STUDIO AIR Wenxiao Zhu 825825 Semester 1, 2018, Allan Burrows
A
CONCEPTUALISATION
A.0 Introduction A.1 Design Futuring 1.1 PRECEDENT 1 1.2 PRECEDENT 2
A.2 Design Computation 2.1 PRECEDENT 1 2.2 PRECEDENT 2
A.3 Composition/Generation 3.1 PRECEDENT 1 3.2 PRECEDENT 2
A.4 Conclusion A.5 Learning Outcomes A.6 Appendix
A.0 Introduction
I’m Edwin (Wenxiao Zhu), the third year studying in University of Melbourne and Major in Architecture. I am from Shenyang, China and experienced high school education in Melbourne. I had experience of modelling digital objects through the subject ‘Digital Design and Fabrication’. I am quite interested in novel creation that could bring new thinking to people. No matter in terms of technique or conception, there are many profound fields that I should learn with. I had experienced with manipulating Grasshopper before, as a computation software, the novel logic it provides is really interesting and challenging. The capability and complexity could lead to various possibilities. I am passionate with Studio Air for developing my computational skills though algorithm modelling and emphasize the generative idea through parametric fabrication.
Mystrey Armour Digital Design and Fabrication 2017
Pavilion for Secret, interior view Studio Earth 2017
Pavilion with Ramps, rendered view Site Tectonic 2017
“Design future means how the future world can be secured by our design.” -Tony Fry
A.1. Design Futuring We are living in a phase with rapidly explosive population and shortage of energy. With the development of technology, the more meaning and responsibility that Architecture gets. Architects since Modernism age starts to critically think about the possible sustainable way for human to live. The only proposal for raising these awareness, satire and critique is; the future could be secured by our designs. Their vigilant and responsible thinking of the future should be respected. However, we should critically consider their assumptions as well, as architecture is for solving problems. We need to be aware that, with the existed problem be solved, if there will be new problems appear by raising such a design thinking.
PRECEDENT 1 The Walking City (Archigram) | Ron Herron
The idea of Walking City was proposed by Ron Herron, a British archi-
This is the main issue that this kind of architectural design brings to the human society. Also in such a passive condition, what feeling and reaction for human living in these buildings are worth considering. In order to provide a really functional and experiencing architectural design, there should be more aspects included into consideration, which definitely beyond the boundary of architecture, technology and construction, such as the social influence of the design and the issue it may cause to the humanity.
This gorgeous and massive assumption for future architecture and social living style demonstrated the negative concern about the future. The mobile ability challenges the traditional definition about architecture, however with a more sustainable possibility for its motility. Its design proposal is to explore the possibility of sustaining sustainable model and interacting urban area in harmony with natural environment. Computation provides the ability to bring many environmental considerations into design process. People living in one city will have thorough social activities, such as saloons, restaurants and various facilities. Herron developed the concept of architecture from just a building to an interaction term of social culture.
Probably without to be realised by themselves, these architects are not just developing the use of technology, they are changing human’s living pattern, they are hinting the trend of separate, closed communities and they are testing the baseline of the nature of humanity, which should not be advocated. In this view, this kind of fancy design may just be an untutored and armature try if we bring many other aspects into consideration.
tect in 1964. Illustrated in an article form in architecture journal Archigram. This building is designed with the capability of mobile robotic structures with their own intelligence [1]. They are able to freely roam the world and move to another place with sufficient energy when the current location is exhausted with resources. Individual buildings within the whole city are also mobile to move.
Critically from my opinion, the essence of this kind of integrated and self-sufficient architecture is, Escapism. The negative treatment against the deficient of resource and energy in a worldwide term in the future. I fully comprehend their thinking of that human need to gather together into groups to make resource used in an efficient and sustainable way, even keep moving in order to gain sufficient energy. There was a joke saying: “No one really against Escapism. There is only one type of person who takes against Escapism, are jailers.” But it is quite arguable for dividing people into units or communities according to a relatively closure building as helping the future. In a very likely way, people in the same building are possibly become one community and take against others, no matter if there will really be an energy shortage in the future or not. “Enclosed residents could cause a deficit of social support, reduced exposure to divergent view, the lack of ability to consider opposing viewpoints and the gestation of mistrust or general disengagement from the community are all results of reduced physical interaction.” [2] (Suruchi Modi, 2014)
1. Guest Post: Archigram’s “Walking City” Concept, (2011) http://walkingthecityupolis.blogspot.com.au/2011/03/guest-post-archigrams-walking-city.html 2. Suruchi Modi, Improving the Social Sustainability of High-rises, (2014) pp.2.
Architects nowadays are very much willing to claim the danger in the future, their design mainly focused on technology and how to reduce, restore and recycle energy used within that building in the most sufficient way. However, my point of view is, actually there are more things to bring into their analysis. In this residential mode, compared to shortage of energy, conflict of humanity caused by contending resource or space is much more lethal in terms of sustainable development. Thus, reconsider humanity carefully, and never overate the nature of it.
PRECEDENT 2 Condominium Residences Apartment | Zaha Hadid Architects
As Zaha’s final New York City apartment, which has been
constructed, there is a challenge that she took at the very end of her career, which is to design a luxury city-life condo complex over the High Line, Manhattan’s famed elevated park. With 21 “interlaced” floors, the building is comprised of “organic curves and chevron patterns”. For each resident, from its façade to the smallest interior detail, the entire “sculptural” building shares a “seamless vision”, which makes each unit unique [1]. This condo building demonstrates Zaha’s architectural thinking of future residence. Zaha emphasize ‘the spatial experience arrangement and distinctive identity, which offers multiple perspectives and exciting views of neighbour’ [2]. Literally, Zaha is against the concentrated architecture such as the previous precedent we mentioned. She believes even in the future, each architecture will still have its own features and significance, instead of being replaced by giant, concentrated enclosure high rise buildings. The viewpoint from Zaha is pretty clear, which is the importance of social communication and opening social conditions. On the other hand, there are voices criticize Zaha for her isolated architectural works that has lack of harmony with the surrounding buildings. However, Zaha believes, her work is the future trend of architecture, there should be newcomers to follow her style. It may seem incompatible with surroundings, but with increasing buildings in such a style in the future, there will be an integrated harmony.
1. Karissa Rosenfield, Zaha Hadid Releases New Image of New York Condominium Project Near High Line, (2015) https://www.archdaily.com/774648/zaha-hadid-releases-new-image-of-new-york-condominium-project-near-high-line 2. Karissa Rosenfield, Zaha Hadid Unveils New York Apartment Block Alongside High Line, (2013) https://www.archdaily.com/402754/zaha-hadid-unveils-new-york-apartment-block-alongside-high-line
“Only parametricism can adequately organise and articulate contemporary social assemblages at the level of complexity called for today.� - Patrik Schumacher
A. 2 Design Computation Computational design is the intersection of technology and natural beauty. The more we rely on technology, the more potential impact architecture gains that powerful enough to define people’s life style and thinking of the future sustainment and settlement, as it enables various input related to environment and human experiencing, which cannot be fully simulated or comprehensively considered by hand, has been included into consideration in terms of architecture. Design computation is about the potential of technology and creativity applied to architectural design, including problem solving and puzzle making. It is a development and evolution from general demands from the clients to somehow new, unique methods, based on the previous precedent methods but via different testing fields. Digital design enables architects become more creative with more efficient and more complex shape. It is offered from technology, originally. Its compatibility is extremely high with architecture design. Then architects learn to manipulate it based on human logic but within computational principles, to approach the integration with environment and human itself.
PRECEDENT 1 ICD/ITKE Research Pavilion 2014-2015 | University of Stuttgart
Inspired from the underwater nest construction of the water spider, IDC/
ITKE Research Pavilion 2014-15 demonstrates the architectural potential of an advanced building method through a novel fabrication process an initially flexible pneumatic formwork, which also explores the potential of computational design, simulation and fabrication process. The prototype of pavilion is a combination of architecture, engineering and natural science [1], which declares again the architectural design is no longer an individual work that illustrated by pure human thinking and hand drafting, but consist of accurate environmental simulation, calculation and materiality test.
The form is constructed by ETFE, which is a durable façade material with mechanical properties minimize plastic deformation during the fiber placement [2]. The structure is constructed by reinforced-fiber, which is highly material-effective and functional. Fibre is also chosen for its ductility, plasticity and semi-transparency, which is able to express the natural origin of the design and guarantee enough intake of sunlight. A high-degree of functional integration is achieved by the ETFE building envelope and stress-oriented placement of the fibre composition, as well as minimizing the construction waste along the process. The study of biological construction processes provides the conceptualized structures. In nature, in order to survive under water, Diving Bell Water Spider is able to reinforce a fibrous air bubble from inside as self-protection. ICD/ITKE University of Stuttgart obtained the microscopic image of its nest, which is capable to figure out the specific layout of the fibrous structure. Then generate the form to maximize the best material performance of fibre. Agent-based design tool also negotiates multiple design parameters to determine fibre laying paths. The water spider’s natural activity provides an inspiration that apply robotic placement device inside the shell to complete the construction along the whole assemblage procedure.
1. ICD/ITKE Research Pavilion 2014-15 http://icd.uni-stuttgart.de/?p=12965 2. Ana Cosma , ICD/ITKE Research Pavilion 2014-2015 | University of Stuttgart, (2015) https://www.arch2o.com/icditke-research-pavilion-2014-2015-university-of-stuttgart/
The image below illustrates the fabrication process, which is powered by a robot arm working inside the structure of the pavilion all along the process based on intergrated sensor data, with various fiber reinforcement strategies. Firstly, robotic placement creates an inflated pneumatic membrane. Then the membrane is reinforced with carbon fiber from inside. Finally, the stable composite shell is completed by applying multiple layers with various densities. The overall effect is partial transparent, which is still visible to see the main structure with heaviest fibre placement and lowest transparency. This on-site interface method of adaptive fiber placement process demonstrates the feasible way of assembling median-sized opening building in public area. It also hints that, as the whole design is completed by computation, apparently digital program understands the building form better that human labour. In this way this prototype challenges the traditional way by providing new opportunities for adaptive robotic construction process to complete the fabrication in a 3-dimensional and comprehensive way.
PRECEDENT 2 Absolute Towers | MAD Architects
W
“ e call our cities steel forests.� Said MAD architects. Absolute Tower is created by parametric design to form the twisted fluidity shape with smooth, unbroken balcony wrapping each floor of the building. In order to maximize the view potential from inside to outside, as well as provide a medium for social and ecological interaction throughout the balconies [1]. Its design proposal is to explore the possibility of sustaining sustainable model and interacting urban area in harmony with natural environment. Computation provides the ability to bring many environmental considerations into design process. The computation generates a twisting fluidity with smooth, continuous and dynamic wrapping along the balcony. Continuous balconies wrap around the sinuous columns, graciously marking each floor, and establishing a distinct exterior appearance, which balance the wind turbine and the quality of view. The building consciously shifts and rotate as response to the surrounding environment. This design seeks to provide every private dwelling with uninterrupted views over the city, lake and preserved greenbelt patches [2].
1. ArchiDaily, Absolute Towers / MAD Architects, (2012) https://www.archdaily.com/306566/absolute-towers-mad-architects 2. MAD architects: absolute towers completed https://www.designboom.com/architecture/mad-architects-absolute-towers-nearing-completion/
“Only parametricism can adequately organise and articulate contemporary social assemblages at the level of complexity called for today.� - Patrik Schumacher
A. 3 Composition/Generation At the phase of digital modelling, Generative Design (GD) was introduced in the design process as a disruptive approach that efficiently handles change and data complexity. More opportunities are provided to challenge the traditional architectural form, materiality and construc-tion process. Especially the novel logic thinking along the design procedure is extremely essential for us to adapt with. Composition has been transformed to generation now, with controllable parameters that could provide multiple iterations and simulations. Design process is no longer a linear procedure with limited data and possibilities. What Generative Design offers us is, multithread programming with different possible outcomes, including completely different forms or immaterialities but all of them meets the environmental and human demand. Along this process, we make simulations and test the materiality for fabrication to set our criteria, then filtrate the best iteration that maintains the best architectural performance. Every possi-ble scenario is proceeding in a simultaneous way. We should focus on more than just complex and fancy shapes of model that computation provides, but as well as the flexible and efficient design process that generative design provides us. Computation is a relatively comprehensive concept of algorithm design, gen-eration is the essential part of it, which in charge of the design process precisely and rationally.
PRECEDENT 1 The Water Cube | University of Stuttgart
The National Aquatics Centre, known as ‘The Water Cube’, is one of the most novel and attractive venues for Beijing Olympics in 2008. This year in terms of parametric design, is also the early phase for architects to use such a novel technique as design method. The Water Cube is also likely to be marked as the early practice of generative modeling. Its structure, materiality and composition clearly illustrate that it is extremely distinct from other traditional buildings that constructed through manual modeling, always by reinforced concrete. Furthermore, the distinct difference starts from the intent of design process. “Generative design is not about designing a building, it is about designing the system that designs a building.” said Las Hesselgren, the director of research at the international design studio Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates (KPF). For this scenario, there is a combination of computational techniques and architectural design, in a integrated, associated way. The most significant part of this project is, SmartGeometry for generative design has been entered into actual practice, which fostered an unusually enclosed collaboration with industry to produce parametric software for components generation [1]. The design proposal is to simulate the water cube as appears to façade. At first the team used Voronoi algorithm to express the façade idea and the modeling was processed immediately. However, they found difficulty on generate them to a proper structural form. This early failure demonstrates another task that is generally universal today, the algorithm simulation and the real capability of materiality during fabrication. Once there is a failure, a reverse engineering is required to reexamine the feature of chosen material as the new input to limit the shape of the structural form in computational modeling.
1. cadbim2015, BIM AND SCRIPTING : BEIJING NATIONAL AQUATICS CENTER, (2015) https://yeswebim.wordpress.com/2015/04/13/bim-and-scripting-beijing-nationalaquatics-center/ 2. Angus W. Stocking, Generative Design Is Changing the Face of Architecture (2009) http://www.cadalyst.com/cad/building-design/generative-design-is-changing-face-architecture-12948
In algorithm language, the overall space can be subdivided into boxes with central points, which can be controlled with numbers and size parameters. BIM design generation, AutoCAD and Rhino are used to export 3D model files to each other with high efficiency, which provides various intersections of cubes as iterations [2]. After running new iterations and balancing all the considerations such as form, force capacity, design merging, sustainability and construction efficiency, a harmonious form has been generated, which is in Waire-Phelan structure with a combination of two types of cubes: 12 sided cube and 14 sided cube. They are capable to be joined precisely closed to each other to maintain the accuracy of modeling. Generative components are associative and parametric modelling software for architects to automate design processes and accelerate design iterations. It provides new ways of exploring alternative building forms without manually fabricating a detailed design model for each scenario, which increases efficiency in managing conventional design. It demonstrates the power of algorithm generation, which is not only able to improve the traditional design approach, but also associate design with construction process in a closer and synchronous way. The Water Cube is marked for such a novel and successful early-stage generative design.
PRECEDENT 2 30 St Mary Axe | FOSTERS AND PARTNERS
As the first ecological tall building in London, 30 ST Mary Axe is a
typical instance of computational generation, which exemplifies the capability of modern technological advances in parametric modelling. It could be marked as an instantly recognisable addition to the city’s skyline, the headquarters is rooted in a radical approach in terms of architectural, technological, social and spatial.
The shortcomings of this project is still arguable, for its completely enclosure form and the issue of interacting with its surroundings. It is a relatively individual standing work with its own principle. This makes it become the landmark of London. As every architectural aspect serves for algorithm design, the approaches of parameterization limit the possible form of the building, which causes again the controversy of structuralism and functionalism. As well as the economic cost and particularity of materiality.
The initial modelling is generated by a circular plan, with a radical geometry, the conceptual idea developed to a new rapport between nature and the workplace, its energy-conscious enclosure resolving walls and roof into a continuous triangulated skin [1]. Multiple analysis modelling is manipulated to test utilization, displacement, principal stress and force flow. Thus, a narrow band of midrange occurs towards the middle floors of the building before sharply falling off into low values. The analysis also shows the band of oblique stresses around the shell that occasionally alternate in direction [2]. This distinctive form responds to the constraints of the site. The building appears slenderer than a rectangular block of equivalent size. The diagonally braced structure of the tower allows column-free floor space and a fully glazed façade that maximize the intake of sunlight and surrounding views.
However, in the integral level, the capability of generative parametric design is acknowledged. The development of computational simulation tools enables more responsive designs and allows architects to explore new design options for analysing architectural decisions during the design process. They take conventional architectural elements such as shape, material, construction system, lighting, ventilation, acoustics etc in an unexpected way [4]. New subjectivities are generated by transcended signification and meaning. Therefore, the building achieved three main proposals, best minimizing stresses, displacement and forces without wind load and high absolute of utilization through a parametric generation method that offers a balanced performance.
The team also used complex algorithms to maximize daylight penetration with no-column rooms as a result of exterior structural solutions, also meet the satisfied conditions of wind capacity, thermal and structurewhich resulted in a building with minimal wind turbulence, passive cross-ventilation system [3]. Its widened profile reduces wind deflections compared with a rectilinear tower of similar size. They achieved by modelling atria between the radiating fingers of each floor link vertically to form a series of informal break-out spaces that spiral up the building. The grasshopper definition enables changing the dimension of the spanned atria based on the criteria of distributing fresh air drawn in through opening panels in the facade. After the atria for is demonstrated, they are sent to be prefabricated with specific size, each one corresponding to the unique position of the building, which also generated by parametric modelling. This system reduces the building’s reliance on air conditioning and together with other sustainable measures. In terms of energy cost, it is capable to maintain the functional operation with half the energy consumed by a conventionally air-conditioned office tower. 1. Foster& Partners, 30 St Mary Axe, (2004) https://www.fosterandpartners.com/projects/30-st-mary-axe/
3. 30 St Mary Axe, London https://group.skanska.com/projects/57248/30-St-Mary-Axe%2C-London
2. Foster& Partners, 30 St Mary Axe, (2004) https://www.fosterandpartners.com/projects/30-st-mary-axe/
4. Farshid Moussavi, 30 St. Mary Axe http://www.harvarddesignmagazine.org/issues/35/30-st-mary-axe
A. 4 Conclusion
It is the digital age now, if parameters can be generated into forms. In the other hand, everything is just data or intangible information. Fear is needless after we realizing this, the world is not getting worse, apparently we should say we just recognize the nature of it. I believe architecture in this phase are returning to the nature, for seeking more harmonious and integrated way to interact with environments. In this term, the definition of architecture is getting more ambiguous, which is no longer just a solid object, but combines more aspects from society, humanit, construction and engineering. Literally, architects are reducing their human weight in the process of design. The reason why we should use computational design is, human thinking has its limitation, subjective, artificial, lack of consideration and accurate simulation that interacted with environments. Thus the real human design is to reduce the subjective thinking along the process of designing in purpose and parametrically provide as much possible inputs as possible to computation, which may look like the design is less human along the procedure, however, the final quality of the architecture is more human in terms of function and people experiencing. I would like to take computational techoniques as a carrier, in order to achieve a balance of humanity and function in terms of architecture.
A. 5 Learning Outcomes
As the start of this subject, these architectural computing theory and practice provides me a general logic of thinking, which is different from the previous work procedure. It is a completely novel but comprehensive way to generate models from a point with limitation to achieve a rational, flexible form. It combines my knowledge of sustainable architecture and the importance of computation, as well as the great potential of algorithm design. The thinking of modelling in the parametric form, which probably includes vectors and coordinates in mathematics, transforms repetitive elements and structure into parameters. Algorithm method enables alterable form transformation to meet different demands and accurate measurement for fabrication. My precious modelling work in Rhinoceros, are likely to be achieved in a much faster way by grasshopper today, with a more harmonious shape and controllable variates, also very effective and accurate. Also some of my previous thinking of design is adventurous and challenging, always in but lack of solution to manipulate and represent them clearly at that time. I hope algorithm could help me achieve my proposal after go through and master grasshopper.
A. 6 Appendix
Bibliography
1. Guest Post: Archigram’s “Walking City” Concept, (2011) http://walkingthecityupolis.blogspot.com.au/2011/03/guest-post-archigrams-walkingcity.html 2. Suruchi Modi, Improving the Social Sustainability of High-rises, (2014) pp.2. 3. Karissa Rosenfield, Zaha Hadid Releases New Image of New York Condominium Project Near High Line, (2015) https://www.archdaily.com/774648/zaha-hadid-releases-new-image-of-new-yorkcondominium-project-near-high-line 4. Karissa Rosenfield, Zaha Hadid Unveils New York Apartment Block Alongside High Line, (2013) https://www.archdaily.com/402754/zaha-hadid-unveils-new-york-apartment-blockalongside-high-line 5. ICD/ITKE Research Pavilion 2014-15 http://icd.uni-stuttgart.de/?p=12965 6. Ana Cosma , ICD/ITKE Research Pavilion 2014-2015 | University of Stuttgart, (2015) https://www.arch2o.com/icditke-research-pavilion-2014-2015-university-of-stuttgart/ 7. ArchiDaily, Absolute Towers / MAD Architects, (2012) https://www.archdaily.com/306566/absolute-towers-mad-architects 8.MAD architects: absolute towers completed https://www.designboom.com/architecture/mad-architects-absolute-towers-nearing-completion/ 9. cadbim2015, BIM AND SCRIPTING : BEIJING NATIONAL AQUATICS CENTER, (2015) https://yeswebim.wordpress.com/2015/04/13/bim-and-scripting-beijing-nationalaquatics-center/ 10. Angus W. Stocking, Generative Design Is Changing the Face of Architecture (2009) http://www.cadalyst.com/cad/building-design/generative-design-is-changing-face-architecture-12948 11. Foster& Partners, 30 St Mary Axe, (2004) https://www.fosterandpartners.com/projects/30-st-mary-axe/ 12. Foster& Partners, 30 St Mary Axe, (2004) https://www.fosterandpartners.com/projects/30-st-mary-axe/ 13. 30 St Mary Axe, London https://group.skanska.com/projects/57248/30-St-Mary-Axe%2C-London 14. Farshid Moussavi, 30 St. Mary Axe http://www.harvarddesignmagazine.org/issues/35/30-st-mary-axe