WORKSMY

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WORKS

1: [HOUSE SCAPES]Urban Landscape Design 6-17 A Significant FoundingInspirationDwelling Design2: [THE PRIVATE REALM]3: [DESIGN PRINCIPLES AND METHODS]Form Finding and Natural SystemsParametric ModellingDigital Image ProcessingPraxis Digital Fabrication and Rationalization

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@ Landmark Information Group Ltd and Crown copyright 2011. FOR EDUCATIONAL USE ONLY.

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develop a self-regulating mechanism which would not require any influences other than the phenomenon it is regulating, be it solar gain, water capture or ventillation. Through digital fabrication and paper models, we developed a final folding mechanism which has the potential to operate in a number of intelligent ways within the final design, be it a roof structure, shading device or even a water collecting facade.

The investigation began with a formfinding exercise, drawing from the architec-ture of natural systems to develop a new adaptation in the manmade world. My studies took me to protective mechanisms in flowers and pinecones, and the method by which they optimise the internal environment around changes in the outside world. All too often, buildings are poor to resepond to their surround-ings, and messy, low tech systems are often ‘added on’ to compensate for fun-damental flaws in overall design. Progressing from this idea, and drawing from various other precedents for ‘responsive’ and ‘homeostatic’ facades, I wanted to

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Digital modelling techniques can be used to simulate form and function in nature, in this case, I attempted to track the path of an unfurling night flower, extrapolat-ing the shape of each petal as it unfurled into wireframe designs. By applying a parametric function to the bending path of the structure, it was then possible to simulate the different stages of opening. This method can provide a clear repre-sentatation of movement in natural systemsn and is very useful when attempting to reconstruct such systems in other materials.

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the need for additiional systems or mechanical machinery to constrantly rec-alibrate or adjust the angle of the shades according to environmental variables. This is a quality which is very important in construction systems, as reducing the operating energy and mimimising electronic components which can be ex-pensive to operate and replace, creates a much more efficient system, and also extends the longevty of the architecture itself.

The praxis model shown previously was the basis for a series of experiments to develop a shape that could replicate the movement of the night flower petal in a simple paper model. By changing the point and radius of the curve and spline of the base by a tiny increment, the movement can be affacted drastically. This was an interesting idea in terms of thinking forward to manufacturing. If this design was used to build a shading system, for example, the shape could be modified to precision to optimise the shading aspect according to sun angle and latent air temperature. The system would then effectively be self regulating, eliminating

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The urban site for my proposal is an ‘inbetween’ area, where the development of the city’s strip mall has run out of money to continue, leaving a pocket of land with some strong remnants of the area’s past. This part of town was originally an in-dustrial center with a strong market base on a plot of open land which opened up following the demolition of the former terraced street during the 60’s. With this industrial quality in mind, the intervention will form an intermediary ar-chitecture for the area, with a materiality of modern exposed elements and manu-factured components meeting the restored fabric of some of the original remaining buildings. To replicate the materiality of the proposal in a model scale, I used digi-tal fabrication methods to cut precision elements from simple card, which formed a series of delecate components which could be glued together to form the base structure.

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Thomas WakemanWelsh School of Architecturewakemante@cardiff.ac.uk