Francois Mangion, Shuchi Agarwal(Bartlett School of Architecture RC2)

Musée des GLACe 2013

MuseuMsYNAesTHeTIC

1. sYNAesTHeTIC museum

2. Concept

3. strings & Rays

4. Caustics Through shapes

5. Caustic Networks 4.1. deformed surfaces 4.2. Water surfaces

6. The Caustic Tool 6.1. Light source Analysis 6.2. Point Light source Analysis 6.3. Radial Light source Analysis 6.4. directional Light source Analysis

7. Algorithmic Relation Morphology 7.1. Point Light source Analysis 7.2. Radial Light source Analysis 7.3. directional Light source Analysis

8. Flow

9. The exhibit

CONTENTS

Photography_ Francois Mangion

Photography_ Francois Mangion

sYNAesTHeTIC museum

The Synaesthetic Museum looks to fi nd a harmony between the visual and aural perceptions in architecture. using light as the archi-tectural generate tool, we hope to create a form which exemplifi es the relationship between the form itself and the aural qualities it can create.

studying the play of light caustics and sound, the museum hopes to heighten ones awareness of the essential role the human sens-es plays in the built environment. Re-thinking how light can evolve into inhabitable spaces, the museum will attempt to redefi ne how people occupy the built environment through sound and not only the typical visual aspects, hence experiencing a homogeneous cor-relation between the volumetric qualities of both light and sound.

Michael Hansmeyer [http://www.architectural-review.com/]

CONCePT

Our methodology sHAPes, FORMs and uses light. We developed a way of analysing light down to ray principles in constant move-ment and change to create a dynamic architectural tool. Through the analysis and application of light projection to both surfaces and 3 dimensional geometric shapes. The caustics generated shape the light rays below and the resulting forms of light are generated with respect to caustic, refraction and refl ection principles. Even if light distortion might seem random caustic principles are actually precise and the slightest movement of the in the surface and/or light will completely result into a different caustic pattern..

The ambient created within the representation of the light rays is constantly changing with varying intensities and build-ups of in-tensely packed light rays representing the caustic patterns to be generated. Affecting most of the human senses this architectural language follows the rules of light, represents its behaviour and proposes a porous almost ghostly hologramic space of refl ection upon the affects the natural world has on the way we live and how, more then before, now light can form our architecture.

Our control over light looks to manipulate the dynamic form of the potential architectural space generated. By the movements and forms generated through light caustics. A more intense space has represents more movement, whilst less intense spaces would re-quire less movement. The light is directly converted into an archi-tectural language, caustics become experiential spaces and light generated the architectural proposal itself.

CAusTIC LIGHT PRINCIPLes

CAusTIC LIGHT CuRVe

LIGHT FLOW & VOLuMeTRIC

VALues

NeW ARCHITeCTuRe

sOuNdGeNeRATION

2nd Layer of detail

sTRINGs ANd RAYsARCHITeCTuRAL FORM FINdING

Following our study of caustics, light refl ection and refraction from surfaces and shapes the next challenge has been understanding whether or not what we’re doing is going to work and mostly how to represent it architecturally. Our design represents the visual anal-ysis of light as a phenomena, but in principle our architecture rep-resents a study of caustic light performance, in particular caustic generation and how light is scattered in a space.

Both light and sound can be analysed with ray and string tracing. The simulation generates a series of light rays (depending on the type of light chosen) and through bounce (after the refl ection) or bend (after refraction) the displacement vector is found.

Rays and strings as part of our architectural language provides a language to express our simulation which is important to be able to quantify and visualize the results of the simulation and further analyse its architectural value.

Partitura - generating real-time graphics by visualising sound[http://www.abstractbirds.com]

sHAPesCAusTICs THROuGH

Caustic Curve simulation of the cone shape

Caustic Curve simulation of the torus shape

NeTWORKsCAusTIC

NeTWORKs

A caustic network is essentially many inter-related caustic light traces.

Using digital simulation and analogue analysis, caustic networks are created and analysed through 2 basic methods of analy-sis.

1. Deformed surfaces2. Water simulated surfaces

The basic geometric caustic curves are recorded depending on the surface generated from. In the region of study suffi cient information is recorded to further understand the transition of caustic curves, determining if the end result was direct combina-tion and repetition of caustic curves or if a proper caustic network was generated.

Caustic Network analysis of an undulating irregular surface

The main parameters for this tested surface are the introduction of irregular geometry and distortion of the tested surface. Also, the actual surface was de-signed to have substantial detailed texture generating the caustic networks.

The modelling of distortion and undulation was conceptualized within the terms of the potential caustic capabilities. The surface bumps produce vary-ing caustic patterns. The fold and deformation generates varieties in the pro-jection.

Caustic Network analysis of a distorted surface cre-ating dynamic caustic projections

Caustic Network Projections Analysed distorted surface

Analysis of Caustic Network development generated by a distorted surface.

dynamic Caustic projections

Light source

Water surface

Refracted Light

Projection Plane

Refracted Light Rays

Water surface

CAusTICthe

tool

THe CAusTIC TOOLThe computational process

The aim of the ‘Caustic `tool’ project is to research and develop computational design meth-ods, in order to design a new intricate type of architecture using light. The process sought inspiration from optical form-creating systems and caustics. Our design process is a fl uent, yet at the same time complex, three-dimensional representation – a Light ‘sculpture’.

The design process aims for the creation of an ICe Museum; whilst design methods must be carefully selected and considered to support the manufacturing methods, the key is to fi nd the delicate balance between light complexity and computational rigid representation. A simple line and point based geometric object is the output giving birth to 3dimensional value to caustics. The algorithm itself follows the complex nature of light hitting the object and how caustic light is derived through its natural rules and in with its multiple iterations. This creates intricate and elaborate geometry.

This ‘Caustic Tool’, represents an architectural vision and creative digital form fi nding, com-bined with the possibilities of design through rules of nature and manufacturing methods.

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RADIAL LIGHT SOURCE DIRECTIONAL LIGHT SOURCEPOINT LIGHT SOURCE

Point source

Light source

surface surface surface

Refracted Light Refracted Light Refracted Light

Point light

Radial lightdirectional Light

LIGHT sOuRCe ANALYsIs

POINT LIGHT sOuRCe ANALYsIs

Caustic ray-tracing analysis of changing wa-ter surface using point light source

PLAN VIeW

Caustic ray-tracing analysis of changing wa-ter surface using point light source

RAdIAL LIGHT sOuRCe ANALYsIs

Caustic ray-tracing analysis of changing wa-ter surface using radial light source

PLAN VIeW

Caustic ray-tracing analysis of changing wa-ter surface using radial light source

dIReCTIONAL LIGHT sOuRCe ANALYsIs

Caustic ray-tracing analysis of changing wa-ter surface using directional light source

PLAN VIeW

Caustic ray-tracing analysis of changing wa-ter surface using directional light source

ReLATIONAlgorithmic

Morphology

ReLATION MORPHOLOGY

The algorithm used to generated ray-tracing seeks for end points of each and every ‘light ray’ and points generate vectors fl owing out according to the certain light angle. These endpoints are made to seek for a distance based relation hence are attracted to the various neighbour points in different distances three dimensionally. It sim-ulates a close logic to the emitted light fl owing to generate varying light intensities which in 3 dimensional terms generate a complex tessellated morphology.

ALGORITHMIC

Analysis of the conception of architectonic forms in the relation of individual points generated by the ‘Caustic Tool’ using point light source

POINT LIGHT sOuRCe ANALYsIs

PLAN VIEW

Analysis of the conception of architectonic forms in the relation of individual points generated by the ‘Caustic Tool’ using point light source

Overlay analysis of generated data in relation to volumetric and architec-tural properties of resulting arch-caustic curve.

RAdIAL LIGHT sOuRCe ANALYsIs

Analysis of the conception of architectonic forms in the relation of individual points generated by the ‘Caustic Tool’ using radial light source

PLAN VIEW

Analysis of the conception of architectonic forms in the relation of individual points generated by the ‘Caustic Tool’ using radial light source

Overlay analysis of generated data in relation to volumetric and architectural properties of resulting arch-caustic curve.

Analysis of the conception of architectonic forms in the relation of individual points generated by the ‘Caustic Tool’ using directional light source

dIReCTIONAL LIGHT sOuRCe ANALYsIs

PLAN VIEW

Analysis of the conception of architectonic forms in the relation of individual points generated by the ‘Caustic Tool’ using directional light source

Overlay analysis of generated data in relation to volumetric and architectural properties of resulting arch-caustic curve.

FLOW

suRFACe uNdeR TesT ReFRACTed LIGHT FLOW ReFLeCTed LIGHT FLOW LIGHT FLOW FROM ReFRACTed TO ReFLeCTed

LIGHT FLOW FROM ReFRACTed TO ReFLeCTed

3 dimensional analysis of light fl ow generated from the relation endpoints or refracted and re-

fl ected light rays.

Refl ected Light

Refracted Light

Link Flow

THe eXHIBIT

Through its purely generated design, the museum will feature a striking presence in itself as a modern work of art. The environment and experience becomes as beautiful as the artwork that the muse-um displays, through its heavy intertwining with the display spaces and light.

The ice and water become complimentary, as the water refl ections enhance the spaces. Ice forms the delicate undulating walls, phys-ically ice becomes a boundary, a protection from the outside, but visually there is no boundary between outside and inside. There is also the light that comes through the ice that indicates a lack of boundary and would make its presence felt on the inside.

Light becomes the key in the design of the museum, with an em-phasis on both refracted and refl ected caustics through natural light.

Tadao Ando. The Oval, Benesse Arts Museum, Naoshima[ http://calyx.tumblr.com/]