Tuesday, December 4, 2007
thesis 3
Digital Architecture
The Use of Digital Technique in Architecture
Anjasmoro Maroef
Intensive English Program
Professor Healy
December 3, 2007
Digital Architecture 1
"You define space in the computer with curves," he says. "Usually an architect would draw points, and connect lines and planes with them. With these programs, we've shifted to thinking of space as the sheltered enclosures of a flexible handkerchief."- Gregg Lynn, architect and ETH Zurich design studio instructor.
Introduction
The design world today is driven by technology. The advancement of computer animation technology has brought infinite possibilities to explore the designer design. In the world of architecture, the design process is one of the examples of how computers have changed and influenced one aspects of our life, the art of building houses and spaces; architecture. The use of computers as a design tools in architecture practice is becoming more intense. This trend in architecture practice is because of the advancement of computer animation software such as Maya, Rhino, Catia, 3D Max and GC. These software programs enable the designers to deal with the full complexity of material and architecture structure systems. It also allows the designer to explore various kinds of shapes and structures. This new architecture movement is known as Biomorphic Architecture. The word bio comes from the word bios, which means living, and morph means form or shape. Biomorphic architecture is an architecture style in which the form, shape and structure derived from living organisms that are found in nature. (Flemings, 1998, p. 56)
Digital Architecture 2
Computer parametric tool software programs enable the designer to have measured and controlled drawings and conceptual massing models. Like many other new technologies that we have just discovered, computer animation programs also will results in some problems for the users. This paper reveals some possibilities, threats, advantages and disadvantages of the use of computer aid programs in the architecture design world.
2. Technology in designing Biomorphic Architecture
Shape and form
The use of computer modeling assist the designer to see how the massing of the building will sit in the site. It also allows the designer to have some images about how the interior and exterior space will be created. These computer models will also provide some information of what kind of sunlight effect will penetrate the building. The above mentioned quality of space can be achieved by the use of traditional modeling techniques (architecture models made by hand with paper and Balsa wood), but the traditional models are limited only to the appearance of the model’ massing and space quality, and these kinds of models are not really an effective way to study the impact of the immediate surroundings, since the site models might seem different from the actual existing condition of the site. By having the models made in three dimension modeling software, one can easily transfer the building file into photoshop software and build the artificial, yet real-like environment using
Digital Architecture 3
pictures and images that are taken from the existing site condition. Animation software with movie scene application may enable the designers to create video animation of walking through the building, as if one is actually walking through the spaces and sensing the mood through color, light and shadow.
Architecture's Parametric Tool
The term ‘architecture parametric tool’ is considered as a new paradigm in the architecture world. The extensive use of these new tools in architecture practice is quite recent. According to Mark Burry in his article about parametric design in which he defines the architecture parametric tool, the parameters in computer parametric software are not just numbers relating to Cartesian geometry –the use of computer animation can perform based on criteria, such as light levels or structural load resistance or even a set of aesthetic principles. (Kolarevic, 2003, p.149) Through this kind of approach in designing architecture, the designers become more involved interactively in the evolution of the architectural design process. An architect is able to make amendments or alterations to the specific points, or details instantly without having to re-draw everything.
Digital Architecture 4
3. Application of the computer software in architecture design
Architects and Building Sample
The architecture practice of Hina Jammele and Ali Rahim (Contemporary Architecture Practice) in New York City is an example of an architecture firm that uses computer animation software towards their design process. According to Ali Rahim, the availability of Maya and Rhino software programs enables the architects to open the possibilities of knowing that the process of designing and exploring shapes can become interesting and can generate more design potential. He adds that working with architectural animation / modeling software gives architects an immediate sense of what is working and not working in their design proposals, simply by changing, adding or subtracting information or conditions through the software interface system’s toolbar. By using this technology, their design experimentations become more efficient. These architectural animations / modeling innovations can also facilitate many structure modules alternative, so that the structure modules can fit appropriately to the space quality that is intended to achieve. (Rahim, Ali 2002). The samples of Hina Jammele and Ali Rahim’s projects are the Reebok flagship store in Shanghai China, completed in 2005 and two towers in Dubai, one residential and one mixed use (office and commercial). (HYPERLINK " http://architettura.supereva.com/files/20050825/index_en.htm)
According to Ali Rahim in his interview with Monia De Machi (HYPERLINK " http://architettura.supereva.com/files/20050825/index_en.htm), the Dubai mixed use tower (office and commercial) is designed to free the users to inhabit common space. The common rooms could be divided into smaller spaces by having prefabricated partitions that allow the room to be used for different kinds of activities at the same
Digital Architecture 5
time and if the partition is open, the tenants will have a bigger space to accommodate bigger functions. These fabricated partitions are designed and tested virtually in the computer software, so that before the component is produced to the actual scale, the designer can have a good sense of how the components will serve the intended function.
Figure 1. Dubai residential tower (AD. Elegance. Wiley-Academy)
The second project of Hina Jammele and Ali Rahim’s that was also generated by using the computer software, is the design of the Reebok flagship store in Shanghai China. In order to have different size of interior panels that are being used as interior structural and decorative elements in the store, they incorporated different kinds of animation programs to create
Digital Architecture 6
undulating panels shape. (http://architettura.supereva.com/files/20050825/index_en.htm)
An example of computer animation program application in a bigger scale is a project designed by Eisenman Architect. The shape that is generated by the use of computer software in Peter Eisenman’s Architecture is more rigid, and derived from primitive geometry shapes, such as cubes, spheres and other geometric shapes. One of the example projects that are designed by using computer software animation is the Berlin’s Jewish Memorial in Germany. (http://www.holocaust-mahnmal.de/en)
Figure 2. Berlin Jewish Memorial
Digital Architecture 7
In this project the designers developed the design by using three dimension software programs to provide the details of different phases of the project, such as layout diagrams, zoning diagrams, site diagrams, and structure diagrams. The use of three dimensional programs gives the designer the exact parameters for the shape and dimension of concrete slab and its placement. The computer models can make simulation of different slab placements scenario in the site. These simulation models also visualize how the field of the slab will change according to the site topography. By having these various scenarios, designers can have a better understanding of the impact of each scenario on the immediate site surrounding.
Figure 2. Berlin Jewish Memorial
Digital Architecture 8
4. Conclusion
Computer Programming as a Design Tool
Computer programming, such as processing and the use of computer script in writing computer languages, was a foreign term in the architecture designing world. The use of computers in the eighties and nineties was primarily to input data, such as lines, curves and basic primitive geometry. The outputs of these software are two dimensional drawings of building sections, plans and elevation. Now we can find the use of digital media in every big architecture firm. To this new development, as an architect I feel excited and also worried at the same time. The design experimentations become more infinite to explore. We can model a very delicate structure, building details, and intricate façade system and can envision how our building will deal with the extreme natural conditions, such as extreme sunlight and wind, study the impact of natural disasters (earth quakes, floods, volcanic eruptions, snow storms and heavy thunder storms). The process of design amendment or alteration becomes easier because we can re-visit and re-work the drawings or the model files as many time as we want without starting the drawings or models from scratch. However, as excited as I am about this new technology, I feel worried about the products that we are going to produce, since the process seems instant and fast. The availability of these kinds of technology has the potential to erase many traditional architecture design processes, such as
Digital Architecture 9
going back and forth re-doing the drawing, where some alterations could become much more elaborate and detailed. I am afraid that we are going to lose our space sensibility because we are used to dealing with artificial shape spaces that are beyond our cognitive experience as architects.
Digital Architecture 1
References
Berlin Jewish Memorial official website http://www.holocaust-mahnmal.de/en
Marchi, M.( 2005, August 25). Contemporary Architecture Practice. An Interview with Ali Rahim. [Online]. Available : http://architettura.supereva.com/files/20050825/index_en.htm. ( 2005, August 25).
Flemings, J., Honour, H. & Pevsner, N. (1998). The Penguin Dictionary of
Landscape and Architecture(5th ed.).
London: Penguin Books.
Golafaro, L. (1999)Digital Eisenman An Office of the Electronic Era.
Boston: Birkhauser.
Kolarevic, B. (2003). Architecture in the Digital Age, Design and Manufacturing.
New York : Spon Press.
Mitchell, J. W. (1977). Computer-Aided Architectural Design. School of
Architecture and Urban Planning University of Los Angeles. New York : Petrocelli/ Charter.
Rahim, A. (2002).Contemporary Techniques in Architecture. Architecture Design.
London: Willey-Academy.
The Use of Digital Technique in Architecture
Anjasmoro Maroef
Intensive English Program
Professor Healy
December 3, 2007
Digital Architecture 1
"You define space in the computer with curves," he says. "Usually an architect would draw points, and connect lines and planes with them. With these programs, we've shifted to thinking of space as the sheltered enclosures of a flexible handkerchief."- Gregg Lynn, architect and ETH Zurich design studio instructor.
Introduction
The design world today is driven by technology. The advancement of computer animation technology has brought infinite possibilities to explore the designer design. In the world of architecture, the design process is one of the examples of how computers have changed and influenced one aspects of our life, the art of building houses and spaces; architecture. The use of computers as a design tools in architecture practice is becoming more intense. This trend in architecture practice is because of the advancement of computer animation software such as Maya, Rhino, Catia, 3D Max and GC. These software programs enable the designers to deal with the full complexity of material and architecture structure systems. It also allows the designer to explore various kinds of shapes and structures. This new architecture movement is known as Biomorphic Architecture. The word bio comes from the word bios, which means living, and morph means form or shape. Biomorphic architecture is an architecture style in which the form, shape and structure derived from living organisms that are found in nature. (Flemings, 1998, p. 56)
Digital Architecture 2
Computer parametric tool software programs enable the designer to have measured and controlled drawings and conceptual massing models. Like many other new technologies that we have just discovered, computer animation programs also will results in some problems for the users. This paper reveals some possibilities, threats, advantages and disadvantages of the use of computer aid programs in the architecture design world.
2. Technology in designing Biomorphic Architecture
Shape and form
The use of computer modeling assist the designer to see how the massing of the building will sit in the site. It also allows the designer to have some images about how the interior and exterior space will be created. These computer models will also provide some information of what kind of sunlight effect will penetrate the building. The above mentioned quality of space can be achieved by the use of traditional modeling techniques (architecture models made by hand with paper and Balsa wood), but the traditional models are limited only to the appearance of the model’ massing and space quality, and these kinds of models are not really an effective way to study the impact of the immediate surroundings, since the site models might seem different from the actual existing condition of the site. By having the models made in three dimension modeling software, one can easily transfer the building file into photoshop software and build the artificial, yet real-like environment using
Digital Architecture 3
pictures and images that are taken from the existing site condition. Animation software with movie scene application may enable the designers to create video animation of walking through the building, as if one is actually walking through the spaces and sensing the mood through color, light and shadow.
Architecture's Parametric Tool
The term ‘architecture parametric tool’ is considered as a new paradigm in the architecture world. The extensive use of these new tools in architecture practice is quite recent. According to Mark Burry in his article about parametric design in which he defines the architecture parametric tool, the parameters in computer parametric software are not just numbers relating to Cartesian geometry –the use of computer animation can perform based on criteria, such as light levels or structural load resistance or even a set of aesthetic principles. (Kolarevic, 2003, p.149) Through this kind of approach in designing architecture, the designers become more involved interactively in the evolution of the architectural design process. An architect is able to make amendments or alterations to the specific points, or details instantly without having to re-draw everything.
Digital Architecture 4
3. Application of the computer software in architecture design
Architects and Building Sample
The architecture practice of Hina Jammele and Ali Rahim (Contemporary Architecture Practice) in New York City is an example of an architecture firm that uses computer animation software towards their design process. According to Ali Rahim, the availability of Maya and Rhino software programs enables the architects to open the possibilities of knowing that the process of designing and exploring shapes can become interesting and can generate more design potential. He adds that working with architectural animation / modeling software gives architects an immediate sense of what is working and not working in their design proposals, simply by changing, adding or subtracting information or conditions through the software interface system’s toolbar. By using this technology, their design experimentations become more efficient. These architectural animations / modeling innovations can also facilitate many structure modules alternative, so that the structure modules can fit appropriately to the space quality that is intended to achieve. (Rahim, Ali 2002). The samples of Hina Jammele and Ali Rahim’s projects are the Reebok flagship store in Shanghai China, completed in 2005 and two towers in Dubai, one residential and one mixed use (office and commercial). (HYPERLINK " http://architettura.supereva.com/files/20050825/index_en.htm)
According to Ali Rahim in his interview with Monia De Machi (HYPERLINK " http://architettura.supereva.com/files/20050825/index_en.htm), the Dubai mixed use tower (office and commercial) is designed to free the users to inhabit common space. The common rooms could be divided into smaller spaces by having prefabricated partitions that allow the room to be used for different kinds of activities at the same
Digital Architecture 5
time and if the partition is open, the tenants will have a bigger space to accommodate bigger functions. These fabricated partitions are designed and tested virtually in the computer software, so that before the component is produced to the actual scale, the designer can have a good sense of how the components will serve the intended function.
Figure 1. Dubai residential tower (AD. Elegance. Wiley-Academy)
The second project of Hina Jammele and Ali Rahim’s that was also generated by using the computer software, is the design of the Reebok flagship store in Shanghai China. In order to have different size of interior panels that are being used as interior structural and decorative elements in the store, they incorporated different kinds of animation programs to create
Digital Architecture 6
undulating panels shape. (http://architettura.supereva.com/files/20050825/index_en.htm)
An example of computer animation program application in a bigger scale is a project designed by Eisenman Architect. The shape that is generated by the use of computer software in Peter Eisenman’s Architecture is more rigid, and derived from primitive geometry shapes, such as cubes, spheres and other geometric shapes. One of the example projects that are designed by using computer software animation is the Berlin’s Jewish Memorial in Germany. (http://www.holocaust-mahnmal.de/en)
Figure 2. Berlin Jewish Memorial
Digital Architecture 7
In this project the designers developed the design by using three dimension software programs to provide the details of different phases of the project, such as layout diagrams, zoning diagrams, site diagrams, and structure diagrams. The use of three dimensional programs gives the designer the exact parameters for the shape and dimension of concrete slab and its placement. The computer models can make simulation of different slab placements scenario in the site. These simulation models also visualize how the field of the slab will change according to the site topography. By having these various scenarios, designers can have a better understanding of the impact of each scenario on the immediate site surrounding.
Figure 2. Berlin Jewish Memorial
Digital Architecture 8
4. Conclusion
Computer Programming as a Design Tool
Computer programming, such as processing and the use of computer script in writing computer languages, was a foreign term in the architecture designing world. The use of computers in the eighties and nineties was primarily to input data, such as lines, curves and basic primitive geometry. The outputs of these software are two dimensional drawings of building sections, plans and elevation. Now we can find the use of digital media in every big architecture firm. To this new development, as an architect I feel excited and also worried at the same time. The design experimentations become more infinite to explore. We can model a very delicate structure, building details, and intricate façade system and can envision how our building will deal with the extreme natural conditions, such as extreme sunlight and wind, study the impact of natural disasters (earth quakes, floods, volcanic eruptions, snow storms and heavy thunder storms). The process of design amendment or alteration becomes easier because we can re-visit and re-work the drawings or the model files as many time as we want without starting the drawings or models from scratch. However, as excited as I am about this new technology, I feel worried about the products that we are going to produce, since the process seems instant and fast. The availability of these kinds of technology has the potential to erase many traditional architecture design processes, such as
Digital Architecture 9
going back and forth re-doing the drawing, where some alterations could become much more elaborate and detailed. I am afraid that we are going to lose our space sensibility because we are used to dealing with artificial shape spaces that are beyond our cognitive experience as architects.
Digital Architecture 1
References
Berlin Jewish Memorial official website http://www.holocaust-mahnmal.de/en
Marchi, M.( 2005, August 25). Contemporary Architecture Practice. An Interview with Ali Rahim. [Online]. Available : http://architettura.supereva.com/files/20050825/index_en.htm. ( 2005, August 25).
Flemings, J., Honour, H. & Pevsner, N. (1998). The Penguin Dictionary of
Landscape and Architecture(5th ed.).
London: Penguin Books.
Golafaro, L. (1999)Digital Eisenman An Office of the Electronic Era.
Boston: Birkhauser.
Kolarevic, B. (2003). Architecture in the Digital Age, Design and Manufacturing.
New York : Spon Press.
Mitchell, J. W. (1977). Computer-Aided Architectural Design. School of
Architecture and Urban Planning University of Los Angeles. New York : Petrocelli/ Charter.
Rahim, A. (2002).Contemporary Techniques in Architecture. Architecture Design.
London: Willey-Academy.
course reflection
Throughout the semester I learnt many things in the intensive English programs. We have many projects and involved in many digitally activities. The first phase of this course, I was struggling with the assignments and the course requirements, since I was registered for five classes. I have to manage my time to do all the classes requirements. The English course at Pratt is very intensive. It involves many English skills both written and verbal. The teacher( Sang Kim and Thomas Healy) and friends in my class help me a lot to solve my problems when doing class assignments. What I like best about the IEP program is that I learnt to do many kinds of writing exercises and online collaboration work. The most interesting part is when we were asked o write our personal artist statement by virtual teacher Amy Gugenheim. We received the lecture through video that was recorded spring semester. In this project we were tracking our progress through Pratt’s Learning Management System. There we uploaded our writings and we could have the chances to see other student’s writing samples and their progress.
thesis reflection
Thesis writing assignment is a new experience for me. At the beginning I was having trouble to generate the main idea for this thesis, but fortunately I was helped by the preparation that I had through writing the research proposal and writing the thesis introduction. At my first and second draft I was troubled with the grammatical error such as articles, tense and singular and plurals.
My teacherThomas helped me to correct these mistakes with a very nice approach. He would not directly correct my answer, but he gave me some notes and underlined the sentences in my draft, showing that there were some issues to be resolved in the paragraph. Citing a source to be used in a thesis paper is another experience in my academic life.
My teacherThomas helped me to correct these mistakes with a very nice approach. He would not directly correct my answer, but he gave me some notes and underlined the sentences in my draft, showing that there were some issues to be resolved in the paragraph. Citing a source to be used in a thesis paper is another experience in my academic life.
The habit of citing a source is for me a very good gesture of how the American academia, this gesture shows how we as a student should respect others research and teach us not to rely only their words or opinion in writing a thesis or any kind of writing assignments. Overall I am very pleased to have this kind of assignments to improve my writing skills and also to prepare my thesis and writing assignments next semester.
Wednesday, November 28, 2007
Amy Gugenheim
What is an Artistic Statement?PurposeAccording to Professor Amy Gugenheim, the purpose of an artistic statement is as a guide for the audience to understand the artworks and the concepts behind the artworks or the artist work in an artist portfolio or exhibition.Artist statement is a medium for the artist to voice his works or style. With a good artist statement, an artist could be well understand and recognize by the artist's audience. BiographyAlthough artist statement is a medium for the artist to introduce his/her life, according to Professor Amy Gugenheim, artist statement should not be too much about biography about us. Artist should include biography facts that are contextual to their works or achievements.Art WorkIn an artist statement, artist could give the reader a conceptual picture of his/her work, the artist intension, and individual methodsBeliefThe artist statement could also include the definition of the artist art work, what kind of audience that the artist expected to engage, to show the artist most important work also to state the function, form, and use of your art works.External InfluenceIn an Artist career, the artist always got a lot of influences, here the artist could elaborate his idol or art works that are inspiring for their work. Then the artist could explain to the audience why he like the particular artist/work?WritingIn the artist statement the artist as the writer of the statement, should write as short as possible, and to keep the artist voice character/style in the statement with formal language of academic.
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