Introduction to shape grammars

Professor Terry Knight, MITMIT/Miyagi Workshop: Assignment 1

February 7-12, 2000

ASSIGNMENT

On the following pages you are asked to look at three different ways of working with a shape grammar:

1. Using a shape grammar Following rules Finding a derivation of a design

2. Changing a shape grammar

3. Discovering a shape grammar

1a. Using a shape grammar Following rules

On the next page, a 3 rule shape grammar is shown.The first two rules add a shape to an existing shape. The third rule erases a label.

Beginning with the initial shape, apply the first two rules alternately to generate a design. Finish the derivation by applying the third rule to erase a label.

initial shape

rules

SHAPE GRAMMAR

1b. Using a shape grammar Finding a derivation of a design

On the next page, a 1 rule shape grammar is shown. The rule overlaps a square onto an existing square.A design generated by the rule is also shown.

Show a step-by-step derivation of the design using the rule. Each step represents one rule application.

rule

SHAPE GRAMMAR

initial shape

DESIGN

2. Changing a shape grammar

Below is Frank Lloyd Wright’s plan for St.Mark’s-in-the-Bouwerieapartment building (1929).

The St. Mark’s plan became the basic compositional element in subsequent projects by Wright: an apartment house in Chicago (1930), the Crystal Heights hotel and apartments (1939), and the Price Tower (1952-56).

The Price Tower, the only built project, is essentially a variation of St. Mark’s. The Chicago apartment project and the Crystal Heights hotel can be generated by rules that repeat and shift the St. Mark’s plan.

The generic plans of buildings and projects by Frank Lloyd Wright:

a. the St. Mark’s-in-the-Bouwerie apartment buildingb. the Chicago apartmentsc. Crystal Heights hotel and apartment complex; andd. the Price Tower

For example, below is a schematic version of the St.Mark’s plan, and one of the rules for generating the Crystal Heights complex.

Wright’s exploration of St.Mark’s as the generator of projects can beextended readily. Many other interesting and practicable design possibilities can be generated by modifying the previous rule.

For example, the rule

can be changed by rearranging the shapes to create this new rule

The new rule can be labeled to control how it is applied. Below are four labeled versions of the rule.

For each rule above, generate a design by applying the rulerecursively to an initial shape which is the shape on the left-side.(a total of four new designs).

(a)

(c) (d)

(b)

3. Discovering a shape grammar

Below are three designs. a. For each design, write a shape grammar that generates the design.

For design (i), only one unlabeled rule is necessary. For design (ii), only one unlabeled rule is necessary. For design (iii) only two unlabeled rules are necessary.

b. Show a step-by-step derivation of each design using your rule(s).

(i) (iii)(ii)