Thursday 23 June 2011

PREMISE

As we develop ideas in response to society's needs fundamental to progress, so do we capture these into the architectural forms we create today.  Foremost in societies' minds is how to become more sustainable, a manifestation of humanity's basic primal instict for survival.  There is a commitment and purpose in how architectural forms and our urban landscape are shaped to ensure for more sustainable results whether to do with its economic, social or environmental aspect.

Taking a close look at the Bennelong site and how it sits in context within the Sydney urban landscape, the main aspect I'd like to focus on is how we could use parametric modelling to create architectural elements that are responsive to the demands and restrictions of that site to ensure its socially sustainable progress.

There is an inherent problem with the location where the Bennelong Apartments sit.  Any development on that site would limit or block views from every direction.  Any looming structural mass in such a confined space must be avoided and to establish an expansive development at ground level would discourage and cut off pedestrian circulation as well as sever any networking possibilities with adjacent or surrounding points of interest such as the Royal Botanic Gardens. On the otherhand, facilities are required on that location.

How do we therefore resolve such contradiction?


SURFACE ARCHITECTURE

In my research I looked at different aspects of surface architecture.  It is by definition not limited to its visual representation but the identity of the building as a whole. It considers the look and feel as well as its functionality and how it sits in the context of its  environment that gives a building character.

This character forming is an architects response to the demands and restrictions imposed on and are specific to a site.  They represent ideas of how the building responds to the need of its users as well as encourage a certain impression on others.

An example of this is the work of Herzog & de Meuron with the Elbe Philharmonic Hall, Hamburg Germany.
The use of glazing on most of the exterior stems from their ideas of being able to meet and respond to a specific need. In their design, they were able to achieve a less dense looking building as well as provide multiple facilities as required.

The Elbe Philharmonic Hall sits on a site that is not so dissimilar to that of the Bennelong site which has comparable demands and restrictions.


OPTIMISED USE OF REFLECTIVE SURFACES

In my parametric modelling experiments, I looked at creating different surfaces that could also potentially create a similar effect but more specific to the Bennelong site.

The following iterations show how a surface can be designed or arranged to make its reflections more purposeful.

Finding inspiration in the idea by Herzog & de Meuron on their use of glazing, I extended that concept in a way that would meet specific requirements in the Bennelong site.  By using attractor points or attractor curves that represent a specific element, I was able to create surfaces with a variation in its form.  For example, should the surface of a building be facing mainly North, then maximum sun exposure is to be expected. In using the solar path as an attractor curve, I am able to create a surface that is responsive to its environment.  In the Bennelong site, to create a building that is less dense or less baulky in appearance the use of this system on reflective surfaces can achieve such goal by aiming to integrate the building in its environment and reflecting only aspects such as the harbour or the blue skies and that are conducive to making the building appear near transparent or having chameleonic properties.

3D ITERATIONS

These iterations demonstrate how surfaces can be arranged or impressed upon to achieve a less baulky or less dense appearance. 












                INTEGRATION











GRASSHOPPER DEFINITIONS

To create these iterations Ive used Morph Box on a surface.  The bounding box holds the geometry that would be imposed on the surface.  The attractor points or attractor curve defines the variation in the resulting geometry on the surface.





3D MANUFACTURING


To represent this concept I've created a model of a curvilinear surface made of acrylic, a reflective material.  Iterations on its form is represented by the stepping of the surface.

 

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