Handout: Computational Aesthetics (2007)

Formative Techniques Martin Tamke http://cita.karch.dk

Center for IT og Arkitektur

ThinkTank:

On computational Aesthetics A collaboration between the Royal Danish Academy’s CITA, Afdeling 8 and the Yale University School of Architecture Organized by Mark Foster Gage, Martin Tamke and Frank Bundgaard

aesthetics: the branch of philosophy dealing with such notions as the beautiful, the ugly, the sublime, the comic, etc., as applicable to the fine arts, with a view to establishing the meaning and validity of critical judgments concerning works of art, and the principles underlying or justifying such judgments.

Participants Study by Gage Clemenceau using Digital Fabrication Techniques

Students from the Royal Academy of Fine Arts School of Architectures Department 8 and students Yale University of Architecture The group will be subdivided in teams of 4

Venue

The workshop will take place at Sal C2 at the School of Architecture.

Introduction

Formative Techniques Martin Tamke http://cita.karch.dk

Center for IT og Arkitektur

THINK TANK - In early 1946 the Douglas Aircraft Company, a provider of air power to the United States military, founded “Project RAND,” a simple contraction of the terms “Research and Development.” Project RAND was intended to function as an intensive, and brief, gathering of experts---assembled to simply think, as a group, about nothing less than how technology might impact the future of world politics. In this act the world’s first “think tank” had been created. Less than 3 months after it’s founding, in May of 1946, the Project RAND think tank produced the document “The Preliminary Design of an Experimental World-Circling Spaceship,” or, an outline for how to proceed with the construction of the worlds first orbiting satellite. This was a pioneering act of speculation, proposed a full 10 years before the Soviet Union launched the worlds first satellite, Sputnik.

Structural ornament in subdivision surface technique in 2003by Martin Tamke

As a direct descendant of “Project RAND” the "Seminar on Computational Aesthetics" will study the possibility of future relationships between technology, architecture, and the existence of beauty. As an axiom, we will simply accept that while technology has always influenced the creation of architecture--- and that architecture’s influence on the viewer is highly contingent on a visual, and aesthetically charged relationship between viewer and viewed.

While such aesthetic concerns have been unfashionable for decades, their reemergence is renewed by dramatic recent advances in form making and material technologies. Simply put, architecture has never been so capable of producing exquisite and stunning forms as it is today. The question we will ask, above issues of performance and economics, is how architectures new formal renaissance might enter culture for a new and vibrantly altered 21st century context. What is the role of beauty in architecture? and what is the role of technology in the production of such beauty? .

Tools The tools used during the course of the week will be extremely limited. We will focus exclusively on the development of subdivision surfaces that emerge from polygonal modeling techniques. By limiting the tools used, greater expertise will be quickly gained and establish a family of aesthetic forms which can be easily judged relative to one another.

Formerly communication tools for architects tended to be easily accessible, as pen and paper, allowing their users to generate a big variety of expressions, solely based on their individual skills and aims of expression. Today’s CAD tools, as main drawing instrument for the profession, seem to have limited the expression of architecture instead of liberating them. The focus on 2d-CAD drawings, Photoshop collages and the lack of physical models narrows the spatial expression. Architects constant quest for new tools and expressions is the guiding idea for the workshop. We will introduce intuitive form driving tools in combination with rapid prototyping technology to evaluate the digital output due to physical models. The digital tools will allow the participants to

Formative Techniques Martin Tamke http://cita.karch.dk

Center for IT og Arkitektur

generate shapes and structure - intended to solve complex architectural questions given to the workshop participants.

Subdivision Surface Technique and Minimal Surface logic

Advanced modelling techniques allow a new understanding of form. In here the shift from an Euclidean (=orthogonal organized) space towards a fully double curved room are just a few mouse clicks away. The smoothing of uniform B-Splines is transposed to topological surfaces, which rely on underlying surfaces and volumes. This parametric dependency gives way for an easy access to topological change and to the establishment of new relationships in surfaces. Their interplay follows the rules of minimal surfaces, allowing access to the most efficient connection of topologies - hardly possible in conventional NURBS Surface logic. Operations as twist, mirroring and repetition, as the creation of arrays and the fusion of surfaces allow the organization of complex patterns and spaces.

The workshop will investigate the spatial structural potential of subdivision surface geometry. The parametric nature of subdivision surfaces allows for endless iterations and detailing, giving an answer to contemporary demand to overcome the simplistic and uniform appearances of surfaces generated in contemporary digital tools. These tools mimic existing topologies known from traditional techniques, instead of exploring the new realm of surfaces and constitutional relationships offered by digital means. .

Digital tools not solely allow the access to new spatial relationships in digital space, but as well to their making. We are at a critical point in history, wherein the accessibility of digital manufacturing tools allows for a new understanding of architectural production.

Tools allow not only the intuitive handling of complex surfaces and spatiality, but furthermore the transformation of geometry data into surfaces, which are ready to be produced by means of digital machinery.

Formative Techniques Martin Tamke http://cita.karch.dk

Readings

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A selection of readings will be given preceding the week of the think tank. These readings will cover a number of topics ranging from historical uses of non-standard architectural form, to contemporary theories which attempt to legitimize its aesthetic dimension critically.

These readings fabricate a contemporary scenario where the recent semiological narrative of critical modernism gives way to a new discourse invested specifically and intensely in aesthetics. Readings will form the backbone of the periodic discussions within the class • Scarry, Elaine. On Beauty and Being Just. Princeton, N.J: Princeton UP, 1999. 142 • Steele, Brett. "Split Personalities." Log 5 (2005): 111-115.

• Gage, Mark Foster. "Deux Ex Machina: From Semiology to Aesthetics." Elegance. Ed. Ali Rahim. London: Architectural Design, 2006.

• Lynn, Greg. "Intricacy." Intricacy: a Project by Greg Lynn FORM. Comp. Greg Lynn. Philadelphia: Institute of Contemporary Art, 2003 • Leach, Neil. Camoflague. Cambridge, Massachusetts/ London, England: The MIT Press, 2006.

• Zangwill, Nick. The Metaphysics of Beauty. First ed. Ithaca: Cornell UP, 2001.

1- 42 • Freedberg, David and Galese, Vittorio. “Motion, emotion, and empathy in esthetic experience.” Trends in Cognitive Sciences, Vol.11 No.5. March 2007.

Formative Techniques Martin Tamke http://cita.karch.dk

Center for IT og Arkitektur

Schedule Phase 1

Thursday November 1 – 9.30h – Sal C2

introduction and tutorial to software used Rasmus Moeller, Martin Tamke, Jon Møller Andersen

Tuesday November 12. – 9.30h – Studio Afd 8 Maya special – handout of Assignment 1 Phase II Friday November 16 –9.30h - Sal C2 Occupation (room , setup of tables etc) technical introduction, Nathan Hume, Rasmus Moeller, Martin Tamke, Jon Møller Andersen

Martin Zangerl, Studio Lynn, Die Angewandte (Vienna)

Saturday November 17 - 10.00h technical introduction, Nathan Hume, Rasmus Moeller, Martin Tamke, Jon Møller Andersen Sunday November 18 - 10.00h technical introduction, Nathan Hume, Rasmus Moeller, Martin Tamke, Jon Møller Andersen Phase III Monday November 19 -10h introduction, Mark Foster Gage, Martin Tamke Tuesday November 20 small group meetings/ project work

Interior Space modelled with Subdivision Surface Technology by Gage Clemenceau Architects (NYC USA)

Thursday November 22 small group meetings/ project work Friday November 23 small group meetings / finals 13.00hSymposium “Think Tank on Computational Aesthetics” with Mark Gage (Yale University / New York) Neil Leach (University of Brighton) Mark Burry (SIAL / Melbourne) Achim Menges (Architectural Association / London) Saturday November 24 -45h Final Discussion with external critiques / review of speculations / session ends

Formative Techniques Martin Tamke http://cita.karch.dk

Center for IT og Arkitektur

Phase I- Robot Tectonics In order to quickly and expertly develop a vocabulary of skillful surface-based design techniques, and understand a new tectonic of surface assembly, we will spend the weeks before Friday, November 16th, reproducing the skeletons and shells found in Japanese toy “Gundam� robots.

While not contingent on computation, these toys are surprisingly useful in moving away from an architectural tectonic of stacking, hanging and bridging--- and instead allow us to understand new forms of structuring surfaces that involves a language of seaming, clipping, panelizing, nesting, contouring and resolving discrete surfaces relative to the production of a non-continuous whole.

Assemble the robots following the instructions, and proceed to 3d model, using Maya’s polygonal/ subdivisional modes, build the most characteristic parts of the visible exterior shells of the model and their relationships to internal structure (approx 30% of model).

While doing this concentrate on the examination of the surface and the relationship between the parts: How are the surfaces distinguished in concern to other parts?

What kind of surfaces appear? How are they treated?

How are surfaces created using tiling, seaming, clipping, nesting, contouring?

What is the role of color in the part to whole relationship.

By which means of surface treatment is an overall expression created within the robot?

Also notice the aesthetic qualities of the parts, are they aggressive, lumpy, smooth, plump, taut, aerodynamic, etc..

Deliverables on Friday: A2 print - exploration of surface topology (diagram showing types) A2 print - rendering of surface detail (mental ray) A2 print - line drawing of model in front and side elevation and perspective view

Formative Techniques Martin Tamke http://cita.karch.dk

Center for IT og Arkitektur

Phase II- shell/ skeleton marriage In the first phase of project skills have been developed to create individuated external surfaces. Lying beneath these surfaces, although ignored up until this moment is a complex skeleton using a variation of geometric and performative logic for assembly.

Now we will concentrate on learning new soft/ subdivision skills that will enable everybody to produce continuities instead of surfaces. These continuities will form the basis for organizing surface logics in the form of a pedestrian bridge.

The marriage of these two geometric and tectonic systems will allow moving beyond the single-surface logic which predominates digital architectural production.

In this short marriage project everybody is asked to build a preliminary version of the pedestrian bridge – linking the old City of Copenhagen with the island of the Opera.

This bridge will fuse surfaces, shells, and subdivision networks toward the production of a complete, and complex, architectural whole.

Considering the findings of the previous phase, everyone is asked to pick up a certain aesthetic quality of surfaces they discovered – might it be them being aggressive, lumpy, smooth, plump, taut, aerodynamic or such. The aim should be to strengthen the expression to a possible limit using the new tool set available.

Formative Techniques Martin Tamke http://cita.karch.dk

Center for IT og Arkitektur

PhaseI III - Subdivisioned Spans

This project uses Venturi’s concept of the architectural duck as a foil for research into specific contemporary architectural effects. While the discourses of meaning in architecture differentiate between icons, signs, indexes and symbols, the do not differentiate in the aesthetic qualities of these positions. That is to say that Venturi’s “duck” is iconic in its “duckness” but cannot account for the specific articulation of that duck as a cute duckling, and evil-looking duckling or the proverbial ugly duckling. This problem will address this species of distinction.

Students will each design, using techniques provided, an occupiable pedestrian bridge-not merely a functional bridge, or a well engineered bridge, but rather an undeniably stunning and beautiful bridge. The design intent for the bridge will come from carefully curated images which form a clear direction for the students design ambitions.

By appropriating a democratic, or even game show format, we will aesthetically judge the success of the results as a group— determining which projects are beautiful and which gravitate towards other aesthetic genres. The purpose of this assignment is to generate a discussion regarding the visual qualities of form and its ability to broadcast, in the absence of icons, symbols, or indexes, aesthetic design intent.

The only “program” is that the bridge exist on a given site, and span, in a realistic way between two opposing edges. Portions of the bridge may be indoor or covered. Site will be given.

FOR FINAL REVIEW: The presentation format is standardized and includes: 1- A1 print (paper and formatting provided) mental ray/ maxwell rendering of the exterior. (landscape format) 1- A1print (paper and formatting provided) mental ray/ maxwell rendering of the interior. (landscape format) 1- A1print (paper and formatting provided) vector rendering of elevation or perspective. (landscape format)

Formative Techniques Martin Tamke http://cita.karch.dk

Center for IT og Arkitektur

1- Powerpoint / Flash presentation of the design process. 25 slides max, black background 1- 3d printed model, possibly colored, at the largest size enabled by the printing bed, inserted into a solid wood context. *The fine print: -All projects are prohibited from the use of transparency or translucency.

-Students are prohibited from using image maps and 3rd party rendering textures unless approved by instructor -Students are prohibited from making formal assumptions based on financial limitations, the ability to be “built�, contextual influences, or other factors separate from purely aesthetic concerns.