Sibyl Trigg

Having integrated too much into the terminal, tried (too) many ideas... now going back to some of the stuff I was looking at earlier on in the year (went fast, the last 2 weeks)... Directionality through surface/structure.. laser cutting scripts. Basically the idea is to go into the building in a bit more detail, retaining the form as it is... This is a screenshot of the interior of the arrival hall/lobby as it is now.. Making the 3d model more detailed forces more decision making... the direction right now seems to be selectively exposed structure to create directionality. The difficulty seems to be the geometry of the cladding panels - naturally non directional.

Posted by at 11:42 PM | Permalink

Does anyone read this anymore?

This is the current state of affairs.....

Posted by at 11:06 PM | Permalink

I took a morning to look at some different panel shapes which relate to the different types of lofted surfaces. I tried deforming them too, but I think I prefer straight lines..

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Here are some sketchy images of variations in roof formations.

Basically i've just been lofting sections, the interesting part now is to see what kind of geometries can be used to make up the cladding. ETFE cushions are a possibility, I am quite looking forward to making tesselating patterns at different scales. The pictures of the cushions below are from the Allianz Arena in Munich by Herzog and de Meuron.

Posted by at 08:26 PM | Permalink

[ the major difference (between a caternary and a parabola) is the structural property, the catenary shape is as a direct result of the uniform gravitational force (its own weight). Which when flipped upside down can support itself].....[Although they pretty much look identica]l

Which explains why you can draw a parabola in Rhino but not a catenary, I suppose because there is no gravity in the digital world therefore it it irrelevant, as long as they look the same? I guess it is easier to calculate the y = x^2 rather than the hyperbolic cosine....

Welcome any more helpful maths hints....

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Sketch up the warehouse

After google acquired the software company @LAST, maker of the 3D modeler SketchUP, they now come up with the 3D Warehouse.

As a bonus Google released a free version of SketchUP, so that every one can upload his building to the database of GoogleEarth.
SketchUP free is available for PC only at the moment (so i cannot tell you where the cutbacks are), but the full Version is available for both MAC and PC.


from www.republish.org

Posted by at 04:45 PM | Permalink

finally i worked out a way of photographing the model- it actually starts to give an idea about the building structure.. more to come!....

Posted by at 06:08 PM | Permalink

i am getting used to seeing my flat upside down....
now that i have experimented a little with using the chains i can go about it a bit more logically. this is a model of the first, most basic system. lets see where it goes next...

Posted by at 04:58 PM | Permalink

This pier is a station for the commuter and tourist boat services on the Thames. It receives regular useage everyday from the city clipper commuter services which go to the Tate Modern/Britain. It is also the place where the boat drivers have their lunch-breaks.

Because of the mechanism which allows the floating pier to rise up and down with the tides without changing position, the character of the pier doesn’t change noticeably between high and low tide.

The structure mediates between the land and water with a flexible bridge which changes angle according to the water height. At high tide the pier is practically level with the bank, and the bridge is horizontal or even slightly upward sloping. At low tide the pier is 5 or 6 metres lower than the bank, and the bridge slopes steeply downward.

The pier deals with the tidal change using two vertical piled columns, one at each end. These are the only parts which are fixed to the river bed. The pier itself is held between the two columns, and can slide up and down them on casters, like a vertical curtain rail.

Posted by at 01:04 PM | Permalink

Andrew Taylor and I spent a couple of days getting a model for each site ready to be lasercut... These are some sketches and some renders for the convoys wharf model, the victoria deep water site will appear on Andys blog tommorow. We're aiming to send out some files to get quotes from the laser cutting companies tomorow. Making a model like this really makes you realise the complications involved in actually constructing something- it's almost another world...

Posted by at 01:44 AM | Permalink

using hanging chains to create the sectional form of the building (above). but what i have now realised is instead of using single chains it would be more interesting to use a net type structure, like nox did (below). i'm not really a fan of nox actually, so i was quite surprised. there is more on the building at we-make-money-not-art

but if a net is used, does it still conform to the mathematical definition of a catenary curve?

some people at MIT made a program which does exactly that! (above)

so.... this is the new can of worms....

Posted by at 07:19 PM | Permalink

the beginnings are quite basic, experimenting with how much weight is needed and what deformations that gives. The differences in ceiling height relate back to the flows through the building and the various functions.

Posted by at 10:15 PM | Permalink

aspiring to making models which defy gravity

architectural paintings by martin kobe

Posted by at 01:14 PM | Permalink

after a little procrastination... the structure is there, just, now the fun part begins....

hopefully i can create the complexity and the structural effects that i couldn't using the tradtional cantilever method i had before....

Posted by at 10:43 AM | Permalink

this is a catenery model by reiser and umemoto architects. catenery curves form a structural skin while also using a form-finding process to create the sectional form of the building.

this might be a way to create the building section (i've been struggling with the idea of walls and how they relate to the roof..)

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this is a photo-series by brendan corr about ship-breaking in bangladesh. makes you realise how big they are

here

Posted by at 08:37 PM | Permalink

these are some sketchy interior views, trying to get the emphasis on the right things (direction/structure) is really hard... i dont think its to do with the rhino viewports, its a question of keeping trying new things.....

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if you're bored of how diploma unit 9 looks - try these...

glitches

shred (click on shred and enter the website)

Posted by at 12:17 AM | Permalink

in preparation of/for the -current- scheme situation, this is a summary of the ideas behind the spatiality of the terminal...

-avoiding dis-orientation

Large buildings, especially infrastructural nodes such as airports, stations etc, tend to have a quality of dis-orientation

The spatiality of the terminal allows users to orientate themselves inside the building.

-in terms of design this is acheived by:
............the topographical design of the floor planes
............variations in ceiling heights according to user flow and program
............strip organisation of the program
............the fluid relationship of users to the outside

-in terms of structure and materiality this is acheived by

.................... selective visibiliy of the structural grid
.....................density and emphasised direction of the visible structure
.....................materiality (transparent/opaque/lighting)

the image below is the rough 3d sketch model view from the lobby to the cruise deck- the problem with it is the lack of structure and materiality.... (in progress)

Posted by at 10:18 PM | Permalink

using sketch models to develop the plan and section of the terminal..... took a long time but didnt seem to amount to much. a full plan is on its way now though....

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Anyone wants to know about the feasibility of integrating a recyling plant into the terminal? Um........well someone got paid to do this research, which is nice

Download file

Posted by at 11:41 AM | Permalink

in order to integrate the various tangents i have been investigating into one, i've been building little sketch models- these begin with just massing, the second looks at the floor inclinations and the rest try and bring some of the landscape into the building. the models are too small for a lot of detail, at scale 1-1000, so now i am working on 1-500 models and simultaneously a digital version.
The final image shows the structural core in Rhino, built using the script, but this is only an indication, the structure could (should) become something more exciting....

Posted by at 06:15 PM | Permalink

something in those flu drugs makes me extra patient- or maybe not being able to leave the house... either way- heres the first model of what i was trying to explain in the previous post: a structural core.. is only the first go though.

Posted by at 09:30 PM | Permalink

After looking at the site again, I also looked at the concepts which i'd posted earlier in the year. I tried to deconstruct the plan of the terminal in its current state so that I can then rebuild it (better!). The plan can be deconstructed into landscape, interface volumes and interstitial spaces, or surface functions.

The plan is deconstructed in order to extend the investigation into the site and volumes into the building itself.

The inteface volumes are the emphasis of the massing investigation on the site. These volumes can be modified and developed as structural cores of the building, with varying structural and material densities. In this way the various tangents of investigation carried out previously can be brought together.

The two main interface volumes are the C.I.Q block, leading onto the cruise deck, and the amenities, which include both passenger and citizen amenities: The restaurant, cafe, shops etc. There are two main routes or flows through the building, through/over these two volumes.

The next step is to build the volumes in Rhino, and reconstruct the plan and section of the terminal.

Posted by at 11:36 AM | Permalink

hopefully after going back to the site i can now concetrate on working on the building again... the site constraints effect the form of the building, especially landscape, and the building as a topological structure which encourages self-orientation.

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inspired by the udp for lewisham and a new pad of tracing paper, convoys wharf coloured in...... may look sketchy but these last hours have clarified a lot in terms of site problems..

Posted by at 10:21 PM | Permalink

Part of Convoys Wharf is a protected wharf by two Directions made by the Secretary of State for the Environment. New developments within this area must use the site as a wharf, and will be referred to the Mayor for London before permission is granted.

Convoys is one of only two roll-on – roll-off /load-on – load off terminals upstream of the Thames Barrier, the other being Victoria Deep Water Terminal. Navigationally, Convoys is the better of the two ro-ro/lo-lo opportunities in terms of water depth at the berth. Convoys has water depth of between 7.4 and 7.8 metres at the pier head at low tide

Developers will need to prove that the wharf is no longer required for cargo handling when applying for permission for other uses on the site. Information will also be required on the physical, social and economic contribution to the regeneration of the borough that might be made by any new development as the loss of such an important facility will need to be balanced by a substantial positive contribution to the future of the Borough. It is recognised that new wharf uses can require a significant lead in time for development. Evidence will therefore be required that the site has been marketed for an appropriate length of time, including an assessment of current and future market demand before alternative redevelopment proposals will be considered.

If the criteria for release of the Protected Wharf from use as a wharf are satisfied, the Council will require a mixed-use development that maximises the employment contribution from the site, subject to a detailed masterplan to be prepared for the site, involving all the following uses:-
(a) tourism, heritage and leisure uses, especially those that enhance the river-related heritage of the site;
(b) commercial development especially river-related commercial development, including B1, B2, and live-work units;
(c) high density housing.

In the case of wharf uses remaining on land reserved as a wharf, or on part of the site, or where the site, or part of it, is still reserved for use as a wharf, any new development proposed on the rest of Convoys Wharf should not interfere with the operation of the wharf, or prejudice its future operation.

Posted by at 10:07 PM | Permalink

circulation diagrams through the current terminal design

Posted by at 01:09 AM | Permalink

a sketch view of the current terminal entrance (no materiality or window/doors etc yet but they are on the way...)

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Posted by at 11:20 AM | Permalink

i dont normally put not-architecture stuff on here- but these are so cool!

Posted by at 11:09 AM | Permalink

what properties does a "laser-cut" section of exterior wall have, or what properties could it have? this section is 1:500 scale. to allow for modification the depth is 5 metres thick. this means it becomes an inhabitable space, blurring the boundary between interior and exterior. or is it that the outer wall shifts between the structures, or maybe just that pieces of the structure are cut away or vary in depth... many possibilities....(and its the first time i actually made one of the script generated surfaces- about time too...)

Posted by at 10:32 AM | Permalink

1:500 scale model of the gadern/retail area. using pepakura to model the parts of the terminal which are sloped makes it easier to understand the spatiality.....

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1:the original surface
2:surface with 3 horizontal elements, 10 vertical elements
3:surface with 4 horizontal elements, 10 vertical elements
4:surface with 5 horizontal elements, 10 vertical elements

the more horizontal elements, the more accurate the structure is according to the original surface

Posted by at 03:43 PM | Permalink

varying the parameters of the script varies the structural grid of the surface. the most suitable iteration for each surface can be chosen, a bit like a manual GA.

Posted by at 10:22 AM | Permalink

[i think the one thing that is troubling me a bit about the project is that there has not been a question about why it looks a certain way? what it produces for the project(the program) and how you go about constructing it?]

Some thoughts........

There is this question of "digitally designed" architecture- ie. producing a form using a digital generative process- the advantage being that it is possible to create forms which are more complex and produce architectural effects which wouldn't have been thought of otherwise. The point about these forms is that it is dangerous to accept them as "good" architecture just because that is what the computer produced according to the parameters which were put in. So the form needs to be subjected to analysis of its spatial qualities to to see whether it is suitable/useable/architecturally feasible. (i am not necessarily suggesting that this has been done sufficiently yet..but just to make the point). Analysis of the spatiality of the form and the suitability of the program may mean that certain changes need to be made or not, unexpected effects discovered etc, and the design process continues. BUT: what makes that form any more or less relevant in the way it looks? The digital process has created this form which has been analysed etc- and found aesthetically pleasing and able to function as required. Why not accept it as that?, and the original orignal beginnings of the form are irrelevent (eg: not putting concept diagrams of flows onto competition boards?)

The thing is- if i start questioning the why the building looks the way it does, then the ground disappears from under my feet and the form has nothing to stand on? um......? Answers on a postcard please......

Posted by at 01:34 PM | Permalink

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earlier in the design process i was looking at how different densities of surface/structure could give varying architectural effects. trying to figure out

-a way to construct the building,
-a logical form for the structure which also enhances the use of surfaces in the design
-a model-making method

these images show the script generated structure and the contoured structure combined.

Posted by at 11:27 PM | Permalink

because of the way the building works, a plan isnt really the best way of showing what's going on, but im working on it...

Posted by at 10:53 PM | Permalink

here is one of a few test sections...... the structure is pretty simple but is actually running in the wrong direction......
the first image shows the where the section is in the larger scheme of the terminal, the others are renders of the structure.

Posted by at 11:53 PM | Permalink

the problem:
the grid is partially structural and is used to help define the spaces in the interior of the terminal. the beams and cross beams form directional indicators and appear at some points inside and outside, revealing the structure of the terminal to the user.
following the process of constructing surfaces with the desired heights/forms in rhino, the grid is extracted. the grid can be extracted in two ways: firstly using the rhinoscript, which follows the isocurves on the surfaces and ensures that the grid has the effect of reiterating the form of the surface. the other method is by contouring the surface and creating a grid. the contoured grid is structurally more logical and has the same form as the scripted grid but it loses the effect of the elements emphasising the form of the surface. instead the elements are not related to the form at all.

solutions:
1: simple- just use the script? no, because the script does not create buildable elements in all cases, instead they twist and flip over on themselves.
2: manually extract the isocurves (instead of just contouring the surface) and create another grid, this time MANUAL in another sense.... this is possible, needs to be explored, but kind of defies the point, no?
3: write a new script which doesnt allow elements to flip or be UNBUILDABLE..... this would be nice... maybe a goal at some point. further invesitgation into vba/rhinoscript + using scripting to build stuff like for real?

Posted by at 06:29 PM | Permalink

this is the ground level... the rest is proving more difficult- perhaps 1:200 is.... too small? testing the hypothesis.. this is an evolving design model after all

Posted by at 09:52 PM | Permalink

contoured model of the ground floor level of the terminal with the service areas built in as landcape
scale 1:200
project for christmas? build the roof/first floors....
any offers of transport from west london after the holidays?

Posted by at 12:31 AM | Permalink

Micro hotels to open in airports

Gemma Bowes
Sunday December 11, 2005
The Observer

Yotel, the new hotel chain from the man who created Yo! Sushi, has announced the launch of its first two hotels, which it claims will be the only ones in the world to be located inside airports.

Next summer, a 40-'cabin' hotel in Heathrow's Terminal 4 and a 50-cabin one in Gatwick's South Terminal will open. Eventually, Yotels will be rolled out in major airports, railway stations and city centres around the world, with a predicted 10-15 opening over the next five years, including one in central London in 2007.

Standard room rates are £80 a night, or £40 for four hours. Economy rooms cost £40 a night, or £25 for four hours.

The brand will go head to head with Stelios Haji-Ioannou's easyHotels, which launched its flagship property in London last summer with rooms from £25 a night.

Continue reading "Who got there first?" »

Posted by at 01:12 PM | Permalink

these are the first attempt at the required A1 sheets from the competition brief

Posted by at 12:04 AM | Permalink

disorientation.....
this is by a (canadian?) artist called robin collyer

Posted by at 10:46 AM | Permalink

this is a long process........4 out of ???

Posted by at 12:49 AM | Permalink

Considering large buildings, especially transport -nodes- such as airports, stations etc, although the priority of these buildings is movement or transfer of large numbers of people, they tend to have a quality of -disorientation-. The aim of the spatiality or topography of the terminal is to allow users to orientate themselves inside the building. This has repercussions in many areas- the openness of the spaces means there is less mystery about the -border crossing- process. Politically this is an interesting notion because the international border is the entrance to the uk, not only is the entrance to the uk brought right in to the centre of the city, but it is also rendered transparent. Architecturally - what methods can be used to differentiate between functions and flows on a single surface? Using a partially structural grid different areas of the terminal can be differentiated a using the density of the elements, the thickness of the elements and the direction of the elements. Surface materiality can also be taken into consideration.

Carrying on my interest in interfaces, the original idea of interfaces being transition layers between laminar and turbulent flow, or vertical surfaces which allow interaction. The vertical surface has developed into a volume, allowing the interface to become (temporarily) inhabitable.

Posted by at 01:11 PM | Permalink

modelling the surfaces in rhino and preparing them so they can be laser cut- this was really good stuff, hopefully can make some useful models at some point... or a new serpentine pavillion maybe?

Posted by at 10:47 PM | Permalink

bringing in site and brief constraints to these 3d diagrams.

there are certain constraints outlined in the brief such as the height that the passengers have to board the ship. there are also constraints on site such as sightlines, existing pedestrian routes which should be retained and the site boundarys. all of these will influence the form of the building and the way it integrates into the urban context. on the image, the red lines are routes for pedestrians (exisiting and possible new ones), the green lines are sightlines. the colours are indicative of function (more on that another time).

Posted by at 04:26 PM | Permalink

deconstructing the model into surfaces and interfaces

Posted by at 04:23 PM | Permalink

this model uses the idea of surfaces/interfaces to build the flows into a form on the site. when a flow passes through an interface, it transitions from horizontal to vertical.

Posted by at 04:15 PM | Permalink

the flow diagram modified for the site. the chosen site is convoys wharf in deptford.
(aerial view).
convoys wharf is currently a number of large warehouses. the side of the site which is closest to deptford high street has been chosen to start investigation into the form of the terminal.

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In terms of flow, the boundary layer is the point where laminar flow makes the transition to turbulent flow. Spatially this can be translated into a horizontal surface which transforms into a vertical surface. The horizontal surface is solid and encourages smooth and direct flows (laminar). The vertical surface is porous or fluid and encourages interaction and unpredictable flow (turbulence).

Vertical surfaces are interfaces, where people can interact with their surroundings. In terms of functions of the London International Cruise terminal, they could be divided into those which are/take place on surfaces and those which are/take place on or using interfaces.

Surface functions: cruise deck, departure and arrival lobby, departure and arrival hall, visitors deck, garden, salon of civic exchange, waiting area, resting room, business space, spectators deck.

Interface functions: C.I.Q, administration and offices, ticketing, baggage pick up/send off, kiosks, P.R centre, garden, shopping, restaurants, cafes, exhibtion gallery.

Posted by at 03:19 PM | Permalink

this diagram shows the routes of all people, baggage, rubbish etc through the functions determined in the terminal brief.
i set the functions out according to the demands of the brief, but not to scale (yet)..

Posted by at 03:09 PM | Permalink

i've created some categories so that i can post up some other stuff on here apart from project work... and so my project work doesnt get mixed up with other things
you can check down the right hand side of the site towards the end.

Posted by at 02:24 PM | Permalink

the patterns made by flows are very easy to translate into possible user routes, this is a good analogy to investigate. this flow is made by an oscillating object in a liquid. after a few oscillations it creates vortices on either side. i think the most interesting part about this is the speeds of movement that the flows create......

Posted by at 02:15 PM | Permalink

the routes of the users of the terminal can be translated into types of flows, the needs of a cruise ship passenger for example, are different to those of a shopper, therefore they move through the terminal using the space in another way.

Posted by at 02:11 PM | Permalink

alright, having a few problems uploading stuff, but this seems to be getting there...
this diagram shows laminar and turbulent flows around an object. laminar flow is characterised by smoothness and directness, whereas turbulent flow appears to be random.

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robert and jeff in the crit space

Posted by at 11:00 AM | Permalink

Things look different from the water.......

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Download file

found some interesting stuff... check the article

Imagine a Japanese family signs up for a group tour to Hawaii with
other Japanese people through a Japanese travel agent. In preparation
for their trip to Hawaii they stay overnight in a Japanese hotel in
Japan, board a Japanese airline, and fly to Hawaii. They’re greeted at
the airport by a Japan-owned tour company guide, taken to a Japanowned
hotel on a Japan-owned tour bus. While at the Japan-owned
hotel they watch Japanese TV programs and listen to Japanese radio
stations; they then take a Japanese tour and buy from Japanese shops
along Waikik street, they board another Japanese tour bus to go to a
Japanese-owned golf course and dine at a Japanese restaurant before
returning to the Japanese-owned hotel. Finally, they leave by Japanese
tour bus to the airport, then board the Japanese airplane back to
Japan

Posted by at 01:01 PM | Permalink