HYPERBODIES: Complex Adaptive Dynamic Multi-Agent Systems (CADMAS) as Self-Sufficient Sustainable Environments of Inhabitance (SS SEI)

ABSTRACT:
Considering the question of sustainability and not only focusing in bio-climatic matters, a way of approaching this problem would be generating Complex Dynamic Adaptive Multi-Agent Systems (CADMAS) as environments of inhabitance. Not only because of the properties and characteristics mentioned in the paper of adaptive systems; able to shift and automatically adapt to their environmental conditions as represented in the work of Kas Oosterhuis. but also as a potential to grow by auto-re-generating processes. The much referenced term of ‘hyperbody’ used typically to describe a situation between the digital and the real, we feel is perhaps better suited to a concept of self sufficient sustainability, based on the CADMAS principal. This is the basis of sustainability in terms of self-sufficiency defined as ‘auto-poiesis’ (Maruyama 1963). The paper develops principals of this ‘hyperbody’ and through discussion of Complex Adaptive, Emergent, Auto-Reproductive and Auto-Organizational Systems, suggests principals for how a new kind of sustainable architecture might be derived.

HYPERBODIES: Complex Adaptive Dynamic Multi-Agent Systems (CADMAS) as Self-Sufficient Sustainable Environments of Inhabitance (SS SEI)

Draft outline and Progress

INTRODUCTION:

SELF SUFFICIENT SUSTAINABLE ENVIRONMENTS OF INHANTANCE (S-SSEI)
The argument of building sustainability could be simply defined as the act of producing buildings that can be maintained in their environments indefinitely. The various studies produced as a result of the visible signs that are highlighting stains that the increases in human population and energy consumption are placing on the environment. The visible effects (global warming and increased natural disasters said to be attributed to global warming), resulting global research and political summits, discussions and agreements, suggest that sustainability should be central to future architectural strategies. It is not the intention of this research to outline those discussions or pass judgment on aims of governments, developments or architects in their achievement (or not) of sustainable goals. Discussions about new forms of architecture must however consider sustainability as integral to proposed processes, theories and strategies, for them to be applicable to future. This paper attempts to search for new approaches to sustainability utilizing more dynamic approaches to the environment.

How sustainability is achieved in current approaches to sustainable design is however somewhere between science and intuitive knowledge. It could be argued that technological systems holds the greatest potential for 'bridging' this gap and creating buildings that are more intelligent and responsive to their environments. Intelligent facade systems (such as Jean Nouvel's Arab Institute, Sir Norman Foster's Reichstag museum) achieve a basic level of interactivity between building and environment, but only on a basic 'single interface' level. There is a programmed input (track the sun) and single output (move to block the sun). In terms of the complexity of interface systems, these examples are simple and do not allow for any future adaptability, interaction between whole, parts, other systems and .


COMPLEX ADAPTIVE SYSTEMS (CAS)

Characteristics
• Auto-Organisation
• Auto-Reproduction (genetic re-coding)

Key Examples
• Kas Oosterhuis

Kas Oosterhuis understands architecture projects as hyperbodies in terms of communication and responsive actions, so that he defines swarm architecture as the one that is feed on data generated by social transactions. This kind of architecture could be understood as a hive mind of new transformation economy and also has the capability to react in real time. For Oostehuis architecture becomes the science of fluid dynamic structures and environments running in real time. He tries to come up with researching projects that explore practical possibilities by using parametric and genetic design principles to build real and physical inhabitance. This collaborative work based on parametric and associative tools makes buildings pro-active hyperbodies shaped as prototypes for fluid and dynamic structures to achieve environments in real time. Auto-organization by establishing feedback relationships between people and buildings is one idea that seems to be in Kas work. Nonetheless the auto-re-production and self-sufficiency in terms of sustainability is something missing in his buildings. In our opinion linking both auto-organization and auto-re-production would be a right choice to generate CADMAS (Complex Adaptive Dynamic Multi-Agent Systems) that can be used to figured out some sustainable and responsive strategies to build contemporary inhabitance.


Technologies
• Embedded Systems or Ubiquitous Computing
• MIT Media Lab


= HYPERBODIES:
(Other definitions of Hyperbodies)
(The goal of what we are researching here)
To combine the ideas of CAS, Auto reproducing and organizational systems, that can be seen in the work of Kas Oosterhuis and other architects, but focusing on new ways of producing sustainable solutions (of program and usage) rather than simple bio-climatic systems.

BA3: Kas Oosterhuis interactive environment at Utrecht

The architecture of Kas Oosterhuis (ONL Architects), suggests Interactive Architecture (which he abbreviates to iA). Oosterhuis defines iA as an art of building 'bi-directional relationships' through the interaction of input, processor and output.

Parametric design processes allow architects to insert specific and variable environmental data and gain diversity results. Oosterhuis describes iA as, creating a "equal input (listening), process (thinking), and output (talking) of people as well as the built components of architecture." Through the efficiencies of CAM technologies, designers are now able to produce customised responses with comparable economies. Oosterhuis calls this approach 'non-standard architecture' (NSA), that are unique and produce manufacturing processes of ‘mass-customization’.

NSA provokes the disadvantage of mass production era to obtain a better response to individual variation. Each building component is uniquely produced and configured to the assembly method by the use of computerized documentation. The built environment is able to diversify in a more fluid or a natural-like way. Oosterhuis writes, “Repetition is no longer beautiful. In NSA the unique characteristics/ uniqueness/ unicity/ unity of the components is felt as natural, logical and beautiful”

The project is a combination between varied uses of public hardscape and a commercial space. A showroom that submerge in between a 1.5 kilometer strip of a sound barrier in the city of Utrecht, Netherlands. The showroom ‘Hassing Cockpit’ displays luxurious cars with a 5000 square meter building is placed along the side of A2 highway containing large continuous floors of display space sitting on top of workshops and garages underneath. The design concept derived from the studies of car, boat and airplane spline and morphed with a flow continuous 'dike' form with seemingly no start or end points. Sections of the dike change as a result of the different functional scenarios, from straight erected to concave. The acoustic barrier smoothly curves around a showroom space and turns again into convex glass wall. Finally it ends with the flip to a horizontal plane.

Each part of the structures, joinery and its envelopes were documented with a single computer model, linked with output fabrication documentation processes. He calls it as a ‘file2factory’ in order to directly describe all the parts built in a pre-fabricated manner ready for production. The efficiency comes from a means of design and documentation linked (and at one) with the means of describing fabrication.

BA2: (Re)Inventing Materiality - ETFE (Tefzel): Beijing & beyond

Skin or structure? What is so remarkable about the use of EFTE (Tefzel) in the Beijing Olympics Swimming Stadium (the Watercube) by Arups and Australian Architects Peddle Thorp Walker (PTW), is the ability of the material to act as a primary structural element, lightweight skin, green material, fire resistant and remain faithful to the design intent all at the same time.

Contemporary architectural material expression could be seen as a homogenisation of surface and structure, all folding together. The play of materiality seen in the work of late post modernist architects that separated skin & structure, wall and roof, has generally disappeared. The challenge for EFTE is to act in all of the above and adapt for variations on the building (there are 7 variations of bubble forms), including as a roof without change in material or appearance (and to withstand snow loads).

Using the metaphor of the soap bubble structure (explored originally by Frei Otto and rediscovered by Irish Professors of Physics at Trinity College, Weaire and Phelan) the building consists of an inflated cavity structure of bubbles 3.6m thick into a space frame structure 177m x 1771m x 31m high. The skin is inflated, such that the tensile strength of the bubble enables it to resist the loads on the building. Previously EFTE has been used in nuclear power plants, space technology & underwater, but owing to its translucent appearance and high strength (10x stronger than other fluropolymers) was the appropriate choice for Beijing.

2-4mm thick sheets of EFTE is ‘tailored’ like clothing to the bubble profile (possibly computer controlled laser cut which would give this material great potential for non standard geometry applications), inflated and continually kept under pressure to keep the bubble shape. The material has excellent insulative properties, the ability to resist temperature extremes (considering China has a temperature of -30C in winter) and readily admits daylight, so that it saves on both lighting (55% saving) and heating (30% saving) requirements. Nothing in the company websites comments on the environmental impact of the material manufacture.

BA2: (Re)Inventing Materiality - ETFE (Tefzel): Beijing & beyond

Artificial Trees-3.10

NEC - Go to enter



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Artificial Trees-3.8

Greg Lynn's processes use complex natural morphologies and geometries to inform and mutate the architecture and spatial dynamic.



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Artificial Trees-3.7

The duality between natural and artificial is no longer useful to understand the way of producing knowledge in our world. Instead of this, Enric Ruiz Geli´s proposals hybridize both categories to generate a non-artificial but also non-natural tree by using digital tools. The aim is to reach the advantages of natural and artificial matter by scripting instead of using metaphor as an argument.

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Artificial Trees-3.6

Complex Systems are those in which you cannot understand the information of each component by having a look at the whole stuff because each part contains additional hidden information that cannot be understood at first sight. Adaptive ones are able to react just to fit if the initial conditions change, so that Complex Adaptive Systems seems to be a very nice choice to develop projects.

Artificial Trees-3.5

Create your own ‘Digital tree’ by typing our URL in the box exists in the link


‘Tree’ is a translation program that reads algorithm and turn it into an artificial tree.




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Artificial Trees-3.4

Toyo Ito’s work is Tod’s building at Aoyama, Japan uses tree translations. The building facades are the ‘Elm tree’ silhouettes as a metaphor reflection of the existing trees on well-known Omotesando Avenue where it locates.



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Artificial Trees-3.3

Shape is not only a matter of design but also the result of acquiring meaning and establishing suitable relationships between parameters to organize properly the information. In this sense, scripting means a very powerful way to generate shape.

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Artificial Trees-3.2

‘L-systems’ is a system of mathematics that allows botanists, mathematicians and other professionals to formulate an understanding of natural (and repeating) geometries. Through Mandelbrot natural thing contain a mathematical logic. This logic can be applied to creating digital trees, enhanced through computational processes. Could this approach be applied to architecture?

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Artificial Trees-3.1

Mandelbrot created mathematical equations to provide define seemingly complex and random natural geometries. Through computational processes to produce a larger scale of patterning, Architects using L-Systems aim to look beyond the boundaries of literal representation of trees.

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Artificial Trees-2.1

scripting__________ NEC__________Mandelbrot ______________






_______MVRDV_________







___________mathematical patterns_________________ toyo ito







___________________________Greg Lynn









complex adaptive systems ___________________digital trees








_____________artificial trees







_____________________________Eric Ruiz-Geli________

Artificial Trees Post-1.1