This project is about designing an Interactive City which examines the effects of digitalization on the making of architecture in the contemporary city. It is located in Mianzhu, Sichuan province of China, a city of 510,000 (2004) people outside of Chengdu. The full scope of the project is a new residential district for 10,000 residents (at the average of 3.10 persons per household, it adds up to three to five thousand units). However, each student chose a very limited scale to develop the design.
The studio was conducted using the parametric modeling software Grasshopper, a plug-in for Rhinoceros, which enables associative modeling through visual, or diagrammatic, programming.
In China, people associate the dragonfly with prosperity, harmony and as a good luck charm. The conceptual idea of this project is dragonfly wings pattern and potential architectural applications including the various shape areas that are designed to handle force very differently, trigonal, quadrilateral, pentagonal and hexagonal.
Dragonfly wings complex pattern
Based on the above diagram the general geometrical conclusions were as follows:
1. The patterns of the wings follow the general tensile forces exhibit on the wing.
2. The various shapes determine the amount of stiffness or flexibility in that area of the wing
1. The patterns of the wings follow the general tensile forces exhibit on the wing.
2. The various shapes determine the amount of stiffness or flexibility in that area of the wing
This concept can be implemented in generative forms by using voronoi diagram.
Voronoi diagram in dragonfly wing pattern:
Left: Dragonfly wings pattern as conceptual idea
Right-Top: Voronoi concept, The used Grasshopper component.
Right-Down: Ofsetting voronoi cells based on the function.
Left: Dragonfly wings pattern as conceptual idea
Right-Top: Voronoi concept, The used Grasshopper component.
Right-Down: Ofsetting voronoi cells based on the function.
Some main steps of Grasshopper process are presented as following:
1. Hills surfaces on the landscape are considered as design reference.
2. Draw curves by finding the range of min/max of highs and divide it by equal distance. Create plane on each high. 3. Define points as input for voronoi component based on high and distance.
1. Hills surfaces on the landscape are considered as design reference.
2. Draw curves by finding the range of min/max of highs and divide it by equal distance. Create plane on each high. 3. Define points as input for voronoi component based on high and distance.
Site plan strategies and top view render of final design
4. Create voronoi pattern.
5. Analyzing the pattern by triangularity, arrangements and cells area, to choose the best pattern size and ratio.
5. Analyzing the pattern by triangularity, arrangements and cells area, to choose the best pattern size and ratio.
6. Moving the voronoi pattern up to the mesh surfaces on hills.
7. Draw the road curves and find the closest points from voronoi centers to divide and remove the road cells.
8. Separate voronoi cells by making a gap in between and create units.
9. Draw internal courtyards by offsetting the cells into themselves.
9. Draw internal courtyards by offsetting the cells into themselves.
Unit strategy is based on private courtyards inside each unit and semi-private courtyards between unit complexes:
- Gray color units are residential buildings with their own courtyards.
- Green color units provide local access and semi-private spaces for social activities
- Purple color units are associated to create public buildings such as Hospital, shopping center, ...
- Gray color units are residential buildings with their own courtyards.
- Green color units provide local access and semi-private spaces for social activities
- Purple color units are associated to create public buildings such as Hospital, shopping center, ...
Unit Structure
North-east perspective view and south elevation of the Dragonfly City.
Schematic unit section and ecological diagrams:
The unit internal courtyards provide natural ventilation and daylight trough the non-flat roofs.
The unit internal courtyards provide natural ventilation and daylight trough the non-flat roofs.
Linear Section
Perspective view of Dragonfly City
East perspective view
Physical model made by laser cut carton 1mm.
Scale 1:500
Scale 1:500
Physical model detailed photos
Credits
Title: “Interactive City - Organicités”
Supervisor: Prof. Jeffrey Huang
Design, visuals and physical model: Aida Shafei
Conceptual idea: Dragonfly wings pattern, parametric typology
Software: Rhino and Grasshopper
Supervisor: Prof. Jeffrey Huang
Design, visuals and physical model: Aida Shafei
Conceptual idea: Dragonfly wings pattern, parametric typology
Software: Rhino and Grasshopper
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