Zhou yuxiang 669009 week2

INTRODUCTION

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y name is Yuxiang Zhou. I am an undergraduate student at University of Melbourne. It’s the third year of my Bachelor of Environment, major in Architecture. I was born in China and received education until the second year of my high school. I stayed in Sydney for one year as an international foundation student in UNSW. I appreciate my experience in Sydney because I get the chance to know two metropolises of Australia so far. I know it’s more important in terms of architecture to know large-scale cities as an architectural student.

I like building and design. Interestingly, I found I can replace them by one word, Architecture. That’s my reason to choose this major for my undergraduate study and future career. I already went through a set of architectural subjects in the past two years. Architectural design studios are my favorite subjects so far. Firstly, I learnt architectural histories and theories from them. Then, I tried to learn and use digital design programs in projects.

One of my favorite architect is Antoni Gaudi, who designed the Sagrada Famila.

I can’t even imagine how he deals with

drawings and models on that time. He made a upside down model to evaluate the statics without the help of computer programs. I have to say that’s a great innovation on the day. However, it’s the time of technology. Although I can’t just say it’s necessary for every architect to use digital design programs, it’s vital for me.

In the last two years, Although I touched on Rhino, Auto CAD, Photoshop, Indesign, and Illustrator for my projects, I am a freshman in parametric modelling as I never use Grasshopper before. I am glad to attend this Air Studio since this might be a starting point for me to explode free-form architecture, like Zaha’s projects. However, beyond dramatic form and parametric modelling, I believe technology serve for the future. I’ d like to find out how to connect technology and sustainability by architecture. Like the first title of journal saying, Design Futuring.

city of dreams hotel tower Zaha Architects

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aha hadid will complete this 40-storey hotel tower as part of the ‘city of dreams‘ development. the sculptural design forms part of a large-scale entertainment resort. establishing a strong relationship with its surroundings, the tower is envisioned as a landmark structure and a strong presence within the site.(designboom) the tower’s design resolves the many complex programs for the hotel within a single cohesive envelope. With 40 floors and a gross floor area of 150,000 square meters, the tower houses approximately 780 guestrooms, suites and sky villas. The hotel also includes a variety of meeting and event facilities, gaming rooms, lobby atrium, restaurants, spa, and sky pool. (zaha archi) The concept focus on organizing these functions in a monolithic form. The building is made up of two towers, which are designed to be guestroom sector. They are connected at the podium levels and the roof, while additional bridges span a series of voids carved into the singular volume. The bridge is designed to be the internal public space which also link residential sectors together. I think it’s a efficient design to manage the visitor flow.

One of the other innovation on the bridge is to merge traditional architectural elements of roof, wall and ceiling to create a sculptural form. This form obscures the boundaries between these elements.

The application of exoskeleton is remarkable as well. It's clear from the image that the facade comprise two skins.

The inner skin looks like curtain walls as same as most of high-rise commercial buildings. However, the outer skin make this building expressive and powerful. This structure reminds me of a tower from the George Washington Bridge.

The exposed exoskeleton not only presents a visually engaging and dynamic façade, but also allows for the optimization of internal programming by reducing internal structural requirements. This concept, in terms of structure, define its formal composition and enphasis the monolithic appearance again.

The last feature I would like to mention is the entrance.

Entrances to the building are integrated within the external fabric. Vechicles drop off visitors under the area like the porch. Architect also rejected the insertion of unneccessary elements for the entrance. This tower was maintained to be a singular volume by many efforts.

City of Dreams Hotel Tower is under construction and expected to open in early 2017. It is important to see Zaha’s design was commissioned and built. It will update people's knowledge on hotels or resorts. There might be a phenomenal effect on future buildings around that area.

The parametric modelling methods will be raised as they are vital tools to develop this type of buildings.

AERIAL ROBOTIC BRIDGE Kokkugia

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t's a research project done by a post-professional masters design thesis studio of AA school of architecture.

Swarm Printing, refer to Aerial Robotic Construction, explores algorithmic and robotic behavioural methods of design that capitalise on emerging aerial construction opportunities made possible utilising today’s multicopters (UAVs), or drones.(kok website) The first feature is this team try to use an additive fabrication technology to build large-scale construction. From the rendered image in the next page, this project was situated between two steep natural cliff faces. It provides a shortcut to an existing pedestrian route. The great leap from the 3D printing is the construction of network, lightweight cantilever and bridge structures is made possible in locations that are hard to access. Also, it take advantages of 3D printing, efficient and economical. There is no need for scaffolding on the construction process. It is necessary to mention that it is would be complicated to set scaffolding on locations like the research study site. I believe much money would be spent on the construction process instead of the finished project.

The second feature is a great one. This research argues that design and production can be developed as a singular creative process based on the behaviors of robotic systems

and composite materials. In this project, three key points are pre-designed algorithm, drones, communications (realtime environmental feedback and structure feedback), and instant decision making beyond communications.

Architecture is a system of communications in a way. The main strategy of this research reflects the concept of autopoeisis. The concept was first introduced within biology to describe the essential characteristic of life as a circular organization that reproduces all its specific components out of its own life-process(R3). In this project, drones form a work-in-process system that covers both individual and team-oriented swarm robotics and engages in non-linear construction processes that involve real-time decision making and wwon-site adaptation. It is capable to engage with today’s complex urban, rural and natural environments with more intricacy and tailoring than is possible through conventional architectural design(kok).

Overall, although it is an unbuild prototypical design project, it explored new efficient connective bridging possibilities, and most importantly, it is a remarkable application of autopoeisis.

'The phenomenon of architecture can be most adequately grasped if it is analyzed as an autonomous network (autopoietic system) of communications'.(R3)

A.1 REFERENCE