DESIGN STUDIO AIR UNIVERSITY OF MELBOURNE

Content09. Week Nine Site Introduction The gateway project Desig Evolution Concept

Site Introdcution

The gateway project is estab-lished as part of Wyndhm City programme. This program has been focusing on the image of the area by undertaking signifi-cant works to upgrade the condi-tion and aesthetics of its street spaces, open spaces and parks. The installation aimed to enhance the physical environment through the visual art component. The site for the Western Gateway installation is located near the edge of the Wyndham urban growth boundary where future residential and commercial devel-opments will meet the undevel-oped plains of the west. It will be viewed by motorists travelling at high speed and provide the first indication of arrival into metropolitan Melbourne. In design of gateway the scale and consideration of high-speed movement of traffic along the Princes Freeway is important.The Western Gateway installation should provide an entry state-ment and arrival experience, andbecome a new identifier for the municipality.

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The images in this page illus-trate the physical model of our panelization technique.After exploring the panelization tech-nique; we started to work on the actual gateway design. For designing the Wyndhm gate way initially we started by selecting a site. Primarily we started to work on site A. The reason for selection of site A was its good potential in terms of vehicle traffic. Cars are passing through both side of the site A, which enables visitors to experience the installation in both direction of highway. The initial design ideas, was arranging triangular panels through the edges of site A. But after more exploration and research we decided to choose site C, which is the entrance to the Wyndhm city. Site C is significantly narrower than the other two sites. This characteristic of site c is unique. Site C was suitable for our concept which was nostalgia of natural environment of Wyndhm. We start the design process

SITE A

SITE B

The gateway project

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Design Evolution

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Concept

Our concept for gate way design was nostalgia of the natural environ-ment and trees. This area was established as an agricultural settlement in the 1850s, originally named Wyndham and was renamed Werribee.In design process we relied on the natural beauty of the trees and the canopy of trees which create a very tranquil experience for the visitor. Based on our concept we did a research on the types of trees that belongs to this area. The images above illustrate a group of indigenous trees of Werribe. Amongst all types of trees, we select the Bulok.

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Concept

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This image illustrate the appli-cation of panels of top of the arches. This time the arches are spaced irregularly.

Working out the space between each arch is illustrated in this image. Also doubling the surface was another option to consider.

After testing some arrange-ment for arches we start to loft a surface on top of the structural.

The images illustrate the examining the arches and the triangular panels attached.

Design Evolution

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Design Evolution

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Design Evolution

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DESIGN STUDIO AIR UNIVERSITY OF MELBOURNE

Content10. Week Ten Precedent Desig Evolution Construction details Materials

Precedent/Colombiere Center Chapel, US

http://www.archhis.com/bldg/?bI=25840

This church is designed by Bohlin Cywinski Jakson Architects. The inspiration of designing this chapel was a 100 years old tree, near the church. The interior installation in the chapel made from perforated wood panels in an organic arrangement.Panles is overlapping within a repetitive steel framework.

Triangular panels are arranged in 3d form. The size of panels is varied. Panels are designed in varied sizes to stimulate the tree’s leafs. The size of tri-angles is between 1 meter to 1.5 meter. The material selected for these panels were timber.

This image illustrates the top view of the triangular panels attached to the arch. Since the selected material for these panels was timber, there was an issue of heavy load of panels. At this stage the arches are arranged irregularly. Each arch is holding two rows of panels. The span of arch is 20 meter and the height of each arch is 7 meter. After producing and testing some prototypes in smaller scale, we realized that we need to modify the design of panels as well the type of the material.

This image is illustrating the internal space of the gateway with triangular panels and the pointed arches. After failure of our prototype we decided to work on new design for panels.

Design Evolution

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After producing triangular panels in Rhino and Grass hoper (using paneling tool), we produce some physical models to test the workabil-ity of our design structure. This test model was not working well. We decided to change the panel design as well as panel’s material.

Design Evolution

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With paneling tool in Grasshopper we create a new design for panels. This time we changed the shape of triangles. Also we doubled the layers.

Testing the doubles layer panels on arches. At this stage, there was an issue of construction. The joint of triangular panels was complicated

This is the internal shot of the panels. The panels were successful interms of stimulating canopy of trees but structurally were problematic.

Design Evolution

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Design Evolution - Arch design

These images illustratethe design process of the arches.The highest arch is 8 meter. The height of arches gradually decrease by 0.5 meter. The span fluctuates between 20meter to 14 meter. The variation of span is generating a sense of movement.

With paneling tool in Grasshopper we create a new design for panels. This time we changed the shape of triangles. Also we doubled the layers.

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Design Evolution

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Constrution Detail

PLAN

SECTION

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The arches are made of laminated timber. The foundation of each arch is 10 meter deep in the ground. The height of arches varied. The highest arch is 7.5 meter and the lowest i.5 meter.

The hexagonal panels are made out of steel. The panels are attached to across the arch via metal bolts. The space between each arch is between 2 meter to 3.5 meter. Arches will be installed to the ground via metal plates.-For installation panels are attached together via tiny hinges. The attachment of panels produces ribbons of panels. Ribbons will be transferred to the site and attached to the arches.

Glulam, short for glued laminated timber, is an engineered wood product.This type of wood is manufactured by gluing together pieces of timber, known as laminates. The process produces larger size and longer length members, which can be curved or straight.This material has been used in construction of

http://whatwow.org/glue-laminated-timber

Constrution Detail

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DESIGN STUDIO AIR UNIVERSITY OF MELBOURNE

Content11. Week Eleven Final design Model making process

Final Design

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Model Making Process

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DESIGN STUDIO AIR UNIVERSITY OF MELBOURNE

Content12. Week Twelve Final Presentation

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Design Evolution

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Concept

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Design Evolution

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Design Evolution

Design Evolution

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Design Evolution

PLAN

SECTION Depth of foundation is 10 meter for each arch

steel panels

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Construction

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Final Mdel

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Final Design

My experience with digital architecture

This studio was extremely different from other design studios. This was the first time that I was getting familiar with Digital architecture. Not knowing Rhino and Grasshopper in the begin-ning of the semester was a great challenge for me. By mid semester things get slightly better but I found Grasshopper challenging. I think Grasshopper is a capable and practical pro-gram for architecture of twenty first century. I believe it is very hard to learn and explore the capabilities of this program in a very tiny amount of time that we had.

Reflection on the final feedback

After final presentation we agreed that a detailed construction model would have helped understanding our design better. we have done more test physical models which we forgot to include in our presentation. Including those photos would make our design process more clear. Working with Grasshopper we struggled a lot our final hope was paneling tool. Since paneling tool was quite new approach in Grasshopper it was not responding as we wanted. One of the other feedbacks we received was about the size of the gateway. The length of the gate way could have been longer but we had a bit o f issue of making the physical model in 1:100 scale. However in real life if the gate way was longer than 60 meter it would have more effective experience for the visitor. Overall we were happy our gateway design. The great concept of nostalgia was very strong which I believed we achieved to create that experience for the