The Zahner Factory Expansion chosen is a steel factory. It was designed to allow a more open façade in order to allow people to see into the building, showcasing the steelwork within.

This parametric design is all about lines. These lines and curves are used in opposite axis’s to produce something that moves. The fins can also respond to different curves to create different facades.

The pseudo code written, to recreate the facade is:

  1. Make a series of curves on the y plane these will be the parameters
  2. Then make a surface on the y plane
  3. Divide the surface into points
  4. Make the surface attracted to the original curves
  5. From that surface contour a series of lines,
  6. Extrude those lines to create the lines of a fin
  7. Then extrude those surfaces to create three-dimensional fins
  8. Delete one side of the fins to have a straight surface in the back

This pseudo code can be used to create facades similar to the Zahner Factory Expansion.

The designs created using this pseudo code, are each different from one another. This was done by changing the colours of the fins. As well as changing the curves that the fins were attracted to.

The first pattern created using the code was the red one.  After that, the yellow was designed to have more similarity to the original building reference.

The blue façade was designed to try to look at different other designs this sort of pattern could create.

Zahner Factory Expansion Parametric Design is a project of IaaC, Institute for Advanced Architecture of Catalonia
developed at Master in Advanced Architecture, in 2018/19

by: Students: Holly Victoria Carton

Faculty: Rodrigo Aguirre, David Leon