ARCHITECTURAL ASSOCIATION SCHOOL OF ARCHITECTURE VISITING SCHOOL /// (Su(pe)rReal)

Location: Tsinghua University, Beijing, CN

Timeline: 18 – 26 January 2014

Programme Director: Li Qun Zhao

Beijing Coordinator: Chang Qiang

Visting School Director: Christopher Pierce

Unit 1 Tutors: Agata Kycia, Xin Wang

Students: Gaby, Junlin Lan, Shuman Wu, Su Yang, S.Y. Liu, Victor, Xian Zheng, Yufang QI, Zhendong Huangfu, Ziyi Huang

Description: SuperReal is about the manipulation of the mass information in the Big Data Era. Due to the development of multi-media technologies, everyone has submerged in the data ocean. Data could be generated by anything surround us. Instead of generating forms and effects, the key of SuperReal is, how we can parameterize the information mapping, regardless visible or invisible, with visual communication. Various multi-media tools will be used in data collection, processing and presentation. The workshop will start with exercises of data mapping and visualization through parametric modeling tools.

(source: https://www.aaschool.ac.uk/STUDY/VISITING/beijing)

The topic of the AA Visiting School in Beijing 2014 is  (Su(pe)rReal) oscillating around manipulation of mass information in the Big Data Era. The programme consists of two Units:

Unit 1// Design Via Perspective_Computing visibility by Agata Kycia and Xin Wang focused on visual perception as the main design driver, exploring potential of visibility computation and data processing.

Unit 2// Lost in SOHO: Attraction & Distraction by Shuai Feng (Foster &Partners, London) and Di Ding (Zaha Hadid Architects, Beijing) investigated potential of real-time pedestrian simulation in the design process.

UNIT 1: 
Information era opened up a whole new spectrum of how to visualize and process data, influencing the way we think and design. Available computational techniques allow us to represent complex phenomena, both the quantitative hard facts and the invisible, qualitative relationships.

Both studios were accompanied by a series of guest lectures, workshops, technical trainings and field trips. More information about the Beijing Visiting School you can find here.

Unit 1 aims at challenging the traditional sequence of the design process. Design concepts were developed and evaluated through visibility computation, exploring potential of data processing.

Taking the SOHO complex as a research target, the unit explores information flow and data visualization techniques. The studio aims to establish an interactive, heterogeneous system through manipulation of real information.

The studio is further divided into 2 stages:

Stage 1: Real-time data visualization – Data collection & processing

Formulating a design intention determines which type of data to collect and record. Depending on the chosen concepts, dynamic relationship models are constructed through most suitable visualization technique. This process of “revealing” data aims at visualization of emergent configurations generated by the space itself. The discoveries should be able to inspire and inform further design proposals at a diagrammatic level. Data visualization techniques are being explored not only as representation tools, but as integrated parts of the design development, focusing on their inspirational potential and creative use.

[pic. Real-time visualisation studies]

Methods for testing and representing the developments involve real-time simulations, information modeling and data mapping techniques. The main design tools are Processing and Rhino (Rhinoscript/Grasshopper).
[pic. sequence of the visualisations in time as a response to accumulations of represented data]

[pic. Visualisation group_A][pic. different visualisations representing one data set]

[visualisation adapts in real-time to the swarm particle simulation]

Stage 2: Visibility computation

How can we analyze and represent what a person sees within a given space? How can this information be used to create communication patterns? Focus of this part is development of a design methodology that would control human perception in a given space. Depending on human flows and density patterns we study various aspects such as spatial organization, orientation and communication, all from the perspective of human perception.[pic. 2D visibility studies ]

[pic. degrees of visibility depending on the distance and curvature of the elements that are looked at ]

[simulation of different visibility fields given certain space and obstacles]

[pic. Visualisation group_B]

And a few images from the process, technical training sessions, site visit and final presentation:

More information about the Visiting School you can find here on the Architectural Association School of Architecture Website.