Studio Air
Xinrui Yan 390916
Table of Contents Part A. EOI I: CASE FOR INNOVATION A.0 Introduction Previous Work
2 3
A.1 Architecture as A Discourse Personal Favorites: Oslo Opera House Personal Favorites: Notre-Dame Du Haut
5 6 9
A.2 Computational Architecture
12
A.3 Parametric Modeling BMW Welt ICD/ITKE Research Pavilion 2012
16 18 20
A.4 Algorithmic Explorations
22
A.5 Conclusion
24
A.6 Learning Outcomes
25
A.7 References
26
Introduction Hello everyone, I’m Xinrui, or you can call me Vicki much easier. I’m currently at the third year as an environments student major in Architcture. I have learnt a little bit Rhinao 4.0 in the previous subject, just some basic stuff. I am kind of worried about using Rhino5.0 with Grasshopper plugin cos’ I haven’t touched them before. Most of my work was done by hand. I thought hand-drawing is much easier to express yourself when inspiration comes up, with one pen and a piece of paper then you can write down all your thoughts whenever or wherever you are. However after I experienced some of the grasshopper this week, I find that it is really effective by using digital tools. It speeds up your process of innovating and improving your idea at the very start. I am really excited about this and I know I will learn a lot from this studio and thus improving my skills in my architecture study.
Previous Work Learning From Masters ---- Rem KoolHass
This is my work from water studio last year. All my work were using hand drawing. My mainly concepts are: 1. FUNCTION SEPERATION --- PRIVATE VS PUBLIC Like Rem’s design of Netherlands Embassy 2003, private and public areas were analyzed and separated in a plan of rectangle shape. Therefore during my design for the boathouse, I first analyzed which are used privately, e.g., office, kitchen, boat storage room, toilets specifically for staffs. Staffs normally use these places only. And then to analyze which are for public. It is obvious that the restaurant, café and kiosk and public toilets. There are also some areas used for both private and public such as ramps which is used to link between different function rooms, like the one between office and kiosk, and the other one between kitchen and café. Secondly I separate into two main groups one for private and one for public. And arrange the circulation between each function.
2.
RAMPS & TRANSPARENCY
Many designs of Koolhaas show his favor of RAMPS like the ones in Embassy and Educatorium in Netherlands 1997 and Casa Da Musica 2005 and so on. Thus I also choose ramps to be my main connection between each function room. Besides, staircases are also used. Furthermore, one of Rem’s Buildings features is Transparency and in this way, people inside can see views outside and people outside can also see through and be attracted that they want to know what is going on inside the building. Therefore, I use glass as the main material for the ramps framing and also part of the main building body. 3. LIGHTNESS OF SOLIDITY --GEOMETRIC PATTERN & COLUMNS Another strategy used by Rem is the lightness of solidity. For example, the Villa Dall’ Ava 1991. The upper floor is extended longer than the downside and use columns in a random pattern to create interesting lightness. So I also extended my second floor and put columns under its extended areas. As a result, lightness of solidity is created and they also support the weight of the extended part to make the structure stronger.
Architecture As A Discourse
Oslo Opera House
The Oslo Opera House is the home of The Norwegian National Opera and Ballet, and the
national opera theatre in Norway. The building is situated in the Bjørvika neighborhood of central Oslo, at the head of the Oslofjord. It is designed by Norwegian architects Snøhetta. Most of the buildings in the city and in neighbouring communities are low in height with only the Plaza, Postgirobygget and the highrises at Bjørvika considerably taller.
Opera and ballet are young artforms in Norway. These artforms evolve in an international
setting . The Bjørvika peninsula is part of a harbour city, which is historically the meeting point with the rest of the world. The dividing line between the ground ‘here’ and the water ‘there’ is both a real and a symbolic threshold. This threshold is realised as a large wall on the line of the meeting between land and sea, Norway and the world, art and everyday life. This is the threshold where the public meet the art.
The whole structure sits near the water and bring the feeling of ‘floating’. The downside and upper level uses glass as the main material to give the sense of transparency. Not only bring the outside views to insiders, but also shows outsiders what is happen inside the building.
The roof of the building angles to ground level creating a large plaza inviting pedestrians to walk up and enjoy the panoramic views of Oslo. The angles and paving materials are also skateboard-friendly allowing skateboarders to use some areas. Skateboarders are discouraged from areas closer to performance spaces by the use of steps and paving not conducive to skateboarding.
Notre-Dame Du Haut
When Le Corbusier returned to active practice in Paris at the end of the Second World War he was in his late fifties and had not built foe over a decade. In this period he became increasingly concerned with buildings that would reflect the full range of his ideas and principals. The great Utopian vision of the 1920s and 30s, of a society transformed by modernism, was overshadowed by his desire to find a fraternity with nature. The finest example of this change of heart is his pilgrimage chapel on a magnificent hilltop near Besancon, Eastern France. He accommodate a huge array of sources including Istrian huts, aeroplane wing sections and a crab’s shell.
The result was a structure with a huge curved concrete roof supported by convex and concave rubble walls punched to the south by a huge array of different sized openings. The building’s plan is ordered by light cowls inspired Hadrian’s Villa at Tivoli and numbering three to reflect the Trinity. The building had a mixed critical reception, being instantly popular with the general public but enormously unpopular with fellow advocates of the modern movements. The weighty roof runs at an angle and meets the south wall leaving a slight gap so that what seems monumentally heavy outsider appear to be a thin surface inside. It gives an impression of great lightness. The ‘windows’ of the south wall are of varying sizes and depth, and are filled with colour glasses.
Computational
Architecture stands at an inflection point. The confluence of advances in computation technologies offers architects the possibility of designing and creating unimaginable forms. With increase in processing, the roughly triangulated geometries and simple blobs of the early 2000s have given way to the possibility of complex geometries at multiple scales with details approaching the threshold of human visibility . In traditional ways, we draw things by hands. Somehow it is convenient to express when inspiration comes up, what you need is only one pen with one piece of paper. However, when it comes to renovate your idea, if you use the traditional way to do it, it would take ages to go through it one by one, even though using the programs of AutoCAD. A single object with millions of unique facets would take years to draw. To truly exploit the possibilities, what we need is a more abstract and open-ended method: a computational approach. Parameters control the operations of a time-based, predefined process that is itself transforming or generating geometrics, instead of controlling the geometry directly in the process. As a result, a form with a few million surfaces is as easy to print as a form with a few dozen. With the computational technology, you can refine designs in the balance between expected and unexpected, control and relinquishments. Sometime in the computational design, the outcome will surprise you as it turns out a much more amazing form based on what you expect for. However, the design processes are deterministic, it does not come out randomly, but not necessarily entirely predictable. That’s why most architects get excited about it, it is not only a language that expressing themselves, but also bring out uncountable possibilities to create new designs. By using computational methods, it is not to design an object but generating objects throughout a series of computations. It is not like the traditional ways that you can only work on the design once, if you want to amend it you have to erase it and restart over again. In computational design process, you can apply changes again and again. You can bake your design whenever you like during the process and keep renovating. At the end, you can choose from the works you’ve made by comparing with each other and discussing questions such as which one is more feasible in the modern world, what is more functional and so on.
Architecture
The pictures show the work done by Michael Hansmeyer. He is an architect and programmer who explores the use of algorithms and computation to generate architectural form. Instead of the traditional drawings, he created columns with incredible surfaces by using a complex algorithm. He achieved this by layering thousands of 1mm thin sheets of cardboard around a wooden core . By looking at the complex outlook of the columns, it is hard to image that how long it would take if we use AutoCAD or even hand drawing. However by using computational technology, it makes the impossibility come true in the real world. And in my opinion, I believe that the final object is not the one he thought of at the very start. By using algorithms, he created new forms on the basic modeling. A computational method enable architecture walk towards a new expression in forms of series of geometries. It speeds up the design process and explores endless possibilities of objects could be. It surprise people by the variations it could achieve, which goes far beyond what one could have traditionally conceived.
Parametric A parametric was initially defined as a mathematical formula that required values to be substituted for a few parameters in order to generate variations from within a family of entities. Nowadays parametric modeling implies a way to design objects that are active and constantly changeable without affecting the nature of them. It is very useful for subjecting uncertain situations to the rigors of a pre-defined and proven mathematical model. What’s more, it also embodies a great deal of prior experience and is less biased than human thought processes alone.
Modeling Parametric modeling separates the entire structure in independent pieces, which in good communications with each other. Rates vary, proportions change, and the whole configuration alters accordingly. It is an easier way to renovate the original idea by changing specific parts of it. However, it needs to be noticed that when making the parametric modeling in the real life, we need to consider the feasibility and especially how each parts connect to each other. As the shape of each piece may very different from each other, the connection in between seems quite significant. One fail will destroy the whole structure. Also, the construction cost may also be higher than the normal building. It needs to be considered during budgeting.
BMW Welt The BMW Welt is one of the first buildings representing a new generation of communication buildings for the 21st century. BMW Welt’s muscular, stainless-steel-clad body, designed by Coop Himmelb(l)au, rises with the energy and force of a giant version of Umberto Boccioni’s Unique Forms of Continuity in Space. The ‘twist hall’ is made of glass with steels as the main structure frame. From the original concept of the design, there is no twist effect shown. It was possibly developed during the parametric modeling period. The surface is separated into numbers of geometries. Instead of smooth surface finish, designers changed the order of original geometry arrangement, as well as the size at the particular rows and the rates they should turn. As a result, the amazing shape was created. To match with material of glass, steel cladding is selected. It holds the whole structure of the hall and supports the weight of glass and does not ruin the aesthetics of lightness that glass brings. The Hall’s roof system also has special significance for the complex made up of heat, cold and air. A 3D simulation of thermal currents and air streams was conducted in order to investigate the spread of exhaust fumes from the cars driven on the Premiere level. It helps in energy saving.
ICD/ITKE Research Pavilion 2012
In November 2012 the Institute for Computational Design (ICD) and the Institute of Building Structures and Structural Design (ITKE) at the University of Stuttgart have completed a research pavilion that is entirely robotically fabricated from carbon and glass fiber composites. This is an impressive example when you look at it; thousands of lines just pop up to your eyes. The main structure of the pavilion is 5-pointed star, as well as the pattern on the surface. Shown in the pictures on the left, the designers create the incredible pattern by changing the fiber orientations. Setting the corner point as the origin, the fiber lines are spread out radially. I think this is a special example that parametric modeling not based on rearranging geometries, but lines. This pavilion tells us that even using lines can create amazing pattern by using parametric modeling technology. By adjusting the orientations of the fiber line and rate it bends, the pavilion is weaved.
Algorithmic
Explorations By learning Grasshoppers, now we are able to make creative styles via algorithms. I get really excited about this app because it really save my times compared to do it by hands. I can’t imagine doing it by using AutoCAD or hand drawings. It would take a long time to finish the design if so. And once get wrong somewhere, you have to erase all the lines or drawing related to the mistake and restart over again. But using Grasshopper, I don’t need to worry about it. The original work is still there and all the changes are on the grasshopper work rather than applying to the Rhino directly. And what’s more, I can bake any work during the innovation period. At the end, I can choose from all the designs I’ve made, comparing with each other and select the favorites. However I also met some difficulties when I tried to do the work especially the vase. I think when you want to create a continuous surface; you have to place whatever lines, curves or geometries in order. When I did it, I didn’t notice that, and when I inserted another in between the existing ones, it just failed to create a continuous surface, it connected each geometry in the order of created time. Therefore I had to redo it again. But I think there may be other ways to avoid this. Anyway, I think most of the Grasshopper functions are full of fun when you play around such as Mesh and Parametric. The results sometimes just surprise me and inspire me more.
Conclusion Start from architecture discourse, we learnt that architecture is a continuous course. It keeps going forward. Instead of using hand drawing, now we are introduced to the computer technology. It expresses our inspirations in a new way and speeds up the time we spend on the design process. It allows to correct mistakes made during process without losing all the other relative works. Besides, computational architecture also brings surprise as they could create amazing effect when applying parametric modeling technology on it. It simplified the complex designing work. Computation is now a significant and essential tool in designing disciplines.
Learning Outcomes At the beginning of the semester, I felt worried about using the software GrassHopper that I haven’t touched before. Because I thought any new things needs time to learn it. I was afraid that I could not catch up the others. However, it seems not that hard after these four weeks. I went through every week’s videos online. They are a little bit too fast for me sometime, therefore after one minute or two, I stop it for a while, and when I catch up then carry on. The videos explained every function in detail. I think if I keep playing with it, I will get much familiar with Algorithmic technology. With the computational technology, I can express myself and visualize inspiration in a professional way. It also rich my ideas during my designing process. It will be really significant helpful when doing the gateway projects.
Part B
EOI II: Design Approach
http://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2009/11/dzn_TĂŠtrarc-Architects-011.jpg
Design Focus After discussing with my group mate, we showed our interests in the approach of strips and folding. We choose this method because we think that by folding methods we can use strips to create different shapes and spaces. It is full of tension and variability that would bring us unexpected shapes and forms during the designing process that enriches our ideas. Using series of strips, which rotate in different degrees, it gives the performance of movements. The spaces between each strip elements will affect the airflow and create light effect as well. As most of our clients for the gateway project are the ones driving at a high speed on freeways, the floating and dynamic forms with different shapes of shadows created give audiences instant feelings when they pass by. Also, we talked about the scale, in order to make eyecatching project, I think we should try to make the design at a little bit larger scale both horizontally and vertically, so that we can impress our clients and make them remember it and the city they are going to, saying, the Wyndham City.
Fig 1
http://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2009/11/dzn_Corian-Super-Surfaces-Showroom-by-Amanda-Levete-LT-09.jpg
n
Connection The lines present the connection between each other. For our project, we use strips as a connection to the Wyndham City, e.g. the people, the culture, the environments. We want our design fit into the whole environment not just pin on the site. Fig 2
Speed lines In comic books, normally when the authors want to show things moving in a high speed, they draw lines around the project. This makes us to think about using straight-line elements to give people the sense of speed. Fig 3
Direction And what’s more, we want to use strips to give our client the feeling of direction to show where they are going.
Fig 4
Fig 2 http://www.billfrymire.com/gallery/webJpgs/global-network-connect-international-earth-space.jpg Fig 3 http://img.gawkerassets.com/img/17igt1zhrqs2bjpg/xlarge.jpg Fig 4 http://www.victusspiritus.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/06/direction_redarrows.jpg
LOOP_3 ‘Loop_3 is a project conceived and realized by Loop_3 design team, a group of students Architectural Design 3 course at the Faculty of Engineering, Università di Bologna.’ 1 Loop_3 is a good example of the strips and folding approach. Designers use mathematical trigonometric functions to create this amazing complex structure through parametric design software. ‘It explores the rationality of complex shapes joining spatial interaction, curvature as structural and expressive strategy and shape as sorting system for the deployment of functions.’2
1. Alessio Erioli, Loop_3, Co-de-iT <http://www.co-de-it.com/wordpress/loop_3.html> 2. Alessio Erioli, Loop_3, Co-de-iT <http://www.co-de-it.com/wordpress/loop_3.html>
Fig 6 http://www.co-de-it.com/wordpress/loop_3.html
• The voluptuous ripples give help the overall stability3 • Flat parts are intended for 3D prototypes while pictures occupy the most vertical surface parts to facilitate reading4 • Set the central point as the origin, strips spread towards three directions at horizontal scale, using strips and folding methods it helps to create design works at a large range of scale according to the surrounding environments, which give a sense of eye-catching and as well as show the characteristic of being dynamic • Instead of traditional flat shape, architects use mathematics as a privileged tool for tracing systematic paths as well as enhancing their expressive language5. It makes complex design feasible in the real world and create thousands of variations • The shape gives people different feeling when people walking around. Different view at different angle. This is also a good inspiration for Gateway Project. As on the highway, most of our audience are drivers and passengers, who are in the fast moving, by using strips and folding approach we are able to bring them different instant reaction when they pass by. 3. Alessio Erioli, Loop_3, Co-de-iT <http://www.co-de-it.com/wordpress/loop_3.html> 4. Alessio Erioli, Loop_3, Co-de-iT <http://www.co-de-it.com/wordpress/loop_3.html> 5. Alessio Erioli, Loop_3, Co-de-iT <http://www.co-de-it.com/wordpress/loop_3.html> Fig 7 http://www.co-de-it.com/wordpress/loop_3.html
ICD/ITKE Research Pavilion 2010
Fig 8 http://icd.uni-stuttgart.de/?p=4458
Fig 9
This research Pavilion was designed by the Institute for Computational Design (ICD) and the Institute of Building Structures and Structural Design (ITKE). The whole shape is like spreading curves from the central point and creates a ‘round ring’, which also looks like a blooming flower in my opinion. It bends each piece of strips in order to form the space and pattern in between. As a result, amazing lighting effect and shadows are created as shown in Fig 8. What’s more, if we combine the structure and the shadows together as a whole, it looks like a large luxuriant tree, which makes me think that they may try to put natural elements into their designs. Especially when we look at the material they used, plywood was employed. This material is able to be bent and looks soft and smooth when it’s applied on the project. This is a good reference when we choose our material for the gateway project as we are trying to find material that is full of tension (easy to bend) and stable( holding the overall structure) and fit into the surrounding environments as well.
Fig 9. http://icd.uni-stuttgart.de/?p=4458 Fig 10. http://icd.uni-stuttgart.de/?p=4458
Fig 10
Case Study 1. 0 Biothing_Serou For Case Study 1.0, we first download the GrassHopper file provided on LMS and tried to make changes on it. We want to experience what variations that lines can create and see if it can match our design focus. Can it give the sense of showing the direction? Use curves or straight lines or both of them? How to show the movements in the design? Will it be possible to give the feeling of speed that mentioned before? What shape is more suitable for the Gateway project? Enclose or open shapes?
Original Form downloaded from LMS
Make curvature on every single line
Change cueve lines
Extrude lines into strips
0 ussi Pavillon
es to straight
Change the direction where lines spead towards
Fig 11
Then we tried to find precedents that can give us more to show the possibilities which strips and folding can create. Liverpool is the largest luxury retail shop located in Mexico. We find that the dynamic and modern façade is a good produced in the strips and folding method. It is made of series of strips, which looks like propeller. Each of them rotates 180 degrees on its axis. These simple and controlled variations create numerous results for each piece, which as a whole, give a sense of movement6. Even though it stays still actually, it makes people feel that they are floating towards a direction. This effect is better appreciate at a distance and when passing through by car at high speed7. It matches our aim on the gateway project, as most of our clients are the ones driving cars at a high speed on freeway. And what’s more, the degrees they rotate change the light shining on them and create different shadows and reflections. This also needs to be taken into considerations during our designs because lightness is also a significant factor that influence audiences’ feeling.
6. Arch daily, ‘Fachada Liverpool / Iñaki Echeverria’, <http://www.archdaily.com/261204/liverpool-villahermosa-inaki-echeverria/> 7. Arch daily, ‘Fachada Liverpool / Iñaki Echeverria’, <http://www.archdaily.com/261204/liverpool-villahermosa-inaki-echeverria/> Fig 11. http://www.archdaily.com/261204/liverpool-villahermosa-inaki-echeverria/50202bdc28ba0d520000000d_fachada-liverpool-i-aki-echeverria_a_jaime_navarro-jpg/ Fig 12. http://www.archdaily.com/261204/liverpool-villahermosa-inaki-echeverria/50202bd828ba0d520000000b_fachada-liverpool-i-aki-echeverria_010_jaime_navarro-jpg/ Fig 13. http://www.archdaily.com/261204/liverpool-villahermosa-inaki-echeverria/50202be128ba0d520000000f_fachada-liverpool-i-aki-echeverria_04_luis_gordoa-jpg/
Fig 12
Precedent: Liverpool Villahermosa
Fig 13
Then we try to make the building surface via Grasshopper. We separate up and bottom curves in the same length and connect them, which forms strips and then we rotate them at 180 degrees. This is an important technique we learn that we can apply this on our project model to reach the effect of rotation. Not only 180 degrees, but any degrees we would like to rotate to achieve the results of movement and lightness.
Matrix
Top View
Perspective
We started to make Matrix to explore designing techniques to create different form
ms and shapes. first we started from straighnt lines and
Case Study 2.0
Glasgow museum
Fig 14
We came across with a precedent that has an ideal shape and similar concept as our design, so we used this example as our foundation and lead us to create our own models. The precedent we found is the Glasgow museum of transportation. This structure is a tunnel-like configuration that connects the city and the river. It uses parallel curves and sharp chine lines inside to give people the sense of direction. The long length curves together bring the feeling of movements towards one way. Using combination of line elements it give the power of Kinetic.
Fig 14. http://eliinbar.files.wordpress.com/2012/02/riverside-museum-aerial-credit-zaha-hadid-architects-and-glasgow-city-council.jpg
4
of transportation
By combining straight lines and curves it makes the structure dynamic and shows the movements.
Then we try to use grasshopper to make this shape. Starting from straight strips, we randomly change the length and spaces to give the sense of speed and direction
Technique: Development
Technique 4
Technique 3
Technique 2
Technique 1
Variation 1
Variation 2
Variation 3
Variation 4
4
Variation 5
Variation 6
Variation 7
Fabrication r
research ‘AA’ Pavilion Project This example we pull out from the Internet that helps us figure out how to connect each piece of strips while presenting the leaning effect. This project we found showed us the technique we didn’t come across with, it proves that by playing with the angle on the strips, you can present a vision of leaning.
These pictures on the left side show the technique they have been using to provide the leaning effect on the final model by adjusting the angles of both strips then combine together to provide that effect. And the pictures on the right hand side just simply shows the process of the project and how the technique has been adapted in this model.
At last we try to make out design into physical models. We first use paper to make models according to the diagram we previously made. Paper is full of tension and smooth while modeling. But it is hard to make the curvature if there are no support points like the end of each strip. They have to stay on the baseboard can we cannot make them towards up or at any degrees.
Then we tried to make model in wire meshes. This time it is easy to bend them at different degrees and they could hold part of the weight themselves. But compared to paper, wire meshes are not so smooth and give a rigid feeling.
At last we tried fablab to do the modeling. We use boxboard for the material. We cut strips in different curve shapes. It gives the feeling of floating and movement and points out the direction where it is going. And especially when we looking at the shadows they make. It creates straight lines under the structure, which give a sense of speed. The whole design combined curve and straight lines, which present the dynamic and visual perception.
However, after we received the feedback from tutors, we noticed that if we use boxboard it would ruin the original concept of our design: the floating movements and the soft feeling. It cannot give the sense of tension and somehow changes our design aim. Therefore my group mate and I tried to redo our model and see if it can improve our design model if we choose paper for our main material.
We first want to experience how paper could twist and what effect it would bring us. We used a cylinder as the core and make paper strips wind up on it. It did give us the feeling of bending and rotating and so that we started to make the shape like what we made through fablab.
As I mentioned before, one weak bond of paper is that it cannot hold part of their weight so that it cannot â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;standâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; or lift upwards one direction. Therefore, we made a supporting board in the middle. In this way, paper strips are able to be lift up and give the sense of direction.
Next we try to make model by using paper according to the shape we chosen in GrassHopper. This time we use one extra strip connecting each strip in the middle in order to make the curvature. Making both of the ends gathering at one spot, it looks like it is pointing one direction and the shadows it makes people feel different when looking at it at different angles. The paper makes the whole structure full of tension and brings the feeling of soft and smooth at the same time.
Random + Twisting + Combining St
In a conclusion, we use the methods of twisting and rotating to change the curvature o only curves but also straight-line elements together to form the structure. Curves can c make all strips towards one way to give our client the sense of orientation, which show now driving into the Wyndham City and makes a connection between Wyndham and the length of each strip so that the final form is freer and not that rigid visually. The len whole design. In this way, we are able to bring audiences different feelings when they p
traight & Curve Lines + Orientation
of each strip in order to give the sense of movements as a whole. Secondly, we use not create floating shapes while the straight lines give a feeling of speed. And also, we wing the direction where they are going, here, it can be seen as a sign that people are the City. Whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s more, we also use the definition of randomly producing to change ngth and the curvature will have a significant impact on the lightness effect of the pass by during the day.
PART C PROJECT
C.1. GATEWAY PRO
OJECT: DESIGN CONCEPT
DEVELOPMENT Previously in Part B Expression of Interest, we chose Strips & Folding as our main design approach. We think this method is a powerful way to show the connections, variations, directions and the sense of speed as well. After receiving feedbacks of the midSemester Presentation, we reviewed our models and discussed what we can develop on it. First, we want to keep the feature of dynamic on the shape. The floating form can bring our clients instant reaction especially at a fast speed. It is important as on the freeway, drivers may only need ten seconds to pass our project and we need to provide them a memory point during that short time. Secondly, we need to think about where to locate the design project and provide a connection to Wyndham City meanwhile. Next, we should rearrange the combination of curves and straight lines in order to give different sense of speed when passing by. And what’s more, we need to enhance light effect in order to add more interactions with our clients. In addition, we considered about the overall shape. - Standing inside the site boundary? - It is okay but if want to improve the interaction between people and design, it is better to include them ‘inside’ the structure, which lets them get a feeling under the structure so that people can have a better understand of the project , and thus kind of participate into the whole design. - Tunnel-like shape? – Satisfied our aim to enclose our clients but may let them feel ‘sealed’. - Or Semi-opened? – YES! That is what we want. Having some part of structure leaning to the road so that our audiences can drive under the design project but not covered completely.
SITE ANALYSIS CONNECTION
Wyndham City
After group discussion, we made our decision to put our design on Site A. This site is located along the road where people are driving from Melbourne CBD to Wyndham City. By putting our design here, it forms a connection to Wyndham, which appeal to our design purpose.
ROAD OUTLINE
SITE LOCATION
Melbourne CBD
CONCEPT Wyndham City
Fig.1
Fig.3
Slow Pace of Life Inspired from the Wyndham City Logo, we can see that the spirits of this city is ‘City, Coast, Country’. With hills and rivers around, Wyndham City is a place where you can relax and enjoy the slow pace of life. On the contrary, Melbourne City is a business center where everything is at a rapid pace and the city is based on ‘straight lines’ to achieves the aim of ‘fast’. Therefore, for our design project, we want to build a connection between these two different cities and enrich the municipality of Wyndham.
Melb CBD
Fig.2
Rapid Pace of Life Before we have chosen Site A to locate our project, the road direction along Site A is from Melb CBD to Wyndham. Hence the orientation of our design is from Fast Pace (Melb CBD) to Slow Pace (Wyndham). Using straight-line elements to represent the rapid life tempo in Melb City, now people are driving to the City of Wyndham that with slow pace, which we use curve elements to show it. As a result, a basic theme of our project is formed. Fig1. <http://cdn.portplus.com.au/1086/1086_290711105932_192_w600.jpg> Fig2. <http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3067/5784558212_33c185aafd_b.jpg> Fig3. <http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/7/7b/Wyndham_City_logo.svg>
QUANTITY
WIDTH
LENGTH
CURVATURE
FORM FINDING
FINAL FORM The use of strips indicates a connection between Wyndham City and Melb CBD. By setting all the line pointing towards one direction, the floating form gives a sense of orientating. Combined both straight-line and curve elements, the shape forms a mediator from fast pace of city life to a slower pace. The dynamic floating shape gives people different feelings when you look at it at a different angle. The formâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s great strength is the diversity that can be accommodated by its simplicity, which also brings people instant reactions. Also, the space between each strip is randomly produced to create airflow effect when driving through it at a high speed. Rather than a completely closed tunnel or a project standing within the site boundary, we designed a semiopened structure to enable people driving under it and feel more about this design work.
C.2. TECTONIC ELEMENTS
MATERIAL The material we choose is reinforced concrete. This material has steel reinforcement inside, which make the whole structure stable even though it has curve lines. Here we find two precedents that also use reinforced concrete to construct the strips and curves. Using concrete can make smooth shapes and whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s more, this material can also protect the structure from bad weather conditions and has a good durability as well.
Jubilee Church, Rome
Milwaukee Art Museum
Fig.4
Fig.5
Fig.4 < http://images3.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20100116112103/cybernations/images/3/3a/Warbuck_museum_of_beer.jpg> Fig.5 < http://www.architecturaldigest.com/architecture/2013-02/spiritual-building-architecture-churches-mosques-synagoguestemples-slideshow/_jcr_content/par/cn_contentwell/par-main/cn_slideshow/item6.rendition.slideshowWideHorizontal.spiritualbuildings-07-jubilee.jpg>
CONSTRUCTION JOINTS CONCRETE
STEEL REINFORCEMENT
the method to connect the curve elements into the ground
CONCRETE STEEL REINFORCEMENT
the connection joint at the other end of the structure
C.3. FINAL MODEL
1ST MODEL
Then we started to make our physical model in 1:50. Thinking of the whole structure as one surface at first, we separated it in several layers to get an idea what the curvature of each strips should be. We went to the FabLab and chose boxboard to make this base model for our strips. In order to match our design focus, we considered about the material of strips, which is able to represent the smooth and floating shape of the structure. After searching for different types of materials in several stores such as Bunning and Spotlight, we decided to use fabric as it has high capacity of bending and making different curvatures.
- Using needle to make several fabric yarn into one strips. - Select different quantity of fabric lines in order to create diferent width of strips.
Process
Stick fabric strips onto the base model
After wrapping the strips on the base model, we sprayed glue on it to consolidate the shape of each strip and strengthen the whole structure. We thought that after glue dried, the fabric should be solid enough to stand by itself and we would be able to take the base model off. However it didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t work and if we removed the base model, the overall shape would fall down. This result told us that the fabric structure had to rely on a base model. Considering about the appearance, we changed the boxboard base model to transparent plastic one, and then put the strip structure on it. We transferred the model onto the site and created some symbols to indicate the location and surrounding environments of the model. The original fabric is soft and smooth for modeling, but after glued, this material became rigid and failed to represent the floating movement of our designing. However some of the model photos showed the light effect of the semi-open structure on the driveway (the picture on the righthand side).
2ND MODEL
have slots on each piece
After failure of our first model, we reviewed our process and thought about other way to construct our model. We both thought that the base model is essential for our structure. This time we chose clear Perspex as our material. In addition to the one before, we added slots on each of them in order to clearly show where the strips should be. For strips, we first squished them via Rhino. And instead of using fabric as the material for strips, we chose Ivory Card this time.
New base model in clear plastic material
This time, the final form of the physical model is pretty much like our digital model. The strips have smooth finishes and curvature of each one is clearly shown.
The width of each strips are cut according to the digital model. The semi-opened structure is well presented and it observes different views at different sides of the project.
C.4. LEARNING OB
BJECTIVES AND OUTCOMES
With the end of final presentation, this semester finished. I can still remember that at the very start of this semester, I knew nothing about Grasshopper and only knew little of Rhino. After 13 weeksâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; learning within our Air Studios, from totally gap in the knowledge of computation to now, I can understand and use definitions to create parametric models. I realized that, designing, not always goes towards one direction, but many other ways. Traditional drawing is one way to express our inspiration, but nowadays in the modern world, digital designing software have also become powerful tools to create design works, especially when it comes to complex models such as parametric modeling.
During this semester, we have developed GrassHopper skills through week-by-week learning and case studies. I think this technique is suitable for designing not only in Air Studio, but all the other designing projects. Just like our design project for Wyndham City, what our group chose is the approach of strips and folding, strip is kind of a simple element and it is very limited if we use handing drawings to create something suitable for our site. By using grasshopper, it produced something surprised us. It is much easier to make changes on the original forms and make improvements on it. Also for the model making, I also learn much during study with my group mate. Now I know how and where to do research for materials and think of feasible ways to construct physical models. I believe that these skills do help a lot in my further architectural studying.
References
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Suzanne Stephens, ‘COOP HIMMELB(L)AU’s Wolf Prix goes into the w of Munich’, Architecture Record, < http://archrecord.construction.com/p 2013)
Yessios, Chris, 2003, ‘Is There More to Come?’, in Architecture in the Di new York: Spon Press.
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l-hansmeyer.com/profile/about.html?screenSize=1&color=1> (accessed
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