Alison Fong 830833 - Air Journal

bonnetwork Alison Fong I 830833 Studio Air (Semester 2, 2017) Tutor: Julius Egan

Table of Contents Introduction...........................................................................................................i

Part A. Conceptualization......................................................................................01 A. 1 Design Futuring A.2 Design Computation A.3 Composition/Generation A.4 Conclusion A.5 Learning Outcomes

Part B. Criteria Design...........................................................................................20 B.1 B.2 B.3 B.4 B.5 B.6 B.7

Research Field Case Study 1.0 Case Study 2.0 Technique: Development Technique: Prototype Technique: Proposal Learning Objectives and Outcomes

Part C. Detailed Design..........................................................................................86 C.1 C.2 C.3 C.4

Design Concept Tectonic Elements & Prototypes Final Detail Model Learning Objectives and Outcomes

Introduction

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y name is Alison, and I am studying Bachelor of Environments majoring in Architecture at the University of Melbourne.

My introduction too digital design tools was with Rhino3D. Although I am still a novice in terms of my digital modelling skills, I have explored the tool through the subject ‘Digital Design and Fabrication’ last semester, where I was involved with using the tool to create a wearable piece to reflect our personal space.

Through the same course, I have also approached digital design theories. Exploring the way we fabricate and approach design as we move towards a new age of technology and focus on designing for the distinct, where machinery has allowed us to not only mass produce but also to customise. Our relationship between technology and design is continuously blurring and can also influence the design process as well as the design itself.

Projects such as the ICD Research Pavilions are created using digital tools, creating pieces of precision and relying heavily on prefabrication materials. However, despite reliance on digital tools for production, it looks to the human/natural world for inspiration.

To me, architecture is form-finding; how we approach different design ideas to achieve a certain form as our end product (though not necessarily limited to the physical realm).As such, I believe it is important that we utilise and incorporate digital technology in our architectural education, as through experimenting in person will we be able to understand and find the optimal balance in the relationship between technology and architectural design.

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Figure A - Rhino model of Exploration of Personal Space - Digital Design and Fabrication, Semester 1, 2017

Figure B - Close up image of Exploration of Personal Space - Digital Design and Fabrication, Semester 1, 2017

Figure C - Final product of Exploration of Personal Space - Digital Design and Fabrication, Semester 1, 2017

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A PART A. CONCEPTUALIZATION A.1 Design Futuring A.2 Design Computation A.3 Composition/Generation A.4 Conclusion A.5 Learning Outcomes

A.1 Design Futuring

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esign in culture has witnessed a revolution with the introduction of digital tools. From the specialist that call themselves ‘designers’ or ‘architects’, now the majority of society are able to access digital tools, which enable them to take charge of the design process, for example online interior design software, that allows users to trial different wallpaper colours to trial and ‘design their own room’. However, is this truly ‘design’ ? How is it justified that it is not a conning system, in which it is simply selecting from a variety of set options, rather than an actual action of engaging in an active design process ?

“Design ethics is massively underdeveloped and even in its crudest forms remains marginal within design education.” 1 Design technologies are linked to conditions of unsustainability as we try to keep up with the demands of our growing supply chain. The argument, is that there is a lack of education and ethics on the use of designing digitally, and the exploitation of our design powers is reflected on our diminishing resources. There is a need for a clearly defined model and to explore the ideas of ‘critical design’, where speculation and alteratives are explored. There is a not only a need for redirection, but also the change in the user’s attitude and values.

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Tony Fry, Design Futuring: Sustainability, Ethics and New Practice (Oxford: Berg, 2008), p.3.

CONCEPTUALIZATION

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01 Precedent

Project: Whale House Architect: Vittorio Giorgini Date: 1961 Location: Baratti, Italy

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iorgini’s ‘Whale House’ in Baratti Italy was built by Florentine architect Vottorio Giorgini in 1961. Though highly radical at the time due to its’ unusual design and concern for stability. He was largely interested in exploring the relationships between nature and architecture, a theme which was explored during the 1950s and 1960s under the name of “Florence School”. In this design, he took inspiration from whales, hence literally translating to the name of the house. Its’ curving concrete walls represent the body of the whale, as well as the organic features of the waves and ripples of the ocean.

Figure 1. Whale House (1961) - Vittorio Giorgini

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This project was far ahead of its time, not only in its form, but also in its’ fabrication method, where it is the first building in the world to be constructed based on an iso-elastic membrane and fabricated from concrete and wire netting. Giorgini’s exploration of structural properties in concrete and behaviours of forces was a process that is required in design making. Rather than considering the economical profits of buildings, design should be steered towards sustainability and how it can harmonize with the surrounding environment. This also allowed for the integration with engineering designs, as the hybrid of sculptural expression was explored. This design theory was not popular until recently with the increasing active roles of engineering in the design of buildings and utilisation of digital design.

02 Precedent

Project: Walking City Architect: Archigram (Ron Herron) Date: 1964 Location: London, United Kingdom

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rchigram was a group formed by architects such as Peter Cook and Ron Herron in Britain during the 1950s to 1960s. They were heavily influenced by Futurism and although was only realized through paper architecture, they were greatly influential, later being a huge influence on the High Tech architectural projects in the 1970s, such as Renzo Piano and Richard Roger’s Centre Georges Pompidou in Paris (1971-7) (Figure 3) and Richard Roger’s Lloyd Building in London (1979).

Archigram’s projects promoted the city as a living organism and focused on the idea of creating a whole new reality. This was a response to the increasingly popularized idea of pro-consumerism as well as technological innovations of the time.

Ron Herron’s ‘Walking City’ features a city that incorporates residence, transport, business and all essential utilities and services, all situated on moving robotic megastructure. He proposed that cities were also similar to living matter, in which it functions like one; stimulating the way cities were viewed as simply a static hub with multi-infrastructure building and residents - the way transport networks or technological networks act as a biological system or how the different networks integrate between each other in order for it to move smoothly.

From top to bottom: Figure 2. Walking City (1964) - Ron Herron Figure 3. Centre Georges Pompidou (1971-7) - Richard Rogers and Renzo Piano

CONCEPTUALIZATION

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Task 1 - “ALLEGRO” Based on Beethoven’s First Movement of Pastorale, the task required us to analyze the piece and consider certain elements from the piece as a starting point for the design of a pavilion. The pavilion should be based off something deciphered from the music and should not be anything near architectural form.

From the piece, I captured the constant change in volume and the light, cheerful melody. I interpreted this through an aerodynamic and weightless design, where the curved folds represent the continuities of the piece, despite the changes in volume. I titled this piece “Allegro”, which means of fast pace in music terminology, and this was what I wanted to illustrate through my design - within the light, airy steps of the sounds, it is harmonious in tune but different in volume.

Figure 4. Front elevation (Task 1)

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From top to bottom: Figure 5-7. side elevation, close-up perspective, aerial perspective (Task 1)

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A.2 Design Computation

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echnological innovation has enabled designers to be able to synthesize material culture and form generation, as well as explore complex parametric designs and formalize biomimetic principles, producing a second nature.2 Through the use of digital technology, as designers we are empowered and given the ability to ‘craft’, re-visiting the age where architects were once known as the master builder and held understanding of the construction process.3 Computers hone a spectacular amount of memory and technologies that are only enabled when a ‘human’ user is controlling it. It has allowed for low risk experimentation and also extreme designs, allowing robots to take over the hand of the craftsman. However, to achieve the optimized balanced relationship between computer and designer, it is required to communicate shared information between each other and interpret the information to solve and analysis further design problems 4, furthermore also noting the importance of circular communication, which allows for inspiration to aid in problem analysis.

Design is a process that we experience as we attempt to make a current situation, potentially better than its’ current state, or either becoming a more desired state. Analyzing the problem, setting aims and constraints, evaluating the solutions are all steps within the design process. As an architect, this design process is crucial to realizing projects. With the use of computers, it has become possible to explore open-ended designs, not simply restricting to solving the problem itself and expand the possibility for more people to become involved.

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3 4

Rivka and Robert Oxman, Theories of the Digital in Architecture (London; New York: Routledge, 2014), p.8.

Oxman and Oxman, Theories of the Digital in Architecture, p.6.

Yehuda E. Kalay, Architecture’s New Media: Principles, Theories, and Methods of Computer-Aided Design (Cambridge: MIT Press, 2004), p.3.

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01 Precedent

Project: ICD/ITKE Research Pavilion Architect: Institute for Computational Design and Institute of Building Structures and Structural Design, University of Stuttgart Date: 2016 Location: Stuttgart, Germany

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research pavilion created between students and researchers, the University of Stuttgart produced a research pavilion that displays robotic textile fabrication techniques and industrial sewing of wood on an architectural scale, creating a segmented timber shell.

Producing projects based off natural elements or ecological systems has seemingly become the trend or quintessential thing to do in design, in particularly architecture. It is also arguably one of the most grandest moment in scientific history - rather than just imitation, we are able to learn from nature and “produce form in response to the conditions of the environmental context”. 5 Through several scans and pictures, they were able to understand the intricate internal structures. By humanizing these characteristics, what is achieved is the re-defining of our relationship with the natural world, empowering our knowledge.

“Parametric systems enable the writing of rules or algorithmic procedures, for the creation of variations.”6 Experimentation has evolved from being simply a trial-and-error search in the design process, to a form of critical analysis, allowing for further development of the to determine the product that satisfies the most constraints and goals. Digital technology has generated design methods that allow for complex analysis yet intricate designs.

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From top to bottom: Figure 8. ICD/ITKE Research Pavilion (2016) - University of Stuttgart Figure 9. Robotic Fabrication of ICD/ITKE Research Pavilion (2016) - University of Stuttgart

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Oxman and Oxman, Theories of the Digital in Architecture, p.8 Oxman and Oxman, Theories of the Digital in Architecture, p.3

02 Precedent

Project: Anna Meares Velodrome Architect: Cox Architects Date: 2016 Location: Brisbane, Australia

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he newly built Anna Meares Velodrome will be hosting track cycling for the 2018 XXI Commonwealth Games in Brisbane. The velodrome’s hyperbolic paraboloid is tested in digital design software, before its’ final form is fabricated. Computation in this case has not necessarily impacted the conceivable geometries in design, but rather increased the boundaries of testing geometry in order to find its’ maximal structural performance. It has also shrunken production time and limited physical building waste, that would have occurred without the aid of digital technology, in addition at a scale of such, it would have been impossible to test the limits of the engineers to scale, and simply testing on a smaller scale may not result in the same conclusion to the right scale.

Computation has significantly pushed the boundaries of performance-oriented designing, where designs are challenging not only form but the performance; the way humans are able to interact with the product and viceversa. Digital calculations and simulations has allowed for architects to achieve user-friendly or higher interaction rates between user or environment and buildings, changing the way we approach design.

From top to bottom: Figure 10. Anna Meares Velodrome Tracks (2016) - Cox Architecture Figure 11. Exterior of Anna Meares Velodrome (2016) - Cox Architecture

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Task 2 - “Cocoon” Again focusing on Beethoven’s Pastorale, we focused on portraying an element from the music in the drawing style of a certain architect/ architecture firm, in which case I chose the German architect firm Coop Himmelblau. Coop Himmelblau’s design motto is to “make architecture a blaze” and to offer more than what they are. This is reflected in their drawings, as the scribble of lines on the page seemly go in every direction, and create seemingly almost a ‘mess’.

The second round listening to the piece, I found that I was more alert to the string instruments, and thought I would pay tribute to them. The creation of “Cocoon” was utterly an accident, and a remarkable ‘mess’. During my process of creating a brep surface and off-setting it, it created a spiral of lines that spewed out form the object in the middle. The strings seemingly become a literal translation of the strings from the instrument and I was able to envision it on sight, even as an installation, where when attached to the train tracks, would vibrate as the train approaches, becoming almost in sync with the surrounding nature.

Figure 12. Front elevation (Task 2)

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12From top to bottom: CONCEPTUALIZATION

Figure 13-14. Aerial perspective, elevation, plan (Task 2)

A.3 Composition/ Generation

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rchitectural design and practice has shifted from composition to generation with algorithmic thinking and popularization of parametric design with digital design software. Computation is defined as processing of information and elements, allowing the generation of a framework for negotiating and influencing the data; thus generating complex order, form and structure.7 Computation in architecture firms have changed the patterns and flows in the working environment, either separating individuals with software skills to integrating them together in teams.8 The sharing of information has become more accessible and knowledge of algorithms has thus become more known. Algorithms are not meant to be seen as recipe, but rather “describes a collection of objects that does something”. 9 The move to computation design has meant that architects engage with algorithmic thinking, which allows the exploration of innovative ideas as well as increase in the capability to solve complex problems.

Although it is arguable whether we are relying too much on digital design tools to fabricate products, as it seemingly interrupts with the traditional method of capturing our design from our mind directly on paper, it is also true that digital design has made design more realistic and meaningful, as we create more responsive designs and scripting becomes a more common language.

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8 9

Brady Peters, ‘Computation Works: Building of Algorithmic Thought’, Architectural Design, 83.2 (2013), 8-15, p.8.

Peters, p.11.

Definition of ‘Algorithm’, in The MIT Encyclopedia of the Cognitive Sciences, ed. Robert A, Wilson and Frank C. Keil, (London: MIT Press), p.12.

CONCEPTUALIZATION

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01 Precedent

Project: La Voute de LeFevre Architect: Matter Design Date: 2012 Location: Columbus, Ohio

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a Voute de LeFevre is a hybridization of ancient techniques and modern fabrication methods.

Matter Design investigated the application of ancient vault construction with contemporary computation investigations of the springing point.

Through various simulations and calculations the pattern gradually transitions from concave to convex and is a compression-only structure.

Computation in this project is used heavily during the design process, and has allowed for an integrated art form to appear. It has enabled new ways of thinking, particularly when applying old building methods, it engages with the old rather than demolishing it and is a true example of how computation makes possible the experience and creation of meaning.10 However, it is also arguable whether or not this design has relied too much on digital design tools and that the tools.

Parametric modelling has enabled this structure to gain it’s shape and form, and is important to acknowledge that this process was not just simply done through computation but also through the balance of both human creativity and control of the script.

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Peters, (p.13).

From top to bottom: Figure 15. La Voute de LeFevre (2012) - Matter Design Figure 16. Parametric modeling of La Voute de LeFevre (2016) - Matter Design

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02 Precedent

Project: FabLab House Architect: Fab lab Network Date: 2010 Location: Madrid, Spain

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ablab House was built under a project featuring collaboration between several architects around the world and started off under the director of Neil Gershenfield from MIT. The FabLab House is a sustainable house containing efficient use of energy such as flexible solar panels, which wrap around the roof of the house.

The house is made with timber structures that were parametrically designed and robotically fabricated with joints to fit together. The use of computation in the design of this house critics residential building and challenges the interaction of humans and housing, where the use of space was also investigated. This has sparked discussions on residential housing, from the form to the way it houses it’s residents - it is the use of computation that has allowed for constant redevelopment and critical analysis of our surrounding environment, bringing these developments more readily to the people.

However, in regards to digital design, it also has its shortcomings in terms of design ethics. With the ability to produce not just unique products but also identical products at large quantities for less cost and risk, it is possible that these technologies are exploited and used for mass production, which could not only lead to depletion of resources, but also to urban planning issues such as gentrification and increasing inequalities in housing.

From top to bottom: Figure 17. FabLab House (2010) - Fab Lab Network Figure 18. Interior of FabLab House (2016) - Fab Lab Network

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A.4 Conclusion

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onceptualization briefly went over how design ethics was beginning to become unsustainable and that there was a need for change in attitude towards design, and this was possible with the use of digital design tools.

Digital design revolutionized the design process, but also changed the way architectural practices work. These tools have brought along several benefits such as the exploration of new ideas and increase in ease of experimentation and prototyping at less costs and risks, for example the ICD Research Pavilion with the exploration of sand dollars and the hybridization of traditional building methods with Matter Design’s La Voute de LeFevre. This has also led to an increase in mass customization and mass production. However, digital design has also brought shortcomings, including the exploitation of mass production, for example in residential housing, the inequality of housing per population has increased in several countries, as well as over-popularization of certain design features that then lose their original charm and become almost over-rated.

Digital technology empowered designers, but at the same time was also considered to be a limit, as they were constraint to the algorithmic designs that the computer could only generate. Though design is now risk-low, it is still not riskfree, and in order to fully claim a harmonious relationship between digital technology and design, it is true to say that we have to fully explore the unexpected that the tools enable us.

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CONCEPTUALIZATION

A.5 Learning Outcomes

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esign in the digital realm relies not only on the ability of scripting but also critical analysis abilities in order to achieve a balanced integration of parametric design and problem solving. As someone with fairly limited knowledge in digital design softwares, I find it interesting in approaching the digital design realm without really knowing what I am able to achieve. It is through the elements of the unknown, that I am able to discover and reveal unexpected results, and potentially through these productions am I able to experiment and explore different solutions, that perhaps may not even be parametrically related, or are literally ‘random’ creations that exist due to ‘random’ ordering of tools in Grasshopper.

As it has been often commented in the readings and lectures about the reliability of digital technology in design, it is possible that perhaps I am not really designing, but rather simply manipulating Grasshopper’s units and only basing my designs on the visual qualities of these productions. As someone who is skilled in digital design tools, perhaps would have approached these softwares differently to how I would have, and would have based their design on what is already processed in their mind, then moving on to experimenting in Grasshopper. Whereas, I approached the design process from the very beginning through Grasshopper and Rhino, beginning the form and scripting process all digitally to begin with. However, it is also through these experimentations, accidental discoveries or randomization of choices in Grasshopper that I am only able to create these designs.

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References Definition of ‘Algorithm’, in The MIT Encyclopedia of the Cognitive Sciences, ed. Robert A, Wilson and Frank C. Keil, (London: MIT Press) Fry, Tony, Design Futuring: Sustainability, Ethics and New Practice (Oxford: Berg, 2008) Kalay, Yehuda E. , Architecture’s New Media: Principles, Theories, and Methods of Computer-Aided Design (Cambridge: MIT Press, 2004) Oxman, Rivka and Robert, Theories of the Digital in Architecture (London; New York: Routledge, 2014) Peters, Brady ‘Computation Works: Building of Algorithmic Thought’, Architectural Design, 83.2 (2013), 8-15

Figures Atlas Obscura, ‘Whale House’, Atlas Obscura (revised October 2009) <http://www.atlasobscura.com/places/casa-saldarini> [31 July 2017] Domus, ‘Biomimetic Pavilion’, Domus (revised 10 May 2016) <http://www.domusweb.it/en/news/2016/05/10/icd_itke_research_pavilion.html>

[10 August 2017] FabLab House, ‘FabLab House’, FabLab House (revised 15 August 2010) <http://www.fablabhouse.com/en/la-fab-lab-house-gana-el-premio-del-

publico-de-solar-decathlon-europe/> [10 August 2017] Matter Design, ‘Biomimetic Pavilion’, Matter Design (revised 14 July 2014) <http://www.matterdesignstudio.com/la-voute-de-lefevre/>

[10 August 2017] McLeish, Katty. ‘Commonwealth Games 2018: $59m Anna Meares Velodrome opens, cycling star announced as new Games ambassador’,

ABC News, 12 November 2016 ,<http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-11-12/commonwealth-games-anna-meares-velodrome-officially-

opens/8020024> [accessed 3 August 2017] Paris Convention and Visitors Bureau, ‘Walking City’, Paris Convention and Visitors Bureau (revised 4 July 2017) <https://en.parisinfo.com/what-

to-do-in-paris/info/guides/exhibition-at-the-centre-pompidou> [10 August 2017] Pinterest, ‘Walking City’, Pinterest (revised date unknown) <https://au.pinterest.com/pin/110408628336347054/> [10 August 2017] Sleeman Sports Complex, ‘Anna Meares Velodrome’, Sleeman Sports Complex (revised 12 November 2016) <http://www.sleemansports.com.au/

What-s-On/Event.aspx?EventId=55655> [3 August 2017]

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B PART B. CRITERIA DESIGN B.1 B.2 B.3 B.4 B.5 B.6 B.7

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Research Field Case Study 1.0 Case Study 2.0 Technique: Development Technique: Prototype Technique: Proposal Learning Objectives and Outcomes

In background: Case Study B.2 Iteration G1

Task 3 - “MEANING AND KNOWLEDGE” Titled “What doesn’t move, moves us”, this design responds to Ben Henson’s Untitled image. It focuses on an inanimate object - the statue. The statue itself however is imitating animate subjects - humans, crossing boundary between what is animate and what is not. Similarly when we think, we tend to go from one question to several other questions, before coming to an answer, but this cycle could repeat itself for the answer itself - it is a cyclic process and interrelating.

This relationship is shown through the pure, singular form that represents the simplification of our thoughts to generate an answer, and the many thoughts are represented through the panels below, which are in fact simply contours of the above object.

Figure 1. Untitled (2016) - Bill Henson

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Figure 2. Perspective (Task 3)

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Figure 3. Perspective (Task 3)

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Figure 4. Elevation (Task 3)

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â&#x20AC;&#x153;ARCHITECTURE SHOULD HAVE A LIFE

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E OF ITSELF - DON’T CONTROL IT.” - EGAN 2017 CRITERIA DESIGN

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B.1 Research Field

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he architect’s role is becoming increasingly specialized in the design of the outer shell’.11 Material performance is driving contemporary building designs to its limits, producing never seen or thought of complex geometries with the aid of technological capacity and freedom from standardization. The change from designing the building as a whole to only focusing on the exterior, is most likely propelled by the change in attitude towards design, where design becomes significantly more similar to artwork and the need to ‘show-off’ requires the design to be seen by the public in a more direct way of communication. There was a strong development within minimal surfaces, where the smooth and seamless surfaces were more preferred, for example the BMW pavilion “bubble’ at the Frankfurt Auto Show in 1999. Now building shells, have almost evolved to become the ornamental features of the building, as if returning to the time when ornamentation was celebrated on Gothic cathedrals or Greek agoras.

Ornamentation is inseparable to the object, as it communicates to its’ viewers and produces affects and resonance.12 Although ornamentation is revisited, technological capabilities enable architects to create and explore new spatial possibilities, for example Herzog & de Meruon’s exploration on the ornamented minimalism, in which they create a highly decorative skin, as seen in their ‘Signal Box’ (1999) in Basel, Switzerland or the patterning surfaces approached from mathematical concepts, for instance the ‘C-wall project’ by Andrew Kudless, which is based on the Voronoi tessellation.

The change in designs of the exterior shell, has led to strengthening of the building’s aesthetics to its functions, as well as differentiation of buildings, a key strategy in tackling the homogenization of building designs from the early stages of the International Style movement of cities being filled with curtain glass skyscrapers. It explores the need to portray culture within architecture, as well as how buildings offer a sense of identity, often shaped by social, economic, political and social context.13 Buildings are becoming more than buildings, they are representational figures that exudes feelings more than just based off aesthetics, but a deeper sense of connection and resonance.

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Farshid Moussavi and Michael Kubo, eds (2006). The Function of Ornament (Barcelona: Actar), p.6.

Moussavi and Kubo, The Function of Ornament, p.9 Branko Kolarevic and Kevin R. Klinger, eds (2008). Manufacturing Material Effects: Rethinking Design and Making in Architecture (New York: London Routledge), p.19

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Anti-clockwise Figure 5. C-Wall Project (2006) - Andrew Kudless Figure 6. Signal Box (1999) - Herzog & de Meuron Figure 7. BMW “Bubble” Pavilion at IAA ‘99 Autoshow (1999) - Bernhard Franken

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“ Task 4 - “MADNESS OF VISION” The opening scene of the film West Side Story, saw the brawls between the two gangs interpreted as a dance choreography. However, the framing of the camera restricted our ability to foresee and thus there were constant overwhelming of content in the frame - with people coming into scene from all different angles and sides, all at once, then suddenly moving away into different scenes and so on. We reflected this idea into our model and used different colours to represent the madness that we saw from the choreography and camera framing, with the structure almost sprouting into different directions, creating different pathways that are linked together to create one whole entity.

Figure 8-10: Opening Scene of West Side Story (1961)

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“JETS! JETS!!!!!”RRRRRR (PEOPLE POP OUT OF NOWHERE) (This is where I met my partner) YUETING: “WHAT’S GOING ON...”

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Figure 11. Elevation (Task 4)

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Yueting: “Why are they (people) yellow?”

Me: (sends her another blue) Yueting: “Nevermind, yellow it is...”

HOW THE YELLOW VECTOR PEOPLE CAME ABOUT CRITERIA DESIGN

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Figure 12. Plan (Task 4)

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Figure 14. Elevation (Task 4)

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B.2 Case Study 1.0

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oussoir Cloud is San Francisco-based studio’s installation designed for the Southern California Institute of Architecture gallery in Los Angeles. The complexity of this installation is in the individual petals, each having their unique geometry slightly different from one another, created by a computational script to calculate the curvature of each piece.

Produced from ultra-light material systems, the vaults rely on each other to retain their pure compressive form. It drew inspiration from Antonio Gaudi’s hanging chain models, using form finding programs to determine the compressive forms in the installation; each vault is comprised of a Delaunay tessellation, where the cells are denser at the bottom with more connective modules but become looser at the top, where the porous pattern is created.

The human need to perceive, organize and structure the world around us into patterns and rhythms is intrinsic.14 Our sensory preceptors make things rational, by understanding things as visually logical objects or using knowledge and intuition to fill in the gaps of the unknown. In Voussoir Cloud, however there is an attempt to break the logical, as it attempts to defamiliarize both structure and material to create contradicting readings from conventional architectural typologies. The thin wood pieces look almost solid in form and create an almost porous texture, which in conventional thin wood piece structures would be irrational. The need to break away from the norm is a ‘style’ or movement that is being explored in design. Although it is human instinct to perceive things as patterns, it is also human instinctive to challenge or question the unknown, our curiosity always gets the better of us, and in architecture, this becomes a challenge to create the spectacular or the never-before-seen. “Computational potential for generation complex forms and complexly patterned surfaces and structures is virtually inexhaustible”.15 It is important that although we use computational methods not to develop a distinctive style, but to explore the freedom to design the impossible. There are unlimited number of approaches and ways to create, that design is more accessible than ever before, and the number of people involved in the process extends from not just the designers but also the audience themselves, as they are empowered with the knowledge of the creation process.

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Previous page Figure 15a-c. Voussoir Cloud (2008) - Iwamoto Scott

Kolarevic, and Klinger, Manufacturing Material Effects: Rethinking Design and Making in Architecture, p.20 Kolarevic, and Klinger, Manufacturing Material Effects: Rethinking Design and Making in Architecture, p.21

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1

Case Study 1 Iterations

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C D E Unedited Voussoir Cloud Rhino Model and Linework

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G

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Iteration A

From top to bottom (1-5): Iteration A - Kangaroo Vector XYZ (Scales: +0.5, +1.5, +5, +19, +30)

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Iteration B

From top to bottom (1-5): Iteration B - Vector Scale [Primary Kangaroo] (Scales: 10, 6.5, 3, 0, -3)

From top to bottom (1Iteration C - Vector Sc

Iteration C

-5): cale [SecondaryKangaroo] (Scales: 10, 6.5, 3, 0, -3)

These iterations were mainly focused in two parts: one of the main/ Grasshopper script and some on the kangaroo scripts, which were both scripted with the primary and secondary Kangaroo scripts.

Iteration A: This was mainly played with the secondary Kangaroo Script, which featured a Vector Direction component, this was seen to shift the main voids to a certain direction based on the vector direction parameter/scale - changing the form only aesthetically.

Iteration B+C: This iteration and iteration C are fairly similar, however, although the starting structure remained the same, once changed within the Grasshopper script, the two developed slightly different designs. With B creating more tighter closed holes, and C creating wider holes (this is especially seen at the far bottom two modifications). Again similar to the previous iteration, the modification seem to only push the aesthetics of the structure. *Iteration C is in mesh mode as it is not able to convert to a nurb - possibly a result of modifications?

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Iteration D

From top to bottom (1-5): Iteration D - Graft Scale [Primary Kangaroo] (Scales: 0.9, 0.6, 0.4, 0.2, 0.15)

Iteration E

Iteration F

From top to bottom (1-5): Iteration E - Graft Scale [Secondary Kangaroo] (Scales: 0.9, 0.6, 0.4, 0.2, 0.15) From top to bottom (1-5): Iteration F - Line Length (Scales: 1, 2, 6, 10, 20)

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Iteration G

Iteration D + E: This is another double series from altering the main Grasshopper script, and was influenced by the Graft function, where the scale of the graft is changed. Although both structures were completely distorted, it is noticeable that only the ones in D have been formed into linework only, rather than forming a smooth surface like the ones seen in C. Not only does it completely change the geometry, but also alters the perspective of geometry being definitely solid (though this is the majority in reality, it is not always the case in parametric design).

Iteration F: This was mainly played with the secondary Kangaroo Script, which featured a line strength component. Modifications in this function was difficult as there was no expectation of how much in scale could factor how much of a change in growth, hence the scaling was not numerical ordered. However, this is one of the most interesting series of iterations out of the rest, as it pushes the model to a completely different structural feature and extrudes the geometry completely.

Iteration G: This was mainly played with the secondary Kangaroo Script, which allowed for a modifications on the intensity of the lines. This modification is weakest in terms of itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ability to change the exterior appearance, however is another example (apart from A) that clearly demonstrates simple logical algorithmic modification, where the structure gradually changes, in this case, becomes almost bulkier in thickness.

From top to bottom (1-5): Iteration G - Line Strength (Scales: 1, 5, 10, 30, 60)

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Successful Iterations

A3- This structure is understood differently at different angles - in

perspective it seems to be simply an inverse of the original model, and yet from the side elevation, it is completely slanted in the z direction. This model may not be as adaptable in terms of its form as it seems quite rigid and less flexible, however aesthetically it has achieved/maintained the same visual context of the model being slightly soft and curved. This could be used as a water feature within Merri Creek, for instance a mini water fountain.

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D3- The most sustainable out of all the iterations as it would requir the least amount of material, but also was the most unpredictable outcome during the design process - it lacked the physical material surface that appeared during the other iterations. This design can be used as an art installation or simply a pavilion made from frameworks. It can be quite adaptable as it does not cover the landscape or scenery and seems to be flexible in structurality and form.

re

Sustainability - whether the design will last both in form structurally and stay in trend in architectural culture Unpredictability - whether the design has a soul of its own and displays a certain characteristic (triggers emotions more than others) Adaptibility - whether the design will be able to fit into site (Merri Creek) temporally and spatially Aesthetics - whether the design has had an obvious visual change in its exterior as well as textural/material responses

E2- Compared to the other 3, this design is the least aesthetically

pleasing, however it has evidentially changed in form from the original model. It could potentially be used as a giant seesaw or children's playground. It is also strongly sustainable as it's form is quite aggressive and tough, however this may be an avant-garde design and may take time before it is fully appreciated (i.e. there is future potential).

F5- This design can be seen as an animal retreat, where there

are several gaps and narrow spaces for them to hide in or escape.

The structure was one of the most unpredictable and is strongly adaptable to Merri Creek's environment - mainly structurally over aesthetics. This may be the weakest in sustainability of trend out of the four designs, as it's form is simply unexplainable and is hard to decipher.

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"You can't do better design with a computer, but you can speed up your work enormously."

- Wim Crouwel (Helvetica)

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Task 4 - “LIQUIDATION” Michael Gromm’s artistic style combines planned and unplanned methods, and using acrylic and oil he is able to produce organic forms and irregular patterns. The lines and clear definitions of the medium in the artwork were our main inspiration. The pavilion is shaped almost like the frozen state of the river, and engulfs part of the river itself, allowing full engagement with the water.

Figure 16. Any Malls (2017) - Michael Gromm

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Figure 17. Perspective (Task 5) CRITERIA DESIGN

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Figure 18. Section (Task 5)

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Figure 19. Plan (Task 5)

What is success in architecture?

- Class Discussion Question

“When you learn something from it..”

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B.3 Case Study 2.0

I

ts’ design stands out from its surrounding urban landscape in Taichung, and features a continuous surface structure, engaging in all surrounding directions. It is constructed with methods to realise freeform geometry; using shotcrete (spray concrete), which is quicker and cheaper to produce than constructing curved formwork.16 Ito names one of the interior spaces the ‘sound cave’, which features the same continuous surface structure seen from the outside, and creates a cavelike appearance in the inside, creating curved surfaces where sounds bounce off them and into the space. This opera house uses dynamic relaxation as its’ main form-finding method, where the aim is to find geometry that all forces are in equilibrium with each other. This address the use of mathematical methods in parametrical design, where mathematical processes are not to be understood fully, but simply exploited in the design process to create visual construction and enabling us to explore and discover actively.17 The design also relates to issues of environment, resources and energy, such as collection of rainwater and the use of ecomaterial.18 Current issues with sustainability have also changed the way we view form, as unlike in the past where form before function was the norm or vice versa, but now it seems as if the two have become just as equally important. Not only are we looking for an aesthetically satisfying design, but we are also looking for forms that aid or do not impact on the environment.

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Anita Hackethal, ‘Toyo Ito: Taichung metropolitan opera’, designboom (revised March 2010) <https://www.designboom.com/architecture/ toyo-ito-taichung-metropolitan-opera/> [6 September 2017] Robert F. Woodbury (2014). ‘How Designers Use Parameters’, in Theories of the Digital in Architecture ed. by Rivka Oxman and Robert Oxman (London; New York: Routledge), pp.166-167 Hackethal, ‘Toyo Ito: Taichung metropolitan opera’.

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Next page Figure 20a-c. Taichung Metropolitan Opera House (2014 - 2016) - Toyo Ito

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1.

First we drew a rectangle and then used populate2D within the boundary to generate random points that would then be applied with the Voronoi function, which created our base curves, that we baked to use it in our reverse engineer model.

4.

Using Surface Split, which is attached to the Nurb curves and rectangle boundary, we then generate the connections between the nurb curves, using items and lists to help find the right number that would select the gaps.

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2.

Selecting the curves within the rectangle we then used the same rectangle as our boundary for our grasshopper model. We selected alternating curves, creating two separately referenced curves that were p of the same Voronoi layout from previous Then use Divide Surface and generate Nu curves, for smoother edges.

3.

e,

We then used Polygon Center to find the center point of each curve cell, then generate a smaller offset in the middle.

The offset and the main nurb curve are then lofted together.

e o part sly. urb

5.

Finally, we mirrored our base function and deleted the extra geometry that were outside of the rectangle boundary.

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(This Page)Figure 21. Drawing of Colonnade of VCCC (Task 6) (Next Page)Figure 22. Drawing of Ian Potter NGV (Task 7)

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B.4 Technique: Development

â&#x20AC;&#x153;They generate and explore architectural spaces and concepts through the writing and modifying of algorithms that relate to element placement, element configuration, and the relationships between elements.â&#x20AC;? - Peters 2013

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WHYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY YYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY YYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY YYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY

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1 A

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Case Study 2 Iterations 58

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The main selection criteria here is the basis to modify the exterior appearance of the model, but to also change the individual functions that are the main components of the model, for example the referenced curves.

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1 2 1 2 1 2 A 1of the polygon centre function, where the scaling induced 2 widening of the punctures in t Iteration A: Controllants of iteration A was the scale mainA aesthetic element of the model, which are the openings of the structure.

1 2 A A B A B

Iteration B: Controllants of iteration B, generated similar outcomes to A, which is interesting to contemplate on, as the alteration was using t rigid, as the scaling increased in value, and the openings similarly became more angular, till they were almost near identical to the referenced

B B C B C

C Iteration C: This series featured different plug-ins of different 'Curve' functions, ranging from simply deleting the polygon center function to i moreC regular than organic, for instance the addition of the 'Flip' function (second from left). This is one of the most successful iterations, as D C D

D D E Iteration D: The referenced curve is changed in this series, using the graph mapper and voronoi component instead to map new curves. This rectangular D E boundary. The new patterning on the rectangle creates different organized openings, correlating to the argument made on patter

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Iteration E: Similar to D, instead the Bezier curve was used. This was interesting as some of the curves were trimmed off, making it an unclos

3 4 3 4 3 4 4 and altered the the model. This was one 3 of the most simplest modifications in the iteration process 3 4

5 5 5 5 5

the surface divide function, where the number of divides was scaled. This made the nurb curves more d main curve.

inserting others as an alternative. Some interesting seen was that some functions made the structure it alters the regularity of the organic structure in the unedited model, to a more unified geometry.

series focuses on the Conic graph, where the scale of the graph is altered, these produced different patterns, that are then cropped into the rning as a major result from technical innovation.

sed curve, and hence ended up becoming 'floating 2D elements' within the structure.

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Iteration F: This iteration focused on the minimal surface qualities of our model. Using the tensile and cell pattern functions, we changed sev our prototype for the next part. Reflecting on how we would place it within context/site was another issue that we found to be influencing, as

Iteration G: The use of flat voronoi grid and 3d voronoi grids are explored in this iteration, as the openings of the structure are tested to it's lim structure to become more thin in material and appearance, changing the way we perceive the model.

Iteration H: This series uses the irregular boundaries instead of a box to populate different curvatures, and is again testifying the limits to ho previous iterations. Although this iteration has changed the most in appearance, it is not included as one of the most successful iterations d

Iteration I: This iteration focuses on the minimal surface aspect of our design again, as we explore how Kangaroo can be replaced with other plug-in we attempted to explore how closely similar the affects would be. This resulted in a similar curvature and shape from the original mo

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veral patterns at once, creating a more lofted and organized patterning. This is one of our most successful iterations, and we have chosen this as s not only does appearance resonant with the viewer, but also depending on the pattern/ structure could be functional as well.

mits, we are able to see how the different curvatures again similar to iteration D and E can alter the patterning of the structure. These allow the

ow the curves, which are the main components influence the structures. This however created almost non-identical structures to that of the due to the fact that we have completely altered the algorithm logic, rather than simply fine tune and maintain the same pattern.

r definitions. Kangaroo is the main plug-in that is used to explore minimal surface and material performance, however by using another odel, however as we modified the curves slightly, it generated a completely different design.

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Successful Iterations

C5- This has remained fairly similar to the original, however is

strongly potential in being a physical structure in Merri Creek, for example it could be an observatory or lookout. It's smooth exterior is what mainly drives its aesthetic qualities and can remain quite sustainable in trend, as people prefer smoother visuals than rough.

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E4- This structure may be the least adaptable out of the four

structures, as its pieces are not intact and have broken off int thinner plates that surround the edge and corners. This piece has repetition in it and this is a quality that we are often more than negative about. It can most likely be used as an art insta or perhaps even a toilet, with those plates becoming the divis walls.

Sustainability - whether the design will last both in form structurally and stay in trend in architectural culture Unpredictability - whether the design has a soul of its own and displays a certain characteristic (triggers emotions more than others) Adaptibility - whether the design will be able to fit into site (Merri Creek) temporally and spatially Aesthetics - whether the design has had an obvious visual change in its exterior as well as textural/material responses

r to though e positive allation sion

G5- This structure is most aesthetically pleasing, as it contains a

round, solid form, however the openings and mesh material make the piece seem formal and legitimate. This could be used as a children's playground, and would fit well with the housings along the site, where there is also a basketball court underneath the bridge along the area.

I2- This is the most unpredictable out of the 4, however it is

on the borders of being considered sustainable, as it is highly undecipherable, yet structurally could become something that floats around Merri Creek, acting as a sheltering or shading device. The organicity of the piece may perhaps be what is most aesthetically pleasing about it.

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Task 6 - “POETIC ARCHITECTURE” This building incorporates the poetic aesthetics from the extract of Italo Calvino’s “Invisible Cities”. Similar to how the city was described as something unerasable from the mind, and that each point served as an “immediate aid to memory”. As a building it contains different levels and spaces, where each space contains a formable fabric piece, however as each piece is almost identical, it plays on the aspect of how the ‘city’ is something that contains different images, but could also rather be a replication of the same image, mirrored or resized..

Beyond six rivers and three mountain ranges rises Zora, a city that no one, having seen it, can forget. But not because, like other memorable cities, it leaves an unusual image in your recollections.

Zora has the quality of remaining in your memory point by point, in its succession of streets, of houses along the streets, and of doors and windows in the houses, though nothing in them possesses a special beauty or rarity. Zora’s secret lies in the way your gaze runs over patterns following one another as in a musical score where not a note can be altered or displaced. The man who knows by heart how Zora is made, if he is unable to sleep at night, can imagine he is walking along the streets and he remembers the order by which the copper clock follows the barber’s striped awning, then the fountain with nine jets, the astronomer’s glass tower, the melon vendor’s kiosk, the statue of the hermit and the lion, the Turkish bath, the café at the corner, the alley that leads to the harbor. This city which cannot be expunged from the mind is like an armature, a honeycomb in whose cells each of us can place the things he wants to remember: names of famous men, virtues, numbers, vegetable and mineral classifications, dates of battles, constellations, parts of speech.

Between each idea and each point of the itinerary an affinity or a contrast can be established, serving as an immediate aid to memory.

So the world’s learned men are those who have memorized Zora.

But in vain I set out to visit the city: forced to remain motionless and always the same, in order to be more easily remembered, Zora has languished, disintegrated, disappeared. The earth has forgotten her.

- Italo Calvino “Invisible Cities”

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CAN BLANK SPACE BE REMEMBERED?

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Figure 23. Plan (Task 6)

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Figure 25. Section (Task 6)

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Figure 24. Perspective (Task 6)

B.5 Technique: Prototypes

O

ur prototype features the use of minimal surface to explore the research field of Geometry, as we are interested in the relaxation of material. We focused on using flexible material to provide the tensile strength that our prototype would be made from. Time constraints and budgeting were definitely an influencer in this choice, and the material we chose was paper.

The model is made from paper, to which we unwrapped the digital model and printed them out to cut out. Over time, we modified the template cutout, adding flaps to try and make hidden joineries between the material.

It is true that computation allows for quicker communication and efficient experimentation, however when in the process of physical fabrication, it is almost as if nothing is as perfect as the parametric design. The fabrication process was meet with many destructions, for example the unpredictable line weights in reality, compared to the computer screen or the thought of joineries that in the parametric model seemed seamless (a bit too seamless to the point where we forgot the one flap). Sticking the model together also required great attention, which was handled by number the sides of the model, so that we were able to piece together the model with greater accuracy (initially we were only guessing based on the Rhino model on a screen).

Figure 26. Prototype - Rhino model (Left: interior of model/ Right: 2 modular units)

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Our initial prototype featured several flaps on the outside, in hopes that we would cut out what was left (not joined).

However this turned out completely disastrous in not only that we mixed up the joineries, but some flaps were completely difficult to cut in the position that they ended up in. To add, the final structure was joined and so the curving membrane made it even more difficult.

Initial Prototype Template

2 pieces of the template complete one modular unit - this shows the fabrication process, which begins with piecing the two together, before folding

As shown the flaps become part of the exterior function and in the process alters the appearance of the model Figure 27-29. Initial Prototype Fabrication Process

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For our second prototype, we refined it further with less flaps, however flaps to connect each modular was not calculated correctly and thus resulted in faulty joineries (made from glue and tape)

Second Prototype Template

1 modular unit

2 modular units

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4 modular units

6 modular units - Final Product

Figure 30-34. Second Prototype Fabrication Process

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â&#x20AC;&#x153; Design is ubiquitous - everyone designs everyday..the black area is to have the courage and knowledge to make a difference in the design world... nomalities are something imposed on ourselves.â&#x20AC;?

- Greg Lynn, MSD Lecture Series (2017)

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B.6 Technique: Proposal INTRUSION Our given bird was the ‘Blue bonnet’, which from research shows that has an agressive behaviour and when put into a cage with other birds, will kill those that are weaker than it. ‘Intrusion’ is inspired by this and features a spiky design that intrudes the surrounding environment. We propose that this piece could be a bird cage, where the birds are not locked within an enclosure but would instead become an enclosure for passbyers as they would feel trapped within the space, whilst the birds become the observer instead. Similarly, it also portrays the conflicts between architecture and the natural environment - these two do not always compliment each other.

Behaviour is not only seen from organisms, but also through non-organic objects. Appearances can portray different forms and shapes and this entitles us to perceive different emotions - in this case, the spiky forms exude isolation and danger.

Figure 35. Drawing of Bluebonnet (n.d.) Chestofbooks

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Figure 36. Plan (Task 7)

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Figure 38. Perspective (Task 7)

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Figure 37. Section (Task 7)

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B.7 Learning Outcomes

C

riteria design heavily involves aspects of parametric experimentation as we engaged in reverse engineering and fabrication techniques.

Through the design tasks assigned to us, there is a certain bonding between the individual and computational that is felt here, however this is only on an emotional level and not necessarily technical. Grasshopper is hard to grasp technically and is not something as simple as the design thought process that goes behind when drawing - our hands are easily controlled by us, but grasshopper seems to have a mind of its own.

Further more, technical difficulties and time consuming waits made the learning process a lot harder to endure; picking up skills of patience and alternative thinking (back- up plans) along the way as a bonus.

Despite the negativity, I am beginning to understand why Grasshopper is used abundantly in parametric design - its unpredictability yet logical mathematical order allow for the designer to create something completely abstract but use rational methods to iterate and reproduce it. It gives birth to unlimited possibilities and in some ways becomes a process of self-learning; growing from the knowledge gained whilst modeling. It is also arguable in architecture, that parametric software such as grasshopper is creating 'art' and not 'architecture', but what are the borders between these two?

Scripting enables us to develop craftsmanship in the digital world, yet, these designs can become both physical and functional, which could possibly be one of the two main features of architecture - to be in form and to be useful.

To propose a parametric design is complex in that not all credit tends to go to the designer. No matter how much control we have of the digital design, parametric software always tends to disrupt or rejuvenate our ideas. On the other hand it also increases accuracy and simulation of existing environments and materials, making design proposals more time efficient with less physical experimentation required, but at the same time increasing the immersion of designer and design in terms of material or structural realism. Though saying so, it is often that physical prototyping is essential as the computer can never be trusted to the full extent and materials are never all similar.

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It is with parametric software that we are able to experiment unlimitedly, but also aid in the critical analysis and product development - becoming a secret member of the design process.

References Hackethal, Anita. ‘Toyo ito: taichung metropolitan opera’, Designboom, 23 March 2010 ,<https://www.designboom.com/architecture/toyo-ito-

taichung-metropolitan-opera/> [accessed 4 September 2017] Kolarevic, Branko and Klinger, Kevin R. eds (2008). Manufacturing Material Effects: Rethinking Design and Making in Architecture (New York: London Routledge), pp.6-24 Moussavi, Farshid and Kubo, Michael, eds (2006). The Function of Ornament (Barcelona: Actar), pp.5-14 Peters, Brady ‘Computation Works: Building of Algorithmic Thought’, Architectural Design, 83.2 (2013), 8-15 Woodbury, Robert. F (2014). ‘How Designers Use Parameters’, in Theories of the Digital in Architecture ed. by Rivka Oxman and Robert Oxman (London; New York: Routledge), pp.166-167w(London; New York: Routledge), pp.166-167

Figures Chest of Books, ‘Blue Bonnet’, Chest of books (revised 8 September 2009) <http://chestofbooks.com/animals/birds/Parrots-In-Captivity/Blue-

Bonnet-Parrakeet-Psittacus-hcematogaster-Psephotus-hoematogaster-Gld.html> [14 September 2017] Danceon, West Side Story - Prologue - Official Full Number - 50th Anniversary (HD), 2011 <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bxoC5Oyf_ss&t>

[accessed 31 August 2017] Gromm, Michael, ‘Any Malls’, Flinders Lane Gallery (revised 1 May 2015) <https://www.flg.com.au/artist/michael-gromm/contemporary>

[14 September 2017] Franken-architecten, ‘Bubble Pavilion’, Franken-architecten (revised 13 October 2011) <http://www.franken-architekten.de/index.php?pagetype=

projectdetail&lang=en&cat=6&param=cat&param2=21&param3=0&> [1 September 2017] Furuto, Alison. ‘Flashback: Signmao Box/ Herzog & de Meuron’, Archdaily, 24 July 2012 ,<http://www.archdaily.com/256766/flashback-signal-

box-herzog-de-meuron> [accessed 1 September 2017] Hackethal, Anita. ‘Toyo ito: taichung metropolitan opera’, Designboom, 23 March 2010 ,<https://www.designboom.com/architecture/toyo-ito-

taichung-metropolitan-opera/> [accessed 4 September 2017] Henson, Bill. ‘Any Malls’, National Gallery of Victoria (revised 16 September 2016) ,<https://www.ngv.vic.gov.au/exhibition/bill-henson/>

[accessed 9 September 2017]

Pinterest, ‘C-Wall Project’, Pinterest (revised date unknown) <https://www.pinterest.co.uk/pin/336433034633208832/> [1 September 2017]

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C PART C. DETAILED DESIGN C.1 C.2 C.3 C.4

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Design Concept Tectonic Elements & Prototypes Final Detail Model Learning Objectives and Outcomes

Figure 21. Drawing of VCA Centre for Ideas (Task 8)

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C.1 Design Concept

P

arametric design is 'aesthetic (re)production' - repetition of quality and taste.19 To develop a concept through parametric design is the equivalent of taking the design through a hair salon - what mainly matters is the aesthetics; the exterior, rather than the inside or the context. With our project, it seems as if the same design process had occurred - although we used the same scripting method as we had from the past few classes, we noticed that we were constantly focused on changing the script based off the preview of the parametric design of our model.

Although, this allowed us to visit several different designs, it was not until we implied our context and concept into further detail based off our research that we were able to envisage the change in a richer meaning.

19

Mark Burry (2011). Scripting Cultures: Architectural Design and Programming (Chichester: Wiley), p.18

Figure 38. Random exploration in Grasshopper of Mid-semester presentation 'bird c

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cage' feature

Following on from our feedback received from mid-semester presentation, we were told to let grasshopper take over more and to think about our siting (which we did not explain in detail at our mid-semester presentation, hence was unclear). We were also told that the idea of inversing nature's hierarchy, with the birds going at the top was an interesting idea, however we would have to formalise the idea of aggressiveness to a further extent.

We did extra research and found that the Blue Bonnet also does not like to fly far from their habitat, which are hollowed trees and narrow spaces, and that they are predator weary. We used this research and put it into context with our design - with the hollow tubes envisioning the habitat, and the wires referencing the bird's flight.

During the weeks - we attempted to deal with our form, trialing out mainly designs with exoskeletons as this went along with our concept of a 'bird cage' well. In week 9, we developed a similar structure to midsemester, however strengthened the frame to add another separated structure on top. However we found that the form was lacking in representation; especially where the top piece was not necessary (it became an ornament). Week 10, we went extremely overboard with our exoskeleton concept and ended up with 2 separate pieces instead of 1, although the colouring helped us to decipher which parts we wanted to be inside and outside. Week 11 saw our final design come to life, where we investigated more on the works of Kangaroo, and tried to imitate aspects of the Blue Bonnet's behaviours and characteristics as much as possible.

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(Top to bottom) Figure 39-46. Week 9 - 11 design iterations=

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X

Key features

X

Position of design

Human Activity (weakest - strongest)

Scale 1:20 @A3

(This page) Site Analysis (Next page) Design Process and iterations

The site's most southern tip is chosen, as it is where the two train lines intersect and also in theory one of the highest locations of human activity (trains), second to that of High Street, located west of the site.

It was also chosen because the design would act as a spectacle for commuters on their train and would draw their attention.

The design composes of mapping of the branching networks of the train tracks, with generative points planted at random points within the two train lines, which when plugged into Kangaroo, creates a fabric like structure that wraps around the guide lines referenced within Rhino earlier. The wiring of the model is then created by simulating the blue bonnet's flight patterns using a plug-in - 'swarm agent'. Through random generations of several iterations, we chose one that we felt best, in this case allowed the wrapping of the wires to be even around the main structure.

It's final structure creates a network like system - hence the naming of our piece as 'Bonnetwork', which also combines the name of the bird (Blue Bonnet).

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(Top to bottom) Figure 43-45. Photos of site

1. Reference a randomised point cloud

3.. Reference the curves and cull any duplicates

5. Apply swarm agent and select appropriate iteration

2. Join the points together with curves

4. Plug them into Kangaroo and trial different factors e.g.

Springs

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Perspectives

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C.2 Tectonic Elements & Prototypes

(left to right) Figures 47 - 54. Analogue model made from clay and wire

A section of the final model was chosen, and clay was chosen as our first prototype material due to the fact that it was easy to manipulate by hand and would suit our organic features seen in our design. However, as beginners in clay modelling, we found that a lack of armature limited our ability to build up our model without the risk of the clay collapsing on to each other due to its dense weight and our first few trials saw that it would have benefitted if we gradually built up the model, rather than starting with a larger piece to begin with. Though we found that using water, we were able to smoothen the clay, and once dried using sand paper to sand off the rough edges. The wire was wrapped around the model at random, similar to how the model was digitally produced.

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Figures 55 -56. Failed initial trials with clay (left) density of the clay made the model collapse whilst drying and (rig

ght) difficult to maintain clean finishes, especially at openings like the top

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C.3 Final Detail Model

(Left to right) Figures 57 - 64. Making of digital model made from laser cut MDF and wire

To approach our model digitally, we section cut our digital model in Rhino, then Make2D our layers, which are then referenced into grasshopper each with a number coded and ordered into numerical order. This is then laser cut and pieced together using PVA glue. We determined that to digitally fabricate the wire elements of our model, the best method would have been to 3D print our model, but due to time constraints we had to leave that and head back to analogue, by wrapping the wire around our model.

This section was chosen as it represented our organic design the best without compromising it's structurality (i.e. won't fall down due to imbalancement).

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Figures 65 - 70. Photos of digital model

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C.4 Learning Objectives and Outcomes

A

lgorithmic design has shaped the way we engage and adapt to design itself - We are acting as both the designer and the software engineer, gaining the ability to understand and use.20 Scripting has changed from counter culture to the driving force of 21st-century thinking.21 With parametric designs we are now more focused on the form than we have been before, as we are able to achieve more complex definitions and geometry than we have in the past. However, it is because of so that parametric design has become shallow - we are ONLY looking at the form and not the context, site, users and various other factors that should be driving design in architecture. Architecture is not 'architecture' unless it is built for the right purpose or user, and it fits within site context. If none of the above are aligned, then it is simply a design. It would have been the same with our design, as we were told to use Grasshopper and other parametric software/plug-ins to create a certain model. However, without the implications of site and context, we would not have been able to put the model into context and that would have simply been a random digital creation.

Yet, saying so, there is still a large amount of grey area between what the computers and what the designer is in charge of when designing something digitally. It is hard to control the design, without being able to control the design well enough and it is difficult to put the design into context, without the use of the human thoughts.

Though this may change in the future - for now it seems as if there is a trend towards believing that the human is in control and the computer is simply the aid-agent.

Despite being able to achieve so much in parametric designs, when building physical models and translating the digital to the physical, the process is often frustrating as we lack the precision and the digital lacks the intricacy that is seen with physical fabrication. The lack of scripting education has meant that we are able to harness the physical, but it is the physical that influences us more than the digital - we are more concerned about the form and geometry than we have been in the past (In the past it was all about the theory or some mathetmatics). The digital simply becomes a miniwonderland, where the mind is allowed to dream. Had the digital been taught to students first, perhaps the idea of the computer being an aid-agent would also have been diminished and instead be on-par and of equality with us humans during the design process. Perhaps then are computers able to assist humans in achieving the 'What' and 'Why' in designs and not simply a tool that we use to achieve our dreams and realisations.

20 21

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Burry, (p.9) Burry, (p.16)

DETAILED DESIGN

References Burry, Mark (2011). Scripting Cultures: Architectural Design and Programming (Chichester: Wiley), pp.8-71

DETAILED DESIGN

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With Yueting at Week 12 Final Presentation

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DETAILED DESIGN