FINAL POSTER FOR EXIBITION

Words on the poster:

THE CATHEDERAL CROWN APARTMENT PROJECT IS LOCATED IN A VITAL ARTETY OF SYDNEY SITUATED ON THE CORNER OF CATHEDRAL STREET AND CROWN STREET. THE RESIDENTIAL COMPLEX WILL BECOME AN INTEGRAL PART OF THE LIVING CITY. ITS ARCHITECTURE IS A COMPOSITION OF TWO CONTINOUS LAYERED VOLUMES THAT ARE SET APART BUT LINKED BY A STRETCHED BRIDGE ON THE FIFTH FLOOR.

THE DESIGN OF THE BUILDING ALLOWS RESIDENTS TO HAVE 360 ° VIEWS OF THE AREA THROUGH THE FIFTH FLOOR AND ALSO UNOBSTRUCTED VIEWS FROM EACH APARTMENT. THE DIFFERENCE IN FLOOR SIZES FROM SMALL TO LARGE PROVIDES SHADE FROM THE SUN. THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE BUILDING ON GRASSHOPPER INVOLVED CREATING THE VERTICAL GEOMETRY, DIVIDING THE SOLID ELEMENT ALONG ITS Z-AXIS WHICH PRODUCED THE LEVELS I WANTED. CURVED SHAPED LINES WERE CREATED IN RHINO AND LOFTED TOGETHER THROUGH GRASSHOPPER TO CREATE A WAVE EFFECT ALONG THE SIDES OF THE BUILDING.

DEVELOPING THE ITERATIONS INVOLVED CHANGING THE BASE SHAPE OF EACH BUILDING AND THEN ALTERING THE SCALE AND SIZE OF EACH LAYER BY CHANGING THE VALUES THROUGH GRASSHOPPER. MY CONCEPT WITH THE COLUMNS IN EACH BUILDING IS TO HAVE IT MADE OUT OF CLEAR ACRYLIC WHICH GIVES THE EFFECT THAT EACH LAYER IS FLOATING AND UNSUPPORTED.

CONSTRUCTED PHYSICAL MODEL

FINAL MODEL UNDER CONSTRUCTION

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IMAGE OF FLAT CUT MATERIAL

FINAL DIGITAL MODEL

TWELVE ITERATIONS OF MY MODEL

IMAGES OF LASER CUTTING FILES

All pieces were set out through Rhino/Grasshopper set out in Rhino. Then imported into two Adobe Illustrator files as the model is to be constructed using two materials (one for the buildings- white pasteboard, and one for the columns- clear acrylic)















above is the layout for the levels and below is the layout for the columns.















The columns were laid out into this formation as the laser cutter machine cuts from left to right therefore saving on cost as the material sheet can be re used.

DESCRIPTION FILE OF LASER CUT MODEL

The final description file shows the stages in the making of the geometries in my model. From getting the basic triangular shape, it is then filleted in Grasshopper to create curved corners. Through the creation of different planes, levels are created from the same shape, eight levels for the smaller building and ten for the larger one. The fifth level in the smaller model is the one that provides the connecting piece to the larger model. Once the vertical distance apart from each level was set, the levels were then scaled to various sizes. The smaller model had levels decreasing in size from the middle (5th) level, and the larger model had levels increasing in size from the middle level. To prepare the model for laser cutting Jeremy's tutorial description file was added onto the back of both model's scripts. Attached to the side of the description file are bits were external lines created in Rhino were lofted and used to subtract a solid shape from the existing buildings. This extra part is what created the curvature along the eastern and southern sides of the entire model.

FINAL DESIGN DEVELOPMENT

Still keeping the shape of the "piano" site, I have created a model that is curved in shape and similarly depicts the influence of Zaha Hadid's curved and fluid forms which can is evident n many of her projects such as "Chaoyangmen SOHO III" located in the city center of Beijing.

THOUGHTS ON LASER CUTTING AND MATERIAL SELECTION

Laser cutting my model shouldn't be to difficult to set up as each level of both buildings is on a different plane created in Grasshopper. The problem I face when the digital model is turned into a physical model is trying to make each level seem like it is floating and no visible structural elements are holding up each level. For the physical model the concept I will pursue is to have the building displayed using monochrome materials such as white pasteboard on a black foam core base as the combination of these to materials can look quite "acrchitectural" and stylish. White on black also helps the eyes focus on the whole model. To create the floating levels look i propose to use clear acrylic to construct small columns as using this material is transparent and will hopefully give off the effect that each level is floating.

DESIGN DEVELOPMENT

With the smaller apartment block I have began to shape the exterior of the building by curving the eastern side of the model. Using curved lines in Rhino to then loft it in Grasshopper I then subtracted the new geomerty against the existing building which created a wavy formation. The description file above shows how I scaled each level which starts smaller at the base, becomes larger towards the middle floor as that floor is still connecting to the other building, then from each floor above the middle becomes smaller again.

ASSIGNMENT THREE DESIGN EXPLORATION

For Assignment Two my topics chosen to explore was Architect Zaha Hadid and Fabrication Planning. For this Assignment I have based my design concept behind Zaha Hadid's influences towards the Architecture industry which involves the curvature of geometries to blend in with its surrounds and the fluidity behind it. For my design I have came up with two building apartments, which together makes up maximum space of the 'Piano' site and also keeping the triangular shape of the site. To incorporate Hadid's influences into my concept I have experimented on triangular lines which I hope to create curved geometries which will wrap around the entire design.

CHOSEN SITE

The site is at the corner of Crown street and Cathedral Street. It marks the end of Crown Street, a vital artery of Sydney, and is directly opposite the back of the Domain. Within the site location of the model the use of the piano site will be the best to convey the concepts of Zaha Hadid and Fabrication Planning in seeing how the model can blend and relate to the site and its surroundings . The purpose is to create a residential building, which means having to remove everything on the current site and build the new proposed design concept.

TWELVE FINAL CITATIONS OF SOURCES OF SOURCES FOR ASSIGNMENT 2

Major Sources

-Zaha Hadid Architects, MAXXI: Zaha Hadid Architects: Museum of XXI Century Arts (Rizzoli, 2010)

-Branko Kolarevic, Architecture In The Digital Age: Design And Manufacturing (New York: Spon Press, 2003)

Minor Sources

-Patrik Schumacher, Zaha Hadid Complete Works (London: Thames & Hudson, 2004)
Alexandra Papadakis, Zaha Hadid: Testing The Boundaries (Berkshire: Papadakis Dist A C, 2006)

-Phillip Jodido, Zaha Hadid: Complete Works, 1979-2009 (New York: TASCHEN America Llc, 2009)

-Patrik Schumacher, Digital Hadid: landscapes in motion (Basel: Birkhauser Verlag AG,2003)

-Philippe Samyn, Architecture And Engineering 1990-2000 (Switzerland: Birkhauser Verlag AG, 1999)

-Yu-Tung Liu, Defining Digital Architecture: 2001 Far East International Digital Architectural Design Award (Berkshire: Papadakis Dist A C, 2002)

-Phillip Jodido, Hybrid Space: New Forms In Digital Architecture (London: Thames & Hudson, 2000)

-Robert Corser, Fabricating Architecture: Selected Readings in Digital Design and Manufacturing (New York: Princeton Architectural Press, 2010)

-Alistair G. F. Gibb, Off-Site Fabrication: Prefabrication, Pre-Assembly And Modularisation (New York: John Wiley & Sons, 1999)

-Stephen Kieran, Loblolly House: Elements Of A New Architecture (New York: Princeton Architectural Press, 2008)