ADS AIR WYNDHAM’S GATEWAY PROJECT BY SZE LIEW
ARCHITECTURE AS A DISCOURSE
“ARCHITECTURE IS A BICYCLE SHED.” - NIKOLAUS PEVSNER
week one reading
COMPUTATION IN ARCHITECTURE PARAMETRIC DESIGN EOI ARGUMENT EOI PRECEDENTS
Today, architecture is not merely a form of building or a style that an architect used to express his artistic vision, but it is of something more meaningful - a discourse. A series of critical approaches that have emerged over the past century on how things are per-
EOI CRITERIA EOI MATRICES EOI CASE STUDY- REVERSE ENGINEER
ceived and can be perceived. Indeed, it is the utmost appropriate
EOI FURTHER EXPLORATIONS
means for an artist to express and engage his work with the world.
EOI FABRICATION EOI CONCLUSION EOI REFLECTION
INTRODUCTION
content
EIFFEL TOWER BY GUSTAVE EIFFEL PARIS, FRANCE
01
THE ONGOING ARCHITECTURAL DISCOURSE Built after the French Revolution in marking the centennial celebration, the Eiffel Tower was once referred as an eyesore by the public. Now, standing at 324 metres high is this iconic monument at the centre of Paris where millions of visitors gather every year just to get a picture with it. Being the tallest building in Paris, the Eiffel Tower is considered as architecture breakthrough as the whole structure was constrcuted solely on puddle iron, one of the purest form of structural iron found, along with milions of rivets joining these structures together. As simple as the design may look, the risk of constructing this work of art was great because it is an open frame building with no intermediate floors except the two platforms. The reason for its simplicity was for easy dismantlement as the building only had a 20 years permit. However, it was found more useful than its original purpose of building it, which it was used as a military communication during the First Battle of the Marne. Thus, Eiffel Tower was allowed to remain till today.
WEEK 1
02 A big contrast to the Eiffel Tower, the La Tourette is a heavily masseed concrete monastery. Unlike the openness the Eiffel Tower portray, this building is fully covered with thick walls in the form of regular repeating grid to show its deliberate harshness and ruggedness. Defying the designs of ordinary religious buildings, this simple yet modern design of the monastery reveals an empathy with the life of the monks. Many would argue that this is too simple but to me it is an avant garde design whereby Le Corbusier defy the norms of religious building design such as the Classical to create this abstract composition which seems appropriate. Religious or not, today this building has become the site of pilgrimage for architectural students.
LA TOURETTE LE CORBUSIER
WEEK 1
LYON, FRANCE
03
ABU DHABI PERFORMING ARTS CENTRE ZAHA HADID ABU DHABI, UAE
Living in the era where organic architecture is classified as modern architecture, this Performing Art Centre captures Frank Lloyd Wright’s idea of architecture as an organism where the building, the structure, the environment and everything else is seen as an integrated whole. This centre is envisioned to be one of the five major cultural centre institutions on the new 270-heactare cultural district of Saadiyat Island in abu Dhabi. Quoted from Zaha Hadid, “the design of the Performing Arts Centre [is] a sculptural form that emerges from a linear intersection of pedestrian paths within the cultural district, gradually developing into the growing organism that sprouts a network of successive branches”. Indeed, this building has taken design into the computational world where complicated buildings are no longer just a thought or an imagination. from these three examples, the combination of simple designs and the use of technology can be further explored to create the design for an eye-catching gateway for the Wyndham City Project.
WEEK 1
WATERLOO TRAIN STATION NICHOLAS GRIMSHAW AND PARTNERS LONDON, ENGLAND
PARAMETRIC DESIGN: EVOLUTIONIZED ARCHITECTURE From scaled hand drawings to digitally produced drawings, one can see how architecture has changed in terms of design approaches and methods. A great example of how parametric design is used as a form generative tool is the International Terminal of Waterloo Station in London. The gradual change of the building design can be depicted claerly through stages of repertoire transformation almost like a metamorphosis as shown on Figure 2. Generating a design form no longer needs the conventional way of acquiring inspiration but by manipulating the control points of a curve, shape etc. The dynamic form of the building was based an motion based modelling where the effects of surrounding force shapes the building.
WEEK 2
In this case, the coordinates of parametric design are like the virtual forces from the environment shaping and moulding the form of the building. Also, with parametric design, details like the 36 dimensionally different but identically configured three-pin bowstring arches on the waterloo roof (Figure 1) could easily be created by assigning different values in the overall geometric model. Indeed, parametrics are exceptionally useful for modelling complex forms. Also, I personally think that architecture now has become more flexible and free as compared to architecture back when forms were restricted by our imagination. These new approaches to design has given rise to new possibilities and variations which can be used to design the Wyndham Gateway Project.
CONTEMPORARY SCRIPTING AND PROGRAMMING CULTURE Computers that were initially used as a drafting device is now a design medium with the ability to represent complex curvelinear forms. Parametric design in this case offer a variety of possibilities by modifying the mathematical data that will result in a different configuration of the design. Folding as an agent is parametric connections for separate entities which operate by itself while affecting the other like a “hetergenous continuos system”. Therefore, folding implies a formless architecture, for it deals with the process rather than the final result. It searches for continuity among objects and forms connections between them. In the Stranded Sears Tower project by Greg Lynn, consisting of nine office towers that are decomposed from a single high-rise tower. The changing form of the vertical office tower by elongating it in the horizontal direction is coupled with the multiplication of the tower through interlocking tubular structures. The distinctive geometry of the towers is achieved by external forces acting on the tubes. As Lynn describes,
STRANDED SEARS TOWER GREG LYNN
“The rigid geometry that dictated the exact parallel relations between tubes was rejected for a more supple description. Through a geometry that is more supple, the nine contiguous tubes accommodate themselves fluidly and flexibly to the multiple and often discontinuous borders of the site. The relations between tubes are not exactly parallel. These supple deflections allow connection to take place, which would have been repressed by a more rigid and reductive geometric system of description.”
WEEK 3
REFERENCES week 2 readings http://glform.com/buildings/stranded-sears-tower http://www.aviewoncities.com/paris/eiffeltower.htm http://www.arcspace.com/architects/corbusier/La_Tourette/
“New skins can change not only their transparency and colour, but also their shape in response to various environmental influences” - Mark Goulthorpe/ dECOi
http://inhabitat.com/zaha-hadids-performing-arts-centre-in-abu-dhabi/
RESPONSIVE ARCHITECTURE Responsive architecture is known to measure actual environmental conditions via sensors, in order to enable buildings to adapt their form, shape, colour or character responsively; via actuators. Therefore, we aim to refine and extend the discipline of architecture by improving the relation between nature and design with responsive elements while also producing a design that reflect the technological and cultural conditions of our time. After doing some background research within the Wyndham District, our group found that the wetlands in Werribee are actually damaged due to excess grey water with no source of outlet. Responding to the issue arises from the extra waste water, we decided to explore ways to channel the waste water to the site and create a water inspired design for the Wyndham’s Western Gateway. Instead of being just a sculpture along the sidewalk of the highway, we came out with the idea of creating a functional facade that works as a layer of filter in responding to the issue of overloading water. This design thus creates a whole new drive through experience for the drivers along the highway, as well as creating an awareness of the water issue not only in Wyndham City in particular, but in the whole of Victoria too.
ARGUMENT
OFF THE GRID: SUSTAINABLE HABITAT 2020
Interior and Exterior Interface WIND
Interior and Exterior Interface RAIN
Interior and Exterior Interface SUN
Interior and Exterior Interface WASTE
Based on the goal in creating sustainable housing for China in year 2020, this project strives to create a dynamic building that continually evolves in order to optimise the power of the sun, wind and rain. Off The Grid looks into the notion of constructing a sustainble living quality within the building by applying skin technology onto the buildign facade. Instead of serving only as a structural componet of the building, the skin is functionally ‘alive’ and act as a membrane to harness energy. This membrane is the strong link between the exterior and interior habitat in collecting and channeling air, water and light from outside feeding into the inside space supplying all the necessities to live off the grid.
EOI PRECEDENTS
BLOOMING TOWER The Blooming Tower with a kinetic facade, opens and closes due to environmental changas to to collact dew throughout the day. During the day, the sail cloth is closed and sarves to provide protection from the sun. While the flaps are dosed, a chimney effect is created in the tower and hot air rises up and out, drawing in cool air. Each flap also has the ability to move, and as it vibrates with the wind an attached piezo-electric device generates power for the building. At night, the sail doth flaps opan like the patals of a flower and collect dew from the night air and store it underground in a reservoir.This dew collection system is expected to capture enough watar to accommodata the antire building’s needs.
EOI PRECEDENTS
THE KIEFER TECHNIC SHOWROOM The Kiefer Technic Showroom is an office building and exhibition space with a dynamic facade that changes to outdoor conditions, optimizing internal climate, while allowing users to personalize their own spaces with user controls. A pure example of reactive architecture, with the buildings skin responding to nature’s forces. The building is an example of reactive design. It presents a new facade as the day progresses, defining it as a dynamic sculpture that regulates the internal environment of the building. The sun screen operates on electronic shutters of performated aluminum panels. When occupants want to adjust the light or temperature in a room, they don’t pull on shades or twist a little rod. Instead, they can control any or all of the 112 metal tiles that grace the exterior of the showroom by means of 56 engines.
EOI PRECEDENTS
WATER BUILDING RESORT: FORMS FOLLOW FUNCTION Designed to look a water drop, the Water building aims to be the first building in the world to generate water from the atmosphere using solar power. This building also focuses on helping people to develop a btter understanding and appreciation in the natural environment as well as renewable energy. In order to achieve the sustainable outcome, the building uses a new technology developed by TeexMicron™, an alliance with TEEX© (Expansion European Technological) and WaterMicron Industries, Ltd, specializing in the design, manufacturing and distribution of Atmospheric Water Generators. Making use of the natural condensation of humidity within the air, daily evaportaion and nightime condesation, water is produced. As for power, photovoltaic glass makes up the entire southern facade to capture solar energy while the northern facade has TeexMicron™ equipment to allow natural ventilation. The captured water is then purified through the equipment incorporated in the base of the tower. I find the idea of water generating through solar power very interesting but only to an extent because the overall idea and design of the building is too literal and it makes the project slightly dull. A more abstract protrayal of this design would be better to create some design dynamics for the building.
EOI PRECEDENTS
DIGITAL WATER PAVILION This digital pavilion comprises with only a floor, supported columns, a roof platform and sensors all around it. When it closes, the roof will lower down and the entire pavilion will disappear, when it opens, the water will fall from the edges of the roof to create water curtain walls. Those water walls are controlled by motion sensors and computer programs. The sensors can display images and pattern by computer and furthermore, they can detect approach of any moving objects and open the ‘water curtain’ up and let the objects go through and close up. It works exactly the same way how Moses opened the Red Sea. By applying this technic to the Wyndham project, we couldcreate a construction that reacts to the surrounding environment to perform it function automatically and minimise the maintainance.
EOI PRECEDENTS
GLITTERING METALLIC PAVILION This construction reacts with temperature and sunlight to expand the size of those 14,000 pieces of bimetallic material and also control them to curl up and down. Considering to apply this environmental response to the Wyndham project, we can create a facade with these bimetallic material to perform a visual effect according to the temperature on site and to project shading to the ground by the sunligh density, furthermore, it is also possible to create shadowed patterns on the ground by those bimetallic elements.
EOI PRECEDENTS
REFERENCES http://www.designboom.com/weblog/cat/9/view/12139/ernst-giselbrecht-partner-kiefer-technic-showroom.html http://openbuildings.com/buildings/digital-water-pavilion-profile-4083 http://www.treehugger.com/green-architecture/bloom-responsive-thermobimetal-paviliondoris-kim-sung.html http://www.snegidhi.com/2009/11-7/water-droplet-resort.html http://www.core.form-ula.com/2007/10/27/off-the-grid2020/ http://inhabitat.com/blooming-dubai-tower-collects-dew-and-generates-energy/
After looking at the previous six precedents, one common feature found in the precedents of responsive architecture is a mechanism that functions to receive, channel, and reproduce. Setting that as the main criteria for the Wyndham Gateway Project, our technique is to use grasshopper to explore the relationship between the idea of “receive, channel and reproduce� by creating a series of open patterns, that can potentially be applied onto the functional facade and ultimately act as a filter for the interaction of the built and natural environment.
CRITERIA
MATRICES
MATRICES
MATRICES
AIRSPACE TOKYO Airspace Tokyo strongly displays the design approach of mixing voronoi, layering and lighting. Built of laser- cut aluminium and plastic composite, the facade not only produces a unique outlook, it also has a purely functional purpose- to hide an integrated ventilation system and to diffuse exterior light falling into the galleries.In relation to the gateway project, this building explores the idea of a functional facade which is our group’s design intent for the Wyndham Gateway Project.
AIRSPACE TOKYO FAULDERS STUDIO TOKYO, JAPAN
CASE STUDY
REFERENCES http://faulders-studio.com/proj_airspace.html
Voronoi 1
Overlayed voronoi
Voronoi 2
Voronoi 3
REVERSE ENGINEERING
CHOSEN MATRICES In order to create a series of uniform and individually controllable openings (filters of the form), we started looking into creating a few attractor points, so that each hole size can be altered as the attractor point changes. We were also able to control distance between each hole by applying multiple math functions onto the patterns formed, so that water can flow through each individual hole instead of converging into one direction, which will be shown in the model experimentation. By thsse techniques, we managed to come out with a few matrices that can potentially become the pattern on the functional facade.
Non-uniform voronoi shapes
Uniform circles
Diameter of the openings (mm)
Pace of water flowing down (sec)
2.73
10
4.91
8
9.73
6
11.09
3
EXPERIMENTATION WITH MODEL In order to create a flowing water design, the openings of the form’s facade has to be uniformly shaped. Unable to maintain a series of uniform openings, we decided not to use voronoi patterning, instead we started exploring circles for the openings of the facade. Here are some of the exploration patterns with different diameters of holes. We wanted to test the relationship between the diameters (size) of the holes and the pace of water flwoing through the openigs.
EXPERIMENT OUTCOME After a few experiments, our group found that the distance between the holes has to be at least 0.05 mm apart from each other. This is to prevent the water from concentrating the water into one direction like the second picture. Also, we found the diameter of the hole is directly proportional to the speed of water flowing through the hole. Therefore, in order to control the water flowing pace, a water pressure system needs to be installed to comtrol the speed of water.
Water flowing through individual hole with a minimum distance of 0.05mm apart.
Pattern developed for experimention. The holes are too near each other thus water is unable to flow in individual direction as shown in the picture above.
MODEL PICTURES Pictures of model taken when water is flowing and after the water is fully drained.
REFLECTION
CONCLUSION The exploration of creating a functional facade for the Wyndham Project is a respond to Wyndham’s issue of overloading waste water in Werribee. Combining this idea with the research which we have done, we manage to create a design which features a series of openings/ filters for the water to flow through thus creating an awareness for the locals as well as the public outside Wyndham District.
In the process of exploring the design whereby the water has to flow through a series holes to create different designs, I noticed that it is very difficult to achieve the desired outcome with the limited sources our group has. Our group’s intention was to make use of the openings to generate patterns as water flows through the holes, but we cannot solve the issue of controlling the water pressure and manipulating the sizes of the openings. Therefore, I have decided to approach this design in a simpler and more practical way, which is looking at how patterns can be derived by channelling the extra waste water away from the wetlands. Grasshoper will be used to generate an effective system of patterning to drive the extra water to the site, thus creating a possibly unique landscaping pattern or form which not only reflects on Wyndham’s environmental friendly image, also, forming a water awareness to the public.