Architecture and Digital Design Systems

Thursday 19th February -  09.30 - 16.30: SolidWorks seminar at London Metropolitan Works. Please start preparing your project prototyping strategy while exploring the facilities at LMW.

Thursday 19th February - 17.00: Tutorials@LMU (JR/JL/GF). Extended ADDT deadline as per last week’s discussions.

Friday 20th February - 11.00 - 17.00: Architectural Machines AA Symposium (www.aaschool.ac.uk/).

Wednesday 25th/Thursday 26th/Friday 27th February - times 10 am - 6 pm: SmartGeometry 2009 pre-training and academic workshop in Generative Components, Westminster University, 4th floor auditorium.

Thursday 26th February - 17.45: final pin-up and crit for the Borgafjaell resort master plan. Please prepare a combination of digital and printed materials as you see fit, also bring your up to date printed portfolio and be prepared to discuss it with our invited critics.

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For those of you that are coming to the Bentley conference tomorrow, please state your names and if academic connection (LMU/me) at the registrar. Starts 8.30 am, I still don’t know when I’ll get there but see you some time during the morning. There will be a number of interesting demos of GC and other (Architectural, Structural etc) so be alert. Looking forward!

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Subject: Smart Structure of nature and its Morphology

Maryam Khazaei

MA Digital Design in Architecture

Advanced Digital Design Techniques

ID:mak1093

18-11-08

Morphology of building according to nature behavior: Human Nature

There are many concepts of making a building today. But most of them are the result of a struggle between the concept and real thing which is constructed as an output. If we look around in nature there are too many kinds of natural building and structures which solve their static problem intelligently by paying attention simply to utility, physical and ecological elements, etc.

In this case I am looking at a very familiar/known smart structure and construction which exists around us, which is our body and the structure of it. Our bones and skeletons particularly and even morphology of some part of the molecular pieces like the nerve cell and the DNA cell in general are among the examples which I tend to note. Although human body and its structure has been known as an  movable component, and  buildings and constructions are often important for their stable structure ,It would be crucial if we pay attention to following reasons to discuss this case:

 1- Sustainability is one of the great advantages of a construction but in fact it has a lot of insensible moving in it which is not necessarily damaging the structure and is in fact inevitable.

2-Not all the natural structure and its moves are sensible.

one of the most important system in this research would be spine structure and its role to control and contact to the other relevant members in constancy  of structure(skeletons) and preventing of any  eventual happening  in stable situation. The other issue could be variation of system  as a joint system in this structure. From bone to bone till nerve to nerve in this system.

Case of studding:

 Referring to main structural system of human skeleton means, spine structure and consider more about :

It’s surface

Sectional surface

Relation between it and another part

And its function in relate of movement and stability.

 In this reference there is a constructed project that the design of the building was inspired by a sculpture of a turning human torso. Compression of spine behavior to holding the body in unsymmetrical axe:

Being inspired of nature helps obviously to find a system of components which have series of relation to each other and that make the system smart.

In this case, digital tools can help the research and design to find the hidden problem’s parameters and help designers to find the connection between the members in the digital area, particularly in stimulated 3 dimensional arenas. For example GC program can make some opportunity to made some stimulation to compare and find strategy to make some step for typical structure. It means that it could bring some methodology for consider new structure according to this process.(Like something that Lars Spuybroek has done as 5 speed methodology developing)

This research would be focused on one part of the examined subject. My sequences of research are outlined below:

Motivation: Inspiration of nature to make stable situation in face of inclination of every little bit to be irregular.

Problem: This inspiration can give the environment which is composed of comparison human made constructions (structure) and natural structures to reach an innovational solution.

Approach: Collected information from the nature and putting them in digital area to find the clear notion of sustainable and creative design. considering more in several type of structure depend on our case.( More about behavior of spine structure and cantilever system.)

The image bellow shows 4 different views of the same skyscaper, from the simplest to the most complex shape, that combines squares, triangular, polygenic and round shapes. All the floors are identical in the first rendition, and each floor is different in the last one. One of the most important system in this respect is cantilever in structure.

 Result: prepare of stimulate area with minimum probability of transient for designed construction.

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“Energy is the capacity of a physical system to perform work.”
Light and heat take both part of several forms of energy. Light pushes an object in its path, just as the wind would do, modifying its status ( “LIGHT PRESSURE”).

Applications of light pressure, also called radiation pressure, range from optical levitation to optical trapping and manipulation of biological particles.
Light can be modeled as either rays consisting of energy carrying photons or electromagnetic waves. In physical optics, we model light as an electromagnetic wave which carries both energy and momentum [1]. When electromagnetic waves strike a surface, pressure is exerted on the surface due to the momentum carried in the waves. This idea of light pressure can be traced back to Johannes Kepler. In 1619, Kepler correctly theorized that it was the pressure of light which makes a comet’s tail point away from the sun.

Whereas buildings can be considered as living beings, they can be effected by these forms of energy and modified in some of their parts and characteristics.
This thesis intends to explore the possibilities to create a reactive architecture as a thermo-sensitive skin in which it is possible to reconfigure its structure through input caused by natural forms of energy.

The structure of the skin is thought as an experimental parametric surface; a light-filtering structure system made of thousands of cells that can change their shape, plus small openings that can modify their diameters.
These openings, under effect of heating caused by light, will have the same behaviour of pore of human skin.
The aim is to investigate this parametric structure and its behaviours through generative and parametric tools: making different simulations, analyzing it and studying different design.

The proposal is to utilize the generative posiibilities of algorithmic scripting within physical and mechanical computing.
Light as one of the most important components in architecture and I would like to investigate the best way of “how to catch” and to “express” it.
It would be very interesting to have a double reaction to the light in the skin of an architectural body:
- to catch the EXTERNAL LIGHT and let it go through its skin ;
- to express the INTERNAL LIGHT in the opposite direction towards the exterior.
This will create a level of interconnection between the life of a building and the life of sourrounding environment and could give it autonomy.

Considering the physical theory of the pressure generated by photons and one of the latest experiments done by Wendy Zhang, (assistant professor in physics at the University of Chicago) in wich is shined a laser beam through a soapy liquid, producing a long jet that eventually broke up into droplets, the concept of RADIATION PRESSURE will be studied.

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The component based construction is a structural system of material, time production, assembly. In
this research,I would like to take a substance from nature and define as a component which is a
honeycomb.The reason to distinguish this element is the repetition inside, modularity, systematic and
also it can adapt the volumetric modifications by its flexibility in origin. After characterising this specific
substance as component, changing the parameters, it will be an experiment to constitute a structural
building skin and also a modular system that can be responsive and adaptible to a specific
environment relating to the variables .
The discussion of an algorithm to construct that parametrical system leads to use Voronoi pattern as a
tool. As it is used in site analysis; finding the nearest neighbour search or largest empty circle for a
construction site,in geometry modeling;finding the good triangulation of 3D surfaces, in engineering;
having optimization cost saving in real engineering applications,in architecture; organising the plan site
based on Voronoi pattern. Moreover, by using the 3D Voronoi pattern_tiling system,on the roof
structures and walls, there are created voids to get the light and air in.
The aim of the research is by using Voronio pattern, researching the materials used before, this
Voronoi cell structure will respond to the environmental stress and dynamic loading as they can work
independently, but definening them as a high-rise building by changing variables for the floors and
also manifest itself as a skin for the roof relating to the global effects.
pdf

tailor:–verb, to make or adjust to meet the needs of the particular situation, individual, object, etc.
syn: adapt, alter, conform, convert, custom-make, cut to fit.

My intention is to use Generative Components as a tool to explore possible ways of setting up a dynamic relationship between developed lines and surfaces, and their folded counterparts. The interest lying in the dialgue which can take place between a 2-dimensional set of information directly related to commercially available methods of fabrication based on initially planar elements such as laser cutting, abrasive waterjet cutting, plasma cutting and 3-axis cnc cutting; and its assembled volumetric counterparts.

The technique of tailoring being significant in this respect through its success at creating a reciprocal relationship between three distinct states:
state 1: The human body being measured as a three dimensional object
state 2: The developed cutting pattern bearing shapes related to the measured body
state3: The sewn artifact folded and stitched to create a new volume relating to that which was first measured in state 1, yet also independent from it.
Reciprocality allowing the alteration of any of these three states, whilst controlling and predicting the outcome this will have on the next or previuos condition thus proceeding in a non linear fashion.
Being aware of the limitations within Generative Components and its preference to function in a one-directional manner avoiding loops, I nevertheless feel there is space to explore ways of succesfully establishing parallel relationships between inter-dependent types of information.

It is worth emphasizing that although a necessary part of the investigation, that of exploring possible ways of folding and unfolding a particular geometry does not represent the main interest of the research, which as stated previously lies in the dynamic relationship which can be installed between these distinct conditions.
Nevertheless existing scripts developed for other software such as ‘IntelliUnfold’ by Solid3dtech or ‘Lamina 1.0’ by Lamina Design should be valuable sources of information in order to understand which key factors of a particular geometry should be taken into consideration when developing it.

Finally the tailoring paradigm being an existing and successful method of installing a creative process through the dialogue between three distinct geometric conditions; will be explored in terms of its notation systems, and various techniques used to customize, alter and adapt forms parametrically.

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gc-abstract00

Course structure

The course is taught through small studio-based design explorations, seminars on emergent design theories, and various workshops, giving you a broad understanding of how digital design tools can be utilised within architectural design. The course involves developing skills in scripting, parametric modelling, generative animations, systematic organisations, advanced geometric modelling and computational simulations.

• Technique and Research
• Design Project
• Digital Design Techniques
• Research Methods

Additionally, you will need to undertake an independent design/research project (thesis) at the end of the course

Digital design techniques are now impacting on every aspect of architecture, and are transforming the industry at every level. This innovative course is designed for architecture professionals who wish to increase their technical expertise or specialise in this rapidly evolving area. Graduates of the course should have an enhanced awareness of the digital technology used in contemporary practices, not only of the design process, but also including aspects of communication, collaborations, documentation and manufacturing. Designed to be directly relevant to practice, you will be conducting a series of advanced architectural design research experiments. These are augmented by seminars on emergent design theories and workshops on advanced modelling, computational and generative systems. Throughout the course, you will be treated as a design research professional, where you will be documenting and archiving your research while in progress. Leading professionals and experts are brought together to provide tutorials, seminars and lectures encouraging the debate of ideas and to promote the emergence of new radical design agendas. Students also benefit from the department’s central place in the internationally recognised Digital Fabricators Research Group (DFRG), a collaboration with The Building Centre Trust that has many links within education and research, practice and industry.