encoding the waterfront

ENCODING THE WATERFRONT

COSMOS BEDZRA

studio

This publication is based on a research thesis conducted in Studio X [Algorithmic Experimentations] at the Dessau Institute of Architecture under the theme: Forms of simultaneous unity and dis-unity

Dedicated to my parents Bernice and Francis Bedzra

All thanks to the Most High Jesus for making this possible through the guidance of Prof. Christos Passas with Liss Werner.

Thanks to Yevgeniy Beylkin , the entire Staff of the Dessau Institute of Architecture and my colleague Students.

The urban fabric has been in a process of evolution as a means of responding to ever dynamic factors of the built environment. Economic boom and the thrive of industry and commerce are met by structures that best accommodate and project an appropriate image of corporate entities and a city as a whole. There is a rapid rise of the middle class and a power to demand better living standards. In most cases the rate at which inhabitants change space and nature is faster than the response of the city to these changes. The built environment is physically static at the moment.

The Regions around Osaka Bay in response to some of the above issues are extending in area into the Bay. However the extension is by sand filling the bay to produce a replica of its progenitor. This publication is proposing the acknowl-edgement of the Bay as a dynamic fluid site possessing the qualities that can serve as a strong complement or alternative to the static nature of urban environ-ments. There is a look into Cymatics which uses particles and fluids to visualize the behavior of sound. What one will appreciate in this science is the case where material is always positioning itself at a point where it is in agreement with its parameters. Habitable spaces are therefore considered as entities subjected to parameters that are changing and must respond efficiently and harmoniously to forces they are subjected to.

Extension projects into the Bay are seen as architectonic particles that are colo-nizing the Bay in a way which accepts the fluid site for what it is and responds to possible scenarios of extension, isolation, bridging the gab between fragments of the urban fabric and where necessary, shrinkage of the city in an efficient man-ner. The organization of these components of the bay are to cluster into com-munities that demarcate pathways for sound circulation and respond at the same time existing infrastructure of the city and changes in environmental conditions.

ABSTRACT

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1. Introduction 8

2. Architecture And Technology 102.1 Parametric and Algorithmic Design 11

3. Cymatics 143.1 Effects of Cymatics 183.2 Relevance of Cymatics 203.3 Relevance of Cymatics to Architecture 21

4. The Site 244.1 The City Of Osaka 244.2 Ocean Reclaiming Strategies 254.3 The Osaka Bay 254.4 Site Observations 26

5. The Experiments 415.1 Sound based surface manipulation 415.2 Disintegration/Integration 525.3 stress fields+Interference 73

6. Application 82

7. Conclusion 120

8. Reference 122

CONTENTS

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Waterfront cities have water as a prefix, unfortunately the water bodies around which they exist have been considered an attractor rather than a major stakeholder. Water is a constituent of waterfront regions that possess unique qualities of its own and needs to be looked at independently as well as collectively with the adjoining land.

The peaceful coexistence of architecture and natural systems is an issue which needs a more serious attention. Changes in the environment have resulted in question marks over some design interventions. At the end of these changes, our designs are left to suffer the damage. One cannot say that design is ignorant of nature but there is clearly a situation where the artificial components in the environment have failed to fully ac-cept the natural system as a partner.

On the other hand, some of these negative attitudes towards conservation of coastal areas and their ecosystems cannot be blamed solely on planning and local govern-ment policy on the growth of these cities. Challenges posed by growth in population coupled with unfavorable characteristics of topography are among some of the inevi-table factors that dictate the structure and morphology of some waterfront develop-ments. For instance, due to the high density of Hong Kong and its direct impact on the compact nature of its built environment, the need to extend its boundaries have resulted in 67.4 km2 (representing 6% of the total land area) of 1,104 km2 reclaimed land. Some waterfront developments have therefore being compelled to go beyond the natural boundary between land and water, claiming space occupied by water and for that matter blurring or erasing the demarcations which define a waterfront. It will not be an understatement to say, part of these cities are becoming waterborne.It is true that the circumstances within which some waterfront cities find themselves, makes it much more difficult to place the interest of the natural conditions high on their scale of preference. However it is in the presence of these opportunities that stakeholders must be engaged in finding creative design solutions which makes the most of the situation.

This research seeks to constitute an investigative process revolving around Cymatics as a means of getting the Osaka Bay to respond to needs of growth of its surrounding

1. INTRODUCTION

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cities that stare it in the face as the only way out. Cymatics which is basically concerned with visualizing the effects of sound on a medium such as water is responsible for the production of some forms and configurations that posses a lot of potentials in having a tangible and significant discussions on human colonizing of water habitations.

The shorelines occupied by most waterfront cities are very dynamic in nature and pro-vide very good conditions for a wide range of habitats. The region occupied by Osaka is vulnerable to significant earth movement activities caused by seismic waves. Osaka which literally means large hill or large slope makes its gentle sloping coast more fa-vorable and practical for the establishment and growth of a city. The growth pattern has however crossed the shore lines into the Osaka Bay in the form of artificial Islands. Most of these islands continue to settle demanding the constant use of additional re-sources in keeping them above Osaka bay water levels. Installation of drainage pumps from 2001 to June 2005, completion of an underground wall around the entire airport island in 2006 to check underground water levels, jacking up the terminal in response to uneven settlements are among some costly measures being employed by the Kan-sai International Airport in its struggle with the Bay. It must be appreciated that in the face of these conditions, the existing strategies being used to colonize the Osaka bay needs to be revised to take into account the significant effects the dynamics of the region is having on expansion projects into the bay.

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The development of knowledge base across various fields of study in the form of techniques, tools and crafts has been the catalyst behind the progress of architecture. Modernism did not only feed on the technology and materials such as steel and glass that had been made widely available due to the industrial revolution, but adopted the mode of production that characterized the manufacturing process. The voice of the people rather than the state manipulated by the elite minority was gaining more importance. Patronage of the art had shifted from the church to individuals. Products and services had to be made accessible to the people at a rate that ensure a quick equation of availability to demand. There was no choice but to sacrifice unnecessary details in the name of ornament to make products time and cost efficient.

Mass production and the need to make products affordable and accessible was not lost with Modernism. Slogans such as less is more, form follows function, truth to ma-terials, ornament is a crime and machines for living were the justifications for the ar-chitectonic manifestations of modernist practice. Here, we see a voluntary attempt to plug a style into an existing culture. Industry, the products and influences it makes available to man and the adaptations made by society to accommodate these chang-es will always put culture under a constant metamorphosis and architecture for that matter cannot exist in isolation of this reality. The activities of industry results in prod-ucts that over a period of time redefines what is esthetically pleasing to the human eyes. Though emphases was laid of the function of spaces as a generator of volumes arranged in a sequence that fosters the flow of activities from one enclosure to the other, the whole that emerged was accepted by society as elegant. Aerodynamic re-quirements meant forms of moving objects had to be streamlined. The ovoid as the basic unit of curvilinear forms had to be called upon to foster speed. Lessons had to be learnt from natural systems and organic organizations. Software developed to explore these opportunities are also very relevant to contemporary design of architecture.

There are cases where architecture has challenged industry to develop towards new demands of architectural design. Population density resulting in the need to grow the city vertically meant elevators had to be developed to make all floors of the high rise easily accessible. Parametric experiments have resulted in continuos differentiation

2. ARCHITECTURE AND TECHNOLOGY

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across the vertical axis of the high rise in recent times given rise to radically new high rise typologies. This has put up a new challenge for the elevator to metamorphosis accordingly. Some architects have stepped out of their boundaries to engage in tasks outside their discipline. From Buckminster Fuller’s 1934 Dymaxion to the recent collab-oration between Foster and Partners and Aston Martin for the redesign of the Route-master bus (likely to grace the streets of London by 2011), architects have occasionally pointed the direction in which the automobile industry should look.There is a lot of competition among industries requiring the development of new tech-nologies and there is even much more pressure to improve upon the performance of commodities. Products from the automobile industry and everyday household objects and appliances for instance reach a wider group of people at a fast rate and therefore are likely to chart the course for architecture to follow .

In an interview with Roland Snooks of Kokkugia on Suckerpunchdaily.com, he admit-ted, “We are as interested, or as opportunistic, or as guilty, as anybody in trying to im-port ideas, techniques, or methodologies. We certainly look at computational biology. There is a whole series of theoretical interests we borrow from cultural theory or phi-losophy. What I am more interested in is how the discipline of architecture can begin to generate ideas or techniques that can feed into other disciplines. Which I think to a certain extent has happened but we are net thieves, we thieve more than we give back.”

2.1 Parametric and Algorithmic DesignThe form, function and nature of architecture are governed by a collection of con-stants and variables. The parameters and constraints of design range from factors such as client briefs and program, climatic conditions , city development regulations and so on to traditional rules of stairs and elevators connecting floors and windows and doors belonging to walls. The development of computer software for architecture practice began purely as a replacement to the rapidograph of manual architectural drafting. The inadequacy of traditional architectural software to help explore and materialize the aims of some practices is evident in their search for state of the art Computer-aided

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design and modelling software. Foster and Partners for instance had to look to Bentley Systems to extend the frontiers of design to new levels of technical innovation. Frank Gehry on the other hand had to borrow Catia from the aerospace industry eventually creating Ghery Technologies which developed Digital Project.

The name computer aided design(CAD) became an appropriate name for computer drafting tools only when they began inculcating parametric features. By this the com-puter seized to be a tool only for recording final decisions of the design stage into leg-ible technical graphic documents. The computer became an interactive environment for collecting the parameters of a design task and getting them to influence directly the resulting design solution. Presently, the computer has become a partner rather than just an aid in design.

Parametric design is an approach to design where a set of parameters governing a de-sign task is transformed through computer algorithms into variables and constraints that define the emergent tectonics of the design. Because the algorithm sets an inter-active condition between its variables, changes that occur with one or a group of vari-ables trigger an adjustment of the other variables. In this sense the resultant model is empowered to always find a state of equilibrium between its variables. Because of the quality of parametric models to adapt to changing and dynamic parameters, they gen-erate instances of adaptation which makes the process typically animated. Parametric design can also be applied to the whole or parts of the design process.

The advantage of parametric design enables one to plan and synthesize the overall requirements and relationships of many design components into one whole and en-ables faster investigation of several varieties of possible solutions. Most advance para-metric setups represent an artificial intelligence which eliminates a tall list of experts. Flexibility of the design parts, architecture can expand design exploration by engag-ing more sophisticated and complex assemblies. A true parametric model can act as a structure holding information of the design history and possibly predict its future.

Due to the capabilities of computer algorithms to transform parameters into interact-

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ing variables, we are presented with an opportunity to compute a wide range of de-sign parameters more effectively and effectively. This has initiated research ventures into almost every concept and phenomena laid down by mathematics, physics, biol-ogy and beyond.

Crystallographic information on three dimensional spatial patterns of the constitu-ent atoms, molecules, or ions of crystals have inspired designs that address issues of spatial configuration and structural efficiency simultaneously. Swarm and flocking of animals which exhibit emergent behaviors in self organization have been mimicked by algorithms in the quest of formulating rules that can be applied to the organiza-tion and growth patterns of the urban fabric to respond positively to the dynamics of population in the built environment.

The work of architects in this direction has being so enormous. Patrik Schumacher has been compelled to classify it under a style by saying, “The techniques in questions – the employment of animation, simulation and form-finding tools, as well as para-metric modelling and scripting - have inspired a new collective movement with radi-cally new ambitions and values. This has lead to many new, systematically connected design problems that are being worked on competitively within a global network of design researchers. Over and above aesthetic recognisability, it is this wide-spread, long-term consistency of shared design ambitions/problems that justifies the enun-ciation of a style in the sense of an epochal phenomenon. We propose to call this style: Parametricism.”1

1 Schumacher, Patrik. Parametricism - A New Global Style for Architecture and Urban Design, AD Archi-tectural Design - Digital Cities, Vol 79

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Cymatics is the study of sound and vibration made visible, typically on the surface of a plate, diaphragm or membrane. Direct ocular viewing of vibrations involves exciting inorganic matter such as particulate matter, pastes (both magnetic and non magnetic) and liquids under the influence of sound, although recent research has extended the range of media to include organic matter and the range of viewing has been extended to include the light microscope. The generic term for this field of science is the study of ‘modal phenomena, named ‘Cymatics’ by Hans Jenny, a Swiss medical doctor and a pioneer in this field. The word ‘Cymatics’ derives from the Greek ‘kuma’ meaning ‘billow’ or ‘wave,’ to describe the periodic effects that sound and vibration has on matter. The apparatus employed can be simple, such as a Chladni Plate (a flat brass plate excited by a violin bow) or advanced such as the CymaScope that makes visible the inherent geometries within sound and music1.

1 Reid, John Stuart. The Physics of Sound, http://www.cymascope.com/cyma_research/physics.html

3. CYMATICS

Cladni figures

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Sound in air is the transfer of periodic movements between adjacent colliding atoms or molecules. This sonic energy typically expands away from the site of the collisions as a spherical or bubble-shaped emanation, the surface of which is in a state of radial oscil-lation. Sound in air does not travel as longitudinal waves as is commonly described in physics text books. Sound propagates spherically in air due to diffraction, the reactive result of atomic collisions. Reciprocal effects in air occur in the jostling of molecules initiated by a sound event, causing components of the sonic energy to move in all directions almost simultaneously. The distribution of energy within the sonic bubble is always concentrated on axis with the direction of primary propagation from the sound source2.

2 Reid, John Stuart. The Physics of Sound, http://www.cymascope.com/cyma_research/physics.html

Cymatic model of sound

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Sounds audible to humans are, as we have seen, essentially, spherical in form and in-visible under normal circumstances. Using the emergent science of cymatics it is pos-sible to image sound wherein we are able to obtain an analog of the sound sample’s periodicities in a form that permits close study. Imaging sounds cymatically requires a membrane on which the periodicities can be made visible, such as thin latex or the surface tension of water, typically captured by a still or video camera. Early experi-ments with latex, using fine particulate matter as the disclosing medium, showed fairly course detail in the geometry of the resulting CymaGlyphs. The surface tension of wa-ter is now the preferred medium onto which sounds may be imprinted, revealing their structure with fine detail and even revealing some 3D data3.

In Hans Jenny’s first volume of CYMATICS; The structure and dynamics of waves and vibrations, he observed on a tilted vibrating diaphragm that The masses affected by a tone are, of course, naturally forced into the form corresponding to the vibrational effect. While the tone impulse persists, liquids and viscous masses will remain in their place if the diaphragm is tilted or even held vertically. If the vibration is discontinued, the masses slip down under the force of gravity. If the resumption of the tone is not de-layed too long, the masses return to their position, i.e. they climb up again. In a sense it would be legitimate to speak of an antigravitation effect4.

3 Reid, John Stuart. http://www.cymascope.com/cyma_research/physics.html. The Physics of Sound4 Jenny, Hans. Cymatics; The structure and dynamics of waves and vibrations, Basilius Press, 1967

visible sound on the Cymascope

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John Stewart Reid reinforces this occurrence in his publication The Physics of Sound, by indicating, Sound propagates spherically in air due to diffraction, the reactive result of atomic collisions. Reciprocal effects in air occur in the jostling of molecules initiated by a sound event, causing components of the sonic energy to move in all directions almost simultaneously.

Similarly, in Aeolian processes in desert regions, the activity of wind transporting soil particles present an interaction opportunity between the soil as a volume and wind as a configuration force resulting sometimes in formation of dunes or rippling of the surface. During saltation, heavier particles creep and lighter ones get lifted off the ground into the wind flow. Differences in the velocity of particles leads to their settling at different positions on the surface during a decrease in the lifting force of the wind. The impact of these particles on the surface also leads to further displacement of the surface particles. In all these situations there is a direct connection between the sand particles’ pattern of displacement and the wind which is the force around which these kinetic activities occur.

An interesting observation can be made with water molecules evaporating from a hot cup of tea. As individual water molecule begins to exit the liquid state into the sur-rounding gaseous atmosphere, there exist the absorption or release of kinetic energy. In close association with the movement of these molecules between regions of higher concentration and lower concentrations, is thermal energy as a result of differences

ripples in sandy desert surface

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in the temperature of water molecules. As the vapor rises, the air dictates the pattern and paths along which they flow. Right above the cup, the pattern is dense and then defuses gradually as it moves away rendering void and enclosed regions. The flow of particles in smoke released from a burning incense also exhibits a similar pattern.

From the above, one can find at the core of Cymatic phenomenology an ability of mat-ter (that which is to be organized) to be subjected directly to forces that define en-ergy lines along which they are reconfigured. Under these conditions, the animated process possesses more freedom and a higher potential to present more variety in its iterations. Therefore, the means of having a diaphragm as an intermediate( the meet-ing point and interaction field between vibration and the experimentation material) between sound and mater is actually an addition which is not always necessary.

3.1 Effects of CymaticsHans Jenny also said that, “For it must be stated quite categorically that we have to proceed on strictly empirical and phenomenological lines and that all interpretative or analogical thinking will be out of place. If a name is required for this field of research it might be called cymatics (to kyma, the wave; ta kymatika, matters pertaining to waves, wave matters). This underlines that we are not dealing with vibratory phenomena in the narrow sense, but rather with the effects of vibrations”. There are a couple of known

smoke and vapor patterns

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sound behaviors that are most likely to be responsible for the patters characterizing cymatics.

Doppler effect is one factor. It is the result of change in frequency of sound wave as perceived by an observer relative to the source of the wave due to movement of the source of propagation. This is evident when a the siren of a vehicle in motion is wail-ing. As the vehicle approaches, passes, and recedes from an observer, the received frequency is higher whilst the vehicle approaches, becomes identical at the instant of passing by, and begins to lower during the recession. Another demonstration of this effect is when a duck paddles across a pond. Unlike the dropping of a pebble in a pond which results in ripples of the surface of the pond in the form of concentric rings, that of the duck in motion displaces the center of the rings and make the parts of the circumference of the rings before it denser that the parts behind it.

Interference patterns are caused by the addition and intersection of two or more waves that results in a new wave pattern. Waves that are involved interference are usually waves that are correlated or coherent with each other. They may either share a single source or different sources but have the same or nearly the same frequency. The interaction of these waves of the same or nearly identical nature results in some complex configurations.

Moiré patterns rely on the principles of interference. These patterns are created when for instance, two similar grids are overlaid at an angle, or when the they are slightly different in mesh sizes. They may be overlaid parallel but with different centers. In a rotation of one grid over the other there may be a wide array of different instances of patterns emerging. Moiré patterns are also useful in measuring strain on an object. Before the object is subjected to strain, one can duplicate an existing pattern onto it. After the deformation of the body the corresponding deformation of its pattern can be compared to the original copy by superimposition.

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3.2 Relevance of CymaticsChinese calligraphy can be perceived as a beautiful work of art and as typical of non-figurative art, can also be read as a representation of real life forms and states. Cymatic phenomenology is manifested in a wide array of configurations and forms and attracts an equally vast interpretation by its viewers. To the author of the Chinese calligraphy and to those who understand it, it goes beyond an aesthetically pleasing work of art. It is an embodiment of a piece of information.

Stanford University’s Solar Center used a Michelson Doppler Imager (MDI), mount-ed on the SOHO spacecraft, circling the Sun 1,000,000 miles from Earth to recorded acoustical pressure waves in the Sun by carefully tracking movements on the Sun’s surface. They then came up with computer-modeled images showing sound bubbles within the sun’s outer regions. One of the SOHO sounds imaged on the CymaScope confirmed the bubble-like structures in the sun’s outer regions. The CymaScope image shows 28 bubbles against 34 shown in the Stanford model. Although the deaf cannot hear the sound they produce, they rely on their sense of vision as a very important means of communication. Hans jenny argued the use of Cymatics as a means of evolv-ing the sounds of the deaf into normal language. He pointed out that, by the deaf observing patterns created from words spoken by normal people, they are offered a visual point of reference to begin practicing conventional language. For instance, the pattern crated by an ‘O’ spoken by a normal person is recorded in a pattern. That cre-ated by a deaf person is also recorded. He sees the difference and can then begin to evolve the pattern of his sound through practice towards that crated by the normal sound. Musical performances are also being accompanied with real time projections of the sound patters they create on the Cymascope.

Cymatics is influenced by a set of rules and its end results captures a tangible record shaped by the dynamics of these factors and makes a particular sense to an individual or a group. Whether employed as an artistic form of expression or engaged as a scien-tific field worth exploring, it is clear that Cymatics represents a phenomenon around which several professional discussions can be generated and sustained. The question at this juncture is, of what importance is cymatics to the discipline of Architecture?

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dynamic forces of the BMW World roof

3.3 Relevance of Cymatics to ArchitectureA Cymatic phenomenon inspired experiment setup is a good medium for exploring certain issues high on the agenda of contemporary architecture discourse. Particles are some of the materials used in cymatic experiments and the way they are reconfig-ured into various forms and groupings during the experimentation process is not alien to current studies and use of particle systems as an approach to design and analysis of the atomic level of structural composition. A famous example where this is employed is the development stage of the BMW World in Munich’s roof. Here, the floating roof form was generated by superimposing the functional zones, structurally necessary supporting heights and by visualizing dynamic forces.

Following his experiments, Hans Jenny also noted that, it is possible not only to pro-duce vibration patterns and investigate the laws to which they continuously conform, but also, and more especially, to make a close study of the transitions as one figure gives way to another. The experiment can be discontinued at any stage and each phase observed. One can deuce the ability of cymatics as a concept of Integrating complex program parts into a coherent continuous spatial system. Whilst the architecture tries to find the best position between the various parameters influencing the design pro-cesses, a major challenge is to make sure the design bridges the gap between its indi-vidual parts.

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So far, the still images from the cymascope which represents sound within a particular duration are composed of layers of several instances of the movement of the fluid sur-face. This inspires design to investigate the ability to unify layers that differ slightly in configuration into a whole, at the same time avoiding monotony due to the fact that the constituents maintain their uniqueness.The initiation of a sound event which radiates energy in a spherical propagation means the ultimate of cymatics will be the possibility to capture the spherical deformations caused by a sound event. This implies that an environment with a number of sound events with different intensities will result in an array of deformations that differ in configuration and size, intersecting to unify different enclosures.

The fact that every atomic particle in a sonic bubble contains all the data of the sound source forms bases for investigating identical elements which are capable of cluster-ing to form complex entities.

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According to coastal migration theory1 , the movement of humans across the face of the earth is basically along coastal routes. These coastlines are composed of predomi-nantly productive environments presenting humans with the opportunity to access a wide collection of plants and animals from both terrestrial and marine ecosystems. Furthermore, the presence of rivers, streams, lakes and other fresh water sources are known to be the features that slow an onward migration process, eventually compel-ling migrants to start a settlement. The estuaries formed by major rivers such as the Yodo and Yamato rivers around the Osaka Bay together with their tributaries form fertile grounds for the cultivation and sustenance of a settlement. History has it that the present location of the City of Osaka was inhabited since over 10,000 years ago.

4.1 The City Of OsakaThe city of Osaka is one of the biggest and most important cities of Japan located along the west of the Osaka Bay. It was the first capital of Japan during the 7th century. The aftermath of the Great Kanto Earthquake saw a mass migration to Osaka between 1920 and 1930, enabling it to became Japan’s largest city in 1930 with 2,453,573 in-habitants. Osaka continues to be a major economic hub of Japan. And as typical of most economic regions, growth is rapid and land becomes a scarce commodity over the years. The case of Osaka is such that challenges posed by topographic conditions forced the development pattern to look to the Osaka bay for expansion through Ocean claiming projects.

The city occupies a larger area (about 13%) than any other city or village within Osaka Prefecture. When the city was established in 1889, the city occupied roughly what to-day are the wards of Chuo and Nishi, with only 15.27 square kilometres (3,773 acres) size, and grew into today’s 222.30 square kilometres (54,932 acres) over several ex-pansions. The biggest leap was in 1925, when 126.01 square kilometres (31,138 acres)

1 Coastal Migration is a term sometimes used in modern anthropology and genetics for the concept that, from a single origin in Africa 100-200 thousand years before present (kybp), humanity first spread eastwards to areas outside Africa along routes that were predominantly located around coastlines. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coastal_Migration

4. THE SITE

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was claimed through an expansion. The highest point in Osaka is in Tsurumi-ku at 37.5 metres (123.0 ft) Tokyo Peil, and the lowest point is in Nishiyodogawa-ku at -2.2 metres (−7.2 ft) Tokyo Peil2 .

4.2 Ocean Reclaiming StrategiesThe struggle for more space in numerous coastal cities around the world has led to the occupation of areas once covered by sea. Ocean reclamation is usually by constructing dikes to restrain sea water from the area of occupation. South Korea’s Saemangeum Reclamation Project for instance is using a system of two dikes extending 33 kilome-ters across the mouths of the Dong jin and Mang yeong rivers, offshore of the Saeman-geum district to reclaim 401 square kilometers of land and tidal flats from the Yellow Sea. Another means of ocean reclamation is by artificial islands. Kansai International Airport in Osaka and Hong Kong International Airport are some famous examples. The most recent examples include the Palm Islands, The World and hotel Burj al-Arab off Dubai in the United Arab Emirates.

4.3 The Osaka BayOsaka Bay in western Japan is an eastern part of the Inland Sea, separated from the Pacific Ocean by the Kii Channel and from the neighbor western part of the Inland Sea by the Akashi Strait. Its western shore is formed by Awaji Island, and its northern and eastern shores are part of the Kansai metropolitan area. There are artificial islands cre-ated in the Osaka Bay, paramount of which are the Kansai International Airport, Port Island, and Rokko Island. These islands however are situated on an unstable seabed, which is typical of the Osaka bay. Technical information from Kansai International Air-port website reveals that the undersea floor bed of the bay is made up of layers of sand and clay. The thickness of the layers increases as the sea deepens.

At the top of the formation, the clay layer called the Holocene clay Layer is approxi-mately 20 m in thickness. And below the holocene clay layer, the Pleistocene layer that consists of alternating layers of hard clay and gravel adds up to hundreds of meters. 2 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Osaka

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The Pleistocene layer can be divided into upper and lower parts. The hardness of the upper part is such that it gives a little when pressed hard, and the hardness of the lower part is that it never gives even when pressed hard.

The holocene clay layer is the layer that has accumulated in the fourth Alluvial epoch (Holocene) extending from the end of the last Ice Age, about 10,000 years ago, to the present day. The KIX site in those times as now has always been in the deep sea. The Alluvial clay layer has accumulated under the sea at KIX over the past 10,000 years.

The Pleistocene layer accumulated in the fourth Pleistocene epoch (Pleistocene times) from approximately 2 million years ago to 10,000 years ago. This is the time character-ized by the Ice Ages when mammoths trod the earth and the intervening Interglacial Ages. During the Ice Ages, the temperature dropped and the water level decreased as the low temperatures trapped water in glaciers. Conversely, the temperature rose, ice began to melt, and the water level increased during the Interglacial Ages. The range of the water level change was so great that it exceeded 100 m. Osaka Bay has repeatedly transformed itself from sea to lake to land in cycles of tens of thousands to a hundred thousand years as the water level changed3.

4.4 Site ObservationsAs typical of Japan, the map of the terrain(page 35) shows the surrounding areas of Osaka to be predominately mountainous and this makes the low lying areas around the Osaka Bay favorable for habitation.

The fact that 20% of foreigners enter Japan through Osaka coupled with the economic viability of the region is responsible for the expansion of the local population which places Osaka among the four most densely populated cities of Japan.

Population density implies expansion in area of the City to the current area of 222.11km2 in 2009 from 15.27km2 in 1889. Artificial sand filled reclaimed land from the Bay accounts for a reasonable amount of the expanded area.3 Kansai International Airport, http://www.kiac.co.jp/en/tech/sink/sink1/index.html

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The sand filling of the Bay as means of expansion has proven not to be a sustainable approach to colonizing the bay. A profile(page 36) through the bay shows the ground to be composed of deep alternating layers of clayey and sandy soil. Beyond 300 me-ters deep there is no sign of a stable rocky bed. As the regions around the bay break outwards, they impose geometries(page 39) that are alien to their new fluid site. This implies that, if any human habitation is going to be located in the Osaka Bay it will be important to accept it as a site which is made of water and as such, different from the conditions of the adjacent land.

There is an extensive development of transportation infrastructure from road and rail networks on land, through ferry and ship routes on water to airports around the bay.

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the terrain

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the terrain

depth contour

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depth sections

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5.1 Sound based surface manipulation The sound based surface manipulations are studies conducted in a literal mimicry of traditional cymatic experimentation setups. The first point of interest in exploring cy-matics to unearthing relevant qualities that are capable of making a meaningful con-tribution to contemporary architecture is the patterns, form,configurations and transi-tions that emerge as the medium tries to adapt to the demands of the vibration that it is subjected to.

A number of qualities can be observed from instances of these manipulations. Elevat-ed zones, areas that maintain neutral levels and zones that are recessed. Across the surface of iteration sm1h[page 42], all these features seem to claim and define differ-ent topological conditions within which various spatial qualities exist. The organiza-tion of these parts of the surface are also in a pattern which renders a smooth progres-sions from one to the other. In this sense they remain part of a whole. From one angle, they look disunified and from another perspective they are unified. There is therefore a blurring of the boundaries between open and enclosed and a presence of opportu-nities for different articulations according to the needs of function and modes of use.

The sm3 group[page 46,47] breaks away from the symmetry of the deformations on the sm1 group. Here the dunelike ridges that characterise the surface exibit parallel arrangements and some degrees of independence(sm3g). Other situations show the ridges merging and splitting along the surface. Predominantly, the ridges converge and melt into the plain regions of the left edges of the surface.

Group sm4[page 48,49] sees a response of the spherical surface in the form of ripples of different wavelengths due to changes in frequency from the controlling sound. Group sm5[page50,51] explores the synergy between multiple deformations of sm4.

5. THE EXPERIMENTS

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sm1a sm1b

sm1c sm1d

sm1e sm1f

sm1g sm1h

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sound based surface manipulation1

sm1a sm1b

sm1c sm1d

sm1e sm1f

sm1g sm1h

44

sm2a sm2b

sm2c sm2d

sm2e sm2f

sm2g sm2h

45


sm2a sm2b

sm2c sm2d

sm2e sm2f

sm2g sm2h

46

sm3a sm3b

sm3c sm3d

sm3e sm3f

sm3g sm3h

47


sm3a sm3b

sm3c sm3d

sm3e sm3f

sm3g sm3h

48

sm4a sm4b

sm4c sm4d

sm4e sm4f

sm4g sm4h

49


sm4a sm4b

sm4c sm4d

sm4e sm4f

sm4g sm4h

50

sm5a sm5b

sm5c

sm5d sm5e

51


sm5a sm5b

sm5c

sm5d sm5e

52

5.2 Disintegration/IntegrationThe states occupied by an entity at both ends of a transformation may fall under de-scriptions such as integrated or disintegrated depending on the end from which one encounters it. It is in these moments of oscillation between the defined and undefined that the journey towards the making and unmaking are to be studied in close proxim-ity to record which opportunities are embedded in each stage of the process.

The visualization of the composition and decomposition of entities are aimed at un-veiling diagrams of growth and folding up. In the figure pdi1[page 53], we see a very blur image as a center of attraction around which a process can be generated and evolved. It is recognized that as particles pile up to define the form of the composition, there are intermediate states of decay and varying transparency due to the overlap-ping of some areas(pdi4[page 53]).

Deep degrees of freeness are captured in the fluid disintegration/integration instanc-es. At this stage of experimentation one can begin to appreciate an emergence of a wide range of configurations with different degrees of subdivision and density. Fig-ure fdi2[page 54] shows an inward expansion of the boarders towards the core and a breaking of the mass that constitute the periphery. By the stage of fdi3[page 55] there is an obvious competition between the proliferating mass and the core which is mak-ing it lose its prominence. By fdi5[page 54] there is a total occupation of the inward region. Instance fdi7[page 55] shows a further delamination of some parts to form enclosed and nested regions. The outward sprawl of the entity is also prominent at this stage. By the last 8 instances on pages 56 and 57, we begin to see the orchestration of an ordered chaos because at this stage there is a situation that requires a great deal of effort in making meaning of. Nonetheless, it is still a part of the continuous breakdown process.

53

particle disintegration/integration

pdi1 pdi2 pdi3

pdi4 pdi5 pdi6

pdi7 pdi8 pdi9

54

fdi5fdi4

fdi2fdi0

55

fluid disintegration/integration

fdi7fdi6

fdi4fdi3

56

fdi13fdi12

fdi9fdi8

57

fluid disintegration/integration

fdi15fdi14

fdi11fdi10

66

contextual studies

67

contextual studies

68

contextual studies

69

adaptation studies

70

adaptation studies

71

adaptation studies

73

5.3 Stress fields+InterferenceVery simple alterations in the state of materials are able to generate some patterns of interest as exhibited in simple offsets or rotations in overlays of moiré effects .The figures from page 73 to 77 shows the deformed patterns of regular grids. The patterns emerge from the tracing of pathways along which forces of stress are transmitted in their quest to find a balance between load and support points. The results on page 74 are the consequences of placing load and support points at the peripheries of the field whilst those on page 75 are from locating support points within the field and loads at the periphery. A close up on stress field 1a[page 76], shows areas of varying density across the field with groups of lines converging at one edge and dispersing as they move towards the other. Page 74 which closes up on stress field 2d[page 76], shows turbulent zones within the field around support points. Here there are swirling groups of lines which display varying densities as well.

The organizations on page 78 and 79 are controlled by the interference of identical wave propagations. As waves cross the boundaries of one another, the originally regu-lar ripples are broken into regions that regroup in unions and intersection. Close up ic1[page 68] shows different clusters with a further formation of a union of two regions at the core. Close up ic2[page 68] shows clusters that are further away from interfering centers of propagation and so display mild forms of organization and are slender and parallel to their neighbors. Close up ic3[page 81] shows collections that are dominated by clusters that seem to occupy roughly rectangular regions but with different orienta-tions. Four core situations can be identified around which clusters seen to act as petals of the corolla of a flower. Some of these petals are subsets of as much as 3 corollas in the figure. In all cases the elements forming the clusters are dense at the core and re-duce in density as they approach the peripheries due to a gradual reduction in size of the element.

82

network influenced interference

6. APPLICATION

83

component differentiation studies

85

component differentiation studies

87

site interference instances

89

site interference instances

90

0 1 2 4 8

Kobe port

Kobe Airport

Kansai International Airport

Sakai-Senboku port

Sakai-Senboku port

91

Clustering behavior as extension of the urban fabric

Clustering behavior of independence

Clustering behavior as a bridging element between fragments of the City

93

extension

95

isolation

97

bridging

98

massing studies

99

massing studies

100

massing studies

101

stl study models

102

stl study models

103

Osaka bay clustering scenario

104

kinetic structure study

105

Strandbeest by Theo Jansen.

The formulation of sim-ple geometric rules to develop a mechanism for achieving mobility of the strandbeest crea-tures is an interesting strategy in setting up a system that responds to its environment by accepting wind as a source of energy for movement. This knowl-edge is relevant for ex-ploring dynamic condi-tions of architecture

106

dynamic envelope studies

108

dynamic envelope studies [core articulation]

109

dynamic envelope studies [exceptional conditions]

111

component prototype articulation

113

component prototype articulation

115

horizontal section1

X

X

117

horizontal section2

X

X

118

partitioning skin

envelope skin [outer layer]

envelope skin [inner layer]

aperture [porous outer layer]

aperture [tight inner layer]

dynamic structural members

119

section X-X

component constituents

envelope skin [outer layer]

envelope skin [inner layer]

aperture [porous outer layer]

aperture [tight inner layer]

dynamic structural members

N

N

X

X

X

X

Plan 01

Plan 02

Section X-X

120

The Research of Hans Jenny in the 1960s remains the most significant achievement in documenting cymatic phenomenology. This however does not mean a lot of people are ignorant on the existence of this science. The resultant deformations of cymatics is considered usually as beautiful processes and images and for that matter a work pos-sessing high artistic qualities. This has led to people accepting them as an end rather than a means to an end. One cannot run from the fact that the first point of attrac-tion into studying cymatics in the context of architecture was its aesthetic qualities. However on close examination of the phenomenon and properties that contribute to the emergent forms and configurations of cymatic mater, some useful meeting points between cymatics and architecture has emerged. Algorithmic and Parametric designs that are characterized heavily by animated processes due to changes in its parameters coupled with a fluid site of water has placed cymatics in a favorable position to exploit a dynamic form of architecture. From the interior of components to clusters and to the whole site of the Osaka bay this project has been able to propose an architecture which in not static in the literal sense of the word.

This work has also added positively to the voices advocating an alternative to tradi-tional methods of developing waterfront cities. The analogy drawn between particles of cymatics and architectural decisions of the built environment means looking at ar-chitecture as components of a dynamic field.

In trying to explore the opportunities presented by cymatics virtually, there has been a use of various software, most of which are non traditional architecture software but relevant to contemporary parametric approaches to architecture.

7. CONCLUSION

122

-Jenny, Hans. Cymatics; The structure and dynamics of waves and vibrations, Basilius Press, 1967

-Feireiss, Kristin (Editor), Kwinter, Sanford. Dynamic Forces: COOP Himmelb(l)au, BMW WELT Munich, Prestel Publishing, 2007

-Reid, John Stuart. The Physics of Sound. http://www.cymascope.com/cyma_research/physics.html

-http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Osaka

-Kansai International Airport, http://www.kiac.co.jp/en/tech/sink/sink1/index.html

-http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coastal_Migration

8. REFERENCE

encoding the waterfront

Documents

osaka bay

city of osaka

relevance of cymatics

effects of cymatics

dynamic fluid site

urban fabric

site observations

static nature of urban