THE DRIVERS FOR THE INVESTIGATION OF DYNAMIC BEHAVIOUR

Performance

As the aim of resource savings of both energy and material is the motivation behind the investigations, the notion of ‘performance’ is introduced. Enhanced performance through the dynamic principle should lead to beneficial solutions in regards to climate-adaptability.

The term ‘performance’ can be affiliated with different meanings (Performance | Cambridge English Dictionary 2016):

1. [entertainment] the action of entertaining other people by dancing, singing, acting, or playing music 2. [activity] how well a person, machine, etc. does a piece of work or an activity

Throughout the PhD thesis, the terminology of performance is used regarding the meaning of beneficial ability. Performance relates here directly to the enhanced capabilities through the implementation of foldable elements. The principle of folding is investigated and evaluated to add valuable properties to achieve a performance-oriented architectural design. Instead of favouring a maximum of freedom in the architectural design process and expression, performance-oriented design is about justifying the effort by the performance enhancement.

Grobman argues for three dimensions of performance in architecture:

the empirical, the cognitive and the perceptual (Grobman and Neuman 2012:10). While the empirical performance is to evaluate as physical data by computational simulations or measuring equipment, the cognitive and perceptual dimension are far more complex to grasp.

This project focuses on the empirical and measurable dimension of performance. However, the dynamic aspect is central and required a far more advanced and multi-faceted approach. The role of [adaptable]

geometry, as well as kinematic behaviour and materialisation of the folds, are selected as areas of investigation to enhance theclimatic performance for foldable architectural elements.

Layered multi-functionality

In the idea to increase [the dynamic] spectrum of performances towards climate-responsiveness with the folding principle, another notion is introduced: multi-functionality.

Selected materials or material compounds can fulfil several purposes at the same time. This ability makes them not only efficient but also effective.

As to be seen in the ideation scheme¹³ [fig.1.15], a sequence of steps consecutively adds performances to the origin of a sheet material, which transforms into a multi-functional responsive element. It occurs in the first step by adding supplementary abilities through a folding process to the geometry of the surface. In a second step materiality is utilised not only reactively, but also in an active way. The material becomes a medium for intervening and changing the surrounding microclimate. In the last step, the kinematic ability to adapt the shape is utilised. The sheet of material [compound]could then be considered smart [‘multi-functional’], as the shape as well as the functionality is modifiable. Implementing ‘smart’ material¹⁴ (Addington and Schodek 2004:79) offers the potential to be responsive to the environmental

13 The ideation scheme is based on the original graphic from (Sack-Nielsen 2014:732), fig.2 ‘Processing adaptability with folding’

14 (Addington and Schodek 2004:79) defined ‘…five fundamental characteristics, distinguishing a smart material from the more traditional materials in architecture: transiency, selectivity, immediacy, self-actuation and directness.’

sheet of raw material [1]

raw material folded + multifunctional

raw material folded + multifunctional materi-als applied + kinematics [1+2+3+4]

Process of gradually enhancing climate-responsive behaviour through folding interactive + ability to shading + acoustic capacity

becoming interactive in the ability to sense the environ-ment and to adjust to it

active [multi-functional]

regardless [non-functional]

Scheme adapted from paper...

[shape] [materialisation] [kinematics]

passive [functional]

fig. 1.15 Ideation scheme Process of gradually enhancing climate-responsive behaviour through folding

changes, due to e.g. sensitive surfaces or material embedded reaction patterns which physically can be used for actuation purposes. The component can emerge from just being smart [multi-functional] to be tailored ‘intelligent’ regarding its auto-responsive behaviour.

Stacking and merging adaptable materiality in layers seems a promising way to approach a climate-responsive behaviour. The idea and vision of layered multi-functionality were already described in 1981 by Mike Davies in an article about an ideal ‘polyvalent wall’

(Davies 1981) [fig.1.16]. He called it ‘a wall for all seasons’. This ultra-slim façade construction embedded energy harvesting as well as layers of actively sensing and adapting glass technologies (Addington and Schodek 2004:166). Davies´ vision can be seen as ‘driving force for new façade technologies… over the last decades’ (Knaack, Klein, and Bilow 2007:89).

The surplus value of addressing multiple adaptive functions within one component can be summarised with the notion of ephemeralization, coined by Buckminster Fuller:

“The benefit of an active sustainable system is that it can intelligently combine the resources of a number of systems so that when working together, the individual elements or systems achieve more than the sum of their parts” (Fox and Kemp 2009:115)

Materialisation of folds

The PhD project investigates on how a merged [layered] materiality could be introduced, transferring the folding principle into materialised matter and providing dynamic behaviour.

Applying materiality to folding principle leads to the challenge of adding a physical thickness to a mathematically considered zero-thickness of a fold. It contains the task that design solutions had to be investigated and developed to enable thickened sheet material to become foldable and to provide a kinematic ability.

Solving foldability within the given materiality follows a tendency, described by (Fox and Kemp 2009:226) as ‘…the beginning of a paradigm shift from the mechanical to the biological in terms of adaptation in architecture can be seen as the end of the mechanics.”

This development opens for new approaches to dynamic architectural design and new fabrication technologies.

fig. 1.16

Schematic representation of the ‘polyvalent wall’

(Davies 1981)