Master Thesis Research: "Co-Construct, A participatory approach towards design and space making"

COGNIZANT

DIVYA ADVANCED ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN STAEDELSCHULE ARCHITECTURE CLASS THESIS ADVISOR PROFESSOR THEODORE SPYROPOULOS

ARCHITECTURE WITH THE PEOPLE, BY THE PEOPLE, FOR THE PEOPLE I chose this title as it paraphrases Lincoln’s definition of democracy, a definition that is just but seldom implemented. If I had to qualify my approach to architecture, I see it as “democratic” in the sense of Lincoln’s interpretation. Architecture has to be conceived with the people, materialised as much as possible by the people.

The term “for the people” is evident. This does not mean that the architect has no role in the process: he can provide ideas, techniques, new aesthetics -which will get validated only with the people, by the people, for the people.

By the way, architects are also people.....belong to the people.

-YONA FRIEDMAN

Thesis statement

“Flatwriter” by Yona Friedman cognizant

An Architect cannot study the behaviour of each user instead constructs an ideal use usually a mirror image of himself.

“An Architect cannot possibly ascertain their reference and therefore should not presume to choose them. He should, devise methods of promoting choice among users themselves.”

In 1957, Yona Friedman devised the Flatwriter as a way to involve future inhabitants in planning their own apartments.

In this research I speculate on this idea of participatory approach towards designing an Architecture without “building”.

Thesis statement

cognizant

radial forces

radial taxonomy

unit deformation

unit [type 01]

lattice breakdown

unit [type 02]

[Understanding Deformation]

[Digital Studies]

Digital Explorations Digital Studies | methods to derive deformation on single unit

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[References from Bart Hess “The Grotto”]

[elasticity tests]

[Studio Tomas Saraceno “Stillness in Motion-Cloud Cities”]

Material Studies and tests were executed with an aim to test elasticity and shape changing abilities. Various materials include silicon, latex and nylon elasticity using stretching, shape shifting and geometrical translation techniques. Material with high elasticity has been used to translate the digital explorations into space.

Another application is pre-tensioning of Latex using latex milk as a way to strengthen the material thickness and elasticity. Stitching techniques to check elasticity retention on stretching.

Silicon Latex

Nylon

[Elastic quality]

Material Explorations Material Studies | methods to test elasticity & shape changing behaviour

[Shape changing material behaviour | latex tensigrity] cognizant

asymmetric externalization [type 01]

symmetric externalization [type 02]

internalization [type 01]

internalization [type 02]

internalization [type 03]

[Elastic deformations showing externalized and internalized ways of tensioning]

Physical Explorations Unit Development | elastic deformations

[Tensioning of skin through externalization and internalization of radial forces ] cognizant

Two Species Sticks The primary goal of the sticks is to define an internalized structure as a skeleton. Skeleton is a rigid, structural members representing vectoral forces radiating outwards from a central node and hitting the skin which envelops them. As singular element each of the vector interfaces with the skin to produce tensioning effect.

Membrane The textile membrane is soft, porous and elastic in nature which envelops the internalised structure.

Elasticity is the property of the textile material which makes it adapt to the forces applied by the internal members.

A Hybrid Approach Two Species | hybridization using aggregation technique

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Forces

Skeleton

Membrane

Casting

skeleton [type 01] 8cm

skeleton [type 02] 16cm

skeleton [type 03] 18cm

skeleton [type 04] 40cm

skeleton [type 05] 42cm

skeleton [type 06] 60cm Aggregation resulting in tensioning of the skin. Different Skeleton types with varying spicule width produce different tensioning effect on skin. Probability of the skin adapting to the skeleton width and length is determined by the varying surface area of the elastic skin.

Components [Aggregation Constraints]

Aggregation Two Species | aggregation using loose fit skeleton growth

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Tightly packed cross aggregates with increasing number of skeletons in each prototype increases the skin compactness making it stiff and rigid.

Expansion and Compression of prototypes to analyse the skin behaviour Loose fit cross aggregation in the linear textile strand.

[Rule Set for modules]

[Varying Density of Spicules]

Aggregation Two Species | aggregation using skeleton growth

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[clustered aggregation] Aggregation using varying number of skeletons over textile membrane with an icosahedron geometry to analyse skin behaviour wrt each arrangement.

[strand aggregation] skeleton type 02

Cluster and Strand based Aggregation

Aggregation using varying number of skeletons over a linear textile strand wrt each arrangement.

skeleton type 02 & 03

skeleton type 02 & 06

Internalization Aggregation | Clustered and Strand approach towards aggregation

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heterogeneous spicule arrangement [type 01] skeleton type 2 & 4

heterogeneous spicule arrangement [type 02] skeleton type 4

homogeneous spicule arrangement [type 01] skeleton type 2

homogeneous spicule arrangement [type 02] skeleton type 2 with stitch

homogeneous spicule arrangement [type 03] skeleton type 2 & 4

homogeneous spicule arrangement [type 04] skeleton type 4 & 6

homogeneous spicule arrangement [type 05] skeleon type 6

homogeneous spicule arrangement [type 06] skeleton type 6

Internalization Aggregation | Strand based aggregation

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homogeneous spicule arrangement [type 07] skeleton type 2

homogeneous spicule arrangement [type 08] skeleton type 1

homogeneous spicule arrangement [type 09] skeleton type 1 with stitch

hybrid spicule arrangement [type 10] skeleton type 1 & 2

hybrid spicule arrangement [type 11] skeleton type 1 & 6

hybrid spicule arrangement [type 12] skeleton type 1

Different prototypes using nylon strands are aggregated with wooden skeletons.

These interface the mesh surface to create tensioning effect onto the skin. The constraints applied include skeleton types and different aggregation techniques for the modules. The typology and number of components used for each module type control the skin behaviour in various ways.

Elastic behaviour from flexible to rigid. Folding of the modules controlled by the spicule logic results in flexible to rigid linear strands with ability to create three dimensional geometrical entities. Self Assembling ability of each of the modules is thus in constant change while coming together. Inherent consciousness of the skin accomplished through tensioning and interlocking comes into play to create self assembling behaviour. A consistent dialogue between two species results in a conscious system.

Internalization Aggregation | Strand based aggregation

[Module Typology]

[Module Behaviour] cognizant

[Modules with Descending order of flexibility]

Behaviour Analysis Module Behaviour| flexible to rigid behaviour

[Modules with Ascending order of rigidty] cognizant

[Linear]

[Curvilinear]

[Close Ended]

[Open Ended]

[Bifurcation]

[Varying Degrees of folding achieved through aggregation of pieces]

Behaviour Aggregation | resulting in varying degree of folding of modules.

[Pattern Analysis to derive geometrical entities] cognizant

[Arches]

[Rigid Body]

[Stitched Body]

Tensioning and Interlocking

Pattern Derivation

A simple rule of aggregation with varying constraints results in different tensioning and interlocking of the modules with respect to themselves and to other modules when placed collectively in space.

The tensioning and interlocking of the module varies based on different types of aggregation constraints, distance between each aggregate i.e. from compact to loose fit cross aggregation techniques. Stitching of textile membrane to engineer the skin. The textile thus gets control over the aggregates inside resulting in a controlled approach towards designing the module.

Diagrams illustrate the outcome of the various types of modules based on variation in the aggregation and tensioning constraints i.e. the length of textile strands and skeleton type.

Each of the module behaviour results in various outcomes from flexible to rigid. Differences in each of the module type depend on the symbiotic relationship generated between constraints when they are put together. Some of the Patterns derived are similar in their outcome but with varying degree of folding.

Behaviour Aggregation | resulting in different folding behaviour of modules.

cognizant

[“Flatwriter” by Yona Friedman]

A Hyperspecific Model Participatory Approach | collective agency through participation of two agents.

[“Seek” by Nicholas Negroponte] cognizant

[“Bloom� by Alisa Hendresak & Jose Sanchez]

A Hyperspecific Model Participatory Approach | A heuristic method towards architecture intelligence.

[Combinatorial Game] cognizant

Co-Construct Distributed Public Game | participatory approach towards design

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INSTRUCTION SET How to Play Step 1 Choose from the set of spicules to fill the stockings.

Co-Construct Instruction Set | Create your own toy

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Arch

Knot

Step 2 Discover sequences you like Extended Knot

Overlap

Co-Construct Instruction Set | Discover sequences you like.

Interlocking cognizant

Step 3 Put them together

explore the possibilities

Co-Construct Instruction Set | Put them together

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Co-Construct with Human Agent Co-construct explores the visual language of a conscious body, conceptualized as an urban toy, a distributed game and collective making experience that seeks to engage people in order to construct open-ended design formations. The participatory design process aims to bring phenomena of social networks and game culture to the physical environment at urban scale. The collective act of coming to one place building together becomes a shared memory for people attending. The energy for Cognizant is sourced from people’s interactions. None of the pieces can do anything on its own, and only when they are put together do the game and cognizant emerges.

Co-Construct Distributed urban game | build them together

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PlayGround 1

Staedelschule Architecture Class Time lapse: 10 min Teams: 3 Players: 2 per team No of components: 12

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Playground 2

Maincafe, Frankfurt Time lapse: 10 min Teams: 5 Players: 2 per team No of components: 30

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Playground 3

Staedelschule, Lichthalle Time lapse: 10 min Teams: 2 Players: 5 each team No of components: 200 spicules, 30 stocking strands & 10 pre constructed components

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Co-Construct Distributed urban game | build them together

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Thank you

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