Unfortunatly, due to the pressure of time, I was forced to develop the building from an earlyer stage. These are renders of the final bilding.
Image 3d structure created with Isosurf. The structure is only partitial and needs to be optimized. This approach shows a larger potential regarding spaces ("soft-spaces") and has a more natural relation to the inspiration source)
The placement and spacing(which results in room size) of the function is used to generate the structure througt the voronoi partitioning. A new approach is taken to generate the structure, where each floor is created using a voronoi diagram and then are compiled using IsoSurf (a program used to generate 3d images of bones using a series of section pictures(http://mi.eng.cam.ac.uk/~gmt11/software/isosurf/isosurf.html))
The solar analysis indicates when certain areas in the building could be overheated. Functions are placed in the building according to when they are active: Office - active in daytime, Appartments - inactive in daytime, Public - always active. (red=Public, Blue=Office, Green=Appatrments)
To get an idea about where functions should be placed, a analysis of solar exposure is made - this is based on the principle of the termites moving their activities in the mound according to time of day/solar exposure. (the analysis tool used is a grasshopper definition developed by Ted Ngai(http://tedngai.net/)
As it has been pointed out to me the that it it not clear why I have found the voronoi partitioning appropiate to use, I have made a short explanation of how termites build (for further explanation see picture). Where to build in the mound is based on two types of pheromone gradients - attractor and repellor. The queen-pheromones are repellors, hence buildingblocks will be laid at the furthest possible distance from the point of the queens possition - which digitally can be approximated by a voronoi diagram. The actual buildingblocks are attractors, when two buildingblocks are laid a third will be put in the intersection of the pheromone gradients.(see picture)
Meshing of the deluaney triangulated skin is smoothe to correspond with the internal spaces.
Structure is added to the inner surface and partitioning walls are added for the cut voronoi cells. The points of intersection between structure and outer surface are triangulated(via deluaney) to enable the skin to carry structural loads - also as an aesthetic choice, as voronoi skins have been (mis)used to often.
As the 3rd voronoi solution does not completely intersect the outer surface a 4th is created without any subtraction-lines. Spherical joints are added to make all members connect completly. Thick spherical/ellipsoidal floors are added in the inner surface to account for thermalmass.
Structural members applied to the last two voronoi solutions.
To create structural members that "soften" the internal spaces Grasshopper is utillized to create circular members with large end radii than center radii - both of which decrease according to height possition in the structure.
The last voronoi solution is too dense and too directly controled a new approach to pointcloun creation is taken. Center points of tightly packed circles (with radius from 10m to 25m) are arrayed vertically and displaced laterally. The solution is then cut by the governing surfaces.
The internal spaces are created through a voronoi space-partitioning which is dependent on a pointcloud. In order to create this pointcloud lines are created from offsets of the governing surfaces - both for point creation and subtraction. The initial voronoi solution results in a large number of vertical lines - which is not disireable, or natural in regards to termite monds. Therefor each point is randomly moved in z-direction.
The mound principles are combined (read left to right) - a flat structure is angled towards the predominant winds, and the top is angled towards the sun. Secondly an internal structure is inserted - suitable for boyancy ventilation - and the outer surface is adjusted accordingly. Thirdly self-shading ribs are applied - as this disrupts windflow around the outer surface this is split in two, allowing wind to pass inbetween. For further development two "governing" surfaces are used - inner surface(boyancy) and outer surface(skin).
Initially temperature, sun possition and wind conditions are analysed, and these guides are then implemented in a 3d modeling environment.
The mounds of different termites are studied, as these are adapted to the harsh environment in which they are errected. (see picture for details)
Hi Martin,
ReplyDelete1. Good to see the strategies outlined in diagrammes to understand their functionality and potentials. But, remember to be critical to your source of inspiration, as the termites surely do not have the same needs as people. Perhaps outline how you convert the termite mound organisation from more perspectives than purely strategically (parametric), in the sense of architectural typology, living potentials?
2. The constructed governing surfaces are modelled according strategy diagrammes? If, then consider your methodological approach, as termite mounds are grown from down-up, while you model them top-down. Perhaps argument for your progression path through the project.
3. Seeing your design stage, perhaps it is worth simulating the model, to investigate the effect of your strategies in terms of solar shading and structural stiffness. Or evaluate them architecturally to direct new morphological alterations.
4. From what is the voronoi organisation derived? Is forces applied to differentiate the structure, or are they generated in a vacuum environment? What are the implications for either of the paths?
5. Good to see a 3-dimensional spatial organsation of the entire building at ones. How do you evaluate the internal spatial arrangement? Programming? Functionality? Randomness?
Looking forward to see the development.
Best
Isak
Hi Isak,
ReplyDeleteThank you very much for your comments.
1. The main reason for the study of termite mounds were their response to the environment and so this has been my main strategy. Only placement of programming and non-rectiliniar spaces have been concideret also.
2. My starting point was to design bottom-up, but I still lack the programming language to make a truely bottom-up/(self-organizing) structure. The governing surfaces have been used to confine the development of what will actually be the structure, ie. the voronoi spacepartitioning. The points of which is/should have been created solely on the basis of the needs of the functions.
3.In a longer process I would have liked to make more precise simulations. I have only simulated the solar exposure in order to place the functions.
4.Regarding the voronoi organisation, I have elaborated on this concept after reading your comment. The voronoi organisation is basically an approximation af the termites pheromone gradients - see picture for further info.
5. The internal spatial arrangement is mostely due to programming/function. Further more my personal aesthetic preference for non-rectiliniar spaces ("soft-spaces")
I appreciate the comments and hope to see more on comming projects
Martin
Hi Martin,
ReplyDelete1) Indeed, time pass fast in the cellar of ESARQ! However, congratulations with finishing of the work.
2) A bottom-up evolution of the termite mound would have been quite a bit more complex to construct, for not to say difficult with an aim of constructing usable spaces for human occupation. Despite the 'semi-generative' process, are the towers looking rather modelled, due to their symmetric 'perfection' look (whereas in nature, nothing would be identical). Just a comment on the visuals...
3) Considering your advanced and interesting strategies of solar positioning and wind flow, more argumentation for the implementation could have been shown. How is the wind guided inside the building skin, when accelerating by the facade? 'Skin' apertures seem similar to all directions. How is solar exposure differentiated in a smaller scale than the complete morphology?
4) The image shown from IsoSurf, seems to be constructing bone-like structures, implementing potential spatial separations as well as structural logic. Such an approach might be interesting to pursue in future works...
Best
Isak