two panels have cracks, water will creep through into the structure which will result in the wood expanding and ultimately affect its structural integrity.

C 2 . P R O T O T Y P E 3

C 2 . P R O T O T Y P E

This prototype tests the tolerance of bolts and the tensile capability of wood. These materials will be utilized in our patterning walls. The connectors of the bolts is flexible, so when there is strong wind, the bolts will have some tolerances. In this case, we are quite certain that these

materials will be able to withstand a majority of weathering in Melbourne. Moreover, it is important for us to explore the future. We must think of long term strategies. These connections will provide the flexible ability to the entire structure, allowing future expansion or contraction of the materials

as well as combating against all weathering. The flexibility of the structure could also be turned into a function that can be used for people to interact with the design physically. However, it may be difficult to support the loads and forces and will need to be further explored in the future.

C 3 . F I N A L M O D E L

The main attraction of our final design is the diversity of views which can be observed from different perspectives. It brings vivid elements to the site which incorporates the organic form of nature and the complexity of human perceptions. This effect was achieved by image sampling and the complex frame generating from Weaverbird. We were inspired by the fluidity of Merri Creek. The floating movement of the wave in the water creates the contrasts between the light and shadow. When we started to render, we found that the model shows different views from different view points. In my opinion, this effect is successful in highlighting the concepts we set out for our design. The most interesting view would be looking from the a real personâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s perspective.

Different sides of the model show different views, although they all follow the square grid, however the organic patterning of the waves often block out most of the grid from different angles, which again create the contrast between the hollows on the surface that are in different shapes and sizes to the grid. The design also tries to remind users the location of Merri Creek subconsciously using symbols that represent nature and the Merri creek environment. The concentrated arrangement of the vertical panels with hollowed grids provide shadows and ventilation for users on the site. The horizontal elements on the other side of the model may be used as a playground for children to explore and climb

on. The little gaps between each panel can be used as the hidden place for them to play hide and seek. The hollowed sections on the surface provide interesting shadows on the ground which can attract users attention to explore what the shadow is indicating. The horizontal elements were inspired from the outline of the Merri Creek which is a representative of the creek flowing through Ceres. We designed this structure to aid users in finding out the location of the river. In addition, the model was installed on a slope. It aims to make the â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;riverâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; more vivid which is floating from high to the low. Nevertheless, the final site we chose seemed disproportionate for users. This is the issue that we need to reconsider in further development.

C 3 . F A B R I C A T I O N P R O C E S S

Pattering was used to hollow out the surface of the vertical panels. There were lots of different sized grids in different orientations. The fabrication was hard to achieve. Some of the grids at the end of the panels were even too small to be cut out. Thus, we had to do an extensive amount of preparation before fabrication. First, we laid out all the panels and marked them in the appropriate order for achieving the same gradual effect of pattern transformation as shown in the rendered model to recognize each panel in order. We then used grasshopper to remove the grids in each panel which is not permitted to cut by the laser cuter. In order to highlight the curve change

for the vertical panels, we have also deleted some grids which were around the edge of the panel. Due to the cost and the naturally hard MDFs which is almost identical to wood, we chose the 1.8mm box board to make the vertical panels of the model. Box board was more workable and easier to cut in order to connect with the connectors. It was also easy to install the connectors and panels together. Through the process of fabrication a large amount of modelling has taught me to take small but continuous steps when sending jobs to Fab Lab, that I would do several sheets at a time then organising those cut sheets

in order and start making the model, then I would send another set of sheets to be cut. This way, it is the most efficient method as no time is wasted from waiting and no mess ups or disaster compared to people who fabricate the entire model in one go. This experience have also shown me how conceptual ideas can be generally realized in the real world. Not all shapes and objects can be cut through the laser cutter. It indicates that designers should consider the limitations of whether their designs can be built in reality. It also shows the efficiencies and possibilities of 3D printing and laser cutting in the architecture industry.

C 4 . L E A R N I N G O B J E C T I V E S A N D O U T C O M E S

Over the semester, I have gained a lot from studio Air. At first, I was confused and headless when I heard that we have to use computation. However, As soon as I steeped foot into Grasshopper, I realised that the studio was a challenge for most of us to get out of our comfort zone of designing. Getting out of the design approaches we had carried with us for our lives. In todayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s fast moving society, adaptation is key to move forward, and this is exactly what this Studio has taught me, which is the adaptation to technology and computation. While using GH, I found it quite interesting to play with unknown components and hoping the outcome would be surprising. It has proved to be right in both positive and negative scenarios. Over the case studies and weekly exercises. I have found out that in every combination of components in GH, there is a logic behind it, it is similar to a maths equation, that x and y will equal to xy and no second answer. However, when designing with hand or CAD, there is no logic in the process, that, 1 plus 1 can be 3 doors and 2 windows. The studio also helped me to understand and utilise parametric design and how to generate and explore unknown

possibilities of design. With parametric design, it can help us to integrate design concept with site conditions. It generate different variables and prototypes by simply changing the sliders or the commands in GH. These prototypes help us to experiment the workability and potentials of existing designs. It saves a lot more time than sketching and hand making models. During the fabrication, it was easy for me to spot the issues and allows me to make an infinite number of solutions on improvements to be made in the future. Computational skills boost the efficiency of designing as the continuous generation of prototypes will never lead you to a dead end. In my design project, the concept to make a functional wall was pushed by parametric designing and was extremely helpful in analysing and prototyping concepts. At first, I wanted to incorporate one of my iterations that was inspired by the form of the Aqua Tower. The whole facade was hollow and divided by panels. However, it produced an overall shape which was rigid and lacked characteristics to the style and shape. Thus, I gave up on this concept Fortunately, after many hardships and struggles, I managed to

breakthrough and produce something new but still relevant to the iterations. I separated the design into two parts, and explored other possibilities on them. Different commands provide various possibilities for me to achieve different types of form and details, the main ones being weaverbird and lunchbox and both commands generate structurally intriguing forms compared to other commands. Thus, they promote and extend my inspirations to improve the design. I am enthusiast to furthermore improve my GH and Rhino skills in the future and adapt to them as a method of concept generation and testing. Along with my first attempts in Photoshop and V-ray, which I have learnt a lot in quick rendering compared to final rendering by adjusting lighting and shadow settings in V-ray. There are still large areas where I need to improve my skills on in the future , such as GH and In design. During the interim and final presentations, I have discovered that my presentation skills have dropped a great amount. Therefore, the method of communication with listeners should be improved and practiced in the future.

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C 4 . F U R T H E R D E V E L O P M E N T

To further develop my design proposal in response to the feedback from the final crit, I have to reconsider the location in which the design is located, which is the part of the sloped landscape. The functionality must be clearly expressed as a sitting area or playground for children. In the future, more prototypes will be constructed regarding to pattern design and each potential concept should be tested in

order to achieve the best outcomes. Due to the limitation of the time frame, I was only able to focus on the patterning geometries on the panels. Our feedback reflects on the misleading representation of the final physical model to the rendered model as the functional wall cannot be read from the physical model. Therefore, it is important to maintain a constant communication system between team

members to make sure that everyone is on the right track and each piece of work reflects directly on another. In spite of the consideration on the functionality and form of the design, it is better and necessary to explore more methods which show connections from vertical panels to horizontal panels. For the horizontal panels, it can be divided into several parts and then connected with the puzzle connection.

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B I B L I O G R A P H Y

Tony Fry, Design Futuring: Sustainability, Ethics and New Practice (Oxford: Berg, 2008), p. 1â&#x20AC;&#x201C;16. Tristram Carfrae, 'Engineering the water cube', ArchitectureAU, 1.1, (2006), 1, in 1

<http://architectureau.com/articles/practice-23/> [accessed 8 August 2015].

August 2015].

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