Innovative Prototyping @ Dynamic Fields – Responsive Architecture Workshop Results

Written by Alison Furuto
Published on August 28, 2013

The Innovative Prototyping @ Dynamic Fields – Responsive Architecture Workshop, which took place in Bucharest, Romania July 16-29, resulted in five innovative prototypes. The workshop was benefited by the presence of Patrik Schumacher, Director of Zaha Hadid Architects, founder of AA Design Research Lab London and one of the most important figures in the world of computational design. The workshop’s purpose was the understanding of how the advancement of digital technology is helping architects respond to the complexity of the environment surrounding them. The five prototypes (Turbillon, Interactive Field, Dynamic Muqarnas, Project 86 and Wind Mapper) are to be exposed in the near future at different fairs or events. More images and information after the break.

The 14 Day workshop had a fast paced rhythm for the 55 participants, led by tutors with experience in working with dynamic fields and digital tools. Materials, technique and geometry were the research fields and Rhinoceros, Grasshopper şi Arduino were the digital tools. The workshop participants came from different educational experiences and cultural backgrounds: students or graduates, architects, interior, product and urban designers, and engineers, aged between 25 to 35 years old, from Romania, Egipt, Italy, Russia, France, Denmark, Belgium, Dubai, New York, Uganda.

The tutor’s team was formed of highly experienced specialists:

· Hooman Talebi, Lead Designer Zaha Hadid Architects
· Farshad Mehdi’Zadeh, co-founder Tehran Architecture Studio, winner of 3^rd place Middle East Architect
· Mohsen Marizad, MArch IaaC, expert Parametric design
· Arian Hakimi Nejad, MUrb.Arch Iaac, expert parametric design and partner at Parametrica [digi fab school]

1. Project Title: Project 86

Objective: Wind mapping, structural deformation analysis
Materials: Bamboo, thermo-contractible cable, polystyrene, nylon thread
Team: Andrei Ducu Predescu, Razvan Ichim, Larisa Ratoi, Lidia Ratoi, Lina Rutkauskaite, Ana Baciu, Gabriela Ciuchete, Ileana Cristina Balan, Alexandru Oprita, Victor Placinta, Oana Bacu

A dynamic structure formed of diamond shaped modules having flexible joints which allow the interconnected parts to react at an individual level or as an integrative system. The final project was the result of an intensive testing of various iterations.

The idea was to create a structure having moving parts and allowing it to constantly adapt and change to its surrounding environment and in particular, to the airflow created by the industrial fans strategically placed to create a pleasant movement.The system acts as a structural membrane which mediated the airflow, becoming a synergy between the mechanical forces and the structure itself, thus the modules undergo translation and axis variation, each of them being independently dynamic, but within the structure being interdependent.

2. Project Title: Interactive Field

Objective: Generating controllable wind fields with uncontrollable data
Materials: Plastic cups, lycra
Team: Veronica Popescu, Marjan Mostavi, Razvan Vara, Razvan Grigorescu, Mohamad Raouf, Mircea Mihai, Andreea Visan, Victor Pricop, Oana Muresan, Ion Krivenco, Simona Ioana Nastasoiu, Ioana Diaconu, Andreea Brustan, Raluca Becheru

After several days of test-trials with different materials under a constant (vortex) flow of a fan, the cup became the perfect unit to test, due to its lightness and versatility (shape, texture, price, availability). The project goal was to find a pattern and to explore material properties in order to generate specific sub-wind fields. Dividing the wind fields system in sub-systems. Trying the cups together with a flexible material generates a moldable field that works with the fan and adapts to its conditions constantly. It directs the wind in small fields still, while changing its shape according the environment.

3. Project Title: Tourbillon

Objective: Vertical performance combined with geometry control
Function: Reactive environment system
Technology: Rhinoceros + Grasshopper + Arduino + Laser cutter + Low tech fabrication (cutting techniques)
Team: Eliza Culea, Irina Ilie, Ioana Binica, Andrei Olteanu, Orsolya Gunthner, Sabin Serban, Andrei Mitisor, Mihai Aostacioaie, Katerina Ivanova, Sarah Safaoui

The challenge was finding a simple and effective operation that would alter static behaviors into performant ones. The base material of this study is paper. Using the childhood experience in the art of Kirigami, the participants discovered how cuts and folds can modify the behavior of a paper sheet from a simple plane into a responsive three dimensional surface. The ‘fold and cut system’ was replaced by digital design and automated manufacturing.

The project goal was to obtain a geometry control landscape through cutting and surface optimization with an expected performance in a dynamic field and to transform a planar surface in 3D landscape under the force of wind making a volume from a plane.

4. Project Title: Wind Mapper 1.0

Objective: Generating complexity based on physical interaction between a simple geometry and a dynamic field
Function: Physical installation that visually maps different intensities of air pressure
Materials: Balsa wood
Team: Raya Ani, Amr Ezzeldin, Ioana Georgescu, Andrei Kiss, Yannis Mataillet, Zayad Motlib, Sarah Safoui, Alexander Walzer

The goal of this project was to understand how complexity is generated based on the physical interaction of a simple geometry with a dynamic field. The participants called it “simplexity”. The chosen structure is flexible modulated elastic one made out of balsa wood. The simple geometry based on a triangle module generates complexity through the elastic behavior of the whole system in the interaction process.

5. Project Title: Dynamic Muqarnas

Objective: Right balance by using geometrical forms in a dynamic field
Function: Abstract | Pavilion
Materials: Extruded Polystyrene
Team: Andrei Dragan, Cristiana Pista, Madalina Oprica, Lavinia Vutescu, Catalina Plaino

Inspired by the reminiscent of the stalactites and the muqarnas, the Dynamic Muqarnas project is reconstructing and rethinking the traditional elements and materials into a flexible and performing structure. Muqarnas display radial symmetry based upon N-gonal symmetry. The number of unique tiles possible is derived from N = N/2 - 1. Larger N values result in thinner muqarnas tiles. There are an unlimited number of muqarnas tile sets given the wide variety of tile profile design possibilities.

The components are assembled together forming a more complex geometry with a more dynamic response to the environment. All the elements and components are moving and limiting one another having as a dome like structure which performs as a dynamic muqarna, allowing the user to be part of it, changing the air flow and as a result the structure movement.

The results and workshop’s efforts were supported by different partners understanding the importance of research and education for innovation. Very important was the spacious location of Arts University in Bucharest that became a and the Concept Jupiter team by helping the workshop participants with Laser Cutting for all the prototypes. For more information on the selected prototypes, please visit here.

Tutors: Hooman Talebi, Lead Designer Zaha Hadid Architects, Farshad Mehdi’Zadeh, co-founder Tehran Architecture Studio, winner of 3^rd place Middle East Architect, Mohsen Marizad, MArch IaaC, expert Parametric design, Arian Hakimi Nejad, MUrb.Arch Iaac, expert parametric design and partner at Parametrica [digi fab school].