StudioAir2015Semester One

Fenly Jo 615460Journal

Studio 15

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Content

Part A: Conceptualisation

Introduction

Design Futuring: Precedent 1Design Futuring: Precedent 2A1.1: Design ComputationA1.2: Composition/GenerationA1.3: ConclusionA1.4: Learning OutcomesA1.5: Algorithmic SketchesReferences

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Introduction

My name is Fenly Jo and I am a third year Bachelor of Environments student majoring in Architecture. I first developed an interest in architecture when I was doing a sub-ject called Design Technology in high school back in Malaysia. For our final project,

we were required to design an object that could be used to store everyday things at home by using a software called ProDesktop to 3D print our design. Since then, along with my family’s property development background, I started to realize how design and architecture affect people’s lives- ranging from a storage equipment to residential buildings where peo-ple live in.

In my first year in Bachelor of Environments, I made the decision of not enrolling into Virtual Environments and it is one of the biggest regrets in my academic life. However, I enrolled into Visual Communications in my second year where I was taught the basic elements of 3D modelling using Rhino. Due to my limited skills in Rhino, I found it extremely frustrating to use when attempting to produce a digital model, especially at the end of the semester when we were all under pressure. During these scenarios, I resorted to SketchUp which I find relatively easy to use.

I am looking forward to this semester in Studio Air where I hope to take this opportunity to learn how to use Grasshopper to further develop my skills in the digital world. With the help of my tutor, I am certain I will be confident using Rhino and Grasshopper by the end of the semester.

Part AConceptualisation

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Design Futuring: Precedent 1

Fly’s Eye DomeRichard Buckminster Fuller

Buckminster Fuller’s intention was to design a home that was efficient, in terms of its ener-gy and material consumption. The result was a dome consisting of openings that serve as windows and doors, as well as a collector of wind and solar energy. A frame that collected

rainwater runoff was also part of the design. Although only a prototype was developed before he died, a replica of the dome was constructed by producing a 3D parametric model which was then cut by a CNC machine.

As the world is currently facing an energy-saving crisis, these portable homes could trigger other designs with similar concepts and promote a more environmentally way of living for the current generation. As Alastair Gordon (2014) claims, “the future officially arrived this week in Miami, and just in time.” This suggests that the replica was developed at a critical moment whereby sustainability is becoming an issue. Furthermore, Buckminster Fuller’s portable home design is a representation of a vision of the future.

During the development of the prototype in 1980, Buckminster Fuller did not have the technol-ogy required to build the final product. However, the rapid advancement of technology today has allowed us to achieve what Buckminster Fuller could not during his days. Therefore, there is a possibility that this concept can be easily mass produced in the near future, which would be more environmentally and financially more sustainable.

The Fly’s Eye Domes now serves as a pedestrian entryway to an underground carpark at De-sign District in Miami. As pedestrians walk through the dome, they do not interpret the dome as a portable home, but they value it as a piece of art which they are able to interact with visually and physicially. Although the purpose of the dome has shifted, the initial concept is key to fu-turing.

“There is no energy crisis, only a crisis of ignorance.” - Richard Buckminster Fuller

Fig 1. Souce: http://www.hauteresidence.com/richard-buckminster-fuller-iconic-flys-eye-dome/

Fig 2. Souce: http://www.hauteresidence.com/richard-buckminster-fuller-iconic-flys-eye-dome/

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Design Futuring: Precedent 2

2002 Serpentine GalleryToyo Ito/Balmond Studio

Fig 4: Interior of pavilionSource: http://www.archdaily.com/344319/serpentine-gallery-pavilion-

2002-toyo-ito-cecil-balmond-arup/

Fig 3: Exterior of pavilionSource: http://www.archdaily.com/344319/serpen-

tine-gallery-pavilion-2002-toyo-ito-cecil-balmond-arup/

Toyo Ito and Cecil Balmond, who is a structural engineer, were chosen to design the Ser-pentine Gallery Pavilion in 2002. The end product of their collaboration is an impressive lightweight structure, which represents Ito’s obsession with lightness and transparency.

It can be seen as a solid white box, but at the same time a transparent white box which allows plenty of natural sunlight in. Many may think the form was determined by random lines inter-secting one another, however, it was Balmond’s algorithm that produced the seemingly chaotic form. It resulted in a balance between light and solid within the space.

Through the use of parametric design, Toyo Ito and Cecil Balmond have developed a white box into a series of intersecting lines with the gaps filled with glass and aluminium panels to block and to allow sunlight to penetrate into the interior space (IAAC 2010). The practicality of the structure is also important to highlight because it can be deconstructed and rebuilt somewhere else once its time at the Gallery ends. Ultimately, the building serves as an exploration of new architectural concepts, as most of Toyo Ito’s works do.

Fig 5Source: http://www.archdaily.com/344319/serpentine-gallery-pavilion-2002-toyo-ito-cecil-balmond-arup/

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A1.1: Design Computation

Before contemporary architecture emerged, the founding fathers of modern architecture such as Mies Van Der Rohe and Le Corbusier gained inspiration from historical ar-chitecture. However, as technology continues to advance through time, architects and

designers are able to use parametric design as a new form of digital design logic (Oxman and Oxman 2014). Yu et al. (n.d) claim that in computational design, there are two types of design spaces while desigining and they are design knowledge space and rule algorithm space. Design knowledge space is the knowledge the architect uses to create a functional building; where as rule algorithm space is the use of parametric design tools. For example, the designer may define rules and create relationships between components to generate a form that is suitable for the site.

As the parameters are adjusted, the relationship of components also shifts, thus achieving a form that the traditional method of sketching may not achieve. It is clear that by simply cre-ating rules and adjusting the parameters, the range and flexibility of outcomes is extremely great, hence improving the productivity and efficiency of the design process.

Parametric design does not only affect the aesthetics of the built form, it also allows sound structural design. The 2002 Serpentine Gallery, for instance, does not have a single column to support the weight of the structure (Deuling 2011). It seems like the roof floats over the interior spaces and this was achieved by the use of parametric design by the engineer.

Another example of fine parametric design is the Yas Hotel located in Abu Dhabi. The hotel is cutting edge in terms of its form and its technology. The shading structure, as shown in Fig 7, sprawls over the Formula 1 racing track and is a result of extensive experimentation using parametric models to dictate the form (Zeiger 2010). Structurally, the structure only needed 10 structural members to support the entire gridshell.

A1.2: Composition/Generation

Fig 6: 2002 Serpentine GallerySource: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/culturepic-

turegalleries/9303164/The-Serpentine-Gallery-Sum-mer-Pavilion-over-the-years.html?frame=2235550

Fig 7: Yas HotelSource: http://www.rdkinternational.com/pages/projects

The introduction of computational design in architecture has also influenced the process in the construction industry. Not only does technology play a role in the represantation phase, but it now plays a key part in the design phase, aiding those involved in the

process from the architects to the builders of a project. During this era, sustainability has become an important aspect of building design, therefore, performance-oriented buildings are now being prioritised in the field. Computation can enchance this idea by, for instance, con-trolling environmental parameters such as sun path, various seasons, region etc, to create a sustainable building. Data is input into a software and the computer analyses the data to opti-mize the performance of the building. This triggers colloboration between everyone involved in the construction process because they are able to input their expertise and the computer will generate an output.

Furthermore, designers are now able to generate various forms enabled by computation and then find a suitable one that suits their needs which can then be morphed also. This process is called digital morphogenesis (Kolarevic 2003). This technology has greatly enhanced the form-making phase of the design process and clearly benefits the architecture industry with its innovation.

Besides that, Kolarevic (2003, p.31) says that “building projects today are not only born out dig-itally, but they are also realized digitally through file-to-factory processes of computer numeri-cally controlled (CNC) fabrication technologies.” This process allows architects to be involved right through to the construction phase and they act as a translator of ideas to information needed to fabricate the components of a design.

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A1.3: Conclusion

A1.4: Learning Outcomes

A1.2: Composition/Generation

The Dragon Skin Pavilion in Hong Kong consists of 163 plywood panels that were bent into the same shape using the same mould. The panels were pieced together without the use of glue or screws but by simply slotting them into

place (Singhal 2012). It was done by using a set of algorithms that ensured the pan-els would fit. This structure explores and stretches the limit of the material used and redefines the architect’s role by actively considering the material’s properties while

Fig 8: Dragon Skin Pavilion, Hong KongSource: http://www10.aeccafe.com/blogs/arch-showcase/2012/03/27/drag-

on-skin-pavilion-in-kowloon-park-hong-kong-by-emmi-keskisarja-pekka-tynkky-

Fig 9: Assembly of the DomeSource:http://blog.archpaper.com/2011/12/buckminster-full-

ers-flys-eye-dome-restoration-goetz-composites/vilinen-lead/

Richard Buckminster Fuller’s Fly’s Eye Dome was restored by creating CNC-milled moulds that shaped fibreglass mats to match the original Dome (Krichels 2011). The CNC-milled moulds were a result of parametric design

by the designers who recreated Buckminster Fuller’s innovation. This suggests that the designers were involved throughout the entire process, from the design phase all the way through to the fabrication stage. Hence, technology today questions and redefine the role of the architect, as compared to traditional architects who were only responsible for the design of the project.

Parametric design may be considered an alternative approach to architectural design. It pro-motes new methods of design thinking and fills the void created by limitations of traditional form-making methods. However, computational design does not only serve for that pur-

pose. It can also be a tool for other disciplines within the construction industry which encourages an integrative workflow between those involved in the design and construction process.

The theme of the design project this semester is biomimicry and I believe that parametric design can greatly benefit the design process as it involves pattern-based form. By creating parameters for generating a biomimetic form, I will be able to expand my creativity in the sense where I “find the form” instead of “making the form”. I find imitating nature is a very effective way to design as it has already been proven in the natural world, either structural or process-based.

Before learning about parametric design in Studio Air, I have always channeled my mind into thinking computers were only used to aid in the representational aspect of architecture. This is because I have never been exposed to such tools before.

However, I now understand that softwares like Grasshopper is a tool used where you set rules in the program and it generates a form based on the parameters you have set. Additionally, it encourages me to take a different approach when designing. Before, I have always made a de-cision on what my form will look like at the beginning of the design process. But with parametric design, I will allow the computer to generate a form that suits my needs based on the algorithms I set. I think it will be a very useful tool for the design project as it will widen the scope of design thinking and produce a creative solution efficiently.

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A1.5: Algorithmic Sketches References

Deuling, Ton. 2011. ‘Serpentine Pavilion’. < http://collectivearchitects.eu/blog/77/serpentine-pavil-ion-case-study>

Gordon, Alastair. 2014. ‘‘Fly’s eyes’ are on Miami in domed sculptures designed by Buckminster Full-er’. < http://www.miamiherald.com/entertainment/visual-arts/art-basel/article4227072.html>

IAAC. 2010. ‘Toyo Ito and Cecil Balmond the Serpentine Gallery Pavilion 2002’. < http://www.iaacblog.com/digitalfabrication/2010/10/21/toyo-ito-and-cecil-balmond-the-serpentine-gallery-pavilion-2002/>

Kolarevic, Branko. 2003. ‘Architecture in the Digital Age: Design and Manufacturing’.

Krichels, Jennifer. 2011. ‘BUCKMINSTER FULLER’S FLY’S EYE DOME RESTORATION: GOETZ COMPOSITES’.<http://blog.archpaper.com/2011/12/buckminster-fullers-flys-eye-dome-restora-tion-goetz-composites/>

Singhat, Sumit. 2012. ‘Dragon Skin Pavilion in Kowloon Park, Hong Kong by Emmi Keskisarja, Pekka Tynkkynen & LEAD’. < http://www10.aeccafe.com/blogs/arch-showcase/2012/03/27/dragon-skin-pa-vilion-in-kowloon-park-hong-kong-by-emmi-keskisarja-pekka-tynkkynen-lead/>

Yu, Rongron., Gero, John. & Gu, Ning. n.d. ‘Impact of using rule algorithms on designers’ behavior in a parametric design environment: Preliminary result from a pilot study. < http://mason.gmu.edu/~jge-ro/publications/Progress/13YuGeroGuCAADFutures.pdf>

Zakout, Adel. 2011. ‘Top 10 Buildings: Parametric Design’. < http://www.huffingtonpost.com/adel-zak-out/top-10-buildings-parametr_b_838268.html>

Zeiger, Mimi. 2010. ‘Yas Hotel’. < http://www.architectmagazine.com/awards/annual-design-review/yas-hotel_o>

I created a base geometry by lofting some curves created on Rhino. I then adjusted the control points of the curves to create a different loft, thus resulting in var-ious forms of sea sponge.