M.B.M.

ENGINEERING COLLEGE
DEPARTMENT OF ARCHITECTURE
AND TOWN PLANNING
JAI NARAIN VYAS UNIVERSITY, JODHPUR

DISSERTAION REPORT
2019-2020
PARAMETRIC ARCHITECTURE
GUIDE: AR. RAJESH SHARMA

SUBMITTED BY:
MANVI SHARMA
B.ARCH. IV YEAR

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 DECLARATION
I, the undersigned, hereby declare that the Dissertation Report entitled
“PARAMETRIC ARCHITECTURE “is written and submitted by me for the
impartial fulfillment of the academic requirements for the award of Bachelor of
Architecture under the guidance of AR. RAJESH SHARMA. This is my original
work and interpretations drawn therein are based on material and matter collected
by me.

MANVI SHARMA
B.Arch. IV Year
Department of Architecture
M.B.M. Engineering College,
Jodhpur

Date: __/__/____

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 CERTIFICATE
This is to certify that the Dissertation report made by student MS. MANVI SHARMA is
her Bonafede work. The report presented is made by her under my guidance and
supervision.

Ar. RAJESH SHARMA Ar. PRIYANKA MEHTA

(DISSERTATION GUIDE) (HEAD OF THE DEPARTMENT)
DEPARTMENT OF ARCHITECTURE DEPARTMENT OF ARCHITECTURE
M.B.M. ENGINEERING COLLEGE, M.B.M. ENGINEERING COLLEGE,
JODHPUR JODHPUR

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 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
I have taken efforts in this project. However, it would not have been possible without the
kind support and help of many individuals and organizations. I would like to extend my
sincere thanks to all of them.

I am highly indebted to Ar. Priyanka Mehta (H.O.D. Architecture Department) and Ar.
Rajesh Sharma (Dissertation Guide) for their guidance and constant supervision as well
as for providing necessary information regarding the project & also for their support in
completing the project.
I would like to express my gratitude towards my parents & member of M.B.M.
Engineering College, Jodhpur for their kind co-operation and encouragement which help
me in completion of this project.

I would like to express my special gratitude and thanks to industry persons for giving me
such attention and time.

My thanks and appreciations also go to my colleague in developing the project and people
who have willingly helped me out with their abilities.

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 ABSTRACT

Parametric design is a new approach to architectural design based on the concept of parameters.
It utilizes parameters to set relations between design elements in order to define a range of formal
alternatives. In this sense, parametric design provides great opportunities for architects to engineer
the design process more efficiently yet its novelty generates some challenges for architectural
practitioners. The aim of this research is to explore the position of parametric design in contemporary
architectural practices in today’s world, identifying its advantages and disadvantages. Specifically,
the research will compare the theoretical knowledge and the statements made by theorists and
scholars of parametric design to the statements of practicing architects benefitting from the
parametric approach This aim is achieved through three thematic parts. The first part investigates
the design process through two points of view, focusing on the introduction of parametric design
and its sub parts. The second part identifies the process of parametric design in practice, specifically
focusing on different parameters for designing and the building materials widely or most commonly
used by famous architects and set of techniques. Finally, the third part explores the advantages and
disadvantages of parametric design and its distinctions. The research uses the qualitative method
based on in-depth. revie and research of several tall towers benefitted from their parametric design
process.

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CONTENT: -
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

ABSTRACT

CHAPTER 1: Introduction

1.1 Parametricism
1.2 Parametric in Architecture
1.3 Parametric Architecture
1.4 Aim
1.5 Objective
1.6 Methodology
1.7 Scope
1.8 Future
1.9 Limitations

CHAPTER 2: Literature Study

2.1 Background
2.1.1 Architectural Conceptual Parametric Design
2.1.2 Architectural Constructive Parametric Design
2.2 It’s Origins
2.3 Architecture
2.4 Parametric Software
2.5 Advantages
2.6 Challenges
2.7 Change Is Parametric
2.8 How Will Parametric Design Change Architecture

CHAPTER 3: Different Parameters in Building Design

CHAPTER 4: Parametric Architects

4.1 Architect Zaha Hadid

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 4.2 Architect Frank Gehry

CHAPTER 5: Parametric Facades

5.1 Adaptive skins
5.2 Some Examples of Parametric Facades
5.3 Blend of Vernacular and Parametric Design

CHAPTER 6: Case Study

6.1 Shanghai Tower
6.2 AL Bahr Tower

CHAPTER 7: Parametric Building Materials

7.1 Stainless Steel
7.2 Aluminium
7.3 Glass
7.4 Plastics and Composites

CHAPTER 8: Conclusion

REFERENCES

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CHAPTER-1: INTRODUCTION
TERMS

Algorithm: noun

a process or set of rules to be followed in calculations or other problem-solving operations, especially

by a computer.

Parameter: noun (technical)

a numerical or other measurable factor forming one of a set that defines a system or sets

the conditions of its operation

Parametric Design:

1. a process based on algorithmic thinking that enables the expression of parameters and rules that,
together, define, encode and clarify the relationship between design intent and design response

2. a paradigm in design where the relationship between elements are used to manipulate and inform
the design of complex geometries and structures.

Constraints- Constraints help delineate the range of variations that a parametric model can sustain.
Two types of constraints: dimensional and geometric.

Dimensional constraints are essential in defining the geometry of a design concept. For example
one might define an arc by constraining its radius, and length. Such constraints establish a
dependency of the geometric elements on the variable(s) that defines them.

1.1PARAMETRICISM
Parametricism is a style within contemporary avant-garde architecture, promoted as a successor to
post-modern architecture and modern architecture. The term was coined in 2008 by Patrik
Schumacher, an architectural partner of Zaha Hadid (1950- 2016). Parametricism has its origin in
parametric design, which is based on the constraints in a parametric equation. Parametricism relies
on programs, algorithms, and computers to manipulate equations for design purposes.

Aspects of parametricism have been used in urban design, architectural design, interior design
and furniture design. Proponents of parametricism have declared that one of the defining features
is that "Parametricism implies that all elements of the design become parametrically variable and
mutually

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adaptive. "According to Schumacher, parametricism is an autopoiesis, or a self- referential system,
in which all the elements are interlinked and an outside influence that changes one alters all the
others."

1.2 PARAMETRICS IN ARCHITECTURE

Loosely defined, parametric in architecture (parametricism) implies the design of buildings not as
static objects, but in terms of a series of relationships, controlled by a set of inputs, or parameters.
By programming a certain amount of intelligence into the way geometry is generated in the
computer, the designer shifts his role from the design of a single object to the design of a system
in which many solutions are possible and which is controlled by a defined set of values. This holds
many practical benefits for architecture, as an entire design can be regenerated automatically if
any design parameter is changed. The wide-scale adoption of this technique has also had a range
of effects on the theory of architecture and a reconceptualization in how many architects view the
design of buildings and the practice of architecture.

1.3 PARAMETRIC ARCHITECTURE

In its simplest definition, parametric architecture creates a system of so-called" parameters" or
variables and a set of constraints to produce an outcome (say a geometric shape like a cube) that
can be modified by changing the variables.

At its ultimate form, parametric architecture creates a rather complicated algorithm that is a set of
rules and constraints, takes in a group of inputs we as architect s give to it, and then performs the
algorithm to calculate our output which can be the best structure or an architectural form we're
looking for.

What are the parameters and how should we define them?

They are the design factors architects have to deal. Things like climate, culture, functionality, use,
and so on.

Given the right algorithm, parameters, and constraints, it can help find the most efficient and
effective form for a specific design problem. But it could also oversimplify a design problem by
overlooking unquantifiable parameters like cultural or social concerns.

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Buildings today no longer be viewed as being merely the visible three-dimensional result of a
linear solution- seeking process. In our increasingly complex society, solutions as difficult they are
to find, are what we should aim at. Method involves a consisting form-to- program heuristics, i.e.
form selects function instead of function selects form. Development of project thus extensively
relies on post rationalization. The project oscillates between the play and analysis and aim at
elaborating new form-function relations.

Hence for my research, I have decided to consider different parameters in the building
construction process. The main idea is to understand how a building can be modified or
manipulated to achieve a free-flowing behavior and how this behavior can affect the building
typology and built environment? Parametric architecture helps a designer to manipulate spaces or
forms in ways which are difficult to imagine visually. And it is the age of contemporary and
digitalized architecture, the change from linear models to experimental and innovative forms and
expressions is inevitable. By using a parametric approach, I believe I can have a thorough
understanding of the parameter and in the future can implement this concept.

1.4 AIM
The complexity of building varies with the site constraints and the purpose behind which the
building was created. Parametric approach helps in bringing out solutions quickly. The main aim of
the research is to observe and study how a building can be designed following the design
approach of parametric design in architecture and implementing it in the present world using
different materials and techniques.

1.5 OBJECTIVES

a. To understand thoroughly the concept of Parametric architecture.

b. To understand parameters and parametric approach to design.
c. To find techniques and material to which the conceptual form will executed in reality.
d. To investigate parametric techniques helpful to increase the performance of the building.
e. To find the whether or not parametric design has a role in future architecture.
f. How parametric design have been used in exterior and interior facades.
g. To study how an architect implement this concept in his design (through what
medium e.g. software, computer aided design)

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1.6 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

The following steps will be followed in the study of parametric architectural design:

UNDERSTANDING PARAMETRIC ARCHITECTURE

AND IT’S BACKGROUND

UNDERSTANDING PARAMETRIC SOFTWARES

DIFFERENT PARAMETERS OF A BUILDING DESIGN

ARCHITECTS WORK AND ONLINE CASE STUDIES

BUILDING MATERIALS FOR PARAMETRIC ARCHITECTURE

AND IT’S DESIGN IMPLEMENTATION

CONCLUSION

1.7 SCOPE
In the present scenario where fast construction is a necessity, parametric architecture has helped,
solved this problem by giving data required for analysis and construction. Parametric architecture
has broadened the scope of form finding in architecture, allowing construction of complicated
structures with ease.

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With the help of parametric architecture one can design the project precisely taking all the
qualitative and quantitative parameters in mind that will result in new aesthetics, smart design
process and flexibility, biological and scripting knowledge.

1.8 THE FUTURE

It will now be determined whether designing parametrically to truly design parametric architecture
is the future of architecture or if it is just an theoretical style that can be replaced by the next
fashionable end within architecture.

Architecture and design as a process today involves constant evaluation and development of
designs as the design process progresses. Architects and designers constantly adapt and
redesign elements of their work to more effectively express the requirements of a particular brief
Robert Aish, director of research at Bentley Systems, explains this theory beautifully at a Smart
Geometry Group meeting between the leaders in software development research and design
where he says “Design is a discipline emerges from the craft process as a way of abstracting and
evaluating alternative possible configurations usage scenarios and materializations without
actually physically making and testing each possible alternative

This exemplifies the importance of digitally generated models and evaluation simulations within
the design process. As architecture becomes much more complex in terms of design with the
design process per design taking greater time and projects increasing in scale and complexity
there is a requirement within the field to increase the efficiency of this process. Designing
parametrically may be the answer to this.

1.9 LIMITATIONS
1. As this dissertation is based on emerging field, case studies will be virtual due to absence of
projects in the country.

2. This dissertation will focus on parametric elements not its programming.

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CHAPTER-2: LITERATURE STUDY

2.1 BACKGROUND
.During the past fifteen years digital media in architecture was used in different ways and
influenced the whole field of construction and design. At the beginning digital media was applied
only as a representational tool. With emerging digital technology architecture has found a new tool
for conceptual design in digital media.

On the one hand architectural design was inspired by the various possibilities of digital technology
itself. On the other hand, many topics from different fields influenced the design. Former invisible
mathematical and geometrical algorithms, forms and structures are now visible and spatial
understandable for architects and, therefore, usable. Using new technique architectural design has
established computational concepts Such as topological space (topological architectures),
isomorphic surfaces (isomorphic architectures) motion kinematics and dynamics (animate
architectures), key shape animation (metamorphic architectures), parametric design (parametric
architectures), genetic algorithms (evolutionary architectures or fractal geometry /fractal
architecture).

Generally, in parametric design form is shaped by values of parameters and equations are used to
describe the relationships between the forms. Hence, interdependencies between forms can be
established and their behavior under transformation can be defined (mathematically and
geometrically). Since about 1990 parametric design has influenced the development of digital
architectural design, where we can distinguish between:

a. Architectural CONCEPTUAL parametric design and

b. Architectural CONSTRUCTIVE parametric design.

2.1.1 ARCHITECTURAL CONCEPTUAL PARAMETRIC DESIGN

In conceptual parametric design, it is the parameters of a particular design that are declared, not
its shape. By assigning different values to the parameters different objects or configurations can
be easily created Rosenman and Gero, Prousalidou analyze parametric and generative
representations of buildings whether based on orthogonal or curvilinear geometry. They are
powerful owing to their ability to capture a high degree of variation in a few numerical values.
Software like Maya or Rhinoceros (with Mel or Rhino Script) offers such script editors for

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parametric design. Maya is software developed for film industry (primarily for animation and
capturing) but lately many architects have used it for conceptual design.

This design method requires knowledge of programming or scripting and it is inherent of the
mathematical algorithms whereby interactive design is not possible.

2.1.2 ARCHITECTURAL CONSTRUCTIVE PARAMETRIC DESIGN

Constructive parametric design refers to data embedded within a predetermined 3D object. This
parametric concept is realized in various CAD packages like Autodesk Revit, Soft Plan,
Nemetschek, ArchiCAD or Chief Architect. Instead of drawing lines, arcs, etc. designers can insert
pre-drawn components, doors, windows, load elements, stairs or roofs etc. This results in 3D
models instead of 2D drawings, which is already standard in ship-building industry. The objective
of such technology is to reduce the drafting time and corrections to 2D drawings. We detected
some limitations insuch software tools.

First, it is not possible to consider a wide range of different bujlding materials to make one
standard for all manufactures of building materials and components with the aim to provide an
"intelligent" model.

Second, these software tools are originally designed for standard building elements, whereas
non-standard elements of contemporary digital architecture cannot be implemented In
contemporary architectural practice there are some successful examples of using parametric
design and we will discuss some of the projects

2.2 UNDERSTANDING IT’S ORIGINS

An upside-down force model of the Colònia Güell, Sagrada Família Museum

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One of the earliest examples of parametric design was the upside down model of churches
by Antonio Gaudi. In his design for the Church of Colònia Güell he created a model of strings
weighted down with birdshot to create complex vaulted ceilings and arches. By adjusting the
position of the weights or the length of the strings he could alter the shape of each arch and also
see how this change influenced the arches connected to it. He placed a mirror on the bottom of
the model to see how it should look upside-down.

Features of Gaudi's method

Gaudi's analogue method includes the main features of a computational of a parametric model
(input parameters, equation, output):

• The string length, birdshot weight and anchor point location all form independent input
parameters
• The vertex locations of the points on the strings being the outcomes of the model
• The outcomes are derived by explicit functions, in this case gravity or Newtons law of motion.

By modifying individual parameters of these models Gaudi could generate different versions of his
model while being certain the resulting structure would stand in pure compression. Instead of
having to manually calculate the results of parametric equations he could automatically derive the
shape of the catenary curves through the force of gravity acting on the strings.

Sketchpad

Where Gaudi used physical laws to speed up his calculation of parametric equations, Ivan
Sutherland looked to the processing power of digital computers.

Sutherland created an interactive computer-aided design program called Sketchpad. Using a light
pen, users could draw lines and arcs that could be related to each other using constraints. These
constraints contained all the essential properties of parametric equations. Users could experiment
and explore different designs by altering the parameters of an entity and let Sketchpad do the
calculations and redraw the geometry according to the constraints imposed upon it.

2.3 ARCHITECTURE

Nature has always served as inspiration for architects and designers. Computer technology has
given designers and architects the tools to analyze and simulate the complexity observed in nature

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and apply it to structural building shapes and urban organizational patterns. In the 1980s
architects and designers started using computers running software developed for the aerospace
and moving picture industries to "animate form".

One of the first architects and theorists that used computers to generate architecture was Greg
Lynn. His blob and fold architecture is some of the early examples of computer generated
architecture. Shenzhen Bao'an International Airport's new Terminal 3, finished in 2013, designed
by Italian architect Massimiliano Fuksas, with parametric design support by the engineering
firm Knippers Helbig, is an example for the use of parametric design and production technologies
in a large scale building.

2.4 PARAMETRIC SOFTWARE

By far the most widely used parametric design software is ‘Grasshopper’ developed by the David
Rutten for Robert McNeel Associates and first released in 2008.

Some other parametric software’s are as follows:

1. Catia

CATIA (Computer Aided three-dimensional Interactive Application) was used by architect Frank
Gehry to design some of his award-winning curvilinear buildings such as the Guggenheim
Museum Bilbao. Gehry Technologies, the technology arm of his firm, have since created Digital
Project, their own parametric design software based on their experience with CATIA.

2. Autodesk 3DS Max

Autodesk 3ds Max is a parametric 3D modeling software which provides modeling, animation,
simulation, and rendering functions for games, film, and motion graphics. 3ds Max uses the
concept of modifiers and wired parameters to control its geometry and gives the user the ability to
script its functionality. Max Creation Graph is a visual programming node-based tool creation
environment in 3ds Max 2016 that is similar to Grasshopper and Dynamo.

3. Autodesk Maya

Autodesk Maya is a 3D computer graphics software originally developed by Alias Systems

Corporation (formerly Alias|Wavefront) and currently owned and developed by Autodesk, Inc. It is
used to create interactive 3D applications, including video games, animated film, TV series, or
visual effects. Maya exposes a node graph architecture. Scene elements are node-based, each

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node having its own attributes and customization. As a result, the visual representation of a scene
is based on a network of interconnecting nodes, depending on each other's information. Maya is
equipped with a cross-platform scripting language, called Maya Embedded Language. MEL is
provided for scripting and a means to customize the core functionality of the software, since many
of the tools and commands used are written in it. MEL or Python can be used to engineer
modifications, plug-ins or be injected into runtime. User interaction is recorded in MEL, allowing
novice users to implement subroutines.

4. Grasshopper 3D

The Grasshopper canvas with some nodes

Grasshopper 3d (originally Explicit History) is a plug-in for Rhinoceros 3D that presents the users
with a visual programming language interface to create and edit geometry.

Components or nodes are dragged onto a canvas in order to build a grasshopper definition.
Grasshopper is based on graphs that map the flow of relations from parameters through user-
defined functions (nodes), resulting in the generation of geometry. Changing parameters or
geometry causes to changes to propagate throughout all functions, and the geometry to be
redrawn.

5. Autodesk Revit

Autodesk Revit is building information modeling (BIM) software used by architects and other
building professionals. Revit was developed in response to the need for software that could create
three-dimensional parametric models that include both geometry and non-geometric design and
construction information. Every change made to an element in Revit is automatically propagated
through the model to keep all components, views and annotations consistent. This eases
collaboration between teams and ensures that all information (floor areas, schedules, etc.) are
updated dynamically when changes in the model are made.

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2.5 ADVANTAGES OF PARAMETRIC DESIGN

Some recognizable facets of parametrics turn it into a more sophisticated mode of design. The
reasons why a typical architectural practice employs a parametric approach can differ while some
firms follow a competitive strategy by simply keeping up with the latest software, such as
parametric packages, the majority tend to see parametrics through the lens of effective
functionality; for example, as an improvement of design opportunities.

In general, the ability to rigorously explore more design alternatives and to therefore, see better
solutions emerging from design problems is pointed out as the main benefit of parametric design.
Furthermore, unlike traditional CAD which still depends highly on sketching or physical modelling,
some of the advantages of parametric design would be seen early on in the exploration of design
possibilities. When architects specifically think about free-form structures, parametric design gives
them 'a great opportunity for exploring more exciting forms.

Yet, great benefits also exist in the later stages of the design process for the automation of
construction documentation and higher levels of architectural control in production. In terms of
financial issues, there are also benefits in reducing the person-hours spent on exploring design,
and the tedious activity of drawing details that can be extracted from architectural models.
Concisely, parametric design can bridge the gap between the design and manufacture of the
building. Roland Hudson, an architect and a researcher of parametric design describes the
opportunities that parametric design can offer.

Through probing into the surrounding literature, one of the fundamental issues that is frequently
cited is the ability to make relationships between objects, using equations to define the associative
geometry. Robert Woodbury indicates that defining relationships has not previously been
considered as part of design thinking, since the conventional defined activities in design were add
and erase Now designers have two extra capabilities, namely relate and repair. For Woodbury.
'relating demands explicit thinking about the type of relation, and repairing happens after an
erasure, when the parts that depend on an erased part are related again to the parts that remain’s.
Hence, these two acts imposed pivotal changes on past systems. It is reasonable to consider
them as benefits of parametric design. Besides these issues, architects recognize several other
differentiators about parametric design when compared with traditional ways of designing. These
issues can be divided into three classes, namely optimization of the design process, the capability
of making a range of solutions for the design problem, and engineering the design process more
efficiently.

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2.6 THE CHALLENGES OF PARAMETRIC DESIGN

2.6.1 UNNECESSARY COMPLEXITY WITH TOO MUCH INFORMATION

The complexity of parametric packages seems to be a serious challenge for parametric design.
Sometimes parametric modeling requires additional effort and increase complexity of design
decisions and increase the number of items to which attention must be paid in task completion.

Many times architects also argue that there is no need to have such a complex structure for a
design problem, as it makes the design activity more complicated.

Especially on the commercial side architects are asked to provide more information with more
high-level graphics in a short period than is possible merely using the latest parametric programs.
On the other hand, architects must think about which software is suitable, considering this fact that
parametric packages are costly.

Some architects also that with a building which is more traditional construction and also the way
building industry still often works with prefabrication, then it doesn't necessarily justify going into
that level of detail within software.

The problem related to parametric design and modelling becomes a more serious challenge when
the lack of time and huge project makes collaborative design necessity. It is generally observed
that in most of the architectural firms, the principal architect sketch and work on tracing papers and
then give the piece of drawing to other architect and practitioners, asking them for more work and
generating more alternatives As in every design project, there is a hierarchy of people working
together and the parametric designer is obliged to work within that team. The problem arises very
often when the rest of the team working much more traditionally by hand, and increases when
some of the stages done on paper cannot be transferred into parametric programs and so the
parametric program is deemed ignorant of what being designed. This is probably one of the
reasons why the number of parametric experts in company is usually low, especially in small
architectural firm

Architects are often trained to think visually in three dimensions. Hence, they draw things in
peculiar interfaces such as grasshopper without really understanding where they are in the virtual
space. This complexity also brings about another issue: demand for more powerful computers.
This need is particularly seen in small and modest companies, since most of parametric packages
are quite bulky in size. In addition, due to limited capacity of standalone systems architects need

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to share their information with each other through an internal network which again highly depends
on the computers used in the design process to support these characteristics. Architects thus ask
for upgraded computer systems that are able to meet their current requirement.

2.6.2 CONSTRAINING CREATIVITY WITH REACTIVE STRUCTURE

One of the major differences between CAD and parametric design is the idea of setting constraints
in the design. Even this idea of setting constraints may be considered as an advantage of
parametric design but sometimes it has negative aspects as well. Architects like Alex Solk
(SHEPPARD ROBSON ARCHITECTS) argues that constraints sometimes confines the creativity
of the design and the reactive structure of parametric design packages developed by the software
engineers make the architect feel restrained by predefined set of parameters. While some of the
parameter are flexible, they still offer limited conditions. Many architects also find the parametric
packages are reactive than interactive

2.6.3 LEARNING AND TRAINING DIFFICULTIES

The problem of education and training is also a challenge related to the parametric design. Even
though this novel style parametricism and parametric design software offers a great number of
benefits like structural optimization, adaptive environment engineering, CNC fabrication and
robotic construction, their integration into an architectural practice is quite a big challenge. The
architects and designers must learn how to use parametric scripts properly and how to understand
the overall management of them. This is the major reason due to which the number of those who
know parametric software is remarkably lower than the other practitioners in a design group This
case surprisingly prevails in large companies and international offices as well.

According to Robert Woodbury. mastering parametrics requires architects to be a part designer,

part computer scientist and part mathematician, which more commonly seen among young
designers.

He refers to six skills, all of which are required for parametric mastery: conceiving data flow.
divide- and- conquer strategies. naming, thinking with abstraction, thinking mathematically, and
thinking algorithmically. Although the discipline of parametric design seems to be a pitfall that
perhaps can be gradually resolved within time it is currently a challenge for many practicing
architects. This is the reason why in many projects, notably residential buildings, traditional CAD is
frequently used. The usage of parametric design is perhaps seen more in cultural, educational,
and commercial projects, or those building which are first presented to an architectural

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competitions. So parametric design needs a comprehensive framework which can make it easier
for the architects to understand the whole design process and the scripting involved

2.6.4 MAKING MAJOR CHANGES

Parametric models made by designers are based on some concept and these concepts are the
guiding principle of whole parametric model. But sometimes incorporate too many changes might
change the initial concept of the design and architects may have to start all over. This challenge
reflects that it is not easy to make changes in parametric model as it is claimed and the major
changes often present the designer with only one viable option i.e., start over

2.6.5 UNSEEN CHANGES

In the parametric design, if anyone changes a parameter it could affect the geometry somewhere
in the design that we didn't want to be changed and the problem increases when the designer is
unable to see those changes due to the complex structure of the built form. This problem occurs
often and the change may not be detected until much late in the design phase or even worse in
the more expensive construction phase. A designer might be unable to see certain model
changes, because of the complex structure and too many detailing and this may cause
catastrophic problems during the construction phase

2.6.6 REUSSE AND SHARING OF PARAMETRIC MODEL

Any operator using the model needs the intimate knowledge of the parametric program that is
return for that specific design. This knowledge of logic is not actually transferred with the 3-d
model and the original programmer of the model becomes the owner of the model. Many a time if
the program is too complex, the original programmer is the only one who can work with it. This
makes the parametric models difficult to reuse and share. Often after a parametric model is
created, other designer can't easily modify the design because they don't possess the knowledge
about how it was created and the original intent.

2.6.7 SELECTION OF PARAMETERS

The real challenge in parametric is not how clever the algorithm is or how complicated the output
is, but the real challenge lies in the selection of the initial input parameters. The architect must
think about the parameters which are beyond the geometric ones Very few architects and software
developers have taken on the challenge to classify, let alone invent systems that can accept
fundamentally different types of parameters. In order to truly connect parametric design to the
everyday activities of designers, they need to understand and represent the same issues the

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designer are working with geometry and topology, but also architectural components, materials,
the environment and people.

2.6.8 HUMAN AS A PARAMETER

We all know that architecture purpose is to shelter humans from the elementsn and to create
spaces that can be experienced by the humans. If parametrics is about creating humane
architecture and the type of architecture that creates truly customizable spaces, it should be able
to consider and model the clients, their intents and desires and incorporate that information as
parameters in design system. It has been observed that the incorporating the human parameters
in the design projects and rendering does not go beyond the inclusion of scale model of a person.

2.6.9 ECONOMIC ISSUES

Complex architectural geometry typically comes at the expense on structural elegance and
construction efficiency. Shell structures can address the forms but they all too quickly become
unconvincing if they do not address the latter.

The shell structures cannot be constructed in an efficient or generally appreciate manner that
considers the important role of local, cultural and economic factors. They require full and rigid
frameworks. Furthermore the materials use to build formwork shuttering are often used only once,
as they are customized for a specific doubly curved geometry, although some free form concrete
shells have been realized in recent years, these contemporary examples are usually signature
buildings, where budget, materials or other constraints are not necessarily a central concern. And
this is the major reason due to which only huge firms can build such projects.

2.6.10 MATERIALITY

The technological advancement in computer modelling and generation techniques have resulted in
an explosion of formal explorations in architectural design. New and complex shapes can be
generated regardless of their structural stability or feasibility. The problem occurs when the
structural solutions required to build these new shapes often use an awkward accumulation of
material and this sometimes leads to construction of building that is intellectually and
architecturally unsatisfactory. For instance, a lack of structural thinking during the design process
leads to construction such as FRANK GEHRY'S WALT DISNEY CONCERT HALL in Los
Angeles(2003). where the structural engineers came in later to brings the architect's imaginative
sketches into three dimensions, such a unidirectional process results in heavy structures, wasted
materials and inelegant details.

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2.7 CHANGE IS PARAMETRIC

Another observable characteristic of parametric model- beside the parameters involved, is that the
geometry changes when the parameter changes. These characteristic leads some of the
architects to claim that “Change is Parametric”

Chris Yessois the founder and CEO of the modelling software “FormZ” says:

Initially a parametric definition was simply a mathematical formula that require values to be
substituted for a few parameters in order to be generative variations from within a family entity.
Today it is used to imply that the entity once generated can be easily changed.

Defining parametric modelling in terms of change is not sufficient to describe parametric design.
Although parametric models change, so too does practically everything else in the world, except
perhaps change itself. Even explicit geometric models can commonly by changes through rotation,
or Scaling, or moving a mesh vertex. And specialized representations, like BlM, are setup to
ensure changes to underlying database also changed the associated models. Thus, while
parametric models change, and while parametric models are celebrated for being able to change,
change is hardly a unique feature of parametric modelling. By Saying parametric modelling is
change, the various authors once again focus on what parametric models do without considering
the unique qualities of how parametric models are Created.

2.8 HOW WILL PARAMETRIC DESIGN CHANGE ARCHITECTURE?

There’s no doubt that parametric design is already changing architecture, and this is just the
beginning. Here are some of the key changes that parametricism brings to the table.

1. It Combines Aesthetics with Efficiency

For a long time, the laws of nature limited the architect’s imagination. Over the centuries, a
number of artists managed to go against the grain, but it was never possible on a large scale of
any sort.
It simply used up so much time to turn a visually captivating building into an efficient structure. It
took a lot of trial and error, time, and effort of many. Such an endeavor was almost impossible in
the past with these limitations.

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However, computers have allowed architects to quickly solve their design problems. Check out
any modern parametric structure. You’ll notice it doesn’t follow any concepts of symmetry and it
defies traditional shapes.
In the future, parametricism can solve spatial issues better than any engineer or architect. At the
same time, architects can add their visual touch by tweaking the design tool.
Therefore, the end product can be a blend of maximum efficiency and artistic touch.

2. It Accelerates Design Ideas

When you input particular parameters into the design tool, it will abide by these rules in coming up
with possible designs. This allows you to find the best possible solution for every corner of your
potential structure
Thus, there’s so much more in parametricism than just twisting your structure for the sake of it.
You can input the parameters inside the model of the structure and quickly sort out every room.
For example, you can design a restroom in accordance with the structure’s shape. Input
parameters into the program and you’ll get multiple design ideas. If you manage to sort that out
quickly, you can move on to the more appealing aspects of the design.

3. You Shouldn’t Confuse It with “Style”

And you may indeed notice obvious similarities in parametric structures. It’s mostly because of
their uncanny design, which seems out of place compared to its surroundings.
But that’s just one part of the story.
For example, property developers around the world are starting to embrace parametric tools, too.
Not because they want to develop unusual structures, but because it allows them to utilize space.
Parametric tools can become a staple of property investment. By utilizing every centimeter of your
investment, you can turn a mediocre piece of land into a beautiful, efficient structure and
development.
That’s why it’s not only an artistic “trend” but also a technological step forward.

4. Allows a Complex Design Process (No More Repetition)

With most parametric tools being cloud-based, it’s easy to transfer data from one user to another.
This provides an easier exchange of data and allows the formation of multiple design teams.
This affects the entire design process in multiple ways. Most notably, with the invention and rise to
prominence of Building Information Modeling (BIM).

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BIM is a system where multiple teams work together in creating a building or other structure. It
consists of multiple levels, from programming to construction and operation.
This process has the potential to end repetitive tasks and move away from traditional tools. It
allows you to automate countless tasks that you would otherwise spend a lot of time on.
But on the other hand, designers will need to adapt to various new potential tasks.

5. Utilizes a Ton of Data in an Instant

The possibilities of parametric architecture are limitless. What previously took weeks, months, or
years before now only takes a few minutes.
Imagine you need to design an office building.
First, you need to think of the client’s requests as well as the possibilities. Then, you need to take
into account natural laws that may prevent a particular design. Or laws affecting the durability of
the building, including materials and other elements.
But with an AI system, you just need to know the initial parameters. The computer will do
everything for you on its own.
Many say that these tools are the architect’s programming language. By playing with particular
parameters and adding data, they come up with shapes and forms that weren’t possible before.
Within seconds, you can create countless different outputs using previous and new data.
Not to mention you can make new tools to suit your needs.
For example, you’re building a tower in a city where it’s mostly cloudy. How would you test the
amount of daylight at a particular time of the year?
With these tools, you can do it in minutes. Simply simulate the situation with the appropriate
parameters and you’ll get your answer.

6. Architecture Will Adapt to “Smart Cities”

A lot of experts are afraid that AI will gradually take over architecture jobs. Although that’s a viable
concern, there may be a different path for an architect.
Instead of focusing on a certain structure or neighborhood, a team of architects may have to plan
entire cities. With the evolution of technology, entire cities are becoming individual systems of their
own.
Parametric architecture may play a crucial role in making these smart cities work. This will present
architects with another task. They may need to plan out the entire system of structures, instead of
one at a time.
In a way, this is already happening.

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CHAPTER-3: Different Parameters in Building Design
The main parameters to be taken into account in building design include:

• Owner or end user functional requirements (intended space usage and relationships i.e.
number and size of rooms, relationships between rooms and with the environment)
• Aesthetic requirements (style, forms, colours)
• Physical environment (ground conditions, accessed, views, climate, neighbours, available
utilities)
• Applicable regulations (setbacks, allowable heights and other architectural requirements,
engineering standards to be followed)
• Resources available (materials, labour, budget)

Prior to starting the design, it is necessary to define the parameters of the project, and draw upon
the extensive research that has been carried out so far.

Project Design Brief

Following discussions with the client we can begin to build an understanding of the spatial
requirements of the project. These could include:
• Room requirements, types of rooms, how many rooms
• Floor areas of rooms and spaces
• Flexible spaces
• Floor area standards to carry out particular tasks
• Spatial relationship requirements to the site and context
• Relationship between spaces

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The brief may be very detailed, perhaps for a residential client who is very clear about how they
desire their new home to be . Or the brief could be more loose, with a commercial client having
bought land for development, but requiring further investigation as to the best use of the site. This
is where feasibility studies would begin to establish the kind of project to proceed with.
On the other hand, if the client was perhaps a retail brand, a supermarket perhaps, or the type of
commercial enterprise that had multiple outlets in different locations, they would be very clear as
to their requirements and not doubt have very detailed procedures and needs to fulfil the brief.
Working with the brief it is necessary to establish who the end user of the building will be. If you
are designing a private house, it is likely the client will be the end user. This means you will be
able to ask many questions and get to know the client and what they need for their new home.
However, if you are working with a developer, or on a large scale development, it is most probable
that the end user will not be the client. It is important to establish both the needs of the client, for
example, maximum profit at minimum cost for a developer, and the needs of the actual building
user. Sometimes the term stakeholders is used, to encompass all parties that have some form of
engagement in the project and need to be considered during the design. A stakeholder could be
the client, developer, investor, contractor, community, end user and so on.

Type of project
We will also be able to establish from the brief what type of project we are working on. Are we
looking at a residential project for a single family? Or a multiple occupancy residential project
where we will be attempting to fulfil the needs of multiple families? If a multiple occupancy
scheme, is the project private or public? Will the apartments or dwellings be owned by the
occupiers or will they be rented? How will the budget affect the project?
Is the project a commercial worker? The building could be serving as offices, business premises,
retail, restaurants, factories, and the list goes on. For each of these types of commercial project, it
is important to establish how the building will be used and by whom. What kind of tasks will be
carried out in the building and what specific requirements will those tasks have? This could be
lighting, temperature, special equipment, and many more factors that may be specific to this
particular project.

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Is the project a public building or an institution?
A public building or institution could be anything from an airport, to a government building,
museum, library, hospital, school, and many more. Some of these types of buildings can have
many requirements and complicated briefs. Establishing detailed information about these types of
buildings and carrying out thorough research will help as the design process gets going. Some
buildings will serve more than one function, a museum for example. Although most of a museum
space is displaying objects or paintings, a museum may also be used as an event space, may
include a shop and a cafe. All of these parts of the project must be considered with the same
amount of care and attention.
In the same way, a hospital not only has highly specialised equipment and needs, but also will
house anything from a shop, cafe to laboratories, teaching spaces and many others.
The type of project will be a key factor in defining the project requirements.
Site Analysis
Many of the decisions that are taken on the project will be a response to the site of the proposed
building and its context. The site analysis will provide a wealth of information to learn about the
requirements of the site, the local area, the history, the climatic conditions and many more factors
that will need to be considered.

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Many architects use the site as a starting point for developing their proposal. Some of the factors
that will need to be studied include:
• Location – where the site is situated
• Neighbourhood context – the immediate surrounding of the site including data on zoning
and buildings and other impacts on our project.
• Zoning and size – dimensional considerations such as boundaries, easements, height
restrictions, site area, access along with any further plans.
• Legal information – ownership, restrictions or covenants, council related information,
planning regulations and restrictions future urban development plans.
• Natural physical features – actual features of the site such as trees, rocks, topography,
rivers, ponds, drainage patterns.
• Man made features – existing buildings, walls, surrounding vernacular, setbacks, materials,
landscaping, scale.
• Circulation – Vehicle and pedestrian movements in, through and around the site. Consider
the timing of these movements, and duration of heavier patterns. Future traffic and road
developments should also be considered.
• Utilities – Any electricity, gas, water, sewer and telephone services that are situated in or
near the site, along with distances, depths and materials.
• Climate – all climatic information such as rainfall, snowfall, wind directions, temperatures,
sun path, all considered during the different times of the year.
• Sensory – this addresses the visual, audible and tactile aspects of the site, such as views,
noise, and so on. These again should be considered in time frames and a positive or
negative factor can be attributed to the condition.
• Human and cultural – the cultural, psychological, behavioural and sociological aspects of
the surrounding neighbourhood. Activities and patterns, density, population ethnic patterns,
employment, income, values and so on.
• Once data relating to the site has been collected it can be evaluated, considering some of
the following issues:
• Street patterns
• Street section
• Scale and the hierarchy/form/space
• Land use
• Typologies
• Neighbourhood relationships, formal street variation

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 • Perspective relationships, views
• Edge conditions, surfaces and materials
• Natural and man made
• Movement and circulation within and around the site
• Vehicle vs. pedestrian
• Access
• Public space vs. private space
• Open space
• History
• Climate – sun angles and sun shadows
• Negative and positive spaces – we move through negative spaces and dwell in positive
spaces

Characteristics of the site

While we have studied the features of the site using our site analysis, it is important to also
mention the non-physical context of the site. A site will change over time, and these changes may
not always be visible. Non-physical context can be political, social, cultural, and historical. To
understand these aspects of the site, and weave them into the project is an important study during
the design process.

This type of data can be difficult to collect, and in some cases it has been shown that engaging
with and involving the community in the design project allows the architect to gain a true reflection

30
of the non physical context of the site. Collaborations allow the design to reflect the needs of the
community and integrate them into the project.

Conclusion
Drawing from the research stages, the brief, site analysis, project type, site characteristics we are
able to proceed to developing our concept of design and start to develop an outline of the project
needs. Although we have mentioned many factors here, there are certainly countless more, and
often varied from project to project, site to site. There isn’t just one way to approach design, but
the points raised here are enough to develop a design aesthetically and functionally.

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CHAPTER- 4: PARAMETRIC ARCHITECTS
In this chapter we will discuss about the materials used by known parametric architects and about
their work. There are many known architects for their parametric style, but here we will only
discuss about the most famous two architects:

4.1 Zaha Hadid

4.2 Frank Gehry

4.1 ZAHA HADID

She was described by The Guardian of London as the "Queen of the curve", who "liberated
architectural geometry, giving it a whole new expressive identity". Her major works include
the London Aquatics Centre for the 2012 Olympics, the Broad Art Museum in the US, the MAXXI
Museum in Rome, and the Guangzhou Opera House in China. Some of her awards have been
presented posthumously, including the statuette for the 2017 Brit Awards. Several of her buildings
were still under construction at the time of her death, including the large Daxing International
Airport in Bejing, and the Al Wakrah Stadium in Qatar, a venue for the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

Hadid was the first woman to receive the Pritzker Architecture Prize, in 2004. She received the
UK's most prestigious architectural award, the Stirling Prize, in 2010 and 2011. In 2012, she was

32
made a Dame by Elizabeth II for services to architecture, and in February, 2016, the month
preceding her death, she became the first and only woman to be awarded the Royal Gold
Medal from the Royal Institute of British Architects.

In 2004 Hadid was awarded the Pritzker Architecture Prize, considered the profession’s highest
honor. She was the first woman to receive the award. In the mid-2000s she finally received a full-
scale commission in the British Isles, for a cancer-care building called Maggie’s Centre in Fife,
Scotland.

Zaha Hadid mainly worked with Composite Fibres.

33
Zaha Hadid's practice is at the forefront of using new materials to express the complex geometries
they create through parametric design. Although they are famed for making concrete appear
weightless, many of their building's skins are clad in different types of composite fibres.
The Heydar Aliyev Center in Baku, for example, uses Glass Fibre Reinforced Polyester (GFRP) to
create an almost seamless flowing exterior. Their recent extension to the Serpentine Sackler
Gallery in London uses much the same technique, with their experimental materiality even
extending into the design of superyachts.

4.2 FRANK GEHRY

A number of his buildings, including his private residence, have become world-
renowned attractions. His works are cited as being among the most important works
of contemporary architecture in the 2010 World Architecture Survey, which led Vanity Fair to label
him as "the most important architect of our age".

Gehry's best-known works include the titanium-clad Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, Spain; Walt
Disney Concert Hall in downtown Los Angeles; Louis Vuitton Foundation in Paris,
France; MIT Ray and Maria Stata Center in Cambridge, Massachusetts; the Vontz Center for
Molecular Studies on the University of Cincinnati campus; Museum of Pop Culture in Seattle; New
World Center in Miami Beach; Weisman Art Museum at the University of Minnesota
in Minneapolis; Dancing House in Prague; the Vitra Design Museum and the MARTa
Herford museum in Germany; the Art Gallery of Ontario in Toronto; the Cinémathèque
Française in Paris; and 8 Spruce Street in New York City.

His private residence in Santa Monica, California, jump-started his career.

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Frank Gehry mainly worked with Metals.

35
Frank Gehry, perhaps most famous for his titanium clad gallery in Bilbao, has also employed metal
cladding to great effect on a number of other buildings. Ranging from the stainless steel clad Walt
Disney Concert Hall in LA to the Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health in Las Vegas,
shining, silver metal has often wrapped around his fluid, distorted forms and made a bold
statement on the city skyline.

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CHAPTER- 5: PARAMETRIC FACADES

Facades and building envelopes determine visual identity, character and expression of
architecture. Building facades lie at the intersections of the exterior and interior environments,
forming an integral part of a building’s aesthetics as well as the building’s performance. As the
external environment is changing all the time, buildings need to adapt to it in a smart way and
facades play an important role here. Adaptation needs to be made with respect to environmental
factors such as heat, light & wind. How these factors affect the performance of a building largely
depends on the façade design & engineering. Irrespective of how the facades are designed, they
are meant to serve a purpose.

Architectural practice in the Indian context today has become more globalized than ever and there
is a healthy exchange of knowledge and data due to the openness of the internet, mass share of
data and architectural journalism being at its peak. Challenges in the practice are as much as it
would be in any country or environment. India is slightly slow in adapting to new technologies &
methods, but we push hard to break the conventional boundaries for innovative work to emerge.
India is a booming market and acceptance of change is becoming better with time & globalization.
Parametric Design & Computational Design has become largely accepted now in India due to a
global exposure to emerging trends and due to demonstration of built articulations by various
emerging design studios in India.

Parametric Design, if rightly put to use, within the domain of façade design, can aid in developing
smarter facades that can perform a multitude of tasks in an optimized way. Parametric design
opens up vast possibilities of controlling performance-based factors right from an early design
stage of a façade project, yielding results that speak beyond mere aesthetics. Since parametric
design is a technique and method of designing, we can’t truly make a fair comparison between a
non-parametrically designed façade and a parametric façade, but it would not be wrong to say that
the possibilities of designing smarter and efficient facades is made possible today with the aid of
parametric methods.

A building skin is designed using a number of parameters such as environmental conditions,

structural feasibility, and materiality, among others; all of which can be quantified as data. Since
there is a large amount of data involved, the computation becomes an essential part of dealing
with the complex dynamics of design. Computation can be carried out through non-digital & digital
processes aligned together and algorithms used can be about complex (and simple) problem
solving. These problems include structural load calculations, material behaviour calculations,

37
fabrication data extraction, etc. An algorithmic method of designing a building skin or a façade
system can aid in controlling all the parameters and objective data that is embedded in design and
a flexibility to use this data for creating a smart(er) system.

Concurrent with this trend has been a relative increase in the ease and economy of fabricating
some of the most common metals found in façade construction. Using heavy-duty, industrial
machinery that can receive instruction from the same software responsible for originating
parametric designs, the entire contemporary building process can be accomplished through a
single digital medium. Employed for various reasons, from providing optimal light and views to
ensuring comfortable amounts of solar heat gain, parametric façade design and the materials
utilized in its final expression can easily be combined to the effect of aesthetic efficiency,
environmental soundness and ease of construction.

In an on-going project by rat[LAB] in collaboration with Ar. Abhishek Bij of Design Plus, New Delhi
for Molded Dimensions Factory, Gurugram, a prominent part of the façade is designed to create
an aesthetically dramatic effect, while optimizing building performance and fabrication cost. A
differentiation among members of façade is being parametrized through an algorithm that
calculates the running length & cost of various building members. This allows us to change the
base parameters (such as angular variation, dimensional shifts, etc.)

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5.1 ADAPTIVE SKINS

Cellular Morphology Façade' is a building skin system proposed by rat [LAB] at recently held '20
under 35' Exhibition in New Delhi. A prototype was created to display the potentials of computational
& parametric design on an installation scale. It is designed to adapt to multiple climatic contexts and
building conditions.

39
To test and analyze its potential, CMF System (Cellular Morphology Façade) has been digitally
retrofitted on S-W façade of Gopaldas Bhawan Tower in New Delhi and consists of multiple unique
components of hexagon topology. The hexa-grid system is controlled through an algorithm that
alters its density and attraction during the concept design stage. Six prominent functional zones are
speculated as attractor points on the façade that become the first parameter of control and Solar
insolation analysis on existing S-W façade becomes the second guiding parameter. With the new
morphology of this retrofitted façade, local angular variations are introduced that can redistribute the
sunlight in a differentiated manner on the building envelope. This can potentially change the way
building is heated up and gets daylight in the interior spaces. Light, heat & visibility of / from interior
space can now be optimized as per user requirements, adding a locally embedded intelligence in
the new façade geometry.

Performing a solar insolation (radiation) analysis on the existing and new façade system,
demonstrated a significant redistribution of solar insolation across the retrofitted S-W façade in
comparison to the existing one. The system being designed in a parametric workflow can adapt to
any climatic conditions and be evaluated against any number of criteria, such as environmental
performance, structural performance, aesthetics and visibility.

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About rat[LAB]
rat[LAB] - Research in Architecture & Technology, is an independent research organization and
network of designers & researchers specializing in computational design or similar technology-
related domains. Operated as a cloud-based organization with an international network of
researchers & computational designers spread across UK, USA, Europe & Asia, and a studio in
New Delhi, India, the research cell functions as a global collaborative and multidisciplinary laboratory
facilitating design research that leads to novel spatial tectonics and smart built environments.

The research agendas broadly focus on use of computational design & parametric design in
architecture, with intersections between design & technology spread across scales and disciplines.
rat[LAB] offers collaborations to architecture and design firms to develop systemic models using
advanced computational techniques and carry out project-specific or agenda-specific research in all
fields of design.

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5.2 SOME EXAMPLES OF PARAMETRIC FACADES
5.2.1 FORMSTELLE
Töging am Inn, Germany
FIRM Format Elf Architekten

TYPE Commercial › Office

YEAR 2013

Located at the entrance of a former aluminium plant, the FORMSTELLE provides evidence
of a successful structural transformation from heavy industry by architects and designers.
The floating, single-story pavilion, placed under huge ancient trees, shows an altered
handling of aluminium in an industrial region undergoing transition.
A smoothly running honeycomb structure calculated in a parametric process, gives the
building its contemporary appearance. The implementation of the design concept through
construction to specifically lasered facade panels was only feasible through one universal
digital process and gives a visual statement to the altered approach with aluminium at the
site.
Black cubes create a rhythm and zone as a central spatial element to the
interior, while a white ground structure ensures light-filled spaces
even in the depth of the building. Appropriate to the working manner, a combination of
vacancies and cellular offices enable creative work in all its facets.

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 5.2.2 690 Folsom
San Francisco, CA, United States
F I R M Office of Charles F. Bloszies

T Y P E Commercial › Office Retail

Hospitality + Sport › Restaurant

S T A T U S Built

Y E A R 2015

S I Z E 25,000 sqft - 100,000 sqft

An abandoned parking garage stood as an eyesore on a prominent corner as buildings around it

were transformed to meet the demand for office space in San Francisco’s South of Market
(SOMA) district. Boston Properties acquired the site as part of a larger development and asked for
a distinctive, eye-catching makeover of the existing concrete structure.
Boston Properties is a well-known real estate investment trust with a distinguished corporate
portfolio, and not known for unconventional design. However, for this site, they requested a
striking, attention-grabbing structure that would stand out against the well-tailored architectural
background of tower behind it. To achieve this effect, the second floor is wrapped in a metal
screen, a kind of architectural lamé, cut from aluminum sheets using computer numerically
controlled (CNC) machines driven by files created using Grasshopper, a parametric plug-in for
Rhino (a 3-dimensional modeling program). The gap between the original façade and the new
screen contains two rows of LED lights – at night the second floor appears to hover above its
delicate supports. The lights change color bi-weekly according to a series of programmed scenes,
some of which reflect a holiday or civic event. The building is topped by a glass cornice, conceived
to protect the gap between the metal screen and the building wall, but from some viewpoints
serendipitously reflects the screen pattern below increasing its vertical dimension.
Slender stainless steel tubes were inserted to replace the ground floor concrete columns, and a
glass storefront was set back from the streets for better site circulation. A covered courtyard was
created on Folsom Street to receive the adjacent 680 Folsom podium stair and to serve as the
entrance to the second floor, occupied by Metromile, a “tech” start-up. An existing open area on
Third Street was developed as a landscaped public courtyard and will serve as the entrance to a
future ground floor restaurant. A new steel framed roof structure was constructed to replace the
timber framed roof, and new concrete elements were added internally for seismic resistance.
Materials chosen for the building envelope are rudimentary: aluminum, stainless steel, glass, and
concrete. The design is anchored to the ground with rough, board-formed concrete low walls
separating varying grades and acting as benches at the courtyard. The machined aluminum

43
screen, coated with metallic automotive paint, contrasts with the rough ground plane below and is
visually (and structurally) supported by the thinnest possible stainless steel columns.
Parametrically modeled forms are the rage in architectural studios worldwide, but are rarely built,
especially for corporate developers operating in aesthetically timid cities like San Francisco. 690
Folsom proves that a client-driven design with an avant-garde timestamp can be an appropriate
stitch in the urban fabric, no matter how conservative it is.

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 5.2.3 LIWA Tower
Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
F I R M ONL [Oosterhuis_Lénárd]

T Y P E Commercial › Office

S T A T U S Built

Y E A R 2014

S I Z E 100,000 sqft - 300,000 sqft

Named after the breathtaking Liwa oasis in Abu Dhabi the Liwa Tower is taking non-standard
architecture to new heights. From every angle the Liwa tower has a different character. The elegant
curves, the so-called Powerlines, play with light and shadow, giving the tower a much more slender
shape than the floor area ratio would ever suggest. A thousand mass customized windows provide
light and a stunning view on the shores of Abu Dhabi to its residents. At night the window sills are
lit using programmable LED's, creating a perfect fusion of architecture, structure and decoration.

Design Concept:

The Liwa Tower is the corporate headquarters of the Al Nasser group. Located in the Capital Center
district, adjacent the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Center in the United Arab Emirates. The office
tower is based on a G + 1 + 19 scheme with 3 levels of basement parking.

The design brief for the Liwa tower was very straight forward as master planning guidelines allowed
for 21.604 m² GFA on plot C08. The primary challenge was to create a signature corporate
headquarters, maximizing flexibility and floor plan efficiency while achieving the requested gross
floor area. As the design constraints were strict ONL used a design strategy that allowed a

45
continuous feedback between the architectural styling, programmatic requirements and building
costs. This allowed us to quickly adapt the design of the Liwa Tower to changes in the program and
vice versa.

ONL choose to develop a vase shaped tower, narrow at its base, gaining volume in the shaft and
tapered towards the top. As the Liwa Tower is part of a city block it is surrounded on three sides
with neighboring high-rise towers. By creating a narrower top the Liwa Tower has more space to
breath, allowing more open views from the higher buildings around. The feature lines of the Liwa
Tower give the building its unique appearance. The vase has been styled by subtly slicing and
chamfering the otherwise rectangular floor plan. Relatively modest modifications of the basic shape
while retaining the structural integrity of the design create the iconic appearance of the Al Nasser
Group Headquarters Tower.

The elegant curves that shape the Liwa Tower are a signature design characteristic of the
architecture of ONL. The aesthetic freedom can only be realized using an integrated design strategy
for skin and structure. In ONL's design philosophy architecture, construction and decoration are
integrated in one consistent design attitude. Form not only follows function, form is function. The
structural logic is expressed in the architecture, the decorative patterns of the facade are the detailed
expression of the architectural tessellation of the surfaces. This integrated approach forms the basis
for the fusion of cost-effectiveness and architectural eloquence.

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Sustainability & Innovation:

By utilizing state-of-the-art technology, the designers collaborated in an informed design process

from the first (digital) sketches of the Liwa Tower. A parametric tool was created that allowed the
designers to stylize the shape while maintaining the required amount of GFA. The results of this
study of volume was directly translated to the more sophisticated design software used to further
stylize the design.

The elegant curves of the Liwa Tower cause a continuous variation of the shape. The characteristic
architectural expression is achieved by using components unique in size and shape. These
components are manufactured using CNC (Computer Numerical Controlled) production facilities
using the data directly derived from the computer models of the architect. This so called file2factory
production technique uses existing mass production techniques to create series of unique elements
on an industrial scale. There is no more need to fall back to labour intensive production methods.
By using proven technology, we are able to design striking architecture on time and within standard
budgets.

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5.3 BLEND OF VERNACULAR AND PARAMETRIC DESIGN

As urbanization is setting its benchmark globally, the need to come up with an ultra-modern design
approach is growing for the new-age designers. Designers these days are constantly perusing the current
design styles like contemporary, parametric, minimalist, etc but the need of the hour is to whisk our
traditional values by incorporating substantial quantum of vernacular architecture in the tropical era to
acquire a holistic design approach. As parametricism is the most recent design style discerned by the
country, blending it with vernacular design style could bring to the community some interesting built forms.

Parametricism in India has been very slowly converging towards the theme of the modern paradigm.
Parametric design is based on algorithmic thinking. It can initiate a conventional design that may be a
drawing or model. The dimensions of the design are then taken into consideration and turned into
parameters i.e., they are made variable. By changing the parameters, a plethora of design options turns
up, which are similar to the initial design and share the same design intent but can diverge a long way.
There could be a combination of parameter values that give non-functional designs, in which either the
design has to be constrained or some alterations with logic, algorithms, procedures are to be added so as
to make the design functional.

Whilst providing an aesthetically pleasing geometry, parametric designs are also extremely useful for
getting optimal and efficient solutions for simple challenges like maximizing floor areas, minimizing heat
gains, etc. More than being exquisite, Parametric design is a way of encoding knowledge and intent into
the design which makes its production more adaptable, reliable, cheaper and diverse.

Vernacular architecture can be defined as the domestic architecture of a region incorporating the local
traditions, requirements and construction material. It was originated in the times when human beings used
material from natural resources like shelter, in response to the climatic conditions back then. Its indigenous
characteristics ensured originality and no replication was involved because of the human-crafted
construction practices.

Including basic green architecture principles, vernacular built forms are in cognition with nature. Fusing
local labour, technology, and material throughout, vernacular architecture emphasizes sustainability and
energy efficiency. It also aims to generate a vital connection between human beings with the environment.

Vernacular buildings evolve gradually to meet environmental, socioeconomic, historical and socio-cultural
attributes of the society providing to the constant need for transformation in the lifestyle of its occupiers.

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Vernacular heritage is alive throughout the world and still plays an active role in present-day civilization
and architecture fraternity.

For instance as people today tend to connect with their roots and wish to associate with their cultural and
traditional heritage, they desire their houses to be designed with a vernacular aspect. ‘House of Tropics’
located in Jubilee Hills, Hyderabad by Urban Zen is a classic example of a residential design outlining
vernacular architecture style. Inspired by natural tropics, it is a warm and inviting home with reminiscent
of a farmhouse where interior interacts with outdoors. Enveloped with garden spaces, the house fulfils the
visual and psychological needs of its users. The staircase of the house is one of the main vernacular
elements designed. Its detail is inspired by the treetop perspective in a forest. Luxurious bedrooms are
designed with a focus on natural material. Materials like rough-cut stone, heavy grained timber and
bamboo have been used throughout the house to bring in the look and feel of the tropics. The semi-private
spaces are inspired by the tropical plantain leaf.

In the outdoors, the species of plants chosen for the front garden are also inspired by the interior theme.
Temple trees, low height palms, ferns and water plants like lotus, and water lilies have been planted. The
low height pool is edged with local grey granite stone, forming the central element of the garden. Thus, it
is a design that sets this sumptuous home as a stalwart in the vernacular design style.

Hence, modern and traditional architecture styles can go hand in hand and it is prime for a designer to
mold his designs such that the young generation of a particular region can connect to its heritage and
culture. The apt strategy is to give the person an experience out of the revolutionary endeavors that
designers contrive and India is gradually aiding to this shift.

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CHAPTER-6: Case Study
This chapter includes case studies of following buildings.
1. Shanghai tower, China
2. Al Bahr towers, Abu Dhabi
/Criteria for selection of buildings:
1. Parametric method of creating forms
2. Availability of project materials i.e. (plans, section, elevations)
3. Expression of form and unique elevation
4. International acclaim and recognition

6.1 SHANGHAI TOWER

The design process revolved around the use of series of
parametric software programs. These program allowed the
Gensler design team to manipulate and refine the project's
complex geometry iteratively. The parametric platform played
a vital role in assisting a team to define the tower's unique and
environmentally responsive high peformance form, façade,
and supporting structure.

INTRODUCTION

The form of the 121- story building is a triangular column that

twists and tapers as it rises 682 meters. The curved corners of
the triangle act to minimize wind loads and create 21 atria
between the inner and outer curtain walls. A notch running up
one corner adds to the aesthetics and sustainability of the
design. Nine zones, 12 to 15 floors each, are stacked to
create smaller neighborhoods within the super tall tower.

The Gensler team for Shanghai Tower chose to use a parametric design process for several
reasons. Constructing a complex shape that had never before been conceived required the most
innovative tools. Parametric design platforms allow for highly accurate results and good correlation
between a model and its built form. They are very flexible and adaptive, offering instant feedback
to changing variables These nonlinear adjustment tools give architects the ability to affect multiple
changes simultaneously. This allows designers to better understand iterative massing studies

50
while observing the relative impact to overall performance of the systems involved. Another
important reason for the use of parametric design was its assistance in creating Shanghai Tower
as a sustainable building. This can be seen in the example of parametrically incorporating wind
load data on the building. The location of Shanghai tower and its proximity to two other super tall
buildings means that these loads can have substantial impact

To address these loads, the design team developed a series of models in a parametric program.
Rotation in the models ranged from 90degree to 180degree.
They sent these to RWDI tested the series in a wind tunnel with 1/500 physical models. They
found that increasing the rotation reduced the wind load on the façade and the superstructure, and
suggested an option that manifested a reduction of 24% compared to a rectangular form of
the same height: this in turn reduced the amount of material of the structural system. Then the
design team generated a design model incorporating RWDI's data back into a parametric program.
The result was made into a 1: 85 scale physical model that RWDI tested in a large scale - wind
tunnel. The model was set within the context of its super tall neighbors as Wind loads on building
in realistic environments surrounded by neighboring buildings may be considerably different from
those measured on isolated buildings. ln this high Reynolds number test showed an additional
89% benefit, resulting in a 32% total reduction of wind loads. This iterative process allowed
Shanghai tower to save US5 58 million in required structure steel. Furthermore, it allowed the
project to save money in design loads used to size glass thickness Window unit frame members,
and the curtain wall supporting structure.
FORM
Shanghai towers exterior curtain wall- with a horizontal profile of an equilateral triangle with
rounded apexes and a notch in one apex, and a that vertical profile that twists and tapers as tower
rises. Means every floor of the building is different (that is, all floors have the same shape, but
each floor is rotated roughly 1% from the floor below, and the floors scale down as the building
rises. The design team used parametric software to define building's complex geometry and to
create an associative model integrating the building and façade. Their studies included three
aspects of the building's 2d and 3d form: its horizontal profile, its scaling, and its rotation.

51
 A study in rhino With grasshopper to determine the angle, A1 producing the optimum
curvatureof the corners of Shanghai tower. (source: Shanghai Tower Façade Design Process)
The first challenge was to set the horizontal profile. The Gensler team had already determined in
the design competition stage that the basis of the exterior curtain wall would be an equilateral
triangle with rounded apexes. They needed to optimize the curvature of these corners to meet
aesthetic functional, and sustainable criteria that is, to optimize the appearance of the corners and
the use of the atria that were created between outer and inner facades, to balance the building's
gross floor area, and to minimize the effect of wind load. To do this they entered basic data into
parametric software and changed the key angle (A1) to produce different corner configuration.
From these studies they determined that an A1 of 23.3 degree created the optimum tangential
transition between corners and equilateral sides. It resulted in a smooth building shape that could
then be tested for rotation and scaling. The corner transition of each floor of shanghai tower,
derived from the optimal 23.3 degree A1, would remain constant throughout the height of the
building.
The second task in studying the form of the exterior wall was to develop a vertical profile that
determines the scale and rotation of the building. Through this process, the design team tested
both linear reduction and exponential reduction to find the best possible way of transitioning scale
between the floors along with the best overall appearance of the tower. They used the
equation.
Y=ez’s
Where y= the percent of scaling, e= mathematical constant, z= elevation, and s = scaling. By
adjusting the scaling, rotation, and elevation in parametric software, the design team could
compare the aesthetic results, the GFA, and the floor efficiency of various combinations. An s
value below 100 percent yielded models that scaled from bottom to top while those with s values
above 100 percent produced the inverse Additionally and very importantly, the geometrical
relationship between the subsequent floors as well as between individual curtain panels units

52
could be understood, iterated, and optimized. After running many prototypes through both
parametric modelling studies and physical tests the design team chose a rotation of 120 degrees
and a scaling of 55% from base to top to optimize aesthetics, sustainability, and function.
In creating an assoctative model of Shanghai tower, the team moved through three phases of data
gathering. First, they built an initial model of the building with purely geometric data. Next, they
created an intermediate model that incorporated the façade and the curtain wall support structure
of the building. Finally, they produced a fully developed and detailed model Parametric design
software allowed the team to examine the curtain wall and underlying system in an appropriate
level of detail early in the design process and therefore integrate it as an overall building solution.

Wind tunnel study scaling models (source: courtesy Gensler)

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 Wind tunnel study rotation models (source: courtesy Gensler)

FAÇADE
The rounded triangular form of the Shanghai tower's outer façade uses less glass than a
rectangular façade with the same area, allowing for significant savings in material costs. Designed
with nearly 1.4 million square feet of more than 25,000 glass panels, the façade would have been
very difficult to conceptualize using traditional computer aided design tools and methods.
Their studies began with dividing an exterior wall profile into a number of panels, then tested
numerous panel parameters, including size, shape, and angle. Here the team balanced the
intention to make each panel as large as possible to allow for the most open views with the
necessity of optimizing each panel size to be fabricated within standard industry
capabilities.
They chose 138 divisions per horizontal profile as the optimum number. This resulted in a panel
length of 2.14 meters at the default horizontal profile.
CURTAIN WALL SUPPORT STRUCTURE
The curtain wall support structure of Shanghai's tower exterior wall addresses not only the
complexities already discussed-the rotation and scaling of the form and its triangular plan -but also

54
the complication of connecting this intricate system to that of the building itself and transferring
combined loads to the building core and down to the foundation system. The CWSS
must resist wind and gravity loads as well as the load parallel to its primary axis, typically resulting
from earthquake. The main component of the CWss are a girt following the curve of the outer wall,
coupled sag rods suspended from the complex structural system conce aled in the MEP/ refuge
floor area above and connected to the girt, and perpendicular struts and x-bracing to
stabilize the system.
To evaluate the CWSS the Gensler team divided the triangular plan of each horizontal profile into
sIx segments and designed one segment of it. Each segment in turn was divided into 5 sub-
segments containing 2,6,6,6, and 3, panels each. The team established a series of work points at
the places where these divisions met the centerline of the girt. They connected the work points to
the center point of the building with lines. The points where these lines intersected the support of
the circular interior façade became the work points and the lines connecting both the work points
became the location of the struts. In this way, the position of 4 struts was set in 1 segment. The
team then mirrored this segment to form one angle of the triangle, duplicated this segment two
times to complete the triangle, added the V shaped notch in one corner, and thus created the
CWSS for a full floor.

.
Curtain wall: the layout of two adjacent floors Curtain wall: Profile Control Point Division
(source: courtesy Gensler) (source: courtesy Gensler)

55
Section perspectives with curtain wall systems description (source: courtesy Gensler)

Curtain wall support system (source: courtesy Gensler)

56
CONCLUSION

Shanghai tower is a model of innovation and integration, a symbol of how super tall buildings can
and should be designed in the future. To achieve the complex form, façade, and structure of the
tower, the Gensler design team platform, which offered three relied on an advance parametric.

On main benefits to the project. First, it allowed the team to visualize the complexity of the design
in a simple way. The triangular, twisting, tapering shape of the form, the multiple glass and joint
configuration of façade, and the complexities of its structure were all modelled with parametric
design. Second it permitted iterating and testing of design options during a very fast design
schedule. For example, developing one default horizontal profile into a complex vertical profile
through parametric modelling was exponentially faster than building every line per every floor, as
in traditional computer aided design. Third, it assisted in developing a methodology that could be
used across multiple disciplines needed to realize the building. Structural, MEP, and façade
engineers, glass and steel fabricators, and the project's client communicated through models
developed in parametric design. Ultimately parametric design tools allowed the Gensler team's
unique architecture to be built efficiently and safely, to be a solution for its client's intent, and to
provide an iconic image for Shanghai, With economy and sustainability always in mind.

6.2 AL BAHR TOWER

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 Address: Abu Dhabi, UAE

Floor area: 7 hectares

Architectural style: Islamic Architecture

Client: Abu Dhabi Investment council

Design Architect: Aedas architects, ltd.

Completed: 2012

INTRODUCTION

Innovative and dynamic façade of AL BAHAR TOWERS opens and closes depending on the sun
path.

1. 25 story skyscraper

2. 32,000 sq. meters of office area.

3 21,000 workstation

4. Top of the building is covered by photovoltaic panels adjusted to sunrays incident angle so as to
guarantee optimum performance

5. Reduced water consumption owning to the so called grey water cycle consisting in the reuse of
water. South of each office floor there is a small garden with a water surface

7. The floors are open, protected only by membrane sun shades, adjustable to the needs of plants
and user.

8 Two storey basement space for parking of 750 cars

9 Shape and style of Al Bahr towers are based on traditional Arabic architecture

10. Designers took advantage of principles of geometry applied in Islamic architecture

11. Forms of the tower developed using parametric digital techniques in order to generate already
defined geometry.

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PROCESS OF DESIGN

• The design began with two cylindrical towers on a circular plane.

• A circle provides maximum efficiency in terms of wall to floor relation.
• The form of the tower was sculpted with regard to wind loads which can be initially
determined by means of digital program.
• Towers became cylindrical, wider around intermediate floors and narrower at the base and
at the top, resembling cigars.
• Due to high temperature dominant in the Persian Gulf, the contractor performs daily thermal
analysis, for the purpose of the design it was assumed that the average daily temperature
equals approx. 400 c and annual precipitation total less than 100litres/sq. meters.
• Due to such extreme conditions, unfavorable shape would entail real costs generated by
the maintenance of the building in future.
• Floor plans based on a circle were divided in a way reducing the southern exposure by
means of gardens.
• The external wall of the object constitutes a non-standard self- supporting structure
• After defining the geometry, designers could shape the façade to generate its structural grid
and a grid mounting panels.
• A steel, hexagonal patterned lattice on the façade was optimized by parametric tool.
• Development of its Virtual model made it possible to envisage difficulties associated with
the execution of some of the nodes.
• Owning to parametric modelling technique and associative geometry, fast and flexible
introduction of changes was viable.

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 Al Bahar Towers form, detail and ecological systems diagram (www.

aedas.com)

• Main issue is how to protect the building against excessive insolation triggered heating.
• Solution: implementation of open work wooden screens with a geometric pattern called
MASHRABIYA.
• Mashrabiyas were used in desert dwellings as screens or barriers and in urban settlements
in windows or on protruding window constructions.
• Adias designers developed a new contemporary version of mashrabia i.e. Moving spatial
structure mounted to the façade that open and close like umbrella, depending on sun path.

MASHRABIYA

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 Al Bahar Towers form, detail and ecological systems diagram (www.

Each component has its own activator i.e. mechanical

aedas.com) device, which based on command signal

generates an input signal putting the object in motion, these miniature devices are placed in rods
fixing components to the façade. It was also necessary to provide for the possibility of manual
control of the construction by user opening or tilting an individual screen, independently of the
globally controlled system.

LIGHT AND SHADOW ANALYSIS

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 FAÇADE OF AL BAHR TOWER

ALGORITHM

The method of generating the simplified model of an office block exterior shell is demonstrated as:

• The algorithm starts with determination of a grid of hexagons and designation of angular
points and center points.
• The next stage involves drawing two circles for each hexagon, the first one is drawn on the
hexagon and the second, smaller one is placed inside it.
• On each circle the algorithm places three points at equal distances from each other
• Next stage envisages connecting the points into planes but before that it is necessary to
program the attractor's function.
• The attractor consists in the creation of co-dependency between the equation values in this
particular case being the distance of individual circle centres from a drawn parabola.
• The parabola represents an isolated part of the building façade therefore the procedure
consists in the establishment of relations between the distance of each inner circle center
and a drawn parabola and then transposing the distance to the value of a given circle.
• This operation gives rise to the principle the closer the smaller, the farther the bigger
• Inner circle are subjected to scaling against the proximity of the source of light, whereas
connecting points previously fixed on circle creates the mashrabiya plane.
• These modules cover approx. 75% of the building façade, leaving the northern part
uncovered
• The part to be covered was determined based on digital simulations of the path of sun rays
incidence angle
• The towers consist of almost 2100 modules of unfolding, umbrellas each measuring approx
(4x 6) meters and weighing 600 kilos.

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 • Each module is controlled independently by the central system.
• Dynamic mashrabiya reduced electricity demand of air conditioning equipment by 20%.
• It also reduced the solar gain by 50%, improving comfort of employees.
• First time in history of architecture that a moving skin has been constructed and on such a
grand scale.

CONCLUSION

A broad scope of possibilities and universality of algorithmic design sequences enable both the
effective use of environmental energy and efficient management of the energy surplus. above-
presented skyscraper shows how to use solar energy when needed and how to avoid it when
arduous.

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CHAPTER-7: PARAMETRIC BUILDING MATERIALS

7.1 STAINLESS STEEL

Stainless steel Stainless steel is an alloy of steel which contains between approximately 11 to 25
per cent chromium, together with nickel in some types, giving it properties that are distinct from
carbon steels, the main one being a high resistance to corrosion without the need for an additional
coating. Since the material is considerably more expensive than carbon steels, stainless steel is
most commonly used in small building components and in cladding panels where durability is a
prime concern.

Stainless steel has the following general properties:

• Highly resistant to corrosion and usually requires no further coatings.

• Higher fire resistance than carbon steels.
• A risk of bimetallic corrosion at the junction of stainless steel and carbon steel when they are
used together. Separation at junction is usually required, such as a nylon or neoprene
spacer.

Material selection

Although the material develops a thin oxide layer that protects it from further corrosion, different
grades of stainless steel are available to suit the severity of exposure from polluted urban to maritime

64
to rural environments. A limited range of standard sections is available and usually in small sizes
only. The need for a high degree of fabrication of members can make construction time slower than
that for carbon steel applications. For example, plate is folded to form angles and tubes, and hollow
sections are formed by bending and seam welding. As with carbon steels, the high strengths types,
which have been heat-treated, are more difficult to weld, as the process can undo the heat
strengthening. Different finishes are available which are achieved by using a variety of rolling
techniques from smooth to textured, in an appearance from matt to polished. In addition, the sheet
can be colored as part of the manufacturing process.

Working with the material

The fabrication of stainless steel follows the traditional pattern of fabrication for carbon steel
members except that more use is made of pressing and bending to form suitable shapes. Fabrication
of stainless steel should be kept entirely separate from that of carbon steel to ensure that the
processes of cutting and grinding do not cause impregnation of carbon steel particles onto the
stainless surface, which can lead to rusting. Fabricated elements should seek to eliminate standing
seams or edges where water can collect, in order to avoid crevassing corrosion. Stainless steel has
high ductility which gives the material excellent resistance to impact loading.

7.2 ALUMINIUM
Aluminium was first produced in 1825,and by the late 19th
century a method had been found to mass produce the
material by the electrolysis of alumina and cryolite.

For comparison with other materials, aluminium alloys

have the following general properties:

· Lightness, weighing about a third that of steel.

· High tensile strength. similar to that of steel.
· High impact resistance. (compared to steel)
· High corrosion resistance, but aluminium requires
protective coating in very polluted or severe
atmospheric conditions.
· Coatings are not applied solely for appearance. ·
High heat conduction.
· High electrical conduction.
· Poor stiffness.

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 · Low resistance to soft impact, but absorbs impact energy which localises damage.
(Whereas a soft. or low level impact, such as a kick, would not damage a steel panel. it will
dent one in aluminium.
· A high impact, such as a car reversing into a panel. would cause a large steel panel to
buckle across its entire height and length ,but one made of aluminium will again dent only
around the impact area).
· Thermal expansion approximately twice that of steel.
· Poor fire resistance.

Material selection

Pure aluminium and its alloys are in two broad groups: the non-heat-treated alloys. also called
fully softened alloys. whose strength is produced from being cold worked. And the heat-treated
alloys whose strength is produced by heat treatment. The non-heat-treated types are generally
not as strong. but have better corrosive resistance. Structural use of aluminium alloys is limited
by two significant disadvantages: they are more expensive to manufacture than steel and they
deform more easily under load. Aluminium alloys are more elastic than steel. restricting their
use to components and assemblies where this is not a constraint. Since they Young's Modulus

66
of aluminium is one third that of steel, buckling is an important issue in its structural use. The
potential of this material as a full structural material in buildings is beginning to be recognised.
The Media Centre at Lord's Cricket Ground, London. England. Is a recent notable example
because of the full structural use of aluminium in a large-scale building frame.

Working with the material

On exposure to the atmosphere. aluminium forms a protective coating of aluminium oxide.

Under adverse conditions. the oxide film can breakdown locally, but it usually reforms to a
greater thickness preventing further attack. Aluminium can be exposed to the weather; in non-
polluted environments and away from maritime conditions, without the need for additional
treatment provided the surface is maintained. Over time, it loses its initial bright appearance
and assumes a dull grey sheen. Aluminium should be cleaned regularly to avoid pits forming in
the material surface. However; one way to avoid this is to anodise or paint the material with a
proprietary coating. Aluminium is susceptible to electrolytic corrosion in contact with certain
materials such as copper: Therefore, direct contact with copper and copper-rich alloys, such as
brass and bronze is avoided and the material should be used in a way that water does not flow
onto it from copper: However; water flowing from aluminium to copper or lead is not harmful.
There is no corrosive action between aluminium and zinc or zinc coatings and galvanized
surfaces. Some timber preservatives contain compounds harmful to aluminium. Untreated
timber affects the material to a much lesser extent. Aluminium can be cut and drilled, riveted,
bolted, screwed and glued. The material can also be welded. However; welding is usually done
using the fully softened alloys, since this process can undo the work of the heat MCH 28
treatment in the other alloy types. Since the design strength of the fully softened alloys is half
that of the heat-treated types, the section sizes used in welded aluminium structures can often
be similar to that of comparable steel structures, but with considerably less weight. The design
strength of the heat-treated alloys, which is similar to the bottom end of the design strength of
steel, can be exploited in extrusions, which require no welding in their manufacture. Extrusions
can be used to form complex profiles, such as those 0needed in window sections or walkway
decking, and be much lighter than an equivalent member in steel. The material can also be
cast to form complex shapes that are more economic in large quantities than an equivalent
fabricated component

67
Recycling

Aluminium is one of the easiest and cheapest materials to recycle. The conversion of scrap
back to high-grade metal requires only about 5% of the energy needed to make the same
amount of metal from bauxite.

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 7.3 GLASS

An essential use of glass in buildings is in double glazed units. With the increasing importance of
thermal insulation and a reduction in the energy consumed to temper the internal environment of
buildings, the use of single glazing with thin supporting frames without thermal breaks, is no longer
used in most new buildings except where, for example, the spaces enclosed by the glass are
considered to be external and serve only as canopies, or in the outer screens to double facades. In
these semi external applications, the visual lightness afforded by lightweight steel supporting
structures can still echo the glazed structures of the early 20th century.

Glass is manufactured in sheets of float glass approximately 6000mm x 3000mm, which is

typically much larger than can be used as single sheets in buildings. Some glass
manufacturers are able to temper and laminate glass at this size, providing more opportunities

69
 for designers to use large glazed panels in facades. However, since most glazing is made in
double glazed units, glass panels do not often achieve these sizes due primarily to issues of
deflection under wind load and the deadweight of the glass. A 3000mm wide double glazed
unit, storey height, weighs around 6S0kg, making it difficult to lift into place using conventional
lifting systems for glazed units and even more difficult to consider moving it around by hand.
Double glazed units of half their size can be difficult to manhandle on site. In addition to the
weight of glass, its size is an important consideration when designing with the material. The six
meter by three meter sheets, called 'jumbo' sheets, are required to be cut economically to
avoid waste. This makes glass economic for the 1500mm wide panels preferred in office
buildings, but does not restrict their cutting to rectilinear panels. Triangular panels can also be
economic if cut without significant waste, as can other shapes which fit the jumbo sheet format

In wall construction, where glass is used in most quantity in most buildings, the material is fixed
either along its edges or at points. The use of edge restraint results in a frame behind all glass
edges, but point fixed glazing allows the material to become visually dominant, allowing it to be seen
almost as a continuous plane of glass rather than as an infilling material.

The curving of glass has undergone some development. at least in the quality of production, in
recent years. Specialist companies around Europe now offer single curved glass panels in both
tempered and laminated glass. Some companies around the world will now provide double curved
panels.

70
A recent alternative to the curving of glass as part of the manufacturing process has been to 'cold
bend' glass sheets on site, typically as part of a stick (site assembly based) glazing system. The
amounts to which the glass can be pushed at the corners to take up a curved form across its surface
is limited, but curves in glazed walls and roofs are often modest, making the idea of cold bending
more attractive to contractors.

One of the main changes in the use of glass in facades and roofs is a gradual move away from
entirely rectilinear glass panels to those that deviate slightly from it. These can range from
parallelogram shapes to triangular to diamond patterns in glazed facades, but all are based on the
need for repeatability of glass unit size in order to make the glass economic to manufacture. In
addition, glazed walls are required to move in relation to their supporting structure, and must be able
to move from one panel to the next. This further encourages the panels to be of the same size in
order to ensure that the movements have a consistent 'behavior' of movement across the extent of
the walls. Some projects, particularly for glazed roofs, have used a large number of glass panel
sizes in order to suit the structural geometry of the roof form, but these are typically quantified in
detail by the design team in order to control cost.

A recent alternative to the curving of glass as part of the manufacturing process has been to 'cold
bend' glass sheets on site, typically as part of a stick (site assembly based) glazing system. The
amounts to which the glass can be pushed at the corners to take up a curved form across its
surface is limited, but curves in glazed walls and roofs are often modest, making the idea of cold
bending more attractive to contractors.

The characteristics common to different glass types are:

· Variable tensile strength.

· It is prone to fracture resulting from tiny cracks or imperfections.
· Variable impact resistance.
· Non-corrosive. · Non-combustible.
· High heat conduction.
· Low thermal expansion.

Material selection

Heat soaked glass is made by re-heating float glass then cooling it quickly, which puts the surface
of the glass into compression and removes impurities such as nickel sulphide. When broken, fully
toughened glass disintegrates into tiny, comparatively harmless, pieces. Its strength, measured in

71
terms of impact resistance, is up to five times that of float glass. The toughening process can
produce minor distortions in the glass, usually caused by roller marks. Heat soaked glass is a
partially toughened glass for use where full toughening is not required or as part of a laminated glass
construction.

Laminated glass is made by bonding two or more sheets of glass together with a film of plastic in
between, called the interlayer. The interlayer can be clearer translucent, and is available in a wide
range of colorist create effects of color in the glass that are translucent in a way which is different
from the screen printing of glass. When broken, laminated glass stays together in a single piece due
to this bonding between the layers. This makes it very useful for glazed roofs and for glazed screens
which are set forward of glazed facades. However, after the initial impact, laminated glass will
eventually fall away as dangerous fragments of glass, so it is required to be replaced as soon as
possible, with the floor area beneath the broken panels typically being secured to avoid the risk of
injury to those below. Combining several laminates together in one sheet can make anti-vandal and
even bullet resistant glass.

Wired glass is made by sandwiching a steel wire mesh between two layers of glass, which are then
rolled flat. The wire holds the glass together for a period of time during fire and so prevents the
passage of smoke from one side to the other. The roughcast product can be polished to provide a
more transparent finish. Wired glasses cannot be toughened and are not regarded as safety
products.

Fire resistant glass is formed by glass sandwich panels containing an intumescent layer. In a fire
the layer of gel, or salts, reacts to the rise in temperature to provide a degree of insulation against
radiant heat.

Variable or switchable transmission glass is a new form of treated glass. Though expensive, it
aims to reduce internal heat loss from inside as well as to reduces olargain. It is able to change its
own thermal and light transmission performance by means of an electrical signal. In many
applications, it turns from transparent to an opaque white when an electric signal is introduced.
Applications include glazed partitions in office buildings.

Glass blocks can be solid or hollow. Solid blocks are used as paving for floors. The hollow type is
used for walls and consists of two half-bricks fused together to give a smooth appearance on both
faces. Glass can be mounted in double- and triple-glazed units to provide greater thermal insulation
and sound insulation than is achieved by an equivalent single sheet of glass. An insulated unit can
be a mix of float, laminated or other glasses. To improve thermal performance, the air go-betweens
layers can be evacuated to create a vacuum or be replaced with a low conductivity gas such as

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argon. The maximum size of double glazed units is determined by the maximum sizes of glass types
used. However, the size of unit is usually determined by wind loading rather than maximum glass
sizes.

Working with the material

Float, toughened and laminated glass can be curved. Flat glass is heated and molded to shape in
either one or two directions. Float glass can be cut, drilled, screwed and glued. It can also be bolted
using proprietary systems. Toughened glass cannot be cut, drilled or surface worked after
manufacture but laminated glass can be drilled with specialist equipment.

Recycling

Glass is one of the easiest materials to recycle and is economically viable. Enormous energy savings
in glass manufacture can be made by recycling the material.

7.4 PLASTICS AND COMPOSITES

PLASTICS:
The use of plastics is very much a part of recent history from 1945. Plastics were given an impetus
for development during the Second World War and found wider industrially based uses in building
construction from the 1950s onwards. The Monsanto House of 1957 was developed by an American
housing company with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).The aim of the project waste
create an all-plastic house that also used much more plastic in its interior fittings, which were already

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being used extensively in more traditional construction, from vapor barriers to plastic plumbing and
electrics. The design of the Monsanto House extended the idea of the consumer product to the
building itself by making the house from a series of plastic 'pods ‘formed from wall and roof panels
of repeated module. The visual effect of the repetition of the facade panel was reduced by setting
them around a single core, giving them a visual complexity where each room is seen as a separate
volume. Each room was naturally cross ventilated, though the use of air conditioning was suggested
as a benefit in the time before the environmental effects of energy consumption became a primary
design consideration. Windows were glazed however, and were not curved, unless the opaque
plastic panels, giving the visual effect of glazed 'slices' through a complex single volume. A primary
benefit of the house was possibly its ability to move location as the family moved from place to place,
which perhaps was as appealing as its form with its suggestion of lightness, almost appearing to
'hover' in its suburban garden context.

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The ability to cut plastic based fabrics into different forms has been exploited in the Natural Ellipse building by
Masaki Endon and Masahiro Ikeda in Tokyo. There the transparent nature of the building is exploited to create a
complex geometric building skin from a flat material. Solid plastic panels in the tectonic tradition of the Monsanto
House can be found in the travelling pavilion for ChaneI by Zaha Hadid. Here. the geometry is complex, with different
sized panels formed from a set of relatively economic molds. the shapes of which could be generated from models
generated in 3D modelling computer software rather than by hand. This digital approach is gradually making its
presence felt in construction with the ability to transfer 3D digital model files directly to manufacturing machines.
Recent examples are limited to modest scale architectural compositions, but those imagined in the design work of
artist Roger Dean in the I970swere far more ambitious. which were either conceived as sprayed concrete onto a
plastic formwork, or could have been made entirely in concrete. The complex geometry of Zaha Hadid's project for
ChaneI was suggested at a much larger scale in the Jade Sea painting by Dean of 1976. In Dean's work the
architecture is continuous with the forms of nature, which would suit a range of materials. but plastics suit the
transition from complex mold to complex weathertight form which is difficult to achieve with other materials.

'Composites'
comprise two or more materials combined together where the properties of each constituent can
complement the others. Although reinforced concrete, plywood and other more traditional
materials are sometimes referred to as composites, the term is generally used in the building
industry to refer to polymer-based composites. These materials have a polymer resin reinforced
with thin fibers, usually glass fibers or carbon fibers. Glass-fiber-reinforced polyester(GRP) was
first used during the Second World War for radar covers and was later applied in a GRP boat for
the US Navy in 1947.Carbon-fibrewas developed by the Royal Aircraft Establishment in
Farnborough, England, during the 1960s and was applied in composites for use in compressor

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blades in jet engines later in that decade. Carbonified-reinforced polymer is much stronger and
stiffer than GRP but remains extremely expensive in relation to most metals or other plastics and
has yet to find a significant use in building construction.

Polycarbonate
Polycarbonate is used in building construction largely as a substitute for glass, especially where
molded shapes are required which would be too difficult or too expensive to make in glass. The
material was first made in the I950s as part of the research into polyesters and was marketed as
Lexan sheet in the early I960s.Polycarbonate is made by polymerization, where a polymer is
melted and extruded into strands which are chopped to produce polycarbonate granules. The
granules can then be extruded or molded to form single sheet, twin-wall sheet or complex shapes.
Material selection
Polycarbonate is thermoplastic used for its high strength, ductility, lightness and transparency. It is
fire retardant, and can be easily molded complex shapes. The use of polycarbonate is limited by
its combustibility. Polycarbonate is an extruded material used as sheets and sections.
Polycarbonate sheet is available in thicknesses from 2mm to 25mm (I / 16in to In).Its impact
resistance is higher than that of toughened or laminated glass. The two main disadvantages of
polycarbonate over glass are that it is less durable, scratching easily which makes the surface dull
with time and its greater combustibility.

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Acrylic Sheet
Acrylic sheet, developed as Perspex in the I930s, is a plastic based on polymers of acrylic acid.
The most common is polymethyl methacrylate, or PMMA, made by polymerizing an MMA
monomer with a catalyst to form a powder which can then be extruded, molded or cast.
Polycarbonate also has greater thermal expansion than glass. Twin-walled sheet is an extrusion of
two layers separated by parallel fins, giving the material greater rigidity for uses a board. The air
gap between the two layers provides a degree of thermal insulation. The maximum sheet size is
approximately 2 x 6 meters. It can be sawn, cut and drilled. It expands 20% more than glass. For
example, a 1.5 meter (5ft) wide sheet will expand up to 3mm ( I/8in).The material has a density of
1200 kg/m3,which is half that of glass, although in practice the real weight saving is about one
third. Polycarbonate can be coated with acrylic to prevent yellowing, and other coatings are used
to enhance abrasion resistance. It provides an average of 85% light transmission for a sheet 5 to
6mm thick.

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PVC-U
The term PVC-U, or UPVC, denotes the unplasticized form of polyvinyl chloride, or PVC. This rigid
form of PVC issued for a wide range of building components from guttering and ground drainage
pipes to window frames. The material can be easily extruded or molded to complex shapes and
isavailable in a range of colours. The low thermal conductivity and flexibility of the material
combined with its ability to be extruded makes it very suitable for window frames where the
material is, in effect, its own thermal break, minimizing the risk of condensation on the face of the
frame inside the building.

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Glass Reinforced Polyester (GRP)
This material was first commercially available in the 1930s from the Owens-Corning Fiberglas Co
in the USA, but has only slowly been introduced into building. Its main use is in specially fabricated
wall cladding panels. Glass reinforced polyester; or GRP, is made from a combination of glass
fiber mat and polyester resin. It is a thermosetting composite which has high tensile, shear and
compressive strength combined with lightness and resistance to corrosion. However; like
aluminium, it deflects considerably under high loads and requires stiffening.
Working with the material
GRP is made by embedding glass fibers, usually as a woven cloth, into a polyester resin which are
then hardened by a catalyst. Glass fiber is a flexible sheet material formed from fibers drawn from
molten glass, and has a tensile strength ten times that of steel. Polyester resin, the other
component of GRP, becomes a solid material when a chemical catalyst is added. The material is
made either by craft-based open molding methods to make panels or by pultrusion to make
continuous sections in the manner of extrusions in other materials. Injection molding is sometimes
used but this is usually limited to small components. The craft-based methods use either the hand
lay-up technique, where glass-fiber or glass-fiber cloth is laid in an open mold and coated with
resin and catalyst. or the spray technique where a mixture of fibres and resins is sprayed onto the
mould. Air bubbles are removed by handrailing by a suction method. The face of the mould is
coated with a releasing agent to facilitate removal when set. The manufacture of GRP panels is a
craft-based workshop activity rather than a machine-based industrial technique .It is formed in
moulds but without high temperatures or expensive equipment. This is in contrast to the emerging
technique of pultrusion where machinery is used to draw a mixture of resin and chopped fibres
through a die to produce a material with constant cross section. A wide range of sections is now
available from I-sections to channels, tubesand planks for use in footbridges. Sections can be
bolted together using techniques broadly similar to those used in steel construction.

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CHAPTER-8: CONCLUSION

In order to present this conclusion and prepare the ground for further research, I follow the three-
part structure of the dissertation described in the introduction. The first part essentially revolves
around the parametric issues relating to the design process Having mentioned the notion of role and
'driver, explained that the process in which an architectural form is created largely depends upon
how the architects define and interpret the notion of generation. Whether the focus is on the process
or the final product, the design is the act of computation or representation. Represented forms are
normally result-driven and architects design by the aid of a variety of tools including computer
programs. However, computers here are just facilitators rather than design tools. In contrast,
defining design as a process of computation entails different principles. For the most part, design
here is process-driven. Computed forms are designed through a series of algorithmic

programming. Looking from outside to inside of the design process using the concept of 'driver
showed that, even though parametric design for many architects is assumed as a novel approach
to design, it cannot change the primary drivers of every design project, such as the context and the
client's brief, because these notions have independent natures.

From the above case studies parametric design greatly changes the workflow of the design
process. Based on the discussions in previous sections, with the help of parametric modeling, the
whole design process has been greatly simplified, which enhances the productivity as well as the
quality of the design. As discussed in the earlier sections, before the parametric modeling has been
emerged, complex structural projects such as were considered as a very challenging design project;
engineers and architects had to make several physical full-scale mock-ups models to help them to
design the structure. It is very expensive and less efficient. With the help of the parametric modeling,
the scheme design becomes much easier. Apart from that, parametric architecture guarantees
sufficient feasible options for both architects and engineers, as changing the structures and model
becomes much quicker, therefore enhancing the quality of the project.

Finally, the benefits and challenges of parametric design were discussed in Chapter 3. For some
practicing architects, the reason why parametric design Is Viewed as an exclusively distinct
approach is because of the certain advantages bestowed to them by this novel way of design.
Parametric design furnishes architecture with the ideas of designating constraints to optimize the
problem-solution space churning out a range of alternatives. It lays upon architects the ability to
engineer the design process. However, it leaves many issues unanswered. The main problem with

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this approach is the lack of a comprehensive methodological framework for design. This is especially
true in parametric platforms. These programs should be designed With a parametric approach, and
this requires a true understanding of this outlook by the developers of the package. In addition,
although parametric programs offer a robust and sophisticated platform, at the same time they bring
too much complexity, which in turn brings problems such as learning difficulties. The problem of
authorship, which is tangible among computational methods seem to be a serious concern here too.
Thus, notwithstanding many advantages of parametric design, these investigated obstacles act
against its promotion to a popular stance among architects.

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REFERENCES
Aedas. New headquarters Al Bahar Towers, Abu Dhabi Investment Council. Abu Dhabi 12.02.2012

Innovations in dynamic architecture, karanouh, abduimajid (Affiliations: [aj Faculty of Architecture&

Civil Engineering. University of Bath. UK [b] Ramboll Innovation Design & Facades, Department of
Computational Design and Construction, Hochschule Ostwestfalen-Lippe University of Applied
Sciences, Germany)

Modern-Construction-Handbook.pdf

Research gate publication : Architectural_Parametric_Designing

Kelly, D (2009) High Reynolds Number Tests, Shanghai Center Tower, RWDI, Guelph, ON, Canada
2 Poon, D (2009) Curtain Wall Support System, Shanghai Tower, TTE, New York, NY

http:/www.gensler.com/uploads/documents/shanghai tower facad e design process 11 10 2011.pdf

case study: shanghai tower, CTBUH JOURNAL 11 (2010):14 shanghai tower faced design process,
AIA, LEED

wfm media parametric-facade-design-technologies-indian-context

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