Class Notes

I. Review of student projects

II. Fractals & Recursion

A. Yale website with natural and mathematical examples (see Mandelbrot artcle in the course disk)
http://users.math.yale.edu/public_html/People/frame/Fractals/

B. Michael Frame on Benoit Mandelbrot and Fractals
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bz8NJ7ZVXwQ

C. Fractals in Architecture:
Ron Eglash inspired architect Xavier Vilalta (TedTalks)
Iranian vault patterns

D. Fractals and Self-similarity in Grasshopper

1. Iteration in Grasshopper (Without scripting) |
   https://heumanndesigntech.wordpress.com/2010/08/13/iteration-in-grasshopper-without-scripting/
   Andrew heumann explains the concept of recursion with Grasshopper examples.
2. Fracture Hopper demonstrates common fractal behaviors.
3. Anemone creates fractals and recursion
4. Nudibranch creates fields, allows particle tracing for rain, etc.

III. Browse Zygote Quarterly: a great source to understand biomimicry process and see beautiful drawings
https://issuu.com/eggermont/docs

Latest issue 15:2
A. Digital drawings of plants

B. Steven Vogel on invention success vs failure:
– Is the device likely to work at a scale that is useful for humans?
– Can a version of the device be constructed by means that are practical for human technology?
– Might the device possibly offer some advantage in an application over what we currently use, or might it offer some entirely new and attractive capability? (compare existing market)
– Can nature’s version be improved upon either in fuctional effectiveness or in ease of manufacture by some alteration in the design such as using materials and components specific to human technology?”

C. Steven Vogel on why solar panels shouldn’t look like trees

D. Back issues are really great too:

IV. Grasshopper Examples:
Flying –
– Series to create freeze frame motion > slider bar
– Graph mapper for flight path
Kangaroo
– Points > Particles with mass and velocity
– Lines > Springs from Lines
– Meshes > Springs from Mesh, Wind for Mesh

I Homework review

Matching Data structures
Mode Lab Grasshopper Primer. F 3.5 & 3.6

Grasshopper Primer

David Rutten’s Grasshopper3d Data Tree Masterclass

II. Inspiration Presentation : Zandra on Doris Sung Kim’s Breathing Wall and Living Architecture.

III. Discuss: How can ideas about genetics and evolution contribute to design thinking?

Evolution of eyes – National Geographic Magazine

A. Evolution of Eyes video by National Geographic
http://video.nationalgeographic.com/video/magazine/160115-ngm-evolution-of-eyes?source=searchvideo
Inside the Eye: Nature’s Most Exquisite Creation, by Ed Yong and David Liittschwager National Geographic Magazine
telescopes
Richard Dawkins’ Climbing Mountains Improbable

B. Switch Genes: What Darwin Never Knew
Galapagos finch beaks
Stickleback Abdominal fin
Embryonic timing of stripe generation Zebra

C. Programming Architecture
hit Blog for video on Coding Evolution (genetic algorithms)
Milos Dimcic has created Rhino GH tools for working with rain, structurally optimized voronoi patterns and sun shadows. Site includes visually impressive projects and animations about the software. Dimcic worked for Knippers Helbig and then completed his Ph.D. with Jan Knippers in Stuttgart and Kai-Uwe Bletzinger at Munich.

D. Metaball Explanation by David Rutten, GH author

For the Ambitious: Manuel De Landa on Genetic Algorithms and Architecture

Poetic lecture presenting a concise contemporary approach to design. Explains an approach of using genetic algorithms “to tease out the morphogenetic (formal) potential from materials”, the beauty of variety so that a specific instance can be fitted to circumstances. A world of flows and a network of local conditions rather than fixed euclidean frameworks.

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HOMEWORK

A. ** DOWNLOAD and Install Kangaroo Physics 2.02 and 0.099 from http://FOOD4rhino.com You must uninstall any old versions to make it work.

B. Work on Analytic Case Study for Final Project:

1. Clearly define a problem in a specific location.
2. Find an organism that thrives in that location.
3. Identify how the organism thrives:  Draw key aspects of the internal organization, membrane, external sensors and reactions to environmental stimuli, etc.
4. DIAGRAM key principles :  abstract the underlying ideas.

C. Read Turner’s Bones, Vogel’s Cat’s Paws and Catapults (Ch.3-5) from the Course Disk : easy and fun.

—
Addison : swarm intelligence
Langdon : leaf veins / dragonfly veins as a building membrane
Zandra, Max, Connor (frog skin, snow aggregation, breathable surface)

Isabel and Iryna:  Responsive solar shading

Challenge:

1. curve that grows and unfurls

2. tree

Focus: simulating growth, using tools like graph mapper for adjustable designs

3. Graph Mapper
4. Adjustable Towers
5. Fractals : branching

6. (if time allows) Metaballs

I. Inspiration Presentations (10:00)

• Addison
• Isabel

II. Homework (10:20)

III. Genetics (10:40)

Evolutionary Development Master Hox genes turn on genes that create parts of the body. Chicken Teeth can be created when latent extinct genes are accidently activated:

John Conway’s Game of Life video showing the simplest computational genetic system (3:30 min.)

Fractals and Recursion

III.  Marziah Rajabzadeh and Modi Marizad of ZAAD Studio (11:00)
RECOMMENDED:

Prof. Robert Sapolsky on Emergence and Complexity explains mathmatics in the context of biological phenomena: how simple mechanisms can create complexity.

John Frazier’s Evolutionary Architecture

Physical computing: interaction creates electronic connections between modules > Skylar Tibbett’s project to embed intelligence

Concept of creating many unexpected variations

Genetic algorithms create rules for creating the next generation and then making a selection of survivors. (Natural articulated rules vs. Artificial selection through intuition).
Convergent vs. Divergent solutions

The Development system reads the environment and the genes to create results which provides feedback to both. The Genetic algorithm determines how the child variants are created from the parents and how results are sorted.
It has to be a consistent system generating reliable results

I. Nicole’s Presentation

II. Review Questions
How could you use Grasshopper to create the following? (see Series.GH)
1. Convert Celsius numbers to Fahrenheit
2. Points in a diagonal line
3. Points along a parabola
4. Rotate a point around a circle: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ohp6Okk_tww

III. How can a point rotating around a circle generate interesting adjustable form?
A. Circle_Forms
B. Spiral > Spiral Shell > Voronoi Shell
C. Treety

IV. Paneling Tools resources
Ladybug > BoxMorph widgets : Solar Radiation gives a value to each part of the mesh

V. Evolution and Developmental Biology

Sean Carroll Endless Forms Most Beautiful – Ch. 1 on the course disk
Nova: What Darwin Never Knew: Nova Dec 21, 2011
Sean Carroll’s explanation of Genetic switches is highlighted in the sidebar as a segment

• What is Evo-Devo?
• Guess the Embryo
• Zoo of You: resemblences between human and animal biology

10:00 Connor presentation w discussion

10:30 Pinup homework / review solar skin approaches

10:50 Introduce New Assignment: GROWTH – Capturing Change

11:00 SYSTEMS THINKING
1) What is a system?

(from Daniel Kim’s Leverage Network:  https://www.leveragenetworks.com/learn/systems-thinking)

• Purpose
• Parts contribute to the purpose
• Organization and roles make the system work
• Stability through feedback

See Donella Meadow’s book Thinking in Systems: a Primer (e-book available through UO Libraries)

2) Thermostat as Balancing Loop

3) Dieter’s dilemma – Oscillation
Reading Causal Loops: https://www.leveragenetworks.com/reading-causal-loops

4) Are these systems?

• a piece of paper
• a car
• a stop sign
• a bowl of fruit (see Daniel Kim Reading)

5) Reinforcing Systems: Positive comments, Negative snarks

6)Cybernetic Correcting Systems: https://vimeo.com/41776276

7) Natural Nitrogen Cycle: closed loop
Artificial Nitogen Cycle: reinforcement of fertilizer use > eutrefacation

8) Unintended consequences: Kangaroo vs. Sheep

9) ACTIVITY: Dryer example: What are the hidden costs?
Autodesk Whole Systems and Lifecycle Thinking Curriculum:  http://sustainabilityworkshop.autodesk.com/products/whole-systems-and-lifecycle-thinking

10) A Systems Story (Love) video
https://youtu.be/rDxOyJxgJeA