Studio AIR by Tak Onishi

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Takeru Onishi 508631 Michael & David

CONTENTS ABOUT ME 4 Previous Work Virtual Environments Design Studio Water

A Case for Innovation

A.1 Architecture as a Discourse Manuel Gea Gonzales Hospital Sendai Mediatheque A.2 Computation in Architecture Aqua Tower A.3 Parametric Modelling National Bank of Kuwait Khan Shatyr Entertainment Centre

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Hi! My name is Takeru, and I am in my 3rd year of studying architecture in Melbourne University. I was born in New Jersey, USA and lived in Japan and Canada but mostly lived in Bangkok, Thailand. I love food (Thai food especially). I appreciate my friends. I have a passion for music. I have been singing and playing guitar for about 8 years!

PREVIOUS WORK VIRTUAL ENVIRONMENTS Throughout studying in Melbourne, I have come to use the computer for most of my projects and presentation, using AutoCAD, Rhino and Photoshop. As an amateur of understanding digital design theory I am limited by it but I hope to become familiar with it. Through computerization, I have previously produced a digital model using Rhino through the concept of understanding a natural process, in essence biomimicry in which becomes a base for a computerized design. This is then panelized and folded onto thick paper, to then wear

the model on the body. Ice cracking and melting became the theme of my project, where the cracks became closer together as you approach the point of impact. I believe this project is similar to the works done in this studio as we are using Rhino to make different forms through the theme of biomimicry. What makes it different is the use of parametric design, where a whole new introduction of technology comes into play. It becomes a means of form refining, rather than form making.

DESIGN STUDIO WATER MIES VAN DER ROHE This project studied the idea of a certain famous architect, in which learning from the masters enabling us to learn specific things from their way of understanding design and their thought processes. By studying Mies Van Der Rohe, understaing minimalism and how the use of sim-

ple symmetry and geometries can create horizontally emphasised buildings. Through this, I was able to design a boat house that consisted within Miesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; ideas along with personal design ideas. -

PART A CASE FOR INNOVATION

A.1 ARCHITECTURE AS A DISCOURSE “I am looking for something more primitive, a kind of abstraction that still has a sense of the body. The in between is more interesting to me.” - Toyo Ito I believe that the ‘in between’ Ito is referring to the idea that contemporary architecture is the architecture of perpetual discovery, a sense where design, as a discourse is abstract yet made up of certain physicalities of geometry and shape. It is architecture with no destination, only entrances and potential. Architecture is a method of defining ourselves, whether it is socially, politically or as a way of art, it is a way to showcase our very definition of aesthetics and beauty. As technology develops exponentially throughout the years, we are leaving the age of computer aided processes into a whole new aspect of computational design. Through this, we are able to start designing new geometries and ideas that could not have been done in the past. “Architecture needs to be thought of less as a set of special material products and rather more as range of social and professional practices that sometimes, but by no means always, lead to buildings”1. What I believe Williams is trying to saying is that the physicality of architecture is only the tip of the iceberg, where instead it is the socially desired aspect of architecture that leads to a creation of the building. The architectural discourse of style and form have been fundamental throughout the past decade. However, recently it has become a search for architectural ‘authority in terms such as ‘sincerity’ and ‘appropriateness’2,

a way to make a building appropriate to its context and surroundings. Through parametric and algorithmic design, new innovations can be made. It is crucial to understand that as Frazer mentions about computational design, is to use it more as a ‘tool’ to create innovative and creative design. It is argued that the ‘designers’ creativity is limited by the very programs that are suppose to free their imagination’3. This is the current issue as the certain benefits that parametric design provides are the very things making contemporary design inhuman, a product of the digital age where the designers creativity is ‘fake’ and limited. Wyndham is in need of a regional gateway to welcome visitors, to create awareness of the region and encourage people to turn off the higway to visit. Gateway Project provides a great opportunity to explore the use of parametric design to create a gateway iconic enough for the city of Wyndham. Through the use of parametric design, potentially a greater design can come about through form finding, with a greater vernacular response to the surroundings.

1 Williams, richard (2005). ‘architecture and Visual Culture’, in Exploring Visual Culture: Definitions, Concepts, Contexts, ed. by Matthew rampley (edinburgh: edinburgh University Press), pp. 102-116, p. 108 2 Leach, neil, ed., (1997). Rethinking Architec-

ture: A Reader in Cultural Theory (London: routledge), p. xiii 3 Terzidis, Kostas (2009). Algorithms for Visual design using the processing Language (Indianapolis, In: Wiley), p. xx

MANUEL GEA GONZALEZ HOSPITAL The Manuel Gea Gonzalez Hospital located in the heart of Mexico city is not only know for helping the sick, but known for its fashionable and functional architecture. It acts as an environmental filtration system through the use of a ‘double skinned facade made of Elegant Embelishments’ prosolve370e’ which intakes the city’s polluted air from congested roads full of vehicles. The facade is activated through passive daylighting, where a coating of ‘superfine titanium dioxide’ that functions to reduce pollution in the urban area.1 The quasicrystal patterned facade not only reduces pollution levels, but to assist the building to reduce solar gain by acting as a natural light filtration system thereby reducing energy levels used from the hospital2. Through this technological advancement, the architecture as a discourse responds to the urban environment. Because of the excess pollution, an appropriate solution was introduced to not only improve aesthetics but the local environment. The use of this technology can further enhance the responsiveness of any building, as long as it is located in high urban density areas, or highways that have large number of cars passing by. This is by any means a sustainable movement towards the future. I believe that the Wyndham project should not only be a design to showcase, but to also be able to respond to the urban context, i.e. the highway through the use of these quasicrystal patterned facades.

1 Cooper Hewitt, Elegant Establishments, <http://prosolve.elegantembellishments.net/ intro_description.htm>[Accessed 1st April 2013] 2 Lori Zimmer, Inhabitat, <http://inhabitat. com/mexico-citys-manuel-gea-gonzalez-hospital-has-an-ornate-double-skin-that-filtersair-pollution/>[Accessed 1st April 2013]

TOYO ITO SENDAI MEDIATHEQUE Sendai has been widely known for the building designed by Toyo Ito: The Sendai Mediatheque. This building provided Sendai to become internationally known, thereby improving its popularity as a city. The Mediatheque contains a range of spaces including a library, cafe, internet booths etc. These activities are all located within an area of 50x50meter space, seperated on 7 platforms that are almost floating on top of each other. 13 steel tube-like structures are interact to produce a series of stable hollow columns that hold the platforms together.1 Through computerization, these steel columns were able to be designed for manufacture. Not only do these columns provide natural lighting due to its hollow characteristics, but act as a way of enhancing the plain design of the building. The combination of the columns and the glass panels that are suspended through the platforms provide a series of beautifully designed open spaces for multipurpose activities. To have transparency within every floor of the building enhances a fraglie and open feel, yet when it comes to 9.0 magnitude earthquakes and typhoons the building remains structur1 Carlos Zeballos, Architectural Moleskine, <http://architecturalmoleskine.blogspot. com.au/2010/09/toyo-ito-sendai-mediatheque. html>[Accessed 24th March 2013]

ally sound. The structural responsiveness of the building could only be done through the advancement in technology, the innovative structral component of the steel columns and the mind of Toyo Ito. I believe that the steel columns reflect the trunks of the surrounding trees, in which the glass exterior is used for separating physical internal and external conditions. The visual aspect of the interior and exterior seem to fit its surroundings that have an appropriate means of aestheics. Moreover, these columns respond as shafts for utilities and lighting, acting like a vein in a living organism. The idea of futurism, a sense of minimalist designs and features come into play with this building. The use of minimal ornamentation and the wide glass facades all point to minimalism. I believe that this design is a further developed stage of Le Corbusierâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s idea of suspended floors on point loaded columns, where the columns evolve into an innovative solution, and the facade emphasising the columns through transparency.

“The designer essentially becomes an ‘editor’ of the morphogenetic potentiality of the designed system, where the choice of emergent forms is driven largely by the designer’s aesthetic and plastic sensibilities” - Branko Kolarevic

A.2 COMPUTING IN ARCHITECTURE Digital technologies have truely affected the way architectural practices are undergone. Through the inital process of Computer Aided Design (CAD) and Computer Aided Manufacture (CAM), allowing computation to become more intergrated with architectural design. Computational architecture has become significantly important in this new millennia, due to the ever increasing use of computational designing. But what does it mean to computationally design? Computational systems have begun to ‘assist human designers by taking care of smaller or larger parts of the design process’1. Through drafting or using modelling systems, computational systems provide different alternatives to approach a single design goal. Digital process now allow a wider range of adaptive and conceivable properties of form and geometries to be created. The emphasis is more focused towards ‘finding of form’ rather than ‘making of form’2, where using computational design to find the right geometric shape becomes paramount. 1 Yehuda E. Kalay, Architecture’s New Media : Principles, Theories, and Methods of Computer-Aided Design (Cambridge, Mass.: MIT Press, 2004), pp. 5 25 2 Kolarevic, Branko, Architecture in the Digital Age: Design and Manufacturing (New York; London: Spon Press, 2003), pp. 3 - 28.

The idea of ‘form finding’ is essentially the method of using computational system to generate a wide range of geometries using different components. Through computation, we as designers are able to incorporate precise information and parameters to alter the outcome of a design. The design journey is much to do with structural moulding, where computers allow a range of possible variables to the design. Thus, frequent testing and refnement to the design will optimise the final outcome, resulting in a design with all excess features taken away and innovative ideas added in. This leads to the critical opportunity that computational design provides: To design something that responds to the local climate. To have the potential to optimise a design to fit and to be moulded appropriately into its surroundings is key for buildings in the near future. The area of which the Wyndham Gateway project will be associated with becomes fundamental in creating a design that responds and fits within its immediate surroundings.

STUDIO GANG ARCHITECTS AQUA TOWER Located in Chicago USA, the Aqua tower is a 82 storey apartment building designed by Studio Gang Architects. The focal point to this structure is the use of an undulating terrace installation which spread out in distance as the height increases. This creates a minimalistic contemporary ‘aquatic’-like ornamentation that covers the facade of the building. Not only does it create an addition to a Mies-like skyscraper in the United States, but provides solar shading through the eaves created from the terrace floor above. These curved balconies could not have been configured and edited without the assistance of computerized systems such as AutoCAD or Revit. By implementing these curves into such a program, the computer generates valuable information required not just for architects but for other parties associated. The design process that Jeanne Gang, the principal architect, approached with used the site in order to make the building an ‘organic, site-specific design process’1. Through observing the climate 1 Contemporist, <http://www.contemporist. com/2009/11/24/the-aqua-tower-by-studiogang-architects/>[Accessed 28th March 2013]

and the views from specific places, the team were able to treat the building and its environment as an interconnected entity. Not only is this building site-specific, I personally believe that in its urban context, it is site responsive. Living in suburban areas are not efficient, as living in highrise buildings and in higher density areas provide a better sustainable pattern of development. Through the use of computerization, a variety of different design processes can be used. The Aqua tower has one of the largest green rooftops in the state, thereby providing amenities for residents and improving the general ecofriendly aspect of the building.

4,000 BUS STOPS PARK Hyoung-June Buses in Hawaii have become a ma jor transportation service and have more than 100,000 daily users. It is important to develop the bus stops in order to provide the best quality services. HyoungJune Park develops a way to incorporate the many quantitative information of the local site of each bus stop, and uses it to mass customize and create site specific stops for the local people of Hawaii. He introduces a parametric design strategy that suits mass-customization. Development is focused through the analysis of the site according to: 1) Configuation of site 2) Size of site 3) Sun direction 4) Site context 5) Usage of each bus stop A parametric design strategy is proposed by defining a prototype, altering the parameters of the prototype, manual deformation of individual parts and a simulation-based deformation. This ensures a fast efficient way to produce variable bus stops according to its specificity of the site.

In relation to exisitng methods such as designing each stop individually or composing a fixed model for all bus stops, the parametric process provides an easy method to create site-specific prototypes that still has individual variation and design quality. Through deforming the bus stop in a strategic way, the design is therefore an optimized transformation according to the location of the sun and its exposure to the bus stop. Computation is unquestionably required in order to apply the parametric steps taken to effciently produce site specific bus stops located around Honolulu, Hawaii.

A) Roof-shades

B) Roof Braces

C) Roof-column & Bike racks

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Parametric modelling opens new windows to design [...] This creates endless opportunities to explore for forms that are not practically reachable otherwiseâ&#x20AC;? - Robert Woodbury

A.3 THE PARAMETRIC UNIVERSE Parametric modelling is a powerful tool that designers use through computational systems in order to create specific designs that have specific parameters in which they interact with each other. Conventional designing would involve an understanding of the general design, function and the form. Once a design is set, it is difficult to alter or change due its rigidity of the design system. However, through parametric design, we are able to consider each and every different component that make up the design, thereby being able to disect the design into to smaller elements that still have the specifc properties of each parameter. A combination and configuration of them will alter the overall form. Therefore, it is crucial for parametric designers to have a wider range of design outcomes so that theres higher potential to find an appropriate form for the specific design. Parametric design can be said to be a language, a means of communication for people in the field of computational systems, where sharing an idea, a component or a design itself becomes easy for others to understand the algorithmic processes that lead to the design. Whereas conventional designs struggle as innovators will have to carefully communicate the design process and how the design finalized. The visual aspect of parametric modelling provides a new dimension when designing, as any alterations made will outcome a physical change in the parametric model, a variable you can personalize and adjust to the specific model. An important short comings of parametric modelling is considering the surge in potential with hardware and software development, along with more user-friendly tools, the ‘originality of

the outuput has hardly kept up’.1 Personally, by strongly inter-relating parametric modelling systems with innovative ideas stemmed from man can add quality to the ‘output’. Parametric modelling, being polar opposites to conventional design approaches, can be considered to be unconventional due to its perpetual generation of geometry (confined by its algorithmic processes). It is essential to understand that parametric modelling should be used as a ‘tool’ to assist in creating innovative designs, not as the ‘brain’ of creativity and innovative design

1 Burry, Mark (2011). Scripting Cultures: Architectural Design and Programming (Chichester: Wiley), pp. 8 - 71.

FOSTER + PARTNER NATIONAL BANK OF KUWAIT Foster and Partners’ design for the National Bank of Kuwait Headquarters is a environmentally responsive building combined with detailed works of geometry. This building’s design was configured through the responding to the local climate. On the eastern and western facades are covered by a vertical shading structure that reduces solar heat gain during warmer seasons. This is done without compromising the northern ascpect of the building, which has sufficient shading and exterior views.

the building spatially. These methods are more concerned with programs such as AutoCAD and Revit, where floor plans become a necessity. The parametric model was capable of generating multiple variations of the building shape, in which a number of them were used for further development for certain responsive tests to do with the local climate. However it is crucial to note that ma jority of the initial designs were made through one parametric model, which may create only certain parameters to alter and configure, thereby limiting the design outcome to only a combination of those parameters.

Through careful planning, the team was able to create a parametric modelling system to quickly produce options, thereby incorporating rapid prototyping to achieve an appropriate solution1. The paratric model used through Bentley Systems’ GenerativeComponents (GC), capable of intergrating various performance parameters while investigating complex geometric solutions for the building. Additionally, the model contains geometric analysis of the fins which are fed to the engineers to manufacture. The many solutions constructed using the parametric model were then developed to further fit the criteria of the structural, environmental, functional and operational requirements. The fins of the building were carefully designed using computational systems in order for them to be orientated correctly to the path of the sun. Additionally, these fins were designed to provide structural rigidity and aesthetics to the building. By using computational methods 59 floor plans and sections were used to further analyzse 1 Architectural Digest, ‘The Innovation Imperative’, ‘Computation Works: The building of Algorithmic thought’ [Architectural Digest, 2013]

KHAN SHATYR ENTERTAINMENT CENTRE The Khan Shatyr entertainment centre is a landmark in the country of Kazakhstan. It is one of the tallest tensile structures in the world, where the entire envelope of the structure covers the centre. There are many ameneties within the centre: cafes, restaurants, cinemas, water park and many flexible entertainment spaces. Besides its aesthetic qualities, the tensile structure is made up of three-layer ETFE (Ethylene tetrafluoroethylene) envelopes, which is essential to reduce conduction from the external weather conditions. Kazakhstan, know for its extreme weather conditions range from -35°C in winter to +35°C in the height of summer. During summer, low level jets push cool air across the vicinity and the vents at the apex open for inducing stack-effect ventilation. During winter, warm air is blown on the inside of the ETFE to melt unnecessary snow or ice. The envelope was designed by using a ‘formfinding algorithm’1 to generate possible designs for the cable skin structure. The algorithm was used to further develop and refine the building. Through parametric modelling, this entertainment centre was able to be made through intricate algorithms analysed by a comutational device. Not only does the envelope enable light to enter through to keep the vicinity lit, but also to shine and reflect outwards at night to showcase the social attention the 1 Architectural Digest, ‘The Innovation Imperative’, ‘Computation Works: The building of Algorithmic thought’ [Architectural Digest, 2013]

centre is getting. This entertainment centre will be a prominent destination for the local people of Astana to go to throughout the year. This is only possible through the design being responsive to the local climate, whereby keeping the temperature within the building in a comfortable level for the users and providing shading or sunlight when necessary.

A.4 EXPLORATION OF THE DIGITAL Through exploring the digital realm of Rhino and grasshopper, it has opened up many doors in terms of designing. Desiging in search of the right shape or aesthetic now occurs at a fascinating speed due to specific parameters working within the algorithmic definition. The render on the left shows the idea of point charges that are distributed around a surface of a loft, in which these point charges display field lines. These field lines were then framed together in order to produce a smooth surface that spread around a small circular pivot point. This render shows how strips could be incorporated into a design, allowing these strips to function as shading devices implemented on a building.

The renders on the right show a box area that responds according to certain points within the box. By creating a X and Y boundary, the box is bordered. Through the Voronoi node, different types of Voronoi designs can be produced according to the points. By observing these designs, it is easily noticed that there is little to no context behind these designs. In designing, and specifically in architecture, the building must encompass the local conditions and local context. To not simply be an empty shell but to contain the social richness of a community within the design is crucial.

A.5 CONCLUSION

As referring to my discourse, I believe that architecture is a vernacular entity, where it is responsive to the natural environment. To have â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;fluidâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; properties, meaning taking the form of the local climate and surroundings to become appropriate to the setting. Incorporating the facade of presolve370e creates a health benefit for the local people in Wyndham, where through understanding the site context of Wyndham can we really design a structure that is fluid enough to settle within its surroundings appropriately. Through these precedents, I have been able to absorb valuable informattion regarding parametric desgin and how it can innovate new ideas for the Wyndham Gateway Project. To create parameters within the site that creates designs using local information will make the design significantly site responsive. Just like the Aqua Tower, gathering information on climate and specific view points will allow us to create site specific geometries that fit within the local context. I believe to use the benefits of parametric design just as a tool and to assist in the design of a structure that fits in with its local context. To be able to capture these local traditions and culture within the Gateway of Wyndham will create a strong impact towards tourism of the area and the sense of identity of Wyndham. 31

A.6 LEARNING OUTCOMES Throughout these couple of weeks, I have been immersed in the experience of theory and practices of architectural computing. Initially, when challenging myself to understand parametricism and computational design I was unsure of what to expect. Having experience in using AutoCAD and Rhino have not assisted me in knowing the theory and practices more, rather it gave me confidence to know background information on 3D modeling programs. A solid understanding of the theory and practices could enable me to dive further into the knowledge of parametric design and what it could offer for me and my designing career. To create facades out of voroni geometry or to create designs rapidly using algorithm sequences. The possiblity is endless, just my personal skills that limit me!

PART B DESIGN JOURNEY

B.1 DESGIN PATH Parametric design, I believe is lacking the fundamental principles of architectural design. Most designs tend to overextend in terms of geometric findings, and ignore the important ideals of what an architectural design should fundamentally consist of. By forming a group keen to follow a sense of responsiveness and site specific architecture, we focused on the ideas of strips and folding. As stated earlier, by incorportating parameters of the site into the design, it will allow the design to become specific to the site due to its local distinctiveness. Through understanding the benefits of parametric design, the design of the gateway can be further encapture local traditions and culture and importantly create a stronger sense of identity of Wyndham. Landscape can be thought of as an aesthetic term â&#x20AC;&#x201C; a view through a window, or through a camera lens, or a landscape painting. Our design is responding to the site through its play with sunlight and the shadows created by it. However it is important to understand that the sun is specific to all sites. Therefore by encapturing Wyndams local landscape and its distinctiveness such as ordinary and everyday places that communities value, the gateway should try to covey the experience of the still awareness of the local environment. Thus, the gateway will become more important and monumental to the local people of Wyndham.

B.2 CASE STUDY 1.0

Through a study of the Seroussi Pavilion, it was interesting to reverse engineer the parametric process of the algorithm. These strips of field line groups were taken from a section of the Seroussi Pavilion, and then modified. By experimenting with the field lines and style of curves, interesting shapes were generated. However, further development was needed to integrate the idea of strips and folding into the design.

These field lines were modified and through offsetting these lines and lofting them together, I was able to create a strip-like structure focusing on certain focal points which are the center of the field lines. Through experimentation, I was able to come up with a model that created a unique and abstract form. Applying this to an architectural design, it could have the qualities of an exterior roofing structure, designed to restrict weather and take in rain water for sustainability.

B.3 CASE STUDY 2.0

Our group decided to initiate throught the use of attractor points to indicate the vector of the sun, in which allows us to control how the strips and/ or folds interact with sun lighting. Looking at the BKK Pavilion, designed by a collaboration between Rory Hyde and BKK Architects, we can see that by looking from different perspectives the design changes according to how many gaps you can see through. In the middle, the ma jor attractor point, all faces are parallel to the vector of the attractor point.

If a viewer was to stand specifically at the location of the attractor point, the visual effect of infinite projection is applied through the hexagonal cells being installed parallel to the vector of the viewers eyes, as you can see from the picture on the right. Therefore, sucessful in achieving its goal, the BKK Pavilion provides perspective-sensitive aesthetics in which we can build the Gateway through strips and folding.

By using the idea of attractor points, we experimented with strips that were laid out across initially as 2D arcs, in which they were offset and lofted. As you can see, the 2D drawings on the left show how according to the location of the vector points, the strips will automatically orientate itself to be parallel to the point vector. In order to create shadows that respond to the sun, these strips were modified to be able to become perpendicular to the point vector, thereby creating a strong shadow. This is shown by the 2D drawing on the bottom right.

By combining these two groups of strips together, a relation between strips that are parallel and perpendicular become evident. This creates an interesting geometry in which strips can relate and respond to the location of the sun. We further attempted to create different shading patterns with the use of squre panels that still respond to the attractor point, but decrease in size according to the distance away the panels are from the point. Some of the geometries are shown above.

These are some other explorations of the square panels that interact with the attractor points. The distance factor of the panels are demonstrated with the colours located on each of them. These strips were constructed through planes that interacted with the attractor point. The plane displays square panels on the angle of the plane for it to be perpendicular to the attractor point. It was crucial to note that an architecture that responds to the location of sunlight was not site specific enough. In order to apply local distinctiveness to the Gateway design, a further understanding of the site is necessary.

The final outcome of the re-engineered BKK Pavilion project was not so similar to the one of the original. The intent was not recreate the same design, but to incorporate the key ideas of different viewing perspectives through attractor points. These points provided a variety of different geometries that specifically responded to the location of the sun. To take the fundemental ideas of the BKK Pavilion and to alter it into square panels was just one of our unexpecting solutions that provided responsiveness and aesthetic qualities. The aspect of the interaction of light vectors and panels and strips are a strong similarity between the re-engineered model. However, in order to take this further it is crucial to consider the usersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; state when travelling through

the gateway. Due to the users constant moving state, the movement of the car should be taken into consideration. To utilize the movement of cars through an implementation of small moving landscape features similar to a zoetrope. Zoetropes produce animation through the use of movement in relation to slits that act as a film strip to create a sense of fluid motion within a still animation. I believe this effect can be made through a repetition of strips that interact to produce a visual stimulation for the users in the car. These explorations allowed us to understand the need for a local distinctiveness of Wyndham that can be boldy emphasised to ensure the monumentality of the Gateway for Wyndham.

B.4 DEVELOPMENT OF TECHNIQUE

Through the analysis of the texture of the local area of Wyndham, we were able to obtain this information and integrate it within a parametric definition. The drawings on the left show the textural qualities of the locality of Wyndham. Through this information, we separated the surface into lofted strips that defined the texture of the area. These explorations provided the highest difference in the ridge and trough, thereby expressing the furthest differences in textural quality. It was important to convert these landscapes into strips in order to apply the effect of zoetropes through the movement of the users in

their cars. These strips will create small slits for the users to be visually taken into an illusion to stimulate the sense of vision with movement/animation. Through prototyping this model, we were able to understand the scale and interactivity of the gateway. There is still further development required in order to produce the correct and most site specific design through exploring the local distinctiveness of Wyndham. The design itself currently is still â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;noisyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;, but through careful refining and development, a design worthy enough to symbolise the locality and its distinctive characteristics will be met.

VARIATION

TECHNIQUE

VARIATION

VARIATIO

VARIATION

B.6 TECHNIQUE PROPOSAL context of the area, it was possible to filter the local information and convert it into a site specific design that can truely define the local distinctiveness of Wyndham. By integrating the ideas of the textural landscape and the aesthetics of strips acting as slits to create The technique demonstrated earlier the effect of moving animation within with the intergration of local qualities the gateway, this technical and concepsuch as its textural landscape, can pro- tual technique will lead people in their vide promising ideas towards the gate- cars to turn away from the highway way that will define the city of Wynd- and into Wyndham, to fully understand ham. Through careful analysis of the the local richness at which it stands. It is crucial for the gateway of Wyndham to have substantial iconic power that can push Wyndhamâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s tourism and economic activity. The gateway represents the local qualities of Wyndham, and in doing so the city will be defined by the Gateway.

B.7 In RETROSPECT It was given that it is important to fully understand that even if the design is site specific/site responsive, simply addressing the design outcome does not mean that the design is site specific. There needs to be further development in the design process to fully grasp the understanding of the local distinctiveness that Wyndham has to offer. It is necessary to now intergrate all the information obtained through researching precedents, and developing grasshopper and Rhino skills, to bundle this knowledge into one design feature that Wyndham so desperately needs. Our group is still in need of developing our design to its fullest potential in achieving complete site specificity, in the sense that the design will simply display the locality of Wyndham, through its parameters and its interaction with its immediate natural surroundings.

Now, through understanding the age of optioneering enabled by digital technologies, we are able to tackle a brief in a vast amount of aproaches, that provides us with a wider option to deduce and filter our designs to produce the best possible outcome. Given a certain situation, using visual assistance of algorimithc designs and parametric modelling can produce specific designs that allow us to experience the design in its context to judge their suitability for the given situation. I believe that I have significantly developed an understanding CAD programs, and to mould those program generated designs to fit a certain criteria or desire. Thus, we are more capable of understanding the relationship between architecture and air, due to the ability to fabricate prototypes using CAD programs.

BIBLIOGRAPHY Architectural Digest, ‘The Innovation Imperative’, ‘Computation Works: The building of Algorithmic thought’ [Architectural Digest, 2013] Burry, Mark (2011). Scripting Cultures: Architectural Design and Programming (Chichester: Wiley), pp. 8 - 71. Carlos Zeballos, Architectural Moleskine, <http://architecturalmoleskine.blogspot.com.au/2010/09/toyo-ito-sendai-mediatheque.html>[Accessed 24th March 2013] Contemporist, <http://www.contemporist.com/2009/11/24/ the-aqua-tower-by-studio-gang-architects/>[Accessed 28th March 2013] Cooper Hewitt, Elegant Establishments, <http://prosolve. elegantembellishments.net/intro_description.htm>[Accessed 1st April 2013] Kolarevic, Branko, Architecture in the Digital Age: Design and Manufacturing (New York; London: Spon Press, 2003), pp. 3 - 28. Leach, neil, ed., (1997). Rethinking Architecture: A Reader in Cultural Theory (London: routledge), p. xiii Lori Zimmer, Inhabitat, <http://inhabitat.com/mexico-citysmanuel-gea-gonzalez-hospital-has-an-ornate-double-skinthat-filters-air-pollution/>[Accessed 1st April 2013] Terzidis, Kostas (2009). Algorithms for Visual design using the processing Language (Indianapolis, In: Wiley), p. xx Williams, richard (2005). ‘architecture and Visual Culture’, in Exploring Visual Culture: Definitions, Concepts, Contexts, ed. by Matthew rampley (edinburgh: edinburgh University Press), pp. 102-116, p. 108 Yehuda E. Kalay, Architecture’s New Media : Principles, Theories, and Methods of Computer-Aided Design (Cambridge, Mass.: MIT Press, 2004), pp. 5 - 25