PART OOweek one introduction of writter

Yufei Du International student from China

Bachelor in Environment, major in Architecture

Never heard about digital architecture, never use computer to design and even hardly use computer software, but interested in digital architecture and happy to learn digital architecture technologies.

personal project

This is my project for virtual communication in second year: a sculpture which inspired by clock, located in the park of CBD and served as a resting area. This different heights produced various shading when sun rise. At the same time, people could climb the sculpture and this made it playful.

week one architecture as discourse

PART 01

“SHORT HISTORY OF DIGITAL ARCHITECTURE”

The “first wave” of digital architecture broke in the mid nineties. 90 percent of masters projects presented at Chris Bosse’s faculty were digital. At that time, most architects used computers only as drawing tools that had no impact on the form or the construction of their building. However, the postmodern theories of Robert Venturi initiated a ‘new wave’ of digital architecture and deconstructionism made architects explore digital technologies out of sheer practical necessary.

Frank Gehry’s Fish sculpture for the Villa Olympic complex in Barcelona was a landmark in the history of digital construction technologies, and his work was achieved by CATIA, a software which used by the aeronautic industry.

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Orgone Reef’s reflection to landscape though environmental, structural and material performances is one important feature of discourse. More specifically, Orgone Reef is an artificial reef that could support a living skin. This project is a hybrid geotextile, a new class of materials used for reinforcing landscapes and buildings. The details of this structure are designed to catch and hold the thing they contact, accumulating a thick, porous mass. The project functions with aggression, clamping and cutting into neighbor, draining and digesting the things contacted and converting this material into fertile soil. This structure would help a scarified landscape heal and grow new layer. In my point of view, this design could make full use of the land which once could not be built by traditional technologies. Besides, according to AD magazine 2010 ‘s New structuralism issue, I assume that Orgone Reef is a good example of what is called new structuralism rather than modernism.

Author: Philip BeesleyLocation: University if Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, 2006

Dubai Waterfront Hotel re-conceives the arrangement of high rising hotel and construction of a skyscraper through the understanding and reworking of structure and systems in nature. The forms of individual modules were derived from studies of insect exoskeleton and wing structure.

The multifarious ranges of “alternative” spaces which satisfy various function of hotel are transformed smoothly from complex natural ecosystem. Digital design process of Waterfront hotel could be divided into two systems: “generative” in terms of bottom-up production of space and “operative” in terms of organizational effect.

For “generative” elements, what raise my interest is this proposal is constructed from three distinct modules each associated with different program activities. Generally, it is impossible to distinguish three module types within one proposal as there is a smooth transition. In order to make all transitional states between three modules remain tectonically navigable space, a series of exploratory diagrams and MEL-scripting were used. For the “operative” parts, they refer to those which are used to steer “generative” system. A three dimensional dynamic fluid-field was created and linked to transitional states of generated modules. Personally, this study shares little similarity with modern movement. Modernism suggests a free façade with no ornamentation like the horizontal glazing in Mie’s glasshouse. To be contrast, façade of Waterfront Hotel is structural and at same time providing ornamentation for building itself. At the same time, this practice of Jerry Tate architects indicates a level of dexterity and put Tate in a small group of international practitioners.

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PART O1week two in architectural computing

From my point of view, Kalay suggests that the designing process is sort of problem solving process. In “Architectures New Media”, it clearly describes the designing processes undertaken by Architects to solve problem. However, the outcome cannot be reliably predicted due to various constrains like site condition, cost, climate, internally drawn inspirations and so on. Therefore, computer had been introduced for communication reason. During problem analysis, computers are used as superb analytical engine. Basically, Computer could help represent solution graphically and numerically and communicate it to other partners or clients in the design process.

In “Architecture New Media”, Kalay indicates there are two systems for computer. One is analytical systems with enough “understanding” o f the data to be able to provide rational appraisal o f human designers’ solutions. However, this system could only mathematical problems. Another one is knowledge-based, “intelligent” design systems that can actually propose design solutions for appraisal and further development by human designers. I understand those two systems as computerization and computational system. For most of people, computers’ role is limited in drafting and modeling systems: drawing

lines and other geometrical entities that have no meaning to the computer. They just use computer as a tool for organizing information. And this is called computerization. Over past fifty years, computational system provides more assistance to architects in design process. Computational design use computer as an actual design system to aid in both realization and creation of design ideals. Meanwhile, thousands of potential solution could be found by using computational design approach. Along the way, systems have been developed that offer design information storage and query capabilities and systems that help human designers communicate with one another.

Besides, computers could help fabricate and construct the resulting buildings. They could even help us manage the buildings once they have been constructed, much as they control the engine of a car or monitor elevators in buildings. Kalay also demonstrates that computers could provide an alternative “space” for hum an inhabitation— the so-called cyberspace— which could offer a new stage for hum an activities, from education to commerce to entertainment.

Design processComputer

and

lines and other geometrical entities that have no meaning to the computer. They just use computer as a tool for organizing information. And this is called computerization. Over past fifty years, computational system provides more assistance to architects in design process. Computational design use computer as an actual design system to aid in both realization and creation of design ideals. Meanwhile, thousands of potential solution could be found by using computational design approach. Along the way, systems have been developed that offer design information storage and query capabilities and systems that help human designers communicate with one another.

Besides, computers could help fabricate and construct the resulting buildings. They could even help us manage the buildings once they have been constructed, much as they control the engine of a car or monitor elevators in buildings. Kalay also demonstrates that computers could provide an alternative “space” for hum an inhabitation— the so-called cyberspace— which could offer a new stage for hum an activities, from education to commerce to entertainment.

Design processComputer

and

Gen

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atrix

The central feature of this project is the developments of a deformable structure that exhibits characteristics o f a living organism, with the potential for evolution in a manner similar to the larger cityscape.

Geno-Matrix is a genotype driven structure for skyscrapers which according to the changing spatial requirements, can produce potentially infinite scenarios. It can deform itself at the current inhabitation culture. Rather than using the conventional architectural design process to generate the form, Geno-Matrix comes from genotype, phenotype, mate crossover, morph, mutation and selection process. In the design process, genetic computing and evolution techniques have been applied with the emphasis on their potential of creating forms that are useful in the production of architectural novelty and originality.

The inspiration of Geno-Matrix’s fabrication comes from Leo blocks. Within a modular building system, large quantity of cubic units are fabricated and assembled into a lattice system. those units can be ‘pulled’, ‘pushed’ or ‘combined’ on the lattice grid along the axis and form infinite typological feature.

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