AIR ARCHITECTURE • DESIGN • STUDIO
Sarah Tess Lam Po Tang Semester One 2013 Gwyll & Angela
CONTENTS • INTRODUCTION About me Past Projects
• PART A: EOI I: CASE FOR INNOVATION
A.1. Architecture as a discourse A.2. Computational Architecture A.3. Parametric Modelling A.4. Conclusion A.5. Learning Outcomes
• PART B: EOI II: DESIGN APPROACH
B.1. Design focus B.2. Case Study 1.0 B.3. Case Study 2.0 B.4. Technique: Development and Prototypes B.5 Material Explorationsl B.6. Learning Objectives and Outcomes
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• PART C: PROJECT PROPOSAL C.1. Gateway Project: Design Concept C.2. Gateway Project: Tectonic Elements C.3. Gateway Project: Final Model C.4. Learning Objectives and Outcomes
• REFERENCES
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ABOUT ME
I’m Sarah and I’m currently in my third year majoring in Architecture. I’m from Mauritius and I’ve been in Melbourne for two years now. I’ve always had an interest in Architecture. Having travelled all around the world since a young age, I’ve been exposed to various cultures and it triggered a will to discover more and broaden my horizon.
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PAST PROJECTS
My first exposure to digital modelling was in first year when I took Virtual Environments. Working with Rhino and panelling tools was quite an interesting adventure. It has taught me about the advantages and limitations of parametric modelling but also informed me about great works of renowned architects.
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PART A: EOI I
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CASE FOR INNOVATION
A.1. ARCHITECTURE AS A DISCOURSE
There is a shift in the architectural discourse nowadays. It is no more a mere building that sits there to provide shelter but what it can contribute to society and the idea behind it. Architecture is about the positive change that can be shared around the world. Computer-aided design plays a big part in the new discourse. We end up wondering if the architect is still the designer or the computer is. Computational design has grown as a fully integrated tool of the design process but the tools are not designing for us. The architect is the master and the brains behind the algorithms and codes. Architects are not mere users of the software but developers. They create
geometries and perform form-finding through sketching with codes. This leads to the concept of innovation. Innovation points to an attitude, which rises from the will to make a difference. It is about creating a positive impact and adding value to maybe change the world for the better. Innovation suggests that there is potential ahead; the sense that something more can now happen but has not yet. There is a heightened sense of being part of a shared, distributed project and less of a sense of being tied to convention, most particularly professional convention. It is a kind of cultural change that emerges with new technologies.
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“DIGITAL TOOLS HAVE CHANGED THE WAY WE PRODUCE, THEY’VE CHANGED THE WAY WE CRAFT, AND GIVEN US LESS OF A DIVISION BETWEEN ALL AREAS OF DESIGN”MANFERDINI
Fig 1: Elena Manferdini, Beijing Pavilion, Beijing Architectural Biennale, Beijing, 2006.
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BEIJING PAVILION
Beijing Architectural Biennale, 2006
Fig 2: Elena Manferdini, Clad-cuts, Beijing Architectural Biennale, Beijing, 2006
Digital tools enable the breaking of rules and boundaries and broaden the scope that can be explored. The way Manferdini engages in her design is by starting on a small scale first and then applying it to a larger scale. She claims that there are fewer constraints. Whatever difficulties encountered, they can be studied and fixed quickly and efficiently. Post modernists advocated free form but did not have the required technology to be able to deliver their ideas. In 2006, Elena Manferdini was invited to design the West Coast Pavilion representing USA at the Beijing Biennale in the Chinese Millennium Museum. The laser cut dress, designed as part of the West Coast Pavilion, informed the design of the pavilion itself. The dress was actually a case study.
She treats small scale projects as prototypes and incubators of ideas. The pavilion can be translated into a sandwich of undulating plastic layers that flows through and around its volume. The cuts and fringes in the walls of the Beijing Pavilion fool us in thinking that it is moving but are actually designed and built in rigid, still material. Form finding is very experimental. The same pattern used on the dress gave a different overall effect because of the different material used. In this case, the cuts adapt to the movement of the body and the external environmental factors that create movements and deformations. The design is performed with precise care and attention but the final outcome can only be found by the free movement of the body.
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WESTFIELD LONDON SHOPPING CENTRE London, 2008
Computer aided fabrication methods are not just mere tools to ease life of designers. The introduction of computational design offers the potential to break through barriers of traditional model thinking and makes room for innovation. Firstly, it allows the development of new structural forms. Westfield Shopping Centre roof consists of two parts and has a total surface of 18000 sq metres. The bolted connectors do not allow for any adjustment of the geometry during assembly. Computational design and manufacturing enabled high precision for the lattice shell used for the roof of the shopping centre. It is made of thousands of plates of different geometry and different thicknesses, each one exactly adjusted to the specific loading at the specific point of the structure. Everything has been accounted for and each component matches perfectly leaving no uncertainty or doubt. However, in practice, computational solutions
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are only useful to some extent. Depending on the project, new computational solutions need to be developed and adjusted accordingly. Each project has its parameters and restrictions, one program or technique that is used for one might not work for a different project. For example, for Westfield London, a planar grid was mapped on the 3D surface but for SBA International’s Expo Axis at Shanghai World Expo in 2010, a different (more complex) approach was necessary. There has been a shift in the process of erecting a building. The traditional sequence was form by the architect, structure by the engineer and fabrication and installation by the contractor. Now all the disciplines work altogether throughout the whole process. There is often the need to send back drawings to and fro to be checked and amended accordingly. Computation makes the task of transferring documents precisely easy as all the disciplines work on one common centre point. This will elaborated later on.
Fig 3: Westfield London Shopping Centre, Benoy, 2008. Roof Detail
Fig 4: SBA International Expo Axis, Shanghai World Expo, Shanghai, China, 2010
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A.2. COMPUTATIONAL ARCHITECTURE
Emerging design approaches use computation as a design method.
the intellect of the designer, through the generation of unexpected results.
Computerisation is the process of using the computer as a way of transferring ideas that the designer has in mind.
Architects use computers and computation as a medium of representation. With its increasing simulation capabilities, the computer lets architects predict, model and simulate the encounter between architecture and the public. Computation makes possible not only the simulation and communication of the constructional aspects of a building but also the experience and the creation of meaning.
Computation is different in the way that the idea itself emerges using computers. It allows the designer to design something complex he wouldn’t have been able to achieve using traditional methods. Computation has the potential to provide inspiration and go beyond
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14 Fig 5: Museo Soumaya, Mexico City , Mexico
MUSEO SOUMAYA Mexico City
Architects Fernando Romero and Armando Ramos from FREE have designed an iconic museum in Mexico City through the adoption of complex computational techniques. The purpose of the Museo Soumaya was to host one of the largest private art collections in the world and also to reshape an old industrial area of Mexico City. It is still used for it’s original purpose, and attracts tourists from all over the world. There is a great tradition of craft in Mexico that in my opinion this building has failed to reflect. Its artisans have a deep understanding of space, light and material. Skilled artisans are able to create almost anything from stone, wood and masonry. It was quite an ambitious project because it was an innovative one that used programs none of the precedents had ever used in this country. New techniques were developed using laser scanning, parametric modeling and
other algorithmic techniques. A set of experts have been mobilized to work effectively on the project. A central digital 3-D model has been applied throughout the construction phase. This made it readily accessible to the design team. There was a clear communication about the building that everyone could understand. It was efficient because different aspects of the building could be designed simultaneously and countless iterations of the design could be quickly studied. The complex form of the building would not have been clearly represented in a 2D drawing, leaving room for interpretation. A 3-D model makes it easier to understand the complexity and how the elements interact with each other. Through technology, complex architecture can be communicated clearly, hence different experts need to come together and work together.
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BAO’AN INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT Shenzhen, China, 2012
Fig 6: Massimiliano Fuksas and Knippers Helbig Advanced Engineering, Bao’an International Airport Terminal 3, Shenzhen, China, 2012.
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As mentioned previously, computational design changed the process of design. While in the past drawings were passed on in a linear sequence, nowadays, computational design makes it necessary for all those involved in the design to work together simultaneously. There is the need for clear communication and accurate transfer of data. It is this breakup of traditional design strategies that has significant potential for innovation. The new terminal in Shenzhen gave structural engineers a new role in the design development. Massimiliano Fuksas worked on the basis of a space structure covered on both sides by a perforated cladding in the form of a stretched metal sheet consisting of 60000 different faรงade elements and 40000 individual steel members. The structural system is quite simple, it is the geometry of the cladding that is very complex. The double-curved shape makes it complex because of the evenness of the glass panes which restrict the boundary condition.
There are two design parameters in this case. The size and slope of the glass openings. A parametric model has been set up using Rhinoceros and Microsoft Excel. These tools are simple and makes communication easier. Even if the person to whom the information has to be sent does not have any knowledge of these softwares, he can understand what is going on. After generating and evaluating approximately 50 different models for the terminal roof, a very simple linear sequence of panels has been chosen. The challenge in this project was the set up of the parametric data model that could be shared among the different practices to allow a new form of communication and collaboration between architects and engineers. Computational design promotes new forms of interaction between various designers, architects and engineers involved.
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A.3. PARAMETRIC MODELLING
Parametric modeling broadens the scope of design even more than computer-aided software. It has fewer limitations than the latter. Constraints and opportunities makes the proposal more interesting. Parametric design shows us limitations and possibilities of parameters in order to find a solution for the complex built environment today. With computational tools, the designer is now able to interact with the constraints and opportunities exposed through design parameters. It enables the discussion of otherwise abstract and subjective issues. It bridges the gap with other disciplines and the wider public. Grasshopper has become a true design tool. There is no need for specialists in programming. Parametric design enables the generation of an endless stream of
configurations and combinations emerging from data and rules, and provides insights in previously unseen problems and potentials. Parametric design is more than generating endless streams of possible outcomes, it is a way of thinking. Certainly, it comes with a lot of limitations. A slight change might break the whole model and it may take hours to fix it. Also, in some cases, the building ends up being designed to satisfy the limitations of the software not the final product that the architect wanted to achieve. Which brings us back to the question as to whether the architect is the designer or the computer is. Sharing might be the biggest disadvantage concerning Parametric Modelling. The person who designed it has to change it. Not anyone can, certainly not someone who does not understand how the software works.
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“THE USE OF PARAMETRIC TECHNIQUES AND BIM PROCESSES ALLOWS ARCHITECTS TO INCORPORATE AS MANY ASPECTS INTO THE DESIGN PROCESS AS CAN BE QUANTIFIED OR SIMULATED” -POPULOUS ARCHITECTS
Fig 7: Aviva Stadium, Dublin, Ireland
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AVIVA STADIUM Dublin, Ireland
The design intention of the stadium was that it could be appreciated from near and afar like a Swiss watch. Each part had its own function and beauty, however each part was interrelated and when the building is viewed holistically, it has a beautiful composition. Computational design process interlinks these, allowing architecture to be more than a collection of singular building elements and become a beautiful functioning whole. Populous architects worked together with engineers Buro Happold through a shared model environment. This made it easier work together and simultaneously. It allowed the design development of engineering and architectural detailing to
be created independently and yet on the same base, keeping a coordination between the offices. Even if the design undergoes a slight change, it is quickly picked up and data is amended accordingly so that the whole process does not need to be done all over again. The use of parametric platforms enabled the design to be tested and driven to a high level of detail from which each subcontractor could work independently. Parametric design allows the designing of parts accurately at an early stage and creates new methods of delivering construction information.
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UNSTUDIO, RAFFLES CITY Hangzhou, China
The Raffles City mixeduse development had a few parameters that needed to be dealt with at the design stage. Some of which were sustainability goals, social and economic constraints and fabrication methods. For this project, a series of softwares have been used, such as Grasshopper, RhinoScript and Gehry Technologies Digital Project. Specific functions of each software have been used to contribute to the final design in the most efficient way possible. The design model has remained the main driver of the project and the use of the mix of softwares has led to the processing and assimilation of a greater amount of parameters to achieve a simpler, more efficient design solution. Grasshopper and RhinoScript performed form-finding following the project’s twisting geometry embedding environmental and economic constraints. Floor areas and heights are accounted for and both the geometry and data are the base of the building information model (BIM).
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Gehry Technologies Digital Project studies another aspect of the design which is sustainability, fabrication and installation with an aim to minimize costs and simplify fabrication. All in all promote efficiency. The mathematics of optimisation interacts with those of design requiring more tools to accommodate both on the same platform in order to perform to even higher expectations. In the end, there are several parametric tools, each specialising in one particular domain to produce a central amalgamation of a design end-product. Even after meticulous computational design and a lot of testing and checking, it is essential to visualize the project and to do so, prototypes are carried out. To understand the relationships and meaning of form and material at the right scale is essential because materials may not behave the way they have been assumed to. Small projects are key testing grounds for computational strategies.
Fig 8: UNStudio Raffles City, Hangzhou, China
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A.4. CONCLUSION
After having studied several precedents and read academic texts, my understanding of the Architectural discourse is now clearer. Architecture is not simply a building, it speaks for itself through the unique designs each building has. It seeks to change the view society has and participate towards a positive change. Innovation has been the key element towards the change in the discourse. Computer-aided design has evolved over the years and is incorporated into the designers and architects’ routine. An important change that can be noted is that different professions now work with each other simultaneously on the same platform. Computational design offers the potential to break through the barriers of conventional model thinking to embrace process design and new forms of interaction. Computation’s primary potential lies in its flexibility to communicate design across multiple disciplines via associative data. What the latter are engaging themselves into now is parametric modelling which broadens their scope. Digital tools break the rules and boundaries, offering more in the end.
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With computers, new forms can now be investigated and what people in the past wanted to create can now be achieved. It fills the mind of the designer with endless possibilities and gives rise to new creative opportunities in space making, optimization and constructability. Post modernists advocated these types of designs but did not have the tools required to erect them. However, they are not free of limitations. As mentioned earlier, there are multitudes of limitations with computation that makes us question whether the design is the work of the architect or the computer. There are so many limitations that we tend to work around them and amend the design to fit into the parameters and in between forget what our main drive was. Nonetheless, its advantages surpass its limitations. With simulation now, it is possible to know how the design will perform under several circumstances. And with the world being increasingly environmentcentered, these tools are advocated by several. Furthermore, ideas can be adjusted quickly and precisely to meet the client requirements saving time and money.
A.5. LEARNING OUTCOMES
Through precedents and practicing with parametric tools like Grasshopper, I am now able to understand better why computational design is so important today. Whether we like it or not, the architectural discourse is changing, and along with it so are the methods of designing. People are now utilizing computers and softwares more and more and we have to catch up with experts and use them as well. Otherwise we will always end up being behind. My only past experience with computational design was in first year when I did Virtual Environments. I encountered a lot of difficulties that maybe I could have achieved if I were using Grasshopper because of the opportunities that lay in this program and the variety of commands it can execute. I am looking forward to investigating more into this in order to make my Gateway an interesting and eye catching design. In order to do so, I will have to use parametric tools because innovation is the key to get an interesting design. The designer himself does not know what this can lead him to, it is exciting and there is an element of eagerness attached to it.
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PART B: EOI II DESIGN APPROACH
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B.1. DESIGN FOCUS THE BACKSTORY
Fig 9: Newspaper article
One of the greatest threats to the city of Wyndham is the negative stigma it is gaining due to the growing mountain of trash visible in the distance of our site. A recent newspaper article reveals the fear local residents have of the area becoming the waste capital of Victoria. Our design has been inspired by this significant issue affecting the city of Wyndham. As the dump is expected to grow, our group’s intention is to develop a design which ensures the dump does not destroy the image of Wyndham and instead provides an opportunity to highlight the issues of excessive consumption and waste from the city. It could have a positive impact on the mindset of people and might even encourage recycling in the future. The freeway would be the ideal place to expose such a structure as it gives maximum exposure. From the list of topics provided, our group had decided to specialize in “Structure” as a starting point. We were interested in how the freeway art can be structurally stable on its own and have done some research looking at relevant precedents.
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BRITISH LIBRARY ROOF London
The British museum is a good example of the old and new mixed together. Foster proposed glazing the whole court which is about 6,100 square metres, making it the largest enclosed top-lit space in Europe. The Great court became the central focus in the museum enabling a fluid circulation. From there, people could choose to go to any gallery space. The unique triangulated glazed canopy of the great court is made up of intricate steel and 3312 panes of glass lattice-work which gives the impression that the roof floats above the neo-Greek circular reading room. The main idea behind the design was to give the user a different view with every step. As they make their way throughout the Great Court, a different vista can be seen. Engineers Buro Happold and steel and glass contractor Waagner-Biro worked along with Foster+Partners on this project using Relax.cpp. The latter is a development of analyo.c which was written specifically for this project. The program uses Alistair Day’s Dynamic Relaxation technique and makes no assumption of small rotations. Instead rotations are handled by a rotation matrix in which the rotation is stored as a vector with magnitude equal to one half the tangent of the rotation angle.
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Certain complications were encountered with this daring challenge. Firstly the reading room is not in the middle of the courtyard and although the heights of the buildings appear the same, they are not. Also, the reading room was weak and would not have been able to support the roof, so certain amendments have been made to strengthen the circular room. 20 column cylinders have been arranged around the reading room, concealed behind a stone cladding, to take the loads. The lattice steel shell forms both the primary structure and the framing for the glazing system, which is designed to maximise daylight and reduce solar gain. It was a planning requirement that the new roof was not visible behind the south front. Hence, the shell roof was formed as a toroid. The roof lattice consists of 6,000 individual members that fit together exactly. It was important that these steel members were manufactured with great precision. Radial elements span out from the reading room and are connected by two opposing spirals to form a lattice, resulting in no two steel members and glass panes being similar.
Fig10: British Library Roof
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B.2. CASE STUDY 1.0 British Library Roof
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For case study 1.0 we created a definition using grasshopper and the lunchbox plugin seeking to reverse engineer the steel and glass latticework of the british library roof. Diagrams in the horizontal axis represent the number of grid divisions which output as triangular faces and those in the columnar arrangement represent the dilation of the parabolic profile which contributes towards the funnel-like shape. Playing around with the parameters gives us different iterations. When we increase the grid divisions, the project becomes more complex. Another way of altering the design is to change the magnitude of the shape which is shown along the y-axis. At 0.25, one can barely regard the shape to be funnel-like.
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BEIJING NATIONAL STADIUM Beijing, China, 2008
Fig11: Beijing Olympic Stadium
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Paths interlock, criss-cross horizontally, diagonally and vertically in a chaotic manner. The space surrounding the interior of the stadium is faรงade, structure, decoration and public space altogether. The real potential of the project lies in the fact that it is not a mere Olympic sports arena for one particular occasion; it is an urban site, linking the city outside and the interior of the stadium. The stadium looks complex but yet it is simple. It is purely structural, the faรงade is the structure. The structural elements mutually support each other and converge into a spatial grid-like formation, in which facades, stairs, bowl structure and roof are integrated. The make the roof waterproof, the spaces in the structure are filled with a translucent membrane. The bowl itself is homogenous and simple. The structure cannot be seen from inside to minimize distraction so that spectators
can focus on the games. An acoustic ceiling hides the structure. The main idea that they wanted to stick to throughout the whole process was to build something that will still be used after the Olympic Games. They wanted to design something that would still attract the public and perk up this part of Beijing. From afar, the project looks like a huge collective shape, like a vessel whose undulating rim echoes the rising and falling ramps for spectators inside the stadium. The building is round in shape and has a load bearing structure all around the building, which also gives the impression that it is penetrating the building at the top. From afar, the building has a clear-cut geometry and the overall configuration of lines seems rational. When one comes closer, huge separate components looking like a chaotic thicket of supports can be seen. The structure is overwhelming with beams and stairs all over the place.
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B.3. CASE STUDY 2.0 Beijing National Stadium
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3 For Case Study 2.0, our group has chosen to study the Bejing National Stadium because it is completely structural, which is the direction that we are following. Compared to the British Library’s roof structure, this building is expressive and tedious. We have reverse engineered the Bird’s Nest using Grasshopper and ended up with a matrix whereby the x-axis demonstrates a different number of control points used and the y-axis illustrates how different positions of attractor points around the geometry modify the spread of the geodesic curves.
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C
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The most successful outcome according to me would be the last set of drawings because we got rid of the quite big gap in the south-east. Similar to Case Study 1.0, when increasing the control points from A to D, we notice that the structure becomes more complex and interesting. In A, we used 25 control points which makes the geodesic curves span more across the surface. In each step, the number of control points has been increased by 25 points and the outcome that ressembles the original project the most would be in D with 100 control points.
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B.4. Technique Development and Prototypes
Based on the feedback obtained in the tutorials, we have tried to narrow down the topic “Structure” because it is quite broad. As a group we have chosen to explore into more detail “Aggregation”. Unlike modularity, which tries to find efficient ways of breaking up larger structures into manageable parts, aggregations are based on a molecular element and its inherent accumulation possibilities, often leading to unforeseen results. Based on geometrical rules, aggregations produce complex spatial configurations, peculiarities and even “failures”. Such aggregation processes produce masses and densities instead of surfaces. Aggregation has connotations of growth as it represents elements coming together to make an overall form. An interesting idea would be to have a structure that would grow over time relative to the amount of trash dumped. We have used computation and parametric models to explore different forms of aggregations.
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OXFORD TYRE PILE Edward Burtynsky
Fig12: Manufactured Landscapes, Edward Burtynsky
Inspired by the manufactured landscapes captured by Edward Burtynsky which express the atypical beauty in the aggregation of trash, our group has chosen to explore this as a technique for the design of the border crossing and gateway into Wyndham
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We’ve defined aggregation as individual elements which constitute or amount to a whole. Our exploration of aggregation has led to us categorizing three types of aggregation.
FRACTAL PACKING
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SELF ORGANISING
EXPLICIT
MORNING LINE Aranda Lasch
We were interested in the way fractals have been used as aggregate at different scales to realise an overall form. This is evident in the work of aranda lasch.
Fig13: Morning Line, Aranda Lasch
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MATRIX EXPLORATION
We were interested in •the potential to generate patterns •the ability to use simple connections between elements •the ability to use recursive functions on simple forms
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PROTOTYPES
We made a number of prototypes to investigate the way they were packed together but decided this technique was overused and that we wanted more of a challenge
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DESIGNED PARTICLES AGGREGATIONS 02 Achim Menges
Self organising aggregates explores the interaction between loosely massed elements. We did a lot of research to find appropriate precedents in order to know what was achievable at our stage. This project by Achim Menges is an installation of recursive aggregates. The components interlock and are arranged in an interesting way. It focuses on the emission path, pouring speed and how time affected density.
Fig14:Designed Particles Aggregations 02, Achim Menges
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AGGREGATE ARCHITECTURES Karola Dierichs
Similarly, this project explores how aggregates can develop in their unrestrained form. It highlights how an aggregate system is composed of a loose arrangement of elements, whereby each part finds its own stable position. This project is also an installation. So far there is no built project that employs aggregation as a base technique.
Fig15: Aggregate Architectures, Karola Dierichs
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MATRIX EXPLORATION
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Taking an element we created a recursive linework wich would interlock with other elements. The behavioural aspect of these elements could not however be modelled in grasshopper. We dropped the identical elements from the same height, letting it adjust naturally to its surrounding components. For experimentation purposes, we used a line attractor technique to predict the density of the aggregate elements along an emission path. The human acted like a robot to drop the elements in a systematic way. Through these tests, we were able to make wall-like structures and arches.
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PROTOTYPE
“THE POTENTIAL AND THE RELEVANCE OF AGGREGATE ARCHITECTURES LIE IN THEIR ABILITY TO CONTINUOUSLY ADJUST TO SYSTEM-EXTERNAL AND SYSTEM-INTERNAL PARAMETERS... THUS THE INVESTIGATION OF POTENTIAL ARCHITECTURAL APPLICATIONS IS BOTH A RELEVANT AND UNEXPLORED BRANCH OF DESIGN RESEARCH.”
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- ACHIM MENGES
This type of aggregation is distinguished by its ability to continuously adjust to systemexternal and system-internal parameters. An interesting outcome of these techniques is the importance of the spaces between the elements. This technique however was too difficult to control/ model with the available resources. We also wanted to have greater control over the overall form by being able to manipulate specific connections rather than them defining themselves in an unpredictable manner.
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RESEARCH PROJECT Kokkugia
We were concerned with angles between elements and the ability of these joints to influence and change the overall form giving the design greater control of the system. We were interested in projects such as this research project by Kokkugia which explores the relationship between fixed elements in a controlled system.
Fig16: Research Project, Kokkugia
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We trialed how the form changes with the rotation of elements.
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MATRIX EXPLORATION
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The matrix illustrates how the form evolves by adding aggregate elements to produce a dynamic overall system.
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PROTOTYPE
This initial prototype investigated our exploration of explicit aggregate systems. We were interested in the rotation of the joints and how they impacted on the form.
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PROTOTYPE
This prototype demonstrates how the elements are connected to each other and how they can grow out in any direction they want. Each circle has eight slits which means eight different directions for the components to follow. It is a method we came up digitally to express addition to a structure.
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B.5. MATERIAL EXPLORATIONS
These images illustrate the material properties of a single element. Here, we began to focus on the performance of a single element within a system of aggregate elements. We explored numerous forms of casting: •Silicon/wax- The problem with this material is that it deforms quite easily and thus the path of the final overall form would be unpredictable. •Resin- The transparency that this material offers would have been a good idea if we wish to illustrate trash inside the element to refer to the original idea of the dump. However, it is not feasible at a large scale. •Plaster/concrete- Plaster is strong and thus a good material to model however, we decided that the installation itself would be made of concrete.
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We also tested how the plaster component would weather over time or how it would change when exposed to different conditions. •In the first case, when soaked in water for a long time, the particles that had been added to plaster originally can be seen more clearly and the edges start to crack a bit •Then we tried to expose the element to extreme conditions and burnt it. The polystyrene that had been added to it originally came out and left holes in the element. •Last, we sprayed the element abundantly with aerosol to see it eat up the polystyrene and deform.
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B.6. LEARNING OBJECTIVES AND OUTCOMES
Aggregation is thought to be relevant for our design because:
• It has been inspired by local issues and is therefore contextually relevant • It has potential for growth, which symbolises the increasing waste from the city which we want to emphasize. • As it is on the forefront of design research it will contribute to contemporary architectural discourse. • By incorporating local issues, we are building on and contributing to existing discourse on the issue.
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PART C PROJECT PROPOSAL
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C.1 GATEWAY PROJECT DESIGN CONCEPT
Our technique would benefit the City of Wyndham as it is inspired by and addresses local issues. At this stage, we have explored our options and worked with a lot of prototypes because it is a better way of visualising what can be done and what is not achievable. For the first part of this project, we focused on enlarging the breadth of our design. We shall now choose a method and work in depth with it. Our group is leaning towards the explicit aggregation because we are interested in the connection of the elements and also because self-organising aggregation has too many constraints attached. It requires a robotic technology that is hard to acquire and the process cannot be modelled digitally.
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C.2. TECTONIC ELEMENTS
During our material explorations, we had noticed that the reentrant corners at the centre of the element were a point of weakness and introduced a steel part to the element for added strength. The steel part also allows for deformation of the shape which does not lead to failure. These diagrams demonstrate the optimization of the element. Angles between elements can alter the overall form and therefore the three pointed element was selected as it did not mirror itself like the four pointed element which rendered some angles redundant. The higher number of sides also increased the likelihood of intersections and collision between elements. The definition allowed us to dynamically change the element. We chose the triangular element as this shape is more rigid than the others. The fact that the end is an equilateral triangle allows one element to match perfectly to another identical element irrelevant of the rotational angle chosen.
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Having a three pointed element with triangular ends allows us to align each element at 120 degree intervals changing the potential path of the structure. Since the component rotates, it can create changing forms along diverging paths. There are endless possibilities for the final overall form.
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Our structure is adaptable and modular. We established a form of connection that would allow the elements to be rotated and consequently changing the forms that could be generated. The sockets hold two components together rigidly but in a flexible manner. We made a prototype at 1:5 to show the detail connections.
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We have illustrated a tectonic connection of a grounded element which anchors the design to the ground.
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C.3. GATEWAY PROJECT FINAL MODEL
The final gateway design had to be broken down into three parts: • Gateway • No Man’s Land • Object/ Monument
We developed two connection techniques which align the elements into two types of form. The first type is Clustering and the second is Tracking
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SITE RELATION
EXPLICIT CONNECTION Clustering
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The Gateway of our design starts off like a wall-like structure, fixed and organised, using the clustering technique. Then, it gradually changes as the components rotate and break the organised structure. This is followed by several linear paths to determine a No Man’s Land and finished into a monument. We were ultimately concerned with giving our form the ability to grow over time in order to reflect the idea of how the dump continues to grow over time.
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EXPLICIT CONNECTION Tracking
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EXPLICIT CONNECTION Clustering
Clustering allows control of the rotation between each element individually. It gives the designer greater control over the system. In this diagram, we can see how the form can change dramatically by rotating specific elements within the system.
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This image depicts our gateway section of the final model which can also be seen in our physical model. Here, the elements have not been rotated through the cluster technique which results in a hexagonal grid-like pattern. Here, again, we see how by specifically adjusting the rotation between elements could result in dramatically different outcomes within the systems.
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EXPLICIT CONNECTION Tracking
Tracking is more linear in its composition. The elements move along a line or towards a point to create a pattern. The elements attempt to approximate the input curves.
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These are potential patterns the elements could have taken. The first case demonstrates how the elements follow the set of curves. In the second example, we used a voronoi grid to set the pattern and the elements tried to follow as best as they could.
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MODEL MAKING
We 3D printed each element individually and glued them together to illustrate a portion of our entire model. We built our model on a scale of 1:25 because a 1:50 scale would not have shown enough detail and it would have been tedious to glue each element. The portion we chose to model was the organised Gateway section that transitions into the No Man’s Land section. It is a good representation of an orderly shape we can get from the exact same shape and by only changing the angle of rotation to 0.
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C.4. LEARNING OBJECTIVES AND OUTCOMES
This semester has been challenging and fun. The tutors have led us towards a more innovative design by setting restrictions and rules that we had to abide. The fact that all semester, we have studied installations, unbuilt projects or research projects have broadened our knowledge of architecture and the discourse that follows. As a third party, you don’t realise the discourse that surrounds architecture in everyday life or the implications a sculpture, for example, can have on society. For this project, our team tried to highlight issues as well as give Wyndham a better image. It is evident now that the role of computation in the design process is vital. Working with grasshopper has been a headache but once we knew what to do and with a bit of practice, it was much quicker than working only with Rhino. We also used the “hoopsnake” plug-in for the No Man’s Land section. It was much quicker to create recursive clusters following a certain path. Overall, I enjoyed the subject and working with my team mates. I have learnt a lot and I’m proud to say that I can use Grasshopper and the likes. Working in groups was a fantastic experience. We bickered, bonded and are now a family.
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REFERENCES
IMAGES
Pavilions by Elena Manferdini for the Architectural Biennial, Beijing 2006. Retrieved from: http://www.sciarc.edu/news_archive.php?id=867, on 2 April 2013 Westfield London, Retrieved from: http://sabinalucia.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/Westfield-and-Rubys-Easter-Party-016.jpg on 10 June 2013 SBA internaional expo shanghai, Retrieved from http://static.worldarchitecturenews.com/news_ images/17420_4_SBA-EXPO-AXIS-add-02.jpg Museo Soumaya, Retrieved from: http://static.worldarchitecturenews.com/news_images/16533_1_ext_11Museo%20Soumaya%20FREE_Fernando%20Romero%20EnterprisE_photo%20 by%20Adam%20Wiseman.jpg on 16 March 2013 Bao’an International airport terminal 3, Retrieved from: http://simbiosisgroup.net/wp-content/ uploads/2011/12/61.png, on 2 April 2013 Aviva Stadium, Retrieved from:http://ad009cdnb.archdaily.net/wp-content/ uploads/2010/05/1273871434-aviva-stadium-at-lansdowne-road-dublin.jpg, on 18 March 2013 Raffles City, Retrieved from: http://s245.photobucket.com/user/z0rgggg/media/others2/200811 13_69ecf72842d7a5d4fbceXW8kXF.jpg.html, on 3 April 2013
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TEXTS Architecture Design, Computation Works - The Building of Algorithmic Thought Architecture Design, The Innovation Imperative - Architectures of Vitality Elena Manferdini, AIA/LA Design Conference, http://www.aialosangeles.org/home-pagelatest-news/elena-manferdini-to-speak-at-the-aia-la-design-conference-on-june-23rd#.UVxEZ46OiSQ Architectural Record, Atelier Manferdini, retrieved from http://archrecord.construction.com/ archrecord2/design/2010/january/Atelier-Manferdini.asp, accessed on 2 April 2013 Sublime Bodies, retrieved from: http://deepornamentss10.blogspot.com.au/2010_07_01_archive.html, accessed on 2April 2013 British Library Roof: http://people.bath.ac.uk/abscjkw/Relax/) Aggregation: http://www.crispandfuzzy.com/?p=43
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