Week 14: A STRATEGY FOR ADVANCE BUILDING TECHNOLOGY

To what extent is architecture a derivation of technology in contemporary times?

Architecture is an art of practice of designing and constructing buildings. An art of practice of designing determines its form, language, symbolism and identity that affects a natural instinctive state of mind deriving from one’s circumstances, mood or relationship with others. On the other hand, creating these senses need technologies to construct into three dimensional forms.

Part One: Post Occupancy

Environmental Determinism

Cathedral                                                     Restaurant

Memorial

This is the idea that architecture determines how people behave in spaces called environmental determinism. The idea plays no role but having its subjectivity, individualism and experiential or other mental constructs as dominant. For example, cathedrals were likely intended to induce a certain level of fear along with awe; some may feel nostalgia triggered by space and its age; a memorial make people sentimental; institutions create atmosphere for learning; restaurants that are relaxing; stores make people want to spend money. There are also studies showing the levels of day light intensity, building materials, scale and articulation of spaces contribute to human’s feeling. 

Furthermore, these emotional factors, acting as a design generator; is also another solution towards the environmental issues. For instance; use place making concept to increase amount of people walking within or around the area. These are the initial stages of architecture before turning it into three dimensional forms.

Building Technology

The process will then continue with identifying technologies in order to create the expected outcomes mentioned above (environmental determinism); as each individual’s experience of the built environment is wholly a result of how the brain is organized by genetic and developmental factors. Using multiple technologies; a sum of its parts; from site orientation, building materials, HVAC equipment, windows, plumbing and builder practices are all a part of using technologies to ensure higher durability, lower environmental impact and increased comfort in order to achieve the outcome of environmental determinism. Technologies that covers the construction issues such as indoor air quality, water conservation, waste management, electricity production, day lighting and energy efficiency; generate the strengths and trait of character inherent in the technology to overcome issues at hand; uniting the utility and satisfactory of people. Appropriate technology is one among the aspects, along with the environmental aspects, social contents, end-users’ needs, programmatic analysis and planning permission; generating a three dimensional architecture built environment.

MVRDV’s Design Concept

Utilizing my previous readings on MVRDV as the pioneering technology assisted buildings; they have explored and configure projects through statistical spatial data relating to contexts and constraints; generating an environmental determinism. MVRDV focus on the contents available within spaces, occupants’ visual, activities, circulation; visualise and narrate architectural within an urban space and improve quality of life for generations to come. In the same token, MVRDV analysed into design principles towards the establishment of design strategy of technology in architecture. In addition to that, MVRDV also pay particular attention in creating focal point that hits the eye and mind of people through large structural blocks; and being accompanied with cantilevered platforms.

Case Study: Markhtal Rotterdam

Using the Markhtal Rotterdam as one of its project, it focuses on privately owned spaces for public use; providing the opportunity to create interior urbanism; cooperating the interior spaces as the exterior public space. With these design principles making priority to the role of interiors; creating a visible façade for interaction between indoor and outdoor using a huge glass and cable net materials; utilizing technology to open and close glass facade at both ends for rain and wind protection. On top of that, apartments facing towards the market place utilize triple glazed window technology to avoid sound and smell into the living space above; having a private and open public spaces within a block. 

Lastly, the entire huge horse shoe arched form; without having any structural systems in the middle, distinguished its unique identity; creating a contrast within the city area. The construction of wall and roof are connected towards the ground; with a curve was chosen to allow the construction to be efficient; thus having the load to be able to transfer down towards the basement without having any structural systems in between; adding spaces for more activities and programs to be allocated, as well as the visual connectivity throughout the entire building block.

SummaryTo conclude the first section of architecture derivation through contemporary times, it is stated clearly about the process from identifying contextual issues; human needs and behavior, followed by constructing through technology. On the other hand, a new direction of architecture derivation is suggested by technology; where form is the main constant that is being adapted by people, functions and activities in the surroundings. The development of form configuration derived from setting parameters using technologies such as Grasshopper and Rhino, creating Architecture Parametricism. 

Part Two: Computation

Parametricism

Parametricism has its roots in the digital animation techniques. But in the contemporary times, its latest refinements are based on the advanced parametric design systems and scripting techniques. Parametric is relating to a process or steps obtained through tools or data called parameters; having these steps being repeated; develop a unique style; particularly suited to large-scale urbanism called Parametricism. 

Parametricism creates a mature style; relating its style towards a sense of seamless, fluidity and akin to natural system. These façade and form development having each element bringing its own dynamic; taking into consideration of the spaces within the building as well as how it relates to other building and to the topography of the space. An overall sense of continuity is being achieved to correlate the conspicuous build-up of height with the lateral width of the overall field; widening and narrowing the urban rhythm throughout the city.

  

It can be done using maya hair-dynamic to simulate path network and generate into a digital woolthread model; set up the parameters of incoming streets and roads containing building blocks depending on its size, proportion and orientation.

Scriptism

Scriptism incorporates with specific software such as Grasshopper; creates varied surfaces, component design with influences though writing command operations. It is able to create architecture that is responsive to sunlight, wind, views, program and context. These explorations are usually remain as installations or building facades; the ability to develop the research into an effect building is promising.

Subdivisionism

Subdivisionism is a category of design frequently described as either ‘rounded’ curvaceous or aerodynamic. Most example of this type of architecture is well-intentioned, and utilizes an analytical knowledge of circulation, environment or program to produce responsive geometries; frequently combining with programs and activities. Often these programs reference movement and create futuristic shapes that are fluid and elegant. The resulting forms are sinuous, and allow shapes to blend into one another. Simple curvaceous forms are simpler, employing shapes with useful geometries, resulting building to be visible and useful to navigation.

Vernacular Parametricism

The outlook of my research regarding underground cities has created Architecture Parametricism through patterns and arrangements of modular habitable spaces. Vernacular plays a role with the usage of natural material such as sand; using technology to create a chemical process of solidification of sand dues to formulate these habitable spaces; repeating the process to set up parameters that generate path networks that contain these habitable spaces; varies in scale; depending on programs and activities. These modular habitable spaces are created in an open network, increasing the amount of modular system as density increases. Parametricism involves the conceptual shift from part-to-whole relationships to component-system relationships and system-to-system relationships. It is an open system that always remains incomplete; as density increases, components will associate into a multiple systems.

SummaryOne word to summarise the statement of Parametricism is complexity. The future and contemporary architecture is creating multifaceted spaces which resemble our ever more complex way of living and working. Working on alignment of diversities and simplifying environment no longer apply to our contemporary times. Therefore parametricism rejects repetition; having different elements every time; different views from each angle. 

Part Three: Thesis Design

Street Complex

Presenting an opportunity to create a new centre for the locals as well as a new entrance for the city through the ‘Communities of a Single Roof’ design, remaining largely undeveloped in the urban city centre and considering the relative lack of public space and facilities as well, the proposal of Street Complex introduces new spatial configurations to the city centre, opening the street area to public access and use; extending the square and market inside the Street Complex and enlarge the space devoted to culture and leisure in order to strengthen the sense of community and centrality. 

Its justification can be found, apart from the apparent economical argument, in the term of density. A dense city is a live, vibrant city. Multiplicity of people, events and spaces makes a city. And high quality density is what some of the cities are lacking of.

Spatial System

With a key concept for the Street Complex proposal, it creates a core as a strong living icon; creating an opportunity to develop a new transit point that enhances new urban routines by having the mixed-use morphology of the construction ring, breaking it down in several pieces that enables the intervention to be phased for a full potential of gathering spot and sets the right urban scale. It involves the understanding of the urban morphology thus enhancing its qualities through the mixed-use cultural street and a park as the grounding principles.

The Street Complex concept focuses on the system on creating a new urban value for new social interaction with the presence of its heritage memory. The old culture are still able to adapt with the new cultural blocks and stands out in the contrast offering new outdoor spaces.

Network System

An integration of these activities; fulfilling a wider area; turning it into a pedestrian street; allowing tramways and connectivity towards public spaces; making the street and market across it overlaid with trees. Ground-scrapers containing offices, provide access to the platform, creating the connectivity network, allowing the connection towards other skyscrapers that can functions as a hotel or residential apartments.

Two or more sets of panoramic elevators in the park present an additional connection with the platform; having the stairways and cargo lifts spread across the site. A network of pedestrian pathways spread across the park connects the site with all the surrounding streets.

Micro Programs (Activities)

Therefore, Street Complex concept is a mixed-use proposal to guide the site’s redevelopment. With an additional link extending the axis of the micro programs; extending the micro programs on the plaza; creating porosity for visual and physical connectivity; the courtyards of each micro program create a gradation of conditions between public and private. 

Scattered micro program is being organized together with a combination of passages, courtyards, squares and terraces along the public space; linking all together the main public spaces of the new building; will also be the pillar to support the roof construction; creating a platform for the spaces above ground. It unifies the plaza and provides a huge shelter to the public expressions; under a colorful high ceiling, street life can spread and flourish; thus creating architecture of a Street Complex.

Building Technology

A green core that can be lived with pedestrian walkthroughs within streets creates a sustainability solution to minimize its carbon footprint by offsetting it with a large number of newly planted trees. Having a large flat roof of the platform presents a great potential for placement of solar panels and rainwater collectors, having a composite glazing material to allow visual connectivity yet reduce heat and glare penetration within programs; having ramps and elevators for network connectivity within streets; uses several basic building elements to form a complex architecture as a whole. Without the technology or features available, architecture cannot be seen.

Summary

This urban design adopts two strategies to transform Street Complex structure, first preserving its quality features – the clear street façade definition that allows the creation of a boundary for privacy (based on post occupants); 

secondly add more permeability through densifying the inside through a strategic placement of smaller programs arranged in an apparent disordered composition with different heights (based on computation of parametricism), creating an unexpected street life and land marks in the city skylines.