Digital design module 1 journal

Digital Design - Module 01 Semester 1, 2019 Manasi Chopdekar 935401 Joel Collins, Studio 15

Week One

Reading: Zeara Polo, A. 2010. Between Ideas and Matters.

According to Zeara-Polo, the diagram does not play a representational role in the design process but provides an organisational and can have a performative quality depending on how it is deployed. Explain how Diagram is different from Signs and Symbols? (100 words Maximum)

A diagram is a way to articulate spatial organizations and be suggestive of the multiple ways to arrange space.

It is different from signs and symbols in the sense that while signs are used as a representational tool, diagrams are an organizational tool. A diagram shows the fluidity of space and can be used to explain the complexity of it in a simpler way. While signs rely on shared culture and organizations to be able to understand them, diagrams can be used beyond that level, to “mediate between physical constructs and concepts on an organizational level.� (Zeara-Polo, pp. 239). A diagram can be used as a projection to construct the real, to produce and bring forward new organizations.

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Week One

Precedent Analysis

Top view of the pavilion, showing roof canopy placement in relation to the timber deck

Front view elevation of the pavilion, showing the height variation of different roof canopy structures in relation to the deck.

Plan view showing the ribs and pole placement in relation to deck.

Bottom view showing ribs and petal

Precedent study subject is the MPavilion, by Amanda Levete. Also given for this module, were scaled images of the pavilion’s roof and floor plan, and elevation. These images were used to construct a 3D model of this pavilion on Rhinoceros 6.0.

Source for image: Gollings, John. MPAVILION, 2015, photograph. Melbourne. Accessed March 15, 2019. http://2015.mpavilion.org/mpavilion-2015-al_a

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Week Two

Reading: Hertzberger H. 2005. The in-between and The Habitable Space Between Things, from Lessons for Students in Architecture.

Herzberger discusses how design should not be extreme in its functionality. Use your precedent study to explain how the pavilion allows for an appropriation of use. (100 words Maximum)

The MPavilion, when seen in context with Herzberger’s idea of design and functionality, makes a fairly appropriate use of space.

Although the materiality of the deck and the plantation border shows a threshold change from the exterior to interior of pavilion, this transition of space between the outside and inside is softened by the use of the poles that support the roof structure. Thus, rather than this threshold being defined by walls and doors, the transition is drawn out, creating a kind of abstract blurred space, thus inviting people to occupy and use that space. The simple, extruded surfaces on the pavilion deck near one corner of the pavilion also allows for a gathering place for people. The poles also allow for a semi private space to be created within the pavilion, and there’s sufficient illumination from the translucent roofing to light the interior of the pavilion.

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Week Two

Isometric

South-west Isometric view of MPavilion, architect: Amanda Levete The key concept of the MPavilion is to resemble a forest canopy, with translucent roof panels with fibre design to allow light to enter, slender carbon fibre poles for support, and timber decking for flooring.

It looks relatively simple when seen from an outside angle, but once the modelling was initiated in Rhino 6.0 by tracing out the decking and roof panels from the plan and top view images, I began to appreciate the inner workings of the design even more. I realised how complex the design actually was, especially with regards to the placement of roof petals according to their height and constructing the rib structure below the petals.

The tracings of floor plan and roof petals were scaled to 1:1 scale and the decking was modelled in complete detail, with the deck boards in proper 1:1 measurement. The roof petal structure was given approriate depth and the petal ribs, though flat as compared to the more rounded structure in the real pavilion, still retain their geometry.

The poles were given an estimated diameter and then extruded to an appropriate height after examining the elevation image of the pavilion.

The garden beds surrounding the deck, and the poles supporting the roof structure potentially restrict the circulation of people in specific directions as they enter and travel within the pavilion. They create a kind of threshold between the outside-inside of the pavilion and publicmore private space. Extruded spaces within the pavilion act as seating or leaning structures and a gathering space.The translucent roofing provides sufficient illumination within the pavilion thus creating well lit spaces for people to gather and occupy.

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i Chopdekar - 935401

anasi Chopdekar - 935401

Week Two Diagrams Isometric 1:60

Isometric 1:60 EN

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Roof structure

Roof strucrure Roof structure

Roof strucrure

Main circulation space Different shortest entrance and exit routes Main circulation space Space for gathering Different shortest entrance and exit routes Space for gathering Entry/exit to and from pavilion obstructed by plantation Entry/exit to and from pavilion obstructed by plantation

Floor structure

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Threshold between public-semi public space of pavilion Threshold between public-semi public space of pavilion semi-public space semi-public space Poles of the roof acting as threshold Pavilion interior space

Poles of the roof acting as threshold Pavilion interior space

Threshold between exterior-interior space ofThreshold pavilion between exterior-interior space of pavilion

Floor structure

Pavilion circulation space

Circulation 1:200 Circulation 1:200 Circulation

Threshold

In this diagram, what can be observed is the primary circulation space within the pavilion, but also the different shortest possible routes to enter and exit the pavilion depending on the plantation border and the roof poles. Also highlighted is a possible space for gathering, enabled by the extruded surfaces towards one corner of the pavilion.

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Pavilion circulation space

Plantation acting as threshold

Plantation acting as threshold

Surrounding space that cannot be used as pavilion entrance

Surrounding space that cannot be used as pavilion entrance

Thresholds (Permeability) 1:200

Thresholds (Permeability) 1:200

What can be observed in this diagram are two possible ideas of threshold - 1) a physical threshold that seperates the outside of the pavilion from the inside which is enabled by both, the material of the pavilion deck and the plantation border at different sides of the pavilion and 2) an abstract idea of threshold enabled by the poles supporting the roof, and the extruded surfaces on the pavilion deck which allows for a sort of transition between the public outdoor space to the more private indoor space of the pavilion without the use of defined walls and doors.

Appendix Process 1. BEFORE INITIATING MODELLING ON RHINOCEROS 6.0

2. MODELLING THE PAVILION 2.1 STARTING WITH DECK. The modelling was initiated by starting work on the deck first. The outline of the deck was first traced to get an idea of the amount of space used by the deck and to have defined borders for the deck boards.

Before beginning the modelling process, first, the plan and elevation images were imported on Rhino.

The image was then scaled from an arbitrary scale to 1:1 by using SCALE2D and the scale bar on the image

Then each deck board was drawn using POLYLINE to fit within the triangular borders.

The measurements used for the deck board are of proper 1:1 standard deck board dimensions. These boards were then extruded individually to a standard depth of a 1:1 scale deck board. This was then grouped, rotated accordingly and copy-pasted to other triangular sections of the deck

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Appendix Process

2.2 FINAL DECK MODEL

2.3 ROOF CANOPY STRUCTURE

Plantation spaces along with the

Once the deck was completed, it

The roof structures were then given appropriate depth using PLANARSRF and

extruded gathering blocks were added to the model to finish the deck layout.

was moved aside to begin work on the roof canopy structure. First, the outline of 3 sided and 5 sided roof canopy structure was traced using CIRCLE and CURVE tool. The extra edges were then trimmed off to form closed curves.

EXTRUDESRF. These surfaces were then copy pasted across the roof plan and their levels were adjusted to approximated levels (with reference to the roof plan image - structures with faded outlines in intersections were placed above the ones shown clearly) using the gumball to show height variation.

The different colors here show the individual structures categorized into their respective levels. These structures are divided into seperale Rhino layers, which would make it easier to later change their lineweights on Illustrator CC.

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Appendix

Process

2.4 MODELLING THE 3 SIDED RIB STRUCTURES

2.5 MODELLING THE 5 SIDED RIB STRUCTURES To begin modelling the underlying rib structures, first I began with tracing out the rib outline for the 3 sided roof canopy structure. Then I used TRIM to trim out any intersecting lines and CLOSECRV to ensure PLANARSRF would work. Then EXTRUDESRF was used and the structure was given an appropriate depth. These were then placed directly under each of the 3 sided roof canopy structures using MOVE and COPY command.

For the 5 sided rib structure, first the outline of the rib was traced using circles and curves, and then trimmed and joined to be able to perform PLANARSRF on it. After that, the diamond patterns in the structure were traced and given surface using PLANARSRF. Using BOOLEANDIFFERENCE, the diamond surfaces were subtracted from the overall rib surface and then the remaining surface was extruded to give depth to the rib. Finally, the ribs were copied and placed under each of the 5 sided roof canopy structures.

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Appendix Process

2.6 ROOF FIBRE DESIGN

2.7 POLE STRUCTURE AND PLACEMENT For the fibre design, the tools and commands primarily used were circle, polyline and ARRAYCRV. For the 3 sided canopy structure, a circle was drawn at the centre of the structure and a subsequent concentric circle was drawn with its radius extending just outside the canopy ends. Polyline was used to draw fibres on one side and ARRAYCRV was used to replicate the threads across the circle. TRIM was used to remove the polyline bits that extended beyond the canopy structure. Similar method was followed for five sided canopy structure but this time it had 3 ‘centres’ instead of 1 and TRIM was used to shape the lines along the curves of the canopy structure. These were then grouped and copypasted across the entire roof structure.

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First, the pole was given an estimated diameter using CIRCLE and then that circle was offset inward and moved a small distance below the original circle. SWEEP2 was used to create a concical connection structure between the pole and the rib. This structure was copied and pasted under the circular edges of each rib structure.The bottom circle of the conical structure was then made PLANARSRF and extruded to different heights depending on their roof canopy placement. Once the poles were formed, they were capped. The entire pole and roof canopy structure was then moved to the deck and properly aligned to finish the model.

Appendix

Process

3. FINAL MODEL: MPavilion

4. EXPORTING CIRCULATION AND THRESHOLD DIAGRAMS

It is important to ensure that the various componenets of this model be seperated into different layers in order to make linework editing on Illustrator CC easier. Once the model was finalized, I selected the SW isometric view and used Make2D command to obtain the linework. The Make2D (retaining original Rhino layers) was then scaled down to a smaller size and moved to origin so that it could be easily viewed on Illustrator. The linework was selected and finally exported to Illustrator.

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Once the lineweights for the main model were adjusted on Illustrator CC and exported as PDF to the InDesign CC templates for the pin-up and journal, I started work on using Make2D on seperate parts of the model to complete the circulation and threshold diagrams. The complete circulation (left) and threshold (left) diagrams were exported respectively on Illustrator where I worked on their lineweights and shading before exporting them as PDFs to complete the journal and pin-up template.

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