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Grace Qi-Yun Hong539456

Computational Design Technique

Before 1450, when Architecture was not considered as a professional prac-tice, the way to construct or design a building is by those people called ‘Craftman-ship’. Buildings were built unplanned and undersigned in a slow process and also it is hard for those people to adapt new technologies and style.

But soon after 1450, when architecture became a profession – scaled drawing and models were produced to gain control over building process. As well as showing accurate detail and proportions and dimension. Also experience the design solution visually and physically - it had become a communication tool be-tween architects and builders.

Computational design breaks down the traditional linear and hierarchical design strategies. Compare to the traditional design process, everything is allo-cated at the beginning – who’s doing what; but for computational design, it is totally the opposite, we are required to have discussions often and agreement have to be made each time.

Now days, computer technology had become an important tool in our de-sign life. They fill in what we human are lack of, and never tire or make mistakes, although at the same time they are lack of creative abilities. Compare to hand drawing and models, create a 3D design using computer allow us to have a more accurate visualisation – material and tectonics.

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Grace Qi-Yun Hong539456

Museo Soumaya Museo Soumaya – the private museum, located in Mexico City, designed by Mexican architect Fernando Romero. This is a complex building which adopted complex computational techniques. A complex 3D structure were used between the exterior and interior surface of the build-ing, instead of having same structured support, the design team has come up with a structure that does not have a single repeating structure – as every one of them adapt to their own local surface condition. Around 80% of the surface was considered as the most ‘regular zone’ where similar sized hexagons were arranged. Another 20% of the surface is where unique hexagons were grouped, where the surface is considered as ‘most curved’ zone.

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Grace Qi-Yun Hong539456

We need a simple, integrated process for the builder and client to understand what we are doing. Communication is an important stage within the design process; we need to exchange information and ideas constantly with the people who are involved. For a complex building like Museo Sou-maya, we cannot afford using the traditional linear and hier-archical design process, instead of that we are required to have a more efficient process – the only way to achieve this is through using computational technology.

Museo Soumaya

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Grace Qi-Yun Hong539456

Patricia and Phillip Frost Museum of Science Patricia and Phillip Frost Museum of Science, de-signed by Grimshaw Architects, it is planned to open in 2015, in Miami. Various computer software were used to design this museum, such as, Rhinoceros and Grasshopper and Autodesk etc. The museum is designed with structural framework to hold a 2.3 million litre Gulf Stream tank; the structure is also required to contain the living support sys-tems. The museum is designed with curved, vertical and inclined walls – it is a complex surface to construct, as it will need bent steel grid with curved framing.

Again computational design would be the best design process, as it is the only way to design complex geometries.

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Grace Qi-Yun Hong539456

Computational design means to create new structures beyond pre-ex-isting typologies. Maybe we can step on step further and explore new tools for computational design, which means a new form of interaction between design-ers and engineers involved. Computational design considered as an art, it al-lows new creativity in space making, optimisation and constructability.

Computational Design Technique

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A Master Piece Expressing contemporary programming cultures

Mercedes Benz Museum The Mercedes Benz Museum is located in Germany, designed by UN Studio, and was completed in 2006. The attractive exterior and the geometry structure resulting in a new landmark. The building was based on an unique cloverleaf concept – by using three overlapping circles, each level were con-nected by a ramps around a central atrium.

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Mercedes Benz Museum

The parametric design allows the building to be designed in a more complex free form shapes and yet re-peating elements are also created. This building is consid-ered as a successful parametric building, as it is a building that is obviously designed using computational process. From the exterior, the smooth curvature and the 360 de-grees panoramic windows is very likely to be a parametric design.

Mercedes Benz Museum

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I agree with what Woodbury Robert mentioned in his book ‘Elements of Parametric Design’, how some complex building can be only achieved through com-puter programming technology. The twisted, folded and double curved elements in the M Benz Museum is an obvious example, as the twist and turns around the museum provide a sculpture feeling for the visitors. The flowing design was inspired by trefoil – which is three loops continuously overlapping and returning into them-selves – with this geometry shape, there is no mistake allowed.