Module  1  –  Idea,on  

Lachlan  Simpson  587132  

Virtual  Environments  

Module 1 - Ideation Natural Process Analysis

Lightning The natural process of lightning and how it is formed got my interest due to the sense of mystery and the sheer power of it.

•  The lightning process begins as ice particles collide in the storm cloud resulting in an abundance of negatively charged particles at the base of the cloud. This attracts the positively charged particles on the ground.

•  A “stepped leader” is created as an outburst of energy from the cloud and it attempts to reach the ground as quickly as possible. Sparks from the ground also reach up due to the attraction to the particles in an attempt to touch the cloud to ground energy.

•  When these two sources of energy meet we get a huge amount of heat and energy which results in the lightning strikes that we see.

Module 1 - Ideation Natural Process Analysis Lightning Inspired Architecture

•  Much architecture, especially tall buildings and skyscrapers have been created with an emphasis on the structures interaction with lightning.

•  The building on the right is the Khalifa Tower, the world’s tallest building. It, like many buildings of its type, has a lightning rod for both practical and aesthetic purposes.

•  Lightning rods are used to attract lightning. As they are grounded separately from the building itself, they protect the buildings from the huge energy expelled by the lightning, preventing structural damage.

Module 1 - Ideation Natural Process Analysis Lightning Inspired Architecture

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Module 1 - Ideation Natural Process Analysis

Fractal Patterns in Nature

After the second lecture mentioned fractals, I got my interest and researched it further. One example of fractals in nature is in trees.

•  The above example of a tree growing in a fractal is an example of the underlying mathematical patterns to objects that seem random.

•  The fractal pattern is a continuously repeating pattern that shrinks with each iteration. In the above time-lapsed example we see this structure grow, then spawn two different branches, then continue to grow, then branch again.

•  In a real world scenario, this tree is affected by outside influences such as gravity and wind which also have an impact of its shape and size, yet the mathematical pattern remains.

Module 1 - Ideation Natural Process Analysis

Fractal Patterns in Nature

Fractals also occur within snowflakes.

•  Obviously the drawings above are not an example of how snowflakes are actually formed, but are an example of the ever repeating fractal process.

•  This symmetrical triangular repetition continues to a microscopic level, and like the tree, it becomes increasingly smaller with each iteration.

•  Whilst almost all snowflakes are unique, each of them follow their own formulaic mathematical pattern.

Module 1 - Ideation Natural Process Analysis

Fractal Patterns in Architecture

There are countless examples of fractal based architectural design. This type of mathematical based design has been prevalent throughout history, even sometimes unintentionally, which speaks to the natural frequency in this pattern.

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Module 1 - Ideation Natural Process Analysis

Fractal Patterns in Architecture

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