studio AIR

architectural design studio 2012

progress journal

tim nguyen

tutor: marcus fajl

TABLE OF CONTENTS

page 4 BEIJING NATIONAL AQUATIC CENTER

page 5 NITEROI CONTEMPORARY ART MUSEUM

page 6 STUDLEY PARK BOATHOUSE

page 7 PARAMETRIC DESIGN

page 8 THE EFFECT OF DIGITAL MODELLING ON THE DESIGN PROCESS

page 10 FRANK GEHRY

page 11 SCRIPTING AND PROGRAMMING

page 12 IIDABASHI SUBWAY STATION

The ‘Water Cube’ is a design cre-ated by the Australian architect firm PTW, along with assistance from engineering and construction de-sign companies. This contemporary design takes into consideration the natural landscape and conditions, and makes use of modern materials and construction techniques.

It takes into consideration the im-portance of environmental sustain-ability, a major concern in modern architecture. The polymer, ‘ETFE’, used for the molecular skin, is a ‘light-weight glass’. The glass-like qualities allow solar heating, and the light weight of the material re-duces the need for as many load bearing materials, reducing em-bedded energy. Also considered is the seismic conditions of the area. The molecular skin, based on the formation of bubbles in soap lather is unique in that whilst appearing complex and random from the ex-terior, is actually formed with many uniformly shaped bubbles, allowing efficiency in its production.

It seems random, however, the de-sign is actually very repetitive and adheres to a set of rules which al-low it to be completed correctly and efficiently. Even with the para-metric nature of the building, it still has been derived from an original human generated concept.

Located at the Boa Viagem view-point in the city of Niteroi, this sau-cer shaped structure emerges from the rock face and blooms outward like a flower. It was a design cre-ated from the revolutionary figure of a double curvature. It overlooks the bay like a lighthouse, and can appear to be suspended in the air. There is a layer of water underneath the structure where lights are locat-ed, illuminating the structure and providing a feeling of lightness to the building.

Niemeyer seeks to achieve a beau-ty in his architecture. He does not govern himself by rules or by restric-tions. He designs his buildings based on concepts he would define as beautiful. The Niteroi Comemporary Art Museum is no different.

Beauty, although appearing in one way to Niemeyer, may appear in a different way to another. It can be judged on a persons feelings, experiences or pure aesthetic pref-erence. Beauty is sought after in architecture, yet architecture does not necessarily need to rely on aes-thetic quality.

Beauty is certainly important, but there must always be consideration for functionality as well.

Beijing National Aquatic Center

PTW ARCHITECTS

Niterói Contempo-rary Art MuseumOSCAR NIEMEYER

“It appears random and playful like a natural system, yet is mathematically very rigorous and repetitious.”

- Andrew Frost, Director, PTW Architects

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“My work is not about ‘form follows function,’ but ‘form follows beauty’ or, even better, ‘form follows feminine.’”

- Oscar Niemeyer

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This design for the Studley Park Boathouse was a design influenced by the works of architect Mario Botta, but not designed in his style. This design took some of Botta’s favoured design concepts - that of sunlighting, of the materialism and of geometry, before implementing them into a new concept which was suitable for the chosen site.

The process of studying the con-cepts and ideas of another is a common feature throughout his-tory. Taking ideas and understand-ing how a previous style or design was successful can be a positive influence on design process.

Progression or improvement is often based on the analysis of the past. The past or existing are the bench-marks for which improvement must be made on. Discussing and de-veloping ideas based on previous designs is a pathway for progres-sion, and it certainly furthers the architectural discourse in discover-ing and advancing ideas of form, function and conception.

Then again, it may not be the opin-ion of the professional or a direct evolution from a existing idea that determines progression. The un-trained have the purest and most uninfluenced view - a completely new design might also be the key.

Studley Park Boathouse

TIM NGUYEN

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There is no precise definition for para-metric design. It is, however, about set-ting parameters, about having rules set to create a system. It must be remem-bered that parametric design is another tool for designers, just like any other.

Parametric design can be influenced by any formula given to it, be they complex algorithms applied to complex shapes or surfaces, or simple repeti-tion. It can be used to generate form from a small base or it could be used to avoid tasks such as individually design-ing floors or rooms at the same scale by hand or by regular computational techniques.

This new design technique allows a new way to ‘generate’ forms, to modify components of a structure to find precise solutions. It allows greater efficiency.

Architect Greg Lynn, often uses motion-based modelling techniques such as kinematics to create his parametric designs.

The ‘House Prototype in Long Island’, takes into consideration the effects of forces onto its skeletal frame. Those forces are used as a basis for purposeful deformation - inverse kinematics under influence of site induced forces. Form can be generated by subjecting struc-tures to force fields. These ideas can be contextual.

His ‘bus terminal protective roofing’ used the idea of particle systems to em-ulate the movement of pedestrians and traffic on the site and find the fields of attraction. From there, a design could be formed with the data in mind.

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Parametric DesignEVOLVING FROM CONVENTION

Parametric design generated in Rhinoceros

The Effect of Digital Model-ling on the Design Process

THE FUTURE FOR DIGITAL ARCHITECTURE

The growth of digital modelling and computational software has opened new territo-ries for formal exploration in architecture.

Generative processes can develop new shapes and forms based on various ideas and concepts such as topological space, dynamic systems, parametric design and genetic algorithms.

The new forms being created or ‘generated’ by these modelling programs influence not only the design process, but also the con-struction process. Digital technology has al-lowed convergence of the representation and production processes, it has changed the nature of design and construction - digi-tal technology allows the design information to become the construction information.

Most material products in the world today are created and produced through a pro-cess (involving design, analysis, represen-tation, fabrication and assembly) which is solely dependant on digital technologies.

The building industry is yet to join this process.

Complex designs, which are commonplace with digital modelling, often require the ar-chitect to become more involved with the building process - and as such allowing greater control of of the building process.

The ultimate goal of digital modelling, ac-cording to Kolarevic, is to create a four-dimensional model encoded with all qualitative and quantitative dimensional information for design analysis, fabrication, construction - a complete model that con-tains all the information which is required to build a structure.

At this stage, it is an unattainable goal, with the technological workings on how to create this still undeveloped, and a plethora of so-cial and legal barriers to overcome.

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The potential is there for buildings to become part of the digital continuum, with cars, air-craft and naval vehicles largely digitally con-ceived and produced.

The innovation of digital architecture is not just in the form-finding, or the design con-cept. It is also about the design and con-struction process, and developing the com-putational ability to create a process which will allow ‘complete’ digital fabrication.

The ability to digitally generate and use that information for manufacturing redefines the relationship between conception and pro-duction. With increase in digital data, there is not only an increase in methods of digital fabrication, but the entire process from de-sign to construction becomes more efficent as well. Digital technology tends to lead to the development of the process of “finding of form”. Models can be capable of consis-tant, continual and dynamic transformation,

replacing the static nature of non-digital processes.

Simply put, the development of technology and design programs allowed more com-plex forms to be developed. The design of highly curvilinear surfaces, a prominent fea-ture in comtemporary structures, raised the question of how they were to be designed. Certain spatial and tectonic complexities had to be overcome. In a period without the contemporary computational tech-niques of today, such complexities could never be overcome.

However, with construction becoming a direct function of computability, whether a form can be made is up to which instru-ments of practice can be used to take advantage of digital mode of production.

1. Rhinoceros - Example2. Parametric design example

3. Parametric design fabrication

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In the constant digitisation of the architectural and design world, it takes leaders and innova-tors. One of those to innovate with computer based modelling and implement it in the de-sign and construction process is Frank Gehry.

In a digitally driven process of production, de-sign and construction are conjoined as one. Builders and constructors are able to become involved at an earlier stage of the design pro-cess, while architects must remain integral throughout the entire design process.

The design process requires evolution. Innova-tion needs to come from those involved with the processes, and not just from the program-ming. The idea of amalgamating the archi-tect with the fabricators and holding shared responsibility is an innovation which has arisen from the advance of digital fabrication.

Gehry’s ‘Fish Sculpture’ at the entrace of Vila Olimpica in Barcelona (1992), is one of the first examples of a digitally developed proj-

ect. What was required for this design was; a program able to describe the complex geom-etry of the assignment, and second, a highly precise process to fabricate and assemble. This led to a process of solution finding. The answer: Computer Aided Three-dimensional Interactive Application (CATIA). This software, used for digital development and design of aeroplanes, was used to allow the three-di-mensional digital design to be structurally ana-lysed and be used as a source of construction information.

What this signified was a change in process, a new idea brought about from digital tech-nologies already being used in other areas of manufacturing. One style of three-dimensional modelling has led to another, with programs such as Rhinoceros (allowing Non-Rational B-Splines) and AutoCAD providing new ways to digitally develop concepts and designs. Geh-ry’s use of CATIA was symbolic of the rapid rate of development in computation design techniques.

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Frank GehryINNOVATION IN DIGITALISATION

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1. & 2. The Experience Music Project, Seattle (2000), by Frank Gehry.

Designed using a “paperless” process, where the digital model was created, the wireframe model extracted and

used by structural engineers to develop framework, then digital model used to

directly control production/assembly of components.

3. Fish Sculpture, Barcelona (1992), by Frank Gehry

3. Scripting is becoming increasingly attractive to designers, and is becoming more practical as well. However, the general approach to scripting in producing effects of complexity is becoming slightly redundant with the growth of knowledge in the scripting community.

Scripting can be described as being about com-puter programming at various different levels. Its base attraction is its efficiency - compaired with traditional means, a larger amount of outcomes can be made for the same duration of time.

While scripting likely arose from the idea of ef-ficiency, its attraction is also in that it constantly provides numerous new outcomes to explore in the world of designing. New principles can be ex-

plored and potentially implemented into design, generative processes can be expored, and ideas can be developed beyond the comprehension of the human brain.

Scripting allows the ability to work with large data sets, work beyond human perceptual ability, gen-erate work in multiple directions, allows simiplifi-cation and complexification, as well as allowing easier access to eventual fabrication.

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Scripting and Programming

DIGITAL PROGRESSION

Scripting can be generated from a concept such as nature (image left), or could be about finding new forms (image above). Simple pro-grams can be considered scripting, or ‘new’ scripts can be created to service the design idea. That said, with the growing community of scripters, it is extremely rare that a completely ‘new’ script is ever cre-ated.

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“A seed, given water and light, extends its roots, grows leaves and comes into flower. It spreads its roots in search of soft soil and places its leaves so they recieve as much sunlight as possible.”

- Watanabe

The Iidabashi Subway Station truly is an expression of this statement. Its design begins with a tube extending out below the surface of the earth, in-tricately winding, self generating with the use of technology. Using this computer generated code to create the design, it is the first implementation of ‘Program Generated Architecture’ in the physi-cal world.

Development in architecture has seen an in-crease in computation, and for good reason. The scripting style of Watanabe in creating the Sub-way is just one way of expression using scripting.

The ‘Induction Cities’ program is set to only gen-erate ‘good’ plans (not an endless number of random forms to pick from). Values are set in ad-vance to someone restrict the generations. The plans proposed are plans which are set to meet the criteria set, or be as close as possible to them.

This design uses computers as a design tool not just to replace the hand, but to enhance the mind. Computers can be used as a tool for thinking - this design sees it as an extension of the human brain. Furthermore, it can be seen as an evolving design, just like a regular city or a living creature.

This design philosophy is unique, in that it uses genetic algorithm, yet still demands it to be tied to the human restrictions. It is a generative form still tied to human understanding. Architecture is more than just about finding form. It is about understanding the process and understanding the requirements needed for a specific site. The design process that Watanabe uses addresses all these concerns, and presents a new under-standing of scripting, and that it can be used as a tool to further the methods of design people can reach.

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Iidabashi Subway Station

MAKOTO SEI WATANABE

Compared to other self generative processes, it is unique in that it allows greater control for the human mind. The form may be generated by computer, but the computer is being used as a tool to create a design to desired re-strictions.

Scripting, while it can comprise of several levels of com-puterisation, should be controlled by the design concepts of the person using the tecnology. The IIdabashi Subway Station had conditions which needed to be solved, and scripting was made to solve those conditions.

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References