Re-Modeling the nakagin Capsule toweR usingRhino gRasshoppeR, sketChup7 and aRChiCadsun ke, dia, 02.2010pRofessoR daniel dendRaCad-logiC ws0910

post entRY naMe:Re-Modeling the nakagin Capsule tower using Rhino grasshopper, sketchup7 and archiCad

laBels:sun ke / nakagin Capsule toweR / kisho kuRokawa / Rhino gRasshoppeR / aRChiCad ViRtual Building/ final hand-in Booklet / ws0910

appendiX:http://www.grasshopper3d.com/http://www.graphisoft.com/

http://designinterfaces.blogspot.com/2009/11/virtual-building-archcicad-by-sun-ke.htmlhttp://designinterfaces.blogspot.com/2009/11/sketchup-7.htmlhttp://designinterfaces.blogspot.com/2010/02/zentralles-stellwerk.html

desCRiption

gRasshoppeR Rhino

sketChup7

aRChiCad ViRtual Building

nakagin capsule building, located in shiMBashi, tokYo, Japan, it is designed by kisho kuRokawa and completed in 1972 as an example, and also an experiment, of Japanese MetaBolisM. it is the first built capsule tower for actual use. the building composed by two concrete towers which are 11 and 13 floors and totally hold 140modules. every module is a self-contained units in a size 2.3*3.8*2.1. Capsules is removable and can also be connected together for larger space use. But ironically, no units have been replaced since its construction.

desCRiptionnakagin Capsule toweR

aRChiCad is an architectural BiM software, developed by hugaRian CoMpanY gRaphisoft. archicad allows users to work with data-enhanced parametric objects and this make archicad different from other Cad software, and also, it provide variety of pre-designed and customizable objects for users to draw walls, slabs, roofs, doors, window and furniture easily. archiCad also has program geoMetRiC desCRiption language (gdl) used to create new components.

gRasshoppeR is a graphical algorithm editor which are highly intergrated with Rhino 3-d modeling tools. gRasshoppeR is different from RhinosCRipt that it requires no knowledge of programming or scripting, it provides users many pre-written tools to let them generate designing freely and visually.

sketChup7 was developed by startup cpmpany and first released in 2000. it was released with featuring ease-of-use improvement and integration of sketchup’s Commponent Browser with goole 3d warehouse.

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the capsule tower, which designed by metabolism architects, is composed by three main parts: 1. the annex architecture as bottom, 2. two red cores with pared top, 3. capsule units.

from the whole semester learning in Cad-logiC course, i figured out that grasshopper, sketchup7 and archiCad are relative proper for generating (or half generating) this architecture, because of:

1. same as many other known architecture, Capsule toweR is designed under a very pure guideline. its bottom part is totally fulfill the block where it located in. so in the bottom it is following the shape of the block (plot). But on the top, within the sky, two powerful tower and capsules clusters are totally formed by several same scale. grasshopper is easy for generating architecture by pure guideline (or to say, principle) and diverse change. also archiCad’s object tool and gdl tool is good for architects to save similar units as changeable units.

2. all units can the shape of the plot may change in different design, but the capsule tower may not change - or to say, it only change its bottom and the capsules hanged on. Because grasshopper’s tool provide parametric dialogue window, we can change the architecture without draw or change anything in the modeling window - we change the parametric. in the same way we can change the number of the row of units, or change the size of units - we change it, all units’ certain sizes change. or we may change the coordinate of the endpoints of plot to let the bottom building fit the context of the city or street.

3. in archiCad, users could save units as object, and use its parametric tool to edit the object within script. and also, as the whole archiCad system is based on parametric data discription tool, when people draw, people are also generate, these two ways are highly interacted. Because of capsule tower are composed mostly by enormous units, i make 6 object file. then the next steps is just put them in the place them should be. this may spend time to locate, but the advantage is, when in the future users want to add more detail within the capsules (like interior decoration or furniture) users just need to edit the object file by gdl language or by common architectural tools. By generating an archiCad model, users can provide a future possibility of easily change and edit on each units.

4. the important advantage with grasshopper Rhino and sketchup7 is that those softwares can interact with each other by their common file format, 3ds or else. if we want to add a sketchup Model for google Model, sketchup7 is a nice way to get model generated by grasshopper Rhino.

aRguMentationwhY i use theM?

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after the building generated, we can still easily change the size or number of capsules to adjust our design.

gRasshoppeR Modeling

we can have infinite possibility to work on our design in depth (from sketch model to construction model), without drawing another model. aRChiCad Modeling

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tutoRial: gRasshoppeR Rhino & sketChup7

ConClusion

grasshopper editor with Rhino is a nice tool for generating diverse architecture design model. it is not only possible to change the bottom of the building to fit surrounding, but also easily for designers to edit the size and arrangement of capsules. if metabolism architects have the program in 60s~70s, they may find it is as the name of metabolism itself, the “grasshopper” is implying a new future.from now on, architects are going forward on a road called liberating “hands” - not only liberating hands from paper to Cad drawing, but also liberating designing from massive disturbing detail to a future of “focus”. this means architects can focus more on the key issues of their design, those key issues will be presented in form of parametric - like the small square of grasshopper.in this building generating process, key issues are: shape of bottom part; volume of cores; size and arrangement of capsules.for i didn’t learnt grasshopper for long time, in this tutorial i didn’t make those parametrics combined very perfect, but there is already several key issues presented: size and number of row of units, size of cores, shapes of plot.

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pRogRaM 1, gRasshoppeR & sketChup7

generate all the building from one starting point (0,0,0)information of the building Capsule toweR comes from internet, selected by sun ke.

staRting point7

step 1: loCating

seCtions 1-1

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seCtions 2-2

2

2

1 1

standaRd flooR plan

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identifY Capsule units

sketchup model downloaded from google Model as information of building generating

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paRt 1: loweR anneX

paRt 2

: VeRtiC

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Co

Re

paRt

2: Ve

RtiC

al C

oRe

paRt

3: Caps

ule

unit

s

paRt

3: Caps

ule

unit

s

paRt

3: Caps

ule

unit

s

paRt

3: Caps

ule

unit

s

step 2: woRking pRoCess

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step 3: geneRating pRoCess

1. set point (0,0,0) of Rhino coordinate as our starting point.

2. record the location of endpoints of lower annex.

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3. make points coordinates as vectors.

4. generate endpoints by vectors.

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�. connecting endpoints.

6. scaling the edge, move a copy.

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7. generating volume of ground floor.

8. generating volume of first floor.

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9. generating surrounding columns with changeable radius.

10. generating higher points of major core 1.

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11. generating surfaces of core.

12. generating a twin core which is lower by similar.

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13. generating another core according to the higher one.

14. generating reference points of capsules, according to point (0,0,0)

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1�. reference points as generating points of capsule units.

16. generating regular capsule units of tower h (means “higher”)

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17. generating capsule units row with specific arrangement.

18. use the same method to generate other similar parts.

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19. generating specific units which in rpendicular direction.

20. the same method, other parts.

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21. use the same method, generating reference points of units.

22. the same method.

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23. repeat the same working process, reference points.

24. the same, generating units, number of units row is changeable.

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2�. let’s connect them together, it make us easy to arrange in the

future.

26. currently, our generating process, core h and annex finished.

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27. move copied of units’ reference points of core h.

28. then, is almost same way of generating.

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29. first, generating regular parts.

30. regular parts.

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31. process again: reference points - capsule units

32. again, reference points.

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33. first, generating units from some specific reference points.

34. second, from the left points, generating units in another direction.

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3�. repeat step 29.

36. repeat step 30, use the same method.

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37. capsules of core lower core and its grasshopper commands.

38. capsules of core higher core and its grasshopper commands.

Result: geneRal View on gRasshoppeR CoMMands, and how eVeRY paRts ConneCted.

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39. cores of core lower core and its grasshopper commands.

40. annex architecture as bottom.

Result: geneRal View on gRasshoppeR CoMMands, and how eVeRY paRts ConneCted.

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41. bake selected parts of model.

42. get Rhino model.

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43. export all as 3ds. file format.

44. open the file in sketchup7.

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4�. choose proper units.

46. put model in right place.

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47. adjust type of line and color.

48. adjust shadow, get the model.

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tutoRial: aRChiCad

ConClusion

if we view the process of a built architecture as 2 parts, then in term of the second parts, from design to construction, archiCad Virtual Building software is a perfect program for users to generate (yes, generate, via highly data-based parametric tools) synchronous 2d drawings and 3d models. this function, and the “object” tool with gdl of archiCad, provide me possibility to “generate” the capsule units and also to continue the design in depth - as more detail as it need.But as this tutorial’s aim is to find possibility of at least 2 programs we learnt from Cad-logiC course of last semester, i have to acknowledge that in term of generating design, archiCad is a bit weak, but the advantage is, it can go directly from the most original designing steps to the most complicate construction field. this character of “continuity” may not exist in sketchup or Rhino.But it still capable to generating design! especially for architecture with enormous components which are similar or even same - like the Capsule toweR.But within the process of generating, i still need to locate place of capsules on standard floor plan, but the advantage is i don’t need to care too much of the vertical position - the parametric thought of archiCad allow me to adjust that later - without using time to draw, just need to type data.actually in term of way of modeling, i think archiCad is a mixtured program that it allow people to locate elements in 2d (usually plan) drawings by so-called ”draw” (but don’t need too precisely with width or material and such data, only need location), but in 3d it is almost impossible to “draw” it in window, the only way is to use its parametric window. in term of this, so i say, i “half-generated” the model.

as my english-international version archiCad 12 is overdue, and it can identify my pC, i have to use a Chinese version archiCad 10 to generate the building. for this problem, i use an archiCad 12 demo mode screenshot as a frame background to indicate some important steps.

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pRogRaM 2, aRChiCad

generate the building by six kind of capsule units.information of the building Capsule toweR comes from internet, selected by sun ke.

final iMage of Model37

a f

B e

C d

A A A A A A A A A AB C C C B B C B C B B

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B B B B B B B B BD E E D E E D D E

analysing the arrangement of capsule units.6 kind of units arranged in 2 ways with cores.

step 1: analYzing Capsule units

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1. open the dwg. or dxf. in archiCad as ghost layer.

2. modeling 6 kinds of units.

step2. Modeling Capsule unitsa

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3. save them as editable object, name as a, B, ... f.

4. we can use object tool to generate specific units we need.

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�. we can use archicad parametric tools to edit those units.

6. total parametric description.

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7. use “wall” tool to generate annex parts of building.

8. change settings and parametric to generate the wall we want.

step3. geneRating

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9. use parametric dialogue window to generate other wall.

10. in the same way, to generate the core.

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11. parametric dialogue window allow us to change core later, as

in grasshopper.

12. use roof tool to modeling an oblique slab for solid operation.

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13. then we get prefect core parts.

14. now the simple operation is to put capsules in the right

position in the plan, choose them according to units’ analysis.

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1�. by using “Move” tools we can generate a row of units with

changeable parametric - the high level of their bottom.

16. let’s use the same method to generate regular parts’ units.

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17. generating the irregular parts’ units of this core.

18. according to units analysis, we select those units need to

change.

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19. use the same method to generate another kind of unit in the

right place, then adjust height by (parametric) setting window.

20. now we can put all units in their place on plan view.

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21. what we need to do is to repeat the process 17, 18, 19.

22. change color, in setting window (not color it~).

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post entRY naMe:Re-Modeling the nakagin Capsule tower using Rhino grasshopper, sketchup7 and archiCad

laBels:sun ke / nakagin Capsule toweR / kisho kuRokawa / Rhino gRasshoppeR / aRChiCad ViRtual Building/ final hand-in Booklet / ws0910

appendiX:http://www.grasshopper3d.com/http://www.graphisoft.com/

http://designinterfaces.blogspot.com/2009/11/virtual-building-archcicad-by-sun-ke.htmlhttp://designinterfaces.blogspot.com/2009/11/sketchup-7.htmlhttp://designinterfaces.blogspot.com/2010/02/zentralles-stellwerk.html

final iMage of Model sketChup7