STUDIO: AIR
ARCHITECTURAL JOURNAL
Semster 1, 2014
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TABLE OF CONTENTS 4 6-13 14-23 24-33 34 35 36-37 38-39
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Self-introduction Part A.1 Design Futuring Part A.2 Design Computation Part A.3 Composition/Generation Part A.4 Conclusion Part A.5 Learning Outcomes Part A.6 Appendix Part A Reference
‘About ME’ My name is Zhiheng Yang, come from Shanghai, China. I have been studing in Melbourne for four years. Eventually, this is my third year of university study. I did not know much of architecture until I choosed the major of architecture in Melbourne University. I had dreamed to be a teacher or a n excellent cook. However, my dream is to be an outstanding architect now. To be honest, I am not interested in architecture at all at first. However, after finished the first design by myself, I found it produces people senses of achievement. This is really encourging me for the further studies. I hope I can design my own house in the near future. I went back China last hoilday and found an internship work in an Chinese architectural design company. It is totally different ‘worlf ’ compare to the study in Australia. Most of my collegue does not use Rhino. Indeed, it will be a very good opportunity to learn
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I have learned some of the software from the subject called visual communication in the second year. It includes Photoshop, AutoCad and InDesign. Nevertheless, I am not quite familiar with using Rhino. I know it will be a tough task for me to learn how to use grasshopper well. This semester will be the most difficult one for me, i will try my best to learn and finish every task step by step. I always believe that no pains, no gains. People can learn much more after they meet many difficulties.
PART A CONCEPTUALISATION
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A01 Design Futuring
“Collectively, across all our difference, we human beings have reached a critical moment in our existence. It has always been recognized that individuals, communities, races and even nations can be fated or made to disappear but we are now at a point when it can no longer be assumed that we, en masse, have a future.”_ Tony Fry
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Sustainability is nowadays become significant in every area of our life. Design futuring systematically presents ideas and methods for design as an expanded ethical and professional practice. According to Fry (2008), to against the condition of unsustainability, kinds of technologies have created. The material limitation issue can cause serious problems. Therefore, design futuring is trying to save the use of resource which is not renewable for our future generations. ‘Sustain-ability aims suggest a more materially grounded objective and agency”.(1) Frank Gehry’s work may become the example which does not achieve the purpose of sustainability in design. The vast of materials are used in building this concert hall. The use of material is not efficient compare to many other new buildings. In the future discuss, Frank Gehry’s project will be further discussed. Indeed, as the spread of design futuring ideas, people begin to understand the importance of it. The new design theory is needed to able to deal with human beings making ever greater demands on the environments of their dependence. ‘Design intelligence’ need to be developed.(2)
Sustainability may include local, national and globe in considering the effects of it. For designing a building, it is the same. To consider whether it is resource use efficiency is for globe awareness of the short of resource. However, locally, what does this building contribute to the site and their inhabitants are also another aspect to consider it as sustainable. For example, a building uses certain technique to minimize the use of material, however, seldom people use it and it contribute little to its site. It will still be described as unsustainable. Therefore, the design futuring capability is qualified from four perspectives: the self, community, culture and ethics.(3)
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Parametric design can be the new technology to achieve the purpose of sustainability. It is hard for human beings to create new renewable resource and materials. The use of parametric design can at least help designer with saving the cost of materials, because people can calculate exactly amounts of materials they are going to use by using computer. In addition, parametric design also provides more possibilities on designing practice. The more possibilities on design lead to more innovative ideas of the designer. Indeed, parametric design is a new method to meet the needs of design futuring theory. The ideas of design futuring provide people different theory of architecture. The following two precedents will explain the ideas of design futuring through the observations and analysis of them.
A01 Design Futuring
A01 Precedent : Eco-Sustainable Housing Federico Rossi IImage 1
The idea of improving the light conditions and creating different micro climate areas inside the unit was solved with the use of local materials (limestone) and simple manufacturing techniques. Cutting the stone in different sizes that respond to the variation of solar radiation along a surface is possible thanks to The development of inhabitable units will be complex geometries, such as the arch. dependent on environmental variables and To make it more sustainable, the control eco-sustainable principles to achieve new of form based on the internal pressure, spatial and per formative configurations. wind velocity and light conditions. It makes this building contibute to the site Through the control of the width, length, and thickness of the surface it is possible to surroundings and inhabitants. (Show in create a responsive inhabitable unit that the image 4) increases the wall thickness in high temperatures and deforms the rhomboid framework according to internal pressure and wind velocity. This project focuses on the development of new housing typology in Oman, generated through the accumulation of independent variables into a system of relationships, where the interdependencies generate a variation of possibilities that is able to adapt to local conditions.
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To create a two bedroom unit only eight cubic meters of limestone are necessary; the waste cut will be used to create mixed concrete for the foundation. This shows how parametric design help with calculating the exact amount of material use in the design. The designer will not waste the material which is very sustainable. In my opinion, this design will continue to be appreciated because of the reasonable design methods and each reason for how it formed. There is no one can argue with the outcomes from correct data. To design a building more sustainable, this is a good example by using parametric design methods. Image 4
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A01 Design Futuring A01 Precedent : Music Pavilion For Salzburg Biennale By Soma 2011
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A01 Design Futuring
A01 Precedent : Music Pavilion For Salzburg Biennale By Soma 2011 This is quite similar to the precedent 1: Eco-Sustainable Housing project. They both follow the light conditions to control the form of the design. From the research of this design, it used the tool called Karamba. Karamba allows the assembly and calculation of parametric spatial framework structures inside of Grasshopper. This way a decisive criterion for the performance is obtained: the maximum deflection of Based on rule and variation, a theme that is each individual. Karamba was combined with a genetic algorithm to extensively inherent to both architecture and music, the structure features simple repetitious elements search the solution space. that provoke curiosity and entices visitors to enter a mass of single sticks merge into a singular, permeable structure that changes in its appearance throughout the day, according to the different light conditions.(See the Image 10) This project is a temporary music pavilion for the Salzburg Biennale by Soma in Austria. To evolve the structure, a parametric model was built in grasshopper which allows a multiplicity of solutions. Each variation ensures by its definition the first aesthetical criteria. Because of the using of new methods in designing, this building is sustainable on material use. Design futuring closely relates to parametric design.
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Furthermore, as the image 6 shows, the form of the surface actually controls the view from outside, the arrangement of the structure provide different views from distance. This is also because of the parametric design use. Image 7 shows the joints in the building which also can be designed in grasshopper to make it easier for fabrications. This also calculated the exact amounts of materials would be used, which is very sustainable and meets with design futuring ideas. This design has the distribution to its inhabitants and site which is holding a musical festival. As a music pavilion, it follows its original purpose indeed. This is a good example show the ideas of design futuring by using parametric design techniques. 13
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A02 Design Computation Computation/Computerisation The use of new technologies became common in the architectural world, especially in recent years. There are many new software were developed to enable the architects design building by using an easier way than traditional ways. The digital architecture can be defined as the application of digital media in any phase of design concept and development in architecture. It is obviously that using computer programs has many advantages in architectural processes. It is more accuracy and time efficiency. Those design work can be easily done in the software by using automating ability of it. The digital architecture programs provide greater flexibility in terms of modifying and experimenting with designs. Computation is a design method which refined the practice of architecture. It is information gathering with calculation by technical machines such as computer. However, different from ‘computerisation’, computation extends the architects’ abilities more on dealing with complex issues. The term ‘computerisation’ or ‘computering’ only means people use software to achieve the design they have had already. For example, computer is the tool for them to edit, copy and increasing the precision of drawings.(4) 14
According to Kalay, computation is logical and it will not make mistakes. For example, if an architect wants to design the opening of the building, the statistics of sunlight, the control of views and the wind direction can be input to the software to create a certain shape of opening.(5) To achieve this, algorithm is very necessary. An algorithm is a recipe, method, or technique for doing something.(6) The designers generate and explore the architectural spaces and concepts through the writing and modifying of algorithms. Because there is always a reason to do the design by using computation, people can not doubt the reason why architect do this. This helps computation with making no mistakes. In addition, according to Peters, ‘the development of computational simulation tools can create more responsive designs’.(7) This provides more design options to the architects to analyze architectural decisions. Indeed, computation is the logic of architecture and creates a new environment for architects. It helps with building the most of largest projects in the world now. Computation is leading
However, computation also has some disadvantages. Computation may limit people’s creation by using the same digital programs. It may also stop the development of hand drawing skills of architects. Moreover, the software is still developing, so there are limitations to achieve all what architects want. Therefore, although there are some limitations of computation, it is still developing with this era. Computation will bring totally different aesthetic value to people and make the design fit the culture and surrounding environment better.
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“A computational design tool was developed based on synchronous physical and computational studies and the related encoding of material characteristics and system behavior.� (Menges, 2012)
A02 Design Computation
Computerisation A02 Precedent : Guggenheim Museum Bilbao Frank Gehry
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A02 Design Computation
Computerisation A02 Precedent : Guggenheim Museum Bilbao Frank Gehry The museum is set on the edge of the Nervión River in Bilbao, Spain. It is a fusion of complex, swirling forms and captivating materiality that responds to an intricate program and an industrial urban context. In fact, the phenomenon of a city’s transformation following the construction of a significant piece of architecture is now referred to as the “Bilbao Effect.” Twenty years on, the Museum continues to challenge assumptions about the connections between art and architecture today.
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However, the museum was design 20 years ago. The parametric design did not developed from that period. Gehry uses a 3D design software called CATIA, which allows for complex designs and calculations that would not have been possible a few years age. Nevertheless, the calculation of the model is only the numbers not algorithm. For example, the CATIA calculates the number of bars required in each location and the titanium coating on the surface. (Image13) In addition, it is also not quite material efficiency in this design. The software only digitizes points on the edges, surfaces, and intersections of Gehry’s hand-built (image 12) models to construct on-screen models that can then be manipulated in the manner of animated cartoons. As it mentioned before, this building begin to use computer to help with designing, which is a very good start. But it is computerization rather than computation, it only use computer to achieve the final model which architect had already designed on the paper. To compare with the 20 years ago project, a newer building using computational methods are necessary to be discussed.
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A02 Design Computation Computation A02 Precedent : The Museo Soumaya Fernando Romero
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A02 Design Computation Computation A02 Precedent : The Museo Soumaya Fernando Romero The Museo Soumaya is a private museum in Mexico City with free admission. It is owned by the Carlos Slim Foundation and contains the extensive art, religious relics, historical documents, and coin collection of Carlos Slim and his late wife Soumaya, after whom the museum was named. The Museo Soumaya was conceived as a sculptural building with the diversity of its collection reflected in the diversity of the plans - each level has its own dimension. Spread over six levels the 60,000 ft2 structure is constructed with 28 steel distinct curved columns, connected by diagonal rings giving the isometric figure.
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The Soumaya Museum’s complex geometry and sculptural shape results from the integration of 28 unique curved steel columns of varying size and shape into the building shell. The museum uses computation method to achieve its form. This is totally different from the previous example. The form of the design can not been discovered before the computer driving the designer to the final form. Therefore, the form of Soumaya Museum has its specific reason why it looks like this. The concave part may reflect to the spacing of interiors. As the image 15 shows, the solid circle cited as custom. They have their own reason why each panel of the surface care differ from sizes. This computation design is very material efficiency, because the computer would calculate the exact amounts of materials and minimize the waste of resources.
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A03 Composition/Generation Compositional design is the composition of components and elements of a design as it literally says. Compare to this, generative design is defined as the practice of design and it allows for complexity within design because of the extended analytical abilities in use of computers. Therefore, the generative design will has much more potential to provide possibilities than compositional design. Compositional design has a very direct relationship between the architect and his design. The designer would have his design intention first which differ from generative design. Through using generative design, the production of form is defined by the modification of the certain rules. This means the final form is not simply set by the designer by compositing different components to achieve what they required. (8)
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To enable the generative design, it is necessary to use algorithmic and computational techniques. As it discussed in previous part, the computational methods are driving people to a new era. The design becomes the thinking of architectural through the logic of the algorithm. The Recognition and engagement with computational processes shift the possibility of design. Moreover, generative design can process with a greater level of accuracy than compositional methods.(9) However, there are also limitations of generative design. If people do not have the knowledge of computational methods, it would be useless. The understanding of every result which people generates is significant. Algorithm methods produce a result by generate by coding to help with understanding algorithm thinking.
The architectural world was largely divided by the appearance of generative design. The shift from compositional design to generative design leads the way for design innovations by using computation methods. Therefore, the generative design enables to produce the ‘unknown� and the development of complex solutions to design paradigms. Parametric modelling enables learners to think and create in three dimensions with sophisticated design software typically used by manufacturers. Integrating it into technological subjects will inspire more students to become the innovators of tomorrow by choosing careers in product design, engineering and technology. The integration of parametric modelling into the technological subjects will give these subjects a great future and make them even more relevant to the needs of society. It will modernise these subjects and bring excitement, interest, and vibrancy to them and facilitate the realisation of their potential.
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A03 Composition/Generation A03 Precedent : Beijing National Stadium Herzog & de Meuron
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A03 Composition/Generation A03 Precedent : Beijing National Stadium Herzog & de Meuron Beijing National Stadium is located at north 4th ring of Beijing city, on the south part of the Beijing Olympic Green. It was designed by the Pritzer-Prize-winning Swiss architects Jacques Herzog and Piere de Meuron, with artist consultant Ai Weiwei. It is commonly known as the Bird’s Nest. To achieve the design of this stadium, architect can only use powerful software. Those kinds of huge designs need computation methods to solve the complex issues. Designers can quickly generate the initial form of a stadium within defined parameters such as geometric constraints, environmental criteria, and the limitations of construction materials. Having produced the initial concept, the architect can quickly explore and test options by adjusting variables such as the height of a row of seats through using computation. Therefore, to generate such complex design, computation is very necessary rather than composition. Composition is hard to create such innovative design and also let it be resource use efficiency.
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The Architects used their own specialist parametric modelling software to develop a bowl geometry optimised for Olympic athletics that would also work well for soccer in legacy mode. The team produced 33 versions of the design to fine-tune the form of the bowl. They decided that this landmark stadium should have the same distinctive external form in both Olympic and legacy modes, and so the temporary additional seating needed to be accommodated within the main envelope. The temporary seats, which are mainly to the rear of the top tier, have the least-favourable views and are located in zones that can be converted to other revenue- generating use in the legacy mode. From this, people can find how significant to use computation to generate the space of interiors. In addition, the outside surface has specific grid which determined by the interior space as well. (Image 17) Every grid size are designed by certain algorithm to achieve its own purpose. Indeed, generation is a good way by using computation to generate complex situations. In contrast, composition can not do such complex work as this.
A03 Composition/Generation A03 Precedent : Shanghai Tower Gensler
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A03 Composition/Generation A03 Precedent : Shanghai Tower Gensler Shanghai Tower is designed by Gensler in 2008 in the Pudong district of Shanghai, China. The building will be the most sustainable one among the high-rise building once it completes. The elegant structure spirals up to the sky, and once it is completed in 2014. It will become the second tallest tower in the world. The tower will take the form of nine cylindrical buildings stacked atop each other, enclosed by layers of glass, and hosting public space for visitors.(Image 19)
As a result, the taper and rotation of the tower was optimized to reduce wind loading on the building facade thereby reducing the amount of structure in the tower by 24%. This was a substantial savings in construction materials and costs. The material use efficiency and data from wind to shape the form can only achieve with computation methods here. It shows the importance of computation to generate such huge high-rise’s form.
As Gensler said, the dramatic twisting form of the Shanghai Tower was not just inspired but shaped through careful study of how wind forces will move around the tower. Iterative study was made possible only with advanced BIM systems to adjust and update the whole tower shape according to CFM (computational fluid modeling) and wind tunnel feedback.
The whole building is very complex, which requires more than one advanced software. Parametric 3D software programs should be used to visualize the complex geometries and reconcile them. The parametric modeling becomes important in designing this huge building. The design of spaces, structural connections shafts, ducts etc. must require the use of computation methods. In contrast, for such a huge and complex design, composition can never finish it with material use efficiency. Therefore, computation can generate the complex situation for architect to finish a huge work as Shanghai Tower. The new era of architecture is coming.
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A04 Conclusion After Part A Conceptualization, I have got more understanding on what computation and algorithm are. The first part of design futuring idea is actually let people be aware of the importance of sustainability. The design futuring ideas can help people with minimize the use of unrenewable resources and provide ‘design intelligence’. However, to achieve the ideas of design futuring, computation is the best way in doing this nowadays. Computation can provide much more possibilities and has very excellent ability to deal with complex issues. This new design method can bring more innovative thinking by using algorithm. Algorithm is such as a recipe which drives the designer to his final form of design. To generate the complex situations, computation is the better way rather than computerization or composition. The data such as sunlight, wind and interior pressure can be the consideration data to create our design. From using algorithm, the design will be always has a reason to performed in a certain form. Therefore, other people can not doubt what you have designed within using computation methods.
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Our tutorial has discussed the part B material system. Our group intended to choose patterning for our case study. We hope to use specific algorithm to minimize the use of material and produce an energy efficiency design. Thus, in the future studies, our group will consider more on limited resource and energy through our designing.
A05 Learning Outcomes From the study of Rhnio and grasshopper, I found it becomes increasingly interesting. Especially the understanding of data tree is very significant for us to find out the mistakes and understand what the components exactly do for. Different from the previous software, grasshopper really provides much more possibilities and innovative ideas to us. I begin to know the difference between computation and computerization. The traditional way such as composition has some limitations and disadvantages compare to generational design. We used to only use computer as a tool which computerize my design. Through using grasshopper, there are some unimaginary forms can be created. This encourages me to learn more of this software. However, sometimes, problems and difficulties happen to us. The only thing we need to do is to tackle them. In the future studies, grasshopper will become very significant to present our intentions and ideas of the project. The arrangement of space, patterning of surface can be designed through the using of grasshopper.
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A06 Appendix-Algorithmic Sketches From using the grasshopper, I found it become interesting with using different algorithmic to create amazing forms. Following the video tutorial, the tasks are become tougher. This is the week 3 task which tries to provide the grids through connecting the points on three surfaces. The example mode is the shell grid one. We change the order of the points which lead to a new connection of each point on each circle. After follow the work as the video tutorial did, I use other tools to change the grids between those points and add pipe onto the lines. Although the last two outcomes are a bit massy, but it prove the ability of grasshopper to deal with complexity. I will focus on the patterning more, because I found it is interesting to create the pattern onto the surface. In the following weeks, I will develop my skill and try to provide excellent design by using this computation method.
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Part A Reference: Fry, Tony (2008). Design Futuring: Sustainability, Ethics and New Practice (Oxford: Berg), pp. 1–16 Oxman, Rivka and Robert Oxman, eds (2014). Theories of the Digital in Architecture (London; New York: Routledge), pp. 1–10 Kalay, Yehuda E. (2004). Architecture’s New Media: Principles, Theories, and Methods of Computer-Aided Design (Cambridge, MA: MIT Press), pp. 5-25 Issa, Rajaa ‘Essential Mathematics for Computational Design’, Second Edition, Robert McNeel and associates, pp 1 - 42 Peters, Brady. (2013) ‘Computation Works: The Building of Algorithmic Thought’, Architectural Design, 83, 2, pp. 08-15 Definition of ‘Algorithm’ in Wilson, Robert A. and Frank C. Keil, eds (1999). The MIT Encyclopedia of the Cognitive Sciences (London: MIT Press), pp. 11, 12
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Part A Image Reference: Source From: http://www.evolo.us/architecture/eco-sustainable-housing-parametric-design/ http://www.designboom.com/architecture/soma-music-pavilion-salzburg-biennale2011-complete/ http://www.hdwallpapers.in/walls/guggenheim_museum_bilbao_spain-wide.jpg http://www.archdaily.com/422470/ad-classics-the-guggenheim-museum-bilbao-frankgehry/ http://www.scoop.it/t/parametric-design-efforts/p/4005011160/2013/07/22/museo-soumaya-facade-design-to-fabrication http://www.archdaily.com/452226/museo-soumaya-fr-ee-fernando-romero-enterprise/ http://www.archdaily.com/452226/museo-soumaya-fr-ee-fernando-romero-enterprise/
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