683692hotszying journalweek2

2016 Air Studio Journal 683692 Ho Tsz Ying

DESIGN FUTURING

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esign is method of solving problems. People create and design to satisfy their needs and norms. However, challenges such as land shortages, over-population and limited resources, may not be handled and fixed easily. Therefore, it may be required to accept and overcome these problems by changing one’s values, beliefs and behaviours, including producing goods which create pollution and reclaiming sea for more land, which are against the idea of sustainability.

Sustainable development and design is important because of consideration for the future and upcoming generations. Therefore, design futuring is a significant issue that should be considered. It involves creating and developing a world that enhances the use of nature without damaging it. But the question is HOW? In Design Futuring, Tony Fry stated some strategies to achieve it this: 1) Design should involve learning from the past, supported by design research and critical thinking; 2) Design should not be concealed by less significant elements such as appearance and style; 3) Sustainable design should work on a combination of nature and man-made ecology.

Nonetheless, opening up new perspectives and be speculative are other ways to achieve sustainability. Anthony Dunne mentioned that our preferable future is to work between the idea of ‘probable and plausible’. This is something which can be explored and operated on, but require breaking rules and taking further steps (‘Not in trying to predict the future but in using design to open up all sorts of possibilities that can be discussed.’).

CASE STUDY 01 Project: Paper House Architect: Shigeru Ban Date: 1995 Location: Lake Yamanaka, Yamanashi, Japan The paper house was the first project authorized using paper tubes as a building structure in a permanent building. It was constructed with 110 paper tubes for its interior and exterior. It uses 10 tubes to bear the vertical force and 80 interior tubes support the lateral forces. The paper tubes are water-proof and fire-proof and are coated with paraffin wax and strengthened with glue.

Shigeru Ban is the architect and suggests using environmentally conscientious and unconventional materials.

He is named as a leader for humanitarian architecture and experimental design. He applied his knowledge of using recycle materials that include paper and cardboard to build quality houses for victims of disaster across the world with a low construction cost, from Haiti to Japan, to Turkey and elsewhere. For instance, the material cost for one 52 square meter building was not more than two thousand dollars in his project of The Paper Log houses in Kobe, Japan in 1995. The paper architecture also expands to his later works. These include the Cardboard Cathedral

in New Zealand 2013 and Japanese Pavilion at the Expo in Hanover in 2015.

The paper architecture inspires people to speculate everything and created further potential. Using paper as a construction material sounds incredible, is practical and contributes to the field of ideas, technical workflows, patterns of living and ways of thinking. It is also part of the idea of sustainable design that works on the combination of nature and man-made ecology. Ban stated he was disappointed that architects should not only work for money and power. He also mentioned people should put the focus on the revolution of such as transforming paper as in his work, and pay attention on things that help society more, even in simple projects such as building a shelter.

Shigeru Ban Architect was successful in achieving his original purposes, which help society and reuse abandoned materials. People appreciated his work and were inspired by him to expand future possibilities.

CASE STUDY 02 Project: 30 St Mary Axe Architect: Norman Foster Date: 1997-2004 Location: London, UK 30 St Mary Axe, also named as Gherkin, was the first ecological skyscraper in London. The design brought a radical approach to several factors, including technical, architectural, social and spatial. It was generated by a circular plan, with radial geometry. The tower shape was influenced by the physical environment of the city, creating a smooth flow of wind between the building and surrounding areas. The concept of the design was to minimize the impact on the local wind environment, reducing energy uses, and also enhancing public spaces.

The building is energy efficient as it was designed as a unique system with natural ventilation via open shafts between each level which provides ventilation with no extra energy costs. The open shafts and the tower’s diagonally braced structure allow a fully glazed surface and column-free floor that bring natural light into the building, reduce operation costs, and enhance views. This system creates a new perspective to sustainable design by considering the shape and the opening of the building.

This is another example to indicate the importance of exploring all future possibilities, and the concept of design futuring. There always exist risks in every project, but in turning risk to chance, a new viewpoint can be explored.

Gherkin was designed in an unusual shape, construction, appearance and servicing. There were a number of complex problems with the construction, such as structure, cladding and environment control, but after several tests and evaluations, issues were solved. Furthermore, Gherkin can be claimed as an iconic spot in London in certain aspects.

DESIGN COMPUTATION

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omputing power has been taken over the traditional methods of designing, which include architecture. There is no doubt that digital design helps architecture become much more subtly attuned to the certain improvement of topological and parametric thinking and calculating. Meanwhile, another group of people think computing design is a tool for human only and cannot be totally relied on it. Therefore, a variety of arguments have concerned the pros and cons of this evolution of design.

Computing brings advantage in forming geometric in the design process. Some software, such as Rhino 3D modelling, Grasshopper parametric modelers, helps this generation design new pattern, wave or shape easily and creativity. Moreover, one of the powerful strategies of digital design in architecture is material modelling. The tectonic systems provide the media to modulate digital materiality in design, in order to explode more alternative ways of fabrication, for instant, CNC (computer numerically controlled) machinery enhance the process of prototying. It is claimed that computational modeling have the potential to create a second nature, as digital morphogenesis can combine the tectonic of digital materials and performative simulation to create naturally ecologic system. Therefore, design computation can be the development of new solution of designing.

On the other hand, Bronowski states computing fabrication and construction is like robotic machine more, as they helps managing the building process but not the design process. He claimed that computers are lack of creativity and incapable of making up new instruction, since they follow and analysis the data that human insert. There is difference between human and other creatures, and also differences between human and computer. Thus, design computation cannot take over human indeed.

I believe design computation brings a number of convenience and benefits to our design and construction process. However, designers should not totally rely on it as it just a tool, and the computer and software also is the product of human design.

CASE STUDY 01 Project: Heydar Aliyev Centre Architect: Zaha Hadid Date: 2007-2012 Location: Baku, Azerbaijan In 2007, Zaha Hadid was appointed as design architects of the competition of the Heydar Aliyev Centre, which not only designed to express the sensibilities of Azeri culture and the optimism of a nation that anticipate the future, but become a building for the nation’s cultural programs.

The centre has been selected as the shortlist for the World Architecture Festival Awards and the finalist for the inside 2013 interior design awards. The white curving form becomes an important signature in Baku. It is designed with its flowing white lines is continued in the interior. Allowing sunlight goes into the interior space through the glazed facades with the white neon on the ceiling.

Zaha Hadid Architects adopted digital drawing early on. She explored and contributed to the possibilities of parametric design, bringing the idea of architecture as

seamless flows of energy and matter. She has been changing our general concept of space since she was studying in London at the Architectural Association School of Architecture. It is not only influence in a physical sense, but also socially and culturally. She has explored a number of dynamic forms, patterns, and curving shapes. Nature’s shapes and forms become the source of inspiration for Zaha Hadid along with her strong conceptual and historical awareness.

Zaha Hadid is kind of leading the way in parametric design at the moment. Some architects, such as, Sou Fujimoto, ­Kengo Kuma, follow the idea of digital design closely. They bring off some graceful results by combining parametric design toolw and traditional manufacturing.

CASE STUDY 02 Project: Starbucks coffee Architect: Kengo Kuma Date: 2008 Location: Dazaifu, Prefectura de Fukuoka, Japón This Starbucks stands on the main approach to the Dazaifu Tenmangu, one of the most important shrines in Japan. It has been worshiped as ‘the God for Examination’, and became a popular spot for the visitors. Thus, the project achieved making a structure that harmonizes with the townscape, by using a system of weaving thin woods diagonally.

The building is made of 2,000 stick-like parts in the sizes of 1.3m – 4m length and 6cm section. Total length of the sticks reached as far as 4.4km. Kengo Kuma Architects uses the diagonal weaving to bring in a sense of direction and fluidity by slightly changing positions of the fulcrums, in order to solve the complicated joint issue. They divided four sticks into two groups to avoid concentration on a single point. This method was greatly improved in combination with state- of-the art technology to the future architecture.

Kengo Kuma Architect has taught a variety of universities in Japan and the U.S. Some students from Columbia

University were assigned to design a tea house with using advanced techniques of parametric design and digital manufacturing. They tested different concepts, methodologies and materials that had been developed in the meantime. Some quality designs were done by the three teams.

They include exploring triangular composition with sunlight, in order to create pattern on the floor, and the idea of taking the technical qualities of pressboard to its limits, bending it as much as possible to obtain a curvature effect.

Kengo Kuma comes out a number of impressive architectural designs with using parametrical method. 2020 Olympics Nationa Stadium in Tokyo is one of the hottest examples. However, Kengo Kuma (architectmagazine, 2016) states that ‘Parametrically driven software is basically another tool for us designers to use. The software is powerful, but it is only a tool. I find that most students still like to use their own hands. This has not really changed over the years, and the tendency of making things by hand is returning.’

References: http://www.archello.com/en/images/popup/callback/1464914 http://www.archello.com/en/images/popup/callback/1464914 http://www.archello.com/en/collection/parametric-architecture http://www.archello.com/en/project/heydar-aliyev-center-0 http://www.arcspace.com/features/zaha-hadid-architects/ http://www.architectmagazine.com/design/q-a-kengo-kuma-on-his-design-approach_o http://www.archello.com/en/project/starbucks-coffee-dazaifu-tenman-gu http://shop.gestalten.com/patterns-layering.html http://www.archdaily.com/211943/starbucks-coffee-kengo-kuma-associates http://blog.ted.com/rock-paper-scissors-these-5-ted-talks-play-with-paper-in-freshways/ http://blog.ted.com/buildings-made-from-cardboard-tubes-a-gallery-of-shigeru-banarchitecture/ http://www.shigerubanarchitects.com/works.html http://www.archdaily.com/489255/the-humanitarian-works-of-shigeru-ban https:// www.ted.com/speakers/shigeru_ban http://edition.cnn.com/2015/09/29/architecture/shigeru-ban-pritzker-permanent/ http://www.world-architects.com/pages/insight/materials-shigeru-ban http://www.shigerubanarchitects.com/works/1995_paper-house/index.html http://www.fosterandpartners.com/projects/30-st-mary-axe/ http://www.archinomy.com/case-studies/669/30-st-mary-axe-the-gherkin-london http://www.designbookmag.com/thegerkin.htm http://www.archdaily.com/445413/the-gherkin-how-london-s-famous-tower-leveraged-risk-and-became-an-icon