This document describes the rules for a 2D cellular automata model called the Seaweed Tower. There are three sets of transitional rules: 1) rules for the outer single layer of units that turn units into terraces or spaces based on neighboring units, 2) rules for all inner units that turn units into spaces or cells to maintain populations, and 3) final rules that carve the tower into a terraced pyramid shape by turning units into voids if neighboring voids based on random chance. The model uses these rules over iterations to develop patterns within the plan that form a growing, pyramid-like tower from an initial layout of units.

1. 2D Cellular Automata:
The Seaweed Tower
STATES OF THE UNITS:
TRANSITIONAL RULES AND THEIR DIAGRAMS:
1. FOR THE OUTER SINGLE LAYER OF UNITS
“CELL” - an enclosed space with
walls or partitions
rule 1a: for every “cell”, if there are other 3...5 neighbouring
“cells”, then turn itself into the “terrace”
“Taking the information that has been devalued into redundancy by repetition as communication, and producing new information out of it again”
W.McKenzie 2004
rule 1b: reversing rule 1a, for every “space”, if there are other
3...5 neighbouring “spaces”, then turn itself into the “terrace”
“SPACE” - an open space with only
columns
ns
rule 1c: for every “cell”, if it is between two “terraces”, then
turn itself into the “space”
rule 1d: reversing rule 1c, for every “space”, if it is between two
“terraces”, then turn itself into the “cell”
“TERRACE” - an outdoor space with
columns and balustrades
rule 1e: for every “terrace”, if it has other one or two neighbouring terraces and any number of “spaces”, then turn itself
into the “cell”
2. FOR THE ALL INNER UNITS
rule 2a: for every “cell”, if there are other 1 or 2 “spaces” or
only 1 “cell”, then turn itself into the “space”, to keep the population of the “spaces” up
“SITE” - a non - changing unit
rule 2b: for every “space”, if there are other 1 or 2 “cells” or
only 2 “spaces”, then turn itself into the “cell”, to keep the population of the “cells” up.
ARCHITECTURAL
SCENARIO
The tower is built within the free
space of the existing site. The
concept of the design of the tower
lays in the interaction between five
elements: cell, space, terrace, site
and void. Cells represent closed
space for private use, whils the
unit “space” is of an open structure and provide free circulation of
inhabitants. Best performance is
achieved when each type of units
is accumulated in groups that have
natural light and have direct accsess to the terraces. The functionality gets closer to the optimum
as the tower grows and each floor
gets smaller.
3. SHAPING THE TOWER: FOR THE OUTER SINGLE LAYER OF
UNITS
“VOID”
- no architectural
element assigned.
It is an epty space
between the tower
and the existing
site
rule 3a: by controlled chance, either “cell” or “terrace” or
“space” if neighbouring 2 or more “voids”, turn into “void”.
The rule allowing carving the tower into the terraced pyramidshaped tower.
rule 3b: eliminates appearance of free standing columns of single units
POSSIBLE SITES AND INITIAL
LAYOUT OF THE UNITS:
The existing objects of the site can be
initially programmed and the tower will
be built within the distance equal of the
width of one unit from any of the existing buildings:
TRANSITIONAL RULES TABLE
Unit
Max
Count
Outer Layer of the Units
Max
Count
Inner Core of the Units
Cell
5
1a: >2 “cells”, turn into “terrace”
8
2a: 0<”spaces”<3 or 1”cell”,
turn into “space”
8
2b: 0<”cells”<3 or 2”cells”,
turn into “cell”
N/A
N/A
1c: >1 “terraces”, turn into “space”
Originally the algorythm was based
on van Neumann neighbourhood,
that didn’t give necessary flexibility
in both functionality of the building
and pattern creation. Moore neighbourhood allowed to achieve better
results.
(excluding rule 3)
Space
5
1b: >2 “spaces”, turn into “terrace”
1d: >1 “terraces”, turn into “cell”
Terrace
3
1e: >0 “terraces” and >0 “spaces”,
turn into “cell”
1
Amiina Bakunowicz
page 1

2. MOORE NEIGHBOURHOOD
PATTERN DEVELOPMENT WITHIN THE PLAN THROUGHOUT THE ITERATIONS (left to right from 1 to 15):
OUTSIDE PATTERN CLASS II:
OUTSIDE PATTERN CLASS III:
or
INSIDE PATTERN CLASS III/IV:
+
FORMATION OF THE PYRAMID-LIKE TOWER
=
VON NEUMANN NEIGHBOURHOOD EXPERIMENT:
FLOW CHART OF THE MAIN()
FUNCTION
OUTSIDE PATTERN CLASS I:
There are two different sets of rules
(rules1 and 2) that govern the pattern
formation. First - for the outer layer of
the tower units, and second - for the
all inner units. However on a smaller
scale these rules do affect both the inner and the outer layers of cells at the
same time. Please see the diagrams
above showing how patterns are created on outside and inside of the tower. At the end of the algorythm a third
set of rules is in place. It carves the
pyramid out of the tower maintaining
the same relationships between the
units (inner and outer).
OUTSIDE PATTERN CLASS II:
FROM TOWER ..............................................TO PYRAMID
OUTSIDE PATTERN CLASSES II & III:
2
Rule 3a: Shaping The Tower PSEUDO-CODE
Assign a ramdom number between 0 and 1 to the variable b. Each agent of the class “Cells” checks that b is between 0.5
and 0.7 and the agent of the class is neither a “void” or a “site” and it is located on the outer layer of the tower then the
member of the class turns int “void”. Controlling the spread of the random numbers, it is possible to determine how tall
or short a final pyramid can be.
Msc Architecture: Computing and Design 2012/2013
no :: u1235266
tutors :: Emmanouil Zaroukas, John Harding
Amiina Bakunowicz
page 2