A I R
ARCHITECTURE IS REVOLUTION.
ABPL30048 ADS_AIR
SEM 2 2013 GROUP 2+5
RUOXI HONG_519649
ABOUT ME
China is where I come from and where I feel proud with. Chinese culture lays the roofs of me. I love my motherland for its culture diversity. Travelling around is my passion since I was a litter kid. I believe it is a great way to experience the different scenery, culture and life. During my journey, I started to get attracted by Chinese antique architecture, for example the Temple of Heaven in Beijing. They are so elegantly and elaborately designed. I could not help myself to imagine how satisfied that an architect could be, when he/she create a great work with magnificent influence to the world. It is such a pride that your work could exist for hundreds of years and still enlighten people in later time.
As time pass, I gradually build up a deeper understanding of architecture, but I just treat it as my big hobby, instead of serious academic learning target. However, this attitude totally changed after I finished my Bachelor of Journalism. Journalism and media are exiting and dynamic but I always feel that this is not the real passion for my life long career. Therefore, I decided to catch the chance to study architecture in the University of Melbourne, to realize my long cherished dream. Two years ago, I thought my life will be full of interview, word documents and night shifts. Right now, night shift is still unavoidable to me, but what I deal with is more about the
1
visual communication but not verbal or written language. Such a shift just happened to my life, and I enjoy this challenge so much. I think every stage of our life has its own meaning, and the most important point for us is to cherish every minute and keep looking forward. The photos on the right hand side page are my observation of the circulation system of Hongkong, a megacity, in a recent trip. Hongkong is a highly dynamic metropolis with a very efficient and diverse circulation system. The observation of this system reminds me the variability and the feature of being changeable of parametric design at some stage.
2
PAST EXPERIENCE
The most complicated outcome of my digital modeling is to design a wearable lantern in the Virtual Environment Course. I used Rhino to express my understanding of parasitism in architecture and an innovation of lantern looks. Also I have the basic knowledge and skills about AutoCad, Photoshop, Indesign, Illustrator, Sketchup and some other software, built during the learning process of architecture studios and some other courses. I regard these software as very powerful tools to visualize our design concept, because they response fast and allow unlimited changes. The almost only challenge is that you have to spend a large amount of time to get familiar with the language of each software before you could play it well. On the right hand side: Final outcome of Virtual Environment final project.
3
4
CONTEXTS PART A
CASE FOR INNOVATION
A.1 ARCHITECTURE AS A DISCOURSE A.1.1 WHAT IS ARCHITECTURE...............................................................................7 A.1.2 ALGORITHEM OF ARCHITECTURE................................................................9 A.2 COMPUTATION WORKS A.2.1 COMPUTATION VS COMPUTERIZATION....................................................11 A.2.2 ONLY ADVANCEMENT IN TECHNOLOGY.................................................13 A.3 PARAMETRIC MODELING A.3.1 APPLICATION OF RHINO AND GRASSHOPPER.........................................15 A.3.2 THE WAY TO A UNIVERSAL SOLUTION........................................................17 A.4 SUMMARY 4.4.1 RHINO EXPLORATION..................................................................................19 4.4.2 CONCLUSION..............................................................................................21 4.4.3 LEARNING OUTCOME.................................................................................22 4.4.4 REFERENCE...................................................................................................23
5
A. CASE FOR INNOVATION
6
WHAT IS ARCHITECTURE This question sits in every architectural designer’s mind and drives them exploring the possible answers through continuous practice. To me, I would like to say architecture could be everything, a little bit exaggeratedly. It could be engineering perfection, an artistic doodle, a passionate talk about someone’s fancy or a real building somewhere in the world. It could be a normal grey box for multiple families in middle class to live in Mexico, or could be a bronze sculpture standing at the west Australia beach. Romantically and still uncertainly, Kalay says, “Design, accordingly, is a purposeful activity, aimed at achieving some well-defined goals.” 1 It may be a waste of time arguing what is architecture, but more meaningful to define what architecture could be and how to realize those expectation as an architectural designer not an architectural history lover, in my point of view. On this point, the recent trip to Hong Kong inspires me so much that my observation of this city refreshes my understanding of architecture and even urban planning. I realized that architecture is does about people, communication and exchange. It should be a speech that someone likes to mention it, someone could speak out, someone could hear, someone could understand and someone could actually use it or say take advantage of it. Also, it should prepare for any changes within any step. It is meaningful when it is in a complete and dynamic circle of that communication.
While walking around the city, I started to observe the transportation system in this credibly huge city. There are so many travelling methods. Beyond the basic one likes metro or bus, freeway or laneway, or rarely seen in Melbourne ones like tunnels or Passover for pedestrians, what deeply interests me is how this system works and how efficient it could be. I start to think how could all the designers from generation to generation to set such a complicated and running well system. The answer come to my mind after days of thinking is that, all the designers try their best to express the time and to work for the people. When building a light foot bridge is perfectly fitting people’s requirement, then they would use it more. Consequently, near this foot bridge, crowds get around, streets become lively, transportation and business start to flow, and most important, this design becomes alive. It is not a completed concrete structure then forgot by the public, but becomes some crucial part of someone’s memory, maybe for a school girl it is where she meets her first lover first time there. Then this could be regarded as a meaningful design, a real architecture, in my mind. Furthermore, this concept has been applied to the whole urban system and from time to time. Not only a foot bridge, but all the linkage methods in this city, form a dynamic system of this city then shape people’s living here. And then what you can see is that Hong Kong is one of the most vibrant spaces 7
in the world with highly flowing and efficient circulation system. All the dynamic changes take place for the new requirements of its users and reflect the time. In returns those change continue to contribute to complete and perfect this system to challenge the users to rise with new demands. When people get tired of long time travelling, designers develop funny APPs for smartphone to makes waiting interesting. When the attitude towards beauty shifts to simplicity, designers catch the trend or even lead it, like Apple. Hence, all designs are about the people, about what people really want and making efforts to follow people’s changeable mind. It is doubtless that all the variable thoughts from the people, including the actual designers, are the very initial designers of the architecture, as they decide the well-set ‘goals’ at the first stage. Therefore, designers are fearlessly to take advantages of every possible method to achieve that goal. As the possible methods developing in such a fast way, architecture designers now welcome a new age of computation. This is the era of change. In this subject, it is the era of Rhino 5 and Grasshopper. On the right hand side: Kartal Pendik Masterplan from Zaha Hadid, which enlighten a new age of architecture design at some stage. The architecture in this style is considered to mirror the society development and technology advancement. This in turns has influence on the spreading of computation design.
Fig 1
8
ALGORITHM OF ARCHITECTURE As discussed before, architecture should be a sort of solution for the real and dynamic demanding from the public. In real world cases, such as in commercial design, it is to find a solution to meet clients’ and site’s requirements.
actions, and communicating with others involved in the process is what designers do.” 2
Kalay provides a sound and clear method, which is:
This meets the principle of Wilson’s “Algorithm”, 3 as Kalay expresses that architecture could be treated as a mathematical problem. There is a certain way to solve it, though input information for each step in the way is unknown and the result could not be perfectly right. There is a rule that architect could follow to complete architecture.
“Analyzing problems, setting goals, devising actions that might accomplish them, evaluating the efficacy of these
“An algorithm is a recipe, method, or technique for doing something.” in Wilson description. 4 From this point of
Here comes the second question. How to make a piece of architecture fitting that definition?
9
view, it makes me think that an architect may become more like a doctor. You diagnose the sickness, you got the recipe. All the rest you need to do is to slightly change the proportion of the pills and wait for this circle to end when patient reveal or start another circle when new symptoms appear. With the technology it is super easy to get an architecture design under this rule by applying new design software, such as Rhino and Grasshopper. Architecture and computation specialist define a set of infinite and effective variables, give them logic for the computer to run the commands and the
design outcome generate within a snap. I tend to say this is a very attractive idea, though personally I do not that welcome this change. If the computation works for architecture someday could really develop into a very easy used software and everyone could input all the requirements that he wants, then 3D print it out, there is no place for architect any more. Because at that time, people are no more in the need of communication with someone else to realize their mind. There is not such a communication faster and easier than you
talk with yourself. The clients could manipulate the software and reach the most satisfying result by their own. However, at present stage, due to the constrains of technological development, this process is mainly realized with the assistant from professionals, our architects and computational specialists.
10
Below: Kokkugia, Melbourne Docklands redevelopment, 2008 This urban design demonstrates the possibility of digital design to deal with more complex design issue within a super large scale and quantities. Digital design methods make it possible for the designers to identity each component and build the linkage of each variable in complex way. Hence the effect of a change in a single component could be reflected in the whole system operation, which is more close to the system running in the real world. Fig 2
COMPUTATION VS COMPUTERIZATION
According to Peters, computation is different from computerization. Distinguished from the stereotypes that computer plays a role of helping architects to develop easier or more powerful way of visualization, computation is more focused on the design itself, more about how the ideas generate and change. It is not a drawing tool but a method that could offer infinite possibilities for modification and refinement. 5 The greatest feature of computation, more specifically in this case, Grasshopper, is to provide the possibility of change. It generates a design by a deliberate algorithm with some initial and crucial information clearly input. Meanwhile, the designer could give the variables, or say components, definition/ meaning to reflect the requirements from the project
and the designer. Hence, through keeping adding or deleting components, changing the linkage pattern, rewriting the algorithm, new design outcomes will flood until the most satisfying works come out. It saves great time on modifying the design and waiting for the outcome in a traditional computerization way. Just like the example I gave in self introduction, there is never only one way to link two points on a piece of paper. Architect is not the only person to dominate the design now. It is the time to explore a new way of thinking and it is the time to explore the new era, which is more dominated by the artificial intelligence. Maybe, instead of saying design with the assistant from computers, we should regard that a design is to be completed with the cooperation from computation in the future.
11
On the right hand side: SOFTlab, Xtra Moenia, San Gennaro Gateway North, New York, 2011 In this studio, we are required to be focused on the monumental feature of a computation design. In my opinion, a monumental architecture could be either heavy in volume or in its visual power, in other words, the impressiveness the project shock the audience. This tensile structure takes advantage of the Kangaroo plug in for Rhino and Grasshopper to express tension in such a delicate and colorful manner, which is absolutely fresh and could not be achieved easily by other methods.
Fig 3
12
ONLY ADVANCEMENT IN TECHNOLOGY?
Computational work is not only featuring with some super hitech looks patterns, but more important, it perfectly reflects the nature of architecture and architectural design discussed above, which is a dynamic circle. The algorithm a designer writing down is a micro system which is the possible prediction of the design project in the future. As computation work could provide feedback of design at any stage within the whole designing process, the designers and clients could value at the job at any stage
and makes change to meet their expectation better. This capability of computation works makes it easier for the designers and clients to find out the best solution as they have much more choices rather than dozens of sketch or physical modeling, which is extremely time costing and highly relied on commuters’ expression skills.6 Therefore, computation work brings a revolution to architecture design. It helps architecture design developing towards a more dynamic and user-friendly way.
13
On the right hand side:
Fig 4
14
APPLICATION OF RHINO AND GRASSHOPPER
Since computation works becomes more practical and widely applied and accepted, Rhino and Grasshopper become the most popular parametric modeling platform for architecture design. The reason for its popularity is its great modeling ability and its visible programming and modeling process, which makes the programming more easily understood and manipulated. As Burry (2011) discusses in his “Scripting Cultures: Architectural Design and Programming�, there are three
major advantages of computer programming. They are saving investment in time, reducing production cost and getting rid of some impossibility in other software. On this point of view, an architect is better to be a tool maker rather than a tool user, which is the possible future of architectural professional career in the coming ages. 7 On the right hand side: UN Studio, M Benz Museum, Stuttgart, Germany, 2001–2006 This project demonstrate how architects and engineers develop a design from very
15
initial play with sketch and simple model making to looking for the circulation logic into a sharp and speed feeling museum by applying parametric designing methods. The revolution is not only existing in its unique forms but more inside of this building, such as how the space flows, how the show rooms connected by spiral ramp and how each individual components form an organic and futurism work. This is a way to be monumental both interior and exterior.
Fig 5
16
THE WAY TO A UNIVERSAL SOLUTION
Instead of developing every particular model for a different problem, it seems that designers and engineers are making efforts to work out a more generate and abstract language system to cope with all the problems. 8 Parametric modeling could be applied into many aspects and create amazing outcomes, such for construction analysis or problem analysis, and most commonly 3D modeling. I found this concept is more interesting to
me as this is the key of efficient work and dynamic work, which I thought architecture design should be. On the right hand side: Ă lvaro Siza and Eduardo Souto de Moura with Cecil Balmond, Serpentine Gallery Pavilion, London, 2005 This project sort of shows the magic of parametric design in an obvious way just to create a shelter. It is rough and old, but when I watch this project I
17
start to imagine the possibility and change that parametric brought to the architecture industry in nowadays. Parametric begins with this kind of experiments and gradually becomes such a powerful tool and design concept in nowadays. That is another kind of interpretation of being monumental for architecture that it makes great contribution to the time and change the world at some stage.
Fig 6
18
GRASSHOPPER CHALLENGE-WEEK ONE & TWO
Through weeks learning and experiment of Rhino and Grasshopper, I gradually form a understanding of what is Grasshopper and how it works. The part interests me most is the parametric feature of Grasshopper. That is the point makes this digital design tool powerful. To use Grasshopper well you have to build a clear logic first, then is the right information definion and input and later modification. The variability of outcome is the biggest charm of this tool, while the complicity in understanding and getting familiar with Grasshopper language and link this too to the Wyndham Gateway competition in a
suitable manner is the most challenging part. On the right hand side and below; Screen captures from Rhino and Grasshopper for the experiment of building a shelter. The flexibility of shape and the complex pattern generating by Grasshopper will be one of the design focus to reflect Grasshopper’s potential in architectural design in the later composition approach chapter.
19
20
GRASSHOPPER CHALLENGE-WEEK ONE & TWO
21
22
GRASSHOPPER CHALLENGE-WEEK THREE
23
24
CONCLUSION
The world is a dynamic system, and architecture as an interpretation of the world in micro scale, dynamism should be its most important feature. A piece of architecture, with monumentality, should not be a work forgotten by the public and the history after creation, but a work integrating well with the context and satisfying the public demands in a most suitable way. For achieving this goal, Grasshopper and Rhino provide a new platform for our architect to explore as much as possible paths to the final solution. It offers the amazing skin pattern and unusual shape for the gateway design, which would make it memorable visually. Furthermore, parametric design could analyze more issues that having impact on the design, such as different context condition or different design focuses, and prepare variable possible solution for further valuation. Then let the world vote for the best gateway we will have at Wyndham.After three weeks
25
LEARNING OUTCOME
learning about Grasshopper and parametric design, I realize this is a really powerful tool with great potential. Therefore to learn it well seems to become one important step in my architecture career. Parametric design should not only involve the industrial professionals, the more meaningful point is to create a platform for the public to engage with design process and speak out their opinion. Hence they have the opportunity to get the architecture they really expect. As my imagination in the before argument, the day that everyone is architect may not be that far to come, and architect at that time maybe more likely to play a role of consultant or “tool maker�.
26
REFERENCE FOR TEXT
1. Yehuda E. Kalay, Architecture’s New Media : Principles, Theories, and Methods of Computer-Aided Design (Cambridge, Mass.: MIT Press, 2004), pp. 5 - 25 2. Yehuda E. Kalay, Architecture’s New Media : Principles, Theories, and Methods of Computer-Aided Design (Cambridge, Mass.: MIT Press, 2004), pp. 5 - 25 3. Definition of “algorithm” in Wilson, Robert A. and Frank C. Keil eds(1999) in The Mit Encyclopedia of Cognitive Science (London: The MIT Press) pp.11-12 4. Definition of “algorithm” in Wilson, Robert A. and Frank C. Keil eds(1999) in The Mit Encyclopedia of Cognitive Science (London: The MIT Press) pp.11-12 5. Brady, Peter (2013) Computation Works: The building of algorithmic thought. Architectural Design, 83, 2, pp. 8 - 15 6. Brady, Peter (2013) Computation Works: The building of algorithmic thought. Architectural Design, 83, 2, pp. 8 - 15 7. Burry, Mark (2011). Scripting Cultures: Architectural Design and Programming (Chichester: Wiley), pp. 8 - 71. 8. Daniel C. Llach (2013) Algorithmic Tectonics: How Cold War Era Research Shaped Our Imagination of Design Architectural Design, 83, 2, pp. 16-21
27
REFERENCE FOR IMAGE Fig 1 Zaha Hadid, Kartal Pendik Master plan http://www.zaha-hadid.com/masterplans/kartal-pendik-masterplan/ accessed at 08/08/2013 Fig 2 Kokkugia, Melbourne Docklands redevelopment, 2008 http://www.kokkugia.com/ accessed at 02/08/2013 Fig 3 SOFTlab, Xtra Moenia, San Gennaro Gateway North, New York, 2011 http://softlabnyc.com/SOFTlab_portfolio.pdf accessed at 12/08/2013 Fig 4 Foster + Partners, Khan Shatyr Entertainment Centre, Astana, Kazakhstan, 2010 Brady, Peter (2013) Computation Works: The building of algorithmic thought. Architectural Design, 83, 2, pp. 8 - 15 Fig 5 UN Studio, M Benz Museum, Stuttgart, Germany, 2001–2006 http://www.unstudio.com/projects/mercedes-benz-museum accessed at 17/08/2013 Fig 6 à lvaro Siza and Eduardo Souto de Moura with Cecil Balmond, Serpentine Gallery Pavilion, London, 2005 http://www.serpentinegallery.org accessed at 17/08/2013
28
29
B. DESIGN APPROACH
30
CASE STUDY 1.0 As suggested, we choose grid and lattice as our material system to develop design approach. We were attracted by the beauty within the repetition of simple strip segments. The order and pure geometry create a special type of art feeling. An amazing precedent is the Theoretical Matter made by NEIL TAYLOR between 1999 and 2000. In this dedicated design, grid and lattice play more than a simple
role of structural supporting, but contribute more on the visual power. The half transparent structure and the changeable lightness through the structure add a mythical feeling to this project. Hence we start to explore Lunchbox in Grasshopper to play with the features of grid and lattice. We have tested most of the options of Lunchbox on one or two simple curved
31
surface, but the result is not satisfying. Below shows one of the testing definitions. The normal grid system looks plain, similar and boring, and contains few parametric factors for further controlling besides the size and density of the grid. It seems that a simple grid system lacks potential for further developing. Therefore we move to a more real architecture work to look for inspiration.
Fig 1 Theoretical Matter made by NEIL TAYLOR between 1999 and 2000
32
CASE STUDY 1.1
Fig 2 French Pavillion for Shanghai Expo 2010 designed by Jacques Ferrier Architects
33
34
CASE STUDY 1.1 I chose French Pavillion for Shanghai Expo 2010 designed by Jacques Ferrier Architects as the study precedent. I first figure out the design method and then make 56 iterations of the model. Though I successfully tried out the flexibility of a grid system, the final outcome is not really amazed. It is because the basic logic of this method is too simple and highly predictable, though the look varies. Hence we decided to look for a more inspiring application of grid and lattice.
35
36
CASE STUDY 2.0 We choose Canton Tower as this term’s precedent, as it is uses grid to act as design structure and use grid to form its shape properly and fluently. Hence it is a great work with concurrent consideration of engineering and art.
the digital model is elegant. The best part is that there are quite a few parametric factors within this definition, which means it has a better flexibility to response to more specific design requirements.
We found the outcome of
We continued the exploration
37
of this definition and tried to make 50 iterations to test its changeability. From the iterations it is not difficult to tell that the outcome is always a symmetrical tower no matter how we modify the factors.
Fig 3 Canton Tower designed by Information Based Architecture, 2010
38
39
40
CASE STUDY 2.0 We have an ambivalent feeling about this system. It is because we are satisfied with its possibility in further manipulation while worried about it may not be a very innovative design sitting on the road side. To further examine the potential of this system, we choose 9
matrixes to loft into surface. After the lofting, we apply a definition of making waffle system to those surfaces to observe the final work. Though the render and the physical model looks pretty, but they are just something you could see everywhere in nowadays. Also we realized that an over
41
emphasis on the topic grid and lattice extremely limits our imagination. Hence we decide to reconsider the project and look for a really suitable design approach rather than spending large amounts of time to test those interesting definitions one by one.
42
CASE STUDY 3.0 We start to consider the problem which troubles me since I have touched with this subject. I have questioned that should our designers give the place of designing to the digital software and become tool makers? Right now I tend to answer no. The previous case study exploration tells us it is meaningless to totally relying on digital techniques. It is because the most important part of a design is not about its techniques, but about a really strong motive to drive this design. Otherwise you will never know what kind of outcome you are looking for. Moreover, even you accidently find out a good attempt during the endless exploration, you may miss it as you have no idea what your benchmark is. Consequently, designers should play a role as judgers and valuators. Designers should be able to judge which method should be taken and what are the advantages and disadvantages of that method, but not lead by the nose.
43
44
Fig 4 I Want To Be Free Anthony Moman,2013
CASE STUDY 3.1 Hence we start to look for a really strong design motive. At the starting point, a fiction called ‘Blueprints for a Barbed Wire Canoe’ written by Wayne Macauley inspires us most. This book mirrors a serious social issue by talking about the lives of a group of people living in an isolated suburb. Though city nowadays has become enormous, unsightly and ever-expanding, problems still occur in many aspects of the daily life for people who live in outer areas. For those people, one of the serious troubles is being isolated as lacking of freeway access or other efficient public transportation methods. Also, it is difficult for them to communicate with the outside world because of relatively poorer telecommunication infrastructure developments. These not only result in the lower living quality but also lead to the spirit sterility of the community there.
45
Fig 5 B OF THE BANG, Heatherwick Studio, 2002
46
CASE STUDY 3.1 In the fiction, as the old neighbors move out of the community, residents left there are unavoidably becoming more and more hopeless, empty and aggressive. They huddle tightly but stand lonely and fearfully in that forgotten wild. Their life looks like a journey to death to us. At this point of view, we found that the self-colliding process of the community is much like the process for a star to become a neutron star. In that process, the self-colliding is showed as a self-compression of energy and gravity. The death of a star has a type of tragical feeling which fits our expectation of the future of an isolated community. As our design topic is “monumental�, we consider that a monumental project should not only be visually powerful, but more concerning about the social issues and reflecting the time. Hence, we want the gateway is a project which criticizes the isolation problem by demonstrating the inner emotion of the isolated residents. Moreover, we want this project could not only show the cultural and social context but also wake the public to notice the existence of the problem. It is facing the problem is the first step to solve it.
47
Fig 6 Neutron star
48
DESIGN APPROACH GENERATION
Base on the discussion above, we start to generate detailed design concepts. They focus on several considerations: What are the personality, emotion and living status of the left residents? How to express? We believe that the left residents might experience deeply upset, helpless and even angry feeling. To translate this into visual language, firstly, we symbolize each individual into a sharp 3D triangle segment, and array it into a strip to represent the life process of a resident. This is inspired by the Heatherwick’s work about ideas of aggressiveness.
49
50
DESIGN APPROACH GENERATION Then we rotate the orientation of the strips to represent the emotion of the residents. Inspired by the process of becoming a neutron for a star, the self-compression of energy, we decide to make all the strips to point to the centre of the whole structure.
We think that the left residents are relatively separated with the outside world just like birds in a cage. Hence the representing vectors should be limited by a half transparent geometry, and we choose wired sphere here, which is simple, pure, partly seeing through and powerful.
What is the relationship between the outside and the left residents? How to express?
What about the inner connection within them? How to express?
51
However we believe these people still huddle together within the community. The reversed engineering precedent provides the method by building curves through a set of controlling points on surface. This method links each single strip on the skin of the sphere which shows the tight and complex inner relationship of those individuals. Below are matrix for the inner system changes.
52
DESIGN APPROACH GENERATION After we figure out the logic for inner strips system and outer sphere system, we start to work out the definition to realize those concepts in grasshopper.
Finally we build up the first completed digital model and render it out. It is partly realize our design concepts, observed from the render.
Firstly, we used grasshopper to create a network surface and the triangular strips in the sphere. Then, we find an attract point to rotate the strips towards the point. We combined both together to get the final outcome. The number of the strips may represent the groups of people in Wyndham City or people with different culture background in the city.
53
54
PROTOTYPE MAKING PROCESS The next step is to make a physical prototype of our design. In order to realize the digital model, we tried three kinds of material and two connections to test which one can reflect our design idea more effectively.
Materials: MDF, Boxboard, Clear Plastic Connection: Circle connection and triangle connection The modeling process turns out that the triangle joins are too small but the circle joints work well. We also cut a circle in the center of the joints in order
55
to connect them into a strip by using wires. We think that the mix of different material is an innovative point of our design. We want to use different materials to reflect the diverse innermost being of people. For example, we tried to use clear materials to reflect their pure inward.
56
57
FURTHER EXPLORATION Though the digital model is completed, there are a lot of improvements which we can make in the future. The first issue is to randomly split the strips and attach them to the network surface. It could better reflect the real living status of the residents as their
connection with each other should be more complex and unpredictable. Also we should consider that is it over negative to state the isolation problem as in this design. There may be improvement further of this place or the city is not that pleasing to say it is a forgotten place itself. As this is an EOI, we may come up with a more flexible design to deal with different cases. The third issue is to consider about new connection joints. The connection between the surface network and inside strips is a challenge work. We need to write a definition in grasshopper to connect them as a whole structure in order to make it strong and stable.
58
MID-TERM REVIEW FEEDBACK
We have received positive feedback about our project, which is cheering. However, there are some valuable opinions from the guest and our tutors are crucial for us to consider about. The first issue is about the connection joints. Compared to our original consideration to build a connection between the inner system and outer system, it is much better to make the outer structure naturally “grow into� the center point of the sphere and act as the wire to link the small triangle segments. This method does not only provide a strong enough structure but also result in a
smoother surface of the whole design. However, after applying this method, the fabrication of the final physical model will face a new problem. It is because it is difficult to shape such a complex geometry by handy work. The second issue is about the supporting of the whole design. Should we thicken the parts where the model touched the earth? Should we develop a new way to hold the sphere? The third issue is about the visual communication. In next presentation, we should consider to put the hero image on the central place, but not
59
the most time consuming one. The reason is that a presentation should be a persuasive argument from both visual and logical way at first, but not a simple demonstration of all the work that you have done.
60
GRASSHOPPER CHALLENGE WEEK FOUR
61
62
GRASSHOPPER CHALLENGE WEEK FIVE & SIX
63
64
CONCLUSION
In this stage of exploration, the deepest feeling in my mind is that no matter how advanced the techniques are the most powerful designer is human beings. We have the sympathy with other human beings. Hence we could understand well our clients and the world made up of human being. It is this understanding helping us find out the real motive driving the design and shaping our expectation of the design. Then we start to think, to draw, to write down definitions in grasshopper and to generate the final outcome. Of course we are not perfect as computer language, but I believe we could achieve an emotionally touching art piece if we keep tracing.
65
LEARNING OUTCOME
Though I criticize the role of computation design, the high efficiency and great potential of computation design is undeniable. We could develop such a complex outer sphere system by inputting several pieces of information and organizing them easily. After a few minutes working, a complete randomly wired sphere appears in front of my eyes. Then I could adjust some factors to receive a dynamic feedback within seconds. The best part is that the model is very precise. I cannot imagine how this could be achieved if we could only use hand drawing or Sketch Up. Therefore, it is highly necessary to use computation design skills to speed up our design concepts and to test our ideas.
66
REFERENCE FOR TEXT
1. Neutron star http://www.space.com/22180-neutron-stars.html accessed at 22/09/2013 2. Blue Prints For A Barbed Wire Canoe http://blackpepperpublishing.com/macauleybfabwc.html accessed at 22/09/2013
67
REFERENCE FOR IMAGES Fig 1 Theoretical Matter http://www.heide.com.au/collection/sculpture-park-plaza/ accessed at 22/09/2013 Fig 2 French Pavilion http://www.archdaily.com/31684/french-pavillion-for-shanghai-expo-2010/ accessed at 22/09/2013 Fig 2 Canton Tower http://www.archdaily.com/89849/canton-tower-information-based-architecture/ accessed at 22/09/2013 Fig 3 I Want To Be Free http://anthonymoman.com/news/ accessed at 22/09/2013 Fig 4 B OF THE BANG http://iamapt.com/heatherwick-studio-va accessed at 22/09/2013 Fig 5 Colliding Neutron Stars http://scitechdaily.com/images/Colliding-Neutron-Stars-Produce-Gold.jpg accessed at 22/09/2013
68