ANDREA VELÁZQUEZOCTAVIO GONZÁLEZFRANCISCO RUIZ

KABADISTRICT

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INDEX

CONTEXT AND RESEARCH

FORM FINDING TOOLS

ALGORITHMIC ARCHITECTURE

RENDERS

CONCLUSIONS AND CREDITS

INTRODUC TIONSITE ANALYSISRESEARCH

RELEATIONSHIP ALGORITHMITERATIONSURBAN PROPOSAL

MASTER PLANSEC TIONACCESSSTRUC TUREFLOOR PLANSSUSTAINABILIT Y

KABADISTRICT

CONTEXT AND RESEARCH

Parametric design is not an unfamiliar territory for architects. The computer did not invent parametric design, nor did it redefine architecture or the profession; it did provide a valuable tool that has since empowered architects to design and construct more logically and with more rigorous qualitative and quantitative conditions. Nature has for a long time now, developed structural systems of great complexity and precision that architects and designers have applied to structures building shapes and urban organizational patterns.

In this workshop we had the goal of taking advantage of the technologies and time in hand and maximize their qualities in our design process. We started out with a totally flat site and took this as an advantage and opportunity to implement “folding” or “origami” in our design, creating a new take in mixed use complexes in Monterrey.

INTRODUCTIONorigami- rethinking architecture

SITE ANALYSISPREVAILING WINDS SOLAR PATH DURING SUMMER AND WINTER

SOLAR PATH

SOLAR PATH 10/08/2014 6:00AM/10:00PM/2:00PM/6:00PM

SOLAR PATH 10/12/2014 6:00AM/10:00PM/2:00PM/6:00PM

MARKET RESEARCHcurrent mixed use places IN PASEO SAN PEDRO, MTY, MX.

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Crowd ofpeople

Parking space

Car traffic

Pedestrianspace

Environmentrelationship

privilegedviewsNoise

Ventilation

Sustainability

Spatialdistribution

Sunlighting

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10Crowd of people

Parking space

Car traffic

Pedestrian space

Environment…

privileged viewsNoise

Ventilation

Sustainability

Spatial distribution

Sunlighting

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02468

10Crowd of people

Parking space

Car traffic

Pedestrian space

Environment…

privileged viewsNoise

Ventilation

Sustainability

Spatial distribution

Sunlighting

BENCHMARKING EXERCISE

The graphs on the left show the crowds of people in the place, traffic and architectonic spaces in each of the spots being evaluated. The data shown is an average of the results acquired.

The first graph shows the principal attractive points in Paseo San Pedro. It shows an intensification in the space provided for pedestrian use and spot-on spatialdistribution. Weak points are shown as a decrease in the poor contact with the natural environment, ventilation and sustainability.

The second graph shows the data from Plaza San Agus-tin and how everything concentrates in Main Entrance area. Pedestrian space and amount of people drops, but it’s somehow balanced with the use of natural lighting, decent special distribution and natural ventilation.

Plaza Calzada 401’s principal characteristics include areas of direct contact with the surrounding natural environment, privileged views, ventilation and worthy spatial distribution but lack in areas such as pedestrian space.

At the end of this research, we got to the conclusion and established a chart in which every aspect was graded from 1 to 10 (10 being the highest score) leaving us with the exact areas of improvement to take in account wile designing our mixed use complex.

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10Crowd of people

Parking space

Car traffic

Pedestrian space

Environment relationship

privileged viewsNoise

Ventilation

Sustainability

Spatial distribution

Sunlighting

POINTS FOR DESIGN

Paseo San Pedro LUA San Agustin Calzada 401 IDEAL

FLAT TO FORMRESEARCH / CONCEPT

Origami is the Japanese word for paper folding. ORI means to fold and KAMI means paper. Together, they form the word, “origami.” It is an art form that has been handed down from parent to child through many generations. Origa-mi involves the creation of paper forms usually entirely by folding. It has since evolved into a modern art form. Origami is an exercise in exploring the multi-tude of ways, using various techniques, to simply fold an object, usually from a piece of paper, cloth, metal, or plastic, whose initial flat shape can be but not limited to a square, circle, rectangle, triangle, hexagon or pentagon. This splendid art has inspired artists from all over the world. This form has also inspired creative brains from the world of architecture to use this idea in architec-tural structures aswell.

Involving origami as a design tool might appear as challenging in many ways, starting with the cultural, historical, and customary, ways of Mexico; however, we are in times of change being a developing country, with ability to manage and execute high quality projects.

Origami offers a vast amount of benefits. Due to the facets generated by the folding, faces in the complex can be manipulated in a way to respond in the most efficient way to the sun and its radiation. Facets allow panoramic interior views that could hardly be accomplished while working with a flat surface. Its form also empowers the redirection of the wind in beneficial ways.

And from the outside, the type of volume enriches the visual generating feelings of cutting edge fashion, design, and a sense of controlled randomness in the facets of the complex.

FORM FINDING TOOLS

PLUG-INSORIGAMI IN ARCHITECTURERELATIONSHIP

To recreate the concept of a folding building with an algorithmic logic it is necessary to understand the logic of origami and principally the tessellation technique. This logic consists in determining a grid in which subdivisions are proportional and can be selected in binary sequence in which 0 are converted into “valleys” and 1 to “mountains”, these two characters represent the lines that will be folded upright and lines that will go downwards.

With the help of the component “Origami” (plug in developed by Daniel Piker in “Kangaroo”) it is pos-sible to define this parameters, such as valleys, mountains, folding angles and folding degrees. Once our valleys and mountains were defined, the grid was manually set to respond to the architectonic program required and start iterating for the most efficient and aesthetically pleasant option to be the volume of the complex.

Now that the main volume was created, the logic behind the “skin” of the complex was to be defined, this included glazing and holes or openings in the main volume. We manually selected the facets via “Weaverbird” (plug-in by Giulio Piacentino) which allowed to subdivide and control meshed volumes and create different tessellation patterns to create 3D shapes in the skin of the building.

This capability of folding a plane responds to the parameters of folding that create volume and ventilated spaces at the same time, furthermore the concept matches the characteristics of the land-scape developing a similar topography of valleys and mountains that are characteristic of the city where the project is placed.

Kangaroo

Tool developed by Daniel Piker with the ability to simulate physical effects that are experienced in the real world. This displays the deformation of material or digital designs with different forces real-time applications.

WeaverBird

Tool developed by Giulio Piacentino allowing manipulating and subdividing surfaces in an efficient manner to create complex figures and at the same time fully controlled by parametric.

ALGORITHMGRASSHOPPER

0 - Terrain 1- Subdivisions 2 - Folding Logic

3 - Valleys and Mountains

4 - Folding Iterations

5 - XY Plane Split

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RESWERFGTYHU-

6 - Outer Walls Contour

8 - Slabs and Sq. m Calculations

7 - Cover + Walls

9 - Final Geometry

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ALGORITHMPERFORATED PANELS

Perforated Panel Louvers Glazing

The algorithm shows the iteration and the essential components to accomplish a perforated panel using an image sampler.

Perforated Panel

Louvers

Glazing

ITERATIONSCHANGING THE PARAMETER

Iteration n.300

Iteration n.1000

Iteration n.100

Iteration n.2000

Iteration n.1

Iteration n.7

Iteration n.8

Iteration n.15

Iteracion n.18

During the design process, we obtained several iterations that led us to have a better comprehension of the benefits of using Origami as a trigger to generate form. (Images in both left and right show different iterations obtained in the process.

First study of the cover using origami as a generator.

URBAN PROPOSALTHE CHOSEN ITERATION

On the 3000 iteration we found the greatest potential for the architectural program required main-ly because its shape, which begins its folds from the ground and begins to exponentially ascend and then descend in valleys portraying the qualities of origami.

Another decisive factor was the volume, which has a central opening that allows an intermediate point-shaped plaza that counts with breaks and curves that allow the use of ventilation and natural light, finally allowing us to meet the requirements of the architec-tural program for space and square footage.

ALGORITHMICARCHITECTURE

MASTER PLANRIO MISSOURI 530, VALLE DE SANTA ENGRACIA, 66268, MTY, NL.

The architectural program is as follows: Build-ing (s) from Shopping Center and mixed use with a minimum of 65,000 m2 and a maximum of profitable 100,000 m2 taking into consideration the following points:•Commercial area: (Retail) approximately 35,000 m2•Restaurants: 15,000m2•VIP Cinema (12 to 14 rooms) 8,000m•Hotels with approximately 65 rooms. 12,000m2

ARCHITECTURAL PROGRAM

Business premises must have sizes from 60 m2 or up in the commercial zone, restaurants, stores, and sub anchors, cinemas, and 3 levels of underground parking. We have proposed a 100,000 square-foot mixed-use development in the heavily transited and popular zone of San Pedro Garza Garcia. We’re implementing a two part initiative: ecological and infrastructural innovation. Challenging Mexico’s conventional typology, the design blends the hotel and live/work top with the retail base. We proposed a cover that contained all the architectural program making it easier to have all the activities and spaces well connected in a worthy environment. The volume can be described as dynamic and it’s perceived in different ways from every angle of the observer. With this, we break the idea of making a flat facade

CUTTING BY LEVELFLOOR PLANS

CUTTING BY TYPE

6 Level

5 Level

4 Level

3 Level

2 Level

1 Level

-1/-3 Level (Parking)

Parking

Cinemas

Restaurants

Hotel

Residential

Offices

Commercial

Green area

23,125 m2

29,356 m2

6, 524 m2

9,117 m2

2800 spaces

15,372m2

9269 m2

7,528 m2

100,291 m2 Total area

8 Level

7 Level

SECTIONS

SECTIONS

Acceso a volumen

Acceso vehicular

Acceso vertical

ACCESSTO THE INTERIOR OF MASS

STRUCTURAL LOGIC

Coating / Louvers

Concrete slabs

Circular parking ramps

Concrete Columns

Elevator and stairwell shafts

The project must be able to meet the needs and requirements that may arise over time and this is accomplished with a structure that preserves the traditional method of tiles on concrete beams and columns, modulated orthogonal inside, allowing for subsequent changes to meet the needs.

FLOOR PLANS

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Parking

Fist Level

Second Level

Third Level

During the project, the viewer encounters a decent distribution of spaces on the inside and the project is perceived as a container for multiple activities. The space is divided into 8 levels where you can find retail, cinema, restaurants, offices, hotel and family compounds.Having all the activities contained in one volume allow the complex to be more functional and flexible; things to be considered in projects build today. (Especially in dense populated areas such as Mexico) A project must be able to fulfill various functions in addition to its main purpose.The following pages shows the inner distribution of parking and the first three levels.

PARKING

FIRST LEVEL

SECOND LEVEL PLAN

THIRD LEVEL PLAN

SUSTAINABLE QUALITIESTHINKING green

The complex, whose programmatic elements will range from commercial and retail spaces to offices and hotels, aim to create a strong model of sustain-ability for the region that will promote eco-friendliness.The complex form is conceived as independent cover that starts folding from the terrain and begins to create form. Voids are punched through the form to cre-ate viewing platforms and a space to add greenery and hide from the sun. The shifting of these facets allows natural light to flood the interior spaces. The facade’s frames filter solar gain while its composition reduces the air-conditioning load.

ECOTEC ANALISYSSOLAR STUDY

The following images show a solar study that was elaborated with the help of Ecotect made in the cover. This was made by making a link of the algo-rithm directly with the program. The results are shown in a color scale where yellow represent the critical areas and blue the less critical.

RENDERS

RENDERSCONCEPTUAL IMAGES

CONCLUSION

This way of making architecture made us take in consideration a lot of different factors that we wouldn’t be able to have controlled with a more manual design approach. Working parametrically has managed to break the boundaries that us as architects had in the past and provides endless pos-sibilities for generating new architecture. An architecture for society today that addresses comprising the pace of life currently and to address new evolving needs. This architecture aims not look to what was done previous-ly but take advantage of technology to create more efficient architecture.Criticism may arise while working parametrically because not everyone is familiar to working this way, but new projects should be emphasized the need to innovate and propose new ways to solve atypical. Initially these new proposals may have several areas of opportunity which will eventually molding to generate an architecture that can fully meet the needs of us-ers. This type of architecture also needs to show accessibility in economic terms, where they must develop new methods to facilitate the generation of this type of architecture integrating equally sustainable aspect.Throughout this document the concept origami and folding helped us mas-ter a solution of a mixed use complex. By creating faceted faces through the complex that allow different usage of space and adapting completely by each fold giving both privacy and access to public spaces. This solution was only possible with the use of computational algorithms that helped to create the whole folding system that allowed the creation of valleys and mountains with parameters that otherwise manually created could not be developed.

CONCLUSION

This project would’ve been impossible to accomplish if not by all the support and aid from our mentor Arch. Alejandro Rodriguez, Grasshopper 3D online community, and fellow classmates for their time and endless support.

Plug-insKangaroo by Daniel PikerWeaverbird by Giulio Piacentino

Credits