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Emerging Form: Design and Fabrication Based on Topology Optimisation | 浮现成形:基于拓扑优化的设计与建构
Computational Design | Physical Workshop | English | Asia-Pacific
Description:
Key Words: Topology Optimisation,Emerging Form,Computational Design,Spatial Structures
Required Skills: Advanced Rhino, Intermediate Grasshopper
Required Software: Rhino, Grasshopper, Ameba, ZBrush, Rendering software,Adobe PS, AI & ID
Required Hardware: PC (windows system)
Maximum number of participating students: 25
Since the introduction of computational-aided design technology into the architectural design at the end of the 20th century, human beings have gained form-finding capacity with more freedoms and creativities. In recent years, along with the completion of some architectural projects with organic and intricate forms, a new question has been raised: Can architects use the “morphological evolution” method to intelligently generate emerging architectural forms inspired by the same way nature does?

Fortunately, the topic in the structural field, named topology optimisation, creates the possibility of this strategy. The strategy aims to find the solution with the highest structural performance under certain material limitations by removing or adding material elements step by step. The cutting-edge method founded by Mike Xie, BESO, has been approved through the evolutionary simulation of the hanging apply shape and Passion Façade of the Sagrada Familia church by Mike Xie & Mark Burry 15 years ago.

Thus, this kind of new approach to generative architectural design will be introduced in the workshop. Students will be trained to develop their architectural design skills by applying the topological optimisation (BESO) software called Ameba. The concept of topological optimisation and the inspiration of natural morphological evolution will be run through architectural form-finding. Students will be required to complete a series of architecture/architectural components design and optimisation individually or in pairs.

During the workshop, students are expected to gain knowledge of basic methods and strategies for form-finding by the BESO method; research on the lightweight spatial structure design and its method of fabrication; experiment on designing and optimisation of spatial structures by using the newest Ameba 2.0; assist instructors in building up the physical pavilion/installation in Tongji campus and set up the exhibition physically and virtually.

Teaching Assistants:
Chengbi Duan & Suyi Shen & Zhuoyuan Feng

Ameba Team:
Wei Shen, Qiang Zhou, Yuan Yao
Schedule:
Jun 25 - Jul 1
  • Day 1 / Jun 25

    10:00 - 16:00 (GMT+8:00) Beijing,Shanghai

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    22:00 - 04:00 -1 (EST)

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    04:00 - 10:00 (CET)

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    10:00 - 16:00 (China)

    Session 1: Lectures by Professor Mike Xie, Dr Nic Bao & Dr Xin Yan; Session 2: Basic Theory of BESO method and Ameba tutorials
  • Day 2 / Jun 26

    10:00 - 16:00 (GMT+8:00) Beijing,Shanghai

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    22:00 - 04:00 -1 (EST)

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    04:00 - 10:00 (CET)

    |

    10:00 - 16:00 (China)

    Session 1: Ameba form-finding & modelling exercise; Session 2: Review & develop the design exercise
  • Day 3 / Jun 27

    10:00 - 16:00 (GMT+8:00) Beijing,Shanghai

    |

    22:00 - 04:00 -1 (EST)

    |

    04:00 - 10:00 (CET)

    |

    10:00 - 16:00 (China)

    Session 1: Ameba form-finding & modelling exercise; Session 2: Review & develop the design exercise
  • Day 4 / Jun 28

    10:00 - 16:00 (GMT+8:00) Beijing,Shanghai

    |

    22:00 - 04:00 -1 (EST)

    |

    04:00 - 10:00 (CET)

    |

    10:00 - 16:00 (China)

    Session 1: Review & develop the design exercise; Session 2: Students assist instructors in assembling pavilion/installation
  • Day 5 / Jun 29

    10:00 - 16:00 (GMT+8:00) Beijing,Shanghai

    |

    22:00 - 04:00 -1 (EST)

    |

    04:00 - 10:00 (CET)

    |

    10:00 - 16:00 (China)

    Session 1: Review & develop the design exercise; Session 2: Students assist instructors in assembling pavilion/installation
  • Day 6 / Jun 30

    10:00 - 16:00 (GMT+8:00) Beijing,Shanghai

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    22:00 - 04:00 -1 (EST)

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    04:00 - 10:00 (CET)

    |

    10:00 - 16:00 (China)

    Session 1: Finalise final design and prepare exhibition; Session 2: Students assist instructors in completing pavilion/installation
  • Day 7 / Jul 1

    10:00 - 16:00 (GMT+8:00) Beijing,Shanghai

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    22:00 - 04:00 +29 (EST)

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    04:00 - 10:00 (CET)

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    10:00 - 16:00 (China)

    Session 1: Final Presentation and Review; Session 2: Closing Ceremony & Exhibition Opening
Instructors:
  • Yi Min 'Mike' Xie RMIT University,Distinguished Professor
    Professor Yi Min 'Mike' Xie is the founding director of the Centre for Innovative Structures and Materials (CISM) at RMIT University. Currently he is an Australian Laureate Fellow and an RMIT Distinguished Professor. His team pioneered evolutionary structural optimisation (ESO) and bi-directional evolutionary structural optimisation (BESO) methods, which thousands of engineers and architects worldwide have used to design novel structures, including several landmark buildings. Professor Mike Xie is a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Technology and Engineering. His research impact in the field of structural optimisation has been recognised by the 2017 AGM Michell Medal and the 2017 Clunies Ross Innovation Award. In 2019, he was recognised in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List and appointed a Member of the Order of Australia (AM), for “significant service to higher education and to civil engineering”. In 2020, he was awarded the Victoria Prize for Science and Innovation. In 2022, he received the Sir John Holland Civil Engineer of the Year Award. Professor Mike Xie has published two research monographs, over 500 journal articles, and conference papers. He is one of the most highly cited researchers in his field, with over 24,000 citations. Professor Xie has collaborated with a wide range of local and international companies, including Boeing, Arup, Aurecon and TYLin. Professor Mike Xie's team founded and developed Ameba, a topology optimisation software tool used widely in architecture, design and engineering, enabling users to enhance their creative designs and accelerate product development.
  • Ding Wen ‘Nic’ Bao RMIT University, School of Architecture and Urban Design,Lecturer in Architecture and Architecture Technology Course Coordinator
    Dr Ding Wen 'Nic' Bao is a Lecturer, PhD supervisor and Architecture Technology Course Coordinator at RMIT University School of Architecture and Urban Design. His research explores design methodologies for establishing a complementary relationship among architecture, computational design, structural engineering, behavioural algorithms, robotic fabrication, additive manufacturing, and intelligent construction. He has published over 40 papers, including high-impact journal papers, book chapters, and conference papers. He is also an editorial board member of two international journals, Architectural Intelligence and Sustainable Structures. Nic completed his PhD in Civil Engineering & Architecture at the Centre for Innovative Structures and Materials, School of Engineering and School of Architecture and Urban Design, RMIT University, where he received the 2021 RMIT Excellence Award & Prize for Research Impact. He also holds a Master of Architecture from the University of Melbourne and a Bachelor of Architecture from RMIT University in 2012. Nic Bao is an award-winning architect who holds Australian and US Registered Architect, and UK RIBA Chartered Architect. He worked as a project architect for several Tier 1 Australian architecture firms, including Bates Smart, Fender Katsalidis, etc. Currently, Nic is the director of B&W Architects and Wonderform, co-founder of FormX, and partner of Ameba. He received the Young CAADRIA Award, MUSE Design Awards, Grand Prix Du Design Paris Gold Award, IAI Design Award and A’Design Award. Nic is a committee member of the Australian Institution of Architects, Education Committee and Design Technology Advisory Group, an officer member & chair of the award of CAADRIA, a committee member of DigitalFUTURES and a key organising member of IASS 2023 Symposium. Nic’s work has been exhibited widely, including Hong Kong Business Design Week, Melbourne Design Week, Venice Biennale, Shenzhen Biennale, Barcelona IASS Expo, etc. He has also been invited as a jury critic, guest lecturer, and PhD examiner in numerous international institutions, including UCL Bartlett, ETH Zurich, Tsinghua University, University of Michigan, Tongji University, etc.
  • Xin Yan Future Laboratory,Post-doctoral Researcher
    Dr. Xin Yan is an architect with comprehensive background of mechanics and computer sciences.Currently, he is a post-doctoral researcher at Future Lab in Tsinghua University and Co-founder of FormX Lab. He received his Ph.D of architecture and Urban Design and master of architectural and civil engineering from University of Chinese Academy of Sciences (UCAS) at 2022 and 2016 respectively. He graduated from theoretical and applied mechanics at University of Science and Technology of China (USTC) in 2013. In 2019, he also carried out his research work of Structural Topology Optimization at Centre for Innovative Structure and Material (CISM) in RMIT University, Australia. Besides academic publications, Dr. Yan has participated in several exhibitions, such as IASS Barcelona, Shenzhen Urban Biennale, Beijing Design Week, and Digital FUTURES in Shanghai. Dr. Yan has also received the Grand Prix Design Paris (GPDP) - Gold Award, MUSE Design Award and IAI Architectural Design Adward in 2021, First Prize of 3rd Chinese Structural Optimization and Additive Manufacturing Competition in 2019 and 5th International 3D Printing and Design Competition in 2020. His research interests include digital humanities and smart city, structural form optimisation and design, Intelligent fabrication, complex architectural geometric and construction optimisation and architectural tectonic history.