We posted a few parametric models in our Lab lately. We decided to show them here:
The goal was to model a space system, driven by a number of parameters:
This approach allows quick metamorphosis of the system’s state. The variations in the geometry facilitate the form-finding process.
The results are abstract and fall under the ‘form-finding’ category, but these principles of modelling could be used successfully in real projects just as well.
“From the nanoworld to the universe- the worlds we measure using our infinite yardstick.”
“Scale” is a term we use often in the AEC industry.
However what we rarely think of, is that our standard dimension units could hardly measure everything. One meter(or one inch) is somewhere between the fermi-meter and the light year on the scale graph.
Universcale is a flash application, developed by Business Architects Inc. for Nikon Corporation. Universcale explores the relationship between the elements of the (in)visible world around us in terms of scale. From the galaxies to the atom.
Be sure to visit it.
HAVE A LOOK AT UNIVERSCALE HERE!
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When working on some concept, we are facing many different ways in which we could start, for ex.: following our proper intuition & feelings, using hidden geometry, using randomness as a generation method, following specific proportions or by using a complex mixture of all of these. Artists were always trying to define what is the best way to model a volume, to create a composition that is really beautiful. This could be seen in the works of the ancient Greeks during the Antiquity, of Vitruvius, Alberti, Bruneleski & others during the Renaissance & Baroque, of Le Corbusier, Mies van der Rohe, Gropius & others during the modernism, of Cecil Balmond, Koolhas, Calatrava, Toyo Ito & many more of the artists of today. The pursuit of the best form, of the best proportion, of the rule that creates harmony is always active. One of the famous proportion that has the capability to create beauty is of course the golden ratio. We could always take a look at the nature as the ultimate, inexpirable and deepest source of beauty and order. The observations of many natural phenomena reveal that the hidden geometry is used masterly in every natural creation: clouds, bee hives, wind, water, etc, etc. What the natural systems have in common is that their structure is guided by hidden rules. Every form, every element is product of that morpho-genetic rules + the influence of the ambience(due to the organisms’ adaptation capabilities). Looking at our own creations and thinking how we could achieve the same perfect result that nature produces takes us to one of the possible solutions: in order to insure that every element of the system is controlled by a morpho-genetic rule, we should create systems that are entirely dependent of parameters. Creating systems that are fully controlled by us, that are function of the adjacent forms and events make sure that the systems would be reasonable, logical and more nature-like. By ‘nature-like’ I do not mean copying a real-world objects: leafs, trees…No, I mean extracting the main morpho-genetic principles that guide the process of forming leafs, trees and incorporating them into the system’s structure. Such precise control over a system, could be achieved by a technique, known as a ‘parametric modeling’. This technique is available thanks to the contemporary 3d software and it could help us to achieve more beautiful results.
Modeling by parameters gives us the opportunity to control the behavior of a whole system. We could inter-connect every one of the components of the system to each other. Thus, we could specify unique behavior of the whole system. And all this, in a way entirely controlled by us, entirely dependent on one or several parameters. This is truly great, as it makes sure that every element of the system, composing the main structure is guided by specific rules, the same way the nature builds it’s creations. The same way organisms are born – starting by a single element, transforming into a complex system. This is a natural process known as morphogenesis, guided by simple rules encoded in every single element – the same way the DNA is encoded in every cell of our body. Controlling the whole system means that every component is interrelated to every other component, which means that the whole system is in harmony, has the quality of Unity. Unity is one of the four requirements of the Beauty, along with Wholeness, Expressiveness and Measure! Having a beautiful result achieved in a fast way sounds good! 
Note: These are my renders, created thanks to the wonderful resource DesignReform with author David Fano
“[...] -What do you consider the largest map that would be really useful?”
About six inches to the mile.”
-”Only six inches!” exclaimed Mein Herr. “We very soon got to six yards to the mile. Then we tried a hundred yards to the mile. And then came the grandest idea of all! We actually made a map of the country on the scale of a mile to the mile!”
-”Have you used it much?” I enquired.
-”It has never been spread out, yet,” said Mein Herr: “the farmers objected; they said it would cover the whole country and shut out the sunlight! So we now use the country itself, as its own map, and I assure you it does nearly as well.”
from “Sylvie and Bruno Concluded” by Lewis Carroll.
When an architect creates a project of a new building, he creates a model of the building first, either 2d, 3d, virtual or real. The model is done in order to get a better idea of the whole project, to estimate the overall qualities of the building before actually building it. It’s cheaper than actually realizing the project in 1:1 scale. Models are used in many domains: engineering, software, finance, etc. Their purpose is to present the idea, being evaluated in a simplified, cheaper way without dealing with the complexity of reality. Usually this is done on a smaller scale. Models play central role in some software theories, as is the case with model driven architecture. Models are very important in the contemporary building architecture as well. Many contemporary buildings and installations are realized thanks to the accurate models that were built in advance. Cecil Balmond & Arup engineers prove that this way of computer-aided design by creating architectural and engineering models produces interesting results. You could take a look at the Serpenite Pavilion Gallery as reference.
“A model is a simplification. It is an interpretation of reality that abstracts the aspects relevant to solving the problem at hand and ignores extraneous detail.”
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“Most systems are dynamic, i.e. they change in time. But at the same time most models are static, i.e. they don’t change in time. This is a highly interesting property of models because it facilitates reasoning on these models.”
from “Domain-Driven Design: Takling complexity in the Hearth of Software” by Eric Evans
Definition:
“mod·el [modd’l] noun (plural mod·els)
1. copy of an object: a copy of an object, especially one made on a smaller scale than the original ( often used before a noun )
5. simplified version: a simplified version of something complex used, for example, to analyze and solve problems or make predictions a financial model”
Model is a keyword. Take a look at the keywords list!
This is a list of keywords that I found very important. I think that these keywords could describe the core problematics of both building & software architecture.
- abstraction
- analysis
- architecture
- aspect
- boundary
- class
- coherence
- component
- composite
- concept
- concern
- context
- design
- dimension
- element
- goal
- granularity
- language
- meta-data
- method
- model
- normalization
- paradigm
- pattern
- process
- recursion
- scale
- structure
- style
- symmetry
- system
- transform
- view
Abstraction is a key principle in the process of designing flexible software. This process extracts only the most important aspects of the problem domain and defines the logic of the application. I would say that the process of abstraction is a key concept in the building architecture as well, because it is a method to decrease complexity, so that the architect could focus on the most important problems and hide the details.
Some definitions of abstraction
1. “a general concept formed by extracting common features from specific examples”
2. “the process of formulating general concepts by abstracting common properties of instances”
Abstraction is the process of taking away or removing characteristics from something in order to reduce it to a set of essential characteristics. In object-oriented programming, abstraction is one of three central principles (along with encapsulation and inheritance).
Through the process of abstraction, a programmer hides all but the relevant data about an object in order to reduce complexity and increase efficiency. In the same way that abstraction sometimes works in art, the object that remains is a representation of the original, with unwanted detail omitted. The resulting object itself can be referred to as an abstraction meaning a named entity made up of selected attributes and behavior specific to a particular usage of the originating entity. Abstraction is related to both encapsulationand data hiding.
In the process of abstraction the programmer tries to ensure that the entity is named in a manner that will make sense and that it will have all the relevant aspects included and none of the extraneous ones.
A real-world analogy of abstraction might work like this: You (the object) are arranging to meet a blind date and are deciding what to tell them so that they can recognize you in the restaurant. You decide to include the information about where you will be located, your height, hair color, and the color of your jacket. This is all data that will help the procedure (your date finding you) work smoothly. You should include all that information. On the other hand, there are a lot of bits of information about you that aren’t relevant to this situation: your social security number, your admiration for obscure films, and what you took to “show and tell” in fifth grade are all irrelevant to this particular situation because they won’t help your date find you. However, since entities may have any number of abstractions, you may get to use them in another procedure in the future.
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