STUDIO AIR CONCEPTUALISATION 1
Content PART A
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A.0 About Me A.1 Design Futuring A.2 Design Computation A.3 Composition/Generation A.4 Conclusion A.5 Learning Outcomes A.6 Algorithmic Sketches
YUN GU 633789
Semester 1 2015
A.0 ABOUT ME YUN GU Bachelor of Environment Architecture Major 3rd Year Studio 6 MSD 215 633789 This is my final year of Environments study majoring in architecture. I have much expectation in Studio Air to develop digital modeling skill and algorithmic design. I am a huge fan of technology and furniture design. My Asian background has much influence in my view and value in architecture. My experience in using designing software is very limited. I have used Rhino for virtual environments two years ago, which have little memory of; also practiced in Sketch-Up and Auto CAD for Studio Earth and Studio Water. In Virtual Environments, I have explored making a 2D pattern to 3D model of lantern. Firstly I have fold a square piece of paper in an irregular order, scanned to an image and imported into Rhino. Then it has been ‘exploded’ and adjusted to a form like flower but nothing like lantern. Final step was making surfaces and squeezing to the middle; adding a ring in the middle for hands to hold and digging some holes for lights to go through. I liked the production that is not enclosed like a normal lantern would have and that was my first experience using Rhino.
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In last year, I did not focus much on learning software, instead I focus more on the expression and proportion for the purpose of aesthetic and mathematical reference in architecture. The design brief for studio Earth was to make a space for a family to hear a recording at one time that the space express ‘timeless’. I used squares only in horizontal section and the height of each level follows the proportion of an egg. Lower level was underground and only high enough for children to go through with a tunnel connected to ground. For studio Water, I studied Richard Meier’s architecture and simulated his style. The floor plan uses certain scale of rectangles interacting and the two parts of building follows the proportion of geometry as well.
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A.1 DESIGN FUTURING
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Image[1] Beijing 2015, MAD Architects, 2006
Design futuring has been a main term of design strategy in the 21st century. By forecasting the future, architects predict new trends and identify weak signals that can be extrapolated into the near future. [1] It’s interesting that architects use imagination to design futuring however the future is orientated by these designs. Dunne’s article mentioned his interest in ‘positioning design speculation in relation to futurology’, which I believe every architect does the same. Design futuring encourage people’s imagination to flow freely, and the imagination amazed me is from MAD Architects.
MAD Architects purposed ‘Beijing 2050’ in 2006 which respond to the reshaping of Beijing in the future. They purposed the political space change and a floating island over the CBD which reflects people’s life style may take more places ‘up in the air’. At the same time of looking into the future, MAD Architects also reviews the history. The CBD in Beijing was built according to the western vision of modernization created in the last century regarding to an expression of wealth and status.
[1] Dunne, Anthony & Raby, Fiona (2013) Speculative Everything: Design Fiction, and Social Dreaming (MIT Press) pp.1-28 [2] MAD, Chinese Architects, last viewed 20th March, 2015 http://www.chinese-architects.com/en/mad/projects-3/beijing_2050-7040
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Image[2] Beijing 2015, MAD Architects, 2006
But the density in China is far more than Western countries and instead of chasing the building height to accommodate, MAD architects purposed a literal connection between buildings. [2] In their report, there are two very interesting principles of “machine aesthetics” and “vertical city” that are characterized by modernism. The space MAD Architects purposed lies ‘somewhere between reality and the impossible’ like Dunne says referring to the concept of design futuring. Technology has enabled designs and construction
that increase the probability of more desirable futures happening, but as Fry says: Whenever we bring something into being we also destroy something. [3] To what extend should architects forget how things are now and wonder how things could be in the future? Would those imagination destroy something important now we have such as culturally and socially? Sustainability is the most important consideration in design futuring; and it’s to be developed, not maintained. Design that ‘take time away’ mentioned in the Air lecture, is more about the intelligent system for a more livable environment rather than just an innovative design.
[3] Fry, Tony (2008). Design Futuring: Sustainability, Ethics and New Practice(Oxford: Berg), pp.1-16 Image[1]&[2] http://www.i-mad.com/zh-hans/work/beijing-2050/?cid=17
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A.2 DESIGN COMPUTATION
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Digital technology has brought up architectural design to a marvellous level. The most significant effect it has made on designs is communication. From drawing to scripting, and the related shift from static components to parametrically conceived generative components, computing has accelerated the circulation of communication in architectural design.
“Architecture addresses itself to ‘the discipline of architecture’, new communication structures will be promoted that should serve to update and upgrade the discipline.”[4]
Architectural design programs such as Auto CAD, Rhino and Revit can offer a direct transformation from 2D graphic to 3D model, from parametrical design to structural or construction documents therefore cost less time in the design process. Digital tools also allows more variety of forms and more controllable by using tools like Grasshopper Image [3] BANQ Restaurant by Office dA, 2008
[4] Schumacher, Patrik (2011). The Autopoiesis of Architecture: A New Framework for Architecture (Chichester: Wiley), pp. 1-28 Image [3] http://www.yatzer.com/BANQ-restaurant-by-Office-dA
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Design computation views design as the specification and expression of organizational or material forms[5], which is argued that is less poetry. I personally think it is true to a certain extend digital design method has replaced some good quality of poetry in architecture and lost some nice things that are ‘eventually’ made. But overall, computing design technology is what we need to bring the development forwards future.
Image [4] Torus House by Preston Scott Cohen, 1999
Innovative technologies have become a driving force in formulation and production of tectonic design and boost material creativity.[6] In the design of Torus House by Preston Scott Cohen and BANQ Restaurant by Office dA, computing has been effectively used to analysis and form the structural system of the building. The structural elements extracted form an irregular form were designed far more quicker by computer technology than manual drawing. Parametric design method is able to analysis the dependency relationships between objects and their parts-and-whole relationships. By having accurate structural and architectural drawings, computation also economically optimized the construction process.
[5] Fry, Tony (2008). Design Futuring: Sustainability, Ethics and New Practice(Oxford: Berg), pp.1-16 [6] Oxman, Rivka and Robert Oxman, eds (2014). Theories of the Digital in Architecture (London; New York: Routledge), pp.1-10 Image [4] http://www.pscohen.com/torus_house.html CONCEPTUALISATION 13
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A.3 COMPOSITION & GENERATION
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Image [5] Algorithmic diagram of Bird’s Nest (National Stadium of China), Beijing, 2003
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“When people think of design, most believe it is about problem solving,” [7]
Image [6] Structural frame of Water Cube
Image [7] Conceptual design of Water Cube
Image [8] Lighting effect of Water Cube
In the digital age, arranging composition has been far more easier and quicker, more complex forms are available to be actually built. Analytical computation could be used to actively shape the buildings in a dynamic fashion.[8] The National Stadium and Aquatics Center in Beijing, China are representative in computing composition. The surfaces and forms of these two buildings seem simple but the compositions are very complex. The National Stadium is as known as the ‘Bird’s Nest’, it uses 26km of unwrapped steel that were twisted and intersect.[9] The calculation of geometry are numerous and complicated that are not possible to be solved manually. The architectural style of Bird’s Nest is described as “Deconstructivism”. It is only possible because digital technologies have enabled extracting, exchanging and utilizing information. Therefore the process of describing and constructing a design can be now more direct and more complex. What makes algorithmic design appealing is the function of shifting forms to structures and interconnections internally and externally. On the other hand, it is high rely on intuition and creativity; then communication becomes extremely important. The production of algorithmic design relies on shared knowledge, understand textual, numerical, graphical and auditory messages.[10] That means architects need more professional knowledge such as construction, engineering and structural knowledge to be able to complete the design.
[7] Dunne, Anthony & Raby, Fiona (2013) Speculative Everything: Design Fiction, and Social Dreaming (MIT Press) pp.1-28 [8] Kolarevic, Branko, Architecture in the Digital Age: Design and Manufacturing (New York; London: Spon Press, 2003) Suggested start with pp.3-62 [9] Beijing National Stadium, ‘The Bird’s Nest’, China; Designbuild-network; http:// www.designbuild-network.com/projects/national_stadium/ [10] Kalay, Yehuda E. (2004). Architecture’s New Media: Principles, Theories, and Methods of Computer-Aided Design (Cambridge, MAl MIT Press), pp.5-25 Image [5] https://libertecture.wordpress.com/2014/01/28/algorithmic-boogie-beijing-olympic-stadium-case-study-gsapp-adr-i-13/ Image [6] & [7] & [8] http://www.water-cube.com/en/ CONCEPTUALISATION 17
A.4 CONCLUSION Architecture is the connection between people and environmental, it creates and divides spaces from nature. Forms and materiality of buildings are less restricted with the improvement of technologies. Computing design is a product of human intelligence and creativity, and it allows designers to explore more possibilities in terms of enhancing both the appearance and functions of a building. Working with digital programs, designers can develop and realize their concepts in a more effective manner. However, there are some draw backs of computations which I have illustrated before. People may put effort in developing the use of digital design to aim for creating more desirable living environment in the furtue
PART A CONCEPTUALISATION
Through the theory and practical exercises in Part A, I have learned the basis of using Grasshopper in Rhino and I believe by more practise it could lead me to more complex forms and faster expression of ideas. Algorithmic and parametric modeling enables much more complex forms and have more control on the geometry. In the next few weeks, I will explore more use on Rhino and find out the possibilities of the design in next part. Also I would like to explore ideas referring to the actual site. The precedents in Part A have given me lots of inspirations of how computing design form an interesting architecture. I will keep on looking up precedents in relation to the project
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