Studio: Air Journal - Sam Brak 542519 by Sam Brak

STUDIO: AIR SAM BRAK 2013

GWYLL & ANGELA

CONTENTS INTRODUCTION PART A. EOI 1: CASE FOR INNOVATION > A.1. ARCHITECTURE AS A DISCOURSE > A.2. COMPUTATIONAL ARCHITECTURE > A.3. PARAMETRIC MODELLING > A.4. ALGORITHMIC EXPLORATIONS > A.5. CONCLUSION > A.6. LEARNING OUTCOMES

PART B. EOI 2: DESIGN APPROACH > B.1. DESIGN FOCUS > B.2. CASE STUDY 1.0

INTRODUCTION

Left to right: 1. Me. 2. Studio: Water boathouse redesign. 3. (Top) Virtual Environments tessellated lantern design. 4. (Bottom) Visual Communications model building exercise.

Hi! My name is Samuel Brak - but I prefer Sam. I am currently in my third year at Melbourne University studying a Bachelor of Environments; majoring in Architecture. I have completed three architecture design studios at Melbourne previous to Studio: Air and I am also undertaking Landscape Studio 1 this semester. I have always been interested in computer aided design since high school, where I learned most of the basics to the Adobe software suite. However, my introduction to a more direct response to architectural design through software came in first year, when I undertook Virtual Environments. Here I learnt the fundamentals of Rhino amongst other 3D modelling tools, like Google SketchUp. I am excited to be entering the realm of computational design in this studio and seeing how I can harness its power to further my knowledge of contemporary design tools.

A.1. ARCHITECTURE AS A DISCOURSE This section will examine how architectural practice can contribute influential ideas to the ongoing disciplinary discourse and culture at large. As a way of illustrating this I will analyze two projects that I believe contributed innovative and original ideas to the ongoing architectural dialogue. The first is Site of Reversible Destiny (1995) by Arakawa & Gins, and the second is Blobwall Pavilion (2005) by Greg Lynn FORM.

SITE OF REVERSIBLE DESTINY - YORO PARK ARAKAWA AND GINS 1995

“Arakawa and Gins have not been particularly interested in innovating architecture, but in approaching architecture as a way to innovate, or change the world”. (1)

Image source: college.holycross.edu

Arakawa and Ginsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Site of Reversible Destiny introduces itself to the visitor as a meticulously designed arrangement of rolling planes, fluctuating colours, and puzzling spaces, ergo providing a place of deliberate investigation. The project extends the scope of involvement, challenging all of the exploratory motions, sensory states and conceptual limitations at work within a built environment. A&G assert that â&#x20AC;&#x153;juggling, jumbling, and reshuffling the body with its fund of landing sites introduces a person to the process that constitutes being a person.â&#x20AC;? Image source: www.feldmangallery.com References: (1)<http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/ doi/10.1002/ad.1528/pdf>, (2)<http://www. reversibledestiny.org/>.

Arakawa and Gins position architecture in account of altering the body, which hits a conflicting chord in a profession where innovation often protects glorification. The Site of Reversible Destiny presents an approach to interpreting architectural innovation as a persistent condition by intrinsically including the built environment in the ambition to continually reorganise how we unite, separate and divide the world. In brief, here Arakawa and Gins are illustrating how the built environment can play a vital role in pioneering change.

“I wanted to think about how to reinvent the brick in my own way”. (3)

BLOBWALL PAVILION GREG LYNN FORM 2005

One of the most distinct characters of the digital experimentation sensation is Greg Lynn, of Greg Lynn FORM. A virtual entrepreneur of digital communication, Lynn, a designer recognised for his egress from architectural standards, was one of the first to explore a convergence of technology and craftsmanship. One of his latest projects, the Blobwall, certainly reflects his notoriety, but also demonstrates his knowledge of digital development and execution along with his focus on a eternal component of architecture - the brick. The project is an innovative reinterpretation of the brick into a lightweight body constructed of colourful plastic, and redefined into modular components. Blobwall Pavilion is an independent, interior/exterior wall arrangement built from a low-density, recyclable, impact-resistant polymer. The blob entity, or ‘brick,’ is a machine cut mass-produced hollow trinode shape produced through rotational molding, which is then erected with interlinking exactness to form the wall. Image source: www.mocoloco.com

Greg Lynn’s studio projects have traversed the line between art, design and architecture for quite a while. The Blobwall may indeed pass over the line to question the fundamental constituents of architecture.

Image source: www.designlbr.blogspot.com References: (3)<http://www.narrativela.com/files/ formlynn07.pdf>, (4)<http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/ doi/10.1002/ad.1523/pdf>, (5)<http://www.sciarc.edu/ exhibition.php?id=1222>.

A.2. COMPUTATIONAL ARCHITECTURE Computation has a pronounced effect on both the understanding and execution of architectural form, space and structure. It alters the way one views form, the way in which form is directed, and the way in which form is created. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The dominant mode of utilizing computers in architecture today is that of computerization; entities or processes that are already conceptualized in the designer's mind are entered, manipulated, or stored on a computer system. In contrast, computation or computing, as a computer-based design tool is generally limited. The problem with this situation is that designers do not take advantage of the computational power of the computer.â&#x20AC;? (6) References: (6)<http://books.google.com.au/books?i d=Ib4yEJErR5EC&printsec=frontcover&source=gbs_ atb#v=onepage&q&f=false>.

Computational technologies are shifting architectural practice in ways that were near impossible to predict only twenty years ago. In the conceptual domain, computational, digital architecture of topological, non-Euclidean geometric space, kinetic and dynamic systems, and genetic algorithms, are taking over technological architecture. Digitally-guided design processes, identified by progressive, unlimited and unpredictable but rational transformations of three-dimensional forms, are stimulating the emergence of new architectural capabilities. The generative and innovative promise of digital media, along with current manufacturing developments in automotive, aerospace and shipbuilding industries, is expanding the horizons of architectural design. Within the last ten years progress in computer-aided design and computer-aided manufacturing technologies have initiated a major impact on building design and construction methods. They expanded new possibilities by permitting production and construction of highly complex forms that were previously quite challenging and costly to design, manufacture and assemble using established construction technologies. A contemporary digital perpetuity, a direct connection from design through to construction, is ascertained by means of computational technologies. The results will be extensive, as new digitally-motivated processes of design, manufacture and construction are progressively questioning the traditional relationship between architecture and its means of production. References: (7)<http://books.google.com.au/books?id=cJMz6Us9woUC&printsec=frontcover&source=gbs_ge_summary_r& cad=0#v=onepage&q&f=false>. Image source: www.5osa.com

ICD/ITKE Research Pavilion 2012: â&#x20AC;&#x153;...the Institute for Computational Design (ICD) and the Institute of Building Structures and Structural Design (ITKE) at the University of Stuttgart have completed a research pavilion that is entirely robotically fabricated from carbon and glass fibre compositesâ&#x20AC;?. (http://icd.uni-stuttgart.de/?p=8807)

Computational design embodies both a tremendous advantage and a marked challenge to architecture. Generally, the challenge is assumed to be purely of a technical kind, as computational design necessitates procuring scripting and programming knowledge that ordinarily not contained in the professionâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s repertoire and education. Ultimately, after completing many readings on computational design, I have realised that the principal challenge is not in becoming proficient at computational design tactics, but rather in cultivating a manner of computational design thinking. To further the computational design manner of thinking, the role of the designer must be considered. Computation does not function with exact delineation of form or resolution. Ergo, the designer is deemed as the composer of the rules as inherent definitions of the progression of form. This is not a superficial subject, nor is it precisely an abstract theoretical one. It is the selection of objective rules concerning material, and criteria for the involvement of architecture with its contextual scheme. References: (8)<http://books.google.com.au/books?id=Ib4yEJErR5EC&p rintsec=frontcover&source=gbs_atb#v=onepage&q&f=false>.

Image source: www.arch2o.com

A.3. PARAMETRIC MODELLING Parametric design software allows the architect to interpret a design as one vast database undertaking where design process choices are presented as narratives nested in the portrayal of the design at any given interval of its evolution. Choices can be revisited and reworked appropriately, thus potentially assigning methods of deletion and reconstruction to acts of desperation. Having explored parametric design software (Rhino + Grasshopper) for the last month or so, it is not only the efficiency improvements that intrigue me - but also the opportunities to investigate (in real time!) at both a general or formal design level.

BMW WELT COOP HIMMELB(L)AU 2007

“...to create a spatial, ideal, and identity-forming architectural ensemble”. (10)

The main Hall of the BMW Welt (see below) facilitates a prime example of how parametric design can be employed in response to a structure’s contextual and climactic environment. The interaction of natural and artificial light with atmospheric climate and acoustics effect one’s feeling of comfort in the Hall. The idea for the mechanical building systems adopts these interrelations and incorporates them in a unified way, altering their scope of impact by changing their dimensions or integrating suitable control systems. The system’s low energy use is obtained by downsizing the mechanical equipment required for heating, ventilation and cooling. The vast Hall is therefore appreciated as a solar-heated, naturally ventilated sub-climatic space.

Image source: www.jattfreemedia.blogspot.com References: (9)<http:// books.google.com.au/bo oks?id=cJMz6Us9woUC &printsec=frontcover&so urce=gbs_ge_summary _r&cad=0#v=onepage& q&f=false>, (10)<http:// www.coop-himmelblau. at/architecture/projects/ bmw-welt>, (11)<http:// www.archdaily. com/29664/bmw-weltcoop-himmelblau/>.

A natural air source is produced by thermal flows, wind force and turbulences when air concentrates along the facade and roof. Air input and output occurs via automatically regulated vents. The ‘natural aeration’ scheme supplies ample fresh air to the Hall. A parametric simulation of thermal torrents and air flows was carried out to examine the dispersion of exhaust fumes from vehicles tested on the Premiere level. Iterative computations were thus conducted to optimize the organisation of air input and output vents for natural air interchange in such a manner that it was attainable to stay below the allowable threshold level of roughly ten percent.

AORTIC ARC @ CCA VISIBLE RESEARCH OFFICE 2009

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Collaborating closely with the designers, the engineers employed non-linear analysis tools and parametric BIM technology to model and predict the final minimal energy form of the piece...â&#x20AC;?. (12)

This project exemplifies how the use of modern computational tools can enhance a public space with minimal cost and maximum sustainable potential. The new installation for a student lounge at the California College of the Arts is suspended within a two storey space and performs as a light scope, spatial definer, and viewing portal. The light surface fabric is composed of 546 unique highdensity polyethylene (HDPE) panels connected to one another by over four thousand pop rivets. The installation's title originates from its similarity in shape to a section of the human heart and due to it vaulting atop an existing structural girder. The surface is hanging from three uppermost stainless steel rings which are held and hold one another in equilibrium. A single wide parabolic hoop operates as underneath support. The project involved many different technical and artistic issues that could not be handled in a straightforward manner. Cooperating intently with the designers, the engineers worked with non-linear analysis tools and parametric building information modelling (BIM) software to mold and foresee the finished minimal energy form of the installation which, fundamentally, functions as a composite cable-net and membrane structure. A panel-based arrangement was realised using Generative Components and a custom Rhino script that captured the unrefined data and translated it into a drawing file for a computer numerical control (CNC) milling machine that produced all the pieces. HDPE plastic was chosen for the panels because of its inexpensiveness, strength against solar deterioration, recyclability, minimal embodied energy, and high tensile efficiency.

Image source: www.emlab.cca.edu

Image source: www.evolo.us References: (12)<http://www.visibleresearch.com/Projects/ProjectAorticArc/index.html>.

A.4. ALGORITHMIC EXPLORATIONS â&#x20AC;&#x153;Parametric design and its requisite modes of thought may well extend the intellectual scope of design by explicitly representing concepts that are usually treated intuitively. Being able to explain ideas explicitly is a part of at least some real understanding. Defining relationships is a complex act of thinking. It involves strategies and skills, some new to designers and some familiar.â&#x20AC;? (13) For me, intuitively defining these relationships was a new concept to grasp. However, after undergoing some initial algorithmic tests, as seen in the following section, I began to scratch the surface of computational thinking in Grasshopper. References: (13)<http://cw.routledge.com/ textbooks/9780415779876/parametric.asp>.

My first algorithmic design exercise was to create five different lofted vases in Rhino using the Grasshopper plug-in. I had previously learned about lofting in Virtual Environments, but that was a completely manual undertaking employing only Rhino commands. I am not implying that the manual way is wrong, rather that Grasshopper can achieve the same results much more efficiently, while allowing the designer to oversee and control every aspect of the design process, at any stage. Top to bottom: 1. Rhino render of the completed vases. 2. The five Grasshopper definitions used to create the vases.

Despite the simplicity of this exercise, one crucial advantage of Grasshopper became apparent to me: the ability to alter your design in real-time and thus seeing all the implications of this alteration propagate down through the algorithmic process to either instigate small modifications, or perhaps completely transform your design.

This exercise focused on creating three dissimilar Grasshopper definitions that would turn a list of points into curves, those curves into a surface, that surface back to curves, and finally those curves back to points. Put simply, the crux of the task was to engineer and then reverse engineer a set of definitions as a means to show us that there is no simple or correct way to achieve a design finality. In a way, the task demonstrated that you can never really have a final goal in computational design. The end result is not a appreciation of thus, but rather an understanding and acceptance of choices coming conglomerating into one efficient whole. I, to some extent, view this process as â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;architectingâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; architecture. 17

A.5. CASE CONCLUSION Architecture includes tangible and intangible aspects, which makes the hunt for â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;goodâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; architecture a continual issue. Designing and completing buildings that answer to, instead of contend with, environmental systems, that are compassionate, timely and simple and safe to construct and utilise, is the key. Harmonising the universal with the physical and employing innovative conceptual thought towards physical creation through the use of new computational technologies is the future of architecture.

If architecture is connected with creating society, it has to embrace the future of new and innovative materials, components and the computational technologies that employ them to their maximum potential. These new architectural technologies applied to abstract ideas and concepts help to realise the future built fabric in which society operates. Wyndham City now has to take the exciting opportunity to seize promising new technologies in order to show that it believes in harnessing sustainable societal change.

A.6. LEARNING OUTCOMES I have always been interested in employing computer software to aid in designing most of my previous studio projects at Melbourne University. However, after numerous readings, class discussions and the completion of Part A, I realised there are essentially two ways for looking at how computers are integrated into the design process. To comprehend these two ways of thinking I needed to understand the difference between computation and computerisation. Essentially, I interpreted this as procedures which either derive results from data, or simply compile supplied data.

This key opposition is always alive in the numerous ways in which the computer has been conjoined with architectural design. Basically, difference lies in the attitude towards design, instead of acquiring certain skills or knowledge. A computerised, or computer-aided attitude, concludes an explicit objectbased method for encasing data. Adversely, a computational attitude allows particular data to be attained from primary exploration. It is this new mode of exploration that I am very excited to put into action on the upcoming Wyndham City Gateway Project.

B.1. DESIGN FOCUS Wyndham City is fronted by an environmentally-friendly council that recognises the value of its surrounding agricultural and coastal landscapes. The council does not shy away from contemporary issues of sustainable urban living, and aims to embrace new technologies that can improve the longevity and wellbeing of its residents, natural resources, and ecological diversity. Accordingly, a biomimetic approach to new development will allow Wyndham to fulfil its eco-friendly principles, while also demonstrating to the wider Melbourne metropolitan area, that as a city, it approves of cultural and technological innovation.

When biomimicry is applied to design, one is able to produce complex forms inspired by natureâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s intricacy, which bring a newfound level of efficiency and sustainability into play by ultimately integrating form, function, and structure into a coherent whole. Furthermore, biomimetic design is not only eye-catching but also inspires viewers to rethink their current notions towards living in a modern, ever-changing city and society. The innovative evolution of Wyndham City relies on positive movement towards change, thus the dynamic nature of biomimicry in design serves as a excellent platform to achieve this.

This page image sources: www.emlab.cca.edu

The Yeosu Oceanic Pavilion (2010) by Tom Wiscombe Design was proposed to be the highlight of the Yeosu 2010 Expo, a space which honours the ocean as a living organism and the coexistence of human culture and ocean ecosystems. The pavilion itself and its surroundings enter into a feedback loop. The role of the architect is extended to involve the active reorganisation of matters and energies around and underneath the structure, where the species selects its environment as much as the environment selects its species. 14 The building is based on an aggregation of soft membrane bubbles merged together with a hard monocoque shell. The two systems are characterised by patterns of surface articulation which are specific to their materiality. Deep pleats and mega-armatures that create structural stiffness are generally associated with the fibre-composite shell, while fine, double-pleated Air-beams spread over and stabilise the vaulted ETFE membranes. Micro-armatures transgress thresholds between shell and membrane, creating structural and ornamental continuity between systems. 14 References: (14)<http://www.tomwiscombe.com/project_15.html>.

Image source: web.media.mit.edu

Monocoque 2 (2007) by Neri Oxman. French for “single shell,” Monocoque stands for a construction technique that supports structural load using an object’s external skin. Contrary to the traditional design of building skins that distinguish between internal structural frameworks and non-bearing skin elements, this approach promotes heterogeneity and differentiation of material properties. The project demonstrates the notion of a structural skin using a Voronoi pattern, the density of which corresponds to loading conditions. 15 Image source: www.flickr.com

The distribution of shear-stress lines and surface pressure is embodied in the allocation and relative thickness of the vein-like elements built into the skin. Its innovative 3D printing technology provides for the ability to print parts and assemblies made of multiple materials within a single build, as well as to create composite materials that present preset combinations of mechanical properties. Oxman’s creations demonstrate the powerful combination of 3D printing and new design algorithms inspired from nature. 15 I. source: www.flight404.com References: (15)<http://web.media.mit.edu/~neri/site/projects/monocoque2/monocoque2.html>. (16)< http:// singularityhub.com/2012/06/04/3d-printing-is-the-future-of-manufacturing-and-neri-oxman-shows-how-beautifulit-can-be/>.

I. source: web.media.mit.edu

B.2. CASE STUDY 1.0 Analyse the results. What was your explicit design space? What strategies did you use to extend it? What is your selection criteria? Why did you consider the four highlighted outcomes to be more successful than others? When creating sequences of geometric variation, what where you trying to achieve? Why did you settle on the final version? Speculate. Now that the definition creates geometry that differs substantially from the original project, what kind of architectural application could it be used for? What kind of qualities does it have? How could it be used to create an effect? What forms, surfaces, spaces could be made with it?

SPANISH PAVILION, EXPO 2005 FOREIGN OFFICE ARCHITECTS 2005

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