Parametric Design in Architecture

PARAMETRIC DESIGN

WILLIAM TOOHEY III EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES CONCENTRATION STUDY SPRING 2016

CONTENTS Introduction Project Statement.................................................................................................................. 04 - 05 Terms........................................................................................................................................ 04 - 05 Background............................................................................................................................. 05 - 07 Precedents The Broad Museum............................................................................................................... 08 - 09 Heydar Aliyez Center.............................................................................................................. 10 - 11 Design Problem........................................................................................................................ 12 - 13 Design Problem Solution...................................................................................................... 14 - 19 Conclusion................................................................................................................................. 20 - 21 Endnotes.................................................................................................................................... 22 - 23 Figures......................................................................................................................................... 24 - 25 Bibliography.............................................................................................................................. 26 - 27

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INTRODUCTION PROJECT STATEMENT Parametric Design is seen scattered across urban landscapes throughout the world and within the buildings we occupy daily, but what really is parametric design, and how can it be utilized as a design tool? How can a process of algorithmic thinking lead to rational and desirable design solutions? The purpose of this project is to simply explore the possibilities of parametric design and use Grasshopper (a plugin for the 3D modeling software Rhinoceros) to create potential solutions for a museum atrium roof structure.

TERMS Algorithm: noun a process or set of rules to be followed in calculations or other problem-solving operations, especially by a computer [1] Parameter: noun (technical) a numerical or other measurable factor forming one of a set that defines a system or sets the conditions of its operation [1] Parametric Design: 1. a process based on algorithmic thinking that enables the expression of parameters and rules that, together, define, encode and clarify the relationship between design intent and design response [2] 2. a paradigm in design where the relationship between elements are used to manipulate and inform the design of complex geometries and structures [3] BACKGROUND Parametric design can be perceived in various ways. Today’s architects and architectural enthusiasts alike view parametric design as a complex arrangement of geometric forms, typically generated from computational design software, e.g. Grasshopper for the program Rhinoceros 5 or Dynamo for Autodesk Revit. Computer software such as these allows the designer to create a set of parameters to apply to an object and manipulate its properties in a rather rational, step-by-step process.

“Computational design has refined the architectural language, and it is now time for designers to make dramatic yet meaningful poetry with it.” [4] “Better awareness of the creative possibilities of digital tools has also strengthened the global sensibility of architects for the rising aesthetic of computational design which is increasingly becoming accepted as a global emerging style.” [4] What intrigues me most about parametric design is the rational, step-by-step process explored in order to achieve one’s own design intent, whether it is the overall massing of a structure or a tertiary building skin, e.g. a screen or shading device. Parametric design is not new to the architectural profession. Creating a set of parameters with the intention of achieving a design goal has been around as long as architecture has existed. It is the process of achieving these goals that has changed. Parametric design is growing into an increasingly more complicated medium, and it is curious to understand why.

fig-1 | Antoni Gaudi’s Sagrada Familia inverted parametric force model

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UNDERSTANDING PARAMETRIC DESIGN + ITS ORIGINS An unprecedented approach to parametric design rose to the surface in the late 19th century. Key architectural figures such as Antoni Gaudi, Heinz Isler, and Frei Otto went against convention and began a new exploration into architecture: form-finding.

[4]

The

form-finding process opened new creative opportunities for future architecture. “[Formfinding] aimed to investigate novel and optimized structures found through complex and associative relations between materials, shape and structures.” [4] Creative means of exploring form were seen in physical modeling through the use of soap films and fabrics.

These processes were driven by dynamic forces and led to structures that became fully realized, functioning architecture. All gravity-based modeling (e.g. soap films and fabrics) was mono-parametric, but it was the first step in developing a multi-parametric form which was something rather heterogeneous. [4] It is said that the Italian architect, Luigi Moretti, coined the term “Parametric Architecture” in 1939. His innovative models for large athletic stadiums used parameters that were linked to viewing angles and economic forces. [4] The physical form was generated by calculating pseudo isocurves, creating a desirable view for anyone watching the field from a stadium seat.

Without any prior knowledge of parametric design, one may be confused with the finer details of creating a model that responds to a set of parameters. The parameters for generating an architectural form are typically composed of algorithms. The simplest way to explain algorithms is that there is always an output to an input, with specific instructions in between. With respect to architecture, algorithms are written using a computer and the appropriate scripting in a program language that can be used in a 3D modeling software.

A series of simple shapes or an array of complex geometries can be created. “Algorithmic design enables users to design a process rather than just a single object.” [4]

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input 1 input 2

instructions

input n

fig-2 | Frei Otto soap form model fig-3 | Luigi Moretti soccer stadium model, 1960

output

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fig-4 | The Broad Museum building skin + concrete form fig-5 | The Broad Museum exhibition interior

PRECEDENTS THE BROAD MUSEUM \ DILLER SCOFIDIO + RENFRO \ LOS ANGELES, CA “Dubbed “the veil and the vault,” the museum’s design merges the two key programs of the building: public exhibition space and the archive/storage that will support The Broad Art Foundation’s lending activities. Rather than relegate the archive/storage to secondary status, “the vault” plays a key role in shaping the museum experience from entry to exit. Its heavy opaque mass is always in view, hovering midway in the building.

Its carved underside shapes the lobby below and public circulation routes. Its top surface is the floor of the exhibition space. The vault is enveloped on all sides by the “veil,” an airy, cellular exoskeleton structure that spans across the block-long gallery and provides filtered natural daylight. The museum’s “veil” lifts at the corners, welcoming visitors into an active lobby with a bookshop and espresso bar. The public is then drawn upwards via escalator, tunneling through the archive, arriving onto an acre of column-free exhibition space bathed in diffuse light. This 24’ high space is fully flexible to be shaped into galleries according to curatorial needs. Departure from the exhibition space is a return trip through the vault via a winding stair that offers glimpses into the vast holdings of the collection.” [5] The Broad Museum brings an interesting precedent to the forefront for this type of research and investigation into parametric design. Parametric design does not need to be the primary structure of a project or the focal point from every angle. From the approach to the museum, all one can see is the building skin that has been dubbed “the veil,” but traveling through the interior core of the building, one may not be totally surrounded by it.

Parametric design can be successful in complementing the overall intent of a design and forming dynamic spaces. DS+R was successful in using parametric design and algorithmic thinking in order to create a functional, yet welcoming design that enhances various museum programs.

Concrete and steel is used primarily for the building’s structure, and a polished finish creates beautiful interior walls that were created by organically-shaped form work. It can be seen in the figure to the top left that the building is composed of the two main parts known as the “veil and vault.”

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fig-6 | Heydar Aliyev Center structural frame fig-7 | Heydar Aliyev Center day fig-8 | Heydar Aliyev Center night

HEYDAR ALIYEV CENTER \ ZAHA HADID ARCHITECTS \ BAKU, AZERBAIJAN “The design of the Heydar Aliyev Center establishes a continuous, fluid relationship between its surrounding plaza and the building’s interior. The plaza, as the ground surface; accessible to all as part of Baku’s urban fabric, rises to envelop an equally public interior space and define a sequence of event spaces dedicated to the collective celebration of contemporary and traditional Azeri culture. Elaborate formations such as undulations, bifurcations, folds, and inflections modify this plaza surface into an architectural landscape that performs a multitude of functions: welcoming, embracing, and directing visitors through different levels of the interior. With this gesture, the building blurs the conventional differentiation between architectural object and urban landscape, building envelope and urban plaza, figure and ground, interior and exterior.” [6] The Heydar Aliyev Center is a captivating example of how parametric design can be utilized to understand desired form, function, and the entire skeleton for a work of architecture.

Zaha Hadid Architects is always emphasizing a parametric process, and it is evident in all of their work; nothing is a box.

At first glance a building such as this can be very stimulating to the senses. It appears to be very fluid in its nature and the form gently rises from the ground and swoops around, up, and over in all sorts of directions. Choreographed moments and views can be seen based off of the cloaked portion of the form that gently brushes the ground. Materiality also plays an important role alongside parametric design. Reflective qualities are important for this precedent, as it helps blend the significance of the architecture into its immediate site context.

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fig-9 | Rendering from Wentworth’s 2016 spring EPIC design studio fig-10/14 | Diagrams from Wentworth’s 2016 spring EPIC design studio

DESIGN PROBLEM CREATING A DYNAMIC ATRIUM SPACE FOR A MUSEUM ADDITION Objective: Starting with a grand space bathed in daylight, propose a solution for the building envelope above using parametric design. Emphasize the opening to the sky with an intricate system of structural members, driven by an algorithmic process.

STARTING SIMPLE The 2016 spring semester presented an opportunity to design an art museum for Boston University. This “EPIC” (Externally Collaborative, Project-based, Interdisciplinary Curricula) design studio project, composed of three architecture and two interior design students, called for at least 65,000 square feet of newly designed space to fulfill the needs of a new museum. A critical space to our team became the proposed “atrium connector,” which serves as the mediator between the old and the new. This lofty space is commonly filled with daylight throughout the year and welcomes all museum occupants to an array of public spaces throughout its entirety.

The overarching concept for this design was what we referred to as the “intersection,” where movement and pausing converged along a defined path. This approach for designing the museum derived from locally mapped site forces of varying circulation intensities. These intensities are represented by the Mass Turnpike, surface streets, the MBTA, and pedestrian traffic. Movement became an important concept throughout our process, and it can be seen throughout the interior and exterior of our design. For the purpose of this concentration study project, I wanted to explore an alternate possibility for a roof structure that covered the atrium connector: a parametric design that would instill a sense of movement.

EXISTING 808 COMM AVE.

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fig-15 | Grasshopper definition “baked� into Rhino model fig-16 | Grasshopper definition - diagrid structure

DESIGN PROBLEM SOLUTION INTERTWINED, SINUOUS MEMBERS Solution: Use Grasshopper to generate a series of algorithms that can be translated to Rhinoceros to generate a 3D model. Allow the final design to express daylight and movement through space.

The solution for the atrium connector, similar to what was discussed during the examination of the chosen precedent studies, only had to compliment the overall museum design. This solution is intended to emerge from an algorithmic process but only to enhance the larger impact that the museum has on its occupants and site/community.

The initial approach to design a parametric structure for the atrium connector was to create a diagrid structure that could potentially hold a series of glass panels to protect the interior of the building from exterior elements. The first attempt at this form can be seen in the figure to the left. A curved surface was broken up into a series of subsurfaces, lines were attached to intersecting grid lines, and a pipe was driven across every path created by the lines. The figure below shows the Grasshopper definition used to create such a form.

This simple method and outcome was not very satisfying, but it took more research and understanding Grasshopper in order to produce something more complex that could be perceived as fluid and consistent. The next page shows the final iteration for the design.

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p.17 INTERTWINED, SINUOUS MEMBERS The final roof structure iteration for this project can be seen in this rendered graphic below; it is what is referred to as a lamella structure, which is essentially a vaulted structure with crisscrossing members that form a network of diamond shapes. Structures such as these have been explored countless times, so it is by no means unique. A great example of this type of aesthetic can be seen in Foster + Partners’ Smithsonian Institution in Washington, DC. This model was organized parametrically using Grasshopper, and it was “baked” into Rhinoceros after its completion. The term “baked” refers to the action that is taken to turn a Grasshopper definition (as seen below with its series of connected wires) into an actual 3D model in Rhinoceros. A structural analysis was beyond the scope of this project, but in theory these members could connect to columns on both sides within the designated walls for the atrium connector. Determining what kind of beams could border the outer edges of this canopy would be worth investigating in another research-based project.

fig-17 | 3D model/rendering of roof canopy fig-18 | Grasshopper definition of lamella roof canopy

p.18 INTERTWINED, SINUOUS MEMBERS The final iteration for this parametric canopy can be seen in the rendering shown. I feel that it is very successful at instilling a sense of movement through space and creates an intriguing new aesthetic for BU, the art museum, and the local built environment. The structure visually bends and twists through the sky, creating a dynamic space below and a stimulating effect on the interior with its diamond patterned openings that capture daylight.

fig-19 | Rendering of BU Art Museum w/ parametric roof canopy

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CONCLUSION PARAMETRIC THINKING After becoming more familiar with Grasshopper and Rhino, it became more feasible to actually create, model, and render a parametrically designed structure and do so as an alternate proposal for this semester’s EPIC studio design project. The overall objective for this project was to simply explore the possibilities of parametric design and use Grasshopper to create potential solutions for a museum atrium roof structure. Many critics argue that some parametric design is arbitrary and is created without rationale, but for this study it was generated with purpose. Concepts of movement and local site forces pushed the design of the canopy to be its own, unique entity within the museum. It complements the twisting walls that border the galleries and staff program to the south side of the atrium, and it responds to the rational placement of building volumes, openings between masses, and circulation adjacent to the west elevators and main stair.

This project was successful in that it exposed new possibilities of thinking about structure and the fluidity of rigid structural members. This all is still very conceptual and theoretical for this specific application, but these moves have been made before and exist within our world today. Beyond straight beams and columns, there are opportunities to expand beyond the horizon of tradition and propose new and exciting spaces that enhance the user experience. Any architect can produce a simple design that is 100% feasible, but at which point does one push their own boundaries and test the ultimate limitations of what can actually be realized in the world we live in? The most commendable architects and designers today are pushing the limits with every new project that they compete for.

Parametric design is more than just software that helps generate intriguing forms; it can serve as inspiration for architecture yet to come and design processes that have not yet been explored in this new digital age of architecture.

fig-20 | Rendering of BU Art Museum w/ parametric roof canopy

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ENDNOTES [1]

Merriam-Webster. Merriam-Webster, n.d. Web. 25 Feb. 2016.

[2]

Jabi, Wassim (2013). Parametric Design for Architecture. London: Laurence King. Print.

[3]

Woodbury, Robert (2010). Elements of Parametric Design. Routledge. Print.

[4]

Tedeschi, Arturo, Fulvio Wirz, and Stefano Andreani. AAD, Algorithms-aided Design:

Parametric Strategies Using Grasshopper. N.p.: n.p., n.d. Print.

[5]

“Diller Scofidio + Renfro.” Diller Scofidio + Renfro. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Feb. 2016.

[6]

“Heydar Aliyev Center / Zaha Hadid Architects.” ArchDaily. N.p., 13 Nov. 2013. Web. 14

Mar. 2016

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FIGURES [fig-1]

“1889 – Gaudí’s Hanging Chain Models.” List of Physical Visualizations. N.p., n.d. Web.

[fig-2]

7 Mar. 2016.

Fabricius, Daniela. “Radical Pedagogies » Frei OttoInstitute for Lightweight Structures

at the University of Stuttgart (ILEK).” Radical Pedagogies. N.p., n.d. Web. 3 Mar.

2016. [fig-3]

Davis, Daniel. “A History of Parametric.” Daniel Davis. N.p., 6 Aug. 2013. Web. 3 Mar.

2016. [fig-4/5] [fig-6]

“The Broad.” The Building. N.p., n.d. Web. 21 Mar. 2016.

“Theory Against Theory.” Theory Against Theory. N.p., 26 June 2012. Web. 21 Mar.

2016. [fig-7/8]

“Heydar Aliyev Center / Zaha Hadid Architects.” ArchDaily. N.p., 13 Nov. 2013. Web. 21

[fig-9]

Mar. 2016.

Rendering by author

[fig-10/14]

Diagrams by author

[fig-15/18]

3D model and Grasshopper definition by author

[fig-19/20]

Renderings by author

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BIBLIOGRAPHY “1889 – Gaudí’s Hanging Chain Models.” List of Physical Visualizations. N.p., n.d. Web. 7

Mar. 2016.

“Antoni Gaudí.” Bio.com. A&E Networks Television, n.d. Web. 22 Mar. 2016.

Davis, Daniel. “A History of Parametric.” Daniel Davis. N.p., 6 Aug. 2013. Web. 3 Mar. 2016.

“Diller Scofidio + Renfro.” Diller Scofidio + Renfro. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Feb. 2016.

Fabricius, Daniela. “Radical Pedagogies » Frei OttoInstitute for Lightweight Structures

at the University of Stuttgart (ILEK).” Radical Pedagogies. N.p., n.d. Web. 3 Mar.

2016.

“Heydar Aliyev Center / Zaha Hadid Architects.” ArchDaily. N.p., 13 Nov. 2013. Web. 21

Mar. 2016.

“Hotel Arc La Rambla | Antoni Gaudi Heritage - The Architect and His Wonders.” Hotel Arc

La Rambla. N.p., n.d. Web. 22 Mar. 2016.

Jabi, Wassim (2013). Parametric Design for Architecture. London: Laurence King. Print.

Merriam-Webster. Merriam-Webster, n.d. Web. 25 Feb. 2016.

Person, and Kelsey Campbell-Dollaghan. “9 Buildings By Frei Otto, the Architect Who

Engineered the Future.” Gizmodo. N.p., 11 Mar. 2015. Web. 21 Mar. 2016.

Tedeschi, Arturo, Fulvio Wirz, and Stefano Andreani. AAD, Algorithms-aided Design:

Parametric Strategies Using Grasshopper. N.p.: n.p., n.d. Print.

“The Broad.” The Building. N.p., n.d. Web. 21 Mar. 2016.

“Theory Against Theory.” Theory Against Theory. N.p., 26 June 2012. Web. 21 Mar. 2016.

Woodbury, Robert (2010). Elements of Parametric Design. Routledge. Print.

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