Monday 29 October 2012

Poster + Files

_Poster


_Files
Poster: http://www.mediafire.com/view/?ce11pgxg1bi9398

CryENGINE File: http://www.mediafire.com/?fuaxdp3ugeqz4dv
(Place files in the folder into the levels folder of CryENGINE
The level file is called Test2.cry in the Test folder)

Monday 15 October 2012

Progress

_Model Progress




I need to texture my model and import it into CryENGINE
_The Steel Mesh in CryENGINE


Test image of an alpha channeled texture in CryENGINE.

 

Wednesday 10 October 2012

Modelling Progress

 _First Pavilion Structure

I am thinking of smoothing the outer edge of the structure.
The main structural elements of the pavilion will be made of metal painted white.
The triangular flaps will be a combination of metal ones and glass ones.

Distortions through perspective

_All the Pavilion Strucutres

This structure funnels the movement of people through the park which it sits on.
Each of the pavilion structures funnel to the path to travel to different points that surround the park.

The Train Station and the Offices to the left
To the Cafe at the top of the park
To the Offices to the right

The upper pavilion structure acts as an intersection, where light is shone through the glass panels, becoming a point where all the paths congregate and pass each other.


_Test Renders


_Flowgraph
The flowgraph I am planning to use is similar to the one I used for EXP 3 of ARCH1101

It involved using a Tag Point object as an axis of rotation. I think that I can adapt this flowgraph to use proximity triggers instead of button presses, as well as adapt it to open and close the various panels.

 I need to find a good way of lighting the underside of the pavilion. 

Sunday 7 October 2012

Paths

_The Paths of the Park

These are the paths that I have decided to create for my pavilion. The design of the pavilion will promote and guide movement along these paths.

The points of interest are:
_Train Station
_Cafe and Shops
_Offices and Apartments

Thursday 4 October 2012

Week 10

_Progress on Design
Consulting with my tutor, we decided that we were over complicating the design of the pavilion, and decided to slow down and simplify it. He felt that rather than having my environment built around the pavilion, it should be the reverse. We worked on a pavilion that was shaped on one path.


We decided for now to keep it to one base shape, representing my idea of repetition. To represent my ideas of distortion, there are three angles which remain constant through each iteration of the base shape. The remaining angle is the base of distortion. As this angle changes, so do the two adjacent sides of the shape.
Keeping with the idea of an emergent design, each iteration of the base shape is placed a certain distance and rotation from the previous, whilst maintaining a limit to each of these changes.

In terms of the interactive component I wished to achieve, we kept the idea of the pavilion changing as someone moved through the building. As someone moves through the pavilion, panels open above. These panels are of different sizes, relative to their position on the pavilion roof. These panels reveal light, which will create a path of light for the person to follow, as they walk through, giving a sense that the person is paving their own path through the building. This interactive component also ties together with my idea of distortion, as the building is distorting to the movement of people through the pavilion.

When thinking of the eventual shape for this pavilion to take place, we decided to have it follow a path to "funnel" people around the square. 

_Landscape
After looking through various public squares, I have decided to base my landscape around these two:




My proposed public square will take form in various "islands" of grass, separated by the path which people follow to get around. The pavilions will bridge through these various islands.
To accommodate these various islands, I was thinking of creating more than one of the pavilions, which would also reinforce my idea of repetition.
This landscape further builds on my idea of repetition and the idea of an emergent design. 


My tutor suggested that in my additional representation, I should model the surrounding buildings, reinforcing the sense of a full city.

_Modelling and Exporting Test





A basic model of one of the pavilions. I wish to export this into Rhino to create the various panels which will serve for the interactive component of the building.


I need to find a way to get rid of the light under the pavilion roofs.







Thursday 27 September 2012

Development of the Site


_The Public Square
I have decided to base my public square on the idea of the concentric circle. The pavilion will sit along one of the various circles. Surrounding the pavilion will be various platforms featuring lawns. These platforms will also conform to a fraction of the shape of the concentric circles. This relates to the idea of an emergent design, as the platforms and the pavilion will appear to have been placed in randomly, but are actually following the invisible guidelines of the concentric circle. This further relates to my concept of repetition of simple shapes, as the entire site is based on the shapes of the concentric circle.


Public Squares around the world



Design Progress


_Building Type
I have decided to create a public square, with the main focus on a pavilion which serves as an entrance to a subway station.

_Concepts
In order to capture my concepts through the building, the building is made up of two basic shapes: the quadrilateral and the triangle. Together, the triangles make up the folding shape of the side entrance halls of the building, where these basic triangles have created a complex structures. In the public square in which the pavilion sits, I want to create an emergent environment, where elements of the environment seem to be placed randomly around the space, but are in actual fact are not placed randomly.

_Interaction
I am planning to have various components of the building to interact with the movement of people through the building. As people move through the building, different parts of the building with twist, fold and distort. These distortions are caused by people, who are the causers of change.

_Representation
In order to achieve the interaction described above, I wish to use CryENGINE in order to represent my building. Using flowgraphs, I believe I will be able to create this deep interaction between the people and the building.


Wednesday 19 September 2012

Precedent Study and Design Proposal

1._ Project 1 Outline


The building I chose for project 1 was the Zollverein School of Management and Design by SANAA.
The concepts unpacked were:
- The Repetition of Simple Shapes
- The Distortion of the Ordinary to create the Extraordinary

My concept model is created from these two concepts. When creating the concept model, I restricted myself to create only squares, like the Zollverein School. From these squares, I created cubes, which I then repeated, twisted, added and subtracted from the model. I also played with the idea of visual distortion through the planes that surround the model. As one looks through the planes, they see a distorted image of what there really is.

My physical model was inspired by the Rubik's Cube. It appeared as a simple cube, with markers on each face. However, you are able to twist the cube, changing the faces and creating new markers by distorting the cube through twisting. From this distortion of twisting, the unpacking of the concept model is unfolded step by step.


2._ Visual Analysis of 2x Precedent Studies as a Pair



Zollverein School of Design - SANAA
Repetition: The facades of the building are made exclusively of squares. The basic form of the building is a cube, which is littered with a pattern of smaller squares of different sizes.
Distortion: The basic cube of the building is distorted through the subtraction of smaller squares in order to create the patterned facade. 


21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art - SANAA
Repetition: From an aerial view looking down upon the building, the building is made up exclusively of circles and quadrilaterals. 
Distortion: The base of the building is a cylinder. Rather than continuing this shape of a cylinder, SANNA distorts this basic shape by creating a series of prisms and smaller cylinders that extrude out from the cylinder base.


Hanoi Museum - gmp Archtekten
Repetition: The Hanoi Museum can be seen as various rectangular prisms. These prisms grow in size as you continue up the building. The repetition is also evident in the interior, where contrasting to the exterior, a circular shape is reinforced in the interior.
Distortion: The general form of the building is a distorted form of a pyramid: an inverted pyramid. It distorts the idea of the base on which the building sits on, where in this case, is the smallest "prism" that makes up the structure. 

In project 1, I found that various buildings by SANAA begin as basic shapes, which are then distorted and manipulated to create more interesting pieces of architecture. For example, the New Museum can be seen as a single rectangular prism, which as been distorted where sections of the building are shifted from their usual place, in order to create a more interesting shape and form for the building to take. I find that these two concepts are present in almost all of SANAA's architecture, and the 21st Century Museum is no exception.

I find that conceptually, the Hanoi Museum is similar to both of these SANAA buildings as it also follows this notion of creating an interesting architecture through the repetition and distortion of simple shapes.


3._ A Design Proposal and Design Draft for Assignment 3

_ Hotel/Apartments
I feel that I could create a sense of a different experience of the same place through the use of different distortions in the repetition of shapes used to create each room.

_ Theatre
I feel that a theatre can reflect upon my concepts well, where the repetition of the simple shapes can ultimately create something that is definitely out of the ordinary.

_ Office Buiding
I feel that the sense of repetition is suitable for a building where organisation is key. I believe that this idea ties well with an office building. I also believe that the notions of distortions can represent different sections of the organised building.

In the general design of the building, I want to play with the idea of a base, where rather than having it sit flat at the bottom, I want it to sit up straight, where the building "extrudes" out of the base in all directions, distorting and manipulating the idea of the base in the design.

Drafting Ideas


Proposed Design

I have decided to choose the first option: Hotel/Apartments


4._ A Short Description of your Prescribed Additional Representation

Whilst I am still deciding on this, one of the ideas I had was to combine the technology of 3d printing and augmented reality.
In this plan, I would need to build the building, where only one of the columns are completely finished and shut. One of the columns will be cut in half, revealing the interior of the building. The last column will not be present.
I plan to have markers for the other two. One of the markers will show people walking around in the column that is cut in half. The other marker will show the process of creating the column from a basic rectangular prism.