Portfolio 2018

toivo säwÊn

portfolio 2018 architecture, engineering, design

projects

Brytpunkt

8

art gallery in Hunnebostrand

Lyktan housing on Hisingen

Silmä waterslide in Gothenburg

Skönja urban renewal in Gothenburg

Corona chamber music hall in Park City

12 16 20 26

extracurricular work

Workshops ventures in Architecture

32

international experience

Lower Manhattan

visualisations of Complex Data

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Toivo Säwén c/o Rydbacken Bågevägen 31c 85652 Sundsvall SWEDEN toivosawen@gmail.com +46(0)7303-92009

toivo säwén I first discovered spatial design through video game level development. I was intrigued by the possibility to create spaces for people to experience and enjoy. Thus, I moved on to study Architecture and Engineering at Chalmers. My bachelor education pushed me to explore the possibilities of technology and computation within design. I learned programming, and developed my own design process, where simple pencil sketches build the groundwork for advanced computational methods, to develop a humane, economical and ecological design.

Following my bachelor, I spent one year as an intern at the Smart team of BuroHappold. I learned how to work towards a project deadline, and how to interact in a professional context. I got the opportunity to develop my programming skills through an agile working method, and in what sense the computational analysis brings value to architects in the design process.

For my master’s degree, I’ve spent the first year as an exchange student at the ETH in Zurich. Here I’ve deepened my knowledge of building material technology, building physics, and computation.

In this portfolio, I’ve collected projects and workshops which showcase my working method. From the first tablecloth sketch, to the supporting analysis, to the realisation of a design, to its communication, I want to be able to contribute to the construction of an evolving society, whether as an architect, an engineer, or something in between.

Toivo Säwén, Zürich, February 2018

curriculum vitae education Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule, Zurich (2017 - 2018) Master of Science in Structural Engineering and Building Technology Chalmers University of Technology, Gothenburg (2013 - 2016) Bachelor of Science in Architecture and Engineering Skvadern Gymnasium, Sundsvall (2009 -2012) Natural Sciences programme relevant experience Buro Happold Engineering, Copenhagen (August 2016 - July 2017) Industrial placement, Social flow analysis Software development, data analysis, data visualisation UNI_arkitektur, Malmö/Gothenburg (November 2016 - ) Architectural design, personal projects Free Lunch Design, Gothenburg (April - August 2013) Internship, Level design Gameplay design, programming, project management Valve Corporation, Seattle (2012 - 2013) Level design for Community level project Gameplay design, graphic design, playtesting surveyor technical skills Drafting software - AutoCAD, Revit Architecture, QGIS 3D modelling - Rhinoceros 3D, Grasshopper, 3DSMax, Google SketchUp Rendering engines - V-Ray, Kerkythea, Unity3D, Unreal Graphic design - Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign Engineering analysis - Matlab, Karamba, Kangaroo, Ladybug, TransAT Programming languages - Python, C#, C++, Java, Javascript, Haskell, Git Web development - HTML, d3.js, Polymer language skills Swedish: native speaker English: full professional proficiency German, Danish: working proficiency Finnish, French: elementary proficiency other activities Student education council, A&E programme, President (2014-2015) Student division council, Architecture division, President (2015-2016) toivo säwén portfolio 2018

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projects selected

bachelor of arts architecture and engineering 2013-2016

architectural projects

Autumn 2013: Space and man

Exploring the relationships between body and space

Spring 2014: Space and Geometry

Exploring the connection between architecture and mathematics

Autumn 2014: Building and Structure

Exploring the formation of space within complex structures

theory of technology

Introductory Calculus and Algebra History of Architecture The basis of technology and the heritage of our built environment

Classical Mechanics Computer Programming

The physical boundaries of architecture and its algorithmic representations

Solid Mechanics Building Materials

The constituents of surface, structure and architecture

Spring 2015 Building and Climate

Building Physics History of Technology

Autumn 2015 Optimized structures of Architecture

Structural Mechanics Structures

Exploring the role of sustainability in complex building programmes

Exploring the intertwined processes of architecture and engineering

Spring 2016 Town planning

Exploring urban processes, morphologies and climate factors

The ecological impact of architecture, and the emergence of technology

The foundations and vessels of spaces and sensations

Acoustics Indoor Climate

The relationships between sound and space, systems and wellbeing

Spring 2016 Bachelor thesis

Exploring technology and iteration as a pathway to architecture

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Brytpunkt

art gallery in Hunnebostrand course:

tutor and examiner: principal tools:

Space and Geometry, Spring 2014 (semester 2), 7.5 ECTS Magnus Persson Google SketchUp, AutoCAD, V-Ray

assignment:

Sculpture hall and art gallery in Hunnebostrand

background:

The starting point of the art gallery is understanding and describing simple and complex geometries through their mathematical definitions. The implications for the spaces contained within these geometries are explored. Patterns and physical models are the methods of examining real and theoretical three dimensional objects.

The site is a post-industrial space where the rock quarry meets the ocean. In the spectacular space, geometric boundaries appear. Any architectural object within the space causes new spatial phenomena. The art gallery captures the qualities suggested by the site, and comments on the centuries of social struggle in the coastal towns of Bohuslän.

scale models 1:200. roof concepts

pencil sketches. geometric concepts

the sketch process The pencil sketch is the single most important tool of the architect and the engineer. A rapid sketch means a transmission of an idea into the physical world. Any issue or uncertainty becomes evident once the concept has been tried in plan, section and perspective view.

The sketch is used to understand the workings of a structural member or spatial configuration of a building. Ideas can be transmitted between designers and engineers, the whole discussion is conducted over a small piece of paper! Once three dimensional models are employed, more advanced phenomena can be explored, and the process continues, back and forth between media.

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closing words - brytpunkt The sculpture hall project was an important step for me to understand the design process, and respecting its evolutionary nature.

For a long time, I was bound by a geometric concept which seemed promising at first, but slowly turned out to cause problems that when solved caused a chain effect of the project falling apart.

I am happy that I realised this in due time, and revised the concept to keep the parts that worked, while applying the understanding gained from the initial process to a more rational building plan.

What I feel is missing from the end result is the initial desire to comment on the social processes that have caused the context in which the project was conceived. It is easy to miss the social context and understanding, when the geometric context proves a hard nut to crack in its own right.

view of sculpture hall

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Lyktan

housing on Hisingen course: tutor: examiner:

Building and Climate, Spring 2015 (semester 4), 7.5 ECTS Kajsa Crona Ola Nylander

project group:

Sebastian Christensson, Rakel Norberg

principal tools:

AutoCAD, Rhino3D, Revit

assignment:

Row houses on Hisingen, Gothenburg, including site plan and housing unit design

background: The primary goal of the course is examining the application of sustainable and efficient building systems when designing housing with a high architectural standard and with great regard for the experience of a wide spectrum of possible future residents.

The design exercise is designing a small row house community in the Gothenburg suburb of Lillhagen. The course is interwoven with the parallel Building Physics course, which includes measurements and evaluation of the design from a building physics perspective.

floor plan 1:250

elevation 1:250

roof detail 1:30

axonometry building elements

material & detail With the performance of the building climate shell as the key parameter for the project, material and detail are keywords.

Material choices impact the immediate performance in terms of heat transmission and air leakage, but also have a long term impact on the environment in the process of refinement, construction and recycling at the end of the building life cycle. We opt for a wood structure because of its good climate properties and long term small ecological footprint.

Material and detail also affect the architectural quality. We are aiming for bright housing units, and a small slit near the ceiling brings additional light into the bedrooms. As this is an important spatial quality, it is of utmost importance to develop a functional and efficient solution, which is easily constructed by the carpenter, and requires little maintenance throughout the building life cycle.

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closing words - lyktan With a fascinating lot, it was impossible not to get intrigued by the possibilities of devising a dynamic town plan - an endeavour which was fruitful at the cost of the actual project focus, being the housing solutions.

From the very first discussions, our hands were tied by idealistic ideas of sustainability - animosity towards cars, an exaggerated belief in the communal desires of the housing residents, and a somewhat skewed perception of what should be considered public and private.

When these questions started to truly crop up, it was too late to revise the design. The resulting housing units are functional in terms of environmental sustainability, but the issue of social sustainability was not tackled with enough rigour.

The insight here is that the idealistic process must be balanced against a pragmatic reality. The initial concept can be guided by idealism, but the result must also answer to the demands of the end users.

site plan 1:1000

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Silmä

waterslide in Gothenburg course:

tutor and examiner:

The Optimised Structures of Architecture, Autumn 2015 (semester 5), 7.5 ECTS Morten Lund

project group:

Markus Gustafsson, Hans Carlsson, Oscar BorgstrĂśm

principal tools:

Physical models and drawings

assignment:

Design of a segment of a waterslide, including structural conceptualisation

background:

The waterslide project hearkens to the forebearers of extreme sports: the St. Moritz Cresta Run toboggan riders of the early 20th century. Here, the concept of nerve-wracking velocity is brought to another historical context, where an attraction is to be constructed in the location of the 1923 Gothenburg exhibition - bustling with memory.

In the framework of the course, the engineering concept of optimisation is applied to design problems. Questions posed: how can human experience, materiality, urban space, be optimised the way a structural engineer optimizes water flow or a load bearing structure? How can these two applications be interwoven?

sketch models

continuous iteration

In the waterslide project, physical models are employed to understand structural and spatial phenomena in parallel. The initial model shows a simple geometric concept, but already a structural model can be created to simulate the behaviour of the structure.

In the next step, a structural concept has been developed, and its spatial implications in the urban context can be explored. In the final model, The concept has been further fleshed out, and the organic interaction between the bridge and the track can be pushed to its limit.

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closing words - silmä I am very happy with the architectural result. The process of continuously optimising a spatial and a physical structure, to arrive at an architectural embodiment, was eye-opening and inspiring. However, I had a hard time visualising and transmitting the concept once the design phase had ended. While the structure was not very complex in nature, the three-dimensionality and open-endedness of the program proved too difficult to efficiently represent graphically.

This project is what clearly showed me how the interdisciplinary process can take shape, and inspired me to further challenge what methods can be applied in each given instance. The next step to take would be to reverse the process, applying architectural design processes concepts, sketches, physical models and philosophical discussions when tackling an engineering problem.

site model 1:500

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Skรถnja

urban renewal in Gothenburg course: tutor and examiner:

Town and Country Planning, Spring 2016 (semester 6), 7.5 ECTS Mikael Ekegren

principal tools:

Autocad Map3D, Rhino, Grasshopper, Ladybug, V-ray, Illustrator

assignment:

Urban plan design, including illustrative plan and zoning plan

background:

The urban renewal project lies at the waterfront of Gothenburg. A pivotal locus for the current day urban development, the former harbour areas are to be developed into attractive housing.

The goal is to connect the new area, currently cut off by a motorway, to the existing urban fabric.

The issue is approached through a large scale structural analysis, where the existing structures of traffic and people flow, as well as existing green and building structures are established. Climate factors specific to the location and the planned development are examined.

Once the initial analysis is complete, the effects of the new development on these structures is evaluated, and the geometry and structure of the new development is determined. Then, the structure is iteratively improved with these factors as input data.

illustration plan 1:4000

street space rendering

park space rendering

street space In the process of urban development, understanding the role of the streets in conjunction with the built environment is crucial. To achieve this, the perspective view serves an important role in imagining the street life made possible in the built space.

Always switching between the top down plan to understand larger scale structures, and the perspective and section views to understand how the buildings create spaces for people, makes for an urban environment considered in a more human scale.

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urban structural analyses The first step of the process is a large scale analysis of the existing structures. Green areas are important for recreation and calm, but can be problematic when considering personal security at night.

The existing building and infrastructure must be considered in order for the urban fabric to be able to expand across boundaries such as a large thoroughfare. The scale of surrounding urban environments must be considered for the new development to be accepted as a part of the city.

Existing structures can often be readapted to new uses, and sometimes the existing activities can even continue and make sense in a urban development context.

People and traffic flow is often governed and created by the access to public transportation.

Understanding how people move in the area, and how new development will affect these patterns, is crucial to the success and long term sustainability of the development.

diagram. green structure

diagram. existing urban structures

diagram. public transport

diagram. urban axes and connections

diagram. sun analysis. average daily sun hours

diagram. wind rose. local protected zones

climate analyses Climate factors can provide both issues and possibilities in an urban renewal project. While some locations may want a large amount of sunlight for heating and natural lighting, offices and other businesses often have a larger need for cooling than for heating due to solar radiation. This kind of problems can be redeemed through solar studies.

In this particular situation, the wind is a large problem as it brings salty air which takes a large toll on facade cladding and increases maintenance requirements. The wind also creates unpleasant street environments for pedestrians during large parts of the year, if not handled correctly.

With a wind analysis, the areas most affected by the wind can be determined, which can inform choices of facade materials, and also influence the street geometry to reduce unpleasant effects of weather in the street environment.

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closing words - skรถnja The town planning project inspired me to produce an architectural design, thoroughly supported by an empirical analysis. The analysis was divided into two, where data modelling of climate aspects informed the geometric disposition of the planned area, and mapping of social and infrastructural flows generated the topology and structure of the plan.

While I am happy with the end result considering the time scale and the optimistic scope, the lesson learned is to not always carefully evaluate every aspect to generate a design. The amount of information is simply too vast - all the choices involved will soon end up meaningless.

Instead, the approach must be to evaluate one of the analyses, and allow that understanding to be the basis of a design option. Then, multiple options can be juxtaposed, to slowly edge toward a final design.

conceptual elevations

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Corona

chamber music hall in Park City, Utah course:

tutor and examiner:

Bachelor project, Spring 2016 (semester 6), 15 ECTS Morten Lund

project group:

Markus Gustafsson

principal tools:

Physical sketches and models, Rhino, Grasshopper, CATT Acoustics

assignment:

Chamber music hall design for acoustical competition

background:

The auditorium is designed as part of an acoustics competition. This creates a different approach to the project task, as the goal is conveying a strong concept, rather than a fully fleshed out project.

The focus on acoustics also enforces a different mindset, where the interior completely governs the design, and every design choice is always based in finding an optimal technical solution. The auditorium is to accomodate chamber music, a musical form with a long tradition and a strong relationship between the space and the people within.

The task is approached with the goal of finding an acoustically optimal geometry. The technical concepts developed all enable an iteratively optimised organic form. The result is a visual sensation of a vast space, while the acoustics produce a strong intimacy and relationship to the music.

sketch models

parallel concepts The process is dominated by iteration and parallel alternatives. The starting point is in a number of rapid concepts, where the inspiration is recovered from the mining town context. In the group, each concept is evaluated from its potential to create interesting spaces and innovative acoustical solutions.

The tools employed are largely physical. A large number of sketch models embody the concepts and bring them into three dimensions, and in large scale coal drawings the spatial proportions and connections are established. Skipping between two and three dimensions, new possibilities emerge with each iteration.

Once the project is nearing its end, the conceptual models are formalised in a Grasshopper definition, and the parametric model is used to evaluate the spaces with regards to acoustics. The geometry is continuously optimised to reach the final proposal.

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green room - flexibility The concept for the Green Room is a flexible room with a number of uses. This is made possible through a ceiling solution which can be raised or lowered to provide diffusion and increase the absorption of the ceiling. It also gives a visual effect, where the space is simple at a rehearsal, and reaches its full grace at a social event.

Lambda quarter resonators Diffusing ceiling ornaments Diffusing rock wall green room. axonometric view

For rehearsal, the Green Room imitates the acoustics of the auditorium to give a sense of the performance of instruments in a space with high reverberance. The diffusing orbs are raised, closing resonators behind them. The result is a space with high clarity, where musicians can notice every mistake or false note.

Neoprene floor insulation

For a banquet or a conference, the Room must handle a social acoustical situation. The orbs are lowered, creating a diffuse sound field which enables private conversations. The sound of a noisy crowd is absorbed by the lambda quarter resonators. The reduced reverberance improves speech intelligibility.

auditorium - integrity A defining strength of the project is the flexible shape, which enables a geometric optimisation to reach the desired acoustics. The concept is a strong basic shape, which can then be changed in the desired direction using flexible panelling.

Flexible acoustical panels Vestibule to foyer Elevated seating Scene on arches

Walls scattering sound Reverberant space

auditorium. axonometric view

Speech Transmission index, Speech mode

Definition D-50, Speech and Music mode

Clarity C-80, Music mode

diagrams. acoustical analyses

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closing words - corona The auditorium project was pervaded by a playful approach. Parallel concepts were constantly allowed to challenge and influence each other.This was both a gift and a curse to the project, as moments of inspiration were abundant, but the act of finishing and making clear decisions was pushed into the future.

The end result is as much a parametric concept as an architectural project. The idea is to let the architectural form be generated from acoustical factors, and iteratively analyse the result as an engineer, with the aesthetic and social understanding of the architect, to slowly but surely approach a final design which fulfills all demands.

The project taught me the value in parallel options, but also the importance of making hard choices, and always questioning the understanding supporting the decisions made in the design process.

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selected

workshops

architecture, art and engineering architectural workshops

architectural excursions

Autumn 2014: Bridge building competition

Bringing an architectural and structural design from concept to built reality

Spring 2014: Turin & Piedmont

From baroque churches to the remnants of industrial society

Summer 2015: Baltic International Summer School Interdisciplinary and intercultural exploration of urban environments

Spring 2015: England & Wales

From the industrial revolution to current social struggles

Autumn 2015: Virtual tools in a material culture Pushing the limits of analysis and design using parametric tools

Autumn 2015: Switzerland

From the pioneer bridge builders to contemporary precision

Spring 2016: SmartGeometry

Visualising the invisible phenomena of architecture

Unterbrook intervention in Hamburg course: Baltic International Summer School, Summer 2015, 5 ECTS tutor and examiner: Annette Bögle principal tools Storytelling, photography, impromptu urban furniture assignment: Workshop to examine contemporary urban developments with an interdisciplinary approach background: The Summer School is an opportunity to transcend multiple borders - national as well as disciplinary. Students from universities in the Baltic region are invited to use their different skills and experiences - both from their different cultures and working methods.

The project is a site in Hamburg, where missing links are to be identified and responded to. The approach is finding a place with architectural and urban quality, which is overlooked - or cherished? by the locals. The question posed: how to enhance the qualities? How to find out what kind of architecture is missing in our urban spaces? What are people actually asking for?

street photography and exploration

PEOPLE

DALENA H O

BARS PALLETS CHAIRS CRATES intervention. café 1:1

POLLS

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Virtual tools analysis in parametric models course: Virtual Tools in a Material Culture, spring 2016 tutors: Emil Adiels, Emil Poulsen principal tools: Grasshopper, Galapagos, Karamba assignment: Design of a three dimensional truss using parametric analysis and design tools

The Virtual Tools course explores more advanced programming concepts to take a great leap forward in the possibilities of design and analysis. In this example, a geometry is defined, and FEM tools are used to analyse the structural integrity.

Not only can the parametric model find the optimal solution; there is no stronger way of visualising the workings of a structure, than actually applying the forces and watching the structure react.

tension

diagrams. schematic of parametric process

compression

diagram. internal forces

Bro av tro bridge at Chalmers competition: CTH Structural Design Challenge, autumn 2014 tutors: Morten Lund, Karl-Gunnar Olsson principal tools: Physical models assignment: Bridge design from conceptualisation to construction

scale model 1:50

In the Structural Design Challenge, architecture and civil engineering students work together to bring the concept of a bridge all the way from the sketching phase to a finished structure.

The ideas of eight people have to be molded into a finished project, and in the final hours of the building phase we have to make some tough decisions, altering concepts which we have worked hard upon. These hard moments only make me appreciate the final bridge even more, and teach me to always look brightly upon the situation.

bridge 1:1

SmartGeometry workshop at Chalmers workshop: SmartGeometry, spring 2016 tutors : Daniel Prohasky, Mehrnoush Latifi, Nancy Cheng, isblebletex: Canhui Chen principal tools: Physical modules (textile, gypsum, paper), invisble text thermal camera assignment: Module design for exploration of micro scale thermal environment experience :

The SmartGeometry workshop brings students, researchers, professionals and enthusiasts from all over the world to explore various approaches to parametric design in numerous clusters.

My cluster, called “Sensory Detectives”, works with invisible phenomena and how engineers and architects can become aware of how buildings affect their surroundings. We create a wall of panels, which are evaluated from their effects on thermal comfort. We always stay shifting between the high-tech and the low-tech aspects of design and engineering, and bring knowledge between the two realms.

module 1:1

thermal analysis

modular wall 1:1

Intro to CFD course at ETH course: Introduction to Computational Fluid Dynamics tutors: Dr. Djamel Lakehal, Pasha Piroozmand principal tools: TransAT, Grasshopper, Ladybug assignment: Evaluation of bus shelter wind comfort in various global locations

In the introduction to CFD, we are taught the physics of Computational Fluid Dynamics, and learn industry tools to perform wind simulations in urban environments.

The end result is an examination of the comfort of bus wind shelters. It is clear that the complex simulations can help the architect in their formal decision making, but also that the inherent uncertainties of computer simulations must always be weighed against the architect’s intuition.

bus shelter geometry alternatives

wind roses for shelter locations

stream lines from cfd simulation

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selected

international experience as a designer and engineer

2009-2012: Level Design Valve Corporation, Seattle

Design of a community level inluding gameplay design, detailing and playtesting

2013: Level Design Free Lunch Design, Gothenburg

Project management of a game expansion designing levels and programming

2016-: Architectural design UNI_arkitektur, Gothenburg

Personal projects, including vacation house remodelling, lamp design

K/F

2016-2017: Engineering BuroHappold, Copenhagen

Software development, data visualisation, crowd flow modelling and analysis

2017-2018: Master in Civil Engineering ETH, ZĂźrich Building Technology, Urban Physics, Building Materials, Computational Physics

Lower Manhattan visualisations of complex data placement: Industrial placement, BuroHappold SMART Space team, August 2016 - July 2017 managers: Martin Henriksen, Shrikant Sharma principal tools: Web development, Rhino/Grasshopper, QGIS tasks: Software development, data visualisation, social flow analysis :

geotagged tweets give us a basis for people movements on manhattan. to better understand the data, a heatmap is generated. the heatmap shows some clear movement patterns, which are used to define a simulation scenario.

the social flow simulation can be used to quickly visualise problems and possibilities, and estimate the impact of changed boundary conditions such as new developments and increased flow rates

the perspective visualisation brings a human scale to the analysis. it is difficult to feel a connection to numbers and heatmaps, but with the simulation we can be engineers and designers with empathy

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my vision The boundary conditions of architecture are rapidly changing. We are confronted with global climate change, evolving social structures, and new economical realities. I believe in the responsibility of architects and engineers to carefully consider the implications of what we design and build for future generations.

Realising this, I want to take part in a transformation of building industry practices. I believe that a regard for architectural quality, social factors, and resource efficiency can all contribute to a new outlook on our role as builders of society. This transformation calls for inspiration and creativity, but also a strong scientific basis, making use of the ever growing amounts of data available to us. In this process, my ability to switch from the architect’s perspective to an engineer’s will be crucial.

I will find my place in the borderlands between architecture and engineering, where I can put my computational skills to use to create, visualise and understand architecture from new perspectives.

Toivo Säwén c/o Rydbacken Bågevägen 31c 85652 Sundsvall SWEDEN toivosawen@gmail.com +46(0)7303-92009

toivo säwén portfolio 2018 architecture, engineering, design