DESIGN STUDIO AIR 2015

J O U R N A L

KE DING 621338

TABLE OF CONTENT

PART A CONCEPTUALISATION

INTRODUCTION

A.0 DESIGN FUTURE

A.1 DESIGN COMPUTATION

A.2 COMPOSITION/GENERATION

A.3 CONCLUSION

A.4 LEARNING OUTCOME A.5APPENDIX-ALGORITHMICSKETCHES

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PART ACONCEPTUALISATION

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INTRODUCTION

My name is Ke Ding, I’m the third year student in the

university of Melbourne and major in architecture.

I was looking forward to being a designer when I

was young. No matter it is architectural designer

or other designer. Every day when I walked on

the street, I felt so strange that how could these

buildings be all different from each other? My

interesting of architecture was greatly influenced

by the transformation fromtheclassicarchitecture

to the modernism. And I am really shocked

by the different masters’ architectural work.

One thing I am now very regret is that I didn’t

learn about the visual environment on the first

year of uni. Therefore, it is quite hard for me to use

the digital designing software. The most design

software I used through the uni is the sketchup.

Be different from the Rhino and Grasshopper, it

is much easier to get the model for me. And I do

have toputmoreefforton thenew software such

as the Rhino and Grasshopper or it should be the

big challenge for me to complete the subject.

A.O DESIGN FUTURE

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BEIJING NATIONAL STADIUMARCHITECT:HERZOGANDDEMEURON

LOCATION:BEIJING,CHINAYEAR:2003

The design of the stadium is based on the nests of birds, not only aesthetically but also at astructural level. The architects were thinking about the requirements which included the ability forpost-olympicsuse,aretractableroof,andlowmaintenance costs for the designing1. The stadium has two independent structures which includesa red concrete seatingbowland theouter steelframe. The stadium is considered to be the world’s largest enclosed space and it is also theworld’slargest steel structurewith 26kmof unwrappedsteelused.Theinnovativestructurewasdesignedbyherzog&demeuronarchitekten,arupsportandthechinaarchitecturedesignandresearchgroup2.

The circular shape of the stadium representsheaven as the chinese believe that the heaven is round and the earth is square. It can be contrasted with the beijing national aquaticscentre which is formed by the cube. The stadium has been described as a bird’s nest with its pattern inspired by chinese-style pottery. Aseriesofcantileveredtrusseshasbeendesignedto support the roof, shading the seats as thetrusses are very stable to carry the load3.

As china is surrounded by some of the deadliest fault lines and beijing is located in one of the world’s most seismic zones, the stadium should be designed to avoid the earthquake with too much damage. It is quite useful to divide the concrete building structure of beijing stadium into 6partsforsafety.Tobeisolated,eachpartofthestructure couldmove easily and independently inearthquake so that it could get the energy by its freemovement,insteadofbeingbrokenintopiecesby this energy. Then it is able to be surrounded by metal bow. Therefore, if the concrete fails, the steelwouldnotbeaffectedandcouldsupportthestructure frame4. Also, the interior of the stadium is covered by the special membrane called ETFEwhichstandsfortheethylenetetrafluoroethylene.Thiskindofmembraneisafluorinebasedplastic,itcouldhelpthelightgetthroughtheinsidedirectlyand it is designed to have high corrosion resistance and strength over a wide temperature range.

Thenational stadiumcontinuesbeingappreciatedas the culture related to the design and the stadium could be used not only for the sports,but also for the concerts. It is a quite functionalarchitecture and not just limit on the tradition.

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Fig 1 BEIJING NATIONAL STADIUMhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beijing_National_Stadium

Fig 2 BEIJING NATIONAL STADIUMhttp://stadiumdb.com/stadiums/chn/beijing_national_stadium

Fig 3 BEIJING NATIONAL STADIUMhttp://www.worldstadiums.com/stadium_pictures/asia/china/beijing_national.shtml

Villa savoye was a kind of indicator of Le Corbusier’s “five points” of new architecture,the villa is representative of the bases ofmodern architecture, and ‘it is one of the most easily recognizable and renowned examplesof the International style’5.And it had greatinfluence on the international modernism.

Le Corbusier designed the villa savoye by demonstrating what he termed the “precision”of architecture, where each feature of the design neededtobejustifiedindesignandurbanterms1.He did use his “Five Points of Architecture” forcontributingtothenewthinkingofarchitecture.

Using the grid of columns to replace thesupporting walls for carrying the load of thestructure is the basis of the new aesthesis. As the result of replaced walls, the house isunder the free designing of the ground plan.The façade becomes free as the exterior of the buildingisseparatedfromitsstructuralfunction.

The ribbon windows are required in the fivepoints of architecture as the façade can becut along its entire length to allow rooms tobe lit equally. And finally the flat roof can beused for a domestic aim while providing theessentialprotectiontotheconcreteroof.Theseare the theoryof “FivePointsofArchitecture”.

Villa savoye was come out by the five pointsof architecture which was related to the natural environment. Roof garden is the great example that relate to the naturalenvironment which are surrounded the building.

Itisquiteinfluentialforthefuturearchitectstofollow Le Corbusier’s Five Points of Architecture. As it was the new thinking of architecture and made the architecture much more related to the nature.

VILLA SAVOYEARCHITECT:LECORBUSIER

LOCATION:FRANCEYEAR:1931

Fig 4 VILLA SAVOYEhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Villa_Savoye

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Fig 5 VILLA SAVOYEhttp://www.hotelswelove.com/villa-savoy-le-corbusiers-weekender/

Fig 6 VILLA SAVOYEhttp://thepositive.com/sounds-and-lights-animate-the-machine-for-living/

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A.1 DESIGN COMPUTATION

Computational design makes the support forthe designers to use the digital techniques on the architecture or the design process. Thesedigital technologies are changing architectural practices in ways which could allow thedesigners to deal with the complex formsmuch easily. ‘The dominant mode of utilizingcomputers in architecture today is that ofcomputerization; entities or processes thatare already conceptualized in the designer’smindare entered,manipulated, or storedon acomputer system. In contrast, computation orcomputing,asacomputer-baseddesigntool, isgenerally limited5.’ Computing becomes moreandmoreusefulonthearchitecturalprocessasthecomputersallowthearchitectsanddesignerstousethecomputerasthebasistocomeupwiththe complex designs directly and quickly. Theprograms such as the Rhino and Grasshopperhelpthedesignersexploreandcreatemuchmoreflexibleandcomplexwaysofthecomputationaldesign through the architectural process.

ThecurrenttransitionfromComputerAidedDesign(CAD) to Computational Design in architecturerepresents a profound shift in design thinking andmethodswhichhaveanimpactonbuildingdesignandconstructionprocess6. As the CAD was mostly used for speeding up the construction drawing and thecomputationaldesigndoes focusongeneratingthedesignthroughthearchitecturaldesignprocess.Withtheuseofthedigitaltechnologies,theinformationofthedesignisoneoftheconstruction.Anarchitect’sworkincludesthevisuallyrepresenteddatamostly.Problemsareoftenoutlinedandsolvedinagraphicalway.Onlywithinthecomputation,itservesasabasisfor work and discussion. Therefore, the designer are able to have maximum visual control over the processestakingplacewithinthedesigncontinuum7.

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One of the example of computational designisMobiusHousebyUNStudio (BenVanBerkeland Caroline Bos) in 1995. It is directly namedafteritstopologicalorigins.Itisakindofsmootharchitecture which under the linear system and the illustration of how the architects’ thinkinghasspecifieditspowerthroughthetechnology8. The Mobius House was designed in the muchmore systematic way. “I discovered that theMöbiuswastypicalofanewsystemwheretheorganisation could turn itself back onto itself,and that the system would have no dead ends, likeinagridsystem,”vanBerkel9 says. “It would create a new form of coherence beyond the collage.” As the architecture was named afteritstopologicalorigins,thearchitectsfoundthatthe Mobius strips and their 3D analogue, thesingle-surfaced Klein bottle are well-suited tothe internal circulation10. The twisting formsoftheMobiusHousewere created intoadouble-helix system of pathways come through atrefoil design, a three-lobed approximationof a cloverleaf highway exchange11.

RIGHT - MOBIUS HOUSEARCHITECT:UNSTUDIOLOCATION:HETGOOI,NETHERLANDSYEAR:1995

BOTTOM - MERCEDES-BENZ MUSEUMARCHITECT:UNSTUDIOLOCATION:STUTTGART,GERMANYYEAR:2006

Fig 7 MOBIUS HOUSEhttp://www.adgnews.com/mobius-house/gallery

Fig 8 MERCEDES BENZMUSUEMhttp://www.benzblogger.com/2013/03/autoweek-visits-the-mercedes-benz-museum.html

Mercedes-Benz Museum could be anotherexample of the computational design by UNStudio.Tobedifferent fromtheMobiusHouse,Mercedes-BenzMuseum is designed in amuchmoreparametricsystem.TheMuseumisunderthesortofcomplexgeometrysynthesizesstructuraland programmatic organizations leading to anew landmark building. The geometric model is designed in terms of the trefoil system. It is the reallycomplexstructurethatyoucannotseethetrefoil from the museum12.Thebuilding’sprogramis designed over the surfaces which goes upincrementally from the ground level and revolves around a central atrium. The cloverleaf structure ismathematically formed by three overlappingcircles and formed into a triangular atrium13.

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A.2 COMPOSITON/GENERATION

“Generative Design is a morphogenetic process using algorithms structured as not-linear systems for endless unique and un-repeatable results performed by an idea-code, as in Nature” Celestino Soddu, 1992

The architects always try to apply for theform or concept of rhythm, proportionand symmetry to create the balanced and interesting compositions for their design.And some other ordering principles inarchitecturalcompositionarealsorelatedtosymmetry, rhythm and proportion such asthe repetition, transformation of shapes14. Generally speaking, composition in thearchitectural design is a kind of approachforarchitectstocomposetheirdesignwell.

Generative design is a sort of designapproach which could be generated bya set of rules or an Algorithm formed by using the computer program15. Therefore, Generative design could also refers to thecomputational design in architecture. It isnormally used as form-finding processesand for the simulation of real world. Bedifferentfromthearchitecturalcomposition,Generative design focus more from thestatic models towards a computationallogic.Bythen,theemphasisshiftsfromthe‘making of form’ to the ‘finding of form’16.

To be the very important digital design method,generative design does great related to theparametric modelling and scripting. As thescripting is a way for the designers to adapt orcompletely reconfigure the software on theirownmind and favourites. The use of generationcould make the architects or the designers fully generateorcontroltheirdesignprocessnomatterhowcomplex it isanddealwith thecomplexitiesofdesignmuchoverformwithprecision.Also,asthegenerativedesign isunder thecomputationallogic, it allows the architects to do their design veryfastandmuchmoreefficient.However,as itis a kind of algorithm thinking process, once thepart of the parameter is wrong, the constraintswould slow down the design process and makethewholecrapanditcouldnotoffertheunlimitedflexibilitythroughthearchitecturaldesignprocess.

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THE RE SWISS TOWERARCHITECT:NORMANFOSTER

LOCATION:LONDONYEAR:2003

TheReSwisstowerwhichdesignedbyNormanFosterinLondoncouldbeoneoftheexampleoftheuseofthegenerativeapproachesinthedesignprocess.Theformofthetowerisfromthegenerationoftheprofilecurveandusesthedifferentcirculararchestobeconnectedwitheachotherbyageometricrelationamongtheircentres.Thisisakindofcomputationallogicprocessas thearchitectsuse theprofilecurve to formthestructure.Theproducedprofileisrevolvedaroundtheaxisofthebuildinginordertogeneratethedraftsurface17.

Theaerodynamic formof thetowerallowsthewindtoflowsmoothlyandsoftlyaroundthishigh-risebuilding18.Itcanalsomakeasortofefficientstructurebyreducingthewindloadsonthestructureandcladding.Thespirallingformofthetowerisusedforgeneratingthe difference of pressure to avoid the natural flow of the air. In general, the Re Swisstowerisgreatlysupportingtheuseofthegenerativeapproachthroughthedesignprocessnomatter from its computational logical formor the formof considerationof thewind.

Fig9SWISSRETOWERhttp://spirals.homestead.com/Culture/Architecture/Architecture.html

Fig11SWISSRETOWERhttp://www.academia.edu/8109045/Morphogenesis_and_panelling_the_use_of_generative_tools_beyond_academia._Case_studies_and_limits_of_the_method

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Fig10SWISSRETOWERhttp://www.educationalresource.info/london-england/48-swiss-re-tower.htm

RESEARCH PAVILION 2013-14ARCHITECT:ICD-ITKE

LOCATION:STUTTGART,GERMANYYEAR:2014

Another exampleof theuseof the generativeapproaches in thearchitectural design couldbe theResearch Pavilion 2013-14which designed by ICD-ITKE University of Stuttgart. This kind of designdidshowthesimulationandfabricationprocessesinarchitecture.Itisquiteobvioustofindthatthedesign is paying attention to a parallel bottom-up design strategy for the natural fibre compositeshells19. To form the natural lightweight structure, the designers did the biomimetic investigation.

Inordertomakethehighlymaterialefficientstructure,theprotectiveshellforbeetles’wingsandabdomenwasconsidered.Thestructureofthedesignisunderthegeometricmorphologyofthedoublelayeredsystem.Withthedevelopmentofthecomputationaldesignandthegenerativeapproaches,thebiomimeticprinciplesandtheroboticfabricationcharacteristicsarecombinedinthedesignprocesssimultaneously20. Buildingmaterialssuchastheglassandcarbonfibrereinforcedpolymerswerehighlyusedduetotheirhighperformancequalitieswhichcouldcarrythehighpressureofthestructure.Fibrereinforcedpolymerscouldbeeasilyemployedtothecomplexgeometries.Thedesignersusedthegenerativeapproachestocreatethehighlyefficientstructuretoshowthelogicalsystemofthearchitecturaldesignprocess.

Fig12RESEARCHPAVILIONhttp://aasarchitecture.com/2014/07/research-pavilion-2013-14-icd-itke.html

Fig13RESEARCHPAVILIONhttp://www.archdaily.com/522408/icd-itke-research-pavilion-2015-icd-itke-university-of-stuttgart/53b2136dc07a80790f0001c9_icd-itke-research-pavilion-2015-icd-itke-university-of-stuttgart_icd-itke_rp13-14_image25-jpg/

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Fig14RESEARCHPAVILIONhttp://www.archdaily.com/522408/icd-itke-research-pavilion-2015-icd-itke-university-of-stuttgart/

Fig15RESEARCHPAVILIONhttp://www.archdaily.com/522408/icd-itke-research-pavilion-2015-icd-itke-university-of-stuttgart/

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A.3 CONCLUSION

Withtheuseofthecomputationaldesign,architectsandthedesignershavehadthenewtechnologyorapproachtodealwiththedesigningandconstruction.It is not hard to find the relationships among the computational design,parametricdesignandeventhegenerativedesign.Thesedesignapproachesare innovativeas theyallow thearchitectsanddesigners comeupwith thenew form of the structure or system and technologies. My intended design approach is going to focuson the generativeapproach. It is innovativedueto itscomputational logic.Thestructurecouldbeformedorsimulatedfromtherealworldornaturesothatwecaneasilyfindoutwhatourdesigncouldbeinthefuture.Thearchitectsandthedesignerscouldbebenefitedbythegenerativeapproachbecauseitisagoodwayforthemtodealwiththeseveralcomplexdesignsquicklyandefficiently.Itisquitehardtosaywhichapproachisbetterastheyactuallyrelatedtoeachotherandhavetheirownbenefits.

A.4 LEARNING OUTCOME

I actually never consider that there are so many architectural designing approaches before this course. I am now really learning a lot from thetheory and practice of the architectural computing. I understand thatgenerative design could also refers to the computational design. Butmore computational logic are required in the generative design. And Irealizethatthecomputingisareallygoodtechnologyforthearchitecturaldesigning process as it could help the designers outline the new forms,geometry and so on through the designing. And sort of software couldgive the expression to these kinds of architectural designing approaches.

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A.5APPENDIX-ALGORITHMICSKETCHES

OCTREE EXCERCISE

Loftingthecurvestoformageometry.

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Change the slide number to make the change ofthepointsinsidethegrasshopper.

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