Graduation Presentation on Digital Design Tools

1. School for Digital Design
A Design and Research Project
Architecture Building Technology
1st Mentor Architecture: Ir. R.J. Nottrot 1st Mentor E.B.Tuncer MSc
2nd Mentor Building Technology: Ir. H. Plomp 2nd Mentor Ir. H. Plomp
3rd Mentor Thesis: Dr. J.L. Heintz 3rd Mentor Ir. R.J. Nottrot
October 2008
Sander Mulders 1108239
1 - Introduction

2. Master Architecture: Master Building Technology:
Design Project Research
Combined master project
Introduction
2

3. global proc createVoronoi() {
string $selPoints[]; // Array containing the selected points
string $centerPoint;
string $curPoint;
string $bisectionLines[]; // Array containgin the lines for the bisectors
string $bisectorLine; // Individual name of a bisector
string $bisectionPlane[];
string $vrniCube[];
string $intersectCube[];
string $bboxName = “”; // name of the BBox
string $voronoiVolumes[]; // Array containing the names of the voronoi volumes
int $numberOfPoints; // Initial Number of points
int $numberOfVtx[]; // number of Vertices of the voronoi volume
int $bboxMethod = `radioButtonGrp -q -sl bboxMethod`; // selected option
int $boundaryYN = `checkBoxGrp -q -value1 voronoiBound`; // create voronoi boundary
int $removeYN = `checkBoxGrp -q -value1 bblocksRemove`; // remove the extra bounding volumes?
float $randomVal = `floatSliderGrp -q -value pointDeviation`;
float $pointPos[];
clear $selPoints;
$selPoints = `ls -sl`;
$numberOfPoints = size($selPoints);
Ontwerp
switch ($bboxMethod) {
case 1:
// use default bbox
$bboxName = createBBox($selPoints);
if ($boundaryYN == 1) {
$selPoints = createExtraPoints($selPoints,$randomVal,$bboxName);
}
break;
case 2:
// Get name from the textfield
3 $bboxName = `textField -q -tx voronoiBoundary`;

4. Interaction between the Designer, his tools Develop tools to help the designer in the act of
and the design exploring alternatives
What is the emerging relationship between the designer
and the tool with Design Space Exploration?
Research
This research is done from two different points of view. The first being
the use of digital tools to create a novel approach to a number of
design task situated in the design of a building. The second that of
the development of new tools and techniques and the conditions in
which they should function within the design project.
4

5. Design Space Exploration
Design Space Exploration embraces a number of design
methods which all focus on the use of alternatives as act
of designing. The computer’s role is to help the designer to
explore the alternatives.
5

6. Explorating alternatives
Although the term Design Space Exploration sounds very
contemporary the idea is actually quite old. Design Space
Exploration is basically the exploration of alternatives in a
design process. And that is exactly what architects and other
designers have been doing for over centuries.
6

7. Designer wants to
design
Analysis
For a successful
integration of design
space exploration it is
important to consider
the designer and his
act of designing. What Synthesis Evaluation
the tools should do is
support the designer
in his act of designing
instead of replacing him.
“Real” design process
Designer & Process
Designer
Design Project
Tools Process
7

8. Concept Design Detail Production Assembly
Potential
Support designer
during the
conceptual and
Tools Used design phase
Integrate assembly
and production
knowledge in the
design/detail phase
Application of tools
8

9. General
Using scripting the designer (or the toolbuilder) can close the
gap between the more general software available and the
specific tools needed without writing new software.
Useful
A tool designed to perform multiple tasks and fit multiple
processes or designers can be considered general and more
likely less useful in a specific design problem. Whereas a more
specific tool can be much more useful but less general.
Building Tools
Designer
General tool + Scripting = Specific tool
Tools Process
9

10. ?
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Design ?
Design
Project
Analysis
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Synthesis Evaluation
Design as a rational problem solving process Reflection in action
Design problems
The act of designing can be considered working with various
design problems related to the design task. Most of the design
problems reveal themselves during the act of designing.
10

11. Experiment 01 Experiment 02 Experiment 03 Experiment 04
Working with the Subdivision of groups Giving shape to the Development of the
complexity of the of volumes into structural elements of facade.
relations. Exploring individual rooms. the building.
Voronoi as design
concept.
Experiments
Design Project
The experiments are
Exp_001
part of the design
Exp_003
project.
Exp_002
Exp_004
11

12. Digital design and manufacturing is becoming more and
more important in the design process. The integration of
digital design tools is not bound to one specific practice,
it can be found in various design fields amongst which
automotive, aerospace, product and building design. An
improvement in one field can influence the other fields.
Design Concept
12

13. Civil (former)
Engineering Architecture
N
Location
13

14. Education Amount Each Total m2 Support Amount Each Total m2
Workrooms/spaces 5 pers 10 10 100 Facility/ICT support 1 100 100
Group Rooms 20 pers 5 50 250 CAM Lab 1 200 200
Lectureroom I 200 pers 1 250 250 ModelShop 1 250 250
Lectureroom II 50 pers 1 75 75 Building Services 1 300 300
Computer rooms 40 pers 4 150 600 ServerRoom 1 30 30
Storage 1 200 200
Research
Reseachers/PhD 1-2 pers 30 10 300 Other
Meetingroom I 20 pers 1 60 60 Entrance Lobby 1 100 100
Meetingroom II 10 pers 1 40 40 Cafeteria 1 300 300
Meetingroom III 10 pers 1 40 40 Atrium 1 400 400
Department heads 2 pers 4 12 48 Sanitary 4 20 80
Total ± 4000 m2
Program
14

15. Computer Room I
40 pers
Computer Room II Computer Room III
Lecture Room 1 Lecture Room II 40 pers 40 pers
200 pers 50 pers
Workroom (10x) Grouproom (5x)
5 pers 20 pers
Computer Room IV
40 pers
Entrance/ Pull to Ground
Lobby
Atrium to Center
Storage Position
Entrance Position
Cafeteria
Storage
Researchers/Phd Atrium
30 rooms Model Shop
Meeting Room I
20 pers
Facility/ICT support CAM-lab
Department Heads Meeting Room II
4 rooms 10 pers Sanitary
Relations
Building Services
Server room
Meeting Room III
10 pers
External Relations Close-To Relations Visual Relations
15

16. “The diagram is no longer an auditory or
Interest in Voronoi Diagrams
visual archive but a map, a cartography that is
coextensive with the whole social field. It is an
abstract machine. It is defined by its informal
functions and matter and in terms of form makes
Dealing with complexity
no distinction between content and expression. It
is a machine that is almost blind and mute, even
though it makes others see and speak. […] It never
functions in order to represent a persisting world
Using the internal relations as a design driver
but produces a new kind of reality, a new model
of truth.”
Gilles Deleuze
Experiment 01
16

17. Physical Models
An important step in the understanding of Voronoi diagrams
is the creation of a 3-dimensional diagram and explore
what happens on the common planes between the various
volumes.
17

18. Centralized Network Decentralized Network Distributed Network Voronoi Diagram
Network-ed Building
The school for digital design requires a different type of
networked structure; the interaction between the different
disciplines and functions needs a distributed network to allow
allogamy and exchange of information and experience.
18

19. Computer Room I
40 pers
Computer Room II Computer Room III
Lecture Room 1 Lecture Room II 40 pers 40 pers
200 pers 50 pers
Workroom (10x) Grouproom (5x)
5 pers 20 pers
Computer Room IV
40 pers
Entrance/ Pull to Ground
Lobby
Atrium to Center
Storage Position
+
Entrance Position
Cafeteria
Storage
Researchers/Phd Atrium
30 rooms Model Shop
Meeting Room I
20 pers
Facility/ICT support CAM-lab
Department Heads Meeting Room II
4 rooms 10 pers Sanitary
Building Services
Server room
Meeting Room III
10 pers
Dealing with complexity
19

20. Exploration
20

21. <?>
The alternatives are
generated by the
computer and presented
to the designer. He has
to choose the alternative
to continue with.
Decision Making
The decision made by the designer is based on “soft”
criteria like intuition and experience rather than on
hard facts like numerical criteria.
21

22. Interest in Voronoi
This experiment rises from the interest to use Voronoi
diagrams as the start for the creative process. The first stage
is to able to generate three dimensional Voronoi Graphs
Voronoi Tool
De ne Program
using the Autodesk Maya software package. The second
stage is determining the potential of the Voronoi Graph in
architectural design and determining the direction for the De ning Potential
De ne Relations
explorations of the third stage.
Voronoi for modelling
De ne Network Relation ModelTool
spatial relations
3D spatial de nition of the
program
Process
22

23. By taking the centerpoints from each of the spheres the
input for the Voronoi is created. The result of the Vroronoi
is a 3Dimentional representation of the relations shown in
the common surfaces between the individual volumes.
From relations to Voronoi
+
23

24. Grain of the Model Support What to Model?
For the modelling the The tool supports the There are numerous
relations it is important designer while dealing functions that can be
to define the initial grain with the complex model added when modelling
of the model: divide the of relations and Voronoi the relations.
model into individual shapes. The challenge is to
rooms, clusters of rooms, properly define the
clusters of functions etc. program on forehand.
The choice affects the
final outcome of the
tool.
Evaluating Experiment 01
Satisfaction
Time
Force Model Script
Voronoi Script
Complexity
24

25. Buildings, backsides Trees Pedestrian zone
Buildings Location Solar Direction
Water Tram-track Mekelpark Promenade
Defining the shape
25

26. Top View
26

27. Lit by Daylight
Lecture Room II Computer Room I Computer Room III
50 pers 40 pers
40 pers Workroom (10x)
5 pers
Computer Room II
Lecture Room 1 40 pers Computer Room IV
200 pers 40 pers
Grouproom (5x)
20 pers
Storage Position
Entrance Position Entrance/Lobby
Cafeteria
Atrium Model Shop
Storage
Researchers/Phd
30 rooms
Meeting Room I
20 pers
Facility/ICT support
CAM-lab
Department Heads Meeting Room II
4 rooms
10 pers
Sanitary
Atrium to Center
Server room
Meeting Room III Building Services
10 pers Pull to Ground
Defining the rooms
27

28. Atrium
Research
Education
Support
Layout
Areas for access, stairs etc.
28

29. Atrium View
29

30. ComputerRoom Co
Toilet
PhD +5800
+6500 140 m²
18 m²
+6500
41 m²
Dep. Heads
+6500
35 m²
PhD
+6500
PhD 18 m²
+6500
41 m²
Plan
MeetingRoom
Workspaces
+6500
35 m² +7200
72m²
GroupRoom
30 +7200
50 m²

31. Section
31

32. Physical Model
32

33. Pro le Thickness
Pro le Depth
Pro le Height
Construction
Optimizing the shape in four situations:
- for profile Height
- for profile Width
- for profile Thickness
- for all three
33

34. H = 500 / W = 150 H = 750 / W = 150 H = 1000 / W = 150 H = 750 / W = 250 H = Free / W = Free
Visual Results
34

35. Atrium View
35

36. Facade
36

37. Concept
There is a difference in cuts. A smooth one where the volume
is completely removed and a rough cut where the volume is
split.
37

38. Unpredictability of Nature
38

39. Complete control over No control over the
the position of each of position of each of the
the individual points. individual points. Results
Results look structured. look random but are not
consistent.
Alternatives
Much control over the
position of each of the
individual points by
the placement of the
attractors. Results look
structured.
39

40. Facade
40

41. Inside a workspace
41

42. The complexity of the design implies that there are a large
number of totally unique connections. The variation in
surface angles and different materials meeting suggest a
lot of unique details.
By introducing “empty” space in the otherwise hard to
connect area’s these connections can be generalized.
Rather than creating a new detail for each connection, a
modified version is defined.
Details
42

43. 60x60 Steel L Pro le
18 mm wood board
Wooden spacer black
10x150 mm steel pro le
120x44 mm wooden frame
Insulation
10 mm plasterboard
5 mm stucco
18 mm wood board Creating space in detailing Aluminium foam panel
120 mm Insulation between steel frame
steel bracing 18 mm wood
600 mm infra+ oor system
Adhesive layer
35 mm acoustic foam
3 mm white porous covering
Leoxx vinyl oor covering
50 mm bre-cement board
neoprene
600 mm infra+ oor system
Adhesive layer
35 mm acoustic foam
Floor - I
3 mm white porous covering
Wooden spacer black
Roof covering
10x150 mm steel pro le
120 mm Insulation 10mm/1m slope
120x44 mm wooden frame
18 mm wood
Insulation
470 mm infra+ oor system
10 mm plasterboard
43 5 mm stucco
Adhesive layer
35 mm acoustic foam

44. Final Words
44

45. What If?
45

46. Generating alternatives
Important Dilemma
The alternatives are generated using the computer, the
decisions are made by the designer. These decisions are
often objective and therefor not (yet) to be made by a
computer.
46

47. Designing Using Design Space Exploration
- it can direct the designer in a direction
- the importance of decisions and decision making is more
apparent
- the alternatives “not chosen” have influenced the final
choice
Evaluating the design methods
47

48. Voronoi creates an It creates the important It is difficult to use any
interesting relation to atmosphere the other formal language
nature which expresses designer was looking for in relation to the
itself in the whole in this building. Voronoi. It is a dominant
building. formal language.
Evaluating Voronoi
48

49. Concept Design Detail Production Assembly
Potential
Tools Used
Voronoi Creator Voronoi Creator Construction
Optimizer
Application of tools
Relation Facade Builder Construction
Modeller Builder
49

50. When working with the
The apparent tool the designer must In the early stages of
advantages of digital be aware of who is in the design project
tools deal with the control. The tool should developing tools can
issues of speed, support the designer, if help the designer
complexity and not, the designer should externalizing his ideas.
visualization. consider leaving the
tool.
Working with Tools
50

51. New Profession
Designer as Tool-builder
- Specialized in tool
- Closest link between knowledge of the design and the
building
tool to build
- Knowledge of
- Lot of knowledge of building tools needed
designing
- Close link between
designer and tool-
builder
- Designer needs basic
knowledge of tool
building Developer as Tool-builder
- Specialized in building tools; lots of knowledge
- No knowledge of architectural design
Who builds the tool?
$maxDistanceCurve = `curve -d 1 -p ($bboxL[0] * 1.2) ($bboxL[1] * 1.2) ($bboxL[2]*
Sketching Using Code 1.2) -p ($bboxL[3]* 1.2) ($bboxL[4]* 1.2) ( $bboxL[5]* 1.2)`;
float $maxDistance = `arclen $maxDistanceCurve`;
delete $maxDistanceCurve;
// For each point create the voronoi volume by substracting all other volumes
$k = 0;
$m = 0;
for ($curPoint in $selPoints) {
51

52. Lit by Daylight
Lecture Room II Computer Room I Computer Room III
Support with complexity
50 pers 40 pers
40 pers Workroom (10x)
5 pers
Computer Room II
Lecture Room 1 40 pers Computer Room IV
200 pers 40 pers
Grouproom (5x)
20 pers
The ability to help the designer deal with complex Storage Position
problems is an useful area of interest for future research.
Entrance Position Entrance/Lobby
Cafeteria
Atrium Model Shop
How can a tool support the designer with complex Researchers/Phd
30 rooms
Storage
models while focussing on the design project?
Meeting Room I
20 pers
Facility/ICT support
CAM-lab
Department Heads Meeting Room II
4 rooms
10 pers
Sanitary
Atrium to Center
Server room
Meeting Room III Building Services
10 pers Pull to Ground
Stimulating creativity
The ability to stimulate the designer in his creative
process proved to be a powerful application. How can
digital tools support the designer in the early stages of
the design project?
Future research areas
$maxDistanceCurve = `curve -d 1 -p ($bboxL[0] * 1.2) ($bboxL[1] * 1.2) ($bboxL[2]*
Sketching using Code
1.2) -p ($bboxL[3]* 1.2) ($bboxL[4]* 1.2) ( $bboxL[5]* 1.2)`;
float $maxDistance = `arclen $maxDistanceCurve`;
To be able to have a designer who is also a toolbuilder, delete $maxDistanceCurve;
the designer needs to have a better understanding
of toolbuilding. How can we achieve this and can // For each point create the voronoi volume by substracting all other volumes
toolbuilding be made more accessible for a designer? $k = 0;
$m = 0;
52

53. Questions ?
53