cactus self-shadowing

PortfolioOctober 08 - January 09

Architecture needs the inspiration from the nature

Edited by Liu, Ko-cheng

SELF-SHADOWINGSELF-SHADOWING

前言

CactusResearch

01

OGIC in the NATUREL01 仙人掌

03

OGIC in the NATUREL01

04

Area in sun project

Area in shadow

The creatures in the nature always follow their own principlesand grow up with these specific evolutions. It also takes placein the cactus. The cactus has the advantages that it has the ribs extruding from its surface. According to the report, the main reason is to keep the surface in a lower temperature because these ribs can help generate the shadows depending on the sun location. So that the water can efficiently be contained inside the cactus from the evaporation. Moreover, when the cactus grows up, the ribs become twisted gradually. This is also because the twisted ribs can generate more percentages of shadows than the normal ones. Therefore, in this project, the logic of how the ribs of cactus are formed and located would be the main focus. This would be extracted and used as the fundamental idea of the proj-ect.

05

OGIC in the NATUREL01E

NN

W

SGrowth direction

The cactus also has the characteristics that it leans to the south-west when it grows up. Because it has greatlyto do with the sun location. In this way, the cactus can gain more shadows by itself, cool down the surface and then keep the water from evaporation as the main purpose so that it can survive in the cruel environment. Therefore, with these intellegent growth of cactus, this motivates me to put the idea into architectural design. The next step is to cultivate how the growth of ribs influence the shadows and transform it into architecture.

07

TRATEGY in the PROJECTS

5

02

08

Sun exposure

Shadow

52° 31’0’’N 13° 25’ 0’’ E

re

Examples (Calculating and Rendering in Maya)

Based on the previous research, this project aims at finding out the most efficient way to generate shadows by building itself. Thus, starting with different typologies is the main operation in the process as well as the input of geometry.

Calculating the percentages of shadows in each model takes one of the most important parts in the project becasue the goal is to dig out the most intellegent one and have the ability to compare each other. Accordingly, the use of the scripting in maya software is the most powerful tool because it greatly helps to define sun and shadow area, and paint the area with predefined color in a graphic way. The most important is that it uses mathematic method to calculate the percentages.

02

09

TRATEGY in the PROJECTS

03

11

PERATION in the PROJECTOLift

Floor area: 36,000 m2

Height : 160 mLocation: Dubai

Date: 21th AugustTime: 12:00 pm

Latitude: 25°15'39.72"NLongitude: 55°19'57.53"EDate: 21th AugustTime: 12:00 pm

Longitude: 55°19'57.53"E

Starting with different operations of models is the first step in the process. This is to find out the most successful method and be operated later. Therefore, calculation of shadow percentages and comparison with each other are the most important thing at this stage. What matters most is the set up of the criteria so that each model can be compared at the same level and it helps to clearify the best one. Below is the criteria:

12

Option1

Option2

Option3

Option4

Option5

% of shadows

% of shadows

% of shadows

% of shadows

% of shadows

50%

53.4%

63.3%

60.8%

63.8%

49.3% 56.1%

64.5%

66.9%

69.1% 66.3%

71.8%

59.2%

67.8%

57.3%

60.3%

66.4%

66.7%

66.0%

56.4%

59.3%

67.0%

62.8% 67.9% 67.8%

54.3%

60.5%

65.5%

66.1%

65.7%

Average

1 2 3 4 5

OperationGeometry

03

13

PERATION in the PROJECTO1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Strategy1: Twist

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Strategy2: Position

Apparently, the more twist or ribs the model has, the more shadows it geneates by itself in accordance with the results. However, from the perspective of archi-tecture, it will waste too much space if the operation exceed the limitation. And thus, the calculation will stop at some certain level and be optimized.

In this stage, two strategies are extracted as the main study because these two are the most successful models which can generate shadows by itself mostly accord-ing to the previous result. Thus, the next step will have more detailed changes of model based on these two strategies.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

1 2 3 4 5 6 7Strategy2: Position

Percentage of shadows

69.1% 70.9% 73.0% 75.9% 76.3% 77.9% 80.1%

2 ribs 3 ribs 4 ribs 5 ribs 6 ribs 7 ribs 8 ribs

14

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

1 2 3 4 5 6 7Strategy1: Twist


67.0% 67.9% 68.7% 68.9% 72.3% 73.9% 75.2%

90o

270o

225o

210o

285o

330o

345o

03

Continuing and combining the best two models are the final stage. As a result, this model can gain the most shadows by itself. For the following step, the analysis of the shadows during a day plays an important role in this model because this helps to understand where the shadows locate. Once the sun and shadow area are defined by the changes of time, the functions can start to be put inside the space in an intelligent way. Espe-cially, the office is the main function taking place inside the tower so that each activity needs to be well located, depending on whether the space is occupied by sun or shadows.

15

PERATION in the PROJECTO+ ==

160m

36,000 m in totall floor plans2

Operation

WestEastElevation South North

Advantage1 Advantage2

Areas where shodows generate most

9:00 10:00 11:00 12:00 13:00 14:00 15:00 16:00 17:00

West

East

South

North


68.5%

DubaiDate:21th, August (Hottest day)Time:12:00 pm

Average

61.5% 70.2% 77.4% 83.1% 73.7% 67.2% 62.9% 60.5% 59.6%

16

04

17

RCHITECTUREA

04

19

RCHITECTUREAPlan Scale m 1:500

20

Section Scalem 1:800

A A’

Shadows

160m

Foot print: 38m

A A’Sun lig

ht Office

Office Office

Cafe

Green Area

Office

96.31

137.87 138.40

90.10

21.54

107.39m2

m2 m2

m2

m2

m2

30F

Green Area

Service Center

OfficeOffice229.16 223.01

75.05

21.54

m2

m2

m2

m2

29F

rr

Green Area

Service Center

Office Office293.78 315.35

86.97m

21.54

m2

m2

m2

2

28F

Area where sun project most

EastWest

cactus self-shadowing

Documents