STUDIO AIR Semester 1 2014 Shang Koh, Studio 7

PART A

CONCEPTUALISATION

Architecture as a design practice contributes ideas to the on going disciplinary discourse and culture at large. In the first lecture, the idea of “design futuring” was introduced. This term, coined by Tony Fry in the reading, was a response to the detrimental effects the business of design has had and is continuing to have on the environment.1 Therefore, in order to design for the preservation of the future, Fry implores us to change the way we approach design as to alter its outcomes in order to be more aligned to the cause. In the realm of architecture, computation serves as an alternative to the more conventional and unsustainable methods of designing buildings/structures. According to Stanislav Roudavski, computational tools allow for the collection of data from the real world thus enabling the

A.1. DESIGN FUTURING

constructing of digital models to predict future posibilities.2 Using computation is therefore more accountable in responding to the environmental issues facing the world today. Hygroscope Meteorosensitive Skin by Achim Menges3

Architecture is surely at the forefront of innovation with the emergence of reactive architecture. One good example of this is the Hygroscope Meteorosensitive Skin by Achim Menges. This model made out of wooden “cells” reacts to the surrounding climate by opening and closing its flaps contained in each cell. No energy is required to induce these movements. Computational morphogenesis and inherent material behaviour are the key components in realising is project. The designer configured

the arrangement of the material into a form which could automate itself without the use of energy based on the understanding of the material behaviour of wood under certain climate conditions. myThread Pavilion by Jenny Sabin Studio4

This project explores the use of braiding and stitching techniques to construct a building. The resulting pavilion is lightweight and airy which provides an ethereal quality to it. Jenny Sabin uses the concept of the body in motion as the starting point for this project. She uses a single unit of construction, the zip-tie, to create a complex structure which integrates the use of bio-architecture, generative systems and digital computation.

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Figures 1 – 3 : Hygroscope Meteorosensitive Skin by Achim Menges

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Figures 4 – 5 : myThread Pavilion by Jenny Sabin Studios

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Computing has engaged with the evolution of design processes. The use of computers in design can be separated into two approaches: computerisation and computation. Computerisation involves the use of digital tools which do not contribute to the creative process of designing. Instead, they are just aids to realise and model a design, preconceived by a designer. They are useful in realising complex forms and shapes which can be challenging if were to be drafted by hand. In contrast, computation is a more dynamic, integrated and complex method of generating form. In the reading by Kalay, designing is viewed thorough the paradigm of problem solving which involves setting goals and constraints from the outset, and then searching for solutions and then choosing the ones which meet those criteria.5 In light of this, computation provides a sensible alternative to how we design as it

A.2. DESIGN COMPUTATION

is aligned to algorithmic thinking which allows for more experimentation and exploration of ideas. This results in a more rigorous method in designing our buildings. Guggenheim Museum, Bilbao, Frank Gehry Architects.6

This is a project presumed to use computerisation in generating the form of the structure. The curvilinear lines of Frank Gehry’s sketches are translated to their built form thorough the use of computer software. Museo Soumaya, Mexico City, Fernando Romero.7

The building is clad in hexagonal panels which placement on the internal structure is determined by computation. The high cost of fabricating the individual panels to form the surface of the building

called for the optimisation of the shape of the design to accommodate just three types of panels of different shapes. Computation provided integration and feedback between material used, size and configuration of the tiles and shape of geometry of the structure, resulting in the simplification and optimisation of the construction process.8

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Figures 6 – 7 : Guggenheim Museum Bilbao, Frank Gehry

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Figures 8 – 9 : Museo Soumaya Mexico City, Fernando Romero

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The shift from composition to generation has met with a reaction from architectural literature and practise. Composition is a way to organising architecture which follows a certain style. The notion of designing a building by just prescribing it to a particular style is simplistic and problematic because it does not take into consideration the complexities of the surrounding environment.9

Architecture though generation involves digitally-generated forms which are based on the running of a generative logic embedded into computational methods.10 This generative logic can be associated with the scripting of code which allows for the staging of experiments under a set of initial conditions producing an outcome which can be tweaked by manipulating the initial conditions.

A.3. COMPOSITION/GENERATION

Columns, Michael Hansmeyer11 The columns created by Michael Hansmeyer follows a generative process inspired by the division of cells in nature (morphogenesis). A Doric column is subjected to multiple iterations of subdivisions, creating highly intricate and synthetic forms. The many different outcomes produced by this project demonstrates how a structure can change and adapt to different conditions simulated via parametric manipulation.

City Hall, London, Foster and Partners12

This project demonstrates how parametric modelling can increase performance of a building under certain climatic conditions. By analysis of sunlight patterns, an overall shape of the building was generated, minimising the surface area exposed to direct sunlight. Furthermore, the cladding system was generated according to the thermal map of the structure’s surface. This shows how powerful computation is for it simulate climatic conditions by predicting future occurrences and then coming out with an optimum solution.

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Figure 10: Columns by Michael Hansmeyer

Figure 11: City Hall, London

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A.4. CONCLUSION

In conclusion, computation provides an alternative on how we generate forms in architecture. It creates interesting forms and plants intrigue into observers and therefore has the ability to educate. Through education can the behaviour of the general populace alter for the betterment of the environment. Computation allows for a more dynamic and responsive approach in designing by virtue of the inherent qualities of algorithmic methods and problem solving. As a result, the outcome is optimised to suit a set of conditions which can be simulated computationally. Lastly, computation as a mode of from generation can borrow from nature’s processes, producing outcomes which can be tested against certain criteria to finalise on a single optimal solution.

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A.5. LEARNING OUTCOMES

Learning about the theory and practise of architectural computing, my initial perceptions have somewhat altered. Seeing parametric architecture for the first time, I couldn’t understand it. My initial thoughts were that they were just random, organic, experimental forms which had no meaning behind them. But now, I understand that those forms are based on highly sophisticated, intelligent and logical processes which architects formulate in order to respond to conditions that are ever-changing, dynamic and complex.

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A.6. APPENDIX – ALGORITHMIC SKETCHES

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References 1. Fry, Tony (2008). Design Futuring: Sustainability, Ethics and New Practice (Oxford: Berg), pp. 1–16

2. Roudavski, Stanislav (2014). Design Futuring Lecture (Design Studio Air, University of Melbourne)

3. Menges, Achim (2014). Hygroscope Meteorosensitive Skin, http://www.achimmenges.net/?p=5083

4. Sabin, Jenny (2014). myThread Pavilion, http://jennysabin.com/?p=684

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

(Cambridge, MA: MIT Press), pp. 5-25

6. Images of Guggenheim Museum Bilbao by Frank Gehry taken from http://en.wikipedia.org and http://www.2flashgames.com/movie-pictures/sketches-of-frank-gehry.htm

7. Images of Museo Soumaya by Fernando Romero taken from http://fr-ee.org/projects/soumaya-museum-mexico-city-mexico/

8. Roudavski, Stanislav (2014). Design Computation Lecture (Design Studio Air, University of Melbourne)

9. Roudavski, Stanislav (2014). Composition/Generation Lecture (Design Studio Air, University of Melbourne)

10. Kolarevic, Branko and Kevin R. Klinger, eds (2008). Manufacturing Material Effects: Rethinking Design and Making in Architecture (New York; London: Routledge), pp. 6–24

11. Hansmeyer, Michael (2014). Columns, http://www.michaelhansmeyer.com/projects/columns.html?screenSize=1&color=0

12. City Hall Project Document downloaded from http://www.fosterandpartners.com/projects/city-hall/

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