a r c h i t e c t u r e

design studio
j ust i ne l enki ewi cz 389679
2 0 1 4
ai r
Architecture, then, as discourse, discipline, and
form, operates at the intersection of power,
relations of production, culture,
Dutton, T A and Lian Hurst M (1996) Reconstructing Architecture: Critical Discourse and Social Practices, Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, p.1
and representation and is instrumental to the
construction of our identities and our differ-
ences, to shaping how we know the world.
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Architecture, then, as discourse, discipline, and
form, operates at the intersection of power,
relations of production, culture,
Dutton, T A and Lian Hurst M (1996) Reconstructing Architecture: Critical Discourse and Social Practices, Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, p.1
and representation and is instrumental to the
construction of our identities and our differ-
ences, to shaping how we know the world.
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Contents
INTRODUCTION 6
hello, this is me 6
PART A
A.1. DESIGN FUTURING 8
design futuring 9
design precedent: pivot 14
design precedent: fluent-fields 16
design precendet: danish pavilion 18
energy technology research: peizoelectricity 22
A.2. DESIGN COMPUTATION 24
design computation 26
design precedent: the torus house 28
design precedent: peoples meeting dome 30

A.3. COMPOSITION/GENERATION 32
composition/generation 34
design precedent: seroussi pavillion//paris 36
design precedent: aMaze 37
design precedent: swallows nest 38
design precedent: climath//dubrovnik 40
A.4. CONCLUSION 42

A.5. LEARNING OUTCOMES 44

A.6. APPENDIX - ALGORITHMIC SKETCHES 46
REFERENCES 48
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hello, this is me
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Profile:
The offspring of two Polish migrants, who exposed me to the idea of a bigger world outside of my
own, through travel from a very young age. I remember wandering the streets of Krakow and being
transported back to a time and place completely different to my own, and then wondering why
Melbourne was not the same. Why didnt we have the same beauty and history back home?
The older I grew, the more captivated I became by how a citys narrative is conveyed through its
architecture. I guess I never really had that light bulb moment, it was always something that played
in the back of my mind but I wasnt sure I was committed enough to pursue it.
Apart from architecture and travel, I also have a thing for fonts, colours, patterns, and Photoshop.
Throughout my teen years I was regular sent MySpace profile pic edit requests.
Education
Six years at McKinnon Secondary College, where I first began to develop Photoshop skills through
subjects such as Studio Arts and Visual Communication & Design.
Two years of a Melbourne Arts degree which I cant consider a complete waste of time as I did have
moments I enjoyed, and I did meet some nice people. During that time I completed Virtual Environments
as my first year breadth subject, and this was my first exposure to 3D modelling through SketchUp.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, my breadth was the only subject I really looked forward to.
Currently in my third year of Bachelor of Environments at Melbourne. Having experienced an Arts
degree, I was content I had made the right choice very early on. With the prospect of an actual career
coming out of architecture, my perspective on university and life in general completely changed.
Throughout my two years so far, I have covered everything from architectural history, to engineering
and construction, and finally urban design and sustainability. History subjects taught me the theory
and principles I needed to know, to help inform and shape my own design methods in my studios.
Construction subjects brought me back to reality by teaching me the logics of construction in the
industry, and emphasised for me the need for a multidisciplinary approach to design.
Work Experience
In 2013, I travelled to Shanghai, China and completed a month-long internship with Michael Bradley
Architecture. It was probably one of the scariest things I ever embarked on - I knew no one, and I
certainly didnt know the language or the social etiquette, which resulted in a bit of a culture clash
at the beginning.
During my internship, I worked on several projects; the main one being a ClubMed Resort Project on
Hainan Island where I was involved in the prepartion of presentation drawings and a SketchUp site
model for the inital client meeting.
I left China with not only industry experience, but connections and a life experience that would
inspire me to be part of something bigger. Upon returning to Australia, I realised I was obsessed with
travelling, meeting new people, and immersing myself in new cultures.
I love the idea of integrating my love for travel and cultures with my appreciation for creative design
and its narrative potential.
So thats me so far.
PART A
CONCEPTUALISATION
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A.1. Design Futuring
Through our anthropocentric mode of habitation, the human race
has unwittingly created a defuturing condition of unsustainability,
where we cannot be expected, en masse, to have a future. And even
now, as the damaging consequences of our human-centredness on the
planets ecology ever increases, we fail to recognise or appropriately
redirect our destructive tendencies, and instead sacrifice the future
to sustain our excessive presence.
Design futuring, as a practice, aims to address the socio-political
and ecological concerns of unsustainability, by recognising the role
of design in shaping the world we live in. Through architectures
medium, we can construct a knowledge, a political act that operates
at the intersection of power and has the capacity to negate forms of
actions and institutions that defuture from our existence.
There is a gap between requiring immediate action, and the current
availablity of a means to create changes globally that would enable
humans and all that they rely upon to be sustained. But through the
medium of design, we have a fighting chance to instigate the change
that is needed.
Lately, design has become too triviliased, too regularised; it has
been materially gutted and reduced to the simple elements of
appearance and style. In order to make good decisions, we require the
people making them to be well-informed.
A clear sense of design and its ability to mobilise change is required
to slow down the rate of defuturing, and a method of achieving these
goals is by redirecting design towards more sustainable modes of
planetary habitation.
Source: Fry, Tony (2008). Design Futuring: Sustainability, Ethics and New Practice (Oxford: Berg), pp. 116 page | 11
DESIGN PRECEDENTs
The Land Art Generator Initiative is a competition that brings together
the disciplines of art, architecture, landscape architecture, science, and
engineering, to produce a sculptural art piece in an effort to educate the
public about sustainability with clean energy production that can be fed
into the electrical grid at a utility scale.

Pivot is the third place winning entry in the 2012 LAGI competition that
I was particularly drawn to, initally because of its captivating layout and
presentation. However, after reading the brief, I was taken by its simple,
innovative design solution, and unique energy harvesting techniques.
The strength of the design proposal lies in creating a solution that,
despite rising sea levels and sinking landfill, will persist into the future
as it floats upon the water. In doing so, visitors become engaged and can
physically experience the degradation occuring at the site.
As the visitors transfer from land to the pivot structure, the experience
becomes a choreographed performance in which the wind, visitors,
and tides become the dancers; leading to a greater appreciation of the
celestrial forces that guide these natural processes.
Finally, the light-weight, flexible, non-toxic, transulcent, heat resistant,
reflective, aluminium coated fabric exploits the use of a piezoelectric
technology in which energy is captured from nature via wind vibration.
Despite the technical innovation, I feel like the proposal compromises
on aesthetic qualities, with the final design taking on the form of a very
ordinary shape, which clearly lacks an extensive form-making exploration
process. I believe this aspect could have been strengthened to create a
more powerful final proposal.
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Source: Smith B and Hu V (2012) Pivot, Land Art Generator Initivative, New York, accessed 08 March 2014 < http://landartgenerator.
org/LAGI-2012/BV333332-3/#>
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A second entry which caught my eye was Fluent-Fields. I
was drawn to the beautiful presentation and composition of
the proposal, which, from inital observation of the drawings,
I assumed to suggest something along the lines of light and
movement exploration.
In a similar vein to pivot, Fluent-fields creates an innovative
solution to energy production by maximising the potential
of integrating two mainstream modes of energy harvesting
- solar and wind.
The proposal takes the form of a sinuous web of tensile
structure, composed of bent steel ribbing, steel cables, and
modular concrete footings. It is designed to generate sun
and wind energy via the millions of thin photovoltaic film
strips embedded within panels installed along the web
of cables within the structure, that spin as wind passes
through the site.
To maximise the efficiency of solar energy production, the
proposal exploits the use of two types of PV film - Thin
Film Non-Silicon Photovoltaics and Thin Film Dye Sensitive
Photovoltaics. The higher efficiency of the non-silicon
photovoltaics rationalises their south-facing positioning at
the uppermost areas of the structure to obtain maximum
solar radiation while simultaneously providing shade for the
interior or the structure.
The transparency of the Dye Sensitive Photovoltaics for
the remainder of the structure will help maintain visual
connections between indoors and outdoors while continuing
to generate energy.
In addition to the solar energy, the structure will maximum
the opportunities the site presents for wind energy
harvesting, but at a smaller scale. As each mini panel within
the tensile cable structure is mounted to an energy hinge,
it will enable the panels to move backwards and forwards
in response to passing winds, which will not only create
another source of clean energy, but also a visual stimulant
for visitors as a colourful wall of motion.
I feel this entry had a stronger focus towards the form
making process, which translates well into their aims for
the proposal.
f l uent - f i el ds
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Source: Jenkin P, Szawiola M, Thorson E (2012) Fluent-Fields ,Land Art Generator Initivative, New York,
accessed 15 March 2014, < http://landartgenerator.org/LAGI-2012/E5M8P031/# >
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dani sh Pavi l i on
For their entry for the 2010 World Expo
in Shanghai, China, Copehagen-based
Bjarke Ingles Group took what was
core to Copenhagen city - the bike,
and the harbour - and combined these
elements to produce an interactive
experience for all visitors.
While this project does not integrate
the use of renewable energy
technologies, I chose it as my second
precedent because I found it to be
somewhat relevant to my own brief,
with attributes that can inspire and
contribute to my own design.
Pollution as been problematic for
Shanghai with the rise of heavy motor
traffic and the car as the ultimate
symbol of wealth. At the Danish
Pavilion, the bike is relaunched as
a symbol of modern lifestyle and
sustainability by creating an exhibition
that can be viewed only by walking,
or via the city bikes provided solely
for this reason. Guests can cycle, or
walk, throughout the spiral-shaped
pavilion, viewing the exhibits, that are
a showcase of the Danish lifestyle, at
their own speed and leisure before
making their way into the heart of the
pavilion where a Harbour Pool lies. As
children dapple their feet in the water
and play, they are watched over by The
Little Mermaid statue, Copenhagens
most iconic sculpture. The people of
Shanghai can experience the benefits
of a clean harbour in a sustainabily
oriented city and hopefully become
inspired to make a change in their own
city.
Source: Dave (2010) The Danish Pavilion for Expo 2010 by Bjarke
Ingels Group, Contemporist, accessed 24 March 2014, <http://
www. contemporist. com/2010/05/07/the-danish-pavilion-for-
expo-2010-by-bjarke-ingels-group/>
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energy technology
research
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el ectr i ci ty r esul ti ng fr om pr essur e
Har vesti ng
Human
Movement
Piezoelectricity is an electrical energy produced from
mechanical pressures (such as walking). As pressure is applied
to an object, it produces both a negative and positive charge
(on the expanded and compressed side, respectively), which,
once relieved, carries and accumulates the electrical charge in
certain solid materials (crystals and ceramics).
what is it?
In 2008, a Railway Company in Japan installed a piezoelectric
technology in the form of floor pads at ticketing gates at a
station, as part of an ongoing experiment to make trains more
energy-efficient.
The experiment was a follow-up of a similar one conducted in 2006,
and was used to test improvements in power generation and capacity,
along with material durability. The electricity generate from the floor
is used to power the light facilities as well as the automatic ticket
gates.
Currently, it is most used in applications for the production
and detection of sound, generation of high voltages and
electronic frequency generation; as well as in scientific
instruments and more common applications such as the
cigarette lighters and push-start propane barbecues.
existing use
examples
Source: Trimarchi, Maria. Can house music solve the energy crisis? 10 September 2008. HowStuffWorks.com.
<http://science.howstuffworks.com/environmental/green-science/house-music-energy-crisis.htm> 12 March
2014.
Source: <http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:225W_Zeus_Tesla_coil_-_arcs2_%28cropped%29.jpg>
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pei zoel ect r i ci t y
I am interested in the idea of using human
movement to generate energy, as a way of
encouraging more people to visit my site.
As visitors learn more about the unique
harvesting methods, not only will they
be inspired to become more engaged the
site, but they will also develop a better
appreciation of renewable energy sources
and their benefits in working towards a goal
of sustainability.
I am inspired by the way the pivot entry
for LAGI 2012 integrated peizoelectric
harvesting methods into their design in a
subtle and modest way, such that the visitors
may not even realise their contribution to
energy generation, mirroring much of the
populations oblivion to their contribution to
the carbon footprint of this world.
This ingenious approach has inspired me to
exploit all opportunities, at the my site and
within my design, to integrate renewable
technology systems with an artful execution.

A.2. Design COMPUTATION

- Ignasi de Sola Morales
Having abandoned the discourse of style, the architecture of modern
times is characterized by its capacity to take advantage of the spe-
cific achievements of that same modernity: the innovations offered it
by present-day science and technology. The relationship between new
technology and new architecture even compromises a fundamental da-
tum of what are referred to as avant-garde architectures, so fundamen-
tal as to constitue a dominant albeit diffuse motif in the figuation of
new architectures.

While computerisation has always played a large role

in storing, manipulating and realising an architects
already conceptualised idea, computation, a method
which favours the use of computers as a design
tool, is a practise that is currently quite limited.
The architects of todays Information Age are on the
precipice of a new era in architectural design. Just
as Gustaves Eiffel Tower did for the Industrial Age,
the ubiquity of digital technologies are changing
the face of architectural practice in ways that could
have never been anticipated. The freedom granted
by a system driven by topological, non-Euclidean
geometric space, kinetic and dynamic systems, and
genetic algorithms is quickly gaining momentum,
as it gives birth to a new dimension of architectural
design aided by the creative potential of digital
medias that promise new and exciting possiblities.
Todays digitally driven avant-garde architecture
includes a multiplicity of approaches, and is no
longer constrained by the overriding principles of
a single monolithic movement as architecture used
to be in the past.
However, while contemporary architecture may appear
to reject the notions of a structural typology, or historical
style or framework, it remains as ideologically and
conceptually motivated as many of the ground-breaking
precedents responsible for establishing a style or fashion
of architecture before it. When Baroque first broke the
conventions of traditional Christian architecture, it set a
new standard for beauty and proportions in architecture.
But what sets todays contemporary approach to building
design apart is the representational technology that
inspires new discourses and waves of thought.
At the centre of form origination and transformation
in digital architectures is the notion of topology;
which, by definition, suggests a study of geometric
forms that remain invariant and dynamic under certain
conditions. This introduces a fourth dimension into
architecture, where the constructs become encoded
with qualitative and quantitative data necessary for all
stages, starting with design and analysis right through
to fabrication and construction. As form is generated
from contemplation of pre-determined parameters it
permits a degree of novelty in the design of complex
and organically generated outcomes. The process of
form-finding, as opposed to form-making becomes a
product of the inherent qualities which exist entirely
within the context of a given architectural project.
The most appealing aspect of topology is perhaps its
capacity to redefine conventional notions about spatial
boundaries within architecture, for example, blurring the
lines between what could be considered interior and
exterior.
In order to achieve these previously inconceivable
geometries, digital modelling softwares (such as
Rhinoceros) use an algorithmic model known as Non-
Uniform Rational B-Splines (NURBS), which result
in smooth curves and surfaces. NURBS curves can
almost single-handedly take the blame for changing
the face of architecture, by offering a shift from the
limits of traditional Euclidean geometry by exploring
beyond their initial form. NURBs were first used in the
1950s by engineers, to precisely model and represent
the freeform surfaces of ship hulls, aerospace exterior
surfaces, and car bodies. The taking of inspiration from
other industries is nothing new; architects have always
pushed the boundaries of their discipline through
appropriating materials, methods, and processes, for the
sake of innovation.
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Source: Kolarevic, B (2003) Architecture in the Digital Age: Design and Manufacturing, New York; London:
Spon Press, p 3
Source: Foley, van Dam, Feiner & Hughes (1996) Computer Graphics: Principles and Practice, section 11.2,
Addison-Wesley (2nd ed.).
/01
The control points that govern a given NURBs curve or
surface permit a degree of flexibility, as they behave as
a rubber band that can be pushed and pulled to apply
translations and transformations.
NURBs surfaces are constructed using a series
of parameters that are given values to generate a
multiplicity of configurations. The use of mathematical
equations can also help to describe relationships
between objects, as well as the objects behaviour
under certain transformations.
Figure 01 represents my own explorations in Rhino
5 where I created a single NURBs curves, and then
superimposed a second, slightly offset curve above the
original curve. I then used the Loft function in Rhino
to produce a surface from the two curves. With the aid
of a range of other functions, I was then able to create
a cladding by offsetting the loft, and then project a
pattern onto the cladding which I could then convert
into a stencil for the external cladding by splitting the
surface and cutting away the holes.
By embracing non-linearity, indeterminacy and
emergence, the techniques of the new digital
architecture challenge conventions for stable design
conceptualisation and first order logic that founds
mainstream comprehension of the computational
design tools used for architectural production. Instead,
architects are now required to explicity acknowledge
the unpredictable and the unexpected.
A parametric approach can change the nature and
established hierarchies of the building industry as
the focus of design is shifted from the specific shape
to the sequence of guiding parametric equations and
principles as specified. By rejecting the fixed solutions
of an archaic architecture, the doors to the exploration
of infinitely variable potentials are opened up.
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the ability to define, determine and reconfigure geometrical
relationships is of particular value

Burry, M (1999) Paramorph, Stephen Perella (ed.), AD Profile 141: Hypersurface Architecture 11. London: Academ Editions

t he t or us house
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t he t or us house
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Preston Scott Cohen believes architectural predicaments help
generate the strange forms that feed the intellectual growth of
architecture. But in todays Information Age, computer-aided design
has led to a compromise in the art of creative form-making. A design
needs to be guided by a problem. For Cohen, it was the absence of
a torus.
I chose the Torus House (2001) as a precedent because for me, it
is one of the earliest examples that truly epitomise the essence
of computer-generated outcomes. It appears as a formal struggle
between parameter driven geometric design and traditional
Euclidean geometry of a forgotten architecture. Its as if he has taken
a box, decided it was uninteresting, and then used mathematically
resolved algorithms to push a torus shaped block through the
centre, causing a rippling effect in the walls and floor planes as
they undulate and fold in on themselves.
There is no resolution - neither flat nor curvilinear plane win the
battle. They stand their ground and mutually agree to disagree in
order to co-exist. Yet the presence of the torus creates a series of
pervasive spacial types and conditions within architecture, where
the precedents remain discernible. As Corbusian pilotis raise the
house above ground level, it creates a space for an underground
carpark and also opens up the front to a ground-level courtyard.
The torus voids obtrusive presence creates a conflict between
the ground and roof planes. As they collide with each other, the
kitchen floor plate extends out beyond to create a new continuous
horizontal surface that can be used as a table (figure 02).
What I found most intriguing about this project was how Cohen has
exploited parametrically driven design to create new spaces and
challenge perceptions of living arrangements within a container
perpetually oscillating between being outside-in and inside-out.
For the client, who is an artist and likes to entertain, it was necessary
to have large open and inviting spaces and as well a picturesque
view of the open landscape; and through the aid of computerisation,
Cohen has been able to produce a form that achieves this.
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Source: Cohen, P S (2001) Contested Symmetries and Other Predicaments in Architecture, Princeton Architectural Press; ed (1).
Source: The Museum of Modern Art (1999) Torus House, accessed 18 March 2014 <http://www.moma.org/interactives/exhibi-
tions/1999/un-privatehouse/Project_22.html>
I am also particularly intrigued by Kristoffer Tejlgaard and
Benny Jepsens response to the debate on future housing
in Bornholm, Denmark. The brief required a multifunctional
space that could provide a stage for the debate. Tejlgaard
and Jepsen took it one step further by simultaneously
creating a spectacle of a structure that would make its own
contribution to the debate.
I chose it as my second precedent because of its success
as a public space that brings people together, a quality that
I would like to echo throughout my project. The traditional
geodesic dome is a common shape that can be argued as
being mathematically rational, but this would result in a
non-architecture that does not relate to its surroundings.
Tejlgaard and Jepsen were clever in the execution of this
dome, exploiting the potentials of digitally-generated
design by producing a deconstructed version that was
algorithmically resolved by external parameters. Sun paths
and existing site features governed the splitting up of the
dome to create niches and crevices. Computational design
allowed the wooden frame to become unlocked, permitting
the extrusion, scaling and cutting away of sections in
response to the physical context. The interior space, in turn,
would become a product of this process.
What I like most about this design is its flexibility. The lattice
structure acts like a tent, parametrically programmed so that
it is possible to vary its configuration by simply updating
the existing parameters. Because of the domes structural
efficiency, the interior space is left column-free and without
the need of internal load-bearing walls which provides
multiple interior arrangements and window placement
possibilities. Parametric design has not only aided in the
generation of a site-responsive form for the building, but
also in creating a space that can be adaptable for future use
the final result being a poetic composition that literally
speaks for itself within the debate on computational design.
peopl e s meet i ng dome
Source: Peoples Meeting Dome / Kristoffer Tejlgaard & Benny Jepsen 27 Sep 2012. ArchDaily. Accessed 18 Mar 2014.
<http://www.archdaily.com/?p=276056>
Source: Peoples Meeting Dome. 27 Sep 2012. Ignant. Accessed 18 Mar 2014. < http://www.ignant.de/2012/09/27/
peoples-meeting-dome/>
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xxx
peopl e s meet i ng dome
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A.3. COMPOSITION/GENERATION
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New and emerging computation techniques provide an
architect with the digital tools they need to stimulate
their intellect and open up new opportunities in the design,
fabrication and construction processes. So monumental the
impact on avante-garde architecture these new techniques
have had that it finally puts to rest the short-lived episodes
of Postmodernism, deconstructivism, and minimalism;
warranting its own style, dubbed Parametricism. This name
emerges from its creative exploitation of parametrically
driven design to help arrive at more complex social
processes and design solutions.
In order to achieve these complex solutions, the
techniques must rely on the use of algorithms, defined
as a set of operations for calculating a function. They are
expressed as a finite list of instructions that start off with
an initial (often empty) input, and result in an output of a
finite number of defined successive states. An algorithm
describes the process that a token has participated in. The
increase in the use of these algorithms is changing the role
of the architect, as it requires a shift in the conventional
methods of thinking and conceptualising design.
Parametric architecture uses algorithms to explore the
spatial relationships between elements. Custom algorithmic
tools now take up a vital role in the design process and very
much become embedded within a design itself. Algorithmic
thinking thus takes on an interpretive role to understand
the results of generating code that underline the logic of
architecture, and it requires knowing how to modify the code
to explore new options and speculate further design potentials.
By definition, an algorithm must be flexible and adaptable to
changing parameters in the design environment. It is necessary
now for the architect to also become flexible, and adapt to a
world that is also changing and becoming increasingly virtual.
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Figure 03 depicts the levels of intricacy and precision with
which computational techniques are capable of working
at. Michael Hansmeyer dubs his columns A New Order as it
explores the biological process of subdivision which results
in an elaborate system of ornament. Hansmeyer takes an
abstracted version of the archaic Doric column and uses
it an input form to the subdivision processes. The unique
topographical and topological information then results in a
heterogenous application of the process. Unlike a traditional
design process, the architect designs the process of producing
a column, rather than the column directly. This means the
process can run repeatedly with different parameters to create
endless iterations. The computers high level of accuracy
ensures that the single subdivision process can generate the
form at all scales - from the overall proportions and cruvatures,
to the minute micro-structures of the interior.
Current computation methods allow architects to simulate
building performance by incorporating knowledge about
materials and other parameters of production in their design
drawings. The performance feedback allows analysis of
architectural decisions at various stages of a project, which,
in turn, can lead to more responsive designs through more
comprehensive design exploration. But the complexity of form
and time constraints of todays projects are now placing a
higher necessity on the use of computers.
Modernists of the past were concerned with perfecting single
details; the computational design architects of today are
concerned instead with developing relationships between
parts, and maintaining total control of the design in response to
changing performance requirements. This is made possible only
with the invention of new techniques and technologies, that
are not only causing changes within the hierarchical structure
of the building industry, but also a shift in our disciplines
definition and boundaries. Architects no longer use software,
they now create it. Whether its as part of a specialised team
of computational designers, or hybrid engineer/architects
with knowledge of software development, it remains that
computation permits a new wave of thinking.
Source: Subdivided Columns - A New Order (2010), Michael Hansmeyer, accessed 23 March 2014, <http://www.
michael-hansmeyer.com/projects/columns_info.html?screenSize=1&color=1#undefined>
Source: Peters, B (2013) Computation Works: The Building of Algorithmic Thought , Architectural Design, vol 83,
issue 2, pp.10-15
Source: Schumacher, P (2009) Parametricism: A New Global Style for Architecture and Urban Design, AD Archi-
tectural Design - Digital Cities, vol 79, no 4, pg 15-16
page | 35
ser oussi
pavi l l i on / / par i s
The project proposal for the Seroussi Pavilion (2007) was to insert
the pavilion into the site as a ground implant. Alisa Andrasek
explored the potentials of structural adaptation to site conditions
using a distribution algorithm based on a set of self-modifying
patterns of vectors derived from electromagnetic fields.
With this algorithm behaving as the seed, the structure would be
borne of the ground and, like a plant, it would sprout towards other
elements of the site and form connective tissues between them,
that would eventually envelope to create a diverse and coherent
whole.
An extended radius of influence allowed the new fabric to weave
itself seamlessly within existing landscape pathways.
The sinuous form is born out of a series of structural microarching
sections that have been computed through different frequences of
a sine function, in conjunction with the physical laws of attraction
and repulsion.
Sin-wave functions also drive the parametric distrubtion of
lighting/shading, and programming of views, by differentiating
angles, orientation and size of apertures, as well as investigating
relationships between metal and glass components of each cell.
Double charged trajectories are used to produce the cocoon like
internal space, that continuously unfolds itself through the building
space and creates an elegant interlacing of fibres and opportunities
for varied degrees of cohabitation between humans and art exhibits.
Through the aid of computerised simulation of the structures
perfomance, a variety of potential exhibition sequences can be
examined with the flexibility to reconfigure art exhibits and discover
optimal spatial distribution within such a complex, labyrinthine
fabric.
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Source: Andrasek, A (2010) Seroussi Pavillion /paris//2007, Biothing:
Repository of Computation Design, accessed 26 March 2014, <http://
www.biothing.org/?cat=5>
Source: Andrasek, A (2010) aMaze, Biothing, accessed 26 March 2014,
<http://www.biothing.org/?cat=9>
Source: Alisa Andrasek / BIOTHING Mesonic Emission/Seroussi Pavilion
Paris, 2007, TBA21 Thyssen-Bornemisza Art Contemporary, accessed 26
March 2014, <http://www.tba21.org/collection/artist/695/artwork/657>
aMaze
A similar project undertaken by Andrasek
is the a_maze furniture system which was
entered as an exhibition design at FRAC in
Orleans, France.
The strips are formed via a folding algorithm
programmed to recursively subdivide along
the logics of a fractal Koch curve. Similarly
to the previous example, the curve is also
programmed to grow organically between
different points in space, and continues to
subdividing for a number of iterations.
The result is a previously unconceivable
form, embedded with the complexity and
intricacy of nature-inspired process of
subdivision. By borrowing from nature,
algorithmic and parametric design show
that architecture can lend itself to an
infinitude of possiblities and continue to
defy previously set boundaries of knowledge
by revolutionising itself.
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swal l ow s nest
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xxx
Throughout my research on generative
design in architecture, I came across
the work of Vincent Callebaut
Architects, a firm in Paris, whose eco-
utopian visions have earned them a
sterling reputation for sustainable
architecture design. I was enamoured
with all their designs; combining
biolclimatic architectural elements
with parametric design principles, in
an aim to create urban ecosystems
that celebrate the union of art and
innovative technologies alongside
nature.
It can be argued that it is difficult
to attribute a parametrically driven
geometry with the same depth of
symbolism and representation as a
compositionally derived geometry.
But, once again, the parametrically
driven digital morphogenesis of
Swallows Nest acheives an organic
geometry, inspired by natures own
growth replication process, imburing
the form with motifs that reflect the
architects desire to create a symbiotic
relationship between nature and
humans. In this way, it becomes the
perfect ecology gateway into Taichung
City.
Source: Laylin, T (2013) Swallows Nest: Vincent Callebaut Unveils Glit-
tering Zero-Carbon Mobius Strip Cultural Center for Taiwan , Inhabitat,
accessed 24 March 2013, <http://inhabitat.com/glittering-zero-carbon-swal-
lows-nest-cultural-center-twists-off-the-ground-for-low-visual-impact/
swallows-nest-by-vincent-callebaut-architecte-01/>
Source: Vincent Callebaut Architects, Swallows Nest, Taichung City
Cultural Center Taichung 2013 Taiwan, accessed 24 March 2013, <http://
vincent.callebaut.org/page1-img-swallow.html>
Here, Callebaut has taken a simple
Mobius strip as a starting point, and
then repeated the section of an
iscolese triangle around its elliptical
path. This has resulted in a series of
dynamic and fluid spatial typologies
with voids and variable elevations that
help inform the internal space. As
three large pillars lift the structure,
it liberates the ground allowing the
central space to transform into a floral
and aquatic Garden of Eden that bathes
in a downpour of natural sunlight via
the atrium opening created by the
original elliptical shape.
The highlight of the building for me is
the use of an intelligent glass facade
as the buildings skin. In one swift
move, Callebaut is able to achieve both
creative aesthetics through external
appearance and patterned lighting
effects, as well as thermal efficiency
for the structure. Building integrated
photovoltaic solar cells and panels
generate energy while low-E glass
windows permit natural light and
provide thermal massing, all the while
protecting the interior art exhibits from
deterioration.
The variably oriented rooms ensure
constant interaction between indoors
and outdoors, while state-of-the art
renewable technologies combined
with parametrically-driven, organically
derived form come together in a poetic
structure that reinforces the architects
aspirations towards building a harmony
between nature and humans.
page | 39
Cl i mat h/ / dubr ovni k
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Cl i mat h/ / dubr ovni k
For my final precedent, I have chosen Andraseks
Honoury Mention entry for the 2011 Europan
Competition, an architecture cultivated from a hybrid
programming schema, which integrates physics and
micro-articulated algorithmic functions, such as
synthetic weather and dispersed energy production,
to reproduce the qualities and effects of Croatias
Old City. I was inspired by the creation of a synthetic
ecology; using computational techniques to interpret
the old citys architectural fabric in a new language
intentionally made to appear worn out.
It is essentially a mixed-used space to be shared by
residents as well as visitors from the general public. The
luxurious residential sequence forms out of the physical
context of Mediterranean living; the architectural fabric
is programmed towards achieving verticality through
the design of structured apartment duplexes with
double height windows, ensuring a fine quality of light
through a network of skylights and roof terraces. The
project then achieves maximum spatial efficiency by
freeing the site for generous public and residential use
through the installation of a double plaza with free-
flowing topology of pedestrian-accessible zones.
Source: Sanchez J, Lianou A, Pantic I, Chalvatzis E, Markos K (2011) Climath//Dubrovnik, Biothing: Repository
of Computation Design, accessed 26 March 2014, <http://www.biothing.org/?cat=27>
Source: Escobedo, J (2012) Climath Locates Hybrid Program in Canyon Grooves/Biothing , eVolo, accessed
26 March 2014, <http://www.evolo.us/architecture/climath-locates-hybrid-program-in-canyon-grooves-
biothing/>
The two plazas are bound to one another via a highly porous
skin, pierced with a field of densely packed ceiling apertures
and canyons that produce a decorative ensembles of light
formations and complex shading devices.
These apertures and shading techniques were derived using
a 5 coloured cellular automata algorithm, which generates a
probabilistic distribution of infrastructure cells to designated
areas for furniture fittings such as benches, planters, and
light fixtures and openings. The programmed structure also
enables moderation of light intensities during the night, as
well as scaling in size to accommodate different usage.
The top layer of the plaza provides an escape for hot sunny
afternoons by synthesising an arena of water-mist amongst
a field of aromatic planters. Meanwhile, the pavement takes
advantage of the abundant sunlight by harvesting solar
energy through the distributed arrays embedded within.
Mathematical analysis has aided in orienting the inclined
shredded tectonic plateau which provides a clearance in the
view of the Old City Walls and also frames of a range of other
spectacular city sights.
page | 41
A.4. CONCLUSION
To reiterate, we are currently living an extremely human-centric
lifestyle to the point where we can acknowledge that it is endangering
us and our future, but not so far as where we are willing to make
drastic sacrifices and compromises to the way we live in an effort to
do something about it.
But there is a way of salvaging our situation. The capacity of the
profoundly secular, human-initiated, act of design displaces the
invisible hand of God and takes on a life of its own.
thinking in the moment
The onus is thus placed on the architect of today, who, through
the advent of recent technological innovations and advancements,
has been given a new toolbox and playground for which to explore
endless boundaries, to derail the impending defuturing condition of
our current world in the hopes of a more sustainable tomorrow.
Parametric architecture is innovative because it is changing the
the methods of thinking a designer undertakes when producing
architecture. Through the creation of new geometries, it rids
architecture of its rigid and traditional shackles, and encourages the
taking up of a holistic view towards the design. It becomes about the
process of producing a design, rather than purely designing the end
result.
Being empowered with the capacity to use this to my advantage, my
project will thus take on a parametric approach by creating a design
born of natural processes from its surrounding context and will depict
Copenhagen as a forward thinking city well on its path to becoming
carbon neutral by 2025. The result will be a symbiotic addition
that contributes and enhances the site, rather than a destructive
contagion that only takes and disrupts; encouraging discourse about
sustainability, and interaction about visitors, as well as economic
growth and change to the broader context of Denmark.
page | 43
A.5. LEARNING OUTCOMES
Before starting this course, I could not tell you the difference between
computerisation and computation, I certainly knew nothing of the
processes underlying parametric design, and I barely knew how to use
Rhino and Grasshopper as a modelling tool, let alone a generative design
tool.
After four weeks, I feel I have a better grasp on the way parametrics can
direct and manipulate everything from the inital analysis and design
process to the final form, materiality, and fabrication and construction. I
understand that it is, in fact, inhibiting to have an idea of what you want
your final result to look like, and the beauty of computational design lies
in its unpredictablility. By having an understanding of contextual data and
using it as an input to shape and modify your design, you not only create
something truly organic and specific to your project, but also the processes
and algorithms that generate the final outcome, and they become a unique
and integral element embedded within the final design.
But while the theory paints a clear distinction between computation and
computerisation, I have discovered that within practice, there tends to be
an overlap. With still so much research to be condcted and knowledge
to be gained in the field, many architects opt to take advantage of both
methods of design, employing them at various stages of their design.
The video tutorials have given me a basic grasp on the algorithmic
processes behind Grasshopper and Rhino modelling; and it is fascinating
to the discover how new geometries and patterning systems can be created
by knowing only some of the most basic functions.
As someone who usually becomes inspired at the very last (and often
most inconvenient) minute, I feel like having this knowledge for my past
designs could have helped me generate quicker, and more complex and
contextually-rich outcomes.
Finally, as a mere pupil of this new Parametric movement, I look forward to
the unpredictability of my future designs and the possibilities it can open
up for me with great anticipation.
page | 45
A.6. APPENDIX -
ALGORITHMIC SKETCHES
The following are taken from my Algorithmic Sketchbook and depict some of the highlights
of my parametric explorations so far.
example 01/
This geometry was generated using the prepackaged
Voronoi 3D triangulation algorithm, which results in the
creation of cell patterns across a surface. It is a common-
ly used method in the architecture of today, as a way of
generating natural looking and organic patterns. In some
cases, voronoi patterning sequences have been applied to
cladding systems as a way of creating innovation shading
techniques.
example 02/
Demonstrates sphere intersections that were created us-
ing circles generated from three known points in a number
of iterations. It can be useful in creating complex interior
spaces and challenging conventional notions about
spatial relationships.
example 03/
My third example is one that I am extremely proud I was
able to achieve successfully. Parametically designed
gridshells are becoming more and more prominent in
architecture, for their durability and strength derived from
a double curvature form in conjuction with a structural
lattice. They also exhibit the potentials of timber through
large spans often in curved and complex forms. I enjoyed
learning exploring this modelling method most because I
found it most relevant to todays architecture.
01/
02/
03/
page | 48
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