ARCHDES101 DESIGN 2SEMESTER 2 2012

Jongwoo Kim, Emily Smith, Vera Wu

Between 2 WallsWhat would your message have been. One of bright lights and come hither looks or the calm face of control. From Semper to Spuybrock tectiles feacture in architectural language and structures. From fabrication to curtain walls the issues of the material world are part of the dressing up a city does. The built fabric is the ‘nature of the city. It is what we recall when we leave. (Extracted from the hand-out)

In ‘Between 2 Walls’ workshop, we are dedicated to explore, experiment and design wall surfaces of our hotels but these surfaces are not just walls but has to have some kind of textile, parametrics, joints/fixing/ornaments and kinematic reaction. We start to design the surface by weaving/knitting with ropes. Weaving a textile by hand reveals much about the tactile qualities of the materials not evident by sight. During the two weeks of this workshop, we will be creating hotel surface designs derived from the aesthetics and structure of weaving and revealing the qualities of the materials not evident in representational drawings or models.

[JONGWOO KIM]

Week 2&3

Weaving in Architecture

Weaving is found to be a widely used skill/method to produce fabric in which two distinct sets of yarns or threads are interlaced at right angles to form a fabric or cloth. There are a lot of different ways to weave which corresponds with a lot of cultures and places like Islam, Europe, America and also Maori.

With further investigation of weaving, there seems to have some similarities with architecture with overlapping concepts. In the process of designing, architects and weavers both recognise the need to look beyond surface appearances. Weavers understand that the quality of a textile is dependent on the structure of the weave and not just the visual appearance of its fibers as architects realize that quality design is more than skin deep,

“Surface quality of material being mainly a quality of appearance, is an aesthetic quality and therefore a medium of the artist; while quality of inner structure is, above all, a matter of function and therefore the concern of the scientist and engineer. Sometimes material surface together with material structure are the main components of a work; in textile works for instance, specifically in weavings or, on another scale, in works of architecture.” (Anni Albers, a weaver from the Bauhaus)

The concept is then expanded into three-dimensional spaces that reveal the interwoven experience of architectural space and construction. They examine the overlap of light and shadow, solid and void, all within the aspect of movement in time.

“When we move through space with a twist and turn of the head, mysteries of gradually unfolding fields of overlapping perspectives are changed with a range of light-from the steep shadows of bright sun to the translucence of dusk.” (Steven Holl)

This is somewhat related to the quote from the short story “The Ultimate City’, “Bright sunlight filled the streets picking our the vivid colours of the wild flowers growing in profucion from the creacked sidewalks. Despite these embellishments, the city’s character had begun to change...”

So the weaving creates a sense of lighting effect as it gets shone through the texture, presenting a pattern of repetitive graceful moment. As well as having some kind of spatial quality, the woven surface being enclosures.

One interesting project that has been designed by David Garcia is the ‘weaving pavillion’. He came up with the first facade, roof, column and foundation to be built without nails, screws, or even glue. This has a very close relationship with what we are trying to do in this studio which is not using ‘glue’ and ‘cardboard’ and I have realised that we can actually achieve this through ‘weaving’ and ‘knitting’.

[JONGWOO KIM]

TextureTask 1 - Using textiles as an influence make an image of the exterior of your hotels. The image must be no more than 50 x 50 pixels. You can do this in photoshop or on gridded paper.

We have taken the brick texture from a part of the hotel exterior and made it into a 50 x 50 pixel black and white image on Photoshop.

WeavingTask 1 continued - consider the external ‘image’ of your hotel. Weave a small image using a taniko weaving or knitting method.

With the brick wall image previously created, we have started weaving the exact imagery with ropes. Since the image consists of two contrasting colours, black and white, we came up with an idea to weave so that the black bit is weaved with double ropes attached and the white bit is weaved with single rope. It seems to be successful showing the contrast and the texture.

Digital WeavingTask 2 - Using the templates provided, investigate the parametric panel/pixel. Consider you hotel and designa facade or portion of the external surface. Consider on of the public areas in your hotels and generate two internal enclosures.

Using Rhinoceros with the combination of Grasshopper, we were able to create parametric panels that incorporates the idea of weaving that we have done previously. We basically have made a component that can be arrayed on the surface that has been created with three free-formed lines and it is said to be a mesh. We have learnt and experimented many different forms and shapes within the 3D digital modelling.

3Ds MaxTask 3 - Using 3D Studio Max, generate a small 3D element as a fixing/ornamental attaching point for your panel.

Now, we have exported the panels created with Rhino and imported onto 3Ds Max as an editable mesh. It allows us to create some unique shape and forms with some tweaking as well as thinking of and making details such as joints/fixings/ornamental attaching points of our panels.

KinematicsTask 4 - Contemplate and design a kinematic reaction the hotels will exhibit in response to environmental stimulus.

This time we have accessed Secondlife to explore, design and create a kinematic reactions that the hotel surface may express. Since this is a virtual world, we could do use this medium as a tool to show how the actual moving parts of the hotels can be designed and built.

To start with, we have generated a simple wall with the brick texture which we have chosen with the weaving. However, it is not actually a brick wall but has series of small windows which looks like brick texture. It has created a moment beautiful lighting effect as the sunlight radiates through the windows. Also, we have revisitted ‘Scratch4SL’ to create a kinematic reactive components onto the media surface of the hotel. The windows are actually reacting to the environment which is affected by the prevailling wind that flows through the windows and makes them to freely move and rotate as if they are fur or hair that get fled by the wind.

To watch the kinematic experiment of the wall surface, please follow the link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XHpTQO-IiWo

Extra Research: Defining ArchitectureThis video is trying to define Architecture, including Enterprise Architecture, according to Elanmanager Paul Jansen.

Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0t2dSZZqnfQ

This video says, “though its creation process is complex, its definition is surprisingly simple.”

1. Architecture, any architecture, is primarely suited for people. Designed and adjusted to fir activity that is unmistakenly human.

2. The ‘construct’ itself, as a whole, is sustainable and durable.

3. Design, and use of materials, and the application of these, is perceived positive, reveals positive ideas.

4. The fourth hallmark of architecture is that the first three criteria are delicately balanced and positioned towards each other.

Extra Research: Tactile Architecturetac·tile /ˈtaktl/ /ˈtӕktaɪl/ Adjective 1. Of or connected with the sense of touch.2. Perceptible by touch or apparently so; tangible: “an almost tactile memory”.

Tactility is something that is an oftenly overlooked aspect in architecture but it may play a big role, giving more power to architectural designs, from time to time.

I have read an article called “Tactile Architecture: Does it Matter?” written by Christopher N. Henry on Archdaily. (Link: http://www.archdaily.com/186499/tactile-architecture-does-it-matter/) And it has given me a few interesting facts and knowledge about tactility and how it is influential in architecture.

The article opens up with demonstration of Harry Harlow that tactile stimulation can be more desirable than food. Harlow raised infant rhesus monkeys without mothers and gave them a choice between two artificial mothers, constructed of wood and wire mesh. The only difference between the two was that on had milk with it and the other one was covered with cloth. Surprisingly, monkeys chose to bond with the cloth mother even though it lacks nutrition. This gives a sense how tactile experience is an important factor that may affect people with architectural designs, even though it is hard to say that the monkeys and architecture are directly corresponding.

“Instead of an existentially grounded plastic and spatial experience, architecture has adopted the psychological strategy of advertising and instant persuasion; buildings have turned into image products detached from existential depth and sincerity.” (Juhani Pallasmaa in his book, The Eyes of the Skin)

Pallasmaa is emphasising on how architects try to design buildings to look good but not feel good. Tactile properties can affect people’s behaviour, self-perception, enjoyment of and comfort in a building which are quite important and meaningful.

Since tactility is associated with the feeling and touch of the space, the materiality of the space is also affecting the tactility, vice versa. However, in most cases, architects tend to rely on the materials that are widely used, taking them as it is. (Steel, glass, concrete, wood) Therefore, this workshop may provide us to think about tactility with the emphasis of handwork,fabrication,textures,patterns and lighting.

“Modern architecture does not mean the use of immature new materials; the main thing is to refine materials in a more human direction.” (Alvar Aalto)

Tactility adds another dimension to our buildings, by providing not just plastic stimulus, but can also provide interesting visual stimulus. [JONGWOO KIM][JONGWOO KIM]

ArchiCad - BIM

Exploration of SurfacesIn this workshop ‘Between 2 Walls’, we have explored and experimented with weaving and knitting to create different styles of exterior facade of our two hotels that we are designing. The built fabric is the ‘nature’ of the city. Sll the key elements that we have encountered throughout this workshop have been applied to the hotel surface design and those elements have created some interesting looking ‘enclosures’ with a sense of space/spatial quality being added to them. Manual hand weaving in combination of using 3D computer modelling tools and virtual world(Secondlife), have generated synergy to achieve successful processing of design.

The first thing to focus, from the surface design, is the idea of weaving that has been adapted to the surface of it. As shown on the image, vertical and horizontal planes interlock each other which creates a similar moment where two threads of string getting orthogonally weaved each other. It does not just add aesthetical value to it but also it is structurally working since the pieces are all joined and fixed so that all they lean and rely on each other keeping the whole structure strong and tight. Also in other point of view, it is also can be interpreted as a type of deconstructive architecture since it looks very different from traditional architectural conventions buildings but keeps its utility, basic laws of physics and the spatial value even with abstract and scultural look.

There has been a lot of digital work to produce such design/imagery. Rhinoceros, 3Ds Max, Secondlife and Photoshop are the main tools that I have used. The roofing and the base of the concept were all modelled in combination of rhino ceros with Grasshopper and 3Ds Max. They are ‘weaving’ that has been done digitally also can be refered as ‘parametric surfaces’ which are computer calculated/generated form of planes with assymetry and smooth curvature.

Since every elements have some sense of weaving, there has to be a lot of ‘holes’ on the surface. They may generate some terrific luminosity effect which lead to different types of lighting/shadow patterns that are aesthetially pleasing.

These elements got combined together creating a whole new interesting enclosure for the hotel. I has some kind of tactility involved for this surface design where the form and materiality gives a cold, high-tech, abstract, confused and congested feeling. The feeling of it is associated more with dystopia/metropolis where there were over-use of technology.

When we started to build the detail, we supposed that it could work as the reception room in the hotel with a unique outward appearance. However, after finished, I suddenly felt that it looked like a view station much more. I changed the premier idea and tried to photoshop it as the balcony. I copied the same image several times and connected it as the outside stair of the hotel. I also hoped it take the effect of the outside mesh to reduce the noise and light pollution. Then the strange and fantastic patten which formed by the repetition and combination of the image panel attracted me and showed a sort of development. All of those made me come up with the basic idea of the hotel: there may be a hotel which is a summary of all the architecture styles in the ultimate city. Therefore, in the picture, the front door is dark, classical with little Gothic style. Through a long time development, the hotel changes to a bright and modernize tones. I tried to make the picture like an oil painting to cultivate hazy beauty. [VERA WU]

[JONGWOO KIM]

The idea behind correlating the imported mesh into the hotel exterior design, was to try to illustrate a space that could be used for an entrance foyer or some public space that all customers would use frequently. Because the mesh/panel created a dynamic view of the scenery outside, with the added contrast of straight edged walls and glass ceiling, it really emphasized the interesting pattern and curvature of the mesh wall, creating an intriguing space for people to enjoy when walking through the entrance/foyer. The panel idea was to express a sense of biomorphism in some aspects, but using advanced technology to achieve this - in other words, the idea links back to the Ultimate city, as the metropolis was a failed attempt at creating a new revolution of life through technology. This same philosophy was applied to this ‘building’/exterior, as we wanted to emphasize the meshes’ technology, and how it stood out from the rest of the structure, giving it the feeling of empowerment over the rest of the walls and other structures. With some color, editing and rendering, we were able to create an illustration of the screenshot from second life to give a sense of what that part of the hotel could potentially look like.

Over all, the whole idea of this exterior part was to represent the ideas of the two cities from the Ulitmate city, the garden city and the metropolis. The metropolis would be regarded as the panel - that it is a sign of technological sophistication that ideally takes over the building, drawing in attention. The rest of the building - walls and glass panel ceiling represent the idea of the garden city, as the form is rigid, straight-lined and looks modern, but was created and developed in a very simplistic classical manner. Through the two ideas, we

have created a ‘potential’ exterior to one of our hotels, that tries to balance the two ideas that were drawn out from the Ultimate city story.

[EMILY SMITH