Digital Design - Canopy Assignment

DIGITAL DESIGN APPLICATIONS SEMESTER 2 - 2017 - DESIGN JOURNAL DOMINIK HOLZER DAVID GERBER - 774234

PREPARATION FOR DESIGN

Summer Solstice - 2:oopm

Summer Solstice - 5:oopm

When we initially received our brief, the first thing I did was undertake solar analysis. Since I did not have previous Grasshopper experience, I used a standard solar tracker from the Internet and it showed me the Melbourne solar patterns.

I used this to start thinking about my design and the way in which it needs to be shaped in order to satisfy the brief.

AUGUST 2017 Page 1

PRECEDENTS

I was interested in designing a canopy that blocks the sun from the facade/balcony/patio, but also allows for light penetration at the same time (left). This would need to be achieved through diffusion or deflection. I didn’t want to have the canopy to create “pitch black” conditions.

I also started to look into the potential materiality of the design and what would allow for permeability but also blockage.

At this point I wasn’t too sure whether to have a rigid structural system or a tensile structural system, but contemplated both.

AUGUST 2017 Page 2

SOLAR PATTERNS

Summer Solstice 2:00pm

Summer Solstice 2:00pm

Summer Solstice 5:00pm

Summer Solstice 5:00pm

Summer Solstice 2:00pm Summer Solstice 5:00pm

After getting the Ladybug tutorial in class, I went home and started to do 3D visualization. This allowed me to better understand the solar patterns and how I need to start thinking about my design, especially compared to the 2D images that I originally started. This made me rethink my design and started the design process and thinking.

AUGUST 2017 Page 3

DESIGN DEVELOPMENT

Indirect Light Double Panel System

Diffusion Triangular Panel System

I started to sketch/build paneling systems to work with diffusion and deflection. The sketches on the left, I was thinking about a double panel system where the light would penetrate the first canopy layer, but deflect on the offset panel of the second canopy layer. This would allow for the indirect sunlight to come under the canopy.

The sketches on the right, I started to think of different paneling systems, perhaps triangles that open at angles that block off summer sunlight but allow for winter sunlight. These panels would also provide indirect sunlight in the summer. Also looked at the shape of the canopy and how it needs to be arched to account for the low 5pm summer sun.

AUGUST 2017 Page 4

PRELIMINARY DESIGN FEEDBACK

The following is some of the feedback I got from the preliminary design presentation, as well as general class feedback. I used this feedback to improve and to continue designing my canopy.

- Not a screen, needs to cantilever.

- Needs to be freestanding.

- Needs to have environmental analysis (Ladybug).

- Horizontal is good for shading.

- Allow more visual from house (not screen off the whole thing).

- Make sure your form finding can be something that can be achievable .

- Rule-based analysis to dictate the structure and how the canopy looks.

- Advantage of digital tools that can be transferred into fabrication.

- Perhaps a hexagon original form, but parametric fins that come from them in order to block the sunlight.

- Think about parametric, rule-based, angles for the structure.

- Perhaps the canopy connects from corner of the house and touches the ground on the opposite end.

SEPTEMBER , 2017 Page 5

PRELIMINARY LADYBUG TESTING

Summer Solstice Analysis

Summer Solstice Analysis

Wind Rose Diagram - Temperature

Wind Rose Diagram - Speed

I undertook solar and wind analysis on Ladybug. I originally thought that I would do something with the wind analysis, but it came secondary to the solar analysis when it came to the design.

The yellow, lofted surface, represents the angles that the sun hits the house/land between the times of 2-5pm during the winter solstice.

The wind rose diagrams show the wind temperature (left) and the wind speed (right).

SEPTEMBER, 2017 Page 6

PREPARATION FOR MID-SEM PRES.

GENE POOL TO OPTIMIZE POINTS ON LOFT

MOVE POINTS ON Z-AXIS

TAKE SURFACE FROM GALAPAGOS

LUNCHBOX HEXAGON CREATION

CREATE NURBS CURVE TO CONNECT POINTS

LOFT NURBS CURVES TO CREATE SURFACE

NUMBER SLIDER FOR HEXAGON DISTRIBUTION

NUMBER SLIDER FOR HEXAGON SIZE

LADYBUG

LUNCHBOX

GRASSHOPPER GALAPAGOS

GRASSHOPPER

RHINOCEROS

RHINOCEROS

Loft Creation - Galapagos Gene Pool

Hexagon Grid Paneling System - Lunchbox

I started my design process by creating a gene pool that used points on a flat canopy surface. These points could be changed along the z-axis and create a curved canopy. This canopy creation was then tested through Ladybug in order to make sure that the shape of the canopy would be optimized to satisfy the project brief.

The resulting canopy would then be paired with Lunchbox in order to create a hexagon paneling system. I chose hexagons because they are structurally sound and have many connection points to allow me more freedom for curved surfaces.

SEPTEMBER, 2017 Page 7

PREPARATION FOR MID-SEM PRES.

INTERNAL/EXTERNAL HEXAGON VARIATION

HEXAGON CREATION

IMAGE SAMPLER FOR SHAPE VARIATION

HEXAGON VARIATION CANOPY CREATION

LADYBUG SOLAR ANALYSIS

INTERNAL/EXTERNAL HEXAGON VARIATION HEIGHT/WIDTH VARIATION

HEXAGON CREATION

IMAGE SAMPLER FOR SHAPE VARIATION

GRASSHOPPER

RHINOCEROS

HEIGHT/WIDTH VARIATION

LADYBUG

GRASSHOPPER

RHINOCEROS

Hexagon Paneling System - Grasshopper

GRASSHOPPER

RHINOCEROS

Hexagon Paneling System - Ladybug

From there, I attempted to make a paneling system in grasshopper which would allow for different variations in depth and size of void.

This would allow for light penetration, but also block the light depending on the sun angles. I also made exceptions for where there is a lot of sunlight, there would be a panel without openings. The pattern could be generated through image samplers and I used two test black and white images to create the hexagon formation. I did this so that I could use the image sampler and plug in black and white images of solar studies in order create an optimized distribution of panels.

I then tested this non-curved hexagon paneling system with ladybug and found that this system could work, I just need to figure out how to curve it to fit the surface I made with Galapagos.

SEPTEMBER, 2017 Page 8

PREPARATION FOR MID-SEM PRES.

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TOP/BOTTOM CIRCLE CREATION VARIATION OF CONNECTION POINTS/LINES ON CIRCLES. SHIFT IN CIRCLE/POINTS.

PIPE FOR LINES AND CIRCLES. VARIATION IN PIPE RADIUS.

LUNCHBOX

LADYBUG

GRASSHOPPER

GRASSHOPPER

RHINOCEROS

RHINOCEROS

Loft Creation - Galapagos Gene Pool

Hexagon Grid Paneling System - Lunchbox

Next I started to think about the structural support system that would hold up the canopy. I originally wanted it to be a tree-like structure with two branches hanging off of it where the panels would sit. I put the structure off to the side because I wanted it to be out of the way of the backyard and thought that it could double as a shading device for the low 5pm sun as well.

At this point I had three parts of the design and the hard part for me was trying to figure out how to fuse all three together.

SEPTEMBER 2017 Page 9

MID-SEMESTER PRES. FEEDBACK

The following is some of the feedback I got from the mid-semester presentation, as well as general class feedback. I used this feedback to improve and to continue designing my canopy.

- Play with different sized hexagon.

- Can touch the structure but not hanging off of it.

- Structure to use same language if you want it to be that tower-like.

- Touch the ground or a secondary column holding it up.

- Too heavy.

- Show more diagrams of step-by-step how you got to each design element and how the design was developed.

- Why does it look like that, why was it tipped like that?

- Solar analysis.

- Over-dimensioned.

- Structural analysis is very important.

- Can go on top of the building and just 1 canopy perhaps.

- Think about the 1:1 details and show it - Show construction 1:1 and how it would work to prove it.

- Think about materiality for model.

- Show view from terrace/patio to prove visibility.

- Make the structure in the middle and the cantilevers come out.

OCTOBER 2017 Page 10

PREPARATION FOR FINAL PRES.

Canopy Solar Analysis

Structure Precedents

Structure Materiality/Connection Details

Views From First/Ground Floor

Building upon previous design strategies and feedback, I continued to attempt to get the hexagon grids onto the surface created through Galapagos. Through my solar analysis, I thought it would be best to have two canopies coming from a single structure because it seemed as though one canopy would mean that the size would be too large-scale for a housing canopy.

I also started to think about 1:1 construction and the type of connection details that would occur for the structure, the materiality of the canopy, and how the main “tree” structure would look like.

I also made sure that I took views into consideration when designing the two canopies.

OCTOBER 2017 Page 11

FINAL PRESENTATION FEEDBACK

The following is some of the feedback I got from the Final Design Presentation, as well as general class feedback. I used this feedback to improve and to continue designing my canopy.

- Looks too heavy and bulky - Put the column in the center to take the load - Have one end touch the ground.

- Use a single canopy - Make sure the language from the panels are translated into the column.

- Make sure to have solar analysis to prove that it works.

- Undertake structural analysis.

I was not happy with the final result at this stage in the design process and due to time constraints and lack of Grasshopper experience, I did not get as far as I would have liked to at this point of the semester. I ended up changing the design after this presentation, but carried the same language/experiments/ideas.

OCTOBER 2017 Page 12

FORM FINDING AND ITERATIONS

Galapagos Gene Pool Form Finding

Iteration 1

Iteration 2

Kangaroo Form Finding

Iteration 3

Iteration 1

Iteration 2

I undertook form finding through Galapagos gene pools in order to try and find an optimized surface that would take the maximum amount of sunlight so that it blocks the sunlight to the house. I ended up choosing Iteration 6 because it was the simplest shape, but also gave a better opportunity to have structure support from the building and the ground.

Iteration 4

Iteration 5

Iteration 6

I also tried tensile structures with Kangaroo, but decided to drop those designs as they seemed unsuitable for my design.

NOVEMBER 2017 Page 13

STRUCTURE CREATION

For the structure, I wanted to keep the hexagon idea in order for the panels and structure language to remain the same. I tested out with two sizes.

The first being a 1m wide hexagon structure, which included 500mm x 90mm x 45mm timber pieces that fixed to a central hexagon metal case.

The second was similar, except it was a 4m wide hexagon structure, which included 2000mm x 240mm x 70mm timber pieces. I chose to go with the second option after testing the structure in Karamba.

NOVEMBER 2017 Page 15

STRUCTURE ANALYSIS

Structure Test 1 N E Corner - Iso

Structure Test 2 N E Corner - Iso

Structure Test 3 N E Corner - Iso

Structure Test 1 Top View

Structure Test 2 Top View

Structure Test 3 Top View

Structure Test 1 N W Corner - Iso

Structure Test 2 N W Corner - Iso

Structure Test 3 N W Corner - Iso

I tested out a typical grid shell structure originally (test 1), just to make sure that the canopy shell I made would work.

Upon seeing that it works, I tested out both hexagon structure formats (test 2 and 3) and did structural analysis through Karamba. This helped me see the stress points, points of deflection, and where to put my structural supports. The maximum point of deflection of structure 3 was 0.368cm.

I ended up going forward with the larger hexagon structure because it was less beams/materials.

NOVEMBER 2017 Page 16

HEXAGON PANELS DESIGN Panel 1

Panel 2

Panel 3

Panel 4

Top View

Isometric View

Elevation I chose to have four different types of panels in order to be able to adapt to the lighting conditions on the double curved canopy.

The size of the whole would be determined by the amount of sunlight hitting that part of the canopy. This would also be reflected in the colour (shade of grey and shade of red). The more material (Panel 1 and 4), the lighter the colour would be, the less material (Panel 2 and 3), the darker the colour.

There is also an increase in height of the panels by 5cm each panel from Panel 1 to 4. The holes are also off-center so that the panels NOVEMBER 2017 Page 17

FINAL DESIGN OUTCOME

NOVEMBER 2017 Page 19

FINAL DESIGN OUTCOME

North-West Elevation

South Elevation

NOVEMBER 2017 Page 20

1:20 MODEL PICTURES

Timber Beams

Fastened Together

Paneling System Installed

Panels fixed to one another and to structure

Panels formation allows for seamless transition to next hexagon structure group

After completion of the smaller sample structural model, I decided to make the whole structural grid system. Due to time constraints, I unfortunately didn’t end up getting to finish.

It definitely opened my eyes to the fact that digitally designing double curves is easy, however, replicating it in real life is not as straight forward, Especially since I was so set on the hexagon language in my design. There were grid systems that would allow for parametric digital fabrication, however, I decided to attempt to make my own.

Although it did not work out due to complications with taking a Rhino model and making it real, I do plan to continue working on it after the semester in order to figure out a way to make it work and continue learning the digital design/fabrication method of designing.

NOVEMBER 2017 Page 21