Design Studio: Air by Shaun Lee

AiR SHAUN LEE 639877

BEND - FOLD - TWIST

TH E U NIVE RSIT Y OF M E LBOU R N E The Melbourne School of Design Course Coordinator: Rosie G unz burg Lec turer: B rad Elias Tu tor: Finnian Warnock 2

STUDIO AIR - ABPL30048 Studio Air explores the realm of computational design, pushing the boundaries of design thinking and experimenting with innovative technologies. Embracing new design workflows and their afforded opportunities, Air will equip young designers with a flexbile platform for broader design exploration, perfecting new means to bring about increasingly resolved and aesthetic architecture.

Foreword - 3

CONTENTS 0.0 FOREWORD 0.1 Biography

1.0 PART A - CONCEPTUALIZATION A.1

Design Futuring

A.2 Design Computation A.3 Composition/Generation A.4 Conclusion A.5 Learning Outcomes A.6 Appendix - Algorithmic Sketches

2.0 PART B - CRITERIA DESIGN B.1

Research Field

B.2 Case Study 1.0 B.3 Composition/Generation B.4 Technique: Development B.5 Technique: Prototypes B.6 Technique: Proposal B.7 Learning Objectives and Outcomes B.8 Appendix: Algorithmic Sketches

3.0 PART C - DETAILED DESIGN C.1

Design Concept

C.2 Tectonic Elements & Prototypes C.3 Further Development C.4 Learning Objectives and Outcomes CONCEPTUALISATION - 5

0.1 BIOGRAPHY

Hi! Want to play a little game? Ok good, now follow my instructions closely! First , take off your shoes and socks and place your feet on the ground. Second, place your hands on a nearby surface. Finally, youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll close your eyes... WAIT NOT YET! Keep reading! I want you to visualise a space you remeber fondly, the textures you recall with your toes, the surfaces you understand with your hands, the colours you see with your nose and the sounds that you remember with your mind. Now close your eyes and take a moment to remember, to really remember. How do you feel? Is there a surging emotion that fills your body, a tingling sensation that lifts your spirits or a sad longing to return to better days? Those spaces are what Architecture means to me. A place to remember fondly.

Studio Water 2016

CONCEPTUALISATION - 7

0.2 PAST WORKS PRINT.pdf

29/6/17

16:03

CASCAD E O MO TESAN D O

CMY

表参道に滝（Cascade）をつくる。それは、表参道の文化の滝である。現在の表参道は、東京の文化の中心地のひとつでありながら、ひたすら消費を求めるばかりで、文化を蓄積・発信する場所が存在しない。そこで、現在の表参道の文化を吸収・蓄積し、それをもとに、これからの表参道の新しい文化について思考し、それを発信する装置としての建築を、この場所に提案する。文化を吸収するイベント・スペース、文化を蓄積するブックカフェ、文化を発信するオープンシアターが一体となった複合体の建築である。表参道の通り沿いを歩いていると、この建築の内部での、様々な人々の活動を見ることができる。すなわち、文化を水にたとえるならば、それをくみ上げ、上層に運び、改変したうえで、最上部から落下させる、まさに文化の滝としての建築である。

Interior (Event Hall)

Surrealism Study (2011)

Just a little about me. My name is Shaun Lee, a third year Bachelor of Environments student pursuing a degree in Architecture. I first experienced architecture one weekend while viewing a house in Singapore with my dad, one of our favourite past-times. It was something about exploring new spaces that always excited me, how textures, colours and geometrical configurations could be so still yet vibrantly alive. That was the entrance to my own figurative ‘rabbit-hole’ and many years later, here I am. Chasing a memory of what Architecture has, is and will be.

Interior (Book Cafe)

Interior (Restaurant+Theater)

DIAGRAM

Smoke Haven

ISOMETRIC ルイ・ヴィトン ( 青木淳 )

東京ユニオン教会 ( 鈴木エドワード ) TOD’ S ビル ( 伊藤豊雄 )

Ao ( 日本設計 )

けやきビル ( 團紀彦 )

表参道ヒルズ ( 安藤忠雄 )

Open Theater

SITE

SPIRAL （槙文彦）

Theater Volume この層には、最下層のイベント・スペース、中段のブックカフェを通して吸収・蓄積さ

one omotesando （隈研吾）

れた表参道の文化を改変し、発信するオー

0. 現在の表参道

プンシアターと、レストランが組み込まれ

表参道には、多くの著名建築家による作品がひしめき合っている。表参道は東京の文化的中心の一つでありながら、主に「上流」の人々のためのショッピングエリアに特化しており、若者たちが自由に溜まったり、自主的にイベントを行ったりするようなスペースは用意されていない。

ている。オープンシアターでは様々な人々による自主的なイベントが企画されてよいが、ここで重要なのは、それらのイベントが通りを歩いている人からも認知されるということである。すなわち、このシアターで行われるイベントは、表参道を歩く人々

Restaurant

に、来たるべき新しい表参道の姿を予感させるものとなるのである。

Cafe

Book Cafe Volume

1. 求められる機能我々は、表参道の文化に根ざしながら、その文化を吸収・蓄積し、最終的にはそれを改変して発信していく装置としての建築を考えた。そのために我々は 3 つの機能を提案する。表参道の現在の文化を吸収するショッピングエリアの延長としてのイベント・スペース、文化を蓄積するブックカフェ、改変・発信するシアターをつくる。

この層では、表参道の文化を蓄積することを目的とする。下のイベント・スペースを通ってこのブックカフェでひと休みする人々は、ここで表参道やその流行についての書籍を楽しむことができるとともに、通り沿いの景観を様々な場所から眺めることができる。この場所は、表参道を楽しむ人々

Cafe

にとっては貴重な、消費を強制しないオープンスペースとして機能するが、それと同時に、この場所を訪れた人々は、自動的に表参道のリサーチャーとなるのである。

Reading Deck

2. 景色をつくる表参道の現在の文化を吸収・蓄積するため、ヴォリュームを部分的に飛び出させることで、周辺の景観を積極的に取り込むこととする。最下層のイベント・スペース部分は人々を招き入れるため、中段のブックカフェ部分は文化の蓄積としての景観を見せるため、最上部のシアター部分では町ゆく人にも表参道の新しい文化を発信するために、表参道に向かってひらくこととする。

Event Space Volume

Event Space

この層では、表参道の現在の文化を吸収することを目的とする。すなわち、ショッピングエリアでの消費が強制されるような状況の延長にあるプログラムとして、無柱の大空間によるイベント・スペースを計画する。ここでは、流行の最先端を結集したファッション・ショーや、人気ブランドの新作発表イベントなど、現在の表参道に親和性の高いイベントが企画されることが期待される。

Restaurant

3. 人々の流れをつくる人々が、表参道の文化の吸収・蓄積・発信を、順を追って体験できるように、らせん状の動線計画を導入する。これらの階段は単なる移動手段としてだけでなく、それぞれの場所に座ってくつろげるような場所を提供する。ひたすら消費のみを求める表参道の街に、ひと息つける場所をつくると同時に、それは表参道の文化をはぐくむ中心地となる。

GL+26,500

Open Theater Reading Space

GL+20,900

Sharing Library GL+15,600

Cafe

夏至の太陽高度 78° GL+10,000

冬至の太陽高度 31°

Event Space

人々の活動と日光の関係この建物は 2 面が幅の広い通りに面しているため、太陽光とオープンスペースの利用方法についても配慮が必要であると考えた。特に機能を持たない、ブックカフェ部分のオープンスペースは南側に配置して人々が自由に日光を楽しめる場所を作る。その時々でイベントに注目する必要のあるシアター部分は北側に配置することで、日光がプログラムの障害となることがないように配慮した。

Section S=1/200

hlc-203

HULIC Design Competition (2017)

Tokyo Institute of Technology Design Studio 1 (2017)

CONCEPTUALISATION - 9

PART A CONCEPTUALIZATION

Architecture is an expression of values. – Norman Foster A.1 Design Futuring Case Study 1: Case Study 2: A.2 Design Computation Case Study 1: Case Study 2: A.3 Composition/Generation Case Study 1: Case Study 2: A.4 Conclusion A.5 Learning Outcomes A.6 Appendix - Algorithmic Sketches

Fig. 2 Titanic Belfast CivicArts & Todd Architects

CONCEPTUALISATION - 11

A.1 DESIGN FUTURING

Sustainability or Sustain-ability It is undeniable that the role of designers has drastically changed in the last several decades. With the scale of buildings constantly expanding due to advancements in construction technology, there are consequently growing concerns regarding the potential impacts of the architectural design practice. According to design theorist and philosopher Tony Fry, the design practice we know of today strives not for ‘sustainability’ but rather ‘sustain-ability’, a deconstructive attempt to statisfy the current standards of comfort we have become accustomed to1. Design is likened to a vicious cycle of trend following, one which is adaptive to not real change but purely fashionable changes. Thus at its core, it is essential that the approach to design and to design thinking must be reformed, leveraging on the digital age to refocus our attention on sustainability as an instrument for change2 .

With all the confusion revolving around sustainability, it seems first logical to clarify our understanding. As a model for securing a future 3, sustainability can thus can be defined as “development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs”4 . Arguably, this stems from being critically informed about varying environmental needs, the likes of which cannot be holistically approached by design in a ‘vacuum’. This portrays itself as an invitation for the critical assessment of ‘wicked’ design problems, the likes of which must be tackled through a multidisciplinary approach 5. As our understanding and discovery of such problems grow, it thus becomes essential for our design to look beyond

existing precedents. Leveraging on the increasingly accessible design tools, the architectural process must shift towards greater performative criteria and produce more informed design alternatives, both in the realm of aesthetics and sustainability. Only then will our ‘development’ evolve from that which is preferable and plausible, to encapsulate an adaptve response to the environment, one that is capable of brindging us to a brighter future 6. The following case studies have been selected in light of their inf luencing capacity to evoke change and question the contemporary attitudes we live by. Through the experience of these precedents, we may form a foundation from which leverage computational design, developing a critical understanding of environmental needs as well as the need to explore better design alternatives.

1. FRY, T. (2008). SUSTAINABILITY, ETHICS AND NEW PRACTICE. OXFORD: BERG PUBLISHERS LTD, P. 2, 14. 2. BENDER, HELENA, RESHAPING ENVIRONMENTS (CAMBRIDGE: CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY PRESS, 2013) 3. FRY, P. 7. 4. BRUNDTLAND, GRO HARLEM, “OUR COMMON FUTURE—CALL FOR ACTION”, ENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION, 14 (1987), 291 <HTTPS://DOI.ORG/10.1017/S0376892900016805>V 5. BUCHANAN, RICHARD, “WICKED PROBLEMS IN DESIGN THINKING”, DESIGN ISSUES, 8 (1992), 14 <HTTPS://DOI.ORG/10.2307/1511637> 6. DUNNE, A. AND RABY, F. (2013). SPECULATIVE EVERYTHING : DESIGN, FICTION, AND SOCIAL DREAMING. CAMBRIDGE, MA [ETC.] : MIT PRESS, PP.1-9, 33-45. 12

Fig. 3 Footer Icon Cd-Cf (Website Homepage)

CONCEPTUALISATION - 13

A.1 Case Study 1

30 St Mary Axe

Sir Norman Foster’s Gherkin Tower It is indisputable that modern day architecture has been severely skewed towards form-driven design and the buildings of ‘today’ have gravitated towards what is plausible and preferable and less commonly, what is possible1. Pioneering a new design approach however, Lord Norman Foster’s 30 St Mary Axe or ‘Gherkin Tower’ (2003) is one of few growing examples that represent a paradigm shift towards design driven by both aesthetic and sustainability principles. Leveraging on the advancements in algorithmic processes as well as a multidisciplinary team of experts, Foster & Partners strive for the ‘possible’, designing complex solutions of “structure, cladding, and environmental control” 2 in a bold attempt to contemplate the present and secure the future. Addressing real problems posed by climate change, terrorism and financial globalisation 3, Foster’s design articulates the possibility of elegant functionality in its conscientious approach towards energy consumption and the relationship between the built and natural environment. Now a national icon, the Gherkin is a testament of anthropological design, one with “world-shaping” potential to transform the excessive anthropocentric present to secure ventilation and maintain comfortable ground level environments7.

a sustainable biocentric future 4 . Standing forty-one storeys tall and encompassing a net of 46,400 square meters, its parametrically modelled form offers 360-degree picturesque views and comfortable f loor space whilst simultaneously optimising its environmental profile5. Modelled after the Venus Basket Sponge, the innovative biomimetic system is composed of a computationally modelled hexagonal lattice, the product of which is both peculiar and alluring 6. Nonetheless, its eccentric origin is outmatched by its functional performance, intricately engineered to minimise wind def lections, stimulate natural Unconventionally, the building addresses climate change through its mimicry of nature’s innate ability to overcome change, starkly contrasted by the overdependence of auxiliary systems populating neighbouring towers. Boasting half the average energy consumption, its structural composition accentuates architectures capacity to mitigate human-induced climate risk through the building managed mixed-mode ventilation system. Originally owned by reinsurance company Swiss Re, the building’s conception should also be credited to the firm’s commitment to sustainability practices. Managing environmental risks as part of their business, Swiss Re employs the architecture of the Gherkin as a mechanism to reconfigure the current primitive ways of design thinking, supporting computationally informed

1. DUNNE, A. AND RABY, F. (2013). SPECULATIVE EVERYTHING : DESIGN, FICTION, AND SOCIAL DREAMING. CAMBRIDGE, MA [ETC.] : MIT PRESS, P. 2. 2. MASSEY, J. (2014). RISK DESIGN. GREY ROOM, 54, P. 4. 3. MASSEY, P. 5. 4. FRY, T. (2008). SUSTAINABILITY, ETHICS AND NEW PRACTICE. OXFORD: BERG PUBLISHERS LTD, P. 2, 14. 5. FOSTERANDPARTNERS.COM. (2017). 30 ST MARY AXE | FOSTER + PARTNERS. [ONLINE] AVAILABLE AT: HTTP://WWW.FOSTERANDPARTNERS.COM/PROJECTS/30-ST-MARYAXE/ [ACCESSED 26 JUL. 2017]. 6. RAO, R. (2014). BIOMIMICRY IN ARCHITECTURE. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ADVANCED RESEARCH IN CIVIL,STRUCTURAL,ENVIRONMENTAL AND INFRASTRUCTURE ENGINEERING AND DEVELOPING, 1(3), P.102.

Fig. 4 Gherkin Tower Norman Foster + Partners

CONCEPTUALISATION - 15

Fig. 5 Gherkin Tower Air Flow Norman Foster + Partners

Fig. 6 Panoramic Dome Norman Foster + Partners

and environmentally conscious design. In an everchanging world riddled with uncertainty, the tower’s conception is a case of innovative thinking, employing design to leverage perceived economic and social risks through a building acknowledged for commercial and aesthetic success 8. Opened in 2004, the reimagined skyscraper endorses the vast potential of biomimicry, proposing new solutions designed from existing masters in nature. What Foster proposes then is a revolutionary architectural bridge between current problems of climate change and more published issues of security and

8. 9.

financial globalization. Although facing several setbacks in its claims for sustainability, 30 St Mary Axe remains a catalyst for change. It highlights that we are no longer ill equipped to achieve what is necessary or possible but perhaps psychologically averse to change. The question that remains is whether our generation of designers will cast aside a “sustain-able” future for one that is built on “sustainability” 9.

MASSEY, P. 8. FRY, P. 7.

CONCEPTUALISATION - 17

A.1 Case Study 2

Council House No. 2. Mick Pearce & DesignInc’s CH2

depends on an equally vital component, symbiotic occupation.

Over the course of the last century, Architecture as a design practice continues to evolve both stylistically and technically in its realisation through advancements in technology. Nonetheless, the most significant of its developments lie with its capacity to enact change and the innate ability of practitioners today to engage in future-conscious speculative design1. Melbourne City’s Council House 2 is an exemplary product of such principles, demonstrating through its successful completion and continued operation, the potential for sustainable living in a large urban context. Realised in 2004 by Mick Pearce and DesignInc, CH2 is Australia’s first urban biomimetic 6-star energy building. Standing a modest 10 storeys tall, its radical conception serves to educate neighbouring edifices on the possibility of a biodynamic relationship at a reduced environmental cost. Nevertheless, the $11 million worth of sustainability features are not the sole defining factor of this building, enlisting the commitment of its occupants to make the success of the building a collective endeavour2 .

Once again, the triumph over the psychological obstacle of change is petitioned for by elegant yet revolutionary design. Understanding this, principal architect Pearce looks towards simple design solutions that are both visibly successful and materially convincing. Re-evaluating and reimagining nature’s fundamental laws, CH2 displays equal consideration for both its human inhabitants and the inhabited environment, attending to natural ventilation, passive shading and cooling, and energy loads among others.

Arguably a speculator of possible futures, Mick Pearce’s reinterpretation of the termite mound engages the burgeoning field of biomimicry. Employing basic principles of convection, CH2 proposes innovative means of natural ventilation via stack chimneys, reminiscent of temperature-varying termite mound vents3. Furthermore, each façade designed to optimise its performance against face-specific climate. A bark inspired eastern exterior conceals and ventilates wet areas whilst the buildings encompassing planter boxes reduces the northern solar heat gain. This is complimented by a recreational roof garden that promotes biodiversity whilst simultaneously reducing stormwater runoff. Cumulatively the vegetation strives conceptually to restore existing site foliage levels, further accentuating the iconic facades 4 . Regardlessof its systems however, the success of CH2

Established on the complimentary relationship between fresh air, health and productivity, the office employs a day-time mechanical ventilation system that delivers complete air changes every half hour. Effectively refreshing each work space, the stack ventilation system also passively cools 40% of the building’s heat loads with the remaining 60% dispensed via thermal mass, chilled beams and night purging5. Furthermore, energy loads are reduced through the employment of individually controlled task lighting, another characteristic that advocates both sustainable living and comfortable working conditions. Once limited to domestic houses, CH2 indefinitely fulfils the first two of Maslow’s needs, a convincing argument for both designers and users to reapproach architecture’s realm of possibility.

1. DUNNE, A. AND RABY, F. (2013). SPECULATIVE EVERYTHING : DESIGN, FICTION, AND SOCIAL DREAMING. CAMBRIDGE, MA [ETC.] : MIT PRESS, PP. 2-3. 2. “COUNCIL HOUSE 2”, GREEN BUILDING COUNCIL AUSTRALIA, 2017 <HTTP://WWW.GBCA.ORG.AU/UPLOADS/73/1609/COUNCIL_HOUSE_2.PDF> [ACCESSED 30 JULY 2017] 3. CH2 SETTING A NEW WORLD STANDARD IN GREEN BUILDING DESIGN; DESIGN SNAP SHOT 11: BIOMIMICRY (MELBOURNE: CITY OF MELBOURNE, 2017), P. 3. 4. CH2 SETTTING A, PP. 4-5. 5. CHUA, GERALDINE, “KEEPING IT COOL: HOW MELBOURNE’S COUNCIL HOUSE 2 TOOK ADVANTAGE OF THE NIGHT”, ARCHITECTURE AND DESIGN, 2014 <HTTP://WWW. ARCHITECTUREANDDESIGN.COM.AU/NEWS/KEEPING-IT-COOL-HOW-MELBOURNE-S-COUNCIL-HOUSE-2-TO> [ACCESSED 29 JULY 2017]

Fig. 7 Council House 2 Dianne Snape

CONCEPTUALISATION - 19

Fig. 8 CH2 Wind Turbine Dianne Snape

Fig. 9 CH2 Facade Design DesignInc

CONCEPTUALISATION--21 21 CONCEPTUALISATION

A.2 DESIGN COMPUTATION

Computation vs. Computerization With the acceleration in innovations brought about by the digital and information age, it is becoming apparent that the burgeoning role of computers in the process of architectural design can no longer remain as primitive instruments for automation or documentation1. Rather, should the evolution of the aforementioned processes remain stagnant, it would be likened to what philosopher Tony Fry equivalates to the continuance of environmental degradation, or ‘defuturing’ 2 . As computers rapidly become a seminal component of our day to day lives, the possibilities proposed by computation within the field of architecture become less obscure and more widely debated. Ranging from synthesized materialization and fabrication to performative design, the futures suggested by such ‘tools’ appear infinite and the advantages afforded lie not solely with greater efficiencies. The most basic shift lies with the translation of 2D problems into the third dimension, enabling greater problem solving capabilities through 3D modelling. More notably, the introduction of algorithmic and parametric conditions further promote computers beyond technological aides, pioneering new logics of thinking that integrate the digital with the design process3. Essentially this petitions for both a process and solution greater informed than successful projects of the past. Through the understanding of linkages between variable parameters and perceivable geometries, the control over form generation has significantly evolved to encapsulate a greater consciousness towards the built and natural environment. Leveraging on endless databases of stored information, design continues to become dependent on a wide range of disciplinary fields. Consequently, it naturally promotes multidisciplinary approaches to the worlds “ill-structured” design problems 4 . Through the application of computation which essentially deals with information processing, new ideas dealing with such problems can be addressed through digital materialization

and integrative fabrication processes5. This in turn provides greater efficiencies in the process of “file to factory” production, accelerating the prototyping phase to dramatically improve experimentations with performance oriented designs. Essentially, such advancements demand a change in both the architectural practice and the process of design. The modernist approach of Ghery’s Guggenheim in Bilbao is surely being overtaken, offering generative systems capable of producing enhanced outcomes at an optimised speed 6. This marks a turning point in the practice of architecture, linking production and design, and form generation with fabrication7; allowing for the division of the intuitive problem solving capabilities to address more pressing issues independent of form. With the rising severity of human-induced climate change, multidisciplinary approaches now mark the starting point through which the communication between possible solutions and parametrically mapped problems are bridged via the computer. Possessing far superior analytical and ‘digestive’ capabilities, a symbiotic relationship is produced joining the processing prowess of computers with the problem-framing abilities of man8. This opens a new path for idea experimentation, revolutionising traditional practices of problem solving through the addition of packaged, digestible bits of integrated information, all of which inform better design decisions and formative outputs. As demonstrated by works such as the Gherkin Tower, environmental and performance modelling are the key forces that inf luence form generation, redefining the standard practice. This pretested design that is no longer aesthetically dependent serves to highlight the revolutionised approach that now drives both the design and construction industries. The onus now lies on architects to employ the vast arsenal of computational processes and technologies to frame and solve problems that no other earthling is capable of 9.

1. BRADY, PETERS, COMPUTATION WORKS: THE BUILDING OF ALGORITHMIC THOUGHT, 2ND EDN (WILEY ONLINE LIBRARY, 2013), PP. 10 <HTTPS://APP.LMS.UNIMELB.EDU.AU/ BBCSWEBDAV/PID-6089617-DT-CONTENT-RID-23736104_2/COURSES/ABPL30048_2017_SM2/ABPL30048_2017_SM2_IMPORTEDCONTENT_20170705121450/ABPL30048_2014_ SM2_IMPORTEDCONTENT_20140709012321/PETERS%20-%20COMPUTATION%20WORKS_THE%20BUILDING%20OF%20ALGORITHMIC%20THOUGHT%2C%20PP%208-13.PDF> [ACCESSED 4 AUGUST 2017] 2. FRY, T. (2008). SUSTAINABILITY, ETHICS AND NEW PRACTICE. OXFORD: BERG PUBLISHERS LTD, P. 2. 3. BRADY, PETERS, COMPUTATION WORKS, PP. 8-15 4. KALAY, E. YEHUDA, ARCHITECTURE’S NEW MEDIA (CAMBRIDGE, MASS.: MIT PRESS, 2004), P. 1. 5. CHUA, GERALDINE, “KEEPING IT COOL: HOW MELBOURNE’S COUNCIL HOUSE 2 TOOK ADVANTAGE OF THE NIGHT”, ARCHITECTURE AND DESIGN, 2014 <HTTP://WWW. ARCHITECTUREANDDESIGN.COM.AU/NEWS/KEEPING-IT-COOL-HOW-MELBOURNE-S-COUNCIL-HOUSE-2-TO> [ACCESSED 29 JULY 2017] 6. BRADY, PETERS, COMPUTATION WORKS, P. 15. 7. OXMAN, RIVKA, AND ROBERT OXMAN, THEORIES OF THE DIGITAL IN ARCHITECTURE (LONDON: ROUTLEDGE, 2014). P. 5. 8. KALAY, E. YEHUDA, P. 3. 9. KALAY, E., PP. 1-3. Fig. 10 22 22

Sea of Lines Openprocessing (Pinterest)

CONCEPTUALISATION--23 23 CONCEPTUALISATION

Fig. 11 HygroSkin Close-up Archim Menges 24 24

A.2 Case Study 1

HygroSkin Meteorosensitive Pavilion Achim Menge’s HygroSkin Pavilion

The combination of wood and moisture has historically been associated with a material f law, dried for structural strength and coated to safeguard against osmosis. However, Stuttgart professor Achim Menges utilises the material deficiency as an opportunity for innovation, using Computational Design tools to re-define the architectural practice. Discarding traditional means of form finding and material allocation, the Hygroskin Meteorosensitive Pavilion represents a paradigm shift in the architectural design process, providing a glimpse into the future of performance-oriented design. In the traditional architectural and construction practice, an understanding of woods cellular structure is leveraged to correct its material behaviour in relation to moisture. Nevertheless, Menges’ alternative design approach sought to leverage such material qualities, employing the ability for computation processes to analyse and manoeuvre its complex behaviour as opposed to its physical form1. Through the shift from Computer Aided Design to Computational Design, the wood’s innate properties can be programmed throughout the design process. This ability to conceptualise material behaviour and associated formative processes seeks to approach form through parameters or processes defined by set rules, a shift from conventional processes of sketching or modelling 2 . This underlines the evolution of both the design process and the approach of architecture, underscoring the integrative abilities of Computational Design. Leveraging on the hygroscopic nature of wood, the Pavilion demonstrates a new passive response to climate, completely autonomous of electronic or mechanical control 3. The applications of such a technology are limited only by our imagination,

1. ACHIM MENGES AND STEFFEN REICHERT, “PERFORMATIVE WOOD: PHYSICALLY PROGRAMMING THE RESPONSIVE ARCHITECTURE OF THEHYGROSCOPEAND HYGROSKIN PROJECTS”, ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN, 85.5 (2015), 66-73 <HTTPS://DOI.ORG/10.1002/AD.1956>. 2. ACHIM, MENGES, “COMPUTATIONAL MATERIAL CULTURE”, ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN, 86 (2016), 76-83 HTTPS://DOI.ORG/10.1002/AD.2027 3. “HYGROSKIN-METEOROSENSITIVE PAVILION / ACHIM MENGES ARCHITECT + OLIVER DAVID KRIEG + STEFFEN REICHERT”, ARCHDAILY, 2017 <HTTP://WWW.ARCHDAILY. COM/424911/HYGROSKIN-ME TEOROSENSITIVE-PAVILION-ACHIM-MENGES-ARCHITECT-IN-COLL ABORATION-WITH-OLIVER-DAVID-KRIEG-AND-STEFFEN-REICHERT> [ACCESSED 8 AUGUST 2017] CONCEPTUALISATION--25 25 CONCEPTUALISATION

control ventilation and humidity. Arguably a radical change, the displacement of such mechanical systems could be met with some resistance and although it could be decades before a hygroskin window meets required building standards, the Pavilion provokes thought regarding future applications of biomimetic architecture. Studying the water-induced movement of spruce cones, Menges’ adopts the passive reaction of the organic material for the inlets in his pavilion. Occurring naturally, the capacity for movement lies intrinsically with the material and offers a viable solution for sustainable design with zero energy costs. This process relies on the cones hygroscopicity, catalysed by changes in humidity. The resultant absorption and evaporation activate changes in the wood cell’s microfibrils consequently altering its dimension4 . However, such a reaction can only be programmed to enact different forms via computational means, proposing new geometries that are intrinsically determined by a material’s innate morphological process. Thus, it evidently conveys that Computational Design significantly impacts the way in which historical f laws can be transformed, as well as the potential for Computational processes to redefine both form finding and design performance.

Fig. 12 Hygroscopic and Anistropic Dimensional change Archim Menges

ACHIM MENGES, TOBIAS SCHWINN AND OLIVER DAVID KRIEG, ADVANCING WOOD ARCHITECTURE (OXON: ROUTLEDGE, 2017).

Fig. 13 HygroSkin Meteorosensitive Pavilion Archim Menges

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A.2 Case Study 2

The Eden Project, Cornwall Sir Nicholas Grimshaw’s Eden Project It is becoming increasingly common for some of the world’s most iconic buildings to possess forms derived independent of conventional form finding methods. The Eden Project in Cornwall is one such edifice which exemplifies the effects of computational design’s prowess to address issues of site and consequently, materialise striking geometries. Built by Grimshaw Architects in 2001, the structure’s unique hexagonal bubbles were the result of an almost impossible site condition. From the beginning of the projects conceptualisation, the site was in its final stages of mining the remnants of its china clay, a process which consistently altered the base landscape. It was at this point that the architects had to resort to a new method of solution synthesis, one that could be constantly evaluated against the everchanging conditions1. Stemming from principle architect Nicholas Grimshaw’s acknowledgement of integral human-nature relationships, the team looked towards the adaptive capabilities of the simple bubble form or geometric sphere. They rationalised that a surface such as a sphere could easily adjust to any manner of irregular terrain, reduced or reformed at points of connection where necessary. However, the physical conceptualisation of such an innovation required greater processing power than the intuitive human mind, rather it required the human programmed analytical engines of computational modelling 2 .

Each geodesic sphere is comprised of steel tubes forming hexagonal and pentagonal geometries, computationally optimised to be structurally efficient, transportable and easily assembled 3. This was another crucial prerequisite due to the structural requirement of the entire sphere being assembled together. Evidently, the coordination of each member, joint and surface connection required seemingly endless calculations, all of which were efficiently demarcated and resolved through algorithmic definitions. As such it has become apparent that such design feats would be near impossible without computation becoming an integral component of the design process. Aside from its performance-oriented design, the Eden Project also embodies a didactic role, both in its function and in its construction. Employed as the world’s largest greenhouse, the eight biomes communicate the burgeoning importance of sustainable design through the educational discourse accorded by its inhabiting plants. Additionally, each of the structures are composed of low-carbon products and further enhanced by water harvesting and PV energy generation. Cladded by environmentally efficient ETFE pillows that are easily replaceable by future cladding systems, the project designs for uncertainty, contemplating the possibilities of a speculative future4 . Finally, its iconic edifice draws countless visitors every year, inducting all disciplines in the ideas of biomimicry and sustainable design.

1. THE EDEN PROJECT, 2017 <HTTPS://GRIMSHAW.GLOBAL/PROJECTS/THE-EDEN-PROJECT-THE-BIOMES/> [ACCESSED 14 AUGUST 2017] 2. RIVKA OXMAN AND ROBERT OXMAN, THEORIES OF THE DIGITAL IN ARCHITECTURE (LONDON: ROUTLEDGE, 2014), P. 7. 3. THE EDEN PROJECT, [ACCESSED 14 AUGUST 2017] 4. DUNNE, A. AND RABY, F. (2013). SPECULATIVE EVERYTHING : DESIGN, FICTION, AND SOCIAL DREAMING. CAMBRIDGE, MA [ETC.] : MIT PRESS, PP. 2-3.

Fig. 14 Dome Interior Grimshaw Architects

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Fig. 15 Gardens By the Bay Grant Associates (Youtube)

Examining its inf luence on a single project, it is evident that the Garden’s by the Bay in Singapore draws many ideas of sustainability from this successful precedent. Replicating ideas of biomimicry through its form, the Singaporean project is selfsustaining through PV energy generation, rainwater recycling as well as a bolder waste harnessing system 5. Evidently, the ideas of sustainable design are growing indefinitely, highlighting the growing importance of a symbiotic relationship with nature. The responsibility thus rest with our generation of designers to explore beyond the preferable and apply computational design to further bridge the gaps between the excessive present and our own sustainable future.

Fig. 16 The Eden Project, Cornwall Grimshaw Architects

“SUSTAINABILITY

EFFORTS”,

GARDENSBYTHEBAY.COM.SG,

2017

<HTTP://WWW.GARDENSBYTHEBAY.COM.SG/EN/THE-GARDENS/SUSTAINABILITY-EFFORTS.HTML> CONCEPTUALISATION - 31

Fig. 17 Visualising the Unseen Bobby Solomon (The Fox is Black) 32 32

A.3 COMPOSITION/GENERATION Generative vs. Compositional Design As the complexities of design problems continue to bolster exponentially, it is essential for both the practice of architectural design and the process of design conceptualisation to grow equally. Cross-examining generative design methods against the more familiar form of composition underscores the growing need for a design process capable of greater communication and integration at the cost of less time. Such an integrated process transcends conventional means of compositional design, imploring a shift from a process of creative arrangement to one that is augmented to tackle greater complexities1. Significant changes to long standing ideologies always warrant insecurities and the promotion of computers from digitising agents to partners in problem solving consequently invites uncertainty. Nonetheless, the virtual documentation prowess of computerisation is evidently outmatched by its generative capabilities, a convincing argument that necessitates the transformation of the process of design. In particular this change relates to concepts of algorithmic thinking, parametric modelling and scripting, all of which form the generative tools capable of enhancing both the process of conception and fabrication 2 . The concept of algorithmic thinking introduces the role of designers as adaptive interpreters of code, an idea contrasted by prevalant paradigms of intuitive design thinking3. Similar to the medium of the pencil, the representative medium of algorithmic thinking functions as an interactive tool that allows for greater exploration of design complexities. This is enabled through scripting, a f lexible form of computer programming that facilitates indepth engagement with external inputs through automated internal routines 4 . Essentially, it allows for designers to explore a larger range of ideas without the excessive time of information processing. This improved efficiency evidently translates to both idea conceptualisation as well as fabrication yet it also poses the question of the possibility of ‘fake’ and ‘real’ creativity 5.

Despite the efficiencies afforded by the integration of generative processes, there remain several possibilities of potential shortcomings instigated by generative design. The first possibility is proposed by Donald Schon who describes the inherent beauty in an architect’s ability to converse through drawing 6. As the number of iterations increase, the feasibility of physical brainstorming becomes both inefficient and costly, potentially eradicating the non-digital mediums from design entirely. This can be likened to a study of the effects of typing or new technologies on handwriting and broader human skills. According to psychologist Sandra Sülzenbrück, the frequent use of computers has degraded the basic ability of handwriting and to a further extent, the profile of intuitive human skills7. Although this does not translate directly to the effects of generative design on the design process, it provokes thought on the possibilities of computer-dependent or computer-driven design. The second setback is the likely loss of control in the creative process. This is articulated by Dutch architect Herman Hertzberger who distinguishes the visual focus of an artist from the holistic approach of an architect 8. With the affordances of generative design, it is all too likely for architects to employ computational means to solely address aesthetic ideals or conversely, obsess over parameters with which creative aesthetics share no relationship with. Perhaps controversial to note, Ghery’s Guggenheim in Bilbao potentially falls into this category; brandishing an abstract form computationally recreated with its functions ‘retrofitted’ to match its form. Nevertheless, it is most critical to note that the architect’s primary role as ‘master controller’ remains. At its roots, generative design provides a new means of composition, replacing visual elements with an array of more informed parameters. It is the responsibility of the designer to employ the field of generative design to supplement their intuitive intellect in an attempt to synthesise greater solutions without disempowering their own creative intelligence.

1. BRADY, PETERS, COMPUTATION WORKS: THE BUILDING OF ALGORITHMIC THOUGHT, 2ND EDN (WILEY ONLINE LIBRARY, 2013), P. 10. 2. BRADY, PETERS, P. 14. 3. BRADY, PETERS, P. 10. 4. BURRY, MARK, SCRIPTING CULTURES: ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN AND PROGRAMMING (NEW YORK, NY: JOHN WILEY & SONS, 2013), PP. 8-10 5. LAWSON, BRYAN, “’FAKE’ AND ‘REAL’ CREATIVITY USING COMPUTER AIRED DESIGN: SOME LESSONS FROM HERMAN HERTZBERGER”, PROCEEDINGS OF THE 3RD CONFERENCE ON CREATIVITY & COGNITION, 2017, 174-179 <HTTPS://WWW.RESEARCHGATE.NET/PROFILE/BRYAN_LAWSON/PUBLICATION/221629577_FAKE_AND_REAL_ CREATIVITY_USING_COMPUTER_AIDED_DESIGN_SOME_LESSONS_FROM_HERMAN_HERTZBERGER/LINKS/561E399A08AE50795AFD9033.PDF> [ACCESSED 10 AUGUST 2017] 6. SCHÖN, DONALD A, THE REFLECTIVE PRACTITIONER: THE REFLECTIVE PRACTITIONER: HOW PROFESSIONALS THINK IN ACTION (LONDON, TEMPLE SMITH, 1983) 7. SÜLZENBRÜCK, SANDRA, MATHIAS HEGELE, GERHARD RINKENAUER, AND HERBERT HEUER, “THE DEATH OF HANDWRITING: SECONDARY EFFECTS OF FREQUENT COMPUTER USE ON BASIC MOTOR SKILLS”, JOURNAL OF MOTOR BEHAVIOR, 43 (2011), 247-251 HTTPS://DOI.ORG/10.1080/00222895.2011.571727 8. HERMAN HERTZBERGER, LESSONS FOR STUDENTS IN ARCHITECTURE (ROTTERDAM: 010 PUBL., 2001).

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A.3 Case Study 1 City Hall, London Foster and Partners London City Hall The conceptualisation of commercial edifices are riddled with complex problems ranging from thermal comfort to the maximisation of useable f loor area, all the while balancing social expectations with economical costs. Contrasting conventional means of composition against the computer-afforded generative methods of Foster & Partners’ City Hall, the resultant building serves to outline the augmentative power of computation to better address complexities1. However, it also question’s the current role of creative intuition, one that is seemingly lost in a design process that is computationally driven. Occupying a priceless site on the Thames, the headquarters of the Greater London Authority stands as an iconic symbol of sustainability and transparent democracy, accentuating both London’s socio-political relationship as well as its commitment to eco policies2 . Often likened to a glass egg, the building’s conceptualisation is heavily inspired by generative modeling methods, parametrtically engineered from sunlight patterns and thermal mapping data 3. The resultant form is composed of cantilevered overhangs in the south and curved panels in the north, giving birth to its unique sloping geometry as well as the buidling’s greatest environmental feature, thermal manipulation.

approach is arguably generative design’s greatest asset, perfectly aligned to the world’s socio-political agenda with regards to cost-efficient sustainability. Regardless of its affordances, the prevailing question is whether computation inhibits or rather extinguishes a designer’s intuitive creativity. Addressing the issue of appearance, the gap between “formoriented” or “cultural performance-oriented” design and “environmental performance[-oriented]” design is becoming distinctively clearer5. Designers of the former focus such as Frank Gehry produce designs driven primarily by intuitive creativity whilst the latter, practiced by firms such as NOX employ generation early in the design process to inform both functional and aesthetic aspects. Nevertheless, the design practice of architecture is positioned to equally addresses both “externally imposed constraints (e.g., site conditions, climate, functionality, cost, building codes, and so forth) and internally drawn inspirations”, demanding contribution of both the analytical and creative facilities in the design process 6. Consequently, the optimum approach thus presents itself as one that employs the complimentary relationship between computations superior analysis and a designer’s own internal creative intuition. Although not apparently clear, this is exemplified by the biomorphic form of Foster’s London City Hall.

Similar to recognised firms such as MOS and NOX, generative methods and design intent are slowly becoming indistinguishable, prompting buildings such as the City Hall to be computationally driven by building perfromance modelling and digital analysis. This approach provides instantaneous feedback along all fields of spatial, thermal and structural parameters, allowing for what Kristina Shea describes as a ‘ref lective’ form finding process fully conscious of physical design constraints 4 . This seemingly holistic

1. BRADY, PETERS, COMPUTATION WORKS: THE BUILDING OF ALGORITHMIC THOUGHT, 2ND EDN (WILEY ONLINE LIBRARY, 2013), P. 10. 2. “FOSTER + PARTNERS | CITY HALL – GREATER LONDON AUTHORITY HEADQUARTERS”, ARTHITECTURAL.COM<HTTPS://WWW.ARTHITECTURAL.COM/FOSTER-PARTNERSCITY-HALL-GREATER-LONDON-AUTHORITY-HEADQUARTERS/> [ACCESSED 8 AUGUST 2017] 3. “CASE STUDY DESCRIPTION”, LONDON CITY HALL, 2017 <HTTPS://LONDONCITYHALL.WORDPRESS.COM/CASE-STUDY-DESCRIPTION/> [ACCESSED 9 AUGUST 2017] 4. KOLAREVIC, BRANKO, COMPUTING THE PERFORMATIVE (NEW YORK: SPON PRESS, 2015), PP. 197-211 <HTTP://CAST.B-AP.NET/ARC616F16/WP-CONTENT/UPLOADS/ SITES/36/2016/11/KOLAREVIC-PERFORMATIVEARCHITECTURE.PDF> [ACCESSED 9 AUGUST 2017], P. 199 5. KOLAREVIC, BRANKO, COMPUTING THE PERFORMATIVE, P. 195. 6. “CASE STUDY DESCRIPTION”, LONDON CITY HALL

Fig. 18 London City Hall Mariano Mantel

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Fig. 19 London City Hall Interior Foster + Partners

Fig. 20 London City Hall Interior Greater London Authority

7. 8.

Based on initial analysis, the City Hall appears to be purely generative, devised on parameters targeting reduced solar heat gain despite a largely glass facade. Additionally, the interor main chamber was constructed by partner Arup’s acoustic engineering, informed by computational wave simulations7. Finally, the entire project was efficiently completed in only 30 months, a result of the firms use of Computer Aided Manufacturing which helped produce close to 4,000 triple-glazed panels 8. However, the use of the very same glass panels help articulate the government’s desire to represent the transparency of their democratic practice. Complimenting this, the stepped layers that form the edifice’s shading device also produced an iconic form that suits London’s formal requirements. Evidently, the GLA Headquarters reimagine the perception of organic generative forms, underscoring a burgeoning aesthetic approach formed through computation. This amalgamation of composition’s intuitive creativity with the multitude of efficiencies augmented by computation accentuates an ecological awareness for sustainability; one that is driven by a new integrated paradigm of cultural and environmentally conscious expression.

KOLAREVIC, BRANKO “CASE STUDY DESCRIPTION”, LONDON CONCEPTUALISATION - 37

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A.3 Case study 2 2010 Shanghai World Expo Pavilion EMBT’s Spanish Pavilion The role of computers has far exceeded that of mere computerisation, allowing for the automation of design iterations to produce countless constraint-based solutions for contemporary environmental and aesthetic issues. One example explored by EMBT’s steel and wicker structure, is that of sustainability and sustainable materials. Built for the 2010 Shanghai World Expo, the Spanish Pavilion demonstrates f luid organic geometries comprised of both natural wicker and engineered lightweight steel, articulating a complex generative form of woven architecture. This integration of natural and processed materials underscores the paradigm shift towards computational design, without which, the conception of such structures would be near impossible. The Spanish Pavilion is a successful example of harmoniously conceptualised architecture, displaying a balanced consideration for technological and sustainable decision making1. Exemplified by the efficient dance of interwoven steel and wicker, the project’s structure represents the efforts of computing performance and simulation. The architects sought to represent their geographical roots, contemplating Spain’s local climate as well as the traditional craft of wickerwork, a culture shared by their host 2 . However, the imagined new type of pavilion was neither cost nor time effective to explore via conventional compositional means, calling for a form finding method that was responsive and capable of merging the primal craft of weaving with a structural network of supporting steel 3.

Working closely with MC2 Structural Engineers, the search for a self-supporting steel framework was informed by a myriad of building performance simulations, likely leveraging on the instantaneous performance feedback at each stage of the design process. Through this approach, it is possible for architectural form to be determined primarily through parameters of structure, material and environmental performance 4 . Operating on the principles of tensegrity, the use of computation in the design process defined both the innovative solution and the construction challenge. The resulting design comprised of tubular elements arranged in a three-dimensional grid, converging to form two facades computationally designed to resist internal and external loads. Within, each element contributed to the buildings structural system, ranging from the columns to the elevator cores5. Faced with multiple complexities, the generation of a structurally efficient form could only be achieved realistically by computational means. As such, it once again demonstrates the integral use of computation in the design process, a factor that further enhanced the fabrication and assembly process.

1. MARCUS FAIRS, “SPANISH PAVILION AT SHANGHAI EXPO 2010 BY EMBT | DEZEEN”, DEZEEN, 2017 <HTTPS://WWW.DEZEEN. COM/2010/04/26/SPANISH-PAVILION-AT-SHANGHAI-EXPO-2010-BY-EMBT/> [ACCESSED 9 AUGUST 2017]. 2. BENEDETTA TAGLIABUE, “SPANISH PAVILION FOR WORLD EXPO SHANGHAI 2010 | MIRALLES TAGLIABUE EMBT”, MIRALLES TAGLIABUE EMBT, 2010 <HTTP://WWW.MIRALLESTAGLIABUE.COM/PROJECT/SPANISH-PAVILION-FOR-WORLD-EXPOSHANGHAI-2010/> [ACCESSED 7 AUGUST 2017]. 3. JUNGHA LEE, “SPANISH PAVILION FOR SHANGHAI WORLD EXPO BY EMBT”, JOURNEY FOR ARCHITECTURE, 2013 <HTTP:// LEEJUNGHA.BLOGSPOT.COM.AU/2013/07/SPANISH-PAVILION-FOR-SHANGHAI-WORLD_9.HTML> [ACCESSED 10 AUGUST 2017]. 4. BRADY, PETERS, COMPUTATION WORKS: THE BUILDING OF ALGORITHMIC THOUGHT, 2ND EDN (WILEY ONLINE LIBRARY, 2013), P. 13. 5. JUNGHA LEE, “SPANISH PAVILION FOR SHANGHAI WORLD EXPO BY EMBT”

Fig. 21 Spanish Pavilion 2010 Expo Shanghai Shen Zhonghai KDE

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Fig. 22 Spanish Pavilion 2010 Expo Shanghai Shen Zhonghai KDE

Fig. 23 Spanish Pavilion Structure Eurocodes

Composed of a multitude of intersecting dimensions, the Pavilion’s surface was divided into vertical and horizontal planes to be cut and assembled. Modelling the compositional curves, the architects were able to document the tubular structure through horizontal and vetical curvature tubes, repeating the process for other variables and consequently simplifying the production process. This realisation of a visible link between the design environment and the physical has not only revolutionised the possibilities of design but also transformed the way to build them 6. Convincingly, the success of the Spanish Pavilion’s constructability is indicative of the superior prowess of generative methods in the design process, advocating its use further. Aside from functional requirements, the Pavilion also sought to achieved cultural success. The generative patterns of the 8,200 wicker panels form Chinese characters whilst its overall system mirrors the stripes of 2010 zodiac, the tiger7. Evidently, EMBT’s computationally designed pavilion was successful both in conception and in its ability to bridge two cultures.

6. BRADY, PETERS, COMPUTATION WORKS, P. 14. 7. RIDHIKA NAIDOO, “SPANISH PAVILION AT EXPO 2010 BY MIRALLES TAGLIABUE EMBT”, DESIGNBOOM | ARCHITECTURE & DESIGN MAGAZINE, 2010 <HTTPS://WWW.DESIGNBOOM.COM/ARCHITECTURE/SPANISH-PAVILION-AT-EXPO-2010/> [ACCESSED 9 AUGUST CONCEPTUALISATION - 41

A.4 CONCLUSION The burgeoning role of computation has reached a turning point where it should no longer be distinguished from the design process. Equipping us with the means to explore a vast array of design iterations at a fraction of the time, the onus lies with designers to make use of such advantages to prevent the further ‘defuturing’ of our world1. Concepts and constraints never considered before will soon come to form the fundamentals of both form-finding and building performance. Without a doubt, the age of computation is now. Through an understanding developed from the examination of the aforementioned precedents, it is clear that the process of design no longer solely rests with the designer. In order to redefine the needs of the present and ensure the ability of future generations to meet their own needs2 , design thinking must transform to incorporate greater understandings of our physical environment. Approaching problems from a multi-disciplinary approach allows for the shift from the preferable to the possible, reimagining the potential for new and innovative aesthetics as well as performative capabilites. However, we must be mindful to avoid the negligance of other key social and cultural aspects, parameters that can only be explored and defined by the human architect. Although new to me, the challenges posed by computational design are both thought-provoking and exciting. It allows me to envision possibilities never considered before. Through the exploration of key design fields such as Biomimicry, it is my goal to reinterpret the existing and imagine an architecture capable of

1. FRY, T. (2008). SUSTAINABILITY, ETHICS AND NEW PRACTICE. OXFORD: BERG PUBLISHERS LTD, P. 2. 2. BRUNDTLAND, GRO HARLEM, “OUR COMMON FUTURE—CALL FOR ACTION”, ENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION, 14 (1987), 291 <HTTPS://DOI.ORG/10.1017/S0376892900016805> 42

Fig. 24 Line/Dot MuirMcNeil CONCEPTUALISATION--43 43 CONCEPTUALISATION

A.5 LEARNING OUTCOMES The past three and a half weeks of Studio Air has completely changed my perspective of computation. Once purely a documentative tool, I am beginning to comprehend the potentials afforded by parametric design. The ‘intuitive leap’ that once defined the start point of all my projects is now reapplied to the understanding of scripting and performative design parameters. Through the exploration of computational geometry, parametric modelling and analytical diagramming, I have been able to produce countless more iterations as compared to existing compositional methods. The new efficiencies afforded will continue to change my approach to design problems. I believe I am beginning to develop a more critical approach to tackling ‘wicked’ design problems. Previously, I was incapable of understanding how building performance and environmental mapping could be realised to better inform my designs. However, the capabilities afforded by Grasshopper and its myriad of plugins will arguably aid my approach towards a better informed design process. It is without a doubt that computational design provides us with endless design possibilities, the limit of which can only be decided by ourselves.

Fig. 24 Line/Dot MuirMcNeil CONCEPTUALISATION - 45

A.6 ALGORITHMIC SKETCHES 46

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Week 2

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Week 3

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Dotted Pattern, 2017 <https://i.pinimg.com/originals/83/d1/ dd/83d1dd52b9c4eaaff51e58112cf76472.jpg> [accessed 18 August 2017] Dunne, A. and Raby, F. (2013). Speculative everything : design, fiction, and social dreaming. Cambridge, MA [etc.]: MIT Press, pp.1-9, 33-45. Facade Design, 2017 <https://i.pinimg.com/736x/37/69/29/376 9291721c9af19051d5cbd873f b0e7--architecture-diagrams-ecoarchitecture.jpg> [accessed 6 August 2017] Facade Design, 2017 <http://www.fosterandpartners.com/media/ Projects/1027/development/img12.jpg> [accessed 9 August 2017] Fairs, Marcus, “Spanish Pavilion At Shanghai Expo 2010 By EMBT | Dezeen”, Dezeen, 2017 <https://www.dezeen.com/2010/04/26/ spanish-pavilion-at-shanghai-expo-2010-by-embt/> [accessed 9 August 2017] Foster + Partners, Gherkin Tower, 2017 <http://www. fosterandpartners.com/> [accessed 5 August 2017] Fosterandpartners.com. (2017). 30 St Mary Axe | Foster + Partners. [online] Available at: http://www.fosterandpartners. com/projects/30-st-mary-axe/ [Accessed 26 Jul. 2017]. “Foster + Partners | City Hall – Greater London Authority Headquarters”, Arthitectural.Com<https://www.arthitectural. com /foster-pa r t ners- c it y-ha l l-g re ater-london-aut hor it yheadquarters/> [accessed 8 August 2017]

“Hygroskin-Meteorosensitive Pavilion / Achim Menges Architect + Oliver David Krieg + Steffen Reichert”, Archdaily, 2017 <http:// w w w.a rchd a i ly.com /4 24911/ hyg rosk i n-meteorosensit ivepavilion-achim-menges-architect-in-collaboration-with-oliverdavid-krieg-and-steffen-reichert> [accessed 8 August 2017] Hygroskin, 2017 <http://www.achimmenges.net/?p=5612> [accessed 18 August 2017] Kalay, Yehuda E, Architecture’s New Media (Cambridge, Mass.: MIT Press, 2004), pp. 1-25. Keil, Frank C, and Robert A Wilson, The MIT Encyclopedia Of The Cognitive Sciences (Cambridge: The MIT Press, 2001), pp. 11-12 Kolarevic, Branko, Computing The Performative (New York: Spon Press, 2015), pp. 197-211 <http://cast.b-ap.net/ arc616f16/w p-content/uploads/sites/36/2016/11/Kolarev icPerformativeArchitecture.pdf> [accessed 9 August 2017] Lawson, Bryan, “’Fake’ And ‘Real’ Creativity Using Computer Aired Design: Some Lessons From Herman Hertzberger”, Proceedings Of The 3Rd Conference On Creativity & Cognition, 2017, 174-179 <https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Bryan_ Lawson/publication/221629577_Fake_and_Real_creativity_ using_computer_aided_design_some_lessons_from_Herman_ Hertzberger/links/561e399a08ae50795afd9033.pdf> [accessed 10 August 2017] Lee, Jungha, “Spanish Pavilion For Shanghai World Expo By EMBT”, Journey For Architecture, 2013 <http://leejungha. blogspot .com.au /2013/07/spa n ish-pav i l ion-for-sha ng ha iworld_9.html> [accessed 10 August 2017] London City Hall Interior, 2017 <https://www.london.gov.uk/ sites/default/files/visiting_city_hall_4484_18x9.jpg?v=92427> [accessed 6 August 2017] Mantel, Mariano, London City Hall, 2017 <http://woutervandijke. nl/2017/07/24/guardian-pseudo-openbare-plekken/> [accessed 10 August 2017] Massey, J. (2014). Risk Design. Grey Room, 54, pp.6-33. Menges, Achim, “Computational Material Culture”, Architectural Design, 86 (2016), 76-83 https://doi.org/10.1002/ad.2027 Menges, Achim, Tobias Schwinn, and Oliver David Krieg, Advancing Wood Architecture(Oxon: Routledge, 2017)

Naidoo, Ridhika, “Spanish Pavilion At Expo 2010 By Miralles Tagliabue EMBT”, Designboom | Architecture & Design Magazine, 2010 <https://www.designboom.com/architecture/ spanish-pavilion-at-expo-2010/> [accessed 9 August 2017] Panoramic Dome, 2009 <http://www.bestbuildings.co.uk/wpcontent/uploads/2009/07/gherkin02.jpg> [accessed 5 August 2017] Parametric Cutout <https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/ originals/82/66/7b/82667bd713f3685919d7a9d7f8c9b4bd.jpg> [accessed 16 August 2017] Peters, Brady, and Xavier DeKestellier, “The Work Of Foster And Partners Specialist Modelling Group”, Architects And Designers, 2017, 1-4 Rao, R. (2014). Biomimicry in Architecture. International Journal of Advanced Research in Civil,Structural,Environmental and Infrastructure Engineering and Developing, 1(3), p.102. Schön, Donald A, The Ref lective Practitioner: The Ref lective Practitioner: How professionals think in action (London, Temple Smith, 1983) Sülzenbrück, Sandra, Mathias Hegele, Gerhard Rinkenauer, and Herbert Heuer, “The Death Of Handwriting: Secondary Effects Of Frequent Computer Use On Basic Motor Skills”, Journal Of Motor Behavior, 43 (2011), 247-251 https://doi.org/10.1080/0022 2895.2011.571727 Spanish Pavilion, 2017 <http://cdn.archinect.net/images/1200x/ se/senanw0xqsdzyp0d.jpg> [accessed 11 August 2017] Structure, 2017 <http://eurocodes.jrc.ec.europa.eu/images/ structures/S-20121001-CHN-001/S-20121001-CHN-001-4.jpg> [accessed 10 August 2017] “Sustainability Efforts”, Gardensbythebay.Com.Sg, 2017 <http:// www.gardensbythebay.com.sg/en/the-gardens/sustainabilityefforts.html> [accessed 6 August 2017] “Sustainable Construction At Eden”, Edenproject.Com, 2017 <http://www.edenproject.com/eden-story/behind-the-scenes/ sustainable-construction-at-eden> [accessed 8 August 2017] Tagliabue, Benedetta, “Spanish Pavilion For World Expo Shanghai 2010 | Miralles Tagliabue EMBT”, Miralles Tagliabue EMBT, 2010 <http://www.mirallestagliabue.com/project/ spanish-pavilion-for-world-expo-shanghai-2010/> [accessed 7

Menges, Achim, and Steffen Reichert, “Performative Wood: Physically Programming The Responsive Architecture Of Thehygroscopeand Hygroskin Projects”, Architectural Design, 85 (2015), 66-73 <https://doi.org/10.1002/ad.1956> CONCEPTUALISATION - 53

CRITERIA DESIGN

Each NEW situation requires a NEW ARCHITECTURE. – Jean Nouvel B.1 Research Field Patterning: Elbphilharmonie Material Performance: XSSS & Clouds Biomimicry: Breathing Skins Project B.2 Case Study 1.0 Skylar Tibbits - Voltadom B.3 Composition/Generation ICD | ITKE Research Pavilion 2011 B.4 Technique: Development B.5 Technique: Prototypes B.6 Technique: Proposal B.7 Learning Objectives and Outcomes B.8 Appendix: Algorithmic Sketches

Fig. 25 Louvre Abu Dhabi TDIC

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B.1 RESEARCH FIELD

Redefining Architectural Practices Ever-changing, computation is revolutionising design, allowing practitioners of creativity to address conceptual implications, opportunities, and fabrication concerns at all stages of the design process. Consequently, designers of today are far more equipped to tackle an array of environmental constraints, allocating the processing power of computers to problem solving whilst we ourselves enact the task of identifying the relationships that connect previously independent parts1. As a result, the success of a design and the extent to which solutions are refined depends heavily on a designer’s ability to understand and employ logic. The extent of our perception of relationships consequently precedes any creative innovation in problem solving, allowing for problems to be viewed through parameters and controlling such parameters to inf luence potential solutions. Thus, Architecture as a practice can be redefined to better examine challenging research fields, encouraging multi-disciplinary approaches to understand ideas of complex patterning, material performance and even biomimetic systems. A key advantage afforded by computation is the effective and efficient ability to simulate end-products, utilising information databases on materiality, tectonics and performance to establish continuous feedback processes to inform and improve design prior to fabrication 2 . This paves the way for exploring intricate patterning beyond art, allowing for the integration of perceivable functions with reality. Edifices such as de Young Museum by Herzog de Meuron and Ashton Raggart McDouggal’s Portrait Building embody such approaches, applying patterning in façades riddled with performative and ideological agendas. Likewise, Iwamoto Scott’s MoMA/Ps1 Reef and Voussair Cloud challenge our perception of reality, recreating nature through material

patterning to propagate mesmerising white geometries through unimaginable parameters and computationally defined order. In parallel, materials are also being extended beyond conventional applications, demonstrated by the 2010 and 2013 ICD/ITKE Research Pavilions. Given the myriad of forces acting on the physical environment, it is difficult to completely ref lect such complex relationships despite recent computational design advancements3. However, the aforementioned pavilions redefine the understanding of material in construction, establishing material performance as the primary deciding factor for formal properties of architecture. Innovating by capitalising on timber’s perceived material weaknesses of bending and water absorption, each pavilion demonstrates how structure and facade can be reimagined to explore unique form and building performance free from convention. By extension, this refocuses sources of innovation on existing self-sustainable systems, looking beyond mechanical solutions for nature’s natural solutions. Hence, biomimicry arises as the converging focal point of this experimental study. Examining the methods of our “biological elders”4 to address contemporary solutions, we redefine design thinking as one of understanding and employing existing relationships from one of purely mechanical innovation. By understanding system interactions on an ecological level, we can leverage computation to augment a divide-and-conquer design strategy 5. This allows for design problems to be better organised into digestible parts, resolving complex problems through simple, nature-tested solutions.

1. ROBERT F. WOODBURY, (2014). ‘HOW DESIGNERS USE PARAMETERS’, IN THEORIES OF THE DIGITAL IN ARCHITECTURE, ED. BY RIVKA OXMAN AND ROBERT OXMAN (LONDON; NEW YORK: ROUTLEDGE), P. 153 2.

PETERS BRADY, COMPUTATION WORKS: THE BUILDING OF ALGORITHMIC THOUGHT, 2ND EDN (WILEY ONLINE LIBRARY, 2013), P. 13.

3. ACHIM MENGES, “ICD/ITKE RESEARCH PAVILION 2010 | INSTITUTE FOR COMPUTATIONAL DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION”, ICD.UNI-STUTTGART.DE, 2010 <HTTP://ICD.UNISTUTTGART.DE/?P=4458> [ACCESSED 11 AUGUST 2017] 4. NICHOLAS KORODY, “LEARNING FROM OUR “BIOLOGICAL ELDERS”: TAKE A LOOK AT THIS SHORT DOCUMENTARY ON “BIOMIMICRY””, ARCHINECT, 2016 <HTTPS://ARCHINECT. COM/NEWS/ARTICLE/149936349/LEARNING-FROM-OUR-BIOLOGICAL-ELDERS-TAKE-A-LOOK-AT-THIS-SHORT-DOCUMENTARY-ON-BIOMIMICRY> [ACCESSED 11 AUGUST 2017] 56

Fig. 26 Footer Icon Cd-Cf (Website Homep

page)

CRITERIA DESIGN - 57

1.1 Patterning

Herzog de Meuron’s Elbphilharmonie It is undeniable that pattern in design and more specifically, architecture has evolved leaps and bounds in the last several decades. With increasing advancements in computation technologies, architecture is gradually rediscovering complex and intricate surface forms. The burgeoning field of digital technologies allow modern day designers to harness the meticulous precision of robotic systems, relying solely on user-defined parameters to accurately recreate and fabricate patterns of inconceivable complexity1. Traditionally, reliefs and patterns retain an ornamental role, painstakingly handcarved to augment experience and atmosphere. However, given the capacity of modern technology, projects such as Herzog de Meuron’s Elbphilharmonie have extended the patterning approach to enhance not only aesthetic or ornamental agendas but even performative capabilities. Completed in 2016, the multi-purpose cultural centre sited in Hamburg, Germany has reinvigorated a once post-war monument, transforming the vacant brick warehouse into an iconic hub for international music lovers and tourists from all

over the globe. Beautifully integrated with the old Kaispeicher, the super-structure conceals a far greater beauty within its glass and steel facade. Employing parametric design informed by the expertise of world-renowned acoustician Yasuhisa Toyota, Herzog de Meuron’s masterpiece was driven by the fundamentals of acoustic and visual perception 2 . Housed in the new concert hall are 10,000 gypsum fibre acoustic panels, strategically located and each computationally derived to produce high performance acoustic feedback 3. Visually, the organic patterns stimulate the grandeur and atmosphere of the hall. However, their primary role is to augment and enrich the sounds of performers in their domain. Evidently, this underscores a shift in the application of patterning, highlighting a new approach towards aesthetic and performance-driven design. Although digital patterning technologies can be seen to have displaced the jobs of conventional craftsmen, it is disputable that a project such as the Elbphilharmonie might have never been conceptualised should design thinking be limited to the tools of the past. In practices such as Herzog de Meuron where the

Fig. 28 Sound Diffusion Diagram ONE TO ONE

1. BRANKO KOLAREVIC, AND KEVIN R. KLINGER, EDS (2008). MANUFACTURING MATERIAL EFFECTS: RETHINKING DESIGN AND MAKING IN ARCHITECTURE (NEW YORK; LONDON: ROUTLEDGE), P. 6. 2. HTTP://WWW.ARCHDAILY.COM/802093/ELBPHILHARMONIE-HAMBURG-HERZOG-AND-DE-MEURON 3. HTTPS://QZ.COM/894929/AN-ALGORITHM-DESIGNED-A-HAMBURG-CONCERT-HALLS-INTERIOR-CREATING-THE-IDEAL-ACOUSTIC-EXPERIENCE/

Fig. 27 Elbphilharmonie Pattern of Cells Maxim Schulz

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Fig. 29 Acoustic Panel being CNC milled Peuckert

“focus is, first of all, only on the architecture”4, computational design remains purely an augmentative tool. The possibility of ‘fake’ creativity can thus never arise as methods of computation are employed solely for the realisation of innovative ideas at cost-efficient timelines5. Furthermore, manpower, technical and construction fabrication constraints to name a few could act against the projects realisation, factors which are essentially addressed by today’s advanced feedback systems between conceptualisation and fabrication. Thus, architecture as an aesthetics driven profession is clearly outdated and the distinguishing factor that separates practitioners of design from simple builders is entirely redefined by our ‘creative’ employment of digital technologies to further patterning beyond mere ornamentation. Fig. 30 Parametric Definition of Sound-diffusing cells ONE TO ONE

4. BRADY PETERS, (2013) ‘REALISING THE ARCHITECTURAL INTENT: COMPUTATION AT HERZOG & DE MEURON’. ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN, 83, 2, P. 58. 5. BRYAN LAWSON, “’FAKE’ AND ‘REAL’ CREATIVITY USING COMPUTER AIRED DESIGN: SOME LESSONS FROM HERMAN HERTZBERGER”, PROCEEDINGS OF THE 3RD CONFERENCE ON CREATIVITY & COGNITION, 2017, 174-179 <HTTPS://WWW.RESEARCHGATE.NET/PROFILE/BRYAN_LAWSON/PUBLICATION/221629577_FAKE_AND_REAL_CREATIVITY_USING_ COMPUTER_AIDED_DESIGN_SOME_LESSONS_FROM_HERMAN_HERTZBERGER/LINKS/561E399A08AE50795AFD9033.PDF> [ACCESSED 12 AUGUST 2017] 60

Fig. 31 Elbphilharmonie Hamburg Iwan Baan

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1.2 Material Performance

H+F’s XSSS and Studio Bouroullec’s Clouds

Traditional material selection processes have evidently shifted, displacing single-purpose materials for multi-functional mediums capable of both aesthetic and other performative roles. With the rise of digital mapping software, the simulation of material performances introduce the possibilities of hybridity, equipping designers with the tools to optimise material efficiencies and reprogram their applications. Examining projects such as Hodgetts and Fung’s Experimental Sound Shielding Surface (2004) and Studio Bouroullec’s Clouds (2009), it is evident that a primarily acoustic focus can be extended to integrate visuals, cost and constructibility1. Reimagining cost-efficient and environmentally conscious materials such as felts and textiles, intricately designed ceiling instalments or enclosures can be parametrically modelled and optimised prior to fabrication. The simple deconstruction of complex surfaces into base geometries

Fig. 32 Experimental Sound Saving System (XSSS) HplusF

pave the way for innovative experimentation, bringing about unexpected design solutions that have, in the past been limited by manufacturing 2 . Deconstructing surfaces into simple geometric forms allow for the enhancement of fabrication and design f lexibility, extending material performance beyond solely acoustics. Ideally, material applications can be better assessed, digitally generating realistic representations of spatial forces and thereby augmenting the efficiency of the design process. As exemplified by the aforementioned projects, an acoustics driven design leveraging material performance has resulted in aesthetically pleasing random and organic forms. However, the ordered composition that has resulted in superior acoustic

1. TYLER ADAMS, SOUND MATERIALS (AMSTERDAM: FRAME, 2016), PP. 26-7, 68-9, 256-8. 2. BRANKO KOLAREVIC, AND KEVIN R. KLINGER, EDS (2008). MANUFACTURING MATERIAL EFFECTS: RETHINKING DESIGN AND MAKING IN ARCHITECTURE (NEW YORK; LONDON: ROUTLEDGE), P. 7. 62

Fig. 33 Kvadrat Clouds (Assembly form) Studio Bouroullec

CRITERIA DESIGN - 63

properties is a testament of the depth afforded by optimising material performance. As articulated, the sense of ‘organic’ or ‘naturality’ can be replicated through computational design. Ironically, it goes to show that a material performance approach can both successfully function acoustically and, also create sensations and affects representational of modern design’s digital culture 3.

MOUSSAVI, FARSHID AND MICHAEL KUBO, EDS (2006). THE FUNCTION OF ORNAMENT (BARCELONA: ACTAR), P. 7.

Fig. 34 XSSS Ceiling Installation HplusF

Fig. 35 Kvadrat Clouds (Divider form) Studio Bouroullec

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1.3 Biomimicry

Tobias Becker’s Breathing Skins Project Biomimetic design is, at its core, very simple:

“

Life’s been on Earth for 3.8 billion years, and in that time life has learned what works, and what’s appropriate here and what lasts here. And, the idea is that perhaps we should be looking at these mentors, at these biological elders. They have figured out how to create a sustainable world. So rather than inventing it from scratch, why don’t we take cues from them?1 - Leila Conner

”

Essentially, Leila Conner’s argument identifies a simpler and more efficient strategy of problem solving; mimic existing solutions to solve complex design problems. Arguably, many of the design problems that plague conventional designers are inefficiently resolved, often relying on mechanical systems to deal with issues such as heating, cooling or ventilation. However, the very same issues are effectively tackled by some of life’s smallest organisms, consuming nothing but their own energy due to ingeniously designed habitats. Owing to the myriad of efficiencies afforded by computation and parametric design, creative practitioners are now capable of reproducing nature’s

solutions, studying blueprints that have weathered time at no expense to the environment. Thus, the onus lies with designers to appropriate such methods early in their design conception and embodiment 2 , looking to the past for solutions to the future. Tobias Becker’s Breathing Skins Project is one such example of biomimetic design, informed by a naturally occuring process that responds autonomously to changes in the environment. Inspired by this adaptive characteristic, the pneumatic muscle facade moderates light, views and airf low, mimicking the ability of organic skin to control internal and external substance f lows by adjusting permeability3. Contrary to the auxillary systems employed for conventional heating, cooling and ventilation, the adaptive facade functions primarily through the expansion and contraction of roughly 2800 air channels, varying the experience of internal and external spaces 4 . This is enacted by applying an acute underpressure to hidden technical components, allowing for a seamless facade that responds to requirements of light, privacy and ventilation at minimal energy costs. Evidently, it is a testament of highly performative design that is both innovative and competitively advantageous, leveraging on principles of nature to bring about positive environmental interventions at the minimal expense of the environment 5.

1. LEILA CONNERS, “BIOMIMICRY: SOLUTIONS TO OUR MOST PRESSING PROBLEMS MAY ALREADY EXIST”, 2015. 2. JOHN REAP, DAYNA BAUMEISTER, AND BERT BRAS, HOLISM, BIOMIMICRY AND SUSTAINABLE ENGINEERING (ORLANDO: ASME, 2005), PP. 1-3, 5 <HTTPS://FENIX.TECNICO. ULISBOA.PT/DOWNLOADFILE/3779573621557/SUPPORT_10_REAP_2005.PDF> [ACCESSED 15 AUGUST 2017] 3. TOBIAS BECKER, “BREATHING SKINS TECHNOLOGY”, BREATHING SKINS, 2016 <HTTPS://WWW.BREATHINGSKINS.COM/> [ACCESSED 15 AUGUST 2017]. 4. JAN DOROTEO, “LET YOUR BUILDING “BREATHE” WITH THIS PNEUMATIC FAÇADE TECHNOLOGY”, ARCHDAILY, 2016 <HTTP://WWW.ARCHDAILY.COM/789230/LET-YOURBUILDING-TO-BREATHE-WITH-THIS-PNEUMATIC-FACADE-TECHNOLOGY> [ACCESSED 15 AUGUST 2017]. 5. JOHN REAP, P1. 66

Fig. 36 Breathing Skins Pneumatic Facade Tobias Becker

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Fig. 38 & 39 Breathing Skins Project Tobias Becker

Examining the project as a whole, the design also communicates an interesting aesthetic composition, permeating an organic order that is both confronting and alluring. Thus, Becker’s project stands as a paradigmatic example of how a performance driven design can also bring about beautiful edifices. It echoes the appraoch articulated by Herzog de Meuron’s Elbphilharmonie in which performance is the sole driver of geometry and material configurations, an design process from which captivating forms are naturally a byproduct6. However, the success of such

an approach can be fully dependent on a designer’s ability to understand and reproduce the characteristics of such biological precedents. Given that many organic forms are difficult to map using fabricatable geometries, what is essentially required is not a direct copy but rather a reappropriation of formal characteristics and performative systems. Thus, although biomimicry presents itself as the most obvious sustainable solution, its success and innovation fully depends on a designer’s understanding and mastery of computational tools.

BRADY PETERS, (2013) ‘REALISING THE ARCHITECTURAL INTENT: COMPUTATION AT HERZOG & DE MEURON’. ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN, 83, 2, P. 60.

Fig. 37 Breathing Skins Project Tobias Becker

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B.2 CASE STUDY 1.0

Fig. 40 Voltadom Andy Ryan 70

Skylar Tibbits - VoltaDom CRITERIA DESIGN - 71

B.2 PROJECT STUDY

VoltaDom

Skylar Tibbits’ VoltaDom Constructed in celebration of MIT’s 150th Anniversary and Festival of Arts, Science and Technology, the VoltaDom installation is a seemingly organic structure of countless white vaults, augmenting the corridors of MIT’s building 56 and 66. Formed from powder-coated white aluminium ribs and polyethylene cells, the doubly-curved surfaces are a reimagined representation of vaulted ceilings that adorn great cathedrals of history1. Each cell intersects its neighbours at varying angles and heights, f lexibly creating a f luid yet patterned interior and exterior form. Additionally, varying apertures cap the apex of each surface, permitting light and views for users within and outside the space. Nonetheless, amidst the chaos of colliding geometries, a faint and even biological order exists, hinting at the biomimetic inspirations of Tibbits’ design. Evidently, it is an exploration of existing structures in nature, employing computation to engineer organic patterns that are both digitally conceivable and physically realisable. Analysing the computational conception of the VoltaDom’s structure, it can be deconstructed into a series of cones that are self-splitting at each unique intersection. Following this, a planar subtraction at the apex of each cone creates the circular view window and by varying certain height, angle and scale parameters, a variable arch like structure can be constructed. The resultant form is an organic, even chaotic assemblage of conical surfaces, carefully considered to realise the necessary joint angles and connection details empirical to its success. The choice of lightweight aluminium fulfils the structural considerations of each non-uniform catenary rib, simultaneously augmenting the sculptural variability of the polyethylene sheets2 . As for the connections, each rib is screwed to its neighbour allowing for

Fig. 42 Connection Parts Matrix Nick Polansk

the ease of assemblage and uniformity of connections. Evidently, the project demonstrates the prowess of computational design to integrate structure and aesthetics into a single intervention. The ornamental nature of the self-supporting arch thus leverages material performance to evoke atmosphere and communicate spatial effects3. Studying a grasshopper definition provided by The University of Melbourne, the focus of Case Study 1.0 shall thus be the understanding, exploration and production of several design iterations based on the biomimetic form of the VoltaDom. By altering existing parameters, input geometries and additional components, this study shall endeavour to produce unexpected outcomes and test the limits of the definition in order cull certain traits and approach a specific product following criteria that shall be later defined.

1. SKYLAR TIBBITS, “VOLTADOM”, SJET.US, 2016 <HTTP://SJET.US/MIT_VOLTADOM.HTML> [ACCESSED 16 AUGUST 2017]. 2. NICK POLANSKY, “COMPLETE FABRICATION”, WORDPRESS.COM, 2011 <HTTPS://FABIAP.WORDPRESS.COM/2-PEOPLE/NICK-POLANSKY/VOLTADOM/> [ACCESSED 17 AUGUST 2017]. 3. MOUSSAVI, FARSHID AND MICHAEL KUBO, EDS (2006). THE FUNCTION OF ORNAMENT (BARCELONA: ACTAR), PP. 5-144. FRY, T. (2008). SUSTAINABILITY, ETHICS AND NEW

Fig. 41 VoltaDom Andy Ryan

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B.2 DEFINITION STUDY Stage 1: Geometry Generation

Stage 2: Secondary Cone Generation

The conical forms are generated from a basic grasshopper component supplied in the plug-in itself. However, they require a input point from which to form the geometry followed by an input height and radius. Points from the original definition are generated randomly and enclosed within a rectangular boundary. This already highlights the provided definitions limitation as the algorithm only functions within a two dimensional plane.

Stage two sets the foundation for creating the circular apertures by creating a second set of cones. This is achieved by crossreferencing each cone with every other cone and measuring their distance from one another. Following this, a constraint to only identify cones closest to a particular cone (only neighbouring cones) is used cull unnecessary cones. Following this, an isotrim component is used to select a proportion of the cone to remove the tips and control cone base height, thus creating the cones to trim with.

Stage 5: Mapping Intersections

Stage 6: Surface Split

Stage 5 is arguably the most complicated section of the definition. It utilises a decompose component to reduce a mesh into its component parts, thereby allowing for the mapping of each intersection at specific points on neighbouring surfaces. By doing this, the algorithm can proceed to form a continuous mesh between each cone, ultimately producing the final form.

Finally, each surface is split with its neighbour and stored randomly as individual segments. Consequently, there are two segments for each cone and by sorting each item using a sort list and list item component, a simple constraint can be employed to select the mesh with the most faces, which predominantly is the top of the mesh. As a result, even minor alterations of the definition cause the algorithm to produce incomplete/broken products.

Stage 3: Mesh Conversion

Stage 4: Mesh splitting

Taking each set of cones (one complete and one with the holes), the next step transforms the geometries into meshes in order to identify the varying height and angled intersections between each cone. Although it is a sound approach, this method of mesh conversion creates problems in the future, causing the definition to break or overload when other components or geometries composed of more than a single surface are introduced.

In this stage, each mesh is split with every other mesh to create the leave only a single set of cones with the hollow tops. If the number of cones are limited, the definition performs at an average speed. However, introducing more cones or altering the parameters such as aperture size or height causes the definition to break due to very specific constraints of ratio and distance calculation.

Stage 7: VoltaDom imitation

Conclusion: Reverse-Engineering As detailed in each stage of the definition study, the provided grasshopper script is fairly limited in producing more complex iterations. Thus, in order to explore different forms, it is essential to reverse-engineer the project. The primary focus for subsequent explorations of the definition shall approach more planar geometries, considering the potential applications and fabrication for the future design of an acoustic pod. Additionally, the research fields of patterning and biomimicry shall be explored with the study of material performance being addressed in future prototyping.

Flipping the definition reveals the interior concave surface which produces a similar effect to Skylar Tibbitsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; completed product. However, the definition is simply a representation of the form with no consideration of structural forces. Additionally, it cannot incorporate the necessary f lexibility required to produce vaults in multiple planes or even vaults of other geometries.

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B.2 MATRIX SPECIES 1

SPECIES 2

BASIC PARAMETERS

VORONOI + ATTRACTORS

TOP VIEW

BOTTOM VIEW

Points Seed

Height Scale Factor

Cull Pattern 0 F / 1 T

Points Seed

Radii Height Ratio

Points Seed

Scale Factor Cull Pattern 0 F / 1 T

Domain V0 Domain V1

Points Seed

Radii Height Ratio

Points Seed

Scale Factor Cull Pattern 0 F / 1 T

Domain V0 Domain V1

Attractor min Attractor max

Points Seed

Radii Height Ratio

Points Seed

Scale Factor Cull Pattern 0 F / 1 T

Domain V0 Domain V1

Attractor min Attractor max

Points Seed

Radii Height Ratio

Domain V0 Domain V1

Points Seed

Radius min Radius max

Domain V0 Domain V1

Jitter

Points Seed

Radii Height Ratio

Domain V0 Domain V1

Points Seed

Radius min Radius max

Attractor 1 min Attractor 1 max

Attractor 2 min Attractor 2 max

MOBIUS CURVE

SPECIES 5

ITERATIONS

Points Seed

TOP VIEW

Radius Twist Scale Amplitude

Hexagonal U Hexagonal U Hexagonal V Hexagonal V

Hexagonal U Radius Radius Hexagonal V Twist Twist Image min Scale Scale Image max Amplitude Amplitude Loft Type straight Loft Type straight Translation

Hexagonal U Hexagonal V Image min Image max Translation

Hexagonal U Hexagonal U Radius Radius Hexagonal V Hexagonal V Twist Twist Attractor min Attractor min Scale Scale Attractor max Attractor max Amplitude Amplitude Loft Type straight Translation Translation Loft Type straight

Radius Radiu Twist Twist Scale Scale Amplitude Ampl Loft Type straigh Loft T

SPECIES 3

SPECIES 4

SURFACE PROJECTION + VORONOI

TOP VIEW

HEXAGONAL CELLS + CURVED SURFACES

BOTTOM VIEW

TOP VIEW

BOTTOM VIEW

Loft Type Surface

Points Seed

Loft Type loose Scale Factor

Height min Height max

Base Plane

curved

Points (x) Points (y)

Points Seed

Loft Type loose Scale Factor

Height min Height max

Base Plane

straight

Points (x) Points (y)

Attractor Amp min Attractor Amp max

Radius min Radius max

Points Seed

Loft Type straight Scale Factor

Height min Height max

Base Plane Surface

curved trimed

Points (x) Points (y)

Attractor Amp min Attractor Amp max

Radius min Radius max

Points Seed

Loft Type loose Scale Factor

Height min Height max

Surface Boolean Attractor Point

2 1

Points (x) Points (y)

Attractor Amp min Attractor Amp max

Transformation Radius min Radius max

Points Seed

Loft Type stright Scale Factor

Tertiary Plane T Cull Pattern F/T/F/T/T

Base Plane Attractor Curve

angled 1

Points (x) Points (y)

Attractor Amp min Attractor Amp max

Transformation Radius min Radius max

x0.39

Points Seed

Btm Srf Scale Top Srf Scale

Tertiary Plane F Cull Pattern F/T/F/T/T

Voronoi Cell Radius Surface Intersection 1

Points (x) Points (y)

Image Sampler min Image Sampler max

Amplitude

us t e litude Type straight

Hexagonal U Hexagonal V Scale Factor Smoothing Translation

Radius Twist Scale Amplitude Loft Type

normal

Hexagonal U Hexagonal V Cull Pattern 2 F/ 2 T Domain min Domain max

Offset Scale Amplitude Scale

Radius Twist Scale Amplitude Loft Type developable

Hexagonal U Hexagonal V Cull Pattern Attractor min Attractor max

straight single vertex translation

List Shift 1

Loft Type

loose

Loft Type

developable

2 T/ 1 F/ 2 T

CRITERIA DESIGN - 77

B.2 MATRIX ANALYSIS Selection Criteria Aligned to the brief, the program of our final project is to be an acoustic pod. However, this outcome should be reached through a performative approach, preferably augmented by a unique and innovative design intervention. For this purpose, I have identified the key characteristics of: 1. Visual Aesthetics 2. Organic-ness 3. Adaptivity 4. Structural Order The above mentioned 4 criteria are, I believe, aligned to the success of an acoustic pod design. First, the notion of an acoustic pod must be stripped of ideas of furniture and as such, its aesthetic value must be strictly considered. Second, following the principles of biomimicry, the species must display a biological morphology that is deceivingly, in-artificial. Third, the design must adapt to its site, augmenting existing conditions and encouraging user participation. Fourth, it has to be self-supporting, fulfilling both performative criteria and structure without the need of a frame or installation whose primary roll is to support. To provide an

encompassing overview of all the explored iterations, I have selected a single design from each species, everyone more unique in one or more of the defined criteria. The aim or vision for each iteration was not always clear but by comparing them to the rest, peculiarities in form or folding or size separate them from their predecessors. Each design iteration adhered to a few basic fundamentals: 1. A connection of two or more planes to form a tunnel or opening of varying size 2. Variability in all aspects of height, form and interaction with neighbouring elements 3. The intention to bring about some kind of response or atmosphere through simple or complex geometrical arrangements Each species deviates from the originalâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s curved surface as I wanted to explore relative smoothness or f luidity through undulation or perception. Although purely experimental, I have evidently envisioned potential physical applications, some of which could be realistically constructed due to the resolution of their basic geometries. Arguably, each effect is unique to the viewer and this iterative exercise has helped me better develop my understanding of the form-finding potential of computational design.

CHOSEN SPECIES Species 2 Visual Aesthetics Organic-ness Adaptivity Structural Order Species 2 explored the voronoy component and the use of attractor points to create an interesting undulating surface. The idea was that the boundary between top and bottom would be blurred, creating a perplexing sense of space that was multi-levelled. It is the most balanced chosen iteration and was primarily selected because of the large central gap and the variation of up and down in each conical surface. It would be interesting to develop over more than a single plane, perhaps in a ceiling to f loor or wall installation.

Species 3

Visual Aesthetics Organic-ness Adaptivity Structural Order Species 3 was an extension of species 2, introducing different planes through the projection component. This allowed for the variation of angles in the top apertures and was primarily an experimentation with the intricate or perplexing forms that could be generated by intersecting planes. The selected iteration was the most unique of its species, replicating a forest of hollow and deformed columns that could be applied as a playful landscape installation or even as a space for contemplation amidst towers of varying heights. Evidently, it has strayed very far from the original, creating protective enclosure for contemplating verticality.

Species 4 Visual Aesthetics Organic-ness Adaptivity Structural Order Species 4 explored curved surfaces and the use of a more organised, organic grid. However, the intention was to create a perceived f luidity despite being composed straight geometries. It was unique because of its left surface that wrapped up and opened to provide a view of the other side. Potential applications Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve imagined are roof details in which each hexagonal pod is covered with green with a single looking-glass aperture connecting the outside to the inside world. Nonetheless, the curved left wall also functions as a protective enclosure, posing posibilities of a all-encompasing, perforated fabric that could react to moisture or sound.

Species 5

Visual Aesthetics Organic-ness Adaptivity Structural Order Species 5 was the most exciting and playful exploration the basic design. Employing a mobius curve which allowed for a single surface to contain multiple planar directions, I toyed with the idea of creating a space that could support itself but also fold up and around to provide privacy. Personally, it is my favourite iteration of all the species as the sense of f low or smoothness is not inherent but rather materialised through the component sum of each part. This constructive collaboration is something I endeavour to explore in future iterations. CRITERIA DESIGN - 79

B.3 CASE STUDY 2.0

Fig. 43 Research Pavilion 2011 ICD & ITKE University of Stuttgart 80

ICD | ITKE Research Pavilion 2011 CRITERIA DESIGN - 81

B.3 PROJECT RESEARCH

University of Stuttgard’s 2011 Research Pavilion 2011 Research Pavilion The ICD/ITKE 2011 Research Pavilion was a temporary bionic structure investigating the integration of the sea urchin’s plate skeleton morphology in the form of a plywood pavilion1. Employing computational methods for both its design conceptualisation and fabrication, the structure is composed of a number of plated panels that interlock through finger joints to form a shell like exterior. Primarily, the successful construction and implementation of the Pavilion is a testament of the reappropriation of bionic principles in architecture. Spanning a relatively wide enclosure, the lightweight structure is self-supporting, relying on the performance of its geometries to realise a structurally autonomous pavilion. Thus, as demonstrated by nature, form not necessarily follows function but rather, performance2 . Overall, I believe that the project is relatively successful, demonstrating how a naturally occurring modular system can be applied on a structure to provide it with both f lexibility and performance. In particular, this project draws its inspiration from a sub-species of the sea urchin, resulting in a design composed of modular polygonal plates. Furthermore, even the joint mechanism was inspired by the sand-dollar’s calcite connections, the likes of which are recreated through robotically engineered finger-joints on each shell face. This consequently allows for three components to converge at a single point, seamlessly transmitting normal and shear forces without the associated bending moments through each plate. The result produces angled faces without excess stress loads.

Detailed on the following pages are a study of the potential construction of the Research Pavilion. Although the outcome I have produced resembles the exterior form of the pavilion, it lacks the f lexibility to adapt a responsive form. Additionally, because no program was used to test structural capacities, the proposed definition is purely a representational one. From a technical standpoint, it is likely that the pavilion was designed through the use of force simulators that can calculate bending moments and structural loads. I have also detailed below a method which uses the inf lation or balloon component of Kangaroo to form its exterior structure. Whilst I am uncertain as to whether this was the actual method, from a conceptual standpoint it does seem very plausible. An additional point is the interior detail of the Pavilion. My definition is purely mimicking the exterior surface yet and examination of photos of the interior reveal that a secondary internal face is also integrated in the project. Arugably, they could be for light fixtures or perhaps even play a structural role in resisting the elastic forces of each component. In following sections, I shall attempt to extend this definition in hopes of exploring more complex external forms that can also potentially provide interesting spaces or acoustic elements. This can perhaps be realised by employing other base geometries as opposed to the hemispherical one currently being used.

1. ACHIM MENGES, “ICD/ITKE RESEARCH PAVILION 2011 | INSTITUTE FOR COMPUTATIONAL DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION”, ICD.UNI-STUTTGART.DE, 2011 <HTTP://ICD.UNISTUTTGART.DE/?P=6553> [ACCESSED 18 AUGUST 2017]. 2. JENS VOSHAGE, “FORM FOLLOWS PERFORMANCE”, FORM FOLLOWS PERFORMANCE, 2017 <HTTP://WWW.FORMFOLLOWSPERFORMANCE.COM/> [ACCESSED 19 AUGUST 2017].

Fig. 44 2011 Research Pavilion ICD & ITKE University of Stuttgart

CRITERIA DESIGN - 83

B.3 REVERSE-ENGINEERING

Trial 1

Trial 1 - 3

STEP 1 Construct a sphere in the rhino modelling space to act as the primary geometry of the pavilion

STEP 2 Reference the surface of the sphere and populate it randomly with points

STEP 3 At step 3, I tried to introduce a new plug-in called vornaux to map the Voronoy pattern on the surface

Trial 2

From step 3 onwards, it was difficult to proceed as the plugin could not create full cells that could map the entire sphere. This became apparent when trying to offset the curves of the cells resulting in incomplete cells. Additionally, the voronoy pattern did not continue to the top of the sphere which was instead mapped with triangles. Another consideration for moving on was that the cell sizes could not be varied, suggesting potential difficulties for altering the script to produce unique iterations.

STEP 1 Construct a sphere in the rhino modelling space and also a planar surface at the center of the sphere

STEP 2 Boolean the two geometries to produce a hemisphere which will be the primary pavilion geometry

STEP 3 Explode the geometry and reference the surface in grasshopper. After, apply the lunchbox hexagonal panel

Trial 3

Although this definition was much more stable than the first, it still produced triangles at the apex of the sphere unlike the continuous hexagonal shell of the 2011 pavilion. I considered using a rotate component to obtain the desired hexagonal mapping but decided against it because it would potentially create other problems further on in the design iteration process. Additionally, the edge where the surface had been trimmed was missing the curves to complete cell. Although a potential solution was to divide a circular curve along the edge, I felt that this was a roundabout process that was inefficient and pointless.

STEP 1 Draw a circular surface in the rhino modelling space and populate it with random points

STEP 2 Apply the voronoy component using the random points and trim the edge using the curve

STEP 4 Project the voronoy cells onto the hemispherical surface

At step 4 it occured to me that because it was a projection, the cells projected at the greatest curvature of the surface would be partially distorted. Additionally, the cells at the edge of the surface experienced the same trimming and became incomplete cells. Thus, it became apparent that utilising three dimensional geometries such as spheres or hemispheres created limitations in the pattern and also affected the flexibility of the definition. Consequently, in the next and final reverse-engineering definition, I employed basic curves to form my own surface geometry.

STEP 3 Construct a hemisphere of equal dimensions above the surface and reference in the geometry into grasshopper

Trial 4 - Successful Reverse Engineering

STEP 1 Create three arcs to form the boundary of the entire STEP 1 pavilion: Create to form two for the three basearcs plane and the boundary of the entire pavilion: one for the height two for the base plane and one for the height

STEPSTEP 4 4 Loft these together Loft these arcs arcs together andand apply the hexagonal panel from apply the hexagonal panel from the lunchbox plug-in the lunchbox plug-in

STEP 3 From the points along each arc, construct STEP 3 more arcs using the From the points along each arc, 3pt arc component

STEP 2 Rotate one of the arcs along to the opposite STEP 2 side and Rotate one of the arcs along divide each arc into points

construct more arcs using the 3pt arc component

to the opposite side and divide each arc into points

STEP 6 STEP 6 Scale eachScale hexagonal eachcell hexagonal cell relative torelative its centretopoint and point and its centre translate it outwards along its translate it outwards along its face normal

STEP STEP 5 5 Find surface normal of each Findthethe surface normal of each cell thethe surface closest cellusing using surface closest point and evaluate surface point and evaluate surface

face normal

STEP 7 Merge each corresponding translated cell with its parent cell and loft them

Proposed method of actual pavilion cosntruction

STEP 7 Merge each corresponding translated cell with its parent cell and loft them

STEP 1 Recursive voronoy pattern in a circular surface

STEP 4 Surface is panelised using triangles, possibly from lunchbox

STEP 2 Likely using Kangaroo physics to form the frame and apply an inflation component to the frame

STEP 3 Surface ‘inflates’ or ‘balloons’ onto the frame to form the overall curvature and shape of the pavilion

STEP 5 Offset of each cell allows for lofting between base and offset to create the final shell exterior

CRITERIA DESIGN - 85

B.4 TECHNIQUE DEVELOPMENT

Fig. 45 Research Pavilion 2011 ICD & ITKE University of Stuttgart 86

ICD | ITKE Research Pavilion 2011 CRITERIA DESIGN - 87

B.4 TECHNIQUE DEVELOPMENT

Species 1 Visual Aesthetics Organic-ness Adaptivity Structural Order

Species 1 contains a rather organic fundamental form but its most interesting aspect is the way it wraps around itself. Each aperture could be a window looking outside in a protective shell or pod that can weather the elements or even acoustics. Structurally it looks very solid due to its consistent geometries but the contact with the ground appears to distort and break such geometries.

Species 3 Visual Aesthetics Organic-ness Adaptivity Structural Order

Species 3 represents another time of shell geometry inwhich individual plates overlap each other to form a curvature. It is significantly more complicated than the first speicies yet there is a bionic order in the overlaps and how the surface comes to form to points from which it can rest. Visually it stimulates a mesmerising pattern that creates perceived movment. Additionallt, it appears to be very organic in form, possibly a dwelling for a sea organism.

CRITERIA DESIGN - 89

B.5 TECHNIQUE: PROTOTYPES

BEND - FOLD - TWIST CRITERIA DESIGN - 91

B.5 DESIGN-STORMING

Visions for an Acoustic Pod

J.K.S. desgins

2011 Research Pavilion + ZA11 Pavilion Drawing inspiration from our precedent projects, our group is experimenting with an array of fabrication materials. Our aim is to create a design intervention that maintains a multifunctional purpose, achieved through the pursuit of acoustic performance. Essentially, an acoustic pod sited in a design office should be both performative and aesthetic, encouraging interaction not just through its functional interior but an engaging exterior form. Additionally, as it will be a self-constructed project, key constraints such as time, cost, fabrication and assembly must also be considered, ruling out heavy and conventional materials such as concrete or steel. Ideally, the pod should also represent the ideals of modern design, propagating sustainability augmented by computational design as a responsibility and not simply an alternative. Thus, the following prototypes have in part or whole been designed with the aforementioned key points in mind.

Key similarities between precedents: - Modularity (fabrication, transportation, assemblage) - Joints (the fixture of each constituent panel to form the whole) - Material (plywood forms both design intervention and structure)

MATERIAL: PLYWOOD High stability

High impact resistance Surface dimensional stability High strength to weight ratio

Bent/ Folded/ Twisted Parametric Control of Material

GUIDELINES

CONSTRAINTS

Patterning

Cost

Material Perfor-

Transportation

Biomimicry

Time

Modularity Maintenance CRITERIA DESIGN - 93

B.5 PRECEDENT STUDY Public Pavilions Reinterpreted SPATIAL ORGANISATION

ZA11 Pavilion

SPATIAL CIRCULATION

Public pavilions retain the luxury of an external atmosphere, augmented by street life, colour and noise. The challenge is to capture such an interactive atmosphere through an alluring exterior form and material treatment. Conventional acoustic pods such as furniture should be considered for their practical aspects and reimagined for both a high level of aesthetic and acoustic performance.

ICD/ITKE Research Pavilion 2011

Matrix Iterations by Shaun Lee and Jade

Selection Criteria: - Acoustic performance - Activation of space through form - Ease of assembly and fabrication CRITERIA DESIGN - 95

B.5 PRECEDENT STUDY ZA11 Pavilion - Reverse-engineered

Reverse-engineered by Kelly Choi 96

Matrix Iterations by Kelly Choi and Jade Tan

Selection Criteria: - Acoustic performance - Activation of space through form - Ease of assembly and fabrication CRITERIA DESIGN - 97

ACOUSTIC THEORY RESEARCH Absorbtion & Transmission Reflection Diffusion

Reflection diagrams

Absorbtion & Transmission diagrams

Diffusion diagrams

PROTOTYPE 1 This prototype was a study of acoustic performance through material, patterning and modularity. Consideration 1. Acoustic performance 2. Structure/rigidty 3. Fabricatibility 4. Modularbility

CRITERIA DESIGN - 99

ACOUSTIC MATERIAL PERFORMANCE

1. Preparing felt material and steel wire frames

2. Temporary fixingâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s using tape

3. Introduction of aluminium wire mesh for further support and stability

4. Final product of three modules joined with steel wire

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Prototype 1: Modular Acoustic Component

Inspired by Studio Bouroullecâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Clouds, first prototype was designed to experiment with the acoustic material felt. Due to its internal composition and structure, it functions as an acoustic absorption material that reduces the amount of sound waves being ref lected. This was further improved by creating an undulating surface through its constituent triangular modules. In theory, this form should further decrease acoustical echo as the undulating surfaces will more likely diffuse sound as opposed to ref lect it. However, as the workability of felt decreases proportionally to its thickness, the 0.2mm felt employed in the prototype does not sufficiently prevent sound transmission. As such, its thickness must be increased without compromising its f lexibility. To combat

this issue, we employed an aluminium mesh frame within two layers of felt. Effectively, it provided an additional air pocket for reducing sound transmission. On the other hand, the resistance of the mesh counters the felts elasticity, allowing for the triangular modules to retain their shape. To further strengthen these modules, recycled steel wires were implanted to enhance the form. These wires are also employed as the primary tie mechanism, allowing for ease of transport, assembly and replacement. From an initial judgement, the prototype appears to perform relatively effectively, containing its own structure and acoustic response. However, the real challenge is whether such a module can be easily fabricated to perform at a larger scale such as an acoustic pod.

CRITERIA DESIGN - 101

ASSEMBLAGE/FABRICATION - MODULARITY

PROTOTYPE 2 This prototype focus on bending form and triangulation for fabrication SPATIAL OPPORTUNITIES 1. Wrap around meeting places 2. External seatings ACOUSTIC PERFORMANCE 1. Minimse reflection of sound 2. Maximise diffusion of sound EASE OF ASSEMBLING 1. Fabricatibility 2. Modularbility

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Modularity - Acoustic Performance - Site Activation

PROTOTYPE 3 This prototype is focusing on folding form and hexagonal cells for fabrication SPATIAL OPPORTUNITIES Fold around meeting spaces ACOUSTIC PERFORMANCE 1. Minimse reflection of sound 2. Maximise diffusion of sound 3. Felt reduce sound transmission 4. Plywood panel configuration = structural 5. Perforated holes help sound absoption EASE OF ASSEMBLING 1. Fabricatibility 2. Modularbility .

CRITERIA DESIGN - 103

Prototype 2.1: Modular Cell Configuration

ZA11 Pavilion 104

ICD/ITKE Research Pavilion 2011

CONNECTIONS JOINT DETAILS

ZA11 Pavilion

Waffle Joints

Finger Joint

Waffle Joi

COMPUTATIONALLY CALIBRATED Prototype 2.2: Spatial Activation Study JOIN

ICD/ITKE Research Pavilion 2011

Finger Joints Prototype 2 was inspired by the ZA11 Pavilion, exploring how external form could be employed to activate the office space. Additionally, it was an experimentation with notched joints and how the cavities could potentially form seats, house acoustical insulation or stabilise conical extrusions for aesthetic and performative purposes. The chosen scale was 1:20 and each joint was glued for further stability. With regards to fabrication, prototype two utilised a fabrication layout provided by the Melbourne School of Design. CRITERIA DESIGN - 105

Prototype 3: Polypropylene Substitute Form and Assemblage Study

106

Prototype 3 is derived from the ICD/ITKE 2011 Research Pavilion, proposing a reverse acoustic cone theory. The logic stems from the idea that a regular conical shape amplifies sound from the tip. Thus, in theory the reverse should act to reduce sound due to a narrowing aperture and diffusion from the surface’s sides. Modelled at the scale of 1:20, this prototype is the amalgamation of all research thus far. Composed of hexagonal modules, its form can be manipulated to form resting areas on the exterior whilst primarily housing an acoustically designed interior through the reverse cone orientation. One major issue at the moment however is the problem of connections. Limited by time and resources, bending, glue and rivets have been applied as temporary substitutes. The reason why the ZA11’s joints have

not been appropriated in this scenario is because we desired a seamless external surface. This would be explored through a combination of prototype one’s material and formal composition as well as customised, smooth joint such as prototype 2. Overall, the aesthetic form and theorised performance meet our expectations but the connection detail must be further investigated for the project to succeed. Prototype 3 was likewise realised through laser cutting from a fabrication layout. The current limitations of such a process is the type and scale of material that can be processed, a issue that must innovated to allow us to apply material treatments such as felt to the final design.

CRITERIA DESIGN - 107

Prototype 2 + 3: Assemblage Timelapse

https://drive.google.com/open?id=0ByqDphmUdCUxcUJTeThwdHIyUmc

108

CRITERIA DESIGN - 108

CRITERIA DESIGN - 109

B.6 TECHNIQUE: PROPOSAL

110

BEND - FOLD - TWIST CRITERIA DESIGN - 111

B.6 DESIGN PROPOSAL From past and present to the Future...

Through the exploration of several prototypes, materials and design iterations, our strengths and weaknesses have been made clear. Our team goal is to capitalise on the modular and f lexibility of the felt cells, leveraging on its soft characteristic and material f luidity to bring about an innovative design intervention. More focus and emphasis must be invested in the exploration of computational prowess to better augment our prototyping and fabrication studies.

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Interim Feedback Pros:

Reflection:

- “What stood out was there was clarity in your presentation”

The interim has identified that the unique, soft characteristics of prototype one offer the most room for development. Indefinitely, a streamlined fabrication method must be explored in order to allow for the felt modules to be applied to a physical structure. Additionally, I would like to further explore a self-supporting structure that can both interact with the external environment and provide an acoustically sound interior meeting space. There is also room for extending the current hexagonal modules to perhaps other, more f lexible and responsive iterations. Furthermore, prototypes exhibiting acoustic and structural qualities must also be tested to reaffirm or reconsider our current design approach.

- “Lacks the clichéd hard laser cut edge, investigate this idea of softness, interested in the soft folds” - “Diagram presentation very clear” - “Hard-pressed on the outside but runs smoothly on the back”

Cons: - “Lacks a digital precision, but it shows a proof of concept” - “Don’t overdo the felt with the acoustics as this is an office building and not a concert hall.” - “Do more interesting 3D modules”

Areas for Improvement: - “Felt as a material for this project has potential” - “Don’t overdo the felt with the acoustics as this is an office building and not a concert hall.” - “Could potentially have a finesse” - “Come up with a simple rigid framework” - “Show the connections, it is hard to see as it is covered by felt” - “Doesn’t need to be symmetrical on the insides compared to the outside” - “How big do you envision this panellisation to be? Consider the scale and bring that into your final design” - “Look up different materials in the market that look into similar builds and tear apart the material to see how it’s put together.” - “Grab something around this line of materials, cut it and see how it is put together to save yourself some time”

CRITERIA DESIGN - 113

B.7 LEARNING OBJECTIVES AND OUTCOMES The past few weeks of Studio Air in have been intense yet fruitful. Finally moving onto physical interventions, our team started by focusing our approach on understanding the requirements of a conventional acoustic pod and how we could apply parametric design to further extend both performance and aesthetics. As depicted by the interim comments, we are still lacking in the production of prototypes and as such, we shall turn our focus to improving this area in Part C. Aligned to our initial vision, we still seek to explore a design intervention that can reimagine the spatial experience of a conventional design office, providing a functional interior with an interactive exterior form. Without a doubt, the success of such an intervention will fully depend on our ability to employ

114

more complicated tools such a Kangaroo. With all the research to inform future decisions, conceptual models must be evolved into tangible and testable prototypes, without which it is undeniable that we will fail to progress beyond conceptual ideas. Both Case Study 1.0 and 2.0 were empirical in the development of my parametric design skills. Nonetheless, I would like to explore how an acoustic environment can be computationally mapped and by extension, how such data can further drive my teamâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s designs towards a more modular, high performing and interactive design.

Photo Credits - Kelly Choi

CRITERIA DESIGN - 115

B.8 APPENDIX ALGORITHMIC SKETCHES

Week 4 116

CRITERIA DESIGN - 117

Week 5

118

CRITERIA DESIGN - 119

Week 6

120

CRITERIA DESIGN - 121

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HODGETTS+FUNG, EXPERIMENTAL SOUND SHIELDING SYSTEM, 2004 <HTTPS://HPLUSF.COM/NEWS/CATEGORY/IN-THE-NEWS> [ACCESSED 20 AUGUST 2017] HPLUSF, XSSS CEILING INSTALLATION, 2004 <HTTPS://AU.PINTEREST. COM/PIN/287104544969234525/> [ACCESSED 14 AUGUST 2017] ICD & ITKE UNIVERSITY OF STUTTGART, ICD | ITKE RESEARCH PAVILION 2011, 2011 <HTTP://WWW.ARCH2O.COM/WP-CONTENT/ UPLOADS/2012/04/223.JPG> [ACCESSED 18 AUGUST 2017] KOLAREVIC, BRANKO AND KEVIN R. KLINGER, EDS (2008). MANUFACTURING MATERIAL EFFECTS: RETHINKING DESIGN AND MAKING IN ARCHITECTURE (NEW YORK; LONDON: ROUTLEDGE), PP. 6–24 KORODY, NICHOLAS, “LEARNING FROM OUR “BIOLOGICAL ELDERS”: TAKE A LOOK AT THIS SHORT DOCUMENTARY ON “BIOMIMICRY””, ARCHINECT, 2016 <HTTPS://ARCHINECT.COM/NEWS/ ARTICLE/149936349/LEARNING-FROM-OUR-BIOLOGICAL-ELDERSTAKE-A- LOOK-AT-THIS-SHORT- DOCU MENTARY- ON - BIOMIMICRY> [ACCESSED 11 AUGUST 2017] MENGES, ACHIM, “ICD/ITKE RESEARCH PAVILION 2010 | INSTITUTE FOR COMPUTATIONAL DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION”, ICD.UNI-STUTTGART. DE, 2010 <HTTP://ICD.UNI-STUTTGART.DE/?P=4458> [ACCESSED 11 AUGUST 2017] MOUSSAVI, FARSHID AND MICHAEL KUBO, EDS (2006). THE FUNCTION OF ORNAMENT (BARCELONA: ACTAR), PP. 5-14 ONE TO ONE, DIAGRAM EXPLAINING SOUND DIFFUSION, THE ‘SCATTERING’ OF SOUND, 2016 <HTTPS://ARCHITIZER.COM/ B L O G / A R C H I T E C T U R A L- D E T A I L S - H E R Z O G - D E - M E U R O N ELBPHILHARMONIE/MEDIA/1856570/> [ACCESSED 14 AUGUST 2017] ` ONE TO ONE, PARAMETRIC DEFINITION OF ONE OF ONE MILLION SOUND-DIFFUSING CELLS, 2016 <HTTPS://ARCHITIZER. C O M / B LO G /A R C H I T E C T U R A L- D E TA I L S - H E R ZO G - D E - M E U R O N ELBPHILHARMONIE/MEDIA/1856571/> [ACCESSED 14 AUGUST 2017]

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THE BREATHING SKINS PROJECT, BREATHING SKINS SHOWROOM, 2016 <HTTP://WWW.ARCHDAILY.COM/789230/LET-YOUR-BUILDINGTO-BREATHE-WITH-THIS-PNEUMATIC-FACADE-TECHNOLOGY/575A CEB1E58ECE553B000002-LET-YOUR-BUILDING-TO-BREATHE-WITHTHIS-PNEUMATIC-FACADE-TECHNOLOGY-IMAGE#_=_> [ACCESSED 14 AUGUST 2017] THE BREATHING SKINS PROJECT, THE BREATHING SKINS PROJECT, 2016 <HTTPS://WWW.F6S.COM/BREATHINGSKINSPROJECT> [ACCESSED 14 AUGUST 2017] THE BREATHING SKINS PROJECT, THE BREATHING SKINS SHOWROOM, 2016 <HTTP://WWW.ARCHDAILY.COM/789230/LET-YOUR-BUILDINGTO-BREATHE-WITH-THIS-PNEUMATIC-FACADE-TECHNOLOGY/575A CE9BE58ECE553B000001-LET-YOUR-BUILDING-TO-BREATHE-WITHTHIS-PNEUMATIC-FACADE-TECHNOLOGY-IMAGE> [ACCESSED 14 AUGUST 2017] TIBBITS, SKYLAR, “VOLTADOM”, SJET.US, 2016 <HTTP://SJET.US/MIT_ VOLTADOM.HTML> [ACCESSED 16 AUGUST 2017] WIRED, WHAT HAPPENS WHEN ALGORITHMS DESIGN A CONCERT HALL? THE STUNNING ELBPHILHARMONIE, 2017 <HTTPS://WWW. WI RED.COM/2017/01/HAPPENS -ALGORITH MS - DESIG N - CON C ERTHALL-STUNNING-ELBPHILHARMONIE/#SLIDE-3> [ACCESSED 7 SEPTEMBER 2017] WOODBURY, ROBERT F. (2014). ‘HOW DESIGNERS USE PARAMETERS’, IN THEORIES OF THE DIGITAL IN ARCHITECTURE, ED. BY RIVKA OXMAN AND ROBERT OXMAN (LONDON; NEW YORK: ROUTLEDGE), PP. 153–170

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DETAILED DESIGN

GOD is in the

DETAILS. – Ludwig Mies van der Rohe

C.1 Design Concept Idea Re-examination Concept Storming Material Optimisation Tectonics Testing Proposal Synthesis C.2 Tectonic Elements & Prototypes Proposal Revision Tectonics Recalibration C.3 Final Detail Model Prototype Refinement Proposal Synthesis C.4 Learning Objectives and Outcomes Feedback Analysis Reflection

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C.1 DESIGN CONCEPT Interim Reflection Back to the drawing board...

c) Irregularity

As articulated by the interim critique, we have commenced the third and final stage of our acoustic pod project with a reexamination of Prototype 1, which will henceforth be referred to as Prototype 0. To recap, Prototype 0 currently lacks digital precision as well as an overall form through which it can function as an acoustically conditioned meeting space. Furthermore, the current scale necessitates greater consideration in order to resolve both construction and, formal and functional efficiencies. However, contrary to the other proposals it possesses a â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;softnessâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; in its undulating folds that presents an alternative to the hard edges produced from laser cutting. Thus, Part C will focus on the realistic development of Prototype 0 under the guidelines stated above, exploring and refining its digital fabrication requirements as well as tectonics to produce a constructable design proposal.

Irregularity or innovativeness encompasses the unique quality or distinct characteristic of a prototypes form and tectonics.

Assessment Criteria: For the purpose of assessing progress and success, the projectâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s key foci have been broadly defined by three categories:

1) Spatial Experience 2) Fabrication

d) Digital Precision The extent to which each prototype can be resolved through parametric design tools.

e) Structural Stability Stability refers to the prototypes ability to retain its formal and functional capabilities when assembled, and its potential to form a self-supporting structure

f) Connection Detail The quality and success of constituent components of joints.

g) Scale Efficiency The effective and efficient performance of a prototype at its particular scale.

h) Fabricability 3) Acoustic Conditioning However, in order to provide an in-depth exploration of each category, I have further defined several sub-categories from which we will endeavour to improve on through subsequent idea generation and prototyping. They are listed as follows:

a) Visual Finesse

The ease of each prototypes fabrication.

i) Transportability The ease of transporting each prototypes components for construction.

j) Acoustic Conditioning This characteristic f lexibly incorporates a variety of visual and tectonic considerations, ranging from the materiality to the detail of joints and connections. Overall, it encompasses the primary aesthetic criteria from which each prototype will be judged.

The sound absorbing, ref lecting and diffusing performance of each prototype

k) Formal and Functional Balance

b) Tactile Quality The sensory characteristic of each prototype, based on both physical properties as well as perceived tactile response.

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The balance between visual finesse and structural, acoustic and performative prowess of each prototype.

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1.1 IDEA RE-EXAMINATION Prototype 0

Prototype 0 (Interim Model) Visual Finesse Tactile Quality Irregularity Digital Precision Structural Stability Connection Detail Scale Efficiency Fabricability Transportability Acoustic Conditioning Formal and Functional Balance Performance Assessment

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3.4

Prototype 0 Irregularity

Key Points:

Prototype 0’s strongest characteristic lies with the irregularity of its geometric folding. The soft surfaces supported by an aluminium mesh permit the creation of a firm yet gentle undulating surface, manifesting beautiful interplays of shadow and forms. It arguably embodies the studio’s key characteristics of “bending, folding, and twisting” yet as it stands, it must be further explored through digital means of formal experimentation and fabrication.

1. Retain and improve the visual finesse afforded by felt material

Visual Finesse falls short due to the lack of refinement in the

2. Explore other materials with greater structural composition 3. Increase the scale to improve potential module efficiency

prototypes construction and completed state. The primary goal is to parametrically control and implement this modular form into an overarching enclosure so as to satisfy the acoustic pod brief.

Tactile Quality remains high due to the felts material quality.

Thus, further employment of the felt material should be explored, albeit shaped using digital fabrication means.

Structural Stability Given aluminium mesh’s lightweight, f lexible structure, it is unlikely to provide sufficient support to form an enclosing structure. Thus, the most obvious solution would be to experiment with more rigid materials of potentially pursue a suspension type system that will capitalise on the material’s relative weightlessness.

Scale The current scale would prove inefficient to construct from, given the required expanse required to shelter and acoustic meeting space. Additionally, acoustic performance is also lacking due to the lack of material between each felt skin, a quality that can be improved by using denser materials.

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1.2 IDEA ‘STORMING’ Brainstorming Vision Currently the primary focus lies with replicating Prototype 0 using computational design, concurrently improving its fabricability and adaptability to the future form of our acoustic pod. Given that the interim critique saw the abundant appearance of seashells as inspirational, biomimetic precedents, jks design shall endeavour to explore other naturally occurring forms that ingeniously encompasses our design focus:

“

A design intervention that provides the necessary privacy, acoustic conditioning at comfort needed for a meeting space whilst simultaneously interacting with the site Preliminary Sketches Preliminary sketches explore f lexible joint systems using frames as the primary structure of a potential prototype. This would effectively reduce the weight of each module and allow for further exploration of a suspended structure. However, this could consequently reduce the acoustic conditioning of the overall structure due to the loss of mass.

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Brainstorming

Concept Development Addressing the interim comment regarding and over fixation on the acoustic properties of felt, we have diverged our research to explore other requirements of a design offices meeting space.

Privacy vs. Openness Whilst a meeting room demands some level of privacy, the interactive nature of design could potentially benefit from having a space that is both private and paradoxically open. Often, budding ideas are shot down before they are given the opportunity to evolve and as such, our imagined space seeks to address the issue of idea development. Given our keen interest in natural forms and the approach propagated by biomimetic design, formal and functional explorations of this ‘protective’ acoustic space shall be undertaken along these lines. However, the challenge is to find the balance between a full enclosure that performs acoustically and one that can also be engaging and interactive.

Animal Ears The concept of animal ears is very appealing to our project. Their structural form is acoustically driven to tune into sound and thus it stands that such a form could be reversed to reduce the absorption of sound. Additionally, the f luid curvature forms an imagined ‘softness’, further accentuated by the texture of animal fur. This material quality is indefinitely replicable through felt and could serve as a novel point of exploration for our project. However, given our current desire to use modules, the smooth curves could be significantly interrupted, impeding the overall idea of comfort generated by an uninterrupted surface. Current exploration methods seek to employ grasshopper to reverse engineer forms, yet we must also keep in mind the fabricability of such forms and the available materials.

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1.3 MATERIAL OPTIMISATION Materiality

LIGHT WEIGHT VERSATILITY EASE OF WORK AESTHETIC

LUAN

LIGHT WEIGHT

VERSATILITY

EASE OF WORK

AESTHETIC

COST

LIGHT WEIGHT Material Transition VERSATILITY After reassessing the requirements of each module, we have decided toOFemploy EASE WORK Luan plywood as the primary structural material. Although much heavier and costly, we discovered that plywood is a material commonly employed in acoustic products. AESTHETIC Its material construct bounces high frequency sound waves but formsCOST an effective sound absorption panel when combined with felt which diffuses and reduces the amount of sound transmitted LIGHT WEIGHT VERSATILITY EASE OF WORK 132

COST

STEEL MESH

AESTHETIC

LIGHT WEIGHT VERSATILITY through its material. Furthermore, unlike steel mesh which holds little aesthetic qualities and must be concealed by felt on both EASE OF WORK sides, Luan plywood possesses an appealing surface that could be AESTHETIC left unadorned to reveal joints or connection details. COST

Materiality

Double Skin Form Given that felt can be easily applied to a plywood surface, the use of Luan plywood opens up a new array of possibilites. With an external facade treated with sound absorbing felt, a loud office chatter can be prevented from entering within a space. Conversely, a plywood treated interior makes for both an aesthetically refined enclosure whilst providing adequate acoustic conditions for meeting discussions.

Modular Panels Plywood is a relatively easy material to laser cut, allowing for the simple fabrication of panels that can be assembled into modules for larger construction. Consequently, geometric variations of a hexagonal plane could allow for the disruption of a f lat surface, providing novel conditions for sound diffusion. This can be applied to an overall structure on top of which absorptive felt can be integrated on. Thus, both sound absorption and diffusion can be incorporated into the pods structure.

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1.4 TECTONICS TESTING Prototype 1 Lasercutting Plywood Components Prototype 1 is constructed from triangular panels of laser cut, Luan plywood. Each module is conceived by elevating a point from the centre normal of a hexagon and connecting lines from each edge to the point to form planar triangles (as explored in the reverse engineering of the ICD/ITKE Pavilion discussed in Part B). Following this, lines are joined to form triangles from which offsets are created before a planar surface is generated. The resultant form explores several ideas:

Conceptual Sketch tracing a curved surface using straight/ planar elements

1. The simple reverse engineering of the basic hexagonal form and undulating surface of Prototype 0 2. The replication of the frame (previously constructed of aluminium wire and mesh) from which to stretch the felt on 3. The reduction of material cost and structural weight of the component 4. Modular panels that can be easily fixed and configured together through a central notch/finger joint

Preliminary connection sketch for connections between components

Form exploration of interlocking joints formed by smaller, constituent panels

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Prototype 1 Fabricability

Key Points:

Prototype 1 has proven simple to fabricate and construct, given the form was digitally conceptualised and laser cut as opposed to Prototype 0â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s hand craft construction.

1. Plywood is a successful material to further experiment with

Visual Finesse Immediately the aesthetic of the plywood reveals itself as a dominant visual feature and the triangular gaps manifest interesting shadows.

Tactile Quality

2. Explore ways to reinforce joints, potentially through the use of ties of clips that can be hidden internally behind felt 3. Visual aesthetic of the joints are wastefully concealed by a felt exterior. Thus, further explore the visibility of joints in balance to acoustic conditioning

The plywood possesses a smooth texture that is as much visually appealing as it is to touch.

Structural Stability The structure is slightly weaker than predicted, given that only a single finger joint and glue forms the connection between each module and its constituent panels. Additional support is required to ensure that panels retain their position when cast into more complex forms.

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Finger Joints could potentially require additional ties for structure and stability

Prototype 1

Prototype 1 (Felt Exterior) Visual Finesse Tactile Quality Irregularity Digital Precision Structural Stability Connection Detail Scale Efficiency Fabricability Transportability Acoustic Conditioning Formal and Functional Balance Performance Assessment

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Prototype 1 - Suspended

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Prototype 2

Prototype 2 (Increased Finger Joints) Visual Finesse Tactile Quality Irregularity Digital Precision Structural Stability Connection Detail Scale Efficiency Fabricability Transportability Acoustic Conditioning Formal and Functional Balance Performance Assessment

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6.2

Prototype 2 Structural Stability

Key Points:

The addition of more finger joints has immediately improved the rigidity and strength of each panel connection. Coupled with the use of solid panelling, the overall structure of each module has increased substantially and is not capable of supporting its own weight.

1. Increasing the number of potential points of connection greatly accentuates rigidity and structural strength

Visual Finesse The loss of the frame structure has slightly degraded the overall visual aesthetic. However, with more surface to adhere onto, the felt can be more evenly stretched and applied to the external surface.

2. Solid panels are noticeably heavier and posses no point from which suspension can occur. Thus, detailing suspension holes must be considered or perhaps consider partial suspension 3. Visual aesthetic of the joints are wastefully concealed by a felt exterior. Thus, further explore the visibility of joints in balance to acoustic conditioning

Acoustic Performance With the increase in mass, it can be assumed that the modules acoustic performance has increased proportionally. However, at the current thickness, it is likely to have negligible impact.

Preliminary sketch of connection by increasing finger joint count

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Prototype 2 Prototype 2 - Visual Finesse Felt Relocation Finger Joints Detail Materiality

Aesthetics Overall the use of plywood has produced positive results. The clear articulation of the geometry prominently defines the folds even when covered in felt and this can be accorded to the stiff surfaces of each plywood panel. After further consideration however, we have decided to relocate the felt as an internal treatment for three key reasons: 1. To allow for visual appreciation of the finger joints 2. To better adapt the functional needs of a meeting room, ie. to absorb internal sound and reduce echoing

Prototype 2 - Structural Stability Material Performance

3. A felt interior better captures a comfortable enclosure within which ideas can be safely discussed and nurtured. However, in order to maintain a connection between the internal and external environment, perforations could be explored in the next prototype.

Connection Strength Suspension Detail

Prototype 2 - Connection Detail Finger Joints

Structural Analysis The increase of joints allows for more surface friction and points from which glue can be applied to fix each module. However, given the angle of intersection between each triangular panel as well as the material thickness, there are small gaps where the material of each panel impedes f luid connection. Furthermore, configurations and connections between modules are limited to certain angles which weaken the glue and finger joint connection if there is too much variation. This issue must be further explored in subsequent prototyping.

Glue Friction

Joint Effectiveness The finger joints play the largest role maintaining the connection between panels and between modules. However, it may be necessary to explore a more f lexible joint to allow more movement between modules.

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Prototype 2 - Stationary

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1.5 PROPOSAL SYNTHESIS Site Analysis

Site Observations

Site Assessment

1. Limited Space

Based on observations and extrapolations gathered from site photos and the 3D model, it is apparent that the site is relatively small, limiting the extent from which suspension and even construction can be undertaken. Restricted to a rectangular box two meters wide, three meters long and roughly three meters high, the site supports our current exploration of modular components. Easily transportable and sufficiently sized to be assembled on or off site, they must also facilitate and not impede circulation between both halves of the office due to its positioning in the centre and beside a corridor. Thus, the design intervention must be sufficiently soundproof whilst also allowing for continued interaction between the two sides.

2. Time + Cost Constraints 3. Sound proofing + lighting needs

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Preliminary form sketches based on site constraints

Innovation Contrary to conventional acoustic pods which are enclosed and simply pieces of furniture, our goal is to construct a space that facilitates the f low of ideas whilst simultaneously providing privacy for its occupants. This demands for a structure that is unobtrusive, visually stimulating, and physically and mentally comfortable. Given recent explorations of suspension, the desire for both f luidity and modularity in forms, and the need for light and sound conditioning, the solution weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve arrived at is one derived from nature, that of a simple cocoon.

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CONCEPT DEVELOPMENT Narrative The concept of the cocoon is fundamentally simple. It offers protection as well as a space from which its occupant emerges more beautiful and sophisticated than before. The cocoon or chrysalis thus presents itself as a novel form to explore our idea of an acoustic meeting pod. Imagined with a soft and comfortable felt interior, it forms a warm environment for the safe expression of ideas. Concurrently, it also functions as a space through which such ideas â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;evolveâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; and develop progressively. Through its undulating shape constructed from modular panels, it will employ the principles of sound diffusion to reduce external noise. Concurrently, perforations can be adapted on its surface to fit a variety of needs such as visual interaction between external and internal users as well as more functional requirements such as lighting. To further augment a design office space, its geometrical plywood exterior will be visually stimulating, providing subtle colour and finesse which may improve the office atmosphere and supplement creative productivity. Thus, it fully incorporates our vision of a private and interactively open meeting space that is acoustically conditioned and sensuously stimulating.

Space that is comfortably safe and nurturing

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Cocoon Form

Urodid Moth Cocoon - Protection - Visual Transparency - Geometric Configuration - Evolution

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Workflow Diagram Reverse Engineering Parametrically generating the conceptualised form was relatively straight forward as the core geometry was a series of arcs. Applying translation and offset components produced the variation in surface diameter and the panellisation with hexagonal panels was achieved by using ‘lunchbox’. Due to the curvature, we were able to achieve a degree of irregularity in the form and by varying the u and v coordinates, it was also possible to alter the number of panels as well as utilise triangular or diamond panels. Once we generated the cells, we constructed the ‘fold’ or division of each hexagonal cell by translating two points from the cell’s face normal. This is achieved by first evaluating the diagonal length of each cell and then connecting the translated points to the cell vertices to form triangles. Following this, the lines are joined and then converted into surfaces to produced triangular panels. Consequently, these panels can then be efficiently unrolled, equipped with finger joints and detailed with reference numbers for fabrication. Note: opening size/distance between hexagonal halves can also be altered to increase irregularity by adjusting the diagonal lengths.

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Concept Montage

Phase Two: Loft arcs

Phase Four:

Phase Six:

Identify points along the cell diagonals

Translate points along normals

Phase One:

Phase Three:

Phase Five:

Construct arcs

Panellise with hexagonal cells

Find cell face normals

Phase Seven: Construct new lines with points

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C.2 TECTONIC ELEMENTS & PROTOTYPES Progress Check

Developing Prototypes

Tectonic Elements to Explore

After a secondary consultation, we’ve reassessed our current design and are working towards refining the form to become more ‘cocoon-like’. By f lipping the current form and experimenting with a potentially fully-suspended installation, we can further maximise the limited space and consequently design a semiopen interior that is acoustically optimised. However, with a more f luid base geometry, it is essential to experiment with a secondary joint system that will permit greater f lexibility in the connection between panels. Additionally, given roof or the enclosure approach being explored, perforation patterns will play a key role in lighting as well as aesthetic composition of the ‘cocoon’ pod.

1. Joint detailing 2. Modular panels 3. Perforation design well-documented and clearly structured parametric solutions). Consider economical use of material and efficient nesting.

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PROPOSAL REVISION Brainstorming

Form Composition Before commencing, we needed to define the key characteristics that would transform our current design into one that was more cocoon-like. This was conducted through preliminary sketching, utilising guiding curves to ensure a relatively hyperbolic spine. This was essential because an undulating spine cause the grasshopper definition to create large gaps in between modules that could not be supported by any kind of joint. Thus, base curves were constructed along a secondary curve with minimal tapering and variation in diameter over short distances. This would reduce the chances of panels being bisected or breaking planarity to connect to surrounding panels.

A secondary consideration was the extent to which points from the normals were translated out. In order to maintain a seemingly f luid form similar to a tensile membrane of a cocoon, the boundary component could be use to limit the distance of translation and hence to overall form.

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Concept Montage

Suspension detail to be configured so as to resemble ‘thread’

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Workflow Diagram & Form Refinement Arcs

Loft

List Item

Hex Cells

Patch

Evaluate Surface

Planarize + Deconstruct

Move Point

List Item

Valley Fold Lines

Project Perforations

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Normals

New Lines

Bound Srf

Extrude

Brep Intersection

Evaluate Curve Group & Unroll

Extrude

Planarisation

Perforations

After experimenting further with the definition, we identified that a substantial number of hexagonal panels were not planar. Due to the form being reverse engineered from a desired design, it was near impossible to parametrically control the bending of each module in order for them to adopt the curvature of the cocoon form. Thus, each hexagonal cell was made planar before mapping a module on to them. In doing so, it assured that the fabrication of modules was achievable through f lat panels. Given the thickness of Luan plywood, it would have been impossible for panels to bend in order to fit the form without decreasing its thickness or altering its structural composition. Thus, the needed adaptability could be supplemented through a secondary component of a f lexible joint.

The second change to the definition was to implement a perforation pattern for both light and aesthetic qualities. Initial trials, such as Prototype 3, explored the visual effects of random perforation before refining the script to allow for an intentional perforated design. Applying a spot pattern found on a cocoon through image sampling, circles were projected onto the lofted surface before extruding them along the normals (calculated for mapping modules) and then employing the brep intersection to form the perforated holes. Due to the varying surface planes however, not all perforations were uniform and as such, there are some variations of ellipses on the final form.

STEP 1 Create base arc

STEP 4 Draw diagonal valley fold lines

STEP 6 Move vertices of hexagonal cells along normals, redraw lines

STEP 2 Scale and move arcs

STEP 3 Loft surface in cocoon - like form

STEP 5 Find normals, sort normals that face inwards

STEP 6 Map hexagonal cells (lunchbox) planarize cells

STEP 7 Project Perforation

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Matrix Exploration SELECTION CRITERIA 1) Modular Variation 2) Unique Surface Patterning The current matrix exploration sees the culmination of certain grasshopper definitions explored in Part B. Stemming from the reverse engineering of the ICD/ ITKE Pavilion, we built the formfinding process of the cocoon form to exhibit a f luid overarching form, composed to multiple variations in modular surfaces for optimised sound diffusion and aesthetic variability.

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TECTONICS RECALIBRATION Form Engineering Prototype Evolution As depicted by the third prototype diagram, we have designed a 3D printed hinge, located between each module. The primary joint of each moduleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s panel remains as the finger joint to ensure a rigid hexagonal module but the 3D joint enables us to accommodate for greater bending at certain curvatures in the cocoon form. By utilising the 3D joint, we also accommodate for the small gaps between select panels due to its f lexibility. Fabricated from a durable plastic, it is connected by a thin steel pin that can be fixed into place after assemblage.

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Prototype 3- Construction Double Skin/Panel System A double skin/panel system is employed for two reasons: 1) to accommodate for the minimum thickness of the pin of the 3D joint, 2) to increase the absorption mass

Stage One: Glue each panel together and tape firmly to form the double skin panel component.

Stage Two: Once each moduleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s double skin panel is dry, align the finger joints and apply glue between them. Special care must be taken to prevent excess glue from seeping out from the joints.

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Stage Three: Turn the triangular panel so that the finger joints interlock. Apply pressure for a few seconds and tape in place.

Stage Four: Repeat on the alternate side before moving on to the final, central panel. Once all joints are in place, apply a second layer of glue along the internal joint edge and tape in place.

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Prototype 3- Construction

Stage Five: Apply glue sparingly to the plywood surface and ensure it is evenly spread. Special care must be taken to prevent excess glue from escaping through perforated holes.

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Stage Six: Glue to 3D joint into place and tape to fix.

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Prototype 3 Fabricability

Key Points:

The fabrication process for Prototype 3 is more or less the same as previous prototypes with the only additions being the introduction of perforated holes and gaps for the 3D printed joints.

1. Perforated pattern adds depth but can be further developed to reflect order of the pattern

Visual Finesse Overall the visual aesthetic has been greatly increased. The 3D joints accentuate the connections whilst the perforations add additional depth. Additionally, with larger scale and double skin panel, the finger joints become more heavily articulated, expressing the refined detail in the connection between panels.

2. The 3D printed joints provide an interesting aesthetic but could potentially be reduced in width 3. Scale improves constructibility and reduces the number of panels required

Scale The increase in scale allows for much easier assembly of the final structure. Additionally, it allows for the use of the 3D joint which would otherwise be too small if printed at a smaller scale.

Structural Stability The addition of a second skin significantly improves each panels load bearing capacity and structural stability. However, the increased weight will undoubtedly affect the suspension detail.

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Felt relocation coupled with the perforated panel articulates depth and the finesse of the fingger joints

Prototype 3

Prototype 3 (Perforation & 3D Joint) Visual Finesse Tactile Quality Irregularity Digital Precision Structural Stability Connection Detail Scale Efficiency Fabricability Transportability Acoustic Conditioning Formal and Functional Balance Performance Assessment

7.6 DETAILED DESIGN - 169

Prototype 3 Prototype 3 - Visual Finesse

3D Joints

The final product is both visually appealing and functionally successful. However, further improvements can be applied to the 3D joint size as well as the pattern of the perforations as they stand as one of the most appealing characteristics

Materiality

Structural Analysis

Felt Relocation Finger Joints Detail

Perfora-ons

Prototype 3 - Structural Stability Material Performance Connection Strength Suspension Detail

Prototype 3 - Connection Detail Finger Joints (Fixed) 3D Joints (Flexible) Glue Fric%on

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Aesthetics

The 3D joint has provided significant f lexibility to the prototype. However, as the current connection lies purely with the use of glue, it can further be explored to more firmly fix it to the prototype

Joint Effectiveness The increased thickness of the finger joints pose a connection problem when joining panels. This can perhaps be improved be decreasing the dimensions of the interior panelâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s finger joints.

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C.3 FINAL DETAIL MODEL Progress Check In preparation for the final proposal, we have made two final changes to our prototype: 1. Material change The switch to the lighter Poplar plywood significantly reduces the overall weight of each module whilst its clean, white surface more closely aligns to the visual perception of a cocoon. 2. 3D joint detail With the availability of the double skin system, the 3D joint can be strongly attached between and two panels whilst simultaneously concealing its attached surface. This provides a cleaner look that contributes to its overall finesse.

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PROTOTYPE REFINEMENT Construction

Stage One: Gluing double skin panels

Stage Two: Ensuring flat surface

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Prototype 4

Stage Three: Module construction

Stage Four: Felt application (interchangeable with Stage Five)

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Prototype 4

Stage Five: 3D joint addition (interchangeable with Stage Four)

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Materiality LIGHT WEIGHT VERSATILITY EASE OF WORK AESTHETIC COST

LIGHT WEIGHT VERSATILITY EASE OF WORK AESTHETIC

COST POPLAR

LIGHT WEIGHT VERSATILITY EASE OF WORK AESTHETIC COST

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Prototype 4

Prototype 4 (Final Prototype) Visual Finesse Tactile Quality Irregularity Digital Precision Structural Stability Connection Detail Scale Efficiency Fabricability Transportability Acoustic Conditioning Formal and Functional Balance Performance Assessment

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8.5

Prototype 4 Visual Finesse The clean white surface of the poplar accentuates the apparent â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;weightlessnessâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; of the material. Surprisingly, the discolouration from the laser cutter serves to emphasise the finger joints whilst the organised variation of the perforations contribute to the overall aesthetic. Additionally, the concealed 3D joint further contributes to the clean finish, allowing for a holistic composition that is cleverly finished by the pattern of the perforations, visible only at full scale.

Scale At the scale of 1:1, each module can be efficiently transported and assembled on sight without overcomplicating the construction process.

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Prototype 4 Prototype 4 - Visual Finesse Felt Location Finger Joints Detail Concealed 3D Joint Materiality Perfora-on Pa/ern

Prototype 4 - Connection Detail Finger Joints (Fixed) 3D Joints (Flexible) Glue Fric%on

Prototype 4 - Structural Stability Material Performance Connection Strength Suspension Detail

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Overall Composition The careful detail of the double skin system meticulously conceals the 3D joint to produce a clean finish. The significantly lighter material will allow for a fully suspended structure, composing a f loating meeting space that will appear weightless. The interior felt finish will serve both to reduce sound but also seamlessly conceal the 3D joint.

DETAILED DESIGN - 183

PROPOSAL SYNTHESIS The Cocoustic Pod

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DETAILED DESIGN - 185

PANEL EVOLUTION

3D PRINT HINGE JO

POPLAR PLYWO MODULE PA

3D PRINT HINGE JO

186

OINT

OOD ANEL

OINT

FELT

DETAILED DESIGN - 187

1:25 Model

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1:5 Model

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UU n r o l l e d M o d u l e P a n e l s 126 Modules

3 3

2 2

1 1

MOD 0MODMOD 0 1MOD 1 MOD 2MOD 2 MOD 3MOD 3

MOD 4MOD 4

MOD 25 MOD MOD 25 26 MOD 26 MOD 27 MOD 27MOD 28 MOD 28 MOD 29 MOD 29

6 3 3

MOD 5MOD 5 MOD 6MOD 6

4 0

5 1

7 3

MOD 20 MOD 20 MOD 21 MOD 21MOD 22 MOD 22 MOD 23 MOD 23 MOD 24 MOD 24 0

MOD 7MOD 7 MOD 8MOD 8 MOD 9MOD 9

3 7

MOD 30 MOD 30MOD 31 MOD 31 MOD 32 MOD 32 MOD 33 MOD 33 MOD 34 MOD 34

1 1

MOD 10 MOD 10MOD 11 MOD 11 MOD 12 MOD 12MOD 13 MOD 13MOD 14 MOD 14 7

MOD 35 MOD 35MOD 36 MOD 36MOD 37 MOD 37 MOD 38 MOD 38 MOD 39 MOD 39

3 3

5 0

MOD 40 MOD 40MOD 41 MOD 41 MOD 42 MOD 42MOD 43 MOD 43 MOD 44 MOD 44

7 3

2 6

6 2

1 5

5 1

0 4

4 0

MOD 50MOD MOD 50 51MOD 51 MOD 52MOD 52MOD 53MOD 53 MOD 54MOD 54 7

3 3

MOD 80MODMOD 80 81MODMOD 81 82MOD 82 MOD 83MOD 83 MOD 84MOD 84

MOD 85MODMOD 85 86MOD 86 MOD 87MOD MOD 87 88MOD 88 MOD 89MOD 89

6 7

6 3

6 1

7 3

6 2

5 1

3 7

7 5

6 7

3 1

192 1

MOD 55MOD 55 MOD 56MOD MOD 56 57MOD 57MOD 58MOD 58 MOD 59MOD 59 3

7 5

3 1

MOD 75MODMOD 75 76MODMOD 76 77MODMOD 77 78MOD MOD 78 79MOD 79 7

MOD 45MOD 45MOD 46MODMOD 46 47MOD 47MOD 48MOD 48MOD 49MOD 49

7 5

3 1

3 6

MOD 15 MOD 15 MOD 16 MOD 16 MOD 17 MOD 17MOD 18 MOD 18MOD 19 MOD 19

3 1

7 5

3 1

MOD 109 3

MOD 115

MOD 116 3

MOD 117 3

6 7

MOD 124

MOD 125

3 7

6 2

3 7

MOD 118

MOD 110 3

MOD 119

MOD 111 3

MOD 120

MOD 112

MOD 113

MOD 121

7 3 7 3

MOD 122

MOD 126

DETAILED DESIGN - 193

7 3

3 3

7 3

7 6

3 2

7 6

3 2 6

100 101MOD 101102MODMOD 102 103MOD 103 MOD 100MOD MOD MOD MOD 104MOD 104

3 2

4 0

5 1

MOD 108

MOD 39

3 2 7

MOD 38

MOD 37

MOD 36

7 3

6 2

6 1

4 0

MOD 35

MOD 123

5 1

7 2

MOD 114

MOD 106 MOD 107

MOD 105

MOD 44

MOD 43

3 7

3 3

MOD 42

MOD 41

70 71 MOD 71 72 MOD 72 73 74 MOD 74 MOD 70 MODMOD MOD MOD 73 MODMOD

7 6 2

6 7

6 5

95 96 MOD 96 97 MOD 97 98 MOD 98 MOD 95 MODMOD MOD MOD MOD 99 MOD 99

MOD 14

MOD 13

MOD 79

MOD 12

MOD 78

MOD 11

0 4

1 5

MOD 77

MOD 40

2 6

3 2

MOD 84

4 0

7 6

MOD 89

3 7

65 66 MOD 66 67 MOD 67 68 69 MOD 69 MOD 65 MODMOD MOD MOD 68 MODMOD 3

5 1

6 6

90 91 MOD 91 92 MOD 92 93 MODMOD 93 94 MOD 94 MOD 90 MODMOD MOD MOD 4

0 1

MOD 76

4 0

MOD 94

MOD 99

3 2

MOD 104

3 1

MOD 83

6 2

7 3

MOD 88

4 0

5 1

6 2

MOD 93

7 3

MOD 98

MOD 103

5 0

MOD 19

3 3

3 4

7 6

60 61 MOD 61 62 MOD 62 63 64 MOD 64 MOD 60 MODMOD MOD MOD 63 MOD MOD 3

MOD 82

85 86 MODMOD 86 87 MOD 8788 MODMOD 88 89 MOD 89 MOD 85 MOD MOD MOD

6 6

MOD 75

MOD 49

MOD 87

MOD 18

MOD 48

4 7

MOD 17

MOD 16

MOD 47

3 5

2 3

0 4

2 1

1 5

6 0

6 7

MOD 92

3 2 5

MOD 97

MOD 46

7 7

4 3

6 7

MOD 91

2 7 6

MOD 102

MOD 81

MOD 86

80 81 MOD 8182 MOD 82 83 MOD 83 84 MOD 84 MOD 80 MOD MOD MOD MOD MOD

MOD 80

MOD 85

7 5

MOD 90

55 56 MOD 56 57 MOD 57 58 59 MOD 59 MOD 55 MODMOD MOD MOD 58 MODMOD 5

MOD 96

4 0

5 5

3 2

6 2 4

MOD 101

5 1

7 3 0

MOD 95

MOD 100

4 0

50 51 MODMOD 51 52 MOD 52 53 54 MOD 54 MOD 50 MOD MOD MOD 53 MODMOD 3

4 0

5 1

MOD 54

7576 MOD 76 77 MOD 77 78 MOD MOD 75 MOD MOD MOD MOD MOD7879 MOD 79

5 1

6 2

MOD 59

MOD 53

7 3

6 2

MOD 52

7 3

6 2

MOD 64

7 3

MOD 69

6 6

MOD 74

45 46 MOD 46 47 MOD MOD 47 48 MODMOD 48 49 MOD 49 MOD 45 MOD MOD MOD 3

MOD 51

MOD 58

40 41 MOD 41 MOD 40 MOD MOD MOD 42 MOD 42 MOD 43 MOD 43MOD 44 MOD 44

6 3

4 4

MOD 57

MOD 56 7

1 4

2 5

4 0

MOD 63

5 1

MOD 68

6 2

6 7

7 3

MOD 62

MOD 73

MOD 67

MOD 72

3 2

MOD 61

MOD 66

MOD 71

D 45

OD 50

D 55

D 60

OD 65

OD 70

15 16MOD 16 MOD 15MODMOD MOD 17MOD 17 MOD 18MOD 18 MOD 19MOD 19

MODULE SUMMARY FINGER JOINT

6mm x 6mm x 6mm

SUSPENSION SYSTEM

CRH Con-lock suspension

HIDDEN HINGE JOINT

3d printed hinge joint

SUSPENDED LIGHTING

The above diagram summarises the components needed for each module. The only additions not self fabricated are the CRH Con-lock suspension system and the suspended lighting fixture. The idea of suspension further emphasises the Cocoon narrative whilst simultaneously removing issues of structural support.

194

PROJECTED FABRICATION & ASSEMBLY COST

PROJECTED COST TOTAL: $7,447

ESTIMATED TIME TOTAL: 220 HRS

CALCULATED WEIGHT TOTAL: 61 KG

DETAILED DESIGN - 195

ASSEMBLY INSTRUCTIONS

196

DETAILED DESIGN - 197

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200

C.4 LEARNING OBJECTIVES AND OUTCOMES Feedback Analysis Co(coustic) Pod The final project has proven to be the greatest learning experience in my study of design thus far. The end product evidently highlights the extent to which we have come with regards to digital design and the process of enacting ideas into constructible projects. Although the overall critique was positive, there are indefinitely areas for improvement such as the fine tuning of the 3D joint as well as a more refined production of the perforated patterns. Additionally, time could also be save if the production of panels was conducted by a tool that could cut along more than one dimension. However, this is restricted by what tools were already available. From an acoustics standpoint, without actually testing it, it would be difficult to measure its effectiveness and as such, that is another area I would like to further explore. Overall, weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve come a long way from our hand crafted prototype and the final product is something to be proud of.

DETAILED DESIGN - 201

REFLECTION Studio AIR The last two months have really pushed my limits, exploring the new and challenging world of digital design. Parametric design requires a sound understanding of logical relationships, often most of which do not seem logical at all. Although the forms afforded by such technology are widely appealing, it is the streamlined process from design conception to prototype fabrication that will ultimately draw me to continue my studies in this field. Grasshopper has been an invaluable tool for both my personal growth and design maturity. Often I would be overcome with frustration because Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d be unable to see the clear connection but if thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s one thing Studio Air has taught me, its hard work beats talent when talent fails to work hard.

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