Studio Air Journal Thomas Huntingford 835306 by Tom

STUDIO AIR 2017, SEMESTER 1, DAN SCHULTZ THOMAS HUNTINGFORD

CONTENTS Introduction

Part A A1.0 Design Futuring A2.0 Computational Design A3.0 Generation & Composition

7 21 33

Part B B1.0 Computational Design Research Field B2.0 Design Task B3.0 Material Study & Case Studies

43 59 67

Part C C1.0 Concept Development C2.0 Material Study & Tectonics C3.0 Final Model C4.0 Learning Objectives

108 121 207 221

References

222

Introduction My name is Thomas Huntingford, originally from Darwin, NT I moved to Melbourne in 2016 to undertake my Bachelor’s degree at Melbourne Uni of which I am currently in my third year. This is my first semester back in Melbourne following my exchange in 2017 to the University College Dublin. I found my semester at UCD to be highly rewarding as the teaching style differed greatly to Melbourne in that their approach to architectural education revolves entirely around the studio, both the physical space and through the subject structure. Additionally, although we were given tutorials to improve our digital representation skills I found the focus at UCD to be squarely on the plastic arts particularly painting, hand-drafting and model making. This inspired me to try to experiment with various mediums including those that are unfamiliar as this can generate unexpected results and help to mould the design process. I will be attempting to continue this sort of experimentation throughout my university career and hopefully beyond. In fact I believe this studio will offer a similar experimental climate but using digital and computational tools as opposed to plastic mediums. The historical and political climate in which architecture is practiced and taught was also extremely interesting in how it differed from Australia. Ireland has a very strong typology in its architecture that has been shaped by climate as well as its historical context in relation to Britain and more recently the European union. While living in Dublin I took the opportunity to travel briefly in Europe in order to experience certain projects first hand including the 2017 Serpentine pavilion by Francis Kéré, the Villa Savoye by Le Corbusier, some of the work of Winny Maas and MVRDV amongst others. Earlier this year I also participated in the University of Melbourne’s Humanitarian Design Internship in Vijayawada, India. This experience was also extremely rewarding as we were given the opportunity to learn about people living below the poverty line in villages in and around Vijayawada. This subject allowed us to learn about the realities of Humanitarian Design and the various challenges involved while also requiring us to come up with a product design that addressed a certain issue. This semester I hope to thoroughly explore the capabilities of Grasshopper and computational design and to speculate on the importance this has and the problems it may help to solve in the coming decades.

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A1.0 Design Futuring Design futuring as opposed to defuturing describes the process of designing in order to improve the chances of a future state of human existence that is not worse off than it is today. Due to the human species, apparent “auto-destructive,”1 tendencies of pillaging and polluting our planet in order to feed our own political constructs and need for excess. The future of the planet and therefore our species is becoming increasingly uncertain. This, although a problem for all, is undeniably a design problem yet the current momentum of design within the context of current economic and political systems is not towards understanding and solving the impending destruction of our own future but towards the trivialisation of our discipline for short term gains. Design disciplines are being increasingly regarded as simply aesthetic in nature when in reality good design considers the functions and processes of an object above its appearance. This perception is regarded by Fry as more of a barrier to creating sustainable futures than any technological challenge, the solution he offers is through design intelligence. By increasing design intelligence, that is improving the way in which design is regarded by the general population and also diminishing the current, somewhat exclusive culture built around design. It will become possible to “mobilize

appropriate technologies at the scale needed to make a real difference,”1 and redirect development from the current path of ever diminishing futures towards one that is future generating. In the context of this studio design futuring should be taken as an overarching goal that can shape both physical and conceptual outcomes of this studio. It is important for us as designers to examine current practice critically and try to move towards one that is future positive as we approach the end of our undergraduate degrees. At the same time, however the opportunity is presented to us currently to attempt to communicate through our work the necessity for redirection in our entire culture’s thinking around design perhaps through new forms of design activism. This is something I would like to keep in mind and potentially work towards this semester. 1. Fry, Tony. Design Futuring: Sustainability, Ethics and New practice (Oxford: Berg, 2008).

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Botanical Gardens A Grey Box gum in the lower Yarra river habitat grabbed my attention due to the complexity of the patterning and forms of its bark. The treeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s protective layer plays host to small insects such as ants, whose methods of occupation of their habitats and shelter tend to be more interesting perhaps than larger organism such as birds and possums due to their size and group behaviour. The fibrous patterns of the bark completely envelope the trunk of the tree creating fields of lines that form sweeping curves in various directions. There is also a sense of layering as individual strands of bark end and new layers emerge from beneath creating a sense of incredible depth and density. It is these breaks at the emergence of new layers and where two fields of lines diverge that openings are created giving the most obvious sense of habitat that can be found in the intricate pattern. These gaps are where definite habitat may be observed by the human eye as lines of ants disappear into the dark depths of the tree surface and spiderâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s webs span less than a centimetre between the lifted surface and that below it. Despite this it can be assumed that there are organisms that inhabit every crevice of the deeply patterned surface which gives an incredible sense of depth to the habitat. The structure of the bark also varies across the tree flattening out into smooth wide strips on the branches and creating chaotic lifted patterns at junctions between the trunk and limbs.

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A1.2 Pencil Drawings of Bark Texture

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A1.2 Watercolour Sketches and Section I attempted to use watercolours to capture the curves of the tree bark in a more abstract way with mixed success. Pictured right is my imaged section of the gaps in the textured surface of the bark.

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A1.2 Inhabited Sculpture The Inhabited sculpture by Jacques Gillet, the sculptor Félix Roulin and the engineer René Greisch was built during a period of often overlooked creativity in Belgian post-war modernism during the 1950s and 60s. Located in the suburbs of Liège the house utilises a hands-on, intuitive approach to design whereby the solid elements of the house, such as the concrete floors and fireplaces were constructed, followed by the malleable steel mesh that defines the walls. This mesh was not predetermined but instead manipulated in-situ before being sprayed with 50mm of concrete to solidify its forms. The building is highly functional having been occupied continuously for 40 years and yet is a critique on the austere functionalism and trend towards standardisation and mass-production of the time. Instead the house is wholly organic, the forms ‘blending naturally with human life.’1 This building addresses the future with retrospect examining the sophistication possible in living as people did for thousands of years, amongst the landscape using caves and natural landforms for shelter. It is utopian in its view that by using building technology to create organic forms an ideal functionalism is manifested that speaks to the specific requirements and ideals of the end user. “What is a house, for our characters as individuals, for our family as an entity, for the education of our children, for this very place and for this particular time?”1 This quote from Gillet demonstrates the type of thinking that intimately considers his clients and their motivations for the building. It is this type of soft functionalism that has made the house so successful and could be seen as an example for all architecture. This approach would be particularly interesting in the context of the brief as it would mean addressing the motivations of non-human occupants. Gillet, Roulin and Greischs’ experiments with sprayed concrete could be seen as a form of material computation. The building was built without plans and so the spaces and forms are determined almost exclusively by the limiting factors of the material.1 It is perhaps due to this intuitive and spontaneous approach, guided by their chosen material that the house sits so organically within its context. The construction process is almost a form of mimicry in itself. Forms from nature, such as rock, are created randomly and with incredible complexity, yet they are guided by the limitations of their environment and material. Thus, the observable patterns are created from parts that are unique and formed entirely by chance. This is perhaps one of the most intriguing aspects of nature, observing the rules that govern seemingly random processes and is also something that is extremely apparent in the formation of my chosen habitat tree. 1. Adam Štěch, Inhabited Sculpture, Domus (Liege: Domus 6th of March 2013) https://www. domusweb.it/en/architecture/2013/03/06/inhabited-sculpture.html [accessed 05.03.2018]

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A1.3 Design Task 1 The lofted surfaces I created for this task attempt to capture certain elements of my chosen habitat tree. Using multiple undulating curves, I first created a surface that attempts to mimic the complex textures of a strip of the surface of the grey box gum. I then tried to recreate the shape of the fork in the tree at the moment of branching however I was unable to effectively replicate most of the bark effects at this point with the exception of the long strands that peel off in various places. An attempt was also made to imitate the gentle curves and barrel shape of the trunk in order to map other elements onto it. Finally by project the

contours downwards I was able to loft a series of surfaces which maintained the previously modelled texture of the bark while allowing gaps attempting to simulate the very intricate relationship between the uneven bark texture and the openings within it.

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A2.0 Design Computation A common misconception is that Design Computation pertains specifically and exclusively to digital processes. Design computation in fact can take many analogue as well as digital forms and pre-dates the computer by some centuries. Antoni Gaudi famously found the parabolic arches of his great Basillica the Sagrada Familia through his use of an inverted model consisting of strings and weighted bags that gave the ideal load paths for his columns. Furthermore, a common form of design computation, material computation, relies not on programs or even equations but simply requires consideration of the limitation of materials used. Despite this the computer has allowed computational design to come to the forefront of contemporary architectural thought. Whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s more it enables the computational processes of a complexity which is simply unachievable using non-digital tools and thus it has brought us closer to simulating many more aspects of nature than ever before. Computation allows for designs to grow in the same way that a plant or animal does, a set of rules or algorithm guide an otherwise quasi-organic process. These processes allow us to achieve a level of complexity in design that was previously unimaginable and may form a pathfinding method towards a more sustainable form of design practice and therefore a more sustainable world moving forward. CONCEPTUALISATION 21

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A2.1 Vesper Series The Vesper Series by Neri Oxman, the Mediated Matter group and manufactured by Stratysus use computational techniques to generate forms and patterns that seek to represent the journey between life and death. The 3 series of death masks were designed using fluid dynamics modelling software and 3D printed using resins and in some cases various minerals to achieve specific colours and levels of transparency. The idea of the death mask is one that is centuries old and is centred around the protection of the wearers soul as their journey into the afterlife. What is interesting about Oxmanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s masks is there clear reference to natural forms as if trying to recapture the inherent natural qualities of our life cycle at the moment of death. However, the use of synthetic materials detracts from this somewhat and gives the masks the feel of being purely about formal exploration rather than anything more ground-breaking and meaningful, particularly in light of Oxmanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s other experiments with natural materials. The mask I chose the examine is part of series 3 and appealed to be because of the characteristics it shares with my chosen habitat tree. The patterning within the mask is very intricate and appears to branch out at points resembling the growth pattern of some sort of plant or algae. Additionally, the outmost forms that encase the detailed patterning form gentle smooth curves much like the overall effect of the grey box gum. Finally, this was the only mask that appeared to me to have an explicit layering effect with the fore piece being supported by a curve that appears to peel away from the main body of the piece.

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A2.2 Elytra Filament Pavilion The Elytra Filament Pavilion by Achim Menges was constructed at London’s V&A as part of their 2016 Engineering season. The pavilion attempts to generate “novelty & innovation [both] on the technical level and the design level,”2 through experimenting with fibrous materials and a dynamic form of integrated multidisciplinary design practice. The genesis of the project is entirely computational, using specifically developed robotic processes the glass and carbon fibres are saturated in a polymer resin before being woven over a frame. The forms created through this process are “authentic,” as they are defined entirely by the materials, the soft, white glass fibres creating a formwork and the much more rigid carbon fibres the structure. Furthermore, due to the lightness of the materials and the fibres being dispensed from spools fed to the robotic arm the pavilion is able to be dynamic. A fabrication unit was installed onsite at the V&A giving the pavilion the ability to adapt and grow following patterns determined by sensors that map the courtyard’s use. Due to the pavilion’s ever-changing composition structural sensors are also ingrained in the modules to evaluate stresses and load paths as the pavilion is added to or subtracted from. The biomimetic properties of the pavilion stem from a detailed study of the “biological fibre,” system. In particular that found in the forewing shells of the elytra beetles. Through this study it was determined that “fibre composites,”2 occur naturally as structural systems, fibres are found to form in very precise arrangements that respond to the forces that move through a system. This observation is highly relevant to the extremely complex bark formations on the found habitat tree. Although the visible fibres may not contribute to the structure of the trunk or limbs of the tree they create a complex and rigid form of protection as well as habitat for the various organisms that exist there. These types of structures and forms are only achievable through a computational design method as it would be extremely difficult for a predetermined design to capture such complexity. 2. AchimMenges.net, Elytra Filament Pavilion, achimmenges.net (2016), http://www.achimmenges.net/?p=5922 [accessed 12.03.2018].

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Jan Knippers one of the projects structural engineers described the pavilion as an “exploration of how fibre composites could contribute to new structural forms beyond the typologies of building constructions we have so far,”2. It is clear to see how this project contributes to a forward-looking discourse on structure and materiality. The tessellating canopy elements are able to form significant spans with no need for supporting beams or framework thus achieving a level of modular construction previously unattainable. It is not difficult to imagine that the hexagonal units with their intrinsic structural qualities could be composed in differing shapes and sizes while still being used as components for a larger form. As shown in the varying apertures of the modules computational methods make mass production of bespoke and unique elements possible changing the nature of the modernist ideal of standardisation. Similarly, the column elements could conceivably be woven into differing forms to account for precise loads in various parts of a building minimising material wastage and contributing to more organic forms within architecture. These ideas would of course generate new geometries that will undoubtedly become possible as the technology developed and the predetermined winding frame used in this project becomes redundant. The ability for this pavilion to remain dynamic through its installation at the V&A also has implications for future design processes and in particular performanceorientated design. The pavilion is equipped with thermal imaging to determine where the users gather, sit or stroll and it combines this information with input from sensors measuring “temperature, radiation, ambient humidity and wind,”2 to determine the placement of new units manufactured on-site. This technology when applied on a large scale could mean entire cities being active and adaptable depending upon the usage of various spaces thereby having a major impact on construction as an ongoing process. Buildings within a city could share materials, redistributing them to where they are most required and therefore making the demolition process redundant as buildings would instead gradually deconstruct themselves only to remerge when required. This project can be compared, within the sphere of architectural innovation, most closely to the Victorian greenhouse in its exploration of a new material system. The large steel and glass buildings such as Paxton’s Crystal Palace were representative of the industrial age and foreshadowed changes in architectural form that would be brought about by material innovation. The Elytra Filament Pavilion may prove to have 2. AchimMenges.net, Elytra Filament Pavilion, achimmenges.net (2016), http://www.achimmenges.net/?p=5922 [accessed 12.03.2018].

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A2.3 Design Task 2 The lofted surfaces I created in this task attempted to replicate the geometries of my chosen mass from Neri Oxmanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Vesper series. I found the process of creating a wireframe and orientating bark elements onto the surfaces created some very appealing outcomes and believe this may be useful technique moving forward. Unfortunately I had issues with my final loft being a polysurface and was unable to orient the bark geometry onto it.

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A3.0 Composition & Generation The threshold between generation and composition is one that is currently very topical and very apparent in architectural practice. Composition being the arrangement of a set parts or objects into a whole, is an extremely old and well-known design method. It often manifests in almost every stage of the design process from Idea generation, where for example a concept, a site and a material pallet may be composed, to the final project which is likely an arrangement of standardised materials or parts. This has and continues to be an extremely common method of design possibly due to its agreeableness with the industrial manufacturing processes of the last century or more. Generation on the other hand refers not to the arrangement of parts into a form but more a formal arrangement that is created unto itself. Subsequently, it has previously been a relatively uncommon form of design due to its requirement for the formation or growth of an object rather than it being pieced together. Paired with digital computation however this method of design has become increasingly popular as it has become relatively easy to generate forms and objects that do not use predetermined parts but instead create entirely freeform shapes. Additionally, advanced digital fabrication processes make it possible to mass produce bespoke objects rendering generated forms into reality. CONCEPTUALISATION 33

A3.1 Great Court British Museum The Great court at the British Museum designed by Foster and Partners spans the gap between composition and generation. The project centred around re-activating the former court yard at the centre of the British museum which has the famous reading room at its heart. Prior to the British Library’s relocation to St Pancras in 1998, the space was occupied by ‘book-stack,’ buildings simply used to store the collection and which were not open for public use. Following the relocation, the opportunity arose for a complete re-design of this central part of the museum which was straining under the congestion of more than 6 million visitors per year. The Subsequent project deals with both compositional and generative design methods as the brief required not only the synthesis of a new intervention in the museum but also the management of existing buildings. As the ‘bookstacks’ that filled the court were of relatively little architectural significance the architects chose to demolish them in an effort to create a more open public space at the heart of the building. Thus, the remaining elements included the central reading room, the various inward facing facades of the main building and the new intervention for the space. The final composition of these elements is quite simple and undoubtedly harmonious with the classical order of the existing buildings. Despite the slightly off centred siting of the reading room the undulating roof follows the axes of the building with the central facades being met with great crescendos of height and curvature while the cross axes being met with equally symmetrical but less dramatic spans. At the same time the roof shape was generated by computationally devising the most economic structure to span the slightly irregular space which has resulted in the 3,312 unique pieces of triangular roof glazing. Therefore, it is unclear to what level the clearly generated forms have been influenced by the architects own sense of proportion and composition. This hybrid technique of composition and generation could be an extremely interesting avenue to explore within the context of this studio. The brief, to make a habitat tree within the urban context, could be interpreted in such a way that generated forms may be paired with composed elements such as existing buildings or site elements or even objects that may enhance the projects ability to act as a habitat. As despite the computational techniques we have and will be continuing to be exploring it is important to remember that the final outcome will not exist in a vacuum and even something as simple as siting it may be considered a composition challenge. 2. Foster & Partners, Great Court British Museum, Fosterandpartners.com (Copyright 2018), https://www.fosterandpartners.com/news/archive/2000/12/queen-elizabeth-ll-great-court-britishmuseum-opens/ {accessed 17.03.2018].

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A3.3 Design Task 3 This Task required the generation of geodesic curves and a Voronoi surfaces. I encountered problems when attempting to Voronoi a flat surface following the video tutorial however nonetheless I am quite happy with the structures generated.

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Conclusion Part A of studio Air has introduced the concept of design futuring and its relationship to architectural practice and current thinking surrounding encouraging the general population to take action towards a more sustainable future. It also offered a comparison between computation and computerisation. In addition, we have investigated composition and digital generation, and their relationships to various design approaches. I believe part A has given me good direction for both concept and digital modelling techniques for use later in the subject and I am confident that I will be able to produce better outcomes in Part B and C.

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Learning Objectives + Outcomes

At this stage in the semester I believe I am developing a basic understanding of the concepts underlying computational design techniques. I believe I have expanded and will continue to build upon my knowledge of architecture that uses a generative design methods both digital and through material and other forms of computation. I have also started to appreciate the benefits of a computational design method based upon data as opposed to a more intuitive or subjective approach to design. In that when properly utilised a computational method can directly interpret collated data into a response that directly addresses identified issues. I am also starting to appreciate the unlikely link between digital and computational design and the natural world. A generative method despite being entirely artificial appears as if it will be the best method for reproducing, imitating or augmenting natural processes. In addition I feel I am starting the understand the very basics of grasshopper as a design tool and able to perform basic processes which already when compared to techniques that produce a similar output in other 3D drafting programs seem more efficient and practical.

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B1.0 Computational Design Research Field Strips and folding as a research field is particularly interesting due to its ability to create complex and often biomimetic structures using flat or rollable components which are therefore easy to fabricate. Through examining the provided precedents for each research field as well as the accompanying grasshopper scripts I have determined that this research field will be the most useful in creating forms that are derivative of my habitat tree. This script will hopefully allow me to build upon the aspects of habitat I focused on in part A by developing forms that utilise fields of lines as well as the layering of strips to create complex forms. In addition, as this studio progresses this research field will hopefully provide achievable methods for fabricating extremely complex forms.

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B1.2 Seroussi Pavilion Designed for a competition at the Maison André Bloc the pavilion attempts to address the co-habitation of art and humans through its maze-like forms generated through and exploration of magnetic fields. The pavilion was designs by ‘nesting’ magnetic forces and therefore allowing the trajectories of the various vectors they create to impact each other generating form. Thus, the drawings of this pavilion are less fixed plans than dynamic blueprints presenting a series of vectors rather than documenting a pre-determined architectural form. The pavilion has only been fabricated via 3D printed models thus it is unclear how materiality would impact the forms and generative method however as it utilises the strips and folding method it could be imagined that each strand of the generated fields could be fabricated form flat pieces. This project and the accompanying script are highly relevant to the brief in that the fields generated should help me to begin to approximate the complex fields that form the main source of habitat on the grey box gum. In addition, this method takes into account force and its impact upon the vector trajectories which once again should prove to be mimic how the detailed surface of the habitat tree would have formed.

Magnetic field at a point

Place points

Generate vectors at points to mimic magnetic fields

Allow fields to influence each other and generate structural pattern

1. Alisa Andrasek, ‘Indeterminacy & Contingency: The Seroussi Pavilion and Bloom by Alisa Andrasek,’ Architectural Design, Volume 85, issue 3, (2015), p106-111, (p107). 2. Biothing.org, ‘Seroussi pavillon – roof plan,’ Sciptedbypurpose, (n.d.) < https://scriptedbypurpose.wordpress.com/participants/biothing/> [accessed 27/03/2018]

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B1.2 Silk Pavilion The Silk Pavilion by the Mediated Matter Group attempts to combine digital and biological fabrication techniques in order to improve the capabilities of digital techniques. The silk pavilion project was intended as a large-scale study of the way that silk worms create their cocoons from a continuous strand of silk in order to evaluate its potential as a structural system. Subsequently, the silk worms were recorded using small magnets attached to their heads while they wove cocoons over various different surfaces and inside small Perspex boxes. Thus, digital models were generated by accurately following the movements of the worms. This pattern of movement was then translated into a robotic arm modified to weave a kilometre of silk across a series of metal hexagonal frames. The studies of the silk worms also revealed that denser sections of woven silk appear in darker patches. This was taken into account in the full-scale pavilion by monitoring the suns path across its surface and creating holes of varying apertures accordingly. In addition, once the artificially woven dome had been erected 6500 silk worms were added to the base of the structure and thereby employed to fill gaps in the robotic weaving adding to the pavilions structural integrity. This project speculates not only on the inclusion of biological processes into construction methods but also on the improvement of additive fabrication by testing a 3D printing apparatus that utilises a robotic arm negating the short comings of a gantry on a more traditional printer. Clearly this project falls clearly under both the biomimicry and material computation research fields both of which will continue to influence my project despite my choice of the strips and folding script. I am extremely interested in the testing of materials which may better suit the habitats we will be designing and the possibility of use biomimetic or even biological fabrication processes in one I find very exciting.

Study biological precedent

Record and model process

Conduct tests to determine the extents of the natural process

Use robotic arm to mimic weaving pattern

Allow worms to add to final structure

3. Dan Howarth, â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Silkworms and robot work together to weave Silk Pavilion,â&#x20AC;&#x2122; Dezeen, (3rd of June 2013), < https://www.dezeen.com/2013/06/03/silkworms-and-robot-work-together-to-weavesilk-pavilion/> [Accessed 26th March]

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B1.2 Santa Caterina The roof of the Santa Caterina Market by Benedetta Tangiabue consists of various arched sections ranging from low gentle curves to sharper acute angles creating a beautiful undulating surface. Importantly however each arched section reaches the ground via small collections of gently curved columns. This allows the large structure to contact the ground relatively softly which is one of the criteria I will be attempting to fulfil in the Merri Creek context. Casa Milà Antoni Gaudi’s Casa Milà in Barcelona utilises a system of structural arches in the attic storey which, in tune with Gaudi’s often biomimetic work, emulates the spinal structure of a snake. Gaudi’s use of these parabolic arches creates a beautiful ribbed structure visible from the interior of the roof space and blends well with the many organic forms of his architecture.

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B1.3 Animal Research The Turneria and the Iridomyrmex ants are two particularly significant species of ant that are found in various habitats in Melbourne. The Iridomyrmex ants or ‘Rainbow ants’ as they are commonly known are very common all over Australia and are one of the most important species due to their many interactions with other invertebrates and the impacts this has upon various ecosystems. For example, certain Iridomyrmex species share a symbiotic relationship with caterpillars to the point where they will have the caterpillar live inside their nest, protect them and carry them to feeding areas. These caterpillars benefit from a secretion produced by these caterpillars. Additionally, other invertebrates such as spiders have evolved to ‘listen’ to the communication chemicals given off by the ants when one of them is injured in order to prey upon the weaker members of the colony. Despite their importance to many other species the ferocity with which Iridomyrmex patrol their soil nests means that very few other species can nest nearby and those that do are often active at time when the Iridomyrmex ants are not. Iridomyrmex ants are even known to engage in large battles in which ants of opposing colonies will kick each other for extended periods of time causing little or no casualties. The nesting behaviours of Iridomyrmex are actually extremely interesting due to the variation that can occur between nests. Nests can occur as anything from large mounds with multiple entrances to singular holes only large enough for a single worker ant and also vary due to season with winter nests being constructed above ground and summer nests below. Furthermore, certain species of Iridomyrmex are known to construct ‘super nest,’ series of small nests connected by pathways which can stretch to be over 500m long. These behaviours create interesting design constraints as the preference for the Iridomyrmex to construct nests from soil and using various methods will require very specific conditions to facilitate. Therefore, it will be possible to include the natural ability of the ants to construct their own habitat in the fabrication process similar to the Mediated Matter group’s silk pavilion. What’s more, the inability of the ants to nest near other species could require a form of segregation between elements of the habitat. 4. AntWiki, ‘Iridomyrmex,’ AntWiki.org, (2018), < http://www.antwiki.org/wiki/Iridomyrmex> [Accessed 26th March]

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1mm

0.2mm

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The Turneria ant is a recent discovery in Melbourne previously thought to almost exclusively occur in rainforests. This species of ant being discovered in Melbourne is particularly interesting in the context of the studio brief as it was discovered nesting in Ironbark Eucalyptus trees which are a similar species to my chosen habitat tree from A1.1. In contrast to the Iridomyrmex the Turneria live in relatively small nests often within hollowed out twigs or bark constructed well above the ground and utilise small entrances to only admit a single worker at a time. In addition to these species behaviors the Little Things That Run the City Report recommends that to increase insect habitat and therefore maintain biodiversity within Melbourne there needs to be an increase in Mid-level and grassland plant species. Plants such as the tussock-grass were found to be associated with hundreds of insect species. Thus in order to facilitate a habitat for insect species it is also necessary to facilitate the plant species upon which they depend. Fern’s chosen animal for this section was the Lycaenidae caterpillar which utilises silk nests observed throughout the site to hide from predators. Furthermore, as previously mentioned this caterpillar offers a sweet honeydew like substance in exchange for protection from predators. Sharon’s chosen animal was the bell miner. It is likely that the bird preys upon both caterpillars and ants yet it also contributes to the spreading of seeds and plant matter upon which both can feed.

5. AntWiki, ‘Turneria,’ AntWiki.org, (2016), < http://www.antwiki.org/wiki/Turneria> [Accessed 26th March] 6. City of Melbourne, ‘Urban Biodiversity, Insects,’ (2017), < http://biodiversity.melbourne.vic.gov. au/insects/index.html> [Accessed 26th March] 7. Mata L, Ives CD, Morán-Ordóñez A, Garrard GE, Gordon A, Cranney K, Smith TR, Backstrom A, Bickel DJ, Hahs AK, Malipatil M, Moir ML, Plein M, Porch N, Semeraro L, Walker K, Vesk PA, Parris KM, Bekessy SA. ‘The Little Things that Run the City – Insect ecology, biodiversity and conservation in the City of Melbourne,’ (2016), Report prepared for the City of Melbourne.

CRITERIA DESIGN

Upon visiting the site at Merri Creek we found that the insect habitats were by far the most interesting due to their relative complexity when compared to larger animals. This fact was first brought to our attention when we began to notice the diversity of invertebrate species in the site relative to vertebrate species. Within the bark of trees, in nooks, scars and sap lines existed nests and habitats for various species of invertebrate. Interestingly, within the context of the brief we were also able to find invertebrate species living within man made habitats. These ranged from collections of rubbish to more substantial pieces of infrastructure such as the light corroded light pole pictured. This alludes to the ability of invertebrate species to adapt to nest and survive within incidental, human made habitats. Therefore, we came to the conclusion that such insect species will be an interesting area of focus when trying to design purpose-built human made habitats.

CRITERIA DESIGN

B2.0 Design Task

The evaluation criteria that I have developed for this task attempts to capture the important aspects of this design in relation to my chosen animal species and the other species it relies upon. Adaptability refers to the potential for an outcome to accommodate multiple species of flora and fauna over multiple scales. For example, the Turneria ants require a high level complex environment in order to choose a small area in which to construct their nest. Whereas the Tussock grass requires low relatively flat surfaces in which to be planted. Complexity refers to the complex geometries and forms generated that may be useful for finding forms suitable to segregate species or to be sufficiently enticing to a particular a species. This criterion is closely related to adaptability. Usable surface area simply refers to the total amount of area generated by the outcome that could be considered habitable for any species. Finally, high, mid and low-level habitats simply indicate the approximate amount of the outcome that is usable for various species that nest or exist at different levels. For example, the Turneria ant requires high level nesting areas, the Lycaenidae caterpillar requires high-mid level and the Iridomyrmex requires low level nesting areas.

CRITERIA DESIGN