Architectural Association Visiting School

AAVS MELBOURNE

THE SIFT

PAT BULLEEN 744067

SCOTT ROWE 640473

CONTENTS

0.0 INTRODUCTION 05 1.0 PRECENDENT STUDY 08 2.0 SITE 12 3.0 DESIGN METHOD 18 4.0 REFLECTION 24

5.0 APPENDIX 26 5.1 BIOGRAPHY 30 5.2 CREDIT 32 5.3 BIBILOGRAPHY 34

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0.0 INTRODUCTION

‘Sift’ Site Render

Located along the Yarra River within Southbank, ‘The Sift’ comprises of a multitude of interconnected tensegrity structures to create an overall auxiliary envelope. Situated at the major thoroughfare between Evan Walker Bridge and Flinders Street Station, as users traverse the site views are framed and filtered through the varying density within the structure.

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1.0 PRECEDENT STUDY

Numerous precedents were investigated In researching tensegrity structures, however NASA’s SuperBALL robot was of most value. The Dynamic Tensegrity and Robotics Lab (DTRL)at NASA has long since experimented with tensegrity units for space exploration purposes.

Tensegrity robots, as compared with wheeled robots, are valued for thier high strength to weight ratio, thier ability to fold, traverse difficult terrain and withstand enduring environments.

SuperBALL was able to move through varying the tension in the cables using controls located at the end of each compression member.

In fabricating this 6 strut icosahedron unit (one of the simplest spherical morphologies), we came to understand the constraints, assemble methods and joint mechanisms of basic tensegrity units, aiding us in later prototypes.

NASA SuperBALL robot1

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2.0 SITE

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Princes Bridge

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Project1:5000 site

Elevation/view from site

Our site was located along the Yarra River at the thouroughfare between the Evan Walker Bridge and the Southbank Flinder’s Street Station entrance. Site analysis focused on how rivers create an interface for understanding the urban fabric of a city.

The site’s importance relied on its panoramic views and vantage points otherwise not found within the CBD grid. Through careful analysis of these vantage points correlations were made between function and form.

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Site Panorama

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Views to be framed, filtered and blocked

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3.0 DESIGN METHOD

Various joint system prototypes

Utilising data collected from site, various structures for the tensegrity design were tested through rigorous prototyping with the aid of digital fabrication techniques. To achieve a suitable structure of varying density it was identified that a form of ‘tensegrity building blocks’ would be required. Most important in this process was establishing joints that both connected the members in the single units themselves as well as to other units.

These building units were consequently interconnected in accordance to site analysis data to create an overall habitable structure which framed and filtered views.

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Panoramic diagrams detailing influence of views on form

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Developement of prototypes

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Computer rendered view from within the Sift

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4.0 REFLECTION

In reflecting upon the 12 day intensive course ‘AA Visiting School Melbourne’ the key learning points for me personally was that of the importance of collaboration and planning for deadlines, of the benefits of designing and testing through digital fabrication tools and of having a strong translation between design intent and final outcome. As a unit we were presented with the contemporary issue of reinvigorating existing building stock, urban fabrics and infrastructures in order to renew the image and functionality of a city. Placed in Unit 1 we specifically focused on constructing tensegrity structures as a means to create a full scale habitable space which facilitated the brief. As I take a very hands on approach to design the program appeal to my inclinations towards model making and engineering.

Collaboration and planning for deadlines is a skillset not restricted to just the field of architecture. However as the study and practice involves a great deal of sharing of ideas and compromises, the importance of collaboration is particularly compounded when group tasks shift from the usual week to week deadline to a day to day deadline as was the case in our intensive. Over the 12 day course I began to realize that to tenaciously hold onto ideas and intents hinders a progressive design process. I found it essential to remain open minded of each other’s ideas, make definitive decisions and to know when to let go of some ambitions for the project. Our design benefited greatly from a process of developing varied prototypes and intentions, and then stepping back to examine and cull to the necessities of the project.

Perhaps our most integral design tactic was to develop a uniform ‘tensegrity building blocks’ which allowed for units to be interconnected and thusly grow in an organic manner. This tactic proved useful as it facilitated the quick development of a number of prototypes utilizing digital fabrication tools. After establishing a suitable model it was simply a matter of repeating these units to develop a system of considerable scale and complexity. The speed and accuracy to which machines such as laser cutters or 3d printers can fabricate to is absolutely essential to architectural prototyping and fabrication and to practice using them was an extremely valuable learning experience.

Presentation day is always one of reflection, realization and learning. After sitting through every group’s critics one purpose became apparent, there must be a strong translation between design intent and final outcome, and a clear representation of the process and proposal is imperative. As half of the critics came from the opposing unit the points of improvement were identified when critics did not understand the program, either through unclear representation methods of through disconnections between design ethos and outcome. The question of why? was thrown around frequently which had me consider the extent of which we questioned our own design. In my opinion one of the greatest lessons from this course is to always test your design, rigorously search for faults, and then once found either fix them or start again.

5.0 APPENDIX

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Model fabrication process

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5.1 BIOGRAPHY

Hi my name is Scott Rowe, I am a student at the Melbourne School of Design studying my final semester of the Bachelor of Environments majoring in Architecture. Having completed VCE in 2011 I briefly studied Mechanical Engineering at Swinburne University before commencing at the University of Melbourne.

Throughout my studies I have worked as an estimator at a commercial window company which has given me an insight into the building industry including a 2 week internship at the residential architecture firm ‘Destination Living’. In 2015 I completed a semesters exchange at McGill University in Canada. Post-exchange I travelled throughout the US and Canada seeking out architectural landmarks such as the Philip Exeter Library, Habitat 67, Seagram Building, MIT’s Baker Dormitories as well as a visit to Moshe Safdie’s studio in Boston.

On completing my undergraduate I plan to travel Europe before commencing my Master’s degree in the US in 2017. With a particular interest in history, art and digital fabrication I plan to eventual open an architectural model making firm as a registered architect in Australia.

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5.2 CREDIT

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Drawings

Model Fabrication

Computational

Model Assembly

Scott Pat

Photography

Writing

Graphic Design

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5.3 BIBILOGRAPHY

NASA, Super Ball Bot, 2015, photograph, http://www.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/shareables_superballbot.png

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