ADS3J O N AT H A N W I R J O P R AW I R O

THEORY

DESIGN APPROACH

INTERPRETATION

PRECEDENT 1JINSHA FOOTBRIDGE

PRECEDENT 2FEDERATION SQUARE

PRECEDENT 3FITZROY HIGH SCHOOL

PRECEDENT 4SEROUSSI PAVILLION

PERSONAL PROJECT

EXPRESSION OF INTEREST

SCRIPTING

DYNAMISM

OPTIMISATIONFABRICATION/RATIONALISATION

PATTERNS

MATRIX OF PARAMETRIC ASSOCIATIONS

CUT PROJECTCASE STUDY AND REVERSE ENGINEERING

FURTHER EXPLORATIONS AND FABRICATION

GATEWAY PROJECT

DESIGN OUTCOMES

DESIGN IDEAS

FABRICATION AND CONSTRUCTION PROCESSES

THIS JOURNAL CONTAINS REFLECTION...

EFFECTS OF PARAMETRIC ASSOCIATIONS FUTURE IMPLICATIONS

DESIGN BRIEFLEARNING OUTCOMES

FABRICATION ATTEMPTS

... AND DESIGN

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EXERCISE: 1.1, 1.2, 2.1Jonathan W

irjoprawiro

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THE discipline of architecture encompasses philosophy and social studies as well requiring material and technical understandings of the built environment. In this way, the discipline is able to evolve with the changing times rapidly and reflect certain cultures and ways of thinking, rather than just building technologies. This learning process - especially prominent in the information age - is largely driven by architectural discourse. That is to say, projects that spark some sort of discussion usually offer new solutions to pre-existing problems, or challenge old traditions with innovative approaches to design. Thus, architectural discourse should be considered a goal to work towards when working on a project, and with computational technology and parametric modelling at our fingertips, it is arguable that avant-gardism in the field of digital computation is the current zeitgeist.

As part of Architecture Design Studio: Air in 2012, this journal aims to document weekly explorations in contemporary architectural theory, leading up to and including a design project that tries to embrace the spirit of computational technology.

Architecture Design Studio: AirThe University of Melbourne

ID: 390261 - Semester 1, 2012Co-ordinator: Stanislav Roudavski

Tutors: Gwyllim Jahn & Andy Yu

PREFACE

EXERCISE: 1.1, 1.2, 2.1Jonathan W

irjoprawiro

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Architecture as Art

Interpretation

Architecture is often considered a visual art because it is defined by a manipulation of space with the mindset of designing something aesthetically pleasing. Historically, a lot of architecture has been analysed in terms of stylistic patterns and forms while other aspects such as its context, spatial arrangement, or cultural significance can be lost in translation. When people develop their own expectations regarding architecture, they start to view buildings as individual works of art, and are impressed only with superficial aesthetics.

This view of architecture can be problematic because in this day and age we face issues such as sustainability, and the growing scarcity of resources - hence adding more constraints to our designs. This is why most architects have shifted their attentions from sculpting playful facades to calculating tectonic efficiency in structures, and while this is less ‘artistic’ in the traditional sense of the word, the treatment of structure in architecture can still play vital roles in a building’s aesthetic appeal.

However, parallel to the growing constraints are growing opportunities to create new designs with the rise of digital computation. The potential issue that comes with parametric modelling is that it becomes very easy to get carried away with the form of a particular design, which can often lead to very discrete designs that seem to ignore the surrounding physical context. This then directly relates to the Gateway Project. My initial thought on the Gateway Project was that it demanded a design focused mainly on form to spark architectural discourse.

It now seems necessary to take a step back and look at the broader picture in order to design something more meaningful - to design something that can contribute to architectural discussion and discourse.

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Architecture as Sign

Architecture and Urban Experience

I think examining architecture in terms of experience is quite likely the most profound way to go about it. Studying urban experiences can lead to architecture on a broader sense - to study society, and the spatial conditions on the urban scale and how it affects human behaviours. Sometimes, it happens that architecture can have odd psychological effects that makes people feel or behave in a certain way, and they usually have nothing to do with what the architect intends. In some ways, this way of looking at architecture incorporates ‘architecture as art’ and ‘architecture as sign’, and yet adds another layer of complexity to it. Furthermore, in this era, we can expect a design’s influence to reach the far corners of the world - whether this is to provide inspiration for other architects, or act as case studies for education. Rampley’s text on the extents of architectural theory and its dealings outside of ‘strictly architecture’ really shines a light on the metacognitive demands of the discipline, and I tend to agree with most of his words.

To find meaning in architecture can sometimes be difficult, and most architectural works can only be fully interpreted or appreciated by those with the appropriate knowledge or specialty in the field. While associative recognition can be very effective in expressing a particular design intent, it is often inapplicable to the majority of stakeholders that circulate, interact with, or view the design. Such is the case with the Eiffel Tower in Paris (among many other projects) - most people see it as an icon of Paris, a monument, and yet are oblivious to the historical significance in terms of urban planning and engineering. That being said, there is an inherent flaw or bias with the way that architects or art historians view certain works, when compared with how the non-specialised public view them. Yet, a lot of architectural discourse stems from discussions among the non-specialised public.

Unlike artworks, the meaning of a piece of architecture changes through time depending on its physical surroundings, the people, and their culture. Hence, we should perhaps strive to create architecture that is open to interpretation, and arbritrary in meaning, in hopes of appealing to anyone, rather than a limited group of people.

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Design Approach

Problem-solving in Architecture

At the start of the Kalay paper he talks about problem-solving, and a key point it made was that real life problems were ill-structured and I tend to agree. This lack of structure is what makes designers different from one another. It is this ‘framing’ of the problem that is most often the key to the ‘best’ solutions. For example, in a design competition, clients write up a brief and they already have some preconceptions of what they want to see from the entries. So the way an architect interprets that brief determines how well they do in the competition – and I believe success is probably most commonly determined by how closely your interpretation of the brief aligns with what the client was looking for in the first place. However, sometimes I think an architect would come up with a design that is so different and refreshing that it would create a new solution to a problem that did not exist before, and this is a complexity that Kalay describes - the problems have so many variables and uncertainties that there's really not 'right' solution per se, it's just a matter of cost-benefits and tradeoffs.

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Kalay also suggests that “Design is a process we engage in when the current situation is different from some desired situation, and when the actions needed to transform the former into the latter are not immediately obvious” - 'design is used to change something we don't like into something we like'. does this mean that design is only driven by specific set problems to solve? and does this mean we cannot engage in design without set problems? Depending on how you look at this statement, your opinions might differ. However, I think design has merits well beyond solving the typical architectural problems like “how can we provide more natural lighting in this environment?” or “how do we make this structure stand up?”. A key thought that I had was that design can sometimes be used primarily as an explorative method of learning. For example, with parametric technology nowadays, people like Greg Lynn are using design as a tool to study and understand nature. This type of designing is not as much driven by the desire to change something as it is driven by curiosity and philosophical enquiry.

Another example is the idea of emergence. Often there are architects like Roland Snooks from kokkugia, and he engages himself with parametric design. He is more interested in developing the understanding of complex systems and trying to reflect it in his designs, and trying to explain it in tangible forms, rather than trying to directly address architectural constraints and the design brief. In this way, architectural design can be thought of as being quite closely linked to general scientific theory.

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Scripting

Productivity and effciency

Optimisation and adaptability

Exploration and discovery; - reaching beyond analogue processes - capturing material logic and computing performance - being playful - exploiting generative processes - seeking deeper access to the imagination

CULTURES OF SCRIPTING3.

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In the past, a lot of research money has been spent into the development of technical applications such as AutoCAD and other drafting tools. These have helped drastically increase the productivity of architects, and helped in commercialising architectural projects. Again we encounter the need to distinguish between computation and mere computerisation.

Essentially, the argument for scripting goes as follows:

“I believe that all generative processes hold the designer to account. They shouldbe seen as prostheses to the architectural imagination. But we need to lose theold fashioned notion of the architect as some top-down demiurgic ‘designer’

and reconfigure the architect as the controller of processes.” (Neil Leach)

However, there is room for skeptics to believe that although parametric design can be very useful for a design tool in the conceptual stage, it is still difficult to translate into the building industry. Chapter 2 of ‘Scripting Cultures’ notes that “The architectural field’s current use of the parametric has been superficial and skin-deep, maybe importantly so, lacking of a larger framework of referents, narratives, history, and forces” (M. Burry, 2011). This further reinforces the notion that parametric design is still relatively new in architecture, and projects that come to realisation are, for the most part, skin-deep, due to the limitations in building technology.

WHY DO WE SCRIPT? Major advantages of scripting:

1. automation of repetitive aspects design means a greater potential outcome for same investment in time.

2. Less standardisation that is forced by an ambition to lower production costs.

3. Designers can create their own design tools outside of the ones provided by any existing software, which is limited by the makers of those softwares.

While scripting offers new ways of exploring design by means of computation, ‘design’ should always remain at the core.

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“Performance-based”“Performative”

“Performance Driven”“Optimally directed”

Essentially, these terms all mean the same thing; it describes architecture which has been “optimised”, and this can mean a variety of things. In architecture, optimising could mean searching for the minimum amount of material requirement for a certain amount of structural integrity, or it could mean searching for the right aperture sizes in a building to allow for maximum exposure to sunlight. Whatever the reason may be, optimisation is perhaps one of the most valuable assets gained through the use of parametric modelling tools and scripting.

One of the most common drivers for optimisation is the issue of sustainability and material usage. In that sense, structural optimisation often requires the architect to work more closely with engineers and other disciplines in a more integrated manner, and earlier (as well as throughout) in the design process.

That being said, it is impossible to fully optimise something because there are too many variables, and these variables are often conflicting; the negotiations of these variables results in the creation of sub-optimal design and hence we have to call it “optimally directed” rather than optimal per se.

In the history of optimisation, it is important to note that while traditionally designers would design solutions, recent trends are arguing that as designers with computational tools, our value lies in “designing the constraints”; framing the problem and creating the rules to dictate which way our design willl evolve.

Optimisation

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München Olympic StadiumArchitect: Gunther Behnisch

Engineer: Otto FreiMunich, 1972

With optimisation, it can be dangerous for an architect to get carried away because the form - in terms of aesthetic appeal and cultural relevance - may be lost in translation. Again this relates to the conflicting variables as mentioned before.

However, one project that seems to have done all the right things, and is one of the earliest projects to use computational optimisation is Frei Otto and Behnisch Gunther’s Olympic Stadium in Munich. The acrylic glass panels held up by steel cables in tension were innovative at the time and created an amzing atmosphere for the stadium.

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Patterns

Rather than studying overall form, looking at smaller scale patterns can sometimes give us a greater understanding of what the forms emerge from. This is because patterns are primary organising elements of the universe and it makes it possible for complex emerging forms.

In contemporary architecture, it is arguably more flexible - and hence more desirable - to look at ‘patterns’ in ornamentation, rather than forms, because the concept of pattern relates back to geometry and nature in a more fundamental way. This adaptive capacity is especially relevant to attempt to create something timeless in today’s rapidly changing world, where the aesthetic quality of any superficial geometries depend so largely on fleeting trends and phases.

Patterns can be very interesting when seen at different scales and resolution, giving a lot of depth and architectural detail to a project. Furthermore, it can also control light and visual transparency/opacity when layers are involved.

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“From universal testimony of travellers it would appear, that there is scarcely a people, in however early a stage of civilization, with whom the desire for ornament is not a strong instinct.”

- (O. Jones, 1856).

“The evolution of culture is synonymous with the removal of ornament from utilitarian objects”

- (O. Jones, 1856).

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DynamismThere are a few types of dynamism when it comes to architecture; perceived dynamism, kineticism, and interactive kineticism.

Perceived dynamism often involved capturing the characteristics of a verb and applying it to architectural form. The Vitrahaus by Herzog and de Meuron is an example of perceived dynamism. Although it is a still and solid object, each ‘block’ of the building appears as though it is balancing on top of each other. The lengthy cantilevers and simple geometry seem to defy gravity, giving this project it’s ability to excite and contribute to the architectural discourse.

Meanwhile, kineticism deals with buildings that can move mechanically. This could mean anything from automatically rotating windows to a facade that changes its shapes and patterns depending on the wind conditions that affect it. Overall, dynamism has been largely enabled by parametricism and is often desirable to put a more interesting spin on an otherwise lacklustre project.

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Vitrahausby Herzog and De MeuronWeil am Rhein, Germany, 2010

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Rationalisation/FabricationThe most renowned architects of the world are often not those who have the best ideas, but those who are able to materialise those ideas. With the rise of parametric modelling and scripting tools, it has become easier to visualise complex geometries and re-think architecture in a more fundamental way. However, unlike the automotive or aeronautics industries, construction technology - and consequently architecture - has fallen behind. This has been mainly due to the very practical constraints that apply to buildings; often they have to be very large, with very little budget.

Nonetheless, one project that pushes construction technology (in relation to parametric modelling) is the Nordpark Cable Railway by Zaha Hadid Architects. “These stations are the global benchmark for the use of double-curvature glass in construction” back in 2007. They achieved their desired form by having designed each glass panel to be pre-fabricated as a three-dimensional surface. This is one way to create an overall form that looks visibly smooth and sculpted, without using concrete and formwork. With this type of mass-customisation and pre-fabrication, BIM (building information modelling) software have become very popular over the last few years and are a testament to the importance of rationalisation in contemporary architecture.

With Architecture Design Studio: Air, making our digital models feasible for fabrication became one of the most important aspects of design, because we were asked to produce physical models as our final submission, rather than focusing on renders and other digital drawings.

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Nordpark Cable Railwayby Zaha Hadid ArchitectsInnsbruck, Austria, 2007

EOI

The “Expression of Interest” is a document that aims to convince the client that a designer or group of designers are interested and qualified to undertake the

project set out by the client’s brief. In this case, the project is the Wyndham Gateway installation, discussed in more detail later in the journal.

The EOI is a part of the design process, and it starts off by teaching us to choose relevant precedents and critically analyse them and their potential value in

relation to the project (Case for Innovation). In addition, it also argues for our design process as the most suitable design process for the particular task.

The design process in this EOI is demonstrated by our CUT project, both in the

research/case-study stage, and the fabrication stage. The fabrication stage also experiments with real-life material constraints which will directly affect the

feasibility of the proposal.

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The Case for InnovationPersonal Work:

STUDLEY PARK BOATHOUSE | 2011

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As a project for an architecture studio, this boathouse design explores many facets of architecture with special attention to the style of Portugese architect Alvaro Siza as precedent. His style was particularly appropriate for the brief because he often approached the brief by first thoroughly considering the existing physical contexts that the projects were later built upon. Consequently, it became directly applicable in the boathouse project as the site offers a uniquely steep topography and hence features such as the terracing were able to effectively express the style. Following precedents closely like this can be extremely useful in determining the applicable design concepts for the Gateway project, and the brief acknowledges that by looking back at the Seeds of Change project as a successful example.

Meanwhile, the other major driver in this project was the programming around the spaces. Rather than vocabularies of aesthetic style, this focused more on movement and the relationships between each space and how it interacts with the stakeholders (stakeholders for this particular project included rowing enthusiasts, workers at a restaurant, and families that visit for leisure/recreation, among others). This then also contributed to the overall form by dictating major axes, access, and to some extent apertures and views. The Wyndham project brief asks for a certain degree of spatial quality and resolution, and these qualities are apparent in this boathouse design.

In this day and age with rapid developments in design technology, it becomes questionable if a design approach that sticks so closely to precedents from earlier styles can still be relevant. It can be argued that rather than looking at past works, we should be objectively exploring what defines architecture, and trying to re-define its meaning through the relatively new medium of digital computation/design. Despite this, while the boathouse project has not contributed to the field in the form of architectural discourse per se, it attempts to implement the design techniques used by a tried and trusted architect whose design principles has been the subject of discourse over many years.

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Published Works

“JINSHA FOOTBRIDGE” | DENTON CORKER MARSHALL | HANGZHOU, CHINA, 2011

At first glance, one could assume that this design may have been an artwork, rather than a proposal for a built project, but DCM’s entry for the Hangzhou bridge competition was indeed digitally enabled. This design combines a clear design intent with parametric modelling technology to create something aesthetically stunning, culturally relevant, and perhaps most importantly; materially efficient and structurally sound (A. Fearson, 2011). This footbridge programmatically separates three intertwining ribbons - one for pedestrians, one for cyclists, and the third (shown as red) to act as both sculpture and structure. Although it wasn’t built, this project showcases what is possible with digital computation as its form demands complex mathematical calculations in order to become structurally feasible. This, in my opinion, advances the discipline of architecture in the right direction, as it greater demonstrates the computation, rather than just the computerisation of an architectural design, and it is directly relevant to the Gateway project as it serves as an eye-catching visual icon, and it creates a dialogue between its sculptural form and the landscape.

The Case for Innovation

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“FEDERATION SQUARE” | LAB ARCHITECTURE STUDIO / BATES SMART | MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA, 2002

There is always a risk attached when architects decide to design buildings like this - one that is so novel in its aesthetic form and ornament - and that risk is for the building to become detached from it’s place and programme. However, this design incorporates the pre-existing experiential feel of Melbourne’s urban landscape with its familiar scale, proportion, and setback from the main roads.

The theme of non-classical geometry is repeated throughout the building. Its form can be interpreted as an amalgamation of different cultures, and yet dissimilar to any other culturally vernacular styles - hence positioning the building as a reflection of multicultural Australia (J. Macarthur, et al., 2003). This innovative aesthetic became an instant icon with its refreshing outlook of the society, and soon became a topic of conversation for Melbourne.

Again, many of the features in Federation Square - namely its fractal facade - is only made possible with parametric modelling, because it is made from a complex modular system of triangles that allows for no right-angles. In one informal public forum, I read a comment saying “What a disgusting eyesore! What makes it worse is where it’s placed - opposite such beautiful historic buildings like Flinders St Station, a Cathedral, near the Town Hall, hell even the modern skyscrapers that abound in the CBD are at least designed with a regularity, a balance, a sleek beauty in itself - but Federation Square has no right angles, no unifromity of design, no beautiful colouration - it’s like a big puzzle box that somebody has broken into pieces, then leaned on so it’s all askew” - but, as suggested by Richard Williams (2005), the meaning of a piece of architecture changes through time depending on its physical surroundings, the people, and their culture. Hence, we should perhaps strive to create architecture that is open to interpretation, and arbritrary in meaning. I think general opinions of this design will fluctuate dramatically over time, and it makes for a wonderful precedent as an innovative and at the same time abstract piece of architecture for the Wyndham Gateway proposal

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“FITZROY HIGH SCHOOL” | MCBRIDE CHARLES RYAN | MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA, 2009

This project was an expansion of the existing building in Fitzroy High School, it is distinctive and explicit in its use of parametric design tools, and showcases an elegant simplicity in concept. However, the building’s plan uses complex and innovative geometries that would have been difficult to execute without computation.

An article in the Australian Design Review noted that “the built extension is a remarkable contribution to both this local high school and the current debate around contemporary education space. The tall exterior wall of MCR’s addition moves in and out, defining multiple shallow ‘caves’” (S. Harrison, 2010). These interior niches can be used for smaller learning groups and the form is therefore utilised for both exterior aesthetics and interior programming.

The brief for this project also asked for flexibility for the unknown and changing future of education, and this flexibility represents a cultural shift of students being at the centre of learning, rather than teachers (C. Newton, 2007). The Gateway project faces similar challenges in this manner - it demands an anticipation of the changing context of the future.

The Case for Innovation

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Above is one of the floor plans of the building, demonstrating its unusual and almost sinusoidal curves enabled by parametric modelling. This geometry can be interpreted as a hand-print, or a branching off into various educational fields - pertaining to its relevance as an educational institute - and this is again shown in a harmonious dialogue between form and function. The role of computing is significant in this contemporary architecture because it allows for not only the design process, but also the construction of the building with brick - small modular units that require a high degree of accuracy to create these curvatures.

Although the Wyndham Gateway project will not be focused as much on programming, it will rely on a strong presence, driven hugely by an intriguing geometry, whether simple or complex - and MCR’s extension of Fitzroy High School is a great case study for such geometry.

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The Case for Innovation“SEROUSSI PAVILLION” | BIOTHING | PARIS, FRANCE, 2007

Scripting and programming in architectural design projects has developed and formed its own culture, and the Seroussi Pavillion designed by Alisa Andrasek is an excellent example of one such project. As with many other architecture groups, BIOTHING is exploring what is possible with computational design, as opposed to the traditional technique-based design approach. They use scripts to manipulate geometry according to the material and structural constraints associated with the fabrication of their designs. Furthermore, they acknowledge the growing culture of scripting and engage in it in an open source manner (BIOTHING, 2012).

The design approach has a major focus on views, and permeability of light - whether this means an adjustment of angles/orientation or sizes of apertures. Without parametric modelling, these variables would be virtually impossible to account for in such great detail and efficiency. In this case, scripting allowed Andrasek and her team to adapt the design to the site - because the“pavilion is implanted into a steep hill - EMF trajectories needed to “find the ground”” (BIOTHING, 2007). In the same way, scripting may be incredibly useful as a design tool for the Werribee Gateway Project, because Site A provides us with a 4-metre high hill, which we may decide to adapt to, and Site B offers a service station backdrop; making the lighting/sillhouette of the design significant in day time and at night.

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“The complex geometry of this pavilion is based on the attraction and repulsion patterns of electro-magnetic fields (EMF). The plan of the pavilion differs greatly from a classical notion of architectural plan drawing - it is a dynamic blueprint closer to musical notation. deep ecology of imbedded algorithmic and parametric relationships are the seed for possible materialization procedures and adaptation to the site conditions.”

- BIOTHING, 2007

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CUT

As part of the Expression of Interest document, this section will explore a few key Grasshopper components and definitions, documenting a process of learning

grasshopper as a parametric design tool.

There is also one chosen case study with desirable architectural effects that may serve as a springboard of ideas for the Wyndham Gateway Project. The case study

was chosen because it demonstrates dynamism in relation to geometry; that is to say continuous change, activity, movement, or speed.

When considering dynamic geometry, it is also important to note whether it is achieved in the form of actual kinetic movement, or simply perceptual/illusory

movement.

This exploration was done in collaboration with Guang Xu and Qian Chen

I found that the image sampler as an associative technique was fairly redundant when it came to applying an image on a complex geometry. It seems that to get its full effect, we must use really simple images as patterns, or apply it to simple geometry such as flat planes. However, even and regular patterns can turn out very interesting.

What better way to explore dynamism than to try to create an explosive form?

For this one, I tried using arbitrary points and joining them using bezier curves with different tangential values.

EXPLORING CURVILINEAR/DYNAMIC FORM

Arbitrary points as a means to create something dynamic was almost overlooked. However, even something as simple as connecting lines between them in an interesting way (manipulating the shortest-list/longest-list applications of the components) can make the form quite dynamic.

Image driven geometry is generally quite difficult to apply appropriately, as it often makes a design quite literal in meaning. However, it can be a useful way to quickly create simple patterns that can be updated in real-time as it maintains a parametric workflow in Grasshopper.

Data driven rotations can create some very interesting dynamic effects. One effect that was particularly interesting is the 3D layering/peeling effect that was achieved on a two dimensional plane. Using the right inputs, these rotations can also control how dense these circles seem, creating unique patterns.

Using sets it is possible to create different discrete values to affect any alterations such as rotations, sizes of geometry, or extrusions. In the end I did not manage to make anything very interesting with this associative technique that related to dynamism.

Surface grid and colour determined by math function:

Colour was baked successfully by taking a script component that someone else made. The component takes geometry as well as colour as an additional property. A math function in conjunction with shaders can be useful as an alternative when wanting to create patterns without an image sampler or attractor points.

Surface grid and overlapping patterns:

Combining all the different categories explored, I created a definition that mixes colours and gradients, gives radically different aesthetics at different distances, and also overlaps a simple colour pattern.

EXPLORING COLOUR AND PATTERNSOverlapping single-colour patterns on a surface grid can give a sense of depth and articulation to geometry, regardless of whether or not it actually has depth. When combined with the image sampler components, it creates something intriguing that begs closer inspection and an interpretation of its symbolic representation, if there are any.

Colour gradients can often create bold and attractive aesthetics, and, depending on the geometry it is applied to, it can further accentuate a dynamic geometry or a curvilinear form by adding an extra layer of pattern. This can be extremely useful in our quest to find a suitable design for the Wyndham Gateway Project.

Overlapping gradients can be created by combining the shaders definitions with multiple inputs. We can use mathematic functions or use attractor points to determine the properties of the gradient, and manipulating these parameters can lead us closer to utilising colour to assist in geometric dynamism. When viewed at fast speeds, these overlapping patterns become a blur of colour and excitement!

The importance of looking at patterns at different resolutions directly relates to the Gateway project in the sense that the visual and experiential qualities of the installation should change as the viewer moves closer or further away from it. This particular definition looks like smooth dark blue texture from afar, but shows clear geometric patterns of two distinct colours up close.

OUTCOMES

The Matrix of Associations allowed me to tinker with the parameters (inputs, associative techniques, and outputs) of a few given definitions while aiming for a particular effect. While other students explored the idea of ‘nature’ or ‘materiality’ or ‘public art’, our group explored ‘dynamic geometry’.

With this in mind, I divided dynamic geometry into three categories; ‘curvilinear and dynamic forms’, ‘colour and colour patterns’, and ‘illusions and perception’. I believe these categories simplified the definition of what dynamic geometries meant, and gave me a good direction to pursue my goals.

This exercise was also useful in starting to learn Rhinoceros and Grasshopper as parametric modelling tools. It also forced me to critically analyse a small selection of techniques that other architects have used in the past and why they have or have not worked in achieving the desired effect.

This geometry was created after having done the case study on Amanda Levete’s project (later in this journal). It was purely coincidental that I came across this geometry after further playing around with the parameters. However, I found that it was an interesting shape that embodies the characteristics of dynamic geometry.

EXPLORING ILLUSION AND PERCEPTION

Arbitrary? I combined data driven rotation and data driven circle sizes for circles along multiple curves. When the curves are taken away, what I saw seemed completely arbitrary rather than driven. I think this may be useful in “hinting” at a particular pattern in what seems to be arbitrary geometry. A design using this technique may prompt an interpretation and engagement from its viewer.

Paths; with the Gateway Project coming up, many students have been experimenting with the notion of transparency and opacity, or solids and voids. This concept seems to be the most intuitive solution for an interesting design that enhances the experience of drivers along a freeway as it offers radically different visual effects from different angles

Planar illusions has been explored earlier in this matrix of associations. It can quite easily imply movement or energy, such as this geometry, affected by data driven rotation. Although it is all on one plane, the waves look like they are extruded in the perpendicular direction.

Sets - aside from being effective in conjunction with curvilinear forms - can also impact the way geometries are viewed in perspective. I found it difficult to utilise this function in this regard to create something desirable.

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CASE STUDY“HILL’S PLACE” | AMANDA LEVETTE ARCHITECTS | LONDON, ENGLAND, 2007-2009

‘Form follows function’ is indeed apparent in this project. As an office facade on a narrow and underdeveloped street in London, the ‘gills’ provide much needed light directly into the workspaces.

Amanda Levete Architects used aluminium for the surface, with “high quality ship hull technology to create an ingenious sculptural facade...” (R. Etherington, 2009)

In the same way, the Wyndham Gateway project is trying to redevelop an under-regarded area, which makes this an excellent case study. When researching/analysing this building, it becomes clear that the intrigue comes not only from the base sculptural geometry of the facade, but also the cladding element.

This is achieved “using curved 140mm wide aluminium profiles that are connected together on-site, using a tongue-and-groove system ensuring water-tightness and construction efficiency. The metallic silver finish is a high performance durable paint...” (N. Saieh, 2009)

The effect, then, is a highly reflective, aesthetically ‘volatile’, and dynamic facade - showing rapid changes thoughout the day and depending on other light conditions. This successful concept is what we are hoping to recreate through our CUT experiments, and if suitable to perhaps integrate into our final design proposal.

REVERSE-ENGINEERING

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REVERSE-ENGINEERING

In the first attempt to reverse-engineer a component of this building, I tried to loft two curves together; one which was a flat line, and the other which was a curve determined by a graph. This second curve was also rotated by 60 degrees and translated along a vector by some amount. I then proceeded to section this lofted surface as seen directly below, to create the effect of the lines/streaks across the facade of the building.

However, after a consultation with a tutor, I found that this method would not be suitable for this project. If we were to reproduce the intended architectural effect faithfully, the components to be laser-cut as the frame needed to run perpendicularly to what I have below - creating a ruled surface. The physical model would then need to have two elements to it; the frame, and the cladding.

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Second attempt at reverse-engineering:

As per advice, the ruled surface now goes perpendicular to the one before, effectively preparing it for a second layer - the cladding - to be attached on top of it.

The desired physical dimensions were then measured digitally, and the model was modified accordingly.

A waffle-grid definition in grasshopper was then used to create the back of the frame, and the curved “capping” element at the front was also created to give the model stability and to make it easier for fabrication. To sit flush with the curved element, the edges of the ruled pieces also needed to follow the angle of rotation instead of being directly vertical.

As a part of the waffle-grid definition, the notch detail needed to be created. While the plywood was 2.7mm in thickness, I left 2.8mm in each slot to give an appropriate amount of tolerance as the intention is for physical fabrication.

Photos of the physical notch joint can be seen later in this journal.

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There were two types of materials for our cladding; - 1.0mm thick polypropylene sheet - ~0.3mm thick metalised PVC film

As far as laser-cutting is concerned, we only focused on the polypropylene, because the metalised plastic was not a standard material for the fab-lab.

Regarding the shape of the strips, there were two alternatives that we explored; one way to create them was to extract the isocurves of the lofted surface after it had been unrolled (left image), and the other was to simply divide them using perpendicular planes (on the right).

We opted to use the straight lines rather than curved slices because it was more faithful to the case-study, and we believed that it would more effectively recreate the intended architectural effect.

Although a minor hurdle, we found that it became more difficult to fabricate because some slices did not run all the way through the model, and some strips had sharp angles which had to be accurately attached (unlike in the case of the isocurves).

Finally, we nested the shapes into one plane as per the Fab-Lab’s guides and specifications.

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FABRICATION

1.0MM POLYPROPYLENE SHEET 2.7MM PLYWOOD ~0.3MM METALISED PVC FILM

MEASURING/ALIGNING TO MAKE SURE THE FABRICATION WAS ON TRACK

ATTACHING THE INDIVIDUAL MEMBERS USING GENERAL ADHESIVES

SETTING UP THE FRAME

INDIVIDUAL COMPONENTS NUMBERED NOTCH JOINT DETAILS JOINT DETAIL FROM THE OTHER SIDE

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THE FRAME

The most significant aspect of this exercise is to materialise the frame that was created using Rhinoceros 4.0 and the Grasshopper plug-in, and the cladding will be largely dependent on this base geometry. The biggest issue we had with making the model was that the two long pieces at the front (curve) and back (waffle slots) were bending at times, thus creating non-perpendicular guides for the ruled pieces. A long ruler was used to try to re-align them constantly to solve this issue.

Overall, the making of the frame was successful, though in retrospect, the curvature of this frame could have been more dramatic to be more faithful to the case-study. However, that was a decision made in the digital stage, rather than a mistake in the model-making process.

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1.0MM POLYPROPYLENE

The cladding is a very important aspect of the Hill’s Place case study, and as such we wanted to trial more than one material for it - the first being polypropylene, because of its flexibility and aesthetic quality. However, we soon found out that it was very difficult to attach to the plywood with glue. We decided to instead use double-sided tape lined across each structural member. While the finished product was what we expected, it was not a faithful representation of the case study, so we moved on...

p. 45

METALISED PLASTIC

After a long and arduous search for an appropriate material, I stumbled upon metalised PVC film commonly used to make sequins, which we deemed suitable to emulate the intended architectural effect of Amanda Levete’s project. It was easier to work with (to cut and attach) than sheet metal, and more durable than aluminium foil or metallic paper. I believe our final product - although a different colour - behaves the same way under light, creating a unique shadow effect for different angles and for each strip.

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As further exploration, we created our own design following the criteria of what we wanted to achieve. Our discussions on what is meant by expressive dynamism, combined with the case study on Amanda Levete’s 10 Hill’s Place led us to believe that we can achieve a dynamic design through the use of reflective, three-dimensional curved surfaces.

To take this further, we wanted to create a predominantly curvilinear form to accommodate and enhance the architectural effect of a semi-refractive surface, which we hope would utilise the movement of the fast-moving cars on the roads.

This experiment would then give us feedback on certain elements that can potentially be used for our final design proposal, if any, and then inform our decisions accordingly.

FURTHER EXPLORATIONS CONCEPT

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At first I likened the archictural effect of 10 Hill’s Place to the reflections of objects we would see on the rippled surfaces of water. I believe Amanda Levete Architects achieved this by using the long, thin aluminium profiles as cladding, which gives each strip its own unique reflection based on its position along the curved surface.

Along with this architectural effect, we also wanted to keep adding more to our experimental design. I thought that instead of doing 3-dimensional curved surfaces, I would try achieving the same effect with a ribbed structure instead - for a change, to see if reflectivity works in conjunction with the repetitive nature of a ribbed form.

CONCEPT

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FABRICATION

p. 49

We etched the base surface to align the profiles, and simply glued them together. In hindsight, this was not an exercise of fabrication so much as it is of form-finding and achieving different architectural effects. We used 3mm black and blue perspex to create our desired reflectivity, and the curves were designed to give it a dynamic feel (potentially as a tunnel).

As one would expect from a ribbed structure, it created fairly interesting shadows., and also played with transparency and opacity of the overall form as one moves towards or away from it. What we found most interesting here was not the repetition of shadows and voids, but rather the layering of them that was created with the two arches.

We also saw a little bit of the refractivity that we were aiming to achieve. However, this was quite underwhelming and I felt it lacked the dynamism we were hoping for.

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The design of the form for the further exploration was met with predominantly negative criticism - I believe due to its superficialily and lack of complexity. It also did not sufficiently communicate our initial concept. While the perspex was a really nice material to experiment with, the omission of 3-dimensional curved surfaces removed the dynamism we were hoping to achieve.

However, this experiment was not without its benefits and future implications. It informed us of what is possible with the kind of structure that we created, and which elements of it created a desirable effect. For the Gateway project, we would most likely go back to the concept of the ruled surface as done by Amanda Levete Architects, rather than this ribbed structure...

GATEWAY

“Wyndham City is seeking responses from design professionals for the design and documentation of an exciting, eye catching installation at

Wyndham’s Western Gateway...

Develop a proposal that inspires and enriches the municipality.”

This section documents our design process and model fabrication techniques for the project. This project was done in collaboration with

Guang Xu and Qian Chen.

p. 56

Key Points:

*The installation will enhance the physical environment through the introduction of a visual arts component. It will have longevity in its appeal, encouraging ongoing interest in the Western Interchange by encouraging further reflection about the installation beyond a first glance.

* The Western Gateway installation should provide an entry statement and arrival experience, and become a new identifier for the municipality. The installation should create a focal point of iconic scale and presence and encourage a sense of pride within the local community. The Western Gateway should propose new, inspiring and brave ideas, to generate a new discourse.

Primary Considerations:

- Prominent location of the site at the entry to metropolitan Melbourne;- Back dropped by a large scale service centre;- Consideration of how the installation integrates with and/or sits in the immediate and surrounding landscape;- Iconic feature;- Appropriately scaled;- Dialogue between sculpture and landscape to compose the Gateway;- Original and engaging in form;- Object‐centred individual sculpture or a more experiential approach;- Literal or abstract;- Adherence to the regulations imposed by VicRoads in relation to siting, view lines, setbacks, materials, colours etc;- Daytime and night time viewing; and- Safety, ease of maintenance, materials and longevity.

BRIEF

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Notes on the sites:

1. Site A has a hill around 4-metres in height.

2. Site B has a service station behind it - the lights coming from the service station at night can potentially influence the sillhouette aesthetics of the design.

3. Site C seems to be inherently worse because of the amount of exposure it will get just by being a smaller area, but it shouldn’t be completely disregarded.

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BRIEF CONCEPT

Expression of Interest Stage

The EOI should focus on the capability of the Respondent to design and deliver a project of this type as characterised as the following criteria:

- The approach, design philosophy, and design drivers.- The skills and ability to produce a durable and high quality public installation,- The capability of completing a project of this size, scale, type, and budget.

Presentations are to include:

- Installation concept statement/theory and explanatory text, including title/working title;- Design concept illustrations, and- Preliminary fabrication, installation and maintenance methodology, including materials, installation process, potential maintenance issues and fabrication options.

Evalutation Criteria:

- Creativity and innovation in interpreting and responding to the aspirations of Wyndham to create an outstanding statement appropriate to the site within the strategy detailed in the Design Brief and Conceptual Framework. A high degree of spatial quality and resolution, appropriate and culturally relevant architectural language and legibility.

- Efficiency in design and structure to permit practical and economical construction. Advantages of the proposal on the basis of quality, value for money, and technical merit.

- The methodology for providing timely, complete, and correct services for the project including coordination of the consultant team suitable for the complex nature of this brief.

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CONCEPT

“In art since the early twentieth century, shock is often the agent of the critical, and the artist its author. Shock may help to promote new architectural ideas and spaces. But it wears off quickly and is comparatively ineffective as most buildings are experienced not once but many times when they are not the focus of attention. As the users’ experience depends on complex juxtapositions of many moments and conditions, whether a building is critical may depend not on instantaneous shock but enduring ambiguity, the ability to appear ever-changing, resist resolution and remain open to interpretation. However, although certain objects may have more potential for ambiguity than others, ambiguity is ultimately not the property of an object. It is the property of a perception of an object. The architect, user, site and weather may each be the agent of an object’s ambiguity, but the user is its author.” - J. Hill, 2006

The design was ultimately driven by a few key ideas:

One of them is the idea that contemporary architecture theory seems to suggest that the architect become the agents of ambiguity.

By designing a form that represents nothing in particular, it has the potential of representing everything.

The other is the idea of the ruled surface as a means of creating a three-dimensional surface, which is a great starting point for designing parametrically. This also made it easier to adapt to the site, utilising key views and enhancing the experience of the stakeholders.

DESIGN IDEAS

1:2000

PRINCES

WESTS

ROADSERVICE ROAD

PRINCES WEST

EAST

BOUND

BOUND

FREEWAY

FREEWAY

In terms of the form, there were a few things this design aimed to achieve. The most important one was to contrast the site’s predominantly flat and open landscape, as we felt that this would be the most effective way to create something eye-catching and iconic. The parti diagram on the left shows our initial idea that would eventually develop into a form. A light and elegant curvilinear form, broken/intersected by the harsh ground plane. This intersection would then serve as a discontinuity of the overall form, creating something unexpected.

Site A was chosen for its size and the amount of visual exposure that the design would get from the key views and vantage points in its surroundings. There is an overhead bridge east of the installation that we believe could play a vital role in the way that the installation is viewed; the installation would reveal itself slowly as west-bound traffic travels underneath te bridge.

Aside from that, the view from Service Road that extends northward is also important, as it allows for the overall form of the installation to be viewed, as well as the opportunity to make it something completely different up close.

Furthermore, we wanted to engage with the physical surrounding more closely, so we designed a dynamic pattern that would be painted on the ground as an extension of the structure itself. It was very easy to design something very discrete and monumental with the brief that was given, but we aimed to truly make the design unique to Wyndham by having this landscape element.

The design started with two lines on a flat plane. The lines turned into curves when they were stretched and compressed it in relation to the site boundary.

The curves were then manipulated in the vertical direction, and this manipulation was largely determined by visual opportunites such as the dialogue between the east and west-bound freeways that we wanted to keep clear, and also the iconic impact of the ‘tail’ on the east side that we wanted to achieve. The curves were then lofted to make a surface.

As part of the rationalisation process, we had to apply a skeletal frame on the surface to make it feasible for fabrication via means of laser cutting. The frames were made as a perpendicular grid in plan view.

The cladding was added last, and rather than doing smooth reflective surfaces, an alternative scale-patterned treatment was chosen as per tutors’ advice to add another layer of complexity. The direction of the layering also has a tremendous impact in the way that the installation looks; from one side it looks like one solid colour, while on the other side one can clearly see the joints between them (photos later in the journal).

SOUT

H

NORT

H

WEST

EAST

PLAN

CONSTRUCTION PROCESS DIAGRAMS(SPECULATIVE)

1. Site is closed off and the ground is leveled to some extent to prepare fot construction. For this construction it may be best to use deep pile footings to support the large structure.

2. The pre-fabricated steel components are transported onto site and assembled using the joint systems discussed later in the journal, starting from two sides of the installation simultaneously.

3. Continue with construction until the skeletal frame is built. This method would require a high degree of accuracy to ensure that the highest part of the structure meets up accordingly.

4. The cladding is then added using the joint system discussed later as well.

JOINT DETAIL DIAGRAMS(SPECULATIVE)

As some additional preliminary speculations of how the structure might be constructed in real life, these detail diagrams may be a suitable way to resolve the joints on the installation.

The first diagram (1) shows a steel four-way connector. This type of connection may be a useful universal solution for each joint connection of the ruled surface, which would then make it fairly simple to construct as the connector can be easily fabricated off-site.

For the cladding element, it could be a good idea to use steel brackets as shown in the reflected plan diagram (2) and the section detail diagram (3). These brackets should sufficiently hold the cladding in place, counteract any uplift, and achieve the layering effect that we intended.

1.

2.

3.

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FABRICATIONOur first attempt at fabricating our design was met with a few flaws.

The structure was not as stable and rigid as we would have hoped. In this first attempt, we divided the surface into plenty of pieces in one direction, and not enough in the perpendicular direction. There was also a huge miscalculation with the scale of the ‘beams’, so we needed to rescale and redesign the digital model.

However, we found that the areas that we intersected with the ground (and is therefore flat, as shown in the image above) worked very nicely in keeping the model upright and allowed it to hold it’s own weight.

p. 72

RE-FABRICATION

p. 73

On our second attempt, we modified the design a little bit to suit the appropriate scales and restructured the frame to have a tighter grid, thus making it more structurally stable and to compensate for the loss in thickness. At this point we were still using same notch system we applied for the first attempt, because it worked fine.

As with before, the frame did not take too long to put together. A considerable amount of time was spent on painting the frame to achieve our desired white finish. In the model’s scale, painting the frame also meant that it added thickness to the plywood, but this problem was anticipated and accounted for in the design of the notches in the digital stage.

The landscape pattern element was also simply painted on the contour model using a printed stencil. The contour model was then drilled onto thicker chipboard to counteract the bending it would experience due to its very thin base.

For the cladding element, we opted for 1mm polypropylene. In hindsight, this was a terrible idea. As it turned out, polypropylene and plywood does not glue very well, (and unfortunately at the model scale we could not use steel brackets to join the cladding to the frame!) so we had to use double-sided tape once again, making the model very fragile.

RE-FABRICATION

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Creeping shadows

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The underside

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To the city...

p. 79

Dialogue between east and west-bound freeway

p. 80

Simulating evening light

p. 81

Night-time lighting, showcasing the translucency of the cladding material

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LEARNING OUTCOMES1. Theory Architecture Design Studio: Air has been very engaging in its critical thinking in relation to contemporary architecture theory and practice. The idea of architectural discourse has been useful in trying to understand the concept behind choosing the right precedents and applying not only the architectural effects, but also the processes behind creating the design. Generally this was very fascinating and I feel it is something that many of the previous design studios failed to engage us in. Unfortunately, I feel that too much time (proportionally) had been dedicated to the readings and research, which left very little time to improve on our technical skills that were just as important.

The EOI section was very enlightening as well, and I think I grasped the concept of it quite intuitively. It gave our design process a lot of direction/guidance, which I also felt was lacking in other design studios. This self-awareness of the design process and always having a directed aim is something I hope to carry with me in future studies/practice.

2. Parametric Design Tools

Prior to this studio, I had almost no experience with Rhinoceros, and very little with Grasshopper. I found this to be the most difficult hurdle in the subject. However, I appreciated the exposure and introductory pace of learning. The matrix of associations was very time-consuming and forced me to use grasshopper as a breadth-first design tool, which exposed me to a lot of what is possible with it, but I feel that it may have been more useful to go in a depth-first approach by creating more complex designs and constantly tweaking and improving it.

At the end of the semester, I still feel quite uncomfortable with it, and I don’t yet feel equipped to design a whole building using this parametric tool, but will endeavour to improve in the future as I feel it will be useful and less restrictive than other digital design tools I have worked with before.

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3. Fabrication

I really appreciated that the subject emphasised fabrication over digital rendering and expressive drawings. Although this meant that I had to learn a completely new skillset (laser-cutting and photography as opposed to renders and expressive drawings), I believe the rationalisation aspect of design works very well in conjunction with parametricism, to ground the wild explorations that can happen inside Grasshopper. I was very hindered by a lack of experience and knowledge, and was quite disappointed that I did not manage to create a design that incorporated colour gradients as explored in the matrix of associations. Overall, I felt like I learnt a lot about digital fabrication in a very short time.

4. Photography

Once again, I had no prior experience in this regard. What was expected of us was ‘exhibition-quality’ photographs of our model. Although I feel we did not achieve it, we spent a considerable amount of time practicing our skills and striving for that standard of work, and to capture the atmospheric/experiential characteristics of our design, and I improved significantly. I believe this skill-set will be extremely useful in future works or even recreationally.

We also did not manage to create stop-motion animations due to the time constraints, and we felt it was not very necessary for our design outcome. However, it was interesting to be exposed to it as a means of communicating a design and changes over time.

5. Group Dynamics

It was interesting working in a group of three, and especially with international students. The language barrier became problematic for many aspects of design communication, and especially when preparing an oral presentation or discussing the readings and theory. Nonetheless, I find group work generally quite exciting, and the work tended to divide itself depending on our strengths and weaknesses.

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RELEVANT SOURCESBOOKS

- Richard Williams, ‘Architecture and Visual Culture’, in Exploring Visual Culture : Definitions, Concepts, Contexts, ed. by Matthew Rampley (Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press, 2005), pp. 102 - 16. - Patrik Schumacher, ‘Introduction : Architecture as Autopoietic System’, in The Autopoiesis of Architecture (Chichester: J. Wiley, 2011), pp. 1 - 28.

- Yehuda E. Kalay, Architecture’s New Media : Principles, Theories, and Methods of Computer-Aided Design (Cambridge, Mass.: MIT Press, 2004), pp. 5 - 25.

- Kolarevic, Branko, Architecture in the Digital Age: Design and Manufacturing (New York; London: Spon Press, 2003), pp. 3 - 62.

- Mark Burry, ‘Scripting Cultures’, in Scripting Cultures : Architectural Design and Programming (J. Wiley, 2011), pp. 8 - 71.

- Hill, Jonathan (2006). ‘Drawing Forth Immaterial Architecture’, Architectural Research Quarterly, 10, 1, pp. 51-55

ARTICLES

- Rajaa Issa, Essential Mathematics for Computational Design (Robert McNeel Associates, 2010)

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WEBSITES

- J. Macarthur, et al. (2003), ‘Federation Square’, Architecture Australia, http://www.architecturemedia.com/aa/aaissue.php?issueid=200303&article=7&typeon=2 - Information on Federation Square, http://www.fedsquare.com/, accessed 6th March 2012 - A.Fearson (2011), ‘China Bridge by Denton Corker Marshall’, Dezeen Magazine, http://www.dezeen.com/2011/09/09/china-bridge-by-denton-corker-marshall/

- C. Newton (2007), Design Excursion to Fitzroy High School, Architecture Australia, http://www.architecturemedia.com/aa/aaissue.php?article=15&issueid=200709&typeon=3

- S. Harrison (2010), ‘Fitzroy High School’, Australian Design Review, http://www.australiandesignreview.com/architecture/1440-fitzroy-high-school, accessed 18 March 2012.

- Information on BIOTHING, Scriptedbypurpose, http://scriptedbypurpose.wordpress.com/participants/biothing/, accessed 18 March 2012

- Information on the Seroussi Pavillion (2010), BIOTHING, http://www.biothing.org/?p=24, accessed 18 March 2012

- R. Etherington (2009), ‘10 Hills Place by Amanda Levete Architects’, Dezeen Magazine, http://www.dezeen.com/2009/09/10/10-hills-place-by-amanda-levete-architects/

- N. Saieh (2009), ‘ 10 Hills Place / Amanda Levete Architects’, ArchDaily,http://www.archdaily.com/34887/10-hills-place-amanda-levete-architects/

- D. Basulto (2011) . “VitraHaus / Herzog & de Meuron”. ArchDaily. Accessed 02 Jun 2012.http://www.archdaily.com/50533