Studio air journal

STUDIO AIR

STUDIO JOURNAL

FRIDA HAECKNER - 2016

THE UNIVERSITY OF MELBOURNEMELBOURNE SCHOOL OF DESIGN

ABPL30048_ARCHITECTURE DESIGN STUDIO: AIR

WORK BY: FRIDA HAECKNER_676855

TUTOR: BRAD ELIAS

SEMESTER 1_2016

TABLE OF CONTENTSINTRODUCTION 4

A. CONCEPTUALIZATION 6

A.1. DESIGN FUTURING 8

A.2. DESIGN COMPUTATION 18

A.3. COMPOSITION/GENERATION 24

A.4. CONCLUSION 30

A.5. LEARNING OUTCOMES 31

A.6. APPENDIX 32

REFERENCES 33

B. CRITERIA DESIGN 34

B.1. RESEARCH FIELD 36

B.2. CASE STUDY 1.0 42

B.3. CASE STUDY 2.0 48

B.4. TECHNIQUE: DEVELOPMENT 54

B.5. TECHNIQUE: PROTOTYPES 60

B.6. TECHNIQUE: PROPOSAL 64

B.7. LEARNING OBJECTIVES AND OUTCOMES 74

B.8. APPENDIX 75

REFERENCES 76

PART C. DETAILED DESIGN 78

C.1. DESIGN CONCEPT 80

C.2. TECTONIC ELEMENTS & PROTOTYPES 82

C.3. FINAL DETAIL MODEL 100

C.4. LEARNING OBJECTIVES AND OUTCOMES 123

C.5. APPENDIX 124

INTRODUCTION

NAME: FRIDA MARIE WANJIRU HÄCKNER

AGE: 23

ETHNICITY: SWEDISH, KENYAN

EDUCATION:

Bach. of Landscape Architecture

@ The Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences

[2012-2013] Uppsala, Sweden.

Bach. Of Environments (M. Arch.)

@ The University of Melbourne [2014-Present] Melbourne, Australia.

Current Status: 3rd year Bachelor of Environments student with a major in

Architecture at the University of Melbourne. Courses which has contributed

to experience in relevant digital design programs include “Visualizing

Environments”, “Digital Design and Fabrication” and “Architecture Design

Studio: Earth”.

IINTRODUCTION 4

PIC. 1- STOCKHOLM AREA AURORA 1

PIC. 4 - STOCKHOLM CITY DURING CHRISTMAS2 1 http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/gallery/2015/03/northern_lights_gorgeous_photos_of_the_aurora_borea-lis_light_show.html2 https://sweden.nordicvisitor.com/travel-deals/partially-guided-tours/stockholm-christmas-weekend/

PIC. 2 - LAKE NAKURU NATIONAL PARK1 PIC. 3 - LAKE NAKURU

1 http://www.africapoint.com/national-parks/kenya/lake-nakuru-national-park.html

Born in Stockholm, Sweden and arriving in Melbourne, Australia in order to study Frida has completed 2 out of 3 years of an Architecture undergraduate degree. The interest in design and construction is rooted in Environmentally Sustainable Design and the classical architecture of Old Europe.

Growing up with a registered architect and urban planner for a parent gave great insight into the practical profession as well as the conformities and fallacies of the field.

“SECOND SKIN” PROJECT, DIGITAL DESIGN & FABRICATION, IN

COLLABORATION WITH ZEYU LI

INTRODUCTION 5

SKILL LEVELS - DIGITAL DESIGN TOOLS

AUTOCAD: 7/10

RHINO: 7/10

GRASSHOPPER: 0/10

ADOBE CREATIVE SUITE(PHOTOSHOP, INDESIGN, ILLUSTRATOR): 8/10

6 CONCEPTUALISATION

CONCEPTUALISATION 7

A. CONCEPTUALIZATION

A.1. DESIGN FUTURING

A.2. DESIGN COMPUTATION

A.3. COMPOSITION/GENERATION

A.4. CONCLUSION

A.5. LEARNING OUTCOMES

A.6. APPENDIX

8 CONCEPTUALISATION

A.1. DESIGN FUTURING

As the name suggests, the concept of Design Futuring is in essence using design to create an environment where that design actually has a future. In this day and age, global climate change has become one of the leading topics in many academic fields. No longer is it a conversation about whether it exists or not but rather how we can stop it, or rather if. Some say it is already too late, while this journal takes a slightly more optimistic view on things, with the outlook that design can be used as a cultural tool to ensure that there is a way forward for us.

For a long time architecture and design moved forward without any thought as to consequences, due to an ignorance that there were any significant ones, just as the rest of the world even though in many cases they were clear to see. The world, however, has changed and in order to survive we as people and as designers must change with it.It has long been clear that strongest or smartest is not the most important factor when it comes to surviving and thriving in this world, but rather who adapts to the ever-changing environment fastest and optimally. Perhaps it is futile without other disciplines also employing their own futuring measures, but finding a sustainable way to design and construct, has to be imperative to change culture for the better.

CONCEPTUALISATION 9

10 CONCEPTUALISATION

PUSHING THE BOUNDARIES - BECOMING CO2-POSITIVEThis project is an excellent example of integrating concepts of organic networks and workflows into a combination of architecture, engineering and art. This design was the winner of an international competition to rejuvenate the bay-area in Singapore. It has quickly become one of the most popular destinations of Singapore due to the combination of different systems and elements, resulting in a carbon positive “highly sophisticated and integrated 3D network” which is highly interactive and vibrant due to the presence of horticulture and landscape architecture1.

SUSTAINABLE WAYS OF LIVING AND THINKINGThe entire plan for the Gardens by the Bay and its’ environs were inspired by the working natural systems in an orchid, the national flower of Singapore2. This has resulted in an aim for a completely sustainable urban ecosystem complete with “leaves (earthworks) and roots (water, energy, communication systems) and shoots (paths, roads and links)”, in other words a complex natural network which aides a futuristic and holistic living-pattern3.

1 http://www.grant-associates.uk.com/projects/gardens-bay-competition/

2 http://www.wilkinsoneyre.com/projects/cooled-conservatories-gardens-by-the-bay

3 http://www.grant-associates.uk.com/projects/gardens-by-the-bay/

PIC. 1 - GARDENS BY THE BAY AREA

GARDENS BY THE BAY - GRANT ASSOCIATESArchitects: Wilkinson Eyre ArchitectsArtists: Atelier One & Atelier TenLocation: SingaporeSite Area: 54 Hectares

PIC. 2 - GARDENS BY THE BAY AREA

CONCEPTUALISATION 11

FIG. 1 - CONSERVATORY VOLUMES

FIG. 2 - CONSERVATORY CONCEPT

PIC. 3 - CONSERVATORIES


ORGANIC ASSIMILATIONThis project is, in a sense, an ode to the future due to the complete integration of natural components and human built spaces. It also simultaneously almost exclaims that this will be the future of design around the world, in ensuring that a future will exist for it.

Not only in the sense of creating an carbon positive, urban environment but also creating conservatories for flora from other parts of the world, which will most likely to be devastatingly affected by current climate change. This is setting the example for future building in nor only Singapore, but also other developed countries, with its’ nature-scape and a carbon-positive urban environment.

FIG. 6 - SUSTAINABLE FLOWCHART

FIG. 3 - GARDENS CONCEPT FIG. 5 - ORCHID GARDENS

FIG. 4 - GARDENS CONCEPT


FUTURISTIC AESTHETICS – INSPIRING CULTUREThe Gardens have in cultural circles not only become an example in sustainable urban development and organic flow-patterns but also been an inspiration for the architectural aesthetics of the future, for what has been termed a long time the “city of tomorrow”.

This is why even in popular culture it has been used to try and create a future-scape which is a combination of both city and nature. Movie-makers have used it to imagine a society far more advanced than ours with the Gardens in mind with the opinion “There’s a place there called Gardens by the Bay which has that lush, kind of futuristic feel in terms of architecture and a very lush tropical feel.1”

1 https://www.fxguide.com/featured/the-vfx-of-guardians-of-the-galaxy/

IMG. 1 - SUPERTREE DAYLIGHT SIMULATION IMG. 2-SUPERTREE NIGHTTIME SIMULATION

PIC. 4- GARDEN INSTALLATION


ONE CENTRAL PARK - JEAN NOUVELArchitects: Ateliers Jean Nouvel & PTW ArchitectsArtists: Yann Kersalé & Patrick BlancLocation: Sydney, AustraliaSite Area: 6000 m2

LIMITING LIMITATIONS - BREAKING RECORDSThis residential building contributes to the idea that personal living in an urban setting can be not only self-sustaining but also be integrated into a natural environment, contributing to reaching carbon neutrality/positivity.1 One Central Park is built to be the tallest vertical garden in the world, combined with advanced technology in the underlying building. As this includes its’ own tri-generation plant which will “supply electricity, heating and cooling using ingenious ‘green transformers’ powered by natural gas” and an in-house water recycling plant, this building is a great influence on the ideas of small and local self-sufficiency.2

1 http://www.centralparksydney.com/live/one-central-park/architecture-and-design2 http://www.centralparksydney.com/explore/a-sustainable-habitat

IMG. 1 - ONE CENTRAL PARK IMG. 2- VERTICAL GARDEN INTEGRATION

These different approaches towards sustainability combined with an integrated organic network has begun a new way of thinking about how an urban setting can both look and function.

This, as the building has been recognized globally, can really affect change in the way that people live and move, with an option of no longer having to go searching in your city for any sort of expansive greenery. As the lead designer Jean Nouvel stated when speaking about the project; “Landscape is architecture”, meaning One Central is only using the design process the way it is meant to be used.

The past use of design in this sense, have limited future possibilities of what we can do within the scope of design before hitting a critical point where there is no coming back from. The use of even only the vertical garden is a step in the direction of contributing to a versatile living space which is part of a symbiotic natural environment. As both cooling and purifying air of warming fumes, it makes it into a more enjoyable environment contributing to both health and comfort.


“LANDSCAPE IS

ARCHITECTURE”- JEAN NOUVEL

IMG.3 - CANTILEVER AND HELIOSTAT

PIC. 1- REFLECTIVE PANELS


ADAPTING TO SURVIVE: TOWARDS SELF-SUFFICIENCYOne of the most important features which is pushing the boundaries of what an urban dwelling can be is the low carbon in-house natural gas powered plant providing power not only for the building but the surrounding neighbourhood.

It not only contributes power but does so in a green way with “megawatt plant could reduce greenhouse gas emissions by as much as… removing 2,500 cars off the roads every year for 25 years”.1 In combination with the largest Membrane Bioreactor facility in the world for recycling water, this has led almost complete independency from municipal grids and other unsustainable dependencies.1 http://www.centralparksydney.com/explore/a-sustainable-habitat

FIG. 1 - VERTICAL GARDEN CONCEPT

PIC. 2 - VERTICAL GARDENS

IMG. 3- VERTICAL GARDEN CONCEPT


PIC. 3 - NIGHTTIME AESTHETICS

SUSTAINABLE ART - LIGHT AND NATUREJust as the design process and outcome has contributed to thoughts and discussions on the future of architecture and ensuring that it has a future, so it the artistic components of One Central Park contributing to a positive outcome. The LED light art installation which makes the cantilever come alive at night, is also a composition of reflective panels which feeds sunlight to the incorporated park and gardens, meaning a possible future ideal is that every part of architecture and art contributes to the circular workflow of the urban natural system.

PIC. 4 - LED ART INSTALLATION

PIC. 5 - REFLECTIVE PANELS IN GARDEN


A.2. DESIGN COMPUTATIONAs technology has advanced in later years so have the possibilities that come with it. From earlier computer aided design tools and computerization of design, to more modern tools which can aid us through the entire design process, technology has had a huge impact on how we actually design. Although arguments have been made that both CAD and computational design actually limit designers and that it is impossible for a computer to synthesise human imagination1 I am not of that mind.There are advantages and disadvantages to everything, and if the argument could be made that computers limit us in a creative sense, I believe it also means that CAD and computation can create forms and geometry which the human mind is not imaginative enough to think of. There is also the argument to be made that it is human beings which make these computational approaches to design, who make the algorithms which generate results and therefore human imagination and creativity is always involved whether the approach is computerization or computation. These tools are also help direct creativity in the sense that a million different facts and circumstances which must be considered can be stored all in one place, rather than going through a long process of finding problems and their solutions a computational approach to design regards these and frees up more time for a purely creative process.2

1 ‘’Fake’ and ‘Real’ Creativity using Computer Aided Design: Some Lessons from Herman Hertzberger2 Computation Works: The Building of Algorithmic Thought from Architectural Design



GUANGZHOU OPERA HOUSE - ZAHA HADIDArchitects: Zaha Hadid ArchitectsLocation: Guangzhou, ChinaSite Area: 7 Hectares

COMPUTATION VS. COMPUTERAZATIONWhen computerization of architectural drawings and concepts came alive it made the process more convenient and more accurate, but at the same time did limit the aesthetics which could be produced (especially regarding purely conceptual work). Nor did the essence of what designers were doing change. The computer programs were like drawing what you had designed, only with straighter lines. Computation on the other hand is not a more efficient way of doing what we always did; it is a completely new way of doing something which can also be said to be new. In this example, the Opera House has been designed not only as an achievable form of parametric design, but also an example of integration of other parameters which before could only be used conceptually. Meaning the design has been combined with natural geometrical figures based on geology and the effects of erosion on natural strata. Before computation, these inspirations could mostly be used in a conceptual sense, with no designer being able to calculate natural occurring parameters or predicting a result from them.

PIC. 2 - OPERA HOUSE INTERIOR

PIC. 1 - TRIANGULATED GEOMETRY


FORM AND FUNCTIONComputation enables us to understand what is possible when it comes to geometries based in logic and what is possible to transfer into built form. Before architects did not often consider what was feasible construction, because such thoughts would definitely impede creative processes. This has resulted in the concept of paper architecture, which is arguably useless from any practical standpoint. But with computational approaches to design, any and all feasibility can be calculated in since the designer is the one who controls the generative algorithm. These set parameters therefore aides in then making the actual structure as opposed to a classic design which would have to be examined by professionals from construction fields. In the case of the Opera House, the computational geometric forms has allowed custom making of glass-fibre reinforced gypsum panels to allow the creative form while still remaining highly functional. In this sense, computational design has given architects the chance to push the boundaries in terms of what is possible to translate into built form.

PIC. 3 - LIGHTING AESTHETICS

IMG. 1 - OPERA HOUSE SPACIAL LAYOUT


COMPUTATIONAL MEDIA_TALL TOWERSDesigners: Peter Ung, Anthony Burke, Ben HewittLocation: N/AYear: 2008

LIMITATIONS OF HUMANITY – GENERATING GEOMETRY This non-built theoretical project was executed in a UTS class “titled Computational Media and it specifically looked at Tall tower typologies with an emphasis on exploring new structural possibilities”.1 This is in my mind an excellent example of using parametric design which although using a strict set of variables creates something not only visually and structurally complex, but also something which is unlikely to ever have been thought of or generated without an algorithmic approach. Furthermore, if the design had been a more traditional form of design and computerization there still would have been a level of theoretical limitation to knowing actual performance requirements. This factor is all but eliminated when using a technique which allows “integrated simulation… for energy and structural calculations”.2 This, before would have been impossible for an individual designer as it expands into more scopes than just paper architecture and design leading me to believe that any possible limitations of creativity are accompanied by a multitude of possibilities not available before computation.

1 http://technicart.org/?p=7482 Theories of the Digital in Architecture, p.4.

FIG. 1 -TOWER CONCEPT

FIG. 2 -TOWER GEOMETRY CONCEPT

IMG. 2 - TOWER 3D RENDERING


“THEY WILL NEVER TIRE, NEVER MAKE SILLY ARITHMETICAL

MISTAKES, AND WILL GLADLY SEARCH THROUGH AND

CORRELATE FACTS BURIED IN THE ENDLESS HEAPS OF

INFORMATION THEY CAN STORE.”- YEHUDA KALAY

IMG. 3 - TALL TOWERS 3D MODELS

IMG. 4 - TOWER 3D RENDERING WITH PEOPLE


A.3. COMPOSITION/GENERATION

As computation in architecture has evolved and become more widespread, so has the conversation about what it means to design and how it will affect the future definition of it. To me, a cultural shift in what it means to design and to be an architect and what is involved in it is not a bad thing per se.I rather look at it as much inevitable as any other change in any other aspects of culture, because the only constant in this world is change. Architects have not been doing what they did in the beginning where actual construction was involved, and it is only in recent years where any diversity among famous architects have emerged. The theory and practice is constantly changing and this fact will never change.

Generative design has changed how the composition of structures are made and generated. Algorithmic use does technically limit the generative design outcome due to it being designated strict parameters, but it does make it extremely easy to generate many different design outcomes in a short amount of time. This makes finding the most desirable outcome easier than classic design methods. This also includes incorporating “performance analysis and knowledge about material, tectonics and parameters of production machinery in their design drawings”.1

1 ‘Computation Works: The Building of Algorithmic Thought’, p. 13.


“WHEN ARCHITECTS HAVE A SUFFICIENT UNDERSTANDING OF ALGORITHMIC CONCEPTS, WHEN WE NO LONGER NEED TO DISCUSS

THE DIGITAL AS SOMETHING DIFFERENT, THEN COMPUTATION CAN BECOME A TRUE METHOD OF

DESIGN FOR ARCHITECTURE..”- BRADY PETERS


LANDSCAPE FENCE - H. WOLFMAYR & JOSEF SALLER Architects: Heri und Salli ArchitectsTeam: Lukas Allner, Monir KarimiEngineering: Bollinger-Grohmann-SchneiderLocation: Austria

GENERATING OUTCOMES - LIMITS OF GEOMETRYThis precedent is a fence/shelter installation which is based on a generative process and algorithmic thinking. In this case the structure is “more or less depending on their function the parametric organized spatial element describes”,1 and showcases an execution depending on the parametric modelling.

This does expose a line of limitations regarding the generated geometries one gets from computational design. Although the design outcome might be instructed by more general feedback through the process, the outcome might also be limited by the inherent performance considerations already taken into account.

1 http://www.heriundsalli.com/en/land-schafft-zaun/

This means the fence installation might have been hampered creatively by making it work practically, making the geometries less interesting from a designing p.o.v. This does not necessarily mean that the generated form is not more interesting than what a computerization made design would have been, which I believe is the core of the struggle between classic design and computation.

PIC. 1 - GENERATED PANELS


PIC. 2 - FENCE GEOMETRY

PIC. 3 - MATCHING INTERIORIMG. 1 - PLAN VIEW


YAS VICEROY HOTEL - HANIRASHID, LISE COUTUREArchitects: Asymptote ArchitectureLocation: Abu Dhabi, United Arab EmiratesStructural Engineers: Dewan Architects & Engineers/ArupSite Area: 8.5 Hectares

CHANGING PERSPECTIVES – ALGORITHMS OR FEELINGSThe Yas Viceroy is a good example of the complex building envelopes algorithms can generate resulting in pleasing aesthetics and an intricacy of form to the structure. The computational approach which includes calculations regarding structural soundness also make it easier for these intricate buildings to have a larger area without compromising the performance requirements. The aesthetics however, as they are generated from an algorithm can be said to lack any particularly emotionally evocative properties since a computer is unable to take human emotion into consideration. A designer might, as in the case of Yas Viceroy choose to generate an outcome which takes the human users and surrounding environments into consideration and does provoke a reponse, especially combined with light-art installations engaged at night. The problem is bringing something based purely in logic together with something completely intangible and different for different people. That factor however, has long been a factor in architecture and design, independent of computation. One could argue that the more minimalist architecture of for example Le Corbusier is less emotionally evocative than some parametric designs.

The fact that this aspect of human emotion relates more to the design outcome rather than who or what generated that outcome opens up the discourse regarding the definition of architecture and art. If a parametric design is more visually striking and complex than a regular design, combined with the fact that performance requirements are already calculated, then why should computation design be less creative or less worth. To me, the discourse is rather unnecessary as the problems are on a theoretical and almost philosophical plane. The results, as they relate to human comfort and sustainability is the most important factor, with different roads travelled there not doing anyone harm.

FIG. 1 - GRIDSHELL GEOMETRY

PIC. 4 - FINISHED GRIDSHELL


PIC. 5 - BUILDING ENVELOPE

PIC. 6 - ROOF VIEW


A.4. CONCLUSION

The lesson taken through this research is that computational design is not only a valid approach to design but a very valuable one for future design practices. As parameters can be set they can be used to keep from negatively impacting surroundings and keep from using materials not suited for sustainable paths forward.

The most intriguing aspect of computation to me is the idea of using algorithms for biomimicry and integrating the design approach fully with the Merry Creek site. Using an design integrated into the condition of the site, will I believe give the best chance to use computational design to enhance the site for all users in a completely sustainable way.


A.5. LEARNING OUTCOMES

I started this with next to no knowledge of parametric thinking or algorithmic approaches to design. I had observed others do it, but understanding the logic behind it seemed very far away. The actual generative process which grasshopper uses in combination with Rhinoceros has been pretty intuitive to understand.

Practical application, although slower than theoretical knowledge has also evolved enough to expand understanding regarding how generative processes have produced the precedents analysed. It has also imbued the understanding that computational approaches are not lacking “real” creativity.


A. 6. ALGORITHMIC SKETCHBOOK


REFERENCES

Kalay, Yehuda E. (2004). Architecture’s New Media: Principles, Theories, and Methods of Computer-Aided Design (Cambridge, MA: MIT Press), pp. 5-2.

Lawson, Bryan (1999). ‘’Fake’ and ‘Real’ Creativity using Computer Aided Design: Some Lessons from Herman Hertzberger’, in Proceedings of the 3rd Conference on Creativity & Cognition, ed. By Ernest Edmonds and Linda Candy (New York: ACM Press), pp. 174-179.

Oxman, Rivka and Robert Oxman, eds (2014). Theories of the Digital in Architecture (London; New York: Routledge), pp. 1–10.

Peters, Brady. (2013) ‘Computation Works: The Building of Algorithmic Thought’, Architectural Design, 83, 2, pp. 08-15

IMAGES

COVER: http://www.motaen.com/wallpapers/source/id/34235

P. 4:

http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/gallery/2015/03/northern_lights_gorgeous_photos_of_the_aurora_borealis_light_show.html

P. 5:

http://www.africapoint.com/national-parks/kenya/lake-nakuru-national-park.html

https://sweden.nordicvisitor.com/travel-deals/partially-guided-tours/stockholm-christmas-weekend/

P. 10-13:

http://www.grant-associates.uk.com/projects/gardens-bay-competition/

http://www.wilkinsoneyre.com/projects/cooled-conservatories-gardens-by-the-bay

http://www.grant-associates.uk.com/projects/gardens-by-the-bay/

P. 14-17:

http://www.centralparksydney.com/live/one-central-park/architecture-and-design

http://www.centralparksydney.com/explore/a-sustainable-habitat

P. 19-23:

http://technicart.org/?p=748

http://www.zaha-hadid.com/wp-content/files_mf/guangzhouoperahouse.pdf

http://www.zaha-hadid.com/architecture/guangzhou-opera-house/

P. 25-29:

http://www.asymptote.net/#!yas-slide-show/cau8

http://www.heriundsalli.com/en/land-schafft-zaun/

34 CRITERIA DESIGN

CRITERIA DESIGN 35

B. CRITERIA DESIGN

B.1. RESEARCH FIELD

B.2. CASE STUDY 1.0

B.3. CASE STUDY 2.0

B.4. TECHNIQUE: DEVELOPMENT

B.5. TECHNIQUE: PROTOTYPES

B.6. TECHNIQUE: PROPOSAL

B.7. LEARNING OBJECTIVES

B.8. APPENDIX

36 CRITERIA DESIGN36 CRITERIA DESIGN

B.1. RESEARCH FIELD: BIOMIMICRY

In order to solve the environmental problems facing the world today new innovations and techniques are needed to change the way we approach architecture and design. The argument can be made that there is no need to try and invent these strategies, that there is no need to try and find ways to be sustainable. The largest and most sustainable system in existence can be found all around and has processes which can be utilized by several fields. Biomimicry might give the impression of emulating forms and aesthetics found in nature, but is in reality all about using biological, time tested approaches which are sustainable with little effort.1 The point is that both plant life and animals have managed to adapt in a sustainable way to many of the problems which we deem almost insurmountable among ourselves. These strategies and adaptations are no coincidence, with evolution having had billions of years finding these solutions and the research is readily available to adapt to our purposes in construction systems and design approaches.2

1 http://www.biomimetic-architecture.com/what-is-biomimicry/2 https://biomimicry.org/what-is-biomimicry/#.Vw4kr0f2KFr

CRITERIA DESIGN 37CRITERIA DESIGN 37

BIOMIMICRY IS AN APPROACH TO INNOVATION THAT SEEKS

SUSTAINABLE SOLUTIONS TO HUMAN CHALLENGES BY

EMULATING NATURE’S TIME-TESTED PATTERNS AND STRATEGIES

- BIOMIMICRY INSTITUTE

38 CRITERIA DESIGN

SEAWATER GREENHOUSE - FOGSTAND BEETLEArchitects: Charlie Paton, Christopher Rothera, Adam Paton Location: Muscat, OmanSite Area: 10 000 m²

LEARNING FROM BEETLES - TOWARDS RESTORATIVE DESIGNAn example of using a biomimetic approach to construction can be found in the Seawater Greenhouse Technology which was developed as a way to help people survive in arid regions with their few available resources. As long as a coastal line is available “the Seawater Greenhouse can create ideal growing conditions for crops inside the greenhouse and produce fresh water for irrigation, using only seawater and sunlight”.1 The natural system the greenhouse mimics in order to achieve this is based on the Namib desert Fogstand/fog basking beetle. With a shell which can catch condensation after the beetles temperature becomes cooler than the surroundings at night, it collects fresh water from the air which originated as vapour from the sea. A fairly simple adaptation which allows the beetle to harvest fresh water in an otherwise scarce environment, and these are the kind of systems which can be used in a practical design application.

When this biomimetic system was implemented with the greenhouse however, it was discovered to be even more beneficial than initially anticipated. It was found “that was built was it was producing slightly more freshwater than it needed for the plants inside” and the excess water could therefore be applied to the desert around the building. As the lack of water was the only thing holding the area back, the effect of the Seawater Greenhouse was found to have turned from sustainable design to restorative design in less than two years.2 This obviously leads to another huge benefit which is often important to humanity which is cost-effectiveness. These greenhouses can grow crops all year and therefore increasing profits while needing no purchased or municipal fresh water or energy as the system gets more than enough from solar.3

1 http://www.seawatergreenhouse.com/technology.html2 https://www.ted.com/talks/michael_pawlyn_using_nature_s_ge nius_in_architecture/transcript?language=en3 http://www.globalwaterforum.org/2012/05/28/seawater-greenhouse- a-new-approach-to-restorative-agriculture/

PIC. 1 - OMAN SEAWATER GREENHOUSE - 2 YEARS APART

FIG. 1&2 - FORBASKING BEETLE VAPOUR CAPTURE SYSTEM

CRITERIA DESIGN 39IMG. 1 - SEAWATER GREENHOUSE GREAT DESERT CONCEPT

40 CRITERIA DESIGN

EASTGATE CENTRE - TERMITE MOUNDSArchitect: Mick Pearce Structural Engineers: Arup AssociatesLocation: Harare, ZimbabweSite Area: 55 000 m²

LEARNING FROM TERMITES - DESTRUCTION TO SALVATIONOne of the highest energy consumptions recorded is that of building operation systems, in cooling, heating and so forth. It has risen to the levels that “operation of buildings represents 40% of all the energy used by humanity, so learning how to design them to be more sustainable is vitally important”.1

This is an area where the potential for biomimicry is huge as both plants and animals have had millions of years to find adaptations of habitation which uses no artificial energy whatsoever. This second example has based the ventilation system off how a simple termite mound works. This biomimetic system has resulted in the building using “90% percent less energy for ventilation than conventional buildings its size”, since the equivalent termite mound can stay within one degree all year round without any added electrical energy.2

1 http://www.biomimetic-architecture.com/what-is-biomimicry/2 https://biomimicry.org/biomimicry-examples/#.Vw4lTUf2KFq PIC.2 - EASTGATE BUILDING IN HARARE - CONCEPT

CRITERIA DESIGN 41

Once again the biomimetic system which has been implemented has not only resulted in practical design which is sustainable enough to not have a large negative impact on the world, but also has the added benefit of cost reduction and effectiveness. Not only did the ventilation system cost only about 10% of a commercial air conditioning system it then uses much less energy to achieve the same result.1 Since less energy is used there is also less money spent on energy bills. It has been estimated that the biomimetic system has already saved building owners millions of USD because of the more passive system of the termites.2 Although often known as destroying buildings, this inspiration can help save them in the future. By making the building envelope a system which interacts with the world and utilizes it to an advantage instead of just shutting out everything on the outside, architecture and design of the future can head to a symbiotic and even a restorative relationship with the environment in the future.

1 http://www.mickpearce.com/works/office-public-buildings/east gate-development-harare/2 http://inhabitat.com/building-modelled-on-termites-eastgate-centre -in-zimbabwe/

IN MOST BUILDING DESIGNS, WALLS ARE ERECTED AS BARRIERS TO

ISOLATE SPACES: INTERNAL SPACES FROM THE OUTSIDE WORLD,INTERNAL

SPACES FROM ONE ANOTHER... LIVING SYSTEMS RESOLVES THIS

BY ERECTING WALLS THAT ARE NOT BARRIERS BUT ADAPTIVE INTERFACES,

WHERE... ENERGY ACROSS THE WALL IS NOT BLOCKED BUT IS

MANAGED BY THE WALL ITSELF- J. S. TURNER

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B.2. CASE STUDY 1.0 - THE MORNING LINE

The following exploration is about using an algorithmically generated real world design installation and using the base of that design for exploring its’ possibilities. In this case that installation is The Morning Line project by Benjamin Aranda and Chris Lasch, which has been in several cities and countries. The Line is a “platform to explore the interplay of art, architecture, cosmology and music”, with a simple base geometry being used to create a fairly complex result1. The project has an integrated system of speakers which facilitates unique auditory experiences for each of the installations, with an inviting aesthetic resembling “a ruin from the future… with no single beginning or end, entrance or exit, only movements around multiple centres”.2

The base geometry of the project is a tetrahedron with smaller identical tetrahedrons at the edges in a recursive subdivision pattern. The tetrahedron will be changed and pushed in order to find design potential in other iterations.

1 http://www.designboom.com/art/the-morning-line-by-matthew -ritchie-with-aranda-lasch-and-arup/2 http://arandalasch.com/works/the-morning-line/

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CHANGING BASE POLYGONVARYING

BEZIER

CURVES

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CHANGING IMPUT GEOMETRYTRUNCATE

TETRAHEDRON

MANIPULATING UNROLL BREP COMPONENT

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Selection Criteria:

• Potential for Integration of Biomimetic Systems

• Simplicity of Algorithm vs Outcome Complexity

• Development Potential for Further Exploration

• Dynamic Aesthetic

• Site Integration

1

5

4

3

2

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Selection Criteria: Biomimetic Systems

The design outcome generated by the algorithm needs to be able to

have an integrated system, comparable to the sound/music integra-

tion of The Morning Line, but a system which through biomimicry

benefits the surrounding

environment and its’ inhabitants. This iteration shows implementa-

tion potential for biomimetic and bioimitatinal systems.

Selection Criteria: Development Potential

One of the most important features of parametric design is that one

can include variables which simulates the real world, telling you if

what you are designing can actually be fabricated. So an imporant

criteria is if the iteration can be developed into something that can

be fabricated and used. This iteration is very realistic in that sense.

Selection Criteria: Simplicity of AlgorithmOne danger of this approach is getting mired in developing every little

detail of the design with parametric tools. This can result in an extre-

mely complicated algorithm for a fairly simple outcome. To me the

opposite is the more interesting path. Generating a visually complex

structure with a fairly simple algorithm combined with using other

tools is a criteria for this project, which is exemplified with the itera-

tion to the left.

Selection Criteria: Site Integration

The design outcome also needs the ability of easy implementation

into a fairly large area. Though a non-stop installation along the site is

not the goal, different parts need to be integrated into the environme-

nt in a environmentally beneficial and aesthetically pleasing manner.

I believe this fourth iteration has that potential.

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B.3. CASE STUDY 2.0 - ZA11 PAVILION

Case Study 2.0 takes a look at another biomimetic installation but instead of manipulating the original algorithm, this parametric design was to be reverse-engineered using parametric tools. This case study is the ZA11 pavilion installed in 2011, designed by Dimitrie Stefanescu, Patrick Bedarf and Bogdan Hambasan. The network of hexagonal parts was conceived as a “student-powered endeavour to design and fabricate… a flagship pavilion for the ZA11 Speaking Architecture event in Cluj, Romania”.1

This case study is especially relevant due to not only the bio-imitation of the pavilion but the fact that it was conceived and generated with parametric tools by students and not industry professionals. This indicated that though the final product may have been difficult to fabricate, the algorithm was not necessarily that advanced.The actual pavilion ended up having several desirable traits, including a diverse appeal and utilities which included “a bookshop, an open-air cinema, tea parties, jam sessions and a small concert”.2

1 http://improved.ro/blog/?p=10992 https://futuresplus.net/2011/08/31/clj02-za11/

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Reverse engineering - attempt 1Populate 2 surfaces, add hexagrid and extrude

Reverse engineering - attempt 2Populate 2 surfaces, add hexagrid and extrude right axis

Reverse engineering - attempt 3Populate 2 surfaces, add attractor point, add hexagrid and rotate extrusion

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Reverse engineering - attempt 4: generating hexagonal cells on surface + lofting each cell in Rhino

Reverse engineering - attempt 5: generating hexagonal cells on surface + lofting between surfaces in Rhino

Reverse engineering - attempt 5: generating hexagonal cells on surface + lofting between surfaces in

IN

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Reverse engineering - attempt 7: - successful iterationgenerating hexagonal cells

on surface + lofting between surfaces in after grafting in grasshopper (also lofting in the right order)

IN

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IMG. 1 - ZA11 PAVILION DESIGN DIAGRAM

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B.4. TECHNIQUE: DEVELOPMENT

In order to generate a design which fits the chosen criteria, experimentation s necessary in order to find a desirable outcome. Using the criteria as parameters for what is feasible and wanted at the site, generating many different iterations is the way towards finding an algorithm which fits those criteria. This technique development is based on the reverse-engineered algorithm from Case Study 2.0, the ZA11 pavilion. This means the basis will be hexagonal cells arranged in a circular manner, with all iterations being based on this system.

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“THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS A FAILED EXPERIMENT, ONLY EXPERIMENTS WITH UNEXPECTED OUTCOMES”

- BUCKMINSTER FULLER

CHANGING HEX-CELL NUMBERS

CANGING

INPUT

GEOMETRY

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EXTRUSIONS

+

OCTREE

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PIPING DECONSTRUCTED LOFT + CHANGING HEXAGON CELLS

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B.5. TECHNIQUE: PROTOTYPES

In order to generate a design which fits the chosen criteria, experimentation s necessary in order to find a desirable outcome. Using the criteria as parameters for what is feasible and wanted at the site, generating many different iterations is the way towards finding an algorithm which fits those criteria. This technique development is based on the reverse-engineered algorithm from Case Study 2.0, the ZA11 pavilion. This means the basis will be hexagonal cells arranged in a circular manner, with all iterations being based on this system.

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B.6. TECHNIQUE: PROPOSAL

Merri Creek Site Design Proposal

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This design has the brief of facilitating meetings and interactions between humans and non-human critters. Although there is wildlife in urban Melbourne, I decided to meet the brief by facilitating interaction with animals which have been deemed pests to this country. Though humans are the ones who brought them all here; cats, dogs, foxes, rabbits and smaller rodents have all been declared something unwanted and harmful. In my cultural context, these are simply animals some of them beloved pets in homes even here and so I decided to create an interface to enable interaction with stray and feral cats. Not only have they been here long enough to be fully integrated into the local ecosystem, but there is also not much research to support the statement that they bring harm to the local wildlife, at least no more than human beings.Wood was chosen as a primary element to enable animal claws to move up and down them, with a coloured glass for resting/sleeping platforms enabling people to see from ground level, while blues and greens being chosen due to the fact that cats see those colours the most pronounced.

The design not only has been thought out with facilitating these strays in mind, but also using biomimicry to improve the area for all who use it. For this purpose the wooden conduits have a hollow centre, where a biomimetic system can be housed and in this particular case that is a system of artificial photosynthesis. Only sunlight is needed for CO2 reduction and oxygen production with a nitride semiconductor.1

1 http://photosynthesiseducation.com/artificial-photosynthesis/

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RED: The University of Melbourne

BLUE: Merri Creek Site

Site Choice: Where Merri Creek meets the Yarra River Scale: ca 35 Hectares Chosen Criteria: •Government Mentioned “Pest Animal” Problem •Space is Already Well Utilized by People •Easy Access for Yarra River Inhabitants

CRITERIA DESIGN 733: Fairfield Park Boat-house & Tea Gardens

2: The Quarries Park

1: Ramsden Street Reserve

3: TH Westfield Reserve

1

2: Yarra Bend Park

1: Yarra Bend Golf Course

3

2

2

2: Clifton Hill

1

2

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3

3: Northcote

1: Abbotsford

1

RED: Suburbs

BLUE: Local Areas of Interest

GREEN: Site Relevant Parks and Reservs

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B.7. LEARNING OBJECTIVES AND OUTCOMES

While the first part of learning focused on how computational design is beneficial and how it affects the design process this second part focused on learning how to use these computational tools in a real way. Learning by experimentation as with the case studies is not only a valid approach to get used to parametric design, but I believe the only way to really learn. No amount of theoretical research is as helpful as learning by doing.

The concept of a brief for a design might not be wholly new, having to approach it in a parametric way has shown anther side of how to deal with it. Learning objectives might have been most closely ties to learning practical computational design for this assignment, but it also provided a broader view of how to design in general. When designing with classic techniques, the mind is not able to take in all the parameters needed to see an idea become reality. Everything from environmental circumstances to the very laws of physics, the computational approach will tell you much sooner if your design idea is actually feasible, which I think is a good thing (saves people a lot of time). All in all, the learning objectives have more or less been met, with skills in parametric modelling and different viewpoints of how to design have been learned.

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B.8. ALGORITHMIC SKETCHES

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REFERENCES

http://arandalasch.com/works/the-morning-line/

https://biomimicry.org/biomimicry-examples/#.Vw4lTUf2KFq

https://futuresplus.net/2011/08/31/clj02-za11/

http://improved.ro/blog/?p=1099

http://inhabitat.com/building-modelled-on-termites-eastgate-centre-in-zimbabwe/

http://www.asknature.org/strategy/8a16bdffd27387cd2a3a995525ea08b3#.VB52Ry5dUa0

http://www.biomimetic-architecture.com/what-is-biomimicry/

http://www.designboom.com/art/the-morning-line-by-matthew-ritchie-with-aranda-lasch-and-arup/

http://www.globalwaterforum.org/2012/05/28/seawater-greenhouse-a-new-approach-to-restorative-agriculture/

http://www.mickpearce.com/works/office-public-buildings/eastgate-development-harare/

http://www.seawatergreenhouse.com/oman.html

https://www.ted.com/talks/michael_pawlyn_using_nature_s_genius_in_architecture/transcript?language=en

http://photosynthesiseducation.com/artificial-photosynthesis/

IMAGES

P. 37-39:http://www.asknature.org/strategy/8a16bdffd27387cd2a3a995525ea08b3#.VB52Ry5dUa0

http://www.mickpearce.com/works/office-public-buildings/eastgate-development-harare/

http://www.seawatergreenhouse.com/oman.html

P. 40-41:https://biomimicry.org/biomimicry-examples/#.Vw4lTUf2KFq

http://inhabitat.com/building-modelled-on-termites-eastgate-centre-in-zimbabwe/

P. 43:http://arandalasch.com/works/the-morning-line/

P. 49-53:

http://improved.ro/blog/?p=1099

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C. DETAILED DESIGN

C.1. DESIGN CONCEPT

C.2. PROTOTYPES

C.3. FINAL DETAIL MODEL

C.4. LEARNING OUTCOMES

C.5. APPENDIX

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C.1. DESIGN CONCEPT

After the finalization of Part B of the project individuals were put into groups and a way forward was decided in regards to both the brief and what parametric design tool to focus on. In this case the physical bending of material and keeping a bent shape by being in tension was decided upon, and by using the Kangaroo physics application for Grasshopper actual real world material properties could be used in order to make physical construction easier down the line.

As for the brief of facilitating meetings between human beings and animal entities the bat and flying fox population of Melbourne was chosen as a focus for this parametric design. As they are abundant in the urban environment and having adapted to a fairly unnatural way of living due to destruction of habitat it was decided to use this design as an opportunity to make a habitat more suited to what they would use without human interference.

The feedback for the individual designs had some larger themes in common, including a lack of convincing arguments for how the animals would actually use the design and how it would facilitate encounters with people, a lack of integration on site and too complex solutions to fairly simple problems.

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The first part regarding a convincing facilitation space had the simple solution of creating something the bat species would be familiar with. Since many bat species, especially fruit bats which are native to Melbourne seek out dark spaces to sleep during the day it was decided to create an urban “bat cave”, making a parametric version of what is their natural habitat. At the moment many simply sleep in trees due to lack of available dark spaces in a dense urban environment.In order to allow people as well as bats to utilize the space it was decided to make it rather large, letting people wander around and use the space during the day, and not overcrowding it for the sake of the animal population. The site choice for this was very similar to this Part B project, with the space being at the junction of Merri Creek and the Yarra River, at an existing attraction called the Merri Creek Labyrinth. This allows users (both human and animal) who frequents the Yarra River easy access compared to a spot further up the river, as well as utilizing a current tourist attraction to get people aware of the installation in an unplanned way.

The construction of the cave was decided to be a simple bending shape with bamboo as a material due to flexibility, low cost and sustainability as the main factors. The strips of bamboo would have some distance between them, with the light being shut out through a water resistant fabric weaved through the strips making the structure rain resistant for the bats as well as shutting out daylight. The only complex part of the design being the jointing connecting the bamboo to the ground, with them being part of the design and allowing people to utilize them as well as the cave structure.

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C.2. PROTOTYPES

Aside from the bamboo other materials were examined as possibilities for the main tectonic element, with balsa wood, MDF and plastic being experimented with. The balsa tended to be too rigid to achieve the desired bending, while MDF could after laser cutting joint equivalents into it, but this approach seemed more similar to the parametric tool of panelling and was discarded because of this. Soft plastics did achieve bending and stayed in tension but problems of how one to one construction would actually take place made the idea a bad choice. A large construction on site would be almost impossible, and the durability and sustainability of the plastic option were questioned. Strips of bamboo that were purchased seemed to work best in comparison, with easy bending, a type of sustainable grass, and easier jointing were advantages during the prototyping faze.

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After bamboo strips were chosen, the specific angles of the 3D model generated by Grasshopper were made into joints which would hold the bamboo in the same bending shape, in the same level of tension. To mimic reality, the industrial length of the strips were researched and then replicated in one to twenty. The strips in one form would simply be drilled and screwed together, a feasible way to do it at a larger and realistic scale.

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C.3. FINAL DETAIL MODEL

After the final presentation of this “Bat Cave” idea, the main criticism was not of the concept but of the fabrication of the concept. The idea and underlying logic is fairly simple, and it was argued that the way it was done was unnecessarily complex. Other and simpler ways of achieving the same result were suggested and the final design was altered accordingly. The main strips did bend but were not enough in tension for a stable structure. Bamboo was not discarded as the main material, but the strips were exchanged for regular bamboo canes which have been used in vernacular architecture for centuries. When this was decided, it seemed appropriate to chance the weaving fabric to something that suited the canes/rods of bamboo better.This was seen as an opportunity to take the design futuring aspect to a new level, and make the entire structure as sustainable as possible. Therefore the fabric was exchanged for a box-like shape between the bamboo canes, screwed in place and filled with dried bamboo thicket and leaves. The boxes could also be produced from the same material, which grows to maturation in less than seven years, with the timber equivalent taking a century. This made the structure mostly bamboo which also reflected the natural atmosphere of an animal habitat for which we were aiming. Where the bats had before been hanging from metal rods attached to the strips, which was not very integrated, they now can hang from thinner dried canes of bamboo, easily nailed to the edges of the boxes holding the thicket.

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CONCLUSION

The modelling of the design itself proved a valuable lesson in how sustainable materials makes production cheaper and better. The tension and rigidity which had been lacking before was very much achieved, and bamboo growing around the campus of the University of Melbourne was even used, making purchases of certain thing unnecessary. The natural growing bamboo dropped smaller canes due to autumn, making harvesting live grass redundant as well. The principal logic and construction process did certainly expose a general tendency to make things more complicated than they need to be, which does not even add to the intended design outcome but may even detract from it. Due to the use of mainly natural materials the parametric part of this parametric design might have been slightly obscured, but the imbedded material logic in physics simulation software to me is the most important aspect of this bending/tension structure, making the essence of it relate back to the parametric design concept it was based on.

Though the one to twenty model could have been improved, the difference in simplicity and similarity to how the material has been used for centuries and how it is still used; with bending fresh bamboo, tying it together with dried bamboo leaves, covering the structure with dried available vegetation, made all the difference in the world. The result; stronger, steadier, more sustainable and first and foremost a natural place for facilitating meetings between different species in an urban environment.


C.4. LEARNING OUTCOMES

This project has definitely bestowed a new way to look at and approach how to design for the environment of today. Before, my notions of how parametric tools were used in computational design were vague at best, with traditional design methods being the more familiar. The way of designing through computation, through generating unexpected outcomes rather than just dreaming up something specific yourself is an interesting way to see the world and add to it. There were the more conventional teachings, how do manipulate and make your own definition, which Part B of this project taught me admirable, but there were also the more conceptual ways of learning, of teaching and of thinking. This way of thinking is what led to a completely finished design and facilitation device from just having the notion of material bending properties as a starting point. Even the individual design proposal before Part C of this project was very helpful in teaching how to generate both designs and smaller tectonic elements which can be used for arguing for a design, and how integrating something as basic as how it would be constructed in reality on site a big part of making a convincing argument.Perhaps more coincidentally than not, this particular final project definitely also taught me about the relationship between a design and the “air” around it, and atmosphere inside it relating to the outside. There is always this tendency to become embroiled in a design and forget relations to the rest of the world, but with this computational design and this brief which forces consideration, it did give me a new way to consider purpose and atmosphere.


C.5. APPENDIX - ALGORITHMIC SKETCHES


Documents

Studio air journal