The aim is to run all parametric changes to the geometry on server side. The demo below invites to create new color patterns.

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Low-poly artwork by Matthias Beermann, SAC APD 2014

Terra I is comprised of 3.5 mm polygonal birch panels covering a wide range of shapes and sizes, connected by intricate 3D printed nodes. The humps, peaks, crevasse, and folds come in different intensities, pointing at certain directions such as the entrance, the lounge, the counter. The installation aims to add to the experience of the space where customers spend time while going through the stages of a new styling.

Terra I at Salon Bordel!

The form is digitally designed and all 90 polygons are constraint to be planar. The 130 connecting nodes are computer generated based on a design template. They meet the geometric requirements such as the angles between plates and width of the shadow gaps for each connection. In addition to these technical necessities they are individually detailed giving each node its unique ornamental fingerprint. All fabrication data for laser cutting of the plywood plates as well as 3D printing the nodes, is generated automatically off the design model.

Birch Plywood Panels and SLS Node Connectors

Each node is laser sintered (SLS) in polyamide and spray painted. The surfaces of the birch plywood plates are hand finished after laser cutting. All parts are assembled manually by putting each node in its specified location. The entire installation of around 11 m2 weights less than 30 kg.

Nodes

Assembly Detail

Quantitative Aesthetics – Shape Range Diagram

Prototyping

The bracelet is digitally designed and 3D printed as wax model. A raw brass form cast via a lost-wax method. The brass is hand polished and electroplated with 18K gold. 3D printing, casting, polishing and plating is done at the factory of the future by Shapeways.

Realtime design feedback on minimum material thickness

The material thickness is carefully adjust using a custom interface which gives color coded feedback on the dimensions and highlights areas which exceed the minimum thickness in the 3D printing process.

Variance in shape size

The Guggenheim Museum Helsinki is integrated into the chain of public activities from the Esplanadi to the Market Square and finally the Olympiaterminaali. It is oriented along the waterfront. At the north facing entrance the building is aligned to the neighbouring urban gridded fabric. The axis of Södra Magasinsgatan is extended and set back to create a welcoming plaza when entering the Guggenheim. In the south the Museum extends beyond the building envelope and is blurring the boundaries between cultural space (Museum), infrastructure (Port), and landscaping (Tähtitornin Vuori). This is where the Solid Network forms artificial landscape features creating a space that allows for summer expansions of the building. Functional delivery comes via the goods entrance at the south accessed by the port by-road.

All galleries are elevated off the ground floor, creating an generous internal street-scape, allowing city activities to blur in and cultural activity to radiate out. The massing oscillates between clean lines and moments of crystallisation – aiming to mediate the internal life of the building with the life of the city of Helsinki.

Tectonic System

The Solid Network, is the main structural and tectonic system of the building. A cast concrete space-frame which lifts up the galleries and supports the building envelope. It creates the necessary structural redundancy by its entanglement. The Solid Network is clad with panels of varying opacity. They are supported by Feuillage, a layer of elements which are part of the panel fixing. At the same time it creates the effect of a tectonic veil. The gallery spaces are wooden Hulls connected by pathway and ramps of the same material. In contrast to the expressive main structure the interior of the galleries is neutrally calm. The only tension exists between the seamless light ceiling and the rough wooden flooring.

Entrance facade – Visualization by bloomimages

Internal Spaces

The Guggenheim is entered from the north. The lobby of the Museum reveals the richness one could only sense from the outside. It gives view to the elongated central space. This space is modelled similar to an urban street-scape in proportions as well as in function. The galleries on the first and second floor are accessed by ramps, a feature staircase facing the waterfront or panoramic elevators. On the second floor there is a deck allowing gallery functions to extend to the outside. The bridges connecting the galleries in conjunction with the Solid Network create the impression of a Piranesian space.

View along a bridge at 1st floor into a gallery space

Entrance hall

Construction

The main structural system – Solid Network – is using Ultra High Performance Concrete (UHPC) in combination with an ice based moulding technique. This allows for a feasible fabrication method for complex moment connections. The structure rests on a raft foundation. The Solid Network supports the gallery Hulls, a timber construction with high quality wood finishes. All galleries have a light ceiling which allows for a mix of natural and artificial light. The envelope and facade is a unitised system of glass and sandwich panels supported by frames of engineered wood.

Winter impression – Visualization by bloomimages

Summer impression – Visualization by bloomimages

Environmental Consideration – Climatic Layering

The foot print of the building is 9.000 sqm with total gross floor area of 14.000 sqm. The building is designed around the concept of climatic layering where highly conditioned spaces are surrounded by spaces with increasing climatic flux. The programmatic implications are embraced and played out. Seasonal changes to the functional permeability of the building are intended. The centre piece of the building are the elevated galleries which provide a climatically stable spaces throughout the year. The Solid Network adds considerable thermal mass to the building. The public zones of the building are less conditioned. The atrium in the south is designed as a buffer that would allow to extend the building into the open during the summer months.

Water front view – Visualization by bloomimages

Solid Network, ice moulding system – Developed by Vasily Sitnikov at SAC APD

Facade Feuillage – Developed by Sabina Eivazova at SAC APD

 

Competition: Guggenheim Helsinki, September 2014, first phase

Design: Mirco Becker with Sabina Eivazova and Vasily Sitnikov

Exterior Images by: bloomimages

The tessellated facade is a timber construction over concrete core and slabs. A similar articulation continues in the landscape as hard concrete features covering parts of an underground car-park.

The Bildungshaus includes a school, a public library and a communal media centre. The ground floor blends the urban surrounding and landscape in a continuos lobby where all functions originate. Spatial clues lead the visitor to their destinations.

Crystal non-form and cut faces

Roof and facade articulation – tessellated cladding

3D print – scale model 1:500

Ground floor plan

Scanning with Artec EVA

The scans taken at the Liebieghaus serve in the SAC APD Master Degree program as a source for the analysis of form and aiming at reinterpreting these works by means of digital fabrication technologies.

Detail with and without texture

For the geometric analysis of the retrieved mesh data the component meshCurvature was developed for Rhino Grasshopper to evaluate local min radius, max radius, mean curvature, gausian curvature.

Clean data after remeshing

Cleaned up scan data at full resolution and reduced model to 2.000 faces.

At the moment we are doing some test on the potential and workflows around 3d scanning. The main interest is on the mid range scale (furniture / ergonomics) with the obvious aim to link it to 3d printing technologies. The first models are back from the printer.

After the initial tests it became very clear that the raw data needs heavy processing and almost certainly some “design input” to be of some use. In that sense we see great potential for all design disciplines.

Low polygon mesh with colored faces

Color print – low polygon model, 86 mm tall

Gold plated print – full resolution mesh, 43 mm tall

Gold plated print – full resolution mesh, 43 mm tall

Parametric Plan

The building follows the development of a second runway. It caters for for 20 million passengers per annum and will have 42 gates, with project expansion in the second phase to ninety gates and 50 million passengers. Conceived to echo the undulating dunescape of the surrounding desert, and to create a structure in which daylight can be harnessed yet modulated and heat passively controlled, the terminal’s shape has a complex yet highly explicit underlaying geometrical scheme. Parametrically driven computation was used to create the form, and to achieve the standardization, modularization and prefabrication of the components necessary to control cost and cater for long term serviceability.

Exploded axonometry of a single bay along the piers.

The first geometrical move was to depart from an ideal circle to a quatrefoil, thus providing one central and four peripheral spaces, while still minimizing the walking distance between check-in and gate. The was slightly distorted in response to the site, and its curving perimeter defined as a series of cotangential arcs of variable radius.

The four piers of the quatrefoil plan are roofed by a parametric surface with a radial argument in the transversal direction (intersection arcs), and a sinusoidal argument in the longitudinal direction. The roof and the facade are one continuous surface, which repeatedly dips down almost to apron height in order to allow connection to the gates, and lifts up to accommodate large view windows in an undulating, periodic pattern.

Main central space. Image courtesy of KPF

Abu Dhabi Midfield Terminial on Archdaily

Olaya Metro Station – image © bloomimages

For Gerber Architekten who are working on Olaya Metro-Station Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, we provided assistance in setting up a Revit BIM process as the project entered Schematic Design work phase. This included:

• Development of a workflow between Rhino Grasshopper and Revit
• General set-up of the BIM
• Project specific training for a team of 12 designers
• Creation of custom Revit Families
• Matching Revit Documentation with offices graphic standards

Olaya Metro-Station and other projects by Gerber are featured in an article in Spiegel.

Olaya Metro Station – image © bloomimages