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Jinn Jyh Leow

376016

ContentsPart I. Expression of Interest

I.I. Case for InnovationI.I.1 Architecture as a DiscourseI.I.2 Computation in ArchitectureI.I.3 Contemporary Scripting Cultures

I.II. Research ProjectI.II.1 CUT : DevelopI.II.2 CUT : Fabricate

References

MiscellaneousWeekly Reflections

I.III. Group EOI

Part II. Project ProposalII.I. Concept

II.II. Design DevelopmentII.II.1 Form FindingII.II.2 StriationsII.II.3 NamingII.II.4 ConstructionII.II.5 Shortcoming

II.III. Model Making

Part III. Learning Objectives and OutcomesIII.I. Personal Background and Learning Objectives

III.II. Learning Progress

III.III. Learning Outcomes

III.IV. Future Work

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I.I. Case for Innovation

Part I. Expression of Interest

I.I.1 Architecture as a Discourse

I.I.1 Architecture as a Discourse People tend to think of architecture as an art, exclusive to the profession (Williams 2005). However, a closer look into the subject would reveal that architecture is the work of the entire society – everybody is part of it. Dramatic changes in the society – new materials, new technologies and new ways of thinking – often results in a change in architecture. With that an architectural discourse is created as a portion of the society would try to resist the change, while the others accept the change and adapts to it. Hence, an architect’s work is the result of the debate within the entire society, between the two extremes, and his/her own interpretation of the zeitgeist of the age. As Patrick Schumacher argued, architecture becomes a system of communication that constantly regenerates and reinvents itself with the ongoing discourse and the cross-disciplinary dissemination of knowledge, ideas and theories (2011).

“Architects, after all, can design with a pencil anyway.” - Burry, Scripting Cultures (2011) p.17

The Discourse

“... [C]omputers will contribute their superb rational and search abilities, and we humans will contribute all the creativity and intuition needed to solve design problems.”- Kalay, Architecture’s New Media (2004), p.3

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StudleyPersonal Project :

Park Boathouse

The Studley Park Boathouse is designed based on the works and design philosophies of the modernist German architect, Ludwig Mies van der Rohe. Precedents from this master became integral to the design process and very much influenced the outcome – form and facade that resembles Farnsworth House, interior partition that recalls his Barcelona Pavilion in 1929.

It is precisely this focus on precedent-based design of the studio (ADS: Water) itself that become the source of architectural discourse. Contrast that with this studio’s (ADS: Air) aim for students to rethink architecture via the digital design medium. While designing based on the principles of past master’s works have its own merits (since they have been time-tested to be successful), will it be “exciting”, “eye-catching” or “brave” enough for the Wyndham Gateway Project? It probably

will not. In order to “generate [a] discourse”, those time-tested successful design principles and strategies should be replaced by those which are still young and has not been fully exploited, i.e. parametric designs (Burry 2011). It would be the better design path of the two in order to meet the Wyndham City Council Selection Panel and Advisory Group’s aims and expectations for the project.

Old principles or new ideas for the Gateway Project?

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a Perspective view of the Boathouse from main access (watercolour)

b Hand drawn plans for the Boathouse

c Interior perspective of the office building.

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impact”. It could be, as suggested by Williams, “symbolically rich, but located within a widely understood vernacular of signs” (2005, p. 111)

The Beijing National Stadium is one of the centre pieces of the 2008 Summer Olympics. It is rooted in ancient culture, yet progressive in its form as its circular shape is the symbol of heaven in the Chinese culture (ARUP 2011). Here, architecture becomes a sign that could be interpreted differently. It is a stadium, an icon of Beijing, an architectural representation of the society (Zaera-Polo 2009), a new urban experience (Herzog & de Meuron 2007), a politically controversial project (Beyer and Knofel 2008). Beijing National Stadium has proven that architecture is much more than satisfying the brief, it could do so much more by sparking a discourse.

Similarly, in the Gateway Project, the design should be able to be read and interpreted in as many ways as possible to spark interest and gain attention of both the professionals and the laymen in order to “make a significant

Case Study 1 :

National StadiumBeijing

Herzog and de MeuronBeijing2008

Progressive design rooted in ancient culture.

a Detail of the Stadium’s skin at night

b Bird’s eye view of the Stadium. Architect’s render.

c Day view of the Stadium.

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of the middle-class suburb and recomposed it into something radically different. This is what the Gateway project should aim for: generating a discourse that lasts a long time, perhaps with unconventional and provocative aesthetics that draws inspiration from elements of Wyndham city itself, such as its K Road Cliffs or Victoria State Rose Garden. The ideas behind the Gehry Residence definitely opened up new possibilities for the Gateway project.

Gehry Residence is Frank Gehry’s own house completed in 1978 (Mortice 2012) and it had been a building of much controversy since its completion as the aesthetics of the house is not traditionally pleasing. Reactions to the house range from intense dislike to full embrace, but it inspired a new kind of architecture, Deconstructivism (Muschamp 1993). Such provocative architecture definitely challenges the fundamental perception of beauty. The strong contrast and tension between the Gehry Residence and its surroundings forms a strong dialogue between the structures which begs for a discourse, and it was successful in creating one.

After 25 years, the debate on the aesthetics of the Gehry Residence is still going on, and its importance is still recognised as it was just being awarded the 2012 AIA Twenty-five Year Award (Mortice 2012). It took the elements

Case Study 2 :

Gehry ResidenceFrank GehrySanta Monica, California1978

“...ugliness is beauty that we are yet to understand”- Van Schaik, Artichoke (2010), p. 120

a Kitchen (interior)

b Courtyard

c Front facaded Kitchen (exterior)

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I.I. Case for InnovationI.I.2 Computation in Architecture

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Cube, exemplifies the union of design and construction through computation. The ultimate form of this project is generated digitally using the soap bubble structure as both the inspiration and the basic unit for the structure which could be repeated in infinite combinations. Digital fabrication (CNC cutting of the ETFE sheets, for example) played a major role in the construction of the building which demands high accuracy in the dimensions of individual parts. Computation allowed the designers to transform the fragile bubble into a building that could withstand earthquake, fire and sandstorms.

The Water Cube succeeded as an innovative and unique architecture that managed to retain its links to the aquatic nature of the function of the building despite being designed digitally – the form reflects the function. This shows that a unique and brave

As mentioned in the lecture this week, computation in architecture is still very young, and hence offers huge potentials in pushing the boundaries of the discourse in architecture. Kalay laments the separation of the design conception of a building from the construction during the Renaissance (2004) as it implies that architects had relinquished some of their powers over the design process but computation had tied the two together again in recent years and forms a sort of “digital continuum” (Kolarevic 2003, p.58). The complexity of many parametric designs necessitated the union of the two because the design intent could be easily lost with unsuitable construction methods or choice of materials (Kolarevic 2003). Architecture has become much more multi-disciplinary.

The National Aquatic Centre of Beijing, more commonly known as the Water

Case Study 3 :

National Aquatics CentreBeijing

PTW ArchitectsBeijing2008

a Interior rendering of Water Cube.

b Night view of the Water Cube showing the display of lights by exploting the transparency of EFTFE.

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architecture could be the result of a simple concept, and the concept is not lost through the digital platform in the design process.

The Gateway project, hence, could be approached in a similar manner. Various aspects of a concept (as mentioned before, could be derived from elements of Wyndham) could be translated into different elements of design and transformed digitally into new, exciting forms that still reflects the Wydham community.

A visually striking structure with a “strong presence” could be produced via computational methods driven by the creativity and intelligence of the designer in finding solutions to construction practicalities (“search” process as described by Kalay) so that the initial concept is preserved. Digital fabrication could further aid the realisation

of the project in efficiently producing the components with minimised mistakes. The digital tools, like Kolarevic says, should be seen as a “colleague” (2003, p.21). This is the approach which, I think, is suitable for the Gateway project.

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I.I. Case for InnovationI.I.3 Contemporary Scripting Cultures

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Case Study 4:

Emergent FieldKokkugiaProject2003

“Scripting can be a design idiom.” - Burry, Scripting Cultures (2011), p. 24

“Instead of working on a parti, the de-signer constructs a generative system of formal production, control its behavior over time and selects forms that emerge from its operation. The emphasis shifts from the ‘making of form’ to the ‘finding of form’, which various digitally-based generative techniques seem to bring about intentionally”

- Kolarevic, Permomative Architecture: Beyond Instrumetality (2005), p.195

a Architect’s render of Emergent Field

b - d Various diagrams showing the use of site data to generate the form.

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Parametric modelling has changed the way architectural design is represented. The focus has shifted from expressing individual geom-etries to describing the geometrical relation-ships through scripting (Menges 2006). In the relation of the EOI and the course objectives, one of the principles of conceptual paramet-ric modelling mentioned in the lecture be-comes important – the generative principle.

For Kokkugia, the generative principle is used to exploit the ability of digital modelling to produce random beauty in which the results could not be conceived beforehand (Van Schaik 2010). Multiple iterations of the same algorithm could be generated quickly as al-though the relationship between the agents in the algorithm is clear, the result could not be predicted when they are linked to the whole (Van Schaik 2010). Hence, for Roland Snooks of Kokkugia, a strong design intent that is derived from the design problem is impor-tant (Burry 2011, p.58) so that an optimal result could be chosen from the pool of generated iterations.

In their 2003 project, “Emergent Field”, the ul-timate form emerges from the reassessment of the plaza-program relationship, in which programmatic and architectural agents are part of the algorithm that generates the form (Kokkugia n.d.). This shows one of the ad-vantages of parametric modelling over the traditional design method – intimate site re-sponses based on the major driving forces of the site and the programme required by the brief becomes possible. The unknown result is informed through known parameters, mak-ing the final result more functional and flexible than those generated via traditional means.

Since our mind is programmed to recognise known patterns (Van Schaik 2010), designing with parameters without any preconceived result pushes the boundary of architecture by introducing new forms never imagined. As the brief for the Gateway project calls for a “new, inspiring and brave” design as well as a “dialogue between the sculpture and the landscape to compose the Gateway”, the method employed by Kokkugia in ‘Emergent Field” is a good direction for the design pro-cess. Factors such as the hill in Site A, the ser-vice station behind Site B, the high-speed mo-tion along the highway and the weather and light conditions will be considered during and after the scripting process in Grasshopper to make the design more informed.

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I.II. Research Project

Part I. Expression of Interest

I.II.1 CUT : Develop

I.II.1 CUT : Develop

INPUT // EXPLICIT GRIDS (TRIANGULAR, HEXAGONAL), BOOLEAN PATTERNINGASSOCIATION // MULTIPLE MATHS FUNCTIONSOUTPUT // DATA DRIVEN SHADING, CIRCLES

The patterning and culling, as well as the mathematical functions involved are all random. Therefore, the process is rather generative. I was looking at the patterning that could result from overlapping grids, as well as how two colours interact when the data (the radii of the circles from both grids) overlaps. The colour is inspired by the agricultural background of Wyndham.

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INPUT // EXPLICIT GRID, BOOLEAN PATTERNINGASSOCIATION // MULTIPLE MATHS FUNCTIONS, ATTRACTOR POINTS OUTPUT // DATA DRIVEN SHADING, DATA DRIVEN EXTRUSION

Further experimentation with the previous definition, but now the colour is associated with the height of the extrusion, which in turn is affected by the attractor points. With just one grid, the result is less interesting.

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After that, I decided to abandon colour in this process as it will be difficult to fabricate later on. However, as I was turning the digital model in Rhinoceros, the movement created some interesting moiré effect. I have decided to further explore this on a curved surface (which could be a response to the hill in Site A).

The result is unexpected. The moiré effect disappeared, but the effect of texture that the lines engender is reminiscent of Heatherwick Studio’s British Pavilion in the 2010 Shanghai Expo (pictured right). The thinner and the more distorted the ‘cylinders’ are, the stronger is the effect.

INPUT // SURFACE GRID, SURFACE NORMALASSOCIATION // ATTRACTOR POINTSOUTPUT // EDGE SURFACE

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This case study is based solely on my interest in Voronoi creation.

They are easy to produce in Grasshopper but the results are infinite. An attractor curve is used to determine the location of the points for the origin of the Voronoi cells. By altering the curve in Rhinoceros, many versions of Vornoi is created quickly. I noticed that Voronois with first degree curves evoke a stronger sense of tension than those of higher degree curves (in this case, the 7th degree). I did not pursue this any further as they are rather cliché and do not meet the “new, brave and exciting idea” criteria the Wyndham City Council is looking for.

Reverse Engineering 1 :

Airspace TokyoFaulders StudioTokyo2007

Voronoi study

a Double voronoi envelope of Airspace Tokyo

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Degree 7 Voronoi Degree 1 Voronoi

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The envelope of Dior Ginza is a double-skin structure that produces a hazy and subtle moiré effect as one move along the street. The simple act of layering and reducing the size of the patterns on the silkscreened panel at the back created the effect. Moreover, by having a double layered skin, it allows for light installation in the airspace which gave the building a very different day and night view.

I have decided to analyse and recreate this case study as our group is currently interested in the moiré effect produced as one moves along the highway in order to enhance the experience of the drivers.

Process:By looking at the pattern on the facade, it is clear that attractor curves were used. Circles closer to the curves have a bigger radius while those further away will have a smaller radius.

Reverse Engineering 2 :

Dior GinzaOffice of Kumiko InuiGinza, Tokyo2004

Layering and the Moiré Effect

Only two radii are observed.

The attractor curves were first drawn on a surface in Rhinoceros according to the pattern observed in the facade. A grid of points is then created on the surface and their distance from the attractor curves was measured using the “Pull Point” component. The values are remapped into the domain between 0 and 1 and then rounded up. The new set of integers is then associated with a set of two numbers so that only two radii will be produced. Circles are then created using the grid of points and the radii, and the remapped values were adjusted to reduce the number of big circles. The reason is that the density of the attractor curves also caused many points to be close to a curve. A second layers is quickly reproduced, only with the values of the radii changed.

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a Close-up detail of Dior Ginza’s skin

b Day view of the skin showing dark striations

c Night view of the skin showing bright striations due to light installed between the two skin layers

d Skin reproduced in Grasshopper showing strong moiré effect

e Close-up of laser cut model of Dior Ginza, lighting similar to night view

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and Kubo said, becomes the new driver for cultural development (2006). Thus, digital design becomes the perfect media to be working on the Gateway project where new cultural icons could be produced based on existing elements of the city, just like National Aquatics Centre and Nation Stadium in Beijing did.

As Moussavi said in her lecture that careful assemblies and choices of materials results in ornaments (2011), a purposefully designed building, thus could never separated from ornamentation because a building itself is essentially a careful and deliberate assembly of chosen materials. Therefore, it can be argued that all buildings are ornaments in a city. Hence, this is how I see the Gateway project: an ornament that represents Wyndham and marks its presence.

I agree with Moussavi and Kubo’s claim that “if architecture were to remain convergent with culture, it needs to build mechanisms by which culture can constantly produce new images and concepts rather than recycling existing ones” (2006). I feel that the “new images” could be produced through “recycling existing ones” through the use of technology. Technology, like Moussavi

Ornamentation

“Proposition 8: All ornament should be based upon a geometrical construction.”

- Owen Jones, The Grammar of Ornament, 1910, p.5

As mentioned before, our group is interested in exploiting the motion along the highway, but the exploration of colour parametrically is not too successful. Therefore, we have decided to create a form that allows colour change when one moves along the highway. In order to put motion and colour together, I have explored two forms that will allow multiple view points, in which the colour changes as one moves along. The first design uses the angles the small panels sit to show the colour of the underside from behind and the colour of the top side from the front.

Form Exploration 1

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Form Exploration 2With only two views, I feel that I need more viewpoints as this does not reflect the full potential of Grasshopper. Hence, the second form is very angular with multiple surfaces created by breaking a large surface into smaller surfaces. Different colour could be applied to each surface and each side so that the sculpture changes more as one moves along the highway.

I.II. Research Project

Part I. Expression of Interest

I.II.2 CUT : Fabricate

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FabricateAfter some Data Tree manipulation in Grass-hopper, I managed to extract 6 “cells” out of the surface for small scale prototype fabrica-tion. However, due to its unusual geometry, I could not use the components provided on the LMS to unfold the geometry nor using the “Orient” component as it will be difficult for me to track and label each piece of the model correctly. I had to revert back to the method I used in Virtual Environments back in my first year – using Pepakura Designer for the unfolding and tab creation.

I made the models out of two materials: pa-per and polypropylene. There were some problems with the fabrication process. Due to the geometry of the surface, some corner pieces are detached from the whole while the others meet at a point instead of a sur-face. For the design proposal, this issue must be considered to ensure the design could be fabricated. Digital design tool do not solve this kind of geometrical problem and it is up to the designer to rectify them.

Material joint forms another problem during the process. While normal glue works fine for paper, it would not hold two polypropylene sheets together. Only a hot glue gun (accord-ing to internet forums) could be used as the bonding agent. Since I do not own one, I had to use transparent scotch tapes to hold the pieces together. That compromised the clean look that I look for, and most importantly, the structural integrity.

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degenerates over time and constantly changes, driven mainly by weather conditions. This will encourage people to view the gateway time and again to see how it changes and evolves through time. The main idea is that the impermanence of (part of) the structure is the focus of the design, just like the mist of Blur building which could engender enough interest to attract attention to itself, and hence to Wyndham as well.

Moreover, the Blur Building is low definition (Diller 2008). The cloud of mist essentially has no details. Details are lost in motion and therefore, this is an important aspect for the Gateway Project to be installed along the highway as high-speed calls for a simple form. By applying this principle to the project, the form precedes the details – a suitable form to highlight the motion is more important than intricate details. We would use parametric design to explore the desired form and not to create fine details.

The Blur Building by Diller Scofidio + Renfro challenges the fundamental perception of structure, skin and space as it is an “architecture of atmosphere” which essentially is a cloud of mist that responds to the weather condition on a simple platform (Diller 2008). The contrast between the ethereal mist and the material structure is the point of interest – architecture as a special effects machine (Diller 2008). The special effects capture attention, and the uniqueness of the building makes it memorable.

Hence, the Wyndham Gateway project does not necessarily have to be a mere addition at the Western Interchange; it could produce a special effect that reflects the time and progression. The key is to be memorable via the special effects, and the permanence of the structure became secondary. The special effect could be something permanent and produced parametrically, such as the moiré effect which interacts with motion. On the other hand it could also be something that

Case Study 5:

Blur BuildingDiller Scofidio + RenfroYverdon-les -Bains, Switzerland2002

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a Blur Building at night

b Copper skin of De Young Museum with water marks and patina visible

Case Study 6:

De Young

Herzog & de MeuronSan Francisco, California2005

Museum“Nature too, should be allowed to lead her own life.”

- Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, 1958

Weather adds another layer to the depth of parametric designs. While the form produced parametrically is in total control by the designer, the effect of weather is difficult to predict and could change the design dramatically. Herzog and de Meuron had accounted for the weather in the design of De Young Museum in San Francisco. The rain emphasises the joints of the bronze plates which would otherwise look flush in dry weather. Water makes the surface more reflective and that blends the structure to the environment.

Similarly, the effect of weather is to be accounted for in the Gateway project. The design could have two very different looks in dry and wet weather, or even changes with the season. Again, this encourages multiple views through the changes, linking this back to our initial interest of “progression” in the

Gateway project.

Another point to note on De Young Museum is its choice of material. Bronze ages with time and its colour gradually changes from brown to green as patina forms. Weathering plays an important part of the design (Kolarevic 2003) as material deterioration is difficult to predict and control. The process is slow, and hence the design will not be completed until many decades after, stretching the time period of the relevance of the project. We want the project to grow with the community.

Since materials will deteriorate, integrating the effects of weathering into the Gateway project design makes perfect sense as maintenance is now minimised. Furthermore, weathering adds/removes layers, and this property of weathering could be part of the design.

Skin of

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group will explore further with the site contours and possibly together with the future urban growth of Wyndham.

The geometry of the model also controlled the flow of water, hence this could be another potential for design proposal exploration in which striations could be designed parametrically to direct water flow. The striation themselves could be made out of sacrificial metal that will corrode and deepen over time, or even change their course of flow via careful planning of the depth of the striations.

This is relevant to the Gateway project in the sense that it shows not only the durability of the project but metaphorically, the city of Wyndham itself that manages to survive the test of time – an inspiration for the residents of the municipal.

Special Effects 1

From the two case studies presented before, I explored how the weathering of colours could be used to create interest. The choice of exploring how colour weathers is inspired by the changing colour of de Young Museum.

The first colour weathering example draws its colour (red and blue) from the logo of Wyndham City Council. The suspended model is made of polypropylene as gouache paint washes easily off them even after they dry.

As one of the quotes states that stains on a building show its capacity for resistance, I decided to stain a bottom sculpture (paper) with the “weathered” colours from the first. The staining did not work out as well, probably because I did not wait for the paint to dry before adding more water. However, the mix of reds and blues on the base created a very interesting pool/river of colour, something our

“Stains on the building are evidence of its capacity for resistance.”

- Kolarevic and Malkawi 2005, p.14

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of paint/degradable material, continually changing the look of the sculpture based on the skeleton just like the Blur Building. The only difference is that the change would be slow with the weathering, but abrupt when a new layer is added on. The engagement with the local artist could foster community pride while the cycle of weathering and re-painting would generate continual interest and multiple viewings. This would make this Gateway project worth the investment.

Special Effects 2

The second colour weathering example explores the effects of double-layered colours. As the purple washes away, the yellow beneath reveals itself. Polypropylene in this case holds an additional function: the provision of day and night view as required by the brief. The model initially is opaque with the layers of paint on it, but as they gradually wash off, the translucent polypropylene is revealed. If lighting were installed beneath the model, the night view of the sculpture would change after every rain when more polypropylene is revealed. During the day, the colour themselves creates interesting patterns on the parametrically designed form which would also look different after every shower.

With time, the sculpture would become completely translucent. This gives the Wyndham City Council the opportunity to engage with local artists to paint a new layer

Layers

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I.III. Group EOI

Part I. Expression of Interest

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expression of interestINTEREST//

of

Gateway to Wyndham

architecture design studio 3 : AIR | semester 1, 2012

EXPRESSION

Elsa Marcella Christian | 377955Nadira Jeannot | 376188Jinn Jyh Leow | 376016Mohamad Izzat Mohamad Nazri | 376055

Tutors -Chris Loren Adams

Lecturer Stanislav Roudavski

by-

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“We all come from the school of something”

Burry 2011

Throughout history, art has been interpreted through various schools of thought– there was classicism, modernism, and post-modernism (to name a few).

What’s timeless here is that architecture never fails to reinvent itself, and every age has a new idea of what beauty is, what it represents, and what it should be. Our current society hitherto is one which celebrates individuality – and art must follow suit. Mass production is no longer desirable. Something unique, fresh and new to signal our development is required. Parametricism is the answer to this – a revolutionary, progressive new style, seen as the first real movement since the advent of Post-modernism (Burry 2011, p. 18).

We believe that through parametric design, we will bring Wyndham to a new level of sophistication and have it recognised as a forward-looking city with much to offer and be proud of.

Introduction

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The Future ofWYNDHAM

-to become a cultural city enriched by art-break away from the ‘stagnant past’ of its history.-the Arts Hub of Victoria-a progressive arts community.-Gateway Project-Parametrically designed-a catalyst-pull the city forward by creating an identity as well as a sense of space.-The progression of Wyndham will take the form of parametric design, and that is how we would design the Gateway project.

The city of Wyndham aspires to break away from its stagnant past.It wants to be the Arts Hub of Victoria harbouring a progressive arts community. We will achieve this via parametric design, with the Gateway project as the starting point of that future we envision. The following precedents further emphasize the advantages and promises of parametric design.

-merges theme of ocean and architecture into a fine conglomeration of colour and form.-a symbol (Williams 2005) of progression; our aim with the design–not only be the welcome sign, but also an icon of progression and of growth of Wyndham.-colour as a primary player in expressing design intent and providing experiential qualities.-large amount of freedom associated with parametric design – open ended and flexible

This pavilion will be the centerpiece of the Yeosu Expo 2012, and this shows how parametric design can create an iconic piece of architecture. It also demonstrates that parametric design has gained much respect from the architectural realm, so much so that it is being highlighted as the centerpiece of the Yeosu Expo 2012.

This directly relates to the brief’s call for an iconic sculpture.

YEOSU PAVILLIONby KOKKUGIA

Iconic

http://www.kokkugia.com/

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Beijing Olympic Stadium

Modern + Traditional

-An icon that expresses progression and modernity through parametric design, but still rich in traditional influence. (with the bird’s nest form)-Designing parametrically does not mean that local culture would be forgone-The Gateway project design should ultimately be a community art project that represents the peo-ple and the city, rather than a standalone structure.

We hope that this will foster community pride as the brief calls for.

by Herzog & De Meuron

Playful Modern + Traditional

The Lego Towers

“People always somehow misunderstand the light-heartedness of our discourse, the fact that we just play around. If you want to break the mould, if you want to do something surprising or different, [you need to do] three times the work to make it convincing. If you just follow the standard, you don’t need to make it up because it’s already done. You have to take the playfulness really seriously to get it to work.” (Bjarke Ingels in Wired Magazine 2011)

-parametric architecture in playful exploration and expression-emphasises on the exploration of the form-light-hearted design needs to be thought through and it is perfectly capable to produce something mind-blowing and strong to influence others.a

The Lego Towers shows how parametric design can be playful and whimsical, but still meets its basic functional requirement. We want to be playful in our design as well so as to create an “original and engaging” form as aspired by Wyndham.

by BIG Architects

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The Lunar House-ornamentation is different from decoration, where ornamentation is something carved out of a surface and decoration is something put on to a surface (moussavi 2006)-parametrically generated ornamentation is the key point of this building.-careful assemblies and choices of materials results in ornaments (Moussavi 2011), a building cannot be separated from ornamentation as ornamentation essentially makes up the whole idea of architecture. In other words, it can be said that the buildings themselves are ornaments that composed a city. It can be observed that ornamentation is the path where architecture has been walking for the last few years and this is how we conceive the Gateway project: an ornament that represents Wyndham

Parametricism enables architects to further explore architectural ornaments, especially in making its details. We see the Gateway project as an ornament which marks the city. Immuring shows the successful use of parametrically generated ornaments that works in both daylight and at night. Since the Gateway project requires us to consider the day/night views, this is a good precedent for us.

Ornamentation

by David Clover

GASP!

Colour+Motion

-multi-faceted -colour as the artistic solution-Strong contrast with the surrounding context creates a strong “sense of presence”.-enhance the experience of the drivers-Becomes the focal point of the Gateway. -Parametric design could bring this colur change effect to a whole new level.-Integrating parametrically designed forms with colour to produce a state of the art sculpture for Wyndham.-The Gateway project is a way of representing art and also an invitation for people todrive through the Gateway in order to experience the effect the sculpture would bring.

by Room 11

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FORMCOLOURS

PATTERNSMATERIALITY

Chromatex

-highlights colour as the focal point of the installation-colour as something playful and to be celebrated-adding visual enhancement and emphasizing parametric forms.-systematic and easy fabrication of a complex sculpture that is economically viable-the gateway is to be something that Wyndham residents can relate to, a sculpture they will be proud of and which represents them in a proper way. The essence of Wyndham is important to be incorporated into the project.

The colour of this sculpture is manipulated through Grasshopper scripting and is produced economically and quickly - it saves time and cost. Likewise, we would like to use colours to emphasize the parametric forms in our design to enhance the experience of the drivers.

Colour

by Softlab

-architecture as a special effects machine (Diller 2008)-capture attention, and the uniqueness of the building makes it memorable-key: to be memorable via the special effects-permanence of structure is secondary-low definition (no details)-By applying this principle to the project, the form precedes the details – a suitable form to highlight the motion is more important than intricate details.

Blur Building

Impermanence

by Diller Scofidio + Renfro

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of

-Weather adds another layer to the depth of parametric designs-two very different looks in dry and wet weather, changes with the season (encourages multiple views)-important choice of material-material deterioration as part of the design -Weathering stretches the time scale-Minimised maintenance-“Stains on the building are evidence of its capacity for resistance.”

De Young Museum

Time

by Herzog & De Meuron

MATRICESCOMBINATIONS//

of

PatternColour

FormWeathering49 // 50

We started by exploring the moiré patterns but it was too shallow and we wanted something deeper with more substance behind the rationale. Hence, we decided to use the image sampler on patterns in nature, inspired by the Victoria State Rose Garden in Wyndham. The Rose Garden is the pride of the city as it won the International Garden of Excellence by the World Federation of Rose Societies in 2003 with the care of only volunteers.Then, we went on to explore patterns in nature – zebra, cheetah and fish scales. However, we still feel that those inspired by the Rose Garden are the best ones as it has a strong link back to the city and may make the citizens feel more attached to the sculpture.The idea of progression was also considered and explored through more abstract patterns by the means of dynamic attractor curves.

Patterns51 // 52

Patterns

Colour

As we see the gateway project as an ornament, we decided to explore the Voronoi pattern, inspired by the skin of Airspace Tokyo in our reverse engineering case study. They could be easily generated with many variations. Voronoi patterns were laser cut on polypropylene sheets and then wrapped and stacked into a tower form to see how the webs interact in complex manners. The layering added complexity to the patterns, and the translucence of the polypropylene sheets created interesting light effects, which might be useful in night conditions.As most people focuses on the web of the Voronoi, we are interested in the negative spaces of the voronoi too. With the leftover cutouts, we recreated the Voronoi pattern. Since colour will play an important role in our design, we experimented with different colours on the leftover cutouts to make it more interesting. To be more playful, we hung the cutouts and observed the motion and colour changes created by the wind. Together with a reflective voronoi, the effects of the colours are quite astonishing. Vibrant colours were chosen because, again, they are inspired by the vibrant colours of the roses in the Rose Garden.

53 // 54

Colour

53 // 54

Form

The form that we found through Grasshopper is the one that is the most dynamic and best highlights the motion of the highway. The dynamism of the form also highlights the theme of progression – the aspiration of Wyndham as called for in the brief foe the Gateway Project.In order to put motion and colour together, we have explored another two forms that has multiple view points, in which the colour changes as one moves along. The first design uses the angles the small panels sit to show the colour of the underside from behind and the colour of the top side from the front.With only two views, we feel that we need more viewpoints as the GASP! Project managed to produce multiple viewpoints without the help of digital tools. Hence, the second form is very angular with multiple surfaces created by breaking a large surface into smaller surfaces. Different colour could be applied to each surface and each side so that the sculpture changes more as one moves along the highway.

55 // 56

Weathering Patterns

Here, we explored two different ways to use weathering to create interest: weathering to show patterns and weathering of colour.Pattern weathering combines the previous exploration of patterns with time. The patterns are generated parametrically and the panel will be allowed to weather. In the stop-motion video, we can see that the pattern only reveals itself through time as the weak spots are weathered away.The colour weathering examples below are inspired by the changing colour of de Young Museum.

57 // 58

Weathering

59 // 60

Experiment 1The first colour weathering example draws its colour (red and blue) from the logo of Wyndham City Council. As one of the quotes states that stains on a building show its capacity for resistance, we decided to stain a bottom sculpture with the “weathered” colours from the first. The staining did not work out as well, probably because we did not wait for the paint to dry before adding more water. However, the mix of reds and blues on the base created a very interesting pool/river of colour, something we will explore further with the site contours.

61 // 62

Experiment 2The second colour weathering example explores the effects of double-layered colours. As the purple washes away, the yellow beneath reveals itself, and finally the translucent polypropylene sheets. In the process, the colour themselves created interesting patterns on the parametrically designed form.

63 // 64

II.I. Concept

Part II. Project Proposal

The design for the Wyndham Gateway project proposed by our group combines the two weathering experiments we have explored in our Expression of Interest (EOI). We took the idea of staining from our first experiment and the idea of multiple layers from the second experiment to form the basis of our design development with the underlying theme of weathering.

Weathering is usually associated with a negative connotation – corrosion, damage, ruin. This is contradicting the “longevity” as per required by the design brief. However, as much as weathering removes, it adds to the building – stains, cracks, life form (algae and moss, for example). This is what the proposal will focus on: exploiting the aesthetics of weathering to our advantage. Where weathering usually ends the life of a building, this is where our proposed design begins. We wanted to create an icon for Wyndham that showcases the effects of weathering, creating a tension

between the idea of an everlasting icon and the impermanence of materials. Moreover, by factoring in weathering as part of the design, the sculpture no longer requires any maintenance. Ironically, hence, weathering itself becomes the symbol of longevity in our design.

The effects of weathering cause continuous and irreversible changes in the chemical structure of the materials. The process is unpredictable and slow. This is a good metaphor to Wyndham’s aspiration to break away from its stagnant past as in order to so the city must never return to its previous state of stagnancy. Moreover, just like weathering, the future is unpredictable but the city will continuously change and grow (at least from the current trend) Therefore, the design will grow and change slowly together with the city as it metamorphoses; both forever without a completion date.

“Finishing ends construction, weathering constructs finishes.”

-Mostafavi and Leatherbarrow, On Weathering: The Life of Buildings in Time

(1997), p.5

“Stains on a building are evidence of its capacity for resistance.”

-Kolarevic and Malkawi, Performative Architecture: Beyond Instrumentality (2005),

p.14

65 // 66

II.II. Design Development

Part II. Project Proposal

II.II.1 Form Finding

67 // 68

Early on in the design process (as mentioned in the EOI) our group has decided that the form will be kept simple. For this, we have decided to approach the design as an “object-centred individual sculpture” rather than an “experiential approach”. As an object in space, we want the design to announce to the driver that they are approaching Wyndham city from far (static) but up close the sculpture becomes much more dynamic. We respond to this criterion by looking at the lines of motion of the vehicles on the highway into Site A, which we think is the most prominent site out of the 3. Site forces become the main drivers for the form.

Melbourne

Geelong

Wyndham

55o

Two strong lines of motion extend from Melbourne and Geelong in opposing direction towards the site.

55o

The two lines meet at the centre of Site A with an existing hill. The hill is the most visible feature of the site and is chosen as the location the sculpture will stand.

With the existing contours of the site, the two lines clash and project upwards, hence the sculpture will take the form of a tower.

The sketches show the initial ideas of two lines intertwining as they meet, but were rejected in favour of two strips generated using the property value growth of Wyndham in Grasshopper. The strips will cross the highway (creating a ‘tunnel’ in the process) from Site C into Site A to form the tower.

The sketch design above did not incorporate vision lines of drivers (orange arrows). They enter the site at a more oblique angle.

Vision lines held back by the tower and the hill. Therefore they do not extend over it.

To capture attention of the viewers, the vision lines must linger around the tower. The orange strips are translated into a pair of veils that wraps around the tower to direct the view of the drivers towards the tower. The tower is then twisted based on the prevailing winds of the site not only to make it more dynamic but to allow more rain to hit the tower to facilitate weathering.

Data obtained from the Bureau of Meteorology. Resultant vector of the winds are calculated in Grasshopper.

Final form and site plan

69 // 70

II.II. Design Development

Part II. Project Proposal

II.II.2 Striations

Early Iterations

1 2 3 4 5 6 1 Looks like bullet holes. When rust starts to collect and over flow, the stain pattern would look like gun shot wound.2 Incisions are made at the top as points of water collection.3 - 4 Two variations of striations (angular and rounded)5 Extended version of 3.6 Additional striations at the bottom for plants to creep onto the sculpture. The result is strongly reminiscent of Gothic arcitecture which has little to do with Wyndham. Furthermore, the striations are too vertical which makes the future flow path very predictable. This does not reflect the full potentials of the effects of weathering.

Design Criteria

-Striations should guide water flow so as to create the most interesting flow pattern that takes showcases the aesthetic potentials of weathering-Ability to change the path of flow by itself over time -Even spread across the entire surface but the striations should not be too regular-Right density of striations-Ability of water to flow across all four surfaces

The striations are our efforts to try to control the uncontrollable, i.e. rain water flow. The element of uncertainty becomes the primary interest of the design.

After the initial striation developments, we decided to wrap the box in irregular grids. This is because the horizontal striations in the grid will disrupt the vertical rainwater flow (due to gravity). The striations should be slanting and not perfectly horizontal nor perfectly vertical for maximum effect. With this in mind, the following is the design criteria we have set out for ourselves:

Conc

eptua

l Ske

tch

71 // 72

Detail shot of 1:100 model

Distribution

Dens

ity

Final

Desig

n Iter

ation

s

Too little striations

Distribution uneven Density too low, distributionuneven

Regular pattern could be observed. Distribution of vertical striations uneven

Too little striations Too little striations

73 // 74

Right density, right distributionand right irregularity

Even distribution but too regular.

Too little striations Too little striations Too little striations

Vertical striations converge to one corner, hence,

rejected.

Both look promising

Both could have higher striation density.

Regularity starts to emerge

+ =

All the iterations on the previous spread are generated with 2 different grids. The one on the left above will be covered in metal and are sites of the weathering process. The other one with thinner striations are open grooves that function to collect the rusty water generated from the former. As it is shallow, these striations will only become obvious over time after they are stained by the rusty water they collect.

Two Grids

Water Flow Changes in Time

Year 0 Year 3 Year 5 Year 10~

II.II. Design Development

Part II. Project Proposal

II.II.3 Naming

75 // 76

We have decided to name the design proposal “Reveal” due to the multiple layers of ‘revealing’ incorporated into the design. Time operates at two very different time scales in our proposal. The first one is incredibly long at about 30 years or more which involves the weathering of the materials and slow staining of the sculpture by the by products of weathering. The other is short as one drives along the highway.

The tower will reveal itself in three different manners through the two distinct time scales. The first manner of revealing is in the metal striations. The striations are made of steel and copper with steel as the sacrificial metal when they come in contact as steel is more reactive than copper in the galvanic series. Rainwater will be the natural electrolyte for the process. By exploiting this property, we have designed the ‘pipes’ with sacrificial steel cover over copper underlay so that after a few years when all the steel has disintegrated, the copper underneath will be revealed. After that, the copper will start to oxidise and turn turquoise-green as patina forms. This will take

Revealover 30 years to occur as copper is a relatively inert metal.

The second and third manner of revealing is through the veil that wraps around the tower. The veil will be made of a thin sheet of steel that will be allowed to rust. At first, the smoothness of the sheet metal veil provides a strong contrast against the complex striations on the tower. As it starts to rust, colour and texture will start to appear, more so as it starts to disintegrate. As the veil is being slowly corroded away and disappear into the landscape, the entire tower will be slowly revealed (the second manner of revealing).

The third way the towel reveals itself is concerned with the short time period the driver is driving past the tower. The veil is curved in such a way so as not only to direct the driver’s view towards the tower, it also opens up the view of the bottom part of the tower only when the driver is close to it. The twist at the base of the tower makes it appear to be dynamic up close as one drives along the highway but static afar.

1) Materiality2) Veil3) Motion

77 // 78

1) Materiality

2) Veil

3) Motion - Driving Towards Geelong

II.II. Design Development

Part II. Project Proposal

II.II.4 Construction

79 // 80

With the stains of weathering as part of the main design, a suitable “canvas” is required for staining. The base ‘canvas’ on which the staining will occur will be made of precast reinforced concrete panels. Each face of the twisted box is broken down into smaller panels. Then, the formwork for each panel will be individually CNC milled for the striations.

The construction for the sacrificial steel cover and copper underlay are pretty self explanatory in the diagrams. But the reason we hollowed out the “tubes” is so that they will hold rainwater and accelerates the weathering process to reveal the copper beneath sooner. Plus, once the tubes are perforated, it changes the water flow throughout the sculpture and hence, the stain patterns. Brass nails are used to attach the tubes to the concrete panels because it will not corrode like iron will do and hence will continue hold the copper in place after the sacrificial steel has completely corroded.

Steel bolts are added to the sculpture for three functions: 1) to add additional texture to the surface, 2) to create additional gradient of staining intensity on the tower and 3) to add accent and rhythm to the tower’s surface.

The veil will be a simple and thin sheet of iron which will be anchored into the ground.

Veil Anchor Detail

Tower Construction Details

Brass Nails

Steel Bolts

Steel Cov er Copper UnderlayPrecast Concrete Panel(formwork CNC milled)

Precast Concrete Panel(formwork CNC milled)

2mm thick iron sheet (exposed)

Iron sheet anchors coated with corrosion resistant barrierburied undrground

0mm 100 200 300 400 500

II.II. Design Development

Part II. Project Proposal

II.II.5 Shortcoming

81 // 82

One of the major concerns over the design is its environmental friendliness due to the fact that Werribee South Green Wedge is located right on the south boundary of the site (Wyndham City Council 2010, p.13). We have looked back at the use of colours in the design in our EOI. Initially we wanted to use paints and dyes to colour the tower which will eventually peel/wash off and a new layer will be painted on by local artists. A series of shallow pools will be used to collect the contaminated water. However, the contaminated water would need to be redirected to another location to be treated and this contradicts with one of the major advantages of our design – little or no maintenance required. Hence, after multiple discussions, we have decided to eliminate the use of paints and dyes in favour of the use of metals.

From multiple gardening articles I have read

on the internet, rust is not an environmental hazard as it is rather stable and takes a long time for it to release iron ions that could be taken up by the plants. Copper however, could upset the soil chemistry and affect plant growth (Kucharski, Lajszner and Wyszkowska 2006). One solution to this is through phyto-mining – using plants that could hyper-accumulate heavy metals (known as hyperaccumulators) to remove the toxic copper from the soil (Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation n.d.) Haumaniastrum robertii, commonly known as Copper Flower (pictured above), is one such copper hyperaccumulator. (ANSTO n.d.)

EnvironmentalConcerns

Pollution potential of weathered materials is a major drawback of the design.

Haumaniastrum robertii

Pools generated using the demographics of Wyndham city in Grasshopper

83 // 84

II.III. Model Making

Part II. Project Proposal

85 // 86

Paper Model1:50Model unsuccessful

top

3

1

2

5

4

bottom1

2

4

5

3

Unfolded geometry of a face of the twisted box

Process

Cut

Score and label

Join and fold

Reinforce with foamboards

After completing the model, we realised that the geometry for the twisted box is too complex to be rationalised into 2D geometries. We decided to sculpt one with DAS clay.

DAS Clay Model

For this model, we decided to scale it down to 1:100 for two reasons:

1) Practical reasons: To save material and hence reduce the weight of the final model so that it is more portable with reduced risk of snapping in half by its own weight during transportation.

2) Design reasons: The thickest wire we can find is still slightly thinner than the required dimensions at 1;100. To make it at 1:50 would cause the striations to appear thinner than intended and that will be misleading.

We have also decided to make a 1:250 model for the stop motion video as the biggest practical scaled site model is 1:250. I did a small scale testing with modelling clay before building the final models with DAS clay.

1:100 and 1:250Final Model

1:100 final model

1:250 sketch model 1:250 final model

87 // 88

Model Making Process (1:100 model)

1

2 3 4

The process for both 1:250 and 1:100 models are similar. The 1:250 model making stops at step 6 so that it can appear as the ‘newly built’ sculpture.1 Building the base2 Adding reinforcements3 Adding the top half to the base and twisting the model4 Fixing the twist5 Drying the model with additional support to minimise slumping. Satay sticks are then used to ‘carve out’ the exposed striations before the model completely dries following the grid printed out.6 Model is sanded and cleaned. Copper and steel wires are glued onto the surface according to the grid. Iron nails are then embedded into the model.7 Rust water and copper (II) sulphate solution are applied to the final model to give the model a weathered look. 5 6 7

Stereolitographed Model1:250Final ModelWe have also decided to 3D print another 1:250 model as the size limits the detailing of our DAS clay model (it has less but thicker striations). The model is stereolitographed and made of a resin called Accura Xtreme.

The model is very accurate but semi-translucent. The details, however, are too fine to be captured in for the stop-motion video. Therefore, the rougher DAS clay model is actually more useful to us and suited to our purposes.

89 // 90

Stop-Motion Video MakingAs the only large enough surface for our site model is the floor (the site model is made of 8 separate 900x600 box boards), using a tripod would not be practical. The solution is strapping the camera down to a note book (with some foam board added to balance the model) so that the camera could be ‘driven’ along the highway smoothly to take the photos for the video.

The set

The camera as “car”

Speeding up WeatheringIn order to obtain rust and patina quickly, we revisited high school chemistry. Rust is mainly obtained by soaking steel wires in salt (as in table salt) water together with copper wire to accelerate the rate of corrosion.

Electrolysis is used to generate patina on small pieces of copper tube. Salt water is the electrolyte with copper as the anode (connected to the battery’s positive terminal) and iron as the cathode (negative). The solution turns blue as a result of the formaion of copper (II) ions. Patina is formed after removing the copper from the solution and left to dry. If the terminals are reversed, steel rusts quickly.

We did not manage to get long coils of copper wires to oxidise probably due to the electrical resistance. The battery became very hot and we stopped the experiment in fear of explosion.

3

1 2

1 Electrolysis in progress.2 Resultant blue solution3 Patina formed

89 // 90

III.I. Personal Background

Part III. Learning Objectives and Outcomes

and Learning Objectives

Prior to this studio, my only experience with digital modelling and fabrication was back in 2010 when I was doing a subject aptly called ‘Virtual Environments’. I have avoided the use of digital technology throughout my first and second years of architecture education because I find them very restrictive due to the lack to technical skills and knowledge. I thought I could design and draw faster using pens and pencils. Therefore, towards the end of the summer break when it was announced that the studio will focus on parametric modelling, it was a great shock. I have never used Rhinoceros (Google SketchUp was used in Virtual Environments) and have only seen the name Grasshopper once or twice before. This meant that not only was I thrown into the unfamiliar sea of digital design technology, I must learn to swim through it as quickly as possible as well.

Looking at the learning objectives in the University Handbook, two major skills which are different from the previous studios I have taken are 1) develop skills in various three-dimensional media and 2) further develop an ability to make a case for proposals. These are the two skills which I lacked the most in the face of the course at the start of the semester.

Knew Nothing

91 // 92

III.II. Learning Progress

Part III. Learning Objectives and Outcomes

Now at the end of the semester, I have learnt a lot from this compact and intense course. I remember talking to Loren during the first studio about not comprehending the mechanisms of Grasshopper at all and she told me about the steep and stepped learning curve of Grasshopper. She is right. After the first few weeks, I begin to understand the data flow and most importantly the data structure of Grasshopper. I could design in Grasshopper in many ways which were previously ignored as they are too complicated to be designed by hand. The direct visual feedback from the programme makes the design process quick and efficient.

At first I had to rely completely on the ExLab tutorial sheets to write a definition (which I may not completely understand) but the turning point came at around Week 5 for the Reverse Engineering exercise. I started to break down the components of the design for Dior’s envelop deign and succeeded in writing out the Grasshopper definition which is very close to the original design. (Now I realised that the attractor curves should lie on the grid of points in such as manner so that they coincide and the pattern generated will be symmetrical. Perhaps the tree structure could be altered so that the attractor curves are drawn in Grasshopper but this seems to be a more troublesome way than drawing the curves directly in Rhinoceros.) However, I still consider myself a beginner because I still rely on the Grasshopper discussion board whenever I am stuck and VB scripts are still alien to me. This is probably the plateau for me right now in the learning curve. The next step will be the

mastering of many more components and plug-ins (so far I have only used WeaverBird and LunchBox) in Grasshopper and VB scripting.

Another important aspect is of course, making arguments in architecture design and proposal making. This had been the most research-heavy studio so far and had opened up my eyes to the complex and interesting world of architectural discourse. Previously, the justifications I made for my designs are based on personal interpretation of the project brief and the site only. That was not all bad but the arguments sound much more convincing when it is backed up by scholarly articles. By reading the articles provided as well as through personal research, I learnt to analyse a building deeper and critique it. Our group has also learnt to challenge the brief by coming out with a concept that inherently opposes one of the major requirements – longevity. The final outcome had shown that while we are challenging it, that requirement is also being fulfilled and this is what makes the project unique and interesting (at least among us).

Time

Lear

ning P

rogr

ess

Week 12Week 5Week0

Future?

BumpyRoad

93 // 94

III.III. Learning Outcomes

Part III. Learning Objectives and Outcomes

Early semester or before

Week 12

Gras

shop

per a

nd R

hinoc

eros

Photo

grap

hy

The most complicated definition written for Week 2.

Definition written for final model.

Photograph of final model for Designing Environments. God’s view does not

reflect the design in a realistic manner.(Year 1, Semester 2)

Photograph of final model for ADS Air at eye level. Better lighting and composition.

(Year 3, Semester 1) 95 // 96

Early semster or before

Week 12Ma

king A

rgum

ents

“...Competitions such as the 2012 eVolo Skyscraper Competition could further advance the discourse in architecture by challenging the preconceptions, in this case, on skyscrapers... The designs are grounded in real-world issues, yet

their solutions are closer to fantasies as there are no real world restrictions like gravity and cost in the virtual world.

The digital platform enables one to free oneself from these considerations. It is the ingenuity, the creativity, and the

new ways of thinking that will help future architects to produce better and more

humane designs.

This, I think, is our zeitgeist, and hence parametric design is the best approach

to the Gateway project.”

Excerpt from the previous journal

“...It is precisely this focus on precedent-based design of the studio (ADS:

Water) itself that become the source of architectural discourse. Contrast that with this studio’s (ADS: Air) aim for students to rethink architecture

via the digital design medium. While designing based on the principles of

past master’s works have its own merits (since they have been time-tested

to be successful), will it be “exciting”, “eye-catching” or “brave” enough

for the Wyndham Gateway Project? It probably will not. In order to “generate

[a] discourse”, those time-tested-to-be-successful design principles and

strategies should be replaced by those which are still young and has not been fully exploited, i.e. parametric designs

(Burry 2011). It would be the better design path of the two in order to meet

the Wyndham City Council Selection Panel and Advisory Group’s aims and

expectations for the project.”

Excerpt from this journal (Part I.I.1, Personal Project) - better articulated

with a stronger argument relating back to the brief and properly referenced.

Stop

-moti

on Vi

deo

none

This was the first time I have made any stop-motion videos. Not only was

the process fun, I have learnt the importance of them in bringing life to

the design. Once animated, it becomes very easy to imagine what the building would look like in real life, and hence will also reflect the design’s strengths

and weaknesses.

Mid-semester videos:1) http://www.youtube.com/

watch?v=xk5g3b5mgIM2) http://www.youtube.com/

watch?v=IvyG_YnaTTc3) http://www.youtube.com/

watch?v=GVFqYdekbFI

Final Submission videos:1) http://www.youtube.com/

watch?v=KHlu7mHKG1I2) http://www.youtube.com/

watch?v=Ra9Lpwpfa2o

With motion involved in the first video for the final submission, it is much more

difficult to control the shaking of the camera even though it is already

strapped down as much as possible. It was an interesting experience

nevertheless having had to bend in awkward positions to take the photos.

Early semester or before

Week 12

Detai

ling D

esign

Details drawn for ADS Earth back in Year 2, Semester 1. Little thought was

put into the construction system of the building (detail shows the joint of a truss

to a wall)

Materials are specified and the disgram explains the construction system. More thought were given into why particular material is chosen as well as the shape

of the elements (as per explained in Part II.II.4)

Steel Bolts

Steel Cov erCopper Underlay

Precast Concrete Panel(formwork CNC milled)

Expe

rimen

ting w

ith M

odels

The most I have experimented with models is with lighting. I would never have

dared to do anything damaging to my models.

Photo shows the headpiece made for Virtual Environments in Year 1, Semester 1

This semester I broke away from my comfort zone and added water to the models to see the effects produced.

The model broke halfway through the experiment, but that paved the way for our group for the rest of the semester.

97 // 98

III.IV. Future Work

Part III. Learning Objectives and Outcomes

The skills I have learnt through the semester had been valuable. The studio is my first step into the world of parametric design which paved a new path for my future design career. Even if I do not pursue parametric design in the future, Grasshopper and Rhinoceros are much more efficient at producing drawings (in vectors which are of better quality than scanned copies of hand drawn works, another advantage) and makes 3D digital modelling easier and more flexible. I realised this when I managed to produce the series of brass nails in one of the construction diagrams using Grasshopper under 10 minutes. I no longer have to worry too much about drawing complex geometry or redraw repeating elements as the two aforementioned programmes work in conjunction to facilitate the process.

Right now, I still have mixed feeling about parametric design but regardless of the future, all the skills and ideas I learnt in this studio are definitely beneficial towards my dreams of becoming an architect.

Miscellaneous

99 // 100

aspirations of Wyndham city further.

Week 5: I have always seen forces being transferred down a building in straight columns but this week’s lecture opened up my thinking. Performative architecture is a rather interesting branch of digital design in which the optimised form for the load bearing elements in a building with multiple point loads is surprisingly complex. It is not at all the traditional columns but a complex web of materialised load paths.

I loved the reverse engineering task this week. This is why I did an extra case-study (OMA’s IIT) for the week as it was being discussed in the Facebook forum. The definition is difficult to understand at first, but after asking in the Grasshopper3D forum, the data flow made sense and I succeeded in modifying it slightly (more shapes for cut-out and I “negative” the picture in the image sampler). It is like puzzle-solving, breaking down what I see into logical steps and try to recreate them. The Grasshopper3D forum was really helpful. I learnt a lot form these exercises.

Week 6: Data tree was so confusing and after the readings and ExLab tutorials, I understood it better and learnt about its importance. It allowed me to extract the “cells” from the Grasshopper definition I have written (Form2) using the “Path Mapper” and “List Item” component. I changed the data tree structure so that each “cell” is a branch that could be more easily extracted.

I liked Stanislav’s view on ornaments as well, in which he mentioned in the lecture that he thinks that Modern architecture has their own ornament just expressed in a very different manner. After listening to Moussavi’s lecture, I agree with him. If we look at a building stripped of ornaments but it is beautiful per se, does it not make the building itself an ornament?

Non-Teaching Week: Our group explored the moiré effect by making a few small scale models. It turns out that moiré effect is only the strongest while the plane is perpendicular to the sightline. This might not be good for the drivers because it is potentially distracting. Moreover, the lines must be close and thin enough, and the background must be opaque for it to be apparent. The required opaque wall breaks the view of the driver across the landscape of the highway. This is not what we want and I think we will be abandoning this idea and search for a new direction.

Week 7: Our group finally found the direction we want to go after the lecture this week.

Week 1: I have never really thought of architecture as a discourse. I am aware that there are battles between theories and ideas on architecture throughout the history but I always see them as a search for an answer for the question “What is architecture?” By phrasing “architecture as a discourse”, it throws a new light on this matter. A discourse allows room for negotiation. Battles do not.

Week 2: I had my first taste in digital design this week by using Grasshopper for the first time. The Rotate3D exercise really got me excited as a simple line is now transformed into a complex set of lines that have the potential to be lofted into a complex surface. I also liked the term Kolarevic used to describe these digital tools – “colleague” – because it suggests co-operation. When I was doing my Grasshopper definitions, I have to understand the workflow of Grasshopper in order for me and the programme to communicate.

Week 3: “Serendipity may play a part [in the scripting design process], but a possible surprising influence rather than as a driver.” (Burry, 2011, p.15)

Although my experience of scripting in Grasshopper is still extremely little, I would have to disagree with Burry on this to some extent. I agree that results I got from the scripting are, more often than not, pleasant surprises, because I do not have any preconceived idea on the form I am looking for. However, in my opinion, for a beginner like me, using serendipity as a ‘driver’ could be beneficial in the learning process. I see them as the unknown carrot tied to a stick in front of me; it baits me to go further and experiment a bit more to see if I can get more interesting results.

Of course, Burry is speaking from the point of view of an advanced scripter, whom if relying totally on serendipity in the creative design process is simply foolish, and even more so if the design will be built. With a project brief and a site, form finding through scripting could no longer be completely experimental. Real world parameters such as budget, site boundary and structural integrity come into the equation.

Week 4: I enjoyed playing around the definitions this week. My design process is more to the “search” Kalay mentioned in the reading in Week 2. I start with one of the “Input” definitions provided on the LMS and started to combine more of them by thinking “What else can I do to the geometry?” until I find the results satisfactory. The lecture this week really helped to clear up what the Gateway project is about and clarifies the

Weekly Reflections

Before this, we were exploring patterns and optical illusions but they are not too interesting for us. Weathering, however, opens up many possibilities which could make the project more interesting without having had to create complex patterns or forms. We talked about the possibility of building the Gateway project with bio-degradable materials such as paper, boards or even seeds that will slowly disintegrate. We want to use Grasshopper as means to explore the form and let weathering add to the design.

Week 8: This week’s lecture talked about kinetic structures and motions. The Bolte Bridge precedent caught my attention as it is the sheer size of the piers that makes the driver aware of the motion itself. This is something to think about for the design proposal about the appropriate scale for Gateway project.

Week 9: This week’s guest lecturer from McBride Charles Ryan talked about the integration of industries in architectural practice and how that will affect the division of the budget for a project (such as labour, material and freight). I agree with him on the part on ‘optimisation of budget’ in which architects should make sure as much as possible the money spent stays in the building (i.e. minimise the cost of labour and freight). I think this is good architectural ethics because while the client pays for the services of an architect, the ultimate goal for the client is still a good building designed and that should be reflected in the outcome not the process.

Week 10: I loved the stop motion videos shown in the lecture this week! Our group has decided to make one for the final presentation since the effects of weathering is best shown in animation rather than still images. We are considering writing a story line for the videos and film it if we have the time and skills.

Week 11: This week had been intense! We have finally nailed down a design for the final submission. We side-tracked in the previous weeks focusing on the form of the design rather than bringing out the full potentials of the effects of weathering.

After making the models, we realised that the scale makes bringing people into the stop-motion video not practical. Full grown man would only be 7mm tall at 1:250 and will not photograph well. We liked the idea of an UFO in the video to represent the future so it will be photoshopped into the images.

Week 12: Stanislav explained the full purpose of the subject in the lecture this week and I am glad that I attended because it vented off a lot of my frustrations before. He said that he

had not given too much clear cut instructions before because the clearer they are, the more limiting they become. While this is debatable, I do see his point in terms of designing.

I am glad that I have survived the semester after 12 weeks of swimming in unfamiliar waters. It had been a tough and intense course but I have learnt a great deal.

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A huge thank you to my group members: Nadira, Elsa and Izzat, as well as my tutors Loren and Chris.

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British Pavilion http://api.ning.com/files/Mq-EdVjcYJVGSnrAtNXydhH*CxiQWYsXYbUhBC8lefcqf4AHpQUdwgRs2uZsvQtIAsmIgh9HqGYXA0-J6wTT9nklNQJxX24I/ShanghaisExponearlyready.jpg

AirSpace Tokyo http://www.archicubed.com/beta/files/2010/03/779b6ed6b9.jpg

Dior Ginza http://figure-ground.com/data/japan/a-d/0021.jpghttp://www.flickr.com/photos/archiryan/4084973493/sizes/o/in/photostream/http://www.japan-photo.de/D-MOD-A18-14.jpg

Blur Building http://www.dillerscofidio.com/works/blur/1.jpg

De Young Museum

http://www.thegogglesdonothing.com/photos/var/albums/goldengatepark/de_young_skin.jpeg?m=1310062009

Images // Beijing NationalStadium

http://www.flickr.com/photos/dperstin/3559833134/sizes/l/in/photostream/http://images.beijing2008.cn/20070516/Img214078107.jpghttp://www.flickr.com/photos/huguojian/2853530480/sizes/o/in/photostream/

Gehry Residence http://www.flickr.com/photos/william_veerbeek/2594108739/sizes/l/in/photostream/http://ad009cdnb.archdaily.net/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/1278335120-netropolitan1.jpghttp://ad009cdnb.archdaily.net/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/1278334422-soh1.jpghttp://video.aia.org/aiaawards/2012/2012-twenty-five-year/i/photo3.jpg

Beijing National Aquatics Centre

http://www.ptw.com.au/projects/watercube/big/2.jpghttp://www.flickr.com/photos/jeradkaliher/2247532831/sizes/m/in/photostream/http://www.ptw.com.au/projects/watercube/big/1.jpg

Emergent Field http://www.kokkugia.com/

Copper ColourChart

http://www.copper.org/applications/architecture/arch_dhb/finishes/weathering_chart.html

Haumanisatrumrobertii

http://copperflora.org/eflora/species.php?id_e=148

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