April 26, 2011

I have experienced modeling the Salk Institute designed by Louis Kahn in the Revit as my first project of Building Information Modeling (BIM). In the project 1, I have designed a parametric model for the windows which can be considered as main architecture feature of Salk Institute. I have created an adoptable family which can act in both width and height. Also, the elements of this window have mathematical relationship, and through changing one of these items, all of the other elements such as the area of glass part, number of array, and the frame width can change

Figure 1: Salk Institute

Figure 2: Divided panels

 

Through learning the C# and API programing, I have been encouraged to add more feature to this family for the project 2. Adoptability of the shading area and having the smart windows are main concepts of this project. The shading part of this window has been divided to two different parts included different materials: the wood squares and glass squares.  

Figure 3: Room in different sizes

Figure 4: Part of the plan of Salk Institute

As shown, the shading part has 25 squares and the idea is controlling the transparency of this window in two different ways. 

 

My idea is to control visibility of these squares' materials and make a relationship between the number of glass parts of this window and the room area. As shown, the idea is that rooms in different size and same width should not have same amount of sun light, and through this windows design, we can have a balance between glass parts and wood parts depending on the room size.

Figure 5: Using API programming for controlling the amount of light in each room

Figure 6: Using API programming for controlling the amount of light in each room

Figure 7: Using API programming for controlling the amount of light in each room

Figure 8: Using API programming for controlling the amount of light in each room

Figure 9: Using API programming for controlling the amount of light in each room

Figure 10: Using API programming for controlling the amount of light in each room

Figure 11: Using API programming for controlling the amount of light in each room

Figure 12: Salk Institute

Figure 13: C# partitions

 

Figure 14: C# partition 2

Figure 15: C# partition 3

Figure 16: C# partition 4

Figure 17: Exterior view

Figure 18: Interior view

Wednesday, March 23, 2011
ARCH 653 Project 1
Salk Institute, Louis Kahn

Description

Figure 1: Salk Institute, www.archdaily.com

The Salk Institute designed by Louis Kahn is located La Jolla, California. Kahn was commissioned to design the Salk Institute in 1959 by Dr. Jonas Salk, inventor of the polio vaccine. Salk’s vision included a facility with an inspiring environment for scientific research, and Kahn’s design decisions created a functional institutional building that also became an architectural masterpiece. His scheme became a symmetrical plan, two structures mirroring each other separated by an open plaza. The buildings each have six stories, with the first three floors containing laboratories and the last three with utilities. These spaces are connected to protruding towers that contain spaces for individual studies linked with bridges. The towers at the east end of the buildings contain heating, ventilating, and other support systems while at the west end the towers are six floors of offices that all face the Pacific Ocean, providing a warm tranquil setting for concentration. The separation of the laboratories and the individual study spaces was intended by Kahn, establishing the different activities. Due to zoning codes, the first two stories had to be underground, sinking the laboratories in the courtyard. In order for these spaces to receive ample sunlight, Kahn designed a series of lightwells on both sides of each building that were 40 feet long and 25 feet wide. The materials that make up the Salk Institute consist of concrete, teak, lead, glass, and steel. The open plaza is made of travertine marble, and a single narrow strip of water runs down the center, linking the buildings to the vast Pacific Ocean.  A person’s view is then directed towards nature, reminding people of their scale compared to that of the ocean.

Reference: www.archdaily.com




Parametric Modeling

Figure 2: parametric modeling of the window 

In the modeling of the Salk Institute, I have tried to design a parameter for the main concept of Kahn. I have realized that modular windows with shading parts are an issue that affects the skin of this design profoundly. In my parametric model, I have designed a window that can be adopted for all parts of this big building. Salk Institute has different heights in its levels. I tried to define a parameter that could be adopted  in both height and width, especially where the spans in which

windows are used, are completely different

. Having different   detail   in this  window 

was the point that  encourages me to make

connection between these items.

Figure 3: Examination in different proportion

First of all, I have tried to make relationship between the window’s width and the proportion of glass part and shading part. It is linear relationship related to the whole window frame’s width and width of glass part of window.

Figure 4: Examination in different proportion

The next was relating the height to number of shutter. I wrote formula for the number of array which relates the number of the shutter to whole height of window.

Figure 5: Examination in different proportion

Finally, I tried to design this parameter in the Revit as a adoptable window that has the special design, appropriate material and changeable in width and height.

Modeling Process

The plan of Salk Institute is a modular plan and has special architecture feature in each module. This project was my first experience in modeling a complete project in Revit. I have faced many problems while creating this model that I mention some of most challenging of them.

Figure 6: Exterior render

• Through my advisor recommendation, I tried to start this model in the Revit instead of CAD. Very big size plan of this building in different level caused many problems in terms of managing the wall in different floors.
• Some parts of the stair box had special design that I drew them as a mass, and making the connection between the masses and the walls and stairs was so challenging.
• I had topography and different pavement floor in my site and I had many troubles in connecting this outdoor floor to building pad and site topography.
• I had problems in creating mass for all of the water in this project. Although in comparison with other software such as 3D MAX, making water is more easier, controlling the water masses can be considered as one of demanding part of this project.
• Rendering, especially in interior views, was one of my big challenge in this project. I have tried several times for checking the light or other elements in each render. 

Figure 7: Exterior Render

Figure 8: Exterior render

Figure 9: Exterior Render

Figure 10: Interior render

Figure 11: Interior render