Studio Air Journal - Part B - Stephen P

STUDIO AIR2016, SEMESTER 1STEPHEN PARTHIMOS

Table of Contents

4 PART A: CONCEPTUALISATION

6 A.1. DESIGN FUTURING

6 PROJECT 1: ICD/ITKE RESEARCH PAVILION 14/15

9 PROJECT 2: THE BOWOOSS BIONIC RESEARCH PAVILION

10 A.2. DESIGN COMPUTATION

12 A.3. COMPOSITION/GENERATION

14 A.4. CONCLUSION

15 A.5. LEARNING OUTCOMES

16 A.6. APPENDIX - ALGORITHMIC SKETCHES

17 PART B: CRITERIA DESIGN

18 B.1. RESEARCH FIELD

18 Voussoir Cloud - Iwamoto Scott

20 B.2. Case Study 1.0

24 Selection Criteria & Successful Iterations

24 Selection Criteria

24 Successful Iterations

25 B.3. Case Study 2.0 - Reverse Engineer

25 AQUA TOWER - STUDIO GANG ARCHITECTS

27 B.4. Technique: Development

28 SERIES 1

28 SERIES 2

28 SERIES 3

28 Changing no. of veritcal divided lines, and horizontal divided lines

30 SERIES 4

30 SERIES 5

30 SERIES 6

30 Adjusting the extrusion levels - Height and Depth of each extrusion

4 CONCEPTUALISATION

PART A: CONCEPTUALISATION

CONCEPTUALISATION 5

6 CONCEPTUALISATION

PROJECT 1: ICD/ITKE RESEARCH PAVILION 14/15

This Pavilion was developed by the (ICD) and the (ITKE) at the University of Stuttgart in 2014/15. The project is the latest instalment in their series of research pavilions that constantly explore the use of computational design in architecture. This particular project focused on highlighting the use of fiber-reinforced structures and the many benefits of their use in Architecture.

The process behind utilising fiber-reinforced material allows structures to be formed with no excessive amounts of formwork, and it can be manipulated to suit the requirements of any project. The project had many various sources of inspiration, but the most widely researched inspiration for the project came from The Water Spider (Agyroneda Aquatica). This was mainly due to its abilities to construct complex web structures and water bubbles in order to survive. This use of lightweight, minimal material to for a shell/bubble is what inf luenced the overall design of this pavilion.

The Pavilion is a great example of how this structural design process can possibly be utilised in more larger structures in the future. The implementation of lightweight, low cost, and f lexible material to create this structure is aiming to inf luence future designers to take this into consideration on their projects. It adds to the need of actually understanding how to use different materials in order to achieve no-waste structures in architecture today.

A.1. DESIGN FUTURING

FIG.3: THE WATER SPIDER - AIR BUBBLE

CONCEPTUALISATION 7

FIG.1: VIEW OF ICD/ITKE RESEARCH PAVILION

FIG.2: ARIAL VIEW OF ICD/ITKE RESEARCH PAVILION

FIG.3: THE WATER SPIDER - AIR BUBBLE

FIG.4: VIEW OF LIGHT EFFECTS FROM WITHIN THE PAVILION

8 CONCEPTUALISATION

FIG.5: INTERIOR LIGHT EFFECTS

FIG.6: VIEW OF TESSELATING EXTRIOR SHELL

FIG.7: ARIAL VIEW OF THE BOWOOSS PAVILION

FIG.8: HAMMOCKS INSTALLED IN THE PAVILION

PROJECT 2: THE BOWOOSS BIONIC RESEARCH PAVILION

The Bowooss Bionic Reseach Pavilion was the result of a joint reseach project initiated by the School of Architecture at Saarland University, Germany, in 2012. The project was designed by the students to be a temporary instalation that would take precedence from material-efficicient methods of construction that are often found in nature.

This project had a main focus on utilising wood as a renewable resource to create sustainable and lightweight alternatives that could be implemented into various housing projects in the future. The design of the Pavilion highlights the properties that can be considered as nature-related advantages, such as the way the structure is connected, and the way light integrates with the openings in the surface. This pattern of cutouts that spans the outer shell allows for natural light to interact with the site in many various ways throughout the day, providing some shelter.

The pavilion also included a more functional use by placing some hammocks across the structure that could be used as a relaxing space by those passing by. This aims to show how the lightweight structures are more f lexible in how they can be utilised in their given context. I think the University did a good job at exploring the future possibilities of utilising these lightweight, wooden structures in more instances.

CONCEPTUALISATION 9

10 CONCEPTUALISATION

This structure is a testament to the overall achievements of computing in design. The utilisation of a Truncated Tetrahedron as its base geometrical system and the way it develops that form into something so chaotic and destructive in nature shows off the unique opportunities made possible through this medium.

London City Hall is a project designed by Foster Associates in 2002 and it utilised computing as a design techinique in order to maximise efficiency in multiple departments. The technique was used to acheive a form that maximised the shading in the building and minimised the surface area that was exposed to the sun.

Design Computation has evolved over time and has greatly inf luenced the design processes of today. Cumputing is a technique that in many ways elevates what designers are able to create by manipulating certain forms in a way not previously possible by other means. It’s fair to say that without the use of computing as a medium, many of the design experimentations we see today would not have been plausible, such as ‘The Morning Line’ installation and ‘London City Hall’.

‘The Morning Line’ installation was a project that Arup’s AGU collaborated on back in 2009 that experiments with various geometric forms in unique and complex ways.

A.2. DESIGN COMPUTATION

FIG.9: EXTERIOR OF THE LONDON CITY HALL

CONCEPTUALISATION 11

The overall design of this building was all about efficiency, so with the benefits of computational design the building managed to achieve very minimal heat loss/heat gain. It also integrated an air circulation system seamlessly into the form to keep the interior cool.

This building shows how Design Computation has benefits beyond the aesthetic qualities and sustainable utilisation of materials. But it can also be used in order to achieve certain goals and solutions related to the efficiency of a building.

FIG.10: VIEW OF THE MORNING LINE

FIG.11: DEVELOPMENT OF THE MORNING LINEFIG.12: LOOKING AT STRUCTURE COMPONENTS

FIG.13: DEVELOPMENT OF THE LONDON HALL STRUCTURE


Generative design is a design technique that i find really interesting and that i believe will have a large impact on the way we design in the future. Typically in Design Computation, the designer will use the computer to achieve an idea that the designer has been able to visualise in their own mind, some say that this is a technique that limits the solutions that can be obtained. With Design Generation the designer doesn’t dictate the design process right through to the solution, instead they assign a set of instructions that the computer will then interpret and produce a number of random, previously unforseeable solutions. The reason this will be such a crucial part of the design process is that the idea and overall goals of the designer are present, but through the use of controlled algorithms a solution is achieved.

The experimentation with generative design can be seen in a number of small and large projects from recent years. One of the more elaborate and incredibly complex projects is ‘Digital Grotesque’ (2013) by Michael Hansmeyer where the project was designed entirely using algorithms with no manual intervention from the designer. The amount of detail exhibited in this project is amazing, the small unique details exhibited from top to bottom display the level of unpredictability involved with this design. One of the goals of the designer when creating the algorithm was obtaining something that was between chaos and order and the natural and the artificial, and this is displayed by the unique forms that have natural qualities but also the appearance of being artificially created.

A.3. COMPOSITION/GENERATION

Another one of Hansmeyer’s projects titled ‘Voxel-based Geometries’ (2009) displays a very different experimentation with generative design from his other projects. It uses algorithms to introduce reaction/diffusion parameters that work to form a very complex, unpredictable set of curved forms within a 3-D space. The variation of solutions using a similar set of algorithms shows what you can do with an idea by adopting design generation techniques. This project in particular is something i would actually like to take inspiration from, mainly due to the use of an unpredictable curve system. I think it would be interesting to translate it into a roof installation and see what comes up.

FIG.14: SMALL DETAILS ON THE WALL

FIG.17: ONE RENDITION OF VOXELS


FIG.15: ONE SECTION OF THE DESIGN PROJECT FIG.16: ANOTHER SECTION OF THE DESIGN

FIG.18: ANOTHER RENDITION OF VOXELS FIG.19: A THIRD RENDITION OF VOXELS


A.4. CONCLUSION

Part A introduced the use of Computational Design in Architecture and attempted to display the benefits of the design technique and its importance in the future of Architectural Design. From all of this information, my intended design approach is to utilise the benefits of Computational Design to create a form that deals with uuniqe manipulations of fairly simple forms. Being a Timber Veneer roof installation, the presence of curves and a controlled but slightly random form is what i will be aiming to achieve. Also thinking about an efficient use of the timber veneer material that will allow for for some interesting designs whilst not wasting an excessive amount of the material. Similar to the Bowooss Research Pavilion and the ICD/ITKE the idea of a thin shell is something i want to incorporate into the overall design.

FIG.20: DESIGN COMPUTATION

A.5. LEARNING OUTCOMES


Before this semester, my knowledge of Computational Design in Architecture was very minimal, i had previously come across projects of similar nature in the past but hadn’t acknowledged the method of design as one of extreme importance. Studying the design process and looking at various precedent projects has really opened my eyes to the extensive possibilities and opportunities available to designers through the use of Design Computing. Looking at how it helps designers come to solutions that were unattainable by pen to paper designing and how it helps designers come to complex solutions that would have taken ages to accomplish by hand, has shown to me the importance of the method in the future of design. Learning of the many benefits of this method of design i think will definitely inf luence the way i design and think of design ideas in the future.

FIG.21: DESIGN COMPUTATION

A.6. APPENDIX - ALGORITHMIC SKETCHES


These five results from my weekly Algorithmic Sceth Tasks i think display some of the variety of forms that can be obtained through parametric modelling. Creating some of these may be psysically impossible but what they show is how through computational design you can come to theorhetical designs that suit a variety of outcomes. With these sketches, i was able to visualise what can be done using Computational Design on a smaller scale, and also explore the beginnings of what i can do by using computational design.

FIG.22: SKETCH A

FIG.23: SKETCH B

FIG.26: SKETCH E

FIG.25: SKETCH D

FIG.24: SKETCH C

PART B: CRITERIA DESIGN

17 CRITERIA DESIGN

18 CRITERIA DESIGN

B.1. RESEARCH FIELD

Voussoir Cloud - Iwamoto Scott

I took interest in this project mainly due to the way it uses a light wood material to form these vault-like structures using an interesting method of construction. This project is utilising an ultra light material system and compression forces as a structural technique in order to creat multiple vault-like forms within this interior space. The design and construction methods used took inspiration from the works of architects such as Freii Orto and also Antonio Gaudi.

In the design process, there were many computational techniques utilised in order to perfect the curves of the individual components as well as the overall structure. Some in particular were the ‘computational hanging chain models’, and ‘form finding programs’. They were mainly used in order to determine the various shapes used to form the compressive vaults. The various sized indivisual components (petals) were formed from thin wood laminate that had been folded along curves, and each petal had a number of curved sides ranging from 0-3.

One of the design constraints involved in the construction was interesting because it also formed one of the core structural mechanics that was used. The wooden material that was used, when folded has the tendency to want to bulge outwards along the edges. And so using Rhino as a computational design program they were able to find a formula that arranges different individual concave petals that all compress together to create those vaulted forms.

FIG.27: VOUSSOIR CLOUD

FIG.28: VOUSSOIR CLOUD

FIG.29: VOUSSOIR CLOUD DEVELOPMENT



B.2. Case Study 1.0


ITERATIONS


ITERATIONS



Selection Criteria & Successful Iterations

Selection Criteria

In my selection Criteria, I was looking at emphasising the use of patterning to create interesting designs. I was messing with elements of the design to try and create new and interesting patterns. But as it is a roof instalation we are deseigning, a lot of the patterns that were designed were not actually suitable for that type of instalation. So that is where material performance also comes into wuestion, where i have to keep in mind that this product has to be able to be fabricated out of the somewhat f lexible material, and that there are some things that it can or cannot do.

Successful Iterations

The following selected iterations cannot really be interpreted into a roof instalation, and most definitely not constructed from timber veneer. But i chose them because of the interesting unexpected patterns i was able to obtain from changing various parameters. In the two at the left, i particularly like the pattern formed by the overlapping sides of the mounds that appear like a petal/shell structure. The other two iterations were results that offered very different applications of patterning that i thought hughlighted the different directions in which i could take the designs.


B.3. Case Study 2.0 - Reverse Engineer

AQUA TOWER - STUDIO GANG ARCHITECTS

This project, designed by Studio Gang Architects in 2009 is a Skyscraper with a wave-like patterned exterior that caught my attention. The main exterior feature is the use of multiple curved concrete balconies to create an external wave-like feature that alternates on all sides. The use of computational design here gives what would have been a f lat glass skyscraper, something interesting to be recognised by. The design concept of the building was looking at the rigid, layered features of Limestone rock located by the Great Lakes area. Now although it is mentioned that the intent was to visually represent this structure, i feel as though it was rather unsuccessful. To me it gives off a very wave-like appearance as it is very curved as oppose to rigid like the stones. The layers are present but i don’t think it makes that connection visually.

The architects had other intentions for the shape of the building that didn’t just involve the aesthetic qualities. The shapes were utilised in the design to maximise solar shading and extend the views from the building. So in terms of the more functional concepts, the building was successful in achieving them.

FIG.30: AQUA TOWER



B.4. Technique: Development

ITERATIONS


SERIES 1

SERIES 2

SERIES 3

Changing no. of veritcal divided lines, and horizontal divided lines

Alternating between 2,4,6,8,10 attractor points

Changing strength of the attraction to points


SERIES 4 Adjusting the extrusion levels - Height and Depth of each extrusion


SERIES 5 Turned to horizontal - Original Base Surface Alterations

SERIES 6 Experimenting with Extrusions running in opposite directions



SERIES 7 First, Extruding to a point went nowhere

Then, Divided curves by LENGTH as oppose to by number of points

SERIES 8 Various final Iterations


Selection Criteria & Successful Iterations

Selection Criteria

For these iterations i was still looking at the use of patterning and trying to incorporate it into all of the iterations. Only this time i was keeping in mind that this was going to be a timber veneer roof instalation, and that allowed me to create things that could be fabricated. So material performance did play a part in which iterations could and could not be possible.

Successful Iterations

These were 4 particularly interesting iterations as they use many singular curves to create a wave-like surface, mimicking what i would like to move forward with. The waff le grid at left was interesting more to think about utilising tabs for connections as oppose to actually using it as a final design. The iterations above and below were created by manipulating the actual curves/ribs and having them puncture through another surface. This is something that could be experimented with using more than one plane.


B.5. Technique: Prototypes

After looking at the development iterations and looking at how the curves together created a single wave-like surface, i wanted to utilise that base surface to move forward with various designs. First we looked at making use of a 2D plane and cutting out various designs that when altered from a flat plane to a curved surface creates various interesting designs. Due to having the design cut out of a single surface, it eliminates the need to fix elements together. The plane at this stage is thought to be pinned up to certain points on the ceiling that will create the curved shape. This allows flexibility with where the surface is being pulled from to create various designs.

The designs obtained from manipulating the surface are somewhat dictated by the amount that the surface can bend and twist without snapping. In the top image at right, the material used was not suitable for the purpose of bending and adjusting. Whereas when a card material was utilised it allowed for much more flexiblility but also came with some limitations of its own. Being so thin it made small sections prone to tearing and needed extra support in some areas. Such as in the second and third images where certain parts were too weak to hold themselves up i used links made from metal wire to hold it in place.

This was something that i thought could work as an element of the roof instalation so i planned on seeing how it could be worked into the design more. Seeing the flaws in fabrication helped to be able to go back and fix certain elements.


B.6. Technique: Proposal

When looking at the site, we know that we have a rectangular space in which the roof instalation will be placed, and that space is situated in the centre of a larger room. So with the glass walls on the sides, the instalation will be visible from the outside. We also need to take into consideration that being a meeting room with a TV there is a certain limit to which the instalation can drop down before it obscures the view of the TV within the room. All of these constraints influenced directly what we could actually design. This is one of the prototypes that was designed and is ised here to attempt to give an idea of how the 2D surface works when translated to a 3D plane.

The prototypes that have been designed have had in mind the idea that they will be connected to the ceiling at multiple points whether they be on the edges or even in the middle. This would be done with rods or more direct bolted joints. In terms of how this solution is being approached, we want to create something that can be looked at as a simple 2D form, but when translated into the third dimension offers enough of a different aesthetic so that it isn’t just looked at as a curved pattern on paper.



B.7. Learning Objectives and Outcomes

In Part B, really focusing in on certain specific projects and developing a whole range of iterations from their basic grasshopper definitions was quite interesting to see what results you get. Unexpected results were some of the more successful ones i was able to come across that were obtained by adding, subtracting and altering certain components of the definition. There was almost an unlimited number of results that you could obtain from changing each parameter. It was interesting to look back at how some more recent grasshopper definitions relate back to the original definition we reverse engineered. Narrowing our many iterations down to a specific proposal was really good to begin refining the selection criteria and assess what will work within the site given to us. From the outcomes obtained through our experimenting with different prototypes i am looking to further developing and perfecting an iteration worthy of the final presentation.


TEXT REFERENCES1. ‘ICD/ITKE Research Pavilion 2014-15’, <http://icd.uni-stuttgart.de/?p=12965> [accessed 16/3/2016]2. ‘The Bowwooss Bionic Inspired Research Pavilion’, <http://www.arch2o.com/the-bowooss-bionic-inspired-research-pavilion-school-of-architecture-at-saarland-university> [accessed 16/3/2016]3. ‘The Morning Line’, <http://www.spans-associates.com/hidden-3>[accessed 16/3/2016]4. ‘London City Hall’, <http://www.fosterandpartners.com/projects/city-hall/> [accessed 16/3/16]5. ‘The Bizare Future of Algorithmic Design’, <http://www.wired.com/2015/09/bizarre-bony-looking-future-algorithmic-design/#slide-4> [accessed 18/3/16]6. ‘Digital Grotesque’, <http://www.michael-hansmeyer.com/projects/digital_grotesque_info.html?screenSize=1&color=1> [accessed 18/3/16]7. ‘Voxel-based Geometries’, <http://www.michael-hansmeyer.com/projects/voxels_info.html?screenSize=1&color=1> [accessed 18/3/16]8. ‘Voussoir Cloud’, <http://www.iwamotoscott.com/VOUSSOIR-CLOUD> [accessed 27/4/16]9. ‘Aqua Tower’, <http://www.archdaily.com/42694/aqua-tower-studio-gang-architects> [accessed 27/4/16]

38 CRITERIA DESIGN


IMAGE REFERENCESFIG.1: http://icd.uni-stuttgart.de/?p=12965FIG2: http://icd.uni-stuttgart.de/?p=12965FIG3: http://icd.uni-stuttgart.de/?p=12965FIG4: http://icd.uni-stuttgart.de/?p=12965FIG5: http://www.arch2o.com/the-bowooss-bionic-inspired-research-pavilion-school-of-architecture-at-saarland-university/FIG6: http://www.arch2o.com/the-bowooss-bionic-inspired-research-pavilion-school-of-architecture-at-saarland-university/FIG7: http://www.arch2o.com/the-bowooss-bionic-inspired-research-pavilion-school-of-architecture-at-saarland-university/FIG8: http://www.arch2o.com/the-bowooss-bionic-inspired-research-pavilion-school-of-architecture-at-saarland-university/FIG9: http://www.spans-associates.com/hidden-3FIG10: http://www.spans-associates.com/hidden-3FIG11: http://www.spans-associates.com/hidden-3FIG12: http://www.spans-associates.com/hidden-3FIG13: http://www.fosterandpartners.com/projects/city-hall/FIG14: http://www.michael-hansmeyer.com/projects/digital_grotesque.html?screenSize=1&color=1#1FIG15: http://www.michael-hansmeyer.com/projects/digital_grotesque.html?screenSize=1&color=1#1FIG16: http://www.michael-hansmeyer.com/projects/digital_grotesque.html?screenSize=1&color=1#1FIG17: http://www.michael-hansmeyer.com/projects/voxels.html?screenSize=1&color=1#1FIG18: http://www.michael-hansmeyer.com/projects/voxels.html?screenSize=1&color=1#1FIG19: http://www.michael-hansmeyer.com/projects/voxels.html?screenSize=1&color=1#1FIG20: http://www.formakers.eu/project-320-angel-quintana-parametric-architecture-and-designFIG21: http://stanleybeamansears.com/exactly-computational-design/FIG22: My ImageFIG23: My ImageFIG24: My ImageFIG25: My ImageFIG26: My ImageFIG27: http://www.iwamotoscott.com/VOUSSOIR-CLOUDFIG28: http://www.iwamotoscott.com/VOUSSOIR-CLOUDFIG29: http://www.iwamotoscott.com/VOUSSOIR-CLOUDFIG30: http://sonicbloom11.tumblr.com/post/25449633691/aqua-tower

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Studio Air Journal - Part B - Stephen P