STUDIO AIR 2017, SEMESTER 1, FINNIAN WARNOCK CHENG CHI YAU STEPHANIE
CONTENT
A / CONCEPTUALISATION A.0 / INTRODUCTION .................................... 04 A.1 / DESIGN FUTURING ............................... 06 A.2 / DESIGN COMPUTATION A.3 / COMPOSITION/ GENERATION A.4 / CONCLUSION
A.0 / INTRODUC TION
My name is Stephanie Cheng and I am a third year student studying in Bachelor of Environments, majoring in Architecture. I come from Hong Kong and it has been two years living and studying in Melbourne, which I enjoy a lot. Throughout the past two years, I have got in touch with a wide range of architecture with different forms and languages base on various site contexts. Thus, I have developed strong interest in the relationship of architecture, people and surrounding contexts. For me, architecture is a medium that expresses the surrounds, connects people with it, and creates different emotional and physical experiences. I think Studio Air is an opportunity for me to explore more on this relationship with a focus on abstract forms and geometries in architecture. Despite hand drawing, sketching and designing are always the most comfortable and convenient ways for me to present my thoughts since secondary school, it was not until I started to use digital software like Rhino3D and AutoCAD to work on my designs in Visual Environment and other design studios. After entering Air Studio, I have realised there are still a lot for me to explore and practice with the digital software. With the use of Rhino3D and Grasshopper, I hope to strengthen my skills on using technical software in order to present my ideas in the best way and articulate my theoretical knowledge to the design.
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CONCEPTUALISATION
Digital Design and Fabrication is the course that give students chances to encounter digital software fabrications for modelling. It was about producing a sleeping pod base on the analysis of skin and bone structures. Before using digital software, different media like paper and straws are used to carry out the basic analysis of the structural system. Rhino3D with Panelling Tools are then used to create several iterations digitally for analysis and come up with the final design. Since my design is made up of thousands of straws, it would be impossible to try different iterations simply by hand. Using Panelling tools to imitate the geometries and patterns of the skin part of the sleeping pod reduce efforts and time to try out different combinations. The digital design can also increase accuracy and efficiency to generate different possibilities of design. Yet, considering the limitation of the materials – straws and costs, we can only digitally design the outcome but fabricate it by hand. Neither using laser cut to trim the straws nor using 3D printing are the most cost-effective way to build the outcome. It was a pity that we do not have the chance to encounter digital fabrications, but I definitely developed alternative design methods with the use of technologies and would like to explore more in the future. Design for me is a continuous path of learning and discover new things, I hope to continue the journey in Air Studio.
CONCEPTUALISATION 5
A.1 / DESIGN FUTURING Architecture as a design practice that contributes ideas to the ongoing disciplinary discourse and culture.
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CONCEPTUALISATION
BACKGROUND With the anthropocentric mode of human that continues consume limited natural resources, we are facing a defuturing condition of sustainability, which comes along with different unpredictable climate problems (Fry, 2009). In the readings Design Futuring and Speculative Everything, they pointed out that we needed to change and redirect our modes and ways of design to achieve a sustainable future (Dunne & Raby, 2013). Followings are the three main concepts in general.
IDENTITY PROBLEMS AND LIMITATIONS
DESIGN INTELLIGENCE
Design speculation, mentioned by Dunne and Raby (2013), is the idea of exploring possible futures, and highlight limitations in the present that may lead to undesirable future, so that we can limit the problems and slow down the rate of defuturing.
Design Intelligence, introduced by Fry (2009), means to “make crucial judgements about actions that could increase or decrease futuring potential”. Similar to Fry’s view, Dunne and Raby (2013) also mention that being critical and skeptical on different assumptions could refine a design in a better way. Instead of having only one design solution, generating alternatives through critical design and allow common objectives to be achievable by different means are probably the best way to come up with a sustainable and desirable design (Fry, 2009).
REDIRECTION Regarding the current design trend, a few main characteristics are identified in the readings. Human-centred, commercialized and marketled design are no longer the best way to reach a desirable future (Fry, 2009). We should establish new systems that can identify the problems of existing way of design, then develop sets of new directions and methods that are appropriate for different situation (Fry, 2009). In Studio Air, it is not about finding a general or universal practice that can solve any design issues; it is about changing our mind-sets and perspectives, then redirect our ways of design in order to deal with different situations.
It will be a continuous journey towards sustainability, efforts from the public and time are crucial to promote intelligence design. Through education, we can mobilize not only individual, but also public to participate more actively in exploring a sustainable future and make a real difference.
CONCEPTUALISATION 7
FIG.1 SUSTAINABILITY PAVILION (GRIMSHAW ARCHITECT, 2016)
FIG.2 SUSTAINABILITY PAVILION (GRIMSHAW ARCHITECT, 2016)
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CONCEPTUALISATION
SUSTAINABILITY PAVILION DUBAI EXPO 2020 / GRIMSHAW ARCHITECT / 2016
Sustainability Pavilion, aims to promote ecology, sustainable technologies and design to the global audiences, is one of the three largest pavilion to be erected for Dubai Expo 2020 (Grimshaw, 2017). It is designed by Grimshaw Architects, which are known for their design of transport projects and others like art and culture. The pavilion illuminates the ingenuity and possibility of architecture with intelligent strategies for sustainable future living. With the inspiration from natural processes like photosynthesis, the over-arching structures are able to provide shade, collect fresh water form humid air, as well as generate energy form the large photovoltaic panels in order to be selfsustaining even in extreme climates (Grimshaw, 2017).
The series of “energy trees� surrounding the main pavilion is revolutionary for its message that nature is capable of reacting to its setting (Lynch, 2016). Instead of sacrificing the future to sustain the excess of the present, the pavilion is able minimises resource consumption by using flexible elements. Together with the selfsufficient characteristic of this national project, it leaves a strong social impact on the current and future generations to engage in environmental protection, and inspires the visitors to make use innovation in science and design to achieve sustainability (Stevens, 2017). Last but not least, the pavilion will be continue used as a science Exploratorium, which will constantly contribute ideas towards a desirable future. The architecture itself not only stands as a sustainable design, it also inspires and mobilize people to engage in public discussion to strive for a better future.
CONCEPTUALISATION 9
FIG.3 “WALING CITY” DRAWING. (ARCHIGRAM, 1964)
FIG.4 “WALING CITY” DRAWING. (ARCHIGRAM, 1964)
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CONCEPTUALISATION
WALKING CITY RON HERRON / ARCHIGRAM / 1964
Different form the Sustainable Pavilion, “Walking City” is a conceptual architecture design by British architect Ron Herron in 1964 from Archigram (Wpengine, 2002). The works of Archigram, whose projects were inspired by technology in the 1960s, are source of inspiration for later works of Richard Rogers, Renzo Piano, Future Systems and other architects (Merin, 2013). The nomadic city can move from place to place to find alternative economic and physical conditions. As designed as a moving self-contain city after the Second World War, it would search for natural resources whenever their owner needed and once the resources were used up, it would shift to another place (Wpengine, 2002). This project is an example of speculative architecture; it is not a built project and may not be the best solution to cope with current problems; and it was even preserved as a future ruined world of the consequence of nuclear war. However, it brings out the possible future that one day the natural resources like land and energy will be used up, and we can use it as
tools to understand the present situations in order to cope with the issues (Dunne & Raby, 2013). It raises the awareness of public about the way we consume natural resources and the issues generated. Despite the project may not be desirable for not coping the root problems, we can see it as a catalyst that inspires people to rethink from a different perspective – discuss and generate alternatives, for instance regenerate natural resources or use renewable resources, which can bring us to a sustainable and desirable future. The Walking City was thought of a radical and controversial design that people might criticize on its ability on solving the root problems, but it inspires people to concern more about the relationship between nature, urban and people, and what possible futures will the current human-oriented society lead to. The idea of Walking City also mobilizes people to think and reflect about their patterns of living, to change their living style and to find alternative ways to cope with the problems.
CONCEPTUALISATION 11
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CONCEPTUALISATION
REFERENCE Dunne, A., & Fiona, R. (2013). Speculative Everything: Design Fiction, and Social Dreaming. MIT Press. 1-9, 33-45 Fry, T. (2008). Design Futuring: Sustainability, Ethics and New Practice. Oxford: Berg. 1–16 Grimshaw. (2017). Dubai Expo 2020 Sustainability Pavilion. Retrieved from https://grimshaw.global/ projects/dubai-expo-2020-sustainability-pavilion/ Lynch, P. (2016). Grimshaw to Design Sustainability Pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai. Retrieved from http:// www.archdaily.com/794961/grimshaw-to-design-sustainability-pavilion-at-expo-2020-dubai Merin, G. (2013). AD Classics: The Plug-In City / Peter Cook, Archigram. Retrieved from http://www. archdaily.com/399329/ad-classics-the-plug-in-city-peter-cook-archigram Stevens, P. (2017). Expo 2020 Dubai: Grimshaw Details Plans for Sustainability Pavilion. Retrieved from http:// www.designboom.com/architecture/expo-2020-dubai-grimshaw-sustainability-pavilion-01-19-2017/ Wpengine. (2002). Walking City, from Archigram. Retrieved from https://www.seasteading.org/2011/03/
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