ABPL30048_2012_Semester 2
Architecture design Studio:
Air Fan Yunlan 374339
Context Introduction 1. Expression of Interest -1.1 The Case for Innovation 1.1.1 Architecture as a Discourse 1.1.2 Computing in Architecture 1.1.3 Parametric Modelling -1.2 CUT Research Project 1.2.1 Biomimicry 1.2.2 Case study 1.0 1.2.3 Case study 2.0 -1.3 Expression of Interest 1.3.1 Matrix development 1.3.2 The Argument 1.3.3 Model & Reflection
2. Project Proposal Stage -2.1 Development Progress 2.1.1 The New Argument 2.1.2 Prototypes development -2.2 Final Project Presentation
Introduction
I am from China and I have been in Melbourne for two years. My hometown is in the east part of China in Jiangsu Province and it is famous for its Chinese gardens. Different from the natural gardens here in Melbourne, Chinese Gardens were designed according to the Daoist ideas of Fengshui and the buildings, layout of pools and plants, and hills were all carefully designed with meanings given by the ancients. My hometown is close to Shanghai; as a result, I found Melbourne is quite different from Shanghai both as metropolises in Australia and in China. Melbourne has a lower density of population and higher density of vegetation compared with Shanghai and this is also one of the reasons of why I like Melbourne more.
My previous work My first time to use Rhino is in the Virtual Environments subject. We were asked to design a lamp which a person can wear on a part of his body and the design ideas should develop from a natural process. My design was developed from the idea of eruption of the volcano activities. We mainly used Rhino to draw a 3D digital model from a physical model and we used panelling tools to test different geometric surfaces for the model. The final model was made from paper and I used the card cutter to cut all the pieces of my model out. Although I put every small parts together finally and the model was generally successful, my model still looked like made from several small models instead of one. From this project, I found that digital design software is really helpful to design and fabricate complex projects. Especially they save your time. Digital fabrication can even pre-fabricate some large and high accuracy required projects to decrease many labour works. The video, which was showed in one lecture, of how the brick facade wall of Gantenbein Winery in Switzerland was digitally fabricated by a machine really surprised me and I think digital fabrication would be more popular in the future for architecture designed projects. There are some arguments about digital design in architecture and architects use much more computers rather than hand drawings nowadays. However, I found that digital software help you much when design some complex forms and they are also easy for architects to do documentation. I also used AutoCAD before and I found it is faster than hand drawing and it is also easy for you to change the drawings. The Federation Square in Melbourne city is also digitally designed with parametric surfaces.
1. Expression of Interest
1.1 The Case for Innovation 1.1.1 Architecture as a Discourse Like the lecturer said, most architecture is not isolated, they were inspired from precedents, add to and development of the tradition. Architecture as a discourse today is discussed by many architecture historians, about the ‘growth of the tradition’, the architecture art, the attempt to change, and the new technology (video youtube: http://www.youtube. com/watch?v=PoUb1yM1jQk). For me, architecture is a multidiscipline which can contain multiple ideas, arts, culture and tools. Nowadays, architects have created some new architecture with the idea of change, contrast and with new technologies. One of the architecture which I like is the
Centre Pompidou-Metz in France designed by architects Shigeru Ban and Jean de Gastines. I like this architecture because of its free-form roof made of laminated timber and covered by white textile membrane. ‘The entire geometry was modelled using proprietary form-finding software’ (http://www.dezeen.com/2010/02/17/ centre-pompidou-metz-by-shigeru-ban/). This architecture inspired me that architecture can be much more freedom and interesting. This roof looks like a huge blanket fall from the sky and sit on a block of buildings. Even though this is a modern architecture designed by computer software, the roof looks more like an art work rather than a roof of a building. The free-form roof and the blocks of buildings under it made a big contrast as modern form of architecture.
Centre Pompidou-Metz in France, night view (http://www.dezeen.com/2010/02/17/centre-pompidou-metz-byshigeru-ban/)
Centre Pompidou-Metz in France (http://www.dezeen.com/2010/02/17/centre-pompidou-metz-by-shigeru-ban/)
Similarly, the Beijing Olympic National Stadium is designed from the shape of a bird’s nest. These two architecture both challenged the normal theory of buildings and they wonderfully described architecture as art, sign and spatial experience which mentioned in the reading. I think that digital software helps architects to generate some free forms, which are hard to draw and model by hand, much easier and faster, and architecture design can also become more variety. However, architects also need to consider materiality, buildability and sustainability, as when they created some free forms in digital software, the software does not make sure the The Bird’s Nest, Beijing Olympic National Stadium (http:// structure can stand up and it also does not know www.innovapedia.org/home/innova-arts/birds-nest-beijingsstriking-olympic-stadium/) how to build it.
1.1.2 Computing in Architecture The development of architecture is accompanied not only with the development of theories, but also with the development of technology. In the old days before the computers appear, architects need to hand-draw all the design ideas and documents for clients and construction, and architects also need to direct the workers during construction to explain the design. During that time, hand drawing skills were very important for architects. Nowadays, using computer software is becoming more and more essential for architects. From computerization to computation, computer’s role in design process becomes more primary. Kalay mentioned in Architecture’s New Media: Principles, Theories, and Methods of ComputerAided Design, computer has ‘superb rational and search abilities’ which can combine with people’s ‘creativity and intuition’ to work out design ideas. With the development of presentation and design softwares, architects can use computers to produce images, videos and presentation slides to present their works and communicate with others. Computer drafting and modelling also save much time for architects. Another benefit from computing is digital fabrication and construction. Architects use machines to cut their models and even construct real building parts.
Facade of the Gantenbein Winery in Switzerland (http:// travelwithfrankgehry.blogspot.com.au/2009/05/ gantenbein-winery-by-gramazio-kohler.html)
Digital model (http://travelwithfrankgehry.blogspot.co au/2009/05/gantenbein-winery-by-gramazio-kohler.htm
om. ml)
Digital fabrication of the brick facade wall of Gantenbein Winery (http://www.robarch2012.org/workshops)
Instead of putting architects’ drawings and models into computers, computation appears to let designers make systems in computers and see the unknown results. Architects can also set a system for machine to construct the real building components. The Gantenbein Winery in Switzerland is a good example of computation with digital fabrication. The facade is designed from the pattern showed when a rectangle basket is filled full of grapes. To construct the brick
walls of the winery facade, it might cost so much labor work if it had been done by bricklayers as bricks rotate by different angles. All the bricks were laid by a robotic machine which satisfied the high requirement of accuracy for this brick facade wall. On the other hand, the cost of digital fabrication can be high as well and a particular system need to be set up for this particular case only.
Non-Euclidean Geometries Non-Euclidean Geometries are geometries ignore the fifth postulate of Euclidean Geometries about parallelism. The fifth postulate of Euclidean is about that two non-intersecting lines are parallel if a third line perpendicular and intersects both of them. Non-Euclidean Geometries refer to the curves which are not parallel to each other but have a third line intersects and perpendicular both of them. (Reading)
(http://lovecraftismissing.com/?p=2610)
Frank Gehry’s Guggenheim Museum is obviously non-Euclidean geometry. Building the curved surfaces need many researches and tests on materials which are good at bending to achieve the form for the particular building. Non-Euclidean geometry has been developed into curved forms in the modern architecture innovation to achieve the curvature of the new building styles. Guggenheim Museum, Frank Gehry (http://www. metropolismag.com/pov/tag/frank-gehry)
1.1.3 Parametric Modelling There are many arguments on parametricism about whether it will be the new ‘unified architecture style in 21st century’ as parametric design is becoming an important concept in architectural discourse nowadays (Patrik Schumacher - reading). Patrik Schumacher gave rise to many discussions on parametricism and architecture styles by his paper ‘Let the style wars begin’. With the large development and application of digital modelling in architectural design during last 10 years, more and more parametric designed projects appear in front of our eyes. Those unbelievable, creative, innovative projects, such as Frank Gehry’s Walt Disney Concert, Zaha Hadid’s Guangzhou Opera House, bring people the new idea of architecture, if say as a style, parametricism. Parametricism ‘implies that all architectural elements and Blobwall Pavilion - Grey Lynn (http://www.arcspace.com/ complexes are parametrically malleable’ and exhibitions/blobwall/blobwall.html) it is about malleability, variety, soft forms, interdependent, systematic and communication (Patrik Schumacher on parametricism – ‘Let the style wars begin’). However, is parametric the only answer for those buildings or projects? Can we say that parametric is the method designers used rather than the style? Will those kinds of abnormal building parts make people abstracted or uncomfortable? Adam argued that those ‘blob-like’ forms are just some ‘unconventional buildings’ which will make people feel different, ‘the public will realize just how hideous and useless these creations are and the style will quickly lose favour’ (Adam Nathaniel Mayer – Style and the Pretense of ‘Parametric’ Architecture). Parametric designs maybe more Blob wall installation (http://www.arcspace.com/ exhibitions/blobwall/blobwall.html) suitable for those iconic projects or experimental innovation and the high costs of constructing would also make it hard to popularize.
Blobwall Pavilion - Grey Lynn Blobwall Pavilion is designed to be a modern wall system which is made from lightweight plastic with bright colours. Grey defined it as ‘a contemporary rusticated wall’. This project expresses Grey’s idea of the development and growth from the tradition as he extracted design ideas of ‘a mixture of the opulent and the base, the elegant and the rustic’ from Renaissance architecture (http://www.arcspace. com/exhibitions/blobwall/blobwall.html). The blob units which Grey defined as bricks are made from lightweight plastic and recyclable. The units are cut by robot for accuracy and are welded together during installation. Small lights are also installed in each unit and controlled by computers in night. This wall is obviously more interesting than the traditional masonry wall
because of its tri-lobed shape replaced the normal rectangular bricks, its rotated “brick” units, its bright attractive colour, its plastic material and its computer controlled lighting. However, there are also something else need to be concerned for this project. The whole wall is more like a children’s place, toys or the kind of house which we will see in science-fiction movies. The material of the wall is plastic which is lightweight. As a result, the natural loads, such as wind and snow loads, which can be carried by the wall is more limited. The strength of the wall is weaker than the normal brick wall. The gaps on the wall also weaken it as a good shelter. At this stage, I think the Blobwall is more like a sculpture or a test of a new wall system rather than a functional architecture.
(http://www.zaha-hadid.com/architecture/guangzhou-opera-house/#)
Guangzhou Opera House - Zaha Hadid Architecture Zaha Hadid Architects have done several parametric designed architectures and the Guangzhou Opera House which finished in 2010 is one of them. The triangular shaped structure with glazing surfaces outside is digitally designed from panelling tool in software. It can be seen from the form of the building that the viability shapes from interior to exterior. There are different sections inside the building which have different generative forms designed from a system. The forms are interdependent and malleable and full of communication. It is easily for people to find out that parametric designed architecture is usually unique for each project and unrepeatable as a whole. Each project needs to be designed independently and with its own characteristics. Parametric architecture also brings some challenges to the materials used in the building industry as the requirements of curvature, fluid and soft.
(http://www.zaha-hadid.com/architecture/guangzhou-opera-house/#)
1.2 CUT Research Project No matter parametricism is the new style of architecture or not, parametric design has been largely applied by the modern architects and the outcome brings us a new view of the building environment as a modern architecture innovation. If we see parametricism as a process, I think it is a useful method for designers to create architectural forms easier and faster. However, basic building knowledge is always important for architects even though these computer softwares can create digital models and drawings easily.
1.2.1 Biomimicry ‘Biomimicry (from bios, meaning life, and mimesis, meaning to imitate) is a new discipline that studies nature's best ideas and then imitates these designs and processes to solve human problems.’ (http://www.biomimicryinstitute.org/ about-us/what-is-biomimicry.html)
Honeycomb sofa (http://www.neublack.com/art-design/ biomimicry-in-design/)
Our group choose biomimicry as our starting point of research for parametric design. As the reference described above, biomimicry is about learn from nature to solve the problems. It can be seen that something survived and something failed during the billions of years of revolution in nature. From those solutions of survived plants, animals and our human beings, designers can find solutions for their design problems. Nature inspired design can include both from the shape and the solution. For example, a chair is designed to have the same shape with honeycomb and a building designed from the ventilation system of the termite mound (see images). Biomimicry is a good way for any kind of design to solve human problems.
Voronoi Voronoi diagram is a kind of diagram which people extracted from nature. In mathematics, ‘a Voronoi diagram is a special kind of a decomposition of a metric space which is determined by a discrete set of points’ (http://onionesquereality.wordpress. com/2008/12/13/voronoi-art/). Voronoi diagram which is largely used by designers is one of the popular parametric patterns for design. In architecture, voronoi is also an interesting area for architects to explore more. One famous architectural example is the Airspace Tokyo by Faulders Studio. Voronoi diagram (http://onionesquereality.wordpress.com/2008/12/13/ voronoi-art/)
Giraffes
Dragon fly wing
Land Chap
Termite-inspired Air Conditioning The Eastgate Zimbabwe:
Centre,
Harare,
‘The Eastgate, also called “The Anthill”, is modeled on the selfcooling mounds of Macrotermes michaelseni termites. These termites maintain the temperature inside their nest to within one degree of 31°C, day and night. The mounds accomplish this even when the external temperature varies between 3°C and 42°C. Eastgate uses only 10 percent of the energy of a conventional building its size, saved 3.5 million in air conditioning costs in the first five years, and rents space for 20% lower than a newer building next door.’ (http://ecodorpbrabant.nl/html/ voortgang/DKA/termietenheuvel. php)
Eastgate Centre in Zimbabwe (http://inhabitat.com/building-modelled-on-termites-eastgate-centrein-zimbabwe/eastgate-center-harare-zimbabwe-africa-sustainablearchitecture-biomimicry-termite-mound-construction-natural-coolingventilation-7/)
Day-Night ventilation (http://grupthink.com/answer/8076/Eastgate_Center_Harare_Zimbabwe)
The Eden Project, Cornwall, United Kingdom World’s largest biomes with plants from all over the world
(http://randommusingslady.wordpress.com/2011/03/24/ cornwall-united-kingdom-2/)
structure model(http://www.architecture.com/ WhatsOn/Exhibitions/AtTheVictoriaAndAlbertMuseum/ ArchitectureGallery/Structures/ABiomeForTheEdenProject.aspx)
Airspace Tokyo
Voronoi shading (http://www.core.form-ula.com/2007/11/16/voronoi-goodness/)
The site
For Wyndham City Gateway The Wyndham city Gateway project requires an exciting, eye catching and iconic installation. As mentioned before, parametric design suits for iconic project which is innovative. Wyndham city has a good relationship between human activities and the natural environment. It has some good natural elements include rivers, cliffs, parks and wetlands. The city also supports public art and sculpture. The project requires the installation to ‘enhance the physical environment through the introduction of a visual arts component’ and ‘capture a more abstract, aspirational intent and feeling’ (Western Gateway Design Project). Considering these characters of the Wyndham city and the requirements of the project, we think that biomimicry might be a good solution for this project. As talked before, biomimicry is about inspiration from the nature.
Finding a solution from nature will describe the relationship between the nature and people in Wyndham very well. Using biomimicry of parametric design will satisfied the innovative requirement of the project which to inspire and give brave ideas to the municipality. ‘As architects, we can benefit from biomimicry to make buildings better by pushing for more natural, integrated, efficient and healthy solutions. We also need to take a look at the role aesthetics plays in nature – with the way function and form so synergistically merge. Perhaps this is a way for buildings to harmonize with nature in renewed ways – making built environments more environmentally sound and healthy for occupants.’ (http://sensingarchitecture.com/1374/ biomimicry-architecture-inspired-by-nature/)
1.2.2 Case study 1.0
I changed the image in the image sampler and the orientation of the patterns changed according to the black-white orientation of the image.
I tried a move definition and I moved the oriented geometries to the Z direction with distances according to the results of the image sampler times a number.
1.2.3 Case study 2.0
‘I just wanted to design a very be able to use’
airy space that anybody would - Hajime Masubuchi
(http://www.core.form-ula.com/2007/11/16/voronoi-goodness/)
Airspace Tokyo - Voronoi Screen Facade
The architect was inspired by the abundant greenery which previously occupied the site and the building is designed to be covered with few layers of artificial vegetation. As a result, four overlapping voronoi patterns appeared as faรงade and they intended to create a dynamic screen with oddly shadows. (http://www. core.form-ula.com/2007/11/16/ voronoi-goodness/) In its context, Airspace Tokyo successfully narrated a story of a manmade space which tried to recreate the felling of surrounded by vegetation occupied originally. Its intention also remind people that the decreasing of flora and Model-seeing from inside (http://urbangrammars.blogspot.com.au/) increasing of artificial structures in cities.
Context (http://urbangrammars.blogspot.com.au/)
Re-engineer the Airspace 1. Create random points in Rhino, use the Voronoi definition in Grasshopper
2. Create a bounding around the points
box
3. Offset the voronoi cell curves toward the centre of each cell
4. Get the corner points of each cell and create closed curves from the corner points to get
5. Extrude the voronoi curves and the boundary of the bounding box and cap them
6. Use the Solid Intersection definition to create voronoi holes on the bounding box brep.
Script of the process
Three different layers of voronoi screen
Overlap the layers
Conclusion Three different layers of voronoi screens are created and overlapped. The re-engineered screen which we made is much simpler than the Airspace’s one. The points which the voronoi is created from are randomly set and the density of the points is random. We found that the position of the points is an important element when creating voronoi. Setting random points with no meaning will end up creating meaningless voronoi patterns. However, the screen of the Airspace Tokyo has different densities of voronoi cells in different parts and layers, and the result of the screen is quite successful in creating dynamic shading and special shadows.
1.3 Expression of Interest
matrix develo
1.3.1 Matrix Development
development trix developme Phase 1 Shapes in grids or regular
Phase 2 Attractor points and curve
elopment
phase 1
phase 1
Phase 3 Extrusion
Phase 4 Other tests
phase 2
phase 2
phase 3
phase 3
phase 3
pha
46
Evolution
CIRCLE
HOLES ON SURFACES ATTRACT PT
ATTR
VORONOI SURFACE
HEXAGON CIRCLE
HEXAGON
ATTRACT PT ATTRACT PT SURFACE VORONOI
ATTRACT PT EXTRUDED VOORONOI CURVE
VORONOI HEXAGON
VORONOI SURFACE
VORONOI
ATTR
ATTR
EXT
ATTRACT PT EXTRUDED VOORONOI CURVE SURFACE WITH VORONOI HOLES
ATTRACT PT
ATTRACT PT
EX
ATTR
ATT
Integration
phase 2
phase 3
1.3.2 The Argument Biomimicry Following the study of biomimicry we did before, we think that learning from nature is the best way to describe the human-nature relationship in Wyndham city and to solve our design problems from the Gateway Project. We want to show the idea of biomimicry to people through the Gateway Project from creating an iconic innovative structure. The successful projects which we studied are the Eastgate Centre which inspired from termite mound and the Airspace Tokyo which created artificial vegetation shading screens.
Urban forest Melbourne as the world’s most livable city owns a huge population of trees. The ‘parks, gardens, green spaces and tree-lined streets’ all contribute to Melbourne’s urban forest. As the result of a decade of drought, Melbourne’s tree population is decreasing rapidly and Melbourne is also facing climate change and urban growth in the future. As Wyndham city is a growing city and to contribute to the Urban Forest strategy, we think it is important to promote the urban forest idea through the Gateway Project. As we researched, people in Wyndham also have regular tree planting activities and our idea can also promote Wyndham’s awareness of greenery. ( h t t p: // w w w. m e l b o u r n e .v i c .g ov. a u / Sustainability/UrbanForest/Pages/About.aspx)
Inspiration from “a Tree� Tree is an important natural plant and the key element in urban forest strategy, and we inspired from the growth of a tree. We found that trees growth upward and downward. The branches and roots have a certain way of growth, which is that one branch can grow into two or more branches and the smaller branches will keep the same way of growing. If you cut any one of the branches, the cut part will not grow out ever. The branches and roots grow out in a radioactive way which inspired us. Trees collect sunlight and carbon dioxide from their leaves through top and water from their roots through bottom. They have a system to deliver nutrient to each end of branches and produce oxygen. We intended to create an artificial tree which can describe the idea of growth and distribute.
Voronoi Voronoi satisfied our requirements as a pattern developed in nature and have the free form ability to cater to growth and distribution. It is not too grid and not too round. We also tried to give different densities in different parts and we used attractor points and attractor curve to modify voronoi curves and the height of the surface. However, the result might contain some waste parts or odd shape.
Modified according to attractor point
Modified surface height
VORONOI SURFACE
Biodiversity Attraction We also want to create a patch which helps birds to move, so it needs to have the ability of attracting birds to have a rest on the structure. We also wanted to use the structure to catch rainwater and distribute them into small ponds around using the distribution function of the structure.
(http://www.etsy.com/listing/58834021/surreal-nature-photograph-of-promise)
1.3.3 Model & Reflection
Prototype Generated through the evolutionary process to find the most suitable candidate solution
Parameters Height: Cater to bird habitat Density: Reflecting population Thickness: Structure + Rainwater channel Attractor: To address subjects Form: Optimal shape to structural pattern
Tree
Height
Capability Biomimicry-model-solution
Density
Thickness
Form
Attractor
Model
Solution
52
Model Photos We decided to use 3D print as our model has a surface which bends in two sides and we wanted the surface to be smooth. However, we had some trouble when creating the digital model for 3D print as the printer only recognize a single piece of geometry but what we made was a group. We need to modify our script in grasshopper to change the way we create the geometry. As the surface is bended and there are faults when the voronoi holes are created on the surface, each voronoi cell needs to be checked which make the process very inefficient. We made the piece of sheet too thin, and as a result the model cracked when it was printed out.
Reflection
At this stage, we found that we really need to research more and develop more to make our project more convincing and realistic. Our model is not very successful as well which means that we need to develop our techniques with consideration of buildability. We need to - way
Think more about the context: whether it is suitable to attract wildlife onto the free
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Think more about the reasons
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Develop the techniques
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Consider the buildability
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Think about the surface and structure, and how it can be built
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The size of the structure
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What materials to use to suit our argument
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How to engage the structure with road users
2.Project Proposal Stage
After the mid-semester presentation, I started to understand parametric design much more. Generally, parametric design is about you design a criteria or system which could be put anywhere. Then you come to the site and modify your structure according to the context. In the first half of the semester, we tended to get ideas from the Wyndham city and the site, and we had too many ideas which finally we found too complicated to realize. The chosen of voronoi also made our design quite restricted, because voronoi looks like voronoi, and we could not find a way to develop it more and justify it. Then we decided to restart a design. We thought that rather than trying to show so many ideas, we just pick one and make it obvious and clear.
2.1 Development Progress 2.1.1 The New Argument From the several ideas we had previously, we decided to choose the urban-countryside relationship as our main idea of design. We want to show the differences between urban and countryside. Freeway is a transition band from one city to another and the site is in countryside of Wyndham city. Drivers passing the site are people from urban or going to urban. We were thinking to design a structure to describe the transition between countryside and urban. As a freeway art project, we tended to design a sculpture to show the transition between Wyndham city and Melbourne. Drivers and people are our main audience this time rather than wildlife. We wanted to represent Wyndham city and Melbourne’s transition in an innovative and impactful way.
Urban
Countryside
Transiti
on
To represent Wyndham city and Melbourne’s transition in an innovative and impactful way.
Wyndham City
We found images of Wyndham and Melbourne CBD, and put them together to see the contrast. We found that the countryside of Wyndham are mainly grassland, it contains grass, trees and wetlands. The land in countryside is wide and open. Melbourne CBD has highrises and high density. There are many elements in Melbourne city and we thought we need to pick some main ideas to describe.
Melbourne CBD
Wyndham City
We chose to show the contrast between the natural landscapes in Wyndham and the artificial environment in Melbourne CBD. We found that graffiti art is a special identity in Melbourne and we decided to take graffiti out as our main idea of the CBD. Some words which can be used to describe the natural landscapes in Wyndham are openness, wildness, calm and smooth. Some words for Melbourne CBD are grids, buildings, vibrate, compact and colourful. Graffiti is colourful, free, random, active and with many arrows.
Natural Landscape across all of Werri
Melbourne CBD
ibee
Gradditi Art across Melbourne
Case Studies - Panel by Tomasz Starczewski This design of panels is inspired from the principle of disintegration of electric field lines by charges of different signs and the designer used a basic vector field solver plug in for Rhinoceros for the design. The panels are digitally fabricated and they used a standard MDF board about 32mm thickness. We liked this design of panels and we feel that they could be used to describe natural landscapes as their smooth movement and ability of extension. However, these are only panels and we may have a 3D structure which may bend in different ways.
Design of the Bach Multidisciplinary Research Institute by Joseph A. Sarafian This design is an imagination of shaping billions of genetic algorithms’ existence through their very interaction in the future, and it also explores the prediction of human behaviour. The building is designed to ‘act as an organism, reacting to its environment in such a way that it automatically controls its porosity through a network of advanced algorithms’. The surface of the building is designed to be a network of openings and the panels could fluctuate continually. This design of future is very innovative and need high technologies to run. The designer created a building of movement and the fluid surface is very interesting, but the construction is challenging. I think this design has the identity of movement which could be used into our design as a freeway art project.
(source: http://www.3d-dreaming.com/2012/01/
http://www.3d-dreaming.com/2011/11/research
/panel-by-tomasz-starczewsk.html#!/2012/01/panel-by-tomasz-starczewsk.html
h-institute-is-study-on-emergent.html#!/2011/11/research-institute-is-study-on-emergent.html)
TEXT: We focused on one main element to address in our tests - VIBRANCE OF GRAFFITI and CALM CONTOURS OF WYNDHAMS GRASSLANDS
2.1.2 Prototypes Development Morph
Tests and Prototype
Morphed panels of a surface, we tried to make a tunnel and CONTRASTS the surface Calmness vs. Vibrance is supported by steel structures. Too simple and uglily.
Twisting We tried to concentrate on the natural landscape of countryside first. We tried to show the smooth flowing of contours in the countryside and used twist and rotate to modify the running strips to form a structure to show the landscape. We also tried panelling tools to develop the shape of strips.
Waffle grids helped alot, and we had a ending point which could easily transform back into the twisting strips - the randomness at 1 turally effective, but due to the single axis we were restricted in the expression.
Waffle-grid
ype 3: waffle-grid
ding random Then, we thought how ne axis to show the transition to Melbourne CBD and Graffiti. We tried to use waffle-grid to describe the picture of the CBD and Graffiti. We want to show randomness to express the freedom of Graffiti, so we made the waffle-grid randomly arranged in one axis.
Combination
Then we thought how to combine them together as one structure and buildability. We found that the ends of the strips of the two prototypes could be connected together as one. We also want to find a way of combination without a sudden change in the middle point, but a continuous transformation. The buildability is also a problem for us, as the strips of the smooth side need some supporting structures under them to maintain the shapes, but supporting structures will destroy the total outcome which we wanted.
Development
We decided to change the curved stripes to the straight strips with fillet corners and we found the outcome satisfied our requirement of smooth transition. At the Melbourne side, we mixed the paths of waffle-grids horizontally and vertically so that they could cross each other and look more freedom. However, we had too many waffle-grids and they overlap and intersect to each other which made the structure complex and hard to construct, so we decided not to use waffle-grid anymore.
TEXT: At the melbourne side, we decided to mix up the paths across the axes horizonta freedom. We we also tried creating more groups which would interweave through each TEXT: At the melbourne side, we decided to mix up the paths across the axes horizonta to weathering and how arrows weave through the words in the graffiti - but again as w freedom. We we also tried creating more groups which would interweave through eac became more and more evident to weathering and how arrows weave through the words in the graffiti - but again as w became more and more evident
Development Development
Strips without intersecting
Random path of both axes Random path of both axes
Creating a few groups Creating a few groups
ally and vertically break that order and really pushpush the the feeling of of ontally and vertically to break that order and really feeling ach other like howtocontours landscapes can intersect paths according heach other like how contours landscapes can intersect paths according other like how contours landscapes can intersect paths according we and pushed the interconnectedness, of fabrication ally vertically to break that orderthe andcomplication really push the feeling of we the the interconnectedness, the the complication of fabrication as pushed we pushed interconnectedness, complication of fabrication ch other like how contours landscapes can intersect paths according we pushed the interconnectedness, the complication of fabrication
Surface manipulation
+ Birds
= Arrows
Triangles
We feel that the surface of the strips could still be developed more and we thought we could make holes on the strips. We found that the two places both have the character of freedom and we could use the shapes of birds in natural landscape and the arrows in graffiti. Combine these two and simplify them, we thought we could use triangles. We also found that we could make lofted surfaces between each strips so that they are connected to be a whole structure rather than a group of strips. The structure then contains both vertical and horizontal surfaces which could indicate the shapes of the countryside and city much better.
Further development
Cutting Triangles
Loft surfaces
We also tried to change the number of the groups of strips to see the different results and we found that one group of strips is enough to show our ideas and too many would make the view unclear.
One Group
Two Groups
Four Groups
MelbourneCBD
we calculated we needed 75m of structure at length enough to give the feeli visible, and we rotated it so the sharper end leaned towards the road coming putting it dead in the middle meant too big or too little effect. Last but not le to raise our area alittle so that our structure is easily visible.
2.2 Final Project Presentation Response to site
Site Response 1) Adjusting Curves 2) Adjusting Height 2) Rotation on site 3) Shifting contour
Now, we come to the stage of deciding the actual size of the structure and where to put it on site. We need to put it on the land between the two roads with opposite directions so that people from Melbourne and going to Melbourne can both see the sculpture closely. We found that site A would be good for us and we rotated the structure to make the “straight sticks” close to Melbourne and the smooth side facing the other side. We wanted it toTEXT: be the which So in size response, we pushed the curves in 3 major waves for 3 seconds o people could see it from about 500m we away so that they 75m of structure at length enough to give the feeli calculated we needed visible, we and thought we rotated 3 it so the sharper end leaned towards the road coming don’t pass it too quickly. After calculation, putting it dead in the middle meant too big or too little effect. Last but not le seconds close view would be enough and which means it to raise our area alittle so that our structure is easily visible. will be 75m long (car speed is 100kmph). We thought that to put it in the middle of site A would not be seen clearly by drivers in this size, so we choose the right side corner on site A which close to Melbourne to locate our sculpture. We also found that the ground was sunken in and we thought the ground need to be raised to make our structure easily visible.
MelbourneCBD
Site Response 1) Adjusting Curves 2) Adjusting Height 2) Rotation on site 3) Shifting contour
ing of transition. The height is showed here for the relation to cars so its g in from Melbourne (GREEN) and vice versa, so the impact was strongest, east we realised the ground was sunken in, so we propose to shit the land
of ‘close up appreciation’. Given the speed of cars travelling at 100kmph, ing of transition. The height is showed here for the relation to cars so its g in from Melbourne (GREEN) and vice versa, so the impact was strongest, east we realised the ground was sunken in, so we propose to shit the land
N
Effect testing - 3 seconds transition From Wyndham to Melbourne CBD:
From Melbourne CBD to Wyndham:
Detailing
To consider the material of the structure, we proposed to use galvanised steel because it is light and easy to be coloured. Strip footing could be used to support point load and the structure will be supported by several low points by the footings.
Model making
Model photos
Reflection We wanted to create a structure like the photos showed right hand side. We want to make a strong feeling of freedom, but our model is too monolithic. It can be broken into small parts and form a free form to show the transition from order to chaos. If we could do some further development, maybe try to find a way to make the structure more related to the drivers and change the size as it was still considered too big. To increase the contrast between the two sides and make the side which closer to the countryside more open and free. The morphing method we used at the beginning could also be applied to the development of the shape of the holes rather than just triangles.
Conclusion “A landmark gateway structure to address the transition between Melbourne CBD’s vibrant graffiti versus the flowing contours of Wyndham’s landscape with the binding of freedom” In conclusion, through this whole semester of parametric design studying, I start to understand the inside and back of parametric designs rather than just the look of them. If a design needs to be quite related to the site, parametric design might not be suitable. Like what I wrote before, parametric designed system or structure could be put on any site and could be adjusted to suit the site. During the whole process of design, sometimes I feel interesting and sometimes I feel painful. I feel that it is not easy to come up a good design and you need to test again and again to develop the design and, hopefully, get what you want finally. However, this could happen in any project design. I feel grasshopper is very useful as long as you know it well, and you really need to find a fastest way to get your model drawn in Rhino, because there are many different methods to get the same result. It was also very time consuming at the beginning and you might spend whole night to find a good way to get a shape in Grasshopper. I also learnt to use videos to show your digital model and it is very useful to show audience the feeling you could hardly show in images.