Forces of Nature: Rooftop Garden

Objective:
Through the use of Kangaroo in Grasshopper, create a live, interactive installation for the IAAC rooftop. Create a simple interface whereby people can manipulate the installation through sliders in “Game Mode”.

Inspiration:
Inspired by bringing nature into the city and making use of rooftop spaces, this installation looks to create a garden to attract biodiversity. Creating a structure that can expand and contract to suit the needs of plants could allow plants to grow over and through a gridshell structure.

Creating the Base Geometry:
The base geometry was inspired by domes like the Eden Project. In this design, there is one main central space for people to sit and relax under while the smaller domes create more protective spaces. The idea is that the smaller domes can be opened and closed depending the needs.


Model Deformation:
Depending on the needs of the space and the types of plants chosen to grow the structure can inflate or deflate by changing the loads. The central funnel can be manipulated to serve the needs. If there is a lot of rain it can be made wider, or smaller if there is no rain. By adding more anchor points to the outer edge of the structure, the form alters slightly and becomes more dome like.

Kangaroo Behaviours to Vary:

  • Number of Anchor Points Controlling the Size of the Central Funnel
  • Number of Anchor Points for the Arches/Openings
  • Load
  • Bending of the Outer Edges

Visualizing Data:
Through analyzing the normals of the mesh through colours, we can see which elements have the same normals. Depending on the type of mesh or resulting mesh structure the colours vary accordingly. The biggest variations are seen when the structures anchor points are manipulated and the loads are varied. As the smaller structures becomes more dome-like more green and yellow appears. Overall, the differences are very subtle.

 

Catalogue of Forms:

Final Form

By changing the sliders listed below, the installation’s can vary in form and size:

  • Number of Anchor Points Controlling the Size of the Central Funnel
  • Number of Anchor Points for the Arches/Openings
  • Load
  • Bending of the Outer Edges

As well as changing the form, it impacts the data visualised through the colours.

Video:

The video below shows how the form can be manipulated in “Game Mode” using elements from Kangaroo.

Forces of Nature is a project of IaaC, Institute for Advanced Architecture of Catalonia developed at Master in Advanced Architecture, in 2018/2019 by:
Students: Fiona Clara Louise Demeur
Faculty: Rodrigo Aguirre
Student Assistant: Daniil Koshelyuk and Nikoleta Mougkasi