project report. chan min yun s104794 b2.2
faรงade coached by phillip ross.
introduction.
my interpretation of the brief.
Shelter and natural light are fundamental elements of architecture. The first is concerned with protection from natural elements; the latter with the interaction between the man-made and the natural worlds. One is solid and static, the other illuminates and animates. Marrying these two opposing aspects of architecture, a marriage that at its finest transfroms natural light itself into a building material, is the challenge that we have been given.
faรงade.
index
page
research site study field trip literature review
4 11 17
ideation workshop initial concepts further explorations of concepts
22 26 31
realizing the concept first iteration second iteration third iteration
36 41 44
*all photographs, pictures and illustrations in the report are my own work except for those quoted with their respective sources.
research. site study.
source : maps.google.com
we are here
faรงade.
we are here
research. site study.
source : maps.google.com
we are here
faรงade.
research. topography.
facade direction topography vegetation site location surrounding developments
faรงade.
west flat terrain sparse trees nearby dense vegetations at a distance next to an open space overlooking low-rise and sparse developments but surrounded by several high-rise buildings.
research.
site study of natural light. source : maps.google.com
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proposed site is facing the west, without any obstruction, thus receiving generous amount of sunlight during the evening.
research.
site wind direction study. source : maps.google.com
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surrounding developments create a wind tunnel directed at the facade.
research.
site wind direction study.
http://www.windfinder.com/windstats/windstatistic_eindhoven.htm
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the wind blows from southwest mostly and is directed towards the facade without any shelter nearby.
research.
conclusion on site study.
The proposed site receives generous amount of sunlight in the evening, thus often resulting in high solar heat gain especially in the late evening. The active heating and cooling system in the building is centrally controlled, thus compromising on the local temperature. The space is therefore, often over-heated as compared to other parts of the building where solar heat gain is much lower due to the lack of exposure to sunlight. The high wind speed directed at the facade also causes some issues with ventilation as the wind is too strong for open facade. Any window left open would cause loud whistling noise and frenzied vibration of blinds. The ventilation of the site is therefore highly dependent on active ventilation.
It is therefore important for the proposed design to provide for a localised control of light and temperature as well as to provide for sufficient passive ventilation.
faรงade.
research.
study into light.
faรงade. inspiring interplay of light and shadow in my daily encounters. beautiful diffraction from the gap between doors.
research.
field trip to designhuis.
faรงade.
a study into light and reflections. how many lamps are there in the picture?
research.
field trip to utrecht trajectum lumen.
faรงade.
light mapping on a three-dimensional surface.
research.
field trip to utrecht trajectum lumen.
faรงade.
a subtle and sensitive control of light to create an ambience and atmosphere, in this example, of still life.
research.
field trip to van abbe musuem.
faรงade. projection room by Lรกszlรณ Moholy-Nagy & Alexander Dorner. The interplay of light, reflection ,shadow and contrast redefines the space, shape and visual focus.
research.
conclusion on various field trips.
A three-dimensional world? Perhaps light could be the fourth dimension. As Tadao Ando himself once said, other than steel, glass and concrete, one of the most important materials in architecture is light. When experienced, light is capable of creating a whole new dimension of experience. The experience is more than seeing, it is a fully immersive experience.
faรงade.
research. redefining.
faรงade [fuh-sahd, fa-] -noun the face of a building, esp the main front. a front or outer appearance, esp a deceptive one.
faรงade.
research.
literature review.
faรงade.
research.
literature review. What is now common knowledge was so revolutionary for our conception of the world that it was regarded as heresy and grounds for religious prosecution. The debate on the movement of sun and earth was a revolutionary one during its time. This just goes to show how fragile and unaccepting the human mind could be towards new ideas. It is therefore important to always keep and open mind and to not fall back on assumptions. The true function of stained glass was within the scope of a mystical, transcendent light, a light that illuminates the soul of the worshipper. The gothic Cathedral’s stained-glass program continued the Biblical and Koranic traditions in which translucent and transparent materials symbolize transcendence, spiritual light, or divine wisdom, we begin to find the secular literature in the later Middle Ages new meanings in the iconography of glass and crystal: the imagery reveals more private and personal attitudes, a change in meaning that will gradually affect its outward form. The usage of glass howevere has completely different semantics in contemporary architecture. The same material, when given a different context and finishing could yield a world of difference. Breathing new life into existing materials could be as magical as creating new ones.
façade.
research.
reflection on literature review. We live on a body that moves at high speed through an unimaginably large, seemingly endless space. Our actual experience of living on this body that is planet Earth is quite different, namely that it is stable and does not move. Given the perceived reality, herein lies the essence of architecture. Houses are erected to be similarly immobile and hopefully stable. The architect’s task is to erect a building on this apparently stable ground that is durable and lasting, both in terms of materials and constructions as well as aesthetics quality, a building in that broader sense is materially and culturally sustainable. But however stable and durable buildings may be as a whole, they contain moveable elements, which in fact prerequisites for the building’s durability. As we know from windows and doors, escalators and elevators, shutters and sliding walls, windbreaks and sun louvres, each of these elements has its own functional, structural and aesthetics logic. In films, the aesthetics of movement have always played an important role. In James Bond films, vast craters are made to open, not with the economy and efficiency an engineer might prefer, but in such a way that their drama and spectacle are heightened. The definition of form in dynamic objects is more complex, as there are now three states to be considered, namely open, closed and in between. A door when closed fits perfectly in its frame. When it is opened, it comes to rest at some arbitrary position that is rarely a “good” position. In a sense, the door is waiting to be closed, to be returned to its “good” position. The form is conditioned by its movement and could not be any other way.
façade.
references. The Chichu Art Musuem : Tadao Ando Builds for Walter de Maria, James Turrell, and Claude Monet Edited by Naoshima Fukutake Art Museum Foundation Hatje Cantz Publishers, 2005 Move : Architecture in Motion – Dynamic Components and Elements by Michael Schumacher, Oliver Schaeffer and Michael-Marcus Vogt Basel, Boston, Berlin : Birkhauser, Nov 2009 Surface Consciousness Architectural Design Vol 73 No 2 Guest-edited by Mark Taylor Great Britain : Wiley-Academy, Mar/Apr 2003 Source Books in Architecture 2 : The Light Construction Reader Edited by Todd Gannon Knowlton School of Architecture, The Ohio State University : The Monacelli Press The Architecture of Natural Light by Henry Plummer The Monacelli Press, 2009
façade.
ideation.
links workshop with expert Jacob Alkema.
In this workshop, we were challenged to look at everyday objects and relate it to facade. We then defined the properties that relate the object and facade. From this we brainstormed for inspirations from the abstraction process.
faรงade.
ideation.
links workshop with Jacob at Designhuis.
faรงade.
can a staircase serve the function of a facade?
ideation.
links workshop with Jacob at Designhuis.
faรงade. the convex-concave illusion.
ideation.
conclusion on workshop with expert.
The process of looking at everyday objects and phenomena, describing its specific properties, relating it to the project and translating it into ideas was a new ideation and abstraction tool that will surely be useful in the future. I have learned that sometimes the question itself is more important than the answer. “Creativity is to discover a question that has never been asked. If one brings up an idiosyncratic question, the answer he gives will be unique as well.” Kenya Hara
façade.
ideation.
concept 1. plan view or front view?
faรงade. change in perspective of buildings with the emergence of google satellite view.
ideation.
concept 2. a building or a series of 0 and 1? Digitally conceived buildings does not serve truth to materials. A significant gap between the virtual digital world and the physical world we live in. Should we embrace the gap, bridge the gap or condemn it?
Instead of CAD-ing a building then physicalising it, why not reverse the process. Build a building then CAD it out.
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ideation. concept 3. paranoid?
A psychology game. Hearing footsteps? A black shadow stalking you? Is there someone else beside me?
Through shadow play, audible and inaudible sound and other senses, create an illusion of the presence of something or someone else. Change the preception of space and create a (false) 6th sense.
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ideation.
concept 4. the building is alive! It is snoring. Its big large stomach expanding and contracting as it breathes. Caress it, and its gets all cozied up. Tickle it, hahahah it giggles. Building as a large dormant monster. To create a childlike curiosity and give life to buildings. To make people think of building not only as a physical object but as a living organism.
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ideation.
summary of concepts. 1. plan view vs. front view? inspired by the popularization of google satellite. 2. a building or a series of 0 and 1? inspired by the advancement of technology and its integration in the design process. 3. paranoid? the power illusion to explore the fragility of people’s senses and mind. 4. the building is alive! drawing the similarity of human and buildings to encourage the appreciation of building. Concept 3 and 4 were chosen to be expanded on due to their strong poetic meaning behind the concept as well as their potentail for development.
façade.
ideation.
further explorations of concept 3 paranoid.
faรงade.
ideation.
further explorations of concept 3 paranoid.
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ideation.
conclusion on concept 3 paranoid. One of the reasons why I chose to expand on the concept is its emotionally charged proposition. It shows how fragile we are towards our environment and how manipulative the environment can potentially be. One of the better concretisations of the concept is to use five senses to create an illusion of a sixth sense. For example, the disconnection between our senses and our brain causes illusion, low frequency vibration which is out of the human audible range has significant effect on our bodily functions, for example, the low vibration is capable of making our cornea vibrate and this would cause double vision while the vibration of our internal organs cause unexplained sudden discomfort, which is usually interpreted as paranormal activity even in the current age of science. This however, requires the use of infrasound, which could potentially be hazardous for health. Therefore, I decided to forego this concept and focus more on the last concept.
faรงade.
ideation.
further explorations of concept 4 alive.
faรงade. drawing similarities between a building and a living organism.
ideation.
further explorations of concept 4 alive.
breathing facade.
refer to attached video.
faรงade. translate the similarities into facade.
goosebumps.
the concept chosen.
realizing the concept. first iteration.
faรงade.
realizing the concept. first iteration.
dim light hairs standing straight to optimize amount of light through the facade
bright light hairs at an angle to elongate the shadow of the hair
faรงade. trying out the viability of the concept with a model. light conditions mimicking the weather (sunlight) to observe the different effects.
realizing the concept. first iteration.
faรงade. different angles of looking at the facade to assist me in imagining how the facade would look like as a whole.
realizing the concept. first iteration.
faรงade. a fast render to visualize the effect of light from different directions.
realizing the concept. conclusion from first iteration.
The first model was made to explore the aesthetics and movement qualities as well as the potential of the concept. Refer to the video attached for more visualisation and animation of the facade. It was to experiment with and observe the interplay of light and shadow as well as to test the viability of the concept’s proposal to control the amount of light through the facade. I played with different density, diameter and length of the hairs as well to optimize the effect of light control. Conceptually, this would improve on the functionality of the facade. However, to measure the significance of these effects is a study on its own.
façade.
realizing the concept. second iteration.
faรงade.
realizing the concept. second iteration.
faรงade. the mechanism whereby the round plates are to represent rotating servos. The plates each control x-axis and y-axis movement respectively.
realizing the concept.
conclusion from the second iteration. I learnt from the 2nd iteration the importance of choice of materials for the hair, as it has to be rigid enough to hold its shape while being flexible enough for touch. Also, the shape of the hair should be more defined in order to create a more uniform facade and give the project a refined, presentable outlook. The prototype should also be of the right scale as an architecture element while still retaining its interaction qualities. Also as part of an architecture, there should be more consideration on how it looks from a distance and from nearby, as we approach a building from various perspectives, from far, near and inside. The mechanism was another issue I had to deal with while making the prototype. I came up with the idea of having the hair suspended within 2 glass planes and having one place fixed while the movement of the other would control the movement of the hair. And the dynamic (movable) plane would be controlled with only simple 2-axis control. This mechanism is simple yet would produce rich and varied movements. I could not, however, resolve the integration of rotating servos to produce such movements. Which is when I decided to consult Peter Peters for advice and he suggested a few mechanisms. The one I used in this iteration was one of the fruits from the discussion with him. The drilling of the holes was another lesson I learnt(the hard way), as I found that drilling brittle materials causes cracks and thus it is important to use the correct drill bit.
faรงade.
realizing the concept. third iteration.
faรงade. dimension drawings to make sure everything fits together during assembly.
realizing the concept. third iteration.
faรงade. the joints and brackets for motors were integrated such that the brackets will not only hold the motors, but strengthen the framework as well.
realizing the concept. third iteration.
faรงade. the brackets and framework were made to hide the bulky motors but without compromising on the lightness of the structure.
realizing the concept. third iteration.
faรงade. the hairs form different patterns and are translucent. the facade feels much lighter as compared to earlier iterations.
realizing the concept.
conclusion from the third iteration.
For this iteration, the hair was empty tubes for ventilation purposes based on the Bernoulli Principle with the play of difference in air pressure between the inside and the outside. The tubes were also translucent to play on the light and translucency as well as to maximize the visibility and transparency of the facade. The material was also of the right balance of flexibility and rigidity to retain a defined form while still encouraging interaction through touch. The modules were made to allow for user control over individual module while the overall facade reacts to the weather. I should have been more careful with the tolerance of the moving plate as interation 2 was working(in terms of the dimensions and assembly), but interation 3 was not due to a miscalculation in the dimension as well as the aseembly.
faรงade.