BENV2426

INTRODUCTION

“Sydney council has taken heed of popular opinion that the Toaster apartment at Bennelong does not enhance the character of the harbor and has flagged the building for deconstruction”. Considering on the “topology in architecture”, Toaster apartment will be replaced with another architecture that will focus on element of the aquatic and the parkland behind the site.

OBJECTIVES

The purpose of this study is to have better architecture that will complete the environment of the site. The site is one of the places representing Australia with Opera House and Harbour Bridge which is a popular tourist destination.

Using the technique of “Topology in Architecture”, character of harbour and parkland will be both covered. Topology in architecture is the “study of the behaviour of a structure of surfaces subjected to deformation”.

Method of inquiry used will be firstly building architecture that does not cover the view of Opera House and Harbour Bridge when viewed from the exit of train station. This is because most of people start to walk off from station as that is like an entrance of Circular Quay. When the design of building is set, by playing with geometry’s deformation from one point to another, both element of being aquatic on one side and parkland on the other will be achieved.

TOPOLOGY

Is Topology in architecture process or product that influences the design of architecture?

Topology can be both process and product. When the topology in architecture are presented physically (non-interactive) by the deformation in design, forms and pattern, it is considered to be “topological in process” as deformation were done while constructing architecture. However, if the deformation could still be made even after the constructions are fully done, digitally (user-interactive) through computer systems, it is considered to be “topological in product”.

TOPOLOGY IN PROJECT

The use of graphing in grasshopper that controls the surface of building is a start of topology in architecture.

I have decided to divide building into 3 parts which are water side, walkway and bush area for the deformation of geometry to happen starting from one end to another. Also by having architecture to be built over water is for the use of water reflection on building in daytime and building’s reflection on water at night time which is another use of ‘topology in product’.

Deformation of geometry was achieved through the use of surface morph technique in grasshopper. Deformed geometry represents the balcony area of the apartment.

ITERATION

Twelve iterations paired up to 6 sets.

Left column shows 6 different iterations controlling on the points before lofting two set of curves. Use of graphs on surface, in grasshopper, gives variety of surface architecture which is one of topology in architecture.

Right column deals with deformation of geometry from one point to another. Use of surface morph controlling on heights to a given shapes created on rhino shows the deformation of geometry. This is done by dividing the surface lofted. Deformation of geometry is the representation of topology in architecture.