Studio: Air

Adam Kelsey607974

Tutor: Canhui Chen

Table of Contents:

Part A: Conceptualization

A.1: Design Futuring 4 A.2: Composition/Generation 8 A.3: Conclusion 9 A.4: Learning Outcomes 10 References 11

Part B: Criteria Design B.1: Research Field 13 B.2: Case Study 1.0 14 B.3: Case Study 2.0 20 B.4: Technique Development 24 B.5: Prototypes 31 B.6: Technique: Proposal 32 B.7: Learning Objectives and Outcomes 33 References 34

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Constructed from a steel and glass grid shell over the hotel structure made of custom LED’s designed by Arup Lightning. The hotel itself spans the size of an F-1 racetrack. The design is a 217 metre sweeping grid shell designed to be an iconic experi-ence for the first F-1 race run during transition from day to night, this is where the LED lighting emerges and illuminates the area. The project represents the parametric design element of a sweeping structure that is generatively averaged to make each panel a certain size for construction as well as a technologi-cal incorporation of ~5000 LED panels to create the lighting effect at night (Davis, Daniel 2013; Asymp-tote).

A.1: Design Futuring

Yas Hotel:

Wall Section Detail Figure 1

Gridshell Figure 2 4

This pavilion was installed for the ZA11 Speaking Architecture event in Cluj, Romania 2011; a student project working with parametric design and a limited ma-terial budget to create a welcome piece for the festival. The work is comprised of 746 unique pieces which interconnect to cre-ate a encompassing ring (Figure 5). They fit together with smaller pieces in between removing the need for joints or bolts, similar to a jigsaw allowing for an easy assembly process. The design process worked with a limited budget and minimal material usage to create a strong representational pavilion to attract passers by, via parametric model-ling the project met these goals and stream-lined fabrication and construction (Megan Jete, 2011).

Fabrication Layout, Figure 3

Joint Detail, Figure 4

ZA11 Pavilion:

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A.2: Design Computation A.3: Composition/Generation

The transition from Computer Aided Design to computational design in architecture rep-resents a fundamental shift in process and method. From representational form to simulated form, and more extremely; emergent and generative forms. Simplifying the design process by automating mathematical calculations and formation is a significant positive although it does require designers to think differently about geometry and 3D space. A box is not just equidistant lines, it functions as a closed collection of boundary surfaces which can be manipulated based on their digital information and position. This changes the process of design and how architects will think but does not greatly influence the requirements of clients or what is reasonably expected of building typologies. Whether its parametrically designed or otherwise an office building, house, library, pavilion etc., still have the same space and design requirements. At most what changes are the forms and shapes of their com-position but not anything fundamental to the practice of architecture.

The change in approach can be seen in the change of language; ‘changing’ a design trans-lates to ‘updating’ the design, what’s now required is adjusting parameters to have the model regen-erated. Architecture is fundamentally about relationships, altering the format in which these relation-ships are represented shouldn’t alter the fundamental motives or outcomes of the design process. The main effect of computation seems to be incorporating parameters rather than having to resolve them later and also increasing the amount of information in the system itself. Forms and shapes that were previously impossible to design or even fabricate are now easily generated by establishing rules and parameters. Also the idea that these systems are becoming more prevalent and discussed shows something about the effect they are having in that they are a viable pathway for design to take, the strongest system will outlast the others (Markoff, 1990).

The introduction of advanced design tools for architectural design has created a duality of ap-proaches; “the representation and production of the geometry and topology of designed objects” and the “representation and use of knowledge to support to carry or carry the synthesis of designs”. These refer re-spectively to the use of CAD design tools that increase efficiency and generative computational approaches (Ipek, 2012). Generative design systems seem to regard formation over form, affecting a systems logic rather than the object, whereas the compositional is the opposite. Rather than affecting the design directly, the gen-erative approach would change the input parameters to result in change, while the compositional approach makes direct changes. The generative process works well when the accuracy and precise mathematics of a computer can be applied to an already existing design to remove inefficiencies and resolve issues; the 100% digitally designed Boeing 777 is a good and complex example (Figure 5). This reflects the development of computational design that an entire commercial aircraft can be designed, tested and analyzed digitally and then constructed (Boeing, 2008). Also appreciating the history of generative processes can give some con-text to current developments, in that they are not a sudden new approach but have been alluded to since the development of the computer in the early 20th century and the first examples of parametric software. 1988 was the year Parametric Technology Corporation (founded by mathematician Samuel Geisberg in 1985 released the first commercially successful parametric modelling software; “Pro Engineer” (Weisberg, 2008), so generative modelling has been an underling idea for at least 30 years. However only in the last decade has it gone from the mathematics employed by Gaudí,Sutherland, and engineers to being a regular part of the architectural discipline. The underlying meaning behind architectural action can be seen as another distinction here. When an architect designs compositionally; by hand or directly in some program it can be assumed that every spatial and visual relationship, dimension and element of the design was intentional, whereas with genera-tive design the product is emergent, all relationships are produced somewhat beyond the architects control (Kolarevic, 2003). While the architect does set parameters, the computer generates the product, which may satisfy all criteria but not be an intended result, just using input variation. It is seemingly easy then to create an interesting script and claim credit for successful iterations when there was little intent behind their develop-ment. However considering the amount of work and knowledge it requires to use parametric programs such as Grasshopper to get any result would mean the designer always has some control and idea of what they are doing, the ’manual labour’ of calculation is done by the computer.

Boeing 777 Construction Map Figure 5

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A.4: Conclusion

A.5: Learning Outcomes

The ability to vary input data and set parameters can make experimentation easy as multiple iterations can be produced. The idea that the computer becomes the designer over the architect can be ignored as these systems require intelligent input to generate meaningful results. Designing to reflect topographical features or local environment seems interesting, cre-ating architecture considering man made features such as the Yas Hotel encompassing a race track.

Thinking parametrically and logistically for me is an adjustment from what I have been comfortable with. My first works are simple but help me to grasp the functionality of algorith-mic systems. I have found that I learn largely by trial and error which may be useful here as the Grasshopper and Rhino allow or even encourage experimentation and mistakes before success. My early Virtual Environments design, a lantern (Figure 5-6), could have been im-proved by using Grasshopper in particular as I designed solely in Rhino but was meticulously straightening lines and flattening planes manually so it could be fabricated. A simple Orient or planarize function could have saved me several hours of tedious work.

Lantern Figure 6 Lantern Figure 5

References:

Figure 1 - Yas Hotel, media, http://openbuildings.com/buildings/the-yas-hotel-profile-248

Figure 2 - Yas Hotel, media, http://openbuildings.com/buildings/the-yas-hotel-profile-248

Figure 3 - ZA11 Pavilion, Fabrication Layout, http://www.arch2o.com/za11-pavilion-dimitrie-stefanescu-patrick-bedarf-bogdan-hambasan/

Figure 4 - ZA11 Pavilion, Joint Detail, http://designplaygrounds.com/deviants/clj02-za11-pavilion/

Figure 5 - Boeing 777 construction map, http://www.newairplane.com/777

Figure 6 - Lantern, Virtual Environments Model, Own Photo, taken 14/05/2013

Figure 7 - Lantern, Virtual Environments Model, Own Photo, taken 27/05/2013

Sources:

(The) Boeing Company, 2008, Boeing 777 and 777X, http://www.newairplane.com/777

Asymptote Architecture News, The Yas Hotel, Asymptote Architecture, http://www.asymptote.net/buildings/yas-hotel/

Davis, Daniel, 06/08/2013, A History of Parametric, http://www.danieldavis.com/a-history-of-parametric/

Ipek Gursel Dino, 2012, Creative Design Exploration by parametric generative systems in Architec-ture, DOI: 10.4305/METU.JFA.2012.1.12

Kolarevic, 2003, Architecture in the Digital Age - Design and Manufacturing, COMMENTED - An-nie Walsh

Markoff, John, 29 August 1990, What’s the Best Answer? It’s Survival of the Fittest, New York Times

Megan Jette, Arche Daily, 5/07/2011, http://www.archdaily.com/147948/za11-pavilion-dimit-rie-stefanescu-patrick-bedarf-bogdan-hambasan/

Weisberg, David. 2008. “The Engineering Design Revolution: The People, Companies and Com-puter Systems that Changed Forever the Practice of Engineering.” Accessed July 23, 2011. http://www.cadhistory.net

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B.1 : Research FieldPart B

Patterning

Repeating a geometry or tile to produce a result such as tiling color theme hexagonal frames over a facade as in the Spanish Pavil-ion exterior by Foreign Office Architects. Alter-natively this can be seen as reusable solutions to a design, repeating them various times in a response such as what could be derived from parametric modelling. The pattern can be inter-preted as a repetitious or similar programming working with different inputs. However the ob-vious conceptual imagery of patterning has the outcome resembling geometric repetition over a surface. But this can apply to repeating elements such as; POLYP.lux by SOFTlab where the gravi-ty based geometry surface repeats with different sized panels connected at their vertices but with LED lights over this pattern as well. The position of these 1400+ LED’s on the geometry can be considered a patterning exercise but operating on a different input (SOFTlab, 2011). This will in-fluence my design by thinking of how elements can pattern and form larger context pattens and images but also how elements other than these can be introduced to manipulate effects like light, motion etc.

Figure 2 - Spanish Pavilion - Foreign Office Architects

Figure 1 - POLYP.lux by SOFTlab

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B

B.2 : Case Study 1.0

OMA McCormick Tribune

2003, OMA and Rem Koolhaas worked on McCormick Tribune Campus Center at the Illinois Institute of Technology in Chicago. The project to the building was an graphics program that expressed and contextualised the various functions of the building. This reproduced Mural wallpaper is a portrait of the architect Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, who served as the head of the architecture school and designed the master plan and many of the buildings on campus. In homage to Mies’s legacy and continued influence on the school,his portrait is etched on the façade and on the sliding glass doors that serve as the main entrance to the building (Henning, 2011). The image is composed of pictograms that depict various student activities and, from afar, read as pixels forming the portrait. These are orientated with refer-ence an image sample to generate the portrait with

Figure 3, 4 ,5 - Mies van Der Rohe Installation

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The original outcome of the supplied definition.

The definition for the OMA McCormick Tribune revolves around the image sampler and setting a number integer to the brightness value of the image in that component to orient different geometry into position. This means that for each level of brightness there will be oriented to that point 1 of the referenced data. The data could be anything from line geometry, surfaces etc.

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Case Study 1.0 Matrix Table

B.3 : Case Study 2.0

China Pavilion Milano 2015 - Studio Link-Arc

Conceived as a free form timber structure to achieve a rolling roof pavilion housing an exhibition field. The pavilion roof uses contemporary Glulam technology to create the long-spanning space covering a multimedia installation of 22,000 integrated LED stalks (LincArc, 2015). Glulam tech-nology is individual laminates of structural timber finger-jointed and glued together to produce desired size. This method is stronger than regular timber and can span spaces with minimal support (Swedish, 2012). The design is to reflect the surrounding landscape

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Figure 8 - China Pavilion Roof Detail

Creating profile curves and lofting be-tween them, finding the boolean intersection of those curves lengthwise to find the intermediate profiles along that loft surface. Then shattering the length and extruding to create smaller surface panels to simulate the roof facade of the China Pavilion. This method only creates the facade however which creates curved surfaces in places. For fabrication this will need to be resolved to cre-ate a support structure underneath as what is part of the China Pavilion and resolve each surface to be planar. It has been resolved for the China Pavilion by creating a supporting timber structure with a waterproof layer and affixing plane roof panels over. THey are attached by pin joints at the structure intersections, the small panels loosely cover the curved supporting grid.

Reverse Engineer

B.4: Technique Development

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MATRIX TABLE

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B.5: Prototypes

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Some of the more suc-cessful iterations are these simpler forms which fit rotated panel ge-ometries to a curved surface creat-ing a cascading sheet effect. I am able to control the position of each panel in order to eliminate overlap, however to still achieve a decent effect this limits the base geometry. Additionally there are some issues with the planes for each surface for rotation, if the surface is not pla-nar initially then my definition as it stands cannot generate a base plane for rotation. There is some control in this design, enough to remove any overlapping of panels and as each is generated from the same base geometry they are all uniform size with different orienta-tions. This will make any fabrica-tion easier but there may be some potential for varying element size within a certain tolerance.

B.6: Technique Proposal B.7: Learning Outcomes and Objectives

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My proposal is largely similar to this precedent project the Art615 Pavilion. Panels arranged on a sup-porting structure which is indented to support each panel to rest with minimal connection. The workshop to produce this was working with utilizing form and Rhino Scripting tools with a goal of efficient CNC fabrication. Elements are backlit to produce a shadow effect over the surface of each panel (Art615, 2015).This project gives me ideas for how to fabricate a my similar iterations. It is my intent now to produce a pavilion from my iterations having seen what has been done by Art615

I appreciate fabrication difficulties of the design I have proposed, specifically at the joint locations of the panels and the supporting structure. These can be dealt with somewhat by tak-ing some clues from Art615 but will require some experimentation which I have not done done as of now. The preferred iterations I have selected seem to want to be a pavilion structure which shel-ters something below, perhaps a bench or seating area; however there are issues of water permeability which may call for some extension of the individual elements and some system to resolve that. However the main interest in this design is the overlapping panels making a sloping sheet, as a way to take the design further there may be a way to extend the design to both sides and double the panel surfaces.In manipulating the panels I have tried to achieve greater control by mapping each to a plane through which I can control its rota-tion. However I still could not fully resolve mapping planes to more complex geometries than plane surfaces. In developing this further I would have liked to find a more comprehensive way of generat-ing base planes for cuved geometries to orient to the map surface.

Figure 9, 10, 11 - Art615 Pavilion

References

Figure 1 - POLYP.lux by SOFTlab, http://designplaygrounds.com/deviants/polyp-lux-by-softlab/

Figure 2 - Spanish Pavilion - Foreign Office Architects, http://www.metalocus.es/con-tent/en/system/files/file-images/ml_Zaera_Aichi_05_1024.jpg

Figure 3 - Mies van Der Rohe Wallpaper, Detail (Small), 17-09-2015, https://machinatorium.wordpress.com/2011/06/09/290-ma-p-iit-mies-wallpaper/

Figure 4 - Mies van Der Rohe Wallpaper, Small, 17-09-2015, https://machinatorium.wordpress.com/2011/06/09/290-ma-p-iit-mies-wallpaper/

Figure 5 - Mies van Der Rohe Wallpaper, Complete, 17-09-2015, https://machinatorium.word-press.com/2011/06/09/290-ma-p-iit-mies-wallpaper/

Figure 6 - China Pavilion, Exterior, 10/09/15, http://link-arc.com/project/china-pavilion/

Figure 7 - China Pavilion, Interior, 10/09/15, http://link-arc.com/project/china-pavilion/

Figure 8 - China Pavilion, Roof Detail, 10/09/15, http://link-arc.com/project/china-pavilion/

Figure 9 - Art615 Pavilion, Structure Detail, 23/09/15, https://karmatrendz.files.wordpress.com/2010/10/art615_10.jpg

Figure 10 - Art615 Pavilion, Project View 1, 23/09/15,http://designplaygrounds.com/devi-ants/art615-project-gh3d/

Figure 11 - Art615 Pavilion, Project View 2, 23/09/15, http://designplaygrounds.com/devi-ants/art615-project-gh3d/

Sources:

Art615 Pavillion , 2015, Art615 Project, 20/09/15, http://designplaygrounds.com/deviants/art615-project-gh3d/

Henning M. Lederer, 2011, 290 // MA-P IIT Mies Wallpaper, Machinatorium, 17-09-2015, https://machinatorium.wordpress.com/2011/06/09/290-ma-p-iit-mies-wallpaper/

Link Arc, 2015, China Pavilion for Milano 2015, 04/09/15, http://link-arc.com/project/china-pavilion/

Swedish Wood, 2012, Modern Glulam Technology, 10/09/15, http://www.swedishwood.com/glulam/modern_glulam_technology

SOFTlab, 2011, POLYP.lux, 15/09/15, http://softlabnyc.com/portfolio/polyp-lux/

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