1. Pattern
CONTENTS:
- Emergence of Patterns
- Definition of Pattern
- Lets get inspired: Patterns in nature
- Why do we like them so much?
- Design DIY: In a search for a pattern using scripts as a tooling device.
- Fabrication technologies.The types of tools and technologies architects most frequently use for
the digital fabrications of their designs.
- Conclusion
Amiina Bakunowicz: Pattern
2. "The world is not a collection of objects. It is a network of relationships"
-- Paul Davies, Physicist
Emergence of Patterns
Agency and its agents, ABM, self-organisation, stigmergy and swarm contain patterns in their
structure, behaviour and operation. They are all examples of how patterns emerge - from
inseparable relationships between the context (environment) in which the pattern resides, its
architecture (form), and its dynamics (function).
For example, every stigmergic system has its functional pattern or in another words a
"coordination of tasks". Without this pattern the system wouldn't be able to survive. One of the few
features of the stigmergic system is that system's individuals need only a few elementary rules,
which create a behavioural pattern of the members of the system.
A self-organising system has a pattern that forms without a central control mechanism or external
influence. Instead it is formed via interactions on a local scale, with each part of the system
knowing nothing of the global effect of these interactions. Patterns develop as a result of a
systematic interaction of its component parts. This "self-organization" is an emergent behavior
caused by the actions of all individuals within the system acting upon a fixed set of rules without
guidance of any leaders.
Amiina Bakunowicz: Pattern
3. Definition of Pattern
In both Nature and Architecture we mostly use the term Pattern to describe the following instances:
●
●
●
●
a repeated decorative design
an arrangement or design regularly found in comparable objects
a regular and intelligible form or sequence discernible in the way in which something happens or is done
a model or design used as a guide in a specific process
The Variety of Patterns in Nature
Amiina Bakunowicz: Pattern
4. Branches
1. Vascular patterns
2. Fractal branching
3. Winding and turning
4. Physiographical Configurations
5. Filices or fernlike formations
6. Squeeze patterns
7. Collocation of elements around center
4. Coastlines, snowlines rvier networks
1. A single brain neuron
2. A cauliflower curd
3. Section of brain
5. Frosty traceries
6. Hele-Shaw Cell experiments
7. Aggregation forms around
a nuclear center, snowflakes,
bacterial growth
Amiina Bakunowicz: Pattern
5. 1. Surfaces of diamonds, cone shells of tropical seas
Shapes
1. Triangular Formations
2. Spots, Speckles,Scrawls
3. Angulated Patterns
2. Magmatic rocks, eggs of most groundnesting birds, wing cases of insects
3. Crystalline forms of river ice, finely laminated structure of clay shales, acid crystals Bakunowicz: Pattern
Amiina
6. 1. Marble
Nets
2. Leaf
1. Breaking and separating
2. Vascular patterns
3. Cellular
4. Crackle, shrinking patterns
5. Polygonal, geometric quasi regularity
6. Colonies
3. Active layer of tree cells
4. Ceramic cracks, parched earth, dried out
paints and gels
5. "3- connected" joint network of lava basalt, film of
soap bubbles between the plates, spider web
6. section of the stalk of a
dead nettle
Amiina Bakunowicz: Pattern
7. Waves
1. Patterns of motion
2. Aggregation of elements
3. Release Patterns
4. Wormlike arrangements
5. Winding and turning forms
6. Propagation around centers
7. Labyrinthine or maze patters
8. Cloud-like formations
9. Ripples and dunes
10. Sediment erosion patterns
11. Spirals
12. Colonies
1. Flock of birds
3. Ink in water
2. clustering on the
surface of the liquid
4. Marine vegetation
5. Meandering great river
6. Agate stone, Angelfish
8. "Mackerel sky", metal impurities in jaspar
7. Fingerprint
9. Water ripples and Mars dunes
12. Malachite stone
10. Sediment erosion
11. Shell of Nautilus
Amiina Bakunowicz: Pattern
8. Complex
1. Shapes and Branching
2. Waves and Branching
3. Lichenlike growth and waves
4. Shapes and Branching
5. Branching and Angulated Shapes
6. Nets and Waves
2. Migrating Bacteria
and many other.....
1. Nanocrystals
4. Crusts of gallium oxide
5. Frosty traceries
3. Lichenlike growth and waves
6. Ermine Moth web weaving
Amiina Bakunowicz: Pattern
9. Why do we like patterns so much?
There are certain cross-disciplinary principles of design, that explain partly what we feel intuitively and
cannot fully understand when it comes to design considerations. I have applied these principles to the
analysis of visual qualities of patterns trying to explain why the patterns are so attractive to us. Generally
speaking, when the group of elements is perceived as apart of one whole united by various qualities then
its unit is aesthetically pleasing. Below the list of such qualities that can unite a group of elements.
However the question arises : do we like all nature-looking objects and patterns because of certain
perceptual rules OR because these rules were originally derived from nature?
Gestalt principles of perception:
Closure - a tendency to perceive a set of individual elements as a single, recognizable pattern, rather than
multiple, individual elements.
Common Fate - elements that move or have a pattern of movement in the same direction are perceived to
be more related than elements that move in different directions or stationary.
Good Continuation - elements arranged in a straight line or a smooth curve are perceived as a group,
and are interpreted as being more related than elements not on the line or curve.
Law of Pragnanz - a tendency to interpret ambiguous images as simple and complete, versus complex
and incomplete.
Proximity - Elements that are close together are perceived to be more related than ones that are farther
apart.
Similarity - elements that are similar are perceived to be more related than elements that are dissimilar.
Amiina Bakunowicz: Pattern
10. Other Universal Principles of Design:
Affordance - a perceived property in which the physical characteristics of an object or environment influence its function.
Alingment - the placement or elements such that edges line up along common rows or columns, or their bodies along common center.
Anthropomorphic Form - a tendency to find forms that appear humanoid or exhibit human-like characteristics appealing.
Chunking - a technique of combining many units of information into a limited number of units or chunks, so that the information is easier to
process and remember.
Classical Conditioning (Pavlov) - a technique used to associate a stimulus with a unconscious physical or emotional response.
Color - Color is used in design to attract attention, group elements, indicate meaning, and enhance aesthetics.
Consistency - the usability of a system is improved when similar parts are expressed in similar ways.
Contour Bias - a tendency to favor objects with contours over with sharp angles or points.
Perceptual constancy - the tendency to perceive objects as unchanging, despite changes in perspective, lighting, color, or size.
Exposure Effect - Repeated exposure to stimuli for which people have neutral feelings will increase the likeability of the stimuli.
Fibonacci Sequence - a sequence of numbers in which each number is the sum of the preceding two.
Form Follows Function - a debatable concept that beauty in design results from purity of function as at the same time function follows form in
nature (if it follows anything at all).
Golden Ratio - a ratio within the elements of a form, such as height to width, approximating 0.618.
Modularity - a method of managing system complexity that involves dividing large systems into multiple, smaller self-contained systems.
Modularity is a structural principle used to manage complexity in systems.
Ockhcam's razor - simplicity is preferred to complexity in design.
Scaling Fallacy - a tendency to assume that a system that works at one scale will also work at a smaller or larger scale.
Self-Similarity - a property in which a form is made up of parts similar to the whole or to one another.
Uniform Connectedness - Elements that are connected by uniform visual properties, such as color, are perceived to be more related than
elements that are not connected.
Amiina Bakunowicz: Pattern
11. Design DIY:
In search for a Pattern
There are several algorithmic techniques to develop a pattern that later can be translated into
an architectural piece. Each of these "can be used to describe and simulate certain natural
phenomena in the world" (Tooloing byArand/Lasch)
1. Spiraling
2. Packing
3. Weaving
4. Blending
5. Cracking
6. Flocking
7. Tiling
4.
1.
2.
5.
3.
6.
7.
Amiina Bakunowicz: Pattern
13. Sectioning Method of taking numerous
cross sections through a form
at disegnated interval.. This
method uses a series of
profiles, the edges of which
follow lines of surface
geometry.
Le Corbusier, the roof of
chapel at Ronchamp, 1954
Frederick Kiesler, Endless
House, 1960
GREg Lynn,Artists Space
installation,1995
SHoP Architects, Dunescape, 2001
Berkeley/Lisa Iwamoto,
Digital Weave, 2004
Martti Kalliala, Esa Ruskeepaa,
Martin Lukasczyk, Mafoombey ,
2005
Example of cutting sections
using contour command in Rhino
William Massie, Urban Beach,
2002
Alan Dempsey and
Alvin Huang,(c)space,
2008
Amiina Bakunowicz: Pattern
Greg Lynn,
Transformation of
Kleiburg Housing Block,
2007
J. MAYER H.
Architects, Seville
Parasol building, 2011
BIG, natural history museum,submitted
for competition 2012
14. Buckminster Fuller and Shoji
Sadao,U.S. Pavilion, 1967
Tesselating -
method of
collection of pieces that fit together without gaps
to form a plane or surface.
Huyghe + Le Corbusier, Puppet theatre, 2004
Fabio Gramazio & Matthias,
"The programmed Wall", 2007
Thom Faulders Architecture,
Airspace Tokyo, 2007
Peter Macapia/labDORA,
Urban Pavilion, 2007
Peter Macapia/labDORA,
Swarm Architecture, 2009
Amiina Bakunowicz: Pattern
15. Folding
turns a flat surface into a
three-dimensional one. This
technique is used not only for
making form but also for
creating structure with
geometry.
Walter Netsch/Skidmore, Owings
& Merrill. Air Force Academy
Cadet Chapel, 1962
Office dA, Fabricating
Coincidences,1998
FOA, Yokohama International Port
Terminal, 2002
Haresh
Lalvani/AlgoRhythm
Technologies. InterRipples
Ceiling System
IwamotoScott, InOut Curtain, 2005
Atelier Hitoshi Abe,
Aoba-tei, 2004
Chris Bosse, Digital Origami,
2007
Amiina Bakunowicz: Pattern
AEDS/Ammar Eloueini, Nubik, 2005
Tom Wiscombe/EMERGENT,
Dragonfly, 2007
Chris Bosse/PTW
Architects,Watercube, 2008
16. Contouring
is a subtractive process that
reshapes this surface and
creates a three-dimensional
relief by removing
successive layers of
material.
Golden
Fort,
Jaisalmer,
India, 1156
The contemporary carving tools: CNC
routers and mills
Greg Lynn, Showroom,
Stockholm, Sweden, 2000
WILLIAMSON Chong,
Door with Peephole, 2004
Urban A&O, Bone Wall, 2006
Wall Panel Systems
Amiina Bakunowicz: Pattern
17. Forming
is a technique that
generates multiple
parts from a small
number of molds or
forms.
Harrison & Abramovitz the
Alcoa
Building, 1953
KDL/MAC,
Ost/Kuttner
Apartment,
1997
Hans Scharoun, the Berliner
Philharmonie, 1963
Andrew Kudless/Matsys, PJWall, 2006
GNUFORM, NGTV, the
private bar ,2005
PATTERNS, with Kreysler &
Associates, UniBodies, 2006
Heather Roberge, Satin Sheet,
2007
Heather Roberge, Shiatsu,
2007
Florencia Pita, Alice, 2007
Amiina Bakunowicz: Pattern
18. "Textile
Computing"
Jeremy Magner, Bespoke House
is a technique based on creating
computing designs through
materail systems based on
continuity, where everything is
interrelated through interlacing
patterns of various figures
(brading, chrochet, macrame,
knitting, weaving, etc.)
Erasmus Ikpemgbe, Balloon House
Youngjin Yoon, Bubble Stitch House
Amiina Bakunowicz: Pattern
19. Contour Crafting Machine, 2008
3D Printing or Contour
Crafting
is a process of making 3D solid
objects from a digital model. 3D printing is achieved using
additive processes, where an object is created by laying
down successive layers of material.
Andrea Morgante,
Radiolaria
Pavillion, 2011
François Roche of R&Sie;(n), Museum
of Ice, in design stage
Jenny Sabin, greenhouse
the “Cabinet of Future
Fossils” , 2011
R&Sie(n), New
installation at the Musee
d’Art Moderne, Paris
Amiina Bakunowicz: Pattern
20. "Architectural patterns have a broad and deep lineage, and one should not expect them to have any welldefined, unitary function. As patterns evolve they acquire new functions and lose their prior functions, or new
functions are superimposed upon older ones. Patterns might serve purposes of decorative enhancement,
feature accentuation, camouflaging, totemic identification, semiotic differentiation, or any combination of
these."
Patrik Schumacher 2009, p.30
Patterns in nature are a series of connected relationships, therefore they tend to be highly complex. The
reasons for this complexity, according to Geoffrey West, are:
●
●
Patterns are highly complex systems, based on historical contingencies, that can usually be described
only as "course grain" behavior.
There is a huge number of sub-agents exhibiting self-organization that produce emergent properties at a
system level.
However, Can the use of Technology and Patterns in architectural design lead more easily to "Lazy
Architecture"
VS
Unknown
Peter Macapia, Performa Pavilion
Amiina Bakunowicz: Pattern
21. References:
Anonymous. (). Pattern Concept – Various. Available: http://oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/pattern.
Last accessed 25th November 2012
Ball P., The Self-Made Tapestry: Pattern Formation in Nature, Center "Leo Apostel", 2001, OUP Oxford
Wade, D. Li: Dynamic Form in Nature, 2007, Wooden Books
Lisa Iwamoto, Digital Fabrications: Architectural and Material Techniques , 2009, Princeton Architectural Press
William Lidwell, Kritina Holden, Jill Butler, Universal Principles of Design, 2010, Rockport
Lars Spuybroek, Research & Design: The Architecture of Variation, 2009, Thames & Hudson
Tracy B. Henley , B.Michael Thorne , Connections in the History and Systems of Psychology, 2004, Houghton
Mifflin
Benjamin Aranda, Christopher Lasch, Tooling, 2006, Princeton Architectural Press
Schumacher, P. 2009, Parametric Patterns. Architectural Design 79(6), p.30
Bill Graham. - Available: http://www.patternsinnature.org/Book/UnderstandingPatternsInNature.html. Last
accessed 10th December 2012