MEASI ACADEMY OF ARCHITECTURE

CONTEMPORARY PROCESS IN ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN (AR 3004)- 2021 REG

AR 3004- CONTEMPORARY PROCESSES IN ARCHITECTURE

OBJECTIVES:
 To investigate various theories of media and its influence on the
perception of space.
 To study the various aspects of Digital Architecture and its exploration
through emerging phenomena that relies on abstraction of ideas.
 To study the works of contemporary architects who have illustrated the
influence of the digital media in evolving architecture. This is to be
presented as Seminars.
UNIT I - INTRODUCTION
Investigation of contemporary theories of media and their influence on the
perception of space and architecture. Technology and Art – Technology and
Architecture – Technology as Rhetoric – Digital Technology and Architecture
UNIT II ASPECT OF DIGITAL ARCHITECTURE
Aspects of Digital Architecture – Design and Computation – Difference between
Digital Process and Non-Digital Process – Architecture and Cyber Space –
Qualities of the new space – Issues of Aesthetics
and Authorship of Design – Increased Automatism and its influence
UNIT III CONTEMPORARY PROCESS
Emerging phenomena such as increasing formal and functional abstractions –
Diagrams – Diagrammatic Reasoning – Diagrams and Design Process –
Animation and Design – Digital Hybrid
UNIT IV GEOMETRIES AND SURFACES
Fractal Geometry – Shape Grammar - Hyper Surface - Liquid Architecture –
Responsive Architecture.
UNIT V CONTEMPORARY PROCESS AND ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN
Students would make presentation on the ideas and works of the following
architects. The proposal must be discussed with course faculty prior to
presentation. Greg Lynn, Reiser + Umemotto, Lars Spuybroek / NOX Architects,
UN studio, Diller Scofidio, Dominique Perrault, Decoi, Marcos Novak,
Foreign Office Architects, Asymptote, Herzog and de Meuron, Neil Denari.
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CONTEMPORARY PROCESS IN ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN (AR 3004)- 2021 REG

UNIT I - INTRODUCTION
Investigation of contemporary theories of media and their influence on the
perception of space and architecture. Technology and Art – Technology and
Architecture – Technology as Rhetoric – Digital Technology and Architecture

MEDIA IN SPACE AND ARCHITECTURE

Over the last decade, the architectural landscape in cities like New York, Tokyo
and London has been undergoing a major change. Large LCD screens and LED
Billboards are appearing as part of the city architectural landscape.

1. The environment is the immediate vicinity-

2. The actual content that is being communicated, and
3. The carrier that supports the display medium. (e.g. a building, a square, a
facade or Ornament.) that fulfil a supporting role in sustaining the
broadcast medium, be it for structural, functional, or aesthetic reasons.

CONTEMPORARY THEORIES OF MEDIA

Contemporary theories of media and their influence on the perception of space

and architecture are concerned with how different forms of media shape the
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CONTEMPORARY PROCESS IN ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN (AR 3004)- 2021 REG

way that people experience, understand, and interact with the built
environment. Some of the key contemporary theories in this area are:

1. Theories of Representation: Representation theories focus on the ways in which

media shape the way people understand and experience space and
architecture. They explore how visual media, such as photography and film, can
be used to create representations of the built environment and how these
representations influence people's perceptions of space and architecture.
EXAMPLE:For example, photographs and videos of iconic buildings and
landmarks, such as the Eiffel Tower or the Burj Khalifa, shape people's
understanding and expectations of these spaces and can influence their
perceptions of the built environment more broadly.

2. Theories of Simulation: Simulation theories focus on the ways in which virtual

environments and technologies can be used to create simulations of the built
environment. They examine how these simulations influence people's
experiences and understanding of space and architecture and how they can be
used to create new forms of architectural expression.
EXAMPLE:For example, virtual reality and augmented reality technologies can
be used to create simulations of architectural designs, allowing people to
experience and explore proposed buildings and spaces before they are built.
This can influence their understanding and expectations of the final built
environment.

3. Theories of Interaction: Interaction theories focus on the ways in which people

use different forms of media to interact with the built environment. They
explore how digital technologies, such as augmented and virtual reality, can be
used to create new forms of interaction with the built environment and how
these interactions can influence people's experiences and understanding of
space and architecture.
EXAMPLE: For example, digital technologies, such as interactive screens and
sensors, can be integrated into the built environment to allow people to
interact with architecture in new and creative ways. This can shape people's
experiences and understanding of space and architecture and create new forms
of architectural expression.

These contemporary theories demonstrate that media play a critical role in

shaping the way people experience, understand, and interact with the built
environment. They highlight the importance of considering the role of media in
the design of space and architecture and the potential for media to create new
forms of architectural expression and interaction.
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CONTEMPORARY PROCESS IN ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN (AR 3004)- 2021 REG

Few examples for media and its influence

Entertainment- In Las vegas,U.S, the LCD (Liquid Crystal Display)screens

dominate the strip skylinemainly driven by commercial advertising, appearing in
various shapes, sizes and orientation.

Las vegas – street night view

Business – One of the application of media facade in a dense urban context on a
big scale is the headquarters of the technology stock market NASDAQ in
Manhattan. It is housing the NASDAQ ticker and the high-tech LED (light
emitting diode) display which wraps around the cylindrical corner of the
building. The NASDAQ displays broadcasts up-to-the minute financial
news driven by events, market highlights, and advertisements.

NASDAQ Building in Manhattan

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CONTEMPORARY PROCESS IN ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN (AR 3004)- 2021 REG

Art and entertainment. -The headquarters of the in Rotterdam is an example of

using the media screen Dutch telecommunication company KPN to cover the
entire façade. But the major drawback here was the screen faces the residential
areas and hence has raised light pollution issues. The façade is facing the city
and change every day, with the season, activities, festivals, animations and
graphics or just show KNP-logos.

KPN Façade with displays

Recreation and Entertainment

The Crown Fountain, in Chicago, features a shallow pool with two glass block
towers one at each end. It does not broadcast a pre-programmed commercial
advertising but rather displays the faces of one thousand Chicago people one at
a time. During the final minute of the display, the lips purse and spout of water
shoots from their mouths. This low level of action attracts people attention and
makes them feel engaged and aware of their presence with the fountains
setting.
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Crown Fountain , in Chicago,

Advantages and disadvantages of media façade in architectural space

Large projection screens are becoming more and more prominent in urban
spaces.
• Relationship of elements and narrative - In order to achieve a real integration
on an urban scale, we need to consider the design of space as a meaningful
whole considering the urban space, the dynamic visual information, and the
social interaction space. Proper proportions of the graphic elements and their
relative size is important to create a balance and to achieve real integration on
the urban level.
• Social interactivity vs. commercial monologue. -unlike the typical use of new
technologies to perform a pre-programmed commercial monologue, the
participants input and feedback thru projections, robotics, sound and local
sensors- should become an integral part of the public space, and the outcome is
influenced by participant’s action.
• Location and mobility. – the location of the animated screens or signs should
not distract the public and cause light pollution-hence their location, orientation
of surfaces, size, resolution and image refresh rate matters. The signs designed
to attract public on different levels – on an eye level, on a car level or to be seen
from a highway or to make a distinct landscape of symbols and light.
•Obsolescence vs. flexibility: - one relevant concern is the durability of the
architectural material and the rapid obsolescence of technology standards. By
using temporary projection on exterior or interior walls, will allow flexibility in
terms of materials and space for future re-use and conversion.
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CONTEMPORARY PROCESS IN ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN (AR 3004)- 2021 REG

• Privacy concern and light pollution – there should be proper regulations to

regulate the amount of light-intensive signages and the massive light displays
and its effect.
SOME MORE EXAMPLES OF MEDIA FACDE
Puzzle Façade- The Ars Electronica Center’s Luminous Puzzle Façade, in Linz,
Austria Can be “Solved” With a Rubik’s Cube

Artist Javier Lloert created an interactive Puzzle Façade that is controlled via a
Rubik’s cube. He connected the facade of the Ars Electronica Center in Linz,
Austria to a white 3D-printed cube that controls the building’s lights. Passers-by
are invited to engage with the interactive experience and take part in shaping
the night time cityscape.
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CONTEMPORARY PROCESS IN ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN (AR 3004)- 2021 REG

He designed a special interface cube that features electronic components which

keep track of its movements and orientation. The data is sent over Bluetooth to
a computer that runs the Puzzle Facade software. Because of the building’s
surroundings, the player can see only two sides at the same time. However, the
player is able to rotate and flip the interface cube in order to work on all four
sides.
https://inhabitat.com/puzzle-facade-lets-users-solve-the-ars-electronica-center-with-a-
rubiks- cube-in-austria/puzzle-facade-1/

Digital Water Curtain - DWC

Using the digital water curtain, we can print letters and symbols on a dynamic
water wall, formed by multiple, vertical water jets. Using the included software
and computer equipment, this interactive water curtain is able to represent
both symbols and letters, as the user desires. The digital water curtain is
available in prefabricated modules of 2 or 3 meters that include 32
programmable nozzles per linear meter. The included software is user-friendly,
converting simple keystrokes into signals to open and close the electro valves,
thus printing letters and symbols in the water. This type of digital, interactive
water curtain is the ideal decorative complement for shopping malls and public
spaces open to tourism, as well as hotel and airport lobbies.
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CONTEMPORARY PROCESS IN ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN (AR 3004)- 2021 REG

https://youtu.be/MKKQDzIPFWs

Dry fountain
The Waterbody dry fountain kits are easy to install and adapt to a wide range of
designs for this type of installation. They are found in public squares and
shopping centres, since they provide playful water displays in a minimum of
space, while the dry fountain is running, yet allow for a dry walking environment
when the fountain is turned off. The Waterbody is a dry and walkable fountain
kit, made of stainless steel and especially designed to be installed in pavement
and resist vandalism, since its grid is durable and shock-resistant,
protecting the kit.
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http://www.saferain.com/en/water-show/digital-water-curtain/digital-water-curtain-
circular- shaped.html#prettyPhotod

Aviary

Aviary is an interactive environment designed in collaboration with Parallel

Development, with a sound composition by Erik Carlson. The playful audio-
visual sculpture responds to touch through displays of light and sounds that
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CONTEMPORARY PROCESS IN ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN (AR 3004)- 2021 REG

evoke the effects of a bird in flight or their natural habitat. Like a shared musical
instrument, Aviary can be “played” by one or many users. Each pole has a
unique series of sounds that form a family of sounds. A casual touch creates a
vertical burst of light, while a sustained hold slowly fills the column with light.
Depending on where the pole is touched, the sound response is unique, with
bird calls near the top of the pole, and abstract bird-like sounds near the
bottom. Sliding up and down the pole causes the sounds to be blended in a
unique and real-time sound effect. A quick slide up the pole, causes a burst of
light to float up to the top and a then migrate to adjacent poles. The gesture is
like the releasing of a bird, allowing it to fly up and to circle around. The light
and sounds of the bird calls migrate up the spiral if it was an upward gesture,
and down the spiral if it was a downward gesture.

Additional reference:Media architecture

http://cavi.au.dk/research/media-architecture/
https://www.archdaily.com/tag/media-architecture

TECHNOLOGY AND ART

Technology and art are two seemingly different fields that have increasingly
intersected and influenced each other in recent years. Technology has provided
artists with new tools and platforms to create and share their work, while art
has inspired technological innovations and advancements.

One example of the intersection between technology and art is digital art.
Digital artists use computer programs, software, and hardware to create
artwork that can be displayed on screens or projected onto surfaces. This has
opened up new possibilities for artists to experiment with different forms,
colors, and textures that would be difficult or impossible to achieve with
traditional media.

Another example is virtual and augmented reality, which are being used by
artists to create immersive and interactive experiences. Through virtual and
augmented reality, artists can create entire worlds and environments that
viewers can explore and interact with. This technology has also been used in
fields such as architecture and urban planning to visualize designs and
prototypes.

Artificial intelligence and machine learning are also being used in the art world.
Artists are using these technologies to create generative art, where algorithms
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are used to generate art automatically, without direct human input. AI is also
being used to analyze and interpret existing works of art, helping art historians
and curators gain new insights and understandings.

On the other hand, art has inspired technological advancements. For example,
the development of camera technology was influenced by the desire to capture
and reproduce images of the world in a way that mimicked the human eye.
Advances in optics and light technology have also been driven by the desire to
create new ways of capturing and displaying images.

In conclusion, technology and art are two fields that are becoming increasingly
intertwined, with each influencing the other in new and exciting ways. As
technology continues to evolve, it is likely that we will see even more ways that
art and technology intersect and inspire each other.

There are some of the innovative technological art.

The beauty of dirty air

• A Russian artist Dmitry Morozov devised a way to make pollution beautiful.

• First, he built a device, complete with a little plastic nose, that uses sensors
which can measure
dust and other typical pollutants, including carbon monoxide, formaldehyde
and methane.
Then, he headed out to the streets of Moscow.
• The sensors translate the data they gather into volts and a computing
platform called Arduino
translates those volts into shapes and colors, creating a movie of pollution.
• Morozov’s device then grabs still images from the movie and prints them out.
• As irony would have it, the dirtier the air, the brighter the image. Exhaust
smoke can look particularly vibrant.
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https://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/7-ways-technology-is-changing-how-art-is-
made-180952472/

Assemblance:
Let’s start with lasers, the brush stroke of so much digital art. One of the more
popular exhibits in the London show is called “Assemblance,” and it’s designed
to encourage visitors to create light structures and floor drawings by moving
through colored laser beams and smoke. The inclination for most people is to
work alone, but the shapes they produce tend to be more fragile. If a person
nearby bumps into their structure, for instance, it’s likely to fall apart. But those
who collaborate with others—even if it’s through an act as simple as holding
hands—discover that the light structures they create are both more resilient
and more sophisticated. “Assemblance,” says Usman Haque, one of the
founders of Umbrellium, the London art collective that designed it, has a sand
castle quality to it—like a rogue wave, one overly aggressive person can wreck
everything.
https://youtu.be/5VqHKy9IKbc

Petting Zoo:
Another favorite at “Digital Revolution” is an experience called “Petting Zoo.”
Instead of rubbing cute goats and furry rabbits, you get to cozy up to snake-like
tubes hanging from the ceiling. Doesn’t sound like fun? But wait, these are very
responsive tubes, bending and moving and changing colors based on how they
read your movements, sounds and touch. They might pull back shyly if they
sense a large group approaching or get all cuddly if you’re being affectionate.
And if you’re just standing there, they may act bored. The immersive artwork,
developed by a design group called Minimaforms, is meant to provide a glimpse
into the future, when robots or even artificial pets will be able to read our
moods and react in kindRising Colorspace
If Rising Colorspace, an abstract artwork painted on the wall of a Berlin gallery,
doesn’t seem so fabulous at first glance, just give it a little time. Come back the
next day and it will look at least a little different. That’s because the painting is
always changing, thanks to a wall-climbing robot called a Vertwalker armed with
a paint pen and a software program instructing it to follow a certain pattern.
The creation of artists Julian Adenauer and Michael Haas, theVertwalker—
which looks like a flattened iRobot Roomba—is constantly overwriting its own
work, cycling through eight colors as it glides up vertical walls for two to three
hours at a time before it needs a battery change.
“The process of creation is ideally endless,” Haas explains.
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/7-ways-technology-is-changing-how-art-is-
made-180952472/
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Finding of inner birds

 “Treachery of the Sanctuary,” it’s meant to explore the creative process

through interactions with digital birds.
 The gallery visitors are requested to stand in front of each of the screens.
In the first, the person’s shadow reflected on the screen disintegrates
into a flock of birds. That, according to Milk, represents the moment of
creative inspiration.
 In the second, the shadow is pecked away by virtual birds diving from
above. That symbolizes critical response, he explains.
 In the third screen, things get better—you see how you’d look with a
majestic set of giant wings that flap as you move. And that, says Milk,
captures the instant when a creative thought transforms into something
larger than the original idea.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ehjklqL6g84

RAIN ROOM:
Depending on how the viewer move, they would experience a unique rain
shower, complete with humidity, the sound of falling water, and the visual
effect of rain; all without getting wet.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EkvazIZx-F0
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SKETCH TOWN

It let children color in a paper outline of a car, then it is scanned, converted into
3-D, and inserted into a dynamic animated city. There, the children can move
their digital cars—and other children’s as well—with their hands. They can even
print a paper version of their car and fold it into a toy. This project aims to
encourage children to become aware of what the child next to them is drawing
or creating. And they may come to think it would be more fun to build
something together.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kQ_17zapssI

TECHNOLOGY AND ARCHITECTURE

Technology and architecture have a close relationship as technology has

always played a significant role in shaping the way architects design and
construct buildings. Technological advancements in materials, construction
techniques, and computer-aided design (CAD) software have made it
possible to create buildings that were once unimaginable.

One of the most significant ways technology has influenced architecture is

through the use of new materials. For example, glass curtain walls and
reinforced concrete have allowed architects to design buildings with large
expanses of uninterrupted space and to create unique shapes and forms.
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Another important development has been the integration of technology into

building systems. Smart buildings, for instance, can monitor and adjust their
own energy consumption, lighting, and temperature control. They can also
interact with occupants, providing real-time feedback on energy usage and
offering recommendations for energy-efficient behavior.

CAD software has also revolutionized the design process, making it faster
and more accurate. It allows architects to create detailed 3D models of
buildings, which can be analyzed for structural integrity, energy
performance, and even aesthetic appeal.

Finally, technology has also opened up new possibilities for sustainability in

architecture. With the development of new materials, building systems, and
renewable energy technologies, architects can design buildings that are
more energy-efficient, use fewer resources, and have a smaller carbon
footprint.

The intervention of technology in architecture has brought significant changes

in the way architects design and construct buildings. Here are some examples of
how technology has intervened in architecture:

1. Computer-aided design (CAD) software: CAD software allows architects to

create detailed 3D models of buildings, enabling them to visualize and test
different design options. It also facilitates the analysis of the structural and
environmental performance of the building before construction.
2. Building Information Modeling (BIM): BIM is a digital representation of the
physical and functional characteristics of a building. It allows architects,
engineers, and contractors to collaborate on a single platform and make
informed decisions about the design, construction, and maintenance of the
building.
3. Digital fabrication: With the development of digital fabrication technologies
such as 3D printing and robotic manufacturing, architects can create complex
forms and shapes that were once difficult or impossible to construct. It also
enables architects to produce customized and sustainable building components
with minimal waste.
4. Smart building systems: Smart building systems integrate technology into
building systems such as lighting, HVAC, and security. They can be programmed
to adjust their operations based on real-time data, optimizing energy efficiency
and reducing costs.
5. Sustainable technologies: With the development of sustainable technologies
such as solar panels, green roofs, and rainwater harvesting systems, architects
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can design buildings that are environmentally friendly and reduce their carbon
footprint.

TECHNOLOGY AS RHETORIC IN ARCHITECTURE.

Definition:
Rhetoric is the art of using speech to convince or persuade. It is the study of the
way of using language effectively. Just as we elaborate your concepts in design.
Architecture uses signs to communicate its function and meaning.

 Rhetoric Architecture
 Digital Rhetoric
 Technology as Rhetoric

Rhetoric in architecture refers to the use of visual language and design to

convey a message or idea beyond just the functional requirements of a building.
It is a way of communicating ideas and values through architecture.

Here are some examples of how rhetoric can be used in architecture:

1. Symbolism: Architecture can use symbolic elements to convey meaning or

represent a particular idea. For example, the use of certain materials or shapes
can be used to symbolize strength, stability, or power.
2. Context: Architecture can also use its context to convey meaning. For example,
a building in a historic district may incorporate design elements that reference
the surrounding architecture and pay homage to the history of the area.
3. Function: The function of a building can also be used to communicate ideas. For
example, a library designed to look like a book may symbolize the importance of
reading and education.
4. Form: The form of a building can also convey meaning. For example, a building
with sharp, angular lines may convey a sense of modernity and technology,
while a building with curves and organic shapes may convey a sense of nature
and harmony.

The Jewish Museum in Berlin, designed by architect Daniel Libeskind, is an

excellent example of rhetoric in architecture. The building was completed in
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1999 and was designed to be an extension of the existing Baroque building that
housed the Berlin Museum.

The design of the Jewish Museum incorporates numerous symbolic and

metaphorical elements that convey the history and cultural identity of the
Jewish people. For example:

1. The Void: One of the most striking features of the building is the "void," a large
empty space that cuts through the building and serves as a reminder of the
absence of the Jewish population in Germany. The void is intended to create a
sense of disorientation and loss, and visitors must navigate through it to reach
the rest of the museum.
2. The Axis of Continuity: The museum's design also includes an "Axis of
Continuity," a long, narrow path that cuts through the museum and connects
the old and new buildings. The path is intended to symbolize the continuity of
Jewish history and culture, even in the face of persecution and displacement.
3. The Garden of Exile: Another feature of the museum is the "Garden of Exile," an
outdoor space filled with tilted concrete pillars that create a disorienting and
unsettling atmosphere. The garden is intended to symbolize the experience of
exile and displacement that many Jews have faced throughout history.

Digital Rhetoric
 The invasion of digital technology into our lives in the age of modern
technology, especially computers, is an essential irresistible matter.
 Digital rhetoric is the way of informing, persuading and inspiring actions
in an audience through digital media. It is an advancing form of
communication composed, created and distributed through multimedia
platforms.
 Online media are increasingly used as communication and information
platforms, and since more text is placed online.
 Because of this shift in rhetoric, the relationship between writers and
readers has changed in form, communication, style and effectiveness.
Example: Design Boom, Arch Daily, Pinterest etc. From Notebooks to IPad
and paintbrush to smart pens.
 Digital rhetoric is advancing and changing how people choose to
communicate their ideas with broader audiences. As the power of
technology grows so too do the uses and scope of digital rhetoric too.
 This includes schools offering online classes and test taking, online news
sources and people prefer online searching than encyclopaedia. Online
journals allow for information to be more accessible due to the use of
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digital rhetoric. Writers also have more opportunities to write in various

formats instead of traditional linear format.

Technology as Rhetoric:

 Technology is both techniques and objects that embody and enact

techniques.
 Architectural technology can be summarized as the technical design and
expertise used in the building design process.
 The use of such technologies in designing process adds a new dimension
to the architectural product, which enables us to materialize our ideas
that are not fully expressed.
 When an architect uses the computer in the process of design and
representation, he connects to it creating a coupled cognitive system,
where the man and machine exchange ideas and information.
 Nowadays, most of the architecture use programs not only to develop
ideas but also to draw
and represent them in efficient way.

DIGITAL TECHNOLOGY AND ARCHITECTURE

Digital technology has had a significant impact on architecture, both in the

design process and the final built environment. Here are some ways in which
digital technology has influenced architecture:

1. Digital Design Tools: Architects now have access to a wide range of digital
design tools, such as computer-aided design (CAD) software, building
information modeling (BIM) software, and virtual reality (VR) tools. These tools
allow architects to create and visualize designs in three dimensions, test various
design options, and collaborate with other designers and stakeholders
remotely.
2. Parametric Design: Parametric design is an approach that uses algorithms to
generate complex, dynamic designs. With parametric design, architects can
create structures that respond to environmental conditions or user inputs,
resulting in more efficient and adaptive designs.
3. Digital Fabrication: Digital fabrication techniques, such as 3D printing, laser
cutting, and CNC milling, allow architects to create complex geometries and
customized building components. These techniques also enable architects to
create buildings with minimal waste and reduce construction time.
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4. Sustainability: Digital technology is also being used to improve the sustainability

of buildings. For example, sensors and smart building systems can monitor and
optimize energy use, while digital simulations can help architects design
buildings that are more energy-efficient.
5. Virtual Reality: Virtual reality is being increasingly used in architecture to create
immersive experiences for clients and stakeholders. With VR, architects can
create 3D models of buildings and environments that clients can explore and
interact with before construction begins.

Three core aspects of Information Technologies to design practices are as

follows:
 Digital expression of building form
 Digital integration of specialist design information
 Digital organisation of office practice.

The digital expression of building form refers to the use of digital technology to
create and represent the physical shape and appearance of a building. This
process involves the use of computer-aided design (CAD) software, CATIA
(Computer-Aided Three-Dimensional Interactive Application, and other digital
tools to create and manipulate 3D models of a building.

Digital technology allows architects and designers to explore and experiment

with different forms, shapes, and configurations for a building. They can create
multiple iterations of a design quickly and easily, test different materials and
construction techniques, and visualize the building in different contexts and
environments.

Example: -
Curves of Steel: CATIA and the Walt Disney Concert Hall
The Walt Disney Concert Hall, designed by architect Frank Gehry, makes
extensive use of computer technology. Without the use of CATIA (Computer-
Aided Three-Dimensional Interactive Application), construction of the concert
hall would have been impossible. After a physical model is built, the
model is scanned by a laser device that transmits coordinates to the CATIA
program. CATIA then shows a 3D section of the model, which can be viewed as
a movie that gives structural coordinates as well as a time schedule for project
completion.
These paperless plans are more easily understood by a contractor and
construction crew and allow Gehry's unconventional forms to take shape. In the
future, CATIA technology will allow exact quantities of materials to be calculated
and will even facilitate work via the internet. CATIA has also been used in the
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building of other structures such as the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, Spain

and a giant fish sculpture on the Barcelona waterfront, both also designed by
Gehry.

Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles

The Walt Disney Concert Hall in downtown Los Angeles has been likened to
everything from a shining metal flower to a ship with billowing sails of stainless
steel. The stunning steel curves would have been nearly impossible to build
without the extensive use of a revolutionary computer-aided drafting program.

Phoenix International Media Center

Phoenix International Media Center, located at the southwest corner of Beijing
Chaoyang Park, with gross floor area of 65,000 square meters and building
height of 55 meters, was designed by Beijing Institute of Architectural Design.
The overall design logic is to wrap the main, independently-maintainable space
with an ecologically- functional shell, rendering a building-in-building form.
There is some interesting shared and public space in between, so as to meet the
purpose of public involvement and experience and environmental protection.
In addition to media office and studio production facilities, there is also lots of
interactive experience space open to the public, so as to reflect the unique
open business concept of Phoenix Media.
To show the uniqueness, culture, and rationality of technology and cost, the
architects creatively proposed for the outer surface of the center a flake-type,
unit-combined facade fabrication of which either two of the 5,180 units are
different from each other.

The digital integration of specialist design information refers to the process of

incorporating detailed design information from various specialist fields into a
single digital model. This information can include structural engineering,
mechanical and electrical engineering, lighting design, acoustics, and other
fields.

In the past, specialist design information was often managed separately from
the architectural design process, leading to communication and coordination
issues between different teams. However, with the advent of digital tools such
as building information modeling (BIM), it has become easier to integrate this
information into a single model.

BIM allows architects, engineers, and other specialists to collaborate on a single

digital platform, using a common language and data structure to share and
exchange information. This enables all parties involved in the design and
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construction process to work together more efficiently and effectively, reducing

errors and conflicts, and improving the overall quality of the design.

By integrating specialist design information into a single digital model, designers

can also test and optimize the performance of the building in a more holistic
and comprehensive way. For example, they can simulate the behaviour of the
building under different environmental conditions, test the impact of different
materials and construction techniques, and analyse the energy efficiency and
sustainability of the design.
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Advantages of BIM
1. Reduces waste and rework
2. Manage greater project complexity
3. Work with compressed project schedule
4. IPD – integrated project delivery.
According to the NBS National BIM Report 2015, the most popular drawing
tools are:
 NemetschekVectorworks
 Autodesk Revit (Architecture/Structures/MEP)
 Autodesk AutoCAD
 Primevera
 Tetla
 Stadpro
 Robotstructure
 Ecoteln
 Clash detection
 Catia
 Naviswork
 Trimble Sketchup (formerly Google Sketchup)

 Design
Building Information Modeling (BIM) for building design and engineering
helps reduce the risk of errors through integrated design, engineering, and
fabrication workflows
 Construction
(BIM) on-site and in the office to help streamline workflows, maintain more
accurate information, and keep BIM construction projects moving forward
more predictably.
 Infrastructure
(BIM) solutions help turn information into insight to optimize designs and help
accelerate approvals, resulting in more effective and resilient infrastructure.
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UNIT II - ASPECT OF DIGITAL ARCHITECTURE

Aspects of Digital Architecture – Design and Computation – Difference
between Digital Process and Non-Digital Process – Architecture and Cyber
Space – Qualities of the new space – Issues of Aesthetics and Authorship of
Design – Increased Automatism and its influence on Architectural Form and
Space.

DIGITAL ARCHITECTURE

The digital advancements have heralded a new architecture that is anything,

but static in nature.
• A new perception of space – the fluid continuity
• Dematerialisation of structures
• Variation –of shape and of the programming of its movements
• Changing expression of the exterior and interior image
• Connection with a possible processing of data transformed in real time
• Uninhibited and spontaneous in its manifestations
• Extrovert by being dynamical; informal by being informational and joyful in its
movements.
• More explicit, direct and expressive
• More colourful than austere
• Eloquent, rather than elegant
• Bold, rather than resistant
CHARACTERISTICS/ ASPECTS OF DIGITAL ARCHITECTURE
COMPUTATIONAL ARCHITECTURE
The new digital approaches to architectural design (digital architectures) are
based on computational concepts such as
1. Topological space (topological architectures),
2. Isomorphic surfaces (isomorphic architectures),
3. Motion kinematics and dynamics (animate architectures),
4. Key shape animation (metamorphic architectures),
5. Parametric design (parametric architectures), and
6. Genetic algorithms (evolutionary architectures),
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TOPOLOGICAL SPACES - (TOPOLOGICAL ARCHITECTURES)

Topology is an abstract term designating a continuity of surface. It is usually

employed in the field of mathematics to describe an entity of organized spatial
relationships and proximities within surface structures.

Topology is opposed to the Euclidean geometrical representation of space.

When a Euclidean wall associates itself to other flat surfaces (walls, ceiling,
floors), it is simple to define an inside and an outside.
Note: Euclid sometimes given the name Euclid of Alexandria, was a Greek
mathematician, often referred to as the "founder of geometry” or the "father of
geometry". Euclid deduced the theorems of what is now called Euclidean
geometry from a small set of axioms. Euclid also wrote works
on perspective, conic sections, spherical geometry, number theory, and rigor.
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Topological surfaces like the well-known Mobius strip, complexities this strict
definition of inside and outside since the inflection of these surfaces does no
longer allow them to contain space, but rather to constitute an interface
between two milieus.
Topology is opposed to the Euclidean geometrical representation of space. To
use an architectural terminology, when a Euclidean wall is combined to other
flat surfaces (other walls, ceiling, floors), it is simple to define an inside and an
outside, since such terms found their definitions based on such an organization
of space.
On the other hand, topological surfaces like the well-known Mobius strip and
the Klein Bottle, complexities this strict definition of inside and outside since the
inflection of these surfaces does no longer allow them to contain space, but
rather to constitute an interface (edge or border) between two milieus.
(background, setting or surrounding) astrologer and mathematician - August
Ferdinand Mobius (1790-1868).
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Mobius strip
Mobius strips, which have only one surface and one edge, are a kind of object
studied in topology. The Moebius strip is the figure of 8 without a right or vice
versa, without beginning or end. The Mobius strip has the mathematical
property of being un-orientable. It can be realized as a ruled surface.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M%C3%B6bius_strip

Mobius house in a residential area close to Amsterdam.

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In 1993, a young couple instructed the Dutch architect Ben van Berkeldesign “a
house that was recognized as a reference in terms of renewal of the
architectural language.”
https://en.wikiarquitectura.com/building/moebius -house/
Klein Bottle
In topology, a branch of mathematics, the Klein bottle is an example of a non-
orientable surface; it is a two-dimensional manifold. The Klein bottle is a
descriptive model of a surface developed by topological mathematician klein
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Klein_bottle

Klein Bottle house

Klien house has become the mathematical concept of the Klein Bottle.
Externally the building is predominantly clad in cement sheeting, simultaneously
recalling both folded origami, tents and the ubiquitous ‘fibro-shack’. The
building is supported by a traditional timber stud frame – pushed to its physical
limit.
Alexandros Tsamis, Surrogate House, MIT 2010.
This notion of topology is studied in various schools of architectures and
architectural practices around the world (see Alexandros Tsamis above or the
work of Kokkugia for some instance) as the representation/generation of such
complexity of space has been reachable for the last two decades thanks to the
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computational tool (although people like Vittorio Giorgini or Frederick Kiesler

did not seem to need computers to build such forms).

kokkugia architecture
https://iremstructure.wordpress.com/2012/03/10/kokkugia-algorithmic-
architecture/\

Bejing Olympic stadium, is affectionately named the “Birds Nest.” The design of
this large stadium was accomplished together by Swiss architects Jacques
Herzog and Pierre de Meuronand Chinese architect Li Xing gang and the others.
The designers didn’t do any redundant disposals to the look of the stadium.
They just exposed the steel structures entirely and let them become the most
natural appearance. The form of the stadium looks like a big nest which
embraces and nurses human beings.
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In his essay on “architectural curvilinearity” Greg Lynn (1993) offers examples of

new approaches to design that move away from the deconstructivism’s “logic of
conflict and contradiction” to develop a “more fluid logic of connectivity.”

This new fluidity of connectivity is manifested through folding, a design strategy

that departs from Euclidean geometry of discrete volumes represented in
Cartesian space, and employs topological, “rubber-sheet” geometry of
continuous curves and surfaces. In topological space, geometry is represented
not by implicit equations, but by parametric functions, which describe a range
of possibilities. The continuous, highly curvilinear surfaces that feature
prominently in contemporary architecture are mathematically described as
NURBS – Non-Uniform Rational B-Splines. NURBS geometry introduces double
curved surfaces in architecture allowing for generation, control, fabrication of
curvilinear geometries.

What makes NURBS curves and surfaces particularly appealing is the ability to easily control
their
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shape by manipulating the control points, weights, and knots. NURBS make the
heterogeneous, yet
coherent forms of the topological space computationally possible.

Spline curves and polygons are collectively termed "faces", while grids and
spline surfaces are
termed "hulls". As opposed to polygonal types, NURBS and Bézier entities are
inherently smooth
primitives known as splines.
 2 degree spline- a two-degree spline ,where the curvature and inflection
is determined by a sequence of positions between only two points along
the motions flow of the spline. The spline is therefore appears to be a
poly-line.
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 3 degree spline- a 3 three degree spline ,where the curvature and

inflection is determined by a sequence of positions of 3 points along the
motion flow of the spline. The spline is constructed from control vertices,
connected in a sequence, and from which a vector curve hangs with a
directional flow.

 A seven-degree spline – where the curates and inflection is determined

by a sequence of positions of 7 adjacent points along the path of the
spline. The seven-degree spline is therefore much smoother than the
three-degree spline because it interpolates between a greater number of
adjacent points.
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 Two splines –showing the distributed effect of a change in one control

vertex across the length of the spline. The fourth control vertex is moved
and its weight is increased. Thischange is distributed along the length of
the spline rather than only between fixed points.

Example: Topological architecture: Gehry’s Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao,

spain Set on the edge of the Nervión River in Bilbao, Spain, the Guggenheim
Museum is a fusion of complex, swirling forms and captivating materiality that
responds to an intricate program and an industrial urban context. Constructed
of titanium, limestone, and glass, the seemingly random curves of the exterior
are designed to catch the light and react to the sun and the weather. Fixing clips
make a shallow central dent in each of the .38mm titanium tiles, making the
surface appear to ripple in the changing light and giving an extraordinary
iridescence to the overall composition.
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Because of their mathematical intricacy, the twisting curves were designed

using a 3-D design software called CATIA, which allows for complex designs and
calculations that would not have been possible a few years ago. Essentially, the
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software digitizes points on the edges, surfaces, and intersections of Gehry’s

hand-built models to construct on-screen models that can then be
manipulated.
The building’s walls and ceilings are load-bearing, containing an internal
structure of metal rods that form grids with triangles. CATIA calculated the
number of bars required in each location, as well as the bars ’positions and
orientations. In addition to this structure, the walls and ceilings have several
insulating layers and an outer coating of titanium. Each piece is exclusive to its
location, determined by the CATIA software.

ISOMORPHIC SPACES- (ISOMORPHIC ARCHITECTURES)

Isomorphism is a very general concept that appears in several areas of

mathematics. The word derives from the Greek iso, meaning "equal," and
morphosis, meaning "to form" or "to shape." Formally, an isomorphism is
bijective morphism. Informally, an isomorphism is a map that preserves sets
and relations among elements. " is isomorphic to " is written Unfortunately, this
symbol is also used to denote geometric congruence.
Blobs or meta balls, as isomorphic surfaces are sometimes called, are
amorphous objects constructed as composite assemblages of mutually
inflecting parametric objects with internal forces of mass and attraction. They
exercise fields or regions of influence, which could be additive (positive) or
subtractive (negative).
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The geometry is constructed by computing a surface at which the composite

field has the same intensity – hence the name – isomorphic surfaces.
The surface boundary of the whole (the isomorphic surface) shifts or moves as
fields of influence vary in their location and intensity. In that way, objects begin
to operate in a dynamic rather than a static geography (Lynn 1999).
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Isomorphic polysurfaces" in the special effects and

animation industry is referred to as "meta-clay," "meta-
ball" or "blob" models.
“BLOB “– means BINARY LARGE OBJECT
• Blobs have a centre, a surface and a mass area that is
relative to other objects, and internal forces due to mass
attraction
The weight of one spline surface can affect those of
another spline surface. These resulting structures are
called
blobs for their ability to mutually inflect one another and
form composite assemblages.
Disconnected primitives used to compose an isomorphic
polysurface.
Difference between sphere and blob
• Sphere symmetries are the index of a low level of
interaction.
• Blob has an index of a high degree of information in the
form of differentiation of components in time.
• Sphere can be identified as a blob without influence Examples: Cardiff Opera by
(attractive force) Greg Lynn, BMW-Pavilion by
B. Franken, Kunsthaus Graz,
Grazer Kunsthaus, or Graz Art Museum

Example: BMW Pavillion is exclusively based on the computational concepts of isomorphic

surfaces. Architect - Bernhard Franken – 1999
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Example: Kunsthaus Graz, Grazer Kunsthaus, or Graz Art Museum

The Kunsthaus Graz, Grazer Kunsthaus, or Graz Art Museum was built as part of
the European Capital of Culture celebrations in 2003 and has since become an
architectural landmark in Graz, Austria. Its exhibition program specializes in
contemporary art of the last four decades.

Designed by Peter Cook and Colin Fournier, the Kunsthaus, Graz is characterised
geometrically by its blob-like form. The architects wanted to establish the ‘alien’
nature of the object and so a sleek continuous surface was the best way to
smooth out the conventional differences between elements such as roof, walls
and floors.
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Digital blob modelling techniques are based on the NURBS technology (non-
uniform rational B- Splines). The structural digital model began as a sphere
which was then distorted by pulling on parametric control points in software -
Rhino-3D. The building also features a media façade, the BIX (big pixel). The
giant low-resolution screen surface of the Kunsthaus can display simple image
sequences and varying text streams, making it an innovative medium for
digitally presenting art and other information.

Cardiff Opera by Greg Lynn

Welsh National Opera House on the Inner
Harbor of Cardiff Bay mandates a new
concept for waterfront urban space.

Our proposal uses the empty shell of the defunct technology of the Oval Basin,
not as a monument to a bygone era but as the generator of a new waterfront
public space and as the starting point for a new civic institution. The Oval Basin
becomes the chrysalis out of which the Opera House emerges. Like the graving
docks that are indigenous to Cardiff's waterfront, the Opera House is sited so
that is an interface between land and water. The project is structured through
two systems; portalized wall fins and rib structured hulls. The inspiration for
these two structural systems and their relationship to the site came from the
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graving docks in Cardiff, such as the Oval Basin. These fins wall act like the
lateral supports of the wooden cribs upon which the dry docked boats were
supported and constructed in the graving docks of Cardiff. These walls are of
concrete construction and run continuously from a height of 32m to grade level
though a series of variable slopes. These walls can be punctured at any point at
which they can support transmitted loads from above, as they are based on the
structural principle of portalized masonry walls.

MOTION KINEMATICS AND DYNAMICS (ANIMATE

ARCHITECTURE)

Kinematics is the branch of mechanics concerned with the motions of objects

without being concerned with the forces that cause the motion. In this latter
respect it differs from dynamics, which is concerned with the forces that affect
motion. Kinematics studies without consideration given to mass or external
forces, whereas Dynamics takes into consideration physical properties such as
mass, elasticity and physical forces such as gravity and inertia.
Kinematics

•Speed
The speed of an object is how fast it is moving (the same as the ordinary,
everyday definition). Speed in physics is defined as the rate of change of
position with no respect to direction.
•Velocity
Velocity is defined as the rate of change of position of a body in a given
direction. The velocity of an object (such as a bus) is how fast it is moving in a
particular direction. Tospecify the velocity, both a speed and a direction must
be given. Continuing with the bus from the example above, if it is moving east
of west, then its velocity is 50 km/h, e of w.
• Acceleration
Acceleration is the rate of change of velocity. Recalling the definition of velocity,
this could mean a change in speed or direction. So, if the bus (yes, it's still with
us!) goes around a curve without slowing down, still traveling at 50 km/hr, but
now turning toward the south (say), then it is accelerating, even though its
speed isn't changing. Acceleration will prove to be an important topic when it
comes to dynamics, which is concerned with the forces that make objects
move.
 Uniform motion
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The simplest type of motion is where the change in distance is the same for
every
second; in other words, the speed is constant.
 Motion with constant acceleration
The next simplest type of motion is where the velocity (speed) is steadily
increasing.

DYNAMICS
Dynamics is the study of why things move, in contrast to kinematics, which is
concerned with describing the motion of objects. An object's motion typically is
described using Newton's Laws of Motion
 Newton's 1st Law of Motion
Newton's First Law is often stated: "An objects at rest will tend to stay at rest, or
an object in motion will tend to stay in motion unless acted on by an outside
force."
 Newton's 2nd Law of Motion
Newton's 2nd Law of Motion states: “the rate of change of the momentum of
an object is directly proportional to the resultant force acting upon it".
 Newton's 3rd Law of Motion
Newton's Third Law of Motion is often stated as "For every action there is an
equal and opposite reaction."

Greg Lynn (1999)

was one of the first architects to utilize animation software not as a medium of
representation, but of form generation. According to Lynn, “Animate design is
defined by the co-presence of motion and force at the moment of formal
conception.” Force, as an initial condition, becomes “the cause of both motion
and particular inflections of a form.” According to Lynn, “while motion implies
movement and action, animation implies evolution of a form and its shaping
forces.” In his projects, Lynn utilizes an entire repertoire of motion-based
modelling techniques, such as key frame animation, forward and inverse
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kinematics, dynamics (force fields) and particle emission.

KEYFRAME ANIMATION
Key frame animation is a technique used in animation and video production
where the animator specifies certain frames (called key frames) in a sequence,
and the software or tool used to create the animation automatically generates
the intermediate frames between them.

In key frame animation, the animator creates the initial key frames for the start
and end of an action, and the software then generates the frames in between.
For example, if the animator wanted to create an animation of a ball bouncing,
they might create key frames for the starting position of the ball on the ground,
the point at which it reaches its maximum height, and the final position where it
lands on the ground again. The software would then generate the frames that
show the ball moving smoothly between these key frames.

Key frame animation is widely used in many different areas of animation,

including 2D and 3D animation, video game design, and special effects in film
and television. It allows animators to create complex movements and actions
with a high degree of precision and control.
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What is Forward Kinematics?

The Forward Kinematics function/algorithm takes a pose as the input, and

calculates the position of the end effector as the output. Forward Kinematics is
the inverse function of Inverse Kinematics. With Forward Kinematics, you need
to define the whole pose of an articulated body so as to provide the
function/algorithm with the pose input. This means you need to define the
articulation of each joint in the articulated body. This might be fine if you have a
low number of joints, but with a high number of joints this tends to be tedious.

What is Inverse Kinematics?

Now, imagine if you’d like the end effector of your articulated body to reach a
particular target
position. This means that you know the end effector position you’d like to
target, but you don’t know what the pose of the articulated body needs to be
for the end effector to reach this target position. This is where Inverse
Kinematics shines!
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Figure 6: The target position is represented by a red circle. The target position is defined as
the input, and the resulting pose required for the end effector to reach the target position is
the output.

https://www.quora.com/What-is-the-difference-between-inverse-kinematics-
approach-and- forward-kinematics-approach

Particle system in motion modelling

A particle system is a technique in game physics, motion graphics, and
computer graphics that uses a large number of very small sprites, 3D models, or
other graphic objects to simulate certain kinds of "fuzzy" phenomena,
Introduced in the 1982 film Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan for the fictional
"Genesis effect”, other examples include replicating the phenomena of fire,
explosions, smoke, moving water (waterfall), sparks, fallingleaves, rock falls,
clouds, fog, snow, dust, meteortails, stars and galaxies, or abstract visual effects
like glowing trails, magic spells, etc. - these use particles that fade out quickly
and are then re-emitted from the effect's source.
Another technique can be used for things that contain many strands - such as
fur, hair, and grass - involving rendering an entire particle's lifetime at once,
which can then be drawn and manipulated as a single strand of the material in
question.

Particle systems may be two-dimensional or three-dimensional.

Typically, a particle system's position and motion in 3D space are controlled by
what is referred to as an emitter. The emitter acts as the source of the particles,
and its location in 3D space determines where they are generated and where
they move to. A regular 3D mesh object, such as a cube or a plane, can be used
as an emitter. The emitter has attached to it a set of particle behaviour
parameters. These parameters can include the spawning rate (how many
particles are generated per unit of time), the particles' initial velocity vector (the
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direction they are emitted upon creation), particle lifetime (the length of time
each individual particle exists before disappearing), particle color, and many
more.

A typical particle system's update loop (which is performed for each frame of
animation) can be separated into two distinct stages, the parameter
update/simulation stage and the rendering stage.

Simulation stage
During the simulation stage, the number of new particles that must be created
is calculated based on spawning rates and the interval between updates, and
each of them is spawned in a specific position in 3D space based on the
emitter's position and the spawning area specified.
Each of the particle's parameters (i.e. velocity, color, etc.) is initialized according
to the emitter's parameters. At each update, all existing particles are checked to
see if they have exceeded their lifetime, in which case they are removed from
the simulation. Otherwise, the particles' position and other characteristics are
advanced based on a physical simulation, which can be as simple as translating
their current position, or as complicated as performing physically accurate
trajectory calculations which take into account external forces (gravity, friction,
wind, etc.). It is common to perform collision detection between particles and
specified 3D objects in the scene to make the particles bounce off of or
otherwise interact with obstacles in the environment.

Rendering stage
After the update is complete, each particle is rendered, usually in the form of
a textured billboarded quad (i.e. a quadrilateral that is always facing the
viewer). Particles can be rendered as Metaballs in off-line rendering; isosurfaces
computed from particle-metaballsmake quite convincing liquids. Finally, 3D
mesh objects can "stand in" for the particles — a snowstorm might consist of a
single 3D snowflake mesh being duplicated and rotated to match the positions
of thousands or millions of particles.
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Particle systems can be either animated or static; that is, the lifetime of each
particle can either be distributed over time or rendered all at once. The
consequence of this distinction is similar to the difference between snowflakes
and hair - animated particles are akin to snowflakes, which move around as
distinct points in space, and static particles are akin to hair, which consists of a
distinct number of curves.

A cube emitting 5000 animated particles, obeying a "gravitational" force in the

negative Y direction. The same cube emitter rendered using static particles, or
strands.

Developer-friendly particle system tools

Havok provides multiple particle system APIs. Their Havok FX API focuses
especially on particle system effects. Ageia - now a subsidiary of Nvidia -
provides a particle system and other game physics API that is used in many
games, including Unreal Engine 3 games.
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Both GameMaker: Studio and Unity provide a two-dimensional particle system

often used by indie, hobbyist, or student game developers, though it cannot be
imported into other engines. Many other solutions also exist, and particle
systems are frequently written from scratch if non- standard effects or
behaviours are desired.

Greg lynn projects

In some of Lynn’s projects, such as the House Prototype in Long Island,
skeletons with a global envelope is deformed using inverse kinematics under
the influence of various site-induced forces.

In contrast to kinematics, the dynamic simulation takes into consideration the

effects of forces on the motion of an object or a system of objects, especially of
forces that do not originate within the system itself. Physical properties of
objects, such as mass (density), elasticity, static and kinetic friction (or
roughness), are defined. Forces of gravity, wind, or vortex are applied, collision
detection and obstacles (deflectors) are specified, and dynamic simulation
computed.
Greg Lynn’s design of a protective roof and a lighting scheme for the bus
terminal in New York offers a very effective example of using particle systems to
visualize the gradient fields of “attraction” present on the site, created by the
forces associated with the movement and flow of pedestrians, cars, and buses
on the site.

Animate architecture: Lynn’s Port Authority Bus Terminal in New York.

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KEY SHAPE ANIMATION (METAMORPHIC ARCHITECTURE)

Metamorphosis
Metamorphic architectures are generated by the deformation of modelling
space. Morphing represents an additional deformation and transformation
techniques, which involve a time based strategy. Metamorphic generation of
form includes several techniques such as key shape animation, deformations of
the modelling space around the model using a bounding box (lattice
deformation), an spline curve, or one of the coordinate system axis or planes,
and path animation, which deforms an object as it moves along a selected path.

bounding box (lattice deformation)

Spline curve deformation

Path curve deformation

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TOPOLOGICAL INVARIANT TRANSFORMATIONS:

Simple, topologically invariant transformations, such as twisting and bending,
are particularly effective means for creating alternative morphologies. For
instance, Gehry.sÜstra Office Building in Hannover, Germany (1999), has a
simple prismatic form, which twists in the direction of the nearby open park
area.
By adding a fourth, temporal dimension to the deformation processes,
animation software adds a possibility to literally express the space and form of
an object’s metamorphosis

Gehry.sUstra Office Building in Hannover, Germany (1999)

KEYSHAPE – KEYFRAME ANIMATION

In keyshape (keyframe) animation, different states of an object (i.e.keyshapes
or keyframes) are located at discrete points in time, and the software then
computes through interpolation a smooth, animated, time encoded transition
between them. A designer could choose one of the interpolated states for
further development, or could use the interpolation as an iterative modelling
technique to produce instances of the object as it transitions, i.e. morphs from
one state to another.
Morphing
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A particularly interesting temporal modelling technique is morphing, in which

dissimilar forms are blended to produce a range of hybrid forms that combine
formal attributes of the base and target objects.

face morphing

In the Ost/Kuttner Apartments (1996,), they digitally blended cross

referenced sectional profiles of common household furniture, such as a bed,
sink, sofa, etc., to generate new hybrid forms that establish a chimerical
condition between furniture, space, and surface.
Kolatan and Mac Donald intentionally employed digital generative processes
whose outcomes were unknown and impossible to preconceive or predict, i.e.
they relied on processes characterized by nonlinearity, indeterminacy and
emergence.
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Root Chair by SulanKolatan and William MacDonald

Other techniques for the metamorphic generation of form include deformations

of the modelling space around an object using a bounding box (lattice
deformation), a spline curve, or one of the coordinate system axis or planes,
whereby an object’s shape conforms to the changes in geometry of the
modelling space.

PATH ANIMATION
In path animation, for example, an object is deformed as it moves along a
selected path

Metamorphic architecture: Peter Eisenman’s Offices of BFL Software

Modelling of movement in architecture There are two recent models for the
modeling of movement in architecture; the first method involves procession
and the second involves superimposition. Architectural form is typically
conceived as a modulating frame through which a mobile eye moves.
In processional models of time, architecture is the immobile frame through
which motion passes.
There are two recent alternatives to the processional model of the static frame;
both of which formalize time. Where processional time depends on static
frames, formal time indexes time through the multiplication and sequencing of
static frames.
Examples of formal or phenomenal time include "shearing," "shifting" and
"rotating" operations. Superimposed snap-shots of motion imply time as a
phenomenal movement between frames or moments. "Rotational" is one such
example of time being used to describe the movement between superimposed
formal moments. These motion picture models of time instance a sequence into
frames that are later reanimated with motion. They differ from the processional
models of architecture as a static frame because they introduce the idea of
architecture as multiply framed and therefore dynamic
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PARAMETRIC DESIGN – (PARAMETRIC ARCHITECTURE)

In parametric design the parameters of a particular design are defined, and not
its shape. By assigning different values to the parameters, different objects or
configurations can be created. It is defined by control parameters, such as
dimensions, angles, relative distances, etc.
Equations can be used to describe the relationships between objects, thus
defining an associative geometry— the “constituent geometry that is mutually
linked” (Burry 1999). That way, interdependencies between objects can be
established, and objects’ behaviour under transformations defined. As observed
by Burry, “the ability to define, determine and reconfigure geometrical
relationships is of particular value.”

Examples for the parametric architecture

Paracube by Arch. Marcos Novak

Paracube is a digital architectural installation created by the architect Marcos

Novak in 1991. It is considered one of the earliest examples of parametric
design, a design process that involves the use of algorithms and computer
software to create complex and adaptable forms.
The installation consists of a large cube made up of a series of interconnected,
smaller cubes. The cubes are arranged in a way that allows for an almost infinite
number of possible configurations, with the overall shape and form of the
installation able to be controlled and manipulated in real-time using computer
software.
Paracube was designed using a custom software program created by Novak,
which allowed him to manipulate and control the various parameters of the
installation, such as the position, size, and orientation of the individual cubes.
This parametric approach to design allowed for a high degree of flexibility and
variability in the final form of the installation, making it adaptable to different
contexts and settings.
Using Mathematica software, Marcos Novak constructs "mathematical models
and generative procedures that are constrained by numerous variables initially
unrelated to any pragmatic concerns each variable or process is a' slot' into
which an external influence can be mapped, either statically or dynamically". In
his explorations, Novak is "concerned less with the manipulation of objects and
more with the manipulation of relations, fields, higher dimensions,
and eventually the curvature of space itself" This project was defined by six
parametric surfaces, each with its own coordinate system. The
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parametric equations governing each surface were arranged so that a variation

on a particular surface would cause reactions or permutations on adjoining
surfaces, effectively creating a topological cube.The installation was exhibited at
the Ars Electronica Festival in Linz, Austria in 1991, and has since been shown in
a number of other venues around the world. It is considered a groundbreaking
work in the field of digital architecture, and a pioneering example of the
potential of parametric design to create complex and adaptable forms.

Asymptote architects-Yas Viceroy Hotel Abu

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GENETIC ALGORITHM - EVOLUTIONARY ARCHITECTURE

Darwinism is a theory of biological evolution developed by the English naturalist

Charles Darwin (1809–1882) and others, stating that all species of organisms
arise and develop through the natural selection of small, inherited variations
that increase the individual's ability to compete, survive, and reproduce.
Darwin's theory consisted of two main points;
1) Diverse groups of animals evolve from one or a few common ancestors;
2) the mechanism by which this evolution takes place is natural selection

Darwin's 3 parts of - Theory of Evolution by Natural Selection

More individuals are produced each generation that can survive. Phenotypic
variation exists among individuals and the variation is heritable. Those
individuals with heritable traits better suited to the environment will survive.
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Note : phenotype means - organism's observable characteristics or traits, such

as its morphology, development, biochemical or physiological properties,
behaviour, and products of behaviour (such as a bird's nest)
A genetic algorithm is a search heuristic that is inspired by Charles Darwin’s
theory of natural evolution. This algorithm reflects the process of natural
selection where the fittest individuals are selected for reproduction in order to
produce offspring of the next generation.

Notion of Natural Selection

The process of natural selection starts with the selection of fittest individuals
from a population. They produce offspring which inherit the characteristics of
the parents and will be added to the next generation. If parents have better
fitness, their offspring will be better than parents and have a better chance at
surviving. This process keeps on iterating and at the end, a generation
with the fittest individuals will be found. This notion can be applied for a search
problem. We consider a set of solutions for a problem and select the set of best
ones out of them.
Five phases are considered in a genetic algorithm.
 Initial population
 Fitness function
 Selection
 Crossover
 Mutation
 Initial Population
The process begins with a set of individuals which is called a Population. Each
individual is a solution to the problem you want to solve.
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An individual is characterized by a set of parameters (variables) known as

Genes. Genes are joined into a string to form a Chromosome (solution).
In a genetic algorithm, the set of genes of an individual is represented using a
string, in terms of an alphabet. Usually, binary values are used (string of 1s and
0s). We say that we encode the genes in a chromosome.

 Fitness Function
The fitness function determines how fit an individual is (the ability of an
individual to compete with other individuals). It gives a fitness score to each
individual. The probability that an individual will be selected for reproduction is
based on its fitness score.
 Selection
The idea of selection phase is to select the fittest individuals and let them pass
their genes to
the next generation.
Two pairs of individuals (parents) are selected based on their fitness scores.
Individuals with high fitness have more chance to be selected for reproduction.
 Crossover
Crossover is the most significant phase in a genetic algorithm. For each pair of
parents to be mated, a crossover point is chosen at random from within the
genes. For example, consider the crossover point to be 3 as shown below.

Exchanging genes among parents = A1 & A2

The new offspring are added to the population.
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 Crossover point
Offspring are created by exchanging the genes of parents among themselves
until the crossover point is reached.

New offspring – A5 and A6

 Mutation
In certain new offspring formed, some of their genes can be subjected to a
mutation with a low random probability. This implies that some of the bits in
the bit string can be flipped.

Mutation: Before and After

Mutation occurs to maintain
diversity within the population and
prevent premature
convergence. Termination
The algorithm terminates if the
population has converged (does not
produce offspring which are
significantly different from the
previous generation). Then it is said
that the genetic algorithm
has provided a set of solutions to
our problem
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Comments
The population has a fixed size. As new generations are formed, individuals
with least fitness die, providing space for new offspring. The sequence of
phases is repeated to produce individuals in each new generation which are
better than the previous generation.
Pseudocode
 START
Generate the initial population Compute fitness
 REPEAT
 Selection
 Crossover
 Mutation
 Compute fitness
 UNTIL population has converged STOP

Example Implementation in Java

Given below is an example implementation of a genetic algorithm in Java.
Given a set of 5 genes, each gene can hold one of the binary values 0 and 1.
The fitness value is calculated as the number of 1s present in the genome. If
there are five 1s, then it is having maximum fitness. If there are no 1s, then it
has the minimum fitness. This genetic algorithm tries to maximize the fitness
function to provide a population consisting of the fittest individual, i.e.
individuals with five 1s.
Note: In this example, after crossover and mutation, the least fit individual is
replaced from the new fittest offspring.
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https://towardsdatascience.com/introduction-to-genetic-algorithms-including-example-
code- e396e98d8bf3
https://www.neuraldesigner.com/blog/genetic_algorithms_for_feature_selecton
The rules that direct the genesis of living organisms, that generate their form,
are encoded in the strands of DNA. Variation within the same species is
achieved through gene crossover and mutation, i.e. through the iterative
exchange and change of information that governs the biological
morphogenesis.
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The concepts of biological growth and form, i.e. the evolutionary model of
nature, can be applied as the generative process for architectural form as
well, argues John Frazer in his book “Evolutionary Architecture”. According to
Frazer, architectural concepts are expressed as a set of generative rules, and
their evolution and development can be digitally encoded. The generative
script of instructions produces a large number of prototypical forms which are
then evaluated on the basis of their performance in a simulated environment.
According to Frazer,
the emergent forms are often unexpected.
The key concept behind the evolutionary approach to architecture is that of
the genetic algorithm, a class of highly parallel evolutionary, adaptive search
procedures, as defined by Frazer. Their key characteristic is a string-like
structure equivalent to the chromosomes of nature, to which the rules of
reproduction, gene crossover and mutation are applied.
Various parameters are encoded into the “a string-like structure” and their
values changed during the generative process. A number of similar forms,
“pseudo-organisms,” are generated, which are then selected from the
generated populations based on predefined “fitness” criteria.
The selected “organisms,” and the corresponding parameter values, are then
crossbred, with the accompanying “gene crossovers” and “mutations”, thus
passing beneficial and survival- enhancing traits to new generation.
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http://pandalabccc.blogspot.com/2013/02/hyperbodyinteractivebody-workshop-for.html

DIFFERNECE BETWEEN DIGITAL AND NON DIGITAL

ARCHITECTURE

Digital and non-digital processes refer to different approaches for creating or

producing a product, artwork, or design. The main difference between the
two lies in the use of digital technology.

Digital processes involve the use of digital tools such as computers, software,
and digital fabrication equipment to create, modify, and produce a product. In
a digital process, data is processed and manipulated using software tools to
create a digital model, which can then be used to produce the final product
through various digital fabrication methods such as 3D printing or CNC
machining. Digital processes often allow for greater precision, efficiency, and
automation than non-digital processes.

On the other hand, non-digital processes involve the use of traditional tools
and materials such as pencils, paper, wood, or metal to create a product or
artwork. In a non-digital process, the artist or designer typically works with
physical materials, using manual skills to shape, cut, or mold the material into
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the desired form. Non-digital processes often involve a more tactile and
hands-on approach to creation, and can be more time-consuming and labour-
intensive than digital processes.

Both digital and non-digital processes have their advantages and

disadvantages, and can be used to create a wide range of products, from
artworks to industrial products. The choice of process depends on various
factors such as the complexity of the design, the required level of precision,
the available resources, and the desired aesthetic or functional qualities of
the final product.

BIONIC ARCHITECTURE

Bionic architecture is a movement for the design and construction of

expressive buildings whose layout and lines borrow from natural (i.e.
biological) forms. The movement began to mature in the early 21st century,
and thus in early designs research was stressed over practicality. One of the
tasks set themselves by the movement's early pioneers was the development
of aesthetic and economic justifications for their approach to architecture.
Karl Chu.s approach to digital morphogenesis and to what he calls the proto-
bionic architecture is a formal system based on the generative logic of the
Lindermayer System (L-System) and its implementation in digital modeling
software, where it is used for the simulation of plant growth. L-systems are
based on a recursive, rule-based branching system, conceived on the simple
technique of rewriting, in which complex objects are created by successively
replacing parts of an initially constructed object using a set of simple rewriting
rules. A simple set of carefully defined rules can produce a very complex
object in a recursive process consisting of only a few levels
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https://www.archdaily.com/510167/video-bionic-architecture-that-moves-when-you-do

In both approaches to generative design based on biological metaphors, the

task of the architect is to essentially define the common source of form, the
genetic coding for a large family of similar objects, in which variety is achieved
through different processes of reproduction. As was the case with other
contemporary approaches to design, in processes of genetic coding the
emphasis shifts to articulating the inner logic of the project rather than the
external form example: Yokohama International Port Terminal The brief of the
Yokohama International Port Terminal asked for the articulation of a
passenger cruise terminal and a mix of civic facilities for the use of citizens in
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one building. Designed by Foreign Office Architects (FOA) in 1995, the

futuristic terminal represented an emergent typology of transportation
infrastructure. The project starts with what the architects have named as the
"no-return pier", with the ambition to structure the precinct of the pier as a
fluid, uninterrupted and multidirectional space, rather than a gateway to
flows of fixed orientation. A series of programmatically specific interlocking
circulation loops allow the architects to subvert the traditional linear and
branching structure characteristic of the building

AUTOMATISM

Automatism from EncyclopaediaBrittanica

Automatism, technique first used by Surrealist painters and poets to express

the creative force of the unconscious in art.
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In the 1920s the Surrealist poets André Breton, Paul Éluard, Robert
Desnos, Louis Aragon, and Philippe Soupault tried writing in a hypnotic or
trance like state, recording their train of mental associations without
censorship or attempts at formal exposition. These poets were influenced by
Freudian psycho-analytic theory and believed that the symbols and images
thus produced, though appearing strange or incongruous to the conscious
mind, actually constituted a record of a person’s unconscious psychic forces
and hence possessed an innate artistic significance. Little of lasting value
remains from the Surrealists’ attempts at “automatic” writing, however.

André Masson. Automatic Drawing. (1924). Ink on paper, 91⁄4 × 81⁄8" (23.5 ×
20.6 cm). Museum of Modern Art, New York.

• The Coop Himmelblau partnership of Wolf Prix and Helmut

Swiczinskyhas, since the 1960s, been engaged in an attempt to break
away from mainstream approaches to architectural design and
production. Originally contemporaries of Archigram, Archizoom and
Superstudio, Coop Himmelblau’s manifestos for architecture have,
since that time, portrayed a growing preoccupation with feed-back
mechanisms, looping, folding, instantaneity and the attempt to recast
architecture as metaphorically chaotic.
• While there have been extensive critical analyses of Coop Himmelblau’s
early post-Vitruvian, or anti-humanist propositions, their approach to
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design in the late 1980s and early 1990s has rarely been considered in
such detail. Throughout this latter period, Coop Himmelblau merged
surrealist concepts like “automatism” with the rhetoric of complexity
scientific including “interference”, “chaos”, “indeterminacy”,
“iteration” and “open
systems”.
18th century and continued into the 19th and
early 20th centuries. During this time, architects
began to challenge the classical principles
established by Vitruvius and explore new styles
and approaches to design.

Archigram science fiction and pop mid-1960s to the

culture early 1970s.
flexible, mobile, and responsive to the needs of modern society.

Walking City and the

Plug-In City.
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utopian and radical late 1960s to the mid-

political ideas 1970s.

free from the constraints of capitalism and consumer culture

Continuous Monument and the Twelve Ideal Cities.

Superstudio
The Psychogram in the Architecture of Coop Himmelblau:
• Coop Himmelblau’s design method has long revolved around the
creation of an ideographic sketch that they all a psychogram.
• The rationale behind the psychogram is that it captures the perfect, or
unsullied, subconscious desire of the architect.
• For Coop Himmelblau the act of drawing the psychogram is “the first
capturing of the feeling on paper” (Coop Himmelblau 1991, 23).
• The themes expressed in the psychogram then become more legible as
they are developed in increasing detail although the original
psychogram remains sacrosanct. (holy)
• Between 1990 and 2000 Coop Himmelblau have described the
formation of their theoretical position almost entirely in terms of the
construction of the psychogram.
• The psychogram, usually a drawing but sometimes a model, is the
architect’s expression of emotion liberated from the rationalizing
constraints that bind conventional architectural design processes.
• Coop Himmelblau’s aim has been to reduce the design process to a
single, volatile instant of creativity.
• They propose that the greater the degree of compression of time
between the starting and finishing of a psychogram the greater the
validity of the design.
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• As the firm reveals, “in the last three to four years we have begun to
shorten even further this very rapid design process, which can best be
compared with coming close to the centre of an explosion” (Coop
Himmelblau 1991, 21).

Musée des Confluences

The Crystal Cloud of Knowledge

• Anthony Vidler, a critique is suggesting a link with surrealism, describes

the production of the psychogram as a kind of automatic writing
“operating through blind gesture translated into line and three-
dimensional form” (Vidler 1992, 70).
• The architect’s act of creation, Vidler submits, is deliberately embodied
within this process of automated production.
• According to Vidler, “Coop Himmelblau’s projects attempt to
recuperate an immediate connection between body language and
space, the unconscious and its habitat” (1992, xii).
• In Vidler’s reading of the significance of the psychogram, the act of
drawing mediates between the body, space and mind.
• The production of the psychogram, it is argued, is not a method of
recording the temporal, indeterminate or random emotion that
precedes architecture.
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• The psychogram is rather, for the specific purpose of rendering the

building metaphorically organic and defined in terms of an amorphous
but distinctly human condition.
• Himmelblau’s widely quoted pursuit of “[a]rchitecture that bleeds, that
exhausts, that whirls, and even breaks. Architecture that lights up,
stings, rips and tears under stress” (Prix 1980, 46).
• In Vidler’s reading of Coop Himmelblau the psychogram is an attempt
to project a bodily metaphor into the building, rather than the
endeavour to capture an aleatory moment of time (Ostwald 2000).
• The ambiguity in Coop Himmelblau’s design methodology is evident in
the twin translations of the psychogram as bodily vehicle or chaotic
Metaphor.
• Sorkin, another critique deliberately, and for reasons relating to his
own design predilections, chooses the latter interpretation.
• However, Sorkin’s reading of this “chaotic metaphor” draws heavily
from the creative processes of the Surrealist movement and so chaos is
connected with the automated processes.
• Sorkin links Coop Himmelblau’s work with recognised members of the
Surrealist movement such as Frederick Kiesler, the only official architect
member of the group, comparing Coop Himmelblau’s troubled
Ronacher Theatre with Kiesler’s earlier Raumbühne, or “Space Stage”
(1991a, 349).
• Despite all of the connections that can be established between Coop
Himmelblau and the various exponentsof Surrealism, it is the
fascination with automation that provides the most enduring thematic
connection and it rightly dominates Sorkin’s analysis.
• Sorkin sees Surrealist automation as the bridge between Coop
Himmelblau and chaos theory—connecting the bodily/psychic creative
processes of art with the predicated indeterminacy of mathematics.

Sorkin sees in Coop Himmelblau’spsychogram

the hoary surrealist aim of the “dictation of thought without the control of
the mind,”
About Automatism
• Prix, confirming the arguments of both critics, wrote in 1990, that “one
could compare this process of design with ‘trans automatism’ in art”
(1990, 63).
• Coop Himmelblau, in further support of this influence, openly
acknowledge their debt to the Surrealist and Viennese prophet
Sigmund Freud and have been frequently connected with
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psychoanalytical processes as well as the automatism experiments of

the movement’s leader André Breton.
• Automatism was originally a by-product of Dada, which used
spontaneity and chance to dramatic effect as a way of reacting against
bourgeois taste.
• As part of this push towards instantaneous composition, the Dada
movement invented the use of photomontage. They were attracted to
photomontage for its direct political iconography as well as its ability to
capture the dynamic and random energy of the city.

• Central to the evolution of these processes was the notion of

indeterminacy, as artists increasingly sought to distance themselves
from the work of art and the accumulated bourgeoisie values
embedded in it. Foremost in this process were the collages of Hans Arp.
Arp tore up pieces of colored paper and scattered them on the ground,
later gluing
• them in place to make abstract compositions of color which, he argued,
where more meaningful than compositions he had deliberately
arranged.
• As these processes emerged in Dada and Surrealism respectively, they
also became, like the psychogram, increasingly violent, as instantaneity
became the datum against which works were measured.
• Often involving dropping sharp objects from a height, throwing darts at
a wall, tearing, ripping and slicing, the bodily act of violence becomes
the art object, as the artist tears, rips, slices and shreds at the material
fragments that compose it.
• the manner in which Coop Himmelblau privilege the sketch above all
other factors has drawn many critics to connect their work to
nonlinearity.
• Sorkin identifies this rigid adherence to the original psychogram as
analogous to automatism; the process of composition or design
through random or nonlinear processes.
• Coop Himmelblau have used the concept of an “open architecture” to
describe their efforts to produce an architecture that is “not for a
specific purpose”. These are “self-sufficient structures that form
differentiated spaces, spaces that do not pin down the future user” but
promote the idea that the exact use of any space is indeterminate at
any given moment in time
• (Coop Himmelblau 1991, 18). This indeterminacy is related by Sorkin
directly to the creation of psychograms and, by inference, to the
Exquisite Corpse.
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• Although Sorkin never makes the connection, the Exquisite Corpse

machine (a surrealist game with words) appears to mirror the creation
of fractal geometric form; the geometry of nonlinear dynamics.
• Both processes rely upon a seemingly linear sequence of iterations,
each stage repeating the last, but the complexity of the outcome of
each stage, in either word of numbers, is ultimately highly detailed.
• However, despite such broad similarities, the relationship cannot be
extended any further. While the words chosen for the Exquisite Corpse
are random (within predetermined limits), the fractal geometry
produced through the iterative process is not random, rather it is just
complex and self-similar (Barnsley 1988).
• The final outcome of each of these automated acts is seemingly
unpredictable because at each iteration the sequence is randomised, or
at least undergoes complex elaboration. Thus, the final stage
• or outcome is sensitively dependent on the first stage
• Coop Himmelblau’s aim is to match the building as closely as possible
to the psychogram. This is contrary to the implications of the Butterfly
Effect as this law suggests that the final condition of the system, both
architectural and meteorological, is unpredictable owing to the
immeasurability, or perpetually unknown nature, of the starting
condition.
• Rather like the perpetual failure of any search for mythical origins (Pfau
and Jones 1987), the search for origins in Coop Himmelblau’s work
should be shrouded in mystery, not recorded statically as identical from
first to last stage.
• In Coop Himmelblau’s work the iterations, which start out with a
random
• operation, then strive to remain static, stable and faithful to this initial
cast of the die. In nonlinear dynamics, each iteration results in the
creation of a new related psychogram; each iteration builds upon the
last, or more correctly, looks more closely at the last and reinscribes
itself within the old psychogram.
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Critic Jenks on the work of OPENHOUSE

Jencksstates that, nonetheless the thin steel lines, which slightly bow and
stretch, have a taut beauty. Their
counterpoint is so tense that it seems the architecture would explode into life
if one tendon were cut. Perhaps it would. In any case this is the image of
dynamic, moving, balancing forces frozen into
architecture. (1990, 277)
Jencks suggests that the final state of the architecture represents a snapshot
of a system of dynamic or chaotic forms.
• the Open House is a frozen image generated from an (un)predictable
psychogram. The house is thus the chaotic image “frozen into
architecture”.
• In contrast the early works of Coop Himmelblau do not exist as an end
state. The wing project in Graz was made to blaze and then to decay. It
was not meant as a lifeless, static monument to the aspirations of the
designer. The proposal for another wing over Munich, a wing that “rises
and falls —flaps or
• flickers” in response to the changing state of nature, is the most
powerful evocation of nonlinearity inHimmelblau’s work;
• to use an analogy from quantum mechanics, the end state of the
system (architecture) is unpredictable owing to the interrelatedness of
natural systems. Ultimately this means that the early projects of Coop
Himmelblau captured the totality of nonlinear dynamics far more
effectively than the more recent ones.
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• REFERENCE:
PSYCHIC AUTOMATISM AND NONLINEAR DYNAMICS: SURREALISM AND
SCIENCE IN THEARCHITECTURE OF COOP HIMMELBLAU:: Authors:
MICHAEL J. OSTWALD and MICHAEL CHAPMAN
id &i, AUTOMATiSM', + - 0 = X architecture sketchbook investigating the
possibilities of architectural form, space & time using a technique called
‘Automatism’. This method allows an innate artistic expression to emerge
effortlessly through self-immersion & a conscious decision not to control the
drawing. A sense of detachment in realizing subconscious images is brought
to the surface without censorship or attempts of formal exposition, allowing
you to be the observer & not the controller. Influenced by the early cubists
painters, while finding inspiration in nature. This architecture sketchbook was
created in 2010-2012 following an economic recession in Ireland.
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Architecture and Cyber Space

What is cyberspace?

Cyberspace is a completely spatialized visualization of all information in global

informationprocessing systems, along pathways provided by present and
future communications networks,enabling full co presence and interaction of
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multiple users , allowing input and output and to thefull human sensor,
permitting simulations of real and virtual realities and remote data collection.

Cyberspace provides a new concept of SPACE AND TIME that does not have
limits such as GRAVITATION and it transforms the STRUCTURALLY RIGID
ARCHITECTURAL STYLE AND SPACE into a
CONTINUOUS AND SEAMLESSLY INTEGRATED FLUIDIC FORM and into
ELASTIC, FLEXIBLR AND
VARIABLE SPACE.
Architects
• ZAHA HADID
• FRANK GEHRY
• MARCOS NOVAK

DIGITAL FABRICATION

It is an interactive process of transferring data from a 3D modelling software

to a 3D printer or a CNC machine. Fabrication is possible by means of 2D,
formative, subtractive and additive techniques.

• 2D fabrication-uses CNC (computer numerically controlled) cutting. Various

cutting technologies such as plasma-arc, laser-beam, or water jet are used.
Laser-cutters are high intensity focused beam of infrared light in combination
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with a jet of highly pressurized gas (CO2) to melt or burn the material being
cut. However, large difference lies between these technologies in the kinds of
materials or maximum thickness that could be cut.

CNC CUTTING MACHINE

LASER BEAM CUTTERS
Laser –cutters can cut only materials that can absorb light energy; water –jets
can cut almost any material. Laser- cutters can cost-effectively cut material up
to 5/8”, while water jets can cut much thicker materials. for example, up to
15” thick titanium. 2D fabrication includes contouring, triangulation,
9polygonal tessellation, use of ruled, developable surfaces, and unfolding,
they all involve extraction of 2-Dimensional, planar components from
geometrically complex surfaces or solids comprising the building’s form.

A tessellation of a flat surface is the tiling of a plane using one or more

geometric shapes, called tiles, with no overlaps and no gaps. In mathematics,
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tessellations can be generalized to higher dimensions and a variety of

geometries.

LASER CUTTING PROCESS

The laser cutting process uses a focused laser beam and assist gasto sever
metallic plate with high accuracy and exceptional process reliability. The laser
beam is generated by a resonator, and delivered through the cutting nozzle
via a system of mirrors. Advantages of laser technology Laser technology has
the following advantages:
 High accuracy
 Excellent cut quality
 High processing spee
 Small kerf
 Very small heat-affected zone compared to other thermal cutting
processes
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 Very low application of heat, therefore minimum shrinkage of the cut

material
 It is possible to cut complex geometrical shapes, small holes, and
beveled parts
 Cutting and marking with the same tool
 Cuts many types of materials
 No contact between the material and machining tool (focusing head)
and therefore no force is applied to the work-piece
 Easy and fast control of the laser power over a wide range (1-100%)
enables a power reduction on tight or narrow curves
 The oxide layer is very thin and easily removed with laser torch cutting
 High-pressure laser cutting with nitrogen enables oxide-free cutting

WATERJET CUTTING PROCESS BASICS

The most versatile process for shape cutting
 Highest precision cutting on virtually any material
 Can be combined with plasma or oxy-fuel on the same part
 Most versatile cutting process Water Jet cutting uses an ultra-high-
pressure stream of water to carry an abrasive grit. The abrasive does
the cutting through a mechanical sawing action, leaving a smooth,
precision cut surface.
Waterjet is the most versatile process, because it is able to cut almost
any type of material. Limitations include materials that are highly
brittle, such as tempered glass and some ceramics.
Water jet is a very precise cutting process. It has a narrow kerf width,
allowing fine contours to be cut, and producing high tolerance parts.
However, it is a very slow, expensive process when compared to plasma
on most metals.

The focusing device consists of either a zinc-selenide lens or a parabolic

mirror which brings the laser beam to a focus at a single point. Depending on
the laser beam power, a power density of more than 107 W/cm2 is achieved
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at the focus point. The focal length gives the distance of the focal point from
the focusing optics.

The focal point is positioned above, on or below the material surface

according to the requirements of the material. The high-power density results
in rapid heating, melting and partial or complete vaporization of the material.
The gas flowing from the cutting nozzle removes the molten mass from the
kerf. The machine moves the cutting head over the metal sheet according to
the programmed contour, cutting the work-piece from the sheet.

Laser Cutting Methods

Depending on the material to be cut the cutting methods used differ:
Fusion Cutting (high pressure cutting):
 The material is fused by the energy of the laser beam.
 The gas, in this case nitrogen at high pressure (10 to 20 bar), is used to
drive out the molten material from the kerf.
 The gas also protects the focusing optics from splashes This cutting
method protects the cut edges from oxidation and is mainly used with
stainless steels, aluminum and their alloys.
Oxidation Cutting (laser torch cutting):
 The material is heated by the laser beam to combustion temperature.
 The gas, in this case oxygen at a medium pressure (0.4 to 5 bar) is used
to oxidize the material and to drive the slag out of the kerf.
 The gas also protects the focusing optics from splashes. The exothermic
reaction of the oxygen with the material supplies a large part of the
energy for the cutting process.
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 This cutting method is the quickest and is used for the economical
cutting of carbon steels.
PLASMA ARC CUTTING?
 Plasma is defined as a” collection of charged particles ... containing
about equal numbers of positive ions and electrons and exhibiting
some properties of a gas but differing from a gas in being a good
conductor of electricity
 So that means that plasma cutting is only used for materials that are
conductive, primarily mild steel, stainless steel, and aluminum. But
lots of there metals and alloys are conductive too, such as copper,
brass, titanium, Monel, Inconel, cast iron, etc. The problem is that
the melting temperature of some of those metals makes them
difficult to cut with a good quality edge
 So, when using Oxygen or compressed air as the cut gas, the insert
is made of a material called Hafnium. Hafnium lasts a lot longer in
the presence of Oxygen, but it still wears a little bit with each start
of the arc

 Other specialty gases are sometimes used for other purposes. Argon
gas is used when plasma marking (a whole other subject). A mixture of
Argon and Hydrogen is often used when cutting thicker Stainless Steel
or Aluminum. Some people use a mixture of Hydrogen and Nitrogen, or
Methane and Nitrogen when cutting thinner Stainless Steel. Each
mixture has its advantages (improved cut quality) and its disadvantages
(cost & handling).
https://www.esabna.com/us/en/education/blog/cutting_systems.cfm
 Subtractive Fabrication refers to material removal processes like multi-
axis milling. The CNC milling has recently been applied in new ways in
building industry – to produce the formwork (molds) for the off-site
and on-site casting of concrete elements with double –curved
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geometry, as in one of the Gehry’s office buildings in dusseldorf, and

for the production of the laminated glass panels with complex
curvilinear surfaces, as in Gehry’s Conde Nast Cafeteria project and
Bernard Franken’s BMW Pavilion.

 Additive Fabrication involves a process of adding material, layer by

layer fashion. It is often referred to as layered manufacturing solid
freeform fabrication, rapid prototyping, or desktop manufacturing.
 Formative Fabrication implies reshape or deformation processes, thru
mechanical forces, restricting forms, heat, or steam which is applied to
the material to get the desired shape. For example, the reshaped
material may be deformed permanently by processes such as stressing
metal past the elastic limit, heating metal and then bending it white it
is in softened state or steam-bending boards, etc.
 Assembly- after the components are digitally fabricated, their assembly
on site can be augmented with digital technology. Digital 3D-models
can be used to determine the location of each component, to move
each component to itslocation and finally to fix each component in its
proper place. New digitally-driven technologies, such as electronic
surveying and laser positioning, are increasingly being used on
construction sites around the world to precisely determine the location
of building components. For example, Frank Gehry’s Guggenheim
Museum in Bilbao was built without any tape measurements. During
the fabrication, each structural component was bar coded and marked
with nodes of intersection with adjacent layers of structure.
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 On site bar codes were swiped to reveal the coordinates of each piece
in the CATIA model. Laser surveying equipment linked to CATIA
enabled each piece to be precisely placed in its position as defined by
the computer model. Similar processes were used on Gehry’s project in
Seattle.
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QUALITIES OF NEW SPACE:

Qualities of the new space:

1. Non-Euclidean space:
Developments in digital technologies lead to design dynamic forms in architecture.
Architecture is detached from the tactility of paper and depend more on software’s,
computer screens and the virtual environments. The resulting space has different
qualities in contrast to the Euclidean Cartesian space of Modern Architecture.

Eg: Mobius house, Amsterdam, Holland, 1998. by Architect Van

Berkel.

2. Innovative Geometries:
 Geometry is one of many systems which are responsive to modeling. The digital
architectural design process exploits the new potential available in computing. To the
new generations of designers, engineers and architects, mathematics and algorithms
are becoming as natural as pen and pencil.
 Architectural geometry is influenced by following fields: differential
geometry, topology, fractal geometry, cellular automata, etc.
 Free form curves, faceted surfaces, blobitecture, fractal geometry are all the result
of innovation in the architectural geometry by the use of computational tools.
Eg: BMW-Pavilion by B. Franken, peter cook, Graz Art Museum
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3. Surface as Architecture:
 With the digital revolution, architectural space can be manipulated by using a
surface. Architects are going beyond merely painting or applying a surface coating or
facing. Architectural surface can literally become three dimensionalspaces. With
digital media, motion can also be applied to such surfaces, givingspace more depths
and varying dynamic movements.
Eg: ICD ITKE Research Pavilion at the University of Stuttgart
4. Structure as Ornament:
 Ornament in contemporary architecture emerges as an elaborate medium of
consumption and production by means of new tools, methods, and techniques.
 With new methods of design and fabrication. Ornament has become an integral part of
the structure itself. Unlike the pre-modern era, where ornamentation was applied on
the surface, ornamentation in the digital era is both structural and functional.
eg. Bionic Tower, by LAVA, LABORATORY FOR VISIONARY ARCHITECTURE.

The Bionic Tower unifies structure, space and architectural expression similar to
naturally occurring systems of organisation.

ISSUES OF AESTHETICS

1. New Aesthetic Qualities

The three most important factors in the design of a building from the time of Vitruvius are
Structure, Function and Beauty.

Traditional and Modern design concentrate on similar aesthetic qualities such as unity,
proportion, rhythm, balance, symmetry, etc. The major shift from these qualities appears
in the Deconstuctivist architecture, where the logic of conflict and contradiction guides
the aesthetic expression. Digital Architecture suggests new approaches to design that
move away from deconstructivism’s logic of conflict and develop a more fluid logic of
connectivity. This results in a holistic and streamlined design, where function, structure
and beauty are integrated in a unified synergetic form.

2. Moving away from Euclidean Geometry

Architectural thinking throughout centuries was based mainly on Euclidean Geometry

with its platonic solids, such as the cylinder, pyramid, cube, prism, and sphere. However,
due to the appearance of digital technology (Information technology) with its great
potentials in drawing and modeling using the NURBS, architecture has started to use
forms and ideas based on the topological structures, and Non-Euclidean geometries that
depart away form the Euclidean geometry with its platonic forms.
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3. Process driven Architectonics:

The architectural vocabulary including the structural order is generated by manipulation
of surfaces and geometries in a virtual environment. In the digital architectural
vocabulary, the structure itself is an ornamental form that considers functional as well
as aesthetic requirements. The forms of emergent structures are derived from the
design process itself, and are manifested as tessellations and geometric manipulations.

Similar design process lead to similar architectural expression:

Eg: architectural forms generated by modeling Voronoi patterns:

water cube , beijing

Hong Kong-based artist collective the

laboratory for Art and Architecture (LAAB) created Kaleidome

Eg: Architectural forms generated by tessellation of surfaces:

4. Depreciating Value of Form in the Age of Digital Fabrication

Digital fabrication and mass-customization makes it possible to realize complex forms, with
limited interpretation by the designer. There has always been an acceptable level of
difference between the represented ideal and the physical reality; this is called ‘tolerance’.
With increased customizability in digital design and fabrication, there is almost zero
tolerance, where almost everything represented/visualized can be actualized into reality.
Thus, there is a larger variety of formal expressions, and social tolerance for complex
designs is also likely to increase.

Buildings take after other buildings. The emergent process driven forms are widely
repeated in several buildings. What is unique in the early examples become
homogeneous in the latter buildings. There is a constant search for new forms, which
suggests almost a overuse of the digital technology.
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5. Culture and Meaning:

Digital technology enables us with complete freedom of aesthetic expression, where any
inspiration can be transformed to built reality. This freedom enables an increased
manifestation of contextual associations in the built form.

Ciudad de Flamenco, graffiti by Herzog De Meuron

While this kind of flexibility of architectural expression of cultural associations is possible

with digital architecture, increase formal explorations on the other hand disassociate
form from meaning. Formal expressions that are purely geometric explorations are
devoid of contextual association; because of this we see movement of similar imagery
across the globe.

Issues of Authorship:

‐ For the first time in history, architects are designing not the specific
shape of the building but a set of principles encoded as a sequence
of parametric equations by which specific instances of the design
can be generated and varied in time as needed. Parametric design
calls for the rejection of fixed solutions and for an exploration of
infinitely variable potentialities.
Digital Architecture removes the possible limitations an architect
might have when creating complex forms through computer
algorithms. This new field also enhances the possible outcomes in
terms of design, sparking debates about the role of technology in
our society and also creating non‐standard forms that have come to
life from architects like Zaha Hadid or UN Studio.

Historically and traditionally, the authorial ownership of design were

attributed to the designer or distributed among the designers, but in
a self‐generative system, the authorial distinctions are displaced and
the creative origin is difficult, if not impossible to ascertain.

A revised statement of ownership of architectural authorship is

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brought on with the Developments and pervasiveness of computer

and digital technologies in the design process, as well as the rise of
user‐oriented (participatory) design techniques.

Design thinking does not happen solely in the designer’s mind. The
design thinking is the result of the designer’s interaction with the
visual media in a computer interface in a virtual environment. This
process in case of generative design is supplemented with an
enabling digital technique such as scripting or coding which helps in
design generation.

ISSUES OF CONTROL AND CREATIVE AGENCY:

In a generative process, the designer designs the autonomous
systems which develop, evolve, or design architectural structures,
objects (form) or spaces without any kind of blueprint.
The designer controls this system through inputs in the form of
coding and manipulation of digital tools. The architect prescribes
algorithms and rule‐sets to define the boundaries of the design
generation of the autonomous system. And finally the architect
simulates a number of scenarios and selects one or more
possibilities after much scrutiny and analysis. Thus, the control
returns to the architect / designer at the end of the design process.

However, the designer does not retain any kind of authorial

ownership of the creative design generation, as they are functions of
the autonomous systems, which the designer can only control.

REPETITION /MOVEMENT OF IMAGERY:

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The designer plays no part in the creative

form generation. When form generation is
the result of designer’s manipulation of
digital tools, the same tools when used
by different designers produce similar
forms. This dependence on
computational tools for creative form
generation, has led to the repetition of
similar imagery, over different designs
in different contexts.
Eg: the parasol, J. Mayer H. Architects, Indigo deli,
Sameep Padora

EMERGENT FORM, MIMICKING NATURAL PROCESSES

Form in digital architecture is generated by computational

processes that mimic natural flows and processes. e.g: Motion
Kinematics involve assigning values of force, weight, direction,
viscosity, etc to computational entities in order to analyze their
natural behavior.
The resulting for is emergent. Emergence is a process whereby larger
entities arise through interactions among smaller or simpler entities
such that the larger entities exhibit properties the smaller/simpler
entities do not exhibit. Emergence is central in theories of integrative
levels and of complex systems. Emergent structures can be found in
many natural phenomena, from the physical to the biological domain.
For example, Ripple patterns, water crystals and snow flake
formation.

Eg: voronoi structure in Mushroom

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voronoi structure butterfly

Eg: Water Cube, Beijing, National Aquatics Center, Arup

Eg: water bubble Bubble, BMW-Pavilion by B. Franken,1999

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UNIT 3 - CONTEMPORARY PROCESS

Overview of various Contemporary design process and its relation to
computation: Diagrams – Diagrammatic Reasoning – Diagrams and Design
Process – Animation and Design – Digital Hybrid Design Protocols – Concept of
Emergence - Introduction to Cellular Automata and Architectural applications –
Genetic algorithms and Design Computation.

DIAGRAMS
What is a diagram?
 A diagram is a symbolic representation of information according to some
visualization technique.
 Diagrams are pictorial presentation of quantitative data
 In general, diagrams are best known and understood as visual tools used
for the compression of information.
 In architecture, diagrams have in the last few years been introduced as
part of a technique that promotes a proliferating, generating and
instrumentalising approach to design.
 The essence of the diagrammatic technique is that it introduces into a
work quality that are unspoken, disconnected from an ideal or an
ideology, random, intuitive, subjective, not bound to a linear logic -
qualities that can be physical, structural, spatial or technical.
 Diagrams transform verbal notation to an abstract graphic
representation.
 A “diagram” is an abstract graphic language, like verbal language,
consisting of grammatical rules and vocabulary.
 Verbal language is sequential while a graphic language is simultaneous:
“all symbols and their relationships are considered at the same time”
 Diagrams are a means to express functions, the relationships between
functions, and the hierarchy of those functions.
 Diagrams are drawn to focus design, knowledge and concerns. Diagrams
are also used to explore, analyse and synthesize ideas.
 The word “diagrams’ is derived from the word “diagnosis”
 The Design Diagram addresses the intangible conflict of language through
the symbolic development of “sticks” (rules) and “seeds “(ideas)
 An architectural diagram is a drawing that uses geometric elements to
abstractly represent phenomena such as sound, light, heat, wind, and
rain; building components such as walls, windows, doors and furniture;
and characteristics of human perception and behavior such as sight lines,
privacy and movement, as well as territorial boundaries of space or
rooms. A diagram is made of symbols and is about concepts. It is abstract
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and propositional: its elements and spatial relations can be expressed as

a set of statements. It explores, explains, demonstrates, or clarifies
relationships among parts of a whole or it illustrates how something
works (a sequence of events, movement, or a process). Its symbols may
represent objects (e.g., a space or a piece of furniture) or concepts (e.g.,
service area, a buffer zone, accessibility or noise).
 For example, an arrow indicates the magnitude and direction of a force; a
line indicates the ground without specifying material or exact location. A
diagram omits detailed scale or realistic pictorial representations; it
indicates spatial relationships only approximately using indefinite shapes.
For example, a diagram may represent functional spaces in a floor plan as
crude ‘bubbles’, showing only sizes, adjacencies, containment, and
connections.

THREE STAGES TO THE DIAGRAM:

✓ selection,
✓ application and operation
✓ enabling the imagination to extend to subjects outside it and draw
them inside, changing itself in the process.
 Diagrams are packed with information on many levels.
 A diagram is an assemblage of solidified situations, techniques, tactics
and functioning’s.
 The diagram is not a blueprint.
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 It is not the working drawing of an actual construction, recognisable in all

its details and with a proper scale.
 No situation will let itself be directly translated into a fitting and
completely correspondent conceptualisation.
 There will always be a gap between the two. By the same token concepts
can never be directly applied to architecture.
 There has to be a mediator. The mediating ingredient of the diagram
derives not from the strategies that inform the diagram, but from its
actual format, its material configuration.
 The diagram is not a metaphor or paradigm, but an ‘abstract machine'
that is both content and expression.

Why use diagrams?

 Diagrammatic practice delays the relentless intrusion of signs, thereby
allowing architecture to articulate an alternative to a representational
design technique.
 A representational technique implies that we converge on reality from
a conceptual position and in that way fix the relationship between
idea and form, between content and structure.
 When form and content are superimposed in this way, a type
emerges. This is the problem with an architecture that is based on a
representational concept: it cannot escape existing typologies. In not
proceeding from signs, an instrumentalising technique such as the
diagram delays typological fixation.
 Concepts external to architecture are introduced rather than
superimposed. Instances of specific interpretation, utilisation,
perception, construction and so on unfold and bring forth applications
on various levels of abstraction.
How is the diagram chosen and applied?
 The function of the diagram is to delay typology and advance design by
bringing in external concepts in a specific shape: as figure, not as image
or sign.
 How do we select, insert and interpret diagrams? The selection and
application of a diagram involves the insertion of an element that
contains within its dense information something that our thoughts can
latch onto,something that issuggestive, to distract usfrom spiralling into
cliché. How do diagrams become operational?
 The abstract machine of the diagram needs triggering.
 It has to be set in motion so that the transformative process can begin,
but where does this motion originate? How is the machine triggered?
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 Furthermore, how can we isolate this principle and give it the dimensions
that make it possible to grasp and use it at will?
 The insertion of the diagram into the work ultimately pointsto the role of
time and action in the process of design.
 Interweaving time and action makes transformation possible, as in novels
where long narrative lines coil around black holes within the story.
 If there were no black holesfor the story's protagonist to fall into, the
landscape of the narrative would be a smooth and timeless plane, in
which the hero, whose character and adventures are formed by this
landscape, cannot evolve.
 The story is an intrinsic combination of character, place, event and
duration. The landscape of the story, the black holes and the character
become one. Together they trigger the abstract machine.
 In architecture, it goes something like this: the project is set on its course.
Before the work diverts into typology a diagram, rich in meaning, full of
potential movement and loaded with structure, which connects to some
important aspect of the project, is found. The specific properties of this
diagram throw a new light onto the work.
 As a result, the work becomes un-fixed; new directions and new
meanings are triggered. The diagram operates like a black hole, which
radically changes the course of the project, transforming and liberating
architecture.

Diagrammatic reasoning:
 Diagrammatic reasoning is reasoning by means of visual representations.
The study of diagrammatic reasoning is about the understanding of
concepts and ideas, visualized with the use of diagrams and imagery
instead of by linguistic or algebraic means.
The Nature of Reasoning in Architectural Design:
 Reasoning is very much about what we believe to be true or what we feel
to be true, in other words things have to makes sense.
 In other words, we need to be persuaded by what we encounter or what
is presented to us.
 Sometimes it may require effort to understand something, other times it
may make sense immediately.
 The designer needs to persuade a variety of audiences (clients, peers, the
public) as he has convinced himself, he has developed a belief in his own
design over the course of the design process.
 The design process is an activity that works towards letting the design
make more and more sense.
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 The persuasive nature of reasoning in design is aimed at generating a

plausible outcome, one that makes sense in a certain way, convincing
both the designer and the audience.
SEVERAL CLASSIFICATIONS AND EXAMPLES OF ARCHITECTURAL DIAGRAMS
 Spatial Diagrams
 Chronometrical, Chronographical , Chronological Diagrams
 Sequence and Serial Diagrams
 Structural Diagrams
 Flow Diagrams
Spatial Diagrams:
 They are spatial organisations.
 Spaces that can be created, modified, visualized, manipulated not only by
altering drawings and volumes, but also with program clues, marks of
past or future states, futures of light or information - maps of influence.
 Each code generates a particular space.
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Chronometrical, Chronographical , Chronological Diagrams:

 Chronometrical, Chronographical, Chronological Diagrams enable to
understand the time in sequences and to narrative perception styles and
also enablesto establish random connections.
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Sequence and Serial Diagrams:

 They explain a data - that is regarding to an ensemble- by separating it to
some intersections and expressing it in the act of sequences and series.
They don’t talk about randomly chosen sequences but temporal
sequences that has been lined up in an apparent time period.

Structural diagrams:
Structural diagrams talk about the structural data, make connections between
the structural elements and building, abstract the relationships, connections
etc.
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Design Process:
 Design methods are intended for the design of ’the total situation’….
meaning the functions and uses of things, the ‘systems’ into which they
are organized, or the ‘environment’ in which they operate.
 The beginning of the design process is an analytical phase, whereby the
designer seeks to find the structure, the centre and the essence of the
problem. Without a well-defined ‘problem’, there is no direction to look
for solutions.
 Stating the problem is where the solution starts, because the solution is
hiding within the parameters of the problem statement. It has even been
argued that the objectives, however abstract their form, are full of
hidden assumptions about how the person stating it thinks it can be
satisfied (Jones 1992)
 It follows that the creativity and personality of the designer are present
within the problem statement, just as the directions and concepts are
also present from the very start where the problem starts to become
defined.
 Diagrams of the Design Process Linda Selwood Choueiri
 The importance of trying to define the problem that needs solving cannot
be overstated. Still, it must be kept in mind that the understanding and
statement of a problem is not objective. Each person will understand a
problem according to a complex variety of personal and professional
factors. This is one of the reasons why designers are increasingly working
together in teams, in order to access a broader faceted understanding.

Computation:
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 Computation is any type of calculation or use of computing technology in

information processing. Computation is a process following a well-
defined model understood and expressed as, for example, an algorithm,
or a protocol.
 To compute is to execute an algorithm.
 More precisely, to say that a device or organ computes is to say that
there exists a modelling relationship of a certain kind between it and a
formal specification of an algorithm and supporting architecture.

CONCEPT OF EMERGENCE
A new concept in Artificial Intelligence derived from natural science.
Swarm Intelligence

 Artificial Intelligence based on the collective behaviour of

Decentralized(dispersed), self-organized systems.
 A population of simple agents interacting locally with one another and
with their environment.
 Agents follow simple rules – no centralized control structure. Emergence
of complex global behaviour Example- ant colonies, bird flocking, animal
herding, bacteria growth, etc.
 Ants display intelligent behaviour as a colony rather than alone.
 Hive – Hundreds of honeybees making critical decision about their
hives
 Flocking – Birds flocking/migrating together to distant destinations.
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In describing collective behaviours, emergence refers to how collective

properties arise from the properties of parts, how behaviour at a larger scale
arises from the detailed structure, behaviour and relationships at a finer scale.
For example, cells that make up a muscle display the emergent property of
working together to produce the muscle's overall structure and movement. A
water molecule has emergent properties that arise out of the properties of
oxygen and hydrogen atoms. Many water molecules together form river flows
and ocean waves. Trees, other plants and animals form a forest.

Section of a complex nest structure built by Apicotermes termites:

20 cm across, the structure is made from soil and woody material with external
holesto ventilate the horizontal layered passages, which are vertically
connected by an internal spiral staircase. The complex form emerges from the
collective behaviour of a large number of termites following very simple rules.

Emergent behaviour is behaviour of a system that does not depend on its

individual parts, but on their relationships to one another.
Emergent behaviour can only be predicted, managed, or controlled by
understanding the parts and their RELATIONSHIPS.
Characteristics of Emergence
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 Coherence—A stable system of interactions

 Wholeness—Not just the sum of its parts, but also different and
irreducible from its parts
 Dynamic—Always in process, continuing to evolve
 Downward causation—The system shaping the behaviour of the parts
 Birds flock, sand forms dunes, and individuals create societies.
 No one is in charge—No conductor is orchestrating orderly activity
Simple rules engender complex behaviour—Randomness becomes coherent as
individuals, each following a few basic principles or assumptions, interact with
their neighbours (birds flock; traffic flows). Emergence is what happens when an
interconnected system of relatively simple elements self-organizes to form
more intelligent, more adaptive high-level behaviour.

EMERGENCE IN ARCHITECTURE
Emergence is of Momentous importance to architecture, demanding substantial
revisions to the way in which we produce designs. We can use themathematical
models outlined above for generating designs, evolving forms and structures in
morphogenetic processes within computational environments.
Individual building to its environment. Each building is a part of the
environment of its neighbours, and it follows that ‘urban environmental
intelligence can be achieved by the extension of data communication between
the environmental systems of neighbouring buildings. Urban transport
infrastructure must be organized to have similar responsive systems, not only to
control internal environment of stations and subways but also to manage the
response to the fluctuating discharge of people onto streets and into buildings.
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Linking the response of infrastructure systems to groups of environmentally

intelligent buildings will allow higher level behaviour to emerge”.

Emergent Design Group (MIT) – 1997 Michael Weinstock, Achim Menges and
Michael Hensel

Genr8- A design tool for surface generation (2001)

Genr8 is a surface design tool developed by Martin Hemberg with advisory
services provided by Una-May O'Reilly and Peter Testa. The concepts and tool
are part of the work by the Emergent Design Group at MIT. The goal was to
provide architects with access to creative surface design by giving them
influence over generative processes.
Technical details
The technical power beneath GENR8 is twofold: evolutionary search and HEMLS
(Hemberg Extended Map L-Systems). A HEMLS, the generative process, is
interpreted by GENR8 to generate a surface. GENR8 uses evolutionary search to
discover its own HEMLS that adaptively evolve towards surfaces with features
the user has specified.
Original map L-systems work only in 2D. So, the designer had made some
alterations the model to make it work in 3D. These are called Hemberg
Extended Map L-Systems (HEMLS).
SOFTWARE USED

CATIA
CATIA (Computer Aided three-dimensional Interactive Application) was used by
architect Frank Gehry to design some of his award-winning curvilinear buildings
such as the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao.[8] Gehry Technologies, the
technology arm of his firm, have since created Digital Project, their own
parametric design software based on their experience with CATIA.

AUTODESK 3DS MAX

Autodesk 3ds Max is a parametric 3D modeling software which provides
modeling, animation, simulation, and rendering functions for games, film, and
motion graphics. 3ds Max uses the concept of modifiers and wired parameters
to control its geometry and gives the user the ability to script its functionality.
Max Creation Graph is a visual programming node-based tool creation
environment in 3ds Max 2016 that is similar to Grasshopper and Dynamo.

AUTODESK MAYA
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Autodesk Maya is a 3D computer graphics software originally developed by Alias

Systems Corporation (formerly Alias|Wavefront) and currently owned and
developed by Autodesk, Inc. It is used to create interactive 3D applications,
including video games, animated film, TV series, or visual effects. Maya exposes
a node graph architecture. Scene elements are node-based, each node having
its own attributes and customization. As a result, the visual representation of a
scene is based on a network of interconnecting nodes, depending on each
other's information. Maya is equipped with a cross-platform scripting language,
called Maya Embedded Language. MEL is provided for scripting and a means to
customize the core functionality of the software, since many of the tools and
commands used are written in it. MEL or Python can be used to engineer
modifications, plug-ins or be injected into runtime. User interaction is recorded
in MEL, allowing novice users to implement subroutines.

GRASSHOPPER 3D
The Grasshopper canvas with some nodes Grasshopper 3d (originally Explicit
History) is a plug-in for Rhinoceros 3D that presents the users with a visual
programming language interface to create and edit geometry. Components or
nodes are dragged onto a canvas in order to build a grasshopper definition.
Grasshopper is based on graphs (see Graph (discrete mathematics)) that map
the flow of relations from parameters through user-defined functions (nodes),
resulting in the generation of geometry. Changing parameters or geometry
causes to changes to propagate throughout all functions, and the geometry to
be redrawn.

AUTODESK REVIT
Autodesk Revit is building information modelling (BIM) software used by
architects and other building professionals. Revit was developed in response to
the need for software that could create three-dimensional parametric models
that include both geometry and non-geometric design and construction
information. Every change made to an element in Revit is automatically
propagated through the model to keep all components, views and annotations
consistent. This eases collaboration between teams and ensures that all
information (floor areas, schedules, etc.) are updated dynamically when
changes in the model are made.

AUTODESK DYNAMO
Dynamo is an open-source graphical programming environment for design.
Dynamo extends building information modelling with the data and logic
environment of a graphical algorithm editor.
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GENERATIVE COMPONENTS
Generative Components, parametric CAD software developed by Bentley
Systems, was first introduced in 2003, became increasingly used in practice
(especially by the London architectural community) by early 2005, and was
commercially released in November 2007. Generative Components has a strong
traditional base of users in academia and at technologically advanced design
firms. Generative Components is often referred to by the nicknameof 'GC'. GC
epitomizes the quest to bring parametric modelling capabilities of 3D solid
modelling into architectural design, seeking to provide greater fluidity and
fluency than mechanical 3D solid modelling.

Users can interact with the software by either dynamically modelling and
directly manipulating geometry, or by applying rules and capturing relationships
among model elements, or by defining complex forms and systems through
concisely expressed algorithms. The software supports many industries
standard file input and outputs including DGN by Bentley Systems, DWG by
Autodesk, STL (Stereo Lithography), Rhino, and others. The software can also
integrate with Building Information Modelling systems.

The software has a published API and uses a simple scripting language, both
allowing the integration with many different software tools, and the creation of
custom programs by users. This software is primarily used by architects and
engineers in the design of buildings, but has also been used to model natural
and biological structures and mathematical systems.

Generative Components runs exclusively on Microsoft Windows operating

systems, and in English.

Bentley Systems, Incorporated is offering GC as a technology preview of GC as a

free download. This is a version of GC that no longer requires Bentley's
MicroStation software for it to run, and that has features and a user interface
focused on computational design.

MARIONETTE
Marionette is an open-source graphical scripting tool (or visual programming
environment) for the architecture, engineering, construction, landscape, and
entertainment design industries that is built into the Mac and Windows versions
of Vector works software. The tool was first made available in the Vector works
2016 line of software products. Marionette enables designers to create custom
application algorithms that build interactive parametric objects and streamline
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complex workflows, as well as build automated 2D drawing, 3D modelling, and

BIM workflows within Vector works software. Built in the Python programming
language, everything in Marionette consists of nodes which are linked together
in a flowchart arrangement. Each node contains a Python script with predefined
inputs and outputs that can be accessed and modified with a built-in editor.
Nodes are placed directly into the Vector works document and then connected
to create complex algorithms. Since Marionette is fully integrated into Vector
works software, it can also be used to create entirely self-contained parametric
objects that can be inserted into new and existing designs.

MODELUR
Modelur is a parametric urban design software plug-in for Trimble SketchUp,
developed by Agilicity d.o.o. (LLC).. Its primary goal is to help the users create
conceptual urban massing. In contrast to common CAD applications, where the
user designs buildings with usual dimensions such as width, depth and height,
Modelur offers design of built environment through key urban parameters such
as number of storeys and gross floor area of a building.

Modelur calculates key urban control parameters on the fly (e.g. floor area ratio
or required number of parking lots), delivering urban design information while
the development is still evolving. This way it helps taking well-informed decision
during the earliest stages, when design decisions have the highest impact.

ARCHIMATIX
Archimatix is a node-based parametric modeler extension for Unity 3D. It
enables visual modelling of 3D models within the Unity 3D editor.

CELLULAR AUTOMATION
A cellular automaton is a collection of "coloured" cells on a grid of specified
shape that evolves through a number of discrete time steps according to a set
of rules based on the states of neighbouring cells. The rules are then applied
iteratively for as many time steps as desired.

Von Neumann was one of the first people to consider such a model, and
incorporated a cellular model into his "universal constructor."

In addition to the grid on which a cellular automaton lives and the colours its
cells may assume, the neighbourhood over which cells affect one another must
also be specified. The simplest choice is "nearest neighbours," in which only
cells directly adjacent to a given cell may be affected at each time step.
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Two common neighbourhoods in the case of a two-dimensional cellular

automaton on a square grid are the so-called Moore neighbourhood (a square
neighbourhood) and the von Neumann neighbourhood (a diamond-shaped
neighbourhood).
Moore neighbourhood
In cellular automata, the Moore neighbourhood is defined on a two-
dimensional square lattice and is composed of a central cell and the eight cells
which surround it.
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The simplest type of cellular automaton is a binary, nearest-neighbour, one-

dimensional automaton. Such automata were called "elementary cellular
automata"
https://www.slideshare.net/lxsjoules/cellular-automata-a-simple-introduction
https://books.google.co.in/books?id=L-
p4AgAAQBAJ&pg=PA38&lpg=PA38&dq=proto-
bionic+architecture&source=bl&ots=Q4YnwDd9Tt&sig=X6IhHA42AIcamCrwm7
5ROIyGA9c&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjt_t3N6dXcAhUNb30KHW-
cCgwQ6AEwDnoECAgQAQ#v=onepage&q=proto-bionic%20architecture&f=false
Genetic algorithms and Design Computation (already explained in previous
chapter)
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DIGITAL HYBRID
 According to definitions used in life sciences, a hybrid organism is one
created by combining characteristics and features of two parent-
organisms. Hybrid is an offspring of parents that differ in genetically
determined traits. Other definition, closer to architecture defines
hybridization (a.k.a. morphing) as a process in which an object changes its
form gradually in order to obtain another form and consists basically of
the selection of two objects and the assignment of in-between
transitional steps.
 Among various hybrid environmentsfor architecture there is however
one, which has become an interesting field of experimentation in last
decade, namely computational design of architectural form.
 Filmmakers used camera and film technology designed to capture three-
dimensional physical reality. Graphic designers were working with offset
printing and lithography. Animators were working with their own
technologies: transparent cells and an animation stand with a stationary
film camera capable of making exposures one frame at a time as the
animator changed cells and/or moved backgrounds.
 For example, graphic designers worked with a two-dimensional space,
film directors arranged compositions in three-dimensional space, and cell
animators worked with a “two-and-a-half” dimensional space.
 Design workflow that uses multiple software programs works in a similar
way, except in this case the building blocks are not just different kinds of
visual elements one can create—vector patterns, 3D objects, particle
systems, etc.— but also various ways of modifying these elements: blur,
skew, vectorize, change transparency level, spherisize, extrude, etc.
 This difference is very important. If media creation and editing software
did not include these and many other modification operations, we would
have seen an altogether different visual language at work today. We
would have seen “digital multimedia,” i.e., designs that simply combine
elements from different media. Instead, we see what I call
“metamedia”—the remixing of working methods and techniques of
different media within a single project.
 As we can see, the production workflow specific to the software age has
two major consequences: the hybridity of media language we see today
acrossthe contemporary design universe, and the use of the similar
techniques and strategies regardless of the output media and type of
project. Like an object built from Lego blocks, a typical design today
combines techniques coming from multiple media. More precisely, it
combines the results of the operations specific to different software
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programs that were originally created to imitate work with different

physical media. (Illustrator was created to make illustrations, Photoshop
to edit digitized photographs, After Effects to create 2D animation, etc.)
While these techniques continue to be used in relation to their original
media, most of them are now also used as part of the workflow on any
design job. The essential condition that enables this new design logic and
the resulting aesthetics is compatibility between files generated by
different programs. In other words, “import” and “export” commands of
graphics, animation, video editing, compositing, and modelling software
are historically more important than the individual operations these
programs offer. The ability to combine raster and vector layers within the
same image, to place 3D elements into a 2D composition and vice versa,
and so on is what enables the production workflow with its reuse of the
same techniques, effects, and iconography across different media.
Besides the hybridity of modern visual aesthetics and reappearance of
exactly the same design techniques across all output media, there are
also other effects. For instance, the whole field of motion graphics as it
exists today came into existence to a large extent because of the
integration between vector drawing software, specifically Illustrator, and
animation/compositing software such as After Effects.

The profession of an architect has always been a hybrid one. Nowadays

one of the main hybrids is that combining traditional manual architectural
design methodologies with automated, digital and computational ones
creating a hybrid design domain.

The studies in Sopot College As the main course (architectural design

studio) is focused on design using the more traditional human based
approach, the complementary course (computational design techniques)
combines this methodology with more avant-garde one that uses a
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computational design method Detail, Craft Table, Jurasz Emilia, Sopot

College.

Zawadzki Lukas, Sopot College StępkowkiRadosław, Sopot College

The attempt of a spatial expression or integration of similar advances or/

and perceptions presupposes a wider association of architecture with
digital technology sciences. An urgent investigation that needs to be
implemented includes examination of the potential revolutionary synergy
between architecture, artificial intelligence, information theory, virtual
reality, cyberspace, climate studies, material science, bioengineering and
nanotechnology. This covers a so-called ‘digital pantheon’, having a
strong impact on architecture and the future paradigm of the man-made
environments.

The new digital approaches to architectural design (digital architectures)

are based on computational concepts such as topological space
(topological architectures), isomorphic surfaces (isomorphic
architectures), motion kinematics and dynamics (animate architectures),
key shape animation (metamorphic architectures), parametric design
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(parametric architectures), and genetic algorithms (evolutionary

architectures), as discussed in (Kolarevic 2000). New categories could be
added to this taxonomy as new processes become introduced based on
emerging computational approaches. For examples, new methods could
emerge based on performance-based (structural, acoustical,
environmental, etc.) generation and transformation of forms.
 Topological architectures
 Isomorphic architectures
 Animate architectures
 Metamorphic architectures
 Parametric architectures
 Evolutionary architectures

NONLINEAR ARCHITECTURE

• Architecture, like other forms of cultural expression is embedded in the

reigning mental paradigms otherwise it is destined to be rejected by
society.
• If there is a radical shift in these paradigms, architects need to and are
justified in reflecting the same in their works.
• Hence the present attempt to create a new architecture with the aid of
and reflecting the new science of Complexity is justifiable.
• Nonlinear architecture refers to an approach in the design of artificial
neural networks that allows for more complex and flexible models by
incorporating nonlinear transformations into the network's structure.
• Nonlinear architecture is a type of artificial neural network architecture
that is designed to model complex, nonlinear relationships between input
and output variables. Unlike linear architectures, which can only model
linear relationships, nonlinear architectures can capture complex,
nonlinear relationships that are often found in real-world data.
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FORMS BASED ON NEW SCIENCE

Analogy - new genetics

Nonlinear architecture attempts to simulate nature in its methodology of
inducing formal changes.

NEW GENETICS NONLINER ARCHITECTURE

Genes are considered the cause for Algorithms are used for generating
the physical and behavioral forms and any desired formal
attributes of an organism. when change is not made directly on
the form but induced by altering
random genetic mutations occur,
the algorithm until a suitable
they lead to changes in the solution is reached, when it is
phenotype, and if these happen adopted for the project.
to be advantageous selection
takes place.

Example1: Guggenheim museum, Bilbao

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Example3:Hussain- Doshi Gufa, Ahamedabad

a
l

NONLINEAR ARCHITECTURE – PROS & CONS

ADVANTAGES:
• Protagonists argue it is being closer to nature, hence more sensuous,
functional and livable.
• It is closer to the aesthetic codes built naturally into our system, rather
than those instilled in us through education.
LIMITATIONS:
• Temporary, arising out of difficulty in resolving complex forms
mathematically and communicating through precise dimensioned
diagrams.
• The execution is difficult, hence calls for sophisticated technology which
may not be feasible in many projects.
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CHAOS THEORY & COMPLEXITY

• DISORDER
• CONFUSION
• BEDLAM
• ANARCHY
• PANDEMONIUM
• COMMOTION
• DISARRAY
• TURMOIL
• MADNESS
• MESS
• UNRULINESS

BUTTERFLY EFFECT
• Flapping of a butterfly’s wings in one part of the world can cause or
prevent a storm in another part of the world.
• Processes of attempting to understand chaotic systems is in progress.
• Does apparent chaos produce order at a larger scale?
CHAOS IN ARCHITECTURE
• The creation of the architectural space is not an isolated event, but the
continuous process of technological modernizations, destroying, adapting
and property changes.
• In the scale of the city, the accumulation of this process causes spatial
diversity and complexity. This is not a consequence of conscious design
planning, but free transformation. In this case architecture starts to be
chaotic.
• Geometric order and chaos exist in architecture together. How do people
observe the two opposite aesthetics?
HISTORIC PUBLIC SPACES

The square on the front of the basilica of St. The city centre of medieval Siena with the
Peter's in Rome (16th&17th Century AD) is one of centrally located Piazza del Campo (13th Cent
the best urban works in baroque. Bernini designed AD) represents another aesthetics. It took 200
this square on a plan of oval. This square is years to form this place. On an irregular street
surrounded by the rhythm of columns. The plan many types of tenements have arisen. The
composition is based on an ideal geometry. This final structure of the city centre is very complex
place becomes very important. and diverse chaotic.
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• The geometric order, typical for St. Peter's square, causes in an observer
a feeling of classic beauty and harmony. But as well, the complex and
chaotic structures of medieval Siena, creates an individual atmosphere
and peculiar beauty.
• The modernist Mies van der Rohe formulated an artistic manifest “less is
more". In this manifest he favours the simple geometric forms over the
more complex forms.
• In 1957 another architect Robert Venturi published an opposite idea “less
is bore". He prefers complexity in place of monotonous and “boring"
spatial simplicity.
• This idea was widely accepted in architecture and it was the basis for a
new trend - post-modernism.
• The glorification of complexity and irregularity exists also in architecture
of present time.
• Many well-known architects (Zaha Hadid, Daniel Liebeskind, Frank Gehry
and others) presently take inspiration from chaos.
• Such inspiration is visible in the UFA Cinema Centre (1993-98) in Dresden
designed by Coop Himmelblau - the group of architects: Wolf Prix and
Helmut Swiczinsky .
• Eight cinema theatres are cantilevered in one block. A crystal, glass shell
wraps up a wandering public space.
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CHAOS IN ARCHITECTURE

The urban design concept of the UFA Cinema

Center confronts the issue of public space, which
is currently endangered in European cities.

The UFA Cinema Center is located at an urban

node.

It is formulated as the urban connection between

Prager platz and St. Petersburger Straße.

Thereby The Cinema itself is thereby transformed

into a public space.

COOP HIMMELBLAU - UFA CINEMA CENTRE, DRESDEN.

• This structure is "non-geometric".

• It makes the impression of random composition of different forms. The
final effect may shock and delight as well.
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• Paradoxically the absence of geometric order emphasizes the movie's

structure in the context of the city.
• The design is characterized by two intricately interconnected building
units: The Cinema Block, with eight cinemas and seating for 2600, and the
Crystal, a glass shell which serves simultaneously as foyer and Public
Square.
The Cinema Block
• The Cinema Block opens up towards the street and is permeable for
pedestrian traffic between Prager strasse and St. Petersburger Strasse. It
is differentiated by the circulation system of the cinemas and by views
through to St. Petersburger Strasse.
The Crystal
• The Crystal is no longer merely a functional entry hall to the cinemas, but
an urban passageway.
• The bridges, ramps and stairs to the cinemas are themselves urban
expressions. They allow views of the movement of people on a multitude
of levels, unfolding the urban space into three dimensions. The lively
quality of this space can be described in relation to the dynamic structure
of film.
• The Skybar, the "floating" double-cone inside the foyer, is accessible and
will host different functions (café, bar etc.).
• In this way, the content of the building becomes visible to the city as
much as the city is visible from the building. It is an inside-out building
which sustains a dialogue with the city. The media event - projected
fromthe interior towards the exterior - assists in the creation of urban
space.
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• Concluding: in the architectural composition the geometric order, as well

as chaos are the basic components.
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• The geometric order evokes the feeling of harmony, seriousness and

monumentality. Chaos revives the architectural space and gives it an
individual dimension.
• Elimination of chaos from the architectural composition causes “spatial
boredom". Elimination of geometric order causes the illegibility of
compositions.
• Therefore, for a good quality of architectural space, the balance between
order and chaos is necessary.
• The presence of geometry in designs is obvious. But, are there, in an
architect's workshop, the tools for simulating, analyzing and
understanding chaos?

PHYLLOTAXIES

• Greek phyllo, leaf + taxis, arrangement.

• Most arrangements of leaves fall into 3 or 4 main categories: spiral,

distichous, whorled, and multijugate.
• Spiral arrangements are most frequent and they are classified by the
number of spirals (parastichies) they exhibit.
• Mathematically, all these patterns are types of lattices.
• Many plants display Fibonacci Phyllotaxis, featuring Fibonacci numbers
and the Golden Angle.
• The Golden Angle is related to the Golden Mean, itself a limit of quotients
of Fibonacci numbers.
• Among plants displaying spiral or multijugate phyllotaxis about 92% of
them have Fibonacci phyllotaxis.
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Leaves and other botanical elements initiate as

microscopic bulges of cells at the growing tip of
a plant, forming lattice-like patterns.
The Aonium below exhibits 3 spirals winding in one
direction, 2 in the other. The angle between leaves 2 and 3 and the
anglebetween leaves 5 and 6 are both very close to 137.5o.

PHYLLOTAXI – EDEN PROJECT SCULPTURE

The Seed is a 70 ton granite sculpture that was quarried and carved in De Lank
Quarry on Bodmin Moor by Peter Randall and then transported from there to
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the Eden Project. The artist patiently carved out 1,800 nodules into the granite
surface over a period of two years.

The sculpture is totally integrated into the building, nested into a white
chamber at the heart of the Core education centre. This work is remarkable by
its size and the purity of the design (based on the Fibonacci sequence, which is
recurrent in nature).

Eden Project - "The Core" opened in

October 2005
The Core – is an amazing education
centre that shows in a very visual and
physical way how we depend on the
Earth's eco-systems, and what plants
really do for us.
It shows how wasteful, in energy
terms, processed food is like taking a
sledgehammer to crack a nut!
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 The roof structure is based on the kind of spiral phyllotaxis seen in many
plant forms.
 Based on the spiral phyllotaxis pattern found in plants the structure was
far more viable, reducing the depth of timbers at the perimeter of the
structure from 2,000 mm to nearer 800 mm.
 This economy is similar to the sunflower which wants to pack as many
seeds of a similar size into a given circle.
 Taking the gaps between the seeds as the roof supports resulted in an
efficient structural geometry.
 As a result, the roof is light and elegant and, unlike the geodesic biomes,
has a definite centre, in botanical terms the apex from which the
primordia emanate.
 This was a massive, volumetric sculpture contained within a chamber
with carefully controlled natural light.
 This central chamber is a space designed specifically for the sculpture,
echoing it’s shape like a giant seed pod.
 The central core is designed with a double skin incorporating a circular
passageway with low light and dampened sound to maximize the drama
of moving from the hustle and bustle of the main exhibits hall to the
tranquility of the central space.
 The sculpture itself is carved from a massive piece of granite measuring 4
x 3 x 3m and weighing approximately 70 tonnes.
 The stone’s surface is carved in relief with a pattern based on the same
spiral phyllotaxis geometry as the roof structure.
 This geometry is reflected in various ways throughout the building, from
the arrangement of the windows to the division of the internal spaces.
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PHYLLOTAXI – PHYLLOTACTIC TOWERS

 Architect Saleh Masoumi of Verk Studio in Iran proposes a new
solution to residential skyscrapers: Phyllotactic Tower
 Phyllotaxy Towers, Phyllotaxis Towers or Phyllotactic Towers are kind
of "Phyllotactic Architecture" or sort of practical applying of
Phyllotaxis in Architecture. Also they are kind of Biomimicry.
 His designs utilize the structure similar to living plants to provide
live/work units that provide “yards” for each individual unit.
 Known as phyllotaxis in botany, basic leaf patterns can be opposite or
alternate in a spiral around the stem of the plant.
 Masoumi borrows this idea for his vision of apartment units that
cantilever in a spiral from a service core, or stem.
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 Each unit is two-story, with the top level comprised of an outdoor,

vegetated yard.
 Other towers that are modeled after plants use a typical stacked floor
plan, including Norman Foster’s Swiss Re Building in London or the Grand
Lisboa Macao “flower).
 Masoumi’s idea is to take the plant concept and make a literal leap to
architecture.
 Units of a phyllotactic tower do not have common floor slabs which is the
essential difference between the Phyllotaxy system and Le Corbusier’s
Domino system.
 In phyllotaxy towers, each apartment unit is open on all sides to the
environment and has its own open-to-the-sky-yard, so each unit of these
towers is akin to an independent house.
 Almost all parts of the phyllotaxy tower have direct access to fresh air and
sun light. The houses cast the possible least amount of shadow on each
other due to the phyllotactic pattern, similar to the way that leaves in
plants do.

 In phyllotactic towers, the houses around the central core can be

constructed with varied vertical and horizontal distances between the
houses based on the tower’s geographical area and climatic condition.
Dimer, Trimer and Tetramer arrangements are some of the architectural
phyllotactic patterns as shown in the images.
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The requirement of having yard for each unit of

phyllotaxy towers has a secondary result: The
surface area to volume ratio of the tower is
reached the maximum level and it means the
maximum ability to harvest natural energy .
Because of this characteristic, the contact
surface of the towers to outdoor is high, so it
causes high temperature fluctuation during year
(or day and night) or might cause high level of
energy loosing in some climates.
This problem is overcome by the ability of the
phyllotaxy towers to harvest maximum level of
solar energy and natural ventilation and hence,
establish a balance between the extra loosed
and gained energy.

 Phyllotactic towers address urban design the issues of creating sustainable

cities which are compact and human friendly, while catering to the density
requirements of growing cities.
 Simulations and calculations show that phyllotaxy towers have no weak
point from financial point of view during a 50-year period.
 Hence, they can make a drastic revolution in the residential high-rise
building and new generation in urban planning, because phyllotaxy towers
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can make dense cities in which people have yards and gardens in their
apartments.
 This can overcome the negative effects of human beings living in the yard-
less apartments.
 As Phyllotaxy towers can adopt their self with different climates, they are not
limited to a restricted time or area. They can be applied broadly.

MORPHOGENISIS

A better understanding of biological morphogenesis can usefully inform

architectural designing because
1. architectural designing aims to resolve challenges that have often already
been resolved by nature;
2. architectural designing increasingly seeks to incorporate concepts and
techniques, such as growth or adaptation, that have parallels in nature;
3. architecture and biology share a common language because both
attempts to model growth and adaptation (or morphogenesis) in silico.
In a reverse move, architecture and engineering can inform the studies in
biology because
1. components of organisms develop and specialize under the influence of
contextual conditions such as static and dynamic loads or the availability
of sun light.
2. in biology as in architecture, computational modeling is becoming an
increasingly important tool for studying such influences;
3. architecture and engineering have developed computational tools for
evaluating and simulating complex physical performances (such as
distribution of loads, thermal performance or radiance values); and
4. such tools are as yet unusual or unavailable in biology.
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UNIT IV
GEOMETRIES AND SURFACES Fractal Geometry – Shape Grammar - Hyper
Surface - Liquid Architecture – Responsive Architecture.
FRACTAL GEOMETRY Mandelbrot - “father of fractal geometry,” defined a
fractal as “a shape made of parts similar to the whole in some way.” The so-
called Mandelbrot set which is the “breeding ground for the world’s most
famous fractals,” is an “odd-shaped infinite swarm of points clustered on what
is known as the ‘complex number plane.’”

Fractal geometry is the formal study of mathematical shapes that display a

progression of neverending, self-similar, meandering detail from large to small
scales. It has the descriptive power to capture, explain, and enhance one's
appreciation of and control over complex diversity.
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Natural shapes and rhythms, such as leaves, tree branching, mountain ridges,
flood levels of a river, wave patterns, and nerve impulses, display this cascading
behaviour. These fractal concepts are found in many fields, from physics to
musical composition.

FRACTAL FERN: One very simple way to understand fractals and the meaning of
"lteration" is to examine a simple recursive operation that produces a fractal
fern thru a "chaos game' of generating random numbers and then placing them
on a grid. After a few dozen repetitions or ITERATIONS the shape we would
recognize as a Perfect Fern appears from the abstract world of math. How and
why can this be? Fractals are maps of the simplest paths sliding up the scale of
Dimensions (from 2-D to 3-D and so on). So maybe it's simply an artifact of
nature's elegance that we find exact correspondences between these inherently
existing mathematical forms and natural patterns, and even living creatures of
many types.

Edible Fractals: Romanesco

(a cross between broccoli
and Cauliflower, which
accentuates the great
fractal spiral patterns on
the top. Tastes -ok too)
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Fractal Growth Pattern of a Leaf

Natural Fractal Landscape

This view of valleys and river

basins displays beautiful
capillary fractal dendritic
branching.
Geometric beauty of a snowflake.
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In normal geometry shapes are defined by a set of rules and definitions. Fractal
geometry also defines shapes by rules;however, these rules are different to the
ones in classical geometry. In fractal geometry a shape is made in two steps:
 First: by making a rule about how to change a certain (usually classically
geometric) shape.
 Second: This rule is then applied to the shape again and again, until
infinity. In maths when you change something it is usually called a
function, so what happens is that a function is applied to a shape
recursively, like the diagram below.

A good fractal shape is called the Von Koch Curve. The rules, or function,
are extremely simple. First you start with a straight line. This is your
‘initial shape’:
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INITIAL SHAPE
The rules are as follows:
1. Split every straight line into 3 equal segments.
2. Replace the middle segment with an equilateral triangle, and
remove the side of the triangle corresponding to the initial straight
line.
The process is shown in the figure below:

This is what happens to the

straight line, our initial
shape, when it goes through
the function the first time,
the first iteration. Now, the
shape it has produced is fed
back into the function again
for a second iteration:
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Remember the rule was that any straight line would be split into
thirds, so now 4 lines are split up and made into triangles. The
shape that is produced after the second iteration is then fed
through the function for a third time.

FRACTAL DIMENSION Mandelbrot proposed a simple but radical way to qualify

fractal geometry through a fractal dimension. The dimension is a statistical
quantity that gives an indication of how completely a fractal appears to fill
space, as one zooms down to finer scales. There are many specific definitions of
fractal dimensions, such as Hausdorff dimension, Renyi dimensions, box-
counting dimension and correlation dimension, etc, Intuitively, it seems that the
curve is more than 1-dimensional, but less than 2- dimensional, i.e., it has a
fractional or fractal dimension. The Hausdorff Dimension Example of non-
integer dimensions. The first four iterations of the Koch curve, where after each
iteration, all original line segments are replaced with four, each a self-similar
copy that is 1/3 the length of the original. One formalism of the Hausdorff
dimension uses this scale factor (3) and the number of self-similar objects (4) to
calculate the dimension, D, after the first iteration to be D = (log N)/(log S) = (log
4)/(log 3) ≈ 1.26.[1] That is, while the Hausdorff dimension of a single point is
zero, of a line segment is 1, of a square is 2, and of a cube is 3, for fractals such
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asthis, the object can have a non-integer dimension. D-dimension. N – no of

segments r -no of segment division.
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Box –counting method

Practically, the fractal dimension can only be used in the case where
irregularities to be measured are in the continuous form. Natural objects offer a
lot of variation which may not be self-similar. The Box-
counting dimension is much more robust measure which
is widely used even to measure images. Every box
counting algorithm has a scanning plan that describes
how the data will be gathered, in essence, how the box
will be moved over the space containing the pattern.

To calculate the box-counting dimension, we need to

place the image on a grid. The number of boxes, with size
s1, that cover the image is counted (n1). Then the
number of a smaller grid of boxes, with size s2, is counted
(n2). The fractal dimension between two scales isthen
calculated by the relationship between the difference of
the number of boxed occupied and the difference of
inverse grid sizes. In more chaotic and complex objects
such as architecture and design, more flexible and robust measures, such as
range analysis, midpoint displacement, etc, can be employed.
2D Landscape generation using midpoint displacement-(or Diamond-square
algorithm)

FRACTAL GEOMETRY
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Most mathematics that we study in school is old knowledge. Around 300 B.C. a
mathematician by the name of Euclid organized the geometry we have been
studying in schools. We can thank him for all the beautiful postulate and
theorems that we now have in our math toolboxes.
Much of fractal geometry, however, is new knowledge. Fractal geometry and
chaos theory are providing us with a new way to describe the world. Many
objects in nature aren't formed of Euclid’s squares or triangles, but of more
complicated geometric figures. Many natural objects - ferns, clouds, seashells -
are shaped like fractals.
Fractal geometry is a new language used to describe, model and analyse
complex forms found in nature. Chaos science uses this new fractal geometry.
DEFINITION
• The computer-scientist Benoit Mandelbrot introduced the word "fractal”
in the year 1975 to describe irregular, not smooth, curves.
• “Fractals are objects of any kind whose spatial form is nowhere smooth,
hence termed "irregular", and whose irregularity repeats itself
geometrically across many scales”
• “A fractal is a geometric shape that exhibits self-similarity across all
scales”.
CHARACTERISTICS
The best way to define a fractal is through its attributes:
• A fractal is rugged
• A fractal is Self-similar
• A fractal is infinitely complex
• A fractal is developed through iterations
• A fractal depends on starting conditions
• Fractals are common in nature
FRACTALS – KEY TERMS
Initiator
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A line-segment or figure that begins as the beginning geometric shape for a

fractal. The initiator is then replaced by the generator for the fractal
Generator
The bent line-segment or figure that replaces the initiator at each iteration
of a fractal
Iteration
Repeating a set of rules or steps over and over. One step is called an iterate
Recursion
Given some starting information and a rule for how to use it to get new
information, the rule is then repeated using the new information
Infinity
Greater than any fixed counting number, or extending forever. No matter
how large a number one thinks of, infinity is larger than it. Infinity has no
limits
Self-similarity
Two or more objects having the same characteristics. In fractals, the shapes
of lines at different iterations look like smaller versions of the earlier shapes
ITERATED or GEOMETRIC FRACTALS
The self-similar behavior of Fractal forms can be replicated through
recursion: repeating a process over and over – they will result in purely
geometric fractals.
Fractal Generation Rule
At each step, replace every copy of the initiator with a scaled copy of the
generator, rotating as necessary
Example 1
Suppose that we start with a filled-in triangle. We connect the midpoints of
each side and remove the middle triangle. We then repeat this process - the
shape that emerges is called the Sierpinski gasket.
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Initiator Generator

It can be noticed that it exhibits self-similarity – any piece of the gasket will
look identical to the whole. In fact, we can say that the Sierpinski gasket
contains three copies of itself, each half as tall and wide as the original. Of
course, each of those copies also contains three copies of itself.

Sierpinski carpet constructions on several polygons

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Example 2
Use the initiator and generator shown to create the iterated fractal.

initiator generator
This tells us to, at each step, replace each line segment with the spiked
shape shown in the generator. Notice that the generator itself is made up of
4 copies of the initiator. In step 1, the single line segment in the initiator is
replaced with the generator. For step 2, each of the four-line segments of
step 1 is replaced with a scaled copy of the generator:

Step 1 Scaled copy of A scaled copy replaces Step 2

generator each line segment of
Step 1
This process is repeated to form Step 3. Again, each line segment is replaced
with a scaled copy of the generator.

Notice that since Step 0 only had 1 line segment, Step 1 only required one copy
of Step 0.
Since Step 1 had 4 line segments, Step 2 required 4 copies of the generator.
Step 2 then had 16 line segments, so Step 3 required 16 copies of the
generator.
Step 4, then, would require 16*4 = 64 copies of the generator.
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Koch curve

The shape resulting from iterating this process is called the Koch curve,
namedfor Helge von Koch who first explored it in 1904.
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ARCHITECTURAL FRACTALS

Castle fractal, based on the two-dimensional Cantor dust

Lab Architecture Studio, Ronald Bates und Peter Davidson: Melbourne

Federation Square, 1997-2002
The façade makes use of the Pinwheel tiling, an aperiodic tiling proposed by
John Conway and Charles Radin.
FRACTALS IN TRADITIONAL ARCHITECTURE
INTRODUCTION
• Great buildings of the past, and the vernacular (folk) architectures from
all around the world, have essential mathematical similarities.
• One of them is a fractal structure: there is some observable similarity at
every level of magnification, and the different levels of scale are very
tightly linked by the design.
•
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• We also see this type of structure in traditional buildings. All the folk
architecture built by people around the world tends to have fractal
properties.
• In contrast, modernist buildings have no fractal qualities; i.e., not only are
there very few scales, but different scales are not linked in any way.
• There appears to be an unwritten design rule in the avoidance of
organized fractal scales.
• Some architectural styles are informed by nature, and much of nature is
manifestly fractal.
• So it is natural to find fractals in such architecture.
• Fractals also appear in architecture for reasons other than mimicking
patterns in nature.
• Ron Eglash's “African fractals” contains a wealth of examples of fractals in
African architecture, art, and design.
• Eglash points out the architecture reflects both the social and religious
structure of the settlement.
• All the architectural examples that exhibit fractal characteristics do so as
a consequence of some structural or organizational feature of the
settlement.
• From a political perspective, Eglash suggests that European settlers
considered most African settlements to be large villages rather than
cities, because instead of the Euclidean Street arrangements of Europe,
they found complicated fractal arrangements. "Thus fractal architecture
was used as colonial proof of primitivism. “

Ba-Ila
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• One of the most striking examples of fractal architecture are the Ba-ila
settlements of Southern Zambia.
• Each extended family's home is a ring-shaped livestock pen, with a gate
on one end (call this the front of the pen).
• Near the gate are small storage buildings. Moving around the ring, the
buildings become progressively larger dwellings, until the largest, the
father's house, is opposite the gate (hence at the back of the pen).
• Thus front to back measures a status gradient for the home.
• The entire settlement reproduces both the ring structure and the status
gradient.
• The front of the settlement is the gate. Near the gate are smaller home
rings, progressing to larger as we go around the settlement ring.
• Entirely inside, and near the back of, the settlement is the chief's house.
• The front of the chief's house is the gate, with progressively larger
buildings around the ring, until the largest, the chief's home, at the back.
• Entirely inside, and near the back of, each family's house is the household
altar.
• The relation of the chief to the tribe is described by the word "kulela,"
best translated as "to nurse, to cherish.".
• The structure of the settlement reflects this interpretation. The chief is
the father, the tribe his children.
Fractals in Indian Architecture
• Indian and Southeast Asian temples and monuments exhibit a fractal
structure: a tower surrounded by smaller towers, surrounded by still
smaller towers, and so on, for eight or more levels.
• Quoting William Jackson,
• "The ideal form gracefully artificed suggests the infinite rising levels of
existence and consciousness, expanding sizes rising toward
transcendence above, and at the same time housing the sacred deep
within.“
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• The Hindu Temple Rajarani in Bhuvanesvaralso shows some

characteristics of fractals, which can be found at many Hindu temples of
India.
• First, some of the architectural elements have undergone a
transformation by which size and position have been changed.
• For example the whole parabolic form of the temple can be found in a
modified way in the smaller parts on the surface, which is rendered
prominent by different colors.
• Second, the surface of the temple is similarly rough no matter which scale
is used.

The Dharmaraja Rath in Mamallapuram, India displays a transformation from

one level to the next. For better orientation each level is marked by a blue
rectangle. In each step one architectural element, colored green, is added
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Fractals in Islamic Architecture

One example for an early attempt of using self-similarity in architecture is the
floor plan of the Taj Mahal in Agra/India. The middle octagon that is repeated in
the four diagonals of the outer square forms the basic element

Fractals in Western Architecture

• The intricate decoration of Gothic, Renaissance, and Baroque
architecture, especially as expressed in cathedrals, frequently exhibited
scaling over several levels.
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• On the left, the central window is an arch made of two arches, each of
which is made of two still smaller arches. This construction a stone
tracery of interlocked arches, was developed in Gothic architecture to
strengthen windows against the pressure of wind.

Cologne Cathedral
• One of the most important elements of this example of the Gothic style
certainly is the pointed arch.
• This element is transformed in size and position and can be found in the
entrance, above windows and all over the surface - colored violet and
blue respectively.
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• But it is also an important element used indoors as the form of the arch
shows.
• Another characteristic element is the gable above the pointed arches of
the entrances and windows - colored green and yellow respectively.
• This architectural element can be recognized on turrets of the facade but
also inside the cathedral at the pulpit.
• Both elements reflect the overall concept of the cathedral, the pointed
rising form.

CASTEL DEL MONTE: (1240-1250AD)

• This is an early architectural attempt at self-similarity.
• The building has been erected over an octagon, with octagonal towers on
its edges.
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• The same form can be produced by putting the octagon in the copy
machine
• of picture 02 with the input: "Reduce the octagon by a certain factor 1 to
X and put it on the edges of the previous octagon".
• This could be repeated more often.
• In fact, what we see here is the first iteration of this expression.

• In the picture of the Pokrov cathedral in Moscow the prominent element

turns out to be the bulb-shaped dome.
• This element is transformed in size and position from one stage to the
next, which is rendered prominent through the colors yellow, orange and
red.
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• But in addition to that there are also other forms that are repeated on
different scales.

FRACTALS IN MODERN ARCHITECTURE

• Bruce Goff: Some of Bruce Goffs buildings contain characteristics of
fractal geometry, for example the Eugene Bavinger house, near Norman,
Oklahoma, built in 1950. The floor plan describes a curve that shows a
form like the self-similar Cephalopode Nautilus - the units of the Nautilus
follow the structure of a logarithmic spiral curve. This curve is called self-
similar because the angles of the tangents are equal in all points
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• Joe Price Studio by Bruce Goff, Bartlesville, Oklahoma, 1956, floor plan.
• The central theme, motif, is the equilateral triangle which can be found
on different scales. Many variations, multiplications and subdivisions of
the 60-degree angle in triangles and hexagons of many different sizes can
be located.
• This is a fractal-concept: the angles are similar from scale to scale.

FRACTALS IN CITIES
• Fractal geometry is able to describe complex forms, finding out their
underlying order and regularity - self-similarity, simple algorithms -, by
reproducing the real world and not by an abstraction into pure
mathematics - "clouds are not spheres".
• Therefore fractal geometry offers a good field for application on cities,
moreover, even most of the "planned" cities, using the geometry of
Euclid and showing simplicity of form, have been adapted to their context
in more natural ways and therefore also contain some "organic" growth
and irregularity.
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• Such applications can be the visualization through computer models

based on fractal geometry, measuring patterns of real cities and their
dynamic simulation by examining city-boundaries, networks, hierarchies,
urban texture and the density of population - if cities belong to fractal
geometry then elements of these systems will be found on different
scales: self-similarity.

Reasons for the first appearance of highly ordered geometric forms in cities
were the rapid physical developments and the demonstration of political,
religious or economic power- e.g. 1) Kahun/Egypt - residential town with
worker's quarters - 1900 B.C. 2) Rebuilding of Milet - Hippodamian system -
after 479 B.C. 3) Rhine - roman military camp - 30A.C./ 4) Spalato near
Split/Croatia - the "palace" of Diocletian; 5) part of the Palatine Hill/Rome
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The end of the flourishing time of Middle-Ages cities came with the
strengthening of the thoughts of territory and the process of re-feudalism.
Many cities had to defend their freedom and prosperity.
One of the expressions of this new power can be found in the idealized city-
plans - most of which were orientating themselves on the 10 books of Vitruvius.
1) Ideal city - Vitruv, 1st century B.C./ 2) 4 to 12-cornered forms of towns with
orthogonal street-systems - Pietro Cataneo, 16th century/ 3) Fortification of a
sea-harbor with a citadel - Pietro Cataneo, 1554/ 4) Palmanova - ideal Baroque
city, 1593-95/ 5) Ideal fortification city with a separate citadel - Anonymous,
about 1600/ 6) Mannheim, plan of 1622.

The concept behind idealized city-plans - perspective, fortification, visualizing

power - can today be interpreted, according to the phenomenon of fractals, as
those "simple" underlying rules which produce complex forms - the whole and
the parts following the same principles and thus forming a unity.1) Ideal city -
Vitruv, 1st century B.C./ 2) Modified Koch Curve/ 3) Defense systems.
• After the period of "circular" idealized cities, planners once more turned
back to grid-based plans.
• From the late 18th century onwards the development of American -
"new" world - cities has been dominated by rectangular patterns, though
physical constraints and individual decisions have often changed such
pure gridirons.
• But also in the "old" world of the early 19th century the fast growth of
"western world" cities led to a higher extension of planning - on bigger
scale - and by that in matter of speed and convenience to grid-based
plans - also symbolizing a break with the past.
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• Then the geometry of the ideal town has been changed during the 20th
century: it has become more curve linear - keeping still linear
nevertheless -, organized around communication routes - large road
systems - with more focus on land uses than on specific buildings.

In the article "Chandigarh, the capital of Punjab" Helmut Borcherdt describes

the "planned" city Chandigarh by Le Corbusier as an example of a car-influenced
garden-city-grid, where the building-blocks are situated on like soldiers on the
drill ground.
Everything is ordered and separated: different living-quarters for different social
classes and separate sections for hotels, banks and shops.
"Something beautiful evokes emotions, order by its own leaves one cold".
In such cities there a need for a mixture of order and surprise which can be
achieved through fractal geometry.
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Another example of a newer grid-based city is Islamabad by Doxiadis - the new

capital of Pakistan. In this case the site-plan of the city is crossed by water. But
instead of reacting to the environment – which would have meant to break the
straight lines of the grid and modify them, leading to a more fractal, "naturally"
grown city-model - a lot of expensive bridges were built to continue the grid
across the water.

One more example of rectangular plans that show the lack of harmony between
the city and its environment represents San Francisco, which got its typical
character of steep streets by the straight, continuing grid put on a mountainous
site.
One more example of rectangular plans that show the lack of harmony between
the city and its environment represents San Francisco, which got its typical
character of steep streets by the straight, continuing grid put on a mountainous
site.
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• The simplified growth model of the "organic" city spreads out from one
center of initial growth or seed in form of waves of development.
• This first approach can be modified by radial lines of transportation along
which growth often proceeds faster - resulting in star-like shapes -, but
also by the shape of terrain - rivers, hills and the like – and possibly
existing defensive walls - restriction of growth.

• Another aspect that should be taken into consideration is that "irregular"

- "naturally" grown – and "regular" - "planned" - forms vary within the
same city with respect to scale - at one scale the city may belong to the
first, on another scale to the second group.
• That means, if the shape of the city can be defined through its fractal
dimension, then this dimension will change through scale

Fractals and city planning: Form, Structure and Hierarchies

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"Form is the shape of contents". From this follows that with respect
to cities, first - in the sense that the word "form" refers to the shape,
the outward appearance - form represents the spatial patterns of the
physical elements that cities consist of.
These elements belong to the following three categories:
• 'networks' - e.g. transportation networks for people, goods,
water, energy and information -,
• 'buildings' - including residential, commercial and industrial
buildings -,
• 'open space' - such as parks, gardens, places and courtyards.
Factors which affect the form of cities are
• 'growth' - the dynamic viewpoint -, involving the changing of
objects through the interactions of forces - "organic form".
• ‘function‘- in the sense that processes, containing the forces
that produce form, have specific functions - hence form is
understood as the product of functions.
Hierarchies: As following from above, the external form - the shape -
can be described by its internal, invisible form - the structure. The
structure is itself composed of elements, so-called basic components,
and their relations, the interactions and functions of elements.
With respect to cities the elements are called units of development -
or 'blocks' -, which are linked to each other through various
communication networks. The related functions of the elements
belong to residence, employment, commerce, education and
recreation.
In general, the system structure, including subsystems, have sets of
components which can be arranged according to a hierarchy, may
reflect the same form at different levels: self-similarity.
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• Cities are organized hierarchically into neighborhoods whose

rank and the spatial extent depend upon the economic function
which they offer to the surrounding population - specialized
centers serve larger areas, whereas those of local needs serve
smaller ones.
• This hierarchy in cities is formed by centers and their
hinterlands, which have several elements - functions - in
common, starting with the Central Business District - CBD -,
followed by some district centers, a larger number of
neighborhoodcenters and even more local centers.
• Such a hierarchy also exists for the transport system - reaching
from primary or trunk down to local distributors, from freeways
to pathways - the educational and the leisure system.
• The self-similarity on different scales, such as represented by
the centers within cities, can be generated if one knows the
right functions and rules respectively.
• These rules - involving office, government, trade and
commercial functions, the range and multiplicity of goods and
services and the quantity of population served - are then
applied recursively on every scale, starting with the largest
center, the CBD, leading to different ranks in the hierarchy of
centers.
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• Classification: The idea of self-similarity and hierarchy can also

be carried on by comparing the classification of rooms in a
dwelling with the classification of parts of the city.
• On such different scales, there are always sections for leisure,
traffic, working and living: e.g. from the freeway over a footpath
to the corridor of the dwelling, from the entrance of the city to
the entrance of a building, from the office-tower to the desk,
from the big supermarket over a smaller food store to the
refrigerator.

• Diffusion-Limited Aggregation Model", can be treated as a

baseline model for simulating the growth of cities.
• The spatial patterns of cities evolve, similar to the DLA model, by
adding cells or basic units - individuals, households or
transportation links, represented by their occupied space
around some central point - the CBD.
• This leads to tree-like or dendritic forms, which show fractal
characteristics such as self-similarity.
• Batty and Longley mention in their book "Fractal Cities" that the
growth process itself contains codes which determine how the
organization of the basic units might display the self-similarity of
forms and functions.
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• That means if the growth of cities is planned at any scale, the

individuals or agencies involved almost subconsciously take
account of economies of agglomeration, the requirement that
the surrounding population is served efficiently by similar
functions and services of different order on different scales,
linked by transportation systems - this minimizing costs and
effort

• As indicated before, some mathematical fractals can be used as

a visual help for planning streets, footpaths and the like under
the view-point of irregularity or in line with the question about
how much of a certain area can be supplied - the higher the
fractal dimension the higher the irregularity and the more of the
entire space can be reached.
• Besides, fractals may also act as a first approach for defining the
distribution of buildings or the size and position of properties,
the fractal dimension of the resulting site-plan saying something
about the irregularity of the project.
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• Mandelbrot named the process that produces a fractal dust,

which is a disconnected set of points with clustered
characteristics, "curdling".
• Examples for such a fractal dust are the Cantor set, as well as
the cluster of stars and galaxies in the night sky, with the latter
clustering, in contrast to the first, includes some randomness.
• How can the "curdling“ process be described? First, the starting
image, which may be a square, is divided into a certain number
of pieces - the following example uses a division into nine pieces
that produces a grid of three columns by three rows.
• In the next stage, chance decides which of these nine squares or
boxes remain and which ones are removed from the grid.
• This can be done by a random number generator, or if the
random choice is one half, simply with the aid of a coin.
• The concept of "curdling“ is that the mass of the material of the
original number of squares flows into the remaining ones. In the
next stage, the procedure is repeated for the squares that are
kept up - hence each of them is once more divided into nine
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smaller squares and again the decision whether the

new ones remain on the grid or not is made by chance.
• This process can be repeated until infinity with using the same
or different probabilities for keeping up the squares at each
stage.

•
There also exist examples of "modern" ways of planning that
produce the character of growing, as illustrated by two new
student's hostels of the Yale Colleges by Eero Saarinen of the
year 1958 - the Stiles and Morse Colleges.
• In this case, a small footpath - that is lying between the two new
hostels - leads to the tower of an existing strongly symmetric
new-gothic building.
• Opposite this straight building, Eero Saarinen put a semicircle to
define the free-space as a circus that is enclosed by houses.
• During the planning he pinned up some of the most popular
squares of Italy on the walls, including the one of Siena, which
may be the reason why the resulting oval place reminds us of
this famous one.
• Beside that, with lots of irregular edges and angles and different
heights the row of buildings takes up the structure of an
"naturally" grown Italian city: in contrast to the new-gothic
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buildings of the college, the student's hostels got romantic

ground plans that should "conjure up" the feelings of an Italian
mountain-village like San Giminiano
FEDERATION SQUARE- MELBOURNE,AUSTRALIA

 Unlike Sydney's Opera House, the design competition for

Federation Square was not about a single entity - rather, a
multitude of uses:
 restaurants,
 cinemas,
 bars,
 offices
 and a huge public atrium set around a central plaza, providing
the meeting place that Melbourne had always lacked.
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 FEDERATION SQUARE ,Embraced by some of the world’s most

stunning architecture,
 Federation Square, acts as a vibrant focus for visitors and
locals alike, conveniently positioned in the centre of
Melbourne.
 Centre. Federation Square also boasts a range of restaurants,
cafes, bars, two dedicated function centres, open public spaces
which host up to 2,000 events annually and Guided Tours of
Federation Square .
 Federation Square has regular daily and weekly events.
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DESIGN
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The architects developed a grid system that allowed the building

facades to be treated in a continuously changing and dynamic way,
while simultaneously maintaining an overall site coherence,
instead of being traditionally composed as a regularly repeating flat
surface.
Programs:
>the new galleries for the (NGVA)National Gallery of Victoria's
collection of Australian art,
>the Australian Centre for the Moving Image (ACMI),
>SBS (Australia's multi-cultural broadcaster),
Melbourne's Visitor Information Centre, retail spaces, a car park
and numerous restaurants and cafes, all grouped around two new
civic spaces.
One is a Plaza capable of accommodating up to 35,000 people in
an open-air amphitheatre, the other a unique glazed and covered
atrium with a glass walled theater on the south side.
The southern half of the atrium steps down from the elevated level
of the deck above the railway, to connect to the lower level of the
riverside promenade. Within this transition, the south Atrium has
been designed to operate as a chamber theater, with an
acoustically tuned interior suitable for small to medium sized music
and theater ensembles.
The eastern end of the square which is predominantly bluestone
and sandstone: acts as a stunning complement to much of the
surrounding architecture in Melbourne. The elegant tones
rendered by this exterior makes for a classic backdrop on your
wedding day. In subtle contrast to this historically sensitive
design, the main square which is paved in 470,000 ochre-coloured
sandstone blocks from Western Australia, invoke images of
the Outback.
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The structures that make up

Federation Square, the two most
interesting are the Atrium and the
Façade.

The facade forms a three

dimensional framing system

glazed both inside and out while

the latter features large facades
with a variety of triangular
patterns
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The concept is based on the pinwheel tiling where each right angle
triangle can be divided into five congruent copies of itself over and
over again.

Duplicate the Right Angle Triangles on the page to create a design

similar to the one you see in the top right-hand corner of the
screen.
Rotate or flip tools ( no free rotate) to create similar Tessellation.
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At Federation square each façade panel is made of five right-angle

triangles.
Each right angle triangle is made of different materials:
Stand stone,Zinc and glass, all cut to identical size. It is often
refererred to as an example of the fusion between mathematics ,art
and architecture.
This fractals incremental system uses a single triangle, the proportions
of which are maintained across the single tile shape, the panel
composed of five tiles, and the mega-panel construction module
composed of five panels.
Right angle Triangles on the facades of Federation Square.
7,865 are sandstone
12,325 are made of zinc
1,883 are made of glass .
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Shape grammar

Shape grammar is a type of formal grammar used to generate two-dimensional

or three-dimensional designs or patterns. It is a rule-based approach to design
that can generate a wide range of complex and varied shapes by recursively
applying a set of shape transformation rules.

The rules in shape grammar describe how shapes can be transformed or

combined to create new shapes. The grammar typically consists of a set of
production rules that describe how simple shapes can be transformed or
combined to create more complex shapes. These rules are often expressed in a
graphical or visual language, which makes it easy to see the transformations
that are being applied.

A shape grammar minimally consists of three shape rules:

 a start rule,
 at least one transformation rule, and
 a termination rule.

The start rule is necessary to start the shape generation process.

The termination rule is necessary to make the shape generation process stop.

The simplest way to stop the process is by a shape rule that removes the
marker.

Shape grammar consists of shape rules and a generation engine that selects and
processes rules.

A shape rule defines how an existing (part of a) shape can be transformed.

A shape rule consists of two parts separated by an arrow pointing from left to
right.

 The part left of the arrow is termed the Left-Hand Side (LHS). It depicts a
condition in terms of a shape and a marker.

 The part right of the arrow is termed the Right-Hand Side (RHS).
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It depicts how the LHS shape should be transformed and where the marker is
positioned. The marker helps to locate and orient the new shape

SHAPE GRAMMAR Use of a shape grammar as an analytical tool and as a design

tool in the area of architecture and urbanism is given in the following sections.

SHAPE GRAMMAR AS AN ANALYTICAL TOOL Until the last decade of the

twentieth century, application of shape grammar was developing as a tool for
analysis. Stiny and Mitchell published the work “The Palladian grammar” that
initiated an ambitious and influential research on how shape grammar can be
used in a study of an architectural style. They proposed a method based on
parametric shape grammar for generating ground plans of Palladio's villas as a
definition of the Palladian style. Specifying the shape grammar rules, they recast
parts of Palladio's system of proportion and “architectural language” in a
modern, “generative form”

In the following years, analytic grammar has been extensively used in

numerous works, revealing general strategies and creating a knowledge base
for understanding particular architect's composition. During the 80's and 90's,
shape grammar was used to analyse works of Giuseppe Terragni, Frank Lloyd
Wright, Glenn Murcutt and Christopher Wren [9-12] as well as for the
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vernacular styles of Japanese tearooms, Taiwanese traditional houses and for

the landscape architecture of Mughul gardens

SHAPE GRAMMAR AS A DESIGN TOOL

Developing new, original designs by using shape grammars emerged from

analytic approach and combining existing rules and grammar language.
Therefore, this approach to shape grammar is both analytical and synthetic
Another significant contribution of shape grammar application in architectural
design is given by Lawrence Sass.

In his research projects in the past several years, Sass introduces a novel
method to generate house designs completely from 3/4” plywood sheet using a
shape grammar routine and CNC fabrication process. Shape grammar routine is
used to subdivide initial solid shape into constructible components for digital
fabrication on CNC cutting machine. Sass' approach is addressed to the fast and
transportable housing production based on changing needs for a digital
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fabrication that are low cost and custom designed. There are several possible
tasks for programs that implement shape grammars. The most common task,
and perhaps the first that comes to mind, is to aid in the generation of shapes
from shape grammars.

https://ddf.mit.edu/milestones/03

• shape grammar interpreter.

• shape grammar interpreter.
• inference program.
• Computer Aided Design program for shape grammars.

Reference :https://slideplayer.com/slide/8249741/
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Liquid architecture

Liquid architecture is a design philosophy that emphasizes flexibility,

adaptability, and the ability to respond to changing needs and conditions. It is a
response to the limitations of traditional architecture, which tends to be rigid
and static, with fixed boundaries and uses.

The concept of liquid architecture is often associated with the idea of "open
architecture," which prioritizes open and accessible spaces that are free from
unnecessary barriers and boundaries. This can include spaces with movable
walls or partitions that can be reconfigured to create different spaces, or
buildings with modular components that can be added or removed to
accommodate changing needs.

One of the key principles of liquid architecture is the idea of "programmatic

ambiguity," which means that spaces are designed to be flexible and open to a
range of potential uses and activities. This can include spaces that are designed
to be used for multiple functions, or spaces that can be easily adapted to
accommodate different uses over time.

Another important principle of liquid architecture is the idea of "responsive

architecture," which refers to spaces that are designed to respond to changing
environmental conditions, such as temperature, light, or sound. This can include
buildings with adjustable shading or ventilation systems, or buildings that are
designed to maximize natural light and ventilation.

Liquid architecture also emphasizes the importance of sustainability, with a

focus on using materials and technologies that are environmentally friendly and
energy-efficient. This can include the use of green roofs, solar panels, and other
sustainable design features.

Overall, the concept of liquid architecture represents a shift towards more

dynamic and responsive design approaches, which prioritize flexibility,
adaptability, and the ability to respond to changing needs and conditions. This
can lead to more efficient and sustainable use of space, as well as more livable
and adaptable buildings and urban environments.
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Hyper surface

- Hypersurface is a new architectural concept that promotes broader interfaces

and interactivity between cyberspace and the build environment. A
hypersurface is a new theory of liquid-embodied architecture to displace the
nostalgia and re-realization being carried into the spatial conceptions of new-
media technology
-Stephen Perrella
- Hypersurface architecture is a way of thinking about architecture that does
not assume real /unreal, material / immaterial dichotomies.
HYPERSURFACE ARCHITECTURE: AGE OF THE ELECTRONIC BAROQUE
It is to consider an architecture prior to those assumptions, that entails a
condition also prior to the assumption of a split between body-subject /
building.
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ULTRA-VECTOR ARCHITECTURE
Hypersurface architecture is a theory being developed by Stephen Perrella with
his collaborators that refuses the dichotomy between media and material.
Hypersurface is a productive process that resists privileging one term in a binary
opposition as in the example: structure/ ornament. Hypersurface is the
equivocal play between media and material such that neither term is fully
identifiable.
Hypersurface architecture considers both the fluidity of information and the
malleability of form or material as one, integrated and emergent design
strategy. Traditionally, we design in a linear fashion, anticipating a clear solution
to a well-defined problem. There is a structured pathway from idea to
materialization that assures a static object at the end of the process.
Hypersurface theory avoids that base assumption and instead considers
architecture as a node in a feedback-loop, as an element in a larger exchange.
To achieve this, one needs to situate a concern within the middle of things and
consider the emergent effects-outward. This tactic is utterly different from our
typically linear problem-solving methods. To make the shift to emergent or
middle-out processes requires a theoretical shift.
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Hypersurface delimits reductions assumed in biases prevalent in disciplinary cat

egorisations. Entering into cyber world.
It is not a matter of deciding to go into cyberspace. We are always
already in it, before the literal condition. An understanding before
dichotomous assumptions is a way to inhabit the world. This is not an argument
for the creation of art in cyberspace, rather,
it is a matter of rescuing art from its superfluous role in relation to architecture.
The Virtual Dimension
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Instead of simply adding another "dimension" to our three-dimensional world,

Perrella contends that the virtual has folded itself into the world, contaminating
our consciousness, physical experiences and colonizing our unconscious
imagination.
Multi-layered Condition
Instead of the real and the ideal being separate realms, the divisions sustained
by transcendental metaphysics, both divisions now impleat, becoming
interfused. The process and logic of pervasion stemming from ‘tele’ technology
intermixes television with the Internet, the Internet impacts upon built
infrastructure, and so forth, creating a convergent enfolded, organization [of
layered physical and electronic strata]. These interpenetrating layers are fueled
by consumer capitalists.

metaphysics:1 branch of philosophy dealing with the nature of existence, truth, and knowledge.

Engaging this multilayered condition by manifesting its complexity and by

building fluid links between the layers, hypersurface address the disorder of the
Information Age - the crisscrossing of communication lines, media types and
technologies- and provide osmotic membranes for electronic transgressions
that capture and draw energy from the proliferating multifariousness of our
digital world.

Multifarious: 1 many and various. 2 of great variety

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Form -Generator
- The hypersurfaces designed with animation software are not forms that are
evolved over time and then "stopped" but media images intertwined with
deconstructed forms, representing the collapse of two conventionally distinct
realms, the domain of the media image and the territory of architecture.
- A hypersurface is the informed topology of an interstitial terrain between the
real and the unreal (or any other binary opposition) that then flows
transversally into a stream of associations."
- The hypersurface, once animated, is irreducible and open to complex,
temporal experiences.
Architecture is approaching an unprecedented juncture as the complexities of
contemporary culture become increasing saturated with digital technology.
Hyper surface is a new architectural conceptthat
promotes broader interfaces and interactivity between cyberspace and the
build environment.
Hyper surface theory promotes increased accessibility to the Internet, initiates
new ideas regarding architectural
ornament and instigates new explorations of architectural surfaces and
materials.
PROJECTS(Hyper surface)
-Rafael Lozano-Hemmer(Positioning Fear)

-Steven Perrella (haptic horizon)

-Nox ( fresh water pavillion)

-Aegis (hypo surface)

-KasOosterhuis - Founder of ONL (space -station module)

Over the last decade or so, the electronic era is transforming these two
polarities: image and form,
each within its own context. While new technology is taking media into and
unbound zone we knowas
cyberspace, architectural form is also coming to question is Cartesian
foundations.
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These two simultaneous trends, what may be called 'hyper' (media) and
'surface' (topological architecture), have not been considered in relation to one
another.
If each dimension, image and form comes with its own disciplinary logic,
for example 2D and 3D, then when each questions the other, neither 2D or 3D
are adequate concepts to explain the new inter-dynamic.
Stephen Perrella is an architect and editor/designer at the Columbia University
Graduate School of Architecture Planning
and Preservation (GSAP) with Bernard Tschumi. There he produces both
NEWSLINE and COLUMBIA DOCUMENTS OF ARHITECTURE AND THEORY. He has
taught architecture and theory at various universities in the United States and
has
lectured internationally. He is President of Hyper Surface Systems, Inc., a 3d
world wide web site design firm. Stephen Perrella began exploring the
relationship between architecture and information in 1991 on Silicon Graphics
workstations.
In the context of that speculation he focused on the dynamics of
incommensurate relations between form and image as a formative method for
a critique of representation that he has developed into a discourse called
"hypersurface."
Among the facets of this theoretical construct include topologies that emerge
from interstitial, ambiguous relations between sign and form. Since that time,
topological strategies in architecture have become a dominant trend stemming
from both a rising, general interest in the discourse of Gilles Deleuze and Felix
Guattari, but also through new forms made possible by
animation and particle based computer software.
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The Haptic Horizon

These images are taken from the series of articles from Charlie Watson's 'Cool
World' commercial for the Mazda Protege.
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http://www.asa-art.com/bnl/13.htm

More details: hypersurface

http://loop.ph/twiki/bin/view/Openloop/HyperSurfaceTheory

AEGIS: Hyposurface
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- The surface is simple - metallic and faceted penetrating from exterior to

interior as a gently curving plane.
- The surface therefore embodies an act of translation, a sort of synaesthetic
transfer device that cross wires the senses.
- The surface is ultimately not designed: it is generated by a random sampling
and electronic sensory-input senses.

Responsive Architecture

RESPONSIVE ARCHITECTURE
 Responsive architecture is an evolving field of architectural practice and
research. Responsive architectures are those that measure actual
environmental conditions (via sensors) to enable buildings to adapt their
form, shape, color or character responsively
 Responsive architectures aim to refine and extend the discipline of
architecture by improving the energy performance of buildings with
responsive technologies (sensors / control systems / actuators) while also
producing buildings that reflect the technological and cultural conditions
of our time.
 Responsive architectures distinguish themselves from other forms of
interactive design by incorporating intelligent and responsive
technologies into the core elements of a building's fabric.
 Incorporating cutting edge technology, responsive architecture is able to
adapt to its surrounding, sometimes changing shape colour or character
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depending on what is going on around it. Here’s our pick of some of the
most exiting examples
PRAIRIE HOUSE, ILLINOIS
 Designed by ORAMBRA.
 The Office for Robotic Architectural Media & The Bureau for
Responsive Architecture in Chicago.
 the Prairie House in Illinois (2011) implements new tensegrity systems
and cladding technologies.
 Through the use of thermo or photo-chromatic inks, the colour of the
interior membrane of the building becomes lighter on warmer days
and darker on colder days.
 The result is a piece of responsive architecture that both radically cuts
carbon emissions and presents an elegant new aesthetic

FUTURE VENICE
 As part of the Future Venice Project, Rachel Armstrong, one of the
leading figures in the field of Architecture & Synthetic Biology, has
proposed that protocells could be used to grow an artificial limestone
reef reinforcing the foundations of Venice
 Protocells are chemical agents that behave in lifelike ways (such as
growth and multiplication).
 They can therefore be manipulated to both form and sustain a material,
in this case a reinforcing 'biocrete' for the foundations of Venice.
 This application of 'living technology' could see huge changes in our
approach to architecture and sustainability in the coming years.
 Photo: Christian Kerrigan
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THE HYGROSKIN METEOROSENSITIVE PAVILION

 Recently launched by a team at the University of Stuttgart led by
Professor Achim Meges, this new mode of climate-responsive
architecture uses the naturally responsive capacity of a basic material,
wood, to allow a simple, dynamic manipulation of a building's humidity.
 Requiring no additional source of energy or mechanical control, the
HygroSkin uses the natural elasticity of wood in relation to moisture
content to adjust the movement of apertures embedded within concave
plywood sheets.
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RADIANT SOIL
 The Canada-based architect Philip Beesley first presented his Hyozolic
series of 'metabolic architecture' installations in 2008:
 immersive environments designed to react to movement, and capable of
regeneration and growth.
 The installation Radiant Soil was presented at Espace EDF in Paris this
summer, featuring suspended, plant-like structures made from
biomimetic components of polymer, metal and glass, each with a near-
living carbon-capture metabolism.
 Shape-memory mechanisms allow the structure to react to viewers as
they approach, setting off bursts of light that stimulate protocells and
trigger chains of movement.
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ABU DHABI CENTRAL MARKET

 In 2010, Hoberman Associates applied their Permea system of exterior
shading roofs to three public squares within the Abu Dhabi Central
Market retail complex by Foster + Partners.
 Working from a dynamic grid reacting to levels of sunlight, the kinetic
design of the shading roof resembles a traditional coffered Islamic roof.

ECHOVIREN PAVILION
 This summer, Californian practice Smith | Allen, presented the first
entirely 3D printed architectural structure, a modular, site-responsive
pavilion that changes shape in accordance to the shapes and forms of its
forest surroundings.
 The structure is composed from 585 interlocking components made from
plant-based bio-degradable plastics.
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CLIMATE RESPONSIVE ARCHITECTURE

climate responsive architecture takes into consideration seasonality, the
direction of the sun (sun path and solar position), natural shade provided by the
surrounding topography, environmental factors (such as wind, rainfall,
humidity) and climate data (temperature, historical weather patterns, etc.) to
design comfortable and energy efficient homes.
 In a nutshell, architects will need to consider the following before ever
starting the design and architecture of a building:
❖ Perform a site analysis.
❖ Layout the building on the site.
❖ It’s all about the sun, so orient the building based upon cardinal
directions.
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❖ Select the appropriate window areas and glazing types based on

orientation.
❖ Building envelope design varies greatly by geographic area.
❖ Minimize the building footprint.
❖ Design for natural ventilation
❖ Relax the occupants comfort standards.
❖ Conduct modeling and analysis.
❖ Perform multiple iterations.
Responsive architecture –responding to climate, using nature as an
examples

Climate Responsive design:

 Climatic responsive design is based on the way a building form and
structure moderates the climate for human good and wellbeing.
 Climate responsive design is building takes into account the following
climatic parameters which have direct influence on indoor thermal
comfort and energy consumption in buildings.
Case study 1
COMPOSITE CLIMATE – COLD AND DRY
OVERVIEW OF DESIGN PRINCIPLES
 Resisting heat gain
 Decrease exposed surface area by orientation and shape of the building.
 Providing roof insulation and east and west wall insulation
 Increase shading on east and west walls by overhangs, fins and trees.
 Increase surface reflectivity by using light-coloured textures.
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 Encourage ventilation by locating windows properly.

• Increase air exchange rate with the help of courtyards and Arrangement
of openings. Degree college and hill council, Leh, India
• Located in Leh, in upper Himalayas
• the degree college and hill council have been built within a cold and dry
climate
• The building required to be heated almost throughout the year.
• It has long winter from October to April .

• The street should be wide enough to ensure that building on one side
should not shade those on the other side
• The street orientation should be east-west to allow for maximum south
sun to enter the building.
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UNIT V SEMINAR
Students would make presentation on the ideas and works of the following
architects. The proposal must be discussed with course faculty prior to
presentation. Greg Lynn, Reiser + Umemotto, Lars Spuybroek / NOX Architects,
UN studio, Diller Scofidio, Dominique Perrault, Decoi, Marcos Novak, Foreign
Office Architects, Asymptote, Herzog and de Meuron, Neil Denari.

GREG LYNN

ABOUT HIM
Greg lynn was born in ohio in 1964 and his received his undergraduate design
degree from Miami university (ohio) in 1986. He completed his graduate degree
in architecture from princiton university in 1988.thereafter he was employed
with Antoine predock Architect in 1987 and Eisenman Architects1987 to 1991.
In 1992 Lynn founded Greg Lynn FORM And currently has on office in venice,CA
and Hoboken ,NJ, Lynn is affiliated with numerous academic institution
internationally ,both as adjunct professor, visiting lecture and critic.
Lynn has exhibited his work in numerous exhibitions and conferences.
IDEALOGY/PHILOSOPHY

TECHNIQUES CONCEPTS
 Spline  Force
 NURBS surface  Curvature
 Animation  Multi-type of performance envelope
 Metaballs  Topology
 Blebs,flowers,strands,lattices  Multiplicities

THEORY
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NOTION Study of ARCHITECTURE VIA

 Type and instances COMPUTER MODAL
 Ideal type notion  The computer mediates
 Mulity-type of performance  Topology
envelope  Time
 Size,position,rotation, direction,  Parameters
speed is determined by
elementof design.
 Surface results from elements

 Topologe elements are result of a calculation.

 Topological line is a movement through control pointes (spline).
 Topological surface is also movement through control pointes (nurbs
surface).
 Spiline and Nurbs surface denote influence of vectors.
 Mulitiplicites.
 Curvature of line or surface reflects conditions.
 Relations can be studied with animation.

DESIGN PROCESS
METHOD
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 Analyses brief for major spaces

 Decide on computational structure
 Relate structure to the site
 Determine forces on structure
 Keyframe major conditions on structure
 Animation and study interation.
 Freeze and develop one or more instances of the animation
 Animation is a term that differs from, but is often confused with
motion.
 Moton implies movement and action animation suggests animalism,
animism, evolution, growth, actuation, vitality and virtuality.
 Virtuality is also a term used to describe the possession of force or
power.
 Two recent models for the modeling of movement in architecture
 The first method involves procession and second involves
superimposition.
Animate Form

MODEL
Bleb: A volume that appears from a self-intersecting surface.
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Flower: The transformation of a tube to a plane by increased flattening of

section.
Shared: Creating openings by means of duplicate control curves.

Strand: Creating spaces as bundles of lines.

Lattice:Creating space grid structure

Rapid prototyping and CNC milling techniques.

PROJECTS
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1. Presbyterain Church of New York.

2. H2 House for the OMV Austrian Mineral oil company
3. Artist Space Exhibition Design -1995.
4. Electra 96-semi-Permanent Installation
5. Cardiff Bay, Wales, United kingdom
6. Embryological house.
Summary: 2-3 Person firm-collaborates with other cyber architects for project
delivery.
EXAMPLES 1. PRESBYTERAIN CHURCH OF NEW YORK 1995-1998
A multi-functional Addition Sunnyside, Queens, Newyork city,.Greglyn n FORM
With Mclnturf Architects and Garofalo Architects The Koren Presbyterian
Church of New York in Sunnyside,Queens,is the collaborative effort of Michael
Mclnturf,Douglas and gregliynn involving the adaptive re-use of and addition to
an existing factory building. The design team worked in three cities, Garofalo
Architects in Chicago,IL,MichaelMclnturf Architects in Cincinnati,OH,and Greg
Lynn FORM in Hoboken NJ. Through internet connection, the combined offices
had a seven-person team that exchanged CAD files, Model photos and other
project information throughout the typical day. By distributing the workload
variable between offices and with combination of each offices experience and
expertise, The three small offices were able to design a project that would have
been too large and complex for any of them to manage individually. The existing
building, originally the knickerbocker laundry factor designed by Irving Fenichel
was built in 1932. The 88000- sq.ft.Factory building was originally constructed
as a two floor laundry facility with 15’ clear hight ceilings and large three story
boiler room provide power in 1932. It was described by the architectural and
cultural critic, Lewis Mumford as Americas best example of misplaced
monumentality due to south facade.

The architectural approach to the re-use of the factory buildings as a church

was to retain the industrial vocabulary of the existing building and transform its
interior spaces and exterior massing into a new kind of religious building.
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In addition, he exploits eccentricities of the existing structure which is divided in

to rough its scale and industrial vocabulary reflect the importance and
uniqueness of the church congregation.
The form of the two areas
 The first is a large shed structure with repetitive long span open areas.
 The structural system of steel elements to the south varies greatly in
length, depth, and orientation.
Two types of construction
 The first is a long span shed structure that is clad in metal and has an
undulating shape following the rail lines.
 The second forms are stucco clad entry tubes which snake between
existing structural bays vertically through the building.
Where the existing building presents a vertical faced to the railway the new
building sets up a much more horizontal relationship to the site with this
combination of low undulating forms.
Along with conventional architectural models and drawings analyzing the
relationship between the existing and new building use using ‘meta-blob’
computer software derived the design of the sanctuary.
Using this process, local constraints could be adjusted while maintaining a
continuous volume.
The Resulting
Massing that was produced was transformed as both an exterior metal roof
enclosure constructed with identical long span trusses and a more intricate
interior volume of louvered hung celling panels and faceted walls.
The roof construction combines regularization and differentiation in its
building components.
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The concurrence can be seen in the organization of columns supporting

the individual trusses which are spaced irregularly allowing the joints
bracing the 135 long 8 deep trusses to be an equal length.
Despite the variable slopes of the roof.Similarly,new means of vertical
circulation and lobby space were invented using a series of overlapping
linear entry spaces.
The selective removal of structural components, these tubular spaces
connect between existing columns and provide definition for a new
circulatory system of lobbies, stairs and corridor.
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The exhibition present design

processes with five videotaped
animation sequences accompanied
the five groups of miniature models
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NOX ARCHITECT
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UN STUDIO
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Ar.DILLER SCOFIDIO
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ROOF STRUCTURE The 7,000-square metre roof of the Elbphilharmonie consists of eight spherical,
concavely bent sectionsthat form a uniquely elegant curving silhouette. In addition, 6,000
shimmering giant sequins have been applied to the roof. The roof structure, with its steep curves
and high peaks, itself weighs 1,000 tonnes and covers the complex star-shaped steel framework that
carries the Grand Hall without any supporting pillars. The roof of the Grand Hall is made up of a steel
framework, each element measuring up to 25 metresin length and weighing up to 40 tonnes, the
outer and innershell, floors for the technical equipment, the White Skin with the reflector as well as
additional loads. Altogether the roof weighs 8,000 tonnes. (SOURCE:www.architonic.com)
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DECOI ARCHITECT’S
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ASYMPTOTE ATCHITURE
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MARCOS NOVAK

 Introduction: a multi-faceted artist and architect, Marcos Novak (1957)

was born in Caracas and studied architecture,
specialising in industrial design. as a
researcher at Austin university in Texas he
began to focus on the relationship between
information technology and construction in
the early eighties a paladin of non-traditional
architecture, Novak found inspiration in the
study of the spatial potential of the new
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digital technologies, algorithmic compositions and music. Novak

theorised the existence of “hypersurfaces”. Hybrids combining
“invisibility and virtuality”.
 Design methods:
 transarchitecture
 liquid architecture
 navigable music
 habitable cinema
 archimusic
he declared that “for the first time in two hundred years electroic spaces
now permit arcitects to investigate concepts of space that had hitherto been
impossible to explore by any other means than mathmatics or poetry.at the
same time media technologies permit formation of new environment
receptive to appropriate,relevant architecture”.
Famous works and projects:
 turbulent topologies,palazzettotito,venice (italy),2008 web-event
trans-
 ports,nai,rotterdam,2000
 archilab,frac centre,orleans,2000
 continuum 001,centre for contemporary arts,glasgow,2000
 stand der dinge/virtuelleentwicklungen,kunstlerhaus,vienna.
What is liquid architecture: a liquid architecture is an architecture whose
form is contingent on the interests of the beholder,it is an architecture
that opens to welcome you and closes to defend you,it is an architecture
without doors and hallways,where the next room is always where it
needs to be and what it needs to be. it is an architecture that dances or
pulsates,becomes tranquil or agitated.liquid makes liquid cities,cities that
change at the shift of a value,where visitors with different backgronds see
different landmarks,whereneighborhoods vary with ideas held in
common,and evolve as the ideas mature or dissolve”
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PETER EISENMAN
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Bibliography

http://www.precious7.com/precious-findings/2014/1/6/walt-disney-concert-hall

http://www.e-architekt.cz/digiarch/ecaade-01paper.pdf

http://www.noveformy.cz/blob/blob-reference/the-bubble-bmw-pavilion/

http://www.franken-architekten.de

http://www.vitruvius.com.br/revistas/read/arquitextos/05.060/460

http://www.zvihecker.com/#projects:

http://web.mit.edu/edgsrc/www/#