Studio Air ww

AIR

ABPL 30048 ARCHITECTURE STUDIO AIR 2016 STUDIO 06 Julian Rutten

Yuxiang Zhou 669009

contents

Introducion__1

Part A__3

Part B__43

1ww 2ww

INTRODUCTION

My name is Yuxiang Zhou. I am an un-dergraduate student at University of Mel-bourne. It’s the third year of my Bachelor of Environment, major in Architecture. I was born in China and received education until the second year of my high school. I stayed in Sydney for one year as an inter-national foundation student in UNSW. I appreciate my experience in Sydney be-cause I get the chance to know two me-tropolises of Australia so far. I know it’s more important in terms of architecture to know large-scale cities as an architectural student.

I like building and design. Interestingly, I found I can replace them by one word, Architecture. That’s my reason to choose this major for my undergraduate study and future career. I already went through a set of architectural subjects in the past two years. Architectural design studios are my favorite subjects so far. Firstly, I learnt architectural histories and theories from them. Then, I tried to learn and use digital design programs in projects.

One of my favorite architect is Antoni Gaudi, who designed the Sagrada Famila. I can’t even imagine how he deals with

drawings and models on that time. He made a upside down model to evaluate the statics without the help of computer pro-grams. I have to say that’s a great innova-tion on the day. However, it’s the time of technology. Although I can’t just say it’s necessary for every architect to use digital design programs, it’s vital for me.

In the last two years, Although I touched on Rhino, Auto CAD, Photoshop, Inde-sign, and Illustrator for my projects, I am a freshman in parametric modelling as I never use Grasshopper before. I am glad to attend this Air Studio since this might be a starting point for me to explode free-form architecture, like Zaha’s projects. How-ever, beyond dramatic form and paramet-ric modelling, I believe technology serve for the future. I’ d like to find out how to connect technology and sustainability by architecture. Like the first title of journal saying, Design Futuring.

"The dominant mode of utilizing computers was that of computerization in the past, in contrast, computation or computing was generally limited as a computer-based design tool."[1]

43ww 44ww

Part bcontents

B.01 Research Field __44

B.02 Case Study 1.0__50B1. Research Field

B.03 Case Study 2.0__55

B.06 Technique: Proposal__73

B.04 Technique: Development __63

B.05 Technique: Prototypes__68

B.07 Learning Objectives and Outcomes__76

B.08 Appendix - Algorithmic Sketches__77

45ww

'Flying robots have different capabilities to established mechanical devices that may disrupt the conditions for how architecture is designed and materialized'. (Kohler 2012)[1]

46ww 47ww

building with drones

The fabrication or production methods always influenced design in the long history. Previously, crafts-manship aggregates design and production into one field that bring them closer. Although craftsmanship no longer dominant the design phase in architecture, design and fabrication still influence and accelerate each other.

It is hardly to see such a genius like Antoni Gaudi, who started the parametric design without any precedents and digital tools. The great work behind the amazing organic style were numerous mathematical geometry references and transformations. The emergence of parametric modelling programs provide architects opportunities to design impossible geometries even beyond Gaudi, while the development of digital fabrication assist architects transform digital models to physical structure.

Robotic fabrication has been developed for factory au-tomation for years, the most common application could refer to the automobile production line employing indus-trial robots. It is no doubt that industrial robots are com-monly more accurate, flexible, and reliable than human beings in production, they always increase the productiv-ity with reduced operational costs[2] (preface). Industrial robots are architects’ friends that fabricate architectural artefacts quickly and precisely.

The most common digital fabrication devices today are almost fixed to the ground, for example, robotic arm or CNC-machine because the static environment ensures precision in material manipulation [3]. The precision is hardly to be an advantage of robotics without the static base, the early application of flying vehicles just touch on the transportation towards inaccessible sites. For ex-ample, helicopters had been used in bridge construction since 1950s, to transport prefabricated building elements to the site and to string pilot cables between two sides [4].

However, recent developments in sensing, computation and control system began to recovery flying robots’ weak-ness and accelerate their application in robotic fabrica-tion [5]. The technology development always challenge current design thinking and extend designer’s vision.

Flying robots have different capabilities to established mechanical devices that may disrupt the conditions for how architecture is designed and materialized.[6]

One of the world leading team in aerial construction research program was established by Professor Raffa-ello D’Andrea in the Institute for Dynamic Systems and Control of ETH University. This team collaborated with architects Gramazio & Kohler to create Flight Assembled Architecture, the world first architectural installation as-sembled by flying robots [7].

This aerial construction was conceived as a 1:100 model of a 600 m high vertical village, and this 6-meter tall tower was assembled by four quadrocopters with 1500 foam bricks [8].

As the early research of Flight Assembled Architecture, this tower does not reveal how creative these robots are because the form had been decided before the aerial construction. Except digital modelling program, a set of programs were developed for each step in construc-tion process. Firstly, the design was completed by the digital model programs. Once the design finished, the visible geometry was transformed to be data that can be understood by computers and flying robots, data could represent all necessary information such as brick location and the order in which parts should be assembled.

[1]http://inhabitat.com/flying-drones-autonomously-build-a-24-foot-rope-bridge-strong-enough-for-humans/drone-rope-bridge-by-eth-zurich-2/

[2] FRAC Centre Collection: Vertical Village 1:100 Model

48ww 49ww

The remarkable advantages of Flight Assembled Architecture, in this case, are the accuracy of element’s location and height flexibility. Firstly, the patterning of bricks was generated by diverse location for each brick, the tiny location change would be complicated or even impossible for manual assembly. However there is no difficulty at all for flying robots to deal with data of slightly changed coordinate. The accuracy can also be found from other fabrication robots like CNC machine and robotic arms fixing to the ground, but they have the limitation in height. Flying robots are capable to assemble building elements in a much higher location.

Architects provided the fantasy scenario for this flight assembled building, using flying machine to construct a vertical village for 30000 inhabitants [9]. In the cur-rent conditions of technology, it is only seen as paper architecture. A set of supplementary sensing and control systems beyond four quadrocopters contribute to localize working robots in unstructured environ-

ments [10]. For this 600 m tower, current technology could not ensure the stability of the construction process as same as this 1:100 model assembled in the indoors environment. Firstly, the real building need to consider the connection between each units and how to stabilize the structure for resisting external forces in environments such as wind, earthquake. Then it is only can use GPS to localize working ro-bots outdoors in the current stage however the GPS system cannot provide acceptable accuracy in the real construction until now.

[3] Rendered image of the Vertical Village[4] Drone is transporting foam brick

[5] Flying Machine’s freeway from drone control system, prevent miscommunication between drones

50ww 51ww

B2. Case Study 1.0

Structure exploration

Freeform surface + Grid

Gridshell

Tunnel

Tensile Membrane

52ww 53ww

Selection Criteria

My selection criteria will base on the functionality and potentials for aerial robot fabrications.

1. I chose the geometry of the freeform surface with diamond grid. The surface looks dynamic and organic which have the potential to be built in different sites. According to the rendered image, I lofted the diamond frames then extrude lofted surfaces, finally I got a timber waffle structure. This timber waffle is suitable for both indoors and outdoors functions. It can be the ceiling of a large office which pro-vide open space for its dynamic aesthetic. And the timber waffle was designed as an outside pavilion called ‘Metropol Parasol’.

2. The second geometry is the surface with strip patterns. The pattern was applied on the freeform surface, it is easier to assemble com-paring the timber waffle structure. I chose this geometry and want to develop further to be structural elements for drone fabrication. The scaffoldings used by ETH tensile bridge are not reasonable to use in the projects for the public.

3. The third one is a grid shell finished by timber. It is supposed to be both structural element and functional space while it can be devel-oped to be frames or scaffoldings for tensile cable structure fabricated by flying robots. The hexagon pattern provides necessary space for drone to fly around.

4. The fourth iteration is a crazy abstract form like the sculpture. Although it looks ridiculous, it’s a rational form from the fixed data and matching methods. It reminds me of designing monumental spaces by related data behind the geometry, it tends to be a social and culture expression by manipulate geometry from data.

54ww 55ww

B3. Case Study 2.0

The membrane structure is the one I was interested. The first reason is about construction. Membranes are always prefabricated in the factory and assembled on site. It is exposed to have potentials for faster construction and easy assembly. The second reason would be the ca-pability of dynamic and organic form because it can be tensile that makes it flexible for diverse site conditions. Finally, there are possibilities for drone to transport fixing cables into specific locations because they can fly to somewhere people hard to reach.

56ww 57ww

The case study 2.0 is about Aerial Construction which means Building structure with flying machines. The research project was leaded by Prof. Raffaello D’Andrea of ETH Zurich University, they have completed the rope bridge with flying machines. It demonstrates small flying machines are capable of realizing load bearing structures at full-scale.

This project requires the development of nonstandard material systems, digital design and construction processes, then with controlling strategies study on the relationship between digital design and fabrication process [11]. It’s the potential for me to study and understand how to develop parametric design and realize the fabrication by the aid of algorithm design programs.

Flying machines could reach any point somewhere human hard to reach, they can fly in or around existing objects. However, they have constraints of limited payload, battery and ac-curacy. This tensile structure was constructed in indoor static environment which increase the accuracy as much as possible, while it displayed its capabilities to localize and fix anchor points on scaffoldings.

Aerial ConstructionBuilding structures with flying machinesETH

The spanning of the bridge is 7.4 m between two scaffoldings while a total rope length about 120 m was used composing links, knots and braid [12]. Ropes are dispensed by a mo-torized spool equipped on quadrocopters that could control the tension acting on the rope during deployment, as the image shows, and a plastic tube guide the rope to the release point located between two propellers.

Material performance Ropes are made out of Dyneema with 3-4 diameters, the weight-to-strength ratio is 8-15 times lower than that of steel [13]. They are supposed to be low stretch, and effective water, chemical and UV-resistance.

[6]Full scale tensile bridge with 7.4m span between scaffoldings

[7] Motorized spool and plastic tube are equipped to dispense ropes

58ww 59ww

1. Fabrication start with anchor points on both scaffoldings, three drones work together for three anchor points.

2. Drones fly around the scaffolding to generate nodes like the photo shown above. Then three primary links were built, two on the top as hand strap, the botton support for walking. The colour balls show shape change of ropes, less tend to green and more tend to red. At this phase, colour averagely change means only gravity applied on ropes.

3. This tensile structure change its shape with every newly built interacting link. The link beween primary ropes reinforce the botton rope that is clear shown through the colour balls. Two drones are flying around the bottom rope to brace it, the braiding pattern is shown on the left. It is the process must be done by two or more drones work together.

4. There are total nine segments on the bottom rope, four with braidings. The connection ropes reinforce the bottom rope that support people to walk. It is much clear that, as a tensile strucure, this bridge change its shape on each node.

5. There are two more ropes between two scaffoldings in addition to three primary links. They are prepared to link extra ropes on bottom rope.

6. Two new links joined the central bottom rope. It stablize the structure when live loads on the top, the central link will remain its position in the middle instead of moving horizontally.

60ww 61ww

Technique: Grasshopper

I input three primary links (shortest straight line) into Grasshopper, and add links between nodes by the squence of construction process. All steps are simulated by Kangaroo engine to get the near-real curve shape. Each link will cause the bridge change its shape slightly.

Kangaroo's elastic behaviour follows Hooke's law which states: displacements or size of the deformation of a body is directly proportional to the deforming force or load. In accordance with Hooke's law, the change in length of the rope is:

x=F/k

Thus I use distance between the original and simulated cables to indentify load and force distributions on the primary rope.

62ww 63ww

B4. Technique: Development

64ww 65ww

66ww 67ww

Selection Criteria

With the further study and research on aerial construction, I was more interested in selecting itera-tions which can be fabricated with current drone technology. Flying machine have the shortage of low payload, thus most of materials are limited. Following the approach of the tensile bridge of ETH, our group plan to have similar elements and materials to construct a bridge structure. This structure was composed by structural elements (steel frame) and multifunctional elements (tensile rope or cable). Our project is different with ETH tensile bridge as the structural element is a part of design instead of normal scaffolding. The friction force between rope and steel is small which cannot hold rope in a certain area, thus a set of grooves was added to the design.

This geometry with triangle openings is the favourite, triangular as the simplest shape to form 3D space create dynamic geometry transitions on the surface. Also each face of this geometry looks like the harp, the further study it provide potentials for users not only observe chords but intersect with it.

68ww 69ww

B5. Technique: Prototypes

The test with prototypes followed the design potentials from previous research. The tensile structure is neces-sary to have rigid structural element such as scaffolding or loading bearing column. Flying machines have po-tential to fabricate on the existing structure by flying in or around it.

The structural element is primary, the first method that I personalize the structure is soldering. Then I got the other option like cable tie. The process of soldering cost me much time, it reminds me the same issue for work-ing on site. The angel of each steel wire are not perfect like we designed, the better solution is to fabricate the material with joint details. In other perspective, the design of the structural was over complicated. There are many different nodes and angles need to consider. We will develop a simple framework to solve this issue.

70ww 71ww

In the second step, I explored how drone could dispense and fasten ropes on the frame. I followed approaches introduced in the ETH tensile bridge project. I test the nodes and braids by hand. Ropes are not good at working with steel surface, all nodes can slide along the metal surface.

The other prototype test with a simple frame by timber. Firstly, a few columns and beams are placed as the primary structure. Each structural elements are equally divided to provide the potential for parametric design. The links between three beams brace each other. The further development would focus on the material of chord to provide sound within this bridge.

1. 421.

43

ANCHORING THREAD

In the first attempt, glue was used to anchor the thread onto the timber temporarily. However it’s not a practical nor a stable way to proceed. Therefore my group mate and I worked together particularly on the joint of timber and thread. We’ve discovered three ways to connect two elements:

ONE. Twine the thread onto the pin which was inserted into the timber. It’s the easiest and quickest way to do, but the thread is very likely to slide off.

TWO. Pass through the pin with a hole on its end. It’s easy and efficient. But it can be loose if either end of the thread is not anchored tightly.

THREE. Twine the thread onto the pin then knot. It’s time-consuming but tight, and each thread works independently in terms of tightness and stiffness.

Yet, our options are not limited to these three ways. There are certainly much more options to be discovered, such as sewing, or customized 3D printed joint elements, as long as the structure is stable, strings are tight, and preferably each string works independently to make different sound. Besides, the materials are not limited to timber and thread either. More case studies on actual musical instruments can be done to help discover more opportunities on acoustic materials, such as base wood, ebony, bamboo for a hard part, and brass, bronze or even natural fibers.

B.6 TECHNIQUE: PROPOSAL1. 42

1. 43

ANCHORING THREAD

In the first attempt, glue was used to anchor the thread onto the timber temporarily. However it’s not a practical nor a stable way to proceed. Therefore my group mate and I worked together particularly on the joint of timber and thread. We’ve discovered three ways to connect two elements:

ONE. Twine the thread onto the pin which was inserted into the timber. It’s the easiest and quickest way to do, but the thread is very likely to slide off.

TWO. Pass through the pin with a hole on its end. It’s easy and efficient. But it can be loose if either end of the thread is not anchored tightly.

THREE. Twine the thread onto the pin then knot. It’s time-consuming but tight, and each thread works independently in terms of tightness and stiffness.

Yet, our options are not limited to these three ways. There are certainly much more options to be discovered, such as sewing, or customized 3D printed joint elements, as long as the structure is stable, strings are tight, and preferably each string works independently to make different sound. Besides, the materials are not limited to timber and thread either. More case studies on actual musical instruments can be done to help discover more opportunities on acoustic materials, such as base wood, ebony, bamboo for a hard part, and brass, bronze or even natural fibers.

B.6 TECHNIQUE: PROPOSAL

72ww 73ww

B6. Technique: Proposal

1. 441.

45

B.6 TECHNIQUE:PROPOSAL- CHORD BRIDGE

DESIGN CONCEPT

To build an interactive acoustic bridge which allows people to play a music within the sound of nature.

SITE SELECTIONThe bridge is built across the creek. Our selected location is considered as quiet and only sound of water and birds can be heard. However the nice area does not have any reason for people to stay and have a listen to the sound of nature, where a few hundred meters away the only sound left is the noise from vehicles.

CLIENTThe bridge draws attention from pedestrians who would take a walk around the area and invite them to stay for a longer time. By providing a piece

of huge musical instrument, people would be more sensitive to the surrounding sound. The chord bridge not only functions as a recreational piece of infrastructure, but also builds intimacy between pedestrians and the natural reserve area. The anticipated result is a splendid piece of music composed by human and the nature.

MATERIAL SELECTION

Bamboo will be used for piers and holders as it’s more environmental friendly. For chords, Nylon strings are preferred, because they produce a clear sound and they have a relatively low risk from hurting users. A semi-transparent pathway is further added to the design, which allows people to walk on, so that they can see the creek running underneath the bridge while listening to the sound of it. But a drawback here would be the complicated replacement of chords .

DRONE TECHNOLOGYDrones can be used when building the strings. They can carry chords and twine them onto the joint. The reason drones are preferred than human labors is because a precise location and force can be input as a data, which results in different tightness and stiffness of each chord, which is fundamental for our bridge to work as a rational instrument instead of a noise-maker.

74ww 75ww

B6. Technique: Proposal

76ww 77ww

B7. Learning objectives and outcomes

In the study of part B, I was more confident about grasshopper. I realized the data structure is the base of geometry in grasshopper, it is a good idea to sort the data structure from the beginning of grasshopper definitions because it would be complicated to pick data issues out from the later complex definition. There are many handy plug-ins for GH to use, such as lunchbox and Kangaroo, the open source program provide much potentials for people to develop. This plug-in is not only a digital design program to use, but a platform to share ideas and knowledges by people from multi disciplines. I have toughed some basic components from the Kangaroo, I found it not only a program to analysis physics, but capable for form finding, physical properties link the structure and design together. In the further study on Part C, I will consider how to represent our design brief by parametric approach in GH. For example, how the geometry should change to create different sound experience. Through the aid of parametric design program, I do not need to guess the outcome by personal intuitions and experiences any more, all effect and outcome could be simulated by real existing data which is pretty awesome.

B8.Algorithmic explorations

78ww 79ww

1. The section of a cable bridge, while as the base structure of a bridge including connection cables, stiff-ning cables, load bearing cables and struts.

2. A simple bridge was constructed by cable structures on the two sides and horizontal pavement between cable reinforcements. The mesh was converted into the particle-spring system for simulation.

WEEK 4

3. The particle-spring system was simulated by Kangaroo Engine. I changed some properties in the se-quence of gravity of the mesh and stiffness of connection cables.

1. Top view of my donut grid shells. It shows the process from three circles to grid-shell structures. To get this surface, I use arc 3pt with the data from divide curves and loft these arcs. However, to fabricate this kind of grid shell, we need the crossing geodesic curves in the perspective of structural stability. The rectangular pattern on the shell surface was obtained by two sets of geodesic curves. Obviously, I changed the direction instead of shift offset here.

WEEK 3

2. To apply other pattern like hexagon on the shell surface, I found a handy component in LunchBox plug-in called hexagonal structure. I believed there are other ways to apply it and I will explore it further.

80ww 81ww

82ww 83ww

REFERENCES

1. Kohler, M 2012, ‘Aerial Architecture’, LOG, no.25, pp. 23-30

2. Reinhardt, D., Saunders, R., & Burry, J. (2016). Robotic Fabrication in Architecture, Art and Design 2016, pp. ix.

3. Reinhardt, D., Saunders, R., & Burry, J. (2016). Robotic Fabrication in Architecture, Art and Design 2016, pp. 36

4. Mirgan, A, Gramazio, F, Kohler, M, Augugliaro, F, D’ Andrea, R 2013, ‘Architectural fabrication of tensile structures with flying machines’, in Bartolo, H et al. (eds), Green Design, Materials and Manufacturing process, CRC Press, Boca Raton FL, pp. 513-518

5. Robotic Fabrication in Architecture, Art and Design 2016, pp. 36

6. Aerial Architecture, pp. 23-30

7. ETH University Zurich Website. ‘Flying Machine Enabled Construction’ < http://www.idsc.ethz.ch/research-dandrea/research-projects/archive/flying-machine-enabled-construction.html > (accessed 27 April 2016)

8. Ibid

9. FRAC Centre Website. ‘Gramazio & Kohler et Raffaello D'Andrea’< http://www.frac-centre.fr/projets-64.html?authID=304&ensembleID=1082 > (accessed 27 April 2016)

10. Robotic Fabrication in Architecture, Art and Design 2016, pp. 36

11. ETH University Zurich Website. ‘Aerial Construction: Building structures with flying machines’ < http://www.idsc.ethz.ch/research-dandrea/research-projects/aerial-construction.html> (accessed 27 April 2016)

12. Ibid

13. Robotic Fabrication in Architecture, Art and Design 2016, pp. 43

IMAGE CREDITS

1. The drone used for build tensile bridge. <http://inhabitat.com/flying-drones-autonomously-build-a-24-foot-rope-bridge-strong-enough-for-humans/

drone-rope-bridge-by-eth-zurich-2/> (accessed 27 April 2016)

2. FRAC Centre Collection: Vertical Village 1:100 Model<http://www.frac-centre.fr/projets-64.html?authID=304&ensembleID=1082> (accessed 27 April 2016)

3. Rendered image of the Vertical Village<https://www.naibooksellers.nl/architecture/design-methods/flight-assembled-architecture.html?___

store=english&___from_store=default> (accessed 27 April 2016)

4. Drone is transporting foam brick<http://www.idsc.ethz.ch/research-dandrea/research-projects/archive/flying-machine-enabled-construction.

html> (accessed 27 April 2016)

5. Flying Machine’s freeway from drone control system, prevent miscommunication between drones<http://www.idsc.ethz.ch/research-dandrea/research-projects/archive/flying-machine-enabled-construction.

html> (accessed 27 April 2016)

6. Flying Machine’s freeway from drone control system, prevent miscommunication between drones< http://www.idsc.ethz.ch/research-dandrea/research-projects/aerial-construction.html> (accessed 27 April

2016)

7. Motorized spool and plastic tube are equipped to dispense ropes<http://inhabitat.com/flying-drones-autonomously-build-a-24-foot-rope-bridge-strong-enough-for-humans/

drone-rope-bridge-by-eth-zurich-2/> (accessed 27 April 2016)