design studio air semester 1.15

ANNIE TANG

DESIGN STUDIO// AIR

SEMESTER ONE 2015STUDIO 15 : 18.15-21.15 THURSDAY

ANNIE TANG 541381

TUTOR: SONYA PARTON

Contents

PART A// CONCEPTUALISATION

PART B// CRITERIA DESIGN

PART C//DETAILED DESIGN

design futuring 10a.1 design computation 17a.2 composition/generation 21a.3 conclusion 24a.4 learning outcomes 24a.5 algorithmix sketches 26

introduction 6

b.1 research field 33b.2 case study 1 37b.3 case study 2 43b.4 technique development 49b.5 tecnique: prototypes 53b.6 technique: proposal 57b.7 learning objectives & outcomes 60

c.1 design concept 67c.2 tectonic elements & prototypes 87c.3 final detail model 97c.4 learning objectives & outcomes 102

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ABOUT ANNIEI have grown up in Melbourne my whole life, currently in my final year of study as an architecture student. I fell in love with the idea of architecture and creating spaces when i was much younger, con-stantly drawing up plans for imaginary houses for my future self. Before universi-ty, I only thought of architecture as points of interest of where I would travel too. Throughout this course I have learnt that the built world are not simply clusters of styles, heights, materials in a linerar timeline but rather a coordinated system of knowledge, rules, and procedures that is shared by people who participate in the building culture.

Virtual Environments in first year came as a shock with the advanced technological software and the unconventional designs that would be created by the students. It encouraged me to open up to the differ-ent possibilites of design with Rhinoceros and intrigued me how the designs could be fabricated. Although my experience with Rhino is still at a beginner stage, I’m excited at taking this skill set further this

semsester in Studio Air with the use of grasshopper to facilitate new possibilities.

Aside from architecture I like to keep myself busy doing a vast array of activites. I am also undertaking a minor in Global wine studies and make coffee and paint.

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A PART

CONCEPTUALISATION

“conceptualization begins to determine WHAT is to be buildt...and HOW it will be built...”

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In this milenium, architectural discourse has shifted significantly from designing on a small scale focus, that is for the inhabitants, community and its culture to the broader focus of design futuring; designing for the longevity of our earth in the midst of this condition of unsustainability that has been an inevitable course as a result of human habitation, amplified by the kinds of technologies we have created and the imbalance of our sheer numbers for this hierarchical artificial world we have fashioned.

Tony Fry, a design theorist and philosopher in his book Design Futuring: Sustainability, ethics and new practiceconfronts the truth of the matter, that ‘for all thecelebration of human intelligence, the culture of western rationalism that came into global dominance totally failed to comprehend and respond to the innate and subsequently amplified propensity of human centeredness toward being unsustainable’1 and yet in this moment of criticality, ‘a moment in which damage to the planetsclimatic and ecological systems is still increasing andexposing life as we know it to growing dangers, our species’ auto-destructive mode of being is neither fundamentally recognized nor redirectively engaged’. We have become so familiarized and desensitized to the ’status quo’ of the world we live in that it will jeopardize our future generations. This brings to the forefront the issue that as a civilization, an inception of a different kind of sustainable future argues to be considered and recognized.

We as the current and future designers of our global landscape need to not only recognize these issues of changing a global mindset but to incorporate these ideologies into the core of our designs.

To design with greater synthesis of diverse requirements, a shift of current conventional methodologies that school our current architecture discourse needs to be rediscovered to incorporate the real life complexities of environmental issues. This issue is greater than the architects of our millenium can realitistically resolve, is it one that urges the need to incorporate an immense array of related industries and government bodies.

1. Tony Fry, Design Futuring: Sustainability, Ethics and New Practice ( Oxford: Berg, 2009), p2.

With environmental initiatives becoming more prevalent and more publicized each day, the importance of thismatter lies upon each individual to grasp what knowledge and technology they can and project that into society.

In the field of Architecture, the relatively new digital architectural design has developed some of the most vibrant and influential areas in contemporary architectural discourse and practice. Technologies enabled by computing trigger a comprehensive re-consideration of established design workflows leading to new opportunities, creating new challenges and requiring new competencies. This era of digitalization in Architecture allows for resolves that were not available in the pre-digital era. Using a computational approach not only allows for the designer to evaluate thousands of possibilities to the design but also to maximise potentials in the way it is built & incorporate sustainble technologies in an efficient way.

Richard Williams in his book Architecture & Visual culture states that architecture frames our lives and defines our movement through cities and it is of huge socialimportance.2 Architecture is not solely just a sum of its materials but of a larger building culture- the coordinated system of knowledge, rules, and procedures that is shared by people who participate in the building activity and that ultimately determines the form buildings and cities take.3

Viewing it by not only its apprearance but as an urban and social experience invites the communative dialogue between humans, the built form and our earth.

Ultimately, any built form is more than its components; it embraces the attempt to solve ideas and questions about location, climate, politics, social norms, economy,spirituality and emotion. Computational architecture is just another means to resolve the current situation and open discussion for the future of design.

This journal serves to act as my personal narrative of the introduction and exploration of such digital technologies and the integration of these new design processes into architectural discourse.

2. Richard Williams, ‘Architecture and Visual Culture’ in exploring Vi-sual Culture: Definitions, Concepts, Contexts (Edinburgh: Edinburgh

University Press. 2005) 3. Howard Davis, The Culture of Building (USA: Oxford University Press, 2000), p3

design futuring

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PRECEDENT

THE 5 PILLARS OF BAWADIBIG architectsbawadi, dubai, ae

The 5 Pillars of Bawadi by BIG was a competition entry that aims to buildsustainably in the desert to protect the building and the urban spaces around it from the desert sun.

The design is 190000M2 in size, with outwardly leaning facades at the inclination of the average sun angle to dodge the sun rays and rest in the shade of the building itself. The resultant building volume is a sort of inverted pyramid with the apex buried deep in the desert sand. By developing varying clusters of small and tall pyramid archways, shaded space is created beneath the canopy of the large floating building mass. Between the trunks of the 5 hotels allows an open air market at an urban scale.

Bjarke Ingels took a conventional block programme and cut away at it to allow for a more dynamic and purposeful structure as a tradition block programme would have recieved heavy exposure on the vertical

facades and leave all the surroundingsurfaces bathed in sun.

This project engages the computational side of architecture and shows the possible advancements in smarter design. Though this is merely an idea and not a built pro-ject, the technologies of creating such a project are available and allow for other designers to take note to unconventional design.

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PRECEDENT

HYGROSKIN-METEORSENSITIVE PAVILIONachim menges architect & oliver krieg & steffen reichertorleans-la-source, france, 2013

The Hygroskin Meteorosensitive pavillion was chosen as the second precedent due to its use of one material; plywood. This project employs similar design strategies of biological systems in which the responsive capacity is quite literally ingrained in the material. Meteorosensitive Architecture physicially programmed a responsive mate-rial system that requires neither extraneous mechanical or electronic controls, nor the supply of external energy.

The Pavilion’s envelope is both the load-bearing structure and meterosensitive skin derived computationally from the elastic bending behavious of thin plywood sheets. The response movements are mod-elled after spruce cones as they naturally re-spond to environmental stimuli. When dry, the cone opens up and closes when wetted.

Though this natural response of wood with humidity has been a common understand-ing of those in building culture, Hygroskin is one of the few to exploit it for design intelligence.

Hygroskin expands future possibilites in ar-chitecture as a new means to look at mate-riality and biological systems in a way it has not been considered before.

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A.1 DESIGN COMPUTATION

the benefits of engaging with contemporary computational design techniques...

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Not only can unique unseen forms be created through use of the above mentioned programs, it also introduces new way of thinking about the spaces by means of an integrated art form. An interesting example of computation use can be seen in LAVA’s design of the Green Void Installation (figure 3). The design rises 20 meters in height and made of green lycra is derived from nature, realized in lightweight fabric.

The design was derived from nature; the connection of different boundaries in three-dimensional space, found in nature in cells, crystals and soap bubbles. The purpose of this design located at Customs house Sydney was to activate the public space with a focus on featuring contemporary architecture, photography and multimedia exhibitions. This successful integration of the much different func-tionality that the design provides is proof that the exploration of new geometries through compu-tation can create a wide array of possibilities that historical architectural ethos may be more limited.

design computation

Computing has been an ever-rising trend in archi-tectural design in the last decade with computeri-zation being a prevalent factor in the evolution of design process. Coding in particular is an asset of an architects’ design tools that aids the vision and result by ‘…starting to look now not for some ideal form, like a Latin cross for a church, but actually all the traits of a church: so, light that comes from behind from an invisible source, directionality that focuses you towards an altar…you just need to incorporate a certain number of traits in a very kind of genetic way’ says Greg Lynn, one of the promi-nent architects leaning towards this change in ethos. Figure 1 depicts Tadao Ando’s Church of Light in Osaka that takes a literal metaphor of the cross and uses structure as a compenent for meaning whilst Figure 2 shows Greg Lynn’s Ko-rean Presbyterian Church of New York taking a computational approach to acheive the same affect of light and symbolism.

This system of calculating and determining spac-es by use of mathematical and logical methods is about the ‘exploration of the indeterminate, vague and unclear processes, and because of this explor-atory nature, computation aims at emulating or extending the human intellect’ . Computation alludes to almost unlimited amount of possibilities and geometries, all of which can be coded through a growing number of programs such as Grasshop-per, Kangaroo, Firefly, Weaverbird, GECO and many more.

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A.2 COMPOSITION/GENERATION

the use of generative approaches in the design process

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COMPOSITION/GENERATION

Algorithmic thinking, parametric modelling and scripting culture offer new possibilities andresolutions in the realm of architectural design. In parametric modelling, there is an explicit relationship between parameters and a piece of complex geometry. Daniel Davis claims that parametric modelling is defined by its roots in mathematics and logic causing resolutions to be more algorithmic than artistic or stylistic consideration. Its focus is on the relationship between the explicit functions and independent variables. Despite the control and manipulation over such relationships, parametric modelling is not without its limitations. Architects are overloaded with data input and how design creation takes place is put on the forefront. Secondly, the complexities of such designs can be difficult to understand by just one person, technology is inevitable subject to malfunction and control over changes in the design becomes much more vulnerable.

Though parametric modelling doesn’t allow more freehand sketching, as it is based on simple geometries and logical relationships, this can be seen as an advantage in that the designer can explore hundreds and thousands of iterations that would otherwise be an extremely tedious task and would not be as varied. This experimentation stage is perhaps arguably the most effective outcome of using computer coding in design process as it allows for numerous ideas to be tested or a basic principle to be explored in different directions.

With the addition of 3-D modelling software, these algorithms can be quickly recognized in a virtual platform which allows for more consideration of the final design. Rhino for example allows the user to create objects where you can essentially unfold or break it up into shapes and simple piece together. This is also crucial in the generation of digitalarchitecture as it allows for not only the construction of designs but also for them to be recognized and realized in real-life.

The Aqua tower (2009) by Studio Gang Architects is located in Chicago, Illinois, USA. It is a multi-use tower that incorporates a hotel, apartments, condominiums, parking, offices, and one of Chicago’s largest green roofs. The wave like iterations on the facade of the building incorporates a development of the idea of community. Each outdoor terrace is differed in shape from each floor depending on specific user’s criteria such as views, solar shading, and dwelling size & type. These forms act to integrate the city and the outdoors as well as forming a distinctive and unique appearance. What i think Studio Gang Architects does well in this regular brief is to take that standard apartment block and use parametric modelling to bring the community together by creating open and green spaces but also using that terrace space to shade. This increase in efficiency connects the stakeholders to nature, brings joy and is an inspiration.

A particularly interesting recent generation of parametric modelling is the Modular Artificial Reef Structure (MARS) 2015 created by Australian designer, Alex Goad. Goad created a system of modular ceramic components for forming structures to form a base for plant and anilmal life to return to habitats destroyed by climage change, pollution and destructive fishing practices. These forms are made of porous ceramic, filled with marine-grade concrete and reinforced with composite bars to add weight. The ceramic surface is intended to mimi the calcium skeletons of dead coral, which build up over thousands of years to create structures that living corals attach themselves onto to gain better access to sunlight and plankton-rich curents.

This design shows the shift from composition to generation. A naturally degrading system in nature that may have naturally taken 100 years to restore is reduced to 8-15 years using the MARS system. This innovative design showcases how this shift affects how well we can solve issues. Parametric modelling and algorithmic thinking in this particular example allows for a variation in different outcomes, easy assembly of systems underwater, low-cost efficiency due to the ability to computerise how the system is pre-fabricated.

Both these examples of parametric modellingdisplay regenerative development. This integration between nature, humans, materials lead to a more posi-tive environment, one in which also points to this shift in paradigm, an ecological worldview.

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A.3&4 CONCLUSION & LEARNING OUTCOMES

Part A: Conceptualisation, through the exploration of theoretical discussion in digitalarchitecture, it has come to light the importance of how such new methods of design can affect our buildt environment. Though there is no straight answer to how to design for the future, these new technoligies bring extensive knowledge to design intelligence and push the conventional way of designing to another playing field.

Digital Design is multi-faceted realm, after all, a machine is different from a person, hence, they think differently. Most of the projects mentioned in Part A such as Hygroskin, The 5 pillars of Bawadi etc utilise this new way of design to solve their briefs. The resulting projects show the importance of understanding programming languages to truly innovate in the digital world. Going back to basics and investigating how things like wood, a core building material can be efficiently maximised through particular generative design methods to achieve economical and functional outcomes.

The project brief for this studio is quite vague in itself, to design an architectural intervention along Merri Creek that will express the continuous relationships between technical, cultural and natural systems and rectify sites of negative human intervention along Merri Creek to have a better outcome for the natural environment. The only direction, to use biomimicry as an avenue through which to start to grapple with the materialisation of design ethics. To look at a naturally occuring performance to integrate into the architectural

design. I wonder if this is easier said than done? To explore endless systems and possibilites in a limited 10 week timeframe whilst still grasping the software to create a material object seems daunting.

Grasshopper has proved to be an interesting design tool in Rhino, it has a simple format in which there are parameters. I still don’t quite grasp how exactly it does this, the coding it take to produce such a program however it has made me view Rhino in a completely different way. I think if i had known of Grasshopper back when i was studying Virtual Environments, i would have produced a much more interesting looking design.

The theory behind architectural computing proves to be intricate and more complex that i had originally imagined. It is apparant that this new age calls for new designs. My intended design approach at this point is to utilise simple materials found in the vicinities of Merri Creek and expose some complex ecological process in the exterior.

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A.5 ALGORITHMIC SKETCHES

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IMAGESPage 10. Future City DrawingSource: http://joakimolofsson.deviantart.com/art/Futuristic-city-2-317935457

Page 12 &13. BIG The 5 pillars of BawadiSource: http://www.big.dk/#projects-baw

Page 14&15. HygroskinSource: http://www.archdaily.com/424911/hygroskin-meteorosensitive-pavilion-achim-menges-architect-in-collaboration-with-oliver-david-krieg-and-steffen-reichert/

Page 18. Tadao Ando Church of LightSource: http://www.adamfriedberg.com/blog/2013/06/12/tadao-andos-church-of-the-light-in-ibaraki-japan/

Page 18. Greg Lynn Korean Presbyterian ChurchSource: http://www.suckerpunchdaily.com/2010/06/20/korean-presbyterian-church/

Page 19. LavaSource: http://www.l-a-v-a.net/projects/green-void

Page 22 & 23. Aqua TowerSource: http://studiogang.net/work/2004/aqua-towerPage 23. Modular Lego SystemSource: http://www.reefdesignlab.com/modular-assembly/

Page 27. Sea SpongeSource: http://cwf-fcf.org/assets/images/WILD-Classes-Photographs/Foster-Cohen-Grade-7/10_iStock_000000708012Small.jpg

Greg Lynn Quote: < http://www.ted.com/talks/greg_lynn_on_organic_design/transcript>

Terzidis, K. (2006), Algorithmic Architecture, Burlington MA: Elsevier Ltd

Tony Fry, Design Futuring: Sustainability, Ethics and New Practice ( Oxford: Berg, 2009)

Richard William (2005). ‘Architecture and Visual Culture’, in Exploring Visual Culture; Definitions, Concepts, Contexts, ed. By Matthew Rampley (Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press)

Howard David, The Culture of Building (USA: Oxford University Press, 2000)

REFERENCES

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PART

B CRITERIA DESIGN

“major options are evaluated, tested and selected...a par-ticular technique or tectonic system using computational methods through case-study analysis, parametric model-ling and physical prototypes”

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B.1 RESEARCH FIELD

biomimicry: an approach to innovation that seeks sustainable solutions to human challenges by emulating nature’s time-tested patterns and strategies1

1http://biomimicry.org/what-is-biomimicry/

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biomimicryBiomimicry is an approach to innovation that seeks sustainable solutions to human challenges by emulat-ing nature’s time-tested patterns and strategies. The main concept behind biomimicry is to look at nature as being like a catalogue of products, and all of those have benefited from a 3.8 billion-year research and development period. And given that level of invest-ment, it makes sense to use it. Rather than to design conventionally where vertical and horizontal sections meet to create a building, instead to recreate an abun-dant synergetic system that utilises natures’ genius to radically increase resource efficiency, to shift from a linear wasteful resource to a closed loop cycle and to eradicate the fossil fuel economy to a solar economy. The architectural profession is rapidly embracing digital design technologies and applying them in the framework of biologically inspired processes.

One of the most prominent designs that feature Biomimicry is the Eden Project, a multi-functional greenhouse complex by Grimshaw architects, located in Cornwall, England. The ‘biomes’- a sequence of eight inter-linked geodesic transparent domes which cover 2.2 hectares and encapsulate a vast humid trop-ic and warm temperate regions are made of a material called ETFE, a high strength polymer. Biology was mainly the inspiration here, the designers looked at soap bubbles (to generate a building form that would work regardless of the final ground levels), pollen grains, radiolarian and carbon molecules to devise the most efficient structural solution using hexagons and pentagons.

By using ETFE, they were able to maximise the size of those hexagons, whilst also taking advantage of a pressurized membrane system. The cladding panels are triple-layered pillows of ETFE, welded around the edges and inflated to create a thermally insulated cushion. This radically increased the resource efficien-cy as it can be made in units of roughly seven times the size of glass, and only one percent of the weight of double-glazing. With larger areas of lightweight pillows, less steel is used, meaning for more sunlight which equates to energy saving especially during the winter.

This project has gained success not only in its effi-ciency in materiality, structure but also in its occupa-tion- that is to showcase different temperate regions of the world with different climates which grow diverse agriculture. The 3 main Biomes are the Tropi-cal, Mediterranean and Outdoor. Aside from agricul-ture-teaching facilities, art exhibitions, musical events are what attract visitors continuously to this site, now becoming one of the top three charging attractions in the UK.

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B.2 CASE STUDY 1.0Aranda Lasch// The Morning Line

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GH DEFINITION: BIOMIMICRY// ARANDA LASCH THE MORNING LINECASE STUDY//BIOMIMICRY// ARANDA LASCH THE MORNING LINE

For Case Study 1.0, I have chosen to explore the Definition for Aranda Lasch’s structure- The Morning Line. Architects Aranda/Laschcollaborated with Artist Matthew Ritchie over three years to create this open cellular structure.

Over 8 meters high and 20 meters long, it is built of 17 tons of coated aluminium. It draws its inspirations from interdisciplinary fields, such as art, music, architecture, engineering, mathematics, physics, cosmology and technology. The Structure is built from an idealized form which can be reconfigured into multiple architectural forms. It uses fractal cycles to build a model of the universe that scales up and down. This definition capitalizes on how parametric design can be incorporated in real life design.

Not only does the Morning line act as an informative architectural experience for its users, but is also a platform for contemporary music. It is saturated with speakers, using a unique interactive multi-spatial system designed by Matthew Ritchie and the Music Research Centre at York University.

The Parametric design focuses the project to be a modular structure which is capable of being radically reconfigured for alternative performance venues and can adapt to a changing program of contemporary music. This interactive system can register the movement of anyone inside and converts their presence to build new and scale able forms of music- offering a unique experience for each individual.

This Flexibility is intriguing as a design potential for the Merri Creek Brief and the following pages will attempt to explore this definition and its capabilities.

The definition for Aranda Lasch’s Morning Line revolves around the idea of the Fractal tetrahedra. By creating a polygonal shape and subtracting the truncation, she is able to utilise this unique geometry and create a tiling pattern which makes continuous rings.

The Five images on the left showcase using this similarir fractal tetrahedra definition on a simple square box to see the sort of effects it would come up with. This patterning creates a interesting pattern on the box but it would fail to multiply in an organic fashion as it is quite rigid.

Here i have used a 5-sided polygon and the results are much more interesting- al-beit more difficult to define in Grasshopper. These images were baked at the Functions at CAP, BREP, EXPLODE, WIRES and BEZIER SPAN.

This definition would be more suitable towards a brief in which a semi-permanent structure was needed. The fractals create a point in which one geome-try can be connected to the next in an organic manner however, this repetiveness limits the design potential as you are stuck with the fractal shape chosen.

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The BriefThe brief for this Studio is all about creating a ‘complex non-standard geometry’, with focus on the use of visual programming, parametric modelling and digital fabrication. More specifically, the site in which the design takes place is along the Merri Creek, which runs 60km from the Great Dividing range through Melbourne’s nothern suburbs to the Yarra River. The site itself is rich with history, evi-dent in its sandy layers, such as yellowish marine siltstone and sandstone rocks. The aim is to utilise environmentally friendly material to create a structure that can create new possibilities for life that improve on what was possible before the intervention. I quite like the idea that the fractal hexagon can be tesseated and subdivided by its own geometry but still keeping its original shape but taking on a different purpose.

I thought the most interesting of the iterations were the fractals of the hexagon due to their many el-ements that were just a smaller scale of each other. I found difficulty at this point attempting to map variable parameters to this definition.

LIVING ARCHITECTURE/ SELECTION CRITERIA

the definition above took the hexangonal fractal and tesselated that using the plug-in, bullant. This repetitive definition allowed me to explore the blocking massing effects of the shape and playing with differ-ent effects of culling of the plkygons.

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B.3 CASE STUDY 2.0SHOP architects//Dunescape -reverse engineering

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CASE STUDY 2// SHOP ARCHITECTS DUNESCAPE

For Case Study 2.0, I have decided to explore Sectioning as a research field to expand the pos-sibilities for the eventual project proposal. Dun-escape (located in New York) by SHOP architects intrigued me as it was an urban beach installation which manipulates the idea of promenade- blur-ring the distinction between art and the viewing public.

The installation won the first MoMa/P.S.1 Young Architects competition in 2000. It was config-ured as a landscape in which structure, program, and enclosure were collapsed into a singular form articulated by triangulated frames of two-by-two-inch cedar sticks. The angle, depth, and locus of triangulation within each frame spoke to changes in surface and use.

The overall effect of the installation is an organic one. Its shape curves to produce a sheltered walk-way, steps to create a platform for observing both the activity of around the pools and the musuemgoers on their way to the main building. The individual lumber sections visually allude to a continuous entity within which various inhabitable spaces are created creating a unique engagement between installation and users.

What is notable about Shop architects is that they ‘use technology to build practice, see practice as technology’, their motto. Rather than using typical architectural drawing methods which were inef-ficient with analyzing or conveying this dunescape geometry for construction purposes; instead, they exported full-scale color-coded templates from the digital model. The frames were cute and assembled directly on the template sheet and then joined with wood screws to the ever-growing structure. Tem-plates and materials arrived on the site each day as required. This simple system allowed the practice to build the project on a low budget, with relative-ly unskilled labor, in a short amount of time.

In the following pages, I will attempt to reverse-engineer this project using grasshopper.

REVERSE ENGINEERING

The three main controlling parameters to this defi-nition are:1) The base surface geometry2) The number and orientation of the intersecting frames3) The vector that the sections are extruded in

By changing the ‘Curve’, it changes how the geometry is sectioned.

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Above is the Grasshopper definition which aims to produce a sectioning depending on the image sampler and the axis the sectioning occurs.

-The image used for the image sampler was a gradient of white to black created in Illustrator, by creating a linear gradient, it allowed to cre-ate a wave shape similar to that of the Dunescape project.

-By choosing different parameters of which lines from the box component, it created sectioning through different axis.

FINAL OUTCOMES OF RE-ENGINEERED CASE STUDY 2.0HOW THE PROJECT CAN BE DESIGNED IN GRASSHOPPER

Row A: Direction of sections changed by determining the vector that the line for intersecting frames are created from.Number of sections are determined by the number of frames selected, the lower the number the more spaced out it becomes.

Row B: Sections increased by incresing the number of frames generated, Gives a more solid appear-ance.

Row C: Base surface of sections is altered. The geometry seems more interesting with more convex and concave surfaces.

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B.4 TECHNIQUE: DEVELOPMENT

Row D: More sectioining allows for a more prominent form to take hold whilst creating a sparser distance between the sections, the original form becomes almost unrecognizable

Row E: The position of intersecting frames takes an effect on how many sections can be extruded. Using a curved line instead of a straight one can cause some of the sections to interesect

Row F: The height of the sections is altered at different intervals, offering a different degree of protrusion.

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B.5 TECHNIQUE: PROTOTYPES

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Method: Laser Cutting

Materials: BoxBoard, Perspex

Laser cutting was explored as a technique for prototypying due to the geometry of the defi-nition. It became apparent that there were some limitations during the cutting stage as the individual shapes of the hexagons had to be larger than 1.5mm to avoid losing the shapes due to the metal grid system underneath. This has raised a concern with scale, indicating that perhaps a larger scale model would need to be produced for Part C. Fabrication of the prototype also showed that i would need to go back to the digital model and modify the techniques in which i could join these hexagons.

CONCEPTUAL PROTOTYPES

Selection Criteria:-how do the different materials effect the experienced outcome of the design?-which materials (boxboard, perspex) suit different agendas, whether that be lighting, visual effects, usability.. perspex was interesting in seeing its visual qualities however, in realising the actual design, there would need to be a sound justification as to why that material was chosen

This prototype was made purely of boxboard and held together by glue. -how will these join together in real world construction?-how can the different faces be changed to allow for different situ-ations-this model has prompted me to go back and explore the original definition more and possibly play around with the idea of sectioing, as another characteristic of the model

This prototype was investigating the different materials put to-gether and the effects it could have.-structually speaking, if a transparant material such as glass was to be used, a steel framing system would be more ideal for stabil-ity and support

This prototype consisted of using only the perspex hexagons with glue. -Most of the defined shape has been lost as the transparancy makes it hard to distinguish between the boundaries-it became more apparant that framing system would be required to materialse this

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B.6 TECHNIQUE: PROPOSAL

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CONSIDERING CONTEXT [

“[…] when all frontiers have been tamed and developed, when all exotic tribes and species have been winkled out of their hid-den crannies and firmly tagged, where after all can one look for the wild, the unknown? When all natural wonders have been scientifically investigated, and all ancient monuments have be-come tourist attractions, where can one seek the numinous, the sacred? In a world contracted by motor travel and telecommu-nications, how can one experience vastness?” (Mathews, 2005, p. 136, 137)

Inspiration largely drew from The Merri Creek Labyrinth, a significant environmental art installation located in a lineal park that runs the length of Merri Creek in Clifton Hill. The site can only be accesed via the walking trail from The Esplanade/Wright Street or Ramsden Street. The topography is mainly flat, surrounded by the cliffs of the former blue stone quarry and sits opposite next to the wishing Willow tree.

The unicursal parth of the Labryinth to its centre and out evokes ancient symbols, crossing cultures and religions, used individually and corporately for time out, team building, problem solving, meditation, stress management, educational and health benefits.

In this isolated site, there is an essence of spirituality and the proposal of the fractal play garden similarly uses the ideas in the fractals, both as a body of knowledge and metaphor as an important way of looking at the world. Simply put, a fractal is a never-ending pattern. An infinitely complex pattern, created by repeating a simple process over and over in an ongoing feedback loop. Driven by recursion, fractals are images of dynamic systems- the picture of chaos.

Material Proposal: Natural timbers & glass

-to construct a habitable network based on organic forms, naturally occuring geometries, and interconnectivity which merges art, architecture and science.- offers the opportunity for positive interaction and social exchange

The intial proposal and fabrication of conceptual models has directed me that for further exploration in Part C- to investigate how to expand the ways in which we inhabit and experience our environment. Feedback from the interim presentations was really valuable. One comment was to explore what the mathematical meanings of a fractal is, how it works, and the multiple elements is it composed of and to use parameters of the Labryinth site to curate the direction of the brief.

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B.7LEARNING OBJECTIVES & OUTCOMES

Part B Criteria design was an immense jump men-tally from Part A. The exploration of Case Study 1.0: Aranda Lasch’s Morning line showed the versatility of creating a complex fractal geometry and its real life design integration. This fractal tethedra definition allowed me to explore basic shapes in a completely new light, using them as a building block to create some very interesting conceptual models. It became easier to visualize the appropriateness of these con-cepts once they had been baked.

Reverse-Engineering Case Study 2.0: SHOP architects Dunescape was also interesting to explore the visual effects that this definition provided. I think at this point, i am quite comfortable to create, ma-nipulate and design using parametric modelling tools. Examining these case studies not only though its out-come but in their design process allowed me to have a better understanding of why these tools are used by the designers.

However, with a better grasp of the foundational understandings of computational geometry, data structures and types of programming, it has become apparent to me that there is a fine line between the software overtaking the design and the design utilizing the software. Computers don’t design build-ings, but software protocols and capabilities affect the direction of a design, for better or worse. Understand-ing the technology of computing is just as important as understanding the technology of construction in allowing architects to design and manage complex projects.

Discovering the endless capabilities in Grasshopper became obsessive and at points overtook solving the initial design problem- to create a standard non-complex geometry to integrate into the proposed site of Merri Creek. One in which would not only be appropriate and authentic to the users and land but also to have the ability to improve upon what is already there.

Computation can be used to generate large amounts of complexity but that does not always guarantee that complexity equals great work. The advantage however of immense computational power is that the designer can stay ahead of the curve. Custom scripting can be modified to adapt to programmatic and struc-tural changes during the design development. The parametric format was critical not only to facilitate fabrication but to also dictate the possibilities of the fabrication.

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REFERENCES

IMAGESPage 34. The Eden Project by Grimshaw architectsSource: Page 36. The Morning Line by Aranda LaschSource: https://wieesseinkoennte.files.wordpress.com/2011/06/10a_the_morning_line.jpg

Page 38 Top. The Morning Line by Aranda LaschSource: arandalasch.comPage 38. Bottom Right. Grasshopper imagery of The Morning LineSource: arandalasch.com

Page 42. http://www.shoparc.com/sites/default/files/press/SHoP_Dunescape%20at%20PS1_pho_com-pleted%20view.jpgPage 44. https://upc15p.files.wordpress.com/2015/03/shop_dunescape3.jpg

Page 56. Google Earth 6.0. 2015. Merri Creek Labyrinth and trail walkway https://www.google.com.au/maps/place/Merri+Creek+Labyrinth/@-37.7901794,145.0058212,297m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m2!3m1!1s0x6ad643a01e8c3e15:0xd7e7de525a739b34

http://biomimicry.org/what-is-biomimicry/

Greg Lynn Quote: < http://www.ted.com/talks/greg_lynn_on_organic_design/transcript>

Terzidis, K. (2006), Algorithmic Architecture, Burlington MA: Elsevier Ltd

Tony Fry, Design Futuring: Sustainability, Ethics and New Practice ( Oxford: Berg, 2009)

Richard William (2005). ‘Architecture and Visual Culture’, in Exploring Visual Culture; Definitions, Concepts, Contexts, ed. By Matthew Rampley (Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press)

Howard David, The Culture of Building (USA: Oxford University Press, 2000)

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PART

C DETAILED DESIGN

“the detailed design phase conclused the WHAT phase of the project. During this phase, all key design decisions are finalized”This part focuses on the development of a realistic and yet innovative design proposal. The outcome of this stage is a fully documented and convincingly argued design that is critically positioned in contemporary architecturaldiscourse.

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C.1 DESIGN CONCEPT

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Having a different opinion on the design direction from the critics during the interim presentations was useful as it highlighted some of the obvious points that I had neglected to explore.

Overall there was positive feedback on the poectic project proposal but to do more site analysis to back this up. -set some project boundaries that narrows it down from a garden, which could have endless possibilities.-use fractal as inspiration, where is it repeating and why?-does this respond to people’s movement paths? or the labyrinth pattern?

The primary interest was to construct habitable networks based on organic forms, naturally occur-ing geometries, and interconnectivity which merges concepts of art, architecture, and science. The primary focus of the instation, to expand the current ways in which the Merri creek labyrinth site is inhabited and experienced and offer different opportunities for posi-tive interaction and social exchange.

At this point, i intend to explore the possibilites and the different ways that i could integrate a fractal in-spired geometry, along with some thorough site study to propose an installation that would be suitable for the proposed site.

As my proposed project takes a more poetic response to the Living Architecture brief, it was a struggle on how to move away from being merely an ‘art’ intalla-tion but rather an elegant architectural solution.

An interesting quote by Sean Godsell on art & architecture: “ Unlike art, architecture is often considered a precise activity, a science, undertaken solely to create the es-sential built environment that accomodates society.And to some extent, it is. There are swathes of law, rules and regulations to abide by when designing even the simplest building, and there are social implications and practicalities to be considered as the scale of construction gets larger. Architecture is not something merely to be admired and to be pontificated over, but something to be used. The same cannot be said of art.”

INTERIM FEEDBACK FURTHER SITE ANALYSIS

Acting upon feedback and seeking a more focused direction towards the final design, I spent a full day at the Labyrinth site and mapped how the current users of the site interacted with the three main aspects; the Labyrinth, the Willow tree and the walkway. The time period was broken up between 9am-11am, 11am-1pm & 1pm-3pm.

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Users walk on dedicated pathways-even though there aren’t strict laws ordering people to walk on these paths, but rather a psychological method of way-finding.-interestingly enough, as would be predicted, local pedestrians were more actively engaged as there were multiple usages and attractions at the Labyrinth site

Locals were easily spotted as they had dogs.-always on leash-excrement immediately disposed of-owners that took dog on walk were part of a daily ritual, a prefab-ricated procedure, a ritual.

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Labyrinth Pathway interaction

Destinations are more attractive when they invite a stay-the labyrinth induces a calm and gratifying experience for the user.-Although, when there were more than 2 users already at the labyrinth, users would detour or come back later

Elderly sit on benches-there was only one wooden bench near the labyrinth which would fit 2 people max-tend to relax on benches and observe the goings-on

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Users tended to sit with their backs against a trunk of a tree-having their back protected provides an underlying human com-fort, to be enclosed and sheltered. -offeres a sense of security-relaxed reclining-users opted for different locations depending on the position of the sun, wind, and more quiet surroundings-when the bench was taken, users chose trees, a hollow in the ground, a natural cleft

Pathway interaction

Sitting users observed their environment more keenly-more people sat near/around the labyrinth as there was some activity to be observed.

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Good walk ways have a good range of destinations along the way-strong destination points gauged more interest for users

Users who walk have a destintion in mind

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Movement Paths

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Throughout the duration of the site analysis, I noticed how the current users of the site were drawn to differ-ent aspects of the site in different ways, depending on who else was inhabiting the space, how warm it was and it dawned on me how rigid the set pathway was. Even though the pathway served its urban purpose, to guide the user from point A to B, it wasn’t however making use of the greenery around the labyrinth and wishing tree. The idea of suggesting a new form of way-finding using a modular structure which would multiply at points of the current negative space would draw the future users to explore the site more in depth.

Taking the traced movement paths into grasshopper and finding the shortest path using the shortest walk component in grasshopper, allowed me to explore the different interesting pathways that could be imple-mented. Using the graph mapper component allowed me to change the density of modules throughout the curve. The density was determined by the main points of negative space/interaction observed.

The resulting Polyhedron shape (Tetradecahedron) was chosen after an exploration of modular structures in structure and aestethic, they were chosen according to these specific elements of the brief:- a structure that could repurpose recycled material , i was interested in using the recycled local wood which meant limitations in that most the shapes would need to be flat-invites human interaction, scale was an important factor as i wanted the design to not only guide the user in a different way to see the site in a different way, but also be a literal exploration in which some of the modules would allow for them to go inside and explore.

DESIGN CONCEPT

Biomimicry was a source of metaphorical inspiration for my proposed structure. Taking the three main at-tractions of the site, i.e Labyrinth, estabilshed path-way and Willow wishing tree and connecting these three points of interesting and creating a passive way finding to engage users to be more active participants, making it a packaged expience. The idea behind this was that with the increase human interaction with nature, there would thus be more engagement and grounding, gauging interest and sentimentality to nature.

The case studies in Part B drew me to fractals re-curvsive patterning, it is infinitely self-similair and iterated. It isn’t simply a geometric pattern, but can describe processes in time. It is embedded in nature, fractal patterns found in nature display self-similarity over extended but finite scale ranges. I took the tech-nique i explored of fractal geometry and its metaphor for creating a new way of looking at the world, in this instance, repurposing recycled materials in a fractal manner.

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The image on the left is a diagram of the Fractal triangle created by Mcdonough + Braungart (2003) as a visual tool, to apply the triad of concerns- eco-nomic growth, environmental protection and social equity, to ‘employ their dynamic interplay to gener-ate value’.

The fractal triangle shows how ecology, economy and equity anchor a spectrum of value, and how, at any level of scrutiny, each design decision has an impact on all three. By honoring all three concerns, allows for more intelligent design. In an infinitely intercon-nected world, they see rich relationships rather than inherent conflicts. The goal, to increase value in all areas of the triangle through intelligent design. I used this tool as a way to tackle the issues of my proposed fractal installation.

With Ecology: predominantly concerns the Merri creek landscape but also the active communities involved such as the Friends of Merri creek commit-tee. I wanted to repurpose the recycled materials we do have available to showcase the ability of a second life of materials.Equity: In this instance, concerns the social ques-tions. How do I respect the current users, stakehold-er (local councils) but also attract new users.Economy: How can it be profitable? My design would profit the community foremost by engag-ing existing and new users to the site, encouraging positive interaction with humans and nature, thus creating an even bigger and more aware community of their natural landscapes.

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C.2 TECTONIC ELEMENTS & PROTOTYPES

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For the prototype i thought it was important to show the way in which these modular fractal shapes could be fabricated. The outer panels would be recycled wood. As they are all flat surfaces, i decided to explore the diferent ways in which they could not only be connected but also expeierenced from the user.

My technique focused on laser cut-ting as this was probably the most realistic scenario that would be used in a real life situation.

I explored two different ways of joints, one was a tensioned cable tie system and the second being a notch system.

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TENSIONED CABLE TIE METHOD1:20

2mm Box board, 2.5mm black cable ties, Wood adhesive

assembly process

Using the 2.5mm x 100mm cable ties created a sturdy model however due to the flexibility of the ties, it wasn’t the sturdiest model. If this system was implement in real life, the heaviness of the wood with stronger cable ties wouldn’t have the same issues.

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NOTCH METHOD1:20

3mm Box board, black cable ties, wood adhesive sticker, reflective mirrored surface, glue

assembly process

Using the notch system created a more interesting result due to the wider spacing of the H-clips.I experimented with different sizes to also see the effect of that. I thought this model catered to what i wanted it to look like on site as it also allows the user to look in but also walk in and explore.

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The inside faces of the modular shape were coated with a reflective mirror surface, indicating at the larger modules, a mirrored surface would be used to create an interactive ,immersive space that gave people the oppurtunity to step into a new dimension- a new realm of experience- to uplift and inspire.

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C.3 FINAL DETAIL MODEL

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PROJECT TITLE: Second Life fractalLOCATION: Merri Creek Labyrinth, Clifton Hill, VictoriaABOUT: Second life is a proposed installation for the site of Merri creek Labyrinth in Clifton Hill. Its title, is indicative of the repurposing of recycled wood to create recursive modular structures through the experience of a curve, a new pathway. It guides the user around it on one sie whilst being drawn into it on the other. Consisting of 25 hexagonal modules in total, laser cut and held together with steel notches. The installation is bio-degradable and invites the community members to adapt it further for an evolutionary second life.

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The user first catches a glimpse of modular shapes along a curve, with the smaller modules as a passive method of directing the user to the larger module creating a unique experience for each visitor. It would be an extrodinary space where people could stay for 10 minutes or an hour: a place where the space would change people’s minds. It would inspire a childlike sense of wonder, where people would be able to rethink and reimagine themselves, with frag-ments of the surrounding merri creek site refleecting through the gaps. It’s a chance for people to reflect on the nature of reality and everyday life, to get out of their heads and to look at themselves in a multi-dimensional way. Each visitor would have a different experience each time, depending on what they wear, the weather and how they move around.

Interior View of Single Module1:20

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C.4 LEARNING OBJECTIVES & OUTCOMES

One of the main points of feedback from the final presentation was to consider the accessibility by the pedestrian, the safety issues of having such large boulder like modules and the resulting effect the second pathway would have on the existing topogra-phy. This was explored further by allowing the mod-ules to not be fully closed so that the user would be able to walk in and around it.

The design project has taught me so many things about architecture, and predominantly, the influence of computation in the design process. At the beginning of this course, I was quite anxious to learn a new software adequately let alone design an architectural installation with Rhino & Grasshopper. But looking back, seeing my technical skill develop was a really rewarding experience and broke the bar-rier of being afraid to incorporate the new technol-ogy into design.

With digital technology, you can design something very customized but manufactured in a way that can be mass-produced. This provides endless possibilities for the architecture of the future, not only can we be more accurate in our designs, it allows the designer to become the manufacturer too, thus not limiting themselves to what parameters are available. I’m ex-cited now to see build upon the foundations of the digital computational skills and see where that takes my future designs.

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REFERENCES

IMAGESPage 84. Fractal Triangle Tool https://live-mcdonough.gotpantheon.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/fractal1.jpg

Page 98. Google Earth 6.0. 2015. Merri Creek Labyrinth and trail walkway https://www.google.com.au/maps/place/Merri+Creek+Labyrinth/@-37.7901794,145.0058212,297m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m2!3m1!1s0x6ad643a01e8c3e15:0xd7e7de525a739b34

http://www.mcdonough.com/speaking-writing/design-for-the-triple-top-line/#!prettyPhoto

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