Wei xiaocheng(oriana) 716100 final journal studioair pages by Xiaocheng Wei (Oriana)

STUDIO AIR 2016, SEMESTER 2, Matthew McDonnell Xiaocheng WEi (Oriana) 716100

JOURNAL

CONTENTS

Introduction PART A A.1 DESIGN FUTURING A.2 DESIGN COMPUTATION A.3 COMPOSITION/GENERATION A.4 CONCLUSION A.5 LEARNING OUTCOME A.6 APPENDIX- ALGORITHMIC SKETCHES

INTRODUCTION

My name is Xiaocheng Wei, or you can call me Oriana. I am a third-year architecture student and currently study at the University of Melbourne. I was born in Guangzhou, a city in the southern part of China. I came to Melbourne in 2013 and I studied in Trinity College for one year before entering university. I have had never imagined that I could have a bond with architecture or be an architect before. My home-stay mother, a lady who is a big fan of architecture, influenced my interest in architecture. I used to watch some architecture-related documentaries with her and she likes to talk to me about architecture. Gradually, I find the beauty of architecture and I always have an enthusiasm for art and design. Because of these, my journey with architecture began. From the past 2 years studying in architecture, I have learned tectonics and the relationship with space in Studio Earth; design thinking from masters in Studio Water and some historical and theoretical study from other courses. In Digital Design and Fabrication, it is the beginning for me to use Rhino for digital design, which could be a better tool to explore design possibility and variety than the traditional way. This time in Studio Air, grasshopper plugin of Rhino would be introduced and I hope this new field of design method could lead my design to another state.

Digital Design and Fabrication_SLEEPING POD & 2ND SKIN

Studio Earth_PLACE FOR HIDDEN SECRETS

PART A. CONCEPTUALISATION 7

A.1 DESIGN FUTURING

Figure 1. Metropol Parasol

Design is not just about problem solving, but regarded as a tool for exploring alternative design possibility. When we think about the relationship between future and design, design could be used to predict the future since designing is a progress of creation. However, instead of trying to predict the future, as Dunne and Raby suggested, it is better using design to open up various of possibility as discourse in order to define a “preferable future”.1 Being an architect, it is important for them to create an environment or

using design as a method for a large group of people or societies to speculate more about the future. In order to use design to specular the future, the design, in this case, is not a specific “thing” like its form or function, but should be a facilitator of flow. What do the architecture contribute to the field of ideas, technical workflows, patterns of living and ways of thinking is more important than the “thing” it is. Design futuring is about expanding future possibilities.

A.1 PRECEDENT PROJECT 1

METROPOL PARASOL Seville, Span 2011 ARCHITECT: J Mayer H Architects

Figure 2. Metropol Parasol in urban landscape

Metropol Parasol is located at the center of Seville, sitting above the central square Plaza de la Encarnación. There used to be a traditional market and the government decided to turn it into a commercial center. Surprisingly, Rome ruins were found underground during the excavation. So the Seville officials were asking a new plan and Mayer’s proposal was chosen. This central square used to be a neighborhood of dim streets, no business, with many empty houses. And it has totally changed and brought the neighborhood into life since Metropol Parasol. Mayer’s design not only protects the historical heritage, but also revived the historic square by providing new amenities. It is a multi-functional space for shopping, café as well as museum and creates a grand public square for the still-vibrant city. 2 Metropol Parasol expanding the design possibilities by both new technology as well as material. It is one of the largest timber structure ever built with 6 large parasols and network f beams sitting on concrete and steel base structure.3 However, some people argued that this modern galactic structure is not fit into the harmony of the city center, which is in a traditional structure. And its scale and shape are too “outstanding”. In my point of view, it would be the future trend of city development. Traditional historical old cities like Seville will need to have some changes and improvement in some way and it is not realistic or practical to keep its form in a “traditional” way in order to fit into this old city. On the contrary, a design, which fit with the future, should be revolutionary and instigate changes. Metropol Parasol challenged the new technology as well as material by constructing waffled timber panel in a big scale using a relatively light weight material. And also it brings a great boost on the social and commercial aspect to their inhabitants. This fascinating multi-functional building makes Seville attractive and makes visitors think of the past as well as the future by just looking at it.

Figure 3. Timber panel connection detail

Figure 4. Metropol Parasol detail

1. Dunne, Anthony & Raby, Fiona (2013) Speculative Everything: Design Fiction, and Social Dreaming (MIT Press) pp. 3-6. 2. Metropol Parasol, Seville. (2012). Architectural Design, (5), 70. 3. Webb, M. (2011). Metropol Parasol, Seville, Spain. Architectural Review, 229(1372), 58-63.

A.1 DESIGN FUTURING

Figure 5. Biosphere 2 in desert

Currently, the limitation of our social forms is leading to the limitation of design orientation: instead of sustainment-oriented, it is either economy-oriented or culture-oriented. The defuturing condition of unsustainability would be more and more serious in this case.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Design futuring has to confront two tasks: slowing the rate of defuturing, and redirecting us towards far more sustainable modes of planetary habitationâ&#x20AC;?4 By Tony Fry

A good design is something can make people think and create discourse collectively. This kind of designs is defined as critical design. In terms of architecture, for design futuring, it is more important to guide people to focus on how to think sustainable instead of directly pointing out what or where is sustainability. Being discerning citizen consumers, The way their thinking would leave more impacts on the future than they just understating the things as it is.5 The responsibility of architects is to make designs, which have the impact on exploring sustainable future.

A.1 PRECEDENT PROJECT 2

BIOSPHERE 2 ARIZONA, USA 1991

ARCHITECT: Space Biosphere Ventures

Biosphere was built in the 1980s in order to research and develop self-sustaining space-colonization technology. It is an artificial materially closed ecological system as an Earth systems science research facility. This 1.28 hectares miniature airtight world is sealed on the bottom by a stainless steel liner and on the top by a steel and glass space frame structure.6 Inside the biosphere, there are different interrelated components house different biomes: rainforest, agroforestry, savanna, desert, marsh, ocean and human habitat zone. Some scientists were sent into this biosphere twice to explore the possibility of establishing colonies on Mars in the 1990s . However, these closed-system experiments were failed due to problems like a low amount of food and oxygen, die-offs of animals and plant species. The original purpose of Biosphere 2 is no longer exist due to the failure of the experiment. Biosphere 2 now acts as a “bridge between a laboratory and the real world,” combining research with public education and tours.7 The experiment and the result have drawn a wide awareness around the world and brought various discussions. It shows the fact that there is no alternative choose for human and they have to develop and explore a more sustainable future. The function and original use of this architecture make people think about their future and giving them a much more impressed lesson about their pattern of living as well as the way they thinking. In my opinion, although there was a failure of Biosphere against its original use, it is still a very successful project. As Fly point out that, the possibility for design as a practice and objectified agency is exactly what design futuring sets out to examine, elaborate and promote.8 As a result, we need to accept the failure in a critical design, as its main function is to bring up discussion and explore the possibility of future. As mention in the week 1 lecture, the design in nowaday should be focusing more on “process that continuously defines a system’s rather than its outcomes”. 9

Figure 6. Interior of Biosphere 2

Figure 7. Biosphere 2

Figure 8. Biosphere 2 zones

4. Fry, Tony (2008). Design Futuring: Sustainability, Ethics and New Practice (Oxford: Berg), p.6 5. Dunne, Anthony & Raby, Fiona (2013) Speculative Everything: Design Fiction, and Social Dreaming (MIT Press) pp. 34-36. 6. Global EcoTechnics, Biosphere 2, <http://www. globalecotechnics.com/projects/biosphere-2/> 7. Barnes, J. (2015). Inside Biosphere 2: Earth Science under Glass. Booklist, (4). 38 8. Fry, Tony (2008). Design Futuring: Sustainability, Ethics and New Practice (Oxford: Berg), p.7, pp.11-13 9. Brad, Elias (2016). Lecture 1-Design Futuring, University Of Melbourne.

A.2 DESIGN COMPUTATION

Figure 9. Entry view of Forst Museum of Science

â&#x20AC;&#x153;The dominant mode of utilizing computers in architecture today is that of computerization; entities or processes that are already conceptualized in the designerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s mind are entered, manipulated, or stored on a computer system. In contrast, computation or computing, as a computer-based design tool, is generally limited.â&#x20AC;?10 By Kostas Terzidis

Computerisation is a medium to represent and store the design information with the convenience of editing, copying and precision. Computation is a design method for designers to gain the capacity of generating complex design outcomes in terms of order, form and structure. 11 No doubt that computing is playing a more and more significant role in architecture field and closely engaging in different aspects of design processes. The benefits of using computers in architectural design processes will be discussed in the following precedent project.

A.2 PRECEDENT PROJECT 3

Frost Museum of Science Miami, Florida [due in 2017] ARCHITECT: Grimshaw Architects

The Patricai & Phillip Forst Museum of Science in Miami will be used as a multifunctional center contain science exhibition areas, a planetarium, and the Living Core, which is a standalone aquarium as well as wildlife center. This museum is built by Grimshaw Architects, which has separated departments as Design Technology and Industrial Design in order to provide aid of computational technique. As the images shown, the museum is a partly open-air structural with organic-shape inclined façade. The resultant geometry consists of curved, vertical and inclined walls in a seamless transition. The façade is a parametric design with the aid of computing. They use a computer program called Radius Track to generate the complex surface into a bent steel grid frame. Also, as figure 11 shown, meshing methods in Grasshopper were used for panel optimization and to understand areas of complex curvature. With the help of different computer programming, like most of the algorithmic design process, the designer could keep evaluating the outcome and redirecting the design track to optimize the building performance. 12 Although in this case, the museum is not performance-oriented, it also shows the value of algorithms, which can easily generate various non-standard and organic form, in terms of morphogenetic design. 13 Oxman in his article also suggested that CAD brings back the connection between design and construction industries. The division of specialization results in incontinuity between design and construction. The architects may make unwanted design outcome in building performance simply due to not controlling the workflow and not realizing the problem in actual on-going construction. However, bring computation into the design process can connect the design and construction together by digital technology of form finding, performance evaluation to material and fabrication. In this case, to accommodate the Miami climate, large expansion joints should be special design, because the tiled façade is exposed to the elements and must handle considerable heat differential. Grimshaw Design Technology generate the joints into a pattern that will “strengthen the dynamic nature of the envelope while satisfying the dimensions ofw the netting rolls that tiles will be supplied on”. 14 Thank for computational design, the performance of the expansion joints could be evaluated through computer precisely. Also, the design progress of massive amount of expansion joints was fastened and the mistake of outcome is minimized by a script. Figure 12 shows that the script simplifies the control joint pattern to a series of duplicate parallelograms that can be cut from the rolls of tile and applied with ease.

Figure 10. Frost Museum of Science

Figure 11. Grasshopper screenshot illustrating the initial pattern-generation progress.

Figure 12. Detail view of tiling pattern and control joints

10. Terzidis, Kostas (2006). Algorithmic Architecture (Boston, MA: Elsevier), p. xi 11. Peters, Brady. (2013) ‘Computation Works: The Building of Algorithmic Thought’, Architectural Design, 83, 2, p10. 12. Kalay, Yehuda E. (2004). Architecture’s New Media: Principles, Theories, and Methods of Computer-Aided Design (Cambridge, MA: MIT Press), p21. 13. Oxman, Rivka and Robert Oxman, eds (2014). Theories of the Digital in Architecture (London; New York: Routledge), p6 14. Edwards, S. (2013), Embedding Intelligence: Architecture and Computation at Grimshaw, NY. Archit Design, 83: 104–109.

A.2 DESIGN COMPUTATION

Figure 13. Top view of National Bank of Kuwait

â&#x20AC;&#x153; Architectural design is always a balance of many contradicting constraints, and so it is important that issues of performance are not all considered equally, and that the primacy of the architectural idea remainsâ&#x20AC;? 15 By Brady Peter

A.2 PRECEDENT PROJECT 4

NATIONAL BANK OF KUWAIT Kuwait ,Sharq ARCHITECT: Foster + Partners

Located in Kuwait City, where temperatures average 40 degrees in summer, the headquarter tower for the National Bank of Kuwait was designed with the intent of combining structural innovation with a highly passive form. The façade at the south is shaded by a series of concrete fins, which extend the full height of the tower for structural purpose. This is a parametric deign, which integrate different performance parameters, and it would be able to explore complex geometrical solutions for the building. At the early stage, the parametric model was used to quickly produce various options that were further developed by the design team. At the later stage, the initial design intents had evolved into a fully rational shape that embedded serious consideration of the various performance parameters, integrating the architectural aspirations, structural, environmental, functional operational requirement.16 The use of parametric modeling helps to strongly link the geometric relationships between its elements. Addition to the building performances optimization, the benefit of using computation for performance-oriented design is that the architects can make changes and adjust precisely during the whole design process. The parametric model of the tower contain a full geometric description of the construction build-up of the fins, and embeds engineering input through linking to a data spreadsheet.17 Thanks for the parametric modeling techniques, it is encouraging architects to design and create complex buildings of this kind.

Figure 14. National Bank of Kuwait

Figure 15. Paramatric model development

15. Peters, B. (2013), Realising the Architectural Idea: Computational Design at Herzog & De Meuron. Archit Design, 83: 59–61 16-17. Popovska, D. (2013), Integrated Computational Design: National Bank of Kuwait Headquarters. Archit Design, 83: 34–35.

A.3 COMPOSITION/GENERATION

Figure 16. Windows & Facade of SUDPARK

As the digital technology developing, the digital design leaves an impact on architecture field: there is a shift from composition to generation. As describing by Peter, Algorithmic thinking could be understood as â&#x20AC;&#x153;taking on an interpretive role to understand the results of the generating code, knowing how to modify the code to explore new options, and speculating on future designâ&#x20AC;? p10 Different from algorithmic tool, it is not necessary to rely on computer as it could be understood as a design method. 18

A.3 PRECEDENT PROJECT 5

SÜDPARK BASEL Basle, Switzerland 2012

ARCHITECT: Herzog & de Meuron Architekten AG

In Herzog & de Meuron Achitekten AG, there is a Digital Design Group with 12 people working on a specific field in design progress: CAD,BIM, parametric design and scripting, visualization ad video, and digital fabrication.19 They would custom digital design tools for their architects. As they claim: “each building conceptually stands by itself. Therefore, when we develop tools we also develop them in an extremely dedicated way”. 20 In the precedent project SÜDPARK, one of a residential project of Herzog & de Meuron Achitekten AG, the generation of the façade was informed by a computer program with a custom script by the Digital Design Group. The façade with various irregular openings was generated by digital tools with initial pattern of randomisation.21 With the aid of computational technology, the massive possibility of windows designs is created with some changeable factors like window shapes, sizes, scales, locations and orientations. The benefit of using computation for generation design is that the initial factors could be adjusted or change during the whole design process in order to optimize the outcome, which is especially important for performance oriented design. Generative design is also very suitable for our economic-oriented society, which means efficiency and productivity are essential for development. However, though generation could explore the range of design possibility, it would also be restricted by construction. In this project, the parametric design of randomisation on façade may result in some shortages during the construction process. This irregulation of windows requires massive custom industrial production and special workers to construct. In this case, construction mistake may arise and final performance may also be influenced. The initial of design purpose may make no sense if the building does not perform well.

Figure 17. SUDPARK

Figure 18. Analysis in parametric design

18. Kalay, Yehuda E. (2004). Architecture’s New Media: Principles, Theories, and Methods of Computer-Aided Design (Cambridge, MA: MIT Press), pp. 5-7 19-21. Peters, B. (2013), Realising the Architectural Idea: Computational Design at Herzog & De Meuron. Archit Design, 83: 59–61

A.3 COMPOSITION/GENERATION

Figure 19. Fondation Loouis Vuitton

“The intersection of two curved surfaces, for instance, is now much more complex than the surfaces themselves” 22 By Dennis R Shelden

Figure 20. Hand sketch of Fondation Loouis Vuitton

A.3 PRECEDENT PROJECT 6

Fondation Louis Vuitton Paris, France 2014 ARCHITECT: Gehry Partners

When you look at this dynamic form in the real life, you may think that it is impossible to design this kind of architecture without the help of computation. Indeed, from a simple line sketch to a fascinating constructed building, there were hundred of thousands of problems and chooses needed to solve and make by architects with help of the computer. One of the most outstanding advantages of generative design is the optimization by inputting parameters to computer and outcoming some ready-done “perfect” designs. In terms of form or geometric design, generation would optimize within its own parameter and outcome with the best form. However, besides the romantic form finding process, constructability should not be left out of the design process. In the case of Fondation Louis Vuitton, the crazy shapes of steel W glass roof required special consideration for the detail design. Because of the complex geometric issues of the project, many analyses and generative exercises for the building were computation intensive and

time consuming.23 Increasingly complex functions requiring higher order factors, more nodes and more date.24 Although computational design would be able to generate a optimize detail design to make the building perform. Extra workload will be added to enable the building performance besides the architectural idea itself. We could not deny that generative design explores the possibility of design in term of material or form, but it is also constrained by itself.

22. Shelden, D. R. (2014), Information, Complexity and the Detail. Archit Design, 84: 92–97. 23. Nolte, T. and Witt, A. (2014), Gehry Partners’ Fondation Louis Vuitton: Crowdsourcing Embedded Intelligence. Archit Design, 84: 86-87. 24. Shelden, D. R. (2014), Information, Complexity and the Detail. Archit Design, 84: 93-95.

Figure 21. Process map of the automation steps to generate the documentation of teh glass-reinforced concrete Ductal panels

A.4 CONCLUSION

Part A has explored various possibilities for architects to create a better future by innovative designs and advancing technique. With the development of technology, computation allows architects to create complex designs without dealing with boring meaningless works, which could be done by computers or robots. And it also allows architects to optimize their design and explore design possibility with some techniques such as parametric modeling, parametric simulation and digital fabrication. Instead of going against creativity, computation is just acting as a tool to generate a better design outcome.

A.5 LEARNING OUTCOMES

Through the learning and researching of part A, I gain a general understanding of compu-tational design. There is a brand new learning field for me to explore the new method of design: architectural computing. From the case study in part A, I realize that computation-al design would definitely be a trend of architectural design in the future. It could help us to explore the design possibilities and be an advanced design method to work efficiently. So it is very importance for us to gain some skill of computing design. For the first 3 weeks, I have started to learn some basic skill in grasshopper and in the tu-torial, we were shown to use different mediums as input to influence the design. I appre-ciate the power of computation, which can fasten the design process, which is impossible for human to achieve, and also find the optimum solution for design. Looking back my previous work in Digital Design and Fabrication, my sleeping pod design was strong constraint by the material. I may be able to use computation as a tool to evaluate the ma-terial property to optimize my previous design.

A.6 APPENDIX- ALGORITHMIC SKETCHES

USING LOFT TO BUILD A MULTI-USED DESK Using 2 curves to build a surface, and then create a 3D grid on the surface. Then a 3D triangulation mesh could be build on the surface. Used to slider to control the size and numbers of mesh to create a wanted geometry.

A.7 REFERENCE IMAGE REFERENCE:

Figure 1: “Metropol Parasol” < http://www.yellowtrace.com.au/temporary-timber-structures/> [accessed 5 August 2016] Figure 2: “Metropol Parasol in urban landscape” < http://www.archdaily.com/201961/metropol-parasol-j-mayer-h-arup/parasoles_ fernandoalda_22_m> [accessed 5 August 2016] Figure 3. “Timber panel connection detail” < https://lookatwhatwebuilt.wordpress.com/2015/02/25/metropol-parasol-jurgen-mayerh-arup/> [accessed 5 August 2016] Figure 4. “Metropol Parasol detail” < http://www.yellowtrace.com.au/temporary-timber-structures/> [accessed 5 August 2016] Figure 5. “Biosphere 2 in desert” <http://www.uncubemagazine.com/blog/16526970> [accessed 6 August 2016] Figure 6. “Interior of Biosphere 2” < http://matadornetwork.com/trips/7-bizarre-southwest-road-trip-stops-shouldnt-miss/> [accessed 6 August 2016] Figure 7. “Biosphere 2” < http://www.globalecotechnics.com/projects/biosphere-2/> [accessed 6 August 2016] Figure 8. “Biosphere 2 zones” < http://archive.bio.ed.ac.uk/jdeacon/biosphere/biosph.htm> [accessed 6 August 2016] Figure 9-12. images from: Edwards, S. (2013), Embedding Intelligence: Architecture and Computation at Grimshaw, NY. Archit Design Figure 13, 14 “National Bank of Kuwait” <http://www.fosterandpartners.com/projects/national-bank-of-kuwait/> [accessed 9 August 2016] Figure 15. “Paramatric model development” image from: Popovska, D. (2013), Integrated Computational Design: National Bank of Kuwait Headquarters. Archit Design Figure 16. “Windows & Facade of SUDPARK” <http://www.danielerne.com/suedpark-basel/> [accessed 11 August 2016] Figure 17. “SUDPARK” <http://www.archilovers.com/projects/178149/sudpark-baufeld-d.html> [accessed 11 August 2016] Figure 18. “Analysis in parametric design” image from: Popovska, D. (2013), Integrated Computational Design: National Bank of Kuwait Headquarters. Archit Design Figure 19. “Fondation Loouis Vuitton” < http://www.archdaily.com/555694/fondation-louis-vuitton-gehry-partners> [accessed 11 August 2016] Figure 20. “Hand sketch of Fondation Loouis Vuitton” image from: Nolte, T. and Witt, A. (2014), Gehry Partners’ Fondation Louis Vuitton: Crowdsourcing Embedded Intelligence. Archit Design Figure 21. “Process map of the automation steps to generate the documentation of teh glass-reinforced concrete Ductal panels” image from: Nolte, T. and Witt, A. (2014), Gehry Partners’ Fondation Louis Vuitton: Crowdsourcing Embedded Intelligence. Archit Design

PART B. CRITERIA DESIGN 27

B.1 RESEARCH FIELD

GEOMETRY

Geometry is an approach to generate 2D or 3D geometries by using mathematical principle. There are several types of geometry in this research field, such as ruled surface, paraboloid (elliptic & hyperbolic), minimal surfaces, geodesics, relaxation and general form finding, booleans.

THE SAGRADA FAMILLA (RULED SURFACE)

SG2012 GRIDSHELL (GEODESICS)

GREEN VOID (RELAXATION)

TAICHUNG METROPOLITAN OPERA HOUSE (MINIMAL SURFACE)

In this research field, ruled surface would be the main focus. Ruled surfaces are the surfaces which controlled by two sets of points, swept and connected by straight lines creating the shape.1 Cylinder and cone are typical ruled surface. For example, a cone is formed by keeping one point of a line fixed whilst moving another point along a circle. Other dynamic surface like hyperbolic paraboloid, hyperboloid, helicoid are all types of ruled surface. Surfaces shown at the right could all be generated by a “moving line”, which mean they are ruled surface.2 Developable Surface & Ruled Surface: In Brief, those curved surfaces which can be flattened into planar patches, without distortion. In other words, it’s the kind of surfaces can be created by single direction bending at a time, without the need for stretching the surface. In mathematics means; it’s a surface with zero Gaussian Curvature value at any point. It’s made usually out of one single sheet of material, materials such as metal, wood, and cardboard. Developable surfaces are a subclass of Ruled surfaces.3

1. &3. In Design Computing <https:// naeimdesigntechnologies.wordpress.com/2014/04/05/ developable-ruled-surfaces/> 2. Ruled surface: https://www.cs.mtu.edu/~shene/COURSES/ cs3621/LAB/surface/ruled.html

B.1 RESEARCH FIELD RULED SURFACE & ARCHITECTURE

The method of ruled surface has been used in many architectural practises without even being noticed. Most commonly, hyperboloid structure is used in cooling tower, especially of power station, because it can be built with straight steel beams, producing a strong structure at a lower cost than other methods. Also, the shape of hyperboloid structure can reduce the wind load for buildings, especially for high structure like towers, power station.

complexity of construction in term that some structure can be built with a latticework of straight elements like steels, timber strips. Also, the feature of developable surface is an other reason for using ruled surface in achitectural practice. Ruled surface could be developable surface, which mean it could be unrolled without distortion. This method make the design more practical in terms of fabrication, materiality and construction.

The reason for ruled surface been widely used in architecture, is that it can generate The example of Sagrada Familia would a free-form organic shape by just using be discussed, focusing on the use of ruled straight strips material. It reduced the surface in architecture.

1. A hyperbolic paraboloid roof of Warszawa Ochota railway station in Warsaw, Poland. 2. Cooling hyperbolic towers at Didcot Power Station, UK: Doubly ruled surfcae. 3. The gridshell of Shukhov Tower in Moscow, whose sections are doubly ruled. 4. A ruled helicoid spiral staircase inside Cremonaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Torrazzo. 5. Village church in Selo, Slovenia: both the roof and the wall are ruled surfaces.

B.1 RESEARCH FIELD GEOMETRY (RULED SURFACE) & SAGRADA FAMILIA

Sagrada Familia is a large Roman Catholic church in Barcelona, designed by spanish architect Antoni Gaudi (1852-1926). The church is still in construction, but it is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Sagrada Familia commenced in 1882, and due to historical, finacial as well as technical issue, its construction progressed slowly.

[Ruled Surface in Sagrada Familia]2 Hyperboloids: They can be solid as in the junctions between the columns and the vaulting, or hollow to allow light, symbol of God for Gaudí, to enter the temple. They can be found in the openings of the windows and the vaults.

Gaudí’s conception of the Sagrada Familia was based on the traditions of Gothic and Byzantine cathedrals.1 The starting point for the Sagrada Familia was Gothic architecture, which Gaudí modified and improved on to offer a new architecture which, due to its originality, makes this temple unique. Gaudí planned many parts of the temple to be built combining geometric forms chosen for their formal, structural, lighting, acoustic and constructional qualities. The majority of the surfaces are ruled surfaces, making their construction easier. 2

Paraboloids: Gaudí used paraboloids to create linking surfaces between the vaults and the roofing and the columns on the Passion facade, as well as larger elements such as the towers and the sacristies. For him they represented the Holy Trinity.

1. History and Architecture, Sagrada Familia <http://www. sagradafamilia.org/en/architecture/> 2. Geometry, Sagrada Familia < http://www.sagradafamilia. org/en/geometry/>

Helicoids: According to the iconography of Gaudí they represent the rising movement that links the earth with heaven. Here they can be seen in the spiral staircases. Conoids: The best examples of conoids at the Sagrada Familia are the walls and roofs of the schools building. The use of conoids created a organic form of the roof and wall.

B.1 RESEARCH FIELD HYPERBOLOID

in Sagrada Familia

B.1 RESEARCH FIELD PARABOLOID in Sagrada Familia

B.1 RESEARCH FIELD HELICOID

in Sagrada Familia

B.1 RESEARCH FIELD CONOID

in Sagrada Familia

B.2 CASE STUDY 1.0 VOLTA DOM BY SKYLAR

PROGRESS & UNROLLING

VoltaDom Is an installation created by Skylar Tibbits. It populates the corridor spanning building 56 & 66 on MITâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s campus. This installation is constructed from hundreds of vaults, which represent the great vaulted ceilings of historic cathedrals. ASSEMBLY & FABRICATION: Each vault is designed as a developable ruled surface (double curved vaulted surface), which mean it is easier in assembly and fabrication. It could be unrolled without distortion and these complex curved vaults can be transformed from a developable flat strips. The material choose is a thin bendable semitransparent sheet, which can be used to form a cone shape easily by rolling and connect them together simply by bolt. 42

B.2 CASE STUDY 1.0 SPECIES 1: PLAYING WITH THE CHANGING LOCATION AND NUMBER OF POINTS.

SPECIES 2: PLAYING WITH THE CULL PATTERN OF THE POINTS.

SPECIES 3: PLAYING WITH THE HIGHT AND RADIUS OF CONES.

SPECIES 4: PLAYING WITH DIFFERENT GEOMETRIES AND BOOLEAN.

SPECIES 5: PLAYING WITH THE ITERATION OF GEOMETRIES AND CHANGING THE SCALE.

SPECIES 6: FROM FLAT SURFACE TO CURVY SURFACE. BOX MAPPING.

B.2 CASE STUDY 1.0

AESTHETIC: CONNECTION: VOLUMN: FREE FORM: THIS ITERATION SHOWS THE BEAUTY OF CONE IN DIFFERENT SCALE. SMALLER CONES ARE GROW ON A BIGGER CONES. IT COULD BE A CANOPY OR A FACADE DECORATION. IT COULD USE THE SAME CONNECTION AS VOLTA DOM. OR USING TEXTILE AS MATERIAL.

AESTHETIC: CONNECTION: VOLUMN: FREE FORM: THE SHAPE OF THIS ITERATON MAKE ME THINK OF THE POTENTIAL OF BEING A MAIN STRUCTURE FROM OF A LAGE SCALE OF BUILDING, LIKE THE EXAMPLE IN PART A: BIOSPHERE 2. IF IN A SMALLER SCALE LINK WITH THE BRIEF, IT COULD BE A CEILING OR CANOPY FORM. BUT THE MATERIAL OF THE SURFACE SHOULD BE FURTHER CONSIDERED.

AESTHETIC: CONNECTION: VOLUMN: FREE FORM: THIS ITERATION CAN BE USE AS A CEILING OR FACADE DECORATION. THEY COULD BE CONNECTED BY INTERSECT AND FORM A SURFACE WITH TEXTURE ON IT.

AESTHETIC: CONNECTION: VOLUMN: FREE FORM: THIS ITERATION CAN BE VERY FLEXIBLE IN FORM AND THE CONNECTION CAN BE VERY EASY BY JUST INTERSECT. EACH SMALL CONE CAN BE FROM BY CUT STRIPS FROM LASER CUT. AND DIFFERNT DEPTH OF INTERSECTING CAN FROMING A CURVY FREE FROM SURFACE. IN TERM OF FORM, IT COULD BE EASILY DEFINED BY THE DEPTH AND POSITION OF THE INTERSECT.

B.3 CASE STUDY 2.0 CANTON TOWER BY IBA ARCHITECTS 2010

Canton Tower is a TV and sightseeing tower located in Guangzhou, China. This tower is a popular landmark in the city and it has a cute nickname called “super model”. It comes form its slender twisted form, which is impressed by just using straight steel elements. Mark Hemel, IBA architect and director, comments, “ Where most skyscrapers bear ‘male’ features; being introvert, strong, straight, rectangular, and based on repetition, we wanted to create a ‘female’ tower, being complex, transparent, curvy, gracious and sexy. Our aim was to design a free-form tower with a rich and human-like identity that would represent Guangzhou as a dynamic and exciting city.”2

In the case of Canton Tower, its form is using ruled surface, which is the surface generated by connecting straight line segments between corresponding points, one on each given curve. 1 The main idea of the tower is twisting. The form, volume and structure are generated by two ellipses, one at the bottom and the other on top. These two ellipses are rotated relative to another. The tightening caused by the rotation between the two ellipses forms a ‘waist’ and a densification of material.2 The method of ruled surface can be used to generate a free-form organic shape by just using straight strips material. It is a transformation progress from rigid to flexible and the representation of rotation movement.

1. In Design Computing <https://naeimdesigntechnologies. wordpress.com/2014/04/05/developable-ruled-surfaces/> Ruled surface: https://www.cs.mtu.edu/~shene/COURSES/ cs3621/LAB/surface/ruled.html 2. http://www.archdaily.com/89849/canton-towerinformation-based-architecture/

B.3 CASE STUDY 2.0

CANTON TOWER REVERSE-ENGINEER

1 ELLIPTICAL SECTION

ellipse as base shape

2 TAPERING TOWARDS THE TOP

divide ellipse/ connect points

ROTATE THE TOP ELLIPSE TO CREATE TIGHTENING

ADJUST PARAMETERS

use plane of ellipse to define orientation

changing the number of division points

TWISTING

CONSTRUCT OF RING STRUCTURE

using shift list to create twisting effect

dividing the verticcal lines to construct points of rings

7 DIAGONALIZATION OF NODES INTO A STIFF STRUCTURE

shift list/ flips matrix

8 MATERIALISATION TEXTURE

pipe to create steel material effect

B.3 CASE STUDY 2.0 CANTON TOWER REVERSE-ENGINEER

ORIENT&ROTATE BASE PLANE ADJUSTABLE RADIUS

TOP ELLIPSE DIVIDE ELLIPSE INTO POINTS

XY PLANE ADJUSTABLE RADIUS

TWISTING BY SHIFT LIST DATA

BOTTOM ELLIPSE

REVERSE-ENGINEER USING PARAMETRIC TOOLS

The key point of reverse engineer of Canton Tower is the understanding of ruled surface. The “waist” of the tower is formed by the rotation and twisting of the vertical straight lines. When I was first trying to reverse engineer this special organic form of the tower, I ignored the principle of ruled surface. I generated the shape by lofting top, middle and bottom ellipses, in which the middle one was smaller in size compare the top and bottom one. In this case, instead of vertical straight lines, the vertical elements were formed by using “geodesic”, which was based on the loft surface. And it was completely wrong because the vertical elements are curves not straight lines, which meaned that was not a ruled surface. As showing the diagram underneath, the “shift list” command would create a twisting efect between the top and bottom ellipses. Also, the relationship of the datas and data trees structure should be understand to create a lattice structure.

DIVIDE VERTICAL LINES

FLIP MATRIX

INTERPOLATE CURVES

CONNECT TOP AND BUTTOM POINTS INTO VERTICAL LINES

PIPE

DIAGONALIZATION BY SHIFT LIST DATA

FLIP MATRIX

POLYLINE

B.4 TECHNIQUE DEVELOPMENT SPECIES 1 CHANGE PARAMETERS TOP AND BOTTOM ELLIPSES RADIUS ARE CHANGED.

SPECIES 2 SHIFTING LIST OF POINTS ON THE TOP AND BOTTOM ELLIPSES. THE MUCH POINTS HAVE BE SHIFTED, THE MUCH TWIST EFFECT WOULD HAVE.

SPECIES 3 CHANGE PARAMETERS SHIFTING LIST OF POINTS ON THE RINGS, FORMING INTERESTING PATTERNS AT THE HOLLOW AREA.

SPECIES 4 CHANEG THE BASE GEOMETRY FROM ELLIPSE TO CIRCLE AND POLYGONS. (CLOSED CURVES)

B.4 TECHNIQUE DEVELOPMENT SPECIES 5 CHANGE THE BASE GEOMETRY FROM CLOSED CURVE IN TO OPEN CURVES. ALSO TESTING THE TWISTING EFFECT BY CHANING PARAMETERS OF SHIFT LIST.

SPECIES 6 CHANGING THE FORM BY MOVING THE POINTS OF BASE CURVE ALONG XYZ AXIS. ALSO TESTING THE TWISTING EFFECT BY CHANING PARAMETERS OF SHIFT LIST.

SPECIES 7 CHANGING PARAMETERS OF THE POINT NUMBER ON RINGS. ALSO TESTING THE TWISTING EFFECT BY CHANING PARAMETERS OF SHIFT LIST. RULED SURFACE BETWEEN EACH SUBRING.

SPECIES 8 ITERATION// ROTATION// EXTRUSION

B.4 TECHNIQUE DEVELOPMENT

SPECIES 9 SPIRALING// SHIFT LIST// TWISTING// STRIAGHT LINE// HELICOID

B.4 TECHNIQUE DEVELOPMENT SPECIES 10 PARABOLOID// DIVIDE SURFACE// MIRROR// ROTATION// CHANGE PARAMETERS OF LINE LENGTH AND ROTAION ANGLES

[TOP VIEW OF THE ITERATIONS]

B.4 TECHNIQUE DEVELOPMENT AESTHETIC: TWIST/ROTATION: CONSTRUCTION: FLEXIBILITY: THE PATTERN FORMED BY A SERIES OF TWISTED LINES CREATING A 3D PATTERN. THIS EFFECT COULD BE FORMED BY STRINGS. ONLY USING STRAIGHT ELEMENTS TO GENERATE THIS ORGANIC FREE FORM SHAPE IS THE KEY FOCUS. THIS 3D PATTERN CAN BE USED AS THE “SKIN” OF A PEDESTRIAN WALL/SCREEN WITH LAYERS.

AESTHETIC: TWIST/ROTATION: CONSTRUCTION: FLEXIBILITY: WHEN THIS ITERATION ROTATED, IT COULD BE HORIZONTALLY DISPLAY. IN THIS CASE, IT COULD BE THE BASIC FROM OF THE PEDESTRIAN BRIDGE IN THE BRIEF. THE ROTATED EXTRUDE SURFACES ARE CONNECTED WITH STRAIGHT LINE AND RULED SURFACES ARE GENERATED. AND IT THE BASED SHAPE IS A CLOSE CURVE, A MORE ORGANIC FORM WOULD BE GENERATED.

AESTHETIC: TWIST/ROTATION: CONSTRUCTION: FLEXIBILITY: THIS ITERATION HAVE THE SIMILER IDEA AS THE ONE ON THE LEFT, BUT THE MAIN FOCUS OF IT IS THE TWISTING SHAPE BETWEEN EACH RING. THIS ONE CAN BE FUTHER DEVELOP: INSTEAD OF FIXED FRAME, EACH RING CAN BE ROTATED IN DIFFERENT DEGREE, SO THAT A VARIES OF TWISTING SHAPES CAN BE FORMED.

AESTHETIC: TWIST/ROTATION: CONSTRUCTION: FLEXIBILITY: THIS ITERATION IS FROM A SIMPLE PARABOLOID RULED SURFACE WITH SEVERAL TIMES OF MIRRORING AND ROTATING. COMPLEX AESTHETIC SYMMETRICAL PATTERN WAS FROM WHEN WE ARE AT THE TOP VIEW OF THIS ITERATION. ALSO IT IS EASY TO CONSTRUCT BECAUSE IT IS SIMPLY FORM THE SAME SIMPLE RULED SURFACE. IT COULD BE FURTHER DEVELOP IN 2D OR 3D FORM.

B.5 TECHNIQUE PROTOTYPES

PROTOTYPE 1 & 2

FLAT PATTERN

3D PATTERN 64

PROTOTYPE 1 & 2

The idea of prototype 1 came from the iteration of the Cantoon Tower,in which the pattern is created by lines connecting with shifting list of points in a close geometry. It uses a basic geometry as a frame and its pattern is form by string. The string is connected in a ruled order at each edge, which with the same amount of hole on it by laser cutting. The prototype 2 is based on the prototype 1 playing with characteristic of polypropylene, which is a bendable material. A volume is created when the frame become deformed. The string is conneted in the same way but in a 3D space. These prototypes can be used as a small pattern of a surface. And triangle is used when a curvy surface is need to be flattern in fabrication.

B.5 TECHNIQUE PROTOTYPES PROTOTYPE 1 & 2

CONNECTION// ASSEMBLY

CONNECTION 1: METAL BRADS

CONNECTION 2: CABLE TIES

PROTOTYPE 3

Prototype 3 is using the paraboloid as a base form of the structure. Paraboloid is a ruled surface is created by 2 rotated striaight line. So when 2 opposite edges of a flat rectangular surface are starting to rotate, paraboloid is generated. 2 connected paraboloids can create a volumn. When 2 strips rotate in different angles along a vertical strip, varies volume is formed. In order to make a flexible structure works, the connetion between vertical strip and horizontal strips is been specially designed. It could be an initial design of a moveable adjustable screen for pedestrian purpose or forming a temporary storage space.

vertical strips can be rotated to form different volume of spaces

the connetion between vertical strip and horizontal strips

B.5 TECHNIQUE PROTOTYPES PROTOTYPE 4

Paraboloid ruled surface is also be used in this prototype. Each cell of the frame can be formed a paraboloid. The share edge of the cells generate a more complex geometry. The prototype can be seen in different scales with various design possibility. In a smaller 1:1 scale, it can be a 3D pattern of a surface; if in a larger scale, it could be a shape of a canopy or ceiling decoration. Further development could be: - various scale of cells connect together to create a much more free-form shape - what form will be generated if we connect hundreds of â&#x20AC;&#x153;patternâ&#x20AC;? units? the connection principle between each unit - different length of share edges could have various possibilities of structure frames in terms of form

Paraboloid (cell)

A Cell

A Unit of Cells

B.5 TECHNIQUE PROTOTYPES

PROTOTYPE 5

The main focus of this prototype is to use string to generate a twisted surface. The idea of point, line, plane is shown. It explores the visual aesthetic possibility of ruled surface by using string and a serious of fixed frames. It could be further develop as a pedestrian path design or the performance stage design.

B.6 TECHNIQUE PROPOSAL BRIEF & SITE SITE: SACRED HEART BUILDING, ABOTTSFORD CONVENT CLIENT: ABOTTSFORD CONVENT IN COLLABORATION WITH SHADOW ELECTRIC. PROGRAM: MIXED MODE EVENT SPACE INCLUDING OUT DOOR CINEMA, MUSIC STAGE, FOOD AND BEVERAGE OFFERING + HIGH LEVEL PEDESTRIAN BRIDGE.

Sacred Heart stands as part of an extraordinary nineteenth and early twentieth century landscape. Along with the farmland to the east, the ornamental gardens and orchards that extend down the banks of the Yarra and the bushland that stretches along the river, the tranquillity of the seemingly rural setting is both surprising and unusual in such close proximity to the city. 1

SITE PLAN SHOWING THE LOCATION OF SACRED HEART

PLAN SHOWING CONVENT BUILDINGS AND THEIR DATE OF CONSTRUCTION

Sacred Heart is one of a number of buildings constructed for the Convent of the Good Shepherd. The Good Shepherd order was originally founded to provide asylum to destitute women. Sacred Heart Building was originally known as Magdalen Asylum. It was constructed in 1877-1878 designed by Thomas Kelly. It was characterised by spare Gothic forms with buttressed walls. The U-shaped building was designed around a secure courtyard, incorporating the 1868/ 1869 former Industrial School as its northern wing. 1 -Originally, Sacred Heart is built for Industrial School using as dormitory and laundary room. -1977, the ground floor space was used as teaching space and office -2004, Abbotsford Convent Foundation took control of the site -2008, it opened to the public and was used as a performance space. - For the past 3 years, Shadow Electric has found home each summer in the courtyard of Sacred Heart Building, Abottsford Convent.

SHADOW ELECTRIC Shadow Electric is an open air cinema, bar and bandroom within the Conventâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Sacred Heart courtyard. Experience Melbourneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s own slice of cinematic paradise, brought to life with top end 2K digital projection, a massive 12m glass matte cinema screen, Dolby 7.1 digital surround sound and a 30 000 watt sound-system.2

1. Sacred Heart (Former Magdalene Asylum), Heritage Impact Statement, 2016. 2. Shadow Electric <http:// abbotsfordconvent.com.au/visit/ organisations/shadow-electric>

B.6 TECHNIQUE PROPOSAL

FOCUS OF THE DESIGN PROPOSAL: - ENCLOSED SPACE OF COURTYARD - A SPACE COULD BE UTILIZED 24 HOURS & 7 DAYS. - PEDESTRIAN MOVEMENT WITHIN THE SPACE, ESPECIAL THE OUTDOOR COURTYARD AREA. - EMPHASIZE THE RELATINSHHIP BETWEEN INDOOR AND OUTDOOR AREA, SHOWING THE FLOW BETWEEN IN AND OUT. - VIEW LINES TO CINEMA SCREEN & STAGE. - DELINEATION OF NEW AND OLD. - ENGAGE WITH THE RICH HISTORY OF THE HERITAGE BUILDING. FOCUS OF THE DESIGN CONCEPT: - USING LINES TO DEFINE THE TECHNIQUE OF RULED SURFACE. USING RULED SURFACE AS THE MAIN DESIGN PRINCIPLE. - FLEXIBLE STRUCTURE TO SATISFIED THE MIXED USED PURPOSE, ADJUSTABLE STRUCTURE FOR DIFFERENT USE OF THE SITE. - USING PROJECTION LIGHT TO HIGHLIGHT AND DEMONSTRATE RULED SURFACE. - USE TWISTING EFFECT TO CREAT VOLUMN.

DEFINE A MIXED MODE EVENT SPACE BY A ADJUSTABLE FREE FORM STRUCTURE, WHICH IS A COMBINATION OF CANOPY AND SCEEN, USING THE PRINCIPLE OF RULED SURFACE.

NEXT STEP & FURDER DEVELOPMENT: The next step of the development will be trying to combine the brief into the design technique & concept. The prototype 3 and prototype 4 can be used to further develop in terms of flexibility and aesthetic. Both of them are using the paraboloids (ruled surface) as the base form, which could create a free-form volum by using straight elements. The key concept will be taking from the prototype 3 is the moveable structure: strips can rotate to generate various form of twisted surface. This could be use to further develop as the main structure, which is adjustable in volume when the site is in different use. Prototype 4 can be further develop into different scales and being connected with multiple iterations. But the idea of flexibility should be further develop in this prototype as well as the different possibility of forms and shapes. Material and the connection can be optimise in the focus of digital design and fabrication.

B.7 LEARNING OBJECTIVES & OUTCOME

1. INTERROGATING A BRIEF In part B, it is the main progress of developing various design outcomes by using parametric design method: grasshopper. With our tutorial brief, we are ask to design a mixed mode space with different functions. According to the brief, we need to focus in differernt aspects, like the indoor and outdoor area; the design of pedestrian bridge; different usages of the courtyard. I felt a bit overwhelming at the beginning because there are so much things need to be consider at the same time and they could be various in form. And this way of thinking restricted me when I generated the iteration in B4 as well as the early stage of prototyping. The design progress was slow and design outcome was restricted and boring. So I tried to focus less on the brief and more on the technique in ruled surface when I was prototyping. Although it would be a bit conceptual for the outcome, in terms of the potential of the design outcome, it is much more various and interesting. 2. AN ABILITY TO GENERATE A VARIETY OF DESIGN POSSIBILITIES FOR A GIVEN SITUATION By using grasshopper as a tool for design, it make us easier to explore the varies possibilities of design outcomes by changing parameters and adding/ subtracting definitions. When I generated iterations for casestudy grasshopper definition, I tried to keep its key feature as the main idea of design. For example, in technique iteration of Canton Tower casestudy, all of the iterations followed the principle of ruled surface and the varies in form were by changing the types of ruled surface. 3. DEVEPING AN UNDERSTATING OF RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN ARCHITECTURE AND AIR When a digital design model being fabricated, the main focus is no longer about the form but the details. For example, puting a digital design in a actural world, the scale, the conection detail and the material performance will also become a main focus. And all these should be well testing by prototyping. In our proposal, how can the design attach the heritage building would need to be taking into consider during design progress.

B.8 REFERENCE IMAGE REFERENCE: THE SAGRADA FAMILLA: https://thoughtintensivedesign.me/antoni-gaudi-arches-and-ruled-surfaces/ TAICHUNG METROPOLITAN OPERA HOUSE: http://asia.nikkei.com/Tech-Science/Tech/Cavelike-performance-hallwows-Taiwan SG2012 GRIDSHELL: http://matsysdesign.com/category/projects/sg2012-gridshell/WWW RULED SURFACE & ARCHITECTURE (WITH 5 IMAGES):

<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ruled_surface>

Sagrada Familia: http://www.sagradafamilia.org/en/geometry/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Sagrada_Fam%C3%ADlia_stairs.jpg https://barcelonadailyphoto.wordpress.com/category/sagrada-familia/ http://www.panoramio.com/photo/37102780 Volta Dom: http://www.arch2o.com/voltadom-by-skylar-tibbits-skylar-tibbits/arch2o-voltadom-by-skylar-tibbits-skylar-tibbits22/ CANTON TOWER: Http://www.architravel.com/architravel/building/canton-tower/

B.9 APPENDIX - ALGORITHMIC SKETCHBOOK

Patterning + Lists: Design a self-shelving unit. 78

GEODESIC

PART C. DETAILED DESIGN 81

C.1.0 DESIGN REFLECTION

Feedback form my interim presentation is quite positive, the main thing for me is to generate the lines for the idea of ruled surface relating with the site. I am going to further develop the prototypes with emphasise on the idea of ruled surface. The idea of ruled surface can be highlight by surfaces, so textile can be introduced in to the project instead of just a frame structure as showing in prototype 4. Also, keep thinking that are there any other way to define ruled surface. Relating with the site, the Shadow Electric are using the site as a mixed mode event space and there could be event like outdoor cinema, music performance, which is hold at night. The light effect could be taken into design consideration. Also, as my design is part of the space divide screen, the functional zone should be defined in this stage. 82

SELECTED PROTOTYPES

The shadow effect with light & 3D projection would be used in my final design to create different visual effect in daytime and night time for Shadow Electric events.

This prototype from my part B would be mainly used for my final design. The idea of using the edge lines to emphasise hyperbolic ruled surface would be further used. 83

C.1.0 DESIGN REFLECTION PROTOTYPE ANALYSIS

GENERATING A CELL BY ROTATING

The cell is generated from a paraboloid ruled surface. The form of the cell is coming from the edges of the ruled surface. In this case, the idea of ruled surface is presented by the edge frame of surface. When there are more ruled surfaces connected together via sharing edges, then a unit of cells are generated. The whole form of this prototype is emphasize the edges of multi-connected ruled surfaces.

C.1.0 DESIGN REFLECTION

ORIGINAL UNIT

A UNIT OF 6 CELLS

BREAK DOWN? RECONSTRUCT?

1 CELL

NEW UNITS

2 CELLS

3 CELLS

4 CELLS

5 CELLS

6 CELLS

ORIGINAL FORM

TRANSFORM

NO! KEEP THE ORIGINAL FORM!

BACK TO ORIGINAL UNIT A UNIT : 6 CELLS AS A WHOLE

PROTOTYPE ANALYSIS & TESTING

With consider with the feedback and my brief, I was trying to further develop this prototype from part B. As this unit is made up with 6 cells, I broke it down into various composition of cells and making transformation of the form (via change the position of shared edges). The reason why I did that is trying to simplify the unit and trying to find a rule to connect units together for repetition the pattern, which will be generating from units. However, when I was reconstructing the new unit by breaking down the original unit into various composition of cells, I find the new units lost its beauty and become boring. So I decided to go back to the original unit.

THE ORIGINAL UNIT WILL BE DEVELOPED INTO TWO SCALES: - LARGER SCALE: AS A STRUCTURAL FORM OF SHAPE (FRAME STRUCTURE) - SMALLER SCALE: AS A BASE UNIT FOR REPEATED PATTERNING After the study of prototype from part B, the direction of development of my final design have been set. The design proposal would be changed. Proposal from part B: â&#x20AC;&#x153; Define a mixed mode event space by a adjustable free form structure, which is a combination of canopy and screen, using the principle of ruled surface.â&#x20AC;? The moveable characteristic of the prototype will not be used. Instead, the interesting shape of the form would become the starting point for the technique development. As a result, the design concept as well as proposal will be changed slightly.

C.1.1 DESIGN CONCEPT FINAL DESIGN BRIEF

TO CREATE A CANOPY WITH THE FUNCTION OF SPACE DIVISION FOR A MIXED MODE EVENT SPACE, USING THE PRINCIPLE OF RULED SURFACE FORMING JOYFUL VISUAL EFFECTS VIA PATTERNING, LIGHT AND SHADOW.

The site of this project is the courtyard of the Sacred Heart building (refer to Part B.6). During the site visit, I found that there is not much visitors in it compared with other buildings nearby in Abbotsford Convent. Although the Sacred Heart courtyard is the place holding the Shadow Electric Event, in the non-event period, this place seems to be forgotten. In order to bring this â&#x20AC;&#x153;forgotten buildingâ&#x20AC;? into a life, my design as a new born feature would grow onto this old historic building and act as symbiotic system together with the Sacred Heart Building.

C.1.2 TECHNIQUE DEVELOPMENT

GENERATING A 3D PATTERNING SURFA

STEP 1:

3D TO FLAT

STEP 2: SINGLE UNIT TO GRID OF UNITS & PLANE TO SURFACE

STEP 3: FLAT PATTERNING TO 3D PATTERNING

ACE - DESIGN LOGIC: TOP-DOWN PROCESS

C.1.2 TECHNIQUE DEVELOPMENT

RULED // “FLAT”

PLAN VIEW: REGULAR GEOMETRY PATTERNING

VOLUME // DYNAMIC

PERSPECTIVE VIEW: 3D EFFECT PATTERNING 92

3D PATTERNING SURFACE

This 3D patterning surface can create a interesting visual effect. It would “change” when people look at it at different angles. The size as well as the shape of the “holes” on the surface would “change”. 93

C.1.2 TECHNIQUE DEVELOPMENT

3D PATTERNING ON DIFFERENT SURFACES

3D patterning are applied on different surfaces, some patterns were distorted and the volume of the patterns also changed along the surfaces. I found that this pattern will create a better visual effect on a more â&#x20AC;&#x153;regularâ&#x20AC;? surface. Less distortion satisfies the aesthetic effect.

C.1.4 FINAL DESIGN PROJECT

GROUND PLAN

FIR

RST FLOOR PLAN

PLAN DRAWINGS

SECOND FLOOR PLAN

C.1.4 FINAL DESIGN PROJECT

SECTION DRAWINGS

CROSS SECTION

LONG SECTION 99

C.1.4 FINAL DESIGN PROJECT

The courtyard is divided into north part and south part by ground touching part of the canopy. People enter to the space though a narrow entrance, and then enter a space formed by the lower part of the canopy at the entrance area. At this area, the ground touching part of the canopy acts as a space divide function. The north and south part will be separated and be used as different functional spaces. 100

SPACE: EVENT MODE

TEMPORARY STORAGE AREA

24 HOURS -

OUTDOOR MOVIE / MUSIC EVENT

MIXED FUNCTION

ENTRANCE

According to the brief, the courtyard serves as a mix functional spaces in different time. When there is a music performance or a outdoor movie event, the space will be divided in to different functional zones. The north part of the courtyard will be the outdoor movie area or the music performance stage, this space will hold the number around 60-80 of people. Behind the movie screen or the music performance stage, at the very north of the courtyard, there is a temporary storage area for storing the equipments and chairs. The south part will be a gathering area providing with food and beverage. Compared with the north event space, which is a open public space, the south gathering area is divided into some smaller zones by the space divide â&#x20AC;&#x153;screensâ&#x20AC;? (the ruled surface screens) and the greenery. It allows people communicate in a smaller group and provides some of privacy for each group by keeping some distance between groups.

GATHERING// MEETING AREA

FOOD & BEVERAGE SERVICE

101

C.1.4 FINAL DESIGN PROJECT

CAFE FOOD & DRINKS OFFER AREA

OUTDOOR CAFE

DAYTIME CAFE / GATHERING

ENTRANCE

GATHERING// MEETING AREA

102

SPACE: NORMAL MODE

FOOD & DRINKS OFFER AREA

OUTDOOR PUB SITTING AREA

NIGHT TIME PUB / GATHERING

ENTRANCE

GATHERING// MEETING AREA

DJ / MUSIC

During non-event period, this courtyard space will be used as a public gathering space. Daytime will an outdoor cafe; night time will be a outdoor pub for people to relax and enjoy.

103

C.1.4 FINAL DESIGN PROJECT

104

105

C.1.4 FINAL DESIGN PROJECT

106

107

C.1.4 FINAL DESIGN PROJECT

108

109

C.2 TECTONIC ELEMENTS & PROTOTYPES PROTOTYPE 1.

110

Prototype 1 is a from finding prototype. It is started at the very beginning of Part C, in which I was trying to find a rule to connect numbers of units together. In order to create a 3D patterning surface, the way units connect will have a fundamental influence on the visual effect, which is also the main consideration in me final design brief. It is a top-down design process. I generated the rule they connect by prototyping, and once it works, I then model it in 3D digital model with the help of grasshopper. Also, during this form finding prototyping, I found that it works well with the light and creates a interesting shadow effect. 111

C.2 TECTONIC ELEMENTS & PROTOTYPES

112

113

C.2 TECTONIC ELEMENTS & PROTOTYPES PROTOTYPE 2

Prototype 2 is the starting point for me to fabricate a 1:2 scale prototype of the 3D pattern. The main focus for me is to find a better way to connect rods. The rods should be connect with each other in different angles, which mean that every joint will be different. In this case, 3D print joint will be the best option due to its variation.

114

Issue 1: Due to the variation of the angle of joints as well as the length of the rods. Every pieces should be well labelled. I cut out different length of the rods according to the data on digital model and then label them as the same as the label in digital model. I did the same as the joints. However, I still have problem during the assembling process, in which the final rod seemed too short to be able to reach the joint. It is because one of the joint is put upside down, which will cause the angle between different rods being changed. This will lead to the complete failure for joining the patterns, because every pieces are closely related with each other.

Issue 2: This type of joint suitable for hollow rods and it is easy to assemble. However, the friction between the rods and joints should be high enough to avoid falling off. In this case, I put some masking tape around the tips of joints to increase the friction.

115

C.2 TECTONIC ELEMENTS & PROTOTYPES

116

117

C.2 TECTONIC ELEMENTS & PROTOTYPES PROTOTYPE 3

Different from prototype 2, this one the rods can go into slots of joints. So the rods can be solid or hollow depending on the material. Also, this kind of joints emphasis the various angles between rods, meeting a better visual effect.

118

Learning from prototype 2, I labelled the joints before getting off the raft to make sure the joints will not be placed upside downing during assembling.

Issue: This prototype use plastic 3D printer to print the joints. This type of printer use a Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM) process to melt and extrude ABS plastic filaments onto additive layers. So during the printing, extra support is needed due to the joints have a pipe-like hollow section. Taking of the support material in the holes are time comsuming. Also, the position in placing the digital model for printing can reduce the extra material for supporting. 119

C.2 TECTONIC ELEMENTS & PROTOTYPES PROTOTYPE 4

120

This prototype is the same as prototype 3, the only different is the fabrication method. Instead of using plastic 3D printer, powder 3D printer is used in this time to avoid printing the extra support in the holes of joints. The outcome of the joint is good in terms of the texture and the finish of the joint.

Issue: The powder have its advantage in term of the finish outcome. However, it is impossible to get the order of the joint to label it. It does not come out with a raft. Without printing out the label on the geometry, it is impossible to label it manually after the printing. Each joint is different. The image on the left showing 3 very similar joints, which I picked out. However, they have different angles which is a slightly different and need to tell the detail when looking into detail. 121

C.2 TECTONIC ELEMENTS & PROTOTYPES PROTOTYPE 5

Prototype 5 is the same as prototype 3 in terms of using 3D plastic printer. I have changed the parameter of the digital model to make the hole smaller in order to let the rods sit into the hole tighter. The whole structure is stronger. 122

Same issue as prototype 3, and this brand of ABS is harder to get the extra material coming out.

The ABS filament used in the UP printers shrink slightly as it cools. I put the digital model with large flat surfaces covering more than half of the base. The edge was warping, and the print is fail.

123

C.2 TECTONIC ELEMENTS & PROTOTYPES COMPARISON OF PROTOTYPE 3. 4. 5. PROTOTYPE 3

PROTOTYPE 4

Brand A ABS filament Plastic 3D printer Radius of the holes of joint: 2.75mm Relatively cheap Need to clean up the support

Powder binding with liquid Powder 3D printer Radius of the holes of joint: Expensive Better finish

124

PROTOTYPE 5

adhesive

: 2.75mm

Brand B ABS filament Plastic 3D printer Radius of the holes of joint: 2.25mm (hold better) Relatively cheap Need to clean up the support

125

C.3.1 FINAL SITE MODEL

126

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C.3.1 FINAL SITE MODEL

128

129

C.3.1 FINAL SITE MODEL

130

131

C.3.2 FINAL DETAIL MODEL

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135

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C.4 LEARNING OBJECTIVES & OUTCOMES

Part C I went deeper into the grasshopper skill. The final design of my project, especially the generating the 3D patterning surface let me have a deeper understanding of parametric design. The design process for me is a top down process. I generated the rule of connecting the units by different physical prototyping. The next step for me is to build it into digital form. This part is the most difficult part for me and numbers of ways was tried and thankfully finally it work! After all these attempts. The most important thing is to think in a â&#x20AC;&#x153;grasshopperâ&#x20AC;? mode, and it requires a level of understanding of grasshopper. For example, the physical unit have been flatten in to a hexagon in order to getting the grid on a surface. And then the pattern be un-flatten to get its 3D shape. It is a process of simplifying, ordering and data list managing. In terms of fabrication, it is always a gap between the digital model and physical well fabricated object. Prototyping is the vital to fill this gap. Fabrication method , materiality and assembling skill are all closely related with each other. Prototyping, learning from the failure are the best way to optimize the outcome. Studio Air is the stating point of my parametric design. It expands the design possibility for me and guiding me a new way of design and thinking. I would definitely keep exploring it in my furder stuying of design.

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