Ruisi Guo

Improved modeling by applying different surfaces on Absolute World Towers

This project 2 is based on the first project. I apply different surfaces on the project1 surface by paneling tools, which is one kind of parametric tools to create and manipulate rectangular grids, attractors and support creative morphing of parametric patterns.

Processes

The steps include defining the tower surface, attractor curve and the module-list.

I start the definition with a surface reference component and select the tower surface from Rhino.

The next step in to feed the surface into a grid by surface Paneling Tools component. In this case I chose the grid by domain number.

Once I have the grid, the next thing to do is to offset in a direction normal to the surface. To do that, I need to calculate the normal direction at each grid point, by using ptCoordinate component in Paneling Tools.

The next step involves creating attraction field (grid of weights) to feed into the paneling component.

To build the controllable modules, first I draw a rectangle in grasshopper and find the center point of it, which also act as the center point of the circle. And then I defined if the radius of the circle is larger than the 1/2 length of the rectangle, the circle will not be shown. Finally I loft the rectangle and the circle and extrude it.

Finally I input a list of modules, distributing the list of components on the grid using attraction values.

Results

By different attractor positions

By different module's dimensions

By different module's shapes

Project Video

Parametric Modeling of Absolute World Tower, Canada

1. Case Study

The project name is Absolute World Towers, which is a residential condominium twin tower skyscraper complex in the five tower Absolute City Center development in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada. The two towers that I chose to rebuild is Absolute World 4&5, which has a different angle in every floor.

2. Design Intent

The purpose of this design is to control all the variables of the building, such as the height of floors, the number of floors, the rotate angle of floors, and the width and height of the balcony. By controlling these variables, we can have a better solution of how to orientate buildings, and how many floors are appropriate.

3. Build the Parametric Form

3.1 Create an ellipse in grasshopper and give it two radiuses. Move the ellipse along the Z-axis with give distance, which can be controlled by the number slider.

3.2 Rotate each floor by applying the Bezier Curve. Extrude the curves to get the result. The angle of each floor and the position of the twist part can be controlled by the number slider and the graphic function.

3.3 By using subtraction to create a roof which has a different floor height with other floors’. Extrude the curves to get the result.

3.4 Offset the boundary of the floors in order to get the edge of the balcony. By dividing the curve into several segments and interpolating the break points, I can have several individual glass fences. Extrude the curves to get the result. Number sliders can control the offset distance, the fences height, and the number of divided segments.

3.5 Cluster all of the operations except for the controllable variables and the results. Do final modifications to the building - rotate it into an appropriate angle.

3.6 Apply this model to another building (Tower 5). Move and rotate it into an appropriate position.

4. Create the Parametric, Physically-Based Model

Baked the Grasshopper model into the Rhinos. Find the edges on mesh by Weaverbird and add a spring to it. Use Kangaroo component to simulate the surface.