1

STUDIO AIR2016, SEMESTER 1, CHENDANIEL JAMES PARIS

Fig 1: Parametric Explorations for an Outdoor Sculpture

DAN

Dan Paris 698627 2

Hello and welcome to my Studio Air Journal, my name is Dan & I am a third year Architecture student at the University of

Melbourne.

I grew up in Melbourne and have had an interest in design & construction since I was a child.

I am new to the concept of parametric design and wish to use this medium as a platform to show my progress in understanding and implementing the topics and knowledge to ultimately provide

a suitable solution for the brief in this subject.

I am still unsure about the capabilities and possibilities of algorithmic design that will be explored during the semester however I feel this subject will facilitate a new key medium for

creation and architectural expression.

Introduction

3

Contents

4-5 Design Futuring

6-9 Design Computation

10-11 Generation & Composition

12-13 Algorithmic Sketchbook Extracts

15 Conclusion

16 Learning Outcomes

Fig 2: CREAM, Daniel Widrig

Dan Paris 698627 4

Unite d’ Habitation – Le Corbusier 1952.

Post WWII France required a new and different means of housing as the war left so many of the country’s inhabitants displaced and homeless.

Le Corbusier’s answer to the problem in the port city of Marseille in the south of France saw the conceptual exploration of a different approach to large scale accommodation. The brutalist style building sees the architect’s efficient use of corridors that only run on every third floor, facilitating a larger amount of space to be called upon for services and the apartments themselves. This also saw the possibility of dual height living areas is the complex, creating a further hospitable “machine for living” that, in its forward thinking design, has maintained its original purpose to the present day.

The building also follows a reversed style of living, utilising its flat roof as a terraced communal area, rather than an open, ground based designations as was seen in the vast majority of villa style housing in France at the time.

Proclaim for the rooftop utilisation has outlasted the architect himself with the practice still in display in the modern world, appreciation for the building’s design and construction has also been evident through the building’s present UNESCO world heritage designation.

The architect’s delve into the non-conformational did see his work criticised and painted as radical by the likes of other designers such as American architect Peter Blake, who was sceptical of the natural light content and size ratio of children’s rooms in the design.

Heydar Aliyev Center – Zaha Hadid Architects 2013

Azerbaijan’s investment in bringing the aesthetic side of cities like Baku into the 21st Century to match their European counterparts is epitomised through the commissioning of Zaha Hadid to design a building to house the nation’s largest cultural programs and events.

Hadid’s influence in her parametric design draws upon work by Kazimir Malevich, drawing upon his artwork for inspiration.

The building sees an element of fluidity and curvature introduced to the Azeri Post-Soviet landscape. Hadid’s use of overlapping curvature and consistent hue sees the building appear as a literal cultural fabric unravelling and rising out of the very ground it is built on.

In relation to it’s location the design of the structure was radical and different, this however worked positively with public opinion as it reinforces the country’s own ability for independence and free choice as the Azeri people look to the future.

A.1 Design Futuring

Dan Paris 6986275

Fig 4: Heydar Aliyev Centre, Zaha Hadid Architects

Fig 3: Unite de’Habitation, Le Corbusier

Computing, depending on perspective, has provided both positive and negative aspects to the design process. The use of technology has effectively catalysed the synthesis and representation of ideas as objects, presented on a screen or fabricated as tangible entities or imagery. Some have argued that computing has numbed the design process and disconnected a portion of creativity, instead offering a rail based platform rather than an open plain for

designers to traverse.

A.2 Design Computation

6Dan Paris 698627

Computing has already established its own ability to redefine the design process, with CAD systems working as another tool in a modern designer’s arsenal. The fields of construction and design in the 21st century have proved to be dynamic in nature, constantly shifting to accommodate new technologies, materials and concepts as well as more subjective factors such as taste and trends. Computation has bridged the gap between visualisation and design synthesis, effectively allowing more complex geometry that challenges and defies the laws of physics gravity & what is “possible” to be created and explored. Computing has also seen a rise in efficient use of material and load, with algorithms working at inhuman accuracies and speeds to evaluate the most effective design

within real world parameters.

7Fig 5: Unite de’Habitation, Le Corbusier

Dan Paris 698627 8

Designed as an “iconic gathering place for festival attendees” in Hong Kong, the installation calls upon parametric design to “maximise its spatial performance while minimizing structure and material.”

The piece was influenced by the works of Antonio Gaudi and Frei Otto and was made possible through computational programs such as Rhinoceros & Grasshopper.

The form of the pavilion sees minimal depth of structure implemented by capitalising on catenary curves that form almost 1500 individual cells.

These cells utilize parametric scripts to prevent interior connections and simplify material use and construction intricacy .

Fig 6: Shellstar Pavilion, MATSYS

Dan Paris 6986279

Designed by Grimshaw Architects, The Eden Project was influenced by the geodesic system popularised by Buckminster Fuller’s Climatron Dome.

Architects called upon parametric analysis and found that the dome shape would provide the least weight and maximum surface area for the project.

The Eden Project sees biomimicry combined with parametric design to form an efficient means of constructing a quick and light biome that can perform under real world conditions.

The hexagonal window system of the project is made up of an ethylene tetra fluoroethylene copolymer that is inflated to become turgid. The design sees a material that is 1% of the thickness of glass yet able to carry the weight of a car.

Fig 7: The Eden Project, Grimshaw Architects

A.3 Generation & Composition

Dan Paris 698627 10

Roland Snooks and Robert Stuart-Smith display generation through their ‘Swarm Urbanism’ project designed for Melbourne. The System works autonomously, plotting local interactions and ultimately organising structures.

The system works as a ‘Master Algorithm’ in urban design, moving planning away from a methodical protocol of management choices and rather to an organic and flexible system that responds to change and the world around it.

Swarm systems pave the way for 21st century thought in regards to verticality and the third dimension as the generative algorithm works all three planes, rather than the current two dimensional way of thought

Fig 8: Swarm Urbanism, Snooks & Stuart-Smith

Dan Paris 69862711

A mixture of generation and composition are evident in a project by Ursula Frick & Thomas Grabner which sees fundamental urban framework colliding with parametric design to form parametric urbanism. Another scheme influenced by Frei Otto, study was placed on pre-existing naturally evolving systems, drawing on adaptations and regulations to learn from these systems and implement them in an urban platform.

Like the ‘Swarm Urbanism’ project, the ‘Adaptive Urban Fabric’ is dynamic in nature, evolving with the systems around it to synergise and form an efficient part in the supply chain, ultimately proving an output that is “not a fixed form of urban planning, but rather an adaptive, differentiated system.”

Fig 9: Adaptive Urban Fabric, Frick & Grabner

Dan Paris 698627 12

Dan Paris 69862713

Dan Paris 698627 14

A.4 Conclusion

Dan Paris 69862715

Completing the first portion of the journal has spurred me to research and analyse how parametricism and computation have been implemented in precedent projects.

Computation, in my opinion, should be seen as a tool that can be used to explore and synthesise design ideas. I disagree with feelings that describe computation as something that numbs creativity, it is instead a catalyst for exploration and that the design process begins with the conception of an idea in the designers mind.

I intend to use what I have learnt to design an installation that uses efficient means to carry out a specialised task, such as accentuating a certain area of the site or delivering natural light to an area that is neglected and dark. I would like to experiment with the contrast between shapes and geometry that are perceived as ‘organic’ and the contrast they may have with both the natural and built environment at Merri Creek.

In order to analyse and represent the natural relationships of the site, I feel that an inclusion of the biomimicry presented in The Eden Project Precedent should be explored on a localised scale.

A.5 Learning Outcomes

Dan Paris 698627 16

My understanding of Rhino and Grasshopper has increased dramatically since the start of the year, I am circumnavigating the learning curve of the plugin and have begun drifting away from the rail based tutorials

and experimenting with various components.

As I test the waters I am beginning to gain a basic comprehension of Grasshoppers interface.

I understand and respect however, that I have only just utilised a minute fraction of the plugin’s capabilities, and I enthusiastically await to discover many more parametric functions.

References

“Shellstar Pavilion « MATSYS”, Matsysdesign.com, 2016 <http://matsysdesign.

com/2013/02/27/shellstar-pavilion/> [accessed 17 March 2016]

“The Eden Project < Projects | Grimshaw Architects”, Grimshaw-

architects.com, 2016 <http://grimshaw-architects.com/project /

the-eden-project /> [accessed 17 March 2016]

“Unité D’habitation, Marseille, France, 1945”, 2016 <http://www.

fondationlecorbusier.fr/corbuweb/morpheus.aspx?sysId=13&IrisObje

ctId=5234&sysLanguage=en-en&itemPos=58&itemCount=78&sysPa

rentId=64&sysParentName=home> [accessed 17 March 2016]

Frick, Ursula, and Thomas Grabner, “Adaptive Urban Fabric - Evolo

| Architecture Magazine”, Evolo.us, 2012 <http://www.evolo.us/

architecture/adaptive-urban-fabric/> [accessed 17 March 2016]

Hadid, Zaha, “Heydar Aliyev Centre - Architecture - Zaha Hadid

Architects”, Zaha-hadid.com, 2016 <http://www.zaha-hadid.com/

architecture/heydar-aliyev-centre/> [accessed 17 March 2016]

MacDonald, Joe, “Parametric Explorations For An Outdoor Sculpture - Evolo

| Architecture Magazine”, Evolo.us, 2012 <http://www.evolo.us/architecture/

parametric-explorations-for-an-outdoor-sculpture/> [accessed 17 March 2016]

Snooks, Roland, and Robert Stuart-Smith, “Swarm Urbanism - Kokkugia”, Kokkugia.

com, 2016 <http://www.kokkugia.com/swarm-urbanism> [accessed 17 March 2016]

Wildrig, Daniel, “CREAM”, 2016 <http://danielwidrig.tumblr.com/post /137360047106/

cream-cnc-milled-relief-cnc-industrygallery> [accessed 17 March 2016]

Dan Paris 69862717

PARTBDan Paris 698627 18

Dan Paris 69862719

B.1 Research Fields

Sectioning

Dan Paris 698627 20

Sectioning sees the planar deconstruction of three dimensional shapes and geometry into modular divisions that ef fectively compel users of the parametric architecture to use their imaginations to “fill in the gaps” between each planar section in order to interpret and understand the contours of the design, The process can be used in an array of formations, with

parametric sectioning forming shelter and ornament alike.

Fig 10: One Main, dECOi Architects

Dan Paris 69862721

The practice has both oppor tunities and implications in an architectural setting, both of which are dependent on perspective. Detail, for example, can be lacking in the plane chosen to create the sections (as seen in Figure 11) as the practice itself requires the use of void space to contrast the planar divisions and thus create depth. This however, can also be seen as an oppor tunity, as the lack of mass in this plane can be utilised for its transparency to carry out demonstrative tasks such as the conveying of a message or emotion about the piece, or the more functional task of not breaking a line of sight or

allowing the permeation of light through the design.

Fig 11: Parametric Sectioning, Dan Paris

Sectioning (cont.)

Dan Paris 698627 22

As the notion of sectioning can revolve around deconstructing a shape into planar sections, the process itself can prove ef ficient in terms of material use and construction weight, each void in between the divisions is a testament to the ability of parametric design to use a space without placing an object inside of it, therefore requiring less materials and structure to

present the design or relay the architecture’s message.

This ef ficient use of material can be noted in projects such as Office dA’s ‘Banq Restaurant’ & dECOi Architects’ ‘One Main’ design, both of which require far less material (timber in these cases) than if the design was a continuous geometric

installation.

Fig 12: Banq Restaurant, Office dA

Dan Paris 69862723

While sectioning serves as an ef ficient means of representing contours on a design, the transition into fabrication does see the rise of some concerns. Sections would need to be cut with a CNC Mill or Laser cutter from modular pieces, however once a cer tain size was reached as material constraints would prevent large planar divisions from being ascer tained, cut and transpor ted. Therefore, each section would need to be divided into smaller pieces and joined along the same axis, as

presented below.

Due to the mono-directional planes that the divisions lie on and the fact that materials such as timber are flat, curves and contours have to be insinuated rather than displayed, preventing curves that bridge between the planes from being

depicted, exemplif ied in Figure 17.

Intricacy and detail are two elements that diminish as the spacing between sections increases due to the larger voids that are created. In order to emphasise higher levels of detail in areas which require it, more closely placed divisions must be

utilised, this in turn would require more materials however.

Fig 13 & 14 (Top & Bottom Left): Aero Pavillion, Department for Architecture Design and Media Technology, Denmark.Sections of timber are used to create upward and downward draughts on each side of the inside of the structure.

Fig 15 (Right): Custore Pavilion, Anna Dobek, Mateusz WojcickiNote the joins along the counter of the structure.

Fig 16 (Left): Autobahn Church, Schneider+SchumacherFig 17 (Below): Autobahn Church upward perspective, Schneider + Schumacher

While curves are evident when viewing the design from the side, an upward view shows the linearity of the structure.

Dan Paris 698627 24

1. OfficeDa_Banq.3dm & GH09X_OfficeDA_Banq.gh

No Changes Made to source File

2. Amplification of Moment number slider decreased

leading into the Multiplication Node.

3. Amplification of Moment number slider increased

leading into the Multiplication Node.

4. Amplification of Moment number slider increased

leading into the Addition Node.

Dan Paris 69862725

5. Increase in the number of segments in the PFrames

Node

6. Decrease in the number of segments in the SDivide

Node in the U Direction

7. Decrease in the number of segments in the SDivide

Node in the V Direction

8. Increased the maximum segments in the V direction

to 20

Dan Paris 698627 26

9. Increased the maximum segments in the U direction

to 20

10. Increased the maximum segments in the U & V

directions to 50

11. Remove the ‘Reparametrise’ attached to SDivide

12. Changing of the file in the image sampler to a face.

Dan Paris 69862727

13. Place a text file in the Image Sampler

14. Rotate and reflect the image file

15. Change the expression in the Unit Z node from (-x)

to -(x^2)

Dan Paris 698627 28

16. Change the expression in the Unit Z node from (-x)

to -(sqrt (x))

17. Set PFrames to 1000

18. Set SrfGrid U Expression to (x-1)

FAILED

19. Reversed SrfGrid P Value

Dan Paris 69862729

20. Change move motion from Z to X plane

21. Change project plane from XZ to XY

22. Change Surface parameter to abstract quadrilateral

23. Change surface parameter to lofted surface

Dan Paris 698627 30

24. Change the loft options to “Developable”

25. Input a random integer list node into the Unit Z Axis

Node

26. Create a new surface with 2d Population and input

into Voronoi, Input data into Project Geometry

27. Input clustered dot file into image sampler

Dan Paris 69862731

28. Input radial colour wheel into image sampler and alter

parameters for hue

29.Alter image sampler parameter for saturation

30. Input inverted shapes & lines into image sampler

Dan Paris 698627 32

Inputting the face file into the image sampler allowed me

to interpret how the parameter of brightness effects the

depth and shape of the sections.

12.

Dan Paris 69862733

Inputting the text file showed me that literal messages

could be incorporated into my sectioning design

14.

Dan Paris 698627 34

Replacing the flat plane with a lofted surface allowed both

ends of the sectioning design to be sculpted, creating a

multi-sided design.

23.

Dan Paris 69862735

The clustered image input allowed the design to grow

around areas of higher concentration, presenting new

capabilities of the scheme

30.

Dan Paris 698627 36

“Zahner’s continuing success as one of the world’s foremost architectural metal manufacturers prompted the need for an expansion of their manufacturing facility at 8th and paseo Blvd in Kansas city, missouri. the location for the expansion ties into the northern façade of a 30-year-old weathering steel clad facility and re-imagines a roughly paved concrete assemBly yard surrounded By an unsightly chain linK fence.

the design intent was to convert this underutiliZed area into a large column-free assemBly space, with ample clear height to move material around on 2 large cranes, and maKe a seamless connection to the existing factory floor. Beyond pure utility, the facility sought to provide transparency, characteriZe where Zahner is headed in the future, and showcase their aBility to produce highly engineered forms within.

encapsulating these values means understanding that Zahner has Built their reputation on Knowing the intricacies of metal, its chemical properties, and how they can Be manipulated. following this notion through intensive design research, the form for the façade was derived from metal oxidation patterns inspired By those found on Zahner’s campus.

the final graphite concept sKetch drew inspiration from multiple patterns to create a form that was specific to the proportions and context of the expansion. once the sKetch was complete, a computer Based algorithm converted the sKetch’s tonal values into a 3-dimensional digital surface model of the façade.

the resulting form grows out of the rigid, solid geometry of the existing Building’s east façade with a single sweeping motion, and increases in complexity as it moves around the corner to the west, paying triBute to Both Zahner’s past and future.”

-from the architect

B.3 ZAHNER FACTORY EXPANSION / CRAWFORD ARCHITECTS

Dan Paris 69862737

“Zahner’s continuing success as one of the world’s foremost architectural metal manufacturers prompted the need for an expansion of their manufacturing facility at 8th and paseo Blvd in Kansas city, missouri. the location for the expansion ties into the northern façade of a 30-year-old weathering steel clad facility and re-imagines a roughly paved concrete assemBly yard surrounded By an unsightly chain linK fence.

the design intent was to convert this underutiliZed area into a large column-free assemBly space, with ample clear height to move material around on 2 large cranes, and maKe a seamless connection to the existing factory floor. Beyond pure utility, the facility sought to provide transparency, characteriZe where Zahner is headed in the future, and showcase their aBility to produce highly engineered forms within.

encapsulating these values means understanding that Zahner has Built their reputation on Knowing the intricacies of metal, its chemical properties, and how they can Be manipulated. following this notion through intensive design research, the form for the façade was derived from metal oxidation patterns inspired By those found on Zahner’s campus.

the final graphite concept sKetch drew inspiration from multiple patterns to create a form that was specific to the proportions and context of the expansion. once the sKetch was complete, a computer Based algorithm converted the sKetch’s tonal values into a 3-dimensional digital surface model of the façade.

the resulting form grows out of the rigid, solid geometry of the existing Building’s east façade with a single sweeping motion, and increases in complexity as it moves around the corner to the west, paying triBute to Both Zahner’s past and future.”

-from the architect

Dan Paris 698627 38

RECREATING THE EXPANSION

Create a surface and transform it into a grid using SDivide

Use the image sampler to import a black and white contour map made in Photoshop

Create nodes at the intersections of the SDivide grid

Raise nodes along the z-axis with the Image Sampler brightness function

Loft the nodes and use a multiply function to change the dilation of the shape

Divide the lofts into individual sections

Dan Paris 69862739

Create nodes at the intersections of the SDivide grid

Dan Paris 698627 40

Species 1

Species 2

Species 3

Dan Paris 69862741

Dan Paris 698627 42

Species 4

Dan Paris 69862743

Species 5

Dan Paris 698627 44

Species 6

Species 7

Dan Paris 69862745

Species 7

Dan Paris 698627 46

Species 9

Dan Paris 69862747

Species 8

Dan Paris 698627 48

Dan Paris 69862749

Dan Paris 698627 50

Dan Paris 69862751

Dan Paris 698627 52

Dan Paris 69862753

Dan Paris 698627 54

PROTOTYPING

Dan Paris 69862755

Dan Paris 698627 56

TECHNIQUE:PROPOSAL

Dan Paris 69862757

Dan Paris 698627 58

Dan Paris 69862759

The trail at Merri Creek provides the community with a means of connecting with the natural environment as they use the site. These connections however, are fickle and loose as they span only for short instances as people pass through the site whilst running, walking or riding bikes.

During my visits to the trail at Merri Creek I found that remaining stationary and studying the area provided me with a far stronger understanding and value of the natural environment. As I left the path and travelled between the various forms of vegetation in order to minimize the distance between the creek and myself, the voyeuristic relationship that I had with the environment had changed to a far deeper and more intimate one.

I found myself inside the environment looking out at Merri Creek rather than outside of it looking in. As I remained stagnant, each individual element of the site began engulfing my senses, causing the realization that other users of the site needed to be in this serene situation rather than just pass it by on their morning jog.

This realisation caused me to think about the natural beauty and intricacy of the site and how my installation would effect it.

I wanted my design to complement to natural environment rather than draw attention away from it, the scheme would have to gradually reveal itself and permeate into its location, visible yet incorporated in what people perceived the natural environment to be.

In order to facilitate a connection with the flora and fauna of the Creek, I decided to create a resting station that would see the users of the site utilising the design to re-energise during their exercise periods as well as build their own personal connection with the contouring environment around them.

I chose to incorporate parametric sectioning into my scheme in order to take advantage of efficient material use due to negative space that would camouflage the structure into its surroundings.

The design itself needed to progressively manifest out of the environment itself so as to minimise visual disruption. I also wanted to create something that would be accepted not only on a personal sense by the human users of the trail but also by the natural environment on a vegetative level.

THE SITE

THE DESIGN

Dan Paris 698627 60

It would be hypocritical to design a structure that is so tapered around the concept of conservation of the environment that surrounds it only to be constructed out of unsustainable materials that embodied high amounts of energy.

It was due to this reasoning that I chose to use a material called “Ecological Panel”, a component manufactured entirely out of recycled building materials from Sydney, Brisbane & Melbourne.

Ecological Panels are non toxic, boast the lowest formaldehyde-emission for their category worldwide, do not contain any volatile organic compounds and have a negative carbon footprint.

The material would be sealed with a 100% VOC-Free finish from the “Everest” line of paints by Dunn Edwards in a neutral tone that is reflective of the particular hues present in the area in which it is installed

Location 1

Location 2

Location 3

Location 4

Location 5

Location 6

MATERIALITY & COLOUR

1

2

3

4

5

6

Dan Paris 69862761

Dan Paris 698627 62

Dan Paris 69862763

Dan Paris 698627 64

Dan Paris 69862765

Dan Paris 698627 66

B.7 LEARNING OUTCOMESPart B of the journal has allowed me to further develop my understanding and skills in Grasshopper, my interest in the plugin has excelled as I have begun to learn how to manipulate objects and shapes to a greater extent and more accurately.

B.1 saw me focusing on sectioning as a parametric principal and understanding the benefits and drawbacks of the notion. This would see me taper my design toward the efficiency and permeability of the design tool.

B.2 would see me altering another person’s project and documenting my findings, this allowed me to understand the inner workings of the formula, calling upon each node in series to carry out a different and specialised task. The exercise began to allow me to begin to create shapes to my own specifications in the program, moving towards my proposal scheme.

B.3 allowed me to strengthen my knowledge of how components in grasshopper worked, giving me an end goal and forcing me to experiment in order to understand how to reach it.

B.4 let me push sectioning and grasshopper to their limits, resulting in multiple failures and multiple successes that i would document and funnel into my final scheme,taking notes from both the good and the bad to understand how to make something that truly worked.

B.5 saw me transporting my designs from inside the computer screen into tangible objects that I could interact with and really absorb, displaying for the first time the creative ability of the program. This also gave me a real world perspective on what i was craeting and how it would react with the environment around it.

B.6 allowed me to conglomerate all the previous weekly exercises into a proposal, reflecting my ideas and feelings for the site as designs and a presentation. It was fundamentally creative to fabricate a scheme that would respond to the real world via parametric design and proposing that scheme to a panel of experts in the field, ultimately pushing my understanding and ability in the program further.

The journey up to this point has been difficult and frustrating, but I hope the output that follows with positively dwarf these feelings.

Dan Paris 69862767

REFERENCES”Aero Pavilion / Department For Architecture Design And Media Technology”. 2011. Archdaily. http://www.archdaily.com/134992/aero-pavilion-department-for-architecture-design-and-media-technology.

“Autobahn Church Siegerland / Schneider+Schumacher”. 2015. Archdaily. http://www.archdaily.com/596382/autobahn-church-siegerland-schneider-schumacher.

“Banq / Office Da”. 2009. Archdaily. http://www.archdaily.com/42581/banq-office-da.

“Custore Pavilion / Anna Dobek + Mateusz Wojcicki”. 2013. Archdaily. http://www.archdaily.com/370542/custore-pavilion-anna-dobek-mateusz-wojcicki.

“Zahner Factory Expansion / Crawford Architects”. 2011. Archdaily. http://www.archdaily.com/169206/zahner-factory-expansion-crawford-architects.

Dan Paris 698627 68

C

C

C

C

C

C

C

C

C

C

C

C

C

C

C

C

C

C

C

C

C

C

C

C

C

C

C

C

C

C

C

C

C

C

C

C

C

C

C

C

C

C

C

C

C

C

C

C

C

C

C

C

C

C

C

C

C

C

C

C

C

C

C

C

PA T R

Dan Paris 69862769

PA T D E TA I L E D D E S I G NR

Dan Paris 698627 70

C .1

R E F L EC T I O N

D E S I G NC O N C E P T

Dan Paris 69862771

I N T E R I MR E F L EC T I O N

C O N C E P T

The interim presentation saw the guest critics assessing my concept and design as well as the applications and

feasibility of the scheme in a location such as Merri Creek.

Overall the concept was well received, however the critics felt that the scheme needed development to

stimulate emotion or thought, they also felt the complexity of the panels/sections needed to be increased.

Colour was also key point of critique, the assessors felt that in order to accent the contrast between

the installation and the surrounding environment, bright and vibrant hues should be called upon.

The assessors liked the concept of a permeable structure that minimised interference with the surrounding environment,

however they wanted the idea of alternative senses like light and sound to be integrated within the design.

Dan Paris 698627 72

E VO L U T I O N

L U K E A DA M S O N

T I F FA N Y C H A N

C O N C E P TD E S I G N

After displaying my strengths and weaknesses in parametric modelling, I was placed in a group with Luke Adamson, Glen Thai-Chan, Yee Lun (Tiffany) Chan & Jessica Betterige.

Each member of the group came from a different parametric background, bringing separate ideas and skills to the equation.

Luke’s background saw concepts of a lofted base working as the framework for a patterned structure that would be suspended from an overhead plateau.

These ideas ultimately formed the foundation for what would evolve to become our final design, utilising lofting and suspension to create a skeleton for the structure.

Tiffany’s interim assignment displayed a value on sustainability and sustainable design, elements that would positively constrain our choices of material and shape later on in the installations lifetime.

Dan Paris 69862773

G L E N T H A I C H A N

J E S S I C A B E T T E R I D G E

Glen’s interim design saw the notion of how sound is represented by architecture as well as how the two would react with one another.

As sound was one of the fundamental aspects that would shape our proposal, Glen’s research into how vibrations react with materials became key in understand how the installation would respond with the environment in which it is located.

The consept behind Jessica’s interim was originally going to be used for the installations framework, however we found that packing was not a viable option for our design.

Dan Paris 698627 74

S I T EA N A LYS I S

Location: Rather than being given a location in Merri Creek as we had previously expected, our tutor designated our environment as a primary school. This contrasted the previous location at Merri Creek, as an installation would respond differently to a built environment compared to a natural locale.

Brief: We were informed that the school were encountering reverberation issues in their classrooms that caused difficulty to students and teachers to verbally interact efficiently due to the simplicity of the ceiling structure. As the installation had no set location, the design had to be flexible in order to be able to be installed in an array of classrooms as required.

Constraints: The installation was required to be suspended or connected to an existing ceiling, therefore weight and size had to be taken into account to prevent structural failure. The fabrication of the installation had to efficiently use sustainable materials through minimising wastage.

Dan Paris 69862775

B R I E FR E S P O N S E

In order to understand what the school required, we had to first understand how sound would need to interact with the installation. When sound hits a material, one of three things will occur;

First, the sound can be reflected and bounced around, causing reverberation and echoing. This was the primary issue with the school and was caused by a lack of shape complexity mixed with the existing hard edged surfaces. When loud and excited children are added to the situation, noise levels easily overpower those of the teacher, hindering the ability to learn in the classroom.

Secondly, sound can be transmitted through thinner materials, transporting the waves rather than sculpting and dissipating them as we wanted to do in our design.

Thirdly, sound can be absorbed by materials, trapped in stagnant air pockets or broken down by complex and rough surfaces. This would be become the element we would use to evaluate our material choice in the final design.

Dan Paris 698627 76

Z A11 PAV I L I O N

The ZA11 Pavilion inspired us to begin analysing how we could use planar surfaces that would be simple enough to fabricate with a laser cutter or router to create a 3 dimensional form that would flow.

We were particularly interested in the jointing technique the designers used to merge the panels, the planarity of the joints meant we could utilise the same fabrication method for panels and joints alike. This also meant that our material choice could be more flexible, particularly for smaller pieces that would not be large enough to become panels.

P R E C E D E N T S

Dan Paris 69862777

Z A11 PAV I L I O N

P R E C E D E N T SP I X E L B U I L D I N G

In a building filled with sustainable and environmentally features, the multicoloured facade facilitates the growth of vegetation through inbuilt planter boxes, the panels also form a fixed lovre system to prevent excess light from entering and heating the building through the glazing beneath.

What especially interested our group was the way in which the seemingly random facade had been designed and fabricated. The Also, in terms of the geometry of the panels, the patterning of the irregular geometric shapes allowed the panels to tessellate within the stock rectangular panels in which they were cut from.

While substituting light for sound in our installation, the premise of filtering was still present, was the more environmentally friendly concept of utilising tesselating shapes to prevent or minimise wastage.

Dan Paris 698627 78

P L AT E PAV I L I O N

The Plate Pavilion displays how planar panels could be utilised along a loft to create a structure. This was drawn upon as inspiration however we found that the plane was too simple as it only showed variation along one axis. Taking this project as a precedent, we evolved upon the loft in particular, creating a more complex skeletal system to design our panels within.

The interlocking connections were also an item of interest as the system used was different to others we had noted, the alternating nature of each panel allowed for a tensile system that was not completely permeable for light and sound, elements we wished to include in our proposal.

Dan Paris 69862779

P L AT E PAV I L I O N P U S H I N G T H E E N V E L O P E

A 1:2 scale model of a speculative screen facade system, the design shows variation of size and shape of panels over alternating planes. We analysed the way in which panels were oriented for connection and how the intersections altered throughout the facade along the loft.

The framework of the loft was also inspiring, as the flat panels on the XY axis would accent the change in height through their own scaling, utilising the code to make each individual group of elements work together.

Dan Paris 698627 80

L O F T & S H A P E

Dan Paris 69862781

L O F T & S H A P E

LEFT: The initial loft was used with three different planar panel systems, each oriented individually to form intersecting connections. A scaling code was also utilised to alter the sizing of the base panels through an image sampler.

ABOVE: New, more complex curves were added to the panel shape to create an element of “fun” for the site’s users, children. To create these shapes, we found the locations on the panels in which they intercepted

Dan Paris 698627 82

J O I N T E VO L U T I O N

Dan Paris 69862783

1

4

2

5

7

3

6

LEFT: Different forms of joining panels were explored, with new materials and methods analysed for strength, functionality, fabrication ability and aesthetic response.

ABOVE: The steps showing how our jointing system was created, utilising the intersections between panels as well as the planes in which the panels were located on to create perpendicular slitted joints that would lock the panels in place.

J O I N T E VO L U T I O N

Dan Paris 698627 84

C O N S T R U C T I O N

Dan Paris 69862785

C O N S T R U C T I O N

Dan Paris 698627 86

M AT E R I A L

Dan Paris 69862787

M AT E R I A L1. Soft drink and detergent bottles made

consumers

2. Contaminents like lids and sticky labels are removed. Bottles are chipped into tiny pellets

3. Pellets are washed and sanitised

4. Pellets and colour are fed into a hopper. A heater at the base of the hopper melts the pellets

resin

5. Resin is pumped through a sophisticated shower-rose device, known as a spinneret

6. Cold air fans set the

the spinneret

7. Fibres are drawn and cut and are blended into a web

8 Web is compressed and cut ready for use

STREAMLINED

Material - EchoPanel

1. Soft drink and detergent bottles made

consumers

2. Contaminents like lids and sticky labels are removed. Bottles are chipped into tiny pellets

3. Pellets are washed and sanitised

4. Pellets and colour are fed into a hopper. A heater at the base of the hopper melts the pellets

resin

5. Resin is pumped through a sophisticated shower-rose device, known as a spinneret

6. Cold air fans set the

the spinneret

7. Fibres are drawn and cut and are blended into a web

8 Web is compressed and cut ready for use

STREAMLINED

Material - EchoPanel

We analysed the strengths and weaknesses of a range of different materials in order to find something that would work sufficiently in the installation.

We came to the conclusion to use a product called “Echo Panel” by Woven Image due to the fact that it was a durable, acoustically insulated material that was environmentally friendly and could be router cut.

Dan Paris 698627 88

P R O T O T Y P I N G - PA N E L S

The first prototype was constructed out of 1mm boxboard. We found the material too flexible and lacking rigidity to carry its own load accross the spans we required. The following prototype was made from mountboard, this material kept its structure slightly better than the mountboard however it still bowed once more panels were added.

Dan Paris 69862789

P R O T O T Y P I N G - PA N E L S

Suspending the mountboard provided our group with an idea of what the structure would look like. To prevent bowing under pressure we adapted the design to accommodate for 3mm MDF and laser cut three nodes from the installation. We found that this material worked far better than the previous two as it was rigid over the spans we require.

Dan Paris 698627 90

P R O T O T Y P I N G - PA N E L S

As the panels did not join directly perpendicular to one another, we had to extend the width of the slits to 15mm as well as an extension of the length by 1.5mm on either side to accommodate for the 3mm joint placed in between.

Dan Paris 69862791

P R O T O T Y P I N G - PA N E L S

The MDF, while being a good structural material, did not perform well under acoustic testing. After research, we discovered EchoPanels, represented by felt in the prototype above.

Dan Paris 698627 92

P R O T O T Y P I N GL O F T

The first loft prototype was found to be too simple in its overall outline, as well as this, at the scale in which we intended to fabricate at the installation would hang down by ove 1.5m, a height that would interfere with the classroom environment.

Dan Paris 69862793

P R O T O T Y P I N GL O F T

The second prototype provided us with a good balance of loft complexity and pitch, creating an interesting shape that did not interfere with classes.

Dan Paris 698627 94

PA N E LD E V E L O P M E N T

In order to minimise wastage of materials, tessellating shapes were used to form the panels, space was designated for joints to be placed.

Any left over Echo Panel would be returned to the supplier who would recycle it, leaving zero wastage.

Dan Paris 69862795

I N S TA L L AT I O NC H R O M AT I S M

Research into child psychology in a learning environment found that children learned more effectively in an environment rich with primary colours. To address this, we included red, yellow and blue patterns throughout the installation, each appearing at different angles depending on perspective.

Dan Paris 698627 96

F I N A L R E N D E R S

Dan Paris 69862797

F I N A L R E N D E R S

Dan Paris 698627 98

Dan Paris 69862799

Dan Paris 698627 100

Designing the installation effectively changed how I saw grasshopper. After using the plug-in for extended periods of time I began to understand the logic behind using each node to a far greater extent than I had previously. Finding the solutions to problems I faced in the design became methodical, the different functions of the plug-in became tools at my disposal and data became exponentially easer to perceive and manipulate. The feeling of finally making something work after hours of failure will definitely stay with me after this subject.

Looking back of this document, the skills and concepts I learned throughout the semester did actually relate to my final design. At the beginning of this journal I stated that I wanted to understand and implement the topics and knowledge taught in this subject to ultimately provide a suitable solution for the brief.

In hindsight I could have put in a greater effort earlier to form a better foundation of knowledge to build my solution on. Fabricating the prototypes was an interesting experience that exemplified constraints and necessary changes I had to make to the design to make it work. Overall the subject was enjoyable, stressful, interesting and rewarding.

B.7 LEARNING OBJECTIVES& OUTCOMES

Dan Paris 698627101

“Pixel / Studio505”, ArchDaily, 2011 <http://www.archdaily.com/190779/pixel-studio505> [accessed 1 June 2016]

“Pushing The Envelope :: Adam Marcus”, Adammarcus.com, 2016 <http://www.adammarcus.com/journal/pushing-the-envelope> [accessed 1 June 2016]

Wong, Nanette, “Plate Pavilion At The Malta Design Week - Design Milk”, Design Milk, 2014 <http://design-milk.com/plate-pavilion-malta-design-week/> [accessed 1 June 2016]

“ZA11 Pavilion / Dimitrie Stefanescu, Patrick Bedarf, Bogdan Hambasan”, ArchDaily, 2011 <http://www.archdaily.com/147948/za11-pavilion-dimitrie-stefanescu-patrick-bedarf-bogdan-hambasan> [accessed 1 June 2016]

REFERENCES