Xiong Yiqing 621784 PartA

ABPL30048Tutor: Bradley Elias

Yiqing Xiong 621784

STUDIO AIR 2015, SEMESTER 1

Table of ContentsIntroduction

PART A. CONCEPTUALISATION

A.0. Design Futuring

A.1. Design Computaion

A.2. Composition/Generation

A.3. Conclusion

A.4. Learning Outcome

A.5. Appendix- Algorithmic Sketch

A.6. Reference List

1 CONCEPTUALISATION

Introduction

Hi!

I AM Yiqing Xiong (Serena)

3rd Year Architecture Major

University of Melbourne

CONCEPTUALISATION 2

I was born in China, studied as a international

student in Australia. I have finished

the foundation course in UNSW, which

concentrated on design. That was the first

time that I encounter with design the object

by my own. From then on, I have found my

interest in architecture probably because

of the influences from my family i.e. nearly

all of my family members has learning or

working background in architecture or

engineering. It has made me curious about

what is architecture and how it works.

Moreover, there is a wish that I can live in

the house designed by myself one day,

which probably everyone is dreaming of.

Studied the other two studios-earth and

water, I am not familiar with digital design.

My limited experience in design software

Introduction

just have Sketchup and a little bit 3ds Max. I

realised that this subject could be challenges,

but I still look forward to handle Rhino and

Grasshopper after learning this subject. I will

absorbing as much as I can during the course.

PART A.A.1. DESIGN FUTURING

The Reichstag Dome is the project which

constructed on top of the old Reichstag build-

ing in Berlin, for its parliament function, which

need to highly relate to its historical, political,

social and environmental background. It was de-

signed by architect Norman Foster, which espe-

cially important because has symbolized the re-

unification of Germany.

As said by the architect, the transformation is

based on four issues ----- the significances as a

democratic forum (political), the understanding

of history (historical), a promise to general acces-

sibility (social) and a strong environmental agenda

(environmental). Back to history, the Reichstag

destroy by war and rebuilt insensitively. But this

time, the striking imprints underneath the previ-

ous construction including graffiti left by Soviet

soldiers , which has inspired the architect to create

a space to become a ‘living museum’ of German

history.1 Comparing to the history, in the middle,

drawing light into the heart of the building will

create an open and visible platform for the Ger-

man democratic process.

Moreover, towards the environmental sustainabil-

ity, the whole design utilizes natural light as the

key architectural feature, and energy efficiency.

Careful attention was towards the sun’s movement

around the building, and how it could be used to

bring light into the space. This glass dome can pro-

vide a 360 degree view of the surrounding Berlin

city space, and the visitors can see working politi-

cians in the chamber while climbing the spiralling

ramps. The debating chamber of German parlia-

ment is down below and a mirrored cone in the

centre of the dome directs sunlight into the build-

ing. In addition, the Dome actual symbolizes that

the people are above the government illustrate the

democracy.

REICHSTAG DOME, NEW GERMAN PARLIAMENTBERLIN, GERMANY, 1992-1999

BY Forster+Partner

3 CONCEPTUALISATION

FIG.2 REICHSTAG DOME (EXTERNAL)

Initially, this accessible glass dome generated a lot of controversy, but now it has been convening as a great

Berlin landmark. It gives the building an open and honest relevance towards past, meanwhile, setting an

open-minded and forward-thinking about its future which emphasis on a united, democratic German.2

This also has provide a successful example on the architecture in nurturing social ,cultural , historical val-

ues about the architectural discourse of past and also looking towards future through new technologies,

CONCEPTUALISATION 4

FIG.3 REICHSTAG DOME (INTERNAL)

5 CONCEPTUALISATION

National Aquatics Centre, better known as

“Water Cube”, is one of the landmark buildings

of Beijing 2008 Olympic Games. This iridescent

bubble wrapped structure is designed and built

by a group of architects including PTW Archi-

tects (an Australian architecture firm), CSCEC

(China State Construction Engineering Corpora-

tion) etc. , located to the west of the other famous

Olympics venue --National Stadium (known as

‘bird‘s nest’).

The Water Cube is formed the structure from the

natural object – soap bubble translating into archi-

tectural form, which took the images from the wa-

ter and related the function as an aquatics centre. It

is also the first building built on “the soap bubble”

theory in the world. 3 Considering to the entire

building environment and cultural background,

this cube shape can be symbolic to Chinese culture

and its relationship to the Bird’s Nest stadium has

created an iconic image of Beijing toward whole

world.

In addition, this amazing design outcome can

be considered as a team effort, which means

that the Chinese partners drew the traditional

idea from Chinese culture, which conceptual-

ized a square Earth and a round Heaven. Thus,

this has formed the central theme of this work,

while the cube represented earth and the circle

which means heaven represents by the stadium.

PTW architect group put forward the idea of

covering the ‘cube’ with bubbles, symbolizing

water. Therefore, it can be seen that this design

combines modern technologies with Chinese

traditional values, which has beautifully inter-

connected the past and present in architecture.

NATIONAL AQUATICS CENTRE (WATER CUBE)BEIJING, CHINA, 2008

BY PTW ARHITECTS, CSCEC ,CCDI AND ARUP

CONCEPTUALISATION 6

“The scheme met international standards for competition, while maximiz-

ing social and economic benefits. In addition to being an aquatic competi-

tion venue for the game, the centre provides public multifunction leisure

and fitness facilities before and after the games.”4 By PTW Architect

FIG.4 NATIONAL AQUATIC CENTRE AT NIGHT

7 CONCEPTUALISATION

Not only is the design concept formed in a

stunning way, the technology is also an innovation,

which comprising a steel frame with the largest

ETFE (Ethylene tetrafluoroethylene) clad struc-

ture in world. This advanced membrane structure

is formed by bubble-like cushions of all sizes, be-

coming the first large-scale public project coated

with the membrane. It has provided the building

better light transmission and good solar and heat

control compared to the traditional glass. It has

FIG.5 SOAP-BUBBLE STRUCTURE, NATIONAL AQUATIC CENTRE (INTERIOR)

expanded the future possibility for the architecture

form and materiality.5

Nowadays, the stadium has opened towards the gen-

eral public users for the leisure activities, and this

impressive architecture not only contributes to the

ongoing architectural discourse, but also will bring

renewed interest from the citizens even after game as

part of the games’ legacy.

CONCEPTUALISATION 8

PART A.A.2. DESIGN COMPUTATION

9 CONCEPTUALISATION

Design Computation

“The dominant mode of utilizing computers in architecture to-day is that of computerization; entities or processes that are already conceptualized in the designer’s mind are entered, ma-nipulated, or stored on a computer system. In contrast, computa-tion or computing, as a computer-based design tool, is generally limited.”7

Computational architecture, which is recent new way of providing designers to create, explore, and examine various forms through the software, is distinctive from utilizing computer as the pro-cess that the concept has already formed in de-signer’s mind named Computerization.

In my opinion, even the most common way of using computer as a tool to model up the design, has allow the complex work visualized in three dimensional which could be faster, accurate and clearly. This way of creating has offered the design-er new way to “communicate with the builders and clients”, but also to test different design solutions e.g. form, function, material, which can be more convenient and faster than the traditional way ---- hand-drawing and modeling.6

FIG.6 BENDING TEST OF PLYWOOD STRIPS

CONCEPTUALISATION 10

This can be seen as the good example to illustrate one of the benefits offering by the computing, which is towards the material and structure. The whole structure is made by thin plywood strips which have elastically-bent properties, and the entire structure oriented on this material. It has been broadly known that no matter which sort of material the form constructed is determined by pressures and constraints in the internal and external build-ing system.8 Nevertheless, this complex rela-tionship have not generally realized by in the digital process in architecture. Otherwise, this research pavilion has discovered this “tricky” interconnection, which has demonstrated the bending behavior and elastic characteristic of plywood strips. The strips are subsequently connected to each other which will develop the structural capacity of the system through the tensioned region of the connected strip. One of the most important points of this pavilion is to analyze the where to join the strips to reach the stable structural system, thus they has set up a

ICD/ITKE RESEARCH PAVILION 2010STUTTGART , GERMANY

BY ICD & ITKE

model based on a FEM simulation. This model can find out the equilibrium of each bending elements about its local stored energy, and also can get better understanding about the chang-ing of bending structural elements under wind, snow load.9 This is a very pioneering way of consideration about the lightweight structure which has strongly influence the formation of whole pavilion.

FIG.7. EXTERNAL VIEW OF ICD/ITKE RESEARCH PAVILION

11 CONCEPTUALISATION

FIG.8 THE FORMATION WAY OF TWO WATER DROPS FIG.9 TEXTING WITH THE PROGRAMING


BMW BUBBLE PAVILION GERMANY,1 999

BY Frankfurt am Main

This pavilion was generated by computer for its whole process from the concept to the end of the construction. In order to suit the concept of clean energy, it start-ing design the form from the basic water drop, which has used a drop stimulation computer program to the generate different form according to the one characteristic of water---movement and surface tension of two water droplets.10 The team has built a water drop simulation computer program named FEM to test the formation and move-

ment between two drops of water, and then created this shape. 11 The form has not only strongly based on the computing which is the curvilinear form, but also the pavilion has used the computational process to test and explore even for the structure and con-struction. Thus, it has been considered as one of the first structures in the world that was entirely created by digital approaches.

FIG.1O. BMW BUBBLE PAVILION


PART A.A.3. COMPOSITION VS. GENERATION


Since emerge of architecture, the widely used formative principles is composition which can create from in an ordered way that each single elements composite to the total form, such as the balance, symmetry, etc. Otherwise, following this rule can also create some beautiful masterpieces which already did. Recently, this way of architecture thinking has been considered to be shifted towards a new approach --- generative design.

This way of thinking is inspired by nature world, which has based on a basic logic in the formation process, same in the design. The generative design has highly connected to the parametric modeling, which has used scripting to set up computer programming which make design becoming a digital process. Scripting is the higher level of computing programming said by Burry which can provide a faster way to form different potential outcome that suit the brief needed with “automating routine aspects and repetitive activities”.12 With

the help of computer programming, the parametric modelling can help to generate various possible outcome which is faster, more precise and efficient than the past. This way of thinking can make the whole design process as the integrated system. However, just because of whole thing has “associative and dependency relationships between objects and whole” in the parametric modeling, one of the challenging is that a slight change in the model will give rise to dramatic influence on the whole system.13 This will restrict design at some time if you want to freely explore the design outcome, which will limit and slow down the whole process. 14

In spite of, the critiques still exist about the use of generative approach in the architecture design process. Personally, the generative thinking has open a new world to design possibilities focus on the internal logic rather than the external form, which the modelling technique will more matured in the end.

Composition vs. Generation

FIG.11. GENERATIVE DIAGRAM OF PAVILION

This pavilion is fabricated from the glass and carbon fiber composites according to the “morphological principles of arthropods’ exoskeleton”. Before fabricated, they have investigated the behavior and cuticle differentiation of arthropods such as the lobster’s exoskeleton to find the biological principles to abstract to transfer in to the reliable design logic.15 Base on the result of this detailed investigation, this has transferred into the fiber orientation and arrangement and even the thickness and stiffness need to match the exoskeleton of lobster.16 All the operations is by the robot, and the entire compound structure is based on a fiber composite system which built from abstracted morphological principle. It has made of the logic for the computational form generation in the end. No matter the form finding, material testing or structural design are all based in the complete digital model. The connection of each geometry and element simulations has transferred into computational models which can generate

various potential outcomes to compare and analyze towards the final. Meanwhile, the testing of the material was proceeded during the process of the form generation to meet the material optimization. This is an effective example about the way of using generative thinking in the design process, which is based on the biological principles translated towards the whole form, materiality, construction and structure.

ICD/ITKE RESEARCH PAVILION 2012STUTTGART , GERMANY

BY ICD & ITKE


FIG.12. ICD/ITKE RESEARCH PAVILION 2012


FIG.13. GENERATIVE COMPONENTS SOFTWARE FOR ANALYSIS

AA COMPONENT MEMBRANELondon , United Kingdom

BY EmTech

This membrane is a canopy for the roof balcony of Architectural Association in London. Considering to the environment condition, the structure of the canopy need to withstand the high wind pressure, light and view. 17 Thus, they have used a parametric modelling and developed with a software named Generative Components based on the underlying logic of materials, changing of natural environment like seasons, weather and even different time in a day. All of these need to be digital simulated and investigated, and the efficiency of the whole structure is assisted by component-based logic system considering the degree of sun path, rain protection and the airflow. 18 All of the digital results has been translated to manufacture and assemble of each components. As result from these, the membrane not only

can protect the roof from the rain not interrupt the view, but also avoid the high wind load towards the structure.19 In this example, the generative design had played a vital role to form a logic relationship between each components and larger system, and it can direct the response among systems, environmental


FIG.14. AA COMPONENT MEMBRANCE


PART A.A.4. CONCLUSION

Architecture has been considered as a disciplinary discourse, which is not just about the form or material. It has to consider in system, such as the relating background, the historical and cultural aspects which will effect on the design outcome. We rarely considered the interrelationship between elements and whole form. But in computational design, it has provided a more systematic way of thinking by using the software to test and explore the new forms and materials, innovative structure and construction, which will open a new world toward the future of architecture.

PART A.A.5. LEARNING OUTCOME

As past few weeks study, it has formed a new way of thinking in the design process. I was narrowed by just composite of the each elements and make the design to suit the conditions of the surrounding environment in the past. But now, I has make to realized that the parts and whole design may have the significant logical relationship which can be generated from a rule which may investigated from the nature environment. Since you have form this logical rule, through the parametric modelling it will provided various potential outcomes, and finally you will find the best.

As for the next stage, the algorithmic, generative and parametric way of thinking need to keep in mind all the time. The architecture is the discourse, which reminds me of clearly respond to the site especially environmental aspect, the AA component canopy is the best example that consider the environmental situation. With the help of these, I can find more creative possibilities for my own project.


A.6. APPENDIX -- ALGORTHMIC SKETCHES

I have chosen the buding Guggenheim to creat the NURBS surface, the outcome of the models are resulting from the changing the nubmer of point on th e surface and the leaves (have the slider connect to the form).



A.6. REFERENCE LIST

1. Foster+Partners, ‘Reichstag, New German Parliament’, from http://www.fosterandpartners.com/projects/reichstag-new-german-parliament/ accessed on 7 March, 2015.

2. Visitberlin, ‘Reichstag’, from http://www.visitberlin.de/en/spot/reichstag accessed on 7 March, 2015.

3. TravelChinaGuide, ‘National Aquatics Center’, from http://www.travelchinaguide.com/attraction/beijing/water-cube.htm accessed on 7 March, 2015.

4. PWT , ‘Watercube-National Swimming Centre’, from http://www.ptw.com.au/ptw_project/watercube-national-swimming-centre/ accessed on 7 March, 2015.

5. Birdair, “ ETFE”, from http://www.birdair.com/tensile-architecture/membrane/etfe accessed on 7 March, 2015.

6. Kalay, Yehuda E. (2004). Architecture’s New Media: Principles, Theories, and Methods of Computer-Aided Design (Cambridge, MA: MIT Press), pp. 9-10.

7. Terzidis, Kostas (2006). Algorithmic Architecture (Boston, MA: Elsevier), p. xi.

8. Normallab, ‘ ICD/ITKE Research Pavilion’ from http://network.normallab.com/portfolio/pavillion-2010 accessed on 12 March, 2015.

9. Futuresplus, ‘ICD/ITKE Research Pavilion 2010’ from http://futuresplus.net/2011/12/14/icditke-research-pavilion-2010-stuttgart-university/ accessed on 12 March, 2015.

10. Franke-architekten, ‘ Bubble’, http://www.franken-architekten.de/index.php?pagetype=projectdetail&lang=en&cat=0&param=overview&param2=21&param3=0& accessed on 12 March, 2015.


11. Kolarevic, Branko, Architecture in the Digital Age: Design and Manufacturing (New York: London: Spon Press, 2003), pp. 21.

12. Mark burry, “Scripting Culture: Architectural Design and Programming’, (West Sussex: United Kingdom, 2011), p.8.

13. Oxman, Rivka and Robert Oxman, eds (2014). Theories of the Digital in Architecture (London; New York: Routledge), pp. 3.

14. Concurrentengineering, ‘ the Pro and Cons of Parametric modeling’, from http://www.concurrent-engineering.co.uk/Blog/bid/97311/The-Pros-and-Cons-of-Parametric-Modeling accessed on 12 March, 2015.

15. EVOLO, ‘Researching New Tectonic Possibilities in Architecture, from http://www.evolo.us/architecture/researching-new-tectonic-possibilities-in- architecture-robotically-fabricated-pavilion-in-stuttgart/ accessed on 15 March, 2015.

16. University of Stuttgart, ‘ICD/ITKE Research Pavilion 2012’, from http://icd.uni-stuttgart.de/?p=8807 accessed on 15 March, 2015.

17. Achimmenges.net, ‘AA Component Membrane’, from http://www.achimmenges.net/?p=4445 accessed on 15 March, 2015.

18. Bentley, ‘AA Component Membrane Canopy for the Architectural Association in London’, from http://ftp2.bentley.com/dist/collateral/docs/generative_components/CS_AA-Component-Membrane.pdf accessed on 15 March, 2015.

19. Membranespaces, ‘AA Membrane Canopy’, from http://www.membranespaces.net/?page_id=806 accessed on 15 March, 2015.


Xiong Yiqing 621784 PartA

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