Studio air journal part 1 by RENJ

STUDIO AIR JUEJINGREN

2016 SEMESTER 2

ABOUT MY SELF

Hello. When I was young, I always wonder how a skyscraper was built up. Before I came to Melbourne, I had one year university study major in Hydraulic Engineering. I found tedious and complex engineering calculation really wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t my type. I love exciting. When time is right, everything is right. Carry the question grew from childhood, I got the chance to choose my own interest. Architecture and the buildings around me always held a special fascination in my mind growing up. I was always drawing and scribbling things out of paper from what I saw inside a building. The best part is only I know what I drew, because everybody has different perspective to see a thing.

I eager to explore the parametric tool introduced by studio Air in response to the digitally driven age as the demand of computational knowledge increased dramatically. Today the availability of high-end digital design tools allows for precise simulation of the structural materiality and an exploration of a large range of different forms. Hope through this semesterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s study, the term of â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;parametric designâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; reshapes my way of thinking in design, make it become a part of my life, a part of my future.

CONTENTS Part A_ CONCEPTUALISATION A.1. Design Futuring A.2. Design Computation A.3. Composition/Generation A.4. Conclusion A.5. Learning outcomes

Part B_ CRITERIA DESIGN B.1. Research Field B.2. Case Study 1.0 B.3. Case Study 2.0 B.4. Technique: Development B.5. Technique: Prototypes B.6. Technique: Proposal B.7. Learning Objectives and Outcomes

Part C_ DETAILED DESIGN C.1. Design Concept C.2. Tectonic Elements & Prototypes C.3. Final Detail Model C.4. Learning Objectives and Outcomes

A 6

CONCEPTUALISATION

A.1. Design Futuring •

MASDAR CITY CENTRE

•

GREEN SCHOOL IN BALI

A.2. Design Computation •

SEED CATHEDRAL

•

ICD ITKE RESEARCH PAVILION 2010

A.3. Composition/Generation • •

QATAR NATIONAL CONVENTION CENTRE NATIONAL PORTRAIT GALLERY COURTYARD DC

A.4. Conclusion A.5. Learning outcomes

A.1 Design Futuring Ethics is fundamentally a practical matter. It is concerned with how we should live, how we should treat other people and the world around us. It is how we should act in a moral and responsible manner. Sustainable designs are strongly encouraged because it is beneficial to our environment. It is each and every one of our duties and responsibilities to protect and take care of our environment. If mankind were to continue abusing its natural resources, it would soon be depleted and the after effects would be disastrous. We are architect, we have got professional force to change the world, change the view of people seeing and doing things, only we. Fry mentioned the concept of ‘design democracy’ to strongly claim that once the design tool was commonised, the design will become increasingly trivialized and reduced to appearance and ‘style’, which in turn consume more from this already fragile planet1. Yet, alternatives are exactly what we need. By engaging with different disciplines such as arts, science,ethics, politics to explore and synthesise ideas from different fields, to better understand and thrive in a number of different futures2. With two selected precedents, the influence of architectural design further blur the boundary between people and natural world. Allow for a new form of architecture to be realised.

1 Fry, Tony (2008). Design Futuring: Sustainability, Ethics and New Practice (Oxford: Berg), p.6. 2 Dunne, Anthony & Raby, Fiona (2013) Speculative Everything: Design Fiction, and Social Dreaming (MIT Press) p.4.

“How can a future actually be secured by design?”

“Slowing the rate of defuturing (because, as indicated, for us humans the problem adds up to the diminution of the finite time of our collective and total existence) and redirecting us towards far more sustainable modes of planetary habitation.” _____Tony Fry

Figure 1.Masdar City Centre open state Arial View

Figure 3. Solar powered sunflower umbrella

Figure 2. Masdar City Centre close state Arial View

CASE STUDY 1: MASDAR CITY CENTRE ARCHITECT: LAVA ARCHITECTS CLIENT: Abu Dhabi Future Energy Company LOCATION: Masdar, UAE Masdar City Centre is located in the heart of Masdar, world’s first sustainable city. Masdar City Centre includes a plaza, fivestar hotel, a convention centre, entertainment complex and retail facilities. This complex was called “Oasis of the Future”. It is famous for its extraordinary green design. One significant figure of it is the giant solar-powered sunflower umbrella, with a design based on the principles of sunflowers (figure 3). it provides moveable shade in the day (figure 1), store heat, then close and release the heat at night in the plaza to provide environmental comfort (figure 2).

harvesting panel installed on the roof to reflect the sunlight into void to improve indoor illuminance. The selfcontained system of city centre enable the live by its own. Roof garden supplies hotel restaurant fresh produce by using recycled water from inner. Stormwater captured from roof stored in tank capable of storing 50-year rain event. Furthermore, photovoltaic roof

generate electricity to meet annual consumption for all buildings. Masdar Plaza, the “oasis of the future, integrate philosophies in science, technology and construction methodology, globally. A symbol of sustainable design.

Figure 4. Masdar City Centre energy flow diagram

In addition to that, several environmental and engineering design concepts used to minimise the energy consumption. For example, several heliostat sunlight

“Masdar Sustainable City / LAVA”, ArchDaily, 2008 <http://www.archdaily. com/33587 masdar-sustainable-city-lava> [accessed 7 August 2016].

Figure 1. Interior of green school

Bamboo fibre has many excellent properties that make it ideal for construction. It’s strong, it has tensile strength of steel, the compressive strength of concrete. It’s lightweight, once the material is locally sourced, they do not need heavy truck to transport, it can be easily carried by a women! Bamboo is also very sustainable to grow as it grows very quickly in favourable conditions. This make perfect sense, it’s strong, elegant and earthquake-resistant. However, unprotected bamboo weathers, untreated bamboo can be eaten by pest to dust. In this green school project, they use borax solution safely treat the bamboo to reach the desired strength. Bamboo is crucial material, grown using sustainable methods, which develops plantations of bamboo through presenting bamboo seedlings to local rice farmers. The green school, located in both side of the Ayung River in Sibang Kaja, Bali. Surrounded by lush local plants and trees, such as bamboo. Apart from this, the school has its own energy generation system, such as bamboo sawdust hot water and cooking system, a hydro-powered vortex generator and solar panels for electricity supply.

1. Caroline James, “The Green School”, domusweb.it, 2016 <http://www.domusweb. it/en/architecture/2010/12/12/the-green-school.html> [accessed 5 August 2016].

“The Green School / PT Bambu”, ArchDaily, 2010 <http://www.archdaily. com/81585/the-green-school-pt-bambu> [accessed 5 August 2016].

CASE STUDY 2: GREEN SCHOOL IN BALI ARCHITECT: PT BAMBT CLIENT: Yayasan Kul Kul LOCATION: Badung, Mengwi, Indonesia The green school aims to educate people with sustainability in term of materiality and architectural form. The simplicity of bamboo construction enable even layman to understand how pieces joined together, every corner of the building is a lesson for people to appreciate the power of green design and the future people being pulled with.

“The Green School is built upon steep terrains, so the architecture is a part of, not apart from the context. The overall plan instigates a sense of exploration and cohabitation with nature”.1

Figure 2. Outside view of green school

Figure 3. Materiality

A.2 Design Computation Computerization or computation. As Kostas claims that using computer to aid our design is computerization while the ideas already inside desinerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s head, the process of storing that information inside computer is called computation. In another word, computerization gives us more spaces to explore the world of design1. Computerization brings us algorithmic thinking, parametric design. One of the most significant feature of parametric modelling is to enable designer to define the class of an object, not just specific instances, in merely the blink of time. For example, to modify a 3D solid, the designer had to change the length, the breadth and the height. However, with parametric modelling, the designer needs only alter one parameter; the other two parameters get adjusted automatically. Parametric design can bring us the second nature2. For example, we can utilise parametric design to achieve results such as Environmental Analysis, Structural Analysis, Structural Optimization, BIM (Building Information Modelling), Hardware / Robot Programming and Live Control and biomimetric formalization (figure 1). With all possibilities open to us, the following two precedents fully illustrate the power of parametric design. It marks the inseparable relationship between human and design tools in order to fully achieve its maximum potential.

1.Kostas Terzidis, Algorithmic Architecture (Boston, MA: Elsevier 2006). p.525. 2. Rivka Oxman and Robert Oxman, Theories Of The Digital In Architecture. p.8. 3. Stephanie Lenne and others, â&#x20AC;&#x153;ICD/ITKE Research Pavilion 2015-16 DESIGN By DATAâ&#x20AC;?, DESIGN by DATA, 2016 <http://designbydata.org/icditke-research-pavilion-2015-16/> [accessed 7 August 2016].

Figure 1. ICD/ITKE Research Pavilion 2015-16 [ï»¿ 3]

Seed Cathedral at Shanghai expo, 2010 [2].

CASE STUDY 1: SEED CATHEDRAL ARCHITECT: Heatherwick Studio LOCATION: SHANGHAI EXPO The Seed Cathedral is like a box, with 15 metres high and 10 metres tall. Its every surface project out the silvery hairs that looks like tiny needle from a distance. It consisting of 60000 identical rods of clear acrylic, 7.5 metre long, through the wall extend out of the box and lift the rod into the air. Inside the pavilion, the distribution of the rods forms a curvaceous undulating surface. There are 250000 seeds stored into the glassy tips. During the day, the pavilion’s interior is lit by the sunlight that comes in along the length of each rod and lights up the seed ends. You can even track the daily movement of sun and catch the shadows of passing clouds. During the night, the seed not only ends inside the structure, but the tips of the hairs outside it, covering the whole pavilion in dots. As the structure is made of huge number of slim rods, that is not easy to control the distribution and movement pattern without the help of the special software. A methodology that produces optimal geometric and material distributions in space with respect to structural behaviours. This mathematical algorithm based software allows those with little knowledge of engineering to acquire some understandings of physics of structure. It can extract a set of pre-solutions that was operated as design hint at the early design stage. The importance of the software does not lie only in the particular method itself but in its potential to alter an architect’s perception of material and structure1. That is to say, computational design not only assists people with optimal design, but also makes people see its hidden potentials as a source of ideas.

1.Panagiotis Michalatos and Sawako Kaijima, “Intuitive Material Distributions”, Architectural Design, 81 (2011), 66-69 <http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/ad.1270>. 2. ’Seed Cathedral’, 2011 <https://www.architonic.com/en/story/tim-abrahamsmaking-an-exhibition-of-ourselves-architonic-deciphers-some-of-expo-2010-shanghai-s-architectural-offerings/7000484> [accessed 8 August 2016].

ICD ITKE RESEARCH PAVILION 2010 Interior view [2]

CASE STUDY 2: ICD ITKE RESEARCH PAVILION 2010 ARCHITECT: ICD/ITKE LOCATION: University of Stuttgart Material properties determine the form. In physical world, the internal constraints of material is always inseparable from the outside force. However, in virtual world, the concept of form and material usually treated as different entities. Using the example of the interdisciplinary ICD/ITKE Research Pavilion, constructed at the University of Stuttgart in 2010,to explain how computational design facilitate advanced morphological simulation and robotic fabrication that touches the realm of previously unexplored architectural possibilities. The design of the prototype pavilion began with the computational design tool. All relevant material behavioural characteristics are incorporated as parametric variables based on a large number of physical computational tests. After that, the computational tool generated possible system morphologies together with all geometric information directly outputted the data to robot ready for fabrication. During this process, several steps with computational design involving accelerate the project course. Firstly, the structural force (tensile) simulation of each plywood panel optimise the overall system in correlation with other parameters. Resulting in 80 different strip patterns constructed from more than 500 geometrically unique parts. Secondly, in addition to material behaviour, the logic of assembly and manufacturing were integrated in the computational process. Employing programmed robot to achieve quick manufacture and assembly, with no need for extensive scaffolding or additional equipment, as strips can be easily connected and automatically find their specific shapes1. Conclusively, computational design synthesise form, material and performance allow us to unfold performative capacity of material while at the same time extend the field of architectural possibility. 1. Moritz Fleischmann and others, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Material Behaviour: Embedding Physical Properties In Computational Design Processesâ&#x20AC;?, Architectural Design, 82 (2012), 44-51 <http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/ad.1378>.

2. Frank Kaltenbach, Research Pavilion In Stuttgart, 2016 <http://www.detail-online. com/inspiration/research-pavilion-in-stuttgart-106075.html> [accessed 8 August 2016].

A.3 Composition/Generation Technology is radically changing the ways in which we live, work and play—from smart phones that allow us to stay in touch anytime, anywhere; to the advent of social media which is playing an increasing role in how we communicate and learn about the world. When technology meets architecture, the computational tools, that use algorithms principles to link geometry with data to address specific design-related problems. This new approach provides unprecedented opportunities to design higher quality buildings; optimise efficiency and enhance creativity; and of course provide a much higher level of service to clients. For example, ten years ago design teams would take weeks or months to develop ideas, testing ideas against project requirements and producing drawings to represent their ideas. Today, using design computation we can develop intelligent, flexible building models that provide instant visual feedback along with key supporting data to help us ‘prove’ our design concepts at the earliest possible stages, decisions can be made faster, with better information. This computational approach enables designers to explore a wider range of design variations in a shorter amount of time, ultimately improving the quality of the buildings we design1. Conclusively, computational design tool free the way to using program based tool without having to learn how to write code. These tools allow architects and designers to create their own tools to meet their own needs.

1.Brady Peters, “Computation Works: The Building Of Algorithmic Thought”, Architectural Design, 83 (2013), 8-15 <http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/ad.1545>. pp. 08-15 2.Ibid., p .10

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Algorithmic thinking means taking on an interpretive role to understand the results of the generating code, knowing how to modify the code to explore new options, and speculating on further design potentialsâ&#x20AC;?.2 -Peters Brady

CASE STUDY 1: QATAR NATIONAL CONVENTION CENTRE Architect: Arata Isozaki Location: Doha, Qatar The Qatar National Convention Centre (QNCC) is located in Gharafat al Rayyan, on the Dukhan Highway in Doha, Qatar. The building was designed by Arata Isozaki to reference the Sidrat al-Muntaha, a holy Islamic tree that is believed to symbolise the end of the seventh heaven. On its facade, a pair of huge tree-like trunk support the overhang of the building and extend out to provide shelter for public, that is unconsciously give itself a meaning, a beacon of learning and comfort in the desert and a haven for poets and scholars who gathered beneath its branches to share knowledge1. The convention centre was not designed just purely like a tree, what behind its ideology is the algorithmic thinking. For example, using structural performance simulation software to enable the support of the ceiling in an ideal engineering way along with its desired shape, form and performance. Electronically programmed mobile ceiling light across the convention hall to let it open automatically, which make design more flexible and easy to control regarding its building scale. In addition, the centre was built according to U.S.Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environment Design (LEED) gold certification standards. Through environmental analysis,the building aimed at engaging with efficient innovation such as water conservation and energy-efficient fixtures, such as photovoltaic panels on the roof to supply 12.5% electricity consumption of convention hall. In conclusion, computational tools incorporate diverse and mutually supportive architectural work flow such as visualization, digital fabrication, construction processes and technologies in a whole to cover the many facets of rapidly changing and growing area of digitalisation.

1. “Qatar National Convention Centre / Arata Isozaki”, ArchDaily, 2013 <http://www.archdaily.com/425521/qatar-national-convention-centre-arata-isozaki> [accessed 10 August 2016]. 2. Nelson Garrido, Qatar National Convention Centre (QNCC), 2011 <http://www.archdaily. com/425521/qatar-national-convention-centre-arata-isozaki> [accessed 11 August 2016].

Atrium of Qatar National Convention Centre, 2011[2]

CASE STUDY 2: National Portrait Gallery courtyard DC Architect: Foster + Partners Location: Washington DC The Robert and Arlene Kogod Courtyard, one of this country’s finest examples of 19th-century Greek Revival architecture. A significant feature of the renovated National Historic Landmark building shared by the Smithsonian American Art Museum and the National Portrait Gallery, opened to the public on November 18, 2007. The courtyard is named for Robert and Arlene Kogod, Washington philanthropists and art collectors. Design to do with “the most with the least”, the fluid, undulating glass canopy floating above the courtyard, bathing the courtyard in the natural sunlight, becomes the heart of nation’s capital. The roof has a surface area of approximately 37000 square feet, contains 864 panels of glass, with no two of which are alike. This is attributed to the benefits of computational tool. The level of calculation, customization along with extremely low tolerances of the structural system, required high level of integration and coordination between design teams, manufacturer and constructors. The design surface was generated in separate surface patches corresponding to the parametric components. Each surface patches contain the minimum number of control points required to create the desired curvature and also gain the smooth, gently fluid surfaces. By this example, we can image, through the use of parametric control mechanisms, it not only can rapidly generate and control hundreds of components, but also can generate components by using computer program. While the definition of each algorithm is carefully considered .However, the results are not always predictable, new forms and possibilities emerged. Therefore, the generating scripts free the designers from the limited palette package of the local library, to embed their own ideas into their generating code1.

1.Brady Peters and Hugh Whitehead, “Geometry, Form And Complexity”, Foster+Partner, 2016 <http://www.fosterandpartners.com/media/1028115/3_Foster_-_Partners_RD_Paper_Geometry_Form_and_Complexity_FINAL.> [Accessed 11 August 2016]. 2. Image source: The Robert And Arlene Kogod Courtyard At The National Portrait Gallery., 2012 <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Portrait_Gallery_(United_States)> [accessed 11 August 2016].

Kogod Courtyard, Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery, Washington DC [2].

A.4. CONCLUSION Parametric tools create possibilities; expand the frontier of architectural design; beyond the imagination of architect, becomes future playground of design realm. Parametric design never relates to symmetry, straight angle and regularity, nothing but smack the great architecture of the past. Through computational design, it enables us to monitor and simulate environmental conditions, therefore generates sustainable form that provides us a secular future. Materiality no longer be a separate entity with design, by using parametric tool to incorporate and analyse material properties into the design process, structural performance being optimised while in the mean time, the procedures of manufacture and assembly being simplified. Computers are fast, accurate and stupid; human are slow, inaccurate and brilliant. Combining humanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s intelligence with computerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s accuracy to give design the real vitality and personality.

A.5. LEARNING OUTCOMES Through series of precedents study, the concept of algorithmic thinking deeply imbued inside my mind. As known, most of architects rely on intuitions and creativity to solve problems. However, sometimes the more abstract problems just does not work in this way. Algorithmic thinking make me go step by step and let me understand what makes it work or not. Even better, I can reuse the design logic and improve it over time. It makes me realise that design not only stop at the level of manipulating data, but also indicates me the potentials of scripting. Do not be confined by the limited range of design tool palette, create my own design tool, tailor the software to work for me. Therefore, good level of handling parametric design tool is required for enhancing future design.

REFERENCE Fleischmann, Moritz, Jan Knippers, Julian Lienhard, Achim Menges, and Simon Schleicher, “Material Behaviour: Embedding Physical Properties In Computational Design Processes”, Architectural Design, 82 (2012), 44-51 <http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/ad.1378> Fry, Tony, Design Futuring (Oxford: Berg, 2009) Garrido, Nelson, Qatar National Convention Centre (QNCC), 2011 <http://www.archdaily. com/425521/qatar-national-convention-centre-arata-isozaki> [accessed 11 August 2016] James, Caroline, “The Green School”, domusweb.it, 2016 <http://www.domusweb.it/en/ architecture/2010/12/12/the-green-school.html> [accessed 5 August 2016] Kaltenbach, Frank, Research Pavilion In Stuttgart, 2016 <http://www.detail-online.com/ inspiration/research-pavilion-in-stuttgart-106075.html> [accessed 8 August 2016] Lenne, Stephanie, Stephanie Lenne, Suzana Doric, Stephanie Lenne, and Stephanie Lenne, “ICD/ ITKE Research Pavilion 2015-16 - DESIGN By DATA”, DESIGN by DATA, 2016 <http://designbydata. org/icd-itke-research-pavilion-2015-16/> [accessed 7 August 2016] “Masdar Sustainable City / LAVA”, ArchDaily, 2009 <http://www.archdaily.com/33587/masdarsustainable-city-lava> [accessed 7 August 2016] Michalatos, Panagiotis and Sawako Kaijima, “Intuitive Material Distributions”, Architectural Design, 81 (2011), 66-69 <http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/ad.1270> Oxman, Rivka and Robert Oxman, Theories Of The Digital In Architecture Peters, Brady, “Computation Works: The Building Of Algorithmic Thought”, Architectural Design, 83 (2013), 8-15 <http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/ad.1545> Peters, Brady and Hugh Whitehead, “Geometry, Form And Complexity”, Foster+Partner, 2016 <http://www.fosterandpartners.com/media/1028115/3_Foster_-_Partners_RD_Paper_Geometry_ Form_and_Complexity_FINAL.> [accessed 11 August 2016] “Qatar National Convention Centre / Arata Isozaki”, ArchDaily, 2013 <http://www.archdaily. com/425521/qatar-national-convention-centre-arata-isozaki> [accessed 10 August 2016]

‘Seed Cathedral’, 2011 <https://www.architonic.com/en/story/tim-abrahamsmaking-an-exhibition-of-ourselves-architonic-deciphers-some-of-expo-2010shanghai-s-architectural-offerings/7000484> [accessed 8 August 2016] Terzidis, Kostas, Algorithmic Architecture (Oxford: Architectural Press, 2006) “The Green School / PT Bambu”, ArchDaily, 2010 <http://www.archdaily. com/81585/the-green-school-pt-bambu> [accessed 7 August 2016] The Robert And Arlene Kogod Courtyard At The National Portrait Gallery., 2012 <https:// en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Portrait_Gallery_(United_States)> [accessed 11 August 2016]